The Eagle's Cup :: VI :: Rosters, RP, Scores

[Eagles Club]

... After spending 6 World Cycles as the reigning champions of the Eagle's Cup, the time finally came for Nephara to defend their title. At the time they made their name on the world stage as Eagle's Cup champions and the first new inductee to the Eagle's Club in a generation or more, Nephara were just an up-and coming force on the international scene. Now, they return to defend their Eagle's Cup title having since been crowned World Cup Champions. Fans packed the stadium in Portsgate for an all-Esportiva clash between Nephara and fellow Eagle's Cup V veterans San Jose Guayabal to get the Eagle's Cup VI competition kicked off.

At the same time, fans in Turori - winners of Eagle's Cup III, poured into the Almintora National Stadium which had the honor of hosting the Unified Sunrise Islands who were being introduced on the pitch for the first time ever as World Champions, having just claimed the World Cup 75 title. The match potentially represented the first time that the reigning Cup of Harmony and World Cup Champions immediately contested their first competitive match following their titles against each other. The rest of the opening round Eagle's Cup matches would follow soon after the final whistles in Almintora and ...

^{MATCHDAY 1}

Group A
Turori [1] Unified Sunrise Islands [0]
Vilita [2] Tumbra [1]
Group B
Nephara [2] San Jose Guayabal [2]
Cosumar [1] Super-Llamaland [0]
Group C
The Holy Empire [3] Valanora [2]
Zwangzug [2] Bonesea [2]
Group D
Bedistan [2] Royal Québec [1]
Osarius [3] Chromatika [1]

Note: Scorination will proceed at intervals a minimum of 24 hours apart, with some windows that may stretch up to 48 hours as estimated in the opening post. As such, Matchday 2 scores will be posted approximately 36 hours after the Matchday 1 scores were posted.

[Zwangzug]

To our foreign correspondents: here's a slightly out-of-date (we dunno about the neighboring countries, they come and go, but the cities should all be right!) map of Zwangzug, including incredibly-high-quality MSPaint mountains. The Rackham Range is the one in the west that runs north-south; the stadium isn't exactly in a city, but would be somewhere in the rough vicinity of Outrive. We apologize for the inconvenience, but not really.

Kylie--

You asked me to keep an eye on things against Bonesea in case there was trouble, but actually things went fine and mostly everyone there was excited to witness some semblance of national-team football at Wayr Stadium. Well, excited and in some cases a little disappointed at both sides' capacity to hold a lead.

Zwangzug got off to a good start, with Shayna Nelson taking the lead off a long pass from Caleb Upsil-Coyne. She continued to look for opportunities to attack, and actually got called offsides a couple times, not like it was difficult because the "trap" was her and Shilling Blue side-eying each other a lot until he sprinted forward like a couple of steps. So then there was the matter of either side trying to find opportunities to attack, with their seven attackers mostly staying out of the way with Zwangzug's, uh, five midfielders. There wasn't a lot of engaging each other directly so much as long stretches of passing the ball back and forth among teammates.

It was Marouaine Shanty who eventually took the initiative to muscle past Ogechi Guttuso, setting up Chilli-Bean Acosta outside the box, and Acosta dribbled forward for the equalizer. All credit though to the visitor's "stormtrooper" for being prepared to increase the game's physicality, at least to a level the hosts weren't initially prepared to match. (I must concede I don't understand the allusion, does it have something to do with the catchiness of the fans' chants? I don't particularly care, but maybe you've run across it in your research.)

After halftime, coach Pythagoras Jones--himself no square--went to the bench for his first substitution. To be fair, this was a pretty difficult feat as the bench was kind of blocked by the remnants of a dozen game programs issued to the players, which Medda Brown had crumpled up and erected into a scale replica of his club stadium (but he's doing it ironically, ironically!) Youngster Ogden Hocking was clinging to the team's allotted remainder, presumably because they had staples in them, and after exacting a promise from his manager that he could hold onto the connective whatsits (maybe he did it ironically), was able to replace a fatiguing Conchobar Wickett. Somehow or other this paid off, because shortly after he converted a short pass from Tuw Turk and gave Bonesea the lead.

It didn't last; maybe ten minutes later, Komala Kristinsdottir was able to break free and deposit a shot beyond Nancollas Smith's reach. To be fair, Bonesea never changed course from their attacking strategy, and even for the window when they had the lead were never about to park the metaphorical bus. On the...same hand, actually, I'm getting the impression Smith doesn't take a standard approach to parking the literal bus to begin with.

Anyway, there were a few substitutions on both sides, yet mostly exhausting retreats to the formations that didn't lead to any back and forth. Both sides finished a few bits short of an octet.

So we'll see about the return leg, but it could have been worse. Zwangzug, meanwhile, next have to travel to The Holy Empire for matchday two. That...I'm not scared about. I'm sure other people are. I mean, they are first seeds! No matter how much Apsar seems to think the team can handle any weather problems, a little worry about opponent skill caliber is only natural.

[Osarius]

"Serenity, what made you decide to stick with Mount Crown Stadium for the Eagle's Cup? Wouldn't it have been a good opportunity to get top level football into some other areas of the country?" Serenity knew this guy. Couldn't remember the name of the newspaper he worked for, but she knew it was one of those rags that championed the so-called downtrodden, the kind of people who readuly voted for those indulging in the most flagrant demagoguery. You know the type; "they took our jobs!" and the like.

"Mount Crown is home. It's our national stadium." Serenity replied matter-of-factly.

"Yes, but surely you can understand the desire of people in, for example, Applegrass, to see the national side more often?" He was like a dog with a bone. "And not to mention the shocking performances there over the last cycle..." He tailed off, the trap was set. 'He wants a reaction. Jackass.' Serenity thought. She had seen this many times before with her father, and as intimidating as she could be, she had nothing on him.

"Well... Honestly I feel like playing in any other stadium would be running away from the problems we had last cycle. That's not how I want to lead this team forward. It's not really my style." She paused. "Is it?"

"That's great, but it doesn't really offer much consolation to the people of Applegrass or Ikuturso, who are literally on the other side of the country. Even people from Firewood, your own hometown, would have difficulty getting to watch the Firebirds at-" She cut him off this time.

"True, but this is the nature of professional football." Serenity shrugged. "Look, I understand the frustrations, but thirty years ago, when we didn't have high-speed rail, people managed just fine. The OFA have lowered the ticket price, and there are travel schemes available. We've done what we can short of moving the matches to different venues. Which then poses the same problem, but to other people. Either way, someone has it rough. I'd like to focus on the team now, though, if you don't mind."

There was an awkward silence for a moment, as everybody took in what had just happened. She hadn't quite given him a reaction, but there was a flash of ... something.

"Serenity?" A woman spoke up.

"Yes, hi."

"Alison Canvey, I'm with Northern Herald. I was just wondering what your thoughts were on the Chromatik national side's mostly overseas-based status. We've seen in the past that the OFA likes to keep the most talented Osarian players here, and as the new Director of Player Development, this kind of policy falls under your remit, right?" Good question.

"Well, it comes down to two things really. Firstly, the quality of the league you're playing in, and secondly how often you play. Where you play isn't really all that important if those two points are equal, but of course, we have more scouts watching within Osarius, and you're more likely to develop a bigger profile."

"So you think having a largely overseas-based squad isn't a problem?"

"Right now, for us? I'd like a roughly even split. Our top teams are among the best in the world, but the league as a whole... not so much. While we were affiliated with LigAnaia, I would have prioritised LigAnaia based players, and the guys over in say, Nephara, assuming they had been playing regularly and well."

"I notice you have quite a few players in the squad who ply their trade abroad, is that a result of the split from LigAnaia?"

"Actually, you could argue the opposite. A lot of those players were promising young players who moved abroad because we were part of LigAnaia, and they wanted more regular football. No disrespect to the Chromatik league, but it was probably a bit easier for these younger players to go over there and make an impact. They've done that, and now I feel like they've earned a shot."

"So for Chromatika, do you think this will benefit them, given the status of their domestic league at the moment?"

"Overall, probably. But things are a bit different for them. I'm not going to pretend to understand the politics of it all, but they have several players in that squad who play in solid teams from strong leagues. That's a good thing."

* * * * *

Serenity wanted to be angry about the equaliser. She really wanted to. But it wouldn't be fair. The height advantage was too much, and Enzo Bianchi, gifted as he was, simply could not outleap Hellion on that corner. To her team's credit, they had got straight back to it. Daniele Gentile had simply ordered everyone back into position, and they had played as normal from kick off. No discernible difference in approach whatsoever.

But she sensed there needed to be one. Somewhere.

The ball rolled out of touch near the technical area, and she scooped it up. Ryan Watson was making his way over to take the throw. "Call Kyle. You go and split three and five." She told him, as he took the ball. "Need to make space for a second runner." The Hastmead winger nodded. He was a smart kid, which was zero surprise, considering he was raised by one of the best football minds the nation had ever produced. Watson beckoned Kyle Carter to take the throw and pushed up further down the line. Now Serenity had to wait.

In an ideal world, Kyle Carter himself would see the space created on the right flank, and overload. But Carter wasn't the most attack-minded of fullbacks, so Serenity didn't expect this. Instead, she was watching Isaia Urso. The playmaker loved to take players on, loved to dribble into the final third. If he saw the runs Ryan was making, he'd maybe drift over and attack from wide. Maybe.

Carter's throw went to Zapata, back to Gentile. The skipper put his foot on it, slowing the tempo for a moment, before threading a pass through to Montanari on the left. The Jungle Strike winger was blessed with pace and a great delivery, which he usually angled toward the back post. Not this time, Watson wasn't there, he'd already cut inside. Carter had seen the gap too late. 'Crap. They missed it.' Serenity groaned inwardly. Montanari's cross looked for Johnson, but was cleared easily.

Serenity turned on her heel and stalked back to the bench to sit next to Jordan Simpson.

"Isaia isn't looking wide." Her assistant muttered.

"Yeah. Not sure he will. They doubled up on Ryan so I thought maybe if we tell him to move central, he'd pull his markers with him and create space."

"Good plan. It would probably work if Isaia looked there. Chromatika don't think Ryan is a threat in the middle... and he's not. Not really."

"Yeah..." Serenity trailed off for a moment. "I have an idea. Tell Lloyd to warm up."

Jordan paused. "I think I know where you're going with this. He used to be a winger, didn't he?"

"Yeah. Tell Roque to have a word, too, will you?"

"A word? About what?"

"Oh don't worry. He'll know what to say."

"Wait... which Roque?"

"Don't be an ass. I said Roque, not Rock."

* * * * *

"Substitution for Osarius. Number ten, Isaia Urso is replaced by number fourteen, Lloyd Allen!" The announcer's voice rang out through the stadium, barely audible amidst the cacophony of conflicting crowd chants and cheers, whistles and jeers. 'Can't all be opposition fans doing that... apparently Isaia is more popular than I thought...' Serenity mused.

"Serenity," came a voice over her shoulder. It was Roque Urbina. "I'm sure I know what you're trying to do here, but..." He trailed off, and rubbed the back of his neck, looking at the ground to her right.

"You think Isaia should have stayed on?"

"Maybe."

"Roque. We're friends. Talk to me."

Roque sighed. "I think you're pushing the issue. It's only the fifty-ninth minute, there was plenty of time."

"Maybe. But you know me. I've never been one for waiting and seeing."

"I guess not. For what it's worth, I think your decision will work out, I just... I don't know how that will impact Isaia. If you're quick to chop and change, will you really be helping these guys relax and regain confidence? Worth thinking about, eh?"

Serenity paused. He had a point.

* * * * *

The match was over, and Osarius had eventually won comfortably, but there was a sort of hollow feeling that bothered Serenity. Outside the dressing rooms, she was milling around, talking to various dignitaries, press, other professionals. All the while hiding her feeling of unease. Roque's words echoed in her mind. "Will you really be helping...?"

"Boss." Serenity snapped out of her thoughts. Isaia Urso had come to find her.

"I was just thinking to come and find you," Serenity said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, wanted to have a word. Ask you something."

"W-why? Is there a problem?"

"Not at all. You did well, I just wanted to make sure you knew why I made the change."

"Yeah, I figured it out afterwards." He sighed heavily. "Kinda wondered why you didn't just give the instruction."

"Because you don't need instruction. I think this is part of the reason we've struggled lately as a nation. We've focused too much on the coaches, and not on the players."

"But if you're not telling me what I need to do..."

"It's because I think you can figure it out for yourself. And you did. It just took a bit longer than I wanted to wait. That's all." Serenity smiled. "You're still my main playmaker, I just need you to look a bit harder. Position yourself a bit better. Look at the bigger picture."

Isaia stayed silent.

"Look, speak to Toby. He'll be better at explaining what I mean." Serenity gripped the younger man's shoulder. "I know what it's like, remember. I was good at what I did because I could see what others didn't. That's the key to being a top class footballer, Isaia. Nothing else is as important, I promise you."

* * * * *

     Osarius   3-1   Chromatika
 Johnson 28'         Hellion 47'
   Allen 68'
  Zapata 76'

Player of the Match: Antonio Zapata (OSR)
  
OSR: Byrne; Simpson, Bianchi, Constantini, Carter; Gentile, Zapata (Rocha 81), 
     Urso (Allen 59); Montanari (Clementi 72), Johnson, Watson
CMT: Thorben; Ellen, Aart, Stef, Morningstar; Liam, Hellion, Kelly; Antonio, Quren, Rien

[Tumbra]

Blue Lions fall 2-1 to Vilita; Pandon injured, Alexander scores

- First Eagle's Cup match ends in defeat
- Henry Pandon injured for rest of tournament
- Robert Alexander with controversial headed goal

YEADDIN, VILITA - Tumbra's Eagle's Cup campaign got off to a very rough start as they lost to Vilita 2-1 at Lirai Asku Castle. The defeat sees the Blue Lions fall to the bottom of the group, beneath the Unified Sunrise Islands who surprisingly lost to recent Cup of Harmony champions 1-0 at Turori.

The match got off to a quiet start, with there not being much action from both sides. Nili Ylimaiina (Vilita) broke the deadlock with a 35-metre goal from outside the penalty box in the nineteenth minute, before following that up with another goal, headed this time, on the twenty-seventh minute.

Henry Pandon was carted off, injured, after a heavy tackle from a defender in the second half while on goal. A penalty was then awarded, but it was saved by the Vilitan goalkeeper.

Robert Alexander then pulled one back for the Blue Lions in the eighty-seventh minute, but it was too little, too late.

Robin Stoff's tactics seemed to be out of touch with the playing style of the team. At times it seemed as if the Blue Lions wanted to break free of their current roles and play a fast, free-flowing game of football, as it had been under previous managers Jordan Fletcher and Colin Guthries, but the new, more cautious tactics may be a measure to prevent too many goals from slipping through the Tumbran goalposts again - an unfortunate malady which afflicted the team and saw the team infamously get the most draws in the whole of the World Cup 75 qualification cycle.

It is early in the Eagle's Cup, and there are still five matches to be played, the latter three of which will be at home.

"The odds are very much not in our favour"

So said Robin Stoff during the post-match press conference.

"We knew that before we arrived at this tournament that we would be the weakest side by far. Every single team apart from us is in the top hundred of the rankings, and we are but a measly 135th. We would do very well to come out of this tournament with any wins at all."

However, Stoff did not entertain the possibility of focusing on the Campionato Esportiva XVII, for which a Tumbran bid might be in the works.

"The thing is, we're here, in this tournament, and I'm not going to give up just because we have the winners of the World Cup and the Cup of Harmony in our group. We will take this tournament one match at a time, and while we might not always come out on top, we will know that we have tried, and we have given our best."

Stoff kept surprisingly mum when confronted with a question on Tumbra hosting the CE.

"Of course, hosting such a major tournament would be great for Tumbra. We've got the infrastructure, we've got the facilities, we're prepared to host any major tournament. But the matter remains that this would obviously be a very great undertaking for Tumbra, and the government is still deciding whether or not to bid for the tournament. So, yes, you might very well think that, but I could not possibly comment."

Tumbra's Top Performer: Robert Alexander

On a day when Henry Pandon was off injured and the team were not behaving like their usual selves, Alexander rose to the occasion and looked at home in Stoff's new system.

Vilita's Top Performer: Nili Ylimaiina

Ylimaiina managed to score two goals against perhaps a more lackluster Tumbran side, but his first goal was truly a joy to behold.

STASTICS

Possession

Vilita: 58%
Tumbra: 42%

Shots

Vilita: 12
Tumbra: 9

Shots on target

Vilita: 5
Tumbra: 5

Corners

Vilita: 3
Tumbra: 9

Fouls

Vilta: 7
Tumbra: 3

[Super-Llamaland]

CRISIS: Brandt Under Fire From Western Delegates

NEW LLAMA CITY -- Aaron Brandt, the president of the Llamanean Football Association, has come under heavy fire as of late. On Friday morning, reportedly hoping to "destroy the geographic walls that are beginning to enter the LFA", Brandt reportedly signed off on a new program, proposed by bureaucrats from the capital city, that would, over the next five years, phase out "Regional Offices", LFA offices in a specific region whose job was to facilitate certain procedures from their home region. Brandt's actions were motivated by the recent protests across the West, which many workers at Regional Offices took part in.

This appears to have the opposite effect as was intended. Instead, five Regional Offices immediately went on strike. One of them, based in Ruby Falls, the city where protests were based, released a statement claiming to speak for workers of all five Regional Offices, noting the most recent move as a "blatantly discriminatory attempt, fueled by New Llama prejudice against the Western cities, to consolidate power in our capital" and declaring that "We can no longer work for such an office in good faith." The statement also claimed that since Brandt's announcement, 30% of workers had immediately resigned and the rest gone on strike, although this could be exaggerated.

Brandt's response is unclear. New Llama native Michael Frandsen, recently appointed Vice President after the untimely death of Kristopher Wagner, publicly stated that the workers had resigned were hurting their home cities more than they were hurting the LFA.

The LFA's Eirelian president's stance is murky on the subject of the West. Before Wagner's death, the President was an avid proponent of "Stadia Integration", proposed by workers at a Regional Office in Wheathampton, half an hour's drive north of Ruby Falls, a policy that declared the LFA's intent to bring more competitive matches to the West. However, after Wagner's death, the President abruptly changed his mind, scrapping "Stadia Integration" for the status quo, a move that upset many within the LFA.

However, unless Brandt resigns or seriously messes up, there's not much of a chance Ruby Falls can topple Brandt, who is fairly popular with the East and the more moderate factions of the West. Still, the situation is something to be monitored.

---

Lineup to Face San Jose Guayabal: Bernholm; Strausberg, Lindberg, Ynoa, Sorenson; Candelario, Rasmussen, Adrian; Vorobyov, Penbrooke, Trevelyan

Getting the ball from the defense to the attack seemed to be an issue last match. Neither Kris Strausberg nor Michael Sorenson were particularly effective, and their absence from the defense forced Candelario back, as many feared. To make matters worse, Stefan Rinaldi, who was actually doing very well in his first cap, was taken off with a minor injury in the fifty-seventh minute and replaced with Harry Karjalainen, who did absolutely nothing.

This match, Strausberg and Sorenson remain on the wings, while Ynoa, who was brought on for Reichart late and did very well in tandem with Adrian Lindberg, is put in at RCB. Rinaldi is replaced with Reid Adrian, an underrated talent who's had a fairly good run in Ceni. And, in front, Sophia Trevelyan replaces a disappointing Francis Mandelbrot. Will the striker adapt to her spot on the wing?

[Chromatika]

Kéirâ Andìsorì had taken the news of Franscesca Cortes's death harder than most Chromatik players. Perhaps the exception to this statement being the duo of Meagan Kelly and Luuk Aart. She felt strangely responsible - as one of the Shadow Writers and the self-proclaimed Messager de la Paix (Messenger of Peace) - she felt that she could have done something to prevent the situation. However, there wasn't too much time to mourn, especially not when she learned about one Béâúñîä Añdìsörì.

All her life, Kéirâ had thought that she was on her own. Simply not being able to remember her parents made it so that she thought that they had passed, or even worse abandoned her. The very thought of there being possibly another Andìsorì was a shock. Béâúñîä, it had been reported, was seeking to play football overseas just like Kéirâ herself. Why was that so? What could drive Béâúñîä to such acts? Why was her name so... Farf?

She had actually asked some members of the Shadow Writers about some background information on this Béâúñîä. They identified her as someone with no parents, someone who also grew up in the governmental system. She apparently wasn't as smart as Kéirâ, a bona fide genius, but she was someone who got things done.

Could it actually be that the government had split the siblings when they were young? If so, for what reason? Just who were their parents? The discovery of Béâúñîä, it seemed, would bring up more questions than answers. Just what the hell was actually going on?

[Nephara]

THE BRINEMOUTH HERALD
YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY - HOW CHROMATIKA BECAME THE HUB FOR NEPHARIM FOOTBALLERS
by Geneva Schwarzer

Carrie Mason was just 25 when her career seemed to be heading towards journeywoman status. A Locksley youth product, she'd had a prolific loan spell in the lower leagues with Bodkin Road at the age of 19 to break through. She asserted herself as a striker slightly too good for the Second Division, a decent one-in-three striker in the First and had just seen through a two-year contract with Martella Jazz. Her reputation? Blinding pace, couldn't finish. She had other offers - some Second Division clubs wanting her to sustain a promotion push, a smattering from the second tier, one from the A-League... "But, I dunno. I guess something about Pùr's pitch really appealed to me. This very new league about to join UICA, club that wanted to make its mark... and I was going to be a key part of that."
Carrie Mason scored nineteen goals that season, establishing herself as one of the burgeoning competition's top strikers. And she didn't come along - Ryan Prescott, a centre-half released from Sabrefell Athletic without making a senior appearance for the club, played a key role in their survival. Silas Young (ditched by Strephonage) and Adino Eliot (of North Laithland) to Alnio. Sue Hackett, released from Corvette Maulers, to the Anomalies, scoring seventeen of her own. Rebeccaa Stenger and Simone Waehner, fresh out of the Parrhesia and Crisisbless academies respectively, proved valuable defensive reinforcements for Crossroads. Former Starling (among many others) centre-half James Doncaster was a bulwark at Wirr Tsi. Jade Meyer, formerly of Rochford, proved stalwart at rightback for Depri while another rightback, former Nephara international Rachel Kellen at Z'ai'ai, was arguably the greatest coup of all on paper. Taken on a free from Crisisbless United, Sebastian Evans wasn't able to keep Depri Lanar up - but his is perhaps the only story that wasn't a success. The others all stayed on another year.
More solid performances, and more contract extensions followed - especially from Carrie Mason, who netted 20, fired Pùr to the title and was given the Player of the Year award.
She's a surprisingly natural interviewee, meeting in a coffeehouse in Sabrefell - she always comes home over the breaks. She's never been the sort of player to get interviewed until now. "It's a good level," she tells me as I bring up her goal record. "The reason I hit form for the first real time here isn't because the defences are bad - it's a confidence thing. One came, then a second, then they just kept on coming for two whole years. Really, the level's similar to the First Division back home, but now you're seeing clubs make some real marquee buys. It's really exciting how far the league's come just in the past couple years."
How indeed. After a quiet transfer window a year ago Chromatik clubs have raided Nephara yet again - fifteen more have crossed over. One, former teammate at Martella Vanessa Booker, was recommended to take up Depri Lanar's offer by Mason herself ("though if she has a really good game against us I guess I'll end up regretting that," she admits wryly) while Pùr, as well as binding Mason to a three-year contract, has brought in the colourful Brinemouth trainee Ruby Coates. Chromatik have probably caught the most eyes by buying Tamika November and Solomon Harm at four million each, two Premiership-proven U21 international centre-halves to be the heart of their defence - while Garnet Langerak, a full international, has left for the Anomalies.
"Yeah, and these are guys, like, twenty-four to twenty-eight. It's not like they're retiring here." Mason, as ever, quick to chirp up.
But what about the other route? If Chromatika is an opportunity to succeed for many Nepharim at loose ends, what attracts Chromatik clubs to Nepharim footballers?
It's Carrie Mason's turn to moonlight as a philosopher. "I reckon it's cultural. Nepharim footballers are almost all working-class, we all went through an academy setting that taught us humility - you don't see that with too many modern foreign footballers. I was telling Fiacre [Bellerose, a Felixan forward at Pùr] about having to shine the boots and fetch the kits for the senior lads when I was an apprentice and she just kinda stared. But that's the way we're all raised."
Does money have anything to do with it? The Nepharim leagues are known for relatively low pay, manageable in Chromatika - and indeed high-profile players like Mason are earning the best wages of their life. "And when someone's paying you that wage, you're their man, on and off the pitch," says Mason. "Again, that's another cultural thing."
It isn't as though Nepharim have only just started to go abroad. It's these cultural values - professionalism, humility and skill - that have taken Nepharim abroad all these years. Most UICA leagues across the multiverse have at least one Nepharim plying their trade there, a rate of spread matched only by the proliferation of Semars. But none have gone abroad, all to one destination, in a wave like this before.
But the question remains, where next for Mason? Does she have her eyes on a return home, for a taste of the top flight? Rumours have been persistent, but she just smiles.
"Look, mate, talk to me _after_ the three-year contract runs down, yeah? Like I just said - I'm a professional."

[Northern Sunrise Islands]

"They screwed up, didn't they?" Leo sighed from the bench, staring to the players as the referee signaled the match off.

They did it! Of all the ways to start and a loss?
A freaking loss!?
We're cyborgs, we're supposed to win all this bollocks!
"It's the first time you people play together, no?" The manager noted, polishing her nails. "Think of this as a small training deal."
Is she kidding?
State of this trainer, who did she ever manage!?
"Don't worry, Leo. We'll win." Leona smiled, patting him on the head.
Leo pushed her hand off. "PISS OFF!" He darted angrily out of the field.
"..."
"Don't worry about my brother, ma'am." The girl sighed. "He's always like that."

How the hell am I even getting out of this place?
Hell, she didn't even play me!
Freaking Boone got a spot over me!
FREAKING BOONE!
That nerd!
He sighed, punching the walls of the locker room.
THIS WAS MY CHANCE!
MY CHANCE!
MY GODDAMN CHANCE!

----------

"He can't train today?" Ayumi stared, eyes wide open.
His sister nodded. "Yes. Noticed how he there were some marks on the walls when we were leaving the stadium? That was him."

Hurts so much.
Soooo much.
They're making these mechanic bits way more realistic than they should.
Urgh... And the ice burns.
Burns so bad.
It's beyond annoying.

Knock Knock.

"Piss off, sister."
A shaken, somewhat scared girlish voice replied the angered goalkeeper. "...Sorry."

That's Shannon Boone.
Long, brownish hair, green eyes, more caucasian skin, that was around the time they started to nail that down.
Personally, between you and me? Really don't fancy her.
So much crying.
Case in point.

She sobbed, trying to get more excuses out but failing.
Leo rolled his eyes. "Get over it."
"B-b-but... th-they said you we-were angry... b-b-because of me!"
Once again, Leo rolled his eyes. "Again. Get over it."
...
"I-I want y-you to be the keeper n-now."

Hallelujah, Lord Arceus in the heavens!
Finally some damn recognition.
You'd think they slot the older, wiser guy as the keeper earlier on this nuthouse.

"In fact... I-I talked with M-Mrs. Ayumi..."

So, she sent the keeper to tell how wrong she was.
Bitching.
Then again, the manager should as well have come to praise me instead.
I deserve it.

"B-b-but she said she w-w-wouldn't change."

...I BEG YOUR PARDON.
DOES SHE REALLY WANT THIS CRYING CAT OVER THIS ENGINEERED GIANT RIGHT HERE?
WHAT'S SHE ON?
CRACK?

"Y-y-you're injured... a-a-and too m-much of a... a..."
Leo stared at her, angry. "OH, COME ON. DON'T CHOKE NOW! SPEAK UP!"
"...a jerk!" She dashed off, still crying as she left Leo Currien alone on that hospital bed, his left arm (the non-cyborg one) on a cast.

----------

I've been sleeping since mid-afternoon.
No point on watching the TV. Everything they said there wasn't news anymore.
Nothing on the Eagle's Cup. The country had just won a World Cup, they didn't care.
The basketball team was doing somewhat well, but their game was only at night.
Soap operas weren't my thing.
And yeah, I did think a bit about what Shannon said.
...
And no, not going to change because of what some bird said.
I know people love stories full of heart but nah.
Still, I knew'd start at the team.
Just not the way I predicted.

"Wake up, son."

Doctor Ray Currien.
Head of the Project that gave me birth.
Said to be one of the finest scientists of all of the Sunrises.
Also adoptive father of ten children from the project.
Including me and my sister, Prototype 1 and 2.

"You still wish to be a footballer?"

I could only nod.
He smiled, holding a metallic arm on his hands.

"I've talked with the manager. We can get you back to the field."

Hahahah...
That's glorious.
Dad's the best, I tell ya.

"Sadly, however, you won't be able to play as a goalkeeper if I do heal you."

What?

"I made a deal with Ayumi and Ryo. You're able to play on the main team, but we'll need to switch your injured arm for a cyborg one and then you'll play at any other role. Except Goalkeeper."
"NO! MY CALL IS AS A KEEPER! IT'S THE ONE THING I DO!"
Ray laughed. "And here I thought you wanted to be a professional footballer. Oh, well. Send my regards to Leona."

...

"...I accept."

----------

Ayumi wondered in the middle of the field, staring the night skies. "This place is..."
"Beautiful, might be the word you want." Leona replied, sitting by the side of the manager, who had been laying down there for a while. "Aren't you married to Ryo Hibiki? Did he never bring you here?"
"I avoid from checking his enterprises." The manager said, her eyes still to the sky.

The wonders of the skies at Nova, the stars shining over the head.
And this was only 5 PM!

"And shouldn't you be resting for tomorrow's game?" She added. "I'm not expecting another loss."
"I decided that as the oldest member of this team, I'd be your guide to our stadium."
"But what about Leo-"
"Leo is an idiot." The young cyborg sighed after saying that about her brother. "And I say this as experience."

According to Leona, this was the National Stadium at Nova.
Twenty thousand seats, painted on a platinum tint.
The stadium also featured some sort of sky bridge, shaped like a tall building.
That way, anyone could leave the stadium for even higher places on the sky.
Gravity and oxygen were engineered by RyoCo just as well.
And this was the place the team would, possibly, get their first win.

[Vilita and Turori]

The Battle of the Cove Re-Ignited in Eagles Cup VI

After being thrust onto the International stage during World Cup 13 Qualifying, posting just 8 goals in 18 games and being shut out 14 times, the Vilita Jungle Cats quickly became one of the multiverse's most feared competition. After winning the Cup of Tardy for World Cup 13 and Cup of Harmony for World Cup 14 the Jungle Cats made the World Cup for the first time during World Cup 15.

The Jungle Cats appearance, however, was not the only thing happening in the Vilitan Cove during World Cup 15. Vilita's neighbor and former colonial territory, the Island Emirate of Turori, tossed their hat into the ring.

With a much more successful debut than the Jungle Cats, the Turori Eels were crowned champion of the Pre-World Cup 15 Baptism of Fire Cup - a claim that they will forever have over their larger, more decorated foes.

While Vilita did not perform particularly well during World Cup 15 they returned during World Cup 16 before getting a free pass to the World Cup 17 finals due to being the hosts.

For Vilita, it was the first World Cup hosted on their shores, and first to be held in Atlantian Oceania. For Turori, it was a chance to make a statement, and statement was made and received when the Island Emirate qualified for the World Cup Finals in just their third attempt, equaling the mark previously set by the Vilitans.

Not to be out done there, just like Vilita, Turori bid for and won the rights to hosting the World Cup in just their 5th venture into the World sporting foray.

Up until this point the two nations were inseparable statistically, but for a 2-cup shift in their historical timelines.

Both Vilita & Turori qualified for the World Cup in just their third attempt. Both Vilita & Turori won the rights to host the World Cup Finals in their 5th entry. While Vilita had won the Cup of Harmony, Turori won the Baptism of Fire Cup, a tournament the Jungle Cats hadn't had the opportunity to enter.

The parity, and both nations sporting fate, took a sharp turn in Starblaydia & Druida.

Riding the boots of Banda, the Vilita Jungle Cats stormed to the top of the sporting world. After upsetting their way to the World Cup Final and bringing millions of Vilitan supporters with them to Druida, the Jungle Cats found themselves in what seemed a difficult match at the time. Audioslavia. As history would see it, the match was already a guaranteed victory for the Vilitans, but they didn't know it at the time. Not until Turori-born Tanner Nerni scored the goal for the Jungle Cats that brought World Cup glory to the Vilitan Cove.

The Eels on the other hand, could not get past the Quarter Finals. A painstaking time where the Eels were a top 5 nation in the World due to consistency - far more consistency and high performing than the Vilitans. They were missing one thing though, the World Cup Trophy. As Vilita crashed out in the early rounds, and even failed to qualify for World Cup 28, Turori continued plucking away making 5, 6, 7, 8 Quarter Finals appearances but never advancing further. Constantly outperforming Vilita, but there was no response. "Wheres your World Cup?" was a constant chant from the Vilitans the only time they square off against Turori in competition, during the 30th Cup of Harmony. The Eels had no reply. A bunch of quarter finals appearances - more than the Vilitans. A couple of Cups of Harmony - more than Vilita. A Baptism of Fire Cup trophy - something Vilita would never - could never have.

In almost every way imaginable, The Eels out performed their Vilitan counterparts. But nobody ever knew it. Not with the World Cup 20 replica staring at every visitor, every fan, every dignitary that walked down the streets of Alikki-Corra, turned at the Tivali Ring Stadium and saw the ultimate sporting prize - the one Turori could not grasp.

The rivalry between the nations became one purely sibling in nature. Big Brother - Vilita, the older, bigger nation - they had their hand on the prize. No matter how many times they faltered - how many times they underperformed, all the Vilitans had to do was hold one hand high in the air with the World Cup Trophy, and the other hand, flat down on the forehead of little brother Turori who is flailing their arms reaching for the trophy with all their might but never able to get so much as a finger on it.

There was no hatred. No competitive zeal. Despite the proximity, the jealousy, the braggery - the sibling rivalry grew more and more into a social rivalry. The nations were rivals because they were told to be. Not because they were actually rivals on the field. How could they be?

Not once had the Vilita Jungle Cats and the Turori Eels taken the field against each other in a competitive match.

In fact, they even started to join forces. To strengthen their regional squad, Vilita & Turori united on a Regional Level for the AOCAF championships, a curious but fruitful move that resulted in a pair of regional titles for the entity known as the Eel-Cat Things. But there were always two sides of the locker room. The Vilitan side and the Turorian side. The players, the fans, the two nations - they always knew they were supposed to be rivals. They just never had a chance to show it.

Then, After nearly 1000 World Cup Qualifying and Finals matches contested against nations other than each other, the Vilita Jungle Cats and Turori Eels were drawn together in the Group Stage of Qualifying for the 64th World Cup in Wight and New Montreal States. Construction quickly commenced on new terraces at the nation's biggest stadiums to accommodate what was expected to be unprecedented demand for tickets for... an unprecedented sporting event in the Vilitan Cove. Turorians were looking forward to the opportunity to exact revenge for 44 cycles of having the World Cup 20 title thrown in shoved in their face any time sporting comparisons were made. But their team did not deliver.

The Turori Eels were downed by the Jungle Cats 2-1 after Rexii Tzikas fired a shot past Hooizo Nuakoi in the 86th minute at the Lonngeylin Coliseum. Once again the Jungle Cats had gotten the better of their colonial rivals. At the conclusion of the Qualifications, Vilita found themselves atop the table with a ticket punched to the World Cup in Wight and the New Montreal States. The Turori National Team, however, was headed for an early exit failing to advance even to a playoff and their fans left to hang their head in shame whenever they saw a Vilitan Jersey nearby.

To make matters worse, the Jungle Cats would just 4 cycles later Win the World Cup. As if head to head performance wasn't enough to depress citizens of the Island Emirate, they could now no longer assert that Vilita's lone World Cup triumph was irrelevant as generations had past since it occurred.

So now, with Eagle's Cup VI opening up the opportunity for a brand new Battle of the Cove, Turorian players and fans alike have nothing to lose. In fact, they could arguably say their stock is on the rise. As champions of the 67th Cup of Harmony, the Turori Eels received as much if not more of a rankings boost from their Post World Cup 75 Qualifying competition performance as did the Jungle Cats, who's impressive Matchday 2 victory over #2 San Jose Guayabal in the World Cup Finals was undone by sloppy performances against Electrum and Bonesea, eliminating the Jungle Cats from the World Cup at the Group Stage.

Now, the Eels get to take the fight to a battle ground where they do have the upper hand. The only competition in the multiverse that the Turori National Team has been crowned champions but the Vilita Jungle Cats have not. The Eagle's Cup.

World Cup Titles ... . . . . Or lack there of... .

VILITA :: World Cups :: 2 ---------------------------------------------------------------- If the Jungle Cats have always had one thing to hang their hat on, it was their World Cup 20 championship. For better or for worse, Vilita marched into Druida on a mission and left with a 1-0 victory over Audioslavia to clinch their first, and only, World Cup title. The Jungle Cats started their World Cup 20 Campaign with a 3-1 victory over Finrods riding on the heels of a pair of goals from dual Vilita and Turori national Suble Tonic. Vilita would go on to post a record of 11 wins and 3 losses in the qualifying phase outscoring their opposition 35 to 11 in booking their ticket to Starblaydia and Druida. In the finals, Vilita opened with a draw against Eauz putting their advancement from the group at risk. Slim victories over Jeruselem and The Eagles Nest, however, propelled the Jungle Cats into the knockout phase where their momentum started to build immensely. A confident 3-1 victory over Iansisle propelled Vilita into the Quarter Finals for the second time in their history where they would square off against Eauz for the third time in two World Cup's. The match wasn't even close. The Jungle Cats were on a mission as millions of Vilitan supporters made the short leap from Vilita to the Druidan shores following the statement 4-1 victory that let the world know that the Jungle Cats were a real threat for the title. Up Next: Rejistania. The best team in the World, Rejistania had won World Cup 13, Vilita's first, and World Cup 17, the first one hosted in Vilita. Now, it was Rejistania that stood inbetween the Jungle Cats and the World Cup Finals. Callum Banda and Riccardo Appolloni broke down system Karela to keep the Jungle Cats in the game but the match required Extra Time, and then Penalty Kicks. By the boots of Banda, and a few others, the Jungle Cats had knocked off the orange-blues. The Well documented World Cup final that saw Tanner Nerni score the winning goal for Vilita brought the World Cup back to Atlantian Oceania and a lifetime of glory for every Vilitan native, past, present and future. Vilita would make a pair of Semi-Final appearances after that, being knocked out at the Semi-Final stage by Ariddia in World Cup 35 and by The Holy Empire in World Cup 62 - a feat made more impressive by the fact that the Jungle Cats were the only team not to lose to The Holy Empire in 90 minutes throughout the entire World Cup 62 campaign. But, they never even placed in the top 3, and other than the odd Semi-Final appearance - and of course, lone World Cup victory, they never much looked like getting back there either. Then Came World Cup 68. For a moment, it appeared that the path to the Final Four was clear for the Turori Eels. On the light side of the draw and with easy opposition to start things off, it was going to be a Walk in the Park for the Eels having already overcome what should have been their toughest opposition, Valanora. Perhaps losing focus however, the Eels crashed out at the first hurdle to Mytannion. Meanwhile, the Jungle Cats path was a bit more complex. After dispatching an up-and-coming Paradystopia side and playing spoilers by eliminating the hosts, Vilita were matched up with Pasarga - the very same Pasarga side that had beaten them in the build up. With the unfavored hosts the Free Republics already through to the World Cup Final, the two sides knew they could be playing for destiny. While Pasarga would eventually win its own World Cup, this edition, World Cup 68 in Legalese, was to be the Jungle Cats. After a 4-2 revenge victory over Pasarga in the Semi-Final, the Jungle Cats took the final by storm - much unlike the nailbiting finish 48 cups prior, their second straight 4-2 victory giving them the World Cup title for the 2nd time. .

TURORI :: World Cups :: 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Turori's World Cup Finals debut seemed a promising one in Vilita and Kaze Progressa, knocking off World Cup veteran The Eagles Nest by a 1-0 scoreline on the opening matchday. However, it would be their only victory of the finals and it would not be until the following edition, Bedistan and Eauz, that the Eels would make the knockout rounds for the first time. After besting Total n Utter Insanity in the group stage the Eels Advanced to face Liverpool England in the first knockout round, winning 2-0 to advance to begin an age of Quarter Finals Misery to be matched by no other nation. In World Cup 18, it was a 3-1 defeat to Squornshelous. World Cup 19, a 1-0 defeat to eventual runners-up Audioslavia. World Cup 20, perhaps, was the worst of all. It was the one- the only World Cup where Vilita was actually doing well. Both sides had made the Quarter Finals, and with a pair of victories, they would square off to decide who was truly the best team in the Cove. It was the day that shaped the history and future of Turorian sport. Vilita defeated Eauz 4-1 while the Eels fell to the World's winningest side Rejistania. It was their third straight Quarter-Finals defeat made all the worse by the Jungle Cats success. The story would never improve. Audioslavia knocked them out again in World Cup 21 before World Cup 22, the Eels best chance to win the Cup. A good draw saw them facing low-ranked Sarzonia in the Quarter Finals. However, Penalty Kick heartbreak hit Turori as Sarzonia advanced before accomplishing a virtual walkover to win the World Cup title. World Cup 23, another quarter-finals appearance, and another elimination by the eventual World Champions, this time, it was Rejistania again. World Cup 24 - Sarzonia... again. This time they would lose in the final but the pain was still the same. Three straight Quarter Finals eliminations to teams that went on to play in the Final. It was just not meant to be for Turori. A third defeat to Audioslavia in World Cup 25's knockout round set the Eels back. After a run of 8 straight knockout round appearances, 6 of which ended in Quarter Finals defeat, Turori's chance was gone. Their record of success and failure at the same time, with 6 Quarter Finals defeats in only 7 Cups time, would be unrivaled, perhaps, with the exception of Audioslavia - the plucky little buggers who kept Eliminating the Eels, who would go on to lose 3 World Cup Finals in that time frame - serving them right. Of course, years of playing second fiddle in World Cup titles to Vilita were compounded when Turori's local rivals claimed their second World Title during World Cup 68 - proving once and for all that their World Cup 20 championship wasn't just a fluke event. And while in that timespan - and in the time since - the Eels have lifted the Cup of Harmony title on four separate occasions - the consolation prize is certainly no consolation in comparison.

[Eagles Club]

---

On This Matchday in Eagle's Cup History...

Eagle's Cup I: A Goalless Group A Saw NEWI Cefn Druids v. Wella and Total n Utter Insanity v. Compound Interest contest 90 minutes of action for absolutely no purpose whatsoever.

Eagle's Cup II: The most defensive matchday in Competition History, only one team (The Weegies 2 - 0 Progressive Hash) scored more than a single goal, and only one match (Kingsford 1 - 1 Lovisa) Saw both teams score a goal. All other results were 1-0 or 0-0.

Eagle's Cup III: Eauz 2 - 1 Jeruselem, Cockbill Street 0 - 0 Insane Inflation, Total n Utter Insanity 3 - 0 Starblayida

Eagle's Cup IV: Marked as the 'Upset of the Day' - The Stars of Lake Bekk... literally... Starblaydia, were upended by Legalese in Group A at the same time that Audioslavia put a typical 3-1 pounding on the Turori Eels

Eagle's Cup V: The Holy Empire and Yttribia couldn't settle the score as both fired three goals past each other in a 3-3 draw while Eagle's Cup IV champions Bedistan showed some early strength muscling out a 4-2 victory over their eventual successor, Eagle's Cup V champions Nephara.

---

^{MATCHDAY 2}

Group A
Unified Sunrise Islands [2] Tumbra [0]
Turori [1] Vilita [1]
Group B
San Jose Guayabal [4] Super-Llamaland [1]
Nephara [2] Cosumar [1]
Group C
Valanora [2] Bonesea [2]
The Holy Empire [2] Zwangzug [3]
Group D
Royal Québec [2] Chromatika [4]
Bedistan [1] Osarius [2]

-------Group A----           P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
[1] Vilita                   2  1  1  0  3-2    +1   4
[2] Turori                   2  1  1  0  2-1    +1   4
 3- Unified Sunrise Islands  2  1  0  1  2-1    +1   3
 4- Tumbra                   2  0  0  2  1-4    -3   0

-------Group B----           P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
[1] San Jose Guayabal        2  1  1  0  6-3    +3   4
[2] Nephara                  2  1  1  0  4-3    +1   4
 3- Cosumar                  2  1  0  1  2-2    +0   3
 4- Super-Llamaland          2  0  0  2  1-5    -4   0

-------Group C----           P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
[1] Zwangzug                 2  1  1  0  5-4    +1   4
[2] The Holy Empire          2  1  0  1  5-5    +0   3
 3- Bonesea                  2  0  2  0  4-4    +0   2
 4- Valanora                 2  0  1  1  4-5    -1   1

-------Group D----           P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
[1] Osarius                  2  2  0  0  5-2    +3   6
[2] Chromatika               2  1  0  1  5-5    +0   3
 3- Bedistan                 2  1  0  1  3-3    +0   3
 4- Royal Québec             2  0  0  2  3-6    -3   0

[Tumbra]

Unified Sunrise Islands 2 Tumbra 0; Match overshadowed by CE hosting bid

- Slump continues for second straight game
- Tumbra now bottom of group with 0 points
- Government to bid for Campionato Esportiva XVII

F.A.A. NOVA - THE Blue Lions' bid for a first Eagle's Cup win was delayed, as the World Champions, the Unified Sunrise Islands, fought their way to a 2-0 win against the Blue Lions. The Unified Sunrise Islands, fresh out of their victorious World Cup 75 campaign, had replaced their entire team with a few fifteen-year-old cyborgs that played almost as well as the regular team. However, the match was overshadowed by the post-match conference, where Robin Stoff revealed that Tumbra was bidding to host the Campionato Esportiva XVII, and the bid had full government support.

Robin Stoff's tactics seemed to work better on the Sunrisians, but the team were very reluctant to tackle the Samba Kids - because the USI team was entirely made out of children. Stoff put this down after the match to the juvenile appearances of the team - and even sensationally said that if they sent the team to the World Cup, there would have been 0 fouls awarded against them - "too innocent", he said.

The team played very cohesively, with there being some excellent chances, but without talismanic striker Henry Pandon leading the attack, almost nothing came of the chances. Flynn Tennison took advantage of the visitors' defensive weaknesses and scored a goal in the fifty-seventh minute, with Minato Montero scoring another just seven minutes later.

The match would end with that scoreline - another match denied for the Blue Lions, and Robin Stoff still only has one win to his name as National Team manager.

The real interesting part of the match was the post-match conference, however.

"Promsing plays despite the result

Robin Stoff continued with his message of cautious optimism, even before their next match against Turori - which would be the end of the team's run of away games and begin their strategy of the Home Defense.

"There were a lot of promising developments today, even despite the result. I'm looking forward to the match against Turori - it'll prove to be a real test of our mettle and everything the team has done up to this point."

"The match against Turori will also mean the end of the run of our away games - and I'm absolutely looking forward our run of games at home. It'll mean our boys will hopefully be able to pull some points back, and hopefully pull off some kind of giant-killing win - which has been my aim for this tournament from the very beginning. It'll also be the beginning of what I call the Home Defense - if we can get even one win at home, I will be happy."

"Our defense leaves very much to be desired, however - I'll be looking at a more defense-centric approach for the upcoming Campionato. Speaking of the Campionato, I also have a very big announcement to make regarding it, but that's beside the point. We currently have seven defenders in this squad - that's too little. I'm looking at increasing the number to about nine or ten for the Campionato."

CAMPIONATO ESPORTIVA XVII HOST BID

But the even more shocking news was that Tumbra was in the stages of presenting a host bid for the seventeenth edition of the Campionato Esportiva - which, excluding the first iteration, will probably be the first time an unranked nation and a first-time participant will be hosting the cup.

Stoff described this edition of the Cup as "the edition no-one wanted" and went on to say that Tumbra was "confident of doing a great job of hosting the tournament, be what may>"

This corresponds with an address made by the Secretary of State for Communication, Media and Sport, Jane Robinson, earlier today. In it, she mentioned that she was in the final stages of finalising the host bid.

TBC Sports now looks at stadiums which have been shortlisted, and those that have been confirmed for the competition. This list was leaked after the announcement.

GOLDLION

Wembley National Stadium - Cap: 90,000
Arsenal Stadium - Cap: 60,432
Stamford Lane - Cap: 41,663

THURMOND AND CONNAUGHT

New Trafford - Cap: 75,957
City of Thurmond Stadium - Cap: 55,097
Thefield - Cap: 45,362

ARTUMO

Millenium Stadium - Cap: 74,500

LACKLAND

Celtic Park - Cap: 60,411
Trackfallerton Stadium - Cap: 50,987
Clifton National Stadium - Cap: 67,144

NEWPORT AND SONDON

St. Paul's Park - Cap: 52,405
Stadium of Light - Cap: 49,000

PICKFORD

Rovers Park - Cap: 42,785

SOFAN

Quentola Stadium - Cap: 51,700

With fourteen stadiums already having been selected or in contention, the stadiums have an average capacity of 58,384. While not many details are known about the bid yet, the concrete knowledge that there is a bid does assuage worries a bit.

Robin Stoff also refused to let on any more details, but said that he was privy to all important decisions made.

Tumbra's Top Performer: Henry Butler (8.1)

The top player in a match of despair, Butler managed to stop the Sunrisian attacks single-handedly more than once. He eventually faltered at the end, but the match was a joy to behold. Rejuvenated from taking part in the Cup of Harmony World XI match, his quality shined through more than once.

Unified Sunrise Islands Top Performer and Man of the Match: Flynn Tennison (9.1)

Flynn Tennison opened scoring for the Unified Sunrise Islands and assisted the second goal while not putting a foot wrong all match - a deserved Man of the Match performance from Tennison, who will surely take this confidence into the matches ahead.

STASTICS

Possession

USI: 41%
Tumbra: 59%

Shots

USI: 6
Tumbra: 15

Shots on target

USI: 6
Tumbra: 1

Corners

USI: 3
Tumbra: 2

Fouls

USI: 4
Tumbra: 0

[Zwangzug]

The Bassabook Baritone

A chanting voice

Antique side falls to Zwangzug all-stars
Sometimes it's about the journey. Sometimes it's about the destination. Sometimes, in a bit of lowered expectations, you can preemptively announce that it'll probably be about a safe and uneventful return to home soil, which twenty-three winded players and one marginally smug manager made after matchday two. This was Mila Apsar's strategy, and she more than succeeded; Zwangzug actually defeated the hosts, 3-2.

To be fair, the last time anything calling itself team Zwangzug visited the Dreamed Realm was as recently (?) as the World Cup 38 qualifiers, where they defeated the Imperial team (then consisting of Welsh ninjas, but you knew that), and it went fine. All the same, nerves were pent-up at least until the game got underway, until they could be replaced by more traditional fears such as "how are we going to fit all of these, for lack of a better word, midfielders, into the same area?"

Zwangzug were able to outmaneuver their opposition first, with Compars Ogawa setting up Shayna Nelson and dribbling through the thin Imperial defense before unleashing a shot. Olivia Idoni would double the lead, receiving a pass from Ogechi Guttuso with an accuracy by now familiar to fans who've seen Bassabook excel on the world stage, and depositing it beyond the goalkeeper's otherwise catlike reflexes.

The Holy Empire pulled one back, as a winger set up the left forward. Like Bonesea, this team tends toward the all-out attack if given the chance, but unlike Bonesea, they don't use their physicality as a way to intimidate or restrict the opposition very much, and neither team hesitated to plough through the rest of the field (though Zwangzug were still hanging out on defense when they got the chance).

In the second half, Ogawa would tack on goal number three, which depending on your perspective was either a decent-enough chip shot or the dampest possible squib that got lucky to just roll in, and it turned out to be necessary, since the right winger launched a header (?) to pull the Holy Empire one back. This led to another faster-paced section of play as the hosts looked for an equalizer, but to no avail, and Zwangzug held on for the win.

"Obviously, I'm very proud of the side, but we're just getting started and we need to take it one day at a time," said Apsar.

For Idoni's part, she noted, "I guess it makes you appreciate what some of that altitude training can do--being prepared to face all kinds of weather. Usually maybe that's to deal with circumstances when they--we--wouldn't have had subs, which hopefully isn't a thing, but even for just those of us who got to start and play the whole game, I feel like it was worth it."

Ogawa stuck to tactics. "Of all the Imperial teams you hear about--I mean, these guys are no slouches, but maybe not on a par with some of the historical sides--I actually didn't expect them to be quite so inflexible as far as the formation went, but there they were, out there in the national, like, whatever there lineup was. All that potential for interchangeable parts, and there they are doing the same old thing? I mean, I'm not complaining, but...wow. Then again, who am I to talk? I guess I feel like there's a lot of pressure on me, to see what this central role has been historically, and I don't necessarily fit into that all the time. Then again, that could just be having Michelle [Lawrence] breathing down my back for her chance, so, you know. Some friendly competition never hurt!"

Lawrence didn't really seem to care about getting her opportunity to break into the starting XI just at that particular moment. "This was amazing! Um, I guess we shouldn't be calibrating our expectations too high or anything but...it was really fun? To watch? And not having to play but, like, wow. Uh...have I missed anything? How are those UICA squads coming along?"

Dustin Wodehouse, who has conceded four goals over the two games, seems to be fairly phlegmatic about things as well. "I'm not going to make excuses. When I say that we're the only defensive-minded team in the tournament, as far as I can tell--that's just another reason we're going to stand out. Our opponents may not be used to this style of play, particularly since we barely know each other as teammates, but we have that element of unfamiliarity on our side. And today, we get to use it for the better."

There's no shortage of history to acknowledge and pay no mind to, scores that have long since been settled in their own, off-kilter way. Today, Zwangzug top the group, and next matchday, Valanora await.

[Nephara]

THE BRINEMOUTH HERALD
MITROGLOU'S SUDDEN REBRAND EXTENDS LEAD OVER PRO DEMS
by Byron Osieck

Alexa Mitroglou's sudden and decisive decision to rename the Nepharim Traditionalist Party to the Nepharim National Party (or 'Nationals') has lead to a further spike in the polls.

The Nationals were already leading the Progressive Democrats 51-49 on a two-party preferred basis three days before Mitroglou made the announcement, but it has since lengthened to 53-47.

Mitroglou also now boasts a net approval rating of 47%, up from 41% last poll. Matthias Kashtan, set to be her opponent in the next federal election, holds steady at 3% net approval.

Mitroglou told the press at the announcement that the change signified the change in direction made by her party of late. "Traditionalism is insular, it looks to the past," she said.

"That isn't good enough for today. The Nationals - us - are looking to take this nation to the forefront of the international world, as a shining example of a flourishing democracy."

Pro Dem leader Kashtan scoffed at the move, calling it a 'publicity stunt' in his Twitter account. This was retweeted by the Nationals' twitter account, calling his approach "high-handed and out of touch, as usual."

Currently Minister for Public Transport, 59-year old Kashtan's image problems as an affluent East Sabrefell administrator with a long political background has counted against him throughout the campaign, with Mitroglou seen as far more of a charismatic everywoman.

The resounding success in the Nationals' platform has been putting national security back into the spotlight, and Mitroglou was not going to get the opportunity pass to mention potential threats abroad.

"After the elections, no matter who wins, we need to move forward as a bipartisan movement to combat threats to democracy abroad," she said.

She went on to praise the Margravine for her infrastructure and economic work but maintained that she had let military and security standards slip, mistakes that she would immediately work to rectify.

In fearful times, the Progressive Democrats' far more conventional platform of economic stability and more infrastructure programs has largely failed to resonate.

The swing against them has been uneven - while there have been very few dents to their popularity in urban areas and their margin should even strengthen in very immigrant-heavy areas, pollsters Colbine are predicting a "massacre" in the western regions.

At this stage, it seems as if the Progressive Democrats will need a miracle to overturn their deficit in time for the election.

[Bonesea]

.

[Chromatika]

Ah. The thrill of victory. Getting four past the Quebecois was something that nobody had expected, not even the same players that had made it to the Round of Sixteen for the first time in Chromatik history. Sure, the defense had a bit more issues with the offensive kind of football that the Grim Reapers like to play, but Niro, Antonio, Rien, and Andìsorì helped out. That made it one win and one loss for the Chromatik side, with a game against Bedistan for the last game of the first leg.

When cautiously poked, Manager Amos stated that she'd be happy enough with a playoff appearance with the amount of mental exhaustion that the players must be feeling after the execution of former Manager Franscesca Cortes. Kind of strange coming from such a taskmaster like Amos, but also understandable considering what has been happening.

On the rumors that Kéirâ might be finding her long lost sibling, Amos was adamant: "That's none of my business nor yours. That's her business, and I have no intent in getting her to talk about it nor in allowing you to bug her about it. I'm sure just like she did that story with you when she was ready to talk about her foray to Ethane, she'll probably talk to you again once she learns more about her supposed connection and the story behind that."

And that is what I have to remember. That as Jordan Lawless, Andìsorì is more than just a star, she's also a friend, or as close to one as she has had.

It's great for me, in more ways than one...

[San Jose Guayabal]

Eagle's Cup VI: "This might be the test field of a new gamestyle" - Oliveira

Eagle's Cup run has been going solid so far and Oliveira thinks that it's time to make a revolution in the national team since the game style might be coming "way too predictable" what Oliveira intends is to give spectacle and a more offensive game style and more ingredients that he didn't wanted to disclose and have them reserved for the next games, especially when Nephara goes to Santa Ana.

By: Rogelio Vásquez, young but skilled in analysis.
From: Concepción Batres, San José Guayabal, Eagle Cup VI.
Posted: Wednesday, October 4th, 2208 - 11:28 (Guayabalense Western Time - User's default time)

"Predictability, too predictable" is as cataloged Oliveira game La Selecta, to the point of considering this factor as the cause for the rapid elimination of the World Cup 75, after taking a group stage to forget and just get a win the worst SJG participation in the group stage of a world Cup, including an embarrassing defeat against Bonesea and a crushing 3-5 to Vilita, surprisingly, compared to other countries where they'd be calling for the resignation of the manager, the fans in general , the sports press and FGF gave a boost to Oliveira as a token of appreciation for the achievements during his tenure, to renew the contract for another four World Cup Cycles, Oliveira was able to react well and thinks he has found the key to solving the problem afflicting football in San José Guayabal, according to their diagnosis delivered to the FGF, one of the reasons is the "lack of innovation gaming system" which according to his judgment has led football Guayabalense to be "too predictable" and that It recognizes its responsibility to detect the error a little late.

In the words of the same coach, says the changes "have begun to take effect," something that could be seen in the equalizer for La Selecta had before Nephara visitor status, where a game where all players must participate was observed in work pressure, attack and defense in order to have a better chance of preventing goals and having more units forward when attacking, as he observed, one of the biggest problems when attack was that there were a number proper players who could accompany the attacker and have more chances to score goals, though not an entirely serious problem because already SJG scores enough goals Why not improve the offensive section with a football pressure rival? A new tactical vision to ensure that the attack will be much more effective in order to get rid of the rival, is where the concept is that Oliveira wants to implement a colorful game and physically demanding.

Oliveira scheme basically consists of: “to pressure the opposition immediately after losing possession. So your team have attacked and lost the ball. The opposition now have possession of the ball and instead of leaving the ball and dropping off to become organized and compact behind the ball, energetic pressure is immediately applied around the ball as an organized and co - cohesive unit. The first priority of this style is to try and win the ball back as quickly as possible and then counter the counter attack. The second priority is to force the opposition to make a hurried inaccurate or panicked pass, which your team can gain possession from or intercept or win and then counter attack.” As has christened Oliveira, it is a name that encompasses according to the meaning of what he wants "Fútbol Total"

Why "Fútbol Total"? For the simple reason that all players must collaborate on a single activity but in different positions or roles that contribute to the achievement of three objectives, defend block and prevent the opponent record by any means, if possible using excessive but not with a high degree of violence, but slightly excessive force. Forcing the opponent to make a mistake, panicked a pass, a quick pass and lacking precision, forcing the opponent to make a mistake to counter attack and then make the final step, fight in a group, not only with each other as usual it was made, but several players to have more variety of options when scoring and not depend on a single player, as was the case of Sean Fraser, the fastest player on the team.

This requires that the player recognizes that the first thing that needs to happen is the nearest player to the lost ball has to pressure quickly and aggressively. They have to try and win the ball, without diving in or easily getting beaten or committing a needless foul.

The second thing is the players around the pressure player have to react very quickly to swarm as a pack around the pressure on the ball. But they have to do it in a structured, organized and communicative manner. Imagine they are all tied together with elastic, the first player pressures, the elastic immediately pulls the second player in, immediately pulls the third player, the fourth and so on. This will require really good communication and team work between the players.

It might be that more than one player pressures the ball, there might be two or even three players who pressure the ball, all from different angles.

If the pressure on the ball is the center of the swarm, then the players on the outer edges of the swarm also need to understand and act upon their roles. They need to be in a position to press, effect or intercept shorter get out passes.

It is in this way that the desired to perform this scheme game of "Fútbol Total" this scheme looks very promising effect is obtained and is being quite accepted by fans and other analysts, and even better, the football players of LaSelecta are receptive to this model, because according to them "the scheme will develop the true potential of the players from San José Guayabal in the field, to exploit resources as speed, endurance and strategic move to meet the objectives set game plan. "

[Eagles Club]

^{MATCHDAY 3}

Group A
Turori [1] Tumbra [0]
Vilita [0] Unified Sunrise Islands [1]
Group B
Nephara [2] Super-Llamaland [4]
Cosumar [2] San Jose Guayabal [1]
Group C
The Holy Empire [2] Bonesea [2]
Zwangzug [2] Valanora [4]
Group D
Bedistan [0] Chromatika [2]
Osarius [2] Royal Québec [3]

-------Group A----           P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
[1] Turori                   3  2  1  0  3-1    +2   7
[2] Unified Sunrise Islands  3  2  0  1  3-1    +2   6
 3- Vilita                   3  1  1  1  3-3    +0   4
 4- Tumbra                   3  0  0  3  1-5    -4   0

-------Group B----           P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
[1] Cosumar                  3  2  0  1  4-3    +1   6
[2] San Jose Guayabal        3  1  1  1  7-5    +2   4
 3- Nephara                  3  1  1  1  6-7    -1   4
 4- Super-Llamaland          3  1  0  2  5-7    -2   3

-------Group C----           P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
[1] Valanora                 3  1  1  1  8-7    +1   4
[2] The Holy Empire          3  1  1  1  7-7    +0   4
 3- Zwangzug                 3  1  1  1  7-8    -1   4
 4- Bonesea                  3  0  3  0  6-6    +0   3

-------Group D----           P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
[1] Osarius                  3  2  0  1  7-5    +2   6
[2] Chromatika               3  2  0  1  7-5    +2   6
 3- Royal Québec             3  1  0  2  6-8    -2   3
 4- Bedistan                 3  1  0  2  3-5    -2   3

[Zwangzug]

The Bassabook Baritone

Don't ask us about tiebreakers

False start for "rivalry" game
The definition of a "rival" is a concept that has varied greatly depending on who you ask. Some teams boast many; some, for whatever reason, eschew the concept almost entirely despite not lacking long-term experience. Others' notions tend toward the asymmetrical. While Zwangzug has plenty of rivalries at club or city level, on a national scale it tends to be much more reticent. Partly, some have suggested this is practical due to the vagaries of international changeability. Place too much value on a relationship, however antagonistic, with another country, and one day they (or we) could be wiped off the map--then where would the other side be? As much as one might reserve trust in a potential ally for fear of being let down, it's best not to get too excited.

Too, there is the matter of rivalries only working when there's something to play for. Have one team beat the same opponent pretty much every time, and it's hard to get excited. Given enough of a "natural" pre-sporting tension (our fair city and that of 102d comes to mind), this criterion can be relaxed during periods of dominance--but then again, it makes upsets sting all the more.

The Valanora Times throws around this designation much more lightly than Zwangzug's more concerned press; Valanora and Zwangzug met in a game with a lot at stake once, and boom. Let's just say, by the aforementioned criterion, Zwangzug still haven't earned the right to be considered rivals; Valanora were beating us back when they were merely Elves Security Forces, and here they were again, throwing their quite considerable experience around.

Allandren Fresco led the Marauders attack, scoring two, with Caeltimyonan Haerear and Héra Teltholsyr getting on the scoreboard. Zwangzug were held--if it can be called that--to goals from Hugo Nimbue and Olivia Idoni. (While they were painfully outplayed in just about every aspect, this technically matches their total from the Bonesea game and is pretty good for "playing Valanora" standards, it's just been such an offensive-minded affair that it kind of doesn't matter.) The name of Fresco may be somewhat familiar to historians from sitting on the bench during the final.

Still, while some may have perhaps hoped for an upset after the result against the Holy Empire, others probably weren't really aiming high against Valanora. As importantly, whatever terms we have to come with from the World Cup probably need to be an internal affair. Although, if multiassociational leagues get to collaborate for the sake of establishing rivalries, go annoy some historians again and then maybe they'll be willing to talk.

In other news:

In a fairly egregious case of cartographical apathy, although perhaps not by the standards of this group, World Assembly bureaucrats are claiming that Zwangzug can now be found in the region of Forest, better known as the residence of former World Cup team Errinundera. "Okay," said one anonymous source, "that sounds fake, but okay." Other sources corroborated this dubious account, with one noting that "there was never much of an affiliation with Osiris anyway, I doubt our government had its act together enough to recognize any of their governments much less take a stance in the disputed regime change." Others tried to muster more specific reasons for such a change, but were stymied. "I like environmentalism and stuff as much as the next, er, anti-capitalist--not like that though--but really, this is a bit much. Out of everything in the government's platform to form an identity around, why this plank? To coin a phrase." At press time, the leading hypothesis was "maybe some mapmaker from, let's face it, Namiri probably got ambitious and decided to take matters into their own hands." Who knows, maybe Zwangzug will even have the opportunity to border others in its new environs, and then probably wimp out on it because it already has a perfectly nice shape and doesn't need any adjustments.

[Tumbra]

Turori 1 Tumbra 0

- Losses continue with 1-0 defeat
- Tumbra still bottom of Group A
- More information about CE XVII released

EELANDII, TURORI - Tumbra's third consecutive loss in the Eagle's Cup sees the team being the only one in the entire competition with zero points. The team once again crumpled 1-0 to the Cup of Harmony champions, Turori.

Robin Stoff's more defensive approach seemed to crumble in the face of Turori's defensive-possession based footballing style that somehow made offensive overtures into Tumbran territory, and yet it was due to Henry Butler's heroic efforts that more goals were not scored.

The defence managed to work cohesively together and held off quite a few very dangerous attacks, but the sole Turori goal was scored by Inamari Altariiz, after pulling off a rebounded shot that went into the goal in the sixty-third minute.

"Disappointing"

The post match press conference was a livid one, with Robin Stoff becoming increasingly frustated on his team's lack of conversion - the team's one goal against Vilita in their first match remains the sole goal scored in this tournament. He lambasted the team during the post-match press conference.

"We've got the linkup play right, we've got the chances, but we just can't convert them. I don't like it. If this standard of play continues, I might make sweeping changes for the upcoming Campionato."

But he encouraged the team for the upcoming second leg of the competition - where all three matches will be at home.

"We shall next welcome the three teams we have previously played against to our home nation of Tumbra, and we hope that the matches will be better - because our performance in this tournament has been nothing short of disappointing."

Tumbra's Top Performer: Henry Butler (7.6)

Once again, Butler wins the accolade for Tumbra's top performer, however given the recent results the team has achieved, this is not saying much. Calls for him to be given the captain's armband have increased, seeing as Henry Pandon does not look like he will be ready by the time the Campionato rolls around.

Turori Top Performer: Inamari Altariiz (8.5)

Altariiz scored the only goal of the game, and ensured the three points for the Turori side. Nonetheless, he is the one to look out for when Tumbra once again face the Eels in final match.

STASTICS

Possession

Turori: 51%
Tumbra: 49%

Shots

Turori: 10
Tumbra: 5

Shots on target

Turori: 5
Tumbra: 3

Corners

Turori: 7
Tumbra: 9

Fouls

Turori: 1
Tumbra: 5

---

Official Stadium List for CE XVII bid released


CE XVII logo, designed by Meski of Red Blackiland

- Sixteen stadiums will host the sixty-four matches of the tournament
- Final to be held in 90,000 seat Wembley National Stadium
- Ticketing details released

GOLDLION, TUMBRA - Tumbra's stadium list in case it wins the bid to host the CE XVII has been published online. The sixteen stadiums come from all over the country.

There were some surprises, however, as some esteemed stadiums did not make it into the final roster of stadiums. Secretary of State for Communication, Media and Sport Jane Robinson said this was to ensure a variety of cities could be seen, and not just restrict the cities to "the most major cities, or the footballing hubs of Tumbra."

The full stadium list is below.

GOLDLION

Goldlion, the nation's capital, sees three stadiums get the opportunity to host matches. The national stadium, Wembley, made it in, as did Goldlion Arsenal's home stadium and the new home stadium of West Langham United - Stratford International Stadium.

WEMBLEY NATIONAL STADIUM

Capacity: 90,000
OOC image: Wembley Stadium, London

The National Stadium will host the Final, as the largest stadium in the whole of Tumbra. Located in the north of Goldlion, the stadium's distinctive arch is certainly the major feature of it. Built in 2000 to replace the aging Empire Stadium on the same location, Tumbra's premier stadium does not play host to any footballing team - save the amateur Wembley FC that draws an average of 500 spectators a game.

ARSENAL STADIUM

Capacity: 60,432
OOC image: Emirates Stadium, London

Home to Goldlion Arsenal FC, this modern stadium was completed in 2007. It hosts 60,432 and is located just a few kilometres away from Wembley - which raises the question of potential crowd crushes on the already overcrowded Tube. However, the Transport Secretary Colin Bell has insisted that no such crush will happen, and that the Goldlion Underground will provide dedicated services on matchdays.

STRATFORD INTERNATIONAL STADIUM

Capacity: 80,000
OOC image: Olympic Stadium, London

Stratford International is the new home of West Langham FC - who will be departing their old home of the Boleyn Ground after spending nearly 70 years there. The International Stadium's inclusion is a surprise, as it now means there will no longer be any stadiums south of the River Thines hosting games - something which Stamford Lane was supposed to do.

THURMOND

CONNAUGHT

The industrial powerhouses of the north also get three stadiums - two in Thurmond, and one in Connaught. While there was a chance for the two cities to have four stadiums, their last stadium bid was eventually turned down. Both Thurmond United and Thurmond City's stadiums made it in, as did Connaught FC's - the unlucky one being Merton FC's Goodison Park.

NEW TRAFFORD

Capacity: 75,635
OOC Stadium: Old Trafford, Manchester

The stadium of arguably the most famous footballing team to ever grace Tumbran footballing history has made it in. Due to host the third-placed playoff, this stadium has often been nicknamed the "Theatre of Dreams" - and yet with Thurmond United's recent slump, some have re-christened it the "Theatre of Nightmares".

CITY OF THURMOND STADIUM

Capacity: 60,000
OOC Stadium: Etihad Stadium, Manchester

The second of Thurmond's stadiums is actually in Thurmond - or that's what Thurmond City fans will tell you. The stadium was built in 2002 because Thurmond City's old stadium was falling apart - and it has been a metaphor for their rapid rise up the ranks of Tumbran football once again.

THEFIELD STADIUM

Capacity: 44,742
OOC Stadium: Anfield, Liverpool

Thefield Stadium is the footballing cathedral of Tumbran football. Until recently, Connaught FC was the most successful team in history, with eighteen title wins. That may have been superseded, but the spirit coming from the fans during home games certainly makes for a very frightening experience for away teams.

LACKLAND

Lackland submitted three stadiums for the competition, coming from the two most illustrious stadiums in Lackland proper, and their national stadium. All three were accepted automatically because their capacities were all over 50,000.

CELTIC PARK

Capacity: 60,832
OOC Stadium: Celtic Park, Glasgow

Home to infamously patriotic supporters, Celtic Park is Lackland's largest stadium, yet it is not the National Stadium of Lackland. This is because Celtic Park is home to Celtic FC - home to those aforementioned patriotic supporters.

TRACKFALLERTON STADIUM

Capacity:50,987
OOC Stadium: Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow

Home to Trackfallerton Rangers, the club that recently underwent administration, the Trackfallerton Stadium has fallen far from its glory days, yet it still proves to have a bit of punch in it.

HAMPDEN PARK

Capacity: 52,063
OOC Stadium: Hampden Park, Glasgow

The national stadium of Lackland, Hampden Park has been confirmed for a semi-final - which will certainly be a return to glory for the oft-unused stadium. With Hampden Park's inclusion, this means that all three stadiums from Lackland are from Trackfallerton - which means that the crowd there will be very large indeed.

NEWPORT AND SONDON

Despite the two cities' historical footballing enemity, the two cities decided to send in a joint bid for both their stadiums. Both stadiums were accepted. Newport and Sondon are two traditional Northern cities with a history of coalmining. They have a very distinct accent - the Geordie accent.

ST. PAUL'S PARK

Capacity: 52,405
OOC Stadium: St. James' Park, Newcastle

St. Paul's Park is home to the newly-promoted Newport United, who spent a season in the Tumbran Championship. Renovated in 1998, the stadium has a very distinctive look - two sides are very modern and have a glass ceiling, while the other two sides are more traditional footballing stadiums. Adverts for the owner's company are plastered all over the stadium - but they will be taken down for the duration of the Campionato.

STADIUM OF LIGHT

Capacity: 40,000
OOC Stadium: Stadium of Light, Sunderland

The home of Sondon AFC, they have a very fierce rivalry with their neighbours over in Newport. The stadium was built in 1999 to replace Roker Park and the club have never looked back since.

PICKFORD

Pickford, Tumbra's second-largest city, has not been very successful on the footballing front. Though there were some occasional flashes of brilliance in the 1960s, the city has now been reduced to a second-tier footballing city. However, because it was the second largest city, it managed to sneak one stadium in.

PICKFORD STADIUM

Capacity: 42,785
OOC Stadium: Villa Park, Birmingham

The Pickford Stadium is a traditional Tumbran football stadium. Home to Pickford United FC, this stadium has been home to it since 1897 - but has essentially been rebuilt continually since then, which raises the interesting question - Is this still the original Pickford Stadium that opened all the way back in 1897?

SOFAN

Sofan, for an island as large as it is, is not a very "footballing" nation. Most of its efforts are largely dedicated to sports like Gaelic Football, but still submitted one stadium to the TFA for consideration.

QUENTOLA STADIUM

Capacity: 51,700
OOC Stadium: Aviva Stadium, Dublin

The Quentola Stadium is Sofan's national stadium, even if Sofan does not like football very much. Decked in green and white, this stadium is a fresh breath of air from the usual dour Tumbran footballing stadium.

ARTUMO

Artumo originally submitted two stadiums for consideration, but one was rejected for being too small. The other, however, is the second-largest football stadium and the third-largest in the Tumbran Isles.

MILLENNIUM STADIUM

Capacity: 74,500
OOC Stadium: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

The Millennium Stadium is located in Maheya, Artumo, and is Artumo's national stadium. It is also the go-to stadium for matches when Wembley is not available - as it was in the seven years from 2000 to 2007 when Wembley was undergoing reconstruction. A capacity of 74,500 is nothing to be sniffed at, and this certainly ensures it a major match.

AURIAN

Aurian's inclusion into this setup certainly raised some eyebrows - why put Aurian in instead of Humoor or Empire Bay? However, the history of the Aurian Reds managed to convince the government to let Aurian host a few games.

TEESIDE STADIUM

Capacity: 42,000
OOC Stadium: Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough

Home to the Aurian Reds, this stadium has had a checkered history - a fire in 1965 required the complete rebuilding of the stadium, and the result is the modern-day Teeside Stadium. Expanded just last year to 42,000 spectators, the stadium is certainly a mixture of old and new.

BLANCHESTER

Blanchester, the typical Midlands city home to a fast-falling giant footballing club, is home to three quarters of a million. It used to be the second-largest city in Tumbra, but has fallen far below that. Now a manufacturing hub, it used to be a steel and raw materials city.

ELLAND ROAD

Capacity: 39,460
OOC Stadium: Elland Road, Leeds

Now home to the newly-rebranded Red Bull Blanchester, the stadium (and club) have been exposed to relentless abuse for selling themselves out to the energy drink giant. Regardless, the stadium has had a massive and rich history.

[Eagles Club]

Note, a projected scorination cut-off was not posted with yesterdays MD scores. Per the schedule, MD4 is Today, Sunday, July 24th.

As such, the cut-off will take place in approximately 10 hours from this post.

[Bonesea]

.

[San Jose Guayabal]

www.elnacional.gu/sjg/uh/id=267325

You are in: El nacional > SJG > Politics > 2209 Municipal Elections

Written by: Oscar Silva.
Date: Monday, 3/11/2208, 20:21 - San Salvador time

Márquez: “The rise of the far right in San José Guayabal is alarming and must be stopped”

In the last few months, the rise of the far right parties have been noisy and noticeable by everybody, now it’s common to see movements with at least thousands of people marching against the Government policy of accepting refugees, especially when the quota favors Gregoryisgodistani refugees under the reason of “they come here only to suck out our welfare” and “they are spies”, these and more “reasons” are heard from those demonstrators, who reached their pike when they raided the Arms Square the last week in order to make the government go back in their ideas to make bigger the quota for refugees, especially for Gregoryisgodistanis, according to Gerardo Márquez, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Secretary General, it’s a signal that the far right “is getting stronger and somebody must act to stop them” adding that their platform “violates the main democratic and social values of the Kingdom.” But many people ask, and even the political experts: how the far right has managed to increase their support from the people in this way?

According to Manuel Ramírez, a renowned politics analyst graduated from the National University, there are a handy of reasons that have settled the panorama that made the far right rise in San José Guayabal, such as: People bored of the main alternatives, since in the last 80 years, the PSD and the Conservative Party (PC) have dominated the political scheme of the nation, especially the always strong coalition of the PSD and the Green Party (PV) over the last thirty years, people considers that nothing relevant has happened in the country after the economic boom caused by the discovery of oil in the Guayabalense seabed and people also considers that the PSD has lacked and stills lacking of ability to handle economy in a way that turns San José Guayabal in something more than a regional power, something that the far right movements such as “The Movement for a Better San José Guayabal” better known as “True Guayabalenses” considers that they are able to launch San José Guayabal to be a multiversal power without the need of foreign investment, since they consider that “the Guayabalense people has the potential but the multinational companies makes the national effort and talent remain wasted.”

But which elements make the platform of this movements/parties be attractive for the populace? Basically the ambition and the will to strive for a better future, something that has been usual for our culture since early times, the “True Guayabalenses” are knowing that and that’s why they are taking advantage, mainly because there are some sectors of the population that considers that the government is being so “restrictive” in certain areas of daily life, that’s why one of the main aims of the TG’s is to get a law that authorizes people to carry arms for defensive and/or recreational use. Another reason comes from a well-documented trend that started some years ago, crime, especially robbery is increasing, notably in areas that have presence of foreign colonies such as Semar neighborhood of “Pie de Cuesta”, the town of Valladares that has a predominantly Valladar population, and some Gregoryisgodistani settlements around the country, that has lead that the active wing of the party, known as “National Defense Militias” are patrolling some towns around the country in order to “protect” Guayabalense citizens, and most notably, their radical stands towards the participation of the Kingdom in foreign treaties and unions such as SETO and the possibility to join to the Esportivan Union, which according to their leader, Tomás García, would cause “the total destruction of our values as a nation and condemn our economy to a tragic fate.”

In its immigration policy the party commits itself to make asylum laws stricter and to reduce immigration. The TG warns of immigration into the social welfare system, causing that “less Guayabalenses will have access when they truly need welfare or getting a job due to the amount of immigrants taking the available resources, when they are fully able to work for themselves and get into society by learning Spanish, English or the other regional languages” and criticizes the high proportion of foreigners among the public insurance benefit recipients and other social welfare programs. According to the opinion of the party, such benefits amount to waste of taxpayers' money, something that they consider that could be “better invested in boosting our economy and protecting Guayabalense companies in our market in order to stop being a hub for multinational companies”. Numerous TG members have shown themselves to be critical of another cultures, such as the Valladar culture and their “excessive religious fundamentalism that goes away the principles of the Guayabalense nation” and especially Gregoryisgodistanis, since they consider that the people from the neighboring nation are “spies sent by LAG in order to corrupt our democratic institutions, social values and take the power of our country to make it a colony of the psychotic regime.”

Other stances of the movement focuses on self-reliance in every key aspect of the economy and considers that the state should have control of the key parts of the economy, to achieve this they openly consider that nationalization of the multinational corporations should be done and then open the road for Guayabalense companies in order to improve the national economy and have more powerful economies that might help the country to be self-reliant, to achieve this they consider that some products that are not manufactured in San José Guayabal could be produced if the “copyright cease to exist” and then make that knowledge into something “collective” for the sole purpose to empower every people who thinks that they are ready to start a high scale business to do it, in resume, the main goal is to promote investment among people in this nation and take out of the country the multinational companies, who “harm the economy” according to the TG platform.

Is this just a sudden fever of popularity or this rise will continue? Political analysts wonder that and they consider that the Municipal Election of April will be a parameter to measure it and see how well positioned might be the far right to face the current government in the 2212 General Elections, although odds are high that the far right will rise, people may probably “wake up from the pathetic demagogy of them” according to Gerardo Márquez, the SDP Secretary General.

Other Interesting News:

• Conversations about Esportivan Union could be formal in January.
• Gas prices in San José Guayabal might increase due to summer break.
• NGO Amigos asks the government to stop far right militias.
• Three Gregoryisgodistani refugees dead after the far right militias beat them up.
• Banning copyright is "preposterous" according to the president of the National Patent Registration Entity.

[Cosumar]

The Story So Far: Cosumar starting to fly in first Eagle's Cup

With the bitter disappointment of Cosumar's extra-time exit on the brink of the World Cup semifinals squarely in the rearview mirror, the Fiefdom is now reluctantly turning its head towards the future. Normally, there's a prolonged gap in international play between the World Cup and the following AOCAF, with only the odd friendly sprinkled in as club football dominates the headlines. Not this year. After a few weeks of nursing World Cup wounds, Cosumarites from Versiaville to Stoneshore were delighted to learn that the storied Eagle's Cup was finally returning for a sixth edition...and that our nation had been selected to participate for the first time.

After all the young'uns had finished brushing up on the competition's illustrious history so they could pretend to be experts, the usual debate and anticipation that precedes a major tournament gripped social media. Who would Gethin Ramsey bring? The same experienced squad from the World Cup, or a younger experimental side? What were Cosumar's chances of matching Nephara's feat from the previous edition and earning Eagle Club honors on the first try? Would they even get out of the group?

Well, in case you missed it, the first three of six group stage matches have been played. The team is very similar to the one that recently knocked on the doorstep of a World Cup medal. Vareza Na'Noni took to the bench for the first time in a decade to make way for the ascending Tiffany Elam. The rest of the First XI remains intact, though Jukka Lindroos made a surprise return to the squad and Lucius Kaspian and Alora Heher were also called up to potentially earn their first caps.

So far, the Eagle's Cup has served as a fascinating case-study of the versatility - or perhaps inconsistency - of this Cosumarite group. Each of the three games featured a completely different attitude and style of play. Thankfully, the trajectory seems to be one of improvement from MD1 to MD3. Let's review how we got to our current 2-0-1 record:


Cosumar 1-0 Super-Llamaland

Are those damn llamas stalking us? Cosumar have found themselves in the same group as Super-Llamaland in major international tournaments more often than not in recent years, and it continued here in the Eagle's Cup. Fortunately, in what is quickly becoming a legitimate rivalry, Cosumar have also found themselves with the upper hand more often than not.

The only deviation from the usual storyline in Kaldukosic for the first matchday was the 1-0 on the scoreboard. Encounters with these particular Esportivans have usually been end-to-end goalfests, with at least three different 4-3 results immediately springing to mind. But the Cosumarite defense was efficient today, turning the early goal into an opportunity to sink their fingernails into the match and grind for the shutout.

It was Belarmin Worsaw who deposited the first Cosumarite goal in the long and esteemed history of the competition, lashing home Anders Engström's low cross from five yards out. The scoring play was somewhat controversially initiated on a quick restart by left back Bacary Na'Kale after a foul that several Llamanean players were still busy protesting.

Cosumar would only register two more shots all game, and were often sloppy with the ball, but Worsaw's strike was all the offense the Vanquishers needed. After a thunderstorm caused a delay totaling one hour and 45 minutes between halves, neither team looked particularly crisp in the second half. But as Cosumar continued to struggle to string together consecutive passes, Super-Llamaland started to really threaten at the end. Ansel Penbrooke gave Leviathan Arena a scare in the second minute of stoppage time when he slipped a long ball over the top from Adrian Lindberg between the legs of Jakk Winterfyll, but the equalizer was wiped out by the offside flag.

Overall, it was not the inspiring start to the tournament that Gethin Ramsey was looking for. The shaky performance did little to erase the still-tender memory of the World Cup Quarterfinals from the Fiefdom's collective mind. Nevertheless, three points is three points, and positives could be taken from Jakk Winterfyll's splendid performance (three key saves in the second half) and the fact that the back four limited the Llamaneans to only a few quality chances despite conceding overwhelming swaths of possession. And, at the end of the day, Cosumar were sitting atop the toughest group in the tournament.


Nephara 2-1 Cosumar

The semifinals match-up that almost was.

Millions were clamoring to see these two powerhouses go head-to-head in the World Cup, but because of the Sunrisian Surprise, it didn't happen. It's a bit ironic that this supposedly-heavyweight clash would happen now, post-WC, after both Cosumar and Nephara fell by the wayside of the fabled "Cinematic Football". Yet the storylines that initially lent this meeting such intrigue still remained: Gethin Ramsey facing his home country and former team, Premiership players like Engström and Öhman facing longtime teammates...and the surprising fact that the two nearby nations had never met in a competitive match before.

The Vanquishers were the definitive underdogs going up against the former world champions in Sabrefell, and as they scrapped and shouted and clawed to make their intentions known, the hosts answered. The match developed an atmosphere of intensity not unlike a World Cup semifinal. When Chrysanthe Scafidis scuffed Rook Branagh's low cross past a helpless Jakk Winterfyll in the 29th minute, the Farham Arena crowd erupted in cacophony of a surprisingly-deafening volume. It was apparent that both sides really wanted these bragging rights, the special footballing relationship that has developed between the nations of Cosumar and Nephara in recent years manifesting itself on the pitch. One could also sense that ownership and supremacy of the group was at stake, and both teams woke up to the occasion. When Cosumar equalized just before half time, the right back Sheldon Serra finding his partner on the other side Bacary Na'Kale for the tap-in in the box, it was apparent that the second half was going to be hard-fought and evenly-matched.

And even though Ramsey's charges were unable to deliver the homeland victory they so wanted for him, the performance was a night-and-day improvement from the lackluster home opener - and he was pleased with that. There was little the Cosumarites could have done to prevent the Cormorants' 71st minute winner. With both sides whittled down to ten men by 47th and 53rd-minute red cards, there was just enough extra space for Lienke Vesper to cut inside from the left and fire to the top corner with the inside foot from 20 yards out.

Just like that, the first of what will surely be many significant duels between Nephara and Cosumar finished in favor of the Esportivans across the ocean. Cosumar were bumped down to 3rd in Group B yet, paradoxically, their confidence was restored. That belief would immediately be visible a few days later against San Jose Guayabal.


Cosumar 2-1 San Jose Guayabal

Even though La Selecta were coming off of a big 4-1 win, the Vanquishers matched them every bit for moxy and swagger in this high-flying rematch of the World Cup 73 Quarterfinals. It was a very different type of game than the Nephara one, far less tense and physical and far heavier on the showboating and free-flow passing.

Leviathan Arena was buzzing and humming from 30 minutes before the first kick to 30 minutes after the final whistle. Team captain Anders Engström said afterwards that he hopes the home fans took the winning 2-1 display as an apology for the dreary performance against Super-Llamaland in the opener.

Cosumar seemed to already have the three points in the bag after just ten minutes. Belarmin Worsaw ratcheted up the volume in Kaldukosic in the 6th minute by sticking out his boot and lifting Alexander Soarhaven's lob over Abraham Terrazas and under the crossbar with one touch of sublime control. Then, Engström cranked it up another level in the 10th minute by popping up near the penalty spot to head Mauricio Sigler's pass from the left to the far post. Worsaw nearly made it 3-0 just a minute later when Ole Öhman met his diagonal run with a perfectly-weighted ball in, but his toe-poke hit the post and James Moreira *just* beat Engström to the rebound to clear it.

San Jose Guayabal promised to make things interesting in the second half, however, when Sean Fraser blasted a rocket past Winterfyll from the top of the box in the 40th minute to make it 2-1. A dreaded and familiar sight for most Harlighet Ligan fans in the stadium, and a taste of their own medicine for the many Real Azuris supporters sure to be in attendance.

The second half was full of enticing and expressive football. The Guayabalense were testing their new Fútbol Total playstyle, which resulted in several close chances on both sides. Juninho Dos Santos forced a panicked pass from center back Peter Svensson in the 59th minute, and only a world-class stop by Winterfyll in goal prevented Rodolfo Zelaya from easily capitalizing on the opportunity. In the 69th minute, some tricky play from Aziz Senturk took advantage of Guayabalense overaggresion to slide in Engström in on goal only for Terrazas to close it down before the Crisisbless star could find it under his feet. And so on. Miraculously, the goal that was brewing never surfaced and the match finished 2-1, just as it was at half time. With nine shots on-target, Cosumar probably feel they deserved a third goal, but they'll nevertheless be glad simply to have beaten the team that has given them trouble so many times before.



Thanks to the Llamanean goal-party in Nephara, the Vanquishers now find themselves atop Group B at the halfway point, but they will still need every single point they can get. Each one crucial. The Eagle's Cup is held in such high prestige for a reason. The second half of the round robin will be more difficult, with two of the three fixtures on the road in tough environments. To advance, to earn a place among the best of the best, the Cosumar national team will likely need a strong, decisive result in New Llama City tomorrow. They know a performance like MD1's will not cut it, but they seem to have flown free of that post-WC fog and are now soaring through clear skies. Who knows where this flock's flight will take them as long as they stay together and play together.

---

Cosumar Goal-Scorers Tally (11 GF)
Belarmin Worsaw (4)
Anders Engström (3)
Ole Öhman (2)
Bacary Na'Kale (1)
Alora Heher (1)

Cosumar Assists Tally
Alora Heher (2)
Mauricio Sigler (2)
Anders Engström (1)
Sheldon Serra (1)
Alexander Soarhaven (1)
Tiffany Elam (1)
Belarmin Worsaw (1)
Peter Svensson (1)

Substitute Appearances Tally
Frazan Va'Goshal (3)
Tevin Lilley (3)
Jo de Marisco (2)
Alora Heher (2)
Tomasso Tenebrosa (1)
Deirdre McNessa (1)
Torbjörn Jorgensen (1)
Lucius Kaspian (1)
Esteban Hernandez (1)
Ace Newman (1)
Vareza Na'Noni (1)

Cosumar's Eagle Cup Debut

Matchday 1: Cosumar 1-0 Super-Llamaland (@ Leviathan Arena)
Matchday 2: Nephara 2-1 Cosumar (@ The Farham Arena)
Matchday 3: Cosumar 2-1 San Jose Guayabal (@ Leviathan Arena)
Matchday 4: Super-Llamaland 1-4 Cosumar (@ Arthur C. Clarke Memorial Stadium)
Matchday 5: Cosumar 2-3 Nephara (@ Leviathan Arena)
Matchday 6: San Jose Guayabal 4-1 Cosumar (@ SJG Home Stadium)
Win
Loss
Tie

[Chromatika]

After the conclusion of the latest League Chromatiks season, it was decided by the Chromatik Football Federation to relocate to Montréal, Royal Kingdom of Quebec, and take with them all the players currently associated with the CFF, among all levels (U-15, U-21, and senior team). This has led to a simple problem for a few of Chromatika's national team players: Whom do they play for next? For players like Jillian Nier, who has spent most of her young career carrying Urrheddiao, and Jazmin Dragana, who was the ultimate threat to score timely answers for Myana, it means having to leave the certainty of a starting spot in a team that needs them and heading off to the distant unknown.

Thankfully, buoyed by the Round of Sixteen finish at the last World Cup, Chromatik players have become a more sought after community. Also thankfully, the LigAnaia split, meaning that there are a lot more teams out there in need of teams. Carrol Liam - the youngster who took over Daniel Lucas's spot - signed on with Utica United, an Osarian team that frequents the Globe Cup. Nier herself was grabbed by PLI Islanders of Quebec, who will be playing in the newly reinstated Q-League. Alyss Montague will join Gabriella Antonio at the Coret Hawks, while Jazmin Dragana was signed by Bishop as they became the second and third Chromatik players in the Nepharim League. Frederic Colbert made it to Llerana SC of San Llera while Jan Stanimir will be heading to fellow Atlantian Oceanian nation Eshan's Gracemeria. Storied phenom Béâúñîä Añdìsörì will be heading to Brenecia - possibly after meeting her sister - leaving only Aysu Damjana as the player without a home still.

Although this means that there are zero current National Team players playing in the League Chromatiks, it still is true that the League Chromatiks is not as strong of a league compared to most of the leagues that have signed Chromatik players. It is my hope that after the government is overthrown, the players can choose to return. Until then, they'll be plying their trade abroad, seeking to become even stronger of a bunch of Chromatiks than we've seen yet. (Despite the rapid growth thus far by the team).

[Vilita and Turori]

A Quebecois and a Turorian Get left in a Vanorian waiting room...

...A representative from the Football Association of Turori, in addition to one from the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, sat in what they were informed was a waiting room at the Vanorian Sporting Council headquarters, awaiting the opportunity to pitch their stadia as potential hosts for the 24th Atlantian Oceania Champions League competition.

Oddly, there were only two chairs in the room and both were fixed to the floor immediately opposite each other surrounding a small, square table with a chess pattern on top of it. The two representatives sat down, doing their best not to stare at each other. After about 10 minutes, the representative from Turori started opening the drawers of the table.

"Hey Look, Chess pieces. Wanna play?"

"Sure, we'll just quit when they call us in" The representative from Quebec replied optimistically"

The Quebecois set his pieces and said firmly "I'll start". Not about to make the same mistake twice, the game continued for about an hour. Eventually, both sides lost their queen and it became a strategic battle between kings, knights, some errant pawns and a rook. Finally, the Turorian representative played themselves into a corner, literally, and the match was over.

Then, the Quebecois noticed something in the corner of the room. They didn't recall it being there before, but maybe they just weren't paying attention. It was a crokinole board. The rules were attached to the back.

"Hey this looks fun, clear off those pieces!" The Qubecois directed the Turorian to prepare for a new challenge. They set up the board and off they went, flicking their discs.

With neither representative having played the game before, it was a bit of a crapshoot and they weren't entirely sure if they were doing it right, but they were having fun regardless. At the point at which the winning score was reached, the losing player - the Turorian once again - exclaimed "Best 2 out of 3!"

This time, it seemed the Turorian had a handle on the game and levelled the series at one a piece. Likewise, in the third match, the Turorian won - completing the comeback and defeating the Representative from Quebec.

At this point, after having sat in the 'waiting room' for 2 and a half hours, neither representative even remembered what they were there to do. As the representative from Quebec returned the Crokinole board, the Turorian noticed a cabinet along the wall. It was filled with games.

"Come check these out" he said, "See if there are any good ones".

The Representative from the Royal Kingdom of Quebec quickly gravitated to two games in particular. "EHL Ice Breaker: The Card Hockey Board Game" and "EHL Powerplay Team-Building Card Game".

"Lets play one of these" The Quebecois, sounding excited - "They even have my language!"

And so the two returned to the table. After two rounds of EHL Ice Breaker, and then more game time with the EHL Power Play Team-Building game, the two returned to the game chest.

While the two representatives exchanged victories in the EHL Ice Breaker game, it was the Representative from Turori claiming a clean sweep in the EHL Power Play Team-Building Game, and the succesive defeats were clearly getting under the skin of the Quebecois.

Trying to lighten the mood, the representative from Turori took a stab at small talk.

"Well, those were fun" He started in. "I certainly know a lot more about the Elven Hockey League now!

"Yup" - a terse response from the Representative of Quebec.

"I wonder if they have similar games from our leagues - the VHL and the QHL - what do you think?"

The mood lightened- but only a tad. "Yea, I don't know. I guess they should if they don't - would be fun."

After perusing a series of games from the cabinet - Hanabi, King of Tachbe, Terror in Multiverse City, Ticket to Ride - they settled on Power Grid.

This was Good News for the representative of Turori - as he had actually played Power Grid before. It had been a long time, however, and he wasn't quite remembering how to play. The game itself was imported and inside the box was a two-sided map, one side with a map of Vilita and the other a map of Calania. Naturally they played the Calanian half of the board.

The purpose of the game seemed fairly simple: to supply the most Calanian cities with Power. On a players turn they got the opportunity to purchase power plants, then, expand their electrical grid to new cities, and finally - to purchase raw materials - Coal, Natural Gas, Oil and/or Uranium - to power their power plants with in order to deliver electricity along their route to those cities.

Naturally, the Quebecois focused their attention on the North-West portion of the board. The Turorian started right in the middle in what would prove to be a critical decision at games end. It appeared at first that the Quebecois was just having fun building a network in and around Quebec and Mertagne but wasn't playing for the big picture. Meanwhile, the Turorian and created an electrical grid that stretched from Emberton to Legalese City and - as the first one in those cities and all those in between - was able to make those connections at a cheaper cost.

By the time the representative from Quebec realized they were going to have to expand outward from the NorthWest in order to stay efficient and increase income, it was too late. The Turorian already had a stronghold around Lake Bekk and eventually built their 17th city, triggering the end of the game.

Considering they had just spent nearly two hours in a brain-burner of a game - and considering that the Quebecois felt they were at a disadvantage for the majority of that time - they decided to go back to something simple. Chess.

Since the representative from Quebec had won the earlier game of Chess, this decision pleased them. They were getting tired of losing - to the point of frustration, and they were looking forward to getting back to something they had a good shot at winning.

However - the game was over just moments later. After executing a 'Scholar's Mate' maneuver on the representative from Quebec, the Turorian representative exclaimed "Checkmate! Want to play again?"

Quite miffed at what had just happened, the representative from Quebec just sat there for a moment. Got Up, and left the room. Then it happened. All that pent up frustration - over 8 hours of gaming and over 4 hours since they had last won a game. The representative went neanderthal on the Sporting Council's breakroom, smashing through the case on the vending machine then disposing it of its contents - then smashing mugs from the cabinet. The handle of one mug bounced just right such that it flew just past the elongated ear of the receptionist. She quickly rang security.

Such violence was unbecoming of a Vanorian - or a Guest. Security dealt promptly with the situation, tranquilizing the Representative from Quebec on the spot.

Back in the waiting room, unaware exactl what all the comotion outside was, the Turorian was greeted by someone who entered through a hidden door in the wall.

"Alright, so how about those Stadum pitches?"