Baptism of Fire 76(IC, Everything)

[Lathamford]

S p o r t L i n k

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Baptism of Fire 76 - Quarterfinals
Lathamford 4–3 Milchama
Colfield '15; Farrowsteam '20, '52; du Graypelt '38 ׀ Floren '45, '69, '82
@Mavuto Field (cap. 75,000) in Hoima, Ankole Region, Banija


Game Report

1: Kick off
4: Marc K. Floren takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
6:Otto Farrowsteam takes a shot. That's off-target.
7:  Holden Flomes takes a shot. That's off-target.
10: Matt Falconderry takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
14: Freekick to Lathamford, taken by Colfield
15: Lathamford scores! The scorer was Carter Colfield
18: Freekick to Milchama
20: Lathamford scores! The scorer was Otto Farrowsteam
21: Otto Farrowsteam takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
29: Marc K. Floren takes a shot. That's off-target.
38: Lathamford scores! The scorer was Sebastian du Graypelt
40: Otto Farrowsteam caught offside
42: Milchama has given a free-kick.
44: Marc K. Floren caught offside.
45: Milchama scores! The scorer was Marc K. Floren
49: Matt Falconderry takes a shot. That's off-target.
52: Lathamford scores! The scorer was Otto Farrowsteam
53: George Trois is shown a Yellow Card.
56: Gal Waver takes a shot. That's off-target.
59: Milchama has given a corner kick.
60: Alan Caskwoods takes a shot. That's off-target.
65: Gal Waver takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
69: Milchama scores! The scorer was Marc K. Floren
73: Substitution by Milchama.
75: Substitution by Lathamford player Sebastian du Graypelt makes way for Theodore Ashleigh.
78: Substitution by Lathamford player Clayton Decker make way for Theodore Darrington.
81:Theodore Ashleigh takes a shot. That's off-target.
82: Milchama scores! The scorer was Marc K. Floren
84: Alan Caskwoods caught offside.
85: Substitution by Lathamford player Alan Caskwoods make way for Frederick Grantham.
93: Frederick Grantham takes a shot. That's off-target.4: Marc K. Floren takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
6:Otto Farrowsteam takes a shot. That's off-target.
7:  Holden Flomes takes a shot. That's off-target.
10: Matt Falconderry takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
14: Freekick to Lathamford, taken by Colfield
15: Lathamford scores! The scorer was Carter Colfield
18: Freekick to Milchama
20: Lathamford scores! The scorer was Otto Farrowsteam
21: Otto Farrowsteam takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
29: Marc K. Floren takes a shot. That's off-target.
38: Lathamford scores! The scorer was Sebastian du Graypelt
40: Otto Farrowsteam caught offside
42: Milchama has given a free kick.
44: Marc K. Floren caught offside.
45: Milchama scores! The scorer was Marc K. Floren
49: Matt Falconderry takes a shot. That's off-target.
52: Lathamford scores! The scorer was Otto Farrowsteam
53: George Trois is shown a Yellow Card.
56: Gal Waver takes a shot. That's off-target.
59: Milchama has given a corner kick.
60: Alan Caskwoods takes a shot. That's off-target.
65: Gal Waver takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
69: Milchama scores! The scorer was Marc K. Floren
73: Substitution by Milchama.
75: Substitution by Lathamford player Sebastian du Graypelt makes way for Theodore Ashleigh.
78: Substitution by Lathamford player Clayton Decker make way for Theodore Darrington.
81:Theodore Ashleigh takes a shot. That's off-target.
82: Milchama scores! The scorer was Marc K. Floren
84: Alan Caskwoods caught offside.
85: Substitution by Lathamford player Alan Caskwoods make way for Frederick Grantham.
93: Frederick Grantham takes a shot. That's off-target.
90+4: Final Whistle

A thrilling night for all of the Lathamians, their beloved team first stepped foot into the semi-finals of an international tournament, and relief was clearly plastered on everyone’s faces when we managed to beat Milchama 4-3, albeit like a goal party that night, but its bottom line we win.

To quote head coach Pedro Menendez, Lathamford under his coaching was formed with a commitment to indeed in every game, a habit of always winning, and a champion mentality, to some extent able to shape the team’s game plan, which previously, was considered a lackluster team. stand out as MAC8 transforms into a challenger team in just a short time. When contacted by SportLink, Lathamford Football Association (LFA) president Dr. Oscar von Cassbailey expressed his happy feelings and congratulated the team, while he also advised them to always focus on the upcoming matches.

The Speedy Cat this time faced a great team and was coached by the accountant, Darryl Lamarein. Yes, from his accountant changing the position to head coach of the national team, then, every second and time of the match, he will take into account and make a balance of profit or loss, this is where Milchama's true strength comes into play.

In the 4th minute they managed to penetrate the Lathamford defense, almost Marc K. Floren's shot was saved by the goalkeeper, the delay and slowly settle down almost destroyed us early in the game. Matt Falconderry, meanwhile, should have made a name for himself as a scorer if he had shot even harder in the 10th minute, but his slow shot was easily caught by Milchama goalkeeper Miles Inthracam.

When the ball hit the opponent's defender's hand outside the penalty area, Lathamford was awarded a free-kick, and it was first taken by Carter Colfield, the result of a perfect curve ball crashing into the opponent's goal, giving the Speedy Cat's first goal of the Night. Soon after an assist from Hargreave, Farrowsteam who missed his marker managed to shoot in for the second goal in the 15th minute. A third goal should have materialized if Otto's beautiful half volley had not been saved by the goalkeeper, but Inthracam's dexterity denied it all.

Left midfielder Joe Wymondham who managed to escape from the opposing defense, managed to make a pin-point crossing to Milchama's penalty box where the pass was greeted with a simple tapping by Sebastian du Graypelt to make it 3-0 in the 38th minute, at this time, we feel, this world is ours, and the move to the semi-finals is becoming increasingly apparent. But when overconfident began to manifest, it gave the opponent a chance to set the pace, as a result, Milchama scored the first goal when our offside trap did fail and gave ample room for Floren to score when he managed to beat our goalkeeper, Greenash in the 45th minute, just a few the moment the first half end. 3-1.

Shocked by that, Lathamford's line-up improved the attack, as a result, Otto who managed to receive a neat pass from Hargreave did not miss a chance for his second goal tonight and Lathamford's fourth goal, this goal increased his scoring account in the tournament to 8. 69th minute, once the forgetfulness of the defensive line paid off, the uncontrolled Floren managed to head the ball as a result of a free-kick outside our penalty box and the score changed again to 4-2.

Slightly injured Clayton Decker defender was replaced in the 78th minute by Dynamo Buttercourt defender Theodore Darrington, but clearly, all the players showed fatigue and this fatigue punished us once again when Floren completed his hat-trick in the 82nd minute, the current score being 4-3. For the semi-finals, the coaches need to look seriously at the issue of player stamina as they clearly lack stamina and start not fit by the end of the match, whatever congratulations again to the Speedy Cat players for qualifying for the BoF76 semi-finals.

Semifinal
v. Cabo Azure
@The Stadium of the Restoration (cap. 91,835) in Busukuma, National Capitol Region, Banija
Greenash
Haymoore - Skelmersdale (C) - Wolfsong
Wymondham - du Graypelt - Hargreave - Colfield
Farrowsteam - Caskwoods - Falconderry

[Torisakia]

Golly Bob Howdy Vern: Disgraced Soccer Team Actually Does Something Meaningful

It's a new day for Torisakian sports. The national association football team, despite all their disgrace and suckage, have finally made something of themselves. Well, kinda. All that really happened is that every other team involved just sucked worse. The Baptism of Fire is some hastily run "tournament" held before each World Cup to allow new teams to get experience playing internationally. Apparently Torisakia had never been apart of this before until now, so they were able to take advantage and beat up on some nobodies to make themselves feel good and think they are better than they actually are. It is essentially a pity party for teams that will ultimately amount to nothing and never make anything of their lives.

Torisakia has managed to make it to the semifinals through sheer luck. No player out there actually knows what they are doing. They just run around, kick a ball, and hope for the best. It's a complete clown fiesta. It's like watching a little league game, except with less motor skills involved. Despite this "success", the team still couldn't avoid drawing a match like they always do. Apparently they still don't realize that drawing serves no benefit and is like kissing your sister, although some Postmeridians may like it in that regard. This team is literally the same as its always been. There's no great comeback story here after being shut down for a few months because some players in a completely unrelated sport couldn't behave. As stated, this tournament means nothing. A newborn baby could win this tournament by itself easily without any real effort at all.

This marks the furthest Torisakia has ever gotten in any association football tournament that wasn't their own. It's likely the furthest they will ever get. Mediocrity awaits them afterwards, where they will meet a swift end in the World Cup like they always do. One begins to wonder why money continues to be put into this team. It's a complete waste of taxpayer dollars, just like the War of Frogs was. But with that, there was at least some hope of winning. With the national team, you might as well just be lighting the money on fire. We continue to fuel a dumpster fire without any regard. People are brainwashed into believing that this team could ever amount to anything. It's all a ruse to steal our money and for capitalism to make a profit. You have all been cheated and lied to. And you have no one else to blame for it but yourselves. You disgust me. You're worthless.

If we're lucky, Torisakia will lose their semifinal match and prove to the country that they are absolute frauds. These players aren't even the best in the TSL, let alone the entire country. We also hope they lose because The Torisakia Inquisition is running out of material to post and three-quarters of our writing staff have already committed suicide. This entire thing just continues to prove true the idea that the national team should have been given the actual death penalty, read capital punishment, instead of...whatever that was. Because it's certain that the people who are forced to watch them play would love to get the death penalty themselves. There's been many reports of suicides occurring during and after watching the national team attempt to pretend they know how to play soccer. Why are we being forced to endure this? Pretty certain this breaks some type of international law against torture. Also certain it violates the 8th Amendment tremendously. But when have we ever cared about those rights being enforced? Only when it benefits us, really. In any case, we hope this is the last article The Torisakia Inquisition has to write about the subject, because we're done talking about it.

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[Pyazhnaya]

-- The Baptism of Fire 76 is covered by Andrey Terentyev --

While my colleague Kathleen has been able to provide you, our readers, with a look behind the scenes of Pyazhnaya over the course of the Baptism of Fire, I have been following them on the sports side of things and given that we have reached a very critical stage of the tournament, we have decided to take a look at the almost miraculous run this small nation has had since joining what many are considering the "big stage". A brief word on myself, I was born in Pyazhnaya, but my parents fled to Tikariot during the Civil War and I still have a very deeply rooted connection to the nation, so what follows here might not adhere to the regular rules of objective journalism, but is more of a heartfelt affair, coming from somebody that has breathed the salty air, has smelled the black earth and has felt the joint pain of a nation. What follows does not represent the opinion or views of the Tikariot Sports Gazette as a whole, but mine and the one of millions of Pyazhnayans.

Sure, the Xannerian National as very first step could be seen as just that, a getting-the-feet wet, and the participation in the inaugural CAFA tournament most definitely was far more than just that, but the Baptism of Fire is something special in any nation's footballing history, a true one-of-a-kind, which makes it such a stand-out among football tournaments within the multiverse. So first of all, what makes it so special after all? Simple. It is a true unique opportunity as a nation is only able to participate once in its history, has one chance to win it, never to receive one again. Which is why the winner list is more elusive than any other tournaments' by default since there are no re-dos.

36 nations set out for the 76th edition, trying to win the Baptism of Fire. One of the payoffs is to receive KPB ranking points and gain an advantage in the upcoming World Cup qualifying campaign by gaining access to a more favourable pot for the draw, but while this is a very nice add-on, the true allure lies in the above-mentioned opportunity to bring fame to the nation. Pyazhnaya's journey began in group B, together with Kiltoch, Behetij, Venmere, Krbustan and Vajlahrys and while each of these nations' goal had been the same, the Pyazhnayans took the opportunity and hit the ground running.

Their very first opponents were Venmere, a nation that had started to get its name out into the sporting world through some other tournaments and were considered one of the forerunners for one of the qualification spots in the group, but the Phoenix put in a marquee performance and beat them 6-0, doing more than just scoring the first three points. They were also making a statement towards the rest of the field, one that underlined that they would not settle just for a participation trophy, but that they meant business. The game meant that the multiverse had taken first notice of Pyazhnaya, but how much is one win worth in the bigger picture?

So next came Vajlahrys, a virtual blank page in the book of sports and Pyazhnaya followed through in an impressive manner, adding a second 6-0 victory to their tally. Now one could argue that nobody knew most of these nations before the Baptism of Fire began, that it is impossible to truly gauge what any of these wins actually mean, but one has to think of it a bit differently here, because three editions ago, to pick just one example, Tikariot was part of Baptism of Fire 73 and they will be participating in their third World Cup proper in the upcoming tournament and are 20th in the world right now. Any of the nations in this tournament could follow in their footsteps.

Krbustan were third on the list, another nation that has at least some reputation in other sports already and Pyazhnaya continued to forge ahead with a 3-0. By now the multiverse had more than just taken notice, the multiverse knew that they meant business. Yes, in their fourth game they conceded their first goals, two in fact, but scoring five in return against Kiltoch showed spirit, showed that they would not let some adversity throw them of course, just like the seafarers of old would not waver in the face of an oncoming storm. And then finally Behetij were the last of their group to face the islanders and while the game ended "only" 1-0, the by far closest of results of the group stage, the actual result did not matter. Five victories in five games meant that Pyazhnaya had truly arrived at the Baptism of Fire, ready to take the next step.

From now on, every single game would count, any slip-up meant that it all would be over and Aix les Filles were the next team, the next hurdle to overcome in the Round of 16. Despite the pressure and expectations mounting after their dominant performances to date, they did not allow it to get to their heads or stand in their way and they beat the pink and black team 4-0, continuing their run, advancing them to the quarter finals, where fellow Anaian Saint Eleanor were waiting for them. Staying true to themselves, they showed that they were not here to take any prisoners or let falling behind deter them. Instead they grabbed the proverbial bull by the horns and underlined their ambitions in a thunderous 5-3 victory, bringing them another step closer to the grand prize.

Now, Torisakia are stepping onto the pitch with them, intent on ending their run in the semi-finals. But they have to ask themselves the one big question: Are they ready? Are they prepared to meet the teal and burgundy warriors from the north? Seven games, seven victories, 30-5 goals. Granted, anything that happened in the games so far doesn't mean a thing once the referee blows the whistle in Vreton, no goals scored in those games count for anything, but if these games have proved one thing so far, then that Pyazhnaya is ready to bring the fight, the heartblood, the spirit to succeed, to take this crucial next step towards the trophy and bring pride to the people of Pyazhnaya, who have struggled for so long, have fought and sacrificed so many things to get to where they are now. And they are not going to stop now.

From the ashes we arise!

[Lathamford]

S p o r t L i n k

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NAME	NATIONALITY	CAPS	GOAL
Hydradust       	1	0
Baymartin       	1	0
Greenash		8	0
Decker	        	7	0
Wolfsong		3	0
Izzard-Crew 		2	0
Ashleigh		3	0
Skelmersdale ©		10	0
Haymoore		9	1
Wymondham		10	1
Wyvernchaser		8	1
Hargreave 		8	0
du Graypelt		5	0
Selfridges		5	0
Colfield		9	2
Farrowsteam		10	9
Caskwoods 		8	4
Falconderry		8	0
Barrington		2	0
Darrington		3	0
T. Ashleigh		2	0
Grantham		4	0
Kingsley		6	1
A. Caskwoods		3	0
Faraday			1	0

Lathamford National League Season 18: MD7
Lokomotive Featherwood FC 1–0 Torpedo Stocksbridge FC
Otto Farrowsteam '34
@Locomotive Arena, Featherwood

We look back at Lathamford National League Season 18 matchday 7 where the Featherwood Locomotive received a visit from Torpedo Stocksbridge at Locomotive Arena. The match was won by the Loko 1-0 with a single goal by Otto Farrowsteam in the 34th minute. Before that, Otto had been a thorn to the Torpedo defense, wherein the 15th and 16th minutes, Otto managed to attack the opponent's defense but luck was not on his side and failed. score a goal.

The goal created as a result of his one-two move with Carter Colfield managed to deceive the opponent's defense and the result was a beautiful goal. Stocksbridge also had several chances including in the 47th minute, Quin Snowgazer got across from Stephan Goldflower but his tapping successfully saves by the goalkeeper, Otto Baymartin.

In the 53rd minute, substitute striker Lee Borncock also almost equalized but Baymartin's excellence that night forced them to accept a 0-1 defeat.

Team Record

MAC8-1	Greenash, Decker, Izzard-Crew [Ashleigh], Skelmersdale (C), Haymoore, Wymondham, Wyvernchaser, Hargreave [du Graypelt], Colfield, Farrowsteam, Caskwoods [Falconderry]
MAC8-2	Greenash, Decker [Barrington], Ashleigh, Skelmersdale (C), Haymoore, Wymondham, Selfridge, Hargreave [du Graypelt], Colfield, Farrowsteam, Falconderry
MAC8-3	Hydradust, Ashleigh, Darrington, Skelmersdale (C), Haymoore, Wymondham, Selfridge [T. Ashleigh] , du Graypelt, Colfield, Farrowsteam [Grantham], Falconderry
Fr01	Baymartin, Skelmersdale (C), Decker [Wolfsong], Izzard-Crew, Wymondham, Colfield [Selfridges], Colfield, Wyvernchaser, Farrowsteam, Caskwoods, Falconderry [Grantham]
BoF76-1	Greenash, Decker,  Skelmersdale (C), Haymoore [Darrington], Wymondham, Wyvernchaser, Hargreave [du Graypelt],  Colfield, Farrowsteam, Caskwoods, Falconderry [Kingsley]
BoF76-2 Greenash, Decker,  Skelmersdale (C) [Wolfsong], Haymoore, Wymondham, Wyvernchaser, Hargreave, Colfield [V.Selfridges], Farrowsteam, Caskwoods [A.Caskwoods], Kingsley
BoF76-3 Greenash, Wolfsong (Barrington), Skelmersdale (C), Haymoore, Wymondham, Wyvernchaser, Hargreave, V.Selfridges, Farrowsteam (Grantham), Caskwoods (Kingsley), Falconderry
BoF76-4 Greenash, Decker , Skelmersdale (C) (Darrington), Haymoore, Wymondham, Wyvernchaser, Hargreave (du Graypelt), Colfield, Farrowsteam , Caskwoods (A. Caskwoods), Kingsley
BoF76-5 Greenash, Decker , Skelmersdale (C), Haymoore, Wymondham, Wyvernchaser, Hargreave (T.Ashleigh), Colfield, Grantham , Caskwoods (Farrowsteam), Kingsley (Falconderry)
BoF76QF	Greenash, Decker , Skelmersdale (C), Haymoore, Wymondham (Faraday), Wyvernchaser, Hargreave, Colfield, Farrowsteam , Caskwoods (A.Caskwoods), Kingsley (Falconderry)

Semifinal
v. Cabo Azure
@The Stadium of the Restoration (cap. 91,835) in Busukuma, National Capitol Region, Banija
Greenash
Haymoore - Skelmersdale (C) - Wolfsong
Wymondham - du Graypelt - Hargreave - Colfield
Farrowsteam - Caskwoods - Falconderry

[Bollonich]

Baptism of Fire 76 - Semifinals

#1 Pyazhnaya 3–2 #4 Torisakia
@The John Lennon Football Stadium (cap. 100,000) in Vreton, Bollonich

#2 Lathamford 0–1 #6 Cabo Azure
@The Stadium of the Restoration (cap. 91,835) in Busukuma, National Capitol Region, Banija

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Final

#1 Pyazhnaya vs #6 Cabo Azure
@The John Lennon Football Stadium (cap. 100,000) in Bollonich

Third Place Playoff

#2 Lathamford vs #4 Torisakia
@The Keystone Stadium (cap. 47,000) in Sisonke, Kitara Region, Banija

Here's your semifinal cutoff. Which teams will believe and move onto the grand final in Vreton?

[Pyazhnaya]

Just a few months ago nobody in the multiverse had ever even heard of names such as Ulyona Khomkolova, Maksimilian Trukhin, Gennady Burtsov or Inna Parshikova. One could argue that even within the country of Pyazhnaya itself barely anybody had taken notice of these players, at least outside of the die-hard followers of the still young Pyazhnyy Prvaya Liga. Their participation in the first ever CAFA and them reaching the quarter finals was considered a surprising and big success and brought these names closer to at least some, including clubs such as the Emberton Hibernians of Krytania, Clark City of Tumbra, Advance Alara of Ko-oren or Wavel AC in the Squornshelan Remnant States, prompting players, like the four afore-mentioned quartet, to take the step into the international unknown.

Now I stand here at the edge of the pitch of the John Lennon Football Stadium in Bollonischian Vreton, where tonight Pyazhnaya will take the field in the country's arguably biggest football match of its history, when the Phoenix will face Rushmori Cabo Azure in the final of the 76th edition of the Baptism of Fire.

"I am not a sports fan, but tonight I will be at the pub with my friends and we will be cheering for the team!"

"It feels surreal to see a team from Pyazhnaya suddenly in the international spotlight, on the verge of something only few others have achieved, including some of football's greatest."

Entering as a virtual unknown, Pyazhnaya made sure that the multiverse took notice when they stormed into the hearts of not just Pyazhnayans, but fans all across Anaia and beyond with their no-holds barred attacking football, uncompromising defense and fighting spirit, igniting a fire that has since grown from a single flame to a raging bonfire. With every victory throughout the tournament the numbers of supporters grew and from the few thousand that had originally made their way to Bollonich, their numbers have grown into tens of thousands that now are lining the streets of Vreton as we speak, even without tickets to the big game. A sea of teal and maroon has taken over parts of the city and set up camp in one of the biggest plazas of the city, where local bars and restaurants seem to have adopted the mass of fans, making the plaza a meeting place with tables and chairs extending out and large screens being assembled for an impromptu viewing party that has the potential to rival the atmosphere within the stadium tonight.

So what makes the Pyazhnayans, well, Pyazhnayans? Pyazhnayan winters have been cited as one of the reasons why this nation stands together the way it does, cold, harsh, long, making you connect with others in the same situation and make the most of it. You learn that you're all in this together and that by sticking together, it is easier to make it through. Everybody has this connection and it almost feels like the players are part of your extended family that is having success, making the whole nation proud.

"The Baptism of Fire has been a bit of a fairytale that has made us stick together as a nation and has given us pride, something to cheer for as one."

"Us Pyazhnayans will take whatever we have to do and see it through until the end, no matter how painful it may be. Like in the past, when fishing meant to survive, waiting until the nets are full to make sure we can feed our families, even if it is cold and uncomfortable. We still do it. Call it stubborn, call it determined, call it obsessive, but if we get something into our heads, we'll stick with it, even if your brain says that you should stop."

After the civil war Pyazhnaya was a country on its knees, picking up the pieces of a society that was shaken to its core. The new government knew that the next few years would be hard, to rebuild everything, to prove to the people that it has been and will be worth the hardships and they made a conscious decision to make football one of the instruments to achieve it. Against many critics who were clamouring that putting money into something as insignificant as a sport in the situation they were in was irresponsible and ignoring the true needs of the people, they invested into a grassroots movement with football centres popping up on the different islands, huge white bubbles with artificial turf and year-round football coaching. It gave families common ground, a place to get together, children a focus and a potential future, for some a way out of the war-torn country in the future. Like any movements like this, it took several years to fully take root, but looking at what the national team is bringing to the table, or rather pitch, now is clear evidence that it worked. It all gave Pyazhnayans a united identity, something to stand behind and cheer for as one.

No matter what will happen tonight, Pyazhnaya will feel pride and it will welcome the team with open arms and celebrate. And just like Pyazhnayans always have done, they will turn the page to write the next chapter and approach it with the same spirit and fervour as the last one, even if it will be even more daunting giving the sheer scale that is the World Cup Qualification campaign. But that will not matter to them. They will still cast their nets, determinedly and stubbornly and stick with it, no matter if their brain might say that they should stop, their hearts will continue to push them forward and give their all until the very end.

This is Evgeny Zapryushkin for Pyazhnyy Sportske Novosti from Vreton, Bollonich.

[Lathamford]

S p o r t L i n k

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Disappointed of course, no matter what, just one more step to the final, but, the reality is, being in the semi-finals has already exceeded the initial target of FA Lathamford, so there is nothing to regret, what is important is our focus on 3PPO, against Torisakia who will take place at The Keystone Stadium, Banija. Skelmersdale and teammates are to be commended for this achievement, our record at international tournaments has not been excellent before, but in BoF76 we made it to the 3PPO match is already good enough, the KPI set by the LFA to head coach Pedro Menendez has been achieved, no doubt, the LFA’s decision to hire an outside coach was also worth it. Hopefully, the Speedy Cat manages to beat Torisakia next placing themselves in third place in this BoF76 tournament.

At the end of this article, SportLink's editorial staff tries to unravel the 3-4-3 formation that coach Pedro Menendez often uses. The defensive section that lines up three central defenders (or five defenders when without ball possession) is not a new system through a recent revolution. This system has been used successfully at the club level before, Pedro Menendez proved this system has been successful with Lathamford national team in BoF76. This system gives more protection to the defensive side, as it gives very little room for opponents to push into the penalty box area. From an attacking perspective, this system allows teams to attack using wing midfielder. Two wing midfielders will be playing at the high line causing the attacking side to seem to have five attacking players. Against a team that is hard to break on the defensive side, this system provides a numerical advantage. The three-defender system gives a numerical advantage when attacking. While defend they can survive with 5-4-1 or even 5-3-2. They narrowed the space in the middle for the opposing planner to pass. It’s like a trap to make it easier for the ball to be won back.

Lathamford Top Scorer

Otto Farrowsteam	8
Bruno Caskwoods		4
Carter Colfield		3
Joe Wymondham		1
Martin Haymoore		1
Adolf Wyvernchaser	1
Giles Kingsley		1
Sebastian du Graypelt	1

3PPO
v. Torisakia
@The Keystone Stadium (cap. 47,000) in Sisonke, Kitara Region, Banija
Baymartin
Darrington - Skelmersdale (C) - Wolfsong
Faraday - Wyvernchaser - Hargreave - Selfridges
Farrowsteam - Grantham - Kingsley

[Cabo Azure]

Lathamford 0-1 Cabo Azure

Pos. Name 
GK Carreira
LB Branco
CB Mendes
CB Macedo (off 80')
RB Fernandez (off 60')
LW Serra 
CM Alves (off 65')
RM Santos
LW Dantas
CF Montenegro
RW Carrico

CF Botehlo (on 80') (goal 88')
CM Ferreira (Marciano) (on 65')
RB de Lima (on 60')

An emotional win for the Maçaricas to put them into the final in their first-ever WCC football contest.

The match started as a grind, with each team moving the ball box-to-box but failing to create chances or test either keeper. An impressive corner kick by Colfield nearly resulted in an early goal for the Speedy Cat off a header by Bruno Caskwoods, but Carreira got a glove on it and tipped it over the bar. More shots came toward the end of the first half, though each was a routine save for the respective keeper.

The second half came a little bit faster, with Lathamford managing to break down Cabo Azure's defense and penetrate to put a few shots on target. Macedo earned a yellow card for a harsh shove on Farrowstream on a 50/50 ball, which slowed his usually relentless play. For their part, the Maçaricas began taking greater risks on counters, spreading the Lathamford defense lengthwise and forcing them to earn their title of "Speedy Cat."

A planned substitution of Ferreira for de Lima at the hour mark was joined by Marciano Ferreira, newly off suspension, who took control of the midfield and began to direct the ball with greater purpose. Adalberto Montenegro once again attempted to put the team on his back, but was closed down by the robust three-man backfield and unable to score his usual athletic goals. He too was subbed off following an altercation with a referee, and Botehlo came on in his place.

The Azurean announcers had already begun to discuss strategy for extra time when Ferreira managed to dispossess Hargreave in the midfield. As if by precognition, Botehlo was already running full speed downfield, and Ferreira managed to thread the needle to him past Decker to make it a 1v1. Despite having saved several similar goals earlier in the match, Greenash came off his line too late and the ball was buried in the upper ninety, right at the death.

"Make a little room, I want to free up from the vine
I want to celebrate
Close enough to feel and now it's time to disappear
I want to celebrate"

Some kid had made the video on zChat--it still bore that app's watermark, as well as a zCode for the kid's channel in the bottom right--but the guitars hit hard and the beat was fast enough to get the players excited as they stood in the tunnel. Those who were paying attention, at least; some were in their own little worlds, praying or staring off into space.

The video had highlights that had been stitched together from Liga Hidalgo matches and a few from the competitions the Maçaricas had participated in earlier in the summer. There was Branco running up the sideline with his arms outstretched after scoring the nation's first international goal against Eshialand, what felt like a lifetime ago. Carreira stretched for a save in his Cidadela jersey. Montenegro threw his head back and roared, pounding his chest with his fists in his signature "gorilla" celebration.

"So I can never feel the cold
I can never feel the cold
I can never feel the cold
I can never feel the cold
Now it's a holiday"

In the tunnel, Silveira started to jog in place, oscillating his speed every few seconds as he attempted to work off the nerves. Macedo stood still as a statue, eyes fixed on the field, his expression impassive. De Lima wore oversized headphones, staring at the ground around his teammates' feet, tuning out the world.

"Too bright to live, too bright to die
I wanna celebrate
Beauty is built not from outside
And I imagine it"

On a signal, the team started down the tunnel into the packed John Lennon Stadium. Amilcar Branco knew there were about half a million people in Cabo Azure, of which roughly a quarter lived in Sao Simone, the capital. As a younger man coming up through the ranks of Azurean football, he'd always been amazed at the sight of Sao Simone from a boat as he approached; so many people, their houses and business and streets stretching as far as the eye could see. Now, looking up from the tunnel, he marveled that there were almost as many people here as lived in Sao Simone; one hundred thousand football fans, screaming their lungs out for him. He permitted himself a moment to revel in it, amazed that a sheep herder's son from an obscure island in an obscure country, could make it this far. Then he rested his eyes on the field. It was time to work.

[Bollonich]

Baptism of Fire 76 - Final and 3rd Place Playoff

#1 Pyazhnaya 5–2 #6 Cabo Azure
@The John Lennon Football Stadium (cap. 100,000) in Bollonich

#2 Lathamford 1–0 #4 Torisakia
@The Keystone Stadium (cap. 47,000) in Sisonke, Kitara Region, Banija

Here's your last and final cutoff. While you anxiously wait for results, listen to this

[Lathamford]

Baptism of Fire 76 - 3rd Place Playoff
Lathamford 1–0 Torisakia
Otto Farrowsteam '61 ׀ NIL
@The Keystone Stadium (cap. 47,000) in Sisonke, Kitara Region, Banija


Game Report

1: Kick off
8: Otto Farrowsteam takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
17: Blake Dragan is shown a Yellow Card. ▍
21: Giles Kingsley takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
35: Frederick Grantham takes a shot. That's off-target.
38: Torisakia was awarded a corner taken by Sergio Meyers.
40: Lathamford awarded a free-kick.
48: Aristide Wallace takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
50: Otto Farrowsteam takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
52: Todd Rothe takes a shot. That's off-target.
55: Giles Kingsley takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
60: Aristide Wallace takes a shot. That's off-target.
61: Lathamford scores! The scorer was Otto Farrowsteam
65: Otto Farrowsteam takes a shot. That's off-target.
66: Todd Rothe caught offside.
69: Substitution by Lathamford player Dustin Skelmersdale makes way for Bradley Barrington
71: Giles Kingsley takes a shot. That's off-target.
72: Frederick Grantham takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
73: Torisakia awarded a freekick, taken by Sam Lennox.
75: Substitution by Lathamford player Frederick Grantham makes way for Alan Caskwoods
76: Aristide Wallace takes a shot. That's off-target.
81: Torisakia awarded a Penalty!!!!, taken by Todd Rothe. It's on target but saved.
85: Substitution by Lathamford player Jonah Hargreave makes way for Theodore Ashleigh.
89: Sergio Meyers caught offside.
90: Alan Caskwoods takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
91: Bradley Barrington is shown a Yellow Card. ▍
93: Alan Caskwoods takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
90+4: Final Whistle

Team Record

MAC8-1	Greenash, Decker, Izzard-Crew [Ashleigh], Skelmersdale (C), Haymoore, Wymondham, Wyvernchaser, Hargreave [du Graypelt], Colfield, Farrowsteam, Caskwoods [Falconderry]
MAC8-2	Greenash, Decker [Barrington], Ashleigh, Skelmersdale (C), Haymoore, Wymondham, Selfridge, Hargreave [du Graypelt], Colfield, Farrowsteam, Falconderry
MAC8-3	Hydradust, Ashleigh, Darrington, Skelmersdale (C), Haymoore, Wymondham, Selfridge [T. Ashleigh] , du Graypelt, Colfield, Farrowsteam [Grantham], Falconderry
Fr01	Baymartin, Skelmersdale (C), Decker [Wolfsong], Izzard-Crew, Wymondham, Colfield [Selfridges], Colfield, Wyvernchaser, Farrowsteam, Caskwoods, Falconderry [Grantham]
BoF76-1	Greenash, Decker,  Skelmersdale (C), Haymoore [Darrington], Wymondham, Wyvernchaser, Hargreave [du Graypelt],  Colfield, Farrowsteam, Caskwoods, Falconderry [Kingsley]
BoF76-2 Greenash, Decker,  Skelmersdale (C) [Wolfsong], Haymoore, Wymondham, Wyvernchaser, Hargreave, Colfield [V.Selfridges], Farrowsteam, Caskwoods [A.Caskwoods], Kingsley
BoF76-3 Greenash, Wolfsong (Barrington), Skelmersdale (C), Haymoore, Wymondham, Wyvernchaser, Hargreave, V.Selfridges, Farrowsteam (Grantham), Caskwoods (Kingsley), Falconderry
BoF76-4 Greenash, Decker, Skelmersdale (C) (Darrington), Haymoore, Wymondham, Wyvernchaser, Hargreave (du Graypelt), Colfield, Farrowsteam , Caskwoods (A. Caskwoods), Kingsley
BoF76-5 Greenash, Decker, Skelmersdale (C), Haymoore, Wymondham, Wyvernchaser, Hargreave (T.Ashleigh), Colfield, Grantham , Caskwoods (Farrowsteam), Kingsley (Falconderry)
BoF76R16 Greenash, Decker, Skelmersdale (C), Haymoore, Wymondham (Faraday), Wyvernchaser, Hargreave, Colfield, Farrowsteam , Caskwoods (A.Caskwoods), Kingsley (Falconderry)
BoF76-QF Greenash, Decker (Darrington), Skelmersdale (C), Wolfsong, Wymondham, du Graypelt (T. Ashleigh), Hargreave, Colfield, Farrowsteam , A. Caskwoods (Grantham), Falconderry
BoF76-SF Greenash, Wolfsong, Skelmersdale (C) (Barrington), Haymoore (J. Ashleigh), Wymondham, du Graypelt, Hargreave, Colfield, Farrowsteam, Caskwood (Kingsley), Falconderry
BoF763PO Baymartin, Darrington, Skelmersdale (C) (Barrington), Wolfsong, Faraday, Wyvernchaser, Hargreave (T. Ashleigh), Selfridges, Farrowsteam, Grantham (A. Caskwoods), Kingsley

Lathamford Top Scorer

Otto Farrowsteam	9
Bruno Caskwoods		4
Carter Colfield		3
Joe Wymondham		1
Martin Haymoore		1
Adolf Wyvernchaser	1
Giles Kingsley		1
Sebastian du Graypelt	1

[Aerodon]

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[Starblaydia]

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