World Cup 73 - RPing Thread

[Zenic]

This dream opportunity shall continue for at least two more games. Zenic can earn a spot into the 73rd World Cup. It gives me giddy just thinking about it. Coming into the last match day, Zenic lead Kirisaki by two points. Zenic hosted Burthnas while Kirisaki had to travel to Thaldor. The only beneficial outcome for Zenic was a win as it would automatically eliminate Kirisaki and advance the Survivors to the play-in playoffs.

Well, Zenic did not leave much to complain about: they defeated Burthnas 3-1 in the Philosophia Colosseum. Ayaode struck early in the 2nd minute to take the lead with Daniel O. scoring in the 11th minute to give Zenic a 2-0 lead heading into the half. Kun-woo got on the scoring sheet in the 56th minute before Burthnas scored their only goal of the game in the 78th minute thanks to Duo Hung. Meanwhile, Kirisaki played spectacularly, defeating Thaldor 5-3. It would surprise none of us here at the Leinz Herald if Kirisaki were invited to the Cup of Harmony and went deep into the tournament, possibly even winning it.

With the group stage portion of the qualifiers over, the WCC calculated the statistics of the 20 second place teams and ranked them in order from best to worst. Zenic finished 12th and were paired up with Group 11 runner up, th Blouman Empire, who finished 9th. The first match will be played in the Philosophia Colosseum in Zenic while the second game will be played in Stadium Bloumany. The winner of the series will qualify for the World Cup proper.

This looks to be an exciting match up between two very talented squads. Our Survivors have found the net 6 more times than the Bloumany have but the bloumany have allowed 6 less goals than we have, leading to both squads having a goal differential of +11. The 4-2-1-3 formation that the Blouman Empire runs will be a tough one to break but the 4-3-3 has proven to be effective at bringing out the best offensive capabilities of our squad.

The stats show that this will be a close series. The winner will be elated like no other while the loser will be heartbroken for a long time. I think Zenic will be celebrating these games for years to come.

-- Xavier Magnusson

Xavier Magnusson is one of the oldest and most respected sports writers at the Leinz Herald. Having 32 years of award-winning journalism and experience covering both domestic and international association football competitions, it is only appropriate that he would be the one to cover the Empire’s first ever international tournament and all subsequent tournaments/events.

[Polkopia]

A Guide To The 11 States of Polkopia
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

The Allied States of Polkopia is composed of eleven different states, all of whom govern themselves to a certain extent. Of course, the states only have so much say compared to the ultimate power held by the dictator of Polkopia, in this case, Semyon Polk, who holds all jurisdiction over the states and can overrule any decision made by any state at any given point in time.

Originally, the eleven states had entire jurisdiction regarding decisions which were located within said state's boundaries and the leader of Polkopia acted as a figurehead of the state, however, that was all changed following the Communist takeover of the Allied States. Since then, the states' power was abolished, though the boundaries were kept in order to maintain order within Polkopian soil. After the dissolution of the communist governments surrounding Polkopia, Malcolm Polk, the dictator at the time, restored some of the states' original powers, but have himself the final say on matters regarding the states. Some historians believe that Polk was notoriously lazy and didn't want to have to handle every matter himself, and that he'd leave it all up to the states until he felt the need to step in, but this theory was never proven true.

---

#3: Altimou

Flag of 'Heksica'

The state of Heksica the third state of Polkopia, located at the northeastern tip of the nation. Heksica is primarily noted for its large native population. With over thirteen tribes living within the state's boundaries, Heksica boasts the largest concentration of indigenous people of any state. The flag of Heksica was designed by the chief of the Usaki tribe; nomad warriors living along the valleys of the Dushdal mountains. The flag was said to honor the Uskai God of Earth and has become a symbol of the recognition of the indigenous peoples' autonomy within the nation. The stakanka of Heksica, Kačta, is one of the smaller stakanki in Polkopia. There are no airports, nor train and monorail stations within Kačta, as architects did not want to disturb the free-roaming nature of the natives. Instead, Kačta is only accessible by car, or by bus down through the only major highway running through the state.

Demographics of Altimou

General
Population:                       621,530
Percent 65 years or older:            37%
Percent 18 years or younger:          18% 
Percent 5 years or younger:           10%
Percent Female:                       49%
Percent Male:                         51%
_____________________________________________
Race/Ethnicity
Percent White:                        42%
Percent African/Black:                 3%
Percent Asian:                        10%
Percent Native Inhabitant:            44%
Percent Other:                         1%
Percent Latino/Hispanic:              11%
_____________________________________________
Ethnic Groups
Polkopian:                            39%
*Magoari:                             18%
*Usaki:                               17%
*Chikavunova:                         11%
*Harti:                                6%
*Taalawa:                              5%
Other:                                 4%
_____________________________________________
Religion
Christian:                            42%
     Orthodox:     95%
     Catholic:      5%
     Other:         1%
Pagan:                                40%
Atheist:                              10%
Jewish:                                7%
Other:                                 1%

---

Today, the Snovski have done the impossible; advance past qualifiers in the World Cup!

After finishing the group with seven wins, two draws, and three losses, the Polkopian team placed second in the group, beating out Szavoda by a single point after their loss to Eura, the group leaders, who have finished the group with a perfect record; 36 points in 12 games. In their last game, Polkopia traveled to the Sandwich Territories to maintain their place in the group. A win would have secured second place, whereas a draw or a loss could have meant that Szavoda would have had the chance to advance, had they won against Eura, but that was not the case. In a well-contested game filled with goals, the match ended 3-3 with goals from Arto Holkeri, Roman Maldov, and Vsevolod Bilan respectively.

Now, with Polkopia advancing past qualifiers, the road to the World Cup is just up ahead, but the Snovski face a huge roadblock. In order to qualify for the most prestigious association football tournament in the multiverse, the Snovski must overcome the Unified Sunrise Islands. This is a team who finished second in their group with an impressive 9-2-1 record and came one point short of finishing ahead of Osarius in Group 17, which is a remarkable achievement on its own.

The Samba Kids will undoubtedly try to oust the Polkopians, as their qualification relies on beating out the Polkopian team. They come with a deadly midfield, with players like Rolando and Rolandinho Juliano playing in the central midfield, and with a brick wall in the back. Apollinaris Tretyakova and Zezinho have been remarkable on the Sunrisian defense and will give the Polkopian offense a run for their money.

Will Polkopia be able to overcome the heavily-favored team hailing from the Unified Sunrise Islands? Nobody can say for sure, but Polkopia are surely the underdogs in this matchup. Neither team will have an easy path to qualification here, and it could go either way, but only time can tell for sure who will be left in the dust while the other becomes one step closer to the World Cup.

[Kernansquillec]

THE INTERVIEW

Agata De Luca

Personal information

Full name       Agata Rosalina De Luca
Date of birth   23th June 2043 (22 years old)
Place of birth  Aschté
                Vilaine, Kernansquillec
Sex             Female
Height          1m72
Position        Midfielder
Nationality      Kernansquillecan

Club information

Currant team     Rennes
Number          20

Youth career

2048 - 2051     Aschite Youth Academy
2051 - 2060     Stade Rennais Youth Academy

Senior career

2060 - now      Rennes

National team

2060 - 2064     Kernansquillec U21
2063 - now      Kernansquillec

Agata De Luca, welcome to the Interview and congratulations on sealing a place in the World Cup playoffs!

Thank you very much. It's great to finally get a shot at the playoffs to win that ticket to the World Cup.

You of course played a big part in that crucial win against The Sarian. What were you thinking as you stepped out on the pitch before kick-off?

I've never really experienced anything like that in my life. We knew it was going to be a sell-out and that the crowd were going to be right behind us from the off as usual. But the noise they made as we came out was deafening and I don't ever remember seeing an entire stadium stand up as one to salute us. And with the flairs and the tifo it was amazing.

Did it pressure you at all?

Sort of, in a good way. I got the chills when I came out and the boost the fans gave us certainly helped us to see the game out. I don't know if we could have done it without them.

Once Maris Iris opened the scoring it was always looking likely that the Kers were going to prevail but it wasn't all plain sailing with The Sarian twice coming back to close the deficit down to just a single goal. Your goals proved to be all-so-valuable in securing victory. How do you feel about being the player who manage to win the playoff place?

Well, to be fair, the whole team won the placeoff place. I may have score two goals, two important goals, but I only scored them thanks to my team-mates and we only won thanks to the goals from Marie and Catriona, so everyone deserves just as much credit as me.

You say you were helped out by your team-mates and it's true that it was a great team effort. But your second goal that proved to be the winner was one fine individual effort. Surely that sums up why you are such a great player?

It was a pretty good goal if I say so myself. I just decide to take on their full-back, beat him and then suddenly found myself in a very nice position. After that instinct just kicked in and I just cut inside and whacked it towards goal. Thankfully it turned out to be perfectly placed. But I'm not sure if one good goal makes a player great. In my opinion what makes a player great is winning things. All of the players I consider to be great have won major trophies and played in teams full of great players. Our team has a lot of quality yes, but I don't think any of us can be called great players until we win something.

Maybe, but if you can send Kernansquillec to their first World Cup since the refoundation of the national team I can assure you that this team will become legendary in Kernansquillec.

We're still not qualified yet.

Indeed. To make it you'll have to take on Chiata over two legs. They did pretty well in group 3, conceading just ten goals in twelve games. Do you think Kernansquillec will be able to breach the mean defence of the 37th seeds?

That's what we'll be aiming to do. There will be difficult to play against, but so were The Sarian and we managed to get past them. We will have to be at our best, but have shown time and again that we can be at our best consistently.

Of course, the last time Chiata and Kernansquillec met it didn't end all too well for the Kers who lost 6-0 during qualifying for the 70th World Cup. But that was before you made the national side. However you still boast experience against some of Chiata's players having played against them at the Di Bradini Cup - a game that you won. Are you feeling confident that you can make it?

There does seem to be a bit of recent history between us. But even if the last time we met it didn't end well, the team has come a long way since then and the players in our team who played that day will surely remember their lesson. As for newer players such as myself, we will go out and give it our all without fear.

Thank you very much Agata. Good luck for the upcoming game, the whole country will be behind you once again.

Kernansquillec 4 - 2 The Sarian
(Iris 18', De Luca 34', 74', Jamison 90'+1' / Bob 49', Ferly 80' (og.))
The National Stadium, Kernansquillec

# Group 2                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Barunia                      12    7   5   0    31   16  +15    26  Qualified
2 Kernansquillec               12    8   2   2    34   23  +11    26  Playoff
3 The Sarian                   12    7   2   3    25   15  +10    23
4 Britonisea                   12    4   4   4    31   29   +2    16
5 Garifunya                    12    4   4   4    21   22   −1    16
6 Dreamplanet                  12    3   0   9    28   39  −11     9
7 RealSquad                    12    0   1  11    16   42  −26     1

[Alasdair I Frosticus]

Fashion
F-F-F-F-F-Fashion
F-Fashion
S-S-Style
War
L-L-L-Look look look

I'm the edge
I'm the chic
I'm the taste
I'm a larger than life with just a hint of lace
I'm avant-garde, I'm the heir, I'm the Vogue
I'm the she she ohh hee hee
I'm the man a la mode

Hello.

I'm Jorge Armanes, and welcome to the final installment in the Choose the Holy Empire's Kit competition series that's been enrapturing you cute little Mundies, with your linear concept of time, static realities, and other oh so adorable concepts. Voting remains open to the end of the playoffs!

Now, we've seen all three of the kits up for voting by now, and with the Holy Empire qualifying with some ease - though wasn't last night's 5-3 victory over Patistan a humdinger? - I want to take a moment to address some of the nonsense coming from K Kits of Keransquilll..., Kernansquol.., Kransquillio...... that Ordinary Reality nation with that unusually difficult to pronounce name that didn't do nearly as well in qualifying as we did (though they did come second in Group 2, bless their little cotton socks).

Now, I know it hasn't come up for a while, you may remember that we've been having a teensy little contract dispute with K Kits over who holds the copyright to design number two in the Choose the Kit competition. I would particularly like to address this little tidbit from a recent Kronsquoggle newspaper story over this dispute:

It would seem that the contract only exists in a 5th dimension, only visible with the reality of the Holy Empire. In Kernansquillec the contract simply took the form of a Kernansquillecan immigration document that required the signature of a K Kits' official to prove that Holy Empire officials were in Kernansquillec on business matters. According to our source it appears that K Kits were duped into signing this contract which is clearly unbalanced in favour of the Holy Empire Football Association. Holy Empire officials are understood to have sent a copy of this contract to K Kits in 2D form after the relationship between the two parties broke down.

It saddens me to see that some otherwise no-doubt well-intentioned people can be duped into spreading this nonsense. This silliness can easily be dismissed on two key points:

1) The idea that five-dimensional contracts can only be read in the Holy Empire is patently absurd; surely any vaguely sentient entity can read five-dimensional documents, regardless of the reality they're presented in. Though I do understand they have to be folded very carefully in a three-dimensional reality.

2) Given the Three Freedoms, as outlined in the Codex Frosticus, the idea that anyone in the Dreamed Realm - even visiting Mundies - could be duped into signing something against their will is mindboggling. I would gently suggest that the visiting K Kits representatives had perhaps been imbibing a little too freely of the pink fairy dust (if you know what I mean). It's very popular here, incidentally; the pink fairies absolutely adore sharing, so it's in no way exploitative.


But as the leader of one of the finest houses of fashion here in the Empire, it's the following that I want to particularly take a moment to debunk:

dimensional expect Gary Rodgers explained to our reporters that while in the Dreamed Realm a three dimensional kit (from the perception of normal reality) may actually appear in that reality as a two dimensional kit. Studies concerning ultra-dimensions have been limited in Kernansquillec, but it does appears according to the last studies that objects of one dimension may change dimension in a different dimension. However, due to the lack of scientific evidence this still remains unclear and is likely to cause a number of questions if this dispute should end up in the courts. But Gary Rodgers was able to confirm that if the Holy Empire was indeed actually proposing a two dimensional kit for use in the "normal" dimension for footballing purposes - which would leave the entire rear of players exposed - it would confirm his long seeded suspicion that "ultra-dimensionalist beings are sexual perverts".

I don't know who this 'Gary Rodgers' is, other than a charlatan and a fraud who knows as much about interdimensionality as a Candelarian bureaucrat, and seems worryingly obsessed with sexual perversion. Realistically, this bizarre comment only proves that no one in Konanbarbariansquiggle has the slightest idea about how to prepare kits in multiple dimensions, only giving further support to HEFA statements that K Kits' inability

Speaking as someone who knows a thing or two about interdimensional fashion - and did you see my last show, darlings - I can assure all viewers that if a two-dimensional kit is prepared properly, it merely expands along the necessary additional axes at 90 degrees to the preceding axes, and fully covers a player's body. Though the thought of seeing Felipe Macrembolites rear exposed does rather send my heart aflutter....

[Gregoryisgodistan]

Foot Slaves win, Through to Playoffs!
Journalist XKCDLAMARANDAL3

The Gregoryisgodistan Foot Slaves have defeated Natanians and Nosts by a score of 2-0 at Lord Almighty Gregory National Stadium, advancing to the qualification play-offs. The Foot Slaves got on the board early thanks to Loyal Friend of Lord Almighty Gregory Xylocrap Notatypo beating his man downfield and taking a pass from Guy Who Cleans Up Behind The Elephant at the Circus P0120AZNNAU, then heading it into the net brilliantly past João Foster, then celebrated by bowing to a statue of Lord Almighty Gregory, burning the flag of Natanians and Nosts, and then bowing to Lord Almighty Gregory himself, who he suddenly noticed in the stands at midfield. Lord Almighty Gregory would make another appearance in the flesh later, but we'll get to that.

The Foot Slaves almost added another before halftime, but Enemy Crusher Fatty Footy headed a corner inches past the post in the 39th minute with a wide open net as Foster had fallen down. He then was very upset and retaliated by crushing a random slave to express his rage. As the slave was Gregoryisgodistani, Enemy Crusher Fatty Footy did not receive a card. A few minutes later, the whistle blew for halftime and it was time for the Slaves R Us Leaders race.

At first, it looked like Lord Almighty Gregory would lose for the first time ever, as he was in last place approaching the final turn. All of a sudden, the real, in the flesh, Lord Almighty Gregory leaped from the stands onto Kulseth, knocking him to the ground, then proceeded to tackle Shop Owner from behind and body slam King Petrus, then cross the finish line hand in hand with his costumed counterpart, before returning to his prime VIP seat at midfield to a bowing ovation. It was quite impressive indeed, a true victory for the Lord and the costume of the Lord.

In the second half, Natanians and Nosts never really threatened, only managing one shot, their only of the game, and none on goal. In the first minute of stoppage, Rômulo Amúlio Silva brought down Loyal Friend of Lord Almighty Gregory Death to San Jose Guayabal in the box and received a yellow card for what was clearly a frustration foul. Loyal Friend of Lord Almighty Gregory Death to San Jose Guayabal then stepped up to the penalty spot and nailed the kick before bowing to the very real Lord Almighty Gregory as well as the statue.

A few minutes later, the game ended and the Foot Slaves were through. A few hours later, they found out their playoff opponent - Ceni. The Cenians were ranked 48th in the Multiverse heading into World Cup Qualifying, 12 spots below Gregoryisgodistan. However, Ceni finished with 26 points in qualifying to Gregoryisgodistan's 24, and as such, Gregoryisgodistan will play the first home match. Ceni's group included the Free Republics, HopOnPopNation (or something like that), Matthewsiania, Frenline Delpha, Herberland, and Banjia. Ceni went 8-2-2. They played the Republicans to an epic 6-6 draw at home, drew HopNation 1-1 at home, lost 5-3 to Matthewsania on the road, lost 2-0 to the Republicans away, and won their other matches. Still, their best result was a 2-1 win over HopOnPopistan, or whatever they're called, yesterday, at home. So they're probably overrated, and the Multiverse knows it.

Unfortunately, Gregoryisgodistan's Cup of Harmony bid lost, but surprisingly only lost by three votes (6-3 with two votes for None of The Above) in spite of vowing to send 31 of the 32 teams into slavery at the conclusion of the tournament (or 30 of 32 if Gregoryisgodistan participated but didn't win, but of course we're going to participate in the World Cup and win, so it's a moot point.) It also included such unusual venues as the Slave Zoo, the bottom of a lake, and the roof of Lord Almighty Gregory's mansion and promised lots of executions. It would have been glorious, but frankly we're surprised three other World Cup Committee members thought so. Maybe they're like-minded nations who enjoy executing people for not accepting Lord Almighty Gregory as God, or for other offenses.

Speaking of which, after we win the World Cup, I have heard from my most inside sources that Lord Almighty Gregory plans on nuking San Jose Guayabal and Associated Godlands, then invading every other country in the Multiverse simultaneously and killing everyone who doesn't accept him as Lord Almighty God. He is God, so he is capable of generating trillions of soldier clones with his God powers which will invade every country to perpetuate his Glorious and Holy Name and destroy the heathens who refuse to convert. Then the soldiers will be used to occupy the captured territories and take over control of their government and resources to ensure they remain in devotion to Lord Almighty Gregory. Also, Lord Almighty Gregory will use his God powers to turn all the food and beverage in those countries to gruel and prune juice, for that is the only food and drink commoners may consume, lest they perish and be executed. And he is God, so he can do all that. Or so my sources say. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Krytenia]

"Hallowe'en night, the time when the witches, monsters, and things that go 'bump' come out to play. Tonight we have a horror double-feature for you; the inhuman fusion of Audioslavia and Starblaydia. Bidding to slay this unholy chimæra are eleven brave Krytenian souls. Can they hold their nerve, and survive the night? It's history in the making, it's Krytenia versus Audioblaydia, and it's LIVE!"

*opening titles play*

"Good evening, and welcome to the Isserson Olympic Stadium for Krytenia's historic one thousandth match. I'm Gio di Vaio, and you join us on a pleasant October evening. Well, the weather is pleasant anyway. The IOS, on the other hand, is a massive cauldron of noise, and surely there are few better places in the multiverse to play such a monumental game. Keeping his eye on proceedings in our skybox studio, is a man who knows two thirds of this humdinger very well. It is the timeless, the legendary, the would-be-dead-if-it-wasn't-for-his-father's-genes, Jerome Jaffacake-Phillips. Welcome Jerome!"

"Aye, cheers big man. Promises to be a special night tonight, whatever the score; if I were a younger man, I'd be getting me down that pitch quicker than you can say "Tejai in extra time"! It was always fun knocking them in against the Men In Mauve..."

"Or for the Bulls..."

"Eh, watch it Gio," *chuckles*, "I got my temper off of Jeremy as well y'know!"

"I'll be moving on then. Both sides are wearing special kits for the occasion, with the Audioblaydia team releasing two kits for the occasion - dunno why they bothered with the black one to be honest..."

"Well, it is Hallowe'en, Gio!"

"True. Sure you'll have a soft spot for what the home side are wearing too!"

"Oh aye, classic halves. Cannae go wrong with that."

"Moving on to the teams then, no surprises from Rami Niblick as he goes for the side that won five of the last six games of qualifying."



"Indeed, Gio. Jason Davis has been immense in the second half of the qualifiers. My money's on that wee lad in the ten shirt though. Armando Ortega's been waiting for a big test, this boy could be better than Kiefer Lloyd. I think we're gonnae see him grow up tonight in great fashion."

"Audioblaydia, meanwhile, going for balance, with six 'slaves and five Mauvies."



"Let's be honest, Gio, you've got to have the big man Makuszewski in goal. Best shot-stopper not called David Heaton, that lad. The Krytenians will know what Vengochea's all about, and I'm surprised to see Copeland up top. Could be the weak link there, especially if Davis is on one!"

"I think we've waffled on for long enough, time to get down to business. Over to your commentary team, it's Michael Anderson and Martin Moore! Thanks Martin..."

[Northern Sunrise Islands]

Season 6, Chapter 23: Die Another Day

Sarian: I believe we crawled enough already, boss.
Ytt: Yeah... any readings on where exactly Julia is?
Dainer: The radar indicates... wait.
Ytt: Yeah?
Dainer: It indicates that she's on the heart of the factory. We're just close of it. So keep quiet and try not to make any noises that could bust our cover.

They finally crawled through the vents, reaching the main room and slowly lowering themselves from it.

Dainer: She's over there, on the front of that television.
Sarian: So that's it?
Dainer: Yeah. But let's not get hasty.
Ytt: She doesn't seem harmless.
Dainer: That's a given, you know.
Ytt: Let's be careful then and-
Sarian: ATTACK!

Sarian dashed towards what seemed like Julia, smacking the enemy's head with strength, only to find out he happened to hit a brown wig.

Sarian: Huh?
??????: So...

The shadowy lady used her right foot to lift him by the throat. Sarian could see that the lady was, in fact, a pretty similar looking girl to Julia, differing thanks to her donning a dark-coloured gi and her hair being as red as fire.

Aprile: Name's Aprile, monami. Guess you were the one dressed like a lady that was after my sister.
Sarian: Well... uff... that makes... uff... sense!
Aprile: What makes sense?
Sarian: You look... uff... just as bad as her!
Aprile: Explain to me why I shouldn't slash your throat.
Ytt: Because he has friends!

Aprile looked to where the sound came from, only to see the knife on her hand being knocked away by a baseball ball-looking projectile that would then blow up on contact, making her arm catch on fire, though not as harmful as its' use was mostly to distract.

Aprile: ARGH!
Dainer: OK! Three...
Ytt: ...two...
Dainer: One, go!

Dainer and Ytt dashed towards Aprile, both landing a flying kick that would push her to a wall. Sarian caught his breath back, once again bat in hand. The three then started to attack Aprile, grouping on her only to have most of their attacks deflected by the mysterious lady. Eventually, Ytt and Dainer were the ones holding on against her.

Aprile: You guys are good... but I'm a B-Doll! I'm better!
Dainer: B-Doll?
Aprile: Yes! And this will be your doom!
Sarian: Oh, it bloody won't!

Sarian again tried to bash her head with his baseball bat, now finally hitting her with a loud strike, knocking her out.

Sarian: Puff... well, shite... What are we doing now?
Dainer: I... I guess we should take her to a hospital and interrogate her.
Ytt: Don't you think it would be dangerous?
Dainer: Just take her to the chopper and wait for me. I'll take a look around and see if there's something of importance here.

Sometime later, on the chopper.

Dainer: Alright. I believe we can move now. Is she well held?
Ytt: I think. She's still out cold, but we should hurry.
Kry: You people look weirder and weirder as time goes by, you know.
Sarian: How so, gramps?
Kry: I doubt the lady would want to go on a date by being dragged all the way from the factory while knocked out.
Sarian: ...
Kry: Plus, I believe this is a crime.
Dainer: Don't worry, Mr. Just hold on for a bit and we'll get your reward.

The helicopter took flight, seemingly with somewhat of a successful mission.

Dainer: Now we need to find where the hell Julia is.

If only our heroes knew that someone was watching them from a nearby building.

Julia: Master, Aprile was taken away.
????? (via phone): Don't worry, Number 12. Number 9 was the weakest link. And besides, I can use her to have an even better eye at their side.
Julia: Still, I think we'll have problems with the green guy and his friends.
????? (via phone): I'll send Number 2 and Number 8 to help you out on the next missions.
Julia: I understand. Thank you, master.
????? (via phone): Now begone.
Prince Matthew: D-dear... A-a-are you sure we should be doing this?
Julia: Why not? Scared?
Prince Matthew: Well... they never cared about me, but I think this is an overreaction.
Julia: You took Sunrise out and made Mikoto mad. In a nutshell, you're moving up our ranks. Soon, you might even meet the Council of Five.
Prince Matthew: ...J-Joy.

[Abanhfleft]

The Saga of All-Inclusive Haranguer F.C., Part Eleven

"Hello, and welcome back to CNN Sports' live coverage of transfer deadline day. Once again, I'm Jim McCarthy..."

"...And I'm Teresa Maddington. You join us in the last hour of the summer transfer window. With just sixty minutes to go before the clock strikes twelve, it has turned into a very, very busy transfer window. Care to bring us up on the recent developments, Jim?"

"Absolutely, Teresa. Marinos Thimpodopoulos fans, you may already know about your club's pursuit of that Port Christopheran midfielder Elisa Rivera. Well, I am here to tell you, and Ms. Rivera, if she happens to be watching CNN Sports right this moment, that Marinos has decided to match New Belfast Warriors' demand of 6 million NS dollars for the Port Christopher international. The medical has been completed, and Ms. Rivera has been unveiled at Arena Marinos as the latest signing of Marinos Thimpodopoulos Ladies. Now, Teresa, would you say that this transfer, which is said to be Marinos Ladies' record signing in their history, was a bolt from the blue?"

"I think I'd say yes, with the caveat that it's not that unexpected if you've been studying Marinos' movement through the league pyramid in recent years. From competing in the lowest reaches of non-League football to promotion to the Premier League--both the men's and Ladies' Premier League--the team from the Fhulghamous Peninsula Colony has done really well to create shifts in the status quo. And the monetary support from the Kulbano clan have done wonders to get both genders' teams to their respective top flights."

"It can't be sitting well with New Belfast fans though, as she's been an instrumental part of their title-winning squad over in Schottia, Teresa. But Schottian players have become, shall we say, a prized possession for Fleftic teams. You only need to look at Billy Cross of Arsenal de Releinthi, whom they signed for the youth setup only to be forced to step up following that injury to Ralph Dominguez. But back to Rivera. I have here the official statement from Marinos manager Orestes Katsouranis Junior, and it says:

Ms. Elisa Rivera is a player that the club has been scouting for quite some time now. Ever since she helped lead New Belfast [Warriors] to the Schottic Premier League title last season, we knew that we would be competing with a lot of top clubs from around the multiverse. We knew that we needed a player of her caliber to keep Marinos Ladies up in the Ladies' Premier League. The great escape that we did last season to keep us up in the LPL was very good and, dare I say it, fun, but I feel more confident now that we've brought Ms. Rivera into the side. Making her the ladies' division's record signing is a calculated risk, but I am confident that it will pay off well for us. I am very glad to say that Elisa Rivera is now a Mariner.

"Words of platitude from Katsouranis, whom we all know is not the most talkative of managers when it comes to his players. Wouldn't you agree, Teresa?"

"Indeed, Jim. Katsouranis did well to keep Marinos Ladies in eighth place in the LPL for the last four games, fending off West Releinthi Ladies and Kimmirut Women to stay in the women's top flight, but he knows that he won't be able to do it without an experienced player holding them together and helping them along. I believe that Elisa Rivera will not only help keep Marinos Ladies up, she could even help them break through the monopoly of Arsenal Ladies, Markovsky Ladies and Ceneisis Ladies."

"And now I'm getting a call from Throckmorton Bridge from Jett Standish. It seems as if Sporting Ceneisis, who have already made a ton of signings in this transfer window, have made one more! Jett, how are things going on at the Bridge?"

"It's absolute bedlam here at Throckmorton Bridge, Jim, and it's not just because of Ceneisis' new signing. Just now, Ceneisis Ladies have unveiled Svenja Volksson as their latest signing in this window. Volksson, whom I'm sure not a lot of our viewers have ever heard of until this moment, was once a striker for Armeian side Vandals, which took home last season's Armeia's Women's Division 1 title, and she scored the goal that gave her side the title. Unfortunately, according to sources from within Armeia, after her demands for a new contract were not met by her club, she put in a transfer request, and Sporting Ceneisis was more than happy to give her said contract. According to Artemio Peres' press conference transcript, Volksson is, quote-unquote, 'a high-caliber player that Ceneisis Ladies needs to keep up their title campaign in the LPL. We are in need of players of her quality in our club. When her contract ran out, we didn't hesitate to offer her what she wanted. She will serve a good role for Sporting Ceneisis Ladies as we prepare our campaign for the Ladies' Premier League title.'"

"That sounds all well and good, Jett, but can you elaborate on this contract dispute that forced Volksson's move to Ceneisis?"

"Well, Jim, it's all speculation for the moment, but according to my sources, the contract's not all there is to Volksson's move. Apparently she had a falling-out with her former manager Conor Svedsson, which includes verbal abuse in front of other staff members. Also, her demands were for a two-million-per-year contract, and Vandals were only willing to give her one million a year."

"So it looks like Artemio 'Money-Bags' Peres has whipped out the old checkbook again, has he?"

"Looks that way, Jim."

"All right, thank you, Jett. We'll come back to you if any more situations develop in Throckmorton Bridge. So, Teresa, Svenja Volksson signs for Sporting Ceneisis for a one-year, two million dollars per annum contract. Would you say that this is yet another typical money-waving signing by Artemio Peres?"

"Definitely, Jim. Ever since Peres' first stint as Ceneisis manager after they were bought by the Bellinsgauzenian gas oligarch Nikita Bellich, it's been all about spending exorbitant money to bring in any and every player that catches Artemio's fancy. And, after disappointing showings in both the Premier League, the Ladies' Premier League and the Antarctic Champions' Cup, he's under more pressure to improve the squad."

"But will Volksson help him bring about change in the squad, change that hopefully leads him to a cup or a title?"

"We can't say for sure until we see her play a full season. She may have scored the title-winning goal for Vandals, but her stats for that season are eleven appearances--and nine of them are from the bench--as well as four goals and four assists. Impressive stats for a super-sub, you might say, but what I see is a striker that is about to be deployed on the front line of a club gunning for numerous titles and cups. Unless she steps up, scores goals and basically proves that she's worth two million a year, she'll just be a drain on Ceneisis' financial resources."

"Brave words from our dear Teresa Maddington here, stating that Svenja Volksson better be worth her two million dollars per year contract or else she could get lost. Moving on, West Releinthi City fans already know that this deal has been done and dusted since last week, but it's only now that both Riuwiee United and West Releinthi have confirmed the signing of Robert Pilkington on loan. West Releinthi hope that the addition of Pilkington to their squad, at least for the rest of the season, will help them keep themselves in Unang Liga. Teresa."

"Meanwhile, in foreign news, Pridnestrovia's Dinamo Bender and our very own Dynamo Ja have come to terms over the transfer of Fleftic international Tom Crestwaith. The terms of the deal are currently undisclosed, but the transfer fee is believed to be in the region of twenty million NS dollars, not including potential add-ons should Ja be promoted to the Premier League or win the Kopa ng Liga or the SFA Cup. This makes Crestwaith the most expensive signing in Dynamo Ja's history, breaking their previous record of eighteen million dollars for William Crownover back in 2006, when they were still in the Premier League. And--hang on a minute, Jim. I'm getting reports from the Stadion de December 27 that Locomotive Imgortur have joined in on the transfer deadline day fun! Over to Samantha Giggs in Imgortur. Sam, what's the feeling over there in the December Stadion?"

"The mood is quite buoyant here in Imgortur, Teresa, thanks for asking. Yes, this just in: Basileios Karageorgiadis--not to be confused with Isaac Georgiadis of Banija--has gone to Locomotive for a reported sixteen million NS dollars from Kimmirut Panhandle. You can rest assured that the newly-promoted club will not be happy that the Engineers have taken away their midfield pivot away from them, but it seems that they've been prepare for the move ever since Imgortur announced that they would match Kimmirut's transfer fee demands, if the Panhandle's signing of James Reeve is any indication. There's no official statements from both clubs yet, but Karageorgiadis posted this on his Instragram account, and I quote: 'Happy to be joining Locomotive. Thanks for the memories, Kimmirut. Hope to see you all once again.' Back to you, Teresa."

"And there you have it, straight from the source itself. Basileios Karageorgiadis has moved from Kimmirut Panhandle to Locomotive Imgortur for a reported sixteen million dollars. Care to say anything about it, Jim?"

"Sam said it herself, Teresa. Kimmirut fans will not be happy that their midfield pivot, the man who's been a big part of their return to the Premier League, especially to their rivals in Imgortur. The only positives I can see is that James Reeve will partner up nicely with Valery Zolnerov, who's proven both his worth and his place in the national team with his performances for the Pioneers. And speaking of replacing vital cogs, Pridnestrovia's Sheriff Tiraspol has confirmed that they have brought in Copper Cuprum's Tafiro Bomega from Athletic Wa Gon for an undisclosed fee believed to be worth up to 20.6 million dollars following appearance add-ons and bonuses for winning trophies. Tiraspol have all but confirmed that Bomega will serve as the replacement for Sutalen Desoka, who left Sheriff for All-Inclusive Haranguer at the start of this window."

"And he's actually doing very well for the Sand Tigers, Jim. He and Gillian Lapointe, while very much the odd couple of Unang Liga, have done well to control Haranguer's midfield and put them on a good run of games. The draw against Sarvusdalamoive was entertaining, but only for the fact that it was a goal shower of a game. 3-3; what a game that was!"

"Indeed, Teresa. But now we have to take a detour over to Oontaz Dert Li Ng, where two of their players have made their way over to the Premier League and the Ladies' Premier League. Let's go over to the May 26 Memorial Stadium, where Taff Jakubsen is waiting to give us the latest updates in Riuwiee United. Taff, how go the Blue Tribesmen?"

"There's a fair bit of excitement over here in the May 26, Jim. The Blue Tribesmen have been quiet on the transfer market lately, but I can't say the same for the Blue Tribeswomen. Just now, Godric Wexler announced the signing of Ladies of Santos F.C.'s Samantha Macacalicasan. Initial reports say that Riuwiee have paid 12 million dollars for the Oontaznik defender, with an as-yet-indeterminate amount added on to the initial fee depending on her performances in the LPL. And in Markovsky, Samuel Naliwanagan has gone to the Foresters from Botafogo de Maranao for 15 million dollars."

"And there's news from Throckmorton Bridge once again, Jim. Jett Standish!"

"Yes, Theresa, it's unbelievable! Everyone in the blue side of Ceneisis is in an uproar as Elise Johnson has confirmed her transfer to West Releinthi City Ladies! And for a record 27 million dollars! That's certain to break the bank over in West Releinthi, and we can all hope that she works well for them, or else it's make or break for West Releinthi! Hang on a minute, though. There's yet another transfer out of Throckmorton Bridge! Theresa Lovingden is going to Kimmirut Panhandle Women from Sporting Ceneisis Ladies for a season-long loan! And that's not all! Artemio Peres is on a roll to clear up some payroll space after that loaded Svenja Volksson contract! Or not really. Tariq Abdul-Farid, formerly of Gyouza Young Lads, has become a Blue for 7 million dollars! Truly, Artemio Peres has saved no expense."

"You don't say, Jett. Absolute bedlam in Throckmorton Bridge as Sporting Ceneisis bring in two players and send out two more in the same hour. It's absolute madness, Teresa, I tell you. With just five minutes left, are there any more deals to be made? Of course there is! From Copper Cuprum to Pridnestrovia, Esaril Natabat of Athletic Wa Gon has gone over to Vorpommern Nyqvist for a reported 8 million dollars! Ever since Sutalen Desoka has shown us what a big Copperite CDM is like, everyone else has wanted their own Beast of Copper Cuprum!"

"Indeed it is, Jim. But I don't think it's Copper Cuprum's fault that all of the defensive midfielders they've produced recently have been the Emile Heskey, Adebayo Akinfenwa types. Those guys absolutely wreck the midfield for their opponents."

"Three minutes left to go on the transfer window, Teresa, and Arsenal Ladies fans can now rest assured that their star player Chelsea Stuart will not be leaving their club this season. The club has just announced that they have rejected a 40 million dollar offer from Port Christopher's Kelsy Merchants. The Merchants have made offers for Stuart worth a reported 25 million and 35 million dollars before, and both have been rejected by the club. It appears as if this 40 million dollars is Kelsy Merchants' final offer, but once again the Gunners have rejected it. This looks like the same thing that Kelsy tried to pull last season, right, Teresa?"

"Very much like last season, Jim. I wouldn't say that they haven't learned their lesson, that Stuart will never leave Arsenal since she's become their ladies' team's public face, but I have to applaud them for trying. She's definitely worth more than 40 million, and the setup she's got behind her is part of the reason why she's been so good for Arsenal for the last few seasons. I admit that I have little to no idea about Kelsy Merchants' midfield setup, but I'm willing to risk my neck out and say that they probably won't be able to assist Stuart as much as her Arsenal teammates would."

"And now we count down to the end of the transfer window. Ten seconds to go before clubs can no longer seal deals between each other. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! Just like New Year's, isn't it, Teresa. And that brings to an end our live coverage of transfer deadline day and... Wait a minute. I am getting reports that All-Inclusive Haranguer have pulled the trigger on a literal last-minute transfer! They submitted the paperwork just seconds before the clock struck twelve, and they're polishing the details before the official announcement, but it appears that Kim Dong Jin of Gim has signed for Haranguer for an undisclosed fee! Literal last minute business from All-Inclusive Haranguer there! And I thought the show is all over. Anyway, this is Jim McCarthy..."

"...And I'm Teresa Maddington, and this is CNN Sports' live coverage of transfer deadline day. We'll have a rundown of today's transfers with the 6 O'Clock Show later on. Good night, and the best of luck to your football teams and your new signings!"

[Ceni]

---

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
Ceni qualifies for its first World Cup playoff with a win over HopNation

---

Ceni finally made it to its first World Cup playoff, where it will face the dictatorial pariah state Gregoryisgodistan. But first to get there, it had to face its Baptism of Fire 54 rival HopNation in order to even have a chance of making the playoffs. The second-seeded side had drawn Ceni at home, and Ceni would need to secure at least that result away in order to secure the playoffs. Not only did they draw HopNation, they even secured an extra goal in the last half to secure the win, twenty-six points, and a second place group stage. However, they had many opportunities to rue lost opportunities as one goal could have sent them to the World Cup directly on two occasions. Nonetheless, Ceni will be sure to put its all against Gregoryisgodistan, which is only ranked a couple of places higher than Ceni. It should prove to be an entertaining match.

However, the Cenian team first had to fight their way past HopNation. And a fight it was, with Ceni only barely managing to put itself ahead in the last minutes of the game. As previously stated, though, that wouldn’t come until the wee minutes of the game, a full ninety minutes (and almost an eternity) away. Ceni would be in for some rough treatment, but certainly none of the variety that had sent Free Republics to a four to one lead in the first half. No, the HopNation offense would be a little less aggressive and of a little less quality, although they still posed a daunting obstacle for the Cenian team, especially with the loud cheers of the (perhaps) drunken fans, who seemed to enjoy their night on the town with a pint (or two or seven) of beer and a nice ol’ game of footy. HopNation started out with the ball to much applause; Myer, Droimpol, and Loostin started inching up the field like caterpillars, passing up the field in small increments. Ceni could do absolutely nothing about it until some moment of serendipity struck the team. However, they would have to wait fifteen minutes for that serendipity as the ball finally reached young striker Pech Schytaing. A blunder on his part, though, sent a long pass straight to Corran Celgis, who decided that the time was right to capitalize on the opportunity handed to him on a silver platter. Pheir Droimpol, HopNation’s very young captain (only 21), stood ready to guard Celgis, but it didn’t take too much effort to dribble around Droimpol and pass to Thajan Jaros, who excelled at more of the cat-and-mouse type part of the game than the go-get-em’ mentality of many of Ceni’s strikers and midfielders.

Jaros started to move up with the ball, but not before Ike Myer tried his hardest to dispossess Jaros. The 32-year-old midfielder, however, was off his prime, for he barely got his feet even close to the ball before Jaros zoomed off farther into HopNation’s territory. The HopNation team moved to crowd out Jaros’s passing options as they tried to put Ceni’s attacking style out of business. Jaime Del Olmo proved to be available, but not for long as Icha Wiashrod (is that a Cenian name here, folks?) moved to intercept the pass and crowd out Del Olmo. While their defensive move did succeed in the short run, the team proved poorly positioned for a counterattack, which the Cenian team, unfortunately, is very vulnerable to. This tactical error led to Corran Celgis knocking the ball right out of Wiashrod’s feet and to attacking midfielder Jacen Xasan, who, along with Allison Swan, is known as a playmaker in Ceni’s lineup. Xasan sent an incisive pass through the defensive line, which wanted to block his path, to striker Kel Koromin, who wanted to play a nice one-two with his younger sister Kira Koromin. He passed to her, running forward and ready for the pass. The defenders, as usual, wanted to crowd out the ball, but Kira and Kel remained abreast of all developments and remained on top of the ball. Just before the reaching the last defenders, Kira passed to Kel; he shot right into the right half of the goal from the left, stymieing Oeny Subanos, the HopNation goalkeeper. Ceni managed to take the lead, but they knew HopNation would come back for more, and despite the usual drunken rowdiness of the stadium, you could hear a pin drop in the stadium. After that, though, only a few low moans or gasps of surprise were heard. It was obvious the crowd was rooting for their home team.
However, the home team still had fifteen minutes left in the first half, and they were determined to make the most of it. Realizing that an effective counterattack could leave Ceni reeling, they temporarily abandoned their men in front of ball strategy, allowing Ceni to penetrate deep into the HopNation part of the field. At that time, though, Lecho Loontas stole the ball from Jacen Xasan, and the HopNation counterattack was on. Passing slowly and shortly but surely, the HopNation team advanced up the field, leaving no room for Ceni to counterattack, steal, or tackle, as Celgis, Xasan, Jaros, and Swan had moved up to support the offensive effort. Moving backwards to try and intercept the ball, Celgis ran to intercept Pheir Droimpol, but to no avail, as he simply moved the ball forward to Eisa Loostin. The HopNation team continued to, in that manner, advance up the field and stymie the Cenian defense at the same time. After finally reaching the Cenian penalty box, Pech Schytaing moved up to the wings and shot to the left; Pheir Droimpol, however, had other ideas, and, as Jacrian Ryaden moved to the left, he caught the ball and shot to the right. The stadium, this time, erupted in a massive wave of applause, perhaps even louder than a volcanic eruption or that insanely loud rock concert you went to as a kid and damaged your ears forever. Ceni and HopNation then erupted in a duel for the midfield in the remaining few minutes of the first half, but neither team emerged on top of that heap as neither really wanted to take many chances in the few remaining minutes.

Half time didn’t prove too exciting as neither team made significant changes to their rosters or formations, but both teams came out wanting to secure the last playoff spot in Group 4. As it stood, Ceni would still qualify for the spot on points with the draw, but HopNation had to win in order to advance. Therefore, all the pressure was on the home team to perform well enough to get just another goal and knock the away team out of contention. At the beginning of the second half, it looked like it could come to pass as the HopNation team went out of the blocks running, gaining possession and short-passing it through the midfield and around defenders Josh Axakel and Kyle Lockwood. Pech Schytaing decided he wanted to have the glory of scoring the winning goal before the home crowd, so he started to dribble around Kaia Travaran and shot at Jacrian Ryaden, but Ryaden managed to get his hands on the ball, allowing Travaran to clear the ball. Ceni breathed a sigh of relief at the disaster averted, while HopNation began to rue the missed opportunity. However, they would still have a good thirty-five minutes to score the extra goal and bring glory to the team. After the excellent Ryaden save, HopNation continued their excellent game, making yet another run at the Cenian goal. Despite this run, though, Ike Myer proved to be a weak link in the HopNation chain, making a blunderingly long pass along the outside which landed out, giving Ceni the chance to throw the ball in. Kaia Travaran took the throw-in, and Thajan Jaros sent a long pass on the outside to Jaime Del Olmo, clearing the Cenian team from any danger from HopNation.

While HopNation would have preferred that the home side win, Ceni was happy with a draw but would only settle for it as a last option. They didn’t just want to draw; they wanted to win outright. Ceni, therefore, set out to achieve that goal and their record number of points in a qualifying group. Jacen Xasan and Jaime Del Olmo took lead of that effort, deftly guiding the ball around HopNation’s stifling defense strategy. After Del Olmo took control of the ball, HopNation’s defense began to fall apart as they congregated around him; however, he preempted any efforts to block his passes in front by passing backwards to Jacen Xasan. Faced with an open field to the right of him, he passed to Andrew Daren, who had been substituted in for a poorly performing Will Noveth. Daren managed to hit a nice curving shot that nicely went into the right corner of the net. Again, one could hear a pin drop in the stadium as the home crowd went into silent realization that the close to their qualification campaign was nigh. Ceni, on the other hand, was jubilant and ecstatically celebrated the goal, which had put them one step closer to a playoff spot, or a direct qualification spot should Free Republics lose. HopNation knew that it had to pick up the pace in order to have even a shot at the playoffs, and it would have to score two goals and block any Cenian goals in the next twenty-five minutes in order to have a chance.

HopNation, then, took to attacking with a vengeance, leaving them open to counterattacks. However, they really didn’t care, as they were out to score goals rather than defend. While, again, the short passes proved effective to get the team through the Cenian midfield, it didn’t prove to be enough as Jacrian Ryaden saved a (perhaps desperate) shot by Pheir Droimpol as Kaia Travaran and Josh Axakel closed in on him. Ceni then mounted an effective counterattack to take advantage of the HopNation team being quite spread out all over the pitch. Corran Celgis deftly maneuvered around gaps and passed through holes in the HopNation defense, with Kira Koromin receiving the final pass from Celgis. After moving up past, and evading, some defenders, Koromin shot from the left side of the goal towards the right, but a slight wind pushed the ball slightly off to the right, leaving the shot out of the goal. However, the missed opportunity was not as severe as HopNation’s earlier in the second half, but it still would have been nice to get a third goal onto Ceni’s side of the scoresheet. With fifteen minutes remaining, HopNation grew only more desperate while Ceni only grew more confident of their victory. Eisa Loostin mounted a futile attack on Jacrian Ryaden’s goal after a couple of hurried, longish passes that surprisingly made it through Ceni’s midfield, but Ryaden blocked his shot, as it was aimed right at the Cenian goalkeeper. HopNation made more attempts to win the ball fairly from the Cenian defense, but Teur Smuemund’s bad kick to Corran Celgis only earned him a yellow card and a free kick for the Cenian team. This left HopNation in an even worse position as the ball moved farther away from Ceni’s goal. While Leuld Biaddan, fairly effective in the past, tried to get a foot on the ball, he proved unsuccessful and only sent the ball right back to Ceni’s Corran Celgis. As the clock ticked down, Ceni chose to retain the ball in the midfield and not try to attack, for they now were fairly confident about their playoff chances and didn’t want to give HopNation an opportunity to score in the final seconds with a silly blunder. With Ceni continuing to possess the ball, the minutes and the seconds counted down on HopNation’s qualification chances: ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. The final whistle blew and Ceni celebrated jubilantly, hugging each other and gleefully cheering: their team would go on to the World Cup playoffs, a first time in their team’s history.

However, they will face a hard team, Gregoryisgodistan, replete with 600-pound-fat Enemy Crushers, nimble Pervert Chasers, and other enforcers of the draconian and immortal Lord Almighty Gregory’s will, ranked number thirty-six in the world. Ceni will have an uphill battle to fight, but they’ve proven to fight hard against higher-ranked teams in the past. The mood in Ceni will certainly be racked with nerves when the playoff games come, and many eyes in Ceni will be watching the progress of their national team on the verge of the World Cup Finals. It will definitely be a game to watch for a good portion of the population, and much is riding on this result. A combination of confidence and carefulness might prove just enough to carry the team to the World Cup, but, as always, the team must remain wary.

[Chiata]

Chiata Times
Finishing Strong

Chiata had a rough time in the first leg of qualifying. They went 3-1-2 over the first seven matchdays, casting doubt on the Suns' chances of even making the playoff round. A loss to Audioslavia in Matchday Nine would throw Chiata to fourth in the group with only ten points. Despite the devastating 4-0 loss, Chiata didn't lose hope and stuck with their basic principles: a strong defense with an opportunistic offense. Manager Walters has long been criticized for completely abandoning the attacking side of Chiatan football, but that didn't stop him from changing Chiata's play style in the middles of qualifying. After all, Walters coined the aphorism "you only need one goal to win." Rallying around their manager, the National Team stepped up their play. Chiata would defeat Nassau-Hessen and Nui-ta without conceding a goal. The spectacular defensive form would only continue for the Suns in the last three matches of qualifying.

Eastfield Lodge travelled to Gulf Stadium in the ensuing match. Last time, Chiata won 5-4 in a quirky and uncomfortable match. This time, Chiata would play more effectively and their play style would dominate the pitch. On the other hand, Eastfield Lodge dominated possession time, with "The Lodger Online Gazette" citing it at 78% in the first sixty minutes. Even with that enormous advantage, which may be a little exaggerated, the Lodgers didn't score a single goal. Saunders would score the only goal for the Suns. The midfielder tapped the ball in after it deflected off of goalkeeper Puppy's gloves. This win further secured Chiata's position at second in the table. A strange draw between Audioslavia and Nui-ta meant that Chiata was only behind the Bulls by three points.

Chiata would continue rolling along when Chiata travelled to the Emirate of Akbarstan, a nation that was defeated by the Suns in Matchday Six. Chiata would go in and win handily. The defense continued to play magnificently. Truex was finally back from his concussion injury. Davis would score in the 17th minute, putting the Suns up early. Emirate of Akbarstan was hapless throughout the game. They couldn't hope to score through the back line and Truex. They also were unusually weak on the defensive side. Carroll scored in the 26th while Eastep did the same with a header. At the half, Chiata led 3-0. Walters pulled out Truex to avoid aggravating his injury while Chiata switched to a possession game. The minutes flew by and the game ended 3-0. With the win, Chiata clinched the playoff spot due to their superior head-to-head result of Nassau-Hessen, as highlighted by the "Lodger Online Gazette," but for whatever reason was not recognized by the qualifying hosts.

Chiata ended qualifying at home against Fluvique. Now, usually this would be little more than a friendly with a lot of starters resting for the play-ins. However, the Suns lost to Fluvique rather embarrassingly in the first leg and were determined not to lose, or draw, to the young nation again. In another match where the defense of both sides dominated the pitch, Chiaa reversed the 1-0 scoreline in favor of the hosts. Prince scored the only goal for Chiata while Wilde led Fluvique in shots, at three, but none got past Truex.

Chiata has been heating up through qualifying and have been in some of their best form, ever. After the disaster against Audioslavia, Chiata won five games in a row and didn't concede a single goal, outscoring their opponents 8-0. This excellent stretch of play only helped them in the playoffs, where they were seeded against Kernansquillec, 50th in the world. The Kers went 8-2-2 over the course of qualifying while Chiata went 8-1-3, making the two sides almost identical. Chiata has played Kernansquillec before, and with favorable results. This will definitely be two legs of opposing strategies. The Kers put up 34 goals in their quest for qualifying while the Suns only conceded ten (as mentioned before, the Suns haven't allowed any in the last five matches). Ultimately, it will come down to whoever will step up and force their will upon the opponent. Will it be the triple threat from Marie Iris, Varinia Varano, and Agata de Luca that gives the Kers the advantage, or will the stingy back line lead by Anna Eastep that will send the Suns though? Find out in the first leg of the playoffs as Kernansquillec plays Chiata in Gulf Stadium.

[Szavoda]

Just finishing up - continued from here

Ward House, Later that evening

Ward House looked imposing against the light sky, the lights running up the drive-way resembling something out a science-fiction movie. There was little going on in the House, normally a summer residence, but its meeting room was alive with activity. A number of technicians fawned over the room, whilst the members of the Operations team, codenamed ‘Eagle’ slowly filtered in. Cross was the first to arrive, obviously, with Tom Wallace and Garfield James shortly in tow. Katarina and Landen arrived after that, taking seats opposite each other on the large oak table. The rest of the team was in attendance shortly afterwards: Lauren, Molly, Fjodor and Eric Pierce – Marcus Lanery had taken out-of-town leave so was granted more time to get back. Cross was feverishly arranging folders and making phone calls in rapid Euran, presumably talking to equipment contractors and providers. He was rarely this flustered, it must have been urgent. After making his final phone call, some 10 minutes after the entire team had arrived. He placed his phone back in his pocket and exhaled, frustrated.

“OK guys, it’s a big one.” He moved over to the TV screen, which flicked into life. A picture of a stately old man appeared. There were a couple of brief whispers around the table, and Katarina recognised the face, although she couldn't put a name to it.

“Thomas Riley has died; you might have seen it on the news.”
“Who, sorry?” Katarina asked, still ignorant.

Molly answered. “Tom Riley was the head of the Riley Gang, the most prominent organised crime syndicate in Bastion, probably Eura. They run everything, drugs, guns, women, if there’s something bad, they probably do it. He was kind of the patriarch, respected by everyone, even the cops. Now he’s gone. Dunno what’s going to happen now.”

“I tell what’s going to happen, there’s going to be a shitstorm.” Cross continued sternly. “My good friend, who also happens to be Thomas Riley’s son and the new big cheese, told me he’s expecting a new, concerted attack on his assets and perhaps his life. That’s why he wants us. A security detail to watch over him and his sister. I recommended this team personally because of the knowledge we possess – Molly and Tom, your both from around the area which the Riley Gang run, so that will help, and this team’s success record is the best out of every operations team.”

He began to circle the room. “But let me stress, this mission is indefinite. Lewis will tell us when we can go, and pay will be on condition of that. You’ll have to be permanently on your toes, but infinitely more discrete, we can’t go around toting assault weapons in Bastion – it’ll be concealed handguns only. The RG’s main rivals are a group called the Corps, and Riley told me that he expects they will head up the assault. We've done plenty of preliminary research; you’ll find it all in your packs, but this will be tough work – expect to be shot at, because you’ll be considered an ally of Riley, therefore an enemy of them. In theory we will have law enforcement on our side, but we know we can’t always rely on the boys in blue. Riley wants us in Bastion ASAP, we've got the plane on the tarmac, it’s just a case of how quickly you guys can be ready.”

He also looked at a technician, who gave him the thumbs up. “So how quick can you guys be ready to fly?”

The group was non-committal.

“A couple of hours, I guess, I’d need to go home and change, pack a bag.” Molly offered. The rest mumbled in agreement. Cross nodded and glanced at his watch. 10:30pm.

“Wheels up at 1am, get yourselves ready.”

[Carialus]

Carialus Clairon
Unconvincing Win Puts Carialus in Playoffs

In their last game of qualifying, the Comrades defeated Scottopian Isles and secured a playoff position. With their miracle 5-4 win over Turori, many Carialite fans were expecting a fast paced game. Instead, the fans were treated to a slug-out, which is albeit better than drawing like they did to Scottopian Isles last leg. The game was very slow throughout, and neither side could get on the board in the first half.

The second half gave a little more life to the game. Scottopian Isles began to wear down and secluded themselves into their half of the pitch. As a consequence, the Comrades rushed at their opportunity to break the deadlock. Masson had a clear opportunity, but his shot sailed far upward. Cantin sent a strong header at the goal off of a corner, but the Scottopian goalkeeper proved his worth and punched the ball out. As the minutes dragged by, Carialus grew ever more frustrated. Here was this 200 something team parking the bus even though the score was 0-0. It was as if Scottopian Isles wanted Carialus to draw, making the Comrades fall just short of the playoffs. Fans in Capital Field began to throw debris onto the pitch, slowing the game down even more, which definitely didn't help. Scottopian Isles could not stop fate, however, and Charlebois, a thirty-three year old right midfielder substitute, scored the winning goal. Unsurprisingly, Charlebois announced he would retire at the cycle's end after the match.

A weak and unconvincing win saw Carialus just a single point above Star United States in Group 19. The Starians smashed Freedom Utopia 100 7-2, making Charlebois' goal that much more important. Anyway, Carialus has managed to make the playoffs once more, once again at the expense of a likely better nation. This time, Carialus actually has a chance in the playoffs since they were drawn against Flardania. Flardania is 86th in the world, compared to Carialus' 51st ranking. However, ranks are only a number and the records of the two teams are strikingly similar: Carialus at 8-2-2 and Flardania at 8-1-3. Carialus will play the first leg in Flardania. A win or draw would set the Comrades up nicely for the return leg in Capital Field.

[Apox]

Play-off Leg One Cut-off

More dem tunez

[Gregoryisgodistan]

Lord Almighty Gregory's Speech to the People

"Good afternoon, ladies, gentlemen, and slaves. I speak to you today of events in our very own Glorious and Holy Nation. Our Foot Slaves recently played Ceni to a 0-0 draw at home. That is not the worst result, but not the best either. However, what it does mean is that a scoreful draw (that is, one that's not 0-0) at Ceni will be enough to send us through on away goals, as would a victory. Should the game end 0-0 in regulation again, we would head to extra time, and eventually a penalty shootout if necessary. However, I am confident that will not happen and that the Foot Slaves will win, or at least score and draw.

"Now, I'm sure you all know by now that tomorrow's game is Must-See TV, but apparently 263 people didn't know that about today's game and have been executed along with their families. Shame on them, shame on their families for letting it happen. They got what they deserved, and what they deserved was death. You must remember that I am the Lord, and that means you do what I say or else you perish. Therefore, when I say the Foot Slaves will qualify for the World Cup, you know I am telling the truth for it is the Word of God. The Lord has spoken, and he says we are going through to the World Cup. Therefore, you will listen to me, your Lord, and accept that we are going through to the World Cup. The Cenians have no clue, but it is true. We will advance, we will qualify, and maybe, just maybe, we will hoist the World Cup trophy and parade around Quebec or Apox dancing and singing and rejoicing and the team will bow to me, the One True Lord. Then, perhaps the world will recognize that I, Lord Almighty Gregory, am the Creator of the Multiverse. And they will bow to me, praise me, adore me, and eat nothing but gruel, drinking nothing but prune juice. That would be the most awesome moment in history, when the world accepts me as God, when the world knows I am Lord, when the world bows to me and gives me gifts on my birthday, June 17, while fasting and refraining from bathroom on November 5, Creation Day, the day I created the Multiverse in Year 000.

"And to Shirley Phelps-Roper, you are tired because I am punishing you. It is a sign that you will soon be dead from Heathen's Disease unless you accept me as God Almighty, as your One True Lord, and convert the rest of your nation to the faith, including the fellow you claim is the "Lord and Savior" Jesus Christ. Needless to say, he will need to change his name. I would suggest Loving Servant of Lord Almighty Gregory Formerly Allegedly Known as Jesus Christ. But he's not really Jesus Christ, because the real Jesus Christ never existed, and even according to your useless Bible of Libel, he was executed for being a heathen. Now, some in your faith may claim Jesus was not a heathen, but he was, and he was the worst kind of heathen - the one who claims Jesus/Eye-ee-zus is God. Therefore, if he were ever real, he deserved his execution and we should be celebrating, not impersonating him. But Shirley, you will surely die if you do not obey. Your tiredness is just a first sign of that. You must stop threatening us, stop saying I'm not God, accept me as God Almighty, reject Jesus, either convert your entire nation or execute the heathens, and please, do something about the fellow who claims to be Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We all know he is not, so please kill or convert him first. Well, you first, him second. Then maybe the rest of the nation will follow. And the world will know I am God and the One and Only Lord. But death will reign down on your nation if you do not start, and you will be first Shirley. Mark my words, things are just getting stated. And they will get a lot worse. Death, destruction, enslavement, nuking, burning, all those things may befall your nation if it does not convert.

"Also, to San Jose Guayabal - if you continue to be the Land of the Devil and threaten us, we will threaten back. We will nuke you 317 times if we have to, until your whole country is a barren nuclear wasteland. And then perhaps the world will see the Awesome Power of the Lord, and will recognize that they must convert and accept me as God or suffer the same fate. You have been warned, Guaya Beans, surrender your whole country to us or meet nuclear and utter destruction. You must surrender, or death will fall to you. Death to the Guaya Beans! Death to Shirley Phelps-Roper and her little friends! I am the Lord, Bow to Me or Die!

"Creation Day is in less than a week - recall my utter Creation that day, but for tomorrow, Go Foot Slaves!"

[Cosumar]

OOC Note: Intended for posting before first leg, got cut-off time mixed up...




Jones Column: Here We Go Again, Cosumar...

Cosumar have been here before. Not in Crystopolis persay, but in a do-or-die playoff series with their hard-fought World Cup berth at stake.

The Cosumarite National Team's past on this stage is a checkered one. Some of the most iconic triumphs in our history have occurred in the Qualification Playoff, like the 7-3 win over Kagdazka & Pazhujebu in World Cup 60. They are outweighed by the countless instances of heartbreak, however. World Cup 71's nailbiter against the Holy Republican Empire is the most recent example of the Dragons coming oh-so-close to World Cup prestige only to be denied at the doorstep.

So even though Cosumar enter the playoff against Crystal Empire as heavy favorites, as the top-seeded runners-up and winners of seven straight, I cannot shake an underlying sense of trepidation and uneasiness lurking beneath my excitement. From Na'Malsille to Stoneshore, this home-and-away is all anyone here is talking about. Everyone knows it's a favorable draw and the best chance Cosumar has had to return to the World Cup in decades. Gethin Ramsey has been proving me wrong and exceeding expectations ever since he took over the program and turned us into Vanquishers, but this fan's scarred heart cannot help but ask aloud the question we are all thinking: How will we screw it up this time???

I know, I know. I'm jinxing us. But if the Dragons scuff this golden opportunity to end The Curse, it will be the biggest disappointment in my entire adult life as an ardent National Team supporter. Because I love this team. I legitimately feel like this group of players we have together right now is the best team quality-wise that Cosumar has ever fielded. They have been so fun to watch in this year's Qualifying, scoring goals by the bucketload (almost 50 if you include friendlies) and with a cohesive chemistry and style. This year's team belongs in the World Cup with the world's best, and if the stars align to bar us out again . . . then Cosumar truly is cursed.

How Crystal Empire Got Here

7-2-3 in Group 10

Best Win: 4-3 over Super-Llamaland
Key Player: Sapphire Rose
What's at Stake: First WC
World Ranking: #56

How Cosumar Got Here

10-0-2 in Group 20

Best Win: 3-2 over Valanora
Key Player: Anders Engström
At Stake: First WC appearance in 20 years
World Ranking: #41

Okay fine, I'm being over-dramatic. Either we're cursed, or Crystal Empire play their tails off. Regardless of the outcome though, these two matches are sure to be great ones.

The Crystal Empire have never exactly been a powerhouse, oft overshadowed by the Equestrian States, but these crystal ponies are tough to play against with their aerial ability and crisp, elegant playstyle. Their squad is full of players from the very strong Equestrian league. There is quality there, and as red-hot as Cosumar is coming off wins over Valanora and Taeshan, they have the potential to give us a fight.

Stopping Crystal Empire comes down to holding their #10 playmaker Sapphire Rose in check. Everything Crystal Empire does goes through Rose, and if we can shut down her attacking game we can starve dangerous striker Crystal Arrow of the chances he thrives on. Look for Vareza Na'Noni to be hell-bent on giving Rose hell in midfield. It's a stratagem that worked for Farfadillis both times they faced the ponies in Group 10 play.

Ultimately, even though the pained collective memory of Cosumar fans prevents us from celebrating prematurely, there is reason for optimism. The Vanquishers have seemingly half-a-dozen attacking players who are all in tip-top form at the moment, and the defense has steadily improved since the poor showing on Matchday 9. It would take a complete reversal of the current team trajectories for Crystal Empire to knock us out.

Here's my prediction. Crystopolis is a tough place to play, so a 2-2 draw seems in order tonight. But the away goals will end up being a big factor for Cosumar, as we wrap things up at Leviathan Arena on the second leg and advance to our first World Cup since the 62nd in exhilarating style.

Hopefully, the Vanquishers can take care of business as the top playoff team should - for the sake of the sanity of Cosumarites everywhere. If not, well...at least there's a Cup of Harmony title to defend.

Thank you for reading The Cosumarite Courier's exclusive World Cup 73 Coverage. Follow us on Twitter @TheCourier or subscribe to our website (TheCourier.cos) to receive daily updates and analysis of Cosumar's progress in the tournament.


Leela Jones
Staff Writer

---

Cosumar Goal-Scorers Tally
Anders Engström (10)
Ace Newman (9)
Ole Öhman (6)
Belarmin Worsaw (4)
Kit Kvanderwyk (3)
Vareza Na'Noni (3)
Mauricio Sigler (3)
Darwyn Lucassen (3)
Tevin Lilley (2)
Aziz Senturk (2)
Jacob Pandan (1)
Augen Wittevrongel (1)
Jon-Perohlin Nodtveit (1)

Cosumar Assists Tally
Mauricio Sigler (7)
Anders Engström (5)
Darwyn Lucassen (5)
Ace Newman (4)
Vareza Na'Noni (4)
Sheldon Serra (3)
Tevin Lilley (2)
Maynard Gorham (2)
Kyron Everdale (1)
Kit Kvanderwyk (1)

Substitute Appearances Tally
Kit Kvanderwyk (10)
Tevin Lilley (7)
Belarmin Worsaw (6)
Aziz Senturk (5)
Kyron Everdale (4)
Tiffany Elam (3)
Arndu Farsgaard (3)
Senter Senterekoesima (3)
Olaf Womack (2)
Augen Wittevrongel (2)
Peter Svensson (2)
Tomasso Tenebrosa (1)

Cosumar's World Cup 73 Cycle
Pre-Qual Friendly: Cosumar 1-1 Super-Llamaland
Pre-Qual Friendly: San Jose Guayabal 6-2 Cosumar
Matchday 1: Cosumar 2-0 Hodife
Matchday 2: The Fallenmark Islands 0-3 Cosumar
Matchday 3: Cosumar 5-2 Wazekia
Matchday 4: Alpha Gamma Kappa 0-2 Cosumar
Matchday 5: Bye
Matchday 6: Cosumar 2-3 Valanora
Matchday 7: Taeshan 1-0 Cosumar
Mid-Qual Friendly: The Royal Kingdom of Quebec 5-4 Cosumar
Mid-Qual Friendly: Cosumar 4-2 New North Aqmuland
Matchday 8: Hodife 2-7 Cosumar
Matchday 9: Cosumar 4-3 The Fallenmark Islands
Matchday 10: Wazekia 1-3 Cosumar
Matchday 11: Cosumar 4-0 Alpha Kappa Gamma
Matchday 12: Bye
Matchday 13: Valanora 2-3 Cosumar
Matchday 14: Cosumar 4-0 Taeshan
WC Qual. Playoff 1st Leg: Crystal Empire vs. Cosumar (@ Crystopolis, Crystal Empire)
WC Qual. Playoff 2nd Leg: Cosumar vs. Crystal Empire (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic, Cosumar)
Blue: Draw
Green: Victory
Red: Defeat
Home team listed first

[Nova Anglicana]

Lion's Roar

A SportsWorld Weblog

Sook Jin Lee Strikes Again
by Alpha Lion



Yup.

New Ecopia 1-1 Nova Anglicana (WC 70 qualifying)

Western Borderlands 1-1 Nova Anglicana (WC 70 qualifying)

Pridnestrovia 2-2 Nova Anglicana (WC 71 qualifying)

Prusy Krolewskie 1-1 Nova Anglicana (WC 72 qualifying)

Nova Anglicana 2-3 Prusy Krolewskie (WC 72 qualifying)

Arcantova 2-1 Nova Anglicana (WC 72 qualifying)

Mangetsujima 2-2 Nova Anglicana (WC 73 qualifying)

These are all the matches in which the Lions were heavily favored and still somehow managed to lose or draw under Sook Jin Lee. "Oh, only seven games in four qualifying cycles," you might say. You might very well say that. But you would be wrong. When you are the better team, especially the much better team, you need to win these games. The slip-ups in WC 70 and 71 didn't cost the Lions a spot in the World Cup, but had they not won their playoff games, we might be singing a very different tune. The egregious draws and losses in WC 72 qualifying certainly cost the Lions, as an extra nine points might not have gotten them into the playoffs, it would have earned them a much easier opponent than perpetual bogey team Yttribia.

Sook Jin Lee's qualifying record against higher-seeded teams: 6-1-5

Sook Jin Lee's qualifying record against lower-seeded teams: 28-10-5

The winning record against higher-seeded teams is impressive and includes wins over Eura, Audioslavia, and Nephara. Lee's teams certainly play up to their bigger opponents, having just one loss by more than one goal against a higher-seeded team. However, dropping 35 points across four cycles against lower-seeded teams, an average of nine points per cycle, has really cost the Lions. Under Lee, they play down to their opponents as well. The opposite was true under Patrick Moran, where they rarely lost games against the weaker teams, but could never get it going against clearly better teams.

The recent draw against Mangetsujima really hurt, as the Lions were clinging to a one-point edge over Nephara heading into the last game of qualifying. With a win, the Lions were guaranteed to return to the World Cup. Unfortunately, fullback Matt Wells was beaten by a Mangetsujima winger and foolishly tried to make up for his mistake by taking his opponent down from behind in the penalty box, earning himself a red card and Mangetsujima a penalty kick for his troubles. Playing a man down, Lee elected to take Cesar Martinez off and bring on the veteran Bradley Lancaster to go with a 4-3-1-1 look. Lancaster is a wily defender who was very much known for his bombing runs down the sidelines and his ability to score. However, at age 35, he's lost a step and isn't what I would call the first option off the bench. Lee defended his choice after the game, saying, "I felt Bradley gave us the best combination of offense and defense that would allow us to win the game." Cory Henry or Josh Owens, in my opinion, would have been a better choice, Henry for offense and Owens more for defense. Given that the Cormorants were destroying Timbermunich, Lee had to play for the win. Cory Henry was the best option off the bench to produce a goal. Whether the decision ended up costing the Lions, I can't say, but the Lions didn't manage to win the game, even though Lancaster played fairly well.

But this can't be placed all on Lee. The Lions' starters, even down a man, should have been able to easily dispatch of such a woeful team as Mangetsujima. But ultimately, they failed to do so, and it cost them. The Lions earned the #2 playoff seed, but they drew resurgent Krytenia, who qualified as an unranked team last cycle, and were ranked 45th this time around. The Krytenians are a formidable opponent and will push the Lions to their limit. If the Lions lose the playoff, which they most certainly could against a talented Krytenian squad, then they will rue their last qualifying game and Lee could lose his job. That's even with a Cup of Harmony appearance.

More from Lion's Roar
In which Omega Lion apologizes for jinxing the Lions with "Is this the best NT we've had?" article
Quentin Foray and Julian Lee show off their skills with a rugby ball
IBS X nears, Lions to go for championship

(OOC: Logo at top shamelessly cribbed from Pride of Detroit, Detroit Lions blog. The opinions expressed above are the opinions of the writer and not necessarily indicative of the opinions of Nova Anglicans or the user behind Nova Anglicana.)

[Brenecia]

THE ROZELLE OBSERVER
Cataclysmic Landslide Disaster Continues Unabated
by Karena Fife
ABANHFLEFT M Varamoninov; C Amoroso, L Edwards (J Cervantes 80'), N Mikkelsen, J Samonte; A Turpentine, V Zolnerov, A Musa (T Hargreaves 66'); R Edwards; K Kelvin (M Beineka 56'), G Potter
Goals: Potter 16', 84', Edwards 29', Beineka 86'
BRENECIA G Urquhart; F Berenger (A Scrivener 62'), O Faulkner, B Duguid, J Collingwood; D Kilbane, L Paterson (sent off 71'), C Purrington (C Blackslate 72'); N Thatcher (S Maddon 80'), I Cullen, D Pendragon
Goal: Cullen 33'

Brenecia's winless streak extends to four as they stand on the edge of a precipice to opposition they were strongly tipped to beat comfortably. Abanhfleft were superior early on and went into the break 2-1 up, Potter's superb header and a long shot from Edwards putting them in the lead despite a neatly-taken Cullen volley for Brenecia's first goal in four games. But when Lilith Paterson's attempt to murder Edwards saw her sent to the showers, Brenecia's spine evaporated, and they were pummelled for two disastrous late goals.

Suspension and the form book dictated a shift in personnel for Brenecia from the start, of course, and Sasha Bale made two gambles - starting Fiona Berenger at rightback and trusting Isadora Cullen up front over the wayward Maddon and Rankin. Abanhfleft, as expected, went for the strongest lineup they could field. And it was they who got the lead in a free-flowing start to the match, Edwards breezily putting a pass beyond the Brenecian defence as Potter broke clear and stabbed it past Urquhart. Disastrous enough in itself, but the Patriots had Urquhart to thank just minutes later, as she tipped Kelvin's strike onto the post. A fantastic save, but Kelvin shouldn't've given her a save to make in the first place. No matter, however - despite Thatcher and Purrington testing Varamoninov, it was Edwards who clipped a strike over everyone from just outside the box that left Urquhart without a chance.

Was it already over? Not likely, as the Patriots battled their way back into the game, battering the Fleftic defence with everything they had and a full range of passing. They held firm for a while, Amoroso at once stage clearing Faulkner's header off the line following a well-taken Purrington corner before Mikkelsen put his body on the line to deny Dani Pendragon, the Northern Union winger smashing a low shot directly into his crotch. Perhaps it had taken its toll, as Mikkelsen was a little slow to react when Collingwood on the overlapping run got past the defence and lofted a cutback back over their heads. Everyone was wrongfooted, but it was perfect for Isadora Cullen, who calmly half-volleyed it past Varamoninov.

Try as they might, though, Brenecia couldn't equalise - Thatcher coming close but hitting the side netting, Pendragon getting the ball in the net but only thanks to being a good yard offside. And Abanhfleft stabilised, with a quick reminder that they were still ahead given just before the second half - Musa's shot from distance almost catching Urquhart off her line. Neither side seemed able to maintain the intensity in a second half which had quietened significantly from the first, the only real excitement being Kelvin's glaring miss of a free header at the far post. But just as neutral fans were starting to channel-surf, Paterson drove both her studs through the back of Rory Edwards' legs. The referee had no hesitation, and Brenecia's one overriding source of stability was gone.

The Patriots tried to show some resistance. Blackslate came on for the defensive liability Purrington to reunite a central midfield pairing that had made Brenecia regional champions, but her and Kilbane were still outnumbered and Edwards was now running rampant. The Patriots' best chance to equalise came now, despite all this, as in the 79th minute a long ball over the top brought Pendragon one on one with the goalkeeper. The winger hesitated just a little too much before pulling the trigger, Varamoninov got just a little too close and managed a spectacular one-handed stop. Cullen tried to charge it down but the covering run of Samonte saw the ball cleared into the stratosphere. Brenecia's chances of equalising seemed over.

Demoralised, they collapsed. First, a superb ball from Hargreaves was missed entirely by Duguid, Beineka running clear. The inconsistent Admiral Porcusces striker was evidently having a good day, clipping a perfect centre to Potter, who had run free of all markers and was now presented with an open goal. 3-1. And just two minutes later, it was yet again Edwards (who had admittedly been invisible since being annihilated by Paterson) who had the cutting edge, lofting in a perfect high ball to the far post. Urquhart scrambled across but could only claw at the ball in vain as Beineka powered home an inelegant but efficient header. So that, then, was four - and seemingly the final nail in the coffin of the World Cup ambitions the Patriots seem to have spectacularly thrown away.

Still, bullish words from Sasha Bale at full time. "Looks bad on paper, sure, but I wouldn't go booking your flights for the Cup of Harmony just yet. We'll give them a fight to remember back at Kingsgarden." But it's hard to reconcile that with the performance, and just as Scout Given returns from suspension, the team's lynchpin - Paterson - enters one. Abanhfleft will come to Kingsgarden fully confident in another victory, and it's safe to say the Patriots have an uphill struggle to triumph. Still... 3-0 would do it. Stranger things have happened, right?

[Polkopia]

By Alan Fadaev

It's playoff day two in the World Cup qualifiers, and the Polkopian National Team faces an even tougher challenge now, after losing 2-3 at home to the Unified Sunrise Islands. This means that in their next game, the Snovski are going to have to travel to the Unified Sunrise Islands in an attempt to pull off a major upset and beat the hosts. Still though, the Polkopians are going to need a convincing lead, as a 1-0 or a 2-1 win will not allow the Polkopians to advance; at the very least, the Polkopians are going to have to either score 3 away goals and win by one goal, or have to win by two or more goals. The odds certainly are not in the Polkopians' favor.

Be that as it may, it should go without saying that the last game between these two sides was a fantastic game to say the least. Both sides played very attractive football and it was a nail-biter until the very end, as it looked as if though either team could have won it. At halftime, I can speak for the majority of Polkopians when I say that we were very pessimistic about the rest of the game, as The Samba Kids led the hosts 2-0 with 56% possession at the half.

Be that as it may, the Polkopians had come back out, determined to give the fans a show and the visitors a run for their money. At the 47th minute, Roman Maldov found himself against the keeper in a 1-on-1 situation, and chipped the ball over the keeper. Though the ball made it over the keeper, he wasn't able to guide the ball below the crossbar in time and it hovered above the net. In the next few minutes, more chances were created by the Polkopians, but to no avail. It wasn't until the 61st minute where Arto Holkeri, the young Polkopian talent, was able to lead an impressive attacking play with Aleksandr Krenkov and Vsevolod Bilan, with beautiful one-touch passing between the trio which completely beat the defense, and Krenkov ended up 1-on-1 with the keeper again. Instead of taking the shot, he passed the ball to Holkeri near the far post, who tapped the ball in for a goal, despite the visitors' protest for offsides.

The score was 1-2 at the 62nd minute, and the recent plays shown by the Polkopians certainly gave the audience hope. In the next few minutes, the players seemed to slow down, but in the 70th minute, the Polkopians found their second goal. Kazbek Gairbekov, who was substituted for Roman Maldov shortly after his miss, was able to run the ball down the wing, beating out his defenders. Once the defense began to catch up to him, he delivered a powerful cross into the box, which was met with Vyacheslav Gorodiva's head, who headed the ball into the back of the net, past a very angry Sunrisian keeper, equalizing the score.

With a score of 2-2 and the Polkopians holding their own against a team who everyone thought would blow Polkopia out of the World Cup without a problem, the fans were loud and proud to support their team. The famous "On Ekipda, On Stara" (One team, one country) chant

could be heard from miles away from the enthusiastic fans. In the 89th minute, however, the fans' enthusiasm was shut down, following a late Sunrisian goal which put them ahead and eventually won them the game. In the end, though, it was a good game and I, like many others, will actually be excited to see how we fare in the Unified Sunrise Islands when we play them again.

[Semarland]

JANSBERG, SEMARLAND – Welcome to the Natunolstadion here in Jansberg, where tonight we will be bringing you live updates between the first leg of the World Cup Qualification playoff between Semarland and Sargossa. Last time Semarland defeated Buyan in the playoffs to advance to the previous finals under Andreas Jansen, the new manager at the time, and this time they will hope he can lead them to the finals again. We will have team news for you shortly.

18:30 – With 75 minutes until kick off, the teams have been announced:
Semarland (3-2-3-2): Marco Valbuena; Martell Chalobah, Soren Pedersen, Jakob Lunds; Marcel Labonne, Demba Cisse; Abel Nkutu, Marc Strand, Diego Snow; Marc Lygaatd, Jakob Lindesfarne

Sargossa (4-4-2): Armando Abad; Jaime Urruti, Sergio Ayala, Guillermo Lacena, Hector Ibarra; Julio Cesar Merino, Mateo Olmedo, Eduardo Zacarias, Xabier Sola; Federico Noyola, Enzo Jara

18:47: – Definitely an interesting lineup from Semarland. Tunji Tunde does not start and instead Demba Cisse is deployed in a more defensive role allowing Marc Strand to slot into the attacking midfielder role. Sargossa, on the other hand, do not have a full strength side out and have changed formation to a 4-4-2 rather than their usual trademark 4-5-1/4-3-3 combination.

18:59: – Both teams coming onto the pitch now to warm up. The SFA conveniently arranging it so that Sargossa can warm up in front of their fans. There’s a large contingent of Sargossans, dedicated ones at that who have made the long trip from Rushmore tonight. I expect many will be staying in the hotel chains around Jansberg tonight, and of course they will be subject to a traditional warm Semar welcome, like most travelling fans receive.

19:31: – The teams now retreating back into the tunnel for their pre-match talk. Our refereeing team tonight comes from Eastfield Lodge, with Johnathan Oakdoore as referee, Sergei Nyberg and Azuna Moreno the linesmen and Carlee Howard fourth official.

19:40: – Out come the teams who will now lineup for their photographs and sing the national anthems.

19:45 – Semarland to kick off, kicking from right to left in this first half.

2’ – First real chance of the game as Abel Nkutu cuts inside Hector Ibarra before curling a cross in. Lindesfarne was nearly there, but Abad can rush out and collect before kicking it down field. However Marcel Labonne makes a neat interception with a lovely first touch and loops it over to Strand whose volley goes inches over Abad’s crossbar.

6’ – First yellow card of the game goes to Sargossa left-back Jaime Urruti who is shown a yellow card by Oakdoore after a crunching tackle on Diego Snow. Fortunately Snow doesn’t seem to be injured and gets up, but it will be Strand to take the free kick on the right hand side. He lofts it in and Martell Chalobah rises the highest in the box, but is header goes over Abad’s goal.

10’ – GOAL! 1-0 SEMARLAND! It’s Jakob Lindesfarne who puts the home side in front. It’s fair to say, this qualifying campaign he has been relatively quiet but he’s popped up in the right place here as he pokes home from five yards past Abad. Lovely work from Nkutu and Snow combining with the latter drilling a low cutback in the box and Lindesfarne just gently poking it home with ease. Poor marking from Guillermo Lacena however, who should’ve contained Lindesfarne there.

14’ – Goal. Sargossa equalise. It’s Enzo Jara who draws the Corsairs. A lovely pass from Sergio Ayala finds Xabier Sola on the wing, who squares it to Mateo Olmedo, who it turn passes it to Julio Cesar Merino who plays it to Jara who on the edge of the box turns, goes forward a little bit before bending it home past Marco Valbuena. That was poor defending from Jakob Lunds especially, who really should’ve closed Jara down there.

19’ – The game has got a bit quiet now, despite a couple of chances for both teams. Marc Lygaard’s low shot was palmed away by Abad and Jara’s header tipped over by Valbuena. Nothing much else really, the game seems to have lost its action. That is until just now. We seem to have a small altercation between Cisse and Urruti. Urruti is already on his yellow card, so he better be very careful. Oakdoore separates the two and neither are brandished a card and play resumes.

27’ – Goal. Sargossa take the lead. Mateo Olmedo plays a lovely through ball and Federico Noyola slots home. The Sporting San Marquez striker rounded Marco Valbuena with eases before slotting it home into the empty net. 2-1 to Sargossa.

39’ – Goal. Sargossa score another. Semarland looking poor now with this bizarre 3-2-3-2 system as Olmedo chips it through for Julio Cesar Merino to latch onto and slot home from the left hand side. 3-1 to Sargossa.

45+3 – HT: Semarland 1-3 Sargossa (Lindesfarne | Jara, Noyola, Merino)

46’ – Two substitutions made by each team. Semarland shift into a 4-4-2 formation with Diego Snow being replaced by Nathaniel Oseni (Chalobah will play at left-back) and Demba Cisse makes way for Tunji Tunde. Marc Strand shifts onto the right wing. Sargossa meanwhile, replace Urruti (who was treading on thin ice anyway) with Jonas Jacinto, and swap Enzo Jara for Miguel de los Santos.

53’ – Goal. de los Santos makes great impact and heads home from Hector Ibarra’s corner. Semarland trailing 4-1 now and it looks like they’re not going to the World Cup finals in Apox or neighbours the Royal Kingdom of Quebec.

57’ – GOAL! Never mind about that, maybe they are! Marc Strand twirls around Jacinto before squaring it to Lindesfarne who finishes neatly past Abad. Game on.

60’ – Substitution for Sargossa. Ciudad Solucos forward Saturnin Quinteros replaces Federico Noyola. We’ve seen Sargossa put out a relatively weaker starting XI today but it seems to be working out well, making the trip to Sargossa for the return leg probably a dreaded one. Only half an hour left, plus added time.

64’ – Semarland make their final change and bring on Dequane Saint Etienne for Abel Nkutu. The 17 year old winger will look to insert some tricks, skills and flair into this game, and hopefully salvage an equaliser for Semarland.

67’ – GOAL! It’s 4-3 now. It’s a stunner from Marcel Labonne, picking up the ball on the edge of the D before flicking it up and absolutely smashing it home on the volley, watching as the ball flew past Abad soaring in to the top far right hand corner. Great goal, definitely game on now.

72’ – And just five minutes after that, Sargossa get another. This time it’s central midfielder Eduardo Zacarias who neatly slots home into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Semarland have looked really poor today, and all that looks possible now is an invite to the Cup of Harmony.

80’ – GOAL!!! NEVER MIND ABOUT THE CUP OF HARMONY, THERE’S STILL A CHANCE! Marc Lygaard heads home from Saint Etienne’s corner and it’s 5-4! There is only 10 minutes left now plus added time. We may not get an equaliser but it will certainly make the second leg much much easier!

90+4’ – FT: Semarland 4-5 Sargossa (Lindesfarne 2, Labonne, Lygaard | Jara, Noyola, Merino, de los Santos, Zacarias)

[Krytenia]

A Grand Occasion
by Trevor O'Carroll in Emberton

A CELEBRATION was asked for, and given, by the Aces last night as the side's historic one thousandth match, against the combined might of Audioslavia and Starblaydia, resulted in a pleasing scoreline for the partisan capacity crowd. Perhaps, if the Krytenians had played with this much soul and vigour against Schottia, we wouldn't have the knife-edge of games #1001 and #1002, a two-legged playoff match against Nova Anglicana, but then hindsight is always 20-20. As it was, a two-nil win will be an adequate warm-up for those tense ties.

Audioblaydia proved that the whole is not always more than the sum of its parts. Michael Demetrius put in a true captain's innings to neutralise the threat of Imanol Vengochea, whilst Dragan Kryznjak and Jason Copeland were worth than anonymous. Jason Davis and Alfie Xousa barely broke a sweat. It was only a matter of time before the side more used to playing together got the upper hand, and it was Armando Ortega who played that hand superbly. His distribution stretched the "Eaglebulls" defence, and one such pass sent Ronnie van Rijn behind the offside trap, beating a sprawling Jerzy Makuszewski with a low shot. The only weak point for the men in sky blue was Valrauncion, being effectively covered by Jouard Caceres. Perhaps, with Starblaydia being five-elevenths of the opposition, his heart wasn't in it.

It was rather unsurprising, then, when the Aces came out for the second half without their number seven in tow. Alex Sampson was the man on, and it was he who got the second goal, being quickest to pounce after an volley was cleared off the line from a corner. Scrappy it may have been, but the young Ousevale forward couldn't care less, celebrating like he'd scored a thirty-yard screamer in a World Cup quarter-final.

Adequate testing, then, and the right result. The nervy stuff begins now, though, with two legs against Nova Anglicana. The first game, in Ousevale, will set the tone; one hopes that here, too, we see the right result.

KRYTENIA - 2
van Rijn 33
Sampson 58

AUDIOBLAYDIA - 0
- no scorers -

[Flardania]

Halloween in Kirishima

In Kirishima, Halloween is celebrated by the name of Unmei no Nejire and it is observed from October 19 to 21. Halloween actually has things in common with Unmei no nejire. It is celebrated in memory of those who have passed and is a way to show that the dead will always be remembered and loved. The dead are offered food and water, which are placed in front of their photos as incense is burned . People also light lanterns to light the Jikan burijji and grant temporary passage to all souls both those in Yorokobi and Kūgeki can spend time on earth.

The festival, Unmei no Nejire lasts for three days. On the first day, people visit the graves of their near and dear ones. People would light lanterns and lay flowers. The second day begins with the set up of spirit altars called tamadane (like in Japan), at home. Families engage themselves in building the altars at their homes, for the departed souls of their loved ones. However the similarity between Kirishima and Japan ends here. On the top of the altar, photos and some valuables are placed, along with the persons favorite dish prepared. In the evening, people float small paper lanterns on the river or sea. This ritual is associated with the belief that lights lead the spirits who were trapped in the abyss of Kūgeki to make there way to shore. On the third day the mourning part ends and the day of tribulations begins.

On day three the Godess Ilias gives free rein to her daughter Shirinynore and her relm of Succubus to roam free on earth. It is believed that they will even take the form of those you know and trust in an attempt to seduce a victim. The safest course of action is to resist the seduction and temptation. However if they fall to the temptation they will be judged and after the acts are preformed if the person lead a life good enough to go to Yorokobi if they died at that instance they live, if they lived a bad life that would send them to Kūgeki if they died that instant, they are killed and send to Kūgeki.

However in modern Kirishima while the belief are still seen and believed by the state religion, The Holy Order of Lake Shore. Most young Kirishinans go trick or treating in costumes like the west while older teens and adults dress up in sexy costumes and go to parties. This is do to the west influence on Kirishima however even with the more laid back approach to the festival in modern times, Kirishinans take the lore very seriously. This is what Kirishinan halloween is like.

[Zenic]

It was silent in the locker room before the game in the Blouman Empire.

Killian had gathered all of the players into the center of the locker room before they headed out onto the pitch. It was a tense period in the life of this squad: a team that looked like a lock to win their group to needing a win by at least two goals in the second game of a home and away series. Moral was a bit shaky as they had most enough to make it to this point but faltered at key points as well. A 2 goal win would send their moral soaring but a loss guaranteed them a spot in the Cup of Harmony, which would decrease moral as most players would see it as making it to the "B" championship.

"Listen, we have a shot at winning a spot in the World Cup. If we do, it would literally be in the top 3 moments in Zenician footballing history. But if we don't, it won't be the end of the world. Maybe not the thing you want to hear but what you NEED to hear," stated Killian. "The fate of the world isn't in your hands, it's not literally do or die like in Gregoryisgodistan, it's not a major failure as it would be for giants like Starblaydia, Valanora, Audioslavia, the Polar Islandstates or others. This is an important fact as I have seen talented teams lose because they have cracked under the pressure that might not have existed except for in their head. Should you let that happen to you, this game is lost."

The players simply nodded their heads and listened intently. "All of you are not failures should we be eliminated. You are talented individuals who are still learning the ropes of the international scene. The best we can do is go out there and play hard and smart football while giving it our all. That is the only thing you can guarantee and accomplish. So that's what you're going to do. Whatever happens happens."

The players got up, finished getting ready and headed out onto the field, ready to play hard and smart football with everything they've got: they were ready for whatever came their way.

[Northern Sunrise Islands]

Season 6, Chapter 24: Casino Royale

Prince Matthew and Julia walked by the battered buildings, before finding an abandoned casino. The sign of the building saying "Lucky Cat" and a winking cat greeted the two as they entered the casino.

Prince Matthew: ...So, what are we doing here?
Julia: Merely re-contacting our two allies.
Prince Matthew: ...Two allies? Like Aprile?
Julia: Yes, but skilled.
Prince Matthew: How many sisters do you even have, again?
Julia: Eleven.
Prince Matthew: Large family.
Julia: You could say that.

The two arrive at a room, finding two teenage girls gearing up. One had most of her head covered by a blue hoodie and mostly wore camouflage clothing sans that. The other one looked an awful lot like a magic girl straight out of the most sillier animes.

Julia: Augustine and Mars!
Mars: Well, if it isn't the one that failed to protect Aprile.
Augustine: Don't push it on her, sis! It happens!
Mars: We all know what happened! This idiot distracted you and the other fools killed her!
Prince Matthew: But we weren't even in the room when it all happened...
Mars: Was your opinion requested?
Prince Matthew: ...W-w-well, no, but-
Mars: Then shut up!
Augustine: Sis, it was just Aprile! She's the weakest of us all, even Julia couldn't stop it!
Mars: To be fair, we did name our unit of power after Aprile's lack of skill and all, but it still was your responsibility!
Julia: We weren't even there. In fact, I'm pretty sure master placed her there on purpose.
Mars: How so?
Julia: Think about it. They took her away.
Augustine: He took a gamble, I guess.
Mars: Maybe it is true... Master's cunningness is amazing at almost all times!
Julia: Don't you say.

The four left the room, calm as they passed by the poor, addicted folk inside the casino.

Julia: Anyway, you both know the plan, right?
Mars: Affirmative. Follow the helicopter carrying our enemies and wait for Aprile to recover and then raid the place they're taking her.
Augustine: Yeah! And have full care about not being noticed!
Prince Matthew: I suggest we didn't talk about it that loud.
Mars: Shut up.
Prince Matthew: ...sigh.

Finally out of the building, the four stared at the sunset briefly before getting back to business.

Julia: I believe we'll meet each other on the rooftops near wherever she's being held at.
Mars: Quite.
Augustine: OK, then! See you both there!

Augustine withdrew an umbrella and took to start a flight, moving on the skies unnoticed as she tried her best to hide between buildings. Mars followed, shooting like a comet towards the top of one building and then leaping from one to another. Julia herself started to float and was almost starting to move on her way before a brief sigh alerted her.

Julia: ...Oh.
Prince Matthew: Never mind, I'll go take the bus.
Julia: If you insist.
Prince Matthew: Yeah. I don't want to be an issue.

Prince walked towards a bus stop, staring at the street when something briefly flashed in his eyes. A message saying "Wake up." popped up on his mind and he then fell to the ground, slowly lifting himself back up on his hands.

Prince Matthew: ...What happened?

He stared to his sides, shaking his head slightly afterwards.

Prince Matthew: Where am I? What have I done?

The Prince stared at Julia, floating. He sighed, looking at a bus going to Esportiva.

Prince Matthew: ...Maybe at home, I'll find out what happened.

Meanwhile, at the hospital.

Sarian: Boss.
Dainer: Yeah?
Sarian: Why are we waiting here?

Dainer and Sarian stood on front of the door where Aprile was being taken care of, while Ytt enjoying a nice sleep on a chair nearby.

Dainer: Because I don't want to lose track of this miss once she wakes up.
Sarian: But this place has security!
Dainer: Which is notoriously lax and incompetent to the bone.
Sarian: Point made.
Dainer: Besides, it's not just the enemies that I worry about.
Sarian: How so?
Dainer: You know.
Sarian: I don't think I do.
Dainer: Well, remember our old plan of taking over the world?
Sarian: Yeah.
Dainer: And we didn't start it because...
Sarian: Mikoto?
Dainer: Exactly.
Sarian: So? I think she's overlooking Sunrise's return.
Dainer: I'll gladly remind you that the girl we just fought has to do with Julia, who ordered Sunrise to be damaged.
Sarian: And if she knows that, she'll most likely...
Dainer: Kill her. In a pretty fast and flurry mess.
Sarian: Then it isn't a good thing that I believe I'm hearing her steps nearby and that this hospital has a pretty damn good echo, right?

Mikoto walked calmly towards them, though still far. Dainer shivered.

Dainer: Well, damn.

[Kernansquillec]

THE INTERVIEW

Sara Blackwood

Personal information

Full name       Sara Di Magio Blackwood
Date of birth   2nd March 2039 (26 years old)
Place of birth  Binic
                Coronon, Kernansquillec
Sex             Female
Height          1m75
Position        Midfielder
Nationality      Kernansquillecan

Club information

Currant team     St Marie
Number          6

Youth career

2046 - 2056     Binic Youth Academy

Senior career

2056 - 2060     Binic
2060 - now      St Marie

National team

2060 - now      Kernansquillec

Sara Blackwood, welcome to the Interview!

Thanks!

First things first, there's just one game between Kernansquillec and a potential tichet to the World Cup for the first time in sixty one years. Can you make it?

We certainly can! We showed in the first leg that we are capable of matching Chiata. There were still some problems we have to sort out, but to go to Chiata and draw is a very good result and with three away goals we've put the odds in our favour. It would be just perfect to secure qualification in front of a home crowd.

After the tension of the game between the Kers and The Sarian, it seems that game was simply a dress rehearsal for this final game that will either see Kernansquillec qualify or fall at the final hurdle. How important will it be for the home fans to act as the twelfth man out there?

It's going to be immense. We've grown to rely on the fantastic support of our fans so every time we go to play at the National Stadium we know that we will always get a lift. And during that game against The Sarian I've never been lifted so much in my entire career. The atmosphere was electric and deafening for pretty much the whole ninety minutes. If it's anything as good an atmosphere Chiata will be in for a rough ride.

This will be the fourth time Kernansquillec have been involved in a play-off situation and it will be the first time you will feature. Kernansquillec remain unbeaten at home, drawing both games against Khabarovsk 2-2 before winning in extra time to qualify for World Cup 57, while also drawing in the first leg of the game against Kandorith at qualifying for World Cup 68 which ended in a 7-3 aggregate defeat. Are you hopeful that you'll be able to maintain this unbeaten run?

It's what we'll be aiming to do. I remember watching the game against Kandorith and it was so disappointing not to see the team qualify on their return to the international stage, but they put up a very brave fight. Now we're much more of an established and respected team so we will have much better odds of making it. And of course, the entire squad will be inspired by what was achieved by the legendary team of 57 that qualified for the World Cup.

The game could prove to be a very historic one if the Kers prevail. Victory - or even a draw in this case - would surely seal your place in history as one of the greatest Kernansquillecan teams of all time. Does that pressure help or hinder your preparations and mindset before such an important game?

I prefer not to think about it to be honest and just try to focus on the game itself. But there's no lying that we are all fully aware that if we manage to get past Chiata it will be a historic moment for Kernansquillec. But as a footballer you can't afford to let that pressure crush you. You have to either ignore it and get on with things as usual or challenge it in to a force that will suck that extra percent of performance out of you.

You're a relative newcomer to the squad. After getting dropped by Harry Broudant as he formed his first squad after the disastrous 71st World Cup where you ever worried that might be the end of your international career?

I was very disappointed to miss out on the Copa Rushmori. We had a very bad qualifying campaign beforehand, but I really wanted to keep my place to try and make up for those lacklustre performances. But I made sure to keep on performing at club level and managed to force Harry in to calling me back.

It's been quite a turnaround to go from getting dropped to now being a crucial part of the Kernansquillecan midfield...

I don't think so, it's all the result of hard work. And to be fair, there's not much between the midfielders in and around the national side so if ever I had any problems they would be able to step up and replace me. There's good competition for places which brings the best out of me and shows just how far football in Kernansquillec has come these last ten years or so.

Hopefully things will continue to improve. Achieving qualification for the World Cup would certainly inspire a whole new generation of footballers in Kernansquillec. Sara, thank you very much for your time and we wish you and the team all the best for your final playoff game.

Thank you, I'll look forward to coming back here again sometime.

Chiata 3 - 3 Kernansquillec
(Prince 54', 88', Eastep 58' / Varano 37', De Luca 70', Findlay 81')
Gulf Stadium, Villitova

[Chiata]

Chiata Times
Difficult Situation

Remember last matchday when we said whichever side forced their tempo on the opposition would win? Well, we were almost right. Kernansquillec forces their style of play onto Chiata, and as a result, drew 3-3. The backline and strong goalkeeping that had five clean sheets going into the game allowed three goals. On the other hand, Chiata stayed in it by scoring three goals too, but a home draw is no way to win a playoff. Chiata has to get a win, while away, against an in form team. All this has been forces by the high scoring game, giving the Kers three away goals. Any sort of draw, bar another unlikely 3-3 game or higher, will result in Kernansquillec qualifying, and not the Suns.

The match started out wonderfully for Chiata, if only the rest of the match was like that. The defense was playing the game of its life, only a single shot on goal was recorded for the Kers in the first thirty minutes. Even the attack was doing swell, with chances took coming from Prince, Carroll, and Saunders. For whatever reason, the momentum shifted and Kernansquillec control of the game. The Kers relentlessly drove against a confused looking Chiatan side. The attack eventually gathered strength and Varno would break the deadlock and put the Kers up 1-0. Demoralized and down by one, the Suns entered the locker room to the dead silence of the crowd.

Manager Walters must have a way with words, because the Suns came out of the break with renewed menace. They set to work on the pitch and the momentum switched to Chiata. Now the Suns were on the attack. After a few probing attacks, Prince burst past Bloxam and struck the ball with such ferocity and that Ferly didn't have a prayer of blocking it. Chiata sensed weakness and continued the assault. Kernansquillec was now the side out of touch, and Eastep capitalized to put the Suns up just four minutes after the previous goal.

Nobody knows how, but they did. Kernansquillec stopped the bleeding and got their act together. They stiffened up on their defense and started playing smart football once again. Chiata continued to play extremely well, too, so the game was a sight to behold. Precision passes and complex maneuvers were balanced with excellent defensive positioning and tough tackles. As the match past the hour mark, the Kers began to gain the upper hand. Iris very nearly scored in the 65th minute, but Truex made the save of his life, which is saying something. Alas, it was not enough. The back line was picked apart once more, with De Luca scoring in the 70th minute. This time the Kers would be the side to capitalize, albeit not so quickly. Findlay may have put the game away in the 81st minute, putting Kernansquillec in the lead 3-2.

Nine minutes remaining and every manager, player, fan, and stadium worker knew what was at stake. A loss hear would mean another cycle of disappointment. There is no getting back from a home loss with three goals allowed. The crowd noise swelled to new heights, fed by the fan of a twelve year world cup proper draw. Chiata did something they had never done before and went into an all out attack mode. They had confidence that Truex could take anyone one on one. Somehow, the Suns got it done. Prince scored his second of the game in 88th minute. The crowd went bonkers. Sure, it was a draw, but the Suns were still in it. All they needed was chance.