UWCFA Gold Cup I Everything Thread

[Saintland]

UWCFA Gold Cup I

UWCFA welcomes you to the first edition of the UWCFA Gold Cup, held in the Kingdom of Saintland. The Kingdom of Saintland is located on a small island in the northern part of the region, inside the Arctic Circle. 8 teams will compete in the first edition of the Gold Cup, which will be held under Casaran rules. There will be 4 matchdays in the Casaran round. After those matchdays, the 4 highest ranked teams will advance to the semis. The winners of the semis will advance to the final while the losers will have to settle for the third place match. Those nations that have signed up and remain located within the World Changers region may begin posting rosters and RPs immediately. Your roster should include your RP permissions:

Code: Select all

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:

Choose my goalscorers Y/N
Godmod scoring events Y/N
RP injuries to my players Y/N
Godmod injuries to my players Y/N
Hand out yellow cards to my players Y/N
Hand out red cards to my players Y/N
Godmod other events Y/N

Schedule

Group Draw (November 3)
MD1 (November 6)
MD2 (November 8)
MD3 (November 10)
MD4 (November 12)
Semis (November 14)*
3rd Place Match/Finals (November 16)*

* Subject to change if playoffs are necessary

Cutoffs will be around 9 PM North American Eastern Time

MD1 Fixtures

The Sportocracy vs. Free Republics
Los Quebrados vs. Callistea
Silver Beach vs. Bag-o Anikbaan
Saintland & Acedonia vs. Matthewsiania

[Saintland]

Saintland National Information

History of Saintland

Saintland was founded in 966. Prior to that year, the island that is now Saintland was an uninhabited island in the World Changers region near the north pole. In the year 966, the Christian Church, which was still united at that time, held a now-forgotten Council. At this Council, they discussed some arcane matters related to Christology. There were 2 factions at this council that had irreconcilable differences. The majority faction are known today as the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.

However, a small minority of Christian bishops rejected the decision of the Council of 966. Knowing that they would be persecuted for their beliefs if they remained, they left their homes and got on a number of ships. Their brothers and sisters, members of the nobility, went along with them. A Prince by the name of Paulus chose to go with them, because he believed they were right. They set out across the sea, praying that God would guide them to safety.

Somehow, they ended up traveling several thousand miles by sea, arriving at a remote island far to the north of their original homes. They were widely believed to have perished at sea. Soon, the very existence of the Council of 966 would be forgotten. The Prince would be crowned King Paulus I, the first King of the Kingdom of Saintland. Centuries went by and the Sanctii were able to keep their existence secret from the rest of the world.

Despite their isolation from the rest of the world, starting in 1038, the King's Government sent periodic expeditions to explore the outside world. They would inevitably return to Saintland, with information regarding what had happened since the last expedition. The explorers brought knowledge of new inventions back to Saintland. The King consulted with the Patriarch of the Church and they jointly decided which of the new inventions and innovations were worth adopting and which should not be adopted. This would prove to be very useful to the authorities in Saintland, as they successfully kept the Renaissance, Reformation and Enlightenment out of the Kingdom.

The policy of isolation would be ended in 1788. In 1825, King Josephus X decided to abolish the practice of serfdom. After breaking the power of the nobility, King Josephus X industrialized Saintland. However, Saintland never adopted laissez-faire policies and has only developed a barely modern economy. Usury laws remain on the books, intellectual property legislation remains non-existent and protective labor legislation was adopted very early on in the industrialization process. As Saintland industrialized, a special legal status called "foreign resident" was created, which permits foreign nationals to reside in Saintland and remain exempt from some of Saintland's laws.

Today, Saintland is a semi-modern nation. Despite that, the nation retains its divine right absolute monarchy and the Church of Saintland remains a powerful force in the island nation. Saintland's population remains relatively small, as it is estimated at somewhere between 500,000 and 600,000. Despite the small population, Saintland has somehow developed a large number of world-class athletes that have been able to go toe-for-toe with the best athletes from the rest of the multiverse.

Transportation

Due to the lack of an automobile manufacturing industry in Saintland and the prohibitive cost of importing foreign-made cars, the automobile has never been popular in Saintland. Several months ago, King Paulus XV decided to ban private ownership of automobiles for public safety reasons. Therefore, visitors to Saintland will not have the use of automobiles of any sort.

Under the laws of Saintland, automobiles may only be used by police, the military, fire departments and licensed bus or taxi services. In the cities, you should be able to find a bus or a taxi. If you see a police or military vehicle on the road, it is likely headed toward a crime scene of some sort or is being used to transport a criminal who has been apprehended by the authorities. It is highly recommended to move to the sidewalk when you see an automobile coming down the street.

Saintland has a highly developed high-speed rail network that connects every community in Saintland, from the tiniest villages to the cities of St. Petrus and St. Paulus. This is the only fairly quick way to travel between the communities of Saintland.

Bicycles are a popular form of transportation in Saintland. There are bicycle rental stores in most communities throughout the Kingdom. The most popular bicycle rental stores, among international visitors to Saintland, are located at the St. Paulus and St. Petrus airports. Bicycle parking is provided throughout Saintland and locks are included with every bike. The use of helmets is optional, but recommended.

Lodging

Until recently, Saintland lacked the necessary lodging to host large numbers of foreign visitors at a given time. However, in the hopes of luring a major international sports event to Saintland, the King's Government constructed a number of hotels in the major cities. All players, coaches and officials from the nations that advance to Saintland will receive complimentary lodging at the Royal Hotel in St. Petrus. If requested, hotel staff will perform a wake up call to ensure that your players make it to the ballpark in time for the start of their game.

Weather

Saintland is located in a polar region, which means that the weather is relatively cold, even during the summer. The average summer temperature in Saintland is 14 degrees (Celsius), which is the equivalent of 57.2 Fahrenheit. On an exceptionally warm day in Saintland, the weather may reach the mid-70s Fahrenheit (24 Celsius), but temperatures in the neighborhood of 7 Celsius (44.6 Fahrenheit) are not unheard of during the summer.

Language

Saintland speaks a dialect of Latin. Sanctii Latin is a living language, so it does have some differences from classical Latin. The difference between the Latin of the Vulgate and the Latin spoken in Saintland is similar to the difference between the English of the King James Bible and the English that is widely spoken today.

Although Latin is the native language of the Sanctii, foreign language education is heavily emphasized in the nation's education system. The average person you run into on the street should be able to speak English relatively fluently, so there is not much of a language barrier.

Currency

Saintland uses a currency based on bullion. The main coins in Saintland are the Denarius, which is a one-ounce gold coin and the Argentii, a one-ounce silver coin. Gold and silver coins are also available in smaller weights, all the way down to 1/100th of an ounce of silver.

If you do not possess bullion, Universal Standard Dollars are widely accepted, as is the Republican Thaler and the Acedonian Ace.

Entertainment

Saintland is a theocracy that operates under a very strict version of Biblical law, so many forms of entertainment are illegal in Saintland.

There are 5 television networks in Saintland, which are numbered from Royal One to Royal Five. Royal One is currently airing the World Cup of Hockey and Royal Five will be airing the Handball World Cup. Until the World Baseball Classic and International Basketball Championship start, the Gold Cup will be aired on Royal Two. Once those events start, the Gold Cup will probably be moved to Royal Four.

All players on the teams that reach the playoffs and end up playing in Saintland will receive complimentary copies of the Saint. The Saint is an "interactive entertainment" handheld device which also has numerous features that are commonly found in smartphones. Every Saint will include a copy of the Bible and the Real Soccer Simulator. This will be the full version of the Real Soccer Simulator.

Additional programming is available on Sanctustube. The Royal Networks maintain a popular Sanctustube channel, which will include live streams and on-demand access to every game from the Gold Cup. It already includes on-demand access to any game from the last 3 World Cup cycles, completely free of charge. If you'd rather watch programming from your home nation, you can probably find it on Sanctustube. Outside of Saintland, if you watch an unauthorized video of a non-Sanctii show on Sanctustube, you will see the show unedited. However, when accessed within Saintland, Sanctustube displays a highly edited version. Anything that is deemed incompatible with the values of Saintland will be removed and background music is usually replaced with music of Sanctii origin. It is not unheard of for the King's Government censors to ideologically translate a foreign television program or movie to reflect the values of Saintland.

There are movie theaters in the cities of Saintland which mostly show (low-budget) movies produced by Sanctii directors. Movies must be approved by the censors before they can be shown in movie theaters. Sometimes, popular foreign films will be broadcast in the theater, typically after an ideological translation and massive editing.

Cantus Virginum is the most popular musical group in Saintland. The group consists of around a hundred members at any given time. Their members are young women who are either still legally minors under the laws of Saintland or have only recently become adults. Their music is primarily popular with their peers and with girls slightly younger than them. It is widely considered, even among citizens of Saintland, to be of poor quality. However, it is considered impolite in Saintland to publicly criticize their (lack of) singing ability and they remain extremely popular.

Important Laws

As Saintland is a theocratic nation, pornography, prostitution and public nudity are all highly illegal. The ban on pornography includes "written" pornography, a category that includes most romance novels of foreign origin. Tobacco, Cannabis and other recreational drugs are also illegal. Drinking alcohol is legal, although it is highly regulated. There are limits on how much alcohol an individual may purchase. Drinking alcohol outside of communion is unlawful for minors, university students and soldiers that are not officers. Excessive drunkenness in public is illegal. Contrary to popular misconception, protesting is actually legal in Saintland, but sedition and blasphemy are illegal. In effect, this means that any protest against the King's Government or the Church of Saintland is considered a criminal act. However, a protest against horse racing at the Saintland Triple Crown by citizens of the Equestrian States was permitted. There are laws on the books that prohibit aiding unlawful organizations, such as Feministvs Sanctvsterra and Vindicta Progressvm, in any way whatsoever. Possession of firearms by anybody who is not a police officer or a soldier is strictly prohibited.

While there are sumptuary laws on the books, most of them will not be enforced upon visitors to the Gold Cup in Saintland. However, women who are playing in or attending WBC games in Saintland will be required to wear a head covering. Visitors who are not following the sumptuary laws should keep their IDs with them at all times and be ready to show them to any soldier or police officer upon request. This exemption will apply to nationals from nations that have a team competing in the Gold Cup and will remain in effect until up to 72 hours after the elimination of their nation's national team. Any foreign nationals that remain in Saintland 3 days after the elimination of their team will automatically obtain visitor status, with their 90 day clock to either apply for foreign resident status, apply for immigrant status or leave starting at the moment they arrived in Saintland.

Customs

Everybody visiting Saintland for the Gold Cup should plan to go through Customs prior to entering the nation. Customs is a branch of the Royal Army, which is tasked with keeping contraband out of Saintland. Customs will thoroughly search all items that are taken into Saintland. They will primarily be searching for guns, tobacco, cannabis, other recreational drugs, blasphemous material, seditious material and pornography. If a book appears to be "written pornography," that can cause a long delay in Customs while the Customs officials check the list of known works of "written pornography" to see if the book in question is on the list.

Stadiums

During the Gold Cup, all matches will be held at Royal Stadium in St. Petrus.

Royal Stadium

Royal Stadium, located in St. Petrus, is Saintland's National Stadium. The spacious stadium seats 62,383 fans and is the home of the National Soccer Team and the National Gridiron Team. Royal Stadium has a grass surface, which was re-seeded several months ago after an incident at the 20th World Bowl.

Additional Information

For additional information, please consult the following RPs:

Lonely Multiverse

viewtopic.php?p=14774287#p14774287
viewtopic.php?p=15198065#p15198065
viewtopic.php?p=15301616#p15301616
viewtopic.php?p=15450232#p15450232

Development of the Saint

viewtopic.php?p=15107487#p15107487
viewtopic.php?p=15127486#p15127486
viewtopic.php?p=15144565#p15144565
viewtopic.php?p=15161545#p15161545
viewtopic.php?p=15181802#p15181802
viewtopic.php?p=15233784#p15233784
viewtopic.php?p=15351802#p15351802
viewtopic.php?p=15364835#p15364835

Cantus Virginum

viewtopic.php?p=13846572#p13846572
viewtopic.php?p=15181802#p15181802

[Free Republics]

Federation of Free Republics National Soccer Team B

Formation: 4-1-2-1-2
Style Modifier: +1
Colors: Blue and White
Manager: Rule Theriault

Roster (age in parentheses)

Starting Lineup

GK: #1 Ausilio Mancini (22)
RB: #25 Nusmir Senicar (15)
CB: #58 Patrick Werfel (22)
CB: #28 Melania Lucchesi (15)
LB: #92 Omar Asbergsson (14)
CDM: #33 Kieran Hancock (22) [C]
LM: #44 Durante Trevisano (22)
RM: #78 Hegyi Bence (14)
CAM: #62 Orazio Lucchesi (13)
ST: #11 Leo Cremonesi (22)
ST: #14 Drazan Topic (14)

Bench

GK: #51 Raphael Ortega (13)
RB: #71 Vezirkhan Khadzhiev (11)
CB: #91 Filip Perkovic (14)
CB: #28 Melania Lucchesi (15)
LB: #43 Jiri Kosut (13)
CDM: #0 Sachiya Inoue (13)
CAM: #72 Thomas Donahue (13)
RM: #69 Valente Endrizzi (15)
LM: #9 Chandler Sirois (15)
ST: #68 Paul Anisimov (14)
ST: #5 Vincent Branch (13)

Kits (made by Kirola Sports)



Notes

The Federation of Free Republics (FFR) is a federation of Republics with a weak national government (the "Federation Government") that has numerous checks and balances. The Republics, each of which has its own government, are relatively independent, although they are subject to the Federation Constitution and its numerous restrictions on what government can do. Most important among them is the cap on taxation, which makes it unconstitutional for government (meaning all governments in the FFR) to take more than 10% combined of anybody's income in taxes, effectively limiting the government. They are the nearest neighbor to Saintland, although that tiny island nation is over a thousand miles to the north of the northern-most Republic's northern border, and most Republicans actually tend to consider progressives worse than religious fanatics, even if both ideologies are considered extreme and contrary to Republicanism. The players on this team would not be considered the best players in the FFR or even the best young players in the FFR. Most Republican athletes have massive egos and aren't interested in playing for their country. This team was the idea of Rule Theriault, a failed former manager who had led a team that was expected to contend for the league title to relegation. Theriault failed as manager at Petrograd United because the veteran players on that team, with their giant egos, did not respect their manager or his approach to the game. Theriault clashed with players because he emphasizes a team-first style of play and an intense practice schedule. To rebuild his reputation, he decided to work with younger players that would take instruction and was able to get a number of talented young players, even if most of the country's top prospects turned him down.

Theriault's team made it to the finals of the 27th Di Bradini Cup before falling short against the Equestrian States. Despite requests from a number of professional players to be chosen for the national side, Theriault chose not to make any changes to his squad for the Baptism of Fire to avoid any risk of weakening team chemistry. Despite finishing 17th at BoF 52 and failing to qualify for World Cup 65, Theriault once again chose not to make any changes to his side for the 57th edition of the Cup of Harmony. The team would lose their first 2 matches at the 57th CoH to New Sideburn and Filopines before picking up upsets against Jeru FC and Falcus. The Free Republics returned to the DBC last year and won all 7 of their matches, becoming the Di Bradini Cup champions. Abdullahi, the Assistant Manager for the Free Republics National Team program, was not at last year's DBC, as he coached the National Beach Soccer Team, a team composed entirely of U-15 players, in the Beach Cup. The U-15 side went 4-6 in the Beach Cup and went on to be eliminated after the group stage of the U-15 World Cup. In their second World Cup qualifying campaign, the Free Republics were in serious contention until being eliminated on the 8th day of 10 with a lopsided defeat against perennial qualifiers Gyatso-Kai. In the Cup of Harmony, the Free Republics advanced out of a tough group, at the expense of Qazox and their arch-rival Felix before falling to the Licentian Isles in the Round of 16. In the past 2 DBCs, the Free Republics have eliminated the Licentians.

There are no large differences in ability between the individual players on this team, although the 22 year olds are significantly better players than everybody else. Backups can see playing time and Theriault will probably bench his starters if he feels the game is meaningless. This year, with the DBC being held in the Equestrian States and with the Free Republics also competing in the UWCFA Gold Cup, Theriault decided to put his assistant in charge of defending the Di Bradini Cup title. Abdullahi replaced the players who are now too old to compete on the U-21 team, primarily with the girls from the U-15 program, but that side is still undoubtedly stronger than the side that will be competing in UWCFA. Abdullahi and Theriault chose to send the girls to the Equestrian States because Saintland is hosting the Gold Cup.

The Gold Cup team will be coached by Rule Theriault and consists of the 22-year-olds and the U-15 players that were not selected for the Di Bradini Cup team. This includes Sachiya Inoue, a Taiyouese player and Melania Lucchesi, a girl. Although Theriault did not want to take her to Saintland, she was insistent on going and Theriault has decided to put her in his starting lineup, a move sure to infuriate the Sanctii.

In case you are wondering, Nova Hellstrom no longer recaps this team's matches. She was re-assigned by Sporting World after writing an article about how adbots are great when she was supposed to write a match recap of a World Cup qualifier during the 65th cycle. Sporting World has yet to hire a replacement.

Penalty Kick Order of Preference

Remove players from this list that aren't playing at the start of the shootout.

Cremonesi
Trevisano
Topic
Branch
Anisimov
O. Lucchesi
Hancock
Donahue
Endrizzi
Inoue
Bence
Sirois
Werfel
M. Lucchesi
Senicar
Asbergsson
Khadzhiev
Kosut
Perkovic
Mancini
Ortega

RP Permissions

I give my opponent permission to:
Choose my goalscorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
Give my players yellow cards: Y
Give my players red cards: Y
Give injuries to my players: N
Godmod injuries to my players: N
Godmod other events: Y

[Saintland]

Saintland & Acedonia Soccer Team for UWCFA Gold Cup I

Formation: 4-1-3-2
Style Modifier: -2
Captain: Andreas Inventius
Colors: Red and White (Saintland), Blue, Back and White (Acedonia)
Demonym: Sanctii, Acedonian
Trigrammes: SNT (Saintland), ACD (Acedonia)

Roster (Nation)

Starting Lineup

GK: Antonius Avidius (SNT)
RB: Petrus Jucundius (SNT)
CB: Paulus Plinius (SNT)
CB: Lysander Papadias (ACD)
LB: Marcus Jucundius (SNT)
CDM: Andreas Inventius (SNT)
CLM: Petrus Barrius (SNT)
CCM: Odysseus Magos (ACD)
CRM: Isaacus Barrius (SNT)
ST: Paulus Gabinius (SNT)
ST: Ioannes Gratus (SNT)

Bench

GK: Damon Sarakatsani (ACD)
GK: Kristion Yannopoulos (ACD)
DEF: Aristokles Tournikiotis (ACD)
DEF: Methodius Angelou (ACD)
DEF: Demetri Strapoudopolos (ACD)
DEF: Aeneas Bizos (ACD)
DEF: Platon Kaphandaris (ACD)
MID: Kratos Karamanlis (ACD)
MID: Kyriako Hajiyanni (ACD)
MID: Leontius Varvaressos (ACD)
MID: Tychon Psaroulakis (ACD)
ST: Stephanas Dimitriades (ACD)
ST: Erasmus Polides (ACD)
ST: Adamantios Kozani (ACD)
ST: Titos Kozani (ACD)

Kits (made with Smart Shirt Designer 2)

Home



Away



Notes

Saintland has a very rough style of play and very few fouls in our national league, so don't hesitate to card Sanctii players, especially if Saintland loses. This is a joint team between Saintland and the Greek-speaking city-state of Acedonia. Acedonia is a wealthy city-state, which is a hub for the international finance industry. This team is composed of Acedonians and players that normally sit on the bench for the Saintland National Team. The Gold Cup is seen more as a chance to get these players some international experience than as a serious tournament that they need to win.

Penalty Kick Order of Preference

Remove players from this list that aren't playing at the start of the shootout.

Gabinus
Gratus
A. Kozani
T. Kozani
Inventius
Magos
Polides
Dimitriades
Karamanlis
Hajiyanni
Varvaressos
Psaroulakis
P. Barrius
I. Barrius
M. Jucundius
P. Jucundius
Plinius
Bizos
Kaphandaris
Papadias
Tournikiotis
Strapoudopolos
Angelou
Avidius
Sarakatsani
Yannopoulos

RP Permissions

I give my opponent permission to:
Choose my goalscorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
Give my players yellow cards: Y
Give my players red cards: Y
Give injuries to my players: N
Godmod injuries to my players: N
Godmod other events: Y

[Los Quebrados]

A brief forenote on the state of Quebradi football: There are several football leagues competing in Los Quebrados, and there is no central authority on the sport. The entry into the Gold Cup was organized by the Nazional Liga, one of the two largest associations, in an attempt to get an edge over their nearest competitor, Ligako Basamortuan. The regular style of play in the NL can get quite violent at times--a few punches being thrown always helps ratings, and that may be reflected in how these players conduct themselves. (The LB is much stricter on player conduct to appeal to the purists, and is why it's difficult for either to take market share from the other.)

Manager: Edur Villareal - The most successful manager in the Nazional Liga, he formed this team as if forming an 'all-star' team; the eleven starters are all in the top twenty for salary in the NL. There's certainly no lack of skill, but it's to be seen if the chemistry will be there. At least it's known that the offense will be on-key; Ziganda, Solagurenbeazkoa, and Aranzabal have all played together in the past, though never with each of the other two at once.
Formation: 4-3-2-1
Style: +3

Starters
GK: Antton d'Arraidou
LB: Xanti Medrano
CB: Txanton Txibas
CB: Ximun Olibarri
RB: Ixaka Nuñez
LM: Ander Celaya
CM: Edorta Urdanibia
RM: Inaki Gainza
LW: Jakome Ziganda
ST: Erromon Solagurenbeazkoa
RW: Dunixi Aranzabal

Substitutes
GK: Asentzio Mendoza
DF: Gabirel Iturrioz
DF: Mikel Bolloqui
MD: Ager Obieta
MD: Gotzon Urrostoy
MD: Mikolas Solaguren
ST: Xabier Nady

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers Y
Godmod scoring events Y
RP injuries to my players Y
Godmod injuries to my players N
Hand out yellow cards to my players Y
Hand out red cards to my players Y
Godmod other events Y

[Toulousain]

The National Football Team of The Sportocracy

Manager: Noha Radwan
Assistant Manager: Zdenko Frťala

Formation: 4-5-1
Style: +2

Starting XI
Goalkeeper: Rezaul Karim
Defender: Patrick R. Hugg
Defender: Obinna Charles Okwelume
Defender: Bennett H. Henderson
Defender: Johan Østby
Midfielder: Bruno Zuppiger
Midfielder: Thomas Scott
Midfielder: Brandon Williams
Midfielder: Robert Tatton Bower
Midfielder: Rami Glam
Forward: François Marie

Bench
Goalkeeper: Alex Michel
Defender: Gordon K. "Sandy" Douglass
Defender: Milena Sadurek
Midfielder: Alfred Edgar MacLean
Midfielder: Guillaume de Jumièges
Midfielder: Marek Ondrík
Forward: Junpei Mizobata

RP Permissions: You can do anything yout want, just don't go killing or injuring our players. Also, please refer to us as The Sportocracy, and not as Toulousain.

[Saintland]

Matchday 1 Results

The Sportocracy 0–0 Free Republics
Los Quebrados 2–0 Callistea
Silver Beach 2–2 Bag-o Anikbaan
Saintland & Acedonia 3–1 Matthewsiania

Table after Matchday 1

                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Saintland & Acedonia    1    1   0   0     3    1   +2     3
2 Los Quebrados           1    1   0   0     2    0   +2     3
3 Bag-o Anikbaan          1    0   1   0     2    2    0     1
  Silver Beach            1    0   1   0     2    2    0     1
5 Free Republics          1    0   1   0     0    0    0     1
  The Sportocracy         1    0   1   0     0    0    0     1
7 Matthewsiania           1    0   0   1     1    3   −2     0
8 Callistea               1    0   0   1     0    2   −2     0

---

MD2 Fixtures

Saintland & Acedonia vs. Los Quebrados
Bag-o Anikbaan vs. Free Republics
Silver Beach vs. The Sportocracy
Matthewsiania vs. Callistea

[Callistea]

"...and how did they fare?"

"Defeat, my Queen."

"Was it? The result of the game is immaterial, Amina. Was their style beautiful and expressive? Was it artistic, and representative of our collective soul? Was it a joy to behold?"

"It was, my Queen. The team strung together several remarkably beautiful combination plays."

"But?"

"But were unable to finish these plays with goals."

"And this troubles you why?"

"Because scoring goals is the only way to win the game, my Queen."

"And is winning of paramount importance? Is it not imperative that one's actions on the green stage reflect one's innermost self? That one projects the deep, truest beauty from within?"

"Of course, my Queen. You are right, as always."

"I sense your hesitation, Amina. Speak up. You will not be punished for revealing your truest self before me. I know very well your profound beauty, my dear."

"I... I question your decision to enter a team into a competition in which they are expected to score goals, if it matters not to you whether they do. Is not the very essence of competition in the pitting of one against another in order to find a victor, the superior?"

"My sweet, sweet Amina. You have much to learn. True victory cannot be attained through the exertion of dominance over another. True victory comes from embracing the fragile beauty within. This is the paradoxical nature of this game, football."

"Paradoxical, my Queen?"

"Why, yes. Let me ask you, how reacted the crowd to our sisters' beautiful playing?"

"Warmly, my Queen. They were received well, and with much enthusiasm at times."

"You see? By accepting their own beauty, our sisters projected the same positivity outward, enchanting crowds of strangers to feel what we know to be love."

"My Queen... can love truly be so fleeting, and lacking profound connection?"

"Oh Amina, you have captured my heart with your innocence in this moment. Love is the most simplistic complicated thing in the multiverse. Brief moments of madness are often attributed to love, and vice versa. Not all profound connections are visible to the eye, look closer. Not with the eyes in your earthly skull, but with your inner eye. Look with your soul's eye. Feel with your heart's strings. Now, tell me... did you sense love during the game?"

Amina gasped, and clutched her chest. "Profoundly, my Queen."

"Then you understand why we must encourage our sisters to continue their display, even if it appears to be lacking a competitive edge?"

"Yes, my Queen. Thank you."

Assume all RP permissions (I can work around stuff I don't like, if necessary)

I haven't put together a roster because I don't intend to actually RP the matches themselves, but rather more similar, sort-of-philosophical discussions between the Queen and Amina (whose significant I will hopefully get round to revealing later). I understand some of you might wish to RP the matches though, so feel free to choose random female names of Ancient Greek/Roman origin to assign to my players if you are so inclined. All the players are female.

For a little more background, the Queen is a divinely appointed ruler, and daughter of Cytherea (a.k.a. Aphrodite/Venus, the goddess of love). There are no men on the Isle of Callistea, and all births are immaculately conceived girls. The entire nation has the same religious beliefs (which I intend to reveal in time) and true motives of the nation in international circles are unknown, though there is a strong emphasis on beauty in pretty much every facet of Callistean culture.

[Saintland]

Matchday 2 Results

Saintland & Acedonia 0–1 Los Quebrados
Bag-o Anikbaan 0–2 Free Republics
Silver Beach 1–3 The Sportocracy
Matthewsiania 0–1 Callistea

Table after Matchday 2
                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Los Quebrados           2    2   0   0     3    0   +3     6
2 The Sportocracy         2    1   1   0     3    1   +2     4
3 Free Republics          2    1   1   0     2    0   +2     4
4 Callistea               2    1   0   1     1    2   −1     3
5 Saintland & Acedonia    2    1   0   1     3    2   +1     3
6 Silver Beach            2    0   1   1     3    5   −2     1
7 Bag-o Anikbaan          2    0   1   1     2    4   −2     1
8 Matthewsiania           2    0   0   2     1    4   −3     0

---

MD3 Fixtures

Los Quebrados vs. The Sportocracy
Free Republics vs. Callistea
Saintland & Acedonia vs. Silver Beach
Bag-o Anikbaan vs. Matthewsiania

[Saintland]

Matchday 3 Results

Los Quebrados 4–2 The Sportocracy
Free Republics 3–3 Callistea
Saintland & Acedonia 3–0 Silver Beach
Bag-o Anikbaan 1–0 Matthewsiania

Table After Matchday 3

                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Los Quebrados           3    3   0   0     7    2   +5     9
2 Saintland & Acedonia    3    2   0   1     6    2   +4     6
3 Free Republics          3    1   2   0     5    3   +2     5
4 Callistea               3    1   1   1     4    5   −1     4
5 The Sportocracy         3    1   1   1     5    5    0     4
6 Bag-o Anikbaan          3    1   1   1     3    4   −1     4
7 Silver Beach            3    0   1   2     3    8   −5     1
8 Matthewsiania           3    0   0   3     1    5   −4     0

Teams in Green have clinched a spot in the semis. Teams in Red cannot advance to the semis.

---

MD4 Fixtures

Los Quebrados vs. Free Republics
Saintland & Acedonia vs. Callistea
The Sportocracy vs. Bag-o Anikbaan
Silver Beach vs. Matthewsiania

[Callistea]

"...and how fared our sisters?"

"Admirably, my Queen. Thrice they displayed the true beauty of Callistea, sending the crowds into rapturous applause." Amina recounted with enthusiasm.

"I see. Then they were victorious?"

"Spiritually, most definitely, my Queen."

"But?"

"But not within the game, I am afraid."

"This saddens you?"

"A little, my Queen. Despite the beauty of our sisters' creations, they were overshadowed by the brutal destructive force of the opposition thrice."

"Then are things not balanced, Amina?"

"I'm not sure I understand, my Queen."

"Amina, my precious flower. True beauty is to be found in the harmonious interaction we have with our surroundings."

"I remember this teaching, my Queen. But I am unsure how this connects to the sport of football."

"So much to learn, my dear, sweet Amina. You are so bright, yet so blinded to your own brilliance at times. Such must be the balancing component of your luminous gift."

"You flatter me, my Queen."

"I speak truth, my child. The goddess will elevate you soon enough."

Amina paused, confused.

"Amina, you are able to see the contrasting natures of our sisters when juxtaposed with that of their opposition, yet you do not see the similarities. Look again, but not with your eyes."

Amina closed her eyes, and tried to remember what she had seen. What she had felt.

"The game, my Queen. It had no winner."

"Precisely, my child. All that is created must eventually be destroyed. All that is destroyed is recreated in a new form."

"So, our sisters created beautiful works, so that they could be destroyed."

"In a way, yes."

"I don't understand, my Queen. Is this not then a fruitless endeavour?"

"Not at all, my child. All creations are alive. Just as a child is created, when she dies, you do not view her life as fruitless, or without meaning."

"I... I did not mean to say."

"I know. Our sisters, you witnessed their creations, did you not?"

"Yes, my Queen."

"You felt the creations within your heart, did you not?"

"Yes, my Queen."

"Then, like the child whose life expires, you perpetuate the creation within yourself."

"But my Queen, if it is within myself, how does it benefit the world?"

"Amina, think again. Your enthused regaling of me earlier, why were you so pleased to tell me?"

"...because I wanted to share the news with you, my Queen."

"But why? Could it be that you wanted me to share in the joy you felt upon witnessing these creations?"

Amina flushed. "Of course, my Queen. I would never wish to withhold such joy from you."

"Nor should you from anyone else, Amina. True joy can only be borne of the heart and soul."

"Thank you, my Queen."

[Saintland]

Final Casaran Day Results

Los Quebrados 2–1 Free Republics
Saintland & Acedonia 0–1 Callistea
The Sportocracy 3–3 Bag-o Anikbaan
Silver Beach 2–1 Matthewsiania

Final Casaran Table
                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Los Quebrados           4    4   0   0     9    3   +6    12
2 Callistea               4    2   1   1     5    5    0     7
3 Saintland & Acedonia    4    2   0   2     6    3   +3     6
4 Free Republics          4    1   2   1     6    5   +1     5
5 The Sportocracy         4    1   2   1     8    8    0     5
6 Bag-o Anikbaan          4    1   2   1     6    7   −1     5
7 Silver Beach            4    1   1   2     5    9   −4     4
8 Matthewsiania           4    0   0   4     2    7   −5     0

There is a 3-way tie for the final spot in the semis. Under the rules of the Casaran, no team may be eliminated when level on points. However, there is no rule against elevating a team that is lower in the table. Therefore, Silver Beach will advance to the Tiebreaker Play-in for the final spot in the semis.

---

Revised Schedule

Tiebreaker Play-in Semis (November 13th)
Tiebreaker Play-in Final (November 14th)
Semis (November 15th)
3rd Place Match/Finals (November 16th)

Tiebreaker Play-in Semis

Free Republics vs. Silver Beach
The Sportocracy vs. Bag-o Anikbaan

Tiebreaker Play-in Final

Free Republics/Silver Beach vs. The Sportocracy/Bag-o Anikbaan

Semis

Los Quebrados vs. Tiebreaker Play-in winner
Callistea vs. Saintland & Acedonia

[Saintland]

Tiebreaker Play-In Semis

Free Republics 2–0 Silver Beach
The Sportocracy 3–0 Bag-o Anikbaan

---

Tiebreaker Play-In Final

Free Republics vs. The Sportocracy

[Saintland]

Tiebreaker Play-In Final

Free Republics 3–2 The Sportocracy

---

Semis

1) Los Quebrados vs. 4) Free Republics
2) Callistea vs. 3) Saintland & Acedonia

[Saintland]

Semis

Los Quebrados 0–1 Free Republics
Callistea 1–0 Saintland & Acedonia

---

Third Place Playoff

Los Quebrados vs. Saintland & Acedonia

Final

Callistea vs. Free Republics

[Saintland]

Third Place Playoff

Los Quebrados 1–0 Saintland & Acedonia

---

Final

Callistea 1–1 Free Republics (1–1 AET) (5–4 pen.)

Congratulations to Callistea on becoming the first official UWCFA champions and to Los Quebrados on their 3rd place finish.

[Callistea]

"My Queen, I bring ambivalent news."

"Of the tournament, I presume?"

"Yes, my Queen."

"Do tell."

"Our sisters, they were triumphant in the tournament, my Queen."

"This is good news? Or the bad?"

"This is the bad, and the good, my Queen."

"Oh?"

"It was a victory won in a decidedly unaesthetic manner, my Queen."

"How so?"

"Our sisters had been excellent in the conveyance of love through their beautiful art on the pitch, but were unable to conquer the enemy."

"Go on..."

"The alloted time for the contest expired, and under the rules of the tournament -- and the game in general, I am told -- there is a horrifyingly ugly spectacle staged to decide a winner. A ritual known as a penalty shootout, my Queen."

"It sounds positively horrifying. A shootout, of a penal nature? How does this decide a victor?"

"The teams take turns to have a shot on goal from a specified mark, my Queen."

"This doesn't sound very penal."

"It is the penalty for committing a violation of certain rules in a certain area within the game, my Queen."

"Ah, I see. Is this penalty measure something our sisters are familiar with?"

"No, my Queen. They had neither conceded nor been awarded such a penalty measure during the course of the tournament thus far. It was all very alien to the sisters."

"Yet they were able to triumph regardless?"

"Remarkably, yes, my Queen."

"Hmm... I understand your ambivalence. But surely this is a cause for positive emotion primarily?"

"How so, my Queen?"

"Our sisters have proven that, although not under ideal circumstances, their artistry and aesthetically appealing approach to this otherwise brutal game has merit."

"But my Queen, the victory ultimately came at the cost of sacrificing their beauty, as it was unable to conquer the primal nature of the opposing men."

"Amina, my dear child. Did our sisters strike the ball beautifully during this penalty shootout?"

"Of course, my Queen. Almost every strike of the ball our sisters make is beautiful."

"Then can it not be said that they brought aesthetic appeal even to the ugliness of the shootout?"

"I see, my Queen. I had not considered this light. It was dim, within the darkness that engulfed my heart. The tightness and feeling of dread I felt during the entire ordeal had clouded my better judgment."

"Oh, my sweet flower, this is a good thing!" Queen Tahira exclaimed, beaming a radiant smile upon her young student.

"It is, my Queen?"

"Why, of course. We are but human, and all humans are able to feel dread. The intensity with which it affected you is directly proportional to your capacity to love. The sisters of the temple were wise when they suggested you may be the chosen."

"M-My Queen... I don't understand."

"This is the sign, my child. It is the confirmation from the Goddess, that you are her chosen. You will succeed me as Queen of Callistea."

Amina collapsed to her knees in shock, clutching her chest. An overwhelming feeling of joy came over her at once, like a powerful wave crashing against the shore of the island, and she could no longer contain her emotion. She let out a cry of happiness, and tears streamed down her face.

The Queen stood, and glided toward her student, enveloping her in a gentle embrace. "It is joyous news, indeed, is it not?" She asked, as she planted a soft kiss on the young woman's forehead.

"But my Queen, does this mean you...?" Amina could not complete her question.

"Oh no, my child. I still have much to teach you. But some day, yes. I will depart this life."

"Not too soon, my Queen. I beg of you."

"My departure will be at the timing chosen by our mother, the Goddess. She will never allow a sister to depart too soon, Amina. We always depart exactly as she wills it, and so, always we depart on time."

"When will that be, my Queen?"

"When you are ready, my precious flower. And not a second sooner."