Copa Rushmori XIX - Everything Thread

[Polar Islandstates]

CUTOFF

[Polar Islandstates]

1  Polar Islandstates        5   5  0  0   20   1 +19   15
2  Electrum                  5   4  0  1   15   5 +10   12
3  Dixhuitiles               5   2  1  2    6   9  −3    7
4  Alianza Albos             5   2  0  3    6  13  −7    6
5  Norrehavn                 5   1  1  3    7  12  −5    4
6  Oberour Ar Moro           5   0  0  5    1  15 −14    0

1  Taeshan                   5   4  0  1    7   1  +6   12
2  Kernansquillec            5   3  1  1   10   6  +4   10
3  Valladares                5   3  1  1    4   2  +2   10
4  Vjaalsburg                5   2  1  2    7   3  +4    7
5  New Ponyville             5   1  1  3    5  12  −7    4
6  Bissone                   5   0  0  5    2  11  −9    0

1  Saintland                 5   4  0  1    7   2  +5   12
2  Eura                      5   3  1  1   10   2  +8   10
3  Eastfield Lodge           5   3  0  2    6   7  −1    9
4  Sameba                    5   2  0  3    3   8  −5    6
5  Mareibat                  5   1  1  3    2   5  −3    4
6  Stvoto Latoli             5   1  0  4    1   5  −4    3

1  Pravenna                  5   2  3  0    6   0  +6    9
2  Zenic                     5   2  3  0    6   2  +4    9
3  Sicoutimont               5   2  3  0    4   1  +3    9
4  Mapletish                 5   1  4  0    5   4  +1    7
5  Darmen                    5   1  1  3    4   9  −5    4
6  Dutch Semarland           5   0  0  5    2  11  −9    0

1  Filopines                 5   4  1  0   13   7  +6   13
2  Saugeais                  5   3  1  1   13   7  +6   10
3  Sarrbia                   5   2  2  1   12   5  +7    8
4  Falcus                    5   1  2  2    4   7  −3    5
5  Olastor                   5   1  2  2    4   9  −5    5
6  Dulaanluut                5   0  0  5    2  13 −11    0

1  Isula ĝe Ru               5   4  1  0   10   3  +7   13
2  Pasarga                   5   3  0  2   14   6  +8    9
3  The Kytler Peninsulae     5   2  1  2    7   8  −1    7
4  Sargossa                  5   1  2  2    9   9   0    5
5  Salchar                   5   1  1  3    5  17 −12    4
6  Eastern Sunrise Islands   5   1  1  3    2   4  −2    4

Seedings, third place workings out, second round fixtures, and second round fixtures in next post.

[Polar Islandstates]

Third Place Teams -
Ranked according to the tie-breakers:

1  Valladares                5   3  1  1    4   2  +2   10
2  Eastfield Lodge           5   3  0  2    6   7  −1    9
3  Sicoutimont               5   2  3  0    4   1  +3    9
4  Sarrbia                   5   2  2  1   12   5  +7    8
5  The Kytler Peninsulae     5   2  1  2    7   8  −1    7
6  Dixhuitiles               5   2  1  2    6   9  −3    7

Seedings -
After inclusion of third placed teams, and averaging group stage performance and RP performance:
#1 - Polar Islandstates
#2 - Isula ĝe Ru
#3 - Saintland
#4 - Electrum
#5 - Taeshan
#6 - Filopines
#7 - Kernansquillec
#8 - Eura
#9 - Pravenna
#10 - Zenic
#11 - Pasarga
#12 - Saugeais
#13 - Valladares
#14 - Eastfield Lodge
#15 - Sarrbia
#16 - Sicoutimont




SECOND ROUND
SR1 - Polar Islandstates vs Sicoutimont [at The Graduate - Sogne (FJ) - 21,397]
SR2 - Eura vs Pravenna [at Yannis Stadion - Jan Mayen (NS) - 18,322]
SR3 - Taeshan vs Saugeais [at Rendahl Stadion - Franz Josef City (FJ) - 47,911]
SR4 - Electrum vs Valladares [at Lokomotiv Park - Barentsberg (SV) - 25,945]
SR5 - Saintland vs Eastfield Lodge [at The Cauldron - Kiel (FJ) - 29,680]
SR6 - Filopines vs Pasarga [at Kungsdocks - Franz Josef City (FJ) - 30,297]
SR7 - Kernansquillec vs Zenic [at Steffansen Lane - Grímsey (NS) - 32,492]
SR8 - Isula ĝe Ru vs Sarrbia [at Eirinparken - Longyearbyen (SV) - 16,700]


As mentioned, amendment to schedule on account of university timetable being released:
Schedule - Cutoffs at same time still
29/9 - Round of Sixteen
1/10 - Quarter Finals
3/10 - Semi Finals
4/10 - TPPO
5/10 - Final

[Pravenna]

THE CRANEQUIN BYZANTINE
Invincible Pravenna's Run Probably Ends Here
by Alexandra Kelly

It is fair to say that the Lions, in a team staffed heavily with Greek Nepharim, have overachieved everyone's expectations in the Copa Rushmori. And while it doesn't seem as though the WCC or UICA is any closer to lifting their respective bans, this nevertheless is an important step forwards for Pravenna in the public eye. They enter the second round having come top of their group with two wins and three draws, and remain the only side in the tournament not to have conceded.

However, Eura are Eura, and will most likely annihilate the Lions. Still, we at the Byzantine remain determined to continue a match preview - and we present it below.

GOALKEEPING
Eura will most likely give the role to Ulsa's Chris Waller, a world-class goalkeeper in his prime, who recently received the award for being the Goalkeeper of the Season in the Euraleague. The Euraleague, this newspaper stresses, is one of the strongest leagues in the world.
Phaedon Andreou of the West Colossi will match him. A 37-year old high school teacher, it is probable most analysts would see Waller as the stronger player. The Byzantine is reluctantly, but inevitably, forced to agree.

DEFENCE
Eura have favoured a flat back four throughout the tournament, prominently featuring Gilbert and Rogers at its heart - coincidentally, both players made the league's Best XI last season. So did Watson and Churchill on either side. In the event that they odo decide to rotate, Gareth Dawkins and Gavin Madison could be brought in from champions Ulsa, with over sixty caps between them, while the other options are less experienced but not far less talented.
As Augustinople defender Niko Stavros has only just started full training again, the most likely centreback pairing will yet again by Coret Hawks defender Tzavaras, who has spent her career largely in the second Nepharim tier, and Diamondqueen's Sgouros, who has spent her career largely as a baker. South Rathia left- or centreback Katsalidis has done a fair job thrown into a wingback role, but he's looked tired, and 34-year old Theo Straton may well make his first start - at least he's used to the role. Zoe Merochite, a squad player for the A-League's Rosbank Town, will start on the right. Rouphos will sweep behind them - a promising prospect who could rise as far as perhaps the third division of a major league.

MIDFIELD
Eura's preference for a 4-2-3-1 means that they can pack many world-class midfielders into the centre - it can be expected that Blackthorn and Spartan will prove as strong for country as they do for club. They have over a hundred and fifty caps between them, and are both 26 years old. Spartan is also capable of playing in a more advanced role, but these days it's usually Craig Sinclair who fills that role - ninety-three caps as of the beginning of the tournament, and thirty-six goals. Mike Adams (yet again - team of the season) plays off the right, while Ulsa's Ryan King tends to start on the left. Yet again, they will probably take this chance to rotate, and yet again, anyone they bring in will still be a player of genuine quality.
Katsaros wisely took the opportunity to rest Vatskalis, who of course scored Pravenna's first-ever goal, and captain Augustine Charisteas against Dutch Semarland. Both, as a result, are almost certain to start alongside the tenacious Dorcas Merochite of Ritter Town. Sheridan's Calisto Matraxis, a player with much pace and energy and little technique, has done well in her appearances so far and is fresh off scoring against the Dutch - it's likely, however, she'll be on the bench.

ATTACK
Anyone planning to support Pravenna in the next match is advised not to compare the relative quality of these two teams in the centre-forward positions.

MANAGEMENT
Here, at least, we have some degree of something approaching an advantage.
Johannes Kallstrom is a highly skilled and qualified assistant manager, currenlty in a caretaker role. He was Kelly Sporadic's number two throughout his reign, and is very highly-regarded by all sources. He is, however, hardly experienced in the leading role itself.
A contrast, then, to Constantine Katsaros - who's been managing for eleven years now, chiefly in the First and Second Divisions. While he's never taken any side to the top flight, he's nonetheless tended to do well with the limited resources he's been given. And it's those qualities that have made him most useful for Pravenna. Either way - he may be the same age as his opponent, and might not have reached the same heights, but he certainly has the experience. That said...

VERDICT
Pravenna's relying on a miracle. The bookies are tipping a 3-0 Eura win. They're probably not wrong.

[Saintland]

Prince Andreas had just announced Saint Platinum, the new subscription service for the Saint. Now, it was time to show off one of the first games that would be offered to Saint Platinum subscribers. The crowd at the Tohoko Games Show expected an old title, but Prince Andreas had a surprise up his sleeve:

The trailer started out by showing a futuristic landscape that, sort of, resembled Tohoko. Then, it zoomed in, to show a young man dressed in what seemed to inspired by the style of contemporary True Church ecclesiastical robes. He was carrying a gun and a whip-like weapon and was wearing a massive futuristic bag on his back. By his side was an angel. He met up with a number of similarly-attired warriors, some of whom were carrying swords or spears instead of guns.

The party set out and eventually found their way deeper into the city, where they ran into what looked like a cross between a human and a demon. The trailer concluded by showcasing their fight against the demon, culminating in their victory. The title of the game was shown last. It was known as "Apocalypse Wars" and was available on all regions on October 7th, for Saint Platinum members and available to non-members on October 21st.

Prince Andreas - Based on the Apocalypsis Ioannes, Apocalypse Wars, as it will be known in most regions, is our most ambitious project yet at Royal Computer Entertainment of Saintland. Our goal is to inform the people of the multiverse about the revelation delivered by God to St. Ioannes almost 2000 years ago and to do so in a way that will also entertain. Those of you that are fans of Monster Slayer will discover that Apocalypse Wars provides a similar experience. This was done intentionally, to ensure the broadest possible audience for this message. However, we have also optimized the experience to increase its appeal outside of Taiyou. We at RCES hope that everybody will subscribe to Saint Platinum in order to get Apocalypse Wars before everybody else. In the month of October, Saint Platinum members will also receive a copy of Karaoke: Cantus Virginum. Other great titles will be coming in future months, but they will be announced at a later date. Moving on, I ask that all of you show the proper respect for an Olympic Gold Medalist. Yes, Silvester Poppaedius is here to announce the next great title coming to the Saint...

---

An early Philippus Vagionius goal had been enough, after a legendary performance from Alessandro Seius, for the Sanctii National Team to stun Eura and claim first place in Group C. After their match concluded, they waited anxiously for the seeding to be announced. Eventually, the Polarians revealed that they would be playing Eastfield Lodge, again. Eastfield Lodge was a team that they had already beaten by a 2 goals to nil margin in the group stage. Consequently, that wasn't really the opponent that they wanted to play.

As the kickoff of the match approached, Prince Andreas felt worried about the match, for some reason. He just didn't have the confidence that his team would be motivated for this match against an opponent whom they had already beaten. After talking with Fadius, they decided to go with what had brought them to that point and hope that Eastfield Lodge hadn't learned anything from the first meeting. Besides, why would they want to mess with a formula that had been successful?

[Isula ge Ru]

The final matchday

Isula ĝe Ru 4-0 Salchar

51' Elhu Micaila Saidosaquera goal (ISR)
61 Elhu Micaila Saidosaquera goal (ISR)
79' Mitu Maria Albu Saida goal (ISR)
85' Mitu Maria Albu Saida yellow card (ISR)
89' Elhu Micaila Saidosaquera goal (ISR)

[Polar Islandstates]

One slight squeeze to accompany the handshake was all it took. The message was understood loud and clear, and Ernest knew exactly what Gaspard meant.

"I've been here before, buddy, and nobody is going to make it easy for you."

Which, of course, assumed that Ernest had found things easy up til now. Third cap, first start; a second round match against Sicoutimont at the Copa Rushmori on home soil. At The Graduate, no less, where both he and Gaspard Demaru had lined up together for Jan Mayen many times before; scoring, winning, celebrating... they were used it in Ospreys colours. In national livery however, the situation was a little different.

He'd been forced to watch from home the last time the Terns played Sicoutimont. It was the final of the last Copa, and a thrilling five-four win in extra time had sealed the trophy for the Terns. Gaspard had scored twice that day and still ended up on the losing team, and Ernest, whilst happy that the Terns had won, did have a tang of sympathy for his team-mate. Not this time, however. This time, they were in direct competition with each other, and Ernest was already practising his cool hard stare in case Gaspard scored. Then he remembered where he was - in the middle of a football pitch surrounded by cameras - and quickly stopped.

Not that he needed to worry. he majority of the pre-match attention had been on those who'd played in both matches, particularly those who'd scored. Nordenberg, Larsen, and Holzhauser were all survivors of that last title-winning squad who'd scored in the final, and Ernest was lining up with Larsen on this occasion. Holzhauser had attracted the most attention having scored the winning goal on that occasion, and he was looking particularly focused. The whole team was, really. Only as he looked around at the looks on the faces of the other players on the pitch did Ernest realise that he was the only person doing so. He felt suddenly ashamed and looked down, and then chastised himself for being daft. He was Ernest Akerhausen for crying out loud; he's shouldered the hopes and dreams of an entire football club since van Sorensen had retired. He was used to pressure. It was there for Gaspard as well, yes, but Ernest was a home grown player, and the fans always looked up to you a little more in those situations. He was used to it, and he didn't need to panic now.

He was part of a good side, after all. Perhaps one of the best Terns sides ever, in terms of balance and compatibility. There were a handful of players that you'd look to put in the side over a few of the new players this tournament, sure - Salo, Villeneuve if fit, Kolehmainen, Bjerregaard, Kirilaunen et al - but on the whole the balance of this team had been outstanding, he had to admit. One had only to look at the uncharacteristic amount of goals scored in the group stage for proof of that. One goal against, twenty goals for. There was no denying it; this team clicked. Partly thanks to the rejuvenated actions of Alexis Zeljeznicar, and Ernest was particularly looking forward to running onto the balls and flicks supplied by the likes of Alexis and Victor in this first half. For as emphatic as the defending champions haad been so far, Sicoutimont had been shaky. Last cycle's runners-up, they'd merely limped into the knockouts as a best third-placed team behind Zenic and Pravenna despite comfortably beating the likes of Darmen. They had three goalless draws to their name in this tournament, and remained undefeated having only conceded a single goal. But, so far, they appeared to have no cutting edge. The Terns, on the other hand, appeared to have nothing but cutting edges at the moment. Ernest was confident. Not overly so, but confident nonetheless.

He looked up and noted, not for the first time that day, the churning clouds above the stadium. A crackle sounded off in the distance, and an uncharacteristically warm breeze blew in over the stadium. The air was alive with electricity, and not just from the hum of anticipation in the stands. They were going to get rain. No, they were going to get rain. Urban theorists and meteorologists were still trying to work out whether the increase in thunderstorms and actual liquid precipitation over the cities of the Federation had anything to do with the sudden boom in development that had accompanied the birth of the Valhallan Union closely, but they were still rare, and Ernest hadn't been in a rainstorm for several years. You often got sleet and mist on the Crescent of Jan Mayen, but never a full-on thunderstorm. One generally had to wait for international UICA football trips for that kind of experience, but a whole stadium of people, and presumably the city beyond, were now looking up at the dark sky with interest. Snow clouds were dark, of course, but they were a flat, solid fill of grey tone. Thunder clouds were different. They had depth, a multitude of swells, cavities, ebbs, and flows, and a subtle violet hue that reminded Ernest of Jan Mayen.

He gestured to Victor to pass him the ball so he could get a feel for the weight of it. It rolled lightly over the turf towards him, and he flicked it up into his hands deftly with a sharp motion of his toe. It spun delicately in the air on its way up, and as he tossed it between his hands he could feel the static in the air rolling around him. His hairs stood on end as he bounced it neatly of the laces of his boots, and a short sharp shock darted between his toe and the ball as he passed it back to Victor under the direction of the referee. He felt acquainted, and the air felt alive with anticipation. Yes, this would do. This would do nicely.

The referee raised his whistle to his lips, and blew. Victor kicked the ball to Ernest, and Ernest kicked it back to Alexis. And then he ran forwards, lost in the whirling cauldron of noise from the Twitchers. The people of Sogne and the wider Federation were reacting to the developing storm above their heads, all that remained was for the Terns to create one on the pitch.

[Polar Islandstates]

CUTOFF

[Polar Islandstates]

(Scorinated by Patistan)




















QUARTER FINALS
QF1 - Polar Islandstates vs Eura [at Landstadt Stadion - Franz Josef City (FJ) - 54,195]
QF2 - Taeshan vs Electrum [at Mossy Park - Resolute (VT) - 42,920]
QF3 - Saintland vs Pasarga [at Sivertsson Road - Longyearbyen (SV) - 28,548]
QF4 - Zenic vs Isula ĝe Ru [at The Barge - Bjarnarey (NS) - 32,340]

[Zenic]

“Hahaha. You fellows are simply on point recently. Who would have thought: 8 goals in the last two games and a spot in the quarterfinals? Well done, all of you,” spoke Mr. Nylander.

The players were just as jolly as Mr. Nylander, being as rambunctious as middle school children as they flew from Grimsey to Bjarnarey for their quarterfinal match against Isula ĝe Ru. The team was in uncharacteristically uncontrollable joy because of the current two game run they were on. In their must-win game against Darmen, a nation they had never managed to beat in friendlies, a brace from Daniel O. and one for Augustine helped clinch a 3-1 victory and a spot in the Round of 16. Then, against a tough opponent, Kernansquillec, the team performed even better than the previous game: Seok Kun-woo scored the second hat trick in the history of the senior side alongside a goal for both Ayaode and Rosso. Sanders hoped he
could get the team to ride this high all the way to the final.

However, Sanders also knew it would not be easy. Isula ĝe Ru had won their group, finishing above stalwarts like Pasarga and Sargossa while Zenic had to wait until the last matchday to finish as the runner up in their group. Luckily, both teams were very close in their scoring capabilities so he knew the team could keep up if the game turned into a shootout. Sanders was aware that the Isulans liked to keep the ball in the middle of the field, which would be interesting since neither team played with a true central midfielder. He had tossed around the idea of Killian playing higher up from his usual defensive midfielder position to give the team more of an advantage but it would all depend on how the next few training sessions went.

Regardless, Killian and Seok Kun-woo would be the main cogs in this matchup. The way the Zenic formation matched up with Isulan formation would mean Kun-woo would be the main creator of goal scoring opportunities and Killian would be the primary person to deliver him accurate passes that Kun-woo could quickly use. Should they be able to play the game like that, Zenic should have no worries in scoring goals and winning.

If the team can take advantage as any great team would, Sanders thought as the plane slowly arrived in Bjarnarey. He could only prepare the players as best he could: the rest was in their hands.

[Isula ge Ru]

Mitu Maria Albu Saida had a massive, tangled knot in his stomach. It was threatening to consume him. It was the kind of sinking, leaden weight that settles into your gut when so many stressful things have all come to a vicious, heavy, painful head. It was the kind of knot that mint and marijuana could do nothing to untie, and it had been brought on by a conflagaration of differentiating things. There was the upcoming match with Zenic, the shit that was perpetually going down inside his head. His goal in the match against Salchar had also, surprisingly, been a source of stress. One might think it would do a little to ease his heavy-laden mind, but the magnificent ball he bent around the Salchar keeper had thrust him straight into the glare from the flashbulbs of what seemed like every media outlet in Rushmore. It had been one throwaway goal in a 4-0 romping, to be sure, and it was the secondary story of that match to Elhu Micaila Saidosaquera's hat trick, but it had been a superb goal. Nobody was calling any of Micaila Saidosaquera's three goals canditades for Goal of the Tournament. Yes, Mitu Maria Albu Saida was an extraordinarily stressed man.

The revolver sitting on the coffee table didn't help either.

Just looking at the handgun made Mitu Maria's knot heave its ends and feel tighter, threatening to reduce him to stressed, nervous tears. He was truly on the edge of a breakdown, both mentally and physically, and the sight of the gun did absolutely nothing to help him in that regard.
He didn't know how it had gotten there. He had stepped out of the shower after his media assault the afternoon of the Salchar match, and it had been tucked under his pillow. Not a note, nothing, but the message was clear. He needed more protection, more personal weight. Anneka was a week to her sixty years as one of them, she could yet be trusted with barely anything. He was five years to nineteen, much more senior to Anneka. How painfully ironic.

But the handgun came with its own risks, and these were the things that threatened to rip Mitu Maria's stomach to shards. Though it offered protection and security, which was clearly needed (or it wouldn't have been under his pillow), it multiplied tenfold the chance of things happening, things of the sort that would grind his stomach yet harder, and bite the shards into his skin.

Handguns were illegal in the Federation. He'd been told that by Anneka, of all people, on their first day in the Federation. Handguns were oh so illegal in the Federation. And here he had one. They could have put a hunting gun under his pillow, those were legal. Of course, a football player for what had become quite the large team in Rushmore couldn't walk to a conference carrying a hunting rifle, which was why the revolver had been slipped under his pillow.
He locked in the safety and lit a cigarette now, something he likely shouldn't be doing. Maybe if he handled it, his stomach would loosen up to the gun. He twirled it experimentally on his index finger, leaning back and letting the smoke float out from his mouth.

The gun fell from his hand on the third rotation, and the jolt made him suck in his breath and the smoke. Coughing, and with tears streaming down his face from the inhalation, his fingers scrabbled on the floor, finding their places on the handgrip of the gun, but not truly feeling at home.

He sighed deeply, taking a glance at a silver watch on his wrist as he let the smoke flow freely from his nostrils, a drag taken to calm his nerves after the disaster of the last drag. He started again, thankfully without coughing, as he noticed his watch showed half an hour until he was due to leave for a Press Conference on god knows what. Actually, come to think, god probably did know what, and so did he. There was the small matter of a little quarterfinal match tommorrow, one against Zenic, who, like the Isulans, had yet to lose a match this Copa. He would be expected to talk, to go on about his goal, to extoll the virtues of the Isulan team, to act like all was well with his fellow teammates.

That was perhaps the problem that contributed the most dull pain to the tangle that was his stomach. A footballer should be friends with his teammates. They should be all he has, the people he shares the experiences that are his life with. Of course, he liked all of them well. He'd played against all of them, too, and respected them as people and as footballers. But as the only Esiruan on the team, he had no outlet for his secret life, no place to turn and talk, nothing but football and an elderly Liason Officer.

His eyes scanned the room as he buttoned his crisp white cotton shirt, lighting on a bottle of Grogg on the counter. He'd never tasted the Polaraian spirit, but in the interests of preserving his stomach's knot, he poured a flask, and slipped it along with the gun into his jacket pocket.

And so it was that Mitu Maria Albu Saida, nineteen years old, stepped out into the Polarian street with a bottle of liquor he didn't know how to drink, a gun he didn't know how to shoot, and eyes furtively scanning for Polarian police whose appearances he didn't know. His stomach threated to leap into his mouth.

He hailed a cab.

---

76' Ioa Maria ĝe Gaubilha goal (ISR)

OOC: Do please click my use of your lovely image to obtain the twitter feed

[Polar Islandstates]

Right... up. Left... up. Right... up. Left... up.

Leif Ulsletten felt good. The Landstadt was roaring around him already, and the team were only warming up. Diving to each side in turn as Iulian Finnibaturinn gently lobbed balls towards him from the edge of the six yard box, Leif caught them and rolled them out to either side of the goal for his fellow goalkeepers Alexis Sand and Casper Rzatkowski as he got back up, ready for them to pass back to the assistant manager for the whole cycle to continue. It was a standard warm-up for goalkeepers, and Leif, as the starting goalkeeper for the match ahead, was the last of the three in the squad to go through it. He went through the motions almost on autopilot, the object being not to extend one's reach but to just keep your reactions and your flexibility up before the match.

Right... up. Left... up. Right... up. Left... up.

The Landstadt wasn't usually a place that Leif could go to and expect a warm welcome, but on this tour of the nation that came with the act of being in a Copa Rushmori on home soil, that's exactly what he was getting. People were singing his name behind him. Banners were flying, flags were being waved, songs were being sung, and the Landstadt was packed with people who were all there for the Terns. The Eurans, or however many of them had made it out of Skarpnack, might have filled up a considerable sector of the stadium - and certainly far more than they ever had when they'd visited the Terns at the Nasjonale during a qualifying campaign, the requirements of stadium seat allocation in a tournament situation had seen to that - but they were still significantly outnumbered by the hoards of Twitchers. It was an electrifying atmosphere, almost as electrifying as the air had been in the last round at Sogne mere miles away - and that match had seen an actual electrical storm.

And on the whole, Leif was feeling good. Eura was the most difficult challenge the Terns would have to face so far at this tournament, of that there was no doubt, but he was still feeling confident. Why shouldn't he? He'd yet to concede a single goal at the Copa so far. Alexis had kept a clean sheet in his turn in the sticks, but that was only one match. And Casper had let in a late goal during the evisceration of Alianza Albos. Sure, it had taken a wicked deflection, but it was still a blot on a copy book that Leif had yet to mark himself.

Right... up. Left... up. Right... up. Left... up.

His entire Terns career had started with a run of clean sheets in a run of friendlies, and it was becoming something of a treasured statistic for him to protect now. He was proud of it. The number of goals he'd conceded for the Terns was still in the single figures, and comfortably so, and he wanted that to continue thank you very much. His goalkeeping had propelled his club to three consecutive Latitude Cup finals, and he was rightly happy with his performance in knockout situations.

The clean sheet against Sicoutimont had had to be hard-won in the last round. Ernest Akerhausen had warned Leif about Gaspard Demaru, something he'd probably regret the next time Jan Mayen played Red Star, but the information had been valuable, and a number of saves had kept things goalless until the Terns had gotten a hold on the match and scored the opener through Victor Larsen just before half time. There was much less to do in the second half for Leif, but after goals from Gunnlaugsson and Zeljeznicar he'd had to look smart to deny the visitors a consolation goal. His distribution hadn't been particularly good, but on the whole it was a performance he could be proud of in an international knockout match.

Right... up. Left... up. Right... up. Left... up.

All that remained was for the manager to wave his arm to bring the team back in for the final team-talk. Leif snatched glances at his fellow goalkeepers as he dived back and forth. They looked cool, calm, and ready to step in at a moment's notice should anything happen to Leif. Fingers crossed.

He stole glances at the team in front of him, also going through their paces. It was a perfect team. Jersey numbers one to eleven were all in the line-up. Eura wouldn't know what hit them. That was the plan, anyway.

Right... up. Left... up. Right... up. Left... up.

Leif just needed to focus. He might not have let a single goal in but that didn't matter in knockout football. Just ask Pravenna; they'd tell you. They hadn't conceded a single goal all tournament until they came up against Eura. One goal was all it had taken to knock them out, and Eura would be looking to repeat that feat against the Terns now. It was Leif's job to not let that happen.

He had help, of course. Kohev, Aapo, Willem, Vauxhall, and Anders in front of them. But that wouldn't matter to Leif, he wasn't going to rely on anybody else to take the blame if any goals got through. He was the main man. He was the end of the line. He was the last word on the number in the other column today, and he was ready to go.

Right... up. Left... up. Right... up. Left... up.

And then one got through; it squirmed through his hands and bounced almost embarrassed into the back of the net. Leif froze without getting back up again and looked sheepishly at Alexis.

"At least you're getting it out of your system now," shrugged Alexis.

Leif agreed and flicked his head to one side as he got up again. The warm-up was over and the players were being called back into the tunnel. One mistake like that wasn't worth dwelling on really, but as the stakes grew ever higher as the tournament went on he just hoped it wasn't an omen of things to come.

[Saintland]

The press conference for the Saint at the Tohoko Games Show was still ongoing. Prince Andreas had just introduced Silvester Poppaedius, an Olympic gold medalist wrestler from the Orean games, who had gone into the professional ranks, competing in both the Holy Republican Empire and Taiyou. Given the popularity of that particular "sport" in Taiyou, where newspapers routinely covered it as if it was an actual sport, Poppaedius was probably more well-known in Taiyou than he was in Saintland or the Holy Republican Empire.

SIlvester Poppaedius - I am pleased to be able to announce the newest software title from RepublicSoft. As all of you undoubtedly know, Taiyouese and Republican have been debating for many years whether All-Taiyou Pro Wrestling or the Republican Wrestling Conglomerate is the best wrestling organization in the multiverse. Now, thanks to the power of the Saint, you will be able to see those dream matches you've always wanted to see, for the first time in RWC X ATPW, the new wrestling simulation from RepublicSoft. Here is a trailer:

The trailer began by showcasing the RWC wrestlers before switching over to showcase the ATPW ones. Silvester Poppaedius, who competes for both, was showcased facing top stars from both organizations. Then, the focus moved to the gameplay. A number of match types were shown, including the RWC's trademark Triple Steel Cage Ladder Match and ATPW's trademark, the standard 1-on-1 match. It concluded with a title screen and the release date (December 2nd in the Holy Republican Empire and colonies).

Silvester Poppaedius - RWC X ATPW will include all of the extensive options that you have come to expect from the RWC series, with the engine from past ATPW titles. When worlds collide, the result will be an experience that offers the best of both worlds. However, that isn't all that RWC X ATPW has to offer. RepublicSoft has also signed deals with a number of the independents to allow their wrestlers to be featured in RWC X ATPW. This not only allows for more wrestlers to be featured, but also allows for the most exciting feature of RWC X ATPW, the Career Mode. Take a look:

A video played, showcasing Career Mode. In Career Mode, the player can take over a current wrestler or a young created wrestler and manage that wrestler's career, including negotiating contracts and wrestling matches. The most shocking revelation was the length of career mode. The mode lasts for up to 30 years, with progression that affects the wrestler's abilities.

Silvester Poppaedius - Now, you may be wondering how Career Mode can last for 30 years. Wouldn't the wrestlers be too old 30 years from now? Yes, but RWC X ATPW randomly generates new wrestlers. As your career progresses, the stars of today will grow old and retire, leaving the other young up-and-comers from today to be your rivals in your prime. Then, as you grow old, a new generation of stars will emerge and take your spot. Every athlete knows that this happens eventually, but finally it can happen in virtual wrestling as well.

Poppaedius paused for a moment and then continued:

Silvester Poppaeidus - The other major new addition is Promoter Mode, which will allow the user to take over any promotion he pleases and run it according to his liking or even create his own promotion. When you retire in Career Mode, you have the option of going into Promoter Mode. If you made enough money in your career, you will be able to buy out a major promotion. Otherwise, you will have to start your own. However, if you start Promoter Mode directly instead of starting it through Career Mode, you can take over the RWC or ATPW and run them according to your personal liking. In Promoter Mode, you have all of the power that a real promoter has. You determine who is on your roster, what style of show you put on and even which matches take place on your show. If you want to prevent your top star from competing for your top title for some reason, you have the right to do so. If you want a promotion where the only way to win a match is to throw your opponent off of a steel cage, RWC X ATPW won't stop you. However, your decisions will affect attendance. If you dramatically change the style of show you produce in a way that fans don't like, you'll lose fans and have to create new fans in order to remain at the same popularity. If you put on deliberately bad shows and pass them off as major events, your company's prestige and credibility will take a massive hit. On the other hand, if you put on good shows, your brand will become more popular. I hope that RWC X ATPW will be popular in Taiyou and in the Holy Republican Empire and I hope that you will agree with me that it is the best wrestling simulation yet.

Poppaedius left the stage and Prince Andreas returned.

Prince Andreas - Silvester has shown a most interesting title, but not one that will be releasing in Saintland, at least in the near future. But, it has made me wonder whether I should talk to my older brother about legalizing professional wrestling in the Kingdom. The Saint's library of software only continues to grow and become more and more compelling. Therefore, it is unsurprising that the Saint recently reached a milestone. I can now report that, just 5 minutes ago, the 250 millionth Saint or SaintPhone was sold. With the lineup that we have coming up, the Saint's momentum will only continue to grow. But, we have not shown everything that we have for tonight. There is another title coming to Saint next year...

---

It was a rout from the start. Prince Andreas opened the match with a goal just 36 seconds in. Just over 10 minutes later, he set up a rocket off the foot of Herakles Karoki to put Saintland up 2 goals to nil. Josephus Flaccus added the third goal just before halftime on his signature shot from long range. After the half, Prince Andreas pulled all 3 strikers and brought in Belaeus, Catiotus and Plinius to help close the match down. Even with 6 defenders on the pitch, Prince Andreas still managed to get a shot on goal in the 63rd minute, which was deflected out by the Eastfield Lodge keeper. The Prince of Saintland responded with a free kick directly to Catiotus, who scored the 4th Sanctii goal. A number of Sanctii fans had made the short trip from Saintland to Polar Islandstates for the knockout rounds and the Sanctii rose to the occasion in front of their fans. The Cauldron in Kiel almost seemed like Royal Stadium on this night and Eastfield Lodge just didn't seem to be playing their best soccer.

After the match ended, they turned their attentions to the match taking place in Franz Josef City. Pasarga and Filopines had gone into extra time. Finally, that match went to penalties and Pasarga emerged as the winners. This set up a first time ever meeting between Pasarga and Saintland in the Quarterfinals. The only problem was that Saintland had never made it past the Quarterfinals of any major international soccer tournament. Yes, they had won an Olympic Gold Medal in soccer, but that had been with their full national team competing against mostly U-23 opposition. In their BoF, they had fallen in this round to Nephara. They had never made it past the Round of 16 at the World Cup. In numerous Cups of Harmony, their best performance was also the Quarterfinals. While the National Gridiron Team, National Basketball Team and even the National Rugby Team were routinely able to go deep into tournaments, the National Soccer Team always seemed to choke in the Quarterfinals for some reason. That had to end against a very good Pasarga team, in order to build confidence, going into World Cup 70, that they could go deep in a World Cup...

[Polar Islandstates]

CUTOFF

[Polar Islandstates]

(Scorinated by SJG)











SEMI FINALS
SF1 - Polar Islandstates vs Taeshan [at Harbour Walk - Aasiaat (VT) - 28,385]
SF2 - Saintland vs Zenic [at Stadion Solberg - Surtsey (NS) - 45,924]

[Taeshan]

http://chirb.it/zyC0K8

[Zenic]

“Just….wow.”

Sanders sat alone on the sofa in his hotel room, digesting everything that had just happened. After a rather lackluster debut in Copa Rushmori XVIII, Zenic had now managed to reach the semifinals the very next tournament. In all honesty, Sanders thought it would take until, at earliest, the 21st Copa before his team would make it this far. Therefore, reaching it now was a welcomed surprise. The game to get to the semifinals was also a welcomed surprise.

Zenic’s strategy of great link-up play from Killian to Kun-woo was perfect. While Killian was surround by six of the Isulan players, his passes to Kun-woo left the youngster with so many options to create goals. Eventually, after a scoreless first half, Kun-woo slide in a through-ball to Gavin on the left side of the box. From there, Gavin controlled the ball and crossed the ball into the middle of the box where a trailing Killian arrived and slotted the ball into the lower right corner of the goal. From there, it was a matter of keep away from the Isulans until the clock ran out.

It was a good time to be a Zenician. Sanders got up from the sofa, walking over to the kitchen to grab a glass from the cupboards. He proceeded to grab a bottle of bourbon he had brought from Coohen City and poured some into his glass. He returned to his spot on the sofa, glass in hand, and sat back down to look over the mass of paper on the coffee table. Strewn about were printed emails from overjoyed fans, a printout of the potential weather conditions during the semifinal match, some instructions and reservations for the team’s hotel rooms in Surtsey from Deputy Minister De Luciano and, most importantly, the scouting report for Saintland from the reliable Golovkin.

According to the data Golovkin collected, the Sanctii played an extremely aggressive 3-2-2-3 with Prince Andreas as the main playmaker and captain. Saintland had beat Eura in the last matchday to win their group and followed a similar path to Zenic’s through the knockout stages: a blowout win in the second round followed by a close affair in the quarterfinals. Zenic had at least one advantage over Saintland: less fatigue. Zenic had less distance to travel from Bjaraney to Surtsey, with both cities being on the same archipelago and the fact that the match had finished in regular time. Meanwhile, the Sanctiis were taken to extra time by the Pasargans and now have to travel from Longyearbyen in the Svalbard archipelago to Surtsey. Also, despite Saintland’s more aggressive play style, both national teams have almost identical goal differentials meaning this game would truly be close.

Sanders threw down the scouting report on the table, leaned back into the sofa and drank some of the bourbon. He was worried, the only other team that had as impressive body of work had been Sicoutimont, a team that may or may not have been firing on all cylinders this tournament. This game could very well be tied for the toughest of Sanders’ national team career.

However, the only thing he did for certain was that he wasn’t going to be getting much sleep these next few days.

[Polar Islandstates]

"What's the plural of Wolff?"

"...seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Wolves. Idiot."

"No, no. Not wolf. Wolff."

"Wolf?"

"Wolff!"

"Okay that is literally the same word."

"No! Wolff! Torsten and Mateusz!"

"Oooohh, well wh- oh, wait. Is this for a headline?"

"...what else would it be for? Headline writing is my job. That is pretty much the only thing I do around here, and it's the only thing on my name tag, see? 'Olaf Johannsen - Headline Copy Editor'."

"Obviously, Siem, I'm not an idiot. I'm just saying, wolf jokes? Really?"

"Sure! Why not?"

"Really?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Don't you think they're a bit, you know, done?"

"Aha! Well, Alexa, that's where you're wrong! Once upon a time, there was this striker who was pretty good, and his surname was Wolff. And us headline writers, we had a field day. And then they got boring."

"Right."

"But then, along comes little brother Mateusz, and all of a sudden we've got Wolff-brothers! Both playing for the Terns! This changes everything!"

"It changes very little, if you ask me."

"Well, nobody did."

"You did."

"What? When?"

"Just know. Plural of Wolff."

"Oh yes. Well, anyway, the point still stands. One Wolff got boring eventually, yes, but to see the two of them both play and score in the same Terns side just multiplies the possibilities! When Torsten scored, I was happy. When he scored again, I was happier. When he set up Larsen for the third, I was even happier. But then when Mateusz came on, I dared to dream. I dared to dream, Alexa, and that dream came true. I'm sitting here now, reading the beautifully and emotionally powerful descriptions of the goal the sports writers have written down for publication, and I'm telling you now; not a single one of them comes anywhere close to the feeling I had when I realised that Torsten Wolff had set up Mateusz Wolff for the Terns' third goal. I mean, come on! The headlines practically write themselves!"

"Evidently not."

"Yes, well, if you'd stop being Lucy Obtuse, I could get this sorted."

"What have you got so far?"

"I just need the plural of Wolff, thanks."

"Is it not just, 'Wolffs'?"

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure. Double eff changes things somewhat, I believe."

"You sure it's not 'Wolfves'?"

"Wolfves?"

"Yeah."

"...pretty sure, Olaf, yeah."

"Hm. Wolvves?"

"Just go with 'Wolff Pack', Olaf, for the sake of my sanity."

"But..."

"Olaf."

"...fine. Spoilsport."

---

EURANS NO MATCH FOR WOLFF PACK
Two goals and two assists for Torsten, as little brother Mateusz gets in on the action as well and helps send Terns to Taeshan clash at Harbour Walk, Aasiaat

[Polar Islandstates]

CUTOFF

[Saintland]

Prince Andreas had shown off an impressive upcoming software lineup for the Saint, but there was still one last blockbuster announcement still to come. This one would be bigger than the rest, at least for the Taiyouese. Since this event was taking place at the Tohoko Games Show, the reaction of the Taiyouese was most important.

The screen went black as a certain theme familiar to everybody in Taiyou began to play. Soon, a green field showed up on the screen and a party of cartoonish heroes were shown walking through the field until they ran into an instantly recognizable foe, the blue slime. Now, there was no doubt that this was Dragon Odyssey. The mostly Taiyouese crowd went wild as they showed that the traditional Dragon Odyssey battle system was intact. Finally, the title was shown. It was called "Dragon Odyssey Online" and was coming out in "Spring 2015," exclusive to the Saint.

Prince Andreas - Dragon Odyssey X provided the Saint with the critical momentum that we needed to break into the Taiyouese market. Now, Dragon Odyssey Online takes everything you've come to expect from the Dragon Odyssey series and translates it into the online realm, allowing users to explore an endless virtual world with their friends and with new people, from all over the multiverse, that they meet online. Dragon Odyssey Online will be the first title for the Saint to take advantage of our new automatic translation technology, which enables people from all over the multiverse to communicate as if they shared a common language. Dragon Odyssey Online will also be the first title for the Saint to require a subscription fee. This is a necessity, to fund the servers. I hope that you will enjoy this innovative new title. That is all for today's presentation. On behalf of RepublicSoft and everybody at Royal Computer Entertainment of Saintland, I thank all of you for attending and I thank you for making the Saint the massive success that it is.

---

Pasarga proved to be the most difficult opponent the Sanctii had faced, to this point, in the current Copa Rushmori. The first half was a total stalemate. Alessandro Seius and Raghid Faysal Halabi were both on their game for the first 45, each saving 3 shots on goal. Then, moments after the half, Lucas Aufidius lost control of his emotions, as he does from time and time, and flagrantly fouled Mezei Orbán, just inside the penalty area. Although Aufidius attempted to argue with the official that Orbán had been just outside of the area, the official wasn't buying it. He awarded a penalty to Pasarga and showed Aufidius the red card. Tobias Möller converted for Pasarga and Saintland had just 10 men on the pitch.

When Prince Andreas used the intermission to ask Tactical Consultant Petrus Fadius what to do regarding the situation, Fadius told him to just finish the match out with 2 defenders. This was a daring gamble, but one that somehow paid off. The Poenius brothers played at an otherworldly level for the remainder of the match and the Sanctii, with just 10 men on the pitch, were somehow able to keep the ball in Pasarga's half. Still, Sanctii shot after Sanctii shot fell short. That was until Josephus Flaccus attempted a shot at goal from the far left side. This impossible shot somehow sailed past the defense. Still, Halabi should have saved it, but the Pasargan keeper lost his focus for one split-second and the ball sailed into the net for a late equalizer. Several minutes later, the official blew his whistle and the match headed to extra time.

In the first half of extra time, each side attempted several shots, but neither side was able to place anything on net. When the second half of extra time arrived, it seemed that this match was going to a penalty shootout. Neither side, seemingly, were able to score. However, after over 116 minutes had elapsed, Stephanus Vagionius made his way into the penalty area. Vagionius had possession of the ball, but didn't see a scoring opportunity. The veteran Sanctii striker was being guarded by Lenka Randáková, the young defensive back for Pasarga, who had come on as a substitute for Timár Bendegúz. Vagionius said something to Randáková, who lost her temper and fouled the Sanctii striker in full view of the referee. Randáková was awarded a red card and Herakles Karoki stepped up to take a penalty. After Karoki drilled home the penalty, Saintland was through to the next round. Their opponent would be Zenic, former BoF winners who hadn't really done much of note since, until their current CR run, but still a team that had the potential to eventually reach an elite level. While the Sanctii could not afford to underestimate their next opponents, the real opponent that they wanted to face were the hosts. Ever since Polar Islandstates had knocked them out of World Cup 68, they had wanted a rematch against the team that many still regarded as the best in the multiverse, even after their shocking early exit in World Cup 69. They wanted another shot at the reigning champions of Rushmore...

[Polar Islandstates]

(Image)
CUTOFF

On that note:
I sort of had a window in which to do things today, and with no third-party scorer around the actual pressing of the big red button will have to wait until this evening when there are more people about, sorry about that. Everyone has RPed but anyone wishing to post again can feel free to do so.

Consider this also advance warning that the TPPO and Final will both be pushed back until around 9pm GMT on the Sunday. So, both are on the same day as I am otherwise occupied until later on Sunday evening. Ta.

[Polar Islandstates]

CUTOFF

Scores incoming.

[Polar Islandstates]

(Scorinated by SJG)






THIRD PLACE PLAY OFF
TP1 - Taeshan vs Zenic [at Victoria Stadium - Jan Mayen (NS) - 51,293]


FINAL
F1 - Polar Islandstates vs Saintland
[at Nasjonale Stadion - Franz Josef City (FJ) - 67,481]



Both matches will be scorinated on Sunday 05/10, with the RP cutoff coming no sooner than 7pm GMT, but possibly a bit later.
Good luck to all four[three] of you[us]!

[Saintland]

Alessandro Seius dove to the left side of the goal. He had gone to the right side 3 straight times and had been unsuccessful each time in stopping the Zenic penalty kicks. Now, he just had a feeling, for some reason, that Seok Kun-Woo would place the ball on the left side. When he felt the ball hit against his hand, he knew that he had been right. The ball was sent flying backward and Saintland now had a 4 to 3 lead in the penalty shootout!

Moments later, Josephus Flaccus stepped up to take the final Sanctii penalty. Flaccus starred into the eyes of Bartholomew Sagan, the Zenic goalkeeper who had played such an excellent match, even as the Sanctii spent a significant amount of time at the Zenic end of the pitch. He could see the determination in the opposing keeper's eyes. A successful penalty kick here would end the match and send Saintland to the finals, to take on the heavily-favored hosts for the title of champions of Rushmore. An unsuccessful kick would give Zenic one last chance to tie and continue the shootout.

The ball came off of the foot of the Sanctii midfielder, star of the Nepharan domestic league, with unusual velocity. Sagan had made the correct guess and was, seemingly, in position to make the save, but the ball tipped off of his fingertip and into the net. Without moments, the Sanctii fans who had made the short trip to Polar Islandstates, numbering around 10 thousand in total, were spontaneously flooding onto the pitch to celebrate. For the first time, the Saintland National Soccer Team would play in a major international final.

The opposition would be the most fitting choice. Polar Islandstates, the reigning champions of Rushmore and the hosts of this tournament. The former #1 ranked side. The World Cup 67 champions. The team that had knocked Saintland out of World Cup 68. Alessandro Seius still had flashbacks to that Iulian Kirilaunen goal, which was scored on a free kick from within the Valhallan half. Seius still blamed himself for the defeat, which had been by a margin of just one goal. Still, to a man, the Saintland National Team believed they could, in fact, beat Polar Islandstates. They had almost done so on that day in the northern part of the nation then known as the Free Republics. Now, they just needed to beat them in northern Rushmore.

But, that wasn't the only thing on the mind of Prince Andreas. When he heard that there was now a bid for the upcoming BoF and that they were taking shots at the Holy Casaran, he decided that it was time to spend some Sanctii government money to rectify this and to promote the government of Saintland's favorite tournament format. After the match, he called up his brother, the King:

King Petrus XX - Hello, Andreas. Congratulations on finally making it to a tournament final.

Prince Andreas - Yes, Petrus, it's about time. I promise that we aren't going to pull an Audioslavia.

King Petrus XX - Or a Polar Islandstates?

Prince Andreas - Not that, either. In all fairness, Polar Islandstates won World Cup 67 and Audioslavia won consecutive World Cups.

King Petrus XX - But, both of them are famous, mainly, for losing many finals before they won their first titles.

Prince Andreas - Well, Audioslavia has gone back to losing finals, of late.

King Petrus XX - True.

Prince Andreas - I'll make sure we have more success than you did in your first World Bowl final, but I didn't call to talk about this.

King Petrus XX - Of course not. If you're calling me instead of messaging me on that Saint thing of yours, it means its something important.

Prince Andreas - Have you noticed how every host bidder these days seems to take shots at the Casaran format?

King Petrus XX - Not really, but now that I think about it, there definitely seem to be alot of hosts who feel the need to reassure everybody that they aren't going to use Casaran.

Prince Andreas - Well, I want to change that.

King Petrus XX - And how do you plan to do that? Bring the World Cup to Saintland?

Prince Andreas - Well, if nobody wants to bid, the WCC would, technically, have to give it to us...

King Petrus XX - I thought we had learned our lesson with this host bid stuff. All hosting those tournaments ever did was overwhelm our infrastructure and allow Gregoryisgodistani criminals into our Kingdom. Right now, the answer is no, you can't bring the World Cup here.

Prince Andreas - Even though we'd qualify automatically for it?

King Petrus XX - If you can't qualify for it on your own merits, with relative ease, then maybe I should rebuild the National Soccer Team like I rebuilt the National Baseball Team. The answer is no Andreas, you're not bringing the World Cup to my Kingdom because I don't feel like dealing with the headache of all of it. Besides, the last time you tried this stuff, it resulted in a massive public relations disaster for us and embarrassed our father.

Prince Andreas - OK, Petrus. Can I, at least, use some of our Treasury to fund an organization to lobby for the wider use and acceptance of the Casaran format?

King Petrus XX - If it keeps you from trying to bring more international tournaments to my Kingdom, causing all kinds of extra work for me that I don't particularly want to deal with, go right ahead and start your own Casaran Lobby.

Prince Andreas - You know what, I think I like that name. I'll call the group the Casaran Lobby.

King Petrus XX - Do whatever you want, but if I were you, I'd focus on Polar Islandstates rather than trying to convince my older brother to permit another of my disastrous World Cup bids or lobbying for formats that most of the multiverse probably doesn't want. We aren't bidding for anymore tournaments, if I have any say about it, and since I'm the King, I do have a say about it and my say is FINAL.

Prince Andreas - OK, Petrus. I'll focus my attention on beating Polar Islandstates for the next few days. Just make sure to prepare a spot for a new trophy.

King Petrus XX - That's what I want to hear. Now, win your trophy and forget the other foolishness.

As he finished talking to his brother, the King, Prince Andreas couldn't believe just how quickly the King had shot down his idea. Well, he thought, that didn't mean that he couldn't lobby for wider use and acceptance of the Casaran format. He was also hopeful that, maybe just maybe, he could talk the Queen into changing his brother's mind. But, that was a longshot and, really, he had a match coming up against Polar Islandstates, so why was he thinking about Casaran formats instead of scouting the Polarians to identify their weaknesses?

[Polar Islandstates]

OOC: Sorry about the delay - unforeseen circumstances last night, and I'm busy til this evening now.
It would be unfair of me and would display poor etiquette as a host to delay the final scorination just so I can get an RP in, but I also don't want to disrespect my opponents and sour the competition by not RPing. Therefore I will be posting a short RP only before the scorination, and scoring of it will be low. The main RP will come post-final. Thanks.