Baptism of Fire 58 - RPs/Rosters/Results Thread

by **Eupheos-Anetus** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 3:12 pm

National Team Overcomes 0-2 deficit in friendly
versus neighbor Cronos Republic

It was a remarkable day at the Grand Arena in Marcelo yesterday when Eupheos-Anetus took on the Cronos Republic in a great match of football. The Cronos Republic's team had been renowned for their recent success in winning the sixth Christian Cup. Coming into Eupheos-Anetus with amazing momentum they were able to quickly score a goal in the 13'. Then again they scored in 43'. Both remarkable goals put in by famous striker, Phillip Brand. In the second half Eupheos-Anetus came roaring back after being down 0-2 at half. Star left winger Philip Jaeger curved a ball from outside the box into the upper right corner of the net, just out of the reach of Cronos goalkeeper Jessie Moore. Jaeger provided the spark for the rest of the Euphesian roster as it seemed they were playing downhill with wind at their backs. Striker Leo Martolo received an excellent pass from center midfielder Griffin Reed and then continued to chip the goalkeeper and put another goal in at the 71' to tie the match. Then in the 79', center midfielder Casey Williams and right winger Zachary Bennet were both subbed off in favor of the young center midfielder Elijah Deering and right winger Gaubert Blanchet. Deering and Blanchet's energy gave Eupheos Anetus the advantage for the last 10 minutes of the match.

Then in the 87', Deering produced a great ball from a few yards on the attacking side of the circle to Blanchet who took a great first touch and continued to streak down the field. He noticed striker Leo Martolo and winger Philip Jaeger moving alongside him down the field and gave a crisp, low cross to Jaeger on the opposite side of the box who drilled a beauty in the back of the net past Moore. Eupheos-Anetus took the lead and quickly fell back into an extra defensive formation and held on to win the match 3-2 over our neighbors, the Cronos Republic. Manager Frederick Mendel was astounded and extremely energetic after the win and expressed how proud he was of his squad to fight back after being down by such a deficit.

"I would not have been surprised if our boys just threw in the towel for the second half of the match. I am very excited for the win and the comeback. It has provide our team with great confidence going into our final friendly and then the real competition that is the Baptism of Fire. Philip Jaeger and Griffin Reed came through today to spark the comeback for a squad and Jaeger showed his dominance as a scorer and Reed his great ability to pass and assist. That assist makes for his seventh during his short time as a member of our team. That pair of goals for Philip gives him five goals just in our friendlies in the last month. Elijah and Gaubert both came through and played their roles as subs and gave us the extra energy needed to take control of the match in the last ten minutes and win it. They are both definitely proving themselves strong enough to get a few starts during the upcoming friendly and the Baptism of Fire. I am extremely excited for the upcoming matches and I hope you guys are too," is the only thing Mendel could say after the exciting match.

by **Walamzia** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 5:42 pm

Clough Speaks to Media

Manager Brian Clough has spoken to the media about the squad selection and some of his philosophies:

On the formation: "We're going to play a 4-4-2, and we're going to play a flat 4-4-2, and I don't care what you have to say about it because I'm the manager of this national team."
On the style of play: "We're going to play attacking football. There's no use parking the bus when you have good attacking players, and you have the ability to play it on the ground. If football were meant to be played in the clouds, we'd have referees up there, so I want to keep it on the ground."
On the exclusion of 16-year old Frank Familiano: "He has to pay his dues just like everyone else. I'm not having these people thinking that just because they're good, they're waltzing into the team. You have to pay your dues, and that's it. He still has to impress me with the youth team."
On discuipline: "My players will be the most disciplined in the whole tournament. I won't tolerate those silly fouls, and the squad has been made known of that. I expect them to be well-behaved gentlemen out there, but I want them to give their all for the shirt."
On the fans: "They better show up to every single match if they want to criticize me and the players."

by **Sylvackia** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 8:00 pm

Sylvackian National Football Team
"The Hawks"

Overview

Manager: Rynp
Formation: 4-4-2
Trigram: SYL

Roster

Starting Eleven:

ST - Sayacu #9
ST - Oyeri #10
RM - Danale #7
CM -Dufor #6
CM - Shyenom #8
LM - Lomstai #11
RB - Saytald #2
CB - Rynat #4
CB - Im'del #5
LB - Nyaler #3
GK - Estturiss #1

Substitutes:

CM - Ing'os #13
CM - Vorshyo #15
RM - Meuwat #14
LM - Debofa #18
ST - Lekoky #16
ST - Analehon #17
GK - Lorkal #12

Field View

Kits

Home:Away:

Style Modifier:

+3

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

Choose My Goalscorers: Yes
Godmod Goalscoring Events: No
Injure Players: Yes (Minor Injuries)
Godmod Injury Events: No
Red Card Players: No
Yellow Card Players: Yes
Godmod Other Events: No

by **Korchayk** » Sun Feb 22, 2015 3:31 am

Sports

BoF 58; Thrilling Friendly Draw
By Jaledar Papatya
Korchayk's second friendly against Fratton ended with a thrilling 3 - 3 draw. Tensions were high before the match after approximately five hundred of Korchayk's infamously enthusiastic supporters were arrested for disturbing the peace. Fortunately for the players, fifteen thousand devout fans made the journey to Fratton to support their team, flares, banners and voices in tow, and they were not disappointed with the spectacle they witnessed.

Formation
Rauf Zafer Tangör changed his formation and team drastically. Utilising a 5-3-2, Bafun Vahit joined Omay Ubeydullah and Dalan Şehsuvar to create a very solid centre defence. Korchayk's most attacking full backs, Ahmed Iğla and Mustafa Faik, were deployed as left and right wing backs respectively. Hüseyin Akgüç was the holding midfielder, making his first return to the Korchayki National Team since breaking his leg last summer. Osman Hakkı and Tanyel Işılak played as the attacking midfielders, but also ran back onto the defence. Up front, the legend that is Yusuf Zinnur played alongside his successor, Sadık Saadeddin. Ali Uktu, Hakan Peyami, Koray Zihni, Levent Kaan, Demir İlaydın, Nadir Ebubekir and Mahmut Üzeyir were on the bench.

Match Report
As Korchayk kicked the match off, an air of hope and trepidation was present. The nervous nature of the first five minutes was soon replaced with a better flowing game after the first goal in the seventh minute, a goal scored by Korchayk. Ahmed Iğla stormed down the left hand side and cut it back to Osman Hakkı. Hakkı took a touch and floated the ball in toward Zinnur and Saadeddin. Zinnur flicked the ball across the face of goal and Saadeddin slid it into the net. It was back and forth after that and got quite aggressive for a period of ten minutes, with Nickson and Vahit getting a yellow card for their respective nations. However, as the match entered the thirtieth minute, Fratton equalized. A great piece of build up play between Michael Jackson and Bolt Daniels ended with Jackson slotting the ball calmly into the back of the Korchayki net. After that, Korchayk fell apart. In previous friendlies, momentary collapses in form haven't been punished. However, this was not the case in this one. In the thirty seventh minute, Korchayk were attacking. Işılak was dribbling at the Fratton defence when he lost the ball to Glue. A long ball from Glue reached the experienced foot of Kingston George, the Frattonian captain. All George needed was a piece of nimble footwork to beat a sliding Şehsuvar and a cool head to chip the ball over the head of a scrabbling Görkem Konnur. At 2-1, many Korchayki fans were looking forward to half time. Unfortunately for Korchayk, it was not over yet. A great cross from David White connected with Bolt Daniels's head and the ball rocketed into the bottom left, making it 3-1 in the forty fourth minute. Thankfully for Korchayk, half time followed just three minutes later.

The second half was kicked off by Fratton to ironic cheers from the Korchayki fans. However, their team appeared revitalized. Hakkı had a shot saved in the forty eighth minute, while Zinnur forced a great save from David Cole four minutes later. The supporters had livened up, lighting flares and chanting at incredible volume. This seemed to inspire the Korchayki players and they soon responded. A crucial goal was scored in the fifty sixth minute. Hakkı got the ball on the halfway line and unleashed an incredible through ball to Zinnur. As Cole ran out to Zinnur, he sold him a dummy and rounded the keeper. Passing the ball into the back of the net, hope was renewed for Korchayk. However, Fratton parked the proverbial bus and defended really well for thirty minutes, reducing Korchayk to pot shots. Yet, in the eighty eighth minute, Hüseyin Akgüç dribbled the ball until he was forty yards from goal. Finding Işılak on the right hand side of the box, Işılak picked out Osman Hakkı, who was standing on the edge of the penalty area. Hakkı took a touch and smashed it into the net. The celebrations, for a friendly match, were ludicrous. Flares were thrown onto the pitch as chants of 'We're going to win 4-3' rang around the stadium. Alas, Korchayk did not win 4-3, but this mathc proved the determination and inherent quality present in the Korchayki side.

Korchayk's Fixture List
KORCHAYK versus Fratton (20/2/15). Result - 2-1
Fratton versus KORCHAYK (22/2/15). Result - 3-3
KORCHAYK versus Fratton (24/2/15) Result - ?
Fratton versus KORCHAYK (26/2/15). Result - ?

by **Renatiem** » Sun Feb 22, 2015 11:28 am

RenSportsNews

Renatiem faces shock 4-1 defeat from Estenia

Mid-air Battle between an Estenian and Renatians

Last night a match between Renatiem and 4th placed in the last Baptism of Fire, Estenia was played in Dasburg Arena of Dasburg im Hausbau city, where most of the German speaking people are located. Most of them are fans of football and its associate sports and since the the city of 150,000 people is located near the mountains and the plains downside them. Most people excpected the players to play very good football, especially the Dasburg im Hausbau players, known for their excellent skills nation-wide. On the stadium of a capacity 8,000 people a record-breaking 12,000 people attendance was made with even more people being outside the stadium watching the game in giant screens. Of those 24,000 people, only 1,000 were Estenians and many of them were booed by the people even though making a large flag with the new flag of the nation as well as the new home kits of the nation.

The lineup was the very same lineup as of Runner Cup 4, with Maksimov under the posts, Yuri Makareshi and Filipp Raksimovich being the defenders of the mid-defence castle with Nazarenkov being on the right and Dursimov on the left. In the midfield we got Stamatev, a new talent from the Jelle FC academies and we also got Makrov and Peehlak securing the lft and right of the midfield as well as being the playmakers of the squad. In front of them there was Markov, a player vital of making attacks and then the attackers being Adrianov and Nikolaev, very good scorers playing excellent football in Cosumar and Buyan accordingly. On the other, Burkhard Wendelin securing the posts of Renatiem, even though conceding 4 goals he did some excellent saves through the game. Then there are Arnviðr Gregor and Bernhard Eckhart securing the mid-defence castle of Renatiem, we've got the playmaker left defender Marcel Hermenegild, the youngest player of the squad and scorer of the only goal scored by Renatians. On the other side of the field we've got right defender Humbert Ælfstan who tried to keep the defence going in the right but couldn't handle the complicated style of Estenians. Then we got midfielders Michel Herbert, Tullius Iunius, Julius Konrad and Emil Horst trying to keep the game going but the 2 superstars, the two forwards, Kayetan Æðelberht and Reimund Burkhart couldn't score a goal even though shooting 4 times at the Estenians posts, 2 being on target.

Match began graeatly from both sides, midfielders dominating the game, Renatian defenders preventing Estenians from scoring goals endlessly for 24 minutes, again and again. Shots going out for a goalkeeper and 3 corners ending out of the box being they were out by taller Renatian heads. On the 24th minute, Renatians made a chance and then was the moment of the vicious counterattack Estenians make. Makareshi giving the ball to Markov and Makrov after dribbling Hermenegild crossed it to Nikolaev, whom scored the ball after a bicycle kick that was unstoppable, a truly untouchable shot. Then 2 minutes later, Nikolaev takes the ball from Ælfstan who couldn't do anything because Nikolaev was faster than lightning. Then he turns to the left and shoots it with the left foot, the ball took a very extraodinary way and instead of going right of the keeper like it seemed to be going, it went to the centre with the keeper standing still, unable to do anything. By the 45th minute, one more chance was made from Estenians ending in a goal kick. In the second half it was a very easy pathway from Estenians, well after the 54th minute when Hermenegild just moved on dribbled evry Estenian on his way and scoring a goal from 32 meters to the up-left side of Maksimov unable to do anything just fell with hopes of catching the ball. On the 66th minute, in order to take revenge from what Hermenegild did, Nikolaev dribbled all the Renatians and shot the ball from 29 meters ending to the up-right of Wendeling, who was also unable to do anything. 20 minutes later both sides had done chances but it was a corner now. It was made from Stamatev and was headered in by Adrianov, with the ball ending in after a lucky angle taken. 4 minutes later the match was over with Estenians cheering but Renatians being happy of scoring a goal against them.

by **Matthewsiania** » Sun Feb 22, 2015 11:58 am

Chapter One: The First Line in the Sand

It was to a view like this that Football first appeared at Matthewsiania. January 2nd, 1906 at Maresias, at the small field back then named Campo Luís Paddici. At least according to most people. While it is uncertain whether this was the exact date that football started on the country, granted most of the pictures of that event have ever faded, but after another boat arrived from off-country seas, most likely Huelandia, carrying a football team, Bartolomeu Dias, from what back then was still a roaring empire to face the sole sports club of Maresias, Real Maresias.

Real Maresias was, in fact, one of the many sports teams from a young Matthewsiania, who would often figure several sports squads under its' clubs. Association Football was the name of the rule that year, an effort from then King Mateus V to bring a new sport to become the one after Hogskin (the name used for Gridiron at the kingdom back then) had been put on a hold in terms of national championship thanks to a scandal regarding three teams from the South of the country. Real Maresias was still interested on Baseball and Hogskin, but Football sounded so unique, the team had the ambition of giving it a shot. Said ambition helped on turning the team as one of the regulars on the early days of the league until dropping out in the 50s to the Lower Leagues and never ever rising back from that tier.

Bartolomeu Dias was an oddity of a football team. Consisting of lower-class sailors, the team had been taking a tour around Futurnia after the government inside the Huelandian Empire had another of its' dozen shaking periods. There weren't a whole lot of rumours regarding the football team, only that they were the supposed champions of their country and anyone that could top them would be a powerful side on the upcoming Campeonato Mateusianense. Needless to say, that couldn't be more far from true as Bartolomeu Dias resorted to travelling after being kicked out of their nation's league after being relegated and even the independence of Barra e Janeiro (thus taking their six teams from the league out) didn't save the side and other amateur teams were, to say the least, uninterested with the prospect of playing them. Even the change of attitude that happened while they were travelling didn't make any differences until other independence movements forced the team into the league.

The match was heavily forced towards rough play. Bartolomeu Dias wasn't a team that avoided contact and at the day, the team from Huelandia was tough skin. Thankfully, Real Maresias brought in most of the roster for that game from their Hogskin squad and what would probably end up as a mauling, ended up being nothing near that. Surprisingly, for the foreign squad; Real Maresias came out with a 5-3 win at what was back then a baseball pitch. The sailors were well welcomed at the tropical town of Maresias and departed the town after a good night of rest, travelling towards Matekkipper to face the three clubs from the Capital to finish up their little tour at Matthewsiania.

Real Maresias would leap from this towards a rather uneventful seventh place. That tournament, consisting of fourteen teams also happened to feature the subject of our next chapter... The First Giant of Matekkipper.

Campeonato Mateusianense '07 Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
01 Real Matekkipper           26   20   3   3    68   32  +36    43
02 Sagatyba                   26   19   3   4    62   24  +38    41
03 Sporting Matekkipper       26   17   4   5    45   25  +20    38
04 Real Monarca               26   11  10   5    47   32  +15    32
05 Palestra                   26   13   5   8    50   35  +15    31
06 Real Sociedade             26   11   4  11    33   35   −2    26
07 Real Maresias              26   10   4  12    36   41   −5    24
08 São Jorge                  26    7   9  10    27   35   −8    23
09 Fronteiral                 26    7   7  12    35   44   −9    21
10 Americanos                 26    8   5  13    32   42  −10    21
11 Clube Azul                 26    7   6  13    41   54  −13    20
12 Nacional                   26    6   5  15    32   58  −26    17
13 Império de Davi            26    5   4  17    29   58  −29    14
14 Universidade Real          26    3   7  16    21   43  −22    13

by **Walamzia** » Sun Feb 22, 2015 4:15 pm

Walamzia Scores Big in Friendly Series

The Walamzian national team has produced the following results in friendlies against fellow new nation Flardania:
Walamzia 2-4 Flardania
Flardania 2-2 Walamzia

The national stadium was glowing and all 45,000 seats were filled to capacity for game 1 of the series. Brian Clough went out with his expected starting 11 for both games, and allowed the players to gel with each other as they begin playing together. One highlight was Jake Edgar's 90th-minute goal to make the home result more respectable than it actually was. His shot came from a cross from winger Mike Bassett which landed squarely on his forehead.

Clough was not lost for words after the second game, praising his defense for "not giving up 3 goals to them". The defense is admittedly the weak point, but if goalkeeper Peter Howard can play to his potential, Walamzia can go very far in the tournament. Clough is under no illusions, though, as he begins the preparation of straightening out the back 4 with defending coach Steve Bruce, with some consulting work from Lee Dixon. Hopefully they'll be able to sort out the defensive issues and give us a properly good tournament to watch.

by **Flardania** » Mon Feb 23, 2015 7:13 am

Une Performance Décente, Flardania Wins one and Draws another against Walamzia
Français|日本の|English
FBC News | Flardanian Broadcasting Corporation

Manager Hikaru Kyosuke directing The Flardania Men's National Team in friendly play

Flardanians in Rottington, Walamzia with amazing support for their
Kitsunes

Kairaku, Flardania- With the upcoming Baptism of Fire Tournament, Flardania looked to strengthen itself with more matches with fellow non KPB ranked teams. The latest was a home and away series against Walamzia. The first matchup was held in Rottington, Walamiza which had a lot of Flardanians in attendance due to Air Pacifica offering discounts to any Flardanian with a ticket to a international match.

Hikaru Kyosuke went out with his expected starting 11 for the first game, and emphasized his training points from the sidelines. He was rewarded in the 7th minute when Joseph Yabuta who finished with the outside of his right foot into the lower right corner. His shot came from an ariel through ball by Pandazi Papadopoulos. Later in the match Walamzia would tie the game before Flardania would reclaim the lead in the 41st minute with Joseph Yabuta scoring a header of a cross by Norio Osada. Flardanians in Walamiza where ecstatic at the end of the first half leading 2-1, with few expecting their road performance to get any better. The 48th minute began with a goal by Yoon Gyeong Kim with an assist by Joseph Yabuta to put Flardania up 3-1. Flardania would score one final goal in the 79th minute when backup mid-fielder Hideyoshi Kagome scored off a cornered delivered by Hyun Ji Kim to put Flardania up 4-1. Walamzia would save face with a 90th-minute goal by Jake Edgar whose shot came from a cross from winger Mike Bassett which landed squarely on his forehead. Manager Hikaru Kyosuke was happy his team played well but acknowledged the game had no long term rewards. "Our win was a good feel good story in that we went out and performed to the best of our ability on the road but the only thing this game did was give us tape to study from. The real games begin during the Group Stages of the Baptism of Fire and beyond."

In the second match-up which was not held in the capital Megalo Mesembria but rather Yurihama. Flardania produced a 2-2 draw with Walamzia. Walamzia had scoring by Mark Trumbull (36') and Jake Edgar (85'). On the other side Flardania had scoring by Joseph Yabuta (21') and Norio Osada (63'). A clutch save by Peter Howard to stop reserve 17 year old Josuke Ichikawa of hometown Yurihama prevented Flardania the win. Assistant Coach Renée Lévesque was alright with the result stating " A draw isn't bad because in a tournament you will still get points that way. It is obviously not as good as a win and we are all wish Josuke scored in his club's stadium but we move on and work on better prepping ourselves."

The Kitsunes are now practicing here in Kairaku and Coach Kyosuke is working on fine tuning a scheme that seems to fit the Kitsunes. The team once again thanks all it's fans for making every game feel like home and would like to thank Air Pacifica for making it easier for fans to come show their support. We at FBC would like to remind those at home, that games can be seen on Nagatomo Sport Network (NSN) and Saito Broadcast Channel (SBC)

Article by: Timothy Norfolk

by **Walamzia** » Mon Feb 23, 2015 4:53 pm

Dixon: "Giving Up 6 Goals Is Unacceptable"

Walamzia defending consultant Lee Dixon spoke to the Walamzian media after the second game of the home and home series. He admitted his disappointment in several of the defenders in their performances after the 2 friendlies.

"To be honest, seeing the talent on the field in these past few games, giving up 6 goals to that opposition was entirely unacceptable. They were fielding reserve players and we were fielding our starting eleven. There is no way we should have lost, and I blame the defenders I've worked with personally over the past couple weeks in camp."

Manager Brian Clough added, "I agree with what he said. We've been trying to cobble together a national team, but our best players don't want to play for the national team, so what can you do? We have a 25-year old who is still waiting on a non-existent call-up from the Royal Kingdom of Quebec... when will he realize that's never happening? Daddy can't help you get a football call-up, and you're probably the worst hockey player I've ever seen. When will you learn?" His comments are directed to Pierre Believeau, the son of Walamzian national hockey team coach John Believeau, a native of Quebec who would have been a shoe-in for our national team had he accepted the call-up. We hope that the federation will schedule more games between now and the Baptism of Fire.

by **Trans-Dniesters** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 8:26 am

ПРИДНЕСТРОВСКАЯ ЦЕНТРАЛЬНАЯ НОВОСТИ АГЕНЦИЯ
PRIDNESTROVSKAYA TSENTRALNAYA NOVOSTI AGENTSIYA
PRIDNESTROVIAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY

NATIONAL TEAM DRAWS 3-3 AGAINST THEREISNOGODISTAN FC IN FIRST PRE-BAPTISM OF FIRE FRIENDLY
By Gustav Tyumenov

Defender Bohuslav Gavrilyuk tackles Thereisnogodistani forward Olen Celis during Pridnestrovia's first pre-Baptism of Fire friendly in Sheriff Stadium, Tiraspol.

TIRASPOL - The Green-Reds of Pridnestrovia have managed to hold Multiverse Championship runners-up Thereisnogodistan FC to a high-scoring 3-3 draw at their home ground in Sheriff Stadium in the first of a series of pre-tournament friendlies for the national team before facing off against international competition for the first time in six years in the 58th edition of the Baptism of Fire.

An early goal from Boyan Radev opened up the scoring, and a brace from Peter Schermer kept the team alive for the entirety of the match, but a goal each for Hugo Willmore, Olen Celis, and Raymon Parisien kept the Atheists level.

The half-Balgarski forward put the hosts forward in the 8th minute thanks to a Thereisnogodistani mistake, and all Radev had to do was poke the ball into the net as Wally Arredondo could only watch in frustration.

But then Hugo Willmore scored an absurdly easy equalizer six minutes later courtesy of a Rob Rockmore corner. Willmore was unmarked by midfielder Demyan Wasylyk when he made the goal, and the Ukrainski was at least humble enough to accept the responsibility of the conceded goal.

Peter Schermer finally put Pridnestrovia back in the lead in the 43rd minute after a sublime one-two play with Radev. Such kind of passing play would become vital for the national team as they struggle to finally pull away from their opponents.

Olen Celis, the prolific Thereisnogodistani winger who performed so well in the Multiverse Premier League, got his name on the scoresheet on the 55th minute after brilliant footwork that left behind all three of Pridnestrovia's defenders in the dust.

Schermer scored his second goal of the game in 64 minutes in another attempt to get his side up, but this was quickly negated by Thereisnogodistani substitute Raymon Parisien, who converted a 30-yard free kick foolishly conceded by Isidor Petrov.

Despite many heroic attempts by the Pridnestrovian team, no clear chances were forthcoming, except in the second minute of injury time, when substitute midfielder Valentin Funar almost managed to get the game-winning goal, only for the ball to hit the post and end up cradled in Arredondo's hands.

Despite the draw, Werner Ceausescu is confident that this will motivate his players to go for the win in their next two friendlies, which he hopes will eventually carry over to the Baptism of Fire itself. "We came so close to securing victory, only for it to slip from our grasp," he said. "I sincerely hope that this will make them work harder for the win, so that when it comes it will be much more satisfying."

Pridnestrovia's next two friendlies will be against Abanhfleft and an as-yet undetermined team.

            PRIDNESTROVIA 3 - 3 THEREISNOGODISTAN FC
         BOYAN RADEV (8')       HUGO WILLMORE (14')
PETER SCHERMER (43', 64')       OLEN CELIS (55')
                                RAYMON PARISIEN (67')

THEREISNOGODISTAN FC
GK: Arredondo
RB: Stroman
RCB: Renniger (Littleton - 80')
LCB: Malachi
LB: Carasco
RDM: Rockmore
CDM: Keener (Greb - 67')
LDM: Ehrmann
RW: Celis
ST: Willmore (Parisien - 59')
LW: Ervin

SUBSTITUTES
GK: Crownover
RB: Forte
RCB: Littleton
LCB: Delzell
RM: Auvil
LW: Wingert
ST: Parisien

PRIDNESTROVIA
GK: Alkaev
RB: Gavrilyuk
CB: Vasilyev
LB: Petrov
RM: Anghelescu
RDM: Wasylyk
CDM: Lukacs
LDM: Bogomolov
LM: Wasylyshyn (Funar - 80')
CF: Radev (Hlushko - 75')
CF: Schermer (Tiryaki - (86')

SUBSTITUTES
GK: Abbing
RB: Sas
LB: Chownyk
CM: Funar
LM: Pajari
CF: Hlushko
CF: Tiryaki

MATCH STATS

Possession
Pridnestrovia: 48%
Thereisnogodistan FC: 52%
Shots
Pridnestrovia: 19 (8 on target)
Thereisnogodistan FC: 20 (14 on target)
Corners
Pridnestrovia: 6
Thereisnogodistan FC: 7
Fouls
Pridnestrovia: 12
Thereisnogodistan FC: 4

by **Fratton** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 10:06 am

Game 3 in the Korchayk - Fratton Series:
KORCHAYK (OMAY UBEYDULLAH (84')) 1 - 2 FRATTON (BOLT DANIELS (31'), GEORGE MCGUIRE (67'))
Friendly series level at 1 win each, final game in Fratton on Saturday.

by **Frenline Delpha** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 10:47 am

Frenline Delpha defeats Walamzia 3-2

By Jamie Sternly, Sports Journalist

The Anacondas edged out the Walamzia National Team by a score of three to two. Frenline Delpha took 7 shots on goal, 3 of which found the net. Walamzia put 5 shots on goal, two of which ended up in the net. The first goal scored happened at 12' by Mid Mike Bassett. The assist is credited to Forward Mark Trumbull. The pass came from near the end line. Bassett's shot came from six yards out. The second goal came from Frenline Delpha at the 21' mark from Left Mid Smith Cripes. He recived a throw-in from Center Mid Albert Treklire. The shot came from 16 yards out. Frenline Delpha's second goal came from Striker Darnel Samson off a penalty kick at the 45'+2' mark. Peter Reid commited the foul, and was accessed a yellow card. Frenline Delpha third and final goal came at 52' from the foot of Center Back Charlie Vearnin. The goal was assisted off of a corner kick by Center Mid Albert Treklire. Finally, at the 87' mark, Jake Edgar dribbled past Frenline's final defender and put an amazing shot on goal, which slipped past Anaconda GK Carter Lourange. Frenline Delpha is 1-0-0, while Walamzia is 0-1-2.

Frenline Delpha    3-2    Walamzia
21' Cripes (Treklire)    (Trumbull) Bassett 12'
45' Samson               Edgar 87'
52' Vearnin (Treklire)

Frenline Delpha       Walamzia
0 Yellow                1 Yellow
7 Shots                 5 Shots
1 CK                    2 CK
1 PK                    0 PK

by **Korchayk** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 12:30 pm

Sports

BoF 58; Korchayk's First Friendly Loss
By Jaledar Papatya
Korchayk's third friendly against Fratton ended in a disappointing fashion with a 1-2 loss. With the Baptism of Fire ever approaching and Korchayki morale at an all time high, this loss at this time could potentially be devastating for the Korchayki players self-esteem. The esprit de corps between the team's players could also be at risk, due to some crucial mistakes made by certain players. The Korchayki fans are notoriously unforgiving and have already began attacking Ali Uktu and Koray Zihni on social media for their mistakes.

Formation
Rauf Zafer Tangör changed his formation and team yet again. Deploying a 4-3-3, the most notable change was the rotation of the 'keepers. Ali Uktu was put into the team with Görkem Konnur being dropped to the bench. Bafun Vahit was also dismissed from the team, leaving Omay Ubeydullah and Dalan Şehsuvar in centre defence. Koray Zihni replaced Mustafa Faik at right back. Demir İlaydın returns to the team as the centre defensive midfielder. He is joined in the midfield by Şadan Yahya and Kâmil Gazanfer, who played as the attacking midfielders. Up front, Nadir Ebubekir played as the left winger and Mahmut Üzeyir was positioned on the right wing. Sadık Saadeddin played as the striker in the centre. Görkem Konnur, Hakan Peyami, Bafun Vahit, Hüseyin Akgüç, Osman Hakkı, Tanyel Işılak and Yusuf Zinnur were on the bench.

Match Report
The Yümat Geçen Şahin Stadium was rocking, with its 80,000 person capacity maxed out. As Korchayk kicked off, expectations were sky high. However, these expectations soon began to decrease after Fratton's first attempt on goal. Ali Uktu was forced into a great save after Michael Jackson broke through the Korchayki defence and smashed a shot towards the bottom right. The teams exchanged pot shots until the break through at the 31 minute mark. David White swung in a great cross which Michael Jackson flicked on. Bolt Daniels had the simple job of tapping in the flick on. At 0-1, many Korchayki fans expected their team to fight back. However, they were severely disappointed. The Korchayki team looked weak and feeble. The Frattonian team had over 60% possession in the first half and all of the shots on target. Half time could not have come soon enough for the Korchayki fans, who booed the players off the pitch.

The second half started, unfortunately, in a similarly negative fashion, Korchayk had their first shot on target in the fifty second minute. It was a long range shot from Şadan Yahya that fell easily for the goalkeeper. For the next fifteen minutes, there was a barren period of play, in which long balls and crunching challenges were particularly prevalent. This unproductive period of play was unfruitful for Korchayk, but produced a goal for Fratton. Koray Zihni dithered with ball and was dispossessed by George McGuire. McGuire sprinted away from a scrambling Zihni and slid the ball in between Uktu's legs. This goal was received with a wave of vitriol from the Korchayki fans. They expressed their displeasure in the form of thrown missiles. Bottles, coins and flares were chucked onto the pitch and the game had to be stopped for a period of ten minutes. After the fans had calmed down, the match resumed. However, Korchayk scored a consolation goal in the eighty fourth minute. Kâmil Gazanfer broke into the penalty area and attempted to chip David Cole. Cole saved the shot by tipping it over the bar. The corner was taken by Mahmut Üzeyir, who whipped the ball in from the right. The 6"7 giant of Omay Ubeydullah rose above his marker, Simon Glue. Ubeydullah's header settled into the bottom right of the net. However, despite Ubeydullah bringing it up to 1-2, Korchayk failed to capitalise on this. They faltered and stalled and, ultimately, never got going. The final whistle eventually went, and the dejected Korchayki players walked off the pitch to a tsunami of abuse. Surely, they will want to prevent this in the next friendly, which will be played in just two days time in Fratton.

Korchayk's Fixture List
KORCHAYK versus Fratton (20/2/15). Result - 2-1
Fratton versus KORCHAYK (22/2/15). Result - 3-3
KORCHAYK versus Fratton (24/2/15) Result - 1-2
Fratton versus KORCHAYK (26/2/15). Result - ?
BoF Match Day 1! (28/2/15)

by **Equestrian States** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 6:28 pm

BAPTSIM OF FIRE 58 - GROUP DRAW

Group A
Frenline Delpha
Erbsted & Calcoon
Albagaria
Windsor Islands
San Llera
Varmelle

Group B
Flick Jostle
El Gregoria
Seventeen Syllables
Sylvackia
Affiliated South Califan Sprawls
Korchayk

Group C
Kazirstan
Vermark
Velstaende
Flardania
Matthewsiania
Eupheos Anetus

Group D
Maretta
The Sword Bloke
Pridnestrovia
Aynard
Fratton
Nurkama

Group E
Palfania
Sovereign-Socialist Republics
Szavoda
Walkany
The Hakifao Federation
Sargkisia

Group F
Walamzia
Waterandearthstan
Palmeria
Aloquirbe
Renatiem
Thibaut

Host Note: See the first post in the thread for the tournament schedule and fixtures as well as links to those rosters which have already been posted. Stadium assignments for individual matches and host nation info will be up sometime in the next day or two.

by **San Llera** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 8:20 pm

Group draw and friendly result

San Llera have been drawn into Group A with Frenline Delpha, Erbsted & Calcoon, Albagaria, the Windsor Islands, and Varmelle. Frenline Delpha is known to be a very defensive team whilst Albagaria is more attacking-minded. San Llera's first game will come against Erbsted & Calcoon.

Meanwhile, the Swagfish played their second warm-up friendly, this time against neighboring Hitmen, a thrilling 3-2 victory. San Llera's starting lineup consisted of mixture of starters and reserves: C. Fons, J. Olivier, S. Batista (E. Tallo), M. Abello, A. Belles, D. Llorens, J. Montella (E. Bou),
H. Fonda (A. Turro), M. Saragosa, A. Mallet, and J. Capo. Hitmen struck first, with Anders's shot being saved by Fons only for Anders to turn in the rebound in the 27' minute. San Llera answered back when Josep Montella's ball found Jan Capo, whose angled shot was deflected into the corner of the net. Hitmen took the lead again when Anders played a beautiful through ball for Xavier, who slotted it home. The Swagfish equalized when Don Lloren grabbed onto a deflected pass, breezed by his defender, and fired it in. THe last goal, the decider in the 80' minute, was a thing of beauty. Marc Abello sent a rocket from defense up to Enric Bou, who brought the ball down with a touch from the chest. On his next touch, he found Andreu Mallet, who slipped in a ball for Martini Saragosa to cross. Saragosa's cross evaded all defenders and attackers before falling for Don Llorens to blast home his second. After the match, coach Jon Lleranerus offered some thoughts:

There were definitely positives and negatives. Our defense needs to improve a little, but we were positive on the attack and I was happy with the possession stats. Some players played well, some didn't. We'll work on what we need to work on in training. Overall, the friendlies are just a barometer of where we stand now, and I think we're doing pretty well.

The victory gave San Llera its second consecutive win.

by **The Sword Bloke** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 10:17 pm

GROUPS DRAWN, SWORDEANS READY
The groups have been drawn. The Swordeans are in a particular easy group in Group D, stuck with Maretta, Pridnestovia, Aynard, Fratton & Nurkama. The Swordeans will do Esportiva proud in the BoF, says Shop Owner, who'll attend all games played by the Swordeans in a corporate box, enjoying prawn sandwiches. The Swordeans, along with Vermark, are favourites to win it, says Swordean Betting Agency Representive Mario Forfar. So, let's say it, Carn Swordeans!

by **Sargkisia** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 5:45 am

Petyr could not honestly say how long he sat there.

He was a proud Sarg. He loved his country dearly and if you'd put a gun to his head, he'd admit that part of him wanted to see Sargkisia be an independent state for the first time in centuries. And if that was all there was to the issue, that would be fine but, like it or not, Petyr was in the spotlight. He couldn't simply have his views be his - any opinion he professed on any matter, much less an issue as thorny as the independence saga, would be examined and picked apart until it was raw and bleeding. The fans might have wanted their footballing idols to show some more personality and avoid the cliched 'interview-speak', but Petyr knew from experience that that marked you out as somebody...different. Somebody odd.

And all this was before he threw the matter of the captaincy into the stew. He knew elsewhere the captain's armband was treated as little more than a relic where the captain was merely first among equals but, in Lzherusskia and in Sargkisia, the captain was the face of the team. He was the first line of defense against a press pack constantly hungry for headlines; he was the manager's right-hand man; he was a leader of men, and that prospect terrified Petyr. With Smyslova, he'd had the luxury of being relatively unnoticed - always the set-up man in the strike partnership and five or six rungs down the ladder of players the media wanted an interview with - and to leap without the safety harness would scare anybody.

He hoped.

It was there, staring blankly up at the ceiling, that Alex Nikoladze found him. "Petyr. morning," he mumbled, obviously suffering from a vicious hangover. Swallowing a pair of aspirin pills and downing the glass of orange juice in his other hand, Alex slumped down into the armchair and sighed. "You alright?"

"I don't know."

"Are you being melodramatic again?" Even hungover, Alex never failed to use a five-syllable word when two might have done. "What's on your mind?"

Petyr glanced at his teammate. "Can you keep your mouth shut about this if I tell you?"

"Now there's a sentence with a hook," smiled Alex thinly, leaning forward. "Go on, give me the bad news."

Petyr laughed softly. "That's the thing, it's not bad news per se. Anywhere else in the word it'd be incredible news, but I'm not..." He trailed off, still not entirely sure how to phrase it. "Gelashviliev called me this morning. The Sargkisia national football team is happening and he wants me to be captain."

"Jesus Christ," Alex whispered, eyes widening. "Why you? You're terrible with the press!"

Petyr snorted. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, friend. I knew I could count on you to have my back."

"Sorry, Petyr," replied Alex, straightening up, "but you know what I mean. Congratulations, of course, but I'm starting to understand why you look so bloody miserable about it."

"Like I said. Anywhere else in the world, it'd be fantastic news, incredible for a guy's career prospects and prestige. Just not Sargkisia. Not now." Standing up suddenly, Petyr looked longingly into the corner of the lounge. "I could use a drink. Alex?" His teammate was obviously torn, so Petyr added "Hair of the dog? It's not like there's anything urgent for us to do today, is there?"

"Fine," Alex said, capitulating easily. "Whiskey and lemon juice."

"The whiskey I'll grant you," replied Petyr, turning to his drinks cabinet, "but you ever suggest cutting Lermontov's 18th with lemon juice again and I'll have to smack you." Whiskey was one of the great joys in Petyr's life and appreciating it was possibly the only thing he ever learned from his father - it helped that it was a far more socially acceptable way to drink and be merry than beers and shots. A sudden thought hit me. "Am I going to have to curb this habit as well?" Passing Alex a glass and taking a good sniff of his own, Petyr tried to relax. "You think the media are going to attack me for not drinking good Sarg drinks and liking this Lzher swill?"

Alex didn't hesitate to down his measure, and shuddered. "That's better. Now," he said, fixing Petyr with a solid stare. "Like you always do, you're overthinking this and you're probably worrying about nothing. Yes, people are going to wonder where you stand on independence, but all you say to them is 'my opinions are mine alone and I do not want to falsely represent the rest of the team by speaking for them' or words to that effect. It's not perfect, but you know that anybody who keeps dogging you about it is going to end up answering to Gelashviliev, and Lumir will bite his or her head off."

"But I'm going to be asked that question again and again and again, and in situations where I can't fall back on that answer. What then?"

"Then you explain yourself. I've never agreed with you about it because I don't see the point of independence, we've had this argument before, but I'll never argue you don't have the right to that opinion and honestly, I think I'm in a growing minority." Alex went to the drinks cabinet with his empty glass - Lermontov's 18th was smooth stuff. "You've seen how many men, women, ordinary people are part of the Margelash Movement these days, I think it's only a matter of time before the dam properly breaks. When that day comes, which would you rather be? Somebody who quietly supported it but was ashamed of it being public? Or somebody who wasn't afraid to declare themselves?" Dropping ice in the glass, Alex looked back at his friend and teammate. "You know I'm right, Petyr."

"I hate you, Alex," was Petyr's only reply. The younger man had never been to university - professional sportspeople were exempt the mandatory degree programme so long as they were professionals - but football's gain had been a sore loss to the academic world. Picking up his phone, Petyr scrolled through to the unknown number that had called him a little while before. "If this all goes wrong, I'm blaming you."

Taking an appreciative sip, Alex smiled. "Sue me if you like."

Alex was clearly proud of his handiwork but, while Petyr was happy to let him enjoy the credit, it wasn't all merited. Shocked though he was, a small but extremely significant part of Petyr's brain rejoiced when they'd heard the news - his ego. While most professional sportspeople understand they aren't going to be part of the elite, one of the things that grows to define the elite is their unshakable belief that elite is what they are, and Petyr had had that belief for years. It had taken a few lumps, not least seeing Roman Korshunov-Antipin come straight into the Smyslova Virmest lineup and become THE headline, but it still held heavy sway over a lot of his decision-making.

And nothing makes one's ego grow as much as feeling appreciated.

The phone call rang twice, then cut straight to voicemail. "Mr. Gelashviliev, Zedginidze here." Petyr started, not entirely sure how to phrase it. "...I'm in."

by **Korchayk** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 9:57 am

Sports

BoF 58; Groups & Fixtures Drawn
By Arif Zümrüt
Korchayk's group for the Baptism of Fire has been decided. In the early hours of this morning, The Equestrian States and Mizuyuki announced the groups and fixtures in a star studded event. Korchayk has been drawn into Group B and was the last of the six nations to be placed into the group. The Equestrian States announced that the first games will be played at 10:00 PM-Midnight EST (03:00-05:00 UTC) on the 28th of February. According to the schedule, Korchayk will play the bizarrely named Flick Jostle. However, Flick Jostle have not posted their roster so Rauf Zafer Tangör and his team will not be able to prepare for the match. Despite this, the manager will be eager to win the final friendly against Fratton, which will be played tomorrow.

Korchayk's Group
Flick Jostle
El Gregoria
Seventeen Syllables
Sylvackia
Affiliated South Califan Sprawls
KORCHAYK

Korchayk's Friendly Fixture List
KORCHAYK versus Fratton (20/2/15). Result - 2-1
Fratton versus KORCHAYK (22/2/15). Result - 3-3
KORCHAYK versus Fratton (24/2/15) Result - 1-2
Fratton versus KORCHAYK (26/2/15). Result - ?

Korchayk's Baptism of Fire Fixture List
Flick Jostle versus KORCHAYK (28/2/15). Result - ?
KORCHAYK versus Sylvackia (1/3/15). Result - ?
El Gregoria versus KORCHAYK (2/3/15). Result - ?
KORCHAYK versus Affiliated South Califan Sprawls (3/3/15). Result - ?
Seventeen Syllables versus KORCHAYK (4/3/15). Result - ?

by **The Sword Bloke** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 1:25 pm

THE SWORDEAN TIMES
Player of the Week
George Haklim
This week's player of the week is George Haklim, the Swordean Goalie.
Haklim has had a wonderful career at That Team since joining in 2009.
His career started in 2001 at the Amaes Bloodefus Academy, where he was originally a striker before being changed to goalie due to his height (Haklim is 197cm). And what an idea that was!
He eventually became a member of the That Team youth side in 2006, and a year later at the age of 17, he was named a senior team player for Far Our United. After just 4 games over 3 seasons up to 2009, he eventually got released. That Team saw the magic in young George, signing him on. His breakthrough season was 2009-10, spending a year on loan at the now defunct Busko United team in the now defunct 2nd Division. He was named the team's best and fairest at the end of season after playing all 32 games, keeping 21 clean sheets and despite the team finishing mid-table. Haklim got his 1st international appearance in July 2010, and he starred for That Team that season. He played all 28 games for them that season, winning the best and fairest there as well, as he put himself as That Team's and the national side's 1st choice goalie.
2011-12 was good for Haklim, though he missed 7 games with injury, keeping clean sheets in 14 of his 21 games. 2012-13 was another strong one for him, playing all games and winning another B&F. 2013-14 was his worst season at that team, playing only 6 games due to knee surgery, and despite that, Haklim is still the best goalie in the Meski Swordean Premier League.

by **Eupheos-Anetus** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 8:07 pm

Groups Drawing and Tense Friendlies

This week for the Euphesian national teams is one of the most exciting for any national team participating in the Baptism of Fire. The groups were drawn for the upcoming conversation and Eupheos-Anetus drew a very difficult but very winnable group. Manager Fred Mendel discussed his trust in his team's ability to perform during a very humorous and quite casual press conference held with Mendel, Jaeger, Martolo, and Reed all in attendance. One of the team in our groups is that of Flardania who the national team recently played a two-game home-and-away series against. In a tense match that went down to the final moment when Flardanian striker Joseph Yabuta scored in the 83' to tie the match at 1-1 on Flardania's home pitch. The match was very back-and-forth and which youngster, Lambert Britton was able to put one in the back of the net during his first start on the Euphesian national team after leading the youth team to many great victories before. When the two teams came to Marcelo to play out the second match the Euphesians game was crisp and fundamentally strong and were able to put in two goals and only allow one goal to Norio Osada early in the second half. Mendel expressed his happiness with the team's performance going into the Baptism of Fire especially against teams they will see in the competition. He also wanted to make it clear that his team is entirely focused on football and off-field issues have been solved after Lyles King was dismissed from the squad and banned from Euphesian international soccer competition and Terrance Stern was called up to the substitutes. Following this paragraph are my analyses of the team's major rivals in group play.

Flardania-Very strong fundamental team. They have a few standouts but there major strength is their ability to play as a team and make each other stronger but making few mistakes and taking advantage of their opponents. They are primarily reactive and take what is given by their opponents. The key to overall success against Flardania is keeping their three strikers in check especially their primary goalscorer Joseph Yabuta. The Euphesian defense is likely to be drilled out of their minds before the Flardanian game discussing the strategy they are using to stop the aggressive Flardanian attack.

Strengths: Very offensive, fundamentally strong
Weaknesses: Sometimes too aggressive (open to counter-attacks), and defense is not as strong as some other teams

Matthewsiania-Matthewsiania has not been very active when it comes to friendlies before the Baptism of Fire. There is not much to go off of but from the film I have seen of their play I can see their overall balance. There balance makes it very hard to pick a particular strategy to use against them but halftime adjustments will be key in this match against Matthewsiania. Mendel must take control of the situation and ensure that the players understand what they need to do to win the match. The Matthewsiania team will be led by center midfielder Bressinho, who currently is playing for Manchester City, with the help of a key support cast of captain forward Werdickley Safadao and goalkeeper Pedrinho Cleston. This team will be a challenge but I definitely expect wins for the Euphesians.

Strengths: Their balance and strong leadership
Weaknesses: No real standouts, stars are not participating in this tournament.

Vermark-The Vermanian team is definitely one of the better teams in the entire tournament. They offer a slightly attacked-minded but still very balanced approach to international football. They are extremely disciplined yet still explosive. They are very well coached and their players believe in their ability to win matches and take no days off whether a scrimmage or the finals. Very impressive in my eyes. Erik Hjamar is likely to cause problems for Bishop's defense but Alexander Bishop will likely attempt to contain the attack from Hjamar and the other forward Isaacsson. Definitely a game that is up for grabs. I believe it will go to whoever is better prepared and who wants to wants it more and is willing to put their bodies on the line for the win.

Strengths: Disciplined and well-coached. Very good style of play.
Weaknesses: Prone to make occasional errors on the edges of the back four fullbacks.

by **Velstaende** » Wed Feb 25, 2015 9:24 pm

The Velstaende Mountain Lions
Style Modifier: -4

Tactic

The Velstaende Mountain Lions play a defensive game with most of the offense coming from the counterattack and making the most of set pieces. Formation-wise, the team plays with a 5-3-2 Sweeper formation. The main objective of this formation is to contain the opposing offense and clear the ball from the team's defending third. The strikers are the bulk of the attack with midfielders playing a supporting role. The team likes to go Route One in starting attacks, attempting to strike quickly and transition back to defense. Corners are taken by midfielders with a center back moving up to the top of the goal box and the other moving into the attacking third for support. One of the center backs will generally take the long free kicks. The sweeper hardly moves up beyond the midfield line.

In summary, contain, counter, strike.

Starting XI

#17 - Arvid Aamodt (26 y/o) - Left Striker Kaldhavn BK
Aamodt serves as the advanced forward for the Velsh national side and for his domestic team, Kaldhavn BK. His greatest asset is his pace and acceleration. In the Velsh system of soccer, all attacks are done quickly and with little support. The team attempts to play the ball forward to Aamodt who then uses his pace to outrun opposing defenders and get in alone with the goalkeeper. On defense, he sits up as high as the opposing defense will allow.

#25 - Felix Strand (24) - Right Striker Grønndalen 1984
Strand is very much a goal poacher and aerialist. He is most of a threat on corners where his height and jumping reach give him dominance of the goal box. On attacks, he accompanies Aamodt up the pitch and is there to collect any rebounds and take second chances. Alternatively, if the attack comes from a more structured effort as opposed to the counterattack, he can work the ball in the box and score that way.

#24 - Kjetil Naustvik (21) - Left Midfielder Railroaders United
Naustvik is a strong midfielder from Railroaders United, based in Jernbane Krysset. He supports Aamodt and Strand on the attack and stays a bit outside the goal box in order to keep the pressure on in the event the defense tries to clear. He would either take a long shot or play it back in to the box. Defensively, his job is to shadow the opposing winger or striker on his side. He closes down on them and tries to work the ball away from them. Also, he would move forward in a corner kick situation and attempt to win the ball and drive it home.

#13 - Alf Rovlund (25) - Center Midfielder Innsjøby Lakers
Rovlund is a roaming midfielder. He moves about the center of the pitch wherever he is needed and doesn't necessarily stick to his position. He is less involved on offense, generally sitting a ways back from the action and playing any cleared balls back into the thick of things. Defensively he doesn't force the issue of obtaining possession. Instead, he stays between the ball and the goal, sometimes striking out to intercept a pass and play it up to the strikers. He will also often shift towards whichever side of the pitch is feeling the most pressure from the opposition.

#33 - Verner Skjolsvold (22) - Right Midfielder Twin Peaks FK
Skjolsvold is a high-energy, quick player on the right hand side. He pushes further up than the other midfielders on the attack. Staying low to the baseline, he is an option for Naustvik or Rovlund to play the ball to if there is no clear channel directly into the box. He would then cross the ball into Aamodt and Strand. Defensively, he pressures strikers and wingers much like Naustvik does and tries to push them to the outside. While he isn't as strong as Naustvik, meaning he doesn't challenge as well, he forces opponents to pass the ball to the center where Rovlund has a chance to intercept.

#4 - Bjarte Haugsrud (27) - Left Back Reinsdyrskog Jegere
Haugsrud is a fullback, but likes to move up the pitch from time to time on offense. While he generally sticks to the midfield line, he occasionally ventures forward to collect a loose ball and knock it back forward. Though this is rare and would normally only be done in a trailing situation as he wouldn't want to compromise the team's defensive integrity. When on defense, he marks whichever attacker moves down low onto the edge. This is to cut off the opportunity to cross the ball into the box.

#41 - Per Ingstad (25) - Left Center Back Mineral Town FK
Ingstad is a solid center back with a strong foot. He sticks close to attackers trying to make their way to the center of the goal box and attempts to muscle the ball away from them and make a clearance. He sticks firm to the midfield line while the team is on the attack and is the player of choice when it comes to long free kicks. He has the ability to launch the ball a long way and loft it nicely into the attacking third allowing for an attack to develop from there. He has high stamina, giving him the ability to stick with the most agile and mobile of attackers.

#31 - Teodor Gundersen (27) - Right Center Back Kullgruve Mile High
Gundersen is another rock in the back for the Mountain Lions. He uses his energy to dominate attackers attempting to pierce the defensive line and work the ball away from them and play it up to the midfielders or strikers, if possible. He also has the pace to keep up with opposition breaking on the counterattack. Offensively, he sits back a bit more than Ingstad because he has less of a role in pushing the ball into the final third. Overall, he serves as a true defender and never participates in the attack.

#5 - Lukas Halskar (24) - Right Back Grønndalen 1984
Halskar plays a very structured game at right back. This is to make up for the more fluid game played by Skjolsvold in front of him. He doesn't move forward from the midfield line when the Mountain Lions attack lest he be caught out of position and Skjolsvold be too far up to assist him. However, when the team is on defense, he takes wingers on his side of the pitch out of the equation by marking them tightly. He moves down to the corner only if the ball moves there as well. He opts to cover the recipients of the cross instead of preventing the cross itself. This is allowable due to the number of defenders the Velsh team keeps in the box.

#12 - Asbjorn Fjaerestad (30) - Sweeper Nyhavn Atletisk Union
Fjaerestad is the last line of defense for the Mountain Lions. He is a total non-factor on the attack and plays an entirely defensive role. He is there whenever the opposition gets behind the Velsh defensive line. Upon any sort of breakthrough past the line, his job is to clear the ball and remove the danger. The objective is to keep the ball away from the goal and to allow players to stay higher up and participate in the counterattack. Fjaerestad ensures that the even if the defense fails, there is another opportunity to keep the net clear.

#1 - Havard Syversen (31) - Goalkeeper Nyhavn Atletisk Union
Syversen is a very vocal and quite eccentric goaltender. He has a very high energy level despite being one of the oldest players on the squad. He does a good job of directing his teammates on defense and set pieces, often pointing out players that may have been missed when setting up the coverage. He is wont to punch away shots and jump in front of crosses to steal them away. In situations where the ball comes forward to him without much danger, he will press up a ways out of the box with Fjaerestad, his domestic league teammate, and play the ball forward along with him.

Substitutions
#28 - Torbjørn Stensrud (23) - Striker Railroaders United
#23 - Asmund Nerhus (29) - Striker Nyhavn Atletisk Union
#2 - Stig Ostenstad (20) - Center Midfielder Blåklipper Blues FK
#39 - Varg Ytterhus (23) - Left Midfielder Capitol Hill BK
#14 - Halvor Tobiassen (25) - Center Back Twin Peaks FK
#48 - Torstein Paldan (32) - Left Back Kaldhavn FK
#18 - Oscar Moen (24) - Goalkeeper Railroaders United

Reserves
#6 - Adrian Nielsen (20) - Striker Innsjøby Lakers
#16 - Linus Mostue (27) - Center Midfielder Jernvene Iron FK
#8 - Espen Oedegaard (22) - Right Midfielder Toppmøte BK
#21 - Erik Listow (26) - Center Back Blåklipper Blues FK
#23 - Hjalmar Saether (23) - Goalkeeper Mineral Town FK

Roles
Penalties: Felix Strand
Short Free Kicks: Kjetil Naustvik
Long Free Kicks: Per Ingstad
Left Corners: Kjetil Naustvik
Right Corners: Verner Skjolsvold

Management
Manager: Lukas Andsnes (41)
Assistant Coach: Fridtjof Lanser (50)
Assistant Coach: Gustav Fretheim (34)
Goalkeeping Coach: Valter Guidon (33)

Home Stadium
Nyhavn Kommunale Stadion (65,000)

RP Permissions
I choose length of injuries. Other than that, have fun!

by **Flardania** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 2:04 am

Est-ce le destin ou déjà vu?, Flardania gets drawn into Group C in BOF 58
Français|日本語|English
FBC News | Flardanian Broadcasting Corporation

Manager Hikaru Kyosuke arriving at Nia Teppelin Memorial International Airport.

Flardanians chering Yabuta's Equalizer against Eupheos-Anetus

Kairaku, Flardania- After returning to Kairaku from a 0-1-1 series against Eupheos-Anetus the Flardania national team awaited the Group drawings and were a little surprised. In the first match up in Flardania tied 1-1 with Eupheos-Anetus in Eureka, Flardania thanks to a late goal in the 83' by Joseph Yabuta which shook the arena.Flardania was less sucessful when they headed to Marcelo for the second half of the series where they fell 2-1 in what was a competitive game. The one goal was scored by Norio Osada in the 49th minute.

When the Kitsunes arived at Nia Teppelin Memorial International Airport in Kairaku they were stunned to learn they were drawn into group C.
BOF 58 Group C
Kazirstan Matthewsiania
Vermark Eupheos Anetus
Velstaende
Flardania

Flardania was shockingly grouped with Eupheos Anetus after there competitive series. Hikaru Kyosuke manager of the team had some words before departing with the team to Nia Teppelin Airport towards Equestrian States. "We played good close games with our opponents and we had great chīmuwāku! One thing I plan on doing is departing for Equestrian States now so we can rest from the flight, then meet with some of the fans that will be with us with support, but primarily I plan on some drills. I need Kim to score from mid-field like I know he can to keep our opponents of balanced we also need to better recover during possession change to limit counter attacks. This will be an interesting tournament that I would like to go deep in. A win in the first match against Velstaende can help us avoid playing catchup in the group standings."

The Kitsunes are currently boarding there designated plan bound for the Equestrian States. Coach Kyosuke seems satisfied with his scheme and hopes for a good showing against The Velstaende Mountain Lions defense. The team once again thanks all it's fans for making every game feel like home and would like to thank Air Pacifica for making it easier for fans to come show their support. We at FBC would like to remind those at home, that games can be seen on Nagatomo Sport Network (NSN) and Saito Broadcast Channel (SBC)

Article by: Timothy Norfolk

by **Palfania** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 6:16 am

Groups Drawn for the 58th Baptisim of Fire

Palfania has been drawn in group E for the 58th instalment of the Baptism of Fire. The team's first foray into international soccer will not be an easy one, with countries Sovereign-Socialist Republics, Szavoda, Walkany, The Hakifao Federation and Sargkisia filling out the rest of group E. While not typically a soccer nation, Szavoda, will be a considerable hurdle in Palfania's BoF chances due to the deadliness of striker Mijo Nikazic. At only 18 years of age, it already looks like he'll have a major impact in Szavoda's games. Sargkisia is also another team to look out for, although, little is known about their team.

Palfanian manager, Bob Deyne had this to say about the group draw: "No matter what teams were drawn in the group, we we're going to have it tough. I mean, we weren't even allowed to kick a ball in public without being arrested a few months ago. The boys are eager to show their stuff in the tournament, however, and we'll be trying our hardest to get results on the pitch. At the very least, we will showcase the strengths of our nation on the world stage".

The first match played will be against Sargkisia in two days time. Catch all the action right here as we continue our previews to the Baptism of Fire.

by **Frenline Delpha** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 6:29 am

Frenline Delpha defeated 2-1

By Jamie Sternly, Sports Journalist

In Frenline Delpha's second friendly match before the World Cup, Frenline Delpha lost to the nation of Trans-Dniesters by a score of 2-1. The sad part about the loss is that only one person showed up for the match on the opposing team. He never spoke, never said anything. He arrived with a letter saying that he would be the only participant for Trans-Dniesters. In fact, only 3' into the game, he scored a marvelous goal from 17 feet out. His skill was impeccable, and he managed to out-manuver everyone else on the pitch. Frenline quockly retaliated, though. RM Trinity Gerbon scored at the 7' mark. His miraculous left footed hook shot sailed smoothly into the net uncontested. After a sub in the 38' for Frenline's Wesley Staple slipped on the turf and twisted his ankle. He will be out for one game. In the second half, Frenline was plagued with offsides lef and right. Finally, at the 89' mark, the strange man scored on a beauty of a free kick. The shot went form 32 yards out, and it sailed right into the back of the net. Time soon expired, and Frenline had its first loss of the teams carrer. Frenline Delpha is now 1-0-1.
Stay tuned later for a group evaluation.

by **Korchayk** » Thu Feb 26, 2015 11:13 am

Sports

BoF 58; Korchayk Win Final Game Before The BoF
By Jaledar Papatya
Korchayk's final friendly against Fratton before the Baptism of Fire ended in an extremely positive fashion with a 0-2 victory. With Korchayk's first fixture in the Baptism of Fire rapidly approaching and the memory of the 1-2 friendly loss at home very present in Korchayki memories, a victory was vital for both the Korchayki player's morale and the Korchayki fan's confidence in their team. Fortunately, the team delivered in a dominant style in front of 20,000 Korchayki fans who made the lengthy journey to Fratton.

Formation
For the fourth time in a row, Rauf Zafer Tangör changed his formation and team again. Employing a 4-5-1, Tangör rotated the goalkeepers yet again. Ali Uktu was replaced by Görkem Konnur, Tangör's and Korchayk's number one. Omay Ubeydullah, who scored Korchayk's only goal in the previous match, and Dalan Şehsuvar remained in centre defence. Ahmed Iğla was benched after a poor showing, freeing up space for Hakan Peyami to come back into the side. Koray Zihni retained his position at right back. Demir İlaydın maintained his role the team as the centre defensive midfielder. The wide positions were filled by Kâmil Gazanfer and Tanyel Işılak. Beyond the left and right midfielders, Şadan Yahya and Osman Hakkı played as the attacking midfielders. The striker role was filled up by Yusuf Zinnur, who was benched in the previous game due to a slight knock he received. Happily for Korchayk, he had recovered in time for the match. Ali Uktu, Ahmed Iğla, Bafun Vahit, Mustafa Faik, Jek Rıfkı, Hüseyin Akgüç and Sadık Saadeddin were on the bench.

Match Report
Fratton kicked off the first half. However, they soon lost the ball and Korchayk began to dominate. This would be a recurring theme throughout the game. Korchayk had their first chance in the fifth minute. Kâmil Gazanfer got the ball on the left hand side and ran 40 yards. Then, he crossed the ball across the field to Tanyel Işılak. He cut inside Lee Smith and slid the ball towards the bottom left corner. However, David Cole, the Frattonian 'keeper tipped the ball onto the post, allowing Liam Nickson to clear it. Despite some solid defending from Fratton, it took just twelve minutes for Korchayk to score. Yet again, it was the veteran striker Yusuf Zinnur who provided the goal. Demir İlaydın floated an amazing through ball over the Frattonian defence. Zinnur, who, despite his age, has substantial pace, got on to the pass and ran at the Frattonian goalkeeper. The 'keeper advanced on Zinnur, who gently chipped the ball over him. With Fratton one goal down, the appeared to capitulate. They had very little of the ball and Korchayk just passed the ball around, wasting time. At half time, the Frattonian players walked off the pitch, their heads hung low as if they'd already lost.

The second half started in a similar vein. Korchayk kicked off and had pretty much solid possession for the next fifteen minutes. Sixty minutes into the game, Osman Hakkı had to be substituted for Jek Rıfkı after picking up a slight limp. Fratton had their first shot of the game in the seventieth minute, a wide effort from George McGuire. Just six minutes later, however, Korchayk scored the second goal of the game. Tanyel Işılak took a corner, which was headed away by Howard Williams. Despite this, Demir İlaydın was able to get the ball on the edge of the penalty area, control it and smashed it into the top right corner. The outstanding goal was heavily celebrated by the Korchayki fans with klaxons and flares. The rest of the match was unremarkable and, by the final whistle, the Fratton fans were apoplectic with rage due to their teams poor performance, but the Korchayki fans were ecstatic, with a chant going around the ground of 'we're going to win the world cup'. The fans can but hope, but based on this performance, the Baptism of Fire doesn't seem out of reach.

Korchayk's Friendly Fixture List
KORCHAYK versus Fratton (20/2/15). Result - 2-1
Fratton versus KORCHAYK (22/2/15). Result - 3-3
KORCHAYK versus Fratton (24/2/15) Result - 1-2
Fratton versus KORCHAYK (26/2/15). Result - 0-2

Korchayk's Baptism of Fire Fixture List
Flick Jostle versus KORCHAYK (28/2/15). To be played at Wild Grounds, Everfree. Result - ?
KORCHAYK versus Sylvackia (1/3/15). To be played at Wild Grounds, Everfree. Result - ?
El Gregoria versus KORCHAYK (2/3/15). To be played at Diamond Park, Stalliongrad. Result - ?
KORCHAYK versus Affiliated South Califan Sprawls (3/3/15). To be played at Star Stadium, Canterlot. Result - ?
Seventeen Syllables versus KORCHAYK (4/3/15). To be played at Star Stadium, Canterlot. Result - ?

Baptism of Fire 58 - RPs/Rosters/Results Thread

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