World Cup 74 - RPing Thread

by **San Jose Guayabal** » Wed Feb 03, 2016 6:22 pm

World Cup 74 - San José Guayabal & Valladares
Roleplay Thread

Discussion Thread • Rosters • RP Thread • Results
Bid • Signups • Ranks • Friendlies

The Asociación Valladar de Fútbol and the Federación Guayabalense de Fútbol welcomes you to the 74th edition of the World Cup, where 140 teams will compete in order to qualify for the Multiverse's Finest footballing event for nations.

The United Kingdom of Valladares is a constitutional monarchy located in the region of Rushmore, comprised of 11 federal states located in the Terranea and Terramidia continents. It is renowned for being one of the region’s most developed countries with an ever-growing economy which has helped guarantee an equity in income and economic stability for all its citizens, and an infrastructure and services that are continuously upgraded to meet its citizens’ needs. Valladares is also famous for the beauty of its landscapes and natural environments which attract thousands of tourists every year, and the kindness, happiness, and compassion of its citizens. The country's relatively recent opening to its neighbours and to the multiverse (mainly on the sports and diplomacy fields) has helped the nation establish cordial relationships with several other nations all over the multiverse and has had a significant impact on its economy and culture, although the latter can be questioned due to the fact that its natural social heterogeneity, which was forged through history, makes it difficult to establish a "unified" Valladar culture.

Located in the southernmost corner of Inferiore Minore, Esportiva, San José Guayabal is a nation known for its environmental policies and claims to be its region's most happy and developed population and also one of the most egalitarian societies in the region. Comprised by 18 provinces and two colonies Governed by Queen Margaret I, the country is a constitutional monarchy as its royal family plays a prominent role in Guayabalense society and is politically active. Boasting a high HDI rating and a dynamic and stable economy, San José Guayabal is an advanced and a well educated nation which not long ago emerged from a period of civil war which ultimately led to the fall of a brutal communist regime but has quickly recovered thanks in part to the efficient work ethic of its people and now enjoys the combination of market economy and a huge welfare system with universal health care and a comprehensive social security system including a huge oil and renewable energy industry. With a beautiful environment, friendly population, and adequated infrastructure, San José Guayabal has a booming tourist industry that welcomes foreign travelers with open arms with an state of the art infrastructure waiting for them and capable to host a World Cup or any international tournament.

The people in both nations are waiting for the best teams of the multiverse and ready to see high quality football across both nations hosting venues, before this extremely captivating show goes underway, thirty teams must earn their spot to visit Valladar and Guayabalense lands, the qualifiers are coming soon and there are 140 teams that will give it all in order to get that extremely wished spots in Valladares and San José Guayabal.

This place is where you should post your RP's, it doesn't matters if they are extremely large epic stories, short but captivating journal entries from your nation's media or another thing you have hidden up in your sleeve. This is also the place where the competition calendar, group drawing and any important thing that could be necessary to post throughout the tournament.

Pot 1:

Pasarga (1)
Eura (2)
Vilita (4)
Audioslavia (5)
Osarius (6)
Valanora (7)
Nephara (8)
The Holy Empire (9)
Farfadillis (11)
Saintland (12)
The Royal Kingdom of Quebec (13)
Turori (14)
Barunia (15)
Kandorith (17)
Cosumar (18)
Apox (19)
Unified Sunrise Islands (20)
Falatulu (21)
Ko-oren (22)
Equestrian States (23)

Pot 2:

Electrum (24)
Nova Anglicana (25)
Kernansquillec (26)
Zenic (27)
Ceni (28)
Gregoryisgodistan (29)
Starblaydia (30)
Abanhfleft (32)
Yttribia (33)
Kirisaki (34)
Semarland (35)
Krytenia (36)
Schottia (38)
The Sarian (39)
Brenecia (40)
Flardania (41)
Polkopia (42)
Szavoda (43)
Chiata (45)
Super-Llamaland (47)

Pot 3:

Sandwich Territories (48)
Polaaskan (49)
Omerica (51)
Carialus (52)
Acronius (53)
Jeruselem (54)
Nassau-Hessen (55)
Stvoto Latoli (57)
Crystal Empire (58)
United States of Devonta (60)
Boring Paradise (64)
Quakmybush (64)
Eastfield Lodge (66)
Greater Watford (67)
Sameba (68)
Matthewsiania (69)
Bears Armed (70)
Taeshan (71)
The Sword Bloke (72)
Garifunya (78)

Pot 4:

Lymantatia (79)
San Llera (80)
New Gelderland (81)
Frenline Delpha (82)
Banguela (84)
U.F.C of Buyan (85)
Associated Godlands (88)
Sarrbia (89)
Britonisea (92)
Octinstine (93)
Eshan (96)
Augusticinia (97)
Fluvique (100)
Port Christopher (105)
Armeia (109)
Walkany (114)
Damukuni (118)
Chromatika (119)
Dainer (120)
Kaboomlandia (120)

Pot 5:

Dreamplanet (125)
Amazonesta (136)
Estelar (149)
Dudgeon (152)
Ficiscia (155)
Nizov (160)
Santaclausisgodistan (160)
Vettrera (160)
Arcantova (169)
Filopines (169)
Red Blackiland (173)
St Saratoga (182)
Unified Lycan Territories (187)
Uzekia (187)
Arioslavia (195)
Firebolt (195)
Oontaz Dert Li Ng (195)
Pinuyi (195)
The Medician Islands (195)
Aestate (214)

Pot 6:

Bongo Johnson (215)
Ethane (215)
Fellow Citizens (215)
Quazira (215)
Azrea (228)
Yosmar (231)
46566 (246)
-Anthor- (246)
Nordeana (246)
Ferret Civilisation (258)
Judinct (258)
Oisinistan (258)
Owner-osity (258)
Silvacometopia (258)
Whovian Tardisia (258)
Allamunnic States (277)
Asuraia (277)
Eodor (277)
Koenigreich von Kurland (277)
Raltharan (277)

Pot 7:

Asterland (288)
Kynystan (288)
Banija (293)
Greater Rashland (298)
HUElavia (298)
Swestan (298)
Braxil (UR)
Danina (UR)
Fujino (UR)
Hedestadt (UR)
Jeckland (UR)
Modorsica (UR)
New Ducklands (UR)
Nuevo Caracas (UR)
Rejistania (UR)
Schiavonia (UR)
Shytysle (UR)
The Serbian Empire (UR)
Union of American Democrats III (UR)
Vaugania (UR)

Group 1:

The Holy Empire (9)
HUElavia (298)
Schottia (38)
Bears Armed (70)
Whovian Tardisia (258)
New Gelderland (81)
Aestate (214)

Group 2:

U.F.C of Buyan (85)
Ceni (28)
Boring Paradise (64)
Unified Sunrise Islands (20)
Oisinistan (258)
Oontaz Dert Li Ng (195)
Modorsica (UR)

Group 3:

Damukuni (118)
Asuraia (277)
Acronius (53)
Gregoryisgodistan (29)
Filopines (169)
Osarius (6)
The Serbian Empire (UR)

Group 4:

Fujino (UR)
Audioslavia (5)
The Sword Bloke (72)
Port Christopher (105)
-Anthor- (246)
The Medician Islands (195)
Yttribia (33)

Group 5:

Hedestadt (UR)
Sameba (68)
Pasarga (1)
Walkany (114)
Dreamplanet (125)
Raltharan (277)
Super-Llamaland (47)

Group 6:

Saintland (12)
Banguela (84)
Kynystan (288)
Pinuyi (195)
Greater Watford (67)
Ethane (215)
The Sarian (39)

Group 7:

Crystal Empire (58)
Dainer (120)
Kernansquillec (26)
Banija (293)
Dudgeon (152)
Ko-oren (22)
Quazira (215)

Group 8:

Arcantova (169)
United States of Devonta (60)
Armeia (109)
Zenic (27)
Nuevo Caracas (UR)
Farfadillis (11)
Silvacometopia (258)

Group 9:

Carialus (52)
Octinstine (93)
Chiata (45)
Judinct (258)
Schiavonia (UR)
Eura (2)
Amazonesta (136)

Group 10:

Starblaydia (30)
Firebolt (195)
Apox (19)
Azrea (228)
San Llera (80)
Danina (UR)
Jeruselem (54)

Group 11:

New Ducklands (UR)
Taeshan (71)
Koenigreich von Kurland (277)
Nizov (160)
Vilita (4)
Polkopia (42)
Lymantatia (79)

Group 12:

Britonisea (92)
Barunia (15)
Swestan (298)
Red Blackiland (173)
Ferret Civilisation (258)
Krytenia (36)
Matthewsiania (69)

Group 13:

Augusticinia (97)
Braxil (UR)
Yosmar (231)
Uzekia (187)
Nephara (8)
Abanhfleft (32)
Omerica (51)

Group 14:

Shytysle (UR)
Fellow Citizens (215)
St Saratoga (182)
Sandwich Territories (48)
Fluvique (100)
Equestrian States (23)
Nova Anglicana (25)

Group 15:

Polaaskan (49)
Brenecia (40)
Santaclausisgodistan (160)
The Royal Kingdom of Quebec (13)
Allamunnic States (277)
Kaboomlandia (120)
Rejistania (UR)

Group 16:

Valanora (7)
46566 (246)
Kirisaki (34)
Arioslavia (195)
Stvoto Latoli (57)
Jeckland (UR)
Chromatika (119)

Group 17:

Eodor (277)
Greater Rashland (298)
Ficiscia (155)
Semarland (35)
Kandorith (17)
Eshan (96)
Quakmybush (64)

Group 18:

Turori (14)
Garifunya (78)
Associated Godlands (88)
Vettrera (160)
Nordeana (246)
Flardania (41)
Union of American Democrats III (UR)

Group 19:

Eastfield Lodge (66)
Unified Lycan Territories (187)
Owner-osity (258)
Cosumar (18)
Szavoda (43)
Vaugania (UR)
Sarrbia (89)

Group 20:

Bongo Johnson (215)
Electrum (24)
Estelar (149)
Asterland (288)
Nassau-Hessen (55)
Frenline Delpha (82)
Falatulu (21)

Qualifying - Group Stage

World Cup 74 qualifying will consist of 20 groups, where each team will play the others in their group twice in a double round robin, one team will get a bye considering that we will have seven teams in each Qualifying group: once at home and once on the road. During the first leg of qualifying (MDs 1-7), all the groups will be scorinated by San José Guayabal approximately at 8:30 PM CST (Doesn't observes Daylight Saving - 2:30 AM UTC), for the second leg of qualifying (MDs 8-14), all the groups will be scorinated by Valladares between 10:00 PM - 11:00 PM EST (Doesn't observes Daylight Saving - 3:00 AM - 4:00 AM UTC). The first team listed in each fixture is the home team.

Matchday Calendar


Scorinated by San José Guayabal
Scorinated by Valladares

February 15th: MD1 - 2v7, 3v6, 4v5 (1 bye) 
February 16th: MD2 - 6v4, 7v3, 1v2 (5 bye)
February 17th: MD3 - 3v1, 4v7, 5v6 (2 bye)
February 18th: MD4 - 7v5, 1v4, 2v3 (6 bye)
February 19th: MD5 - 4v2, 5v1, 6v7 (3 bye)
February 21st: MD6 - 1v6, 2v5, 3v4 (7 bye)
February 22nd: MD7 - 5v3, 6v2, 7v1 (4 bye)
February 23rd: Rest day
February 24th: MD8 - 7v2, 6v3, 5v4 (1 bye)
February 25th: MD9 - 4v6, 3v7, 2v1 (5 bye)
February 26th: MD10 - 1v3, 7v4, 6v5 (2 bye)
February 27th: MD11 - 5v7, 4v1, 3v2 (6 bye)
February 28th: MD12 - 2v4, 1v5, 7v6 (3 bye)
February 29th: MD13 - 6v1, 5v2, 4v3 (7 bye)
March    1st : MD14 - 3v5, 2v6, 1v7 (4 bye)
March    2nd : Playoffs - 1st Leg
March    3rd : Playoffs - 2nd Leg

The posted schedule and cutoff times are subject to change by the hosts. Any changes to the original plan will be announced in the WCDT and will be edited into this post.

World Cup Finals:

Groups A-D to be based in Valladares and scorinated by SJG approximately at 8:30 PM CST (Doesn't observes Daylight Saving - 2:30 AM UTC), groups E-H to be based in SJG and scorinated by Valladares between 10:00 PM - 11:00 PM EST (Doesn't observes Daylight Saving - 3:00 AM - 4:00 AM UTC). The first team listed in each fixture is the home team.

Matchday Calendar


Friday, March 11th: MD 1 - 1v4, 2v3
Sunday, March 13th: MD 2 - 4v3, 1v2
Tuesday, March 15th: MD 3 - 2v4, 3v1
Thursday, 17th: Round of 16 - A1vB2, C1vD2, B1vA2, D1vC2, E1vF2, G1vH2, F1vE2, H1vG2
Saturday, 19th: Quarter-Finals - SR1vSR2, SR3vSR4, SR5vSR6, SR7vSR8
Monday, March  21st: Semifinals - QF1vQF2, QF3vQF4
Tuesday, March 22nd: 3PPO - SF1 Loser vs. SF2 Loser
Wednesday, March 23rd: The Grand Finale - SF1 Winner vs. SF2 Winner

The posted schedule and cutoff times are subject to change by the hosts. Any changes to the original plan will be announced in the WCDT and will be edited into this post.

by **San Jose Guayabal** » Wed Feb 03, 2016 6:23 pm

NOTE: Due to character restrictions, the last part of my IC information is in Valladares placeholder.

Provided by The Guayabalense Ministry of Trade and Industry

Information extracted from the official website of the Viceministry of Tourism in www.visitguayabal.com/en/

Demonym: Guayabalense/Guayabalian/Guayabalese
Nickname: Mountaineers, Guavas, Guavalite.
Region: Esportiva
Capital: San Salvador
Population: 55,570,274.(2206 census)
Largest City: San Salvador
Trigramme/TLA: SJG
Motto: “Unidos Somos Mas Fuertes“
Languages Spoken: Spanish, English, (Most widely used - Official) Russian, Swedish, Finnish (Official) Norwegian, Finnish, Arabic, German (De facto)
Administrative Regions: 18 Provinces + 2 Autonomous Republics

Key: It's suggested to check those maps under the spoiler, in order to locate the tourists and your team better, also there's our Highway System shwoing the different highways to reach your destination and the political administration of the country.

Introduction

The Kingdom of San José Guayabal, or also known as Guayabal or simply called SJG is a culturally diverse nation, inhabited by at least thirty ethnic minority groups and five other major ethnic groups, forming a bond of brotherhood between each group, giving to the nation a strong reputation of unity and brotherhood even in the most difficult moments and being politically speaking a stable nation working into the frame of a Constitutional Monarchy. The ancestral heritage given by Spanish colonizers and a mixture of innovation and creativity have shown positive effects in this vibrant nation located in the southernmost corner of Esportiva. In this basic information guide is presented important information that will help the tourist (Regardless of nationality, sex, species, religion, etc.) to have a pleasant stay in San José Guayabal, with phrases and tips that will be much useful.

History

Originally, San José Guayabal was inhabited by a tribe from the South Pole, which has been called "Eskimos" and which our country still live to this day, beginning more than 2,600 years before Christ. Eskimos settled in small communities on the shores of the south coast of the nation, developing solitarily without contact with most members of other ethnic groups. The economy was based on hunting and selling bearskins for the winter season, or the planting and harvesting of grapes or apples during the spring time. The system of government was nonexistent and remained so for a long time, where the Eskimos were the majority before a new ethnic group in the center of the country, which was the group of "Wára-Wára" who ended up being called "Native Guayabalenses.”

Many centuries later, nothing changed regarding the ethnic background of the population, because the Eskimos maintained a social domain but now much stronger than ever through a central government called "Naalakkersueriaaseq" or simply "Naala", consisting of a governor who tended to meet the role of chief and spiritual guide of the nation. Note that they abandoned their nomadic practices and decided to establish around the "Great Lake" now called "Metropolitan Lake", about 230 km from what is now San Salvador, the capital.

We are going back to closest date to today, specifically in the 14th century BC, a new ethnic group came from the Northern regions which, specifically from Andarica, The Spaniards who colonized our country with the valorous mission of Explorer Luis Barbosa (Who’s considered as founder of the nation) and transformed it into an important cultural spot for Esportiva then. The discovery of new cities and new cultures was almost unstoppable, the isolated Eskimos decided to merge into a new society, full of opportunities for everybody. And that hasn’t stopped yet, because more groups came to stay in our nation, coming from the north the Finns, Swedes, Russians and Anglo-Saxons, creating a multicultural society in a big nation, who had a strong sense of unity and brotherhood since the early beginning despite the racial differences.

In the last 200 years, San José Guayabal has suffered drastic changes into his history and social system, being caused by political reasons, who led to three civil wars (1989, 2024, 2047) where the main factor was the wish of liberty and prosperity from a diverse but united nation with strong wishes of success in international issues as business, industries and more specially peace and freedom.

Today, San José Guayabal is a nation that is rising from the ruins by leaps and bounds after the most recent and devastating civil war that put a stop to the tyrannical communist regime of then President Miguel Serrano. In an industry dominated by petroleum and energy resources such as shale or subtraction of natural gas in conjunction with a strong and increasing momentum of the touristic industry and the micro technology based economy (Chips, micro-chips, etc.) are transforming the nation into what people have dreamed of, a country of advanced seeking for a better future and to overcome adversity in order to become more powerful and provide a better standard of life for its inhabitants.

Geography, Climate and another natural phenomena

San José Guayabal is a continental nation, located in the continent of Inferiore Minore, Esportiva. Having a great number of surrounding islands, an 85% of The Esportivan Antartic Territory, doing a great combination of climate and geographical features.

The continental area is very irregular, mountainous and a high number of volcanoes, being mountainous in the west, south-central, north-central and eastern containing long plains and steppes in the central area (also called "The Heart") of the nation, The Alpine Belt also called "Cordillera Del Fuego" runs from the border with Estope and Wednesday Evening in the far west to the border with Gregoryisgodistan in the east, forming a branch towards the south coast of the nation. The eruptions are less frequent in recent years, the last eruption was 12 years ago and the possibilities of a new eruption event occur is very minimal. This has generated an abundance of rocky material from the process of cooling of the lava, a very popular material used for gardens and decoration or houses.

Notable exceptions to the mountainous terrain of San José Guayabal are the Central Valley and the Northern Steppe. "El Valle" is a flat land that does not exceed 600 meters above sea level and extends over much of the Lempa River; the soil is very fertile for growing grain and other agricultural products such as corn, beans, and sugarcane, and also is home of the biggest hydroelectric dams in the entire region of Esportiva.

The North Steppe is the most arid area of the territory, dominated by its large sand dunes, this region has very little rainfall throughout the year and extreme weather in the summer, easily exceeding 42°C at noon and decreasing the 9°C at the night, fauna it’s minimal there except for scorpions and some lizards.

The climate of San Jose Guayabal is generally quite predictable because there are four distinct seasons being these winter (June 21 to September 20), spring (September 21 to December 20), summer (December 21 to March 20) and the autumn (March 21-June 20) while in Rossana (overseas colony) the condition is different because of its location in the northern hemisphere being the winter between December and March, spring between April and June, the summer between July and September while autumn is from October to December. It's very rare to see a non-corresponding to the station in our country climate, with stable climates for each season and very few flaws in the service of climate information in the news and newspapers because the monitoring systems of the climate and the almost obvious weather patterns.

Inwe talk about natural phenomena, we can find three, the most catastrophic ones are the earthquakes, a very common event in the nation due to its volcanic activity and its location between two major tectonic plates, the Southern Plate and the Inferiore Plate. This makes our nation quite prone to seismic events place but do not panic. The nation has high construction standards regarding the prevention of seismic events and is mandatory that each building has evacuation plans which are placed in visible to make easier the evacuation besides making evacuation drills at least two times for year. Note that at least 45% of citizens are people trained to provide first aid, this being part of the given requirements to complete the Students’ Social Service, required for the graduation of students in the education system.

We now turn to other less lethal phenomena, as are the aurora australis and the migration of geese, spectacular events that attracts lots of people. The aurora australis is a phenomenon that occurs mainly from March to September, while maintaining an appropriate intensity to be seen until the end of December, usually can be seen throughout the country, including northern areas like El Roblar or Metapán. The migrating of geese occurs during September to December, from the Central Valley region they move to the South Pole, then head to the north of Esportiva. These spectacles often see lots of people witnessing the wonders of nature.

Travel

Visiting San José Guayabal is not a very complicated process, as the provisions of international travel are applied for each foreign visitor. International flights usually land at three airports, one for each egion of the country, being the El Roblar International Airport designated to the west, Luis Barbosa Airport in Vladivostok for the central region and San Salvador International Airport to the east, the latter being the most important because of its location in the capital.

On transport and within San Jose Guayabal, we can find many alternatives among these is a rental car, join a tour group to use a minibus, taxi, public bus system, the private mass transportation, the underground (Available in cities over 500,000 inhabitants com) the bullets and domestic flights trains provide easy connectivity between one point and another in the nation, but can mention popular media, low cost and short runs as the tuc tuc and the colloquially called "coaster" (small minibus whose route is fast but to some extent uncomfortable due to the high volume of music and the sound of their mufflers). As mentioned, the transport between different parts of the nation is very easy, even people facilitate travel through the "ride" method, something often practiced by people who made a short trip and bear a considerable burden in order to avoid walk with overload.

Transportation is a very fast method SJG if done especially between cities separated by many kilometers because there is no speed limit on highways, although it is recommended to drive at no more than 140 kilometers per hour.

It’s important to say that you should drive defensively in the roads, especially in the interstate highways, due to the very aggressive driving style of Guayabalenses in general, drive always at your right side and carry an extinguisher, reposition tires, use always your seatbelt and be sure to have your National Driving Authorization or a Multiversal Driving License, failure to do this might cause you high fines with the police or even some time on jail, the fines should be paid at the local police department, in any bank or pharmacy under the “EasyPay” system which can be found in almost every town and village in the nation.

Culture & Society

Religion

San José Guayabal is a predominantly religious nation since ancient times but fairly liberal in their stances such as abortion (widely accepted), freedom of religion and another topics, presenting a wide variety of thoughts about divinity.

From the very beginning, on he epoch of the Eskimos, prevailed a kind of shamanism mixed with pagan rites in honor of the earth, moon and sun, entities of great importance to the Eskimos because of their dependence on agriculture and sun for planting and harvest of food and other goods for storage in the winter, which was worshiped by the moon and snow, who deserved rest and relaxation afforded to the Eskimos that time.

This Eskimo tradition of worshiping natural phenomena remained for more than 2500 years until the arrival of Spanish colonizers, who spread a new faith, Christianity in an easy way and without shedding innocent blood by religion. The Guayabalenses have been very receptive to the religion without falling into religious fundamentalism and fanaticism, this being a meeting point of unity and for society.

The Catholic branch of Christianity was the most professed in San José Guayabal to the arrival of the ethnic groups of Nordic origin like the Swedes and Finns who are predominantly Protestant, their influence on the people was so great that within two decades (1840- 1860) the percentage of Catholics dropped from 86% to 7%, and Protestantism dramatically increased to 89% of the population said to practice religion mainly based on the three pillars that characterizes San José Guayabal populace as a whole: Unity, Brotherhood and Passion.

Today the trend remains solid, the population is even more liberal than before in terms of tolerance creeds, admitting any theological thinking according to the Constitution of the Republic, severely condemning any act of censorship of religious expression or fundamentalism religious. Notably, church attendance has been increasing in the last seven years, bringing together a large part of the population; the missions of the churches typically perform community works across the nation or even international level people who need it most.

Language

Because being a multicultural nation, many languages are found in San Jose Guayabal, 31 to be precise, of which only five are relevant in their social use and only two are used by the government. At least a basic knowledge of Spanish language is more than useful in our nation but not essential, because 68% of the population has declared Spanish as their first language and 85% admit to have sufficient knowledge of the language. There are also four more languages in which the population has knowledge such as English (spoken by 70% of the population, 12% as their mother tongue), Swedish (spoken by 35% of the population, 4% as mother tongue), Russian (spoken by 26% of the population, 7% as their mother tongue) and Finnish (spoken by 17% of the population, 3% as their mother tongue).

The people of San Jose Guayabal are known regionally for the effort they made to learn new languages, speaking on average three to four languages at an appropriate level for communications with different people, according to them this is essential because knowledge is acquired different cultures and helps to get engaged with more people in The Multiverse.

Below, a table of English phrases translated into Spanish is presented, in order to have a broader contact with the population or in case of an emergency, which can be very helpful during your stay.

 Basic English-Spanish words Guide
 
Note: Emergency number in San José Guayabal it's the 767
(SOS), the access is free and can be reached in any phone,
be it landline, cellphone, etc.
 
Nota: El número de emergencias en San José Guayabal es el
767 (SOS) es de acceso gratuito desde cualquier teléfono,
sea fijo, celular, etc.
 
English                                    Spanish
 
Hello                                      Hola
How are you?                               ¿Cómo estás tú?
Fine, and you?                             Bien, ¿y tú?
What's your name?                          ¿Cómo te llamas?
My name is...                              Mi nombre es...
Good morning/day                           Buenos días
Good afternoon                             Buenas tardes
Good evening/night                         Buenas noches
Good bye                                   Adios
Can you show me your  migration papers?    ¿Podría mostrarme sus documentos de migración?
Yes                                        Si
No                                         No
Please                                     Por favor
Thank you                                  Gracias
Where's the stadium?                       ¿Dónde está el estadio?
Where's the bus terminal?                  ¿Donde está la terminal de buses?
I'm feeling sick                           Me siento enfermo
Help                                       Ayuda
Call the ambulance, please                 Llame a la ambulancia, por favor
Pain                                       Dolor
Head                                       Cabeza
Stomach                                    Estómago
Arms                                       Brazos
Legs                                       Piernas
Fingers                                    Dedos
Nails                                      Uñas
Headache                                   Dolor de cabeza
Stomach ache                               Dolor de estómago
Hotel                                      Hotel/Hostal
Room                                       Habitación
Team                                       Equipo
Fan(s)                                     Hincha/Hinchada
Hooligans                                  Barra brava
Seat                                       Asiento
Ticket                                     Boleto
Entrace                                    Entrada
Exit                                       Salida
Water                                      Agua
Food                                       Comida
Thirsty                                    Sediento
Hungry                                     Hambriento
I'm hungry                                 Tengo hambre
I'm thirsty                                Estoy sediento
Beer                                       Cerveza
Restaurant                                 Restaurante/Comedor
Underground                                Subterraneo/Metro
Police                                     Policía
Military Police                            Policía Militar
Ambulance                                  Ambulancia
Paramedics                                 Paramédicos
Church                                     Iglesia
Theatre                                    Teatro
Hospital                                   Hospital
Forest                                     Bosque
Mountain                                   Cerro/Montaña
Peak                                       Pico
Car                                        Carro
Fuel                                       Combustible/Gasolina
Diesel                                     Combustible Diesel
Full                                       Lleno
Cold                                       Helado
Hot                                        Caliente
Humid                                      Humedo
Warm                                       Mojado
Passport                                   Pasaporte
Football                                   Fútbol
Ball                                       Balón
Pitch                                      Campo/Terreno de juego
Goal keeper                                Portero
Defender                                   Defensa
Mid fielder                                Mediocampista
Striker                                    Atacante
Yellow card                                Tarjeta amarilla
Red card                                   Tarjeta roja
Sun                                        Sol
Moon                                       Luna
Day                                        Día
Afternoon                                  Tarde
Evening                                    Noche
Wind                                       Viento
Rain                                       Lluvia
Desert                                     Desierto
Beach                                      Playa
Lake                                       Lago
Lagoon                                     Laguna

Food & Etiquette

Food in San Jose Guayabal is very diverse, varying due to the presence of different ethnic groups that have imported their culinary culture to our nation, varying by region, and yes, there are dishes that are distinguished from others if we talk about popularity nationwide.

Eating habits in SJG tends to be foods with moderate calories, being mainly meat and some salads that are normally an accompaniment to the main course, where people normally waits for all to start to eat at the same, then they start to eat all at the same time the main course, as tradition, a toast is made by anyone at the table. It is considered impolite to leave food residue on dishes in case you are invited to a house to eat or social activities, is always appropriate offer to wash the dishes and glasses where you ate, this being a gesture of good education and thanks to the host (not always the person that is offered is done, is considered as a simple act of appreciation.)

The typical dish par excellence of San José Guayabal are Pupusas, is a food made from mass shaped like circle, stuffed inside with fried beans, cheese, pork rind, squash, blackberry. This is often accompanied by vegetable tanning and ketchup.
Other main courses are: Tray (Composed of roast beef with barbecue, rice, salad, soup and fries), Quesadillas, Coastal Chops (Cutlet, bathed with barbecue and served with shrimp), Croquettes (breaded meat, accompanied with piece of dough and rice) and Spaghetti. Among the salads are: Paisa salad (lettuce, avocado, omelet, egg, chicken, bacon and corn chips) and the “Mil Cumbres” salad (lettuce, tortilla croutons, chicken, tomato, corn and ranch dressing).

Football Culture

Football in San José Guayabal is the sport that moves the masses, on any day and at any time of day is normal to see children playing football in the streets of residential areas or football academies, the youth guys in the communities playing football in tournaments, or at academies of professional or semi professional teams, adults meet after the workday with peers and then perform matches, as a distraction from work stress and also the elderly and women, who do not hesitate to leave their detention work in order to enjoy the football. Through this we can deduce that as people get involved in football in an active way, so is his passion.

The passion for football is very excessive in our nation, for some it is cultural issue of pride support their team and others, is literally his own "religion" if you want to call it like that, many fans in the stadiums are directed to support his team in an almost unique way, the hostility in the atmosphere and tension is very high, the songs of hate towards the opponent and vice versa are very frequent, flares, pyrotechnics, giant banners to support the team, drums, trumpets and other musical instruments give much color to the organized fans in time of watching the local teams or the National Team, popularly known as "Barras Bravas" are very common, but accidents between the fans are very rare.

Discuss and be contrary to any guayabalense about football topics in public is something that will not be very pleasant, especially if the National Team is playing. In such cases, groups are formed and the riots start against the supporters of another nation, then this gives origin to the riots. Something forbidden by the laws of behavior in stadiums, if the perpetrators are caught by police, be of any nationality, the price to pay is high, from fines of 1,000 Coronas (NS $ 2,000) up to three months in jail, or if fatalities occur.

It is recommended to refrain from displays of hate and mockery against the home crowd, in order to avoid problems of any kind during your stay, note that to enter in the stadiums, fans are not allowed to enter water bottles, umbrellas, sharps, flagpoles or pencils. You can enter flares, banners and musical instruments with previous notice to the police (if you are from an organized “ultra or Barra Brava”), it is important to mention that you can find different food at the stadium, from ice cream to banquets of gourmet food, any kind of drink is available from the typical and highly alcoholic “Chaparro” to typical beers or wines.

Guayabalense Host Cities for the 74th World Cup

In this section is presented the most relevant information of the cities hosting the Cup of Harmony in San Jose Guayabal, in order to facilitate reading, we divided the twelve host cities into four geographic regions: West, Central, East, Overseas. In each regional description will include: transportation, regional attractions, and brief descriptions of each city and places of accommodation, restaurants and other places of importance for tourists.

Eastern Region

In the last five hundred years, this region has hosted the headquarters of the national government, because of its ancient historical importance as ancient capital of the Eskimos, is now considered one of the most prosperous regions in Esportiva, keeping a high per capita income and a life expectancy quite broad. Also something that makes this region to stand out is football, it is home to two of the most successful football Guayabalense teams, so that can be said that the passion for football in this region is overflowing.

Travel

To reach the Eastern region is very easy, if you are still out of San José Guayabal, the most viable option is to take the route to the International Airport of San Salvador, located in the town of Comalapa, an hour from downtown the city, besides other airports can be taken as the Yucuaiquín International Airport, located in the city of the same name, which is 420 kilometers away from the capital, San Salvador.

There are various methods for transport in this region, from domestic flights between the cities to bullet trains, which are the most preferred choice of transport due to its speed and low cost. To move between cities there are different methods such as taxis, the underground with direct lines to the stadiums, private the public buses of collective transport system as not to forget the classic, noisy and overly decorated "coaster" which most of the population usually uses for "emergency" or if they want to spend a moment of music in excessive volume or if they want to reach extremely quickly anywhere in the city (the drivers are known for their fast and aggressive driving attitude) in cities as San Salvador, the mode of rent bicycles for relatively affordable prices, which can be left in different parts of the city is offered.

Places of Interest

The Big Fair Touristic Complex, San Salvador

It is a resort located 20 minutes outside of San Salvador, is well recognized by the influx of tourists to this place, being a very cheap place where the whole family usually go to have fun especially in the summer, has different accommodations as a center of entertainment, cinemas, hotels, water parks and even beach soccer, and football fields, also one golf course with 18 holes is offered in this Complex.

"Fuego" Volcano, Yucuaiquín

It is one of the most active volcanoes in Inferiore Minore, located thirty minutes from the city of Yucuaiquín, being elevated to 2,873 meters above sea level is a place where usually families camped in their surroundings due to its cool climate, it is not recommended to do walks into the crater but despite that the crater is regarded as a place to visit because of the volcanic lake that is found there.

El Boquerón village, San Salvador

El Boquerón is a town known for its cool climate and spectacular scenery of San Salvador, is located one hour from the capital city and is a popular place for people all over the country, located at 2,400 meters above the imposing volcano of San Salvador (inactive), is a place famous for its typical crafts of indigenous origins, which are often acquired as souvenirs, normally the tourist agencies offers a free hiking journey to the top of the volcano, which is of moderate difficulty and represents no financial charge to make the trek.

The Capital City: San Salvador

Regional anthem

It is located on a plateau between 700 and 1,000 meters above sea level, is the capital city of San José Guayabal for over 500 years, being a city that combines colonial architecture with modern and towering skyscrapers, all in an eco-friendly space This city is famous for having two football teams very recognized and also for being the city where the "mythical" Estadio Cuscatlán was built, a stadium that has seen many sporting history of our nation, from important victories until very close losses. San Salvador has plenty of places to visit, from resorts to stunning volcanoes that will leave you surprised and captivated due to the fabulous natural scenery of this city.

Accommodations: Continental Hotel, National Hotel, Avenue Hotel, Tres Pinos Resort & Spa, Spring Lodge, El Peñasco Restaurant, The Pirate Restaurant, Alligator Alley Restaurant.

The Land of Fire: Yucuaiquín

Regional anthem

Yucuaiquín is a city located 420 kilometers north of San Salvador, inhabited by just over 500,000 people is a place characterized by its wide avenues and the Volcano "Fuego", which dominates the view and who generated the nickname city "La Tierra del Fuego" (The Land of Fire). In this city is normal to visit to the periphery in search of his other symbol, meat. It's considered the "capital of the meat" is a place where fine something cheap prices are offered meat, usually beef is accompanied with barbecue and salad with rice, and that's why Yucuaiquí is most well known for, for they cuisine and culinary arts.

Accommodations: Fire Hotel, Urban Hotel, Daisies Lodge, Comrade Saúl Lodge, 911 Spicy Restaurant, Meat Boss Restaurant, Meat 4 U Restaurant.

The Heroic City: Khabarovsk

Regional anthem

Khabarovsk is a moderately big city located 560 kilometers away from San Salvador, it's a well connected city, with an airport, several train stations and a maritime port located in the outskirts of the city, this city has a special place on Guayabalense city as it was one of those places where the uprising against the Communist government took place in a very special manner and also for their decisive role in the "Border War" against Gregoryisgodistan, where their citizens in collaboration with the Guayabalense and Chiatan army expelled the Gregoryisgodistani army and provoked a huge impact against them in terms of casualities on the enemy side, this basically put end to the war against both sides, the citizens of Khabarovsk decided to give a modern look to their city after the war, the reconstruction finished long time ago and now the city is with a new mood and it's ready to welcome the visitors in this World Cup. Now, Khabarovsk is well know for being the chemical hub of San José Guayabal due to their big chemical industry and also by their contributions to science in general.

Accommodations: Hotel Resistencia, Posada Costera, Revolution Restaurant, XXIII Century Lodge, Country Side Fried Chicken, Burger Master, Natura's Restaurant (Vegan).

Central Region

It is by far the largest and most populated region of the country, mainly composed of valleys and plains, and some other small desert terrain portion, is a vast place with fertile land primarily used for agricultural purposes or for industrial purposes such as generating energy through wind turbines and hydroelectric dams, a valley that has been widely used throughout history and now is home to large urban centers and also houses which once was the capital of the nation for a very short period time, Vladivostok.

Travel

Being outside of the country? there are two airports that may be useful to arrive on this region, the International Airport of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, located in the city of the same name, on the southwest coast is second in importance at the national level due to flow of tourists received annually, is also the Vladivostok International Airport, located in the south is a good place to arrive, because despite being the most populated city in the country but the airport in that city does not have much movement as airport in the city of Sakhalin, which is recommended Vladivostok.

It certainly is a region with great ease of travel due to its relatively flat terrain, despite being extensive, most foreigners often rent cars to visit various places in the region and discover landscapes of it, usually they take as advantageous the lack of speed restrictions on open roads, it is in this region where the bullet trains lose a good number of passengers, preferring to enjoy the scenery of the landscape that appears on the road but really a lot cheaper to take a bullet train to arrive faster to the destination, but in short, is a tourist option. Alternative transportation methods are present in the cities as the tram, also with the subway and taxis, the aforementioned "coasters" are banned in many cities in the region due to municipal ordinances regulating transport or environmental reasons.

Places of Interest

The Angels' Fjord, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

It is one of the best preserved and most visited natural settings in the nation, located sixty kilometers outside of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, is a place where some people decide to practice paragliding from the level of the fjord or from the surrounding hills to a small portion beach is not required to make any payment to practice any extreme sport in the fjord.

The Horn Island, Vladivostok

It is an island with different attractions, from its pleasant climate in a city characterized by its heat to the various activities that can be done there, it is very typical to see people who frequent the zone of the waterfalls to take a bath without any restriction or people doing skating or doing any other activity, the beach is one of the most attractive places in the area due to the coral reef that forms, perfect for the amateur or professional diving, this barrier extends over 50 kilometers sea in and is normal to see people in small sailboats make diving to the farthest part of the coral reef.

The Museum of National History, Loma Chata

It is the largest museum outside San Salvador, is a museum where is compiled very old information of the nation is displayed, from gadgets of the Eskimos to the most recent civil war, with very detailed information and tours offered to the public, the museum opens every day of the year, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM and on weekends from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM

The Hot City: Vladivostok

Regional anthem

A city that throughout history has characterized by having an extreme climate, especially in the summer when temperatures pass the limit of endurance as the residents themselves, is the most populous city in the nation with a total of 12 million people throughout the metropolitan area, although it is one of the cities with better environmental protection across the region of Esportiva, various activities can be done in this city, from going for walks on islands or even diving undoubtedly this town offers many activities for tourists.

Accommodations: Kontinental'nyy Dacha, Ostrov Hotel, Kuzmanov Lodge, Golden Age Hotel, Spa & Casino, Restaurante Cienfuegos, Five Mountains Restaurant, Vlad's House (Restaurant)

The Oil City: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Regional anthem

This is the city of San Jose Guayabal oil into a prosperous place due to the oil boom happened forty years ago and not yet for, a city of 2 million people with very high income per capita has made this city as the main point of oil subtraction, a place that attracts people from other countries to find a site and become millionaire (the government cannot expropriate private property). It is also a place visited by the abundance of fjords that can be found in the surrounding area, which has increased tourism in recent years.

Accommodations: Oil City Lodge, Hill Hotel, Hotel Continental, Posada del Oro Negro, Restaurante Marítimo, Municipal Foodcourt, Four Seasons Restaurant.

The Agrarian Metropolis: Loma Chata

Regional anthem

Loma Chata is traditionally a predominantly agricultural town, but has managed to establish itself as a metropolis for the simple fact of making profits of agriculture in different investments that ultimately generate better economic progress in its people, do not expect to see cows in the streets as some might think stereotypically, the farms and animals are in agricultural districts on the outskirts of the city, making the sight of an animal in a very illogical city, this city is known for its green meadows, an ideal place those who like landscape photography.

Accommodations: Hotel Dueñas, The Eastfield Hotel, Meadows Lodge, Restaurante La Vecina, National Restaurant (Typical Food), Roast Beef City, BBQ Palace.

The Gate to Space: Concepción Batres

Regional anthem

Despite being a city that just reaches 747,063 inhabitants mostly middle or middle-upper class residents, Concepción Batres should not be underestimated in anything, why? because this city is the main hub for outer space studies and another scientific missions destinated to investigate beyond earth apart of being another important hub for energy research, specifically a nuclear research hub, one of the most important ones of its kind in San José Guayabal, being a city whose main industry is research and science doesn't limitates the cultural potential of the city, this city is the cradle of important musicians and the estimated place of birth of one of the most important musical instruments for one of the biggest minorities of San José Guayabal, the Russian balalaika. In sports, one of the biggest representatives of this city and of the entire region of Usulután is CD Luis Ángel Firpo, one of the most regular sides in San José Guayabal, despite of never winning a tournament, their fan base are one of the best nationwide, also, this city offers a lot of amusement and entertainment facilities.

Accommodations: Hotel Nebulosa, Hostal La Primavera, Restaurante Vista al Lago, La Rioja Lodge, Las Hojas Resort, FunZone Amusement Park, Hot n' Spicy Restaurant.

Western Region

The western area is the most mountainous and forested region of the country, consists of three islands and a vast territory that is intact due to the work of environmental protection that are made to keep the place in an intact form from large peaks up small hills, this region offers a variety of reliefs. Also noteworthy is that this region has played an extremely important role in history, through culture and politics, being clearly progressive and liberal, having influence on many decisions that are made on the government.

Travel

There are two ways to get to this territory, it may be through ferries between neighboring nations to cities like Puntarenas (Ex Fasista Vigilante) and also or the airway through the International Airport of El Roblar International Airport and Ramirez, the two main airports in mainland, then you can move through domestic flights to different islands in the region, to places like Meléndez and Rodríguez and also Sibirskaya Gavan.

Relief setting of the region generates different ways to transport along the region, can be through bullet trains (that do not connect with any island) or by cars or taxis, those covering long distances. In some cities like El Roblar or Ramirez, trams are offered into the cities and the underground is only available in Ramírez, as in El Roblar, constant slopes and irregular relief impede the operation of one. Among the islands, there are domestic flights and ferry rides, which normally take three to four hours to cover the journey to the city of Meléndez.

Places of Interest

Santa Marta Peak, El Roblar

Santa Marta Peak is the highest point in the nation, is also the highest place where you can get for free in the world. Formerly called Communism, the peak of Santa Marta stands at 8,658 meters above sea level and is a place frequented by climbers, anyone can climb without permission, only a nominal fee of NS$ 30 (C$ 15 Coronas) although it is recommended climb expeditions led by experts. You can also access by car to the base camp, located 5,100 meters high, where there is also a lake. It can be accessed by taking the Secondary Road 29 and then a $ 10 fee is paid (C$ 5- Regardless of the number of people who go), you can also climb up a secondary peak 6,710 meters high without equipment through a path of moderately difficult of hiking, which is taken in the southeast point of the lake.

Three Brothers Pond, Meléndez

The pond named three brothers, which was named after the deaths of three people who were brothers (During a flood) is a place visited by locals and tourists just outside the city of Meléndez, is a part of the Rio Guaza, where a pond is formed about 8-10 meters deep, in that sector has been built a resort and spa in order to increase the tourism potential of the area, something that happened as expected after the construction of the resort in 2006.

Island of Puntarenas, Puntarenas

The island of Puntarenas is certainly an interesting place to visit because of its tropical climate throughout the year, an island half extension with pristine white and black sand in some sectors characterized or its many resorts and casinos tourists, also tends to be a place where surf can be practiced in excellent conditions, especially in Playa Cochinillos. The nightlife is also part of the tourist district, with certain open brothels but heavily regulated based on municipal bylaws in order not to disrupt the activities of the neighbors.

The Cultural Hub and The Cradle of The Nation: El Roblar

Regional anthem

The Heroic Town of El Roblar is definitely a city with a diverse and complex history, starting for over five hundred years from the time of conquest and colonization to independence, the city was largely responsible for the generation of the culture of San José Guayabal, sheltering a lot of famous writers, theater directors, linguists and politicians, to even the current queen of the nation is in this city. Located in the mountains, has different attractions such as La Feria (Located on the edge of Lake San Pedro) or tourist viewpoints in the highest part of the city, at 4,200 meters or for its diverse cultural heritage, it is certainly a city which anyone will leave with a pleasant memory and wishes to return.

Accommodations: Hotel Palacio, Arcos de La Montaña Lodge & Spa, Los Lirios Hostel, Restaurant One Thousand Heights, La Parrilla de Neto, El Refugio Restaurant, La Feria (Amusement Park)

The Dairy City: Meléndez

Regional anthem

Meléndez is a city on the island of the same name, despite being a neighbor of another major city like Rodriguez, known for its dairy industry and its massive commercialization in the region of Esportiva, considered a tourist city primarily due the influx of foreigners seeking to spend holidays in the city due to the relatively low cost of accommodation and food everywhere around the city, also known for their large Amusement Parks near the beach and for the volcanoes between the villages of San Fernando and Ulúa.

Accommodations: Hotel Intercontinental, Hotel Felíz, Hotel Providencia, Three Brothers Lodge & Spa, Restaurante Mercedes, Jägerhaus Restaurant.

The Western Pearl: Santa Ana

Regional anthem

La Perla de Occidente (The Wesern Pearl) is a nickname that fits perfectly on this city, wide streets and lots of cultural hubs is what characterizes Santa Ana, apart of being a quite mild place in terms of climate, it's the third biggest city in San José Guayabal and never had a pretty good stadium until now, Trojana, a Québecois company acquired the rights to build a new stadium in Santa Ana in order to provide the local club CD FAS a good stadium at the height of their history and fan support through the time. Santa Ana is an industrial city but mostly dedicated to the research of renewable energy and sustainable development, the main industry in the city is wind energy, due to the privileged position of Santa Ana, at the top of the biggest mountain in a radii of 45 kilometers, that's why Santa Ana is also known as Ciudad de Los Vientos (Windy City)

Accommodations: El Molino Restaurant, La Perla Hotel, Fiesta Hotel & Casino, Restaurante La Pradera, Los Sauces Inn, Vacación Hotel & Resort, Cinco Cumbres Restaurant.

by **Valladares** » Wed Feb 03, 2016 6:23 pm

(OOC: This is a continuation of SJG's IC information. For teams in groups A to D, Valladar IC information can also be found in this post, below.)

Overseas Region

The overseas region is a region with little history in relation to the rest of San Jose Guayabal, relatively unknown sources is something wrapped in mystery and charm to these two archipelagos, Rossana located in the north of Esportiva having the Cold city of Spesdorf as captal and considered a part of the Western Region and Paymina has the Sun Drenched Lulai, located about 1,360 kilometers off the coast of SJG and considered part of the Eastern Region. These are places that are opening to the world with the decision to take part in the host cities.

Travel

The only way to travel to the islands is by air because of its long distance from other parts of the country, if you are going to Rossana, make stops in Sakhalin to Rossana is the ideal, doing scales at SJG to Paymina is very appropriate due to the long distances between the two points.

Into the islands, a ferry can be taken to move between the islands, or also the trains which connects the main cities on the archipelago, especially in the island of Rossana, there's bullet trains that makes the trip faster and cheaper, you can rent cars to drive in the cities of the islands or take a taxi.

Places of Interest

Istiqlal Mosque, Paymina

Regional anthem

The Istiqlal Mosque is the largest mosque in San Jose Guayabal, built over 700 years ago according to some historical records, is the main site of Islam in the nation, usually studies are about the Quran every day who want apart to take guided about the history of the mosque and its architecture views.

The Spesdorf's Arc, Rossana

Regional anthem

It is an arc which some historical records was built over a thousand years ago at the entrance to what is now the city of Spesdorf, the capital of the German-speaking island of Rossana, according to the records is said that the arch was created to to protect the city against the hordes of invaders from different regions and islands.

Accommodations: Istiqlal Hotel (Paymina), Jägerhaus Hotel (Rossana), Fuerte Buenaventura Hostel (Paymina), Continental Hotel (Rossana), Restaurante La Victoria (Paymina), Loma Verde Restaurante (Rossana), Mil Hojas Restaurante (Paymina), The Wolf House (Rossana).

Welcome to Valladares!

Map of Valladares (Mainland)

The United Kingdom of Valladares is proud to welcome 16 nations from all over the multiverse who earned qualification to the finals of the 74th edition of the biggest festival of multiversal football, the World Cup, which is coming to this fair land located in eastern Rushmore for the first time. We hope that the delegations of those 16 teams that were drawn into the Valladar section of the tournament (i.e. groups A through D) will enjoy their stay in this country.

Overview

Valladares is a country located in the region of Rushmore (yes, we had already said it), comprised of two bigger chunks of territory and the City of Junín, which is an enclave on the shores of the Endemien Ocean, which allow the country's "mainland" to have access to the sea through the Fontvielle-Junín railway. The "two bigger chunks of territory" are the Mainland, located in the Terranea continent, where the capital city Metropolis, as well as the country's most important cities and most of the country's population are located; and the Westlands, which is a state located in the Terramidia continent.

The land that is now the Valladar mainland was inhabited for millennia by various Aboriginal peoples, among them the Valladar and Astine peoples, who established their city-states on opposite banks of the Danubio river. Those tribes were decimated by both diseases and colonization processes carried on by Europeans, mainly Spaniard, Portuguese, and French colonizers and missionaries, who also introduced Catholicism into what would became the Valladar mainland. "Puerto Esperanza", nowadays called Westporte, is recognized as the oldest city in the country, having been founded in 1580 by Spaniard explorer Sebastian Cortés. Beginning in the late 16th century, Spanish colonial expeditions explored and settled the eastern region of the Great Inland Sea and the lower course of the Danubio river, establishing the Colony of Río Danubio in 1654, splitting the region into the colonies of Valladares, Iliria, Eterna, and Valle Danubio and starting a 227-year colonial rule that ended with the Second Valladar Uprising and the subsequent War of Independence, and followed up by the Declaration of Independence, signed on October 8, 1881. The Valladar federation was later strengthened by reunification with the Iliria (current Chiquito and Foix states) and Eterna states during the years 1890-1900. Eventually, the reunification of the Valladar states was achieved after the conquest of the city of Tallinberg (now Carloburgo) on March 17, 1909 and the proclamation of the Royal Constitution on July 1, 1910.

Valladares is a federal parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, with King Charles V as its head of state. Four languages are official at the federal level as a result of the colonization processes underwent by European powers during the Colony era. Its advanced economy is one of the largest in Rushmore, built on and mainly relying upon its abundant natural resources and well-developed trade networks. Valladares's recent opening to its regional neighbours (mainly on the sports and diplomacy fields) has helped the nation establish cordial relationships with most of them and has had a significant impact on its economy and culture, although the latter can be questioned due to the fact that its natural social heterogeneity, which was forged through history, makes it difficult to establish a "unified" Valladar culture.

Geography

The geography of Valladares is characterized by its two different regions with their unique characteristics: the Mainland and the Westlands. The former is dominated by the Ituyán mountain range which runs from south to north passing through the nation and separating the country from the rest of the Terranea continent. Valladares's highest mountain, Monte Blanco, is located in this mountain range, near Eterna City and rises up to 4,789 meters above sea level. The Danubio river flows through the nation from south to north, first going through the eastern plains and the capital city Metropolis, then turning westwards and passing through the Ituyán range between the cities of Angostura and Araracuara in the east and Maldonado and Columbus to the west, in the region known as the Cañón del Danubio (Danube Canyon) and then the Danubio valley in the Eterna, Antioquia, and Canalave states. The Ituyán mountains contain some of the country's biggest urban centres: Carloburgo, Eterna City, Campo Grande, and Pradera, however, the capital city Metropolis, along with the entire Foix state and its capital Bezieres and the entire Canalave state and the cities of Canalave and Westporte are located in the plains to the east and the Danubio valley to the west. Peaks in the Ituyán mountain range in the southern half of Valladares (Mountbatten state) reach 3,200 meters above sea level (10,498 feet), while in the northern half (Chiquito and Eterna states) they exceed 4,700 meters above sea level (15,419 feet).

On the other half, the Westlands region is generally hilly to the south and west with a coastal region to the north and east, where the capital city of Edmonton is located. The tallest peak of this region is Mount Rockefeller, which reaches a height of 2,276 meters above sea level (7,467 feet). The population in this region is concentrated in the coastal plains, with 55% of the state's inhabitants living in the cities of Edmonton and Adelaide.

Travel Advice

So, are you still interested in travelling to this nation to support your national team in the World Cup finals? Well, if the answer to this question is "yes", then here we have some tips for you to make sure your stay will not be an unpleasant experience for both you and us:

1. While the Valladar Ministry of Foreign Affairs usually requires most tourists from non-Rushmore nations to have a visa (usually handed on arrival) to enter the country, fans will only need to show their ticket for a World Cup match (as well as their passport) in order to enter the nation. Tickets for group stage matches being played in Valladares will be sold and handed over by the competing football associations, tickets from the round of 16 onwards will only be sold and handed over in Valladares.

2. As the official name of the nation might suggest, Valladares is a United Kingdom, with (currently) two Kings as its Heads of State who are very beloved throughout the country and also seen as a symbol of unity by all citizens irrespective of state and/or mother tongue. Therefore, it is strictly forbidden to insult, slander, defame them and/or any member of the Royal Family, create and/or spread any and all kinds of rumour involving both them and the Royal Family and/or orchestrate and perform any and all kinds of attack against them and/or any member of the Royal Family. Should you are found doing any of the actions mentioned above, you will be arrested, charged with lese majeste, and taken to a trial with the Kings themselves as judges, who shall decide an appropriate punishment as they please. This punishment also includes deportation if the offender is a foreigner, of course.

3. The most spoken language by Valladars during daily life is Spanish, though English will be the main language spoken in parts of the Mountbatten and Eterna states, as well as French in the Foix state, and Portuguese in the Chiquito state. While locals will definitely appreciate that you make an effort to make yourself be understood when seeking help, they will not appreciate at all to see foreigners "butchering" their native languages. So our advice is this one: If you are not fluent in Spanish, French, or Portuguese, do not try to speak any of those languages: that will do nothing but irritate your interlocutor.

4. The rights of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are fully guaranteed as long as you do not try to abuse of them by doing any of the things described in the second recommendation.

5. Smoking is forbidden at all public places (including stadiums). However, hotels are already implementing "smoking zones" where you can smoke at pleasure alongside other smokers without disrupting the lungs of non-smokers.

6. Valladares uses the Point (PT$) as its national currency, it is one of Rushmore's strongest currencies with a current exchange rate of NS$1.68 to 1 Point. The Point is divided into 100 Centavos. We strongly advise that you exchange your local currency into Points or NSD as soon as you enter the country, because most shops and businesses will be reluctant to accept other currency than the Point or the Standard Dollar. Credit card holders should not have much of a problem, though.

7. National Parks in Valladares are very well preserved thanks to a strong environmental legislation, and as a result, they are visited by people from all over the multiverse who marvel at the beauty of the landscapes and the variety of wildlife found there. In order to keep their natural beauty intact, it is strictly forbidden to: camp on open field, lit bonfires, litter the ground, and extract any natural resource from them (whether plants or animals). Tours will always be led by two people: the park guide and a member of the Environmental Police, who will be watching over the group and making sure that none of these prohibitions is breached. Those who fail to comply with the rules will be sent to jail for 3 days, fined, and forced to make some "compensatory work" (such as planting trees or cleaning up streets) before they leave the country.

8. Fan groups will be allowed to bring with them their drums and flags to the twelve stadiums that are going to host matches in the competition. However, flares are not allowed because of safety regulations. In addition to this, the National Police will reserve to itself the right to arrest (and eventually deport) any and all troublemakers within the foreign fanbases. The following events will generate the Police to take action: provoking and/or offensive chants towards other fanbases or groups of people, fights between fanbases from different nations on streets and other public places, insulting banners, etc.

9. The City of Junín used to be a closed city and as such, it was off-limits to foreigners, however, the citizens of Junín voted for the City's opening in a referendum, and as a result the City will be opened to non-Valladar nationals without any kind of restriction other than staying away from military installations.

Moving Around

Travelling into Valladares is usually done by airplane, though Juninese citizens should not have much of a problem as they can easily get into the "mainland" via rail. The main gateway for foreigners entering the nation is Stanford-Miller International Airport, located in the town of Villena, in the District of Metropolis. From there, you can book flights to most of the main cities in the nation (including the Westlands), and nine of the other twelve venues for the competition (except Columbus, Bezieres, and Fontvielle, which are a short train or car ride from the national capital). Access to the Westlands from the Valladar mainland is possible through Charles V International Airport in Edmonton and Adelaide's Flanders Airport, both with daily flights from Metropolis served by ValAir, Western Airlines, and other minor carriers. Valladares's railroad network is (even though it is mainly concentrated on the mainland) one of Rushmore's most advanced, extensive, and best maintained networks, linking virtually every important city and town in the nation and offering a fast and quality service, which is served by high-speed trains (or TAVs, as they are known locally). National highways are also very well maintained and also link the most important cities, allowing automobiles to move easily from city to city, while most state capitals also have their own mass transportation systems, Metropolis being an example with commuter trains linking it to its neighbouring cities and towns, an underground metro, and a BRT (bus rapid transit) system.

Venues and Stadiums

Map of Valladares with eleven of the twelve venues to be used in the tournament
Junín & Valladares

Twelve venues in twelve cities were selected by the Valladar Football Association to host the tournament, which have already been refurbished and have already served as hosts of WCC tournaments, either the Cup of Harmony or the Baptism of Fire. All of the host stadiums have state-of-the-art facilities and other modern amenities to improve fan experience and make this competition an enjoyable experience for players and fans alike, while the host cities have also prepared their most famous tourist attractions in order to leave a mark on every fan coming to this nation.

Metropolis
The city of Metropolis is the national capital of Valladares, being located at the confluence of the Danubio and Chorrillo rivers. Along with the suburbs of Cerro, Villena, Swangard, Géneve, and Chateau, it is part of the District of Metropolis, one of the eight Valladar states, although the Greater Metropolis conurbation includes the entire District of Metropolis as well as parts of the Mountbatten, Foix, and Chiquito states. Being the federal capital of Valladares, it hosts the executive (Prime Minister and Cabinet), legislative (Royal Parliament and National Assembly), and judicial (High Court) powers as well as several important national companies. Football is the main sport in the city, as Metropolis is home to 11 professional teams, with the most important ones being Metropolis Alligators, Marinos Metropolis, and Nacional (all of them playing in the Valladar Liga-1, the main professional football league in the nation). However, not everything in the city is sport, as the city also houses several famous art galleries, museums, theathers and monuments. The Metropolis Zoo, located in the south of the city, in the Córdoba neighbourhood, is also a recommended place to visit.

Stadium: Alexander I National Stadium (95,021 seats)

Alexander I National Stadium, located in the town of Swangard, just a short twenty-five minute commuter train ride from the City, is the national stadium of Valladares, and venue for most matches of the Valladar national football team. It has hosted the nineteenth and sixtieth Champions Cup' finals, as well as the tenth Copa Rushmori final, the 61st Cup of Harmony final, and also hosts the King's Shield final and the final playoffs for Liga-2 and Liga-3 every year. This stadium underwent a major upgrade in preparation for the 61st Cup of Harmony, its capacity was increased from 85,000 to 95,021 with the construction of a second tier on both ends, its roof was also renewed with a lighter material, and its press booths and VIP boxes were also enlarged. Wi-Fi connectability was also enabled for all seats in the stadium in order to improve fan experience to an unprecedented level in Valladares. This stadium will host two group stage games as well as the Final match of World Cup 74:

GS MD1: Valladares vs. Electrum (Group A)
GS MD3: San Llera vs. Osarius (Group B)
World Cup 74 Final

Carloburgo
Located at an altitude of 2,650 metres above sea level, Carloburgo is the second largest city of Valladares, located at the confluence of the Tallin and Ullich rivers in the southwest of the nation. It is the cultural, social, economic, and politic centre of Western Valladares. The capital of Mountbatten state is home to the largest foreign community in the nation, and 38% of the city inhabitants are from an inmigrant background. Carloburgo is a city with a rich history and an interesting mixture of architectural styles, with old buildings dominating the city downtown and modern buildings in the north and surrounding the city downtown. The city is home to five professional football teams, with Tannenberg FC as the most important and worldwide renowned of all of them. This bustling city is also the industrial hub of Western Valladares, and the gateway to the Valladar Southern Alps, an interesting place to visit.

Stadium: White Meadow Arena (69,780 seats)

Located in the outskirts of the city of Carloburgo, 20 minutes away from the city centre, this stadium is one of the newest in the nation, having been inaugurated by Tannenberg FC at the start of the tenth Valladar Liga-1 season. The "Bowl", as the stadium is nicknamed by TFC fans, is fully equipped and able to increase its capacity in exceptional cases thanks to retractable stands on the ends which can bring the spectators (specially those ones in the Knights End, home to Tannenberg's hardcore fans) closer to the pitch, greatly improving the game's atmosphere and fan experience. White Meadow Arena seats 69,780 people and will host two group stage matches as well as one of the semifinals:

GS MD1: Osarius vs. Royal Kingdom of Quebec (Group B)
GS MD3: Polkopia vs. Eura (Group C)
Semifinal: QF1 vs. QF2

Eterna City
Eterna City, the third most important city in the nation, is located in the north of the nation, on the northern bank of the Eterna river at an altitude of 2,680 metres above sea level. Known as the "City of Sunflowers", and due to its closure to Canalave, the most important port in Valladares, the capital of the Eterna state is one of the most important economic and sporting hubs of the nation, as it is the home for the basketball and volleyball national teams, and three professional football teams: Eterna Stars, Club Osum, and Eterna Celtic, with the Stars as the most important of the three, having won two national championships. This city is also known for having a great nightlife, and also for being the place where the biggest city park in the nation, the Northern Park, is located. Also, visitors cannot leave without a visit to Monte Blanco, the highest mountain in the nation, and always present in any picture taken at the city.

Stadium: Alain Tramontin Stadium (60,207 seats)

One of the oldest football stadia still in use in the nation, the Alain Tramontin Stadium is located in the Villeneuve district, in the south of Eterna City. It was opened in 1966, with a capacity of 55,000 and the first and sole tenants of the ground have been the Eterna Stars, who have played at this stadium since their foundation in 1969. It has been the subject of at least three renovations to prevent its deterioration, with the last one being the most radical of all: for the Cup of Harmony, the stadium's capacity was increased to 60,000 seats, thanks to the change in the stadium's configuration from a bowl-shaped one to a rectangular-shaped one, which is meant to bring the stands closer to the pitch, hence improving fan experience. This also implied that the stadium's athletic track had to be removed in order to make way for the new seats. The locker rooms for both teams and referees were refurbished, as well as the press conference room, and a second tier of seats as well as a retractable roof were introduced. All of these improvements were intended to keep this stadium as the most modern and important one in the Eterna state. As it is surrounded by houses, the sale of alcohol and the presence of away ultras near the stadium are restricted by the local authorities. Alain Tramontin Stadium will host the following WC matches:

GS MD1: Pasarga vs. Ko-oren (Group D)
GS MD3: Semarland vs. Electrum (Group A)
Quarterfinals: R1 vs. R2 (QF1)

Campo Grande
Campo Grande is Valladares' fourth largest city, located in the Ituyán mountain range at a height of 2,750 meters above sea level, and is the capital of the Chiquito state. The "Garden City", as it is known because of its abundance of gardens and green spaces, is also known for hosting to the "Flower Festival" during the month of August, where tourists may take part in the colorful parades and marvel at the different floral species being exhibited all over the city. Campograndenses are also football lovers, most of them supporting Liga-1 side Real Campo Grande, with Liga-2 outfit EC Comercial and Liga-3 side Corumbá EC from the neighbouring town of Corumbá also attracting some preferences among football fans in the city. They're also known for being very demanding fans, and they will always expect the teams coming to the Estádio Estadual to offer some delightful football.

Stadium: Estádio Estadual Armando Bozzelli (58,259 seats)

The Estádio Estadual Armando Bozzelli is the football mecca in the Chiquito state, and usually hosts matches for Real Campo Grande, football club currently competing in the top tier of Valladar football, the Liga-1. This stadium, located in the north of the city next to the Campo Grande-Eterna City highway, was also upgraded for the Cup of Harmony, having been expanded from 50,000 seats to 58,259 seats by eliminating the athletic track and bringing the stands closer to the pitch, thus improving the atmosphere and fan experience at the stadium. The roof, locker rooms, press conference rooms, VIP boxes, and press booths were also renovated in preparation for the tournament. This stadium will host 3 matches: 2 group stage games and a Round of 16 match:

GS MD1: Kernansquillec vs. San Llera (Group B)
GS MD2: Electrum vs. Cosumar (Group A)
Round of 16: D1 vs. C2 (R4)

Bezieres
The capital of the Foix state is located just hour and a half away from Metropolis by car, and it is known for being the "French capital" of Valladares as well as for its Carnival which is held during the four previous days to Ash Wednesday. Bezieres, which lies on the northern bank of the Rivière de Foix, is characterized by its modern buildings and its wide and forested avenues, and it's also the gateway to the Foixien Milky Way: a name for a group of towns to the south of the city which are known throughout the country for being the core of production of milk and other dairy products. As for football, Bezieres is another football-mad city, being the city from where the current Valladar champion (AS Bezieres) hails, as well as their rivals Étoile Verte and other Liga Nacional, Liga Regional, and Division d'Honneur Foixien (fourth, fifth, and sixth tier) teams.

Stadium: Stade de Foix-Jules Picot (63,150 seats)

World Cup matches in this city will be played at the Stade de Foix-Jules Picot, owned by one of the most important football clubs in the country (AS Bezieres) and able to seat 63,150 people. This stadium is considered as one of the most modern stadiums in the country, being equipped with a retractable roof, four LED jumbotrons which hang under the structure from which the roof is unfolded, underground parking, state-of-the-art VIP boxes, and a system for façade lighting which was inaugurated for the 61st Cup of Harmony. Three matches are going to be played at the Bezierien stadium, one of those being a quarterfinal match:

GS MD1: Eura vs. Nephara (Group C)
GS MD3: Cosumar vs. Valladares (Group A)
Quarterfinal: R3 vs. R4 (QF2)

Canalave
The city of Canalave is located at the place where the Eterna river flows into the Danubio river, and it is known as Valladares' most important port, being the site where tons of goods transported through the Great Inland Sea enter into the nation or are shipped out of it. Home to Liga-1 traditional club Canalave Dragons and other minor league sides, Canalave is known for being "the most romantic destination in Valladares", thanks to having a fortified Old City, which is surrounded and crossed by hundreds of canals which are visited by thousands of newly married couples every year. However, unlike Eterna City's climate, which is mild and comfortable, Canalave's climate is hot, sunny, and humid, with temperatures averaging from 32 to 34 degrees Celsius (89.6-93.2°F) which may become a disadvantage for any team coming to play here for the first time.

Stadium: Dragon Stadium (50,987 seats)

Dragon Stadium, known as "the Dragon's Den", hosts Liga-1 club Canalave Dragons, and will also host matches in this World Cup. Located to the east of the city of Canalave, in the Trefford neighbourhood, 15 minutes away from the city centre, and mostly known for being the venue for the Canalave Crown match, this stadium was built in 1993 and initially seated 35,000 fans, however, it was unpopular among Canalave Dragons' fans and football fans in general due to its shape and the fact that the stands were too far from the field, hence failing to create an ideal atmosphere for the game. After undergoing radical remodeling works which brought the stands closer to the pitch in order to ensure a better atmosphere and also replaced the old bowl-shaped stands by four rectangular, all-seated stands, the stadium's capacity was increased from 35,000 to 50,987. This stadium is renowned for its hostile (to away teams and fans) environment, which added to the city's own weather conditions make Dragon Stadium a very difficult place to play at for visiting teams. Dragon Stadium will host two group stage matches, as well as a Round of 16 match:

GS MD1: Semarland vs. Cosumar (Group A)
GS MD2: Osarius vs. Kernansquillec (Group B)
Round of 16: C1 vs. D2 (R2)

Pradera
Pradera is the capital city of the Antioquia state (west of Valladares' mainland) and the eighth most populous city in Valladares. This city, located on the northern bank of the Parce river and nested in the Western Mountains, is known for its temperate climate and for its proximity to the town of Talamonte, which houses Valladares' main coal mines and is located some kilometres to the west. Pradera is, after Carloburgo, the second major cultural and economic hub in the western Valladar mainland, and like Fontvielle in the Foix state, has a reputation as a working class city. Pradera is home to Pradera FC, who have been Valladar champions once and have been one of the most consistent sides in the Valladar Liga-1 in recent times, contending for qualification for UICA tournaments every season.

Stadium: Estadio de la Montaña (43,174 seats)

The Estadio de la Montaña is one of Valladares' newest stadiums, completed in time for the 60th Baptism of Fire. Located on the banks of the Parce river, and owned by local club Pradera FC, it was a much-needed home for the "Verdiblancos", who until the stadium's completion had been playing in the state-owned Estadio Gobernador Villa, with capacity for 25,572 people and rendered too small for Pradera's growing fanbase with no possibilities of expansion due to its location in a residential sector. This shiny new stadium has a capacity for 43,174 people and became the first stadium in Valladares to use solar power as its roof and facade were equipped with a photovoltaic system. In addition to this, it has also got two executive towers in the stadium's western side. These towers offer a restaurant and offices for the club, its main supporters group, and other local companies. It will host the following matches in this World Cup:

GS MD1: Turori vs. Szavoda (Group D)
GS MD2: Eura vs. Super-Llamaland (Group C)
Round of 16: A1 vs. B2 (R1)

Slateport
Unlike nearby Carloburgo, which is located on the temperate southwestern mountains, Slateport is hot and its weather will not be as cool and nice as the one you will find in the capital of Mountbatten state. This city is the second most populated city in the Eterna state, and is located on the Danubio valley in the shores of Hamanos Lake, an artificial water reservoir created by the Hamanos Dam further north. Slateport has taken advantage of the presence of Hamanos Lake by transforming it into the city's main tourist atraction, luring lovers of water sports from all over the nation all year round. There are also hundreds of resorts and aquatic parks established around the lake, which are visited by the city's inhabitants every weekend.

Stadium: Estadio de la Riviera (40,110 seats)

The Estadio de la Riviera is owned by the Slateport Municipality and is used by the local football club Slateport Bulls for their home matches. Estadio de la Riviera is famous throughout Valladares for its atmosphere, with Slateport Bulls fans being one of the most loyal fanbases in the nation. This state-of-the-art stadium is located in one of the most beautiful zones of downtown Slateport, and is also surrounded by several restaurants offering typical dishes of the region, which are getting ready to live up to the expectations of fans from all over the multiverse. Estadio de la Riviera will host the following two games:

GS MD2: Royal Kingdom of Quebec vs. San Llera (Group B)
GS MD3: Turori vs. Ko-oren (Group D)

Fontvielle
The city of Fontvielle is known as the Industrial Capital of Valladares, hosting over 100 factories as well as being the cradle and heart of the Valladar labor movement. It is located to the south of Valladares, a short distance south of the national capital Metropolis, on the opposite bank of the Danube river. However, Fontvielle is best-known multiversally for being the home of 11-time Liga-1 champions and 2-time UICA Champions' Cup winners Fontvielle Impact, who are themselves tightly linked to the city's labourer background as they were born as a football team for the workers of the Tamount dairy factory. Fontvielle is also home to one-time Liga-1 champions Olympique de Fontvielle, who are not as blue-collar as their bigger and more successful neighbours, but have been related to the Valladar national railways for a long time. Aside from the factories and the stadiums, there's no much to visit in Fontvielle, although the Parc de l'Eau, an amusement park, and the historic Place du Centre stand as important landmarks in the city.

Stadium: Stade de la Frontière (41,378 seats)

The Stade de la Frontière, home to Valladar powerhouses Fontvielle Impact will be the venue for World Cup action in this city. Located to the south of Fontvielle, this stadium underwent some remodeling works to prepare it for the tenth Copa Rushmori, which included an increase of its capacity from 36,500 to 41,378 seats. Thanks to this upgrading works, more VIP boxes were installed and more restaurants in which dishes prepared with Tamount cheeses or milk are the main attraction. However, its latest attraction is a 5-star, 8-storey hotel located in the southwestern corner of the stadium. This stadium will host the following 2 games:

GS MD2: Pasarga vs. Turori (Group D)
GS MD3: Super-Llamaland vs. Nephara (Group C)

Columbus
Columbus is the second most important city of the Mountbatten state, and also the former capital of Valladares, located in the middle of the Danube River Canyon and facing the nearby city of Maldonado in the Chiquito state, with whom it forms a conurbation. Columbus is best known as the "Cradle of Freedom", given that the decisive Battle of Siete Ríos was fought near the city on September 5th, 1881 and also because the Declaration of Independence was signed there on October 8th that same year. Columbus' most important landmarks (other than the typical hot and dry climate for a canyon) are the Battle of Siete Ríos Memorial, located in the nearby suburb of Siete Ríos and visited by thousands of people every year, the "Palacio Quemado", former Viceroyal residence burnt down during the Valladar revolts in the late 19th century and restored after Valladar independence, and the Puente Ladino, first bridge built over the Danube river and still in use, communicating Columbus and its sister city of Maldonado at the other bank of the river. This city is also football-mad, with its most important clubs being FC Columbus and Patriotas FC, both currently competing in the Liga-2, Valladares' second tier.

Stadium: Estadio Parque Armenia (35,250 seats)

Estadio Parque Armenia is one of three new stadiums built before the Baptism of Fire and replaced the old Danube Canyon Stadium, whose infrastructure is obsolete for international tournaments such as the WCC ones and is constantly flooded by the Danube river and its traditional flash floods. Designed and built to seat 35,250 people in its comfortable seats, it is located in the Armenia neighbourhood to the south of the city and serves as home stadium for both FC Columbus and Patriotas FC since the completion of the Baptism of Fire. This stadium will host two group stage matches as well as a Round of 16 game:

GS MD1: Super-Llamaland vs. Polkopia (Group C)
GS MD2: Ko-oren vs. Szavoda (Group D)
Round of 16: B1 vs. A2 (R3)

Junín
The City of Junín is the eleventh and newest Valladar state. Located in the Rushmori Far East on the shores of the Endemien Ocean, it serves as Valladares' only gateway to the eastern seas and its Overseas Territories. Ever since the citizens of the City voted for union with the United Kingdom of Valladares, and because of its strategic military importance (being the main headquarters for the IX Division of the Valladar Royal Army, the Royal Air Force, and the Royal Navy), it was declared a closed city by the Royal Government, where foreigners were usually not allowed entry. The city has, however, thrived thanks to its position as Valladares' comercial outpost on the Endemien Ocean and the constant trade between the nation and its Overseas Territories and will be expected to thrive even more with its recent opening. Junín has also been blessed by nature thanks to its location on a hill over the ocean, with the "Ciudad Vieja" (Old City) being built on its top and foothills, and also thanks to "La Portada", which is a natural arch located on the ocean and welcoming all ships coming to the city. Junín's main professional team is Deportivo Junín, who currently compete in the Valladar Liga-1, although Marinos Metropolis are a very popular club in the City.

Stadium: Arena Junín (43,394 seats)

It's big, it's underused, it's the marvellous Arena Junín which will be welcoming Junín's first international event since the opening! Located at the ocean's edge in the zone known as "Península" (which is an actual peninsula that also houses "La Colina" and the Old City), this stadium was recently built to replace Estadio Camilo Mazuera López (Camal) as Deportivo Junín's home stadium and includes 125 VIP seats, distributed between executive suites and skyboxes, two video screens (one at each end) with an area of 120m² each, Wi-Fi connectability in all of its 43,394 seats, among other things. The whole Arena Junín complex also includes a basketball/volleyball court, a gym, a chapel, an events center, bars, stores, and a parking building for 2,500 cars. This stadium will host two matches, which will be:

GS MD2: Valladares vs. Semarland (Group A)
GS MD3: Szavoda vs. Pasarga (Group D)

Valencia
The city of Valencia is the second most important city of the Antioquia state, and is located on the banks of the Danubio river between the cities of Slateport and Canalave, and facing the city of Barracas, which is located in the Arauco state. Valencia is one of Valladares' oldest cities and as such every square, every street, and every house always is filled with history and has a story to tell. Because of its location in the Danubio lowlands, Valencia's climate is hot, sunny, and humid (though not so as Canalave's), with temperatures averaging 30 degrees Celsius (86°F). These features have earned Valencia the nicknames of Ciudad Señora ("Lady City") and Capital del Sol ("Sunshine Capital").

Stadium: Estadio Tricentenario (30,150 seats)

Estadio Tricentenario is, as its name suggests, a tribute to Valencia's 300 years of history, and receives all of Valencia FC's home games. Located in the eastern outskirts of the city, and with a capacity of 30,150 seats, this stadium includes a retractable roof to protect players, fans, and naturally, the pitch from inclement weather when needed, and its distinctive form makes it instantly recognizable when viewed from a distance. This stadium also has a unique system to recycle and treat sewage waters and its floodlights are designed to be powered with solar energy, thus taking advantage of the city's own weather patterns, Valencia being one of the cities with the most hours of sunshine per year in Valladares. This jewel will host two group stage games in this World Cup:

GS MD2: Nephara vs. Polkopia (Group C)
GS MD3: Kernansquillec vs. Royal Kingdom of Quebec (Group B)

by **46566** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 8:58 am

Grand Duchy placed in group 16
Midgar- /the Grand Duchy are coming off a successful Baptism of Fire tournament in which they were knocked out of the tournament in the round of 16. The Grand Duchy currently ranked 246 in the world. The Grand Duchy has been drawn into group 16 after being placed in pot 6 for the draw. Group 16 consist of Valanora (7), Kirisaki (34), Arioslavia (195), Stvoto Latoli (57), Jeckland (UR), Chromatika (119). Based off just the rankings of the nations a fourth place position would be the best hope for the Grand Duchy team. The main goal for the team would be to win at least 3 games in the group and get a win or tie against one of the top 3 teams in the group. It's highly unlikely that the Grand Duchy will finish higher then fourth.

It's expected that the Grand Duchy of 46566 will finish sixth in the Group above Jeckland. Luckily for the Grand Duchy it was drawn into group 16 and not other groups like group 12. The Grand Duchy only has 3 top 100 teams instead of playing against 4 in the group. This would give the Dukes a better chance of winning more games and at least tie a few. At this time a fourth place finish would be considered a great tournament. Anything above a sixth place finish would be beneficial for the Grand Duchy.

by **Associated Godlands** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 4:31 pm

GodHatesYou.God
The official blog of Shirley Phelps-Roper

I've been waiting a long time for this. Of course, God hates impatience, but I have been... anticipating this moment. The World Cup is here! It is finally time for Associated Godlands to fulfill God's final solution and win the World Cup, while all of the heathens burn for eternity and only a few thousand true Christians remain. I can't wait!

The first step towards the World Cup trophy and subsequent apocalypse is World Cup qualification, in which Associated Godlands will compete in, and certainly win, Group 18. Let's take a team-by-team look.

Turori
The "best team" in Group 18, at least according to the heathen pundits, is Turori. Who is Turori, you ask? That's what I was asking myself as well in researching this article. Turns out they've been around for a long time, but that's not necessarily a good thing, as evidenced by the Jews. I asked God for some more information and he just said that Turori is a heathen nation, just as I expected. A lot of heathen foreigners will probably say that Turori will do well, but they won't. Instead, the island nation will be hit by massive floods. The few that did not drown in the floods will soon be consumed by the fire that follows, and transported into Hell for eternal damnation. Depending on when this happens, they may have to forfeit a game to Associated Godlands, as opposed to losing by a flood of goals.

Flardania
Flardania, like Turori, is an island, or rather an archipelago. And Flardania will also face a similar fate to Turori. Floods will sweep over Flardania, killing all the heretics. The only spared will be the national team, playing overseas at the time. Luckily, they will also die at the hands of the Associated Godlands National Team. On film as well!. One day, when myself, my family, a few other people are in Heaven, we will watch replays of them dying on the TV and feel nostalgic for when we were young. At least that's what we'll do if God doesn't hate nostalgia. I'll have to double check with Him to see his position. I hope he doesn't hate it, because the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ scoring a barrage of goals as Flardanians are burned to death in our home stadium.... that will be a moment to cherish.

Garifunya
Garifunya is not very fun. Or not very pun, I should say? That is what my secretary recommended I write for the entry on Garifunya, before I had her executed. Too bad, really, I guess I'll need another daughter. But her execution was worthwhile nonetheless, as not only does God hate puns, but Garifunya is really fun. They will be flooded (There sure are a lot of island nations in our group) and then the water starts to boil and all the citizens go to hell and burn for eternity. That sounds pretty fun for me. I really am looking forward to it.

Vettrera
Vettrera is the first non-island nation I have reviewed thus far, although it does lay claim to a significant stretch of coastline, so residents in port cities will face flooding. But inland, most of the death and destruction brought by the apocalypse will occur via earthquakes and fires. Vettrera, needless to say, is a heathen nation, so all of their residents will soon be burning in Hell for eternity. They will not be an obstacle in Associated Godlands's run to the World Cup final, but their death may make for some good television.

Nordeana
Nordeana is a name that doesn't really ring a bell, given that they are an irrelevant heathen nation. But I have done my research and I have found out that they are even more heathen than originally thought. First, the many people in Nordeana reject God, and He will not like that. Those who do believe in God are Catholics, and molesting children is never okay. Eternally damning heathen children, however, is fine. Luckily, Nordeana will not be around much longer - they will be hit with gigantic blizzards and all resident will freeze to death, only to be unthawed in the burning pits of Hell.

Union of American Democrats III
I don't know much about "Union of American Democrats III", but the fact that they are Democrats and the fact that they are Americans suggests to me that they are heathens. Hence they will burn in Hell.

by **Schiavonia** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 6:45 pm

Benny Sanderson and Tony Cueto are sat in the SFF offices, making sure that their work is done for the day. Whatever it is they've been doing these last twelve years.

"...so that's a packet of onion salt, twenty-three litres of weedkiller and an a loofah."

Tony looked back, bemused. "Honestly, Benny. I don't know what you get up to on these nights with Mrs Sanderson..."

"I thought it would be pretty self explanatory."

"It really isn't."

"Well..."

"And why you have to deal with it while we're at work..."

"I thought we'd finished work for the day?"

"No. This is the end of the day. We're just rounding off what has been done in order to go home. Did you not even read the short introductory paragraph?"

It was Benny's turn to look at his workmate with a puzzled grimace. "The what?"

"Oh, never mind. Anyway, did you finally get around to sending the application for Schiavonia to enter the World Cup off to the WCC?"

"I did."

Tony's eyebrows raised so highly that they almost popped off the top of this forehead.

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Seriously?"

"Yes! Look! I have the mail confirming that they have received our entry here."

Tony read from the screen of Benny's computer.

From: Valladares & San Jose Guayabal Organising Committee
To: Schiavone Football Federation
CC: World Cup Committee

Dear Mr Sanderson,

Thank you for your nation's application to World Cup 71.

Tony looked up. "Hang on, World Cup 71?"

"Yes."

"Do you know how long you've been putting off the job of our application for that one?"

"I know, it has been a few months..."

"It has been a bit longer than a few months."

"Has it?"

"Just a little..."

Unfortunately, entries to World Cup 71 closed twelve years ago, but we are currently adding teams to the waiting list for World Cup 74. We shall add you to this list and, on the event of a team dropping out, you will be entered into qualifying for this competition.

Thank you for showing your interest in the World Cup.

Enrique Pabón
Cleaner, Federación Guayabalense de Fútbol

"Well," Benny proudly declared, "at least they didn't just fob us off with just anyone replying."

"Please tell me you were being sarcastic."

"I was being sarcastic."

"You're only saying that because I requested you to, weren't you?"

"I was, yes."

"Look, at least we're on the waiting list. That's more progress than we've made since you quit playing. Any other news?"

"Yes, apparently the nation of Soltsteed have withdrawn from the cup, declaring that they would like to see their place taken by a team from Schiavonia."

"Really?"

"That's what it says on this newswire."

"That's incredibly gracious of them! Well, we had better do them a favour in return. Shall we let their team come over to Schiavonia for a holiday in good will from the people of our nation?"

"That sounds like a good idea!"

"Drop them a message, Benny."

"Can I do it tomorrow?"

"And what happened the last time you said that about sending a message out?"

Benny looked back, puzzled.

"Twelve years..."

"I'll do it now."

Tony grinned. "That's better."

by **Ficiscia** » Sun Feb 07, 2016 4:25 pm

Cenial, Ceni - Baptism of Fire 61 final

I was sitting on the bench. You can probably guess this is not exactly my favourite position in a game. But in this case, even I couldn't object to my substitution. Brother Stupid Diver from Dudgeon had injured my ankle more than I wanted to admit, and now I was barely walking. We had thrown everything to the front, and started one last attack with Alexandros down the line. He passed it back to Decimius, dodging an attack of the Amazonestan defender that attacked him. He raised his head and saw Rex running into the area, passing it down to Petrus. We rose to our feet as we saw Laurentius Parca getting into position and Petrus passing it over, a sharp, flat pass through the area. Parca shot. We jumped. The goalkeeper did the same, but was not close enough to reach it. We dropped back to the bench, hearing a metallic *clonk* as the ball bounced off the post and over the line - on the wrong side. A whistle confirmed what we knew. The winner of the 61st Baptism of Fire was Amazonesta.

A few hours later, a bar in Cenial

We were sitting somewhere in the center of Cenial: Me, Decimius, Petrus Rex, Aleixos Carus, Andri Norrman, Laurentius Parca and Pavel Roskis. Drowning the pain of the loss in beers. We were given the permission to stay out as long as we wanted, something I didn't expect the old man to allow us. Determined to use the opportunity, we hit the bars and drank, tried to forget the bitter loss and flirted with Cenian women. Petrus was sitting on a chair with a blonde on his lap, Pavel emptied another beer and ordered the next round trying to flirt with the tall, black-haired bartender that he obviously had developed a little crush on. We just were kids, kids with a bit too much money and too much fame. But who were we to reject the opportunities that being a BoF finalist gives you? I sat with Decimius and Andri, talking about how we liked Cenial and were looking forward to joining the real big stage. The World Cup Qualification.

Eventually, somehow Pavel gave up on the bartender and even our lady man Petrus joined us again. We ordered another round of beers, surely the fifth or sixth, and discussed the game again. Looked back on the tournament and thought about our greatest moments in the tournament. My goal in the game against Silvacometopia, the first ever goal scored for Ficiscia. Petrus's brilliant cross that lead to the winning goal against Firebolt. My cabin speech in the same game. Laurentius's header against Swestan that gave us the victory and the points we needed for the KO phase. Pavel's save on the line in the semifinals against Dudgeon. Andri's passes and shots. Decimius's free kick goal from over 30 m against Silvacometopia. With the memory of our greatest moments in our minds, we laid down our silver medals and put our hands on top of them. Decimius, as our captain, led us on.

"We ended second. Second of all the new teams. Better than all of them except one. We will work to beat them too!" Petrus joined: "We owe our fans a fight, guys. We are still the pride of Ficiscia. And we need to improve and take a gold". "I got a silver and a bronze. I don't know bout you guys, but I want that fucking title!", Aleixos joined in, reminding us that we never finished a tournament off the podium. "We got what we need, and you all know it! Now let's show it. Next time we face Amazonesta, we beat them!" I shouted, in reminiscence of the speech I delivered in the quarterfinal against Firebolt. Pavel followed: "Fuck Amazonesta. I don't wanna beat some other newbies. I wanna beat them all!" he shouted. "Lose! Fight! WIN!" Andri and Laurentius shouted. We looked at Decimius again, who raised his hand to the traditional Ficiscian oath. We followed him, waiting for his words. "We will train. We will fight. We will improve. Faster, stronger, better! And we will, one day, every single one of us", he took a small break enjoying our eyes on him, "we will be... WORLD CHAMPIONS." We raised our hands higher and repeated: "We will be world champions! SUMUS FICISCIA! HIC PRO VICTORIA! CITIUS ET FORTISSIMA! SEMPER FICISCIA!"

And so we left that bar, knowing in our hearts and minds what we would be fighting for and why we were here. To win the World Cup.

by **Northern Sunrise Islands** » Sun Feb 07, 2016 7:26 pm

OOC: And thus a Radio Esportiva spinoff thing appears.

A blond boy ran through the somewhat ravaged streets of Lorelei. The citizens of the proud Northern Sunrisian city had too been affected with the denizens from what many called as "The Eternal Night". The boy, however, was trying not to be noticed as he could see some black clad beings, the ones originated from the night. He dashed through the tight streets, filled of barricades that were no longer effective against the denizens. As he ran through the streets, he could see the enemies, a swarm with dozens coming all the way to the town. Among them, he could see one carrying two girls on his shoulders. His eyes were certain, those were his two young sisters, both having been taken after they ran from under his family's nose to play. His right fist shook with anger. The boy dashed towards the swarm, who still didn't notice him before leaping against the one holding his sisters and landing both his feet on the back of the humanoid, freeing his sisters. The humanoid was thrown forward, before finally grasping the situation, alerting the others. The boy managed to catch both his sisters and putting them on the ground, ordering both to run as fast as they could. He saw them both dash, only to get a strong hay-maker to the temple from one of the humanoids. He still, however, managed to stay concious, standing up quickly. He smugly smiled, noticing another punch coming his way, only for him to skilfully grab the arm of the dark one and throw him against the other foes. Placing himself on a good position, he continued to strike against the denizens before hearing a loud yell from one of his sisters. His eyes looked back, he saw one of his sisters covered in a black substance and the other one, held by one of those monsters, already with half her body fully black. He tried to dash against them, but then felt his right arm being held and a strong pain. He yelled, losing conscience from the pain. It was over.

"AH!" yelled the boy as he woke up on his bed. "Noah!" he heard from across the room, it was one of his sisters, Anna. "What happened, is your arm still hurt?" asked the young girl, a blanket over her legs. Noah remembered what the dream shown. That was six years ago. Anna, now a twelve year old, looked at him with worries. "You had that nightmare again, didn't you?" Noah nodded, causing Anna to sigh. "What happened ago wasn't your fault... Mia was the one that thought it was a good idea." The girl then gave a weak smile. "Who knows, Noah? Maybe she's still alive, only on the Black Night... and if there was a way to save us, maybe they could save her too..." She then lowered her blanket, revealing her two legs had been switched to cyborg legs. "...And maybe by then, they'll have found actual legs for me." The girl quietly went back to sleep, leaving Noah pondering. On his right arm, laid no longer a mere human arm, but something different, taped by dozens of bandages with runes over them.
Back then, he thought that those runes would give him powers in order to get Mia back... but they never really worked, though they kept him from turning into one of the Dark Beings, the ones that took his sister away. But for him, that was still a waste. "...One day, Mia. One day." He muttered before going back to sleep as well, wishing his arm actually did get those damn powers.

The runes lit up. Maybe it was time it would actually work.

CHAPTER I - AWAKE

"Noah Nitsukara! This is the last time I call you!" yelled a woman's voice. "I know you hate this date, but you better answer you mother correctly!" Noah's eyes opened, noticing his mother's angry eyes. "It's the seventh time I've tried to wake you up, you lazy boy! Was this on the barracks, you'd be in jail!" Asa Nitsukara, one of the city's most respected sergeants was possibly also one of the strongest women of the current Northern Sunrise. People like her had taken the Sunrise from being just another country saddled with the events that transpired years earlier to being one of the major stand outs against the Dark Beings, even with the loss of one of her seven children being unable to take her down. Noah got up, without much answer. "We're having breakfast and then I'm taking you to your new school. It's for people that want to help this world against the Eternal Night. Just like you. Now move."
Noah washed his face and walked down to the kitchen, seeing almost his entire family having breakfast, including his mother, his older brother Tai, his older sister Lea, his younger brother Lee, the afore-mentioned Anna and the youngest of the bunch Nina. Missing were, aside from Mia, his father who probably was studying again and his grandparents, probably watching something on the television. Noah grabbed a biscuit and started to eat, before being nudged by Lea. Lea was the one that reminded him the most of mother, though with a bit too much arrogance. "Don't you think you should say Good Morning to everyone, Noah? Or is it that your failed hero career made your forget of things today again?"
Noah stared at her with anger, as if wanting to get a comeback, only for Tai to speak for him. "Considering you didn't show up and I was at Boston back then, I doubt you can speak much about it, Lea."
Lea rolled her eyes, drinking a bit of her tea before speaking again, "Oh, sure, Tai! Back up the thoughtless Noah! It's not like he- oh, I dunno, let them take little Mia!"
Lee, the big eater of the bunch simply took his plate full of cookies and got up, "You talk too much. I'll go eat my breakfast on my room."
Anna, the one Noah liked the most, shook her hand, "He saved me and could've saved Mia if we weren't on bad numbers, you stupid-"
"ENOUGH!", yelled Asa, "Your brother doesn't need your comments, Lea; nor does he need someone else to defend him, Tai. And you, young Lee, you're having breakfast with us!"
Lee grumpily returned to the table, eating another cookie and muttering "They better not start that again, then...".

After finishing breakfast, Noah walked by his father's room, only to find him reading. The man's already grey hair covered most of his head, though he was pretty well dressed for one that would just stay at home reading. "Noah, Good Morning." said his father. Noah looked at his father's diploma, hanging at the wall, his name on cursive font, Yo Nitsukara. "...You're not spending today well enough, I take." said Yo, still reading a particularly large book, "Not that you're one to talk a whole lot much often, but still, you're rather quiet today... You know, why don't you help me out? I need to borrow some books from the library. When you return, we can talk about these if you feel like it... Oh, yes, you can come with them after your mother finishes her tour through that new school you're joining." Yo returned his full attention to the books. He was quite known as an intellectual man, so much so that it was quite unusual for him to be paired up with someone so different like Asa.
As far as Noah recalled, his father always read a bunch of books, but after the Eternal Night, he had been reading even more. Normally, he was somewhat of a doctor, his efforts now had mostly been over curing people under the Dark Being's influence and while most cases were successes, he felt guilty of not being capable of saving his daughter Anna fully, though he was somewhat satisfied by the cyborg work. Noah went back to his room, got dressed and walked out of the house. A short walk later, they finally arrived at the Prospect Defender Academy of Mardi.
He couldn't help but notice how his mother was revered at the place. "Now, Noah. You're free to walk around and check things out. Any thing you ask the people that work here, OK? I'll go settle some paperwork left about you here." Left alone, the boy explored his future school, but his focus soon went to a new voice calling him.
"Hey, you!" said another boy, a dark-haired kid who seemed somewhat overenthusiastic, wearing a purple coat and black pants, he offered his hand to Noah. "Name's Leon. Leon Saux. I'm joining the Academy this year, I guess you're doing the same, right?" Noah shook his hand, trying his best to look happy. "...Me too. I'm Noah. You're from Lynder, I guess?" asked Noah, trying to show interest. "Nope. I'm not from here, I'm from Yttribia. You know, that nice place on purple and stuff! Shame the Eternal Night messed up a lot of my place, loved back there... but here's cool too, this whole Future City thing Mardi has and all!" Leon put his right hand on his jaw, looking at Noah as if he was doing some sort of assessment before saying "And I assume you're not well today. Something happened?". Before Noah could answer, his mother walked from the start of the corridor, holding some papers. After seeing where she was looking at, Leon realized who he was talking with. "Oh, Noah, you're one of Sgt. Nitsukara's children?" Noah shrugged, nodding afterwards, "Yup. The weakest one... I failed to save the one-" He was interrupted by his mother, glaring at Noah, "Already, Noah? Chill down!"

"So, is it true that you were the one that solved that mess that happened on Slembana?" asked Leon, acting like a true fanboy of Asa. "Well, not to say I did it all by myself, but that was how it went, indeed." bragged Asa, posing. "Anyhow, I would love if you could help my son here, Leon. The whole incident back in the Eternal Night left him pretty... well, broken. You seem like the true opposite of that, so hopefully, your happiness can catch on him." The Yttribian smiled, patting Noah on the back without warning. "Don't worry, ma'am Asa! I'll take care of him!" Noah looked at his mother, confused, but before thinking too much about it, he reminded himself of the errand his father asked. "Actually, I have to go get some books for dad back at the library, mom... and I think I've seen enough of the place, is it OK for me to go get the metro?" Before his mother answered, Leon popped up inside the conversation, "I'm going there too! We could, y'know, go together and stuff! That way we can talk more about things!" His mother nodded, leaving both.
Noah simply looked at his new friend and muttered "...Like all my mother's adventures?". Leon shrugged, Noah simply started walking his way to the subway, followed by Leon. As they walked, Leon... well, he couldn't stay quiet, to say the least. Though maybe his big mouth was his greatest asset, as not too long after they were getting along pretty well. In the end, Leon stuck with Noah to his house, where Noah's father waited for those old books.
As Noah finally carried the books to his father home, Yo took the books from his hand in seconds. "Ah, thank you, Noah! These books are exactly what I needed... Who's your friend?"
Leon smiled, offering his hand. "I'm Leon! I'll be Noah's colleague at the Academy." Yo shook his hand, smiling.
"So, I assume Noah told you that I'm the one doing the whole Dark Being recovery job, right?" asked Noah's father, while Noah started to look at some papers hanging at the wall.
They were all on some foreign language, but he tried to make some sense out of it. He then saw some bandages with runes over them. And for some reason, he decided to leave the room. "Leon, see you at class tomorrow. Hopefully my father can show you the way back... I need to rest." Leon nodded and Noah went to his own room, sitting on the bed. "...So these things are just the regular treatment." he pondered. Gone were the dreams, it seemed. He shook his covered hand with anger. He knew that, as is, he wasn't capable of holding his own. He shook his closed fist with anger, but something different happened. His runes lit up.

And that's where things changed.

by **Schiavonia** » Mon Feb 08, 2016 12:39 pm

"So we're playing Winifred Chester as back-up finisher?"

Benny sighed. "She's all we have."

Tony seemed equally resigned. "But if young Alessandro can't play, is she good enough? Just because her sister played three qualifying campaigns for us, doesn't make her a world beater herself."

"There is no-one else right now, though. She's the one we're going to have to plump for."

Tony sniggered. "Plump being the most fitting word. And then look at the strength position. We've got a youngster who is nowhere near fully developed and a player who is past it and looks like a wookie."

Benny looked (unsurprisingly) puzzled. "What's a wookie?"

"It's not that important what a wookie is. The point is that our squad is nowhere near good enough for international football."

"To be fair, people said that about us when we first started playing. And we proved them wrong."

"We did."

"That turned out to be a good squad. Viliaka O'Connor in goal..."

"A defence o... hang on... he's still in goal now."

"Is he?"

"What do you mean, is he? We chose the squad!"

"Oh yes. We did. So how come it says here he's 33?"

"Well he is half-Vilitan and spends much of his time over there."

"And?"

"Well, time moves differently over there, doesn't it?"

"How can time move differently? That makes absolutely no sense to me."

"Well, in this multiverse, time is not a constant. It is inconsistent, it passes at different rates depending upon where you are. So thousands of years in the Dreamed Realm, for example, is about a fraction of a second here in Schiavonia."

"Ah, OK. And Vilita?"

"Roughly half the speed time goes by here."

"Very strange..." as the cogs whirred in Benny's mind. "...but we could use this to help us."

"What..." then it hit Tony. "You're thinking what I'm thinking, aren't you?"

"I think I might be!"

The look of excitement on Tony's face looked like a child who first mastered the potty and no longer had to wet themselves. Until Benny finished his point.

"We move the team to Vilita!"

"We mo... No! We can't do that. We're the Schiavonia team! We play in Schiavonia!"

"Oh."

"I was going to suggest that we snd some sort of message out around the multiverse to try and find Schiavone players - or Schiavonia eligible players - who we can add to the team."

"Ah. Oh. Yes," the tone in Benny's voice growing ever more resigned. More in respect of Tony's idea being a better one. Again.

"I just wish there was an easy way of doing it."

And Benny perked up again, starting to type. "Well, of course there is."

"There is?"

"Of course there is, you technophobe!"

"Benny, you forget that when we grew up, there were no computers in Schiavonia."

"You're a clever enough fella, though. You could have just learned, like I did."

"Well, I guess we simply have different fortes. So what's this idea?"

"Social networks."

"And what are they?"

"Essentially, they are big online pages where people link to one another and things they like, and they receive mass messages and personal messages in an instant."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Wow!"

"Look, this is the SFF page, and while we've been talking, I've typed out a message and posted it to all of our followers."

Tony read put the message.

Schiavone Football Federation
Are you a Schiavone-qualified footballer playing overseas? Perhaps one plays for your club or in your nation. If so, the SFF would love to hear from you!

"You see, Tony. Then people will message us, and we'll hopefully find some decent-quality players."

"Oh my word! Just... Wow!"

"You really are excited by this, aren't you?"

"No!" Tony responded, caked in sarcasm, "What gave you that impression?"

"You've pissed yourself."

by **Ficiscia** » Mon Feb 08, 2016 1:47 pm

FNSN.fc Football: Ficiscian Schedule for World Cup Qualifiers released

February 15th: MD1 - Ficiscia vs. Eshan in Carinha
February 16th: MD2 - Quakmybush vs. Ficiscia in Quakmybush
February 17th: MD3 - Ficiscia vs. Eodor in Antiqua
February 18th: MD4 - Greater Rashland vs. Ficiscia in Greater Rashland
February 19th: MD5 - BYE
February 20th: MD6 - Ficiscia vs. Semarland in Carinha
February 21st: MD7 - Kandorith vs. Ficiscia in Kandorith
---
February 23rd: MD8 - Eshan vs. Ficiscia in Eshan
February 24th: MD9 - Ficiscia vs. Quakmybush in Antiqua
February 25th: MD10 - Eodor vs. Ficiscia in Eodor
February 26th: MD11 - Ficiscia vs. Greater Rashland in Marinum
February 27th: MD12 - BYE
February 28th: MD13 - Semarland vs. Ficiscia in Semarland
February 29th: MD14 - Ficiscia vs. Kandorith in Carinha

As you probably know, Ficiscia is taking part in its first World Cup qualification this year. FFPP now released not only its roster but also the schedule with the distribution of games to the cities who applied for games. They will face group favourites Kandorith and Semarland in Carinha, in the biggest stadium of the nation, while the most modern arena in Antiqua will host Eodor and Quakmybush. Eshan, number four of the group, will be the first team to face Ficiscia on home ground, and for this historical event of the nation's first home game, FFPP decided to host this match in Carinha as well. The group's worst ranked team, Greater Rashland, will play their game in Marinum. The old stadium in the North of the port city will be a loud scene for this crucial game. Of course, the odds to qualify for the World Cup on our first cycle is probably too much to ask for, but what is in this competition for Ficiscia? Against which teams do we have a chance, against which should we not expect too much? Our experts Livius Terti, three-times Ficiscian Champion, and Jessika Liskovas, Olympic player with the Ficiscian women's national team, take a look at the six opponents of the Ferocious Lynx.

ESHAN

LT: Eshan is the first opponent of our national team. Unfortunately there is no information about Eshan available at the moment, so all that we know is that they are placed 96th in the WCC ranking, 59 places ahead of us. The first game will definitely be very important, as it can make or break a campaign to start off good or bad. I think we will see a top motivated Ficiscian team who may bring some trouble to them, but it will be a very hard game.
JL: I am sure they will put up a fight, they have done so in other competitions against stronger teams. Maybe they underestimate us? I think we definitely have a chance.

Results: 2-2 in Ficiscia, 3-1 in Eshan / 3-2 in Ficiscia, 2-1 in Eshan

QUAKMYBUSH

JL: Once again, we don't have any information about this team. They are the third-best ranked team in this group and certainly willing to attack Semarland and Kandorith, the two top teams. The good thing about those teams is that they may underestimate Ficiscia and just focus on the big ones. However, hardly anyone would not think that a BoF finalist can do something.
LT: I agree with you, Jessika. Quakmybush should be a team capable of doing amazing things in this WCQ, but they know they are facing two excellent squads with Semarland and Kandorith. So they will also know they need every point they can get and get out of their way to avoid losing points to a newbie on their first home game.

Results: 3-1 in Quakmybush, 2-3 in Ficiscia / 2-0 in Quakmybush, 1-3 in Ficiscia

EODOR

LT: Again, no information about them, and they stand pretty far underneath us in the ranking. While we are newbies and therefore underdogs by default, we need to beat a team over 100 places below us if we want to get any success in a World Cup or WCQ. This is the first game where we are the true favourites, I'd say.
JL: There's not much to add to Livius's observations. We need to score high and win against such teams, and this will be a true test of character as we are playing at home in a match we usually should win based on ranks. Pressure can truly hinder your game in such situations. This game will show if there is any chance at a surprise or not.

Results: 4-0 in Ficiscia, 2-3 in Eodor / 4-1 in Ficiscia, 0-2 in Eodor

GREATER RASHLAND

JL: Once again, no roster was provided so far. But I could basically copy the text about Eodor, unless this time it's almost 150 places of difference in the ranking. But I'm not gonna do that, so I'll talk a bit about the schedule here. Ficiscia has a schedule that I would have wished similar to it. We're facing the other "middle" teams first, giving us a chance to upset one of them. And then we may get our hopes up before we face the top teams. Do you think this is an advantage for us, Livius?
LT: You're definitely right, Jessika. You wanna face the best teams when you're at your best form, and a double round against the teams lower than us and a rest day surely will help to achieve that. But I wonder if a team like Greater Rashlands will really be such an easy opponent.

Results: 4-0 in Ficiscia, 1-4 in Greater Rashland / 3-0 in Ficiscia, 2-2 in Greater Rashlands

SEMARLAND

LT: Semarland is the one nation in this group we already know. In the Games of the X Olympiad, we played Semarland in the semifinals and lost 0-2, and those who were there surely want to take revenge. Semarland is an attacking team, and we expect plenty of goals between the teams. The good thing for Ficiscia is that the Semars are known to rotate their team quite a bit. Maybe they will take us lightly, allowing us to take a few points?
JL: I remember Semarland from the Olympics, and that's why I fear Livius is wrong. I fear that we will not have a chance, even if they rotate their team around. Every part of this squad seems strong and working together, and I expect a high-scoring game similar to the BoF finals - we all know how that went. And their structures are extremely professional with a huge staff and a good scouting system, that may be a deciding factor in the end.

Results: 4-2 in Semarland, 3-3 in Ficiscia / 3-1 in Semarland, 1-3 in Ficiscia

KANDORITH

JL: Kandorith is the strongest team in the group and ranked 17th in the WCC rankings. They play similar to Ficiscia, but on a higher level. Imagine the Lynx in a faster, stronger, more precise way and you have a somewhat accurate description of the Kandorese. This can be an advantage, as we know how to defend, or a disadvantage as we might run into knifes, as we did sometimes against offensive teams in the BoF. Again, this will be a test of character that shows how well the Ficiscians handle pressure and being heavy underdogs.
LT: The last game in Carinha is going to be very exciting. Depending on the standings, we may or may not have a good chance to steal points from a top team there. If Kandorith needs points, we may have problems, but what if they are already qualified? It may not be helpful for the campaign, but for the audience, it would be great to beat the world's number seventeen.

Results: 5-2 in Kandorith, 1-2 in Ficiscia / 4-0 in Kandorith, 3-3 in Ficiscia

GROUP PREDICTIONS:

Livius:
1. Kandorith
2. Semarland
3. Quakmybush
4. FICISCIA
5. Eshan
6. Eodor
7. Greater Rashland

Jessika:
1. Semarland
2. Kandorith
3. Quakmybush
4. Eshan
5. FICISCIA
6. Greater Rashland
7. Eodor

by **Fluvique** » Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:10 pm

A new story begins

There is a new page in the Fluviquean football. Lets remember what happened in the last months: after the elimination in the quarterfinals of the Olympics games, the Royal Football Association sacked Alfred Cook after five years commanding the team. The reason was the bad performances, the second place in the Baptism of Fire was not enough to the high standards of both fans and board. The truth is that the team recovered the international respect, but suffered some deadly defeats and failed to make a quality jump to face the big boys. However, for the fans our team is bigger than any other team, so is very hard to keep them happy after any defeat.

Now is time for talk about the new. And the new is Scott Muyskens. He was born in Alkanter in 1967, playing in Alkanter Football Club in the late 80s and 90s as central midfielder. After his retire in 2002, his became manager of the reserve team. In 2004 he took the command of the first team, but was sacked after five months. He managed Mouza in 2005-2006 and Fluviqueans Juniors in 2006-2008. In 2009 he became the manager of Geneva Juniors. On his first season qualified the team for the UNFA Cup. After many great seasons, he won the 2014/2015 Fluviquean First Division, the first title in the club's history.

After the Olympics, he was the chosen one to replace Cook and a four year deal was signed. What I lived at Geneva was incredible and I owe them to be here. It was hard say goodbye, but now I am totally ready and convinced of the team quality and the possibility to do a great work. -he said at his first press conference. We have a group of young players that can easily be the future superstars and experienced players with a lot of matches with the senior team. That mix is what I will looking for: a fresh, quick team and also a clever team, capable of understand the rhythms of the matches.

That is the key point. Our young showed lack of discipline and arrogance, causing some fights in the pitch. The task of teach the good values and fair play to them is work for the experienced players or for the manager? Both. It must be a common duty and a common learning. I will try to teach them what I think about the game and I will learn from them what they think. I have some thoughts, but no one have the truth here. So, what to expect? We will try to control the ball and close lines and pressing to recover it quickly. The players that I have allow me to play an offensive and possessing game and also retreat a little bit and wait to counterattack, thanks to the quick players in the midfield. and More than 80.000 people will cheer for us at Betham, so above all will try to give them an exiting game.

The exciting game will be enough to the fans? Who knows. The only thing that will keep the ultras happy will be the qualification for the World Cup. A result under that will end in another failure and a new departure of a manager. Meanwhile, Fluvique was placed in the group 14 with Shytysle, Fellow Citizens, St Saratoga, Sandwich Territories , Equestrian States and Nova Anglicana. A hard group, a very difficult schedule but the ilusions are growing and a new dream will start soon.

The Schedule:

South Lane: the continuity.

After the last World Cup qualifiers, many voices rose up against continue playing at South Lane stadium. The riots, the flares and stones thrown to the pitch and the way that the away supporters were threatened caused a recommendation of the NSWorld Cup board to move the home games to a more friendly stadium. Moving the games to the hinterland will ensure new public, more familiar. We all know the warm and open arms of the inner provinces, many of them popular destinations for the tourists coming to the country.

The first interested was Greencastle: the King Faust stadium was considered as a option and was offered to be the home of the white foxes. Also Aztus and Point Territory wanted to host some matches. However the question always finished in one point: the stadium capacity. While South Lane have 85.000 seats, the proposed stadiums has a capacity of 40.000, with not more than 25.000 seats. An overhaul will reduce the capacity (and will eliminate the traditional terraces.

Finally, South Lane will continue as home ground for the White Foxes, due to his capacity and links with Mevosa (by train, highway and air). Also, the Royal Football Association has a commitment to restrict the entrance of ultras (at least 45% of the available tickets were sold in the hinterland cities, to ensure different public) and the amount of police forces will be doubled, to keep safe the visitors. Entering to the stadium will be more exhausting: any fan will have to pass five check points and the entrance with backpacks, bottles and several objects will be restricted.

Travel information
Season: Fluvique is in the middle of summer. The average temperature is 26ºC (coastal provinces)
Security Tips: Both Mevosa and Betham are not violent cities. Anyway, as in every big city in the World, this is a proper place to little steals and shopliftings.
Language: The official languages of the country are English, Spanish and French.
ATM machines, Automatic Cash Dispensers: do not allow under any circumstance being helped with any trouble with these machines, nor give your security codes to anybody. Do not get big amounts of money in once time. Never use them at night.
Don't exchange money at the street: at any airport there is a Central Bank of Fluvique, the country's official bank. (In Mevosa: go to 404 Little Angels Blvd; In Betham: 149 France Avenue)
Medical system: the free public health system is guaranteed for any person in the country, but be sure to bring with you an ID or passport.
Use block cream: our famous cold is only in winter and in the north provinces. In the rest of the country, be around an hour under the sun and your skin will be swarthy
Cheek kiss: The cheek kiss is actually not a kiss at all, but more a sound when the cheeks touch each other. As general rule, if you want to be friendly, give a cheek kiss to everybody (two in the francophone provinces)
Prepare to eat a lot of meat and chocolate.

by **Walkany** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 1:54 pm

Five Days Until Walkany versus Dreamplanet

This is hogwash, Adam Adama thought as a bead of sweat dripped down his forehead, sinking into his eyebrow. I'm the manager of the national team. Shouldn't I be exempt from these things? Suddenly the plaster white walls of the hallway seemed very, very close, almost as if someone had designed them to add some additional pressure. The bright white lights gave him a headache as they glared through his glasses into his eyes. The black suit was uncomfortable, the tie around his neck an unfamiliar feeling, and the shoes, Oh goodness, the shoes! Those were perhaps the worst part about this clothing. Unlike his training ground and sideline foot wear, the dress shoes that his staff insisted on him wearing were tight. Not just in the sense of not being broken in yet but really tight, similar to having one's foot bound in a coil of rope. Adam was not really sure how he even got the shoe into his foot and now he was not sure how he would get it off either. Stubble had been growing on his jaw due to the endless hours he spent with the team preparing for Qualifying and he had grown accustomed to the idea of having a beard until O'Nielle, the interim president of the National Association of Walkany Football, sent a barber to his home. Now, the clean shave was almost as if he was showing every little detail about himself, many of which he was not sure he liked. How did I ever make it with the Rangers? The tension here is insane! Adama felt the sweat under his arms. Despite the rare cool summer day and the comfortable air conditioning, he felt stifled. Perhaps if I just remove the tie... He reached up to adjust it when the man to his left cleared his throat. Fine, Rimmer, but I'll get you back, the manager told his friend and assistant coach through a brief look. Sandra Gomez, his press conference assistant assigned to him by NAWF, patiently stared at her watch, waiting for the seconds to tick by until exactly one o'clock so she could open the door to hell. Her foot tapped at what seemed like an increasingly high speed, tap tap tap. Dissimilar to the tall, lanky forms of Rimmer and Adam, Sandra was short and stocky. She wore her own suit that seemed a little too small, but no one was willing to say anything about it for fear of her fierce temper. Adama liked her though. She's loyal almost to a fault, the thought made him smile, thinking of all the hard work she had done to prepare him. It was all for naught, I'm afraid Sandra. The press is going to eat me alive.

"One minute, Mr. Adama," Gomez said politely.

One minute, Adam chewed over that thought for a moment. For the past six weeks, he had spent endless hours developing the team into what he hoped was a formidable force. It had left him with very little time to do even the simple things like eating and sleeping, and even then he only performed those tasks at the insistence by his coaching staff. Every player had been analyzed endlessly to create the best team possible. Adama had done much of it himself because of his passion for the sport that even the most hard core athletes seemed to lack. He wanted his team to succeed and he was going to make it happen, though to be fair Rimmer Reynaldo had sacrificed almost as much as Adam to equip the team with the proper tactical knowledge. All of this hard work had given the manager an easy excuse to send one of the other coaches to do the fortnightly press conferences. Now there's only one left though, the veteran coach remembered as a second bead of sweat trailed down his back, One left before Qualifying. One to show that we're as ready as everyone hopes. One more to put fear in our opponents. The mind trick worked somewhat. Adam felt more confident, yet no less nervous about stepping in front of the press for the first time since his pre-Red Reservoir Rangers sacking.

"Ten seconds, Mr. Adama," Gomez cheerfully piped.

Ten... Adam took a deep breath. Nine... Holding this breath, he did a quick mental check of the topics that were to be discussed. Eight... Two more drops of sweat formed on his brow. Sandra wiped them away with a small handkerchief. Seven... Rimmer put on his people face, a small smile with a look as if he knew something everyone else did not. Six... The electronic locks on the door that led to the press conference room unlocked with two almost inaudible noises, like someone hitting a snare drum with their finger. Five... Sandra motioned to the door guard, a heavyset man with an enormous brown mustache to prepare to open the heavy metal screen between them and Adam's nightmares. Four... With his breath held, Adama irritatingly pulled at his collar, trying to loosen the noose before he could no longer breathe. Three... This is it. I wonder if they'll see me as a new hero, or the disgraced fool I was. He felt sick, remembering sitting at the press conference where they announced his sacking. As they said it, the press seemed to explode with excitement, queuing Adama to leave the media world for over a year without a word. Two... A quote back from college came to Adam suddenly, "Once more into the fray," he recalled, "Into the last good fight I'll ever know." Although he felt an intense heat within his suit, the recollection sent a shiver down his spine. What could it mean, I wonder? One... Adam Adama, the manager of the National Walkany Football team, let out his breath. The door opened. With a light hand on his back, Sandra guided him and Rimmer into the fray.

by **Whovian Tardisia** » Wed Feb 10, 2016 12:11 pm

Whovian Tardisia Returns to International Football This Monday

The Whovian National Football team will be once again facing the world starting Monday, February 15^th , when they face their first opponents from Bears Armed in the World Cup Qualifiers. We once again tracked down Mr. Needham, who is decidedly pessimistic after the Whovian's failure in the Baptism of Fire. "I'll bet you twenty Credits they won't qualify, and if they do, they'll probably get knocked out after three games or less. And don't interview that pesky Foreign Minister Pink again! Bloody optimist." We followed Needham's advice and instead asked the Lord High President, Teh Doctah, how he felt about the upcoming tournament. "I've always liked a good game of footy. Used to play it myself. That's why I was so upset when our boys were knocked out of the Baptism. But I have high hopes for the lads, and I'll watch every game. Might even go to a few." The Whovian team themselves, however, are a bit glum from their loss in the BOF, with Cuthbert Jack saying: "If we had a full team, we might be able to strategize a bit, but with just the one substitute per position, I doubt things will go any better." The goalkeeper, Peter Treloar, disagrees. "We'll be fine! The Baptism of Fire was just a warm-up. I mean, we are going up against actual bears on Monday, but have you ever seen a bear play football? I haven't, but I doubt they're any good." please remember to pick up the Post throughout the coming month for more exclusive content on the 74^th World Cup, to see if any of our interviewees are right.

Article provided by the Arcadia Post.

by **Port Christopher** » Thu Feb 11, 2016 8:03 am

OOC: This story roughly follows on from here.

The best thing about playing in Port Christopher was the fact that the seasons were short. It was a damning indictment, but it was true, there was no sense in denying it. The stifling summers meant that it was almost impossible to play football even in the evenings, so the Super-League ran twenty-two matchdays over the Autumn-Winter season. If Aredhel was a cynic she would have said it was because it was the off season in the tourist trade, and it ensured a steady stream of visitors to the hotels and bars. Well she is cynical as hell, so that's exactly what she'll say. Tourism was important to the territory, everyone knew that, but to feel like the only reason you were playing football was to subsidise the pubs and clubs was a tough one to swallow. Most football teams in Port Christopher were sponsored by a range of resorts, hotels, bars, and strip-clubs even. The teams' kits, and the billboards outside the stadiums were a pic'n'mix of advertising logos and tacky designs. Her own side, Blue Coast, was no different, and even their badge was just a direct copy of the sign above the Blue Coast Hotel in San Marco. Sickly designs and garish colours, there was some rotten revulsion that she had to it all. Playing in Port Chritopher really was like having your soul, ripped out of you, bottled, and sold in some tacky tourist bar.

She was starting to feel a little woozy as she headed back up the hill from San Marco to The City. No one lived in San Marco, only a bunch or retired ex-pats, tanning themselves until their skin was like leather. It was the kind of place, where unless you were unlucky enough to work in one of the bars or restaurants, you avoided at all cost. If you actually lived in Port Christopher then you stayed in The City - along with 900,000 of the 1,100,000 people who called the place home.

Aredhel had been standing down near the front of the bus trying to benefit from standing directly under the air-conditioning, but now she moved a little further up the deserted gangway and took a seat. She must have picked a good time of day, because if a flight back to Schottia was due then the bus would have been packed with couples, screaming kids, and worst of all - horror of all horrors- Stag Parties. On occasions like that she just wanted to smash the window and throw herself under the oncoming traffic. As one could only imagine, a group or tired, drunken, drugged-up, young men found it utterly hil-ar-i-ous that they had just bumped into a Christopherian internationalist on the bus. Well she had to get to work somehow! Godsake! Not everyone drove a car...

The bus slowed and rounded a tight corner as it came into the outskirts of The City. You could almost hear the engine taking a deep breath before it set about tackling the steep hill, which separated San Marco from the rest of the island. Both to the left and right there were dusty concrete shells of buildings, apartments, villas, hotel blocks that were under construction. The bus struggled on in a very low gear. Aredhel's stop was coming up just around the corner, she was looking for the tall row of palm trees which lead up to her road, which at some point would form part of a boulevard, but right now just looked completely out of place, as yet more farmland and green space was sold off for development.

She rung the bell, and pulled her rucksack over her shoulders, making her way down the bus. Through the windscreen Aredhel could have sworn she could almost see the road ahead of her melting in the afternoon sun.

She thanked the driver and hopped out, the heat and humidity hitting her like a brick wall immediately. She used the book she had been carrying as a fan, but it was just moving more hot-air her way. Out in the street she could feel the warmth from the pavement penetrating through the rubber soles of her thin canvas shoes. Aredhel had often wondered if she stood in one spot long enough, whether she would melt to one spot.

Aredhel's lived in a four bedroom detached villa, which looked out over what was going to soon be a five star golf resort, sittuated between The City and San Marco Bay. This was another reason for accepting the new contract offer from Blue Coast, she would be able to pay the thing off and not have that bloody mortgage hanging round her neck. That was one option, the other was to cut her losses, sell the thing, get her deposit back and get off this godforsaken island. Either way she knew she couldn't keep going the way she was, she was paid nowhere near enough for a player of her standing. She was voted the leagues top player last season, but somehow she was paid a tenth of what some of the players at the club we on.

'HELLO...'

Hello

Hello

She laughed in response to the echo, as she stepped into the large marble floored hallway of her villa. Her's was pretty much the only voice she heard inside these walls on a weekday. She slumped her rucksack down on a sofa as she walked through to the open plan living room, which opened out onto a balcony overlooking the non-golf-course. 'Argh!!!' Her phone sat on the coffee table, exactly where she had left it. She was dreading missed calls from her manager Barry Gorman. She had told him that she would have an answer for him after the Trindl Cup, and now here she was back from Semarland and still no closer to making a decision. Aredhel knew that she was approaching her deadline, the club had Champions Cup football and a title defence to prepare for, they wouldn't risk waiting for her. Blue Coast's owner, a rich Acrean hotelier, was not scared to open the check book, and he wouldn't risk going into next season a midfielder down. Gorman would be under pressure, and as a result he was putting her under pressure.

It was kind of fair enough though... right?

They were offering her 20,000 a week and a long-term contract, along with the prospect of Champion's Cup football next season. So many people out there must have thought she was a spoilt brat.

And where was that bloody agent? Aredhel knew exactly where Peter Carlucci would be. It was after eleven o’clock, so the greasy haired conman would be in a bar. The drunk! He was as much use to her as a woolly hat right now anyway. He just wanted her to sign on the dotted line and earn him his five percent. How did he get away with this? Like, seriously, how dare he be so bloody bold!

Aredhel had made up her mind, she always did her best thinking when she was angry. First things first though, she was going to have a shower and get changed, then she was going to look for that fat slob Carlucci; she was damned if he was getting away this easy!

by **Polkopia** » Thu Feb 11, 2016 11:51 pm

Decoding the Polkopian Language

#1: The Alphabet

The Polkopian language is the primary language within Polkopian borders, with English as the second most spoken language and Russian the third. Polkopian is a very important aspect of Polkopian culture, and most Polkopians take pride in their language, seeing as it is one of the most important, if not the most important aspect of Polkopian culture and identity. The Polkopian language is a Slavic language, more specifically, an East Slavic language along with Russian, Ukrainian, and Belorussian. Some linguists question whether or not Polkopian belongs in the Slavic language family, as the language has roots in other languages as well, primarily Romanian - a romance language, and Estonian - a Uralic language. Furthermore, Polkopian does not use the Cyrillic alphabet, which is common in East Slavic languages. Instead, Polkopian uses a alphabet similar to that of the South Slavic-speaking nations. However, grammatically, Polkopian is much more similar to that of Russian or Ukrainian than any other language, and many trace that to the reason why Polkopian is classified as an East Slavic language.

Аа, Bb, Cc, Čč, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Rr, Ss, Šš, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, Yy, Z z, Ž ž

Above, you can see the Polkopian alphabet pictured. In the Polkopian alphabet, there are 27 letters in total, with 5 vowels (A, E, I, O, U) and the 22 consonants. Many letters are the same of that in English, however there are some different letters with much different pronunciation than most native English speakers are used to.

Letters marked with an accent over them are pronounced with an 'h' following the unaccented letter. For instance, the letter Č is the letter C with an accent. The letter C is pronounced like an English C like 'Car' or 'Call', however the Č is pronounced as 'Ch' like 'Chair' or "Charm". The same goes with Š, being pronounced as 'Sh' or Ž being pronounced as 'Zh'.

Pronunciation in Polkopian is relatively simple as well. Most rules that apply to English also apply to Polkopian, however there is an exception with the letters C and G. If the letters C or G precede the vowels E or I, the letters make a soft sound like the Č sound, or the G sound in the English word 'Gin'. The rule does not apply with the other vowels, however, so the Polkopian word, 'Coros' (Town) would be pronounced as 'Ko-ras' rather than 'Cho-ras'. It is very rare to see a Č preceed an E or an I for this reason.

The last pronunciation rule in Polkopian is similar to the last one, but with the letter T instead. If a T precedes an E or an I, the T makes a 'Ts' sound before the vowel. For example, the Polkopian word, 'Teb' (Him) would sound more like 'Tseb' when orally transmitted.

Those are the Polkopian letters and rules on pronunciation. Although this is a relatively simple concept, if you have any questions regarding the Polkopian language, please feel free to write to a master in the Polkopian language here.

by **Schiavonia** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 2:40 pm

"I'm Jenny Jones..."

"...and I'm Kev Smith..."

"...and we're back! It's time for World Cup Sloths!"

"Yeaaaay!!!"

"It has been too long, hadn't it?"

"Too right it has."

"And it is our first World Cup Qualifying draw for sixteen years! And in our time away, we've become increasingly less knowledgeable about our potential opponents. Which, in Kev's case, is pretty difficult."

"Oi!"

"What?"

"I know stuff!"

"It's not as though you have an encyclopaedic knowledge of international football, is it?"

"I'm a co-commentator, not a physio!"

"..."

"What?"

"Just... Never mind. So welcome to our qualifying preview show! The draw has been made for the qualifying stages of World Cup 74 and - for the first time since the seventieth edition - Schiavonia have entered a team."

"What took us so long?"

"Well, the SFF simply didn't get around to sending our entry in."

"But... weren't you in charge of the SFF?"

"Yes, I was, but... something happened..."

"Something?"

"Let's just say that it made my position untenable."

"Is that the relationship you had with Benny Sanderson?"

"Look, I'd rather not talk about it."

"But young Jenny's doing so well now! You should be proud of her."

"I am. She's in line to start for the Sloths this campaign. But it meant that I couldn't have a professional relationship with her father. It just wouldn't work."

"You fell out?"

"Not at all. We're Schiavone, we don't fall out with people. It's just that it could be conceived as a conflict of interest that the person in charge is intimate with one of the team managers."

"So Schiavone football had to suffer?"

"It had to maintain respect. Anyway, can we move on now? We're getting into private matters now, and this is a show previewing Schiavonia's chances in the up-coming World Cup qualifying campaign."

"And what chances are those?"

"Well, that's not a very positive mindset to take, is it?"

"What?"

"Mocking the fact that the Sloths are unranked, young squad, have no outfielders with international experience and precious little strength in depth. It's not reason to mock the hopes of the team!"

"Um... what?"

"You! Asking what chance have we got?"

"Yes?"

"It's very dismissive of you to... Oh. You were genuinely asking that question, weren't you?"

"Well... yes."

"Ah. OK. I think that only goes to help prove my point about your lack of expertise in this role. Why did the producers get you back?"

"Because they said that I represent the average Schiavone person. My brother Steve said that people would asspumpiate with me. Whatever an ass pump is."

"You mean associate?"

"That. Yes."

"And your brother also being..."

"The producer."

"Yes. That all makes sense."

"It does?"

"Never mind. Shall we get on?"

"OK! Let's do this!"

"Right then. Let's look at our opponents in order of when we play them. Who's first on the list, Kev?"

"First up is Judinct, which sounds like the noise a gate makes when it closes, and the lock clicks into place."

"Thanks for the in-depth analysis there, Kev. Judinct are, in fact, ranked 258 in the world, and probably offer the Sloths their best chance of a positive result this campaign."

"On what basis, Jenny?"

"Well, on the basis that they're the least-best ranked opponents they'll face."

"Ah."

"Though if their results at the Baptism of Fire are anything to go by, we'll probably be drawing both games with them."

"Ah, come on! We could beat them if we really show our best!"

"Yes, but their results at the Baptism of Fire were played three, drawn three. They went out finishing third in Group C..."

"The third group."

"The third group, yes. They scored three and conceded three, so every game they have played so far has been very even."

"But all of those threes will be joined by another - the number of points we'll score against them!"

"Clearly, you're feeling optimistic. Let's see if you'll still be feeling that with next opponents."

"Of course I will. We can beat anyone on our day!"

"Have you looked at who it is?"

"Of course! Yes, it's Eura."

"You think Schiavonia will overcome the current World Cup holders?"

"Why not? Like I say, any team can have an off day against a team having a good day."

"Well, there is one way that could happen, and that would be because their squad from last time are l, largely, getting on a bit now. They're either at retirement age or at an age where they might be considering doing so soon. But, on the other side of things, there are players who would be about fiftieth choice for Eura who would walk into our team. So let's not expect too much, OK?"

"I'll keep believing!"

"So if you think we'll beat the World Cup holders, you're bound to say the same about the Baptism of Fire winners, then?"

"Well, of course!"

"Oh, Kev. So you're backing our lot against a team who are flying high on the back of success in what is an incredibly tough and competitive tournament to win?"

"Yes I am."

"Well, there are four teams ranked better than Amazonesta in the group, but you have to remember that we are not one of those. We're not the power we were about 150 years ago. Not that we were much of a power then, but we're not even the team of twenty years ago."

"You've not seen us play yet. I fancy us to spring plenty of surprises, like we did in the World Cup 68 campaign."

"Your naivety is adorable, Kev, but Amazonesta are a form team, and their ranking of 136 is only going to improve through the course of this campaign. We'd do well to get anything from them."

"So you're not holding out for much from the games against Carialus, either, then?"

"Well, no. They've scored 26 points in each of their last three qualifying campaigns, which is about as consistent as it is possible to be. So if they are going to do that again, they will undoubtedly have to score two victories against the Sloths."

"But runs come to an end, don't they? We can do that, no?"

"It's possible, but unlikely enough that it won't happen."

"I don't like your pessimism, Jenny. And I expect that will continue with Octinstine, too, no?"

"Actually, they're a team I feel we could do OK against. They're ranked 93rd and only scored nine points in their most recent qualifying campaign, and they could be vulnerable again this time around in a group that looks reasonably strong."

"You think we might beat them?"

"I think we won't lose by quite so many to them. And we could even get a result at the King Francesco."

"That's positive talk for you!"

"Well, we have to be realistic in our expectations, don't we?"

"Well..."

"I'm clearly asking the wrong person here, aren't I? Let me guess, you're expecting two Schiavonia wins, aren't you?"

"Why do you think that?"

"You are, aren't you?"

"Well... yes..."

"Of course you are. Well, one team we won't be getting two wins from are the well-established football nation of Chiata. They're ranked 45 now, and they've got to fancy their chances of making the playoffs this time around."

"Though the two slip-ups they'll have against Schiavonia. I mean, we might not qualify, but we could make things awkward for lots of the teams."

"So you say we're not going to qualify?"

"Well, it would be unlikely as a team without a ranking."

"So how are you expecting us to do?"

"Well, looking at my predictions... that would be... just adding up... Twelve wins out of twelve."

"But not qualifying."

"Of course not. Not with teams like Eura, Chiata and Amazonesta in the group."

"That doesn't quite add up, Kev."

Two plus two plus two plus two plus two plus two... that is twelve, isn't it?"

"Never mind."

"Well what have you put us down for?"

"Well, for the first cup back, I've put us down for one win, two draws and a total of five points."

"That's not very many. Come on! We're better than that!"

"But so are our opponents. One factor you don't seem to have considered. Which... I think... leaves us at the end of our preview!"

"Hooray!"

"Why are you cheering?"

"Because it means that the action is just around the corner!"

"Well... yes, I guess it is. So why don't you join us for Schiavonia's first match of the campaign against Judinct, here o... Are you OK there, Kev?"

"Sorry, I thought there was a gate being closed again."

"Easily done. So join us here on SIBN for Schiavonia's trip to Judinct... there's no gate, Kev. Stop it, now... Join us, and you won't miss any of the action! But for now, it's goodnight from Kev..."

"WHO INSTALLED A GATE IN THE STUDIO?"

"You're going to be a nightmare when we get there! And it's goodbye from me. See you in Judinct!"

"WHERE IS IT!?!?! AAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!"

by **Jeruselem** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 4:19 pm

Jeruselem coach James Troisi with assistant coach Princess Laura Virginia Dallas during training ...

James: Anything unusual coming up on my schedule?
Laura: You have an interview with the Mann Network
James: How come they want to talk to me?
Laura: Become you're a man, not a girl
James: Oh yes, I remember what they are now
Laura: We don't talk to them, we kinda own the feminist Naked News Jeruselem rivals.

James: Do they actually talk about football?
Laura: Not really, they just talk about how men are superior to women
James: I mean, I don't care. As long as you're doing the job as a man or woman or whatever
Laura: We don't want offend our transgender friends
James: Yes we have to be careful
Laura: You get to talk to naked women on TV, that's a plus.

James: Oh yes, that's in my contract.
Laura: It sure is
James: I shouldn't really complain
Laura: Done your research on our rivals yet?
James: Well - we all know about Starblaydia, Apox, San Llera.
Laura: Yes, the purple menace!

James: Not much about Azrea, Firebolt or Danina. Can't even find Danina on any map.
Laura: It's better than say that Greg god place
James: I'm sure happy we avoid them
Laura: We sure attract religious lunatics!
James: Not that we have much choice
Laura: I know

James: I see your hubby has a cooking show
Laura: Yes, he doesn't do much cooking though
James: He sure does flirt with the girls a bit
Laura: well yes, but I don't care. That's just him.
James: I was invited but I can't cook.
Laura: You can cook better than him.

James: I guess it keeps him busy
Laura: Stops him annoying the kids at home too much
James: He is very annoying
Laura: He's not a bad person but ... you know
James: I know his type, I've dealt with people like him
Laura: At least you didn't marry one of them.

by **Krytenia** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 6:18 pm

New Look For National Team

The Krytenian Football Association have revealed a new look for the national team's badge in anticipation of the World Cup LXXIV Qualifiers, during the launch of JMC's new kits for the national side.

The new badge (pictured top) is said to "reflect the attitudes of the Krytenian team and the nation's people at large, reflecting on what has been and looking forward to what is to come". The twin dragon heads in the logo are said to represent the famed past and bright future of the national side, with the dragon having been a symbol often used by the KFA to symbolise power - indeed the new third kit, with its orange tones and printed design said to resemble a dragon's wing, is the third such Aces uniform to carry a dragon inspired motif - and the adoption of the dragon motif in the badge has led many fans to campaign for the teams official nickname to be changed to the Dragons.

Whether this will happen, of course, remains to be seen.

by **Super-Llamaland** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 6:53 pm

TURNING POINT: BURNING QUESTIONS WE HAVE ABOUT WC74

From The WCQ Project

Things haven't been looking good for a while now. But last Cup, everything came to a head. The team came nowhere close to qualification, placing third. At the Cup of Harmony, placed in a winnable group, they couldn't even get out of the group stage. String after string of poor performances later, including the team's first loss in the Empire Reunion Cup, previously a cakewalk, it's clear that this Tigers team is on a downwards trajectory.

But there are a few glimmers of hope. While obviously Pasarga is going to be hard to beat, the next two teams behind forty-seventh-ranked Super-Llamaland are Sameba (ranked 68th) and Walkany (ranked 114th) - not walkovers, but certainly not a worst-case scenario. A new generation of youth, fronted by absurdly talented striker Ansel Penbrooke, look to make their debuts. And statistics may indicate the WC73 run was just bad luck.

In any event, it should be an important cup. Adam Wawrinka, current president of the Llamanean Football Association, has announced that he'll be resigning at the end of the year. A number of candidates have sprung up in an attempt to replace him, many with the philosophy that the LFA has let its domestic leagues crumble for too long while the national teams receive millions extra in funding. A bad performance here could be the beginning of the end, both for the manager Vaz (whose native nation will be in the Tigers' group) and the national team's prowess itself. A good performance - perhaps even a return to the World Cup - could change the team's course.

It'll be an interesting cup, that's for sure. Below, some of TWCP's most pressing questions about the thirteenth incarnation of the Tigers' WCQ roster.

1. Can the Youth Adapt in Time?

Everyone sees potential in the latest Llamanean youth movement. Penbrooke is the next star. Rasmussen and Chen have huge potential. Reid Adrian is both polished and talented. And the Tigers have a slew of young, promising defenders - Adrian Lindberg and Michael Sorenson are the two most prominent examples.

On the other hand, not much of the youth appears battle-ready. Felix Rasmussen's only experience above the university level is a brief stint in Ceni. The Tigers are relying on him to start at attacking midfield. For four of the team's expected starters (Sorenson, Lindberg, Adrian, Rasmussen), the opening qualifier will be their first international cap. Hardly an encouraging sight.

It's possible that the youth could surprise, giving an aging Tigers core the shot in the arm that they need. It's also possible that the young players all blow up and we start a midfield of Micah Swanson, Megan Sigurorzson, and James Chen out of desperation. This is a question that could make or break the Tigers' qualifying campaign.

2. Can Rodrigo Vaz Keep the Players on his Side?

The demise of Carlton Hoover has been made clear - after the ex-FC New Llama manager made withering comments about the team's lack of effort, he found himself without a job, replaced by his mellower counterpart Tobyn Clearwater, who may not have been able to win it back. Vaz needs to do the same. There's no evidence that he'll be able to - he is, after all, a foreigner from a relatively unknown country - but he certainly has a better shot at it than Clearwater. Still, Vaz will need to make rapid improvements to this team, and they can't all be via tactics. If he wants to keep his job, Vaz will have to win over the players. So far, though, his experiences with the team haven't been great.

Vaz will have help - captain Sebastian Myers and vice-captain Alex Cartwright, who have been to a combined ten WCQs, both have publicly expressed support. Still, there's a big difference between saying nice things to the media and actually backing Vaz up as the manager tries to revive the Tigers' fortune.

3. How do we Recover from the ERC?

That was ugly.

The Empire Reunion Cup (ERC) is an eight-team tournament between teams previously part of the short-lived Llamanean Empire - Eirelia, Eyre, Helvetica, Eastham, Arondesheim, Hicana, Miklandia, and Sola. The teams are drawn into an eight-team, single-elimination bracket and play it out. The Tigers have won this so many times that they've started bringing out youth teams.

For whatever reason, though, the LFA decreed that the Tigers bring their best team to the ERC as a warm-up to qualifiers and a way to assess players. The team trotted out a starting lineup with such stars like Jake Raburn and Sebastian Inriquez.

There were a few hiccups in their opening match against Sola, but they managed to pull away late and win three-one on a late brace scored by Kristopher Nilssen. There were no signs of this initial poor play when they annihilated Helvetica six-two in the finals, either.

Then came the final, contested with Eastham. The Tigers came out of the gate strong, but couldn't push a goal across. At the half, everything went downhill, and when everything was over Eastham had triumphed one-nil. Despite the Tigers' only sending of B-Teams and U21 teams for over twenty years, Eastham's victory over the first team marked the first non-Llamanean ERC victory since Vjaalsburg's triumph in 1994.

The ERC disaster was likely a huge motivation in Vaz's decision to overhaul the team, leaving off previous key components. It was also a huge, demoralizing blow to followers of the team, and could have repercussions for a while.

4. Key Components Leaving the Team

Alex Cartwright, the forty-year-old star, defensive linchpin Sebastian Myers, and Myers' partner who's enjoyed a late-career resurgence, James Smith-Reynolds, will all be retiring after this WCQ, successful or not. Also leaving will be midfielder Megan Sigurorzson, backup striker Kristopher Nilssen, and wingers Orson Kerraway and Sebastian Inriquez.

This team is already vastly different from four years ago. By WC75, a number of established starters and stars will be leaving the team, joining goalkeepers Jared Finch and Annabeth Kudlowski from last cycle. This, combined with aforementioned LFA President Election, could be pretty bad for the team's funding and fan support.

Still, there is a decent short-term benefit - out of desperation, it's likely that Cartwright and Co. will play much harder. Maybe it'll have an impact.

5. Penbrooke?

Ansel Penbrooke's arrival was wildly anticipated, but despite being seventeen, his debut was still considered disappointing - while the striker showed great promise at times, scoring the first goal of the game, he still appeared to be just another prospect - not the wunderkind he was expected to be. Still, after years of seasoning in Apox, his second qualifier should prove to be stronger than the first.

Penbrooke is now fairly polished, but has retained his freakish athleticism and shooting touch. The sky's the limit for the 21-year-old - but will he even play?

Cartwright and Nilssen are both playing in their last tournament, and both are very good strikers. It's possible Vaz keeps them both ahead of Penbrooke on the depth chart. Certainly, the manager won't want to alienate the vice-captain by parking him on the bench. But Penbrooke's ego isn't small, either, and he may feel slighted. Vaz will have to reach a balance between the two talented strikers.

by **Red Blackiland** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 8:05 pm

Red Blackiland Sports and Off-topic Chronicles

Our history #1 - About Meskitáh

Let's talk about history first! Meskitáh is the fifth-largest state/city in the country.Is located on both sides of the Great Meskitáh-Blueberry River.Major cultural center in the north of the country,it hosts more than fifthy museums and three hundreds of galleries.Became the provincial capital of Inferior Red Blackiland in the old empire times (First Empire Era),became an important city of our Medieval history,in the times that Red Blackiland isn't it a state at all.A giant Hanseatic League in the early modern period was made and held in Meskitáh connected to other cities,by the fact that these hanseatic leagues and cities made your own armies to protect each other and give some aid was one of the origins of the Dunkeelheer (the Red Blackilandian Army) as we can see that the First Cavalry Division of Dunkeelheer (Dunkelheer 1.Kavallerie-Korps) was created from it.Meskitáh City (today in the exactly place that is located the Meskitáh Central Stadion where Doherty and Athletic Meskitáh host the home matches) became a base from the merchants of Meskitáh State.Your location near the Great Meskitáh-Blueberry River placed it at the intersection of the major trade routes between east and west and was the basis of Meskitáh's old-medieval growth.More later than this medieval era,with a economy based in carbon the city grown up more and more until reach this current stage,one of the most technologic states of a world-potency country.
Was only of the few not-aheist or skeptical signals in Red Blackiland because had a christian influence in medieval times,having a famous Christian bishop,and made the first cathedral,a aisled basilicas with an apse building erected early in the 4th century.But these signals disappeared with the time that the atheist and skepticism grown up with the time and took the unanimity in the country.Are one of the most headquarters of Abwehrkreis,military districts with a huge size than the normal ones.In 1959,was found the TechonologischKreis (TK),began with a small area with some facilities and today is an important site for military production, including aircraft, submarines and tank engines and now its GEMIFO (Geschäftsstelle Militärforschungen or Red Blackiland Military Advanced Weapons and Projects) property and called GEMIFO-TechonologischKreis.
About the Meskitáh most famous teams.Athletic Meskitáh was founded on November 17,1947 as a rowing club by Theodor Eberhach,Vittor de Paul,Francisco Aued and Grimi Steinmetz.The group used to gather at a Café,and decided to form a rowing team. Rowing was one of the elite sports in the region,in the late 19th century. The young men hoped that forming a rowing club, would make them popular, with some young ladies of the city's high society.
Your history is traced back to the few Italian accentcommunity living in Doherty,a city where already some Italian immigrants lived and their desire to set up a football club.The idea of the club being created took a big step when Hepburn, a sports team from the city went through an administrative crises. When some players left Yale over a dispute,some went on to found the all Italian,Sports Society of Italian Union,more later,with the neightbourhood name,changed to Doherty Sports Association.This was the one of few foreigners citizens living in the country,despite the tourism is high-warm here,the country doesn't have much foreigners living in it as a homeland.
Your geography and climate...has an oceanic climate,by your higher altitude and position,summers are generally warm,in the beginning this area doesn't have much rain,at contrary in June that have to be a bit more rainfall.Your economy is associated with its energy production,military technologies that have interference on civil issues,like threatment with diseases,and its famous too for your great production of wines and alcooholic beverage,is also strong with automation.
The culture,we can describe it,as a center of humanism and science,was one of the three most important cities at the historical growth of atheism and skepticism in the country,have a great number of museums and its famous by your classic music history along with rock,these two types of music are symbols of Meskitáh.

In stands #1 - Dreams of a woman that loves football: Red Glorious Stadium

Late afternoon of January 12, 2016.Finally went to Red Glorious Stadium,where our national team plays,had already gone to other similar venues and stadiums,but I needed something more intimate.
While enjoy learning stages that are outside the mainstream of football circuit, there are occasions when this aspect becomes absolutely secondary. There are stages on which we have to have the recognition of his greatness, not only on the football map, but in the history of our personal relationship with the sport.
Before I need to share feelings, sensations and reveries of a woman who loves too much football and finally stepped in this great stadium.
Stadium Immensity
For a moment I did that stadium my house. An old house, full of space to be explored or both legs, but from my imagination. Not thoroughly scoured the corners and not explored its details. Just walked by the bleachers. A minimum route, not because there was any impediment for me to continue, but option.O stadium, throughout its history has undergone little reform and none of them radically affected the original architecture. To walk out basement, follow the direction of light reaching the entrance that gives access to the bleachers. It was then that I came across the wilderness.
Alone, sitting on the cement, that stage made me feel stand before a multitude composed of layers and layers of memory, many of which were not directly experienced by me, but the result of the narratives that surround the Red Glorious and they came in - and were built - through television, the stories read in books, the internet and other imaginary things.But configuration modes is precisely so that myths live. And Red Glorious is a mythical stage whose impact on our sensitivity is caused largely by its nothing disguised advertised in its concrete structure.
Its construction is a tribute to the heroes of independence and the old wars of the country and the top of it, even with coverage, you can have a privileged view of the city of Redínxson.Is a mixture of antiquity with modernity! I do not mean to say that we need leave the stadiums turn ruins, completely abandoned and, much less suggest the impossibility of reforms and structural upgrades. As believe methods of preserving, keeping alive the possibility of the objects - the stadiums, the case - they emanate last saved.

In stands #2 - Logic and justice in football

It is common to see and listen that "football is not logical." Said is based on the amount of unexpected results that looked at matches played by the championships of this sport here at home and around the world. In fact, if football was a logical outcome of sport, the most "experts" often would be the winners of the sports lottery, which had its golden amateur time in the 1980s.
However, in a long-term thinking, we observed a certain logic in this sport. Take, for example, Red Blackiland League. A close look at what has been happening in the last 10 years, ie since 2005, shows a certain predominance of some clubs in addition to the champion, going to the Champions Cup, among the three first places, the one of the G3, the group qualifies for the Globe Cup
From this observation, we could hypothesize that in a league of consecutive points (since 2003 the championship is played this way) planning becomes even more necessary to form winning teams. In this sense, the logic of football begin to show its face. A well done planning with strategic investments in a team can not guarantee success in either isolated match but produce some positive results when we began to use a more panoramic perspective, long-term, especially with the current form of the Red Blackiland League dispute.
And speaking of championship consecutive points in the final stretch of the Red Blackiland League and, once again, discussed about this formula. I remember that holding a tournament with consecutive points was an old demand of the press at the time of the knockout clashes between the top eight in the final stage of the championship. The claim was based on the argument of justice, since often the best campaign team was seen deleted as soon as they began the knockout, although it was with 15 or more points ahead of his opponent. Answered the claim, the Red Blackiland League came to be played at the points system run until the end. Only that some time now, the discussion about the best way to dispute resurfaced due to the reasoning that athletes would play "unmotivated" a game where the outcome could favor local rivals, as well as the loss of "emotion "when a team can not be achieved in its first place position, still missing two or three rounds to finish the competition.
After all accrued points or knockout? Which of the two would be fairer in Red Blackiland League? I reproduce here, with slight modifications, which I wrote with Lovisolo in an article published in "O Globo", printed on 1 November 2012.
Proponents of accrued points would suggest that justice is this formula, because football can present unfair results in the performance point of view of the times in just two matches. A knockout at the end of the competition would equal that, by the merits of the competitors should not be equated. Ie, the worst campaign can win and be crowned champion. Thus, the championship points accrued promote justice of opportunity. Proponents of the playoff, in turn, have pointed out that the current formula has promoted the unethical act, because sometimes, and especially the fan's point of view, it would be good to lose not to favor the traditional opponent. The worst is when athletes tend to share this view fans. The playoff then prevent this unethical behavior. Play to win or falls off. In addition to the 'emotion' element, which tends to be present in this dispute.
Apparently, the two values are important and have considerable moral value. It turns out that are not reconcilable: we can not increase justice and at the same time reduce unethical conduct. If we admit to not compromise and the value of both promotions, what do we do?
The formula of consecutive points seems to be the fairest - or less unfair - but does not prevent behaviors that hurt sportsmanship. Then the problem would not be in the formula, but the conduct of some of its participants. The solution is to find ways to curb the unethical act. After all, you want to play without winning is leave the sportsmanship. But how? And how to prevent a club is the winner before the last round? In an "exciting" championship, we know only the champion in the final round.
Are questions difficult to solve. Perhaps continue discussing the issue is a reasonable way to the understanding and consensus of the best shot.

by **Banija** » Sat Feb 13, 2016 6:50 am

The All-Banija Sports Magazine
The only nationwide publication that is all sports, all the time!

Banija hires new manager from San Llera for the World Cup 74 Qualification Cycle

New national team manager Jan Cassallerus of San Llera

BUSUKUMA- Banija had an absolute joke & embarrassment of a World Cup Qualifying cycle last session. Banija is pretty much fully integrated into the sports world, competing at least once in almost all of the major competitions that happen within Banija. There has been some great success in lacrosse, and in other competitions too, such as the World Baseball Classic. The twin beasts in Banijan sports though, football & soccer, have seen the most polar opposite results. While Banijan football has been relatively successful, having playoff teams in the NSCF and the national team winning quite a few games at the Baptism of Iron and their two World Bowls, the national soccer team, even though soccer is far & away the most difficult sport to compete in internationally, has been nothing but an embarrassment.

Their first ever World Cup Qualifying cycle was a rough one, to say the least. In their Baptism of Fire, the opening tournament before the World Cup where teams entering qualifying for the first time have a chance to test & organize their team before the brutality of World Cup Qualifiers, they earned only 1 single measly point. They were eliminated after losing their first two games, though they somehow scrapped together their only result of the World Cup cycle in the last game of that tournament. Following that, they entered the World Cup Qualifiers for the tournament, one of 160 teams.

While nobody could have reasonably expected Banija to qualify for the World Cup, they could have at least expected the team to put on at least a semi-decent showing. The Banijan national team was nothing short of an embarrassment to the nation. Every nation played 12 world cup qualifiers in the group stages, 6 in the friendly confines of their own nation, and 6 on the road. Out of 160 teams at the tournament, Banija was one of two teams to lose every single game at the World Cup Qualifiers. 160 teams played 12 games each, and only two teams could not manage to get a single point throughout the tournament- and Banija was one of them. After that debacle, big time changes were necessary, and big changes were made.

Almost the entire Executive Board of the Royal Banijan Soccer Association(RBSA) resigned en masse. They were all disappointed and ashamed of the results, and over the course of the next few months, the entirety of the Royal Banijan Soccer Association was revamped. Omulangira Thembo of Herzegovina, whose title is equivalent to that of a Duke for the benefit of our foreign readers, became the Executive Chairman of the Royal Banijan Soccer Association. The eldest brother of the Kabaka would be the new man in charge of Banijan soccer. The position was revamped to give him far more authority, though a vote of confidence, with a secret ballot, would be held now at the end of every World Cup cycle.

Thembo now had full reign to turn in his vision of how he thought Banijan soccer should react to the embarrassment of their first ever effort to qualify for the World Cup. They paid for it dearly when the groups for Qualifying were drawn, with their world ranking in the 290s, they had to be in the same pot as the unranked teams going into this World Cup. However, Thembo reorganized the organization, and even clashed with the local league, until they reached an agreement to schedule games outside of summer so players could participate in these World Cup tournaments in the summer.

Thembo had to, first, hire a new coach. It was clear that he was going to look abroad for his coach. He had sidelined almost everybody who had thought that Banijans needed to be coached by a Banijan, and that is when he sent applications abroad. While he got interest in the position from many of those abroad, the man he decided to hire came from the club game in San Llera. San Llera is the 80th ranked team in the world, over 210 places ahead of Banija. The man he decided to hire was San Lleran Jan Cassallerus.

Jan Cassallerus led Llerana SC to two straight second place finishes in the San Lleran league, and had to leave the club because their standard of excellence was not good teams, their standard of excellence was champions. He has a sterling record of success in his history managing, managing at the lower levels of San Llera soccer before moving up to their main league, and achieving two top two finishes in a row, which is something that is a lot more easily said than done.

After a little bit of a break from the game, Jan Cassallerus decided to get back into the game, but not at home. He has landed in Banija and has already made his introductory press conference. He told reporters that the last World Cup performance was 'frankly, a shame' considering all of the talent Banija has at their disposal. He said that he would look all across the league, and work with the RBSA to identify Banijan internationals who play abroad, and find the best combination of players to represent the nation.

He went onto say that Banijan fans deserved a team that they could be proud of, and he said that he would work to make that happen. It was good first words for the manager, but it remains to be seen what kind of impact he will have on the team. The RBSA is looking to schedule a few friendlies, at this late hour, before the start of Qualifiers so that the team has some game time experience playing against other countries under Jan Cassallerus.

Regardless, Jan Cassallerus is a massive hire for the Banijans, as he is the second foreigner ever to lead a Banijan national team into an international competition, the first being Horace Browning in the previous World Bowl. Not only is his hire a change from business as usual, his hire shows that the Banijans are willing to search for the right kind of quality to succeed on the world stage, and more importantly, are able to find high-quality coaches like Jan Cassallerus that are able to bring Banija up to a level where they should be able to compete, and compete well, on the international stage.

by **Ko-oren** » Sat Feb 13, 2016 8:35 am

Outrage over not calling any players from Union's champion

Unionite NT head coach, Bogdan Antonescu, is under fire for his recent picks for the 74th World Cup qualifying tournament. He stuck entirely to last cycle's 23, despite the poor results in World Cup qualifying, in addition to the poor results in the most recent AOCAF. Ko-oren survived the group but fell to Tallaga la Falla.

"I'm sticking to experience," Antonescu commented, "and this team won Ko-oren's first serious prize. All of these players have played in the top division too, or made a move to one of its teams. Every single player has top notch opponents every week now." While satisfying to some, the defence was not enough for all. Tingzhe Chou, the captain of the team that won the Union's greatest prize this year: "Is this the reward for all the hard work we've put in? Haven't we played top notch opponents all season long too?".

Meanwhile, four national team players are playing their club football at Aminey, dead last in the second edition of the Top Division. No relegation threatens them, but it does raise eyebrows. Two of the four also hold starting spots in the national team. Cláudia Macedo and Audrey Leroux, goalkeeper and sole striker in the Union's 5-4-1. Leroux had this to say: "I know where the head coach is coming from. I believe he was hired under the same circumstances as most of our head coaches in history: stability. You cannot call too many new players if you're building a team. And besides, we have won silverware. At the same time... I think Weiyao City has a lot of good players that are true gems for this team. Maybe 23 players is just not enough to give everyone a spot. There's still a lot of talent in the Union.".

Weiyao City has five clear candidates for the NT: captain and central back Tingzhe Chou, who has to compete against Juliasterinthen and Davenport, and all around playing in the same position as the Union's best players. Central back is simply one spot that we have many deserving players for. In midfield, there are Yingjie Ngai and Meili Rong. Both are in their prime, Ngai at 29 and Rong at 28. Fresh legs are always wanted in midfield, traditionally the worst line of our team. Many halves are nearing their 30s, and unfortunately, so do Ngai and Rong. Up front they have Xiaoqing Jian, 31 years old, and Qing Weng, 29 years old. Again, does Weiyao actually have a lot of additions to the team, or was this their last great feat before falling into mediocrity?

Antonescu still has time to make adjustments. Will he replace some of the current almost 30-year-olds with other almost 30-year-olds? Tough decisions.

by **Amazonesta** » Sat Feb 13, 2016 8:56 am

The Amazononian Observer

1 year after Baptism of Fire Triumph, Amazonesta begins to prepare for World Cup 74 Qualifiers

Amazonestan manager Orlando Juarez at a training session before World Cup Qualifiers

AMAZONIA CITY- The Amazonesta national team had great success at the 61st Baptism of Fire. They played 7 games, 3 in the group stage, and 4 in the knockout stages, and they won every single one of them en route to becoming champions of the Baptism of Fire trophy. There will be a banner raising ceremony at the very old Estadio Nacional Amazonesta, where a championship banner from the Baptism of Fire will be raised outside of the stadium 3 hours prior to their match against Chiata. They have waited an entire year to have this ceremony, because they wanted players and teammates to be reminded of their triumph at the beginning of World Cup Qualifiers, which will be much tougher than the Baptism of Fire, due to the experience of teams and the challenges of this specific group.

Manager Orlando Juarez has been tasked with getting his team ready. The World Cup Qualifying format, in terms of the Amazonestan soccer calendar, is very simple. As is traditional, there is a summer break during June, July, and August for domestic soccer within Amazonesta. Luckily, that is very similar to leagues across the world, and the Qualifiers therefore happen within the summers. In the summer 2 years before the World Cup, the first half of Qualifiers happen between the 2nd week of June and the 2nd week of August, so that extended travel isn't necessary during the club season.

The second half of qualifiers are held in the summer before the World Cup, basically on the same schedule. The World Cup Qualifying playoffs then happen in the October before the World Cup Finals. Then, in the year, of the World Cup Finals, the Cup of Harmony, a tournament for the "best of the rest", that is an internationally acclaimed tournament, is held in June and then the World Cup Finals are held in July. And now, two years out from the World Cup, qualifying is set to begin, and Orlando Juarez is putting together a team.

He has released his roster for the first half of qualifiers, and he has stuck with the same core team from the Baptism of Fire. The Baptism of Fire was such an unbelievable success, that manager Orlando Juarez said that it would be 'a shame' not to continue forward with that kind of continuity. "This is a team sport, and part of a team sport is building the unity and bonds of a successful team, which are much harder to build on the national level, when your teammates are often rivals for 9 months of the year." Said Manager Orlando Juarez. "With the success we had at the Baptism of Fire, I want to deepen the bonds of our team to make us the best team that we could possibly be, which gives us our best opportunity to maximize our chances of success in World Cup Qualifying."

To that end, the provisional roster shows only a few changes from the Baptism of Fire squad. Cássio Cardoso will be the new starting center back alongside Urbano Simon, and is replacing the retiring Hector Pacheco, who scored two huge goals in the Baptism of Fire. The old center back pair, both 30+ years of age, really excelled in the first 4 games of the Baptism of Fire, but struggled in the late stages of the tournament to keep opponents out of the back of the net. Urbano Simon in particularly struggled in the last 3 games, as he was beat repeatedly, so we'll see how tight of a leash Orlando Juarez keeps on his center back pairing. The other 10 starters in the starting lineup remain the same.

There are just two changes in the roster from the Baptism of Fire. Since Cássio Cardoso moved from the bench to the starting lineup to replace Pacheco in the lineup, the replacement on the bench will be Teodoro Silva. He is a 33 year old center back, and this will surely be his only World Cup Qualifying cycle. He is a talented player, and very experienced, as he started playing in the Amazonian League at the young age of 17. He has a lot of miles on his body, but he should be able to come off the bench when Amazonesta has a slim lead and help solidify the back line late in the game.

The other change on the roster is Nicolas Boaventura, the 19 year old prodigy winger. The youngster is a replacement for the now 32 year old winger Cauê Espíndola, who reportedly had locker room disputes with manager Orlando Juarez and was never able to find his way onto the field during the entirety of the Baptism of Fire. Boaventura is somebody who is regarded to have lots of potential to do a lot of great things for the Amazonestan national team, and while he will not start, he is somebody who will definitely see some playing time during Qualifiers. He has too much potential not to see the field, and we'll see what kind of excitement he can bring to this team.

Players running at the first practice of Pre-Qualifying Camp

Manager Orlando Juarez has been very clear and very adamant from the beginning, however. If Amazonesta begins to struggle, especially individuals, he has no qualms about pulling anybody out of the game. He has said that the Baptism of Fire is over, and while the accomplishments in that tournament deserved to be celebrated, the team could not afford to live in the past. "There is not a single team in Group 9 that cares that we won the Baptism of Fire. You know why?" Said Manager Orlando Juarez. "Because this is World Cup Qualifying. We are in a group with the winners of World Cup 73, and everybody is racing for that top spot. They will be looking to beat us, and if anybody on this team thinks that we can sit back and rest on our accomplishments of the past, they will be off the field faster than they could ever realize."

Orlando Juarez told reporters what kind of play is going to be successful in this tournament. "We are going to be playing some of the best teams that the world has to offer. We are playing the World Cup holders, as well as two more teams ranked in the top 55 of the world. Nothing is ever easy, but that saying is especially true in this tournament, where it will be extremely difficult to make progress in Group 9. What we need to do is play our game. We play the game the way it is meant to be played, and we cannot try to be our opponents. If we try to do that, we will lose every single time, and I hope that we can withstand the pressure of World Cup Qualifiers to play our game. If we do that, then anything can happen over the course of our next 12 qualifiers."

Orlando Juarez is training his team hard, while those running the organization are looking to schedule the team a friendly match or two before the start of Qualifiers, since the national team hasn't played a match together since the Final of the Baptism of Fire. We'll see if the team can get in form, and we'll see if they are ready for an away qualifier, where they have to play in front of all those away fans. They've only played games in neutral sites, and we'll see if they can respond to the pressure of tens of thousands of fans who hate them, especially when changes are made and the going gets tough, especially against teams like World Cup champions Eura, who they visit towards the end of July.

by **Boring Paradise** » Sat Feb 13, 2016 9:58 am

Group 16
U.F.C of Buyan (#85)
Ceni (#28)
Boring Paradise (#64)
Unified Sunrise Islands (#20)
Oisinistan (#258)
Oontaz Dert Li Ng (#195)
Modorsica (#UR)

MD1: Oontaz Dert Li Ng (H)
MD2: Modorsica (A)
MD3: U.F.C of Buyan (H)
MD4: Ceni (A)
MD6: Unified Sunrise Islands (H)
MD7: Oisinistan (A)
MID-QUAL
MD8: Oontaz Dert Li Ng (A)
MD9: Modorsica (H)
MD10: U.F.C of Buyan (A)
MD11: Ceni (H)
MD13: Unified Sunrise Islands (A)
MD14: Oisinistan (H)

A Boring Pardise Presentation: Introduction
The people of the past once introduced us to this sport. We had thrived from it and has grown on Pardisian grounds. After some generations we came across the bigger picture that was hidden away from the sights of the Paradisians, we realised that there was such things as international sports. For all this time we had pitted against each other on our own grounds and have nothing left to prove. It was then, in a couple of years time we created our national team to compete in these trivial competitions. They all thought that it would be a breeze at first, but once the 47th edition of Baptism of Fire came around, it had changed the perspectives of everyone interested.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grzegorz Wasiliewski looking at group draw with De Mequites

Wasiliewski: Well it could have been worse, we need to recover from last qualifying, if you remember when we had everything under control but lost 3 games straight after mid qualifying, the three games we actually needed results.
De Mequites: But we haven't lost in 4 games...
Wasiliewski: Those 4 games including our 4-1 victory over Copper Cuprum, but then we had 3 consecutive draws in the Campionato Group Stage and we got knocked out badly.
De Mequites: Looks at shortlist Have you considered any other player apart from the same ones every time. It is getting really bland and we need to change it up soon.
Wasiliewski: I have a lot of trust in them, they are great players but then not everything goes to what you would like to see happen. If we were to constantly be playing at our best we would have been qualifying for more World Cups and have more competition. But then we never have a consistant form and therefore never have the right requirements for the World Cups. Maybe next time, I will have a reshuffle of squad players. We will have our teenage trio back next year back to when it was in the past before they were restricted
De Mequites: It would be nice to bring them back, but we should also focus on our defence in due course as well.
Wasiliewski: Everything will be fine, lets just start preparing the team before qualifying starts.

by **San Llera** » Sat Feb 13, 2016 12:16 pm

The Choice

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Reviewing the Alejandro Llano International Film Festival
Alejandro Dorano Almeida Jr.

The so-called "Alejandro Llano International Film Festival" is international in name only, as evidenced by the San Lleran flag that is a centerpiece of the logo, and the fact that every single film featured was produced domestically. Not only this, but many films were explorations of what it means to be San Lleran - what it means to serve San Llera, what it means to love San Llera, what it means to wear San Llera's colors on your shirt. In part 1 of an extensive analysis, I will be reviewing several of these films, and more.

Independence
Directed by Angelo Bassini and Augustina Rey
Synopsis: A retelling of San Llera war for independence against Telsta.
Review: Independence is an odd film. Co-directed by Angelo Bassini and Augustina Rey, the former of which is a notable documentarian and the latter a comedian making her first appearance in directing, no one knew exactly to expect. What people got is at times a self-aware comedy, and at others a patriotic underdog story. It tells the story with snarky undertones that poke fun mainly at the current government and double entendre-filled, random celebrity appearances, but also celebrates the figures who made this country free. It will leave you laughing throughout the bulk and fiercely patriotic towards the end. Overall very good, and one of the favorites to win the best in show award.
4.5 stars

I Love The Sunsets
Directed by Marco Pira
Synopsis: Close friends and common San Llerans reflect on the life and legacy of deceased Great Leader Alejandro Llano.
Review: I Loved the Sunsets is almost there. It is poignant at points, especially regarding Llano's death and the mourning process. The film captures the way Llano was beloved and the way Llano was despised. It explores patriotism in the face of oppression, a very common theme in San Lleran history. I just feel that the film is lacking something. The film is bricks - good sturdy bricks, but they haven't been made into a wall yet. I'm desperate for the wall.
3 stars

Seemingly Random
Directed by Olivia Millet
Synopsis: A detective looks into the abductions and sacrifices of people in Llerana by a secretive cult.
Review: I can't adequately describe Seemingly Random without giving too much away, but I must recommend you see this movie. It is a thriller - filled with twists and turns, subtle clues, masterful mise en scene, and much more. It is not by any means and "Indie" film nor does it have a deep, insightful take home message, but it is masterfully made and a whole lot of fun. I don't see any way in which it does not win the drama section.
4.5 stars

Come Alive
Directed by Albert Barcelona
Synopsis: A fictional basketball player overcomes adversity and struggle to become a star.
Review: Come Alive has got to be one of the most heartwarming films I've seen in a while. It is sad throughout the bulk of the film, sometimes painful, but ultimately heartwarming. Not the best film in the festival, but Barcelona did an excellent job - the obstacles encountered in the film feel difficult even for an audience member; Barcelona does an excellent job transporting you to his world. And when it is all said and done, it is the best feel-good film I've reviewed this year.
4 stars

World Cup 74 - RPing Thread

World Cup 74 - RPing Thread

Part 1 - Entering the World Cup

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