World Cup LXXV - AK75 - The RP Thread

[Pasarga]

"That was a completely uninspiring victory for the Wanderers to open up the cycle, displays like that against the better teams in this group will see the side dropping points instead of managing to hold on there in the end. To think they gave up a pair of goals to a new side while only nabbing three for themselves, not exactly a display that has been on par with the Wanderer teams of the last decade now is it?"

"No it sure was not but perhaps the side was merely looking past Midia and to the matchup with the old foes in the match this evening. With all the history between ourselves and Sargossa and the growing political animosity, you would hardly blame them for looking forward to a match with the Corsaris more than the opening match against a side that no one has seen before. I mean, Pasarga and Sargossa used to share a domestic league together and used to be allies, now w'ere fierce sporting rivals and it has been rumored that Sargossa has been funding rebels in favor of a coup here in the dual islands."

"You don't say!?! That just seems so sleazy and underhanded, though what was said about Sargossa for so many years that we Pasargans refused to be true just might have been. I suppose if this is truth, then it makes quite a lot of sense why so many in the region have been at odds with Sargossa at some point in their history. Though if they were to stage a coup, it should have been done a decade ago, now Pasarga has an army to defend it from threats both foreign and domestic."

"An army that lacks sufficient supplies or modern equipment, that lacks armor and artillery or even an air force to protect the skies. The hundred thousand or so men and women who make up the army and the navy are brave and should be supported but they are in now way a deterrent in their current form to an invading force. If Sargossa was to invade next week, while there would be a resistance, it would be crushed in a matter of weeks or months. While we will continue to train troops to bolster those numbers, we can not make up the lack of modern military equipment that we do not have the resources or manufactures to mass produce."

"Hrmm, I suppose that is indeed a problem, though it is a problem for the government to solve and not a couple of citizens off the street. Just like it is the manager's problem to get the Wanderers back on track and go into Soluca and secure the points off the Corsairs. With the Wanderers having their bye days before the halfway point and the end of the qualifying cycle, they are going to have to grab all the points they can and then hope it will be enough to win the group. If this side is going to challenge for a title and rebound from the early exit against Eura last cycle, then this qualifying will need to be one where the Wanderers assert themselves and not merely play down to their opponent."

"Well with so many players playing in the top leagues in the world, we certainly have the talent to do so but one has to wonder if going with such an older squad will ultimately pay dividends. Most of the starting eleven would be on the bench or merely in the pool if this was two years later and the rest of the great talent is still in their teens and not ready to lead this team. It is the in between talent that has let us down and will need to sharpen up if this Wanderer side is to be as good as you and the nation think it can be."

[Eshan]

Well, you can't win them all if you don't win the first one. That's what 17 year old goalkeeper Aurélian Gautier's father had always told him. You have to give it all, he had told the keeper when he was naught but a wee, wide eyed lad. You have to give it your all, make an impact, knock them so hard that no one else wants to tussle with you. Well, it hadn't exactly been an ass kicking, but a W and three points are a W and three points, and that's the best way to start the World Cup. And now here he was, starting for the national team as a 17 year old.

The team was flush with young talent, with seven players under the age of 21. Four started for the Echani national team, Aurélian in goal, 21 year old defensive playmaker Xavi Arisilde, along with 19 year old striker Anthony Baudelio and 19 year old sensation Marco van Ciavatinni on the right wing. The whole team was pretty strong, plenty of experience even though only one player on the team is over the age of 30, the brilliant Antonio Mulcair who recently completed a move to Ramusok United in Cosumar. It was, in essence, still the same group of players that had taken to the field three World Cups ago representing Eshan during our run to 3rd in the Baptism of Fire.

We started the game a little slow, really easing ourselves into the frantic energy of World Cup qualification. Indeed, it was Mapletish who absolutely dominated the game for the first 25 minutes or so, seriously they were giving it to use. In this timespan, the Mapletishian team recorded a very impressive 14 shots, with 9 going on target while holding just about 61% possession. Honestly? It was the worst we’ve ever played in an international match. We were quite thoroughly manhandled, and it’s only thanks to absolutely spectacular goalkeeping from the young Aurelian Gautier that we were kept in the game and didn’t find ourselves down four or five-nil at the half. After the initial onslaught, we were able to recover well and really started to play our game, pushing the defensive line high up field, closing down the moment a Mapletish player received the ball, we were after them like a damn pack of wolves. The addition of Xavi Arisilde to the starting lineup has proven to be a brilliant move. With Arisilde conducting play and closing down attacks from the defensive midfield, that allows Samper Markovic the creative freedom to push even further up the field then he did in our old system, and while he really is world class at breaking up attacks before they get started, it’s as a box-to-almost box midfielder he really shone as Sebio City claimed their first ever league title last season. With the pure attacking brilliance of Jean-Marie Bentacur also in the midfield, Steven Dumolt has all areas of the field covered, and with all three capable of dictating play in their own special way, it was only a matter of time before the Echani squad started to take control of the game.

Between the 25th minute and the end of the half, we held a 63% majority of possession, although we ended the half with only one shot. But what a shot it was. With Anthony Baudelio at the tip of our attacking spear, the opposition has to worry about the 19 year old’s sheer size and speed, and with a great mind for making decoy runs, he’s a huge threat. It was one of these decoy’s, a ruse if you will, that gave us that shot.

Samper Markovic picked off an attempted through ball in the 42nd minute before chipping it up and over the Mapletish midfield line to the velvet coated boot of Jean-Marie. The tricky middy hesitated on the ball, sending a recovering Mapletish player flying by, before he shifted into gear and burst forward into our attacking half. Anthony Baudelio took off on a blazing run towards the right wing drawing one, and then both centerbacks off to the side. Marco van Ciavatinni looked almost lazy, not moving so much of a muscle, right up until the two defenders crossed into the right half of the field, then he burst into action, using his lightning quick acceleration to race to the center of the field across the face of the defenders. Jean-Marie raised his foot and hit a beautifully slick through ball into the 19 year old’s path, and, with one of the centerbacks and the left back moving over to shut him down, van Ciavatinni hit the ball first time with the outside of his left boot from about 21 yards out. That ball severed from just right of the center of the goal alllllllll the way over to the left lower corner. With Mapletish’s goalkeeper rooted to the spot, the Echani team and their billions of fans went into celebration. 1-nil.

The rest of the match was fairly uneventful; the Echani team didn’t look at their best, there were some gassed looking faces so hopefully they rest up in time for our match right on the horizon. Good luck boys!

[Cosumar]

All-Time Cosumar XI ::: Entry #1 ::: William Riley (LB)

187 caps (2nd)
14 goals
Played WC 52-60
Captained WC 57-60

Only a select few players in Cosumarite history are worthy of being the very first selection, and Will Riley is indisputably one of them. One of the longest-serving players in national history, Riley nailed down the starting left back spot from age 18 to 34, spanning nine World Cups and Cosumar's first six successful qualifications. He served as captain for the last four of his cycles, in the first three of which he skippered Cosumar to the Round of 16. Including World Cup 59, when Cosumar famously compiled an undefeated near-perfect combined record in Qualifying and the WC group stage. It should come as no surprise then, that Riley was the most unanimous selection to our dream squad. Even 30 years since he last suited up in blue and white, over 95% percent of Cosumarite voters plugged his name into the left back spot. That should indicate just how much the feisty fullback has come to embody the identity of Cosumarite football. Still considered the best defenseman in our history, Riley was omnipresent from almost the very beginning and, from his place on the left, oversaw our rise into an international power.

Personality: With a work ethic instilled in him on the farms of his youth, Riley was a focused and driven individual who led by example with his impassioned play. The type of man people naturally fall in line behind without him having to say a word. Yet he wasn't afraid to use words either when situations deemed appropriate. As captain, he was known for his subdued but intense motivational monologues. If a member of his back line did something stupid, he was later in his career known to force them into a headlock and put a mouthful in their ear. Away from soccer, however, Riley is an easygoing, simple and humble man - a side of him that the public never clearly saw until after his playing career finally ended.

Playing Style: Small but fast. His warrior's heart and a mastery of defensive technique easily compensated for any physical disadvantages. Great feet, swift movement, a knack for that incisive pass into the middle from the left. Although he is left-footed, Riley had the ability to play on either side of the pitch or in the midfield due to his tactical intelligence and versatility. Defending was his favorite aspect of the game though, and his passion was evident in the way he poured himself into it.

Early Life: William James Riley Jr. was born on March 31, 943 (Cosumarite calendar) to William J. Riley Sr. and Meredith Titus Riley in a rural area of Tamarskand Fief outside of Dawchire. For those weak in geography, Dawchire is a mid-size city on the east coast approximately halfway between larger coastal cities Kaldukosic and Stoneshore. His family owned a large potato farm, on which he helped tend growing up. As a boy, he would often skip his chores to hide behind the house and kick a ragged old soccer ball against the wall or into makeshift goals constructed from farming equipment. His parents were at first annoyed by their only son's indifference towards their family trade in favor of "silly games", but they eventually recognized his gifts and agreed to properly channel his infatuation. They sold a third of their land so that they could afford to ship Will off to a football-development school in nearby Dawchire, one of the first of its kind in Cosumar. When Cosumar made its international debut in World Cup 51, Will was 16 and had not been at the school long. He was immediately inspired by the ragtag Dragons defense as it fought to hold famous teams like Krytenia and Aguazul to draws despite having no chance of qualifying. He vowed then and there to become Cosumar's most respected defender and never lost sight of that career-defining goal.

Club Career: Will started playing professionally for Dawchire Town, the biggest club nearby, while still in school at age 17. He was short (5"5) and of slight build for a defender, especially amidst the brutishly physical play in Cosumar at the time. The club tried to force Riley to play midfield at first, rolling their eyes and patting his head at his ardent insistence on being a defender. Nevertheless, defense was in both his destiny & DNA. A rash of injuries forced Dawchire Town to deploy young Riley as a left back in his first season. He immediately commanded respect - battling older, bigger and stronger players with such tenacity (and from such an unassuming physique!) that no one ever doubted him again. Over the next year, his body grew a couple inches and filled out a little. He was still small for a fullback, but no longer comically so. Combined with Cosumar's dearth of options at left back, it was enough for him to get called into Cosumar's first serious World Cup squad (a hastily-assembled B-team was sent to our WC51 debut). As he grew in stature with Dawchire Town and the national team, becoming a figurehead for both, he eventually outgrew the claret-and-blue of Dawchire. At 23, he started receiving offers from notable foreign clubs following Cosumar's breakthrough World Cup 54 qualification. This was at a time when Cosumar didn't even have a proper league. Professional clubs merely traveled around playing exhibition matches against each other or in random one-off tournaments. Nevertheless, Riley declined the offers to go abroad, deciding to stay in Cosumar and plant the first seeds of our evolution from backwater-status in the sport. He signed for Stoneshore AFC, a predecessor to modern-day Stoneshore United and one of the most successful clubs in Cosumar at the time. With Stoneshore AFC, he established himself as the best defender in Cosumar for the next decade. He also inspired (and coined himself) the famous "Stoneshore Stonewall" defense that present-day Stoneshore United has trademarked and maintained as an integral part of club identity. Though the lack of an organized league makes it difficult to measure the domestic accomplishments of early-era players, Riley amassed an estimated record of 84-26-39 during his time at Stoneshore AFC, including six tournament trophies. After ten years in Stoneshore, he requested a transfer back to Dawchire Town at age 33 and played his final season for his boyhood club. He is pictured above at age 34, just before his final game with Dawchire before retirement.

International Highlights: Riley received his first Cosumar cap at age 18 in a pre-WC52 friendly in Great Lenin, which Cosumar lost 1-0. He was partially culpable on Great Lenin's 79th minute winnter. His first real "welcome to being an international" moment, however, came when Cosumar played highly-ranked Sargossa on MD1 of WC52. It was his first meaningful match, and it turned out to be an exhilirating 2-2 draw. Riley's growth into manhood would parallel Cosumar's growth into a respected program. At 22, he played in Cosumar's first ever World Cup Finals match against Akbarabad. At 24, he guided Cosumar to its first World Cup Finals win against Al-Mumtaz. A game in which he famously cleared a potential equalizer off the line in stoppage time to preserve the historic win. There were also lows however, such as when his back line conceded nine goals against Valanora in that same WC 55 and he refused to talk to the media until the next day. Another of his famous moments came in World Cup 56, when his desperate long pass over the top to Abel Scarloff at the death against Carpathia & Ruthenia at the end of Qualifying became an assist that gave Cosumar a 3-2 win and qualified us for our third consecutive World Cup. After Cosumar's historic World Cup 59 campaign (undefeated in Qualifying and 3-0-0 in WC group stage) collapsed in the Round of 16 against Kagdazka & Pazhujebu in epic fashion (surrendering a 3-0 lead to lose on penalties) when Riley was 32, he stoically vowed to return for one final cycle and avenge that heartbreak. He kept his word. Riley captained Cosumar to a spite-fueled knockout victory over that same Pazhujebu side in the WC60 Qualifying playoffs at age 34. The campaign still resulted in failure, however, as Vilita trumped Riley's Dragons 2-0 in the second game of the two-tiered playoff. Riley's international career ended on that unsatisfying note. Revenge fulfilled but the Fiefdom still out of the World Cup for the first time in fourteen years.

Life After Football: Now 64, Riley has been retired for exactly 30 years. At age 39, he joined the staff of OAS Royal FC as a defenders' coach soon after King James II founded it in 982. With Royal, he won the inaugural two Harlighet Ligan championships (983 and 984) but left the club during the lockout of 986. He popped up again in 989 as a commentator for National Team games during the World Cup 66 cycle, but that gig did not last particularly long either. He has since lived a simple life back in rural Tamarskand Fief where he grew up. He bought back the farmland that was sold on his behalf (and a bit extra) and now takes care of his elderly parents there alongside his wife Maggie Riley, 66. With her he had two sons, Jacob and William III. Jacob Riley, now 46, became a professional baseball pitcher. He was never called up to a WBC, but he did represent Cosumar at the youth level in Keisler Cups.


And there you have it. William Riley at left back for the All-Time Cosumarite Dream Team. Agree? Disagree? Feel free to let us know how you feel about the first selection in the comments section or on social media with the hashtag #CosumarXI. Be sure to stay tuned over the next few weeks as we continue to fill in that image below.

In honor of Cosumar's 25th World Cup, The Cosumarite Courier is naming the best eleven Cosumarite players in history for the first time ever. If our scientists unlocked the secret of time travel and we could assemble any combination of Cosumarite players from the last 50 years, who should we select to win a World Cup? Well, you voted and we did our nifty research...so now we're unveiling the aggregate results. One by one. Each matchday of Qualifying. You can take the time to read the biography of each selection or simply check the updated version of the above image each day to quickly see who made it and continue on with your life. By the time World Cup 75 Qualifying is winding down, the countdown should be complete and a concrete Best XI finalized. We will be unveiling entries in order from most unanimous to most controversial, so the biggest comment-section firestorms SHOULD be saved until the end!

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MD1 Headline: "Super-Llamaland, Valladares, THE suffer shock losses as Cosumar sit out with bye"

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Cosumar Goal-Scorers Tally (11 GF)
Belarmin Worsaw (2)
Anders Engström (2)
Peter Svensson (1)
Aziz Senturk (1)
Ole Öhman (1)
Bacary Na'Kale (1)
Mauricio Sigler (1)
Sheldon Serra (1)
Ace Newman (1)

Cosumar Assists Tally
Ole Öhman (3)
Anders Engström (2)
Augen Wittevrongel (1)
Vareza Na'Noni (1)
Sheldon Serra (1)

Substitute Appearances Tally
Matt Branch (3)
Esteban Hernandez (3)
Ace Newman (3)
Jo de Marisco (2)
Deirdre McNessa (2)
Maynard Gorham (2)
Tiffany Elam (2)
Augen Wittevrongel (1)
Frazan Va'Goshal (1)
Tevin Lilley (1)

Cosumar's World Cup 75 Cycle
Four Corners Friendly Tour: Cosumar 1-0 Flardania (@ The Wormhole, Ashen Point)
Four Corners Friendly Tour: Cosumar 5-0 Azrea (@ Versiaville Pavilion, Versiaville)
Four Corners Friendly Tour: Cosumar 3-1 Super-Llamaland (@ Orangi Stadium, Crawford)
Four Corners Friendly Tour: Cosumar 3-1 Rotschwarzland (@ SweetHaven Stadium, Stoneshore)
Qualifying Matchday 1: Bye
Qualifying Matchday 2: Cosumar vs. Lons (@ Fire River Arena, Ramusok)
Qualifying Matchday 3: Pridenestrovia vs. Cosumar (@ Sheriff Stadium, Tiraspol)
Qualifying Matchday 4: Cosumar vs. Acronius (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic)
Qualifying Matchday 5: Kaboomlandia vs. Cosumar (@ King Wulfric II Royal Stadium, Kolra)
Qualifying Matchday 6: Cosumar vs. Super-Llamaland (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic)
Qualifying Matchday 7: Nuevo Caracas vs. Cosumar
Mid-Qualifying Friendly TBD
Qualifying Matchday 8: Bye
Qualifying Matchday 9: Lons vs. Cosumar (@ Kêlik Den, Kêlik)
Qualifying Matchday 10: Cosumar vs. Pridestrovia (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic)
Qualifying Matchday 11: Acronius vs. Cosumar
Qualifying Matchday 12: Cosumar vs. Kaboomlandia (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic)
Qualifying Matchday 13: Super-Llamaland vs. Cosumar
Qualifying Matchday 14: Cosumar vs. Nuevo Caracas (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic)
Green: Victory
Blue: Draw
Red: Defeat
Home team listed first

[Britonisea]

City Mayor of Sports City announces "Disappointment" with the Britonish Football Association (RUFA)

The City Mayor of Sports City and Luton, Keynes Sulliham, had a go at the Britonish Football Association earlier today after the first match was played at Junteräpten instead of Sports City's stadium, National Stadium. 43,621 people managed to book tickets to watch the match against San Llera which ended with San Llera beating The Ultimaversian Republic 4-2, a very bad start to the 75th World Cup and almost forebodes the ending result for Britonisea. Keynes Sulliham, in a press conference today, said "I am really worried that RUFA did not take Sports City in to account when it came to picking the stadiums for the World Cup Qualifications. I am very worried."

He went on to say, "The World Cup Qualifications are not only a time where we can show our sporting abilities, but it is also a time to show off what our country is about and, giving them a low-capacity stadium which looks in refurbishment is unacceptable. Although Eaux City is a major city in the country, Junteräpten is not. Stadejunterapten is a great stadium, however I am worried about the city. Junterapten is located off shore, which makes it really hard for people to travel from the mainland to the city and then to the stadium that they expect to get 40...odd thousand people in. Sports City, however, is on the mainland at it is a very accessible place. It is next to Luton, a very important city, near Quickenden, Zelmerlow and Dewhurst. Basically on the doorstep of ZQT. Yet, that didn't qualify us to host this tournament?"

Well, Keynes is actually false here. Unfortunately, Luton was rated 14th most productive city in Britonisea, and this came behind cities like Junterapten, Eaux and Quickenden - which are all cities that he mentioned. When he states that Luton is quite close to ZQT, this is not entirely true. Luton and Sports City are the most southern cities in Britonisea, which means, they are closer to Aurevbush, a neighbour country. Because we are almost 'in Aurevbush territory' if you live in Luton or Sports City, you would either have to go through the border twice (Britonisea to Aurevbush, Aurevbush to Britonisea) as an easy route to ZQT, or, they would have to go around which would take a long time. If you thought going through our neighbours were smart, it isn't. In fact, it could take you up to a day to get to the other side as there are huge waits at tolls and driving in Aurevbush means that you would have to drive on the other side. Moreover, it costs money. If you plan to travel by car - you face a load of money to get through the border and also, you may have to apply for a visa. But I say may. If you plan to take a bus...good luck. There aren't any buses that go across the border. Let's carry on with what the mayor said;

"Luton and Sports City are amazing cities with such sporting history - hence the name Sports City. Sports City has the most amount of stadiums per square mile boasting Olympic stadiums, indoor arenas and most of all, the national stadium of Britonisea. Let's speak about the National Stadium of Britonisea. I understand, fully, that we have hosted a World Cup Qualification before, but look at the revenue that it creates! Hosting the name match in a bigger stadium = a lot more money, which not only benefits RUFA, but it also helps the society in Britonisea and the city. I do think, that the National Stadium should've been hosting this, because the problem is, that the time when Britonisea hosts the cup won't be in the next ten editions - I doubt Britonisea would ever host, so we need to give ourselves the time to shine in those 90 minutes. We aren't going to do this in Junterapten nor Eaux.

What Keynes says here is quite false. Sure, Sports City has it's name for the amount of Sports Stadiums that the city has. However, that is it. In fact, Sports City is a flawed creation of a massive Olympic Park; of which there is one in Team City and Doportedas. Also, Sports City hasn't hosted an international competition for a long time and by the way sports is perceived in Britonisea, it isn't going to happen anytime soon. Keynes then went on to say that 'Bigger stadium = a lot more money." This is untrue. In fact, Stadejunterapten seats are 20% more expensive than the ones in the National Stadium. Stadejunterapten makes a lot of money, and as the capacity of the stadium is 3/8th of the National Stadium, it is actually true that Stadejunterapten makes the most money...for it's size. The National Stadium is a massive money maker, but a lot of the money goes back on facilities within the stadium and improvements...More than what is needed in Stadejunterapten. It seems as though those insults are attacking Junterapten and not Eaux, strange.

"And, if I thought that Junterapten's stadium was too small, what do you expect me to think of Eaux's stadium? 41,000? Are you taking the biscuit and dunking it in a cup of tea? Honestly, this is alarming. Why are we hosting in a stadium that size? There are arenas in Britonisea, probably, bigger than this or even stadiums with roofs. I can't believe that this stadium was picked. Also, the stadium is increasingly dangerous! The top tier are every so close to the roof of the stadium, I could possible just jump upwards and would be hit by an aeroplane. The stadium was called "incomplete" late 2015, then early 2016 it was complete - yet they had failed to do anything to make the stadium any safer. It's quite poorly actually. Eaux hasn't accomplished anything special and therefore needs no recognition.

Wow, this is very insulting. Eaux does have way bigger stadiums with big contraptions on top of it as it's roof and many other things, but I am sure that Eaux took the liberty to host it in an arena which means something to them. They wouldn't name it the Eaux City Stadium for nothing, would they? It is also untrue that you would get hit by an aeroplane had you jump up in to the sky - what a stupid thing to say. The stadium wouldn't be ready if you could jump, with your hands stretching in the air and are 5m away from the roof. It's too risky. We made sure that everyone got enough space. Also, the stadium did go through some improvements when it was called "incomplete" in 2015, including lighting and plumbing to make sure the arena was ready internally - behind the fine lines. Finally, is t really fair to say Eaux hasn't achieved anything? They have the status of Ice Capital, or Second Capital. Eaux has hosted a regional Olympics...though small, it was something. What has Spots City done?

[The Saint James Islands]

First, there is going to be a lot in media res from me, with the current plan to be alternating between events occurring during the current World Cup qualifiers and events that occurred during the time frame of the last set of regional championships with each post. Second, I completely retconned and obliterated the use of “the Saint James Islands” for the country a long time ago (that name now refers to a Commonwealth territory just south of the mainland, for the record), so fair warning that the Schiavones are going to be mercilessly mocked as geographically illiterate. Finally, I’ve temporarily put the COCANEFA account (nothing against the hegemonic powers that be ) on my ignore list for the express purpose of making the results thread nothing more than a block of collapsed posts, so I will have no idea how anyone is doing other than through RP posts from others.

And Group 8, please warn me if your posts are going to spoil how Omerica is doing in qualifying so that I can skip over them; I won’t be RPing with any match reports in this qualifying group stage, so it won’t make a difference to anyone. Don’t kill anyone or end their careers, but please feel free to do whatever else your heart desires.

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Streets of Philibiscostal
Post-Augusticinia v Nephara, World Cup 74 qualifiers

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“Merde. Que Dieu nous aide.”

Omerica had effectively blown their qualifying lead thanks to an utterly shameful performance against Abanhfleft and the Cormorants’ domination of Augusticinia and the Metropolitan Constabulary was overwhelmed. The Constabulary thought things were bad when they were just dealing with some broken store windows and burning flags after the Abanhfleft match, but debris was strewn about the streets every which way, cars were burning in the streets of la République et canton de l’Arrondissement métropolitain and a bus lot up in Amberhill had apparently been broken into by a band of hooligans.

François was completely baffled as to how a city that was usually so orderly could have devolved into such chaos and madness. Sure, Omericans were a temperamental and often intransigent bunch, slightly over-the-top when angered, but still, this was a bit much even for the Commonwealth. François found one particular letter to a Gregoryisgodistani club sticking out in his mind and was focused on one particular word he learned from that letter: “Incorrigible”. That sums up this city perfectly right now.

“François,” the voice on his communicator boomed in English, “there is a situation on Jacques la Rouge.”

“Baise-moi,” the constable muttered to himself. For the love of all that is holy, please don’t let them be anywhere near the Arena.

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Arena la Rouge, Philibiscostal
Post-Augusticinia v Nephara, World Cup 74 qualifiers

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“Dieu merci.”

Riots units from the Metropolitan Constabulary had managed to form a human barrier around the Arena la Rouge and Abanhfleft were (quite luckily) long gone from the city.

Things were still bad. A Birds Beak Banner flying outside the Crown Jewel of Philibiscostal was burning to cinders on its flagpole and rioters were attempting to fling flares into the stadium in which Omerica had suffered one of its most embarrassing matches ever. The constabulary was about sixty seconds from appropriating the services of the Pompiers métropolitains to douse the flames that had sprung up on Jacques la Rouge Road and was calling in reinforcements left and right, both from Philibiscostal and neighbouring cantons, to try to curb the rising tide of rioters.

Upon seeing François and his contingent arrive, one of François’s Anglo friends ran up to him with some news that was pure music to his ears: “The Lord Mayor’s declared a state of emergency across Philibiscostal and the Governors of Mariascola and the Free State have authorised their constabularies to help us get this shitfest under control.”

“Bien,” François said, relieved that at least the city wasn’t trying to contain this mess on their own.

“Oui. If we try to fight the riot, we’re going to look bad and we’re going to be overwhelmed, so we’ve to try to do damage control. We need to contain these rioters around this area for as long as possible until they at least settle down. If we can minimise the damage they’re capable of doing, they’ll get bored eventually and this’ll all be over.”

François knew it wasn’t going to be that simple. It was going to be a long night for sure. If the damages didn’t come in over a billion shillings, he would gladly eat his entire wardrobe.

Little could François foretell, but things could have been far worse…

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William Parnell’s flat, Londonderry, Coleraine
Pre-Omerica v HUElavia, World Cup 75 qualifiers

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William turned off the TV set. He was flattered that the Schiavones had spoken so highly of the Omerican national side, though after recent events, he wasn’t quite sure the fans deserved it.

“They do know that we are not on any islands, right?”

“Hey, it takes some talent to confuse a small Commonwealth territory with an entire sovereign state, so my hat’s off to them,” John Martin chimed.

“Seriously, they do realise we’ve an entire western land border, right?” Parnell asked in utter disbelief.

“You never know,” Parnell’s club teammate replied. “The Audioslavians don’t seem to have a very high opinion of the Schiavones, so that might say something. Plus, I did hear of an alternate dimension where we actually were on an archipelago, so maybe they’re interdimensional aliens.”

Silence befell the flat for a few seconds as the midfielder tried to comprehend exactly what the keeper said.

“You can’t be serious right now,” were the only words that could escape William’s mouth.

“Hey, talking horses and sentient broomsticks have taken part in the World Cup. Stranger things have happened.”

“And Cosumar has dragons and Paradystopia is now a pile of camembert,” William shouted in frustration. “How does this prove your point?” Parnell asked in a slightly more calm tone.

“It doesn’t, but you still can’t rule out the possibility.”

A buzz shook William’s kitchen counter and John’s jeans. Get your arses to the stadium for practice right now. - TdV

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Turanga ʻAhipula ʻo ʻOmerika
6 Jacques la Rouge Road
Port-Alexandre, PH C5A-A40
COMMONWEALTH OF OMERICA

Official Press Release — Tuku Katipa Hoi ʻe Pieti

Qualifiers for the Seventy-Fifth World Cup
Omerica national team line-up vs Boring Paradise (away)

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Starting eleven
GK—№ 1: Stéphane ROUSSEAU (vice-captain)
LD—№ 2: Red MILLHOUSE
CD—№ 3: Honoré LEFURGEY
CD—№ 4: Keone MAKAIO
CD—№ 5: Tre URISTSON
RD—№ 6: Ansel RYAN
LM—№ 7: Ryan ANDSEN
CM—№ 8: Tömas DE VRIKT (captain)
CM—№ 9: Arani IROHA
RM—№ 10: Casimir PAQUET
CF—№ 11: John PERCIVAL

Substitutes
GK—№ 13: John MARTIN
GK—№ 23: Ethan D’ARAMITZ
LD—№ 14: Martin PALL
CD—№ 15: Jean-Marie MOLINEAUX
CD—№ 16: Sejanus CHRISTOPHE
CD—№ 17: Makara ʻO TOA
RD—№ 18: Mikäel CHRISTOPHE
LM—№ 19: William PARNELL
CM—№ 20: Rangi AMANG
CM—№ 21: Kairo KAMARANI
RM—№ 22: Raia TURI
CF—№ 12: Red TYLER

[Vers-Gelderland]

New Gelderland News Roundup
Terranean League expands to 20 teams
With an increase in Champion's Cup allocations for the Terranean League to four - based off the latest UICA coefficients released to the public after a very successful season for Terranean teams in UICA competition - the New Gelderland Football Association (NGFA) and Electrum Football Association (EFA) have agreed to expand the Terranean League by four teams for a total of twenty so that not "every Tom, Dick, and Harry" club, as New Gelderlish manager David Ross put it, will be challenging for UICA spots. Now the league has a total of ten UICA spots, which would have meant most of the Terranean League would contend for UICA competition even if they performed poorly during a 16-team competition.

Leaders of both FAs hope that the expansion will also help to increase the popularity of the Terranean League and television earnings as more people tune in to watch more games, and people can become more connected with their clubs. They cautioned, however, that the Terranean League would have to be careful with scheduling in order to not overwhelm players and fans with football, as both New Gelderland and Electrum undergo fierce and tough qualification campaigns to get to the World Cup. Electrum is the first seed in their group and favored to advance, while New Gelderland faces an outside chance as their group's third seed.

New Gelderland draws against Chiata
The first game of the World Cup qualification cycle was a crucible for the New Gelderlish national team - unfortunately, it was a crucible that the New Gelderlish national team didn't come fully out of. Since the gap between Chiata and New Gelderland was fairly small, national team coach David Ross was hoping that they would be able to pull out a win on home soil. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, as neither team was able to score in a heavily defensive match between the two teams. New Gelderlish goalkeeper Eliot Horn performed the best in the match, saving all of the shots his team faced. Meanwhile, Gelderlish strikers Ben Griffin and Luke Virgo were unable to penetrate the tough defense of Chiatan goalkeeper Mack Truex.

Manager David Ross told the NGNR that his team would be intending to work hard to secure their first ever qualification for the World Cup, but that it would take lots of hard work and dedication to overcome the obstacles. If all goes according to plan, says Ross, New Gelderland will only have to defeat Chiata away on the first matchday of the second half of qualifying to secure a playoff spot for the World Cup. It's something that his team definitely hopes to achieve, building off their success in UICA competitions along with Electrum in the Terranean League.

New Gelderland to face Hasznia
New Gelderland will travel to Stade 1916 in Warton, Hasznia to face the world #255 side. Observers are predicting an easy win for the away side, but manager David Ross told the NGNR that his team would be taking nothing for granted against a side that only managed one win in their Baptism of Fire. New Gelderland will be looking for its first win of the World Cup qualification campaigns after a nil-all home draw to Chiata somewhat damaged their plans to qualify with a bang, while Hasznia had a first-day bye, so hasn't played its first ever World Cup qualification match.

In the third week of competition, New Gelderland will have a bye, followed by a home game against Chernodad, the winners of this season's Baptism of Fire, in a match that will feature two Baptism of Fire champions. New Gelderland may see a bit of themselves against Chernodad but will be trying to pull off a win nonetheless. Then the team travels to Mapletish before they face their two toughest matches, against Eshan and the first seed, Saintland. It will be a hard feat to manage to defeat Saintland, but the team is holding out hope.

New Gelderlish national stadium announced
The New Gelderland Football Association (NGFA) has announced a new home stadium which will host matches in the second half of qualifiers. Work on a new national stadium, to be called the Crucible and located on the east side of Nassau Bay, on the opposite end from the current Olympic Stadium, which hosted games in the Olympics New Gelderland hosted, began three months ago as demand for football matches in the Nassau Bay area expanded with Nassau Bay United entering the Terranean League for the first time and the formation of Nassau Bay Independence in Terranean League 3.

Nassau Bay United and Nassau Bay Independence will share the stadium for home games in the next season of the Terranean League, while Olympic Nassau Bay will continue to use its previous home stadium Olympic Stadium. New Gelderlish manager David Ross says that he hopes the new stadium, which seats 65,000, can provide New Gelderland with a strong platform to start off the next half of World Cup qualification. Terranean League owners and officials have also stated that they may plan to bid for a UICA final using the newly constructed stadium and show off the range of Gelderlish accomplishments.

The Crucible will feature solar panels on the roof and a design based off the shell plating of many sea creatures living Nassau Bay. The atmosphere inside will be a little dark, but it will still feature many of the classics of stadium design and construction. Several VIP boxes have already been purchased by unnamed corporate or individual buyers, and season tickets have recently gone on sale for the two clubs that will share The Crucible in regular domestic play.

[Chiata]

Chiata Times
"Exciting" First Match

In typical decisive Chiatan fashion, the Suns open up with a scoreless draw in New Gelderland. As we predicted, the game was controlled by the defensive postures utilized by both sides. Truex rapped up another clean sheet for his impressive international career, and Horn, goalkeeper for New Gelderland, did the same. Attacking was especially poor for the Chiata Suns, especially since they are now lacking Felix Saunders on the wing. New Gelderlands opportunistic attack had little to strike at throughout the match. A few chances were created for either sides, but they were all snapped by excellent goalkeeping and defending.

54,000 fans crowded into Olympic Stadium to watch the opening qualifying match. The stands were filled with the home colors of blue, yellow, and black that were part of New Gelderland's flag. A small contingent of blue and green occupied the area for the Chiatan fans. Despite the similarity in play style, New Gelderland and Chiata differed on age and experience. New Gelderland fielded a remarkably young squad while Chiata had an older and seasoned squad. In the opening minutes of the game, the New Gelderlish were "filled with youthful energy," as veteran striker Douglas Prince put it. However, with age comes the taste for the small details that are needed for success. As New Gelderland ran about, the Suns made sure there was no vulnerabilities. At the 14th minute, the first chance came from forward Luke Virgo, for the New Gelderlish. It was a long ball from the edge of the box, directly in front of the net. He put enough clearance on it to lift above center back Copeland. However, with its decent height, Truex was able to tap the shot over the cross bar. The resulting corner yielded nothing for the attacking side.

Near the 36th minute, it was Chiata's turn to take a stab and scoring. Jason Toler dashed to the left side of the pitch. Defender Kirpatrick scrambled to meet Toler, but Toler dribbled opposite of Kirpatrick's momentum and was free. With some space, Toler had time to set up a quick pass that split between two defenders. Striker Curtis was there for the quick shot, but he scuffed it and Horn was able to grab up the slow moving ball. Curtis couldn't hide his disappointment, and neither could manager Hommland. The crowd fell more and more silent as the match went on with a brutal 0-0 score. Halftime blew after three minutes of stoppage time. Both sides went to the locker room hoping their offense could put something together.

To start the second half of play, Hommland removed Curtis and put on Whitaker. The Suns started to play more long balls in hopes of finding the New Gelderlish defense off guard. Unfortunately, this didn't work since New Gelderland's defense played exceptionally well throughout the match. Prince had a chance off of a well timed long passed. He busted through midfielder Wolf and center back Landis to get a one on one with the keeper. Prince let off a beauty of a shot to the right side of the net, but Horn made a highlight dive to snatch the ball away mid-flight. Chiata's attack was gassed, so New Gelderland took the initiative. Lead by their captain, Rhodes, New Gelderland slowly advanced up the field. Soon, Chiata was bottled up in their defensive third and attacks began squirting through. Striker Griffen spun past left back Hanson and planted a solid shot on goal. Truex gobbled the ball up and fell forward on it. New Gelderland was forced to back up and Chiata finally decompressed.

By now, both sides had little left in the offensive tank. The game settled into a boring routine of each squad afraid to move forward and face a potential game ending counter attack. There were a few halfhearted attempts from Chiata to win the day, but they were all met with stiff resistance. The match ended 0-0, a single point going to the table for both nations. This was fundamentally a loss for Chiata. Drawing to the third seed is not the way to secure the playoff spot. At least the Suns didn't lose, and now they have shaken off the cobwebs since their last games playing together.

For matchday two, Chiata will return home to Gulf Stadium. Chiata will host Chernordad. Chiata should be able to handle the freshman nation, especially in the "loving hands" of the home crowd. Chernordad were undefeated after winning the Baptism of Fire 62. They met harsh reality when they played Saintland, the group favorites, and lost 3-2. Chiata has traditionally done well against nations that were successful in the most recent Baptism of Fire. Hopefull Chiata can produce the same result that Saintland did, but pigs will fly and the moon will turn blue before Chiata scores three goals in a match.

[Turori]

The Latest Sporting News from Turori

Relocated Eels drop unfortunate opener to nation of Cats re-born for a second life

Eels Park, Eelandii, Turori :: Interest in the Turori National Team's opening away fixture of World Cup 75 Qualifying is expected to approach record lows as the coverage of the event will be up against practice coverage from the Grand Prix of Barunia at the Alexwood Racing Park.

Turori's most famous auto racing personality, and perhaps quickly becoming one of Turori's most famous sporting personalities overall - iBen Toralmintii, is fresh off a dominant performance at the Grand Prix of Nekoni where the Vilita & Turori Motorsports driver led from start to finish having claimed the pole and was off into the sunset from that point forward, finishing the race nearly a full minute ahead of his closest competitor - Louis Krindle of MSA-Sinval.

The story of Vilita & Turori Motorsports' return to the Grand Prix circuit has captured the Island Emirate, particularly due to the fact that Turori's own Toralmintii has already captured two race victories and leads the Drivers Standings heading into the 8th of 12 events.

Vilita and Turori Motorsports
Driver 1: #77 iBen Toralmintii
Driver 2: #56 Terho Tavela

Generally inundated with months worth of speculation about who would be the Goalkeeper of choice for the Turori Eels National Team, or whether the Eels were going to score enough goals to comfortably win matches and advance as the top seed - instead there have been feature reports on Torlamintii and the influence that Vilita & Turori Motorsports Development Facility located just down the corridor from the Turori National Team headquarters in Eelandii has had on the success of both Toralmintii and his VTM teammate Terho Talvela from Aboveland.

The focus and fanfare surrounding the World Grand Prix circuit has been so great, in fact, that the Football Association of Turori (FAT) opted to host the opening match of World Cup 75 Qualifying at the Kionao Minor Field in Kionao instead of at Eels Park, not wanting the distraction of a weeks worth of fanfare surrounding a qualifying match to distract from any ongoing Vilita & Turori Motorsports development activities - or to provide any possibility of an opportunistic foreign visitor from attempting to use the football match as rationale for getting 'closer' to the VTM development labs - perhaps in an attempt to get an eye on their technology.

Unfortunately for the Turori National team, their opening World Cup Qualifying match in Kionao didn't go as they would have hoped. The Eels looked lacklustre on the pitch in front of a lacklustre crowd as they fell victim of the biggest upset defeat in their all-time history. Virtually centuries after their World Cup debut, no result - on paper - has likely been more upsetting or unpredictable for the Eels. Turori's opening matchday opposition were Felinetopia - a virtually unknown side making their first appearance on the international stage since competing in the Baptism of Fire Cup for World Cup 67. Most experts predicted Felinetopia - a side without even a fraction of a KPB point to their name - would struggle to earn even a draw at any point during the qualification. Others suggested that Felinetopia might be able to challenges the Islands of Paputu - with the two nations likely to split the home and home series for their only victories of the campaign.

. . . . . . 0 . . . .

. . . . . . 1 . . . .

They were all wrong. A single goal in the 68th minute was all it took for the visitors to stun Group 16's top seed and plant doubt in the minds of Turorian's world wide that World Cup Qualification was just a formality. The Eel's could never muster enough to equalize - though they did threaten the Feline netminder from time to time, most of the Eel's chances were from longer range and couldn't quite find the back of the net.

While the loss is terribly disappointing to the Turorian players - many of the fans are staying focused where they are already performing well - the WGPC and keeping their support behind iBen Toralmintii. For others, while they prefer not to drop any points during World Cup Qualifications, they tend to be taking the pragmatic approach, knowing that there are still 11 more games to be played and should the Eels win them all, they will still clinch a place in Audioslavia and Krytenia - no matter what happens in the rest of the group.

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[Flardania]

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Bonjour et Ohayōgozaimasu Kirishima. Welcome back to another edition of the Kitsune Report, brought to you by Seongwoo Motors and the Nagatomo Sports Network (NSN). Here at the Kitsune Report it's all about our cherished national team. It's a historic World Cup 75 on the horizon with 140 nations fighting for only 30 spots So with out any further delay it's time to get grooving for some cup football once again.

Before we talk about the match with Ko-oren, I need to talking about MD 1 as a whole and I can only say Oh My! Seriously what happened on match-day 1, because it was a utopia of upsets. I mean look at this in Group 3, Pridnestrovia defeats Super-Llamaland 3-2. Then you look at Group 5 to see Indo-Malaysia put forward 3! Not one or two but three goals against Polkopia. In group 6 Ferret Civilisation drew with Vilita with 2 goals each. In group 8 HUElavia upset Omerica. I mean I could go on and on but I do not have enough time. However the most shocking upsets were -Anthor- upsetting Valladares five to three and Afrikaners and Boers upsetting the Holy Empire two to one. What makes it worse was that more dominant team was home in both matchups. This may be a sign of how historic World Cup 75 will be.

Ko-oren 2–0 Kirishima Match Review:
Unsurprisingly while all the upsets were going on in the league, the Kitsunes failed to beat a team not too far in front of them. Antonescu squad is well coached, the better team on paper and played at home. Kirishima has always struggled with very defensive focused teams and if I had a chance to do a report ahead of time then I could've predicted such a result. Kirishima played hard kept it close but did not comit enough offensively. The Kirishinan offensive style is very upset friendly when the opposition is not very defensive focused so Kyosuke is going to have to find a solution for that by WC 76. Here is what Kyosuke had to say after the match.

"It was a tough match that we were prepared to lose. Sure it's frustrating to not even get a goal when far more weaker teams are defeating much stronger teams than our opposition...at their home no less. However this has and always be a team committed to success in the long term. We know we are a team that struggles to find form in the beginning but once we have it, we're in a good position. Sure we may be on the very bottom of the table but that is temporary and we've been in worse spots before.

Flardania(Kirishima) v Chromatika Preview:
Chromatika is coming off a 1-0 against Nordeana. They are the ones with the momentum right now and losing to such a team would put them in a great position group wise. Luckly Kirishima is the better team on paper and will be playing at home. It is one of the situation where loosing does more than a win. With the game set to take place in Heiwa at Magnem Centre the Kitsunes should win but should be flexible and prepare to adapt quickly if necessary considering what happened on MD1. Lets Go Kitsunes!

Post by: Keita Woo

[Northern Sunrise Islands]

Marcella had finally managed to arrive at the place her boss used as a hideout. She had been on the run since fleeing from the Neon Genesis, the pack of youngsters from the Academy who disrupted her work. Her stomach hungered. Suffice to say, the cops were on the watch after the rumor of Pokérus being smuggled in was proven right, words of a certain "Ace of Justice". The lady had finally arrived at her destination, an old door under a viaduct. She stumbled for a couple of seconds, staring at the door. A guy like Star, fancy, rich... surely he wasn't there. But she had no other choice.
"Marcella, isn't vous?" asked Star, sitting on his throne. The room was somewhat fancy, though the couple of bikini models by the throne did cheapen things out a bit. "Je assume that box belongs to moi." He waved, calm. "Put it on the floor, s'il vous plaît."
She put the box down carefully, wondering what would be Star's reaction. She sighed. "I... failed on guarding the rest. There were so many there and-"
"Relax, ma fille." He smiled. "It's not that bad. But je need a favor of vous."
"Anything, boss!" she said, anxious all of a sudden.
"My informants told me of a cheeky Pokémon trainer from out of town who just moved in. Je want you to get the garçon and bring him back to moi." Star then rose from his throne. "Do not screw it up."
She nodded, fleeing from the place. Now how to get something to eat.

Noah and Nana were finally on their way back from the Academy. Things were almost the usual, Julia being pretty quiet from the latest happenings being the only big change. "Look, you don't need to hold my hand."
"I prefer to keep our façade well as is." She said, her cheeks a bit red.
"I'm pretty sure our classmates know we're not a couple." The Sunrisian brought up, staring to the side. "OW!"
"Help me make it sure they know, then, instead of bringing up more issues!" She then stopped, her eyes wide open. "Did you feel it?"
"You cracking my hand? Yeah, I did." Nana gave him a very dirty look. "...OK, no, I don't know what you're talking about."
"It's like someone with the same power as yourself and yet... somehow pure." The two continued to walk, finding a moving truck near their home and a couple of Machamps helping a family to move in the house by the side of Noah's. "Let's go."
"What?" Noah asked, being dragged up to that house by the covered kunoichi. Soon, the two were at the family's door, finding a young woman watching the Pokémon do the work. "Uh, hello..."
"Hi. Who are you?" asked the woman.
"I'm Noah... one of the neighbors." he said, raising his hand, noticing Nana still held it. "Oh, and this is Nana."
"He is my boyfriend." she said, smiling.
The woman rose an eyebrow. "...OK. I'm Vivian. Moved in from Pallet."
"Well, that's pretty far away." Noah said, confused. "Well, I live on that house on the right. You seem pretty busy, though, so we'll get going-"
"Actually, you seem to be the same age my son is. Maybe you could take him for a tour or something?" she asked, taking a cigarrette out of her pocket.
"Possibly later?" Noah asked.
She lit up her cigar, calm. "Sure, whatever."

CHAPTER XIV - YOUNG

The kunoichi walked circles in Noah's room, while he tried to do his homework. "I can simply not believe you are trying to do Police Code 101 when we could easily have another part of the prophecy right there!"
"Well, if I mess up on my grades, pretty sure mom will not be lenient." Noah answered. "Which means no escapades at night."
"Still! We might be in great fortune or great danger! If her son happens to be a part of the prophecy and has more training than you... oh, dear." Nana stared at him. "It will NOT be good."
"Psh." he replied, staring at his book. "I've barely even trained, yet I'm capable of blocking bullets and making my arm turn in an umbrella. Plus Sun has been teaching me some great moves. Think I can handle."
"There is much more than that to your arm, Noah. Much more." She pouted, walking to the window. "When are we going there, then?"
A loud yell came from the street. "How about now-ish?" She asked. Noah, in defeat, threw his books down.

Marcella had finally taken down that woman. Now all left waas the kid, she could already savor her promotion up the ranks of Star's gang. The prize, the joy, just a couple of sets of stairs away.
Step by step, she hurried her way. Still some left. A Pipdgey passed by. A Braviary after. Marcella looked up, finding birds moving their way against her.
Somehow dodging them all, she finally found the boy... or what she thought was the boy. A somehwat small figure illuminated by a light blue left arm, shining as the birds gathered around him.
She blinked. And as she opened her eyes, she saw a dozen of feathers falling over her as she sat there, eyes open over a dumpster on the other side of Mardi.

"Mom!" yelled a caucasian boy, black hat covering his medium-sized black bangs, a black and blue jacket, black shorts and sandals; shaking Vivian. "Don't leave me now!"
Nana and Noah finally arrived, finding the two there. "...Ma'am Vivian?" asked Noah before running towards the two while Nana slowly reached them, looking around for any adversaries.
"C-c-can you help us, mister?" the boy looked at him, teary-eyed.
"...We'll try." said Noah, staring at Nana.

[Savalen]

"One win is one win," muttered Qorisubechi to himself, "stop thinking about it. It's a good start, but now onto Anglicana". He had been over the moon all yesterday evening after scoring the two goals to win the team the game on his debut for the national team. It most definitely beat any goal he'd scored on the way to claiming the Division 1 title. Except maybe that one against Otta where he picked it up on the left wi...

No, he couldn't think about that. Part of the reason he had been called up was because he was experienced, but he was behaving like a young gun who just always thought about how good he was and Qorisubechi needed to stop that habit before it got out of control.

"Over hear Zeus, over here boy," he called out to his pet lynx to take his pet home and set off for training. He hated travelling further than the capital for the odd day or two, but going abroad for a match tested his patience, so he was glad that he was back in Molde for the game against Nova Anglicana, where he could spend time with his wife and kids and of course his favourite pet.

As he rounded the corner, he saw a load of his neighbours standing round door number 16, two down from his house. As his pace quickened, he noticed the shocked face of his friends, noticed the police tape, a man in handcuffs, a gun, a stream of blood coming out the bottom of the fence. He squeezed through the crowd and there is was.

Bullet hole. A water fountain of blood, long, famous teeth, small hands sticking up and waving in the wind because he wasn't able to defend himself properly. A thing punishable by death in Gregoryisgodistan (a fact that he had somehow remembered from year three geography). He let out a silent shriek.

A murdered dinosaur

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Matthias Kadar read the small note that fell on his desk through the small letter box - anything to get away from paperwork for twenty seconds and smiled. He was always happy to get good news, but when you've been called delusional for hoping to qualify for the world cup, you perk up to any good news, even if it's a 4-2 win against the bottom seed.

Kadar hadn't been able to watch the match because he was in some stupid meeting with a small, unnoticeable nation that wanted more aid from Savalen. At least he hadn't given in to their demands, but he'd missed their opener. Skimming the details of the report - he's read it later - he reached the overview:

West-East Timor 2–4 Savalen
Nakkankasson (21"), Singarsson (34") - Lisov (11"), Temuge (45+1"), Qorisubechi (62", 78")

This is the first time a player has scored two goals on his debut for Savalen. Phenomenal

As Kadar turned back to his dull work of signing of the next bills that had been passed by the parliament, a winning smile could be seen on his face. It's not every day your friend scores two important goals on his debut, is it?

Though it might have been that next law that cracked him up...

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— •SJG throws a babushka at Savalen, turns him into a Matryoshka

Dear San Jose Guayabal,

Whilst we understand your sense of humour here, we cannot allow such a degrading comment to pass.

We wish you all the best, but ask you kindly to retract your comments as there are sections of the Savalenian society
that wish for all ties to the history with Rus' to be cut. This is because there have been two Empires, a Socialist
State and a Federation between the time when Savaleners lived near Novgorod and where they live now.

As we understand that these things have to be taken with a light heart, we have convinced a flying club from San Jose
Guayabal to airdrop 2,967,332 Матрёшек (the exact number of Savalenian citizens) into the San Jose Guayabal national
stadium at 18:03 (the exact time that Savalen became independent from Kaelmar Unionen.

We hope that you take this with good humour and retract your earlier comment,

Signed,
Matthias Kadar, Level 5 Representative of the Savalenian Parliament

[Acronius]

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New Day, New Flag - New Flag, New Kit
Acronius Football Association unveils fresh kits as Lionsgate adopts Fleurdelisé
James E. Sudlow (@SudlowUP)
^{10/06/2016, 22:40 | Lionsgate, Acronius}

^{SHARE THIS:}

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The Free Union's third flag, Fleurdelisé, now soars through the airs of the Union.

LIONSGATE - Up until this day, three flags have officially overlooked the nation from atop the National Hall in Lionsgate, throughout all of the Free Union's 113 years of existence. The first, labelled by some as Fleurdelisé's ancestor, only flew for a handful of months as the provisional government of Acronius settled in - and was soon replaced by Saint Pascal's Cross, which flew for the vast majority of these 113 years. Described as "violently French", Fleurdelisé incorporates eight horizontal stripes following a simple blue-white color scheme - two traditional Acronian colors, with the former representing the French community in Acronius while the white represents its English counterpart. The stripes are defaced with a simple red cross - the cross representing the Church of Acronius and the red representing the blood shed by so many in order for a sovereign and free Acronius to live.

An additional interesting feature is the horizontal part of the cross, which interrupts the blue and white stripes halfway down the canvas, adding a ninth, red line. The stripes are understood to represent the nine incarnations of the Acronian state so far in history: the Unification of Acronius, the First Kingdom of Acronius, the Republic of Aegrus, the Transaegran Union, the Empire of Acronius, the Second Kingdom of Acronius, the Republic of Acronius, the Imperial Colony of Acronius, and the incumbent Free Union of Acronius. Fleurdelisé is topped off with a golden fleur-de-lys, the flag's namesake and a longtime Acronian symbol that did not die off across all nine different eras of the state.

Fleurdelisé introduction comes amidst a recent resurge in popularity in favor of the nation's French half, ignited by Roland Lellouche's ascension to the National Hall following the assassination of Rory Whittemore. First voted on by both houses of the National Assembly, where the Senate passed the flag 74-26 and the Parliament passed it 31-11, the flag received approval from President Lellouche before being revealed for the rest of the nation to see. Fleurdelisé was voted in by the public with a weaker, but decisive 58% majority. Although receiving some praise for its emphasis on Acronian culture, the flag has been criticized for what has been perceived as an awkward layout, poorly coordinated colors and odd placement. With the sudden change, the Acronius Football Association found it necessary to alter the Blue Boys' kits for the first time, and accordingly consulted Meski Sports of Rotschwarzland for something of a refresher. The kits can be found below.

HOMEAWAYTHIRD

The away kit remained largely untouched, and stands as a fan-favorite up until this day. Sleek, stylish, and topped off with a perfect black and gold color scheme, the kit is adorned with a distinct, abstract pattern which runs over both sides of the left shoulder. The only changes made to the kit were an expansion of the aforementioned pattern, as well as a modernization of the font. The third kit, to be worn by Sebastian Nielsen - the Blue Boys' new goalkeeper following Anastasio Massali's retirement - kept its classic polo style, albeit with a completely different color scheme. The bland black and white are replaced by a more dynamic turquoise, dominating the kit as a soft white compliments it from the sleeves and the trimmings.

A modernized take on classic theme, the main change in the Blue Boys' kits is immediately noticed in the home kit. Any hint of its predecessor has vanished into thin air - the gold and the white have been entirely eliminated, the roaring lion was silenced, red was introduced - hell, the kit barely even looks Acronian until you hear the story behind it. The grey and red slashes that seemingly just came out of nowhere, not representing nor symbolizing anything, actually find their roots deep within Acronian history. We bring you back to the year 48 AD, at the heart of what will soon be Acronius - more specifically on the southern side of the Tarentaise, the centerpiece of the Vaaldhaven Mountains, second only to Aegran Ridge in terms of height.

Although the validity of the story remains highly debated amongst the historical community, legend has it that the French Monguerrand tribe under Francis d'Acronie and the English Winslow tribe under King Marcus II were locked in the furious Battle of the Tarentaise, with both sides going down from the tens of thousands to bare three-digit numbers. After two weeks of battle, only 40 men remained on the battlefield - and 38 went down in one day. Francis and Marcus were the last two standing, out of roughly 50,000 warriors. The two supposedly battled in bloody one-on-one combat for hours, dancing all across the area over the bodies of their fallen.

Once their horses were killed as well, they took it to their swords. When their swords had shattered, they resorted to their fists. With no end in sight, Francis won with his brains - luring Marcus into an exposed cave, and ending him with the help of some conveniently placed stalagmites. Using his shield, Francis flung his arch nemesis onto the spikes, sending Marcus to the doorstep of death. The leader of the Winslow tribe still managed to stand back up, weakly placing a hand on Francis' shield in defiance, before slowly slumping to the ground. As Marcus' fingers descended, they left three trails of crimson blood on Francis' grey shield.

[Eura]

Dark and daunting was the feeling of the hour in the office of the Chairman of the OSI. Thousands of intelligence reports, millions of pieces of data from phone records to internet search histories, and a budget so big that it would make the public recoil if they knew. None of these advantages had permitted the Chairman to obtain what he really wanted - the smoking gun that would put Emile Gartanzo at the centre of a Sameban plot to take drastic action against Eura. About a year ago, after the small Endemian-Rushmori island nation of Pravenna had been inexplicably seized by Sameba's armed forces, he had briefly enjoyed a glorious moment of "I told you so" satisfaction. It soon faded though. The Chairman's rivals, who saw Gartanzo as a closet peacemaker, had argued the Sameban strongman was not in full control of the military, the conservative elements of which had launched the invasion unilaterally as an act of protest. He had only failed to back down due to the consequences that would have for his "project", which required power to carry out. They had won that argument, and now Eura's most secretive decision maker was at his wits end.

Every day that passed made him feel more isolated from events. Recent pressures on the Liberal Party government, now forming the vast majority of a coalition of convenience, had neutered its already questionable willingness to put a great emphasis on espionage. Although the Chairman had the ear of Foreign Secretary Amy Yarley (the presumptive Prime Minister in waiting), he had few other allies at the top and his resources had been somewhat frozen. The reversal in fortunes he had suffered were made all the more stark by this confrontation with the facts at his desk. A junior aide was giving him a broad update sleeper operatives in south eastern Sameba. 'There's been very little activity, sir. Not that they're not doing their jobs, I mean, there isn't much to do! Green forces are just focusing on logistical improvements, otherwise activity has been normal. The local powerbrokers and officials aren't jumpy, people are positive in the street about Gartanzo. I don't know what else to say.' The Chairman dismissively waved away his less experienced colleague, frustrated at what he was hearing and yet not surprised by it in equal measure. 'Tell me something I want to hear.'
'You told me in training you wanted to hear the truth from us sir. Nothing else.' This caught his attention. 'Training? When?'
'When I started out, three years ago. You ran the services values workshop. I remember it, the three T's; Trustworthiness, Tenacity, Truth.'

The Chairman leaned back in his chair as it began to rain outside of his window. He had lots of memories to sift through. A lot of dark and light corners existed in the murky, soup fog of his past, from Esca and 'her', to Sargossa, to becoming Chairman, to Isolaverde. Finding some training session should have proven difficult, but it stuck out to him for some reason. 'I remember. New co-ordinating officer intake. You must have been in one of four groups, right? Forty people?'
'Close sir, five groups, a dozen in each.'
'That's a long time ago now.' There was an awkward pause as the Chairman looked right back into the eyes of the young man, who did not quite know where to direct his own. 'That all sir?'
'Do you ever feel like you're losing control?' Silence greeted the Chairman. The youngster was smart, but clearly nervous too. 'You know, I've been putting out fires and starting new ones in this trade, and others like it, for longer than you've been alive probably. It occurred to me the other day that I was a kid in the last war, and yet I'm now getting on a bit. And the world is moving past me too; it seems like everyone wants to make decisions on a social media post or a feeling these days. No matter what evidence you throw at otherwise smart people, we've entered an era where your average Euran doesn't want to hear something that doesn't confirm what they already think. That's whats happening here. We are sleepwalking to disaster, you know that?'

His colleague pondered this for a little while, clearly unsure of what to say in response to his superior's musings without offending him. 'I think you probably have more control than most people do sir, important to remember that. And your point of view is just a point of view. Maybe Gartanzo's genuine, you know?' The Chairman nodded in agreement. 'Thanks for that.'
'For what sir?'
'Following your training - telling me the truth.' He could tell that the boy would do well, that was for sure. Maybe he could be what the Chairman had been to his predecessor? He couldn't know for sure. Either way there was nothing that could totally convince the Chairman to drop this. Yarley had told him to be her vigilant eye, her second opinion, and he would continue to provide that expertise. The eyes and ears of Euran intelligence would continue to search for anything linking Gartanzo to a potentially catastrophic course of foreign policy. For now though, he would have to accept that his prophecy of doom was premature to some degree. After all, Eura had other threats to focus on, and that's not even including the pressure facing the Euran football team to keep up their form. Relations with Electrum were in trouble, and Austroslovakia was growing distant. Saintland was proving a thorn in the side while Eura's Esportivan allies were increasingly interested in luring the Rushmori power into their quarrels with so-called Gregoryisgodistan, or Gregania. Thousands were emigrating to the Oceania Territories, and there was no plan as to how to settle them safely. All of this was giving the Chairman less and less time to dedicate himself to finding out more about Sameba's confusing new leadership, and its apparent oscillation between the extremes of unprecedented diplomacy and vicious aggression. The next report on his desk though was on his pet project, at least. Some journalists from abroad were at the DZ. He'd have to make sure that while they kept their eyes on Eura, Eura kept its eyes on them.

[Arcantova]

Carmichael Lets Two Goals Through in Loss to Platerdam
Written By: Chadwick Yates

---

Rookie goaltender Jasper Carmichael got the chance of his life when he was offered the starting goalkeeper job for The King's Own. The decision though was not without its debates. Many thought that the young goalkeeper needed a few more years under his belt before even being near good enough to play in the World Cup. I mean, he was following in the footsteps of the Alpha League's longest playing footballer ever in Abel Reeves, a man who had almost thirty years of experience upon his retirement last season. Some people argued that Sammy Ray, starting goalkeeper for Adapolf FC and Reeves' backup for the past three appearances deserved his chance at competing.

Still others wanted to give the young gun the chance. Jasper Carmichael is a fast reacting, explosive player. He has an amazing ability to get clear across the net faster than you can say "He's on the wrong side of the net!" Many predict that his career will rival that of his predecessor and that playing him at the World Cup now so, early in his career, will create one amazing on the field product in the future for the King's Own.

Roster Director Nathan Broad, along with Head Coach Kip Minnick made that decision mere days before the team's appearance in the World Cup Qualifiers. At the time Broad even made this statement, "We don't expect the highest level of play from Jasper this early in his career. We have made this decision to help him grow so that somewhere down the line we will have one heck of a goaltender for our national team."

The board of directors for The King's Own got some serious heat over the decision, and it may have been deserved because when it all comes down to it, Jasper Carmichael did exactly what everyone expected him to do in his first match on the world's stage...he crumbled.

The young superstar sometimes has a tendency to collapse under pressure. It's the reason that Valley lost their first match in the Alpha League playoffs last season. After shutting out Rays FC in the first half, he allowed three goals in a twenty minute span to lose the match. On the world's stage he did about the same thing, shutting out Paterdam in the first half before allowing two goals in the last bit of time to seal their fate.

Following the match in the team's online press conference Jasper commented, "I completely cracked at the end of the game today, and there is absolutely no one to blame but myself. I take full responsibility for this, and I can only hope I have the chance to make up for it in our next game."

Backup Sammy Ray is already calling for Carmichael's job, so Jasper will have to pull himself together for matchday two. To make it even worse for the young man, he'll be facing Polktopia, a team that is the highest ranking team in group five, and ranks within the top twenty five teams in the world. After their loss to Indo-Malaysia, they'll be looking for revenge.

As usual, all we can say is good luck King's Own...and good luck especially to Jasper Carmichael.

(c) 2016 Arcantova Athletics Network.

[Damukuni]

THE QUICK GUIDE TO YOUR STAY IN DAMUKUNI
World Cup Edition

OVERVIEW
For the second time in Damukuni national team history, all matches held in Damukuni will be at Damukuni's leading cricket pitch, Atarashii-Damushuto International Stadium, better known as ADIS. Built in 2010 by the provisional government of the Capital Territory what was then West South Otselic (now Damukuni's Federal District), it sports a state-of-the-art experience for all outdoor ball sports played in Damukuni (except for American football, played at the University of Damushuto in University City). Therefore, most Damukuni FA-related football (soccer) traffic will be expected in the Federal District, with some spill-over into the states of Nasutani (to the west), Namagoro (to the north), Central Free State (to the east), and South Damukuni.

ACCOMMODATION
Except for national team players and staff, most foriegners are recommended to stay in one of the border towns in any one of the neighbouring states, for while the Federal District is directly controlled by Damukuni's Legislative Assembly, conditions are arguably better for foreigners within Damukuni's fifteen states. A listing of hotels and resorts can be obtained from the several states' Divisions of Tourism and/or the National Chamber of Commerce by calling (706) I-LOVE-DKI (international, +685 706 458 3354).
National team players and staff will be securely stationed at LaJanea Hotel National Stadium, 997 Esportiva Blvd., Damushuto, F.D. 0001, Damukuni. Tel.: (607) 464-9283 (int'l +685 607 464 9283).

ENTERING THE COUNTRY (AIR TRAVEL)
For this event, security regulations require all international airports except for Atarashii-Damushuto International Airport to close. The Damukuni Departments of State and of Internic Security require a Form SIS-100 for all travel into Damukuni. If you are:

• Representing a national team: Check the box that says "Diplomatic Visit (Other)" and write in "WC" in the reason code box.
• Visitor with WCC pass (e.g., WCC representatives or officials): Check the box that says "Diplomatic Visit (Other)" and write in "OFF" in the reason code box.
• Spectator cheering teams on outside Esportiva only: Check the "International Event Queue" box. When you present your SIS-100 to the airport official at the gate you will be directed to the World Cup Processing Queue.
• All Esportivan persons travelling to Damukuni should report to the EsportivaExpress line with their EsportivaExpress card or passport.
• All personnel travelling to Damukuni should have a passport ready to present, or an EsportivaExpress card if they reside in Esportiva. Passports from Esportivan countries are accepted in the EsportivaExpress line as per the 2016 Esportivan Fast Access Act.
• Undocumented travellers will be sent back to the nation from which they originally flew in, paid for by Immigration and Customs.

WORLD CUP LXXV COCANEFA 2017 - QUALIFYING SCHEDULE

---

Day 2
vs. Platerdam
Atarashii-Damushuto International Stadium, Atarashii-Damushuto, F.D., Damukuni

Day 3
@ Polkopia
Polkopia National Stadium, Peeto, Polkopia

Day 4
vs. Britonisea
Atarashii-Damushuto International Stadium, Atarashii-Damushuto, F.D., Damukuni

Day 5
@ San Llera
Camp a L'aigua, Port Cremando, San Llera

Day 6
vs. Indo-Malaysia
Atarashii-Damushuto International Stadium, Atarashii-Damushuto, F.D., Damukuni

Day 7
@ Arcantova
Arcantova National Stadium, Adapolf, Arcantova

Day 8 - Off Day

Day 9
@ Platerdam
Platerdam National Stadium, Plata, Platerdam

Day 10
vs. Polkopia
Atarashii-Damushuto International Stadium, Atarashii-Damushuto, F.D., Damukuni

Day 11
@ Britonisea
Eaux City Stadium, Eaux City, Britonisea

Day 12
vs. San Llera
Atarashii-Damushuto International Stadium, Atarashii-Damushuto, F.D., Damukuni

Day 13
@ Indo-Malaysia
Indo-Malaysia National Stadium, Jakarta, Indo-Malaysia

Day 14
vs. Arcantova
Atarashii-Damushuto International Stadium, Atarashii-Damushuto, F.D., Damukuni

[COCANEFA]

CUT OFF

[Anglatia]

Part One, Parts Two and Three, Part Four
The Mighty Jacks - Part Five

It was after everyone else had left the locker room for the post game press conference. One player, Shae Victoria, lingered behind, staring at herself in the mirror and trying to get her mind off of what she was thinking about right now. Home. She missed Piranha, she really did. But she knew that she would never be welcomed home by her family.

Her mind went back to that day when she left her suburb for the big city as a wide eyed teenager, one who at that point would do anything for her parent’s approval. Whatever she did wouldn't be enough. She would never have their approval, not without changing herself enough that she wouldn't be able to recognize herself. And that kept her from going home. She wanted to go home to see her old friends, to visit Atletic Club de Piranha one more time and to attend one of their matches not as a player, but as a fan. It was impossible, though. Shae knew that if she went home, she would be overwhelmed by emotion and she knew that it wouldn't help her in the long run.

No, she had to focus on her season with Hunsen. Not only that, but right now she remembered her promise to Lily. She actually had intended to sort everything out with that earlier in the day, but now that it was after the game and she still had to rearrange things, she realized that she would have to wait another day. She sent a quick text to Lily; ‘Wait till tomorrow to open that envelope! Can't say why yet’.

She then sent a text to Ryoto, hoping that the new winger would want to help her; ‘Yo Ryo, can you stop by my room tomorrow morning and help me with something? I’ll pay you fifty when you show up and another fifty afterwards.’

The reply took a few moments to come in, but Shae smiled when she read it; ‘Screw it. I’m in, whatever it is you want me to do.’

====

It wasn't unusual for Britt to leave without saying anything and to not come back for awhile, but Erik began to worry as he still couldn't find her or Erin. Both of them weren't answering his calls, or replying to his messages. His wife, Ansa, also didn't know where Britt was, and said that Britt hadn't called or texted her since that morning.

As soon as the press conference ended, Erik found Alysha to ask her about what was going on. “Hey, I know that you and Erin are friends… Do you know where she could be?” he asked. “She hasn't been answering any calls, and Britt is missing also.”

Alysha had to think for a moment or two before replying. “Uh… She's from Rastaka, the mining sector in particular… You should try asking around over there. Last time she told me that she needed to lay low for some reason, she went there for a couple of days.”

Erik made a mental note to ask more about that later, nodding. “Looks like I'm going to have to take a trip out east, in that case…. Can I ask for a favor? When I leave to find Britt tomorrow, can you take Cal and Jaakim to school? If you're busy, I can-”

“No, it’s fine!” Alysha replied quickly, smiling. “I didn’t have anything planned for tomorrow morning.”

Erik was going to say something in reply, but his phone rang, and he checked it and saw that it was Britt who was calling. “Wait a minute, Aly. This is Britt calling,” he said before answering it. “Britt, where the hell are you?”
“I’m…. I’m… I’m in East Underfell, Erin left me here to go to Calovice,” Britt said, her voice shaking with emotion. It was impossible to tell from only her voice, but Erik suspected that she had been crying. “C-c-can you come pick me up?”

Erik sighed, softening his voice. “Of course. Why is Erin going to Calovice? Why did she take you to Underfell in the first place?”

“S-s-she said that I was in danger because of her, and that we had to lay low in Underfell… And that’s also why she left me there. She said we can’t be friends anymore,” Britt answered, stuttering uncharacteristically. “Because of something about her owing money to the Crows,” she added, referring to the Otavice mafia. “She… She said that she sold them bad drugs once… As an accident… And they want a ton of money because of it.”

“I’m going to come pick you up, alright? Stay calm, Britt. I should be able to get there before morning. We can worry about Erin another time.”

“I’m worried about her, dad… The Crows are the most dangerous criminals in Valeria, what if something happens to her?”

Erik rolled his eyes, but forced himself to keep an even tone. “Britt, your friend made her own choices. We can’t stop her from suffering the consequences of those choices. She’s not a child.”

He half expected an upset reply, but he received no reply at all. Britt had hung up on him. Sighing again, Erik turned to Alysha and forced a half smile. “Well, it looks like I have to go to Underfell to clean up after Erin’s mess. I swear, your friend is more trouble than she’s worth.”

Alysha just shrugged. “I’d like to defend her… But right now, I think you’re right about this.”

[New Gazi]

"It's not quite a win, is it?" said Head Coach Oliver Hausta. "But if we managed a draw every game, I wouldn't complain."

New Gazi tied with Cruenatia with a score of 1-1. It was quite a drawn out match, with both teams nipping at each other's heels for the full 90 minutes. The Gazilians managed to win the battle of possession, but just barely, controlling the ball 52% of the time.

The Cruenatians scored first fairly early in the game. It turned the heat up for New Gazi. The African team was hoping to make a name for themselves. They came off as competitors at the Baptism Of Fire. It was still clear that the Gazilian international program still had some development to do.

The tension in the air was palpable. Many thought New Gazi would lose this game and that was certainly looking possible.

New Gazi ran their offense, moving the ball back and forth with a midfielder up the flanks. The goal finally came in the 74th minute. Diya had been moving the ball up the left flank in a similar way to many of the plays they had run at the Baptism Of Fire, with the ball slowly gaining territory as the forwards advance, pass back and advance again.

Diya sent a through ball to Deka Lee, a left winger who had been subbed in at the 63rd minute. Deka is known in New Gazi for his dribbling skills. He used a deft move to get past his man and found enough space for a shot that curved and hit the top crossbar, bouncing down and into the goal over the goalkeeper who dove a bit too low.

"I'm glad we tied", Diya told reporters. "It's better than a loss. Hopefully we can improve on this though."

Several Gazilian players made a splash during the Baptism of Fire. Some had been signed to Fleftic domestic teams. The National Team would be happy to get several key players experience in more developed leagues. The signings put all Gazilians on notice that if they played hard, scouts might notice.

Center back Thao Yeboah had a solid defensive performance, holding down the middle. He picked up a yellow card during the Baptism Of Fire, but avoided sloppy penalties during this game. He made a few clean tackles and may have turned the tide with a few clearances or last minute tackles.

Baako Iwu made several big clearances on the left side. The Gazilian defenders did well to clear out the ball and avoided sloppy garbage goals.

Sayra Junta, the female assistant coach, told reporters, "We've really been working with the bench players, developing the team and tried to bring some depth to this tournament. So t was nice to see Deka Lee score the first goal for New Gazi in International competition.

Talib Mensah had a solid game picking up several saves, as the Cruenatians kept a few shots on target.

"I'm disappointed I let one pass", said Mensah. "I feel like I should have got that goal."

[Kaboomlandia]

Phoenix roll over Indo-Malaysia in bye day friendly

The Kaboomlandia Phoenix had a bye day today, but the Kaboomlandian Football Committee (KFC) had thought ahead and organized a friendly match with Indo-Malaysia for this day, which was played to a 5-2 decision in favour of Kaboomlandia. Rene Allard got all five goals and Ryan White's 1-8-1 system was followed to a tee. Even though the Phoenix play a very conservative style, rarely challenging the ball and taking advantage of turnovers and offsides, the team was still too dominant for the Indo-Malaysians. On the rare occasions when the Javans broke through, Duncan McEachern was there to make the stop, and only two shots of five got past him. "We (the coaching staff) were happy with the team's performance and their system, and we should put up a good fight against Super-Llamaland."

Strangely enough, the Kaboomlandians actually won in their only game ever against Super-Llamaland by a 3-0 decision. Tune into KBMSN tomorrow night for the game.

Group    3                                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Acronius                                 2    1   1   0     5    3   +2     4
2 Pridnestrovia                            2    1   1   0     7    6   +1     4
3 Cosumar                                  1    1   0   0     4    2   +2     3
4 Lons                                     2    1   0   1     3    4   −1     3
5 Kaboomlandia                             1    0   1   0     0    0    0     1
6 Nuevo Caracas                            2    0   1   1     4    5   −1     1
7 Super-Llamaland                          2    0   0   2     5    8   −3     0

Group winner qualifies, second place goes to a playoff.

[Frenline Delpha]

OOC: Before you ask, yes I am obsessed with Overwatch. Yes, the pulse pistols are from Overwatch. No, I feel no shame for using them in my nation.

Frenline Delpha Armory

Weapon Name: Pulse Pistol
Ammunition: 30 shots in each clip
ROF: Can empty entire clip in 1.5 seconds
Uses: Secondary, or dual wielded as primary weapons; Only to be used in close-quarter combat
Modifications: Red Dot Sight

How does it work: The pulse pistols is a small-sized take on it's several cousins, including the PLS-SNR, the Rasma, and the Plasma Shot. In fact, it uses the same ammo as the plasma shot: solid plasma balls contained in a lightanium (the strongest element in Frenline Delpha; also the most heat resistant) ammo holder. When the trigger is pulled, compressed air blasts the ammo into the barrel, where it is set on fire, igniting the plasma, which keeps its solid shape until impact. Due to the fact that compressed air is required to shoot the gun first, these guns are notoriously short range, making them ideal for closed quarter combat. Due to the shape and size of the barrel, only one shot can come out at a time, but they come at such fast rates that an entire clip can be emptied in 1.5 seconds. It is terrible against armor, due to its more compressed form, but it does extreme damage to skin. The ammo is known to cause third degree burns to its victims. However, it takes several shots to get through bone. Most studies have recommended ten shots to the head to kill an enemy. Due to the super fast fast fire rate, all thirty shots can be emptied before an enemy even knows you are in the area. Due to the plasma nature of the weapons, the kickback is almost nothing on this handy pistol.

Who uses it: This pistol is threatening to become the standard for the FND Army. However, it is currently only used by officers and special units. It is a great weapon for stealth missions, as it can drop an enemy incredibly fast. They are also silent, but they do leave telltale marks if they hit walls. However, the ammo they use is indistinguishable from other plasma ammo, so they are almost impossible to trace. Operatives approved for use of the plasma pistol currently have to be able to hit the entire head of a target dummy with 95% of their ammo in one clip. They must also be an officer in the Frenline Delpha Armed Forces, D-Major Rank or above. The pulse pistol is currently used by 80% of the officers in the land units, 25% of the officers in the sea unit, 95% in the air unit (given its ability to fire effectively in the air), and 50% of officers in the amphibians. It is also the required sidearm of all stealth operatives. It has even been used as a primary firearm for some, as its easy handling and low recoil make it perfect for dual-wielding. In combat, it has killed 80% of all targets hit with a shot, with the other 20% knocked out of commission for at least a month due to their wounds.

Who makes it:

Plasma Weapons Limited has developed all of the current plasma weapons used in warfare by the Frenline Delpha Armed Forces. After playing a game called Clovertalk, one of the head designers, played as a character called Pacer (yes, I will be doing this for the entire time). As he was using her signature weapon, called the Pulse Pistols, he noticed they had similar looking ammo to their Plasma Shot. After doing some research, he realized that the pulse pistol could actually be made by current technology. After three years of development, the pistol was beta-tested by several plasma gun experts. They changed a couple of flaws that caused the gun to overheat, and they streamlined the ammo clip. After six months of beta-testing, the gun was released to the military, and it has seen use ever since. With the gun being at it's highest peak to date, look for this weapon to be the standard in Frenline Delpha armament.

[46566]

Another Game and another tie
Midgar- The 45666 national team was held to a shock tie in their home game against Mattijana. The national media and pundits expected to win both games against Mattijana. With this tie it's not a good sign for the 46566 national team and their expectations in finishing at least fourth in the group.The next game before the national team off day is away against the Barunia national team. This is expected to be a loss for the 46566 national team. While not a huge disappointment with picking up a point against a stronger Gregoryisgodistan side it's a huge disappointment that the 46566 national team lost 2 points against the Mattijana national team.

[Gregoryisgodistan]

Gregoryisgodistan Defeats Firebolt, 1-0

Gregoryisgodistan has defeated Firebolt 1-0 in World Cup Qualifyng to move into first place in the group. The Foot Slaves' lone goal came in the 66th minute on an Enemy Cruhser Fatty Footy header off a corner. Enemy Crusher Fatty Footy celebrated by burning 3,000 brooms on the field and then smashing them all in half while they burned. The Firebolt team looked on in horror as their broom brethren were destroyed. Meanwhile, the Gregoryisgodistani fans in attendance who made the trip went wild, chanting "DEATH TO FIREBOLT".

At the end of the game, all the Gregoryisgodistani players got together and burned 20,000 Firebolt flags on the field. This made the Gregoryisgodistanis even more happy and the Fireboltians even more mad. It came to a head when some Gregoryisgodistanis tried to burn some sapient brooms by shooting them with a flamethrower, missed, but set a Fireboltian police car ablaze. They fled the country and are now wanted fugitives.

Meanwhile, Enemy Crusher Fatty Footy has been given a Medal of Honor for crushing to death 666 Guayabalense citizens, aka Guaya Beans, who attended the game in Firebolt for the sole purpose of chanting a forbidden fruity word, showing off their shirtless stupidity, and generally heckling the Foot Slaves. All those Guaya Beans are now dead, so joy to the world.

In a televised speech, Lord Almighty Gregory promised to purge even more heathen scum, saying "We must destroy the heathen scum in our midst. We will destroy Taeshan. We will destroy San Jose Guayabal. We will destroy Dumpy O'Rumpy and the Free Republics. We will destroy Super-Llamaland. We will do to them what we did to Hicana, Asuraia, and Vjaalsburg. They will all face their nuclear and utter destruction once I am done with them. So will Valladares. Valladares is the most evil country in the world, except for Free Republics and San Jose Guayabal. But at least Dumpy O'Rumpy's not in charge. Speaking of Dumpy O'Rumpy, I urge every Republican to try to assassinate Dumpy, or, barring that, to shave his head. Dumpy's hair is what gives him his evil. He's like Samson from the false Bible. His hair is his power, and we must cut that thing off his head, which barely qualifies as hair. Death to Dumpy O'Rumpy! Death to Free Republics! Death to Taeshan! Death to the Dreamy Realm! Death to all who dare threaten our most godly way of life. We will hunt down our enemies and destroy them, one by one, bit by glorious bit. And also, our Foot Slaves will qualify for and win the World Cup in Audioslavia and Krytenia. Our Foot Slaves are the greatest team in the Multiverse, so I know they have it in them. Krytenia may be cretins, but there's nothing stopping us now. We will qualify, we will win, and the heathen scum will be destroyed. Surrender now or prepare to fight! I am God, who created light! That's right! Death to the heathens! Good night!"

[West Angola]

NAMIBE CHRONICLE

WEST ANGOLA STUNS OSARIUS


Peter Simmons celebrates his fifth-minute goal against Osarius

NAMIBE- What a way to re-christen Warren Memorial Stadium. Coming off a disappointing 0-0 draw against Herendon to open qualifying, West Angola responded in impressive fashion as they upset Osarius in front of an inspired crowd in Namibe. Captain Peter Simmons put the home side ahead early, scoring in the fifth minute off a deflected shot by Abraham Taylor. The goal was described by EPSN commentator Alan Harrison as “a massive stroke of luck on the bounce for Simmons,” as Taylor’s shot, saved by the keeper, was headed out of play when it deflected off the foot of an Osarian defender and rebounded directly to Simmons right in front of the goal. The striker wasted no time smashing the ball into the back of the net, putting the underdogs in front and sending a charge through the home fans, who gave their Captain and resounding cheer as he was surrounded by his teammates.

Finding themselves unexpectedly ahead, West Angola played like the favorites, keeping the Osarian side in check until the fortieth minute, although they failed to break through again themselves. Finally, an attempted pass from Glenn Santos to Sophia Valdez was intercepted by the Osarians just on the West Angolan side of the midfield line. With an open run to the goal in front of him, the Osarian forward needed only to evade Valdez to be able to go one-on-one with Jeremy Thomas. What happened next was a subject of some controversy between the Osarians and West Angolans, as when it appeared her opponent would beat her to the side Valdez grabbed his sleeve and brought them both to the ground. This incident nearly saw her sent off, as the referee appeared to partially withdraw a red card before changing his mind and pulling out the yellow (drawing boos from the Osarian fans in the stadium). Alan Harrison questioned the official’s decision at the time, saying “I’m not sure how he justified the yellow there, she pulled him down and could have easily caused an injury. If the referee is going to let that kind of play stay on the pitch, things are going to get ugly fast. Jan Pawel needs to put a stop to it, nip that in the bud.”

West Angola managed to stop the attack off the ensuing free kick, and when the halftime whistle sounded the score still stood at 1-0 in favor of the home side. Despite the close call Jan Pawel was optimistic, “I’m not proud of [Valdez’s foul] but we’re up at the half, which is more than anyone expected of us going in. We’re going to do everything we can to keep the lid on them in the second half and try to come out of this with a win.” One Osarian fan in the front row had a somewhat different take on the incident, telling EPSN “It’s totally ridiculous they can pull a stunt like that and get away with it, ya know? If this match weren’t in your capital that would have been a red card, no doubt about it. He woulda scored if [Valdez] hadn’t tackled him.”

In the second half, Osarius was able to get the ball moving in the West Angolan zone, and managed several shots on goal over a fifteen-minute stretch to start the half. Of these, two were deflected off the goalpost, a third was tipped over the bar by Thomas, and the fourth went wide of the mark by just inches, leaving the visiting favorites still down by one. After twenty-five minutes of playing with its back to the wall, West Angola was finally able to move the ball across midfield and break through the Osarian defense, although Stephen Yates’ shot was easily saved by the keeper. Despite their failure to score, West Angola did manage to take some of the pressure off of their defense and give Thomas a chance to breath. The final thirty minutes of the match went back-and-forth with neither side able to find the back of the net. This ultimately played in West Angola’s favor, as each minute of watching the home side go toe-to-toe with the top seed in the qualifying group caused the fans’ to cheer ever louder. Finally, in the eighty-sixth minute, Paul Ramirez slipped through the Osarian defense to ice the win with a powerful shot from just outside the box, putting West Angola up 2-0 and setting off a jubilant (if dangerously premature) celebration by players and fans alike. The final whistle blew after three minutes of additional time, and a triumphant West Angolan side officially claimed its first win of the tournament against the group’s top team.

With the win, West Angola takes first place in the qualifying group with four points. Their next match comes against Falatulu next month, where the team will seek to continue its momentum and hand Rule Theriault another defeat. As it is an away match, tickets are limited unless purchased from the away venue, but a small number will be made available through the Sporting Ministry Ticket Office, which can be reached by phone at 22-81-1995 or online at http://www.football.wa/national/tickets.

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Chronicle writers Christopher Lauren and Paul Wilson contributed to this report.

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Lt. Cmdr. Gavin Hodges, WARN (KIA), 2038-2064

“The second personal account comes from the journal of Lieutenant Commander Gavin Hodges, who served on the Jan III during the initial landing in the Benguela Quarantine Zone.”

Thirteen Years Earlier
Part Three: I-Day
It had taken nearly two years to ready the Exiles to invade the mainland, but now that the force was underway it was undeniably impressive. Four aircraft carriers, copies of the one stolen from Namibe during Operation: Regicide, shepherded a fleet of troop barges as they sliced through the waves. Spearheading the task force was the Jan III, which was serving as both a screen against ambush and, as it was named after the reigning monarch’s grandfather, as an insult to August. On the flight deck, naval pilot Gavin Hodges watched the stars and thought of his father. Lawrence Hodges had been an officer in the infant West Angolan Space Program during the reign of Queen Anna, participating in five missions in the first year of the WASA’s existence in pursuit of a moon landing.

Gavin had been a university student the last time he saw his father. Before he had left on his sixth mission, the neighbors had thrown a going away party, and Gavin had travelled home from Namibe to Caala to see him off. As the party was breaking up, the two had drifted out to the back porch. Sitting on the wooden steps with beers in hand, Lawrence had put his arm around Gavin and pointed at the night sky, “From where we’re sitting the stars will never change, Gavin. But when I go up on the shuttle next week and we orbit around to the other side, it’ll all look different. As long as we stay where we are, the view never changes, but moving just a little produces a whole new perspective. Never stop moving, son, no matter how hard it seems, or what’s stacked up against you, all you have to do is keep digging, keep fighting to reach your goal. You’re an amazing kid and I couldn’t have asked for a better son, never stop doing what you’re doing. I love you.”

Gavin had figured it was just the alcohol talking, but had leaned against his father’s shoulder anyway, “I won’t, dad. The last thing I want to do is let you down. I love you too.” The two had headed back inside to gather their belongings and go home, and a week later his father had gone into orbit on a ten-day mission with the Luna IX. Five days into the mission the Augustine coup had rocked the nation, and Gavin had found himself fleeing to Farreth Island in the chaotic evacuation with Paul Arrat. From the island, he had watched in horror as the new king railed against the “monumental waste” of manned space flight (the program had been a favorite of Anna’s, and August’s formula appeared to be “whatever the Queen supported, I vehemently oppose”). Ordered to land immediately, the mission crew had defiantly refused to break orbit until their mission time was up, and despite all manner of threats and promises from the government stood fast until the tenth day.

Outside of a few nations with close interest in West Angolan affairs, the coup and the shuttle standoff went largely unnoticed by the world at large, which meant the only hope of friendly recovery for the crew upon their return lay with the Farreth Exiles, otherwise they would fall into the hands of August’s regime. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of Gavin’s father to alter the trajectory, the splashdown point was still too close to the mainland for the far slower Exile ships to reach the capsule in time. Agonizingly, the rescue team from Farreth was close enough to take a live video feed of the capsule being targeted and destroyed by the mainland navy, and Gavin watched in transfixed horror as his father was incinerated before his eyes. It was that moment that caused him to pursue a naval commission as a pilot, intending to one day pay back those who had killed his father and done who-knows-what to his mother and sisters. Now, five years later, the Great Crusade was moving forward and Gavin was about to fly the first hostile air mission over the mainland.

Like most of the Exiles’ pilots, West Angolan territory was new ground for Gavin. The majority of their veteran officer corps was made up of pilots who had defected during the coup, but the youngest of those was twenty-seven now and many had moved on to staff positions, leaving the flying to those who had been cadets or had joined up after the evacuation. Gavin had flown several missions over Farreth Island and the surrounding waters, usually to drive off reconnaissance flights from the mainland, but on one occasion to strike a damaged Augustine cruiser who strayed too close to the Island during its route home. The three pilots who participated in that mission had been transformed into heroes fighting against impossible odds by the government’s propaganda machine, which had been a large factor in putting Gavin aboard the lead ship for the invasion, and getting him a slot in the first mission of the campaign. The pilot spoke softly, “I did it, Dad. I kept moving, I never stopped fighting.”

A hand clapped onto his shoulder, and Gavin started in surprise. From behind he heard the voice of his squadron leader, Captain Daniel Thompson, “I always preferred the night sky. You can look anywhere without the sun spoiling your eyes.” Laughing, he motioned down Gavin’s attempt to salute, “At ease, Hodges. We’re airborne in half an hour and there’s no room for formality. How are you feeling?”

Gavin swallowed, “Eager, sir. I’m glad to finally get the chance to even the score.” Daniel Thompson had been a rising star in the Royal Air Force and had piloted one of the helicopters in the evacuation. He was widely recognized as one of the best flight instructors among the Exiles, and his fame had led to him being placed in command of Gavin’s squadron, which had been filled with pilots who, like Gavin, might not be the absolute best but were the most recognizable to the populace.

Captain Thompson pointed to a dim star twinkling in the void, “I paid five hundred Siens to name that star after my wife just before the evacuation. Her helicopter suffered a malfunction on takeoff and all the passengers were executed for conspiracy against the state. I keep her picture taped to the ceiling above my bunk so I can see her every morning when I wake up, and when I do I remember why I’m here.”

Gavin nodded and replied softly, “It’s what keeps you moving forward.”

“Exactly. Now get to your bird, Hodges, we’re airborne soon!” The two men split apart, each to his own task, but thoughts of his father stayed with Gavin throughout his flight check and as he watched his fellow pilots take off. When his turn came, he let out a deep sigh and tried to focus his attention on his controls as he taxied down the flight deck and headed towards the sky. Unfortunately, having his entire field of vision filled with stars sent the memories crashing back to the forefront of his mind. He was despairing of ever being able to concentrate fully on the mission when Thompson’s voice came over the radio, giving him something other than his thoughts to latch on to, “This is Falcon One, all fighters check in.”

One by one, each of the members of Gavin’s squadron reported no mechanical issues. When the check was complete, the Captain returned to the speaker, “Alright, boys, form up on me. We’re heading east, and we aren’t turning back until we deliver our present to the usurper. Second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning.” Following the bright glow of the engines ahead of him, Gavin settled in for the flight to Benguela, and prayed halfheartedly they’d make it without being spotted. Religion was a large factor in West Angolan life, the pervasiveness of the Catholic Church making it so, but since the death of his father Gavin had struggled with his faith, and the words he uttered for safe passage were little more than reflex.

Luck, or whoever was watching from above, seemed to be on the Exiles’ side, however, as they didn’t pick up any chatter from the ground until they were well into radar range. The squadron had stayed close to the water to try and fool the scanners, but eventually even that wouldn’t do, and they’d know they would have to pull up eventually. In pairs, the fighters did so, and for the first time Gavin could make out Benguela in the distance rapidly coming into focus. The radio squawked, “Falcons, this is One. Break by wing pairs and dive towards the city on my mark. Come in low and fast, hit them hard, and keep going until you’re clear of the city. Get well over the mainland before you turn around, we want to soften them up for the invasion fleet, and pulling a second run too early or too late only makes their job more difficult. Three…two…one…mark!”

Thompson suited action to words by sending his fighter into a shallow dive that would give him extra speed and put him just above building height when he reached the city. Benguela had once been a critical transport hub on the west coast, almost equidistant from Namibe and Luanda, as well as a popular tourist destination. All that had changed sixty years ago, however, when a Korean bioweapon detonated as part of a last-ditch effort by that nation to force a favorable end to the war. Despite years of study, the makeup of toxins exuded from the missile still remained largely unknown to West Angola, but the effects had been instantaneous and long-lasting. Tens of thousands of civilians had died within an hour, and the death toll by the end of the day had climbed to half a million, with over two million suffering permanent nerve and organ damage from less concentrated doses. The attack was the most horrific day in West Angolan history, and was commemorated each year by a national holiday of mourning and remembrance.

So potent was the weapon that it had taken thirty years before the area was even safe for research teams, but limited resettlement had begun as recently as ten years ago as volunteer families were allowed to move into the outskirts. Since then, civilization had slowly but steadily encroached on the inner parts of the city until the coup. Once in power, August had concocted some new danger in the area, expelled all the residents, and sealed the city off. Now it housed a top-secret military installation, the hub of the West Angolan defense network, as well as a formidable garrison and an array of surface-to-air defenses to protect against unwanted observation. The Exiles had discovered the base’s location via a defector earlier that year, and had decided to make Benguela the focal point of the invasion. Landing there would allow them access to whatever intelligence was housed in the facility, and the revelation that the Augustine government had been lying about new toxins could serve as a rallying point for the citizens on the mainland.

To get at the base, however, the invading force first needed to get past the ground defenses, which was why the landing would be preceded by airstrikes targeted at wrecking equipment and, if nothing else, giving the defenders something to think about besides shooting at the marines. Gavin and his wingman, Lieutenant John Winslow, would play a key role, as their target for the initial run was the radar tower and the barracks next to it that housed many of the soldiers expected to form the first response to an amphibious attack. Each of the six flight groups had mission-critical targets, but Gavin’s would become much harder to hit after the base went to full alert, which meant they needed to hit it on the first try, or they might not get another one.

As he neared maximum range, Gavin coordinated with Winslow, “Eight, this is Seven. Hit the barracks with your first shot, and if the tower is still standing after I go target it. If we both miss pull around immediately for a second attempt, then bug out over the mainland.” Winslow acknowledged, and the two fighters streaked in towards their objective. Gavin’s finger tightened on the trigger as he waited to lock on, then pulled hard as the tone went from a steady beep to a solid whine, “Falcon Seven, one away.” In his earpiece, he heard Winslow report his own shot, and a pair of propellant trails flew away from them, shrinking rapidly into the distance. Tracking his missile as the distance-to-target counter shrank on his HUD. Several large explosions across the city temporarily interrupted the telemetry feed, but Gavin could barely make out the twisted remains of the radar tower being lifted high into the air by the impact. The comm was suddenly filled with cheers and whoops from fellow pilots as they joyfully reported they too had hit their targets, and with a growing sense of pride Gavin realized they had just struck the first blow of the Great Crusade.

Captain Thompson’s voice broke through the revelry with sobering news, “Calm down and stay sharp, Falcons. We’ve got hostiles in the air and inbound. Head over into the mainland and try to outrun them, failing that, see if you can buy enough time for your wingman to scrape them off. Don’t try anything cute, we can’t afford to lose good pilots to stupid mistakes.” A warning beep from the radar indicated the truth of the Captain’s warning, and Gavin glanced down to see two red dots quickly closing in on his craft. “Eight, let’s try to split them. Break off to the right and evade only along the preset course. We’ll rendezvous over the mainland and see what we need to do from there.”

“Acknowledged, breaking right.” The two Exiles split apart, and the two mainland aircraft did the same, one following Gavin, the other staying with Winslow. Gavin swung his plane into a gradual climb, trying to strike the delicate balance between presenting a small profile and making himself a difficult target, while at the same time staying low enough that the ground emplacements would be hard-pressed to track him. The screech of the missile lock warning system told him he’d been only partially successful, but with a flick of his thumb he managed to deploy a chaff screen in front of his plane to confuse the targeting system, and the warning died. With the few seconds the distraction had bought him, he suddenly went into a dive, taking him dangerously low but hopefully taking his opponent by surprise.

The maneuver worked, the mainland fighter anticipated he would come out of the chaff cloud still climbing and set his course accordingly, which left him well out of position when Gavin swung beneath him. With nearly the entire underside of the plane presented, it was an easy shot even for a pilot in his first air-to-air combat, and he reacted with instinct born of training, rapidly painting the enemy with a lock. “Falcon Seven, two away.”

The mainland pilot was alerted to the lock and subsequent launch, but was too slow in deploying his own countermeasures, and moments later his fighter and his life were consumed in a fiery explosion. Gavin let out another whoop, “Scratch one bogey. I say again, one kill confirmed!”

He turned his head to scan the sky for Winslow, and found his wingman quickly streaking away as the fighter than had come after him spiraled in towards the ground. Winslow was succinct, as usual, “Eight reporting one kill.”

Of the twelve pilots who had flown off the deck of the Jan III, eight were still in the air after dealing with their opponents. The two who had lost their wingmen paired up and the squadron sped out of Benguela’s airspace as antiaircraft defenses turned the sky black behind them. The initial wave had struck against the facility’s long-range detection and communication capabilities, so while they doubtless knew an invasion was coming, they wouldn’t know when or be able to scramble additional support from nearby installations. The second wave, when the fighters turned and flew back over, would be timed to strike at the same time as the invasion itself. As he headed into the desert, Gavin could see a few stars still tinkling in the fading darkness to the west. “I didn’t get as high as you did, Dad, but I’ll do whatever I can from this altitude.”

To be continued…

[Fluvique]

SAM SNOW: miracle in white

The turf at South Lane covered by snow prior to the match. Is the first blizzard since 2007.

How I can start? This was a match with everything to make it memorable and to forever live in our souls. It was almost a tragedy; finally was a great comeback. The match was near to be suspended; was one of the greatest ever. Lets recap the story of an incredible night.

If schedule a match at 9:30 pm was hard for both supporters and players, the weather made it even harder. The forecast announced probabilities of storms and heavy rains and a temperature estimated of -1º near the kickoff. However, the 'Ice Kid' phenomenon pushed a cold wave from Geneva directly to the Indian Plains, hitting Betham and decreasing the temperature to -3º, final cause of the blizzard, the first since 2007. The stadium was filled by 78.860 spectators, who had to resist the cost many minutes before the kickoff. Even the National Anthem performance was cold and quiet, everybody was shivering. But, when the whistle rang, to not be hot watching our boys slipping in the white turf.

Fluvique started the match trying to passing the ball in the frozen ice, be calm, patient and building up every attack with intelligence. However, the White Foxes controlled the ball for three minutes, when Hans Manmeierer recovered it and launched a counterattack which ended in a corner kick. Félix Carnatas delivered it from right and found James Newkinton's head and also the first goal. It was a mixture of a good move from West-East Timor and a huge distraction of Dennis Castanginnet, almost childish. Some players were protesting and non-existing foul, while the orders were shouting each other for concede that goal. At 5' minutes, Fluvique was losing.

Muyskens tried to call for calm and patient, to not be crazy and not lose one's head. But their players were deaf. The team went into anarchy, bad passes and incredibly West-East Timor gained full control of the match easily. The public became more impatient, chanting 'move Fluvique move, stop fu**** around', but quickly the rest of the stadium started to sing 'Allez la Fluvique allez'. But the shot of Max Kanralanok at 10' which touched the second post was enough to make a scary silence in the stands.

West-East timor continued missing chances, both with long shots of Giorginio Latenucci, well defended by Paribas. But the goalkeeper had nothing to do with a great combination between Carnatas and Nakkankasson, finishing in a pass in the area, in front of the Fluviquean centre backs, where Tim Hansraw was ready to score the second goal without opposition.

All South Lane made a massive palm face, while the snow was changed for rain. Fluvique regrouped and tried to start over. West-East Timor gave the ball to an imprecise paysan side, confused and wanting to stop the match. We had to wait until 31' minutes to see the first Fluviquean approach. De La Mesea went for the heroic, avoiding three players before touching with Di Angello. The number 7 ran with his known speed and entered to the area, shooting, but Jannick Schneider saved his post.

It was the first, but Fluvique found a way. The turf was a mixture of snow and mud, so the Muyskens style wasn't available and passing the ball wasn't an appropriate thing to do. Adam Wilde went to the area, right in middle of the centre backs, and Di Angello and Topolsky went to both sides, playing as wings. Sam Gonza became the leader of the team, launching centers from almost anywhere, with great precission.

At 39' Varelovsky shot from the right and the ball went to the midfield. Mhago centered it right to the area, where Wilde touched it with his head, assisting Di Angello, but his shoot went wide. Fluvique was close. The match was a game of throwing centers to both areas and trying to catch something in the mud. The white Fluviquean shirt became brown and the socks were unrecognizable. But not enough to confuse them.

Mhago touched with Gonza, he passed to Di Angello, who flew into the mud leaving a furrow and reached the final line. There he threw a center for Wilde and Ksing Jang-Tuang deflected it, but Sam Gonza was just outside the area, ready to avoid two defenders and shoot when the goalkeeper was approaching. The stadium exploded with fury and hope. The snow trembled and the ice melted. Near the end of the first half Fluvique had life. Gonza gave it.

The stadium received the team with: 'this night not matter the cost, this night we have to win' and the team faced the first minutes with that support and put West-East Timor in troubles. FEDE incredibly lost a 2-2 inside the goal, with the ball traveling from right to left of the area, but nobody was unable to connect it. At 14' Toposlky avoided two players and touched with Mhago, who shot, but Schneider controlled it.

Suddenly, in their first attempt, West-East Timor gained a free kick from right. Félix Carnatas was in charge of take it and his shot stung in a puddle, making the ball more faster, confusing Paribas and scoring the 1-3 at 64'. Muyskens reacted changing the tactic to a 3-4-3, with Natan Rodgers entering by Julien Kaleshko and Nick Auze doing the same for Adam Wilde.

Fluvique went directly to tie the match or die trying. With Sam Gonza as playmaker and all the midfielders as wings, the team defended with two players by moments, giving any kind of advantages to West-East Timor, but populating their area with players, ready to hook any flying ball.

In one of those many centers, Varelovsky threw the ball to the area, falling in middle of the away defence. The place was a chaos, with rebounds, shots, deflections and players falling to the ground. Auze shot, but Irlyynä cover the goal with his body, clearing the risk. The ball went again to one of the sides, where FEDE threw another center, this time deflected by Newkinton, but the ball went directly to Mhago. He passed to Di Angello and the number 7 shot, the goalkeeper Schneider save it, but Sam Gonza appeared like a thunder from behind and scored the 2-3 at 74'.

Muyskens send all the team to the visitors field, with De La Mesea playing as forward. Ironically, the successive centers were easily controlled by the defenders, making fail the Fluviquean attempts. However, West-East Timor committed the worst of the mistakes: make a foul near the area. Hans Manmeierer was the infractor over FEDE, when he was ready to shoot. Sam Gonza settled the ball carefully in front of a human wall and the pressure of all the country over his shoulders. And Sam simply threw the ball over the barrier, far of the reach of Schneider and scored the 3-3.

The stadium trembled again and the contained shout exploded in every throat. The substitutes invaded the pitch to celebrate and hug Sam in the corner, while Muyskens tried to reorder the team. Now the tactic was again a 4-3-3, with Rodgers playing as left back.

When the match was going to end in a tie, Manmeierer lost the ball in middle of an attack, leaving its defence open and unprotected. Gonza ran with the ball, avoiding players and kicks, touched to Auze, who directly shot and placed the ball between Schneider and the first spot. It was an amazing goal of counterattack.

This time even Muyskens entered to the pitch, jumping in the mud, altogether with the staff and doctors. The substitutes, the players, the ball boys, some fans, everybody jumped over Auze and a human mound was formed near the Liberator Stand. When the party ended, Nick Auze was sent off, due to a second yellow card for take off his shirt. Teo Calmwate entered for FEDE, to hold the result and clear the last centers to the Fluviquean area.

The last minutes were a suffering, with a heroic Fluviquean defence, while a madness of flares and flags was happening in the stands. The final whistle was enough to relieve and breathe again. The 22 players, coach and staff formed a round in the central circle, jumping, dancing and hugging each other, while rain and snow started to fall again.

Fluvique won an incredible match. First of all, due to the conditions: it was the first time that the senior team played under a blizzard. And a lot of this players never met snow before. Perhaps the bad to regular performance was due to that fact, but the team should stop searching excuses and start to work on its weakness.

The white foxes have a lot of things to improve and the Muyskens' idea is still underdeveloped and the doubts in defence are enormous. However, in attack, the team is still deadly and Sam Gonza is the clear leader and lighthouse when Fluvique is walking in shadows. To face the big boys and have a chance to qualify, there are a lot of things to do. However, playing good or bad, the team will always fight and show that give up is not on their dictionary.


Stadium: South Lane (Betham Province)
Attendance: 69.147.

Fluvique 4
Gonza 43'74' 81'Auze 83'

GK 1 Andy Paribas
RB 3 Gabriel Varelovsky
CB 2 Rodrigo De La Mesea
CB 13 Dennis Castanginnet
LB 4 Julien Kaleshko (66' Natan Rodgers)
CMD 5 Henry Mhago
CM 8 Lucas Topolsky
CM 7 Paul Di Angello
FW 20 Fede (88' Teo Calmwater)
FW 9 Andam Wilde (70' Nick Auze 83' )
FW 10 Sam Gonza


West East Timor 3
Newkinton 5'Hansraw 21'Carnatas 64'

GK 1 Jannick Schneider
LB 12 Hirkan Narkiwov
CB 17 James Newkinton
CB 3 Ksing Jang-Tuang
RB 6 Järnä Irlyynä
CM 9 Hans Manmeierer
CM 10 Félix Carnatas
LW 20 Max Kanralanok
ST 14 Johann Nakkankasson
RW 5 Tim Hansraw (Captain)
RW 8 Giorginio Latenucci

[Red Blackiland]

Red Blackiland Sports and Off-topic Chronicles

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The passion for football - Motivational for Rotschwarzland National Team

Rotschwarzland Berüchtigt Ultras in The Red Glorious - Red Blackiland 2-2 Associated Godlands

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Author : Mathias Gërdorffen

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To all Red Blackilandian players and fans : I understand those who criticize, both those whose indifference predominates, even understand those who rightly justify their aversion to the fact that this is the opium of the people, a form of social control. I understand.
Oh, what a way to be manipulated. So, i'll tell you that all forms of control people were like this, we would be happy ignorants and in love , dying on the one hand, but very much alive and satisfied in the other.
The passion for football is adolescent and infinite, doesn't end, will not let us. Don't transforms into the boring and tedious love, falls into the routine, it is and always will be the greatest passion of a person linked to sports acme. It makes us yell, make us cry, make us smile and, above all, makes us forget, even if for only 90 minutes, all the pain and difficulty present.
And what a 90 minutes. An endless time in which hate becomes full rapture in less than 5 seconds. It is the time that stop, are the lights that light up and focus purely and simply on you, as it is to you that the fight is done, it is to your satisfaction and nobody else. Sweats and warriors battle it out in his honor, with all their race and disposal. Because in this world of fantasy and passion, hypocrisy doesn't exist and the money becomes just a 'secondary'. Oh, warriors, those who don't betray or cheat, those who feel, those who weep. They fight in puddles, run in deserts, climb mountains, it is for you, is for everyone, is that in the end, can, under tears and cries echoed, releasing the sound: We are champions!

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Montreal Noire Storyline - Part 2

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Montreal Noire Box - Buy your game now!

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Case/Mission #4 - Look where you're going... (Patrol)

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While a daytime patrol, Ko-han hears a multiple shooting and runs toward the direction of the noise, the south.Then he discorvers Manuel Norío, a Guayabalense (discovered more later) dead on the sidewalk in front of his own bussiness, a shoes store.Investigating the crime scene, he finds a couple of .32 pistol shell casings and a .32 pistol in the crime scene, after it, a receipt for pearl earrings, the layaway voucher, made out on Bank of Montreal to Kohana Lesung.Then a witness says that saw a woman entering in the store after the shooting and was the shoe store clerk, Kohana Lesung.

Crime scene

After it, Ko-han enters in the store, talks with the place's withness (the store's clerk) Kohana, Ko-han asks if Kohana have any relation with the victim, Manuel Norío, she deny it and say that she saw nothing about the shooting, but you'll select the option 'Lie', by the fact you can use the receipt/layaway voucher found in the victim's body to prove the opposite, then she tells that bought a couple of pearl earrings from a jewelry store owned by a a Mr. Kung.Ko-han asks if she thinks about possible murder suspects, she avoid it and then Ko-han doubt her, she'll tell that Norío had an anti-islamic attitude and his intense enmity for Mr. Kung, Norío cursed Kung and slandered his store, telling that Kung's products are false and nickel plated.She went to the jewelry, after a lunch break, but Norío yelled against her because he shopped in Kung's jewelry, and ordered that she needed to get back to the work, while walking back to the shoe store, Norío took the Kohana's layaway voucher angered that Kohana shopped in the jewelry oned by him's rival, and then Ko-han learns about the identity of Jin Kung.Mr Kung followed Kohana and Norío back from his store.She was relluctant to tell the truth,by the fact that she bought a pearl earrings in Mr. Kung's jewelry, but she didn't want to lose it to the investigation and paid it by installments through the bank of Montreal.
Ko-han and Lee-Sung go to a gun store nearby to track back the ownership of the pistol, with the serial number discovered and location, he finds that the owner of the gun is Jin Kung, then they went towards the jewelry owned by Jin Kung in one of Montreal streets, after confirming that the gun is owned by Kung.After entering in the jewelry, the two are greeted by Mr. Kung, trying to avoid from the Ko-han and Lee-Sung suspicion, and begins to lie, claiming that Mr. Kung is sleeping in the back, outside, and attempts to escape.Ko-han chases him, through the store, leaving it out from the back door, eventually scaring Mr. Kung by firing with his revolver in the air near a square, he'll be taken into custody after that.
Ko-han and Lee-Sung are back in the police station for Mr. Kung's interrogation, and Ko-han will conduct his first interrogation in Surete de Montreal.Ko-han starts accusing Mr. Kung of lying, he'll deny that, so uses the shoe store clerk witness, he'll keep to deny his participation in the murder, than doubt him, and after it Mr.Kung will confess.If you fails with Ko-han, a cutscene happen with the captain being disappointed with him, and then the scene restarts again.Later is discovered, that after Kung followed Norío and Kohana back to the shoe store, Kung fired five shots against Norío.

This is the last case and mission in Patrol Department, after it Ko-han is promoted to a detective, and will begin to work in the Traffic Department.Now, Ko-han will enter to swim in the underworld of Montreal.The story continues...