World Cup LXXV - AK75 - The RP Thread

[Confederate Islands Of Paputu]

PAPUTIAN SPORTS GAZETTE

THE FOOTBALL MIRACLES: PAPUTU WINS AGAINST TURORI
Can you believe that? Paputu massacred 3-0 Turori in an away match. After the great performance against Ceni, ended with a 4-3 loss, Paputu finally achieved their first away win in their history. And it has come against one of the strongest team in the world. The 400 fans that followed the national team could not believe this and probably the entire paputian fans must have thought that they were dreaming.
The match started as usual, with Turori attacking the defense of Paputu, that has played better in the last matches. A couple of shots made Edmonton busy, and after 20 minutes Paputu didn't create any goal opportunity. But at the 31' minute Paputu has his first corner of the match. Rigg puts a great ball in the zone of Limton, that hits the ball in a dirty way and fools the turorian goalkeeper Disterfred II. 1-0.
At the 36' minute after a great choral maneuver, Oalalka has the biggest opportunity for Turori, finding himself alone against Edmonton. But his shot hits the crossbeam for the desperation of the home fans.
The first half ended without any other event, with Turori failing to attack efficacely the paputian net.


Lidgerwood celebrating after his first international goal

In the second half things didn't changed, with Turori still attacking and Paputu defending in a good way. At the minute 56' another great shot by Altariiz is saved by Edmonton. The time was running fast for Turori and Paputu was still resisting. At the minute 67' another corner for Paputu: Rigg puts the ball in the danger side and this time is McKortney that shows up and with a gread headshot beats Disterfed II. The unbelievable score was now 2-0, with Paputu that showed great ability on corner kicks while Turori totally failed on this aspect.
At 70' Mawerta goes out, in favour of a more defensive midfielder such as Jones. At the 76' it's time for Lidgerwood, who comes in while Bartlow goes out. Nothing happend since the 84' minute, when an error of Mravedii permise to Filler to shoot towards the area, and after a great dribble he gives the ball to Lidgerwood, who, all alone against Disterfed II, cannot fail. 3-0. The paputian bench was totally gone crazy while turorian fans were totally upset. At the 90' a kick of Jones was saved by Disterfed II with a miracle, showing that Turorian players had totally lost their minds at this point.
The match ended 3-0 and for paputian this was a real miracle comes true.

Line-Up: Edmonton, Rigg, Matten, Potoremara, Metwak, Limton, Mawerta (70' Jones), Kawaturupuro, Bartlow (Lidgerwood 76'), McKortney, Filler.
Scorers: Limton 31', McKortney 67', Lidgerwood 84'

[Osarius]

BREAKING: Robinson resigns amidst Osarian footballing crisis

Former Firewood City fullback Azarai Robinson has announced his resignation from the role of Osarius manager effective immediately, following the Firebirds' failure to secure qualification to the World Cup finals next summer. Robinson looked a man in pain as he admitted that he had not been "good enough" in his role, apologising to fans for his "failure to restore what had been lost". A spokesperson for the OFA confirmed that football's governing body within Osarius had already commenced a search for a replacement, but stressed that no hasty decisions would be made. The OFA also thanked Mr Robinson for his work with the national team, which included three consecutive appearances in the final of the AOCAF Cup, two of which yielded regional championships for the Firebirds.

Some tipsters are already suggesting that former Osarius captain Serenity Lewis may step into the void, following her extensive work with the senior team over the years. Others have implied that Osarius' Head of Development, Ayanna Barca-Carthy may be the leading candidate. Both women were tipped for the job when after Jermain Lewis resigned six years ago, however, and were overlooked in favour of Robinson. Should the OFA again choose to appoint a proven manager at club level, the overwhelming favourite would have to be Real Jraxville's Aquilliano manager Rouzel Donovan. His nationality may pose some problems, however, leaving former Hastmead Diamante fullback Habib Kouli as a strong candidate, following his work with Jeckland. A spokesperson for the OFA refused to be drawn on speculation.

[Trans-Dniesters]

Ignore this space, real post coming up here.

[Hasznia]

Hasznia 1-0 Chiata

GK-Scott
RB-McAdams
CB-Johnson
CB-Iverson
LB-Young
DM-Diaz
DM-Rogers W.
CM-Vick
CM-Pearson
FW-Miller
FW-Hawkins
Bench: Clark, Villa, Burns, Sanders, Strain, Clayton, Wright

The Story of the White Bay Terrier, Part One

Like many nations, Hasznia once had a national dog breed which was a source of pride for its people. Hasznia’s national dog was the White Bay Terrier, sometimes called the Hasznian Terrier, and in 1950, it was the most popular breed in the nation, with approximately one domestic dog in one hundred being a purebred and significantly more having at least some White Bay in them. The White Bay was the quintessential Hasznian dog in that it was small and quiet, but typically high-energy, intelligent, and hard-working.

The Grand Ducal White Bay Terrier Kennel was a corporation ostensibly chartered to breed and raise the White Bays that the Grand Ducal family kept as pets, but in practice the Kennel was the governing body for the breed in Hasznia. It hosted the annual White Bay shows and had the ultimate say in matters of pedigree. Unlike most charter corporations, the Grand Duke was not the chairman of the board; in fact, all decisions were made by a vote of all the licensed breeders in Hasznia, with a small executive council charged with administering said vote.

The importance of the White Bay to Hasznian identity cannot be overstated. The national White Bay Terrier Show in Barracha was the live event to be televised in color in Hasznia, and every newspaper published the results of not only the national show, but the preliminaries. Purebred White Bays were a status symbol, while every mutt was claimed to have “a little White Bay in her”, not least because any stray dog could be brought to a gendarmerie post as long as the rescuer claimed it was part White Bay.

The White Bay was originally bred from a line of rat terriers that developed the unique all-white coat that defined the breed. The first “true” White Bay Terrier was a bitch named Elyse, for the Grand Duchess Elyse born on the same day, 13 October 1853. Upon seeing the all-white coat in the Grand Ducal Kennel, the Grand Duke Marcus III insisted that Elyse be bred and her pups kept as the grand ducal dogs. Over time, the source of the white coat was traced, and more dogs were bred with it, creating a proper breed.

The Grand Ducal White Bay Terrier Kennel was founded in 1873, originally as a subset of the Grand Ducal Kennel which bred working dogs for the family hunts and other functions, but soon management of the breed eclipsed the Kennel’s other responsibilities. When the captain of the Grand Ducal Guards, a chartered company of bodyguards for the grand ducal family, were gifted a White Bay puppy from then-Princess Maude, they took the dog as a mascot, changing their name to the White Dog Company.

Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, the status symbol of having a purebred White Bay Terrier became less and less as more and more were given to noblemen and businessmen as tokens of favor from an increasingly bankrupt crown. As a result of increased demand for puppies, overbreeding took its toll on the stock, creating problems with everything from liver failure to susceptibility to cancer. Purebred dogs were bred outside the Kennel, creating hybrids and “purebred” dogs that were not recognized as such.

[Turori]

Eels Crash out of World Cup

Turori End Campaign like it started - with an unpredictable defeat

Eels Park, Eelandii, Turori :: The Turori Eels World Cup 75 Campaign ended with a whimper as the Eels lost three consecutive World Cup Qualifying matches for the first time in recent history.

Things started to go wrong for Turori from the word go - or more specifically, the word 'meow' as they opened their campaign with a pitiful loss against Felinetopia.

The top seeds in Group 16, the Turori Eels never sniffed the groups top spot but still had the chance to advance through the playoffs and held their destiny in their own hands with three matches to play. It was after the 10th matchday of competition - Turori's 9th game that things last looked optimistic for the Eels. They had just traveled to a struggling nation known as North Carcossia and the Hesperides - a nation, in fact, that suffered an unfortunate event wiping them off the political map shortly after the conclusion of World Cup Qualifying. With their win over North Carcossia and the Hesperides, Turori found themselves second in Group 16. With three matches to play, they knew that if they were to win all three matches, they would at least make the playoffs - and could still - although highly unlikely - finish atop the group table.

Naturally, as the top seed in Group 16, all of the Eels final opposition were ranked behind them and, on paper, were matches the Eels should win.

But one by one, Turori faltered.

First - the critical defeat - against Playoff Rivals Jeruselem.

Then against Ceni, ending any chance of direct qualification.

Finally, against the Confederate Islands of Paputu. In just three matchdays the Eels had gone from 'virtual lock' to 'out of the World Cup. With the Eels having a bye on the final matchday of qualifying, they didn't even have anything to watch. They were out. Done and dusted. The defeat to Paputu meant that Jeruselem didn't even need to kick the ball in order to get into the Playoffs. Even if they lost 0-32 it wouldn't matter. Turori were out.

With the Turori National Team completely eliminated from the World Cup, the entire focus of the nation quickly switched over to the World Grand Prix Championships. While attention had been building throughout the WGPC season as Vilita & Turori Motorsports driver iBen Toralmintii continued clicking away with top 5 finishes and continued to build on his Drivers Championship lead, the Vilita & Turori Motorsports team continued to show their muscle. Having already notched a championship in the WGPC through former driver Stang Crax of Falcania, Vilita & Turori Motorsports has always had a certain pedigree in the international autosport community. However, their shock return to the constructors ranks at the 14th World Grand Prix Championship has taken the Vilitan Cove by storm - particularly with the poor performances put in by Vilita & Turori Ice-Cat Things at the World Cup of Hockey and the Turori Eels National Team. Vilitans and Turorian's alike would take flight around the world to follow their team as motorsport was quickly becoming the #1 item during sports coverage, supplanting football and hockey at least for a time

---

[Jeruselem]

Jeruselem coach James Troisi and some sleazy looking guy

Jay: This is Jay Mann for the Mann Network, the network for real men. I'm with the current Jeruselem coach, who's a man!
James: Yes thanks for pointing that out like I don't know
Jay: The team has made the playoffs, after a few close calls. Do you expect to actually win the playoffs
James: We'll do our best, we're playing Brenecia which apparently we've played before in the past
Jay: Our playoff history isn't something home to boast about
James: It's true but we're there, we have a chance. It's all that counts

Jay: Are you going to change things?
James: No, that's what disrupts your campaign.
Jay: So it's best you simply keep up the routine
James: It's two important games but I don't want the team to think about it too much
Jay: There's criticism about your staff choices, not enough men
James: I don't have to put men as staff, it's my choice not yours

Jay: Why is your assistant a female, more particularly a Princess although she was a former player
James: I'm not a worldly man, I haven't had the travel like her. My communications skills aren't that good.
Jay: So what's her role in the campaign?
James: I prefer to just concentrate on the football side, I'm not very multilingual. She's very useful when

negiotating with foreign officials.
Jay: But you're the man! You're in charge!
James: Sometimes I cannot express something the way I intend, it's trickier when the person who need to talk to

doesn't speak your language.

Jay: You're not model of a manly man coach
James: No, I'm not the macho guy you guys want.
Jay: What's it like working with such good looking women on the team
James: Nothing special, they are just people like anyone else.
Jay: Don't you get distracted, some of them don't even wear clothes at home.
James: Not really, I just work.

Jay: Some people think you're gay
James: That's not true, I'm just not very good at dating and keeping dates
Jay: You don't exactly radiate confidence and maniness
James: I don't need to, I just guide the team in the right direction. They do all the hard work not me.
Jay: What's your definition of success in this cup
James: At least qualifying, we haven't done that for a while. Doesn't sound very ambitious to most.

Jay: What was the turning point in qualification
James: Beating Turori 2-0 in Turori, that was huge. Ceni was unbeatable, we lost them twice.
Jay: Are you going to retire soon?
James: I don't know, I'll see how this cup finishes for us
Jay: You get paid a lot, but you don't look like a rich man
James: I have debts, I don't have swimming pools of money like a Princess does

Jay: Is it true you have illegitate children out there?
James: No, I'm no playboy type.
Jay: You almost have a wife, your assistant coach who manages your non-football matters during away games.
James: True, she's very efficient. She doesn't like no for an answer either. I wish I was more like that sometimes.
Jay: What's your plans for the future?
James: Hopefully I just get a normal football job and find myself a wife before I get too old

Jay: It is true Princess Elsa sleeps with anyone?
James: No, she's fussy. Real fussy
Jay: But look at her Dad
James: Oh apparently her Mum got wasted, and well got pregnant.
Jay: But that happens all the time
James: I don't get such luck.

[Banguela]

Joao Ferreira couldn’t suppress a swear as he rumbled through the papers, realizing whom his Bangers were up against to jump the ultimate hurdle to the biggest stage in international football. Difficult to overcome sounded like the weakest of euphemisms for the Red Kites, a side that had ensured their spot amongst the Hopefuls with a smashing performance at the pitch of the Holy Empire. Them lovely old ladies were still arguably one of the greatest sides ever even if the current form of the Dreamed Realm, much to their dismal, had joined the search for the exit along with a series of other things.

Much more than their shock victories, it was their stats record that put the manager in a difficult spot. Apart from the archetypal Gregoryisgodistan double wall, no other side had conceded so few goals and, if we forget a faux pas early on in the campaign, the guys from Steeling had only lost once. More than anything, they looked like a different side compared to the squad we had picked up four points against in the last campaign, just enough to barely scrape into the play-offs back then. Ethane had ended up in fifth those days but their 17 out of 36 had been a starting point for what they had shown this time around.

The pressure of a new generation has pushed several of their more experienced elements to a higher level, not in the least Dewayne Boivin and if there was one man to fear, Joao Ferreira knew, it was him. Given a free role behind a varied duo of attackers in coming man Mitchell and the elegant Peone, Boivin had the firepower and wit to loom around the box for a long time before making a deadly infiltration followed up by a thunderous shot. A kind of move that can turn a situation around like Arthur picking up Excalibur out of a rock - you hadn’t seen it coming and it flips things around. And what worried the manager most was that his men didn’t seem to recognize so.

As they walked on the pitch of the King Edward Stadium, there was some muffled laughter for something silly and more interest for the music booming through their headphones rather than the grass quality. A few even didn't try to fake interest in his explanation upon the unbeaten home record of their opponents. It was only when Joao Ferreira broke off his explanation halfway a sentence and walked back to the dressing rooms that all realised that their gaffer only allowed one mood set, full focus. For some, too little, too late.

Contrary to what everybody assumed, foreign observers included, Banguela will not feature their regular diamond 4-4-2 but fall back on the Christmas tree formation that surprised Nephara on the road - with a few surprising names at kick-off. On goal there is Landa Landa, with no Fernandao at the bench as the conflict over his lack of playing minutes is not yet resolved. From left to right, the manager counts on good old Chingala to assist the young trio Joaquim Lebo, Aristido Rio and Eric Kwaganda. In midfield, an unexpected Ramon Gravalho has the role to keep Boivin away from goal, whilst Edison Joao and Rui Vunguidica should provide for the balance. Kubunga and Amarinho form the offensive midfielders, supporting lone striker Rui Mokanga. A lot of gambles, which see regular starters Ignacio Carbela, Djalma Yaba, Macabanga and Bogwa on the bench.

[Gregoryisgodistan]

Lord Almighty Gregory's Speech to the People

"Good morning, ladies, gentlemen, and slaves. I speak to you today with multiple matters. First, I have great news! In just a few short days, we will be nuking one of our enemies into oblivion. I am not able to announce right now which Enemy List nation it is, but rest assured, they are stupid heathens who blaspheme My Holy Name. And they will be punished for it. We will nuke them into oblivion. We will punish them for their sins. We will punish Shirley Phelps-Roper's nation for their evil ways! Oh darn, I said it. It's Associated Godlands. Maybe that was intentional, maybe it wasn't. You will never know the ways of the Lord, for no mere mortal can understand them. Anyway, we will nuke Associated Godlands into oblivion because it is our duty to civilization. We will nuke them while their soccer team is at the World Cup, and maybe, just maybe, Shirley Phelps-Roper will cry a heathen tear and "Jesus" will admit he's not God and that I am the One True Lord. But who knows? Shirley's a heathen, "Jesus" is a heathen, they're all clowns. And Associated Godlands will be nuked into oblivion.

"Some may ask why we nuke Associated Godlands. Well, aside from the fact that it is our duty to nuke them, we have assembled our nuclear arsenal required not because it is easy but because it is hard! Why do we fly across oceans? Why do we invent new discoveries every day? Why does the Holy Philippine Empire play Electrum? We do all these things not because they are easy but because they are hard! And we will nuke Associated Godlands into oblivion because it is the right thing to do, but also because it is hard! All the heathen fools will perish, they will be no more. And the world will soon come to recognize the Awesome Power of the Lord. We will do to them as we did to Vjaalsburg, as we did to Hicana, and as we did to Asuraia. We will nuke them far more than the nine nukes we dropped on San Jose Guayabal. In fact, 666 nukes would be nice. Yes, I think I will launch 666 nukes at Associated Godlands, for they are the Devil. Associated Godlands, prepare to meet your ultimate death. And then you will be sent to the Land of Eternal Punishment, where you will be repeatedly sliced with the Brownie Cutter of Death for all eternity! That is the punishment that awaits heathens and disobeyers after death! Death to the heathens! Death to Associated Godlands! Death to all other Enemy List nations! We will nuke you all eventually! Dumpy is a Dump, a Rump, Dumpy O'Rumpy is a Dumpelstiltskin, and he will die eventually too. But surely we will start with Shirley and her wicked nation. Shirley Phelps-Roper, prepare to watch your nation die along with your friend "Jesus."

"But now, I must talk about other matters. The Foot Slaves have once again finished second in their group and will play in the playoffs for the right to advance to the World Cup in Audioslavia and Krytenia. They will play the nation of Bonesea, which sounds like where we dump the bodies of people who defy us. But no, we don't dump them anywhere. We slice them up and burn them. That is what we do to fools who defy us. But Bonesea sounds like a lovely place full of dead bodies everywhere. Perhaps we should invade that nation and annex them to make them even more glorious. But we won't add them to the Enemy List as long as their seas are filled with bones of those they execute. Or whatever reason they're called that. But we will beat Bonesea in soccer. We will advance to the World Cup. And maybe we will even face heathen nations like San Jose Guayabal or Associated Godlands. Or perhaps the naked princesses of Jeruselem.

"Finally, I speak to you with sad news. The Sword Bloke has, for reasons unknown, disappeared from the Multiverse. This means that Shop Owner, our partner in evil, is no more, at least for now. Perhaps he will rise again as I resurrect him with my God powers. Who knows? But for now, Shop Owner is gone. Shop Owner was a friend and an ally, and I am saddened by his demise. The Sword Bloke was a nation friendly and sympathetic to our mass executions, one of the few which truly got it, and we will miss them dearly. Let us all, everyone all across Gregoryisgodistan, pause for a moment of silence to remember Shop Owner and The Sword Bloke. In true honor of The Sword Bloke, anyone who makes any noise during this moment of silence will be executed along with their family. As always, this speech is being broadcast through the telescreens and loudspeakers across Gregoryisgodistan, so everyone who is anywhere in the country will hear it. Every room has a telescreen, and loudspeakers are everywhere outside. So I know you hear it. Now, please join me in a moment of silence."

All of Gregoryisgodistan pauses and is silent. Cars pull over to the side of the road, driven by commoners but carrying VIPs. Little league games in progress come to a stop. However, 693 people are not paying attention and continue talking or doing whatever they are doing. They are executed along with their families. Three cell phones ring. Their owners are executed along with their families. 17 people cough and another 19 people sneeze. They are executed along with their families. A four year old girl sees a shiny object and laughs. She is executed along with her family. Then, Lord Almighty Gregory speaks again.

"Thank you. We will execute those who violated the moment of silence. We know who you are and where you are thanks to our surveillance cameras and other things. We will track you down and execute you. But Shop Owner, we are doing this for you. You will be truly missed. Thank you, and Me Bless Gregoryisgodistan."

[Brenecia]

[align=center]THE ROZELLE OBSERVER
Brenecia final 23-man squad selected ahead of Jeruselem playoff
Gareth Horner
Brenecia manager Raven Cullen has made her final 23-man squad public for the World Cup playoffs against Jeruselem starting this weekend, confirming to journalists that this will, barring other circumstances, be her preferred roster for whatever tournament is to follow.

While a mostly non-controversial selection, uncertainty over the fullback positions has lead to a full complement of eight defenders being selected - a first-choice central defensive pairing of 35-year old captain Orson Faulkner and Rostyn Bradden, and Bale's preferred starters, Duguid and Scrivener. But while Cullen has preferred the young and sometimes defensively vulnerable Szukala and Lovelock in the fullback positions, their more savvy Osarius-based veterans in Given and Collingwood have also joined as contingency measures.

The knock-on effect means that the unfortunate Real Azuris winger Ronan Bowditch was squeezed out of the side despite several good performances in qualifying, as Cullen wished to have three comfortable strikers in the side. As a result, surprise bolter Fionn Lynch of Lotus Park joins the squad and will likely back up Pasarga-based duo Rankin and Foran.

Also worthy of note is the fact that Elsie Drover's promising cameos have gotten her the nod over more experienced midfielders like Sheehan or O'Byrne, meaning that if the depth is tested by injury or suspension key areas could find themselves holding very inexperienced players in their early 20s. However, the talent of the likes of Lynch and Drover is unquestioned, and it should prove a valuable experience for them.

Also noteworthy is the fact that, for the first time in his career, Mathis Woodgate wears Brenecia's number 1. Poor in the first half of qualifying, Cullen dropped him and Urquhart altogether in her first match but restored the Mallox goalkeeper for the second half of qualifying, for which she was rewarded by four clean sheets.

The squad is notably cosmopolitan - nine players ply their trade in the A-League, with six playing in the COCANEFA system and others playing in Nephara, Pasarga, Eura and Farfadillis. Moreover, the A-League is finally supplying much of the core of this side, with Lovelock, Szukala, Gryphon, Skorupska and Carroll all likely to start against Jeruselem.

Cullen was very firm when pressed that this was her preferred squad whether for the World Cup or the Cup of Harmony, rejecting suggestions that the side should take a more youth-focused, developmental approach were it to fail to qualify for the world stage. "We got to the final last time," she said, "and if we end up there again, we'll be there to win a trophy."

Playoff and Tournament Squad Selection
1 - Mathis Woodgate ( Mallox)
2 - Scout Given ( Firewood City)
3 - Ophelia Lovelock ( Kingsgrove)
4 - Lilith Paterson ( Maximum Rovers)
5 - Orson Faulkner ( AC Izotz Zubia, c)
6 - Brandon Duguid ( North Laithland)
7 - Squire Trevelyan ( FC Jansberg)
8 - Cathy Blackslate ( Gorfalle Town, vc)
9 - Ursula Rankin ( Tanrisal)
10 - Roisin Carroll ( Kingsgrove)
11 - Catherine Purrington ( Vermillion Rage)
12 - Geneva Urquhart ( Northern Union)
13 - Sienna Fallon ( North Hall)
14 - Aleksandra Skorupska ( Northern Union)
15 - Karena Foran ( Hellinic Rouge)
16 - Fionn Lynch ( Lotus Park)
17 - Czeslawa Szukala ( Falkner United)
18 - Anaximander Scrivener ( Brigham)
19 - Julian Collingwood ( Hastmead Diamante)
20 - Sheila Cannon ( Fligsive FC)
21 - Catherine Gryphon ( Northern Union)
22 - Rostyn Bradden ( Lajuno)
23 - Elsie Drover ( Rosbank Town)

[Electrum]

Centralis Herald - Sports Section - Stewart Faraday

The qualification playoff where both teams are on the brink

This qualification playoff between Omerica and Electrum certainly presents an interesting juxtaposition between the two sides. The two national teams are on the brink for two very different reasons: One has a new manager's role in the balance, which includes the players he promoted to the Starting XI, the other will cease to exist at the very moment their team is eliminated from the competition.

The craziness will kick-off in the Olympic Arena, Centralis, a place where history was made where Electrumites have sealed their spot in the World Cup, and now, the place where the Electrumites must start if they want to win their first ever qualification playoff (they have always lost in the playoffs, and have always qualified through being a qualifying group winner). The Electrumites will be very willing to get rid of that playoff voodoo, hopefully by starting off with an emphatic victory over the embattled Omerica.

Speaking of Omerica, their national football federation, the Turanga ʻAhipula ʻo ʻOmerika (TAO) has recently been found guilty of corruption, via the use of match fixing. As a result, in an extraordinary and certainly unprecedented in multiversal jurisprudence, the TAO will be forced to wind down effective at the time when the Omerican team is eliminated from the World Cup. Also, their fans have been in trouble for hooliganism, which has been a factor in besmirching the TAO's name. Morale for the Omerican team is expected to be low, however the Electrumites must not be complacent, as we've seen with their two losses against the Holy Phillipine Empire, a team which was ranked approximately 230 places below Electrum. The Omericans may well be playing their very last 'away' match in Electrum, in which case, this match, and the next, would be monumental.

In a pre-emptive move, the Match Integrity Unit and the Doping Testing Authority have stated that they will monitor all players for the upcoming match in Centralis, to ensure that no match fixing actually doesn't happen. It is unclear how effective will the MIU and the DTA will be at enforcement, given how little preparation they had (the evocation for them to oversee this match was given yesterday). The MIU and DTA have worked in tandem at many events including both of the Olympics held in Electrum, the World Bowl, the Hoops Showcase, etc. They are well known in their - some say - unnecessarily restrictive checks including testing urine before and after matches, searching of player's baggage, and even at one point, interrogation.

Turning back to Electrum, things are different. After two humiliating losses to the Holy Philippine Empire, a team that Electrum should have gotten the full 6 points out of, instead of 0, the Electrumites failed to secure the coveted automatic qualification spot held by Semarland. As a result, the new manager, Jeffery Clark, who has admittedly being struggling with the adjustments has been given an ultimatum from Electrum Football. He is to win the series to keep his job. The former manager of the Centralis Heart, who was elevated after he led his team all the way to the Champions' Cup semi-finals and on the way defeating the previous series Champion, is under a lot of pressure to perform. The formerly offensively-minded manager has to adapt to this defensively-minded team. The new tactics he has tried to implement have not worked, leading to confusion, and holes in the Electrumite defence which the opposition has been eager to exploit to score free goals.

The players he recently handpicked to be promoted, including Lemona instead of Kara as the starting goalkeeper (replacing Fenech who has retired) for example, would also be on the brink. They have been deemed as underperforming and lacklustre, and already people are starting to call for their heads too. People are pining for the Electrum of last cycle, wherein they only conceded just two goals in the entire qualification. Something needs to give, and its the last chance for the team, and more importantly, Clark to prove their competence, and that they deserve to be where they are. Lemona and the defenders needs to focus on shutting down Percival, that will be the key to victory. Both sides are very defensive minded, so there is just no room for error at all on their part. He's scored a vast majority of the goals for the team, and for victory to be more possible, he must be stopped at all costs.

Let's hope for the sake of Jeffery Clark's job, that they win the series. But as we know, the Goddess of Sport, Margaret is always shining down on us.

[West Angola]

NAMIBE CHRONICLE

PLAYOFF PREVIEW: WEST ANGOLA VS. HASZNIA

NAMIBE- West Angola couldn’t quite make it into World Cup 75 outright, falling 1-0 to Frenline Delpha in Bloodbenderopolis, but they still have a chance to squeeze through the door via a playoff. The twenty second-place teams from the various qualifying groups were seeded based on their performance, and will contest a two-legged playoff for the final ten spots in Audioslavia and Krytenia this coming summer. West Angola, despite the setbacks it suffered against Herendon and Legalese, managed to finish as the fourth overall side, which saw them matched against Hasznia. If Jan Pawel’s players can overcome their opposition in the opening leg, which will likely be held in either Warton, Corris, or Barracha, then they will be well-positioned to secure their first appearance in the World Cup in nearly thirty years.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Hasznia

Rank: 255
Qualifying Record: 6-2-4, Group 1
Goals For/Against: 15/16
Top Scorer (Goals): Alex Hawkins (5)
Previous World Cup Appearances: None
Best Tournament Result: Baptism of Fire 62 (1-0-2, 4th in Group, 12th Overall)
Notable Results: 1-0 vs. Chiata (Twice); 5-4 vs. Eshan

West Angola

Rank: 123
Qualifying Record: 7-3-2, Group 13
Goals For/Against: 25/15
Top Scorer (Goals): Peter Simmons (10)
Previous World Cup Appearances: 2 (64 and 66)
Best Tournament Result: Cup of Harmony 57 (2-2-0, 1st in Group, 1st Overall)
Notable Results: 2-0 vs. Osarius (Twice); 5-3/2-1 vs. Falatulu; 0-0/0-2 vs. Herendon

How they got here:
Hasznia grabbed second in their group with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Chiata in their final match, and comes into the playoff with momentum on their side. Their qualifying campaign got off to a slow start, as they failed to score in either of their first two matches and only managed one point. Then, after overcoming Mapletish 2-0 for their first win, Hasznia treated their fans to an attacking explosion even as their defense opened as a sieve, and they defeated Eshan 5-4 in a match that provided a third of their total goals from qualifying. Buoyed by back-to-back wins, the team went toe-to-toe with Saintland and very nearly pulled off the stunner, falling 1-0 in a very close result. Undeterred, they upset Chiata 1-0 on the road to finish the first leg of qualifying and vault into third in the group at the break.

In the second leg, Hasznia stormed out of the gate, winning their first two matches and moving into second place outright. A 3-3 draw against Mapletish could have allowed Chiata to gain points back on the upstart, but Chiata similarly suffered a setback in a 2-2 draw against Eshan. Despite their three-goal performance, Hasznia would only score one more goal for the rest of qualifying, falling to Eshan 1-0 in an almost complete reversal from their previous high-scoring fixture, then surrendering three goals to Saintland while failing to respond. The one goal, however, was perhaps the biggest of all of qualifying, as it gave Hasznia a 1-0 win over Chiata to send them to the playoff.

West Angola pulled off two stunning upsets in their first two matches, defeating Osarius and Falatulu in turn to vault into first place in the group. They finished the first leg undefeated, but suffered two disappointing draws on the road to Herendon (0-0) and Legalese (1-1) to leave them second at the break. Going into the second leg, any hopes for grabbing momentum out of the gate were dashed when they suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Herendon in the opener. Having just suffered their first loss of qualifying, West Angola's prospects were slim, with an away fixture against Osarius looming. Jan Pawel's side proved its tenacity, however, defeating the top seed 2-0 again, and followed the win up with a second victory over Falatulu 2-1 to give them twelve points from the first two seeds in the group and recapture momentum into the home stretch.

Essentially needing to win out to take first in the group, West Angola easily dispatched Tobiasia (3-1) and Legalese (4-2) to set up a winner-take-all finale against Frenline Delpa. While the match would likely determine first and second place in the group, Osarius remained in contention, lurking three points behind the two leaders with a chance to steal second from the loser on goal differential. When the final whistle sounded in Bloodbenderopolis, however, both Osarius and West Angola were left disappointed as the Anacondas emerged victorious 1-0 to claim first, putting West Angola into second and relegating Osarius to third by four goals despite their win over Tobiasia.

Keys to the Match:
Hasznia can score a lot, as they showed against Eshan and Mapletish, but the eight goals they scored between those two matches represent over half of their total from qualifying. The “feast-or-famine” nature of the attack could determine which team wins this playoff. However, Hasznia also demonstrated their ability to win close, low-scoring matches, grinding out 1-0 wins on three occasions. Forward Andrew Hawkins, who scored five of Hasznia’s fifteen goals, will be critical, as will the stability of the midfield. The middle of the Hasznian formation has been subject to much experimentation and a rotating cast of personnel throughout the tournament, and if they can key on the right mix and control the transitional game their road to World Cup 75 will be much easier.

For West Angola, pulling ahead early and holding the lead will be key. Peter Simmons scored ten goals in twelve matches during qualifying, and the Namibe United striker will be crucial to generating pressure against Hasznia. Paul Ramirez, who signed with Youngstown last week after a solid season with U-21 East Central, has been a breakout star for the national team with seven goals and will also play a large role in the attack. Jeremy Thomas has had a couple bad matches, allowing some costly goals in key situations, but overall has been a solid keeper and if he can show the skills that shut out Osarius twice the attack can push forward confident of protection at the back. With twenty-five goals in qualifying, West Angola will be looking to open the match up and force Hasznia onto the defensive early, but will need to be wary of allowing a deep run on the counterattack, something that they have been vulnerable to in the past.

Our Prediction: West Angola 2-1 Hasznia (1-1; 1-0)

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Part One|Part Two|Part Three|Part Four|Part Five|Part Six|Part Seven|Part Eight|Part Nine|Part Ten|Part Eleven|Part Twelve

Part Thirteen: Election Day, Part II
The 8:30 poll closings were just moments away, and the anticipation in the living room was heavy and thick. Preszek had crept a little closer to Silva as more results came in from the central provinces, and Cesia had pulled a little further away from Theresa Correia. Only two provinces would begin reporting results at 8:30, and one of them, Malanje, was populated almost entirely by soldiers and Bantus. The Bantus in Malanje included the separatist faction led by Arel, and while the majority of the tribe opposed the terrorists, those who had covertly or overtly aided the Augustine regime had a vested interest in Michael Eriksson bringing his reconciliation plan into reality. As a result, Malanje was Eriksson’s only strong province, and with Silva commanding the military vote it was being contested by those two only. The other province, however, was Bié, where Cesia was expected to run closely with Silva and potentially even take first in the province away.

Emily and Morris were still standing behind the couch, Matthew Whalen having drifted away, and were now engaged in a sharp disagreement over whether Millian or Correia would make it past the second ballot. Emily was insistent that Millian would gain enough votes in the first round to offset Correia’s gains in the second round when Eriksson’s voters latched onto the budget hawk as their standard-bearer. Morris, on the other hand, was grimly predicting that the former political prisoner would overtake their friend and slip into the third round herself. “It’s a ridiculous thought, Robert,” Emily was saying, “there’s not a single poll that’s had Correia ahead of Cesia when they take Eriksson out of the equation!”

“But she’s only ever led by two or three points, and you’re assuming she does as well as she’s been polling. Look at the numbers coming out of Huambo, the polls have been putting her between twenty-five and thirty percent, but right now she’s only pulling twenty-one. If she keeps underperforming there’s no way she’ll make the third ballot.” Morris sighed, “Perhaps it’s for the better. If Cesia goes out early it’ll swing more votes to Silva and hopefully help him beat out Preszek.”

Emily covered her reaction with a cough, not wanting to get into the overarching Preszek-Silva debate or reveal to Morris who she’d listed as her second choice under Millian. She was saved from having to respond by the television as WANN’s “MAJOR UPDATE” graphic splashed across the screen once more. The two ministers joined the other attendees in pressing closer to better hear David Foster’s words: “The polls have just closed in Malanje and Bié, and we’ll be getting results from those provinces very soon. Michael Eriksson is expected to claim a narrow first-ballot victory over General Robert Silva in Malanje, but with so much of the population either having fled to escape the fighting or currently being unable to vote by virtue of being behind hostile lines a win there will not mean much in the overall vote share. In Bié, Cesia Millian is expected to perform well, perhaps even taking the lead from General Silva, but she is polling lower than expected in the central provinces, so it will remain to be seen whether she will perform up to expectations.”

Grace Ball looked off-screen briefly, “We have our first numbers from Bié and Malanje, and updates from the central provinces and Cuando Cubango. Let’s get those up on the screen and update the map so we can see where we stand:

8:30 PM

Silva........40% (1,138,523)
Preszek......33%   (939,282)
Millian......16%   (455,409)
Correia.......6%   (170,779)
Eriksson......5%   (142,315)

“As you can see, General Silva has taken a surprising early lead over Mr. Preszek in Uige, but his national lead has narrowed slightly, so we expect that area to stay close as the night goes on. Silva has also grabbed the early lead over Cesia Millian in Bié, but trails by about two percent in Malanje to Michael Eriksson.”

“That’s right Grace. The Eriksson campaign has a team of lawyers standing by in Malanje should they perform worse than expected in that province. With so many areas under martial law they’re afraid that Bantus wishing to vote for Eriksson may be intimidated into voting for Silva or another candidate to avoid the appearance of sympathizing with Arel. I think that’s a legitimate concern, even though Eriksson is expected to come away with less than five percent. What’s your opinion, Grace?”

“I agree, David, but voting irregularities only become a factor if Eriksson finishes close to one of the other candidates. He’s expected to go out on the first ballot by a wide margin, and with fewer than a hundred thousand people in Malanje now it probably won’t have any significant bearing on his vote share.” The two pundits continued to discuss and analyze, but with the update concluded the occupants of Morris’ living room returned to their own conversations. Emily and Morris were joined by another member of the government, Transportation Minister John Helms. “It looks as though it’s going to be close, and I can’t say it looks good for dear Cesia.”

“She’s put up a solid effort,” Morris countered, “and we all know the best candidate rarely comes out on top. I was just saying that if she goes out before Correia it will only help Silva beat our Preszek. Emily here thinks Cesia’s going to make it onto the third ballot, though.”

Emily was glad of the chance to steer the conversation away from second choices, “I think her numbers are going to come back up. She’s got a lot of support in the southwest and Correia’s underperforming even worse than Cesia is right now. Just watch and see, she’ll start pulling away from Correia as the polls keep closing on the west coast.”

The argument over how well the third- and fourth-place candidates would perform dragged on for another half hour. The polls along the west coast, the remainder of West Angola’s provinces, would close at nine o’clock, and within thirty minutes the computerized voting machines would tabulate the results and conclude the first ballot. After that, things would become interesting, as Theresa Correia was expected to pick up a sizeable vote share from Michael Eriksson’s released supporters, and whether it would be enough to run down Cesia Millian and reach the third ballot would have far-reaching implications for the top two candidates. If Millian was eliminated first, Robert Silva would pick up a large swath of votes and quite possibly vault into a majority, ending the election then and there. Should Millian survive, however, the decision Correia’s voters made between the more fiscally conservative candidate (Silva) or the one their candidate has asked to list second (Preszek) would determine the outcome. Preszek needed to pick up enough of their votes to balance out Silva’s pickup from Millian after she was eliminated, and string together enough Millian voters like Emily to come out ahead.

At last, the clock struck nine, and WANN cut away from the crowd at Robert Silva’s campaign headquarters back to the main studio. Foster and Ball were now standing in front of the map, and the room fell silent as Foster began speaking, “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re just seconds away from the polls closing on the west coast, which means in just about thirty minutes we’ll know who leads after the first ballot. Karol Preszek has continued to narrow the gap between him and Robert Silva as the night has gone on, and with his strength along the coast I’m expecting him to come out ahead in the first round, as we predicted. What do you think, Grace?”

“I think you’re right, David, Preszek will most likely lead after the west coast votes come in, but the real story right now is what’s happening down the ballot. Cesia Millian and Theresa Correia are fighting for third place and, presumably, a spot on the third ballot, and while Millian has led comfortably for most of the night we have seen a little bit of narrowing over the last twenty minutes or so. Add to that Correia’s support on the west coast where she is expected to finish second in several provinces and you have a very close race for third once our final numbers start coming in.”

“Thank you for that insight, Grace. Now I know you’re all eager to see the new results and we’ll have those for you in just a moment, but first I want to take a look back at Malanje, we’re seeing some very interesting developments out there.” The map zoomed in on the eastern province, still colored orange for Michael Eriksson, and the vote totals for the province appeared next to it, “As you can see, Cesia Millian is performing far better than we projected among the military voters here. It’s not enough to get her past Silva for second, but it’s helping Eriksson run away with the province, and if this is indicative of higher-than-expected support for Millian among the military then that’s huge, because of the large military population in Luanda helping with the rebuilding effort there, and in Benguela, neither of which she was expected to do well in. These numbers are very good news for Millian’s people, and exactly what Correia’s and Silva’s supporters don’t want to see.”

The map zoomed back out, and Ball continued the report, “We are now receiving our first official numbers from the west coast. Let’s get these preliminary numbers on the screen. With all the votes in from Cuando Cubango and the central provinces now in, we’re getting very close to wrapping up the first ballot. Here are the latest vote totals and the updated map:

9:00 PM

Silva........35% (3,156,155)
Preszek......34% (3,065,979)
Millian......18% (1,623,165)
Correia......10%   (901,759)
Eriksson......3%   (270,528)

“As you can see, Cesia Millian has taken a surprising lead out of the gate in Namibe, but it’s very early and there remain a lot of votes left to be counted. The votes that we have so far represent just over half the total voting population, and between them Luanda and Cuanza Sul have most of the remainder, so those two areas will be critical to watch as we move towards the end of the ballot. Preszek has almost caught Silva, and now trails by fewer than one hundred thousand votes. David, what does this mean for the two front-runners?”

“Obviously Silva would prefer to have a much larger lead, but they released a statement just minutes ago that they never expected to win the first ballot, and that their support would grow as the night moved on. When you break these numbers down, there’s actually a lot of good news for Silva. He’s still up in Uige, which was expected to go for Preszek by five points or more, and if Millian’s early lead in Namibe is indicative of a higher share for her then Preszek could very easily be in second as early as the second ballot. Additionally, if you look at our first results from Luanda, Cesia Millian is not matching her military vote totals from Malanje. It remains to be seen whether the early trends will hold as we get more numbers, but right now I’d say Silva is in a good position to win even though Preszek is closing in.”

“Thank you, David. We’ll stay right here as they count the votes from the west coast, and if all goes well we’ll have the final results from the first ballot within half an hour.”

News of Cesia’s surprising success in the capital province had sent a charge through the room. A dozen excited conversations broke out as the WANN logo faded into another commercial. “There’s not a chance Cesia wins in Namibe,” Emily observed, “but as long as she’s outrunning her polls she should beat out Correia.”

Helms nodded in agreement, but Morris sighed and looked towards the ceiling, “I fear you’re correct, Emily, and I fear for what it means for the outcome.”

“I swear, Robert, you sound more and more like a Silva supporter every time you speak!”

“I am a Silva supporter, in the end, and so are you if you look at it right. We all knew Cesia wasn’t going to win, that’s why we listed Silva as our second choice. I want her to do well, but I’m just as interested in keeping Preszek from wrecking our country as King. The man’s an idealist, and that’s not the sort of person you want in charge. The best way to keep Preszek out is to get Cesia’s voters into Silva’s column as soon as possible.”

Emily fixed her Minister of State with an icy glare, “I’m fully aware of the implications, Robert, but thank you for explaining them to me.” Morris held up his hands in a placating gesture, “You’re right, I apologize.”

Helms chimed in, “Silva can still win even if Cesia gets through to the third ballot. All that really matters is how many votes he picks up from her once she does out, because there’s no way Preszek gets over fifty percent on the strength of Correia’s people alone.” Morris still looked unconvinced, and Emily took the opportunity to excuse herself before anyone could ask her about her second choice. Spotting Morris’ wife deep in conversation with Whalen’s husband, she walked over and listened in on the two spouses’ discussion. “Silva has no plan for debt relief for those who lost their homes during the fighting,” Harold Whalen was saying, “he basically just wants to cut them loose to fend for themselves.”

Catherine Morris fired back, “You know that’s not true, Silva has stated that the current program is working well. The government has a good system in place, and he’s going to continue it as long as we can afford to.”

“That’s the problem, Catherine, you can’t stop aid to war refugees just because the government wants to fund other projects. ‘As long as we can afford to’ is a catch-all to justify leaving the poor out to dry.”

“Goodness, Harold, you sound like a Preszek-ite.”

“Maybe I am! Sometimes it seems as though he’s the only one concerned with the people who took it on the chin during the civil war. Silva wants to pour money into the defense budget so we can go crusading around the world, Correia just wants to take an axe to the whole budget, and Cesia, while she may be my friend, loves fighting a little too much for my taste.”

Emily broke in, “You voted for Preszek, Harold?”

“I did. Him first, then Correia, Cesia, and Silva fourth. I know that’s not a popular opinion in this room, Emily, but I fear for a nation led by any candidate other than him. I voted my conscience, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.”

Emily smiled, “That’s never something to be ash-” the WANN theme hushed all talk, and the trio moved closer to the television to hear better. “ELECTION ALERT” was fading away and Grace Ball was already speaking, “We’ve just received word that all the votes are in, and we have the final numbers for the first ballot going up on the screen right now:

9:30 PM: FIRST BALLOT COMPLETE

Preszek......32% (6,142,224)
Silva........27% (5,125,990)
Millian......19% (3,688,342)
Correia......17% (3,156,606)
Eriksson......5%   (862,233)

Audible gasps went up from several people on seeing how close Correia had come to taking third. It would be difficult, but if Eriksson voters broke almost universally for the budget hawk she could come out ahead of Millian on the second ballot. On the screen, Foster was breaking down the results, “A large upswing in support for Correia on the west coast, enough to substantially eat into Preszek’s vote share.”

“That’s right, David, even though Preszek took the lead away from Silva both of their vote shares declined relative to third and fourth place. Michael Eriksson, as the last-place candidate, will now be eliminated, and the vote counters will now tabulate the second choices, and we’ll have those results for you as soon as they become available. Right now, let’s break down everyone’s prospects given the first ballot’s outcome. David?”

“It’s not looking good for Preszek, Grace. He finally pulled ahead in Uige and squeaked by by two points, but his numbers were far below where he’d been polling there. He needed to be well ahead of Silva nationally and ideally above thirty-five percent after the first ballot. Unless his support from Correia’s people is way above what we’re anticipating, Silva is in excellent shape to win.”

Even from across the room, Emily could tell Morris was extremely satisfied by the results, and behind her his wife was expressing a similar sentiment, “Well, Harold, it doesn’t look good for your golden boy.”

Harold spoke the words Emily longed to say herself, “It’s not even close to over, Catherine. Don’t get overconfident.”

[Trans-Dniesters]

     PRIDNESTROVIA 2 - 2 COSUMAR
PAVLYUCHENKO (67')       WORSAW (38')
  POROSHENKO (70')       ENGSTRÖM (47')

        LONS 2 - 2 PRIDNESTROVIA
REGÊSI (17')       HARALAMPIEVA (26')
  MÊLK (85')       SEVERTNIK (60')

PRIDNESTROVIA 1 - 2 ACRONIUS
FELTZER (38')       BLACKETT (36')
                    VESPER (67')

KABOOMLANDIA 0 - 1 PRIDNESTROVIA
                   PAVLYUCHENKO (77' pen)

         SUPER-LLAMALAND 4 - 1 PRIDNESTROVIA
   CHAMBERLAIN (2', 72')       HEDERVARY (43')
PENBROOKE (16' pen, 70')

     PRIDNESTROVIA 2 - 3 NUEVO CARACAS
SHOSTAKOVICH (58')       MADURO (30')
      KARTAL (61')       GAROZZO (55')
                         JIMENEZ (80')

         COSUMAR 4 - 3 PRIDNESTROVIA
WORSAW (5', 57')       HARALAMPIEVA (16')
   NA'NONI (68')       POROSHENKO (38')
 SENTURK (90+4')       PAVLYUCHENKO (71')

         PRIDNESTROVIA 3 - 1 LONS
      POROSHENKO (22')       DÎANA (90+2')
PAVLYUCHENKO (41' pen)
    SHOSTAKOVICH (61')

        ACRONIUS 2 - 3 PRIDNESTROVIA
 SPELMEYER (10')       HARALAMPIEVA (26', 54', 58')
VESPER (69' pen)

     PRIDNESTROVIA 2 - 1 KABOOMLANDIA
PAVLYUCHENKO (19')       LAPOINTE (24')
 ZUBARENKO (90+4')

---

Living With the Loggers, Part Three

"Hello, my name is Bisera Hristova Haralampieva. I am the daughter of Hristo Asenov Haralampiev and Valentina Markovna Demyanovskaya. I was born in Rosenpfelblatz, Abanhfleft on June 14, 1994. My family fled Pridnestrovia three years before I was born because they had spoken out against Stepan Stepanenko, who had overthrown the democratically-elected government of Pridnestrovia and declared himself the new president. Since I was eight, I had played for Rosenpfelblatz City Ladies' Football Club and had even represented Abanhfleft in a handful of youth competitions in international football. I'm not going to claim that I'm the best football player out there because I'm definitely not, but I thought that I was decent enough to get a spot even on the bench of the Fleftic national team, but then along came Lilly Prescott, Addie Singh, Rachel Azul, and CeCe Jones. They were literally in a league above me, and I knew enough about myself to recognize that.

"If there were no Lilly, Addie, Rachel, and CeCe, I'd probably be representing Abanhfleft instead of Pridnestrovia, but that's not what happened. The Pridnestrovian Football Federation offered me a chance to play on the international stage, and I took it. I have no regrets, to tell you the truth. Pridnestrovia's basically recruiting the majority of their female players from Abanhfleft, and a lot of us know each other well. The star of the team, Arkadia Zubarenko, is also a Fleftic-born Pridnestrovian, along with a lot of the new players called up for the latest Copa Rushmori attempt. Marfa Kirilenko, Tanya Poroshenko, Irina Pavlyuchenko, I've had the pleasure of playing against them in the league, and it's certainly an honor to now play alongside them on the international stage.

"I liked playing for Rosenpfelblatz. Carlos Cuvimi was a good manager and gave me a lot of chances to make it into the team. But eventually, we both came to realize that if I was to really reach my potential, I couldn't do it coming off of the bench. I had to start for a team, so I prepared myself for a move away from my hometown. This was two, three years ago. All I remember is that this was the time that Arsenal de Releinthi Ladies didn't have any good wingers back then. Cuvimi and Godric Wexler had already made a verbal agreement to loan me to Arsenal with a future fee if I really impressed there when Union Rheinburg came up with a substantial offer for me. It meant a permanent move to Pridnestrovia if the club accepted it.

"At first, I was apprehensive about possibly moving to Pridnestrovia. As Fleftics, we've all heard what's supposedly going on there: outside, it appears that everything's going well, while inside, it's basically a living hellhole. The final decision eventually fell to me. Should I go for the big club, with the long history, the renowned manager, and the chance at an immediate trophy? Or should I test myself, try to be the missing piece that the small club--no offense, Union fans--that will finally carry them over the threshold? There were so many factors for and against both clubs. But I finally decided to go to Rheinburg. It was a decision that I did not take lightly. If I was going to be representing Pridnestrovia, I might as well get to know them while I'm at it.

"My experience in the Democratic People's Republic was, shall we say, very interesting. Some of the rumors about the place were true, and some of the rumors were false. They said that the football players were some of the better-treated people in the country, and that was definitely true. I got the 'special' special treatment because I was from Abanhfleft, and I guess Stepanenko wanted me to bring back good memories of the Motherland and hopefully use that to convince other Abanhfleft-born Pridnestrovians like me to make the move back to the Rodina. But the football players were barely living above their countrymen. The ruble is hyperinflated; one million rubles is barely worth the paper they're printed on. Nominally, we football players were earning the likes of thirty to forty billion rubles, but in the real world, it's not even ten thousand penenks, so the club was paying us in penenks and eventually, NS dollars. They're the only currencies really worth their lot in the country.

"But I didn't mind not earning more than I did back home. I was playing for the love of the game. What I didn't understand was why Ivan Krasnopresnensky, the manager of Union Rheinburg Women, was playing me increasingly from the bench. It was a slow transition, but it definitely happened. Rheinburg signed me to become part of the team that would finally challenge the stranglehold of Spartak, Sheriff, and CSKA on the top of the league, but as the season went on, I found myself either in unfamiliar positions on the pitch or not even actually playing at all. It was a strange feeling. Here I was, having decided to sign for a team that I thought I could help to finally challenge for a title, but then the club itself was telling me, in subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle signs, that I was not actually the missing piece that they were looking for. The only really good thing that I got out of my two years at Rheinburg was that I had learned how to play as a winger, a wingback, and an actual fullback. I started out as a striker in Rosenpfelblatz and had some experience playing on the wing there, but Rheinburg was where I really became a diversified player. But it wasn't enough to convince me to stay another season at Rheinburg, as I could literally feel myself rotting here. So I requested a transfer move.

"I could always go back to Rosenpfelblatz, or I could choose to go to Releinthi, but this time, Wexler had already signed Rachel and CeCe as his new wingers. And Carlos Cuvimi was reluctant to activate my buy-back clause, although he promised me personally that if no other clubs made a move for me before the end of the transfer window, then he would gladly bring me back in. But then I got lucky, or at least I thought I got lucky back then. There was this club in Anglatia called the Hunsen Loggers, and they were looking for a winger and a fullback if I remember correctly. I fit both positions well, although I was of course much more comfortable as a forward player. My agent and I flew out to meet with the club representatives and negotiate the deal and, while I'm not going to reveal my contract to you, all I can say is that it was to both my satisfaction and the club's, and I signed with Hunsen.

"My experience in Rheinburg has also taught me that some of my teammates could take advantage of me because I couldn't speak Russian, the lingua franca in Pridnestrovia. I could only speak Fleftic and English because, obviously, I'm Fleftic, so I had a hard time communicating with my teammates at Rheinburg, and that got me trying to learn to speak Russian. Somehow, after two years, I was a fluent enough speaker to pass as a native of Pridnestrovia. When I first arrived at Hunsen, I pretended that I couldn't speak English, along with all the other languages that the Valerians spoke, because I wanted to find out if my new teammates were going to be talking bad things about me behind my back or even in my face because I couldn't understand them, so to speak.

"I thought I was going to like my time here in Hunsen. I helped the Loggers score their opening goal of the season, and against their bitter rivals too. But, as I found out, good things never last. A few games in and the locker room has split up between socialists and monarchists. As a foreigner, they didn't expect me to take a side immediately, but they expected me to pick a side eventually. But I had no idea what's caused this fucking split between them all. Excuse my language. All I know is that I liked neither side. I don't like socialism because of what happened in Pridnestrovia and Stepanenko, and I also don't like the monarchy because Pridnestrovia was an old colony of the Russian Empire, and we all know what happened to the Russians under the Romanovs. Now, I'm not comparing the Anglatian monarch to Tsar Nicholas because I have no idea about how he goes on with his life, but I know in my heart that democracy is very, very vital in keeping a country alive and always changing.

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing. This team was willing to split up and let go of the title just because one half doesn't like what the other half believes. In Abanhfleft, this sort of thing never happens. Over there, people have learned to live with other people whose beliefs differ with theirs, but now I know that other places aren't as open-minded as Abanhfleft. I'm sorry, girls, but I have to say it: all of you are closed-minded. You're willing to let the title slip away from us just because you hate each other. And I'm the proverbial person stuck between a rock and a hard place. Recently, I've felt that I've been the only one on this team really pulling her weight. All of you have given up, and I'm literally the only one who's still going on. I could take it for a week at most, but it's been more than a week now and we just got blown out of the water by our title rivals. I felt like I have to speak up now, so I did.

"I don't know if my words have had any effects on my teammates. But at this point of the season, I don't give a damn anymore. We're off the pace by four points, and we've still got five games to go. All everyone has to do is pull together for those five games and get max points, whether by grinding them out or stealing them from our opponents' noses. If the others don't want to do that, fine. I'll do it myself if I have to. Someone needs to show these people that their way is not the only way."

Bisera replayed the video-message "rant" that she had made until she was satisfied that she got all of her points clearly across to the viewer. Bisera was a perfectionist, and she wanted her rant to get her point across to her teammates, but she was also a realist, and she knew that no matter how much she went over her video, she would always find little mistakes which she would think would make a very big impact on her intended audience when in reality, it wouldn't make any difference at all. Satisfied, but not really truly satisfied, Bisera uploaded the video for the rest of the virtual multiverse to see.

Once she had done that, Bisera took her phone, turned on her workout playlist, and jogged from her apartment to the Loggers' training ground. There, she found Britt, the daughter of the manager, working out in the gym. "Fancy seeing you here," Bisera said. "I've never seen you in the gym this early. What's up?"

"I've just been told by my father that I have to spend more time in the damn gym and be more dedicated if I wanted to become a regular starter for the team," Britt replied. Then she turned to face Bisera and said, "And you still haven't explained to us why you pretended you couldn't speak English. You said you were going to tell us later, and technically, now is 'later' from that point in time. So, explain."

Bisera felt weird taking what was basically an order from someone who was quite younger than she was, but she decided to answer anyway. She liked Britt, and she felt that the youngster deserved to know the truth. "Back when I transferred from Rosenpfelblatz to Rheinburg, I couldn't speak Russian worth a damn, and that got the local Pridnestrovian players thinking that they could say things about me without me ever understanding them. That motivated me to learn Russian, and that's why I pretended to not know how to speak English. I wanted to know if you were the kind of people who were going to take advantage of someone who doesn't know the lay of the land. I apologize if I made it hard for you to get me to understand, but I had to do it. And I'm sorry, but this still doesn't make me a monarchist, but I'm still no socialist either. Also, I made a video and posted it online. It'll probably make more sense than what I'm saying right now."

"Eh, whatever," Britt muttered with a wave of her hand. "I don't even have to go to the gym this early if only my dad finally releases Alysha."

Bisera knew Alysha as Hunsen's supposedly very talented midfielder who always ended up being injured every season. It was a miracle that Alysha had lasted as long as she had this season, and she could feel the other players just waiting for the other shoe to drop. "Well, you know what they say about motivation," she said to Britt. "Speaking of releasing players, though, is it true that you've made a transfer request?"

"Yeah, it's true," Britt said. "I'm not even gonna ask how you learned about it. You look like the kind of girl who always knows things. But yeah, I told my dad that I wanted out of Hunsen. I've been breaking my ass for years trying to break through the first team, but I simply can't keep grinding and grinding and waiting for nothing. I need a fresh start. I want to play in Upper Valeria, but Dad tells me that I might not get any offers at all."

Bisera was about to say that she could understand why Erik thought that, but she held her tongue. Britt's ego was already bruised by all the trouble and stuff going on with the club, and she didn't some foreigner to tell her what she could and couldn't do. Instead, Bisera said, "You know what, Britt? I can help you. I can help you get noticed by other clubs."

"Really?" Britt looked at Bisera with a lot of skepticism and a tiny little bit of wary expectancy. "How are you going to do that?"

"I know some people back in Abanhfleft," Bisera said. "Right now, you're not being noticed by the right people. But I can change that. I can get word to a few receptive ears, and along the way, I can help you train and become someone that they'll really pay attention to. It's the least I can do for stringing all of you along with my convincing attempt at not being able to speak English. Admit it, you were convinced."

Britt looked to deny it but eventually shook her head and said, "All right, you got me. You got me real good. But I'm not sure if I want to go to Abanhfleft."

"Sweetie, you don't have to go there if you don't want to," Bisera said. "But my offer of helping you become a better player is still open. So, do you want to become a better player?"

"Can I have some time to think?" Britt asked.

"Take all the time you need," Bisera told her. "I'll be waiting."

[Confederate Islands Of Paputu]

PAPUTU-FELINETOPIA 2-1

The line-up: Edmonton, Rigg, Matten, Potoremara, Metwak, Limton (67' Jones), Mawerta, Kawaturupuro, Bartlow (71' Lidgerwood), McKortney (84' Lusasu), Filler
Scorers: Mawerta (P) 8', McKortney 27'

[Savalen]

...and now over to our weather presenter, Keeling.

Thanks, Lara. As you can see on the overall map of the INWU behind me, the heatwave has spread across the narrow sea and towards Savalen in the north. After many fatalities in southern areas of the INWU, especially amongst the older generation, our advice to you will be to stay indoors for as long as possible during the day and only go out after six or seven pm. The front should force it's way through the usually high pressure system at this time of year and create some of the hottest weather on record.
Tomorrow, the heat should be around 36°C, which puts it into the top 100 hottest days on record since records began. The day after should see sweltering temperatures, the like of which has never been seen before, peaking at 48°C at three in the afternoon. If you have to go and do something, the government's advice is to back home by 9am, when the temperature shouldn't be higher than 33 degrees, or do it late at night. The heatwave will cause certain disruptions, for example shops will close from 10am to 10pm and work for three hours either side. On Wednesday, we should see slightly colder weather between the first heatwave and the second region of hot weather slowly moving towards us, which is when we recommend stocking up on all essentials in preparation for the second heatwave. However, i have neglected to mention that there is a flood warning for Alvdal, tha capital, as the hot weather will see the high-lying glaciers on Tronfjell melt and flow down Resia, which will probably burst its banks. All those who are potentially affected have been warned and advised on the next plan of action. This may affect the football, which has been moved to Røros Dome to make sure of no disruptions. For more information, join us on the detailed weather report later, at 21:00 or go to the website below. Back to the studio.

The door behind Sviták opened and his roommate, Sagra, and their mate, Axelsen, came in. Sviták looked over as the two took off their shoes. "How's the outside world?"

"Fucking hot, I tell you. Warmer than a sauna and I'm told it's gonna get worse. What news on the move?" Axelsen had noticed straight away that the news was switched on.

"Only just came back from the gym myself." answered the brown-haired teen who had originally been in the room. "Just had the weather, waiting for the moving news now."

The three young players, on whom the next match partly rested, were now on thhe old ragged sofa in front of the TV, drinking elderflower juice, the national drink.

"Of course, the news of today is the government's plan to move the country from its current location to another. This comes just days after constitutional law on the cultures of Savalen included in it many new ideas. Most preveilant among them is the removal of "Nordic" and the addition of "Southern end of the Western continent, which has not been named in the chanhing of continent names of the INWU and will be subsequently named after the region." Also re-added was the concept of "Steppe nomads," especially due to the footballing prowess of players such as Temuge and Sagra..." the three guys snickered "The plans include moving the country to the area mentioned above, south of Hijjma. Whilst rare in our cellular democracy, a whole nation refrendum will take place, as to the move. Whilst the question is not known yet, it is thoight that vote move has a large advantage and that vote remain, popular with the nationalists, will lose out. We will provide further details as they come.

And now onto the flood warnings i... Sviták switched off the TV and turned to the other two on his left with an excited, but confused face. The other two looked at him back.

"Imagine a Savalen team with the strength of the nomads and the samba skills?" came tge excited voice of Sagra.

---

Savalen is a relatively traffic free region (a traffic jam for more than an hour or two makes regional, if not national, news), but the regional roads are never stuck and well kept and Marv knew this one well, having lived here during his student days, and was happily going along at around 80mph (just about legal on the windy roads) when he received a call. Marv slowed down, let the car behind him pass and answered the call after putting on his blietooth headset.

"Hey Marv" came the voice on the other end of the line, the greeting which Marv returned to the medical officer of the national team, Janos. "I have a bit of good and bad news, which do you want first?"

"Good before the bad, otherwise I'll forget about it," answered the head coach, going over the mountain pass and starting back down the other side, on the road from Innfjorden to Røros.

"Ok. The qualifier has been moved to Røros from tge capital as a preempive action after flood warnings."

Marv pumped his fist and skid round the corner of the empty road out happiness. The dome was the stadium with the biggest character, the loudest fans and the closest stands. It was a tough place to go for any team, let alone during such an important match. "That's good news, now the bad?"

"Well your preparations have been in vain. We have been redrawn against Ferret Civilisation."

Marv hit the brakes hard and moved into a small space at the side of the road. "Wait what?"

"Yeah, the organisers got something wrong aftet a few problems in their home nations."

"Completely understandable, yet so fustrating. All that training gone. Any clue where we play first?

"Nope, to be revealed within 30 minutes."

"Oh ok, seems understandable. Is that all?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks for the info anyway. See you tomorrow then, all hands on!"

"Bye, don't take the stress out on the players, you know how that ended last time."

Marv put away the headset and set off at a slower pace, deep in thought. Ferret Civilisation played a different game to the previous opponents and he would have to change the team. Or would he? Could a 4-4-2 work against them. More research was needed.

[Bonesea]

.

[Chromatika]

A break, if you please, from the happenings concerning the Rainbow Revolution, though it could be argued that everything that happens that concerns Chromatika concerns the Rainbow Revolution; that is to say, that what follows is something that isn't a direct byproduct of the Shadow Writers, but still an important happenstance for the nation of Chromatika, and especially to the all-powerful Chromatik Party, which is trying to hoodwink the population into thinking that Luuk Demetriev Aart was actually a fraud who intended to live the life of a Violet when he had no right, that what will happen to Franscesca Cortes is actually justified to fit her crime of allegedly helping the Shadow Writers, and that their whims are the best for the populace, with the populace getting no say at all. Instead, let us revisit one Jordan Lawless, the columnist who was assigned the Kéirâ Andìsorì article, whether it be because the Chromatik City Courier wanted him to be sentenced to a possible career suicide or because they thought of him to be a brilliant writer; his piece on the dynamic young genius had earned him numerous accolades, and he had become the chief sports journalist for the CCC now.

Unbeknownst to the CCC, Lawless had kept in touch with Andìsorì, swearing to keep their correspondence a secret and her quotations unused in any publication unless she herself gave him the go-ahead; it had been tempting a few times to quote her reaction when it came down to the Aart and Cortes business, but he was learning to keep professional conversations and personal conversations separate. He had exceedingly become fed up with the Chromatik Party, which was telling the CCC, as well as all other media, to just sublimely go over the Anomalies' results in a very factual manner and not go into the stories of the games as they came through. "The CFF has made their side very clear. Don't condone them. Do not award them. It is your duty to report, so report, but don't waste any words when it comes to the scum," an email had read. But that went against every fiber of Jordan's being as both a human being and as a journalist. He had toed the line a few times, throwing in a detail here and there, but he wanted to say more, and he knew in his heart what he had to do.

After the 4-0 victory over Abaja, and the Flardanian draw with Anglatia that gave Chromatika the Playoff Berth in Group 20, Jordan waited the next day until the office was about to close. He was usually the last one to leave, so he waited until his boss had left the building. He put his resignation on the President's desk, locked up, and drove off to the Chromatik City International Airport. Within hours, he was on a plane, headed to Cosumar, away from Chromatika; that was when he turned on his computer and pressed the submit button that would make him into one of the greatest freelance writers in Chromatika as well as a huge target for both the Institutional Division and the Shadow Writers.

---

Official Press Release from the Chromatik Party Sponsored Papers about the Anomalies' Advancement:

A 4-0 victory over Abaja, coupled with Anglatia's draw against Flardania, sent the Anomalies to the Playoffs of World Cup Qualifying, where their opponent is to be decided. The Lions weren't able to contain the newfound Chromatik attack, and now the Anomalies will prepare for a double-legged affair with the winner advancing to the World Cup Proper to be held in Atlantian Oceania.

---

Lawless's Article

Ladies and gentlemen, there comes a moment in one's life when one must make the decision between doing the easy thing and the right thing. It is because the right thing has been chosen that this article is being written from this medium instead of the usual one with the CCC. The CCC has been left behind for a more free avenue where all of the thoughts and views can be addressed; it is possible that the Chromatik Party may try to stop you from reading my articles from this point onward. I apologize for any inconvenience that this causes you, but I simply had to free myself from writing under the vices of the Chromatik Party.

For you see, the Playoff Berth that the Anomalies have grabbed with their 4-0 win over Abaja - whose match details you should read in the Abajan website, which was excellently done - is one that means more than just football. The Chromatik National Team, under such scrutiny with the exile of Luuk Aart and the arrest of then-manager Franscesca Cortes, kicked out to train in Cosumar and only stay in our nation for a couple hours per home match - has portrayed to us, the Chromatik populace, how to resist the government's obsession with micromanagement of our lives. Our role is simply to do what we do to the best of our abilities, and not use the interference as an excuse. To give the government absolutely no fodder to try to convict us for doing nothing. When the amount of effort being put by the populace is there, the government will have no choice but to either acknowledge their mistake or to show the true face of tyranny. We must not be swayed by fear of negative retaliation, but understand that for every retaliation, there will be many others like us rising up to take our place. This is not a revolution that will be fought in wars or battlefields; our battlefield is our nation itself; the small battles are being waged every day in your office, by your school, on the bus. The National Team are being examples and role-models to be followed, and I, for one, am going to do my part.

So, what about the Playoff series with Saarbia? Well, all we know is that Saarbians have exceeded expectations immensely, even taking points off of the powerhouse of Valanora - although the Vanorians weren't fielding a full squad when they did so. That shows that they're a squad not to be taken lightly, though they aren't playing with as much momentum nor as much purpose as the Chromatik team. Saarbia is the higher ranked team for this affair, so the Chromatiks will play host first and hope to take a lead into the second leg to be held in a few days.

From now on, I will be keeping an eye on the CNT, and updating you with true news, not the state-sponsored-censored crap.

You have my word.

P.S.: KA - I hope you're proud. This is for you as much as it's for me. JL

[COCANEFA]

CUT OFF

[Nassau-Hessen]

Even Blind Dogs...
After an Impressive Bout, the Eagles Fall Short on Vital Points Against Cruenatia, New Gazi

Nassau 2–3 Cruenatia


Heartbreak. That is the best way to describe the final match day of the 75th World Cup Qualifiers for Nassau. With Matthewsiania halted with a bye and either Ethane or the Imperials demoted to one point in their upcoming matchup, all looked set up for the Eagles to reach their runner-up objective. In fact, if taking the later Red Kites victory into account, the Eagles would have WON Group Ten and hence automatically qualified to their first ever World Cup. But Hessian prayers were coldly turned away. Cruenatia, a team that had lost points to ALL OTHER TEAMS in the group, managed to deny Nassau twice, both in the most shocking fashion.

The Pavilion was alive with anticipation of Nassau's first ever World Cup clinching. The gigantic stadium was fraught with flares and scarves alike. Many in attendance thought that the Wolf Pack didn't stand a chance. Justin Jones would fall just like all the other team captains fell to at least a draw when facing the Blue and Gold. The whistle sounded, and all bets were then off. Nassau got to business and put a chokehold on the Wolf Pack defense. For the first ten, Chavez, Splender, and the mysterious Allard were fairly inactive. All present thought that there would surely be a rewarding goal from the initial efforts, but the weak Cruenatian defense somehow managed to fend off the Avian onslaught. James Smith and Michael D. Luis especially managed to provide key foot blocks to potential crosses and shots on goal. The game trudged on after a few failed attempts on each side. Then, out of nowhere, in the 23rd minute, Rene Allard was able to receive a long cross from Lucas Drakston and head it in. Pure shock reverberated throughout Arima. Many were in a state of disbelief; it was so uncharacteristic of Malloch to let those shots in. Up there with Ethane's Joe Henderson, Corbadoch had let in less goals than games played, and clean sheets were prosperous (especially considering that prior to that goal he had not let in a goal for more than 250 minutes). Nevertheless, it happened, and the advantage went to Cruenatia. The Hessen desperately tried to come back before the shock would morph into despair. The mental advantage had to be regained. But once again, the Nassauite offense simply wasn't able to establish goals that they had easily scored against a similarly low-ranked Afrikaners/Boers national team. When nothing materialized, the match once again reverted to a stage of small, unsuccessful see-saw offensive possessions. In the 33rd minute Olo Burrows, who had been playing spectacularly all tournament long, was able to lob a forward pass to breakout performer Crassus Moordown, but it was quickly called offside. Should Crassus have been a half of a step farther back, it may have been an easy goal. Soon after, the Wolf Pack suddenly broke into a lightning fast offensive rush. At the 35th minute, Rene Allard was once again able to touch the twine, putting the Pack in front two to nil. By then, the Eagles were not merely playing at the low level they did at the Pit in Sapinta, they were playing even worse than then. The Hessen, now truly desperate, attempted to respond with a deficit cutter, but for the third time Louie Davidson's line was able to deprive the Eagles of any success to their attempts. The Eagles went into the dressing rooms both shocked and demoralized that this was happening again. The consequences of repeating a loss, however, were much more dire than the previous meeting with the wolves.

The sun started to shine at the beginning of the second half. Some naive optimists believed that the change in weather perhaps signaled a nascent to international Hessian football greatness. Whether they were right or wrong, the Nassauite squad after poorly initiating the second half by ironically conceding possessions at the midfield awoke from their mediocre performance. All it took was a turnover win by Odovach Faircotton to ignite a famous Hessian counterattack. In the 58th minute, less than a hundred seconds from the Faircotton turnover, Marma-Madoc scored on bouncing a ball that found its way through a crowd in the goalkeepers box. Two more goals to qualify for the World Cup remained, and there was just over a half of an hour left in time. At this point, nails of spectators started to lessen. Cruenatia, looking to pull another upset, would not let go of its lead. On the other end, the Nassau Eagles had just gained momentum against the seemingly impenetrable Wolf Pack for the first time in the Qualifiers. For the next twenty minutes, everything turned into a blur of action. Charges occurred on each end. Two yellows were shown to each team. A fight nearly broke out. Flares were ignited. Diving saves kept the score stationary. A corner kick from Blaise Tworidge was mere spaces away from passing clean past Davidson and into the net. Freddie Chavez was a half second away from a clear breakaway against Malloch until Merima Rumble barely broke it up at the last second. But everything really went crazy at the 81st minute. Deep in the Wolfpack territory, Longo Tolk passed a centering shot to Blaise Tworidge slightly off target. No matter for Blaise, because he blazed the ball via bicycle-kick into the netting despite the imprecise pass. The audience erupted in anticipation of a heroic ending that many started to sense. One goal remained between the Hessen and the 75th World Cup. As the clock slowly tread through the final decade of minutes, the Hessen burst into overdrive. The offensive onslaught was unlike anything the nation had seen from their usually conservative playing home team. The chances got closer and closer to achieving the climactic winner. Final substitutions were made by each team in the penultimate struggle of Group Ten qualifiers. With five minutes remaining until Stoppage Time, Ringo Howellbottle sailed a floater just a few feet above the crossbar. At the 87th minute Holman Brownlock ripped one into the player fray at the Penalty Kick dot, but it deflected backward. Finally, two minutes into the four minutes of stoppage time, the Hessen were awarded a Free Kick in their attacking half. Corbadoch Malloch was called into the offensive zone to assist in the final push. Tworidge lined up as a chorus of Hessenlied reverberated throughout the crowd. This was the moment Blaise had been waiting for his entire life. The air was cuttable. Sweat turned to bullets. His heart: a heavy pendulum. The kick was...right into the line of footballers. The deflection...to Cruenatian Rene Allard. Allard promptly lobbed a kick back to the abandoned Nassauite defending half. The ball's bounces toward the net was synchronized with the heart drops of millions of Hessians. Once it passed the bright chalk line and hit the white netting, it was all over. Succumbing to Wolves in a Pit and losing a grip on the lead in the standings is much more preferable than to losing a historic World Cup berth in your own hometown.

Everything seemed perfect about the day coming in. It was supposed to be an easy revenge win against a far inferior team (90 ranks back, in fact) at home. It would have been victory that would put a bizarre campaign that included splitting against New Gazi, the Holy Empire, and Ethane to rest in a convincing way. It was like a final stride in a lengthy footrace. Unfortunately for the Hessen, they tripped and fell at the closing seconds. History would have been made, but instead, the squad fell just short of it. Instead of climbing to new heights, the Hessen barely fell. But the cutoff was comparable to a cliff. The Gazilian and Ethanian resilience and pluck was admirable, but the fall to the Wolf Pack was atrocious. The only vine in sight that could mitigate the Nassauite fall from grace would be a run in the Cup of Harmony. Even the prospect of Nassauite qualification is somewhat skeptical, however. The spirit of Nassauite football is broken, to say it bluntly, at least for a few more days.


----------

Match-Day #: v./@ NATION...Away Stadium (Score)
MD1: Bye One
MD2: v. New Gazi Ravens (T 1-1)
MD3: @ Holy Empire Imperials...Imperial Hippodrome (W 1-0)
MD4: v. Matthewsiania Mighty Figs (W 1-0)
MD5: @ Ethane Red Kites...King Edward IV Stadium (T 2-2)
MD6: v. Afrikaners/Boers (W 2-0)
MD7: @ Cruenatia Wolf Pack...Sapinta National Arena (L 0-2)
Break: Rest Day
MD8: Bye Two
MD9: @ New Gazi Ravens...Trouete (T 1-1)
MD10: v. Holy Empire Imperials (L 0-1)
MD11: @ Matthewsiania Mighty Figs...Estádio Nacional Rei Mateus (W 3-1)
MD12: v. Ethane Red Kites (T 0-0)
MD13: @ Afrikaners/Boers...Cape Town (W 2-0)
MD14: v. Cruenatia Wolf Pack (L 2-3)
ET: Potential Upcoming Tournament

[Jeruselem]

Jeruselem coach James Troisi and a tearful Princess Elsa after a 3-2 loss to Brenecia

Elsa: OMG, we're gonna **** up our playoff
James: We have the 2nd leg, we can still win this one
Elsa: We can't play like we played today
James: We didn't play that badly, they just outplayed us
Elsa: What went wrong
James: We have the home game next, we can win that. OK, we have to win that.

Elsa: But we play crap at home
James: It's not like we lost 5-0. We can recover
Elsa: I guess we can
James: The best way to learn is to fail, just don't fail constantly
Elsa: i don't want to wait another 4 years to make the finals
James: Neither do I, I might not even be there

Elsa: I guess I'm young, I have time
James: Look it's not your fault we lost, we lost as a team
Elsa: Are you scared you'll lose your job?
James: No, I'm getting old. All this travel is getting too hard to do
Elsa: You're not that old
James: Some people are tougher than others, I'm not that tough

Elsa: Do you think we need another man to be the coach?
James: No, look at Brenecia. They don't need one either.
Elsa: You know in the past, managers didn't need an assistant.
James: That's when everything was simpler and the cup was a bit smaller.
Elsa: I guess with these hundreds of nations around, it does get complicated
James: I'm not very good at managing my own travel as it is

Elsa: Hey, would you pick my brother in the World Cup team?
James: He's a very good player and potentally a game winner.
Elsa: So why not
James: He's got more red cards than bull fighter. He's too rough and undisciplined.
Elsa: I thought I was bad
James: You have regard for rules, I can't have someone who always gets sent off.

Elsa: He's also a bit lazy ... like his dad
James: You're OTT but I prefer that to lazy people
Elsa: That's my job, to be OTT.
James: You do that very well
Elsa: We have a reputation to uphold
James: We don't need distractions from our real work

Elsa: No, I distract everyone from the teams failings.
James: I guess that works. I don't know how you keep balance with those boobs on a small body.
Elsa: We maybe small, but we're not weaklings.
James: It just looks out of proportion
Elsa: How is one supposed feed the baby, we don't like fake chemical crap milk powder.
James: It's a bit distracting

[West Angola]

NAMIBE CHRONICLE

ONE MATCH AWAY


Sophia Valdez sealed the win with a late goal for West Angola

HASZNIA- Who needs momentum? West Angola overcame Hasznia 4-2 last night in the opening leg of the World Cup 75 qualification playoff on the strength of two goals by Peter Simmons, one by Paul Ramirez, and an absolutely critical strike off a free kick by Sophia Valdez. Valdez’s goal in the 83rd minute stopped a Hasznian rally in its tracks and gave West Angola a two- or three-goal cushion heading into the second leg in Namibe later this week. West Angola and Hasznia concluded their respective qualifying campaigns in nearly opposite ways, Hasznia upsetting Chiata 1-0 to vault past the favorites into second place in their group as West Angola fell to Frenline Delpha 1-0 in a hard-fought match that resulted in them being relegated to second.

With the disappointment of their heartbreaking loss to the Anacondas still fresh on the minds of Jan Pawel’s players, many expected West Angola to fade away quietly in the playoff, especially with Hasznia carrying that oft-cited momentum after upending Chiata. Instead of folding, however, West Angola looked strong, poised, and confident, going toe-to-toe with the hosts to provide the fans with ninety minutes of excellent football. Paul Ramirez scored the first goal of the opening half in the 27th minute, heading home a cross from Nathan Gonzalez past a diving Christopher Scott to put the visitors up 1-0. Peter Simmons would extend the lead fifteen minutes later with a powerful strike from the top of the box. Hasznia had been threatening for several minutes when Elsa Scott won the ball from Alex Hawkins and sent a looping pass onto the Captain, who worked the ball up along with Ramirez and Gonzalez on the counterattack. Hasznia found themselves critically short at the back, and the two midfielders recognized this, splitting wider and wider as they ran down the pitch to force the defense to open up and leave Simmons with an open lane in the middle. The Namibe United striker took advantage of the space, blasting his eleventh goal into the bottom right corner of the net to give West Angola a 2-0 lead.

That scoreline would hold through until halftime, but despite the lead no one in the stadium believed the match was anything but up for grabs. Hasznia had kept up excellent pressure throughout the first half and had had multiple excellent chances kept out by a combination of excellent defense and simple luck. EPSN commentator Alan Harrison observed, “This could just as easily be 2-0 the other way. West Angola cannot come out for the second half and play like it’s already won. This is dangerous and skilled opposition, and they can very easily flip this match on its head in the second half.” Jan Pawel voiced a similar sentiment as he headed into the locker room, “We’ve fought hard for forty-five minutes, and so have they. This match isn’t anywhere close to over and we need to come out and match them step-for-step in the second half.”

The level of play in the first half suggested that the second would be exciting, and indeed it was, as four goals were scored in the final twenty minutes. At first, neither side seemed as though they would be able to advance the ball into the opposing zone, as the first ten minutes were played almost entirely in the middle of the pitch. When the ball finally broke out, however, it was not West Angola controlling it, and Hasznia once again advanced menacingly towards the visitors’ goal. Ed Miller’s header was narrowly tipped over the bar by Jeremy Thomas, saving a goal, and the keeper snatched the ensuing corner out of the air to temporarily dispel the danger. Hasznia wasn’t finished yet, however, and they were soon threatening again with a free kick from just twenty-five yards out. West Angola was saved by Wesley Reynolds’ head on the set piece, as the defender’s leap carried his face directly into the path of the ball, and William Craig booted it clear once again.

Having survived several very close calls, West Angola went on the attack, forcing Hasznia onto their back foot and nearly scoring a third goal. Peter Simmons, Abraham Taylor, and Paul Ramirez all took shots during the five-minute stretch, but all three were stopped by the hosts’ solid defense. Eric Rogers demonstrated extreme skill and command in the box, knocking away every ball that came near him to keep his side in contention. It wasn’t until the 70th minute that the Gold-and-Blue finally found the back of the net. Peter Simmons seemingly iced the win for West Angola as he slid forward to chip Paul Ramirez’s cross over the body of a hard-charging Scott. Hasznia absolutely refused to go away, however, and responded with an intense, physical attack right out of the gate, pounding away at the West Angolan defense until Alex Hawkins scored his side’s first goal of the match three minutes after Simmons’ goal. Hasznia proceeded to pull within one in the 78th minute as Ed Miller curved his shot past Jeremy Thomas’ outstretched arms to make it 3-2.

At home, having scored twice in quick succession, Hasznia had all the momentum, and West Angola appeared cowed as they gave the ball away once more on the ensuing possession. Smelling blood, the hosts pressed forward looking for the equalizer, and Alex Hawkins was very nearly the hero, seizing the ball off the deflection and putting it in, only to be denied by the resolute flag of the linesman. As they have so many times before in this tournament, West Angola woke up their attack after the narrow escape and pushed ahead. Abraham Taylor won a free kick just outside the eighteen-yard box, and Sophia Valdez came forward to take the all-important set piece for her side. The shot was a masterpiece, rising over the wall and dipping just enough to take it below the crossbar and above Scott’s glove to put West Angola ahead 4-2 and arrest the rising Hasznian tide.

With the win, West Angola comes home to Namibe for the second leg of the playoff on Friday. The result means that the national side can lose by three goals and still advance as long as Hasznia doesn’t score more than four. The match will kick off at 7:00 PM local time in Warren Memorial Stadium, and those seeking tickets are advised to contact the Sporting Ministry Ticket Office, which can be reached by phone at 22-81-1995 or online at http://www.football.wa/national/tickets.

West Angola (120) vs. Hasznia (255)   
Paul Ramirez 27'  1-0
Peter Simmons 42' 2-0
Peter Simmons 70' 3-0
                  3-1 73' Alex Hawkins
                  3-2 78' Ed Miller
Sophia Valdez 83' 4-2                 
Yellow: Craig 22'     37' Diaz
                      62' McAdams
Red:    None

First Leg Playoff Scores:
Pridnestrovia 4–4 Damukuni
Bonesea 1–0 Gregoryisgodistan
Ficiscia 1–2 United States of Devonta
Hasznia 2–4 West Angola
Starblaydia 1–3 Valladares
Electrum 1–0 Omerica
Brenecia 3–2 Jeruselem
Chromatika 1–0 Sarrbia
Ethane 2–1 Banguela
Ferret Civilisation 3–3 Savalen

---

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

---

Part One|Part Two|Part Three|Part Four|Part Five|Part Six|Part Seven|Part Eight|Part Nine|Part Ten|Part Eleven|Part Twelve|Part Thirteen

Part Fourteen: Election Day, Part III
The counting for the second ballot wouldn’t take long, with only five percent of the national total to re-tabulate. In the meantime, WANN had cut away to Kuito, the capital of Bié and not far from the Malanje front, where Michael Eriksson was giving his concession speech. Emily hadn’t intended to pay attention, but as usual the sheer volume of offensive bile that spewed from the far-right candidate sucked her in. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Morris and the others around him edging closer to the television, and surmised he was having the same effect on them. Eriksson hadn’t been speaking long, a testament to the level of his vitriol, and was just wrapping up his introduction.

“…So I just wanted to thank you all for standing with me the past several months as we carried the banner of freedom forward in this great crusade. This is not the crusade of our so-called Prime Minister, who spent fifteen years pursuing an illegitimate war of conquest against the rightful government of West Angola. No, rather it is a crusade on behalf of that true government, and not far from here its loyal servants carry on a determined war of arms alongside my war of ideas. Those determined freedom fighters are fighting against incredible odds, and I saw my campaign as an opportunity to stand with them and do my part to help them achieve their goals. Now I am sad to say that my part in the fight is over, but that is no reason to lose hope. Even from prison our true King August II still commands more respect than any of the weak and ineffectual candidates who remain on the ballot, and I have repeatedly urged my loyal voters to list their choices in order of those who will best aid my King in his return to the throne.”

Ironically, much of what Eriksson was saying would have been construed as treason under the Augustine regime, and Emily heard Harold Whalen mutter something to that effect next to her.

Blissfully ignoring the implications of his words, Eriksson rolled on. “But even should such a candidate emerge victorious, we cannot be satisfied settling for second choices! No, instead we should tirelessly campaign against this cabal of thieves and murderers in Namibe that have imprisoned the greatest leader West Angola has ever had and continue to deny his vision and strength from making West Angola strong. While I have refused to take up a weapon, I cannot fault or condemn those who feel they have no choice but to pursue their freedom through force of arms.”

The Augustine was stopping just a hair short of encouraging violence, which would have run him afoul of the law, as West Angola’s liberal free speech laws allowed everything short of that, including outright advocating rebellion. At last, Eriksson wrapped up, “My time in this fight is over, but the war goes on in Malanje and across West Angola. With those such as you on our side, we will not rest until we have brought down the tyrants in Namibe and restored a strong, true government to West Angola!” The defiant crowd erupted into chants of “Free the King!” and “Down with Parrish!” as WANN, their legal obligation fulfilled, quickly cut away to the studio. David Foster and Grace Ball, now joined by Evening News Anchor Dean Lawson and former Uige Provincial Speaker Jane Watkins, were a welcome sight after listening to such a speech, and they evidently knew it, as Foster opened with, “Welcome back, those of you who watched and those who found another channel to tune into there for a little while. We’ve received word that the second ballot results are very nearly tabulated, and we’ll be getting those in to you very soon. In the little bit of time we have, let’s go around the table and get everyone’s predictions for how this is going to shake out on the second ballot. Dean?”

“Eriksson’s voters are going to head straight for Correia, I think. She’s the farthest right of all the candidates, even though she was a prisoner under August, and that’s the closest thing to Michael Eriksson they’ve got left.”

Ball spoke next, “I’m not so sure they’re just going for ideology, Dean. Karol Preszek, even though he’s opposed to Eriksson on every front, is the most conciliatory towards the former Augustines, so if that’s what you’re looking for as a voter I think he’s going to be the second choice for a lot of them. He won’t get all, certainly, but I think he’ll steal enough from Correia to keep her below Cesia Millian.”

Watkins went after Ball, “Interesting theory, Grace, but Eriksson voters aren’t going to go for Silva or Millian since they’ve been so vehemently in favor of expanding the number of prosecutions for Augustines, so the only way Millian holds on is if Preszek takes more than forty percent of the Eriksson vote and I just don’t see that happening. David?”

“I think all of you are underestimating the chance for Silva or Millian to pick up votes here. If you’re a right-wing voter who’s desperate for a war, your best chance at rallying your side to action is for a warhawk like Millian or an Exile military general like Silva to take power. There could be a large number of Eriksson voters who flip to one of them as a way of sabotaging the whole process.” Foster looked off screen for a moment, “Ladies and gentlemen the second ballot is now tabulated and the results are coming in.” The four pundits turned to look over their shoulders as the words “SECOND BALLOT RESULTS” flashed up on the screen before fading to reveal the updated vote shares:

9:50 PM: SECOND BALLOT COMPLETE

Preszek......35% (6,684,049) (+541,825)
Silva........27% (5,135,994)  (+10,004)
Millian......19% (3,708,349)  (+20,007)
Correia......18% (3,447,003) (+290,397)
Eriksson......0% (Eliminated)

Morris’ living room erupted into cheers as the occupants embraced, elated to see Millian reach the third ballot. As the sound faded, Foster was saying on the screen, “-ompletely wrong. Hardly any votes for Silva and Millian, indeed it looks like just over thirty thousand between them, with the rest being split between Preszek and Correia.”

Ball was clearly satisfied that her prediction had proven correct, “Preszek indeed picking up a large number of Eriksson voters, indeed it looks like a majority of them, and he expands his lead over Silva as a result. That probably hurt Correia heavily, and I’d point to that the main reason she was unable to overcome Millian.”

Watkins chimed in, “I think that’s exactly right, Grace. Correia was already down by almost half a million votes, and her only chance at catching up was if Eriksson voters broke overwhelmingly for her. That was certainly a possibility, but as we can see it just didn’t pan out for Theresa Correia, who we’re learning is now about to give her concession speech. They’ll be tabulating the third ballot for the next little while, so we’ll take you to Luanda to hear her speak and bring you back here as soon as it ends.”

Correia wasn’t anywhere nearly as outrageous as Eriksson, and Emily found her much easier to ignore as she turned back to Catherine Morris and David Whalen. Morris had deflated a tad as a result of Preszek’s lead, but remained confident as she spoke to Whalen, “If your man needs the support of fascists to win, I don’t think it bodes well for his leadership.”

The speed and tone of Whalen’s response showed how close to home the barb hit, “He didn’t solicit their support. Preszek does what he knows is right, whether that’s protecting nature, helping the poor, or not wasting government resources trying to prosecute everyone in the country who didn’t spit on August’s posters whenever they got the chance.”

Emily spoke up, “But don’t you worry he’s going too far, David? He said he doesn’t want to try anyone unless they took an active role in violating rights, which is going to be tricky to prosecute and even harder to prove. There’s a lot of people who did a lot of damage just by willingly going along with the regime, like when the Governor of Huambo took a bribe to “misplace” that grain shipment. He’s got a lot to answer for, but he’ll get away with a corruption charge under Preszek’s.”

“Corruption is what he’s guilty of. Michael Eriksson just proved that someone’s political leanings are not a crime, and if we start putting people on trial merely for being associated with August we’re no better than he was. We might as well haul Thomas Prell out of prison and put him back in charge of the court!”

“We’re nothing like them,” Morris hissed, “we fought against him for twenty years!”

Whalen pursed his lips, “If you stare too long into the abyss, it starts to look back.”

A sudden burst of cheering from the television briefly distracted all three of them, apparently Correia had said something worth applauding, because she hadn’t finished her speech yet. Emily made eye contact with Eric Saunders who mouthed “I think she thanked the crowd.” The candidate was indeed wrapping up, as she thanked her staff before saying, “My time in this race has come to an end, but the decision we all made earlier when we cast our votes now takes on even more importance. Let us now join with one voice in support for Karol Preszek, and pray that his vision for West Angola becomes a reality.” The network stayed on Correia a little longer than they had on Eriksson, far more willing to air the chanting of her supporters, and a few conversations resumed. Behind her, Morris asked Whalen, “I’ve never understood why Correia’s people are expected to go to Preszek. They’re so far apart ideologically, wouldn’t it make more sense for her to throw her people to Silva or to Cesia?”

“I don’t entirely understand it myself,” Whalen replied, “it doesn’t seem to make sense. The best explanation I’ve heard is that a significant minority of her voters are only backing her proposed budget cuts because they want other services to get funded. Since Preszek wants to fund everything, some are going to flip to him. Also whatever promises he made to win her endorsement, that may flip it for some,” he finished with a wave of his hand. “All in all, I’m happy for any support we get, regardless of the reason.”

Emily was about to chime in, but the WANN theme indicated the pundits were back, hopefully about to break down the prospects for Silva and Preszek as the race neared its conclusion. Watkins turned to Foster, “David, we’re now just two ballots away from having a winner. Cesia Millian is virtually a lock to go out when the results are refigured, but by virtue of having reached the third ballot she has secured her place in the history books and significantly boosted her national profile. Now the question becomes where will her supporters go when she comes off the ballot. Correia’s voters probably mostly go for Silva, but her endorsement for Preszek will swing a decent number his way. Millian’s going to hold the balance, which is great news for Silva in my view.”

Ball broke in, “I agree, Jane. Preszek hasn’t come nearly close enough on the first two ballots to hold off Silva’s gains from Correia’s and Millian’s voters, and I just don’t see him getting over fifty percent with what’s left on the table.”

Foster disagreed, “I’m not so sure it’s a lock. We haven’t seen the breakdowns from Correia yet, and I think both of you are underestimating the strength of her endorsement. She didn’t actually tell her people to vote for Preszek second until tonight, but she’s been tacking that way for a while now, and I think a higher percentage of her people will break for him. Is it going to be enough to put him over the top? Probably not, but until we see the third ballot results there’s no way of telling.”

Lawson weighed in at last, “That’s nonsense, David. Correia’s people are ideologically aligned with Silva, and it takes more than an endorsement to get her voters to cross the entire political spectrum to back Preszek.” The four continued debating, as did those in the living room, and the discussion drug on through the clock striking ten, and then for another twenty minutes besides. At last the WANN “ELECTION ALERT” theme brought the noise to a halt, and once again everyone crowded closer to the television. The third ballot results flashed up on the screen without even pausing for punditry:

10:20 PM: THIRD BALLOT COMPLETE

Preszek......42% (8,011,517) (+1,327,468)
Silva........36% (6,824,825) (+1,688,831)
Millian......22% (4,139,053)   (+430,704)
Correia.......0% (Eliminated)
Eriksson......0% (Eliminated)

David Whalen wheeled around, his hand flying to his forehead as he groaned in frustration while the two dozen Silva/Millian backers in the room cheered. Emily stood still and silent, not wanting to give herself away, but still caught a questioning look from Robert Morris on the other side of the room. He made his way around the couch to join his wife and filled the space formerly occupied by Whalen, who was now facing the wall leaning against the mantle, “Emily, are you feeling well?”

She nodded, “I’m alright, Robert. I’m just…nervous. I don’t know how everything will shake out in the end.” She excused herself from the group and headed for the bathroom. After splashing cold water on her face, she looked at herself in the mirror. For the last fifteen years she’d felt nothing but clarity of purpose, and now for seemingly no reason she felt as though her worldview was crumbling. “What is wrong with you,” she asked her reflection, “you’re the Iron Lady of Farreth Island, and after a couple conversations with a charity worker you’re ready to change your whole ideology?” Shaking her head, she grabbed a hand towel from the rack and dabbed at the droplets still on her face, “You’re Emily Parrish, and you voted for Cesia Millian because you agree with her. it’s as simple as that.”

There came a knocking at the door, and Emily jumped in surprise, “Yes?”

It was James Whalen, “Emily? There’s a WANN crew here, they want to get you set up to do an interview about the final ballot. Are you feeling alright?”

Emily checked her appearance to see if the water had ruined anything. Deeming herself passable, she called back, “Yes, yes, give me just a moment.” She looked back at the mirror and whispered, “You can do this. Be neutral, be gracious, be a Prime Minister.”

She emerged from the restroom far more put together than she’d gone in, and found the camera crew already setting up by the fireplace. A tech approached her with an earpiece and a makeup artist followed close behind, and Emily closed her eyes and submitted to the rapid camera prep. The interview was essentially ceremonial, she would give the answers she was expected to give to fill time while they counted votes, and the whole thing would last less than five minutes. She sat on the stool and forced herself to stare into the lights to let her eyes adjust before she appeared on television. The camera operator held up three fingers, then two, then one, then pointed at her to let her know she was on. Catherine Morris had muted the television, but she heard David Foster on her earpiece, “Madame Prime Minister, with Cesia Millian out of the race, we are down to just two candidates. Are you pulling for Robert Silva or Karol Preszek to emerge as the winner tonight?”

Emily smiled at the camera, “David, as Prime Minister, it has been my honor to oversee this election as a neutral arbiter, and I won’t take sides on this. My government and I are looking forward to working closely with whoever is elected King to serve the people of West Angola and make our nation strong, safe, and free.”

“Karol Preszek has been sharply critical of your government along with Robert Silva, labeling you both ‘partners in warfare’ and blaming you for the devastation along the west coast. Can you honestly say you’re not hoping to have a more conciliatory monarch on the throne?”

“I can, David, because I am the leader chosen by the people of West Angola to head Parliament, and the winner will be the leader chosen by the people of West Angola to hold the crown. Our working relationship goes beyond personal differences, and I know that both General Silva and Mr. Preszek hold only the best interests of West Angola at heart. However our views may differ, the future king and I are alike in that one, and I am confident that we can build West Angola for as long as it is our privilege to do so.”

Grace Ball asked the next question, “What is your response to Michael Eriksson’s concession speech, where he essentially called for your ouster by any means necessary?”

“Mr. Eriksson has a right to say whatever he wants. I watched his speech and, while I disagree vehemently with his characterization of myself and my goals, I respect his opinion and will continue working towards building a nation where everyone, whether they like me or not, can enjoy freedom, security, and opportunity for themselves and their children.”

Foster was back, excitement evident in his voice, “Madame Prime Minister, I’m sorry but we’ll need to let you go. I’m getting word that the final results have been tabulated and will be with us in just moments. Thank you for your input.”

“Thank you, David.” The camera operator gave her the all-clear and Catherine Morris immediately turned up the television, where “ELECTION ALERT” was once again fading away. As promised, the final ballot results were coming up on the screen, and what they revealed sent gasps through the room and one cry of elation:

11:00 PM: FOURTH BALLOT COMPLETE, FINAL RESULTS

Preszek......52% (9,874,091) (+1,862,574)
Silva........48% (9,101,304) (+2,276,479)
Millian.......0% (Eliminated)
Correia.......0% (Eliminated)
Eriksson......0% (Eliminated)

Emily strained to hear Grace Ball over the frantic conversation that had erupted, “-nce again the results defy expectations. Karol Preszek wins a stunning victory as Millian’s voters split almost evenly between him and Robert Silva, something no one considered within the realm of possibility. Jane, what just happened?”

“I’m at a loss to explain it, Grace. Millian voters going for Preszek in those numbers is unbelievable. The only reason I can think of—and I’m grasping at straws right now—is that Preszek’s anti-war rhetoric had a bigger effect than we thought.”

“What do you mean, Jane?”

“I mean that perhaps there were a lot of Millian voters who were feeling some ‘war guilt,’ as it were. Preszek has been very liberal with the devastation imagery from Benguela and Cuanza Sul, and if he got through to enough people who supported the war, not enough to get them to change their stance on it, but enough to make them feel guilty about the destruction it caused, then maybe they listed him as their second choice to try and assuage that guilt. I doubt anyone imagined that would make the difference, but if I’m right I’d imagine there’s a lot of Millian voters who are regretting their decision.”

Foster nodded, “It’s the only explanation I can find that makes sense, Jane, but it’s incredible the influence that guilt has had if it’s true. Let’s go now to Namibe where Robert Silva is about to officially concede, and after that we’ll take you to Benguela for Preszek’s victory speech.” As the view changed to the somber crowd at Silva’s headquarters, Robert Morris glumly flicked off the television.

“Hey! I was going to watch that!”

“Watch it on your phone, David.” Morris trod sullenly back to Emily and leaned against the couch, “Well, that was disappointing.”

Emily was struggling to muster up some anger or regret at the result, but found herself completely at peace with it, even hopeful, perhaps. Cramming those feelings down inside to examine later, she put on a mournful face, “Yes, disappointing, to be sure.”

[Hasznia]

Hasznia 2-4 West Angola

GK-Scott
RB-McAdams (out 55')
CB-Johnson
CB-Iverson
LB-Rogers E.
DM-Diaz
DM-Rogers W.
CM-Strain
CM-Pearson
FW-Miller (goal 78')
FW-Hawkins (goal 75')
Bench: Clark, Villa (in 55'), Burns, Sanders, Howard (in 45'), Clayton, Wright

The Story of the White Bay Terrier, Part Two

By 1950, the breeding stock of White Bays was in a sad state. Fortunately, demand had declined enough that breeding was brought down to normal levels, but health problems persisted in the existing stock, and outside the Kennel, bloodlines were slowly being diluted to the point that no help could be found there. In 1963, the White Dog Company assisted in a coup that overthrew the Grand Duke and installed Brianna Kingsley as President-for-Life. Grand Duke Victor II was seen with his White Bay, Frank, surrendering to his former bodyguards on the front page of the newspapers.

Following the coup, an emergency meeting was called of all licensed breeders in Hasznia. The executive council, and influential members within the Grand Ducal Kennel itself, spoke of preserving their integrity and the integrity of the breed, and at the end of the meeting, an anonymous vote was called. The result was unanimous in favor of eliminating the breed entirely rather than seeing it further degraded; existing stock was spayed and neutered, and no newborns would be certified by the Kennel. The Kennel itself existed for awhile to care for the remaining puppies and take in neutered breeding dogs that were now worthless to their owners.

White Bays remained an important part of Hasznian identity even after the studs were all neutered, as those who still had them knew their rarity and therefore their worth. “Unofficial” breeders continued to breed purebreds with purebreds to continue the lineage, but with no organization to determine pedigree and no shows to compete in, the practice died out. By 2000, it was estimated that no purebreds, pedigreed or otherwise, were left in Hasznia.

While the Kingsley Republic insisted upon keeping the White Bay as its national animal, upon the removal of Brianna Kingsley in 2010, a suggestion was made in the Assembly to change the national animal to one that wasn’t extinct. Facing legislative gridlock and needing a win to keep debate going, the ruling coalition put the matter to a vote, where it passed unanimously, then went to a referendum where after numerous runoffs, the walrus was chosen, despite there being no walruses in Hasznia, natively or otherwise.

In January 2015, the Barracha Zoo got its first mating pair of Laptevi walruses, nicknamed Sonja and Archibald, and later that same year, an interest group for a Hasznian national American football team was created, adopting the nickname the “Walruses”. The “Walruses” has also been suggested by various republican figures as an alternative to the “White Suns”, the White Sun being the heraldic symbol of the House of Diedrich and therefore a throwback to the monarchy.

[Banguela]

People tend to believe I’m a Tshemanda born-and-raised but I guess that is the kind of side-effect you get from spending nearly a decade below the same crossbar. No, actually I’m from a small town in the surrounding province, Makongé, your archetypal place with a few hundred people clustered around a church and a market place. Being the only one to come out of that place who has a bunch of foreign countries printed in his passport, let alone have his name known across the nation, tends to have its perks. You’re not allowed to pay for a drink in the bar even if you’ve got the biggest wallet, you’re supposed to ring the bell during the yearly parade and every other year, some kid from the school paper drops by to interview you when you are in town. This year’s edition was the sweetest of girls, with a tiny high voice and long braids. Oh, and with nastier questions than the average paid journalists apparently.

”Why did you ever want to become a goalkeeper,” she started in the same tone as you’ld ask someone why his career made him a butcher, a baker or a candlestick maker.
”Well, I’ve always been quite big and see my hands,” I replied as kindly as possible, ”and becau-“
”No, no,” she still smiled, ”with you being so unstable, that seems like the worst spot in the team.”

So, yeah, small towns have their advantages but that also means that even the cutest of eleven-year old girls know your track record in terms of mental health. Can’t have your cake and eat it, I guess. And for some reason, I had to think back to that moment as I saw a young player completely crash his career, wondering whether he had a neighbourhood where he would forever be known as the guy who had no clue how to stop Dewayne Boivin.

…

I never understood why they placed the manager at that position on the pitch. Everyone who owns a proper television and everybody in the stands has a better overview of the situation and can immediately pinpoint where it all starts to crumble whilst the gaffer has a flat view. The same goes for the other people on the bench where you seldom can get an actual idea of what’s going on out there. You cheer when you score, you curse when you take one in and that’s about it, normally. But tonight, even we saw that Ramon Gravalho was having a stinker.

It had been a disputed move to make the Desportivo midfielder debut in such an important match but the tactical ploy seemed to hit an interesting thought, putting a true manmarker on their most dangerous player. Ramon Gravalho had built up quite a reputation when it came to stopping playmakers, using all means from the book – including the shady ones from the appendix – to disallow such opponent to produce his game. But there was one detail left out, apparently, namely that Boivin was nothing like those regular number tens. He was an attacker who had discovered how to turn his flaws into strengths and that included a specific sense in positioning.

The result was that Ramon Gravalho looked less like an extremely muscled and dedicated football player and more like a fish that had just been scooped out of the water by a bear. He attempted to be everywhere and, as a consequence, was nowhere when he should have been. He constantly switched between zonal and man-marking, visibly oblivious on how, when or where to move. It was Bambi on ice, but then in a pathetic version instead of mildly adorable. Because Joao Ferreira is, after all, a man with a heart, he decided to release him from his suffering after 34 minutes, taking him off for Wilson Zuela but by that time, the Red Kites were already two goals up and the home crowd was going bonkers. Ramon just went to the bench, sat down and stared as if he was a fruit salesman who had been ordered to perform as a trapeze artist the last half hour. He got so few support from those around him that you’ld think he had just contracted leprosy. I wanted to tell him something comforting, just anything, but didn’t find the right words. In hindsight, I realised I hadn’t said a word because I knew it didn’t help.

…

The Greater Vakolicci Haven apparently is the place where dreams go to die. Or at least, that’s where mine went. The Olympics had been stellar up to that point with two victories so far and the second round was not as much waving to us, but rather subversively winking and nudging. It was late in the evening and I guess several people had turned off the television already, assured that they would wake up to headlines such as ‘Os Gnus sealed the deal’ or ‘No spectacle needed for group victory’. Instead, they would digest their croissants and coffee with ‘Guillerme Marques failure costs us’ slammed across the front page.

The irony of it all was that we were not actually out of the race due to my… mistake. Yeah, I still struggle a bit with finding an appropriate word to cover horrendously going under a harmless assist, grabbling for the ball like comic figures tend to do for something that’s just a little too high. My psychologist said I should put it under a specific term, an everyday word. Mistake. Everyone makes them, right?

But ok, so, we weren’t actually out of the race. Yet, Joao Ferreira had seen enough and benched me for the next encounter. It would be too easy to say that moment is to blame but it is a fact that everything went downhill from that moment on. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not his fault, it’s… The thing about goalkeeping is that you need self-assurance to deal with it. That if all is said and done, that all the pressure is on you and that everyone else is allowed to make… Mistakes. Everyone, except you.

I’m not going to say that it is easy to talk about it, or enjoyable. But I’m already glad I’m able to – if necessary against eleven-year old little girls from your street. Some tend to describe it as seeing the bottom of the pit but that makes it seem as if you choose for it, for standstill while you just stare the hopelessness in its eye whilst forgetting you can turn around to the light. For me, it rather felt like getting lost in one of those speleology complexes and the more you run, the darker it becomes around you. You know there is a way out and try to keep that faith but whilst getting lost in one of the countless alleys, nothing is assured.

But I was surrounded by the right people and found that one path to the light. It is a bit corny to say it with that many words, however, I think that they know at Tshemanda Clube how much they mean to me. During those darkest days, I spend nearly a year off the pitch but they kept me on their salary list, hoping for brighter moments to come. They came and the few million I brought in during the last transfer window should allow them to find new heights. A new summit I had found as well, standing between the sticks of Uniao Mpulo and returning to the national team, if only as sub. Things were good like that, no need for more.

Of course I had made friends during my football years that stood by me, even if they were few and far between and it was not always possible to be there, I felt their support. But the most important ones for me had been those that recalled me when I played for the school team, when I ragged through the town centre on my worn-out bike and when I would think out practical jokes that always ended up in our own faces. Who knew someone else than ‘that depressed goalie’. And that’s why I wondered if Ramon Gravalho had such a neighbourhood when he got baptised again into ‘the guy who had no clue how to stop Dewayne Boivin’. I really hoped so.

…

I have an disgust bordering hatred towards the hack’n’slash genre but somehow manage to keep myself in check when confronted with similar sceneries in real life. While fictional blood makes me turn my head, my clear head has been a digit-saving element at least once already, a scene which had a sneering side-role for a buzz saw. But when Landa Landa tried to get his hand out of his glove, the jet of red fluid preceding the last of his digits which looked as if they had gone through four rounds of fisticuffs with a sawmill, I struggled to keep my gagging reflex for myself.

It had been an innocent accident as any does happen during the warming up, a moderate cross pass from Macabanga which Landa Landa for inexplicable reasons wanted to push away across the grass at the exact moment when Bogwa set up for practising his bone-shattering shot. I was both impressed and shocked realising how calm our starting goalie remained, not yelling as if being slaughtered but coolly instructing the first aid kid what to do and how.

”Get some gloves on, Guilherme, it’s showtime.”

Vocally, Joao Ferreira, didn’t hesitate but I cannot believe that at least for half a second, the idea crossed his mind to put Fernandao between the posts. We all knew that he was the better one of our two, more gymnastic, more of a leader, more international, more… But slamming the door on us ahead of the last qualifier had put Fernandao in a difficult position and he had only been allowed to return on the conditions from the gaffer, as a third goalie, accepting his position. This was about making a stand.

I have big gloves to fill tonight. Big, soggy gloves. Better pick a fresh pair.

As explained in this RP the 4-3-2-1 was a disaster and we’re back at the regular diamond 4-4-2 with most of the regular names. On goal, however, we’ve got Guilherme Marques. Left to right, in come Fabricio Santos, Djalma Yaba, Joaquim Lebo and Ignacio Carbela, which should offer us a very attacking pair of wingbacks. Rui Vunguidica works as lock on the door in midfield, where Macabanga, Edison Joao and Amarinho have to create the build-up. Zito Miguel and Rui Mokanga are left with the task to score. The task? The obligation.

[Brenecia]

Like most Northerners, Mathis Woodgate was a straightforward man, and he set straightforward goals for himself.
For instance, he knew this to be a fact; keep a clean sheet in Jeruselem and Brenecia were in the World Cup for the first time in his short but remarkable career. Who else in this side had ever experienced that? Orson, surely, and Cathy Purrington... Scout had mentioned it. Julian or Geneva, maybe? But... no, he didn't remember either - they were late bloomers.
Woodgate was an early bloomer. A well-travelled one, at that - already taking in two permanent transfers and a loan, twice to Semarland with a strong spell as Northern Union's #1 in between before ending up in Cosumar. He knew he was good enough to play in one of the world's best teams, he just... wasn't there yet. And Mallox was treating him well, paying him more than he'd earned back home at Union. Still, the sense was that he was at a touch of a crossroads at the moment.
The nadir, of course, had been fracturing his hand on a goalpost. It really doesn't get much lower than that. And then he'd been dropped for Urquhart, then out of the squad altogether in a transparent but still effective mind-game from Raven Cullen, a woman he'd learned to trust. She'd come under fire for not immediately making a reeling national team flawless, not negotiating a victory over the best team in the group in her second game with morale still fairly low. Well, that was the press for you, and the Brenecian press in particular - they'd eat you alive if you slipped up.
They'd eaten him alive, too, of course, but he'd deserved it. Now he was in great form - four clean sheets - and was the people's champion all over again, their blue-eyed boy saving the day and creating what was, between his custodianship and Faulkner and Bradden ahead of him, a surprisingly tight defensive unit.
Beyond them, in the fullback roles, Lovelock and Szukala remained despite the latter turning a cross into her own net late last game to turn a comfortable, happy 3-1 into a nervy, unpleasant 3-2. 3-2 was finicky.
Conceding a goal early might just be a disaster. 1-0 to Jeruselem was enough to put the hosts through on away goals, but that still left the Brenecian attack plenty of time to get back in the game. No matter what happened, Woodgate was sure they'd find a way back.
They'd been close to the foot of the table for most of qualifying, after all, and still they'd made it here. What fear could ninety minutes of football hold for them?

[Trans-Dniesters]

Living With the Loggers, Part Four

“Bisera Hristova! It’s very nice to hear from you again.”

“It’s nice to hear from you too, Matt,” Bisera Haralampieva said to Matthew Cave, the former head scout of Rosenpfelblatz City and currently manager of the club’s youth sides. Cave always made an effort to know his players well, and many of said players had become close friends with the retired Rosen player.

“I always make an effort to greet my old players warmly,” Cave said. “So, what makes you call me up in the middle of lunch?”

“To be honest, Matt, I’ve been having a bit of a hard time here in Hunsen,” Bisera said.

“I’ll say you have,” Cave said. “I saw the video you made and posted just a couple of hours ago. You’re picking up a few habits from our Anglatian and Armeian friends, you are.”

“You know me, Matt. You know I have to think a lot about what I’m going to say before I say it, and it seemed like the best way for me to do it.”

“I’m not in any position to question your decision-making right now, Bisera, so I’m not going to do that. What I’m going to do is ask you why you’ve called.”

“Yeah, about that… Well, you know how things are going on in Hunsen right now. The locker room’s split into two sides, and a few of the players are looking to get a transfer away from here.”

“Yes, I’ve heard about that as well. And while I know that Rosenpfelblatz has some areas on the pitch where we need some help in the form of new players, there are no players from Hunsen that could possibly improve our squad. Except for you, of course,” Cave added with a short laugh.

“Ha-ha, Matt. Very funny,” Bisera said even though she did indeed find it a little bit funny. “But seriously, though, Matt, give some of these girls a chance. I’ll even lead you to a girl I think will do very well with Rosen. Her name is Britt Hanokssen, and she’s just handed in a transfer request to the manager, who also happens to be her father.”

“Britt Hanokssen, eh?” Cave repeated the name. “I can’t say that I’ve heard of her before you mentioned her to me. Can you tell me anything about her? Anything that could help me decide for or against her?”

“I’m afraid there isn’t much for me to tell you about her,” Bisera admitted. “She hasn’t been on the pitch that much in the first place and her dad-manager is telling her to spend even more time in the gym and be more dedicated. But she’s really trying very hard to break through to the first team. And there’s also a video of her on the Internet somewhere showing off her skills.”

“Unfortunately, Bisera, that’s not enough for me to be convinced,” Cave said with a shrug, even though he knew that there was no way that Bisera could see him. “One video can’t possibly tell me everything about one player, and you yourself told me that she doesn’t have that much playing time in the first place. As a scout, I know how videos that others have made can make even the crappiest player look good enough for someone to take a second look at them. I just don’t know enough about her to make the decision.”

“Just listen to me, Matt,” Bisera said. “I promised her that I would get her noticed by the right people, and she’s already going through having unfriended her best friend and being told by her own father that she’s not good enough. Also, I’m helping her become a better player than she is right now, because I can see something in Britt that makes me believe that she can grow to be a great player.”

“Look, Bisera, I don’t want to burst your bubble,” Cave said, “but you don’t have the eye of a good scout yet. You’re young, so you probably think that you can see something in someone else that others can’t. Maybe when you’re older, you’ll finally get the real scout’s eye, but right now, I’m afraid you might be very, very mistaken about your new friend.”

“Please, Matt, just give her a chance,” Bisera almost pleaded. “You gave Alex Rousseau and that Tumbran boy a chance, didn’t you?”

“Those are different cases,” Cave replied evenly. “Alex and Oliver have already proven themselves when we picked them up. What has your Britt proven? Nothing, that’s what.” Alex Rousseau, now one of the most prolific strikers in the Fleftic Ladies’ Premier League and a regular fixture in Abanhfleft’s women’s national football team, had once been an unknown player who had played for Riuwiee State University’s varsity football team for extra credit. And Oliver Ganson, the “Tumbran boy” whom Bisera had referred to earlier, had once plied his trade in the fourth level of the Tumbran league pyramid before his impressive showing in the Di Bradini Cup convinced Rosenpfelblatz to sign him for the future.

“And wasn’t Tristan Lee once considered to be so average as to be unremarkable?” Bisera added. Tristan Lee was a striker currently playing for Admiral Porcusces who once languished in the lower leagues of Abanhfleft before going up to the Fleftic Premier League and eventually scoring a club record of 24 goals to lead the Admirals to their highest ever finish in the Premier League, fourth place. This performance of his had led to his inclusion into the national team for the World Cup qualifiers.

“Tristan Lee is a different case altogether also,” Cave said. “He’s a slow burner; he didn’t get his record scoring season until he was 29! Can we afford to wait that long for Britt Hanokssen to become world class?”

“Please, Matt…” Bisera trailed off. “Don’t think of it as scouting for the club. Don’t even think of it as a favor. Can’t you just help a friend help her friend?”

Cave was silent for a minute or so, and Bisera actually thought that he had hung up on her before he spoke up once again. “All right, all right,” he said. “The youth season’s already over anyway, so I can pop in and see this Britt for myself. I can make no promises, though. If I don’t like what I see, then there’s going to be no deal. Okay?”

“That’s fair,” Bisera said. “Thank you, Matt.”

“No promises, Bisera. I’ll see you when I see you.”

“You too, Matt.” Bisera then ended the call and took a deep breath. She mentally composed herself and then prepared to dial the next number.

“Hello?” an old but refined male voice said at the other end of the line as Bisera made her second call of the day.

“Hello, Mr. Wexler?” Bisera said. She swallowed the lump and saliva building up in her throat before continuing. “This is Bisera Haralampieva. We’ve talked to each other before, two years ago, I believe.”

“Ah, yes, Ms. Haralampieva,” Godric Wexler, manager of Arsenal de Releinthi, said as he recognized the name. “How are you today? I hope you are doing well.” Despite being an Englishman, Wexler had adopted some sort of accent that made him sound like an old Frenchman.

“Yes, Mr. Wexler, I am indeed doing well,” Bisera said, her initial apprehension beginning to slough off of her in waves. “Sir, I’m afraid that I have to get to the bottom of things, the reason why I called you. First off, I want to apologize for not signing for Arsenal after you and Carlos Cuvimi had already made an agreement.”

“Oh, that’s all water under the bridge,” Wexler said lightly. “As you said, it was just a verbal agreement. Nothing had been agreed to on paper yet, so I harbor no hard feelings for you going to Rheinburg instead of Releinthi.”

“Thank you very much, sir,” Bisera said. “It’s been weighing heavily on my conscience ever since I made my decision. Just think of it this way, sir: if you had signed me, you probably wouldn’t have had room to sign both Rachel and CeCe.”

“Don’t worry about it. And you’re probably right.”

“I like to think that I am, sir. Now, sir, here comes the second part of why I’ve called you. I’m very afraid to ask this of you, but here goes. Can you do a favor for me?”

Bisera knew that she was probably asking for too much from the one and only Godric Wexler, but he was the only person within Arsenal whose number she had, and she didn’t know if there was anyone else who she could contact quickly.

But Wexler’s reply surprised her. “I’m listening,” he said.

“Um, oh, you’re listening. Okay,” Bisera muttered to herself as she composed her thoughts once again. “I know that Arsenal has a reputation as a club which focuses on developing young players and turning them into the next generation of football stars and superstars. I have a teammate, Britt Hanokssen, whom I believe can be part of that next generation.”

“Interesting,” Wexler said. “I’ve had a few friends of mine, in particular a common friend of ours, who has told me that there could be a great deal of potential with Miss Hanokssen.”

Bisera had a feeling that Wexler was talking about Matt Cave, but she knew better than to ask. “Does that mean that you are going to take a chance on her?” she asked instead.

“I’ve heard a lot of things about Miss Hanokssen,” Wexler said evenly. “Some good, some bad, mostly things that honestly don’t inspire a lot of confidence within me. But who am I to say that she’s no good until I have seen her play with my own eyes?”

“What do you mean by that, sir?” Bisera asked hesitantly.

“The business of football, like all things in life, has to have an element of risk to it. Of course, I’m not going to go into this thing blind. I have faith in my friends, and I also have faith in my instincts. And my instincts tell me that Miss Hanokssen may be worth a second look. And if Miss Hanokssen doesn’t fit the profile, then perhaps there is someone else on your team from whom we can benefit.”

“Does that mean that you’re going to take a chance on Britt?”

“In a word, yes. There are always opportunities out there, and I can’t let them slip through my hands. I can promise you nothing, though, Ms. Haralampieva. I don’t have to sign every young player I come across, you know.”

“Thank you, Mr. Wexler,” Bisera said. “This all really means the world to me.”

“No, Bisera, thank you,” Wexler said. “Goodbye.” And then he ended the call.

Bisera could now breathe easy. She’d done her best to get Britt noticed, like she had promised, and now two of the biggest clubs in Abanhfleft were willing to take a chance on the young midfielder who’d barely played a competitive minute on the pitch. Of course, Bisera knew that all this meant nothing if Britt didn’t want to move to Abanhfleft, and if that happened, then Rosenpfelblatz was out of the question. Matt Cave didn’t want a repeat of Isa Tangemen’s short and ultimately doomed time with the Sky Blues. That left Arsenal. And while Godric Wexler had been often accused of seeing talent in players where others saw nothing, would he see something or nothing from Britt? Those were questions which she couldn’t answer yet.

Bisera was walking down the hallway to tell Britt about her agreements with Arsenal and Rosenpfelblatz when she happened to pass by the office of Erik Hanokssen, manager of the Hunsen Loggers and Britt’s father. She wouldn’t have noticed that the door to the office was ajar had she not heard soft feminine laughter coming from inside the office. Bisera knew better than to eavesdrop on others, but she couldn’t help herself. She leaned on the door and dared to take a peek inside.

Inside the office, she saw Erik and Alysha Hakala, the enigmatic and divisive midfielder of the Loggers. Alysha had been the perpetually-injured player of the squad before Bisera’s arrival, and while she had remained healthy throughout the campaign, Bisera could feel the other players just waiting for the other shoe to drop and for Alysha be placed on the injury list sometime soon.

Bisera couldn’t hear what Erik and Alysha were talking about, but from their body language, she could tell that there was some kind of flirting involved. She didn’t know who was flirting and who was being flirted, but both parties appeared to be receptive to the flirting. This was another thing that, to Bisera, had never happened in both Abanhfleft and Pridnestrovia. In those countries, the relationship between players and managers had been very, very professional. It was also probably because there weren’t a lot of young managers plying their trade in both countries, and the few young managers in Abanhfleft and Pridnestrovia were too professional to make an advance or be receptive to the advance of their players. Once again, Bisera had found a thing which went differently in Anglatia and Abanhfleft.

The door creaked as a result of Bisera leaning on it a little too heavily, and she ran away just as Erik and Alysha turned to look at the noise. Bisera hadn’t come this far into trying to bridge the gap between the locker room to get benched or even released for spying on her manager. But even as she walked away, there was one thing floating around in her mind: should she tell her teammates about what she saw? She was no gossip girl, so she quickly discounted the possibility. But there was always a moment in which she could let this very dangerous information slip and cause a bigger rift within the locker room. And she didn’t want to be responsible for destroying Hunsen’s chemistry even further and taking them out of the running of the title. After all, wasn’t that what everyone on this team strived for? Or were Anglatians simply too different from Fleftics on a mental level that a Fleftic player can never handle herself well in an Anglatian league, and vice versa?

Yet another question for another time for Bisera Haralampieva.

---

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

PRIDNESTROVIA'S WORLD CUP HOPES HANG IN THE BALANCE AFTER HEARTSTOPPING 4-4 DRAW WITH DAMUKUNI
By Gustav Tyumenov


Tanya Poroshenko of the Pridnestrovian national football team attempts to tackle the ball away from Margaret Vayne of the Damukuni national football team.

TIRASPOL, PRIDNESTROVIA - The Pridnestrovian women's national football team hung on by the skin of their teeth against a rampant Damukuni side to earn a draw and another chance to qualify for the World Cup finals in Audioslavia and Krytenia in only their second qualifying campaign.

Damukuni started off strong with Margaret Vayne slaloming her way past the Pridnestrovian defense before rifling the ball into the top left corner, but Pridnestrovia responded almost immediately through Irina Pavlyuchenko, and the Sarvusdalamoive striker volleyed past Raiden Tatsuyumi to put the Red Army back on equal terms.

Hunsen Loggers winger Bisera Haralampieva was the next player to get her name on the scoresheet, and Haralampieva used her speed and strength to get away from her marker and head the ball from Bogdana Feltzer's corner past Tatsuyumi, who was rendered still by his indecision to deal with the ball. Yet Pridnestrovia's lead, which came against the run of play, was not going to last going into half-time. Joanna Dietrich took advantage of a defensive lapse in the Pridnestrovian back four and latched onto a back pass from Tatiana Gevorgian to Marfa Kirilenko. Both defender and keeper had misjudged the strength of the pass, and all Dietrich needed to do was to take the ball past Kirilenko before rolling it into an empty net.

Margaret Vayne was once again on fire after taking a breather during the half-time break, and she terrified the Red Army's defense before finally getting past the back four and slotting past Kirilenko once again. This was then followed by a period of twenty minutes during which Damukuni shifted to playing possession football while Pridnestrovia tried to strike on the counterattack. Nothing noteworthy happened during this period except for a chance from Greta Hedervary which she managed to scuff just wide of Tatsuyumi's left post.

And then it seemed as if disaster had struck Pridnestrovia and the Red Army. Milburn Rose, who had come on as a substitute for the unusually quiet (for Damukunian standards) Ken Shiinato, managed to force his way through the Pridnestrovian defense and applying the finishing touch to Takeda Mizayaki's free kick. President Field Marshal Stepan Stepanovich Stepanenko, who was watching the game from his usual place at the Presidential Suite of Sheriff Stadium, shook his head as he watched his team capitulate against an opponent whom he had been assured by the Pridnestrovian Football Federation could do little damage to his national team's pride.

Yet the President Field Marshal continued watching the game, as he in his infinite wisdom as leader of the Democratic People's Republic of the United Socialist States of Pridnestrovia knew that a game of football was not over until after the final whistle had been blown. And he will surely be gladdened by what he saw in the last twenty minutes of the game. Irina Pavlyuchenko saw that the hopes and dreams of a nation were hanging in the balance and that only she and her fellow players could change the course of history. She rallied her fellow players into pouring their best into the game, and they were rewarded when Pavlyuchenko nodded in Bisera Haralampieva's cross.

Arkadia Zubarenko, who has since been benched by Yakov Chernenko in favor of Haralampieva, came off the bench to secure the draw against Damukuni and to make sure that there is still everything to play for when the Red Army goes to Damukuni.


Pridnestrovian women's national football team manager Yakov Chernenko: Everything still to play for going to Damukuni

Pridnestrovian women's national football team manager Yakov Chernenko: "This draw is very important to the team in so many ways. We will learn a lot of lessons going from this game. Sure, we conceded four goals, but we also scored four goals, and that has to count for something.

"There is still everything to play for when we come into Damukuni. All we need to score is one goal, and we will advance to the World Cup at just the second time of asking. It is a marvelous time to be a Pridnestrovian. Anything and everything can and will happen."

          PRIDNESTROVIA 4 - 4 DAMUKUNI
PAVLYUCHENKO (34', 76')       VAYNE (31', 48')
     HARALAMPIEVA (40')       DIETRICH (45+1')
        ZUBARENKO (88')       ROSE (71')

DAMUKUNI
GK: 36 Tatsuyumi
RB: 09 Willis
CB: 08 Matterhorn (Tanaka - 88')
LB: 04 Catanese (Shizumi - 69')
DM: 65 Lano-Hartman
RW: 22 Dietrich
RCM: 16 Butler
LCM: 12 Statham
LW: 47 Shiinato (Rose - 57')
RS: 74 Vayne
LS: 35 Mizayaki

PRIDNESTROVIA
GK: 01 Kirilenko
RB: 02 Shevchenko (Utkina - 65')
RCB: 03 Gevorgian
LCB: 04 Tymoshenko
LB: 05 Artyomova
RDM: 06 Shostakovich
LDM: 07 Feltzer (Kundakçi - 83')
RW: 08 Hedervary
CAM: 10 Poroshenko
LW: 23 Haralampieva (Zubarenko - 80')
CF: 09 Pavlyuchenko

MATCH STATS
Possession
Pridnestrovia: 48%
Damukuni: 52%
Shots
Pridnestrovia: 12 (6 on target)
Damukuni: 22 (11 on target)
Corners
Pridnestrovia: 5
Damukuni: 8
Fouls
Pridnestrovia: 23
Damukuni: 15

[Electrum]

Centralis Herald - Comment - Miranda Lawrence

Minister Campbell must resign immediately for defying the orders of Minister Connors

Minister Campbell is a treacherous scum who calls himself a Conservative minister of the Conservative Party. It is absolutely outrageous and unforgivable for what he has done. When Tumbran hooligans trashed Centralis, and the Olympic Arena, after their draw to Electrum in the World Cup qualifications, Minister Jim Connors stated that he will not deport those louts until they would be punished in a court of law, and that those idiots could only return home when they have served time in jail. Once the magistrate gave those hooligans a year each for trashing our pristine city, we thought that would be the end of that. Jim Connors immediately signed their deportation papers, to be carried out once they served their time. It serves them right to be imprisoned for so long for just three hours of nuisance. They need to be made an example out of, to send a message not to mess with us.

That was until the Minister of Justice, Conservative Minister Campbell immediately gave them a pardon for their low-level crime (Apparently as the Justice Minister, he can pardon minor crimes, some justice, right!) and with the deportation papers already signed, they were booted out of the nation quicksmart. The nerve of Minister Campbell to defy the orders of Connors is unbelievable and treacherous. Connors is a man that sticks by his word, so he didn't say much other than he was, "outsmarted" by the other minister. These Conservatives who claim that they protect traditional values are nothing more than sycophants to the large corporations and other nations. Apparently Campbell was in talks with the Tumbran foreign secretary who asked for quick repatriation of the trouble makers.

This is unacceptable. The ruling of a magistrate should not be overruled by some minister who decides that it is politically expedient to kick them out of the country. I agree with Minister Connors, the true sensible Conservative who is also a Nationalist as well. And I agree with him on all aspects. If we want to maintain the traditional values of our country, we must be more harsh on foreigners who break rules here in Electrum. We must build that wall against Eura so that they don't come in here and bring crime, take our jobs, and depress wages for hard-working Electrumites. Where are the Conservatives that looked after the people? Because all I see is a bunch of elite corporatists who want to suck money out of this nation and pump it to no-name overseas faceless men. We must break through and vote for the Nationalists in the upcoming election.

Speaking of the Nationalists, they are fighting the good fight up North. Apparently, there are some Euran groups on our side of the border who are openly calling for secession of our territories into Eura. This is unacceptable. In fact this is more than unacceptable. This is Unelectrumite. They who have taken advantage of our clearly superior government services and higher standards of living and what do they want in return? To exit our country, and not only that, steal our land! I mean this is outrageous, and yet the politicians are doing nothing about it. I demand that the police are sent up there right now to quell those uprising. So help me God, I will go up there myself and fight for our land, even if the politicians won't. The Nationalists will fight for our country, not Labor, the Greens, Centrists or the Conservatives. And you just know the Eurans can't resist the opportunity to take more land, like they did in the olden days. They are just breeding like rabbits and the burrow has run out of land.

What can we do to fix this problem? Build a rabbit-proof fence. Build that wall and we will assure that our living standards will be protected.

Miranda Lawrence is a conservative commentator who works part-time at the Liberty Institute, a conservative think tank based in Centralis, Electrum, and part-time as a weekly columnist for the Centralis Herald.