World Bowl XXX - Everything Thread

[Ethane]

Is it too late to say sorry? Yes, it is too late to apologise.

Cutoff - Match Day Eight

[Ethane]

Match Day Eight Scores
#timeforEthane

Group 1
West Phonecia 20–3 Averyickan City
Southern Democratic States 14–13 San Llera

Group 1                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Banija                                    6    6   0   132   26 +106    18
2 San Llera                                 6    4   2   107   80  +27    12
3 West Phonecia                             6    3   3    80   88   −8     9
4 Southern Democratic States                7    3   4    54   73  −19     9
5 Averyickan City                           7    0   7    17  123 −106     0

Group 2
Greater Vakolicci Haven 27–0 The New North African Republic
Allamunnic States 7–0 Sheepish

Group 2                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Allamunnic States                         7    6   1   127    9 +118    18
2 Greater Vakolicci Haven                   6    4   2    97   78  +19    12
3 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                   6    3   3    59   49  +10     9
4 Sheepish                                  6    2   4    23   76  −53     6
5 The New North African Republic            7    1   6    21  115  −94     3

Group 3
Schottia 0–7 Kaboomlandia
Qasden 14–6 The Independent Hazerls

Group 3                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Kaboomlandia                              7    5   2   146   87  +59    15
2 The Independent Hazerls                   6    4   2   102   77  +25    12
3 Schottia                                  6    4   2   115   92  +23    12
4 Thereisnogodistan                         6    2   4    89   81   +8     6
5 Qasden                                    7    1   6    31  146 −115     3

Group 4
Anglatia 12–6 Barunia
The Fair Republic 19–0 Fleurnordicia

Group 4                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Anglatia                                  6    6   0   177   42 +135    18
2 The Fair Republic                         7    5   2   127   66  +61    15
3 Barunia                                   7    4   3   102   71  +31    12
4 Fleurnordicia                             6    1   5    33  132  −99     3
5 Ferkas                                    6    0   6    31  159 −128     0

Group 5
Cheongji 0–24 Ethane
Abanhfleft 33–7 United Bermuda

Group 5                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                                7    7   0   132   36  +96    21
2 Ethane                                    7    5   2   112   16  +96    15
3 United States of Devonta                  6    3   3    65   71   −6     9
4 Cheongji                                  6    1   5    44  106  −62     3
5 United Bermuda                            6    0   6    30  154 −124     0

Group 6
Taeshan 23–3 The New Telengana Rajj
Frenline Delpha 10–10 Drawkland (19–16 OT)

Group 6                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Frenline Delpha                           7    6   1   114   77  +37    18
2 Drawkland                                 6    5   1   132   52  +80    15
3 Taeshan                                   6    4   2   124   31  +93    12
4 Alinghi Federal-Democratic Republic       6    1   5    16   99  −83     3
5 The New Telengana Rajj                    7    0   7    27  154 −127     0

Group 7
Ficiscia 0–13 West Saintland
Cosumar 42–14 Free Tulsa

Group 7                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Cosumar                                   7    6   1   168   90  +78    18
2 West Saintland                            7    4   2   104   86  +18    13
3 Chromatika                                6    3   3   112   77  +35     9
4 Free Tulsa                                6    2   4    63  108  −45     6
5 Ficiscia                                  6    0   5    26  112  −86     1

Group 8
Nassau-Hessen 16–0 New West Guiana
Islana Lunigo 15–3 Abaja

Group 8                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Gregoryisgodistan                         6    5   1    75   17  +58    15
2 Nassau-Hessen                             6    5   1    87   33  +54    15
3 Abaja                                     6    3   3    98   75  +23     9
4 Islana Lunigo                             7    3   4    70  105  −35     9
5 New West Guiana                           7    0   7    28  128 −100     0

[Kaboomlandia]

Phoenix stun Schottia to move to top of Group 3

Connor Day celebrates after he scored Kaboomlandia's game-winning touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

The Kaboomlandia Phoenix continued their defensive juggernaut today, defeating Schottia in a tight 7-0 match to move out of a three-way tie for first place in Group 3. Tyler Martin started, and threw the only touchdown of the game to Connor Day from the 11-yard line at 2:21 of the fourth quarter. The real star of this game was the defense, sacking Gabriella Alessi five times. In particular, outside linebacker George Kodem played the game of his life, picking up seven tackles and 2.5 sacks in the game. "Our defense has been lights-out the past couple games, and it showed today," praised Kevin Nivek. The Phoenix have one game left, against Thereisnogodistan, and a playoff spot is on the line. Schottia, meanwhile, has a tough game against a surprisingly good Hazerls team, though they do close out their schedule against lowly Qasden. The team's defensive stats over two games are staggering: 311 yards surrendered combined, 11 sacks, seven forced fumbles and five interceptions.

[West Phoencia]

War Dancers celebrate win against Averyickan City. Set eyes on San Llera. ....


The West Phoenician War Dancers celebrated their latest victory against Averyickan City 20-3

"It was a great victory. We needed another under our belt" Captain Jake Mars said. "It will be the next game that makes or breaks us for progressing to the top 16."

West Phoenicia takes on 2nd place pool nation San Llera. In a previous match the War Dancers were able to win. Thoughts are on another victory will push them into a tie with San Llera.

"The War Dancers are hungry to progress. We have been having a terrible time in Baseball and Handball. We need a team our nation can place its hopes and dreams in." Jake Mars said during a post match interview.

"It's going to be tough. San Llera is a team not to underestimate. Just because we beat them once doesnt mean it will happen again."

West Phoenician Sports Pundits have predicted a 40% chance for the War Dancers to progress.

[Abanhfleft]

The Saga of All-Inclusive Haranguer F.C. 2, Part Six

So All-Inclusive Haranguer had finally managed to solve the problem of their central midfield by signing Luke de Coubertin and Abigail Papadiamantopoulos from free agency and non-league, respectively, but there is still the problem of their central attacking midfield. Arkadi Zima's demands had just been too much, and Haranguer was more than glad to drop their interest because there was simply no way that they were going to give a single player that much. But because of that, they had no one in central attacking midfield right now.

The versatile Samantha Leroux had left behind a huge hole for Wallace Partridge to fill when she signed for Sporting Ceneisis for 20 million NSD. Haranguer had two starting-eleven quality CAMs in the team, Lasse Torson and Sam Gonza, but Torson was already 30 years old and losing some of his pace and speed, and Gonza was simply a better player when he was played as a striker or central forward. Haranguer needed a young and athletic CAM to carry forward their attack. And speaking of forwards, Haranguer also needed another striker, a second striker or a backup, someone who could come on from the bench or start in other games to take the goalscoring burden away from Gonza's shoulders. The lack of a clear second attacking option in the team was just one of the many reasons why Haranguer was relegated from the Premier League last season.

After having sorted out the central midfield, Partridge's new priorities in the transfer market were a central attacking midfielder and a second striker. But in today's transfer window, finding a good deal for a good player in the aforementioned positions could be very hard indeed. At least all he needed were players who could get a team promoted, not some goalscoring machine of a striker or a fancy passing CAM that can help win trophies. Although trophies would be a nice bonus.... But promotion was Partridge's priority at the moment, and that was what Partridge was going to put his energies in.

"Boss, I've got good news and bad news," Baz Coltrane said as he barged into Partridge's office.

"Give me the good news first, Baz," Partridge said. He needed some good news right now.

"The good news, boss, is that we're receiving offers from Anglatian clubs looking to sell off some of their players," Coltrane replied. "Looks like we're becoming a bit of a popular destination for that country after we took in some of their players."

"And what's the bad news?"

"The player that's being offered to us is a winger, and his name is Seth Hollis."

That name made Partridge look up at Coltrane. "Seth Hollis?" he repeated. "Wasn't he on the news for blackmailing another footballer and being involved in another player's murder or something like that?"

"That's the one, exactly," Coltrane replied. "Bathgate City wants to offload him ASAP even though there's been nothing substantial to link him to the aforementioned crimes. Nobody can prove yet that he's involved in those two things, but the way Bathgate's marketing him right now makes me think that there's a lot of truth in those rumors."

"Gah," Partridge muttered, running a hand over his head. "I don't want this guy's dirty laundry staining our reputation," he said. "And we're also quite loaded when it comes to wingers too, so what's the point of signing him, unless he can play CAM? Tell Bathgate not only no, but hell no! We're not interested in Seth Hollis."

"Okay, boss," Coltrane muttered, making a note on his phone as he made to leave the office.

"Hold on a minute, Baz," Partridge called out, and Coltrane stopped in his tracks. "Try to steer Bathgate towards CSKA Tiraspol. Ivan Krasnopesnensky wants to dethrone Sheriff as the best club in Tiraspol, and he doesn't care about who he gets as long as they can help him get the job done. And he's also on the lookout for a winger anyway. That should be a good deal for the two of them."

"Got that, boss." Coltrane made more notes as he left Partridge's office for real this time. The manager of All-Inclusive Haranguer leaned back on his chair and sighed deeply. Transfer windows always carried with it an element of luck whenever they came. A player who went for millions of dollars one transfer window could end up leaving for pennies or less a few windows later. And another player who moved for pennies or less in one window could end up being worth millions of dollars in future windows. And then there were those players who performed well for one team and ended up being utter crap for a new team. But then again, a shit player for a shit team could end up becoming one of the best players in the game once he signed for a new team. There were so many things to think about, and only about one month left in this transfer window. It was a messed-up system.

Partridge happened to look at the flat-screen television in his office, which was currently on a dedicated sports channel covering the transfer market and the inevitable accompanying rumors. It was the current item that had grabbed his attention.

ARSENAL DE RELEINTHI WANTS TO LOAN BELLEMURILLO TO OTHER CLUBS

"CNN Sports have been told by sources in the Monsanto Stadium that Godric Wexler wants to send out Bellemurillo, the Gunners' 28-year-old striker and San Llera international, out on loan to make room in his squad for more potential signings he hopes to make in this transfer window. Bellemurillo, who has made over 90 appearances for Arsenal and has scored 20 goals in those games, is reportedly unsettled with the time he is spending on the bench, and that he has expressed a desire to either play for the Gunners' first team, be sold, or loaned out. Wexler, having called Bellemurillo a 'significant future investment' for the club when he signed the San Lleran from free agency four years ago, is reluctant to put the striker up for sale, but a loan deal is very much workable, CNN Sports has been told."

Partridge had dim memories of watching Arsenal de Releinthi playing against All-Inclusive Haranguer in the Kopa ng Liga sometime in the last season. Bellemurillo had started in that game for the Gunners, and he had scored a great goal from a tight angle to eventually eliminate the Sand Tigers from the competition. Bellemurillo had also started for Arsenal against Haranguer in the Premier League last season when injuries had taken out Arsenal's other starting strikers, and once again, he had scored a goal against the Sand Tigers when the San Lleran pounced on Billy Cross' saved shot and tapped it in on the rebound. At least Haranguer fought back that day and came back from behind to win 2-1 and inflict a blow to Arsenal's hopes of a fourth consecutive title.

And suddenly, the germ of an idea formed in Partridge's head. Of course, he had to find out if the rumors were true, but all that needed was a simple phone call to his friend in the Monsanto Stadium. And even if it weren't true, he could push the case for Bellemurillo to go on loan to Haranguer; he and Godric Wexler were good friends after all. The San Lleran was admittedly no Champion's Cup or World Cup-winning striker (yet), but he was the perfect kind of striker to complement Sam Gonza and take some of the goalscoring burden from the Fluviquean. Partridge picked up his cell phone and called the number of his friend in Releinthi. Truly, luck was very much involved in the way the transfer markets went....

---

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that we have completed the signing of Bellemurillo on loan from Arsenal de Releinthi."

Wallace Partridge's gamble had paid off. As soon as he saw that transfer rumor about Bellemurillo wanting to go out on loan, he had pounced on the opportunity by calling his friend in Releinthi and asking about the truth of the rumor, which also told Arsenal that Haranguer was very much interested in securing the services of the San Lleran striker, even just for a single season. Godric Wexler didn't want to sell Bellemurillo because he saw him as a piece in the club's future, but Bellemurillo wanted more minutes, which he couldn't get warming Arsenal's bench. Wexler accepted Partridge's offer to take Bellemurillo on a season-long loan almost immediately, but Haranguer had competition for Bellemurillo's signature as well, like their fellow Unang Liga side Dynamo Ja and Sheriff Tiraspol over in Pridnestrovia. The choice was left to Bellemurillo, and he ended up choosing Haranguer.

"I'm very happy to join All-Inclusive Haranguer for this season," Bellemurillo said in the press conference announcing his arrival at the National Book Store Stadium. "It gives me great honor to play for a club which is at the forefront of innovation in both Abanhfleft and football. And I hope to use the time and opportunity given to me to prove that I can play regularly and consistently and at the same level as the top teams in the country."

All in all, it was a very successful week for Wallace Partridge, who had found the second striker that he needed to share the goalscoring burden with Sam Gonza. But there was still one glaring problem that he needed to tackle, and that was the CAM position. Arkadi Zima could have filled in nicely that position, but he only had to go on and make absurd demands and all but say that he doesn't want to play anywhere else but Markovsky or Nordskania, the country he now represents in international football. But there was still three weeks to go before the end of the window and one week before the start of the season, and surely Partridge can find the player that he needs by then. Can he?

[Allamunnic States]

Allamunnic States Daily
Sports Section
Special World Bowl Coverage

Regulars survive sloppy effort
Team escapes with 7-0 win against Sheepish on a rainy day in Vaalhulmspurt
by Korynn Smart

Despite another dominating effort by the defense, the Regulars proved simply incapable of putting away a Sheepish team that they had blown out 27-0 on the road during the first half of qualifiers. The offense had trouble getting much going, and both sides turned the ball over multiple times in a sloppy game that saw the Regulars clinch a playoff spot on a cool, rainy, windy day in Vaalhulmspurt. The win sets the Regulars up to go on the road with the Group 2 title on the line against the Greater Vakolicci Haven.

Overall, the Regulars' defense was the single most dominant unit on either team during this game, hampering and swarming the Sheepish offense time and again, and forcing a World Bowl XXX-high 7 turnovers (admittedly with the help of the inclement weather), including four fumbles and three interceptions. The pass rush and front seven played lights-out, as per their usual, tallying eight sacks while the opposing offensive line skidded and slid in the mud. In all, the Sheepish offense compiled only 112 total offensive yards.

The Regulars' offense turned in a better effort than the box score showed, but it was still far from pretty. The overall effort was keyed by a subdued, if still-effective rushing effort by HB#35 Bryndyn Traewyk, who rushed 30 times for 102 yards and the team's lone touchdown, scored on a 1-yard dive blocked for by FB#45 Torren Tormundsunn. Traewyk did lose his first fumble of the tournament. The passing game was a borderline disaster, with QB#10 Graagur Wyrth going 7/17 for 116 yards with two interceptions. Wyrth also lost a fumble on a strip-sack while suffering an undisclosed lower body injury, after which he left the game. QB#13 Waldr Grenn played the remainder of the game, going 4/8 for 52 yards, no additional turnovers, while running four times for 21 yards.

The Regulars managed to escape with the win, despite only managing the one score, largely because of key stops forced by the defense. As a result, the Regulars' lone remaining game will be for the control of the Group 2 championship against a suddenly-resurgent Greater Vakolicci Haven. Provided the Vakolicci win their second to last game, they will not be mathematically-eliminated from the running for the Group 2 championship. Theoretically, a large enough loss by the Regulars could result in them taking the championship.

However, that seems unlikely, due to the fact that the Vakolicci would need to win by at least 39 points to take the championship from the Regulars. What would be far worse would be the blunting of momentum for the Regulars heading into the playoffs despite otherwise putting together a qualifying effort that rivals only that of the defending champions from Anglatia.

Meanwhile, following a frustrating 7-0 loss to Kaboomlandia, Allamunnic-favorites Schottia finds itself on the outside looking in in a 3-way race for the two playoff spots from Group 3, behind the Independent Hazerls on point-differential.

[Anglatia]

(OOC: I'll have a Crowns part up also, but I want to provide an update first on how my team has been doing through the early games)

TheInsiders.an
An inside view of sports in the Empire of Greater Anglatia

World Bowl Update
Article by Enzo Blessed, Mjasa City halfback

Through six games, we've beat the odds and we've also managed to stay perfect in the World Bowl. We're always the underdogs, even when we're the number one team. Everyone said that Anglatia wasn't a talented sports country and that we only won because we inherited a good team, but our haters are being silenced so far. And you can believe me when I say that we're the best team in the World Bowl right now, because I've started every game and I can see firsthand how good we are. If you haven't seen our games, here's a bit of a recap of what happened.

Game One: We were expected to dominate this one, and we did. We scored fourteen points in the first minute of the game, as Anook Havoc caught a deep touchdown and then Max Lisowski ran back a fumble for a touchdown, and we never looked back. Jani Koivu didn't quite get into rhythm except for on his two deep touchdown passes to Havoc, but our running game produced and we did just fine. I got three close range rushing touchdowns and ran for two hundred yards too, so I'm pretty happy about what went down in that game. 44-9 isn't a bad scoreline to debut the new team with.

Game Two: Barunia is a team that can give us problems, or at least more problems than other teams, and the secondary had to make some adjustments after Darren Blix gave up a long touchdown on our opponent's first play, after I scored the opening touchdown. Not to brag, but that was a really good touchdown, too. I bounced off of Halvor Gudrunsson and Jonas Jack, and then trucked Mitch Holt into the end zone. Sorry about that, Mitch. It's not like I didn't warn you to not get in front of me when I'm on my way to a touchdown. Anyway, enough about me. Jani played pretty good in this game. He's got his chemistry with D'Arcy Cook back, and Cook caught the touchdown to give us the lead again when he turned and made a catch over the DB's shoulder. We started to run away with the game after that, and we managed to reach 39 points. Ava Makela also blocked an extra point, which was a nice play.

Game Three: Our first shutout of the World Bowl. There's not much to say about the other team. They got blown the fuck out. Coach Enquist pulled me from the game after halftime and I'd already racked up two hundred yards and three touchdowns, with one of them coming from a deep reception from Jani Koivu. However, everyone is kinda pissed that this is the game where Koivu's injury problems started after he got blasted on a late hit in the fourth quarter. He's always been kind of injury prone, but he's been playing the most recent games with a bad wrist because of that hit. Eh, whatever. It is what it is. Antonio Rush got revenge on the idiot who made that late tackle by flattening him and giving him a concussion on his way to the end zone for our last touchdown.

Game Four: The Fair Republic was supposed to challenge us, on paper at least, but they didn't really stay in the game. The scoreline is deceptive, because they didn't play near as well as the scoreboard reflected. They were hanging around at halftime but the straw that broke their backs was Havoc's touchdown. She's been something special for us so far, and she showed it on that play. We lined up in Hydra, except she was at quarterback and Jani was at halfback, and she handed him the ball and ran. They didn't bother covering her until it was too late, and Jani had an easy throw to make. It looked like a complicated play on paper, but it wasn't really. Jonas and D'Arcy pulled the safeties out of the middle of the field, towards the sidelines, and the defense responded to the formation as if Anook was a halfback. They didn't expect her to run deep and set herself up to receive the touchdown pass.

Game Five: We met Ferkas again and we started slower because of Koivu's wrist. At halftime we were only up 7-0, and so we brought in Vilko Dokic and gave the Blue Wings QB a chance to prove himself. He had one touchdown and no picks, so you can't exactly say he had a bad game, but he didn't have a great one either. The one touchdown pass that he did throw came off of a defensive mistake where both safeties blitzed by accident and left Jonas Jack uncovered. Jack brought in the catch easily and then ran ten more yards for the score, but Vilko had a quite game outside of that pass.

Game Six: We met Barunia again, and they caused trouble for us again. And I ran over Mitch Holt for a tocuhdown, again. We only scored two touchdowns, and after going for two both times, we only had twelve points for the entire game. We actually trailed 6-0 at halftime, but the offense came storming out and it only took us two minutes to get into the red zone in the third quarter. I had an off tackle run to the left side, which I converted for a four yard touchdown. I ran the same play in the fourth quarter, except Holt tried to stop me again and I trucked him and ran over him for the score. We didn't play that well on offense, but hey, at least we haven't thrown any interceptions yet.

[Ethane]

Ain't nobody gonna beat me, I'm so happy, I'm gonna win this game!

Cutoff - Match Day Nine

[Ethane]

Match Day Nine Scores
#timeforEthane

Group 1
San Llera 20–0 West Phonecia
Averyickan City 14–19 Banija

Group 1                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Banija                                    7    7   0   151   40 +111    21
2 San Llera                                 7    5   2   127   80  +47    15
3 West Phonecia                             7    3   4    80  108  −28     9
4 Southern Democratic States                7    3   4    54   73  −19     9
5 Averyickan City                           8    0   8    31  142 −111     0

Group 2
Sheepish 0–20 Greater Vakolicci Haven
The New North African Republic 13–32 Royal Kingdom of Quebec

Group 2                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Allamunnic States                         7    6   1   127    9 +118    18
2 Greater Vakolicci Haven                   7    5   2   117   78  +39    15
3 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                   7    4   3    91   62  +29    12
4 Sheepish                                  7    2   5    23   96  −73     6
5 The New North African Republic            8    1   7    34  147 −113     3

Group 3
The Independent Hazerls 10–33 Schottia
Kaboomlandia 39–7 Thereisnogodistan

Group 3                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Kaboomlandia                              8    6   2   185   94  +91    18
2 Schottia                                  7    5   2   148  102  +46    15
3 The Independent Hazerls                   7    4   3   112  110   +2    12
4 Thereisnogodistan                         7    2   5    96  120  −24     6
5 Qasden                                    7    1   6    31  146 −115     3

Group 4
Fleurnordicia 7–13 Anglatia
Barunia 3–0 Ferkas

Group 4                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Anglatia                                  7    7   0   190   49 +141    21
2 The Fair Republic                         7    5   2   127   66  +61    15
3 Barunia                                   8    5   3   105   71  +34    15
4 Fleurnordicia                             7    1   6    40  145 −105     3
5 Ferkas                                    7    0   7    31  162 −131     0

Group 5
United Bermuda 3–13 Cheongji
Ethane 7–0 United States of Devonta

Group 5                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                                7    7   0   132   36  +96    21
2 Ethane                                    8    6   2   119   16 +103    18
3 United States of Devonta                  7    3   4    65   78  −13     9
4 Cheongji                                  7    2   5    57  109  −52     6
5 United Bermuda                            7    0   7    33  167 −134     0

Group 6
Drawkland 23–15 Taeshan
The New Telengana Rajj 0–20 Alinghi Federal-Democratic Republic

Group 6                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Drawkland                                 7    6   1   155   67  +88    18
2 Frenline Delpha                           7    6   1   114   77  +37    18
3 Taeshan                                   7    4   3   139   54  +85    12
4 Alinghi Federal-Democratic Republic       7    2   5    36   99  −63     6
5 The New Telengana Rajj                    8    0   8    27  174 −147     0

Group 7
Free Tulsa 3–14 Ficiscia
West Saintland 7–24 Chromatika

Group 7                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Cosumar                                   7    6   1   168   90  +78    18
2 West Saintland                            8    4   3   111  110   +1    13
3 Chromatika                                7    4   3   136   84  +52    12
4 Free Tulsa                                7    2   5    66  122  −56     6
5 Ficiscia                                  7    1   5    40  115  −75     4

Group 8
Abaja 0–0 Nassau-Hessen (13–7 OT)
New West Guiana 0–19 Gregoryisgodistan

Group 8                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Gregoryisgodistan                         7    6   1    94   17  +77    18
2 Nassau-Hessen                             7    5   2    94   46  +48    15
3 Abaja                                     7    4   3   111   82  +29    12
4 Islana Lunigo                             7    3   4    70  105  −35     9
5 New West Guiana                           8    0   8    28  147 −119     0

[Abaja]

World Bowl XXX

Abaja stays alive after a 13-7 overtime win

- By Amina Ogwu

---

---

Abaja

Nassau-Hessen

13 - 7

---

---

GROUP 8

Abaja 0–0 Nassau-Hessen (13–7 OT)
New West Guiana 0–19 Gregoryisgodistan

Group 8                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Gregoryisgodistan                         7    6   1    94   17  +77    18
2 Nassau-Hessen                             7    5   2    94   46  +48    15
3 Abaja                                     7    4   3   111   82  +29    12
4 Islana Lunigo                             7    3   4    70  105  −35     9
5 New West Guiana                           8    0   8    28  147 −119     0

Yesterday, the Abaja Lions, were made a laughing stock after suffering an embarrassing loss to Islana Lunigo, but you can't really blame the fans, right? I mean, these guys just lost to a puppet of an unranked nation. What type of shit is that? Today, the Lions turned things around by beating Nassau-Hessen in overtime by a score of 13-7. Abaja, after losing their first game against Nassau-Hessen in match-day 4, turned things around and got revenge. Obviously after the Islana Lunigo defeat, they got very upset, and the defense decided to take their anger out on Nassau-Hessen, as Abaja got a total of 6 sacks and 1 interception. Abaja is now third place in their group, but that's not good enough to advance to the first round. Head coach Josi Tueyute said he was pretty pleased with the win, but we should always do even better next time around, especially with Idolater-land - I mean Gregoryisgodistan coming up. "When I saw that we lost to Islana Lunigo, I was ready to chew the asses of all the players that stepped onto the field. Embarrass me one more time, and you WILL be replaced. All of you." He looked around at some of his players. He looked back at the reporters. "I knew that we had MAJOR problems - offensive and defensive. I thought in my head 'Didn't we beat these guys at first? How come we can't beat them now?' I thought some more about it, and got pissed. I disciplined my players and the next day, we got revenge on Nassau. I knew for one thing, we BETTER NOT lose to these guys, not again. If we lost this, then we're out. I made sure my players got the message. They did MUCH better on defense, but the offense still needs some help. We've just gotta keep pushing."

It was a good day for some football, and with both teams stepping onto the field. The match was soon ready to start. Nassau-Hessen recieved the kick after they won the toss. A Hessian WR got it and ran all the way to the 31 yard line after being knocked down. Nassau-Hessen's ball at the 31 to start it off. 1st and 10. The Hessian QB gets the ball. Searching for a receiver, he looks down deep. He finds one of his WR's against Henry Turusi (CB). Turusi taps it away, and it's now 2nd down. Here's the snap. It's another passing play. This time the QB passes to his TE. The TE catches it, and is immediately brought down by the Abajan defense. 3rd down and 3. It's a running play. Guinior Lukenta (DE) stuffs the HB for a loss of 1. Nassau-Hessen punts to Abaja. Abaja went on a 19 yard drive before being halted by the Nassau-Hessen defense. It was 3rd and 1 after Muhammadu Shepada (TE) caught a pass from Desna Osopno (QB). Desna Ospno then tries scrambling to get the first. He does not, as he is brought down behind the line of scrimmage. 4th and 3 now for the Lions on Nassau-Hessen's 48 yard line. They punt back to Nassau. It's a fresh first down for them again. The Hessen QB gets the snap. He looks for a receiver. Michael Epopo (DT) was coming at his side. The blockers completely missed him and Epopo slammed into the quarterback for a huge sack. Loss of 8 on the play, On 2nd and 18, the QB hands it off to the HB. The Hessen HB slices through the defense and gets a gain of 9 on the play. 3rd and 9 now. It's another passing play for Nassau-Hessen. The QB runs away from Guinior Lukenta (DE) and finds some room to throw. He still can't find anybody, but Abaja's defensive linemen were coming... quick. He finally chucks the ball up as he gets hit. The WR catches it, but he is out of bounds. Incomplete. With 1 minute left in the 1st quarter, Abaja has ball again. This time, it's the FB Malik Mafausa doing his work, getting 12 yards off the handoff. Desna Osopno (QB) then passes to his favorite WR Bobby Odendé. Odendé catches it and runs out of bounds. About an 8 yard gain there. The start of the second quarter began. Abaja is now on the Hessen 27 yard line, but they are unable to do anything after the play. 4th and 2 on the 27. The Lions try a field goal, but the field goal is no good. Wow. Still 0 - 0. Nassau-Hessen gets the ball back. It's a running play. The Hessen HB runs about 4 yards before getting popped by Jacob Nebasu (DT). The ball popped out. It was on the ground. Luckily, the Hessians were able to leap on the ball to keep possession. Two plays later, the QB throws an incomplete pass, as the pass soars over the WR's head. 4th and 6 now. Going deeper into 2nd quarter, it seemed pretty clear that both offenses were having trouble getting yards. Three-and-outs became more frequent. The WR's had troubles catching passes, and the QB's failed to throw accurate passes. Twenty seconds left in the first half, and Abaja has possession yet again. Zair Macosa (WR) catches a short pass and runs all the way to the Abajan 45 yard line. Eleven seconds left now. Abaja calls their last timeout of the half. Hail Mary time. Desna Osopno gets the snap. Bobby Odendé (WR) is running a streak. He keeps looking back to see when the hell Osopno is gonna pass to him. Osopno gets heavily rushed, and is forced to throw it away.

Boring ass half. What was the score? 0 - 0. You could hear dozens of fans snoring during the game. The only exciting thing that happened was when that Hessen HB got exploded by Jacob Nebasu (DT). The fans tried waking up their sleeping buddies to inform them that the 3rd quarter had started. Abaja got the kick. It was Zair Macosa (WR) that got it and ran up to the 24 yard line. First down for Abaja. Abaja started it off slower this half, doing more runs than passes. Vincent Oleamu (HB) got a run and broke a few tackles. He stiff armed another defender, and then he got loose. Oleamu ran for 34 yards before finally being tripped up by a Hessen player. 1st and 10 now for Abaja on the Nassau-Hessen 42 yard line. Desna Osopno. Gets the snap. Bullet pass to Muhammadu Shepada (TE). Shepada is tackled, just short a a first down. 2nd and inches now. Vincent Oleamu (HB) gets the handoff from Osopno and runs an extra two yards for the first. Abaja is now on the Nassau-Hessen 30 yard line. Desna Osopno then throws a lob pass to Bobby Odendé (WR). He leaps for it. The Hessen CB jumps with him. Odendé snags it and lands with both feet in bounds. That's an 11 yard gain. It seems to be going well so far for the Lions, until Desna Osopno gets sacked and fumbles the ball. A bunch of linemen hop on the ball, and on Osopno, to create a sweaty mountain. A Hessen ROLB got the ball, holding it up in his hand as he runs across the field. Terrible turnover from Abaja, after such a good drive. Nassau-Hessen couldn't do much with the ball, though. After an incomplete pass from the Hessen QB, he got sacked again, this time by Guinior Lukenta. Loss of 5. After that, The QB throws a 7 yard bullet pass. 4th down for Nassau-Hessen. With 2 minutes to go in the 3rd, Abaja was in a good position, again! But they failed to score, again! 4th and 2 deep in Nassau-Hessen's territory. Oh well, no biggie, right? We can still go up 3-0, right? Now just look at how this kicker misses a 21 yard field goal. I mean, who hired this guy? He missed two field goals from inside the 40. Well, that's the end of the 3rd quarter, and it's still a snoozer. 0 - at the start of the 4th. It gets a little more exciting down the stretch, though. Nassau-Hessen's ball at their 21 yard line.The Hessen QB throws a lob pass to his WR. The WR catches it, and gets shoved out of bounds. Gain of 16. The Hessen QB hands it off. The HB runs left, and gets tackled by Sarim Gouai (ROLB). He gains 6 yards on the play. 2nd and 4 now. The Hessen QB gets the snap, looks, and gets sacked by Guinior Lukenta. Man, this guy is going crazy today. The Nassau-Hessen QB then throws a bullet to his TE. The TE breaks 2 tackles, and he's off. Thankfully, the TE was slow and the other guys were able to catch up to him. He was brought down on the Abajan 38 yard line. Nassau-Hessen was only able to get 4 mre yards during the net 3 downs, leaving them in a 4th and 6 situation on the Abajan 34 yard line. They can get a field goal here. The kick is up, and just off the mark! Wow, these kickers are both having a terrible day so far. With just 3 minutes left in the 4th, Nassau-Hessen has a chance to take a 6-0 lead over Abaja if they can score here. On the Abajan 11 yard line, all they need is a few good plays. The Hessen HB runs for 4 yards. 2nd and 6 now. The crowd gets tense. The Hessen QB lobs up to his WR, and Henry Turusi (CB) picks it off in the endzone! Touchback. The pass was too high for the WR, but not for Turusi. Abaja has the ball at their 20 yard line. After a few good plays, Abaja finds themselves in Nassau-Hessen's territory, at the 37, with 1 and a half minutes left. Desna Osopno scrambles for a quick 3. After that, Malik Mafausa (FB) runs for 5. 3rd and 2. Desna Osopno gets the snap, looking for Muhammadu Shepada (TE). He can't find him, but he finds Bobby Odendé (WR), who burned his CB by miles. He threw it up. It looks like he's gonna catch this one easily and - He drops it! Still some time left, but Abaja still can't do anything on offense, and now here's overtime. The score still tied 0 - 0. Abaja gets possession after they win the toss. OOC: I'm getting tired so I'm just gonna show a few more plays. Abaja's first play in overtime is a pass. Osopno passes to Zair Macosa (WR) for a gain of 14. On the 34 now. Vincent Oleamu (HB) gets the handoff. He runs right. He avoids a few Hessens. He keeps going. He's loose now! A CB tries diving for him, but he cannot get to him. Oleamu sprints by! Touchdown! A 66 yard touchdown for Oleamu. (Btw that wasn't the only score of overtime I just got lazy )

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Tomorrow

Gregoryisgodistan vs Abaja

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COMMENTS • 11,563
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Sir LiOn - Joined December 16, 2008
Typa Kicker - September 27, 7:12 PM
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Butterstick - Joined August 9, 2010
Odende had some of me on his hands September 27, 8:06 PM
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Mike Box - Joined February 2, 2013
get rid of that kicker lol September 27, 9:14 PM
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[Kaboomlandia]

Phoenix demolish Thereisnogodistan to qualify for playoffs

After struggling through two boring games against Qasden and Schottia, the offensive just let loose against Thereisnogodistan as Travis Reuben threw for four touchdowns in a 39-7 demolition to clinch a playoff spot for the Kaboomlandians. It will be the team's four playoff spot in five years, the lone miss coming in World Bowl 28 in a stacked group that had Gregoryisgodistan and perennial playoff nemesis Banija. The team's defense, which recorded eleven sacks in two straight shutout wins, still hasn't been scored on in three games - the Thereisnogodistani touchdown came off a Brandon Malone fumble after the game was already decided. Kaboomlandia changed up their strategy to adapt to a Thereisnogodistani defense that was surprisingly good despite a 2-4 record, only allowing 57 points in the six games before this. But the offense, which is now ranked second in points scored and only five points behind undefeated Anglatia - went pass-heavy this game. The team will now be watching the scoreboard tomorrow. While the Phoenix already have a playoff spot, Schottia could knock them out of the top spot in Group 3 based on point differential, and they have this leg up against lowly Qasden. Meanwhile, Thereisnogodistan plays again tomorrow against surprisingly good rookie team The Independent Hazerls. The Phoenix can finish no higher than fourth - and one of the teams ahead of them is undefeated Banija, meaning that a Schottia win could set up a rematch.

Playoff clinching scenarios

Group 1 is decided.

Group 2
Greater Vakolicci Haven clinches a playoff spot if they beat Allamunnic States.
The Royal Kingdom of Quebec clinches a playoff spot if they beat Sheepish AND Greater Vakolicci Haven loses to Allamunnic States. (Quebec has the head-to-head point differential on GVH by 1 point.)
Allamunnic States clinches the group if they win or tie against Greater Vakolicci Haven.

Group 3
Schottia clinches a playoff spot if they beat Qasden.
The Independent Hazerls cannot clinch because they don't have the head-to-head points difference tiebreaker on Schottia.
Kaboomlandia will clinch the group if Schottia does not beat Qasden.

Group 4 is decided. Barunia have played all their games and can't pass The Fair Republic, who have the head-to-head point difference tiebreaker.

Group 5 is decided.

Group 6
Drawkland wins the group if they beat the Alinghi Federal-Democratic Republic.
Frenline Delpha wins the group if they beat Taeshan AND Drawkland does not beat the Alinghi Federal-Democratic Republic.

Group 7
Chromatika will clinch a playoff spot if they beat Free Tulsa.
West Saintland will clinch a playoff spot if Chromatika loses to Free Tulsa.

Group 8 is decided. Gregoryisgodistan has clinched the group because they have the head-to-head points difference tiebreaker on Nassau-Hessen. Abaja cannot clinch a playoff spot because Nassau-Hessen has the better head-to-head points difference.

[Banija]

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

Nailbiter victory in Averyickan City leaves Banija one game away from going undefeated in the group stages of World Bowl XXX


Momir Litvinov(#96) celebrates the Banijan 4th quarter goal line stand

AVERYICKAN CITY- Although Averyickan City is easily the worst team in the group and one of the worst teams overall at World Bowl XXX, being one of 3 winless teams at this tournament, everybody knew that they were going to give the undefeated Banijans a dogfight. Nobody wants to go winless at their first ever World Bowl, and Banija has been there, going an embarrassing 0-10 at the group stages of World Bowl XXVII. They knew that Averyickan City did not want to go down as one of the worst teams in World Bowl history, and therefore they were going to put up a fight. And a fight is exactly what Banija got, as San Llera's last loss gave Banija an opportunity to clinch 1st place in Group 1 and avoid a winner-take-all scenario in week 10 against San Llera, where anything could happen.

Banija, of course, came out firing on all cylinders. They received the kickoff, and it was returned to the opposing 47 yard line, only stopped by a shoestring tackle from their opponent's kicker. Then, on the first play from scrimmage, they called for a play-action. Myles Debaba faked the ball to his running back, and then saw Vena Resnick streaking down the near sideline in single coverage. One perfectly thrown deep ball later, Vena Resnick ran right under the football and was tackled just as he crossed the goal line for six points. Just like that, and one extra point later, the score was 7-0, and Banija definitely came out on the right foot.

However, the big play that served them so well on the game's first two plays escaped Banija for the rest of the first half. Their offense put together long, sustainable drives, with lots of third & shorts, and lots of carries for both Kahsu and Dvorak. However, each time they got inside the red zone, the drives would stall. They scored on all 4 of their red zone trips in the first half, but were not able to punch one into the end zone. Four short field goals later, it was the end of the first half, and the score was 19-0 for Banija. The score could be a lot more lopsided, and Banijan fans were frustrated that they had not put away their hosts yet, but a lead is a lead is a lead.

In the second half, Averyickan City showed the kind of fight that you would expect from a team that was trying to not be winless in this group. They were able to put a drive together, finally, on this stout Banijan defense in the 3rd quarter, and all of a sudden, the score was 19-7 with 10 minutes left in the 3rd. They were hanging around, and the defense finally got some confidence as the crowd began to get into the game. The Banijan offense started stalling. The teams would trade 3 & outs, but there was a feeling as the game reached the fourth quarter that Averyickan City still had a shot of getting their first victory at World Bowl XXX.

On Banija's opening drive of the 4th quarter, Debaba was finally able to string together a good drive. Short passes to Lemuel Yafet and Abesalom Kahsu in space netted good yards after the catch, and Banija was knocking on the door with 11:15 left in regulation. It was 3rd down & 3 from the Averyickan City 22 yard line, and the Banijans knew that a touchdown would effectively slam the door in the face of Averyickan City. On that play, Averyickan City called a good blitz, and an outside linebacker came free to Debaba. He looked at his hot read, Christos Cosse over the middle of the field, and threw the ball as he was hit. Cosse, then cutting at around the 10 yard line, was overthrown under pressure and was picked off in the end zone by the free safety. It was returned to the 33 yard line, and Averyickan City breathed new life.

Just 3 minutes later, they plowed the ball in from a yard out, and instead of the game being 26-7, the game was 19-14 with 8 minutes left. Averyickan City had the crowd, and had the momentum. Could Banija pull this out? Could they still win the group today? Myles Debaba got a first down on their next offensive play from a 15 yard scramble, but then Banija was forced to punt 3 plays later. The defense then forced a 3 & out, and then Banija went 3 & out. When Averyickan City got the ball back with 4 minutes left, they knew it was do or die.

They played like they knew it was their very last game. This was a team that left everything on the field. They converted tough 3rd downs, tough 4th downs, and were able to get inside Banija's 10 yard line, to the 7, with 1:10 to go. But the defense that forms the very basis of this football team then rose up. Litvinov batted a pass down from the line of scrimmage on 1st & goal. On second & goal, a halfback screen brought the ball down to the 3 yard line. On 3rd & goal, a fade was batted down by Dragutin Tomikj. On 4th & goal, Litvinov ran unblocked into the backfield and sacked the quarterback to force a turnover on downs. Then Banija got into the victory formation, and the game was over. It took a lot out of them, and everything from their opponents, but Banija, with this 19-14 victory. had won Group 1.

"This was a great game." Said Head Coach Ezekiel Daniachew. "Both teams played with a lot of passion and even more heart, and I would like to tip my cap to Averyickan City. They left everything on the field today, and they did not deserve to lose. But I want to tip my cap as well to these players wearing white. They played with passion, hunger, and they deserved this victory. While we were far from perfect, and we have much to work on if we want to bring a trophy back home to Banija, this win today shows that our team is able to gut out big victories at big times."

When asked about how he would approach the San Llera game with the group already wrapped up, he said that he would go out and try to win it. "I understand that the group is wrapped up. But going undefeated is also a rare accomplishment that we should go after, as well as the ability to maintain a top seed with a victory. While we do plan on making the most out of our 53 man roster, every single one of our players- starters, backups, etc.. will be able to go on the field and help us get a victory. Players like Zervos, Nat Bahta, etc.. will get extended playing time, but I believe that they are fully capable of going out there and getting a victory, to set us up for the best possible path to success once we get to Ethane."

[Ethane]

Some will laugh, some will cry, and some will honestly just want to die.

Cutoff - Match Day Ten

[Ethane]

Match Day Ten Scores
#timeforEthane

Group 1
Banija 20–19 San Llera
West Phonecia 14–10 Southern Democratic States

Group 1                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Banija                                    8    8   0   171   59 +112    24
2 San Llera                                 8    5   3   146  100  +46    15
3 West Phonecia                             8    4   4    94  118  −24    12
4 Southern Democratic States                8    3   5    64   87  −23     9
5 Averyickan City                           8    0   8    31  142 −111     0

Group 2
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 20–3 Sheepish
Greater Vakolicci Haven 0–11 Allamunnic States

Group 2                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Allamunnic States                         8    7   1   138    9 +129    21
2 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                   8    5   3   111   65  +46    15
3 Greater Vakolicci Haven                   8    5   3   117   89  +28    15
4 Sheepish                                  8    2   6    26  116  −90     6
5 The New North African Republic            8    1   7    34  147 −113     3

Group 3
Thereisnogodistan 34–14 The Independent Hazerls
Schottia 16–3 Qasden

Group 3                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Kaboomlandia                              8    6   2   185   94  +91    18
2 Schottia                                  8    6   2   164  105  +59    18
3 The Independent Hazerls                   8    4   4   126  144  −18    12
4 Thereisnogodistan                         8    3   5   130  134   −4     9
5 Qasden                                    8    1   7    34  162 −128     3

Group 4
Ferkas 14–33 Fleurnordicia
Anglatia 16–10 The Fair Republic

Group 4                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Anglatia                                  8    8   0   206   59 +147    24
2 The Fair Republic                         8    5   3   137   82  +55    15
3 Barunia                                   8    5   3   105   71  +34    15
4 Fleurnordicia                             8    2   6    73  159  −86     6
5 Ferkas                                    8    0   8    45  195 −150     0

Group 5
United States of Devonta 17–14 United Bermuda
Cheongji 0–17 Abanhfleft

Group 5                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                                8    8   0   149   36 +113    24
2 Ethane                                    8    6   2   119   16 +103    18
3 United States of Devonta                  8    4   4    82   92  −10    12
4 Cheongji                                  8    2   6    57  126  −69     6
5 United Bermuda                            8    0   8    47  184 −137     0

Group 6
Alinghi Federal-Democratic Republic 3–3 Drawkland (6–9 OT)
Taeshan 17–0 Frenline Delpha

Group 6                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Drawkland                                 8    7   1   164   73  +91    21
2 Frenline Delpha                           8    6   2   114   94  +20    18
3 Taeshan                                   8    5   3   156   54 +102    15
4 Alinghi Federal-Democratic Republic       8    2   6    42  108  −66     6
5 The New Telengana Rajj                    8    0   8    27  174 −147     0

Group 7
Chromatika 17–7 Free Tulsa
Ficiscia 3–31 Cosumar

West Saintland 17–0 Ficiscia

Group 7                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Cosumar                 8    7   0   1   208  100 +108    21
2 Chromatika              8    5   0   3   153   91  +62    15
3 West Saintland          8    5   0   3   121  103  +18    15
4 Free Tulsa              8    2   0   6    80  148  −68     6
5 Ficiscia                8    1   0   7    36  156 −120     3

Group 8
Gregoryisgodistan 10–14 Abaja
Nassau-Hessen 3–29 Islana Lunigo

Group 8                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Gregoryisgodistan                         8    6   2   104   31  +73    18
2 Abaja                                     8    5   3   125   92  +33    15
3 Nassau-Hessen                             8    5   3    97   75  +22    15
4 Islana Lunigo                             8    4   4    99  108   −9    12
5 New West Guiana                           8    0   8    28  147 −119     0

[Ethane]

Playoff Games
#timeforEthane

Sorry all, fell asleep while doing these

Seeding                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Anglatia                                  8    8   0   206   59 +147    24
1 Abanhfleft                                8    8   0   149   36 +113    24
1 Banija                                    8    8   0   171   59 +112    24
1 Allamunnic States                         8    7   1   138    9 +129    21
1 Cosumar                                   8    7   1   208  100 +108    21
1 Drawkland                                 8    7   1   164   73  +91    21
1 Kaboomlandia                              8    6   2   185   94  +91    18
1 Gregoryisgodistan                         8    6   2   104   31  +73    18
2 Ethane                                    8    6   2   119   16 +103    18
2 Schottia                                  8    6   2   164  105  +59    18
2 Frenline Delpha                           8    6   2   114   94  +20    18
2 Chromatika                                8    5   3   153   91  +62    15
2 The Fair Republic                         8    5   3   137   82  +55    15
2 San Llera                                 8    5   3   146  100  +46    15
2 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                   8    5   3   111   65  +46    15
2 Abaja                                     8    5   3   125   92  +33    15

Anglatia vs Abaja @ King Edward IV Stadium
Abanhfleft vs Royal Kingdom of Quebec @ Loweshire County Arena
Banija vs San Llera @ The Swans Stadium
Allamunic States vs The Fair Republic @ Hillcroft Stadium
Cosumar vs Chromatika @ Hillcroft Stadium
Drawkland vs Frenline Delpha @ The Swans Stadium
Kaboomlandia vs Schottia @ Loweshire County Arena
Ethane vs Gregoryisgodistan @ King Edward IV Stadium

[Drawkland]

DRAWKLAND ADVANCES TO WORLD BOWL XXX PLAYOFFS
Written By: Ben Lincoln and Sam Garfield

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RECENT RESULTS
FROM GROUP 6:
Taeshan 23–3 The New Telengana Rajj
Frenline Delpha 10–10 Drawkland (19–16 OT)

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Drawkland 23–15 Taeshan
The New Telengana Rajj 0–20 Alinghi Federal-Democratic Republic

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Alinghi Federal-Democratic Republic 3–3 Drawkland (6–9 OT)
Taeshan 17–0 Frenline Delpha

Group 6                                   Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Drawkland                                 8    7   1   164   73  +91    21
2 Frenline Delpha                           8    6   2   114   94  +20    18
3 Taeshan                                   8    5   3   156   54 +102    15
4 Alinghi Federal-Democratic Republic       8    2   6    42  108  −66     6
5 The New Telengana Rajj                    8    0   8    27  174 −147     0

PREVIOUSLY
With the group getting very close between the three powers, Taeshan, Drawkland, and Frenline Delpha, the next 3 games were highly anticipated as they would pit these 3 teams against each other, with a final day of play to truly decide the group champion. A playoff appearance was on the line, and 1 team would walk away with nothing while the other two would advance to battle it out in the playoffs in Ethane, for hopeful greater glory in World Bowl XXX. So what happened (for those of you who haven't already cheated and checked the side graphic)?

vs FRENLINE DELPHA
The Anacondas of Frenline Delpha were fully expected to be a semi-hard challenge after the initial struggles of the first time they played against the team. However, this game turned out to be even closer than the previous, going into an intense overtime.

DRAWKLAND	7	0	0	3	6	16
FRENLINE DELPHA	0	3	7	0	9	19

Frenline Delpha won the toss and elected to defer to Drawkland, starting the Grid Corps off with the ball. Daniel Madison returned the kick for what seemed like miles, he managed to actually cross the 50 before he was finally taken down on the Frenlinian 43. The crowd went wild, as Drawkland was already starting off the game with a chokehold from the offense. It only took 5 plays for the Drawkians to march down the field, destroying what little resistance the Frenlines gave from the defensive side. Dmitri Sallangs, on the 7 yard line, brought the ball in for a touchdown with 1st and goal, and Matthew Watts thankfully brought in the PAT for 7 points to start the game. The rest of the quarter was, predictably, rather bland, and so not much else of note occurred. However, deep into the second quarter, only a couple minutes before halftime, the Anacondas got deep into Grid Corps territory, making it to our 24. But the defense remained strong and true, first sacking the Frenline quarterback, forcing the line back. A run was foiled by the defensive line, and a last-ditch pass effort was stopped 3 yards from the first down line. The Anacondas were forced to kick, but unfortunately they were close enough to make the field goal without difficulty, bringing the score to a threatening 7-3.

After halftime, the Corps came back, ready to work, but unfortunately, the Anacondas came more ready. Getting the ball from the kick, they seemed to almost replicate the success the Corps had in the beginning of the game, bringing in a miraculously good return and having defense-smashing drives down the field, until a breakthrough run by the star running back hurdled a linesman and dodged a safety to run 30 yards for the touchdown. The kicker wasted no time in putting a PAT down, putting the Corps in a losing position, 7-10, in the third. After that, the crowd and Corps alike seemed deflated, failing to put anything decent together until late in the fourth. By then, they'd managed to make it to the Frenline 35, and it seemed that there was no way for the Corps to make it any further, as they'd been sacked and gotten a penalty (the original line of scrimmage was on the 26). So they kicked a field goal, courtesy of Matthew Watts, which barely managed to edge in, actually dinging the uprights a bit in one of the most important close calls in Drawkian Gridiron history.

So then it was overtime, 10-10. Frenline managed to win the toss, unfortunately, and the Grid Corps just had to deal with it, kicking far and wide, leading to a touchback. Frenline Delpha fought long and hard down the field, bringing the ball to the 25 before being forced to kick yet another field goal. With minutes to go and the killing scoreline visible for all to see, the Corps brought their massive amounts of pinch offense plays and came in for a hail mary touchdown pass received by none other than Daniel Madison. But, in the moment he was needed most, Matthew Watts missed the field goal, bringing the score to a nailbiting 16-13. There was still time left in the quarter, though, so the kickoff went to Frenline Delpha yet again, which they managed to bring to their own 33. They drove down the field, breakaway runs and nearly missed passes hallmarking their offense. And much to the dismay of everyone in the crowd, the first loss of the Grid Corps in this World Bowl occurred with a Frenlinian touchdown to end the game, 16-19 in OT.

vs TAESHAN
After the crushing loss against Frenline Delpha, many feared another crushing loss from Taeshan that would result in the Corps being possibly eliminated from playoff contention in an unfortunately fell swoop. However, both defenses seemed to be leaky this game, and the Corps managed to come out on top in regular time.

DRAWKLAND	0	6	7	10	23
TAESHAN	7	8	0	0	15

The game started with a Drawkian possession which failed, giving way to a Taeshani drive which resulted in a clean TD+PAT to put the lavender and gold nation on top of the Corps. No more scoring happened in the first, but early in the second, after the Corps got the ball back, they themselves scored a touchdown, with unfortunately no extra point to help them out, a crushing 6-7. But directly after, almost as if in taunting, the Taeshani offense brought the ball from their 20 all the way to the end zone in one massive pass which seemed to emanate the common Drawkian breakthrough sprint pass trope which has been employed many times this edition. To add insult to injury, the opposing team managed to get a two-point conversion in, which was just unbelievable. 6-15 yelled the scoreboards, but Drawkland persevered.

After halftime, which was unfortunately started with a Taeshan reception, the Grid Corps managed to kick it into high gear in both ends. The defense seemed to block everything the Taeshani offense put out, which the offense just trampled the defensive line. A touchdown in the third which brought the score to 13-15 was much needed, and in their next possession, which was in the fourth, they drove down to get a long-shot 50-yard field goal to bring the score to miraculous 16-15. And while the Taeshan offense failed to even get across the 50 at this point, the Drawkians managed to keep kicking, adding another Touchdown and PAT to their score, getting a beautiful 23-15 on the boards before the referee blew the final whistle and the game ended, to the roar of the crowd.

vs ALINGHI FEDERAL-DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
With Frenline Delpha the only team threatening Drawkland in the group at this point, and the teams on an even 6-1 footing, the last game against Alinghi was crucial, but nobody knew it would come so close to the wire as it did.

DRAWKLAND	0	0	3	0	6	9
ALINGHI FEDERAL-DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC	0	0	0	3	3	6

Both offenses showed up very clearly to this game, with both teams having dry and pointless drives in the entire first half. With many near-misses, mediocre interceptions, and easily tackled receivers, the scoreboard continued to seem shocked at the game, a deadlocked 0-0. However, after getting the ball after halftime, the Grid Corps managed to finally get in gear, and Matthew Watts was warm enough to score a 43-yard field goal to put Drawkland ahead, 0-3. Neither team seemed to be able to score in the rest of the quarter, exciting fans from both nations. The game was coming down to the wire, but it wasn't nearly close enough yet. In the fourth, with still 8 minutes left, the Alinghi kicker got himself in gear, too, and scored a 44-yard field goal (which seemed to offend Matthew Watts judging by the tweet he sent mid-game). The score was tied again, this time at 3-3, and soon enough, the time drained away with neither team putting anything together.

Alinghi won the toss and got the ball first in overtime, and managed to get into field goal position and score, which brought the hammer down on the Drawkian psyche for a while, but after getting a kick of their own, the Grid Corps just put the pedal to the medal, getting a long pass to Toby Miller which caused him to break away, only getting taken down at the 11 yard line (in a little-seen example of Drawkians being tackled on long pass runs). And Antonio Anders amazed everyone present by taking the ball on 1st down and taking it in on his first try, juking 3 Alinghi defenders straight out of their shoes and getting into the end zone without even a hit, giving the game, and the group, to Drawkland.

PREDICTIONS
After a thrilling group stage start to finish, the Grid Corps was seeded 6th in the playoff seedings, while Frenline Delpha was seeded 11th. Which doesn't seem like a big deal at first, but if you look at the fixtures, you realize that this means the Round of 16 game for Drawkland is against their own groupmates and friendly rivals themselves, Frenline Delpha. Which earlier would seem like a cakewalk, but after the horrid overtime loss, it's a real tossup on who can be clutch in the high-pressure situations and score more points (even though that's rather self-explanatory).

If the Corps does win, they'll likely to be slated to play either Cosumar or Chromatika. Cosumar, being a very high-ranked and high-quality squad, was the next-highest seeded team above Drawkland for these playoffs, while Chromatika is the team which infamously dispatched Drawkland in the Round of 16 last edition. Either way, that potential game is expected to be extremely intense. However, advancing beyond the Round of 16 is the real goal of the Corps, so even getting there would be an honor.

In other parts of the bracket, in the opinion of DNSN analysts: Kaboomlandia is set to face ex-champions Schottia, which is expected to be a close game. While Schottia did win the World Bowl 2 editions ago, Kaboomlandia is only seeded one lower than Drawkland in this playoff, so it's apparent that they're highly skilled. Not only that, but they, too, were in the same group, and have experience against each other. Kaboomlandia has a slight edge.
Ethane, the hosts, are going to go against Gregoryisgodistan. Gregoryisgodistan is a massively and historically good gridiron team, but Ethane has been getting massively better, and have the obvious home-field advantage. In addition, Gregoryisgodistan is the lowest 1st-placers while Ethane is the highest second-placer, with the same amount of wins, but Ethane has a better goal differential. If the seedings were done by differential first above group placements, Ethane would actually be seeded higher. Ethane with also a slight advantage. Predicted Ethane-Kaboomlandia quarterfinal, the winner of which will face the potential Drawkian QF, and if they advance, it could be a Drawkland-Ethane or Drawkland-Kaboomlandia semifinal.
Anglatia will face Abaja in the Round of 16. Anglatia are the current world champions, and Abaja barely managed to edge into the playoffs this time, so it's expected to be a close game, but with a clear Anglatia advantage.
The winner of that game (probably Anglatia) will face either Abanhfleft or the Royal Kingdom of Quebec. While Abanhfleft hasn't lost yet and has over twice the differential of Quebec, Quebec was in a supremely difficult group this edition. So it's rather a tossup, however, Abanhfleft just seems to have a better squad this year. Only time will tell, but we think it'll be an A-A QF in this side.
Next is Banija and San Llera, two underrated teams as a whole. Banija cruised through the group stage, and faced San Llera twice, winning both, so we're expecting a blowout in Banijan favor.
Last but not least is Allamunic States and The Fair Republic. While The Fair Republic has a long and decent history, the States have a longer and much more impressive history, plus have improved since last edition. Prediction? Blowout for Allamunic States, who will probably barely defeat Banija, and go on to face Anglatia or Abanfleft, but probably Abanhfleft by our guesses.

Hopefully, we'll get a Drawkland-Allamunic final with an Abanhfleft-Ethane third place match, but our predictions always seem to fall short. So who knows? Either way, Go Grid Corps. Let's go as deep as possible this time.

[Abanhfleft]

The Saga of All-Inclusive Haranguer F.C. 2, Part Seven

And just like that, it was already the first matchday of the Fleftic football season, and All-Inclusive Haranguer still hadn’t found the central attacking midfielder that they wanted or even needed. Wallace Partridge’s side was going up against Atletico San Sebastian for their first game back in the Unang Liga, and he didn’t have what he called his “best” line-up. San Sebastian wasn’t really one of the teams in Unang Liga which were consistently competing for promotion to the Premier League, but they were basically Haranguer’s bogey team; the Sand Tigers had last won against the Saints back in 2013, almost six years before the present, and two years before Haranguer were promoted to the Premier League.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome, for the first time this season, to the National Book Store Stadium, home of your very own All-Inclusive Haranguer! Now, give a round of applause for your starting eleven! Starting in goal, number 1, Johannes Bright! Your fullbacks, number 2, Roman Garley, and number 44, Jac Biobaku! Your center backs, number 4, Allison Wayne, and number 5, Kim Dong Jin! In central midfield, number 6, Luke de Coubertin, and number 7, Abigail Papadiamantopoulos! On the wings, number 10, Faisal Mansoor, and number 15, Amirah Mansoor! At central attacking midfield, number 22, Lasse Torson! And finally, your central forward, number 9, Sam Gonza!”

The 11,000 fans packed into the National Book Store Stadium cheered and clapped for their team, who were about to start on the path to immediate promotion back to the Fleftic Premier League. Two of Partridge’s new signings this season, Luke de Coubertin and Abigail Papadiamantopoulos, had been given their debuts today with the clear hope that they would become Haranguer’s aces against San Sebastian, whom they had not beaten since 2013.

Alas, it was not to be. From the first kickoff to the final whistle, it was clear that the Saints still had the Sand Tigers’ number, and Haranguer were quite defenseless to stop San Sebastian from running rampant all over their home turf. Just a quarter of an hour into the game, San Sebastian’s Ridley Weyler netted from beside the penalty spot after Johannes Bright had punched away a free kick but only as far as Weyler’s feet, and the Saints striker couldn’t miss from that range. San Sebastian then inflicted further pain on Haranguer and its fans when Oliver Hanson (not to be confused with Rosenpfelblatz City’s Oliver Ganson) turned Kim Dong Jin inside out before planting the ball into the right corner of the goal with four minutes left to go to half-time.

The second 45 minutes of the match only piled on more misery on Haranguer, but what actually hurt them the most was that they actually had a brief glimmer of hope against San Sebastian before everything went crashing back down on them once again. That brief glimmer of hope for Haranguer came when on a rare Haranguer counter-attack, Lasse Torson and Sam Gonza played a short but beautiful one-touch game as they sliced through the San Sebastian defense before Gonza rounded past the Saints’ keeper and slotted home to give the Sand Tigers a goal and a way back into the game.

And then, just a few minutes after Gonza’s goal, things really took a downward turn for Haranguer. San Sebastian’s defense sent a through-ball straight into Haranguer’s box, and as Oliver Hanson ran after the ball, Lasse Torson suddenly appeared from behind and took out Hanson with a two-footed tackle. The referee duly awarded San Sebastian the penalty and then dismissed Torson by showing him a red card. Both Haranguer’s players and Haranguer’s fans protested the decision, and video replays after the game appeared to show that Torson may have possibly gotten the ball before he chopped down Hanson, but the damage was done. The only consolation for Haranguer was that Weyler wasn’t able to convert the penalty; Johannes Bright got a hand on Weyler’s penalty and pushed it out and away for an easy clearance.

Haranguer did have a chance to equalize although it would have required a lot more luck to turn that chance into an actual goal. Just after Bright had saved Weyler’s penalty, Luke de Coubertin had the ball near the edge of San Sebastian’s box in a rare attacking foray for Haranguer. There were a few Haranguer players inside the box, but they were tightly marked by San Sebastian’s defense. Coubertin had two options, and both of them didn’t particularly appeal to him: either pass the ball sideways or pass it backwards. Instead, he took the third option: he lined up his shot and kicked the ball goalwards with a powerful right foot. The ball flew like a rocket as it screamed towards goal, and the San Sebastian keeper barely had any time to react before the ball smacked the crossbar. A loud groan came from the Haranguer fans as Coubertin’s long range shot bounced off of the bar and back into play. Abigail Papadiamantopoulos chased after the ball and tried to place it in the back of the net with her height advantage, but all she managed to do was send the ball over the bar for a goal kick.

San Sebastian capped off Haranguer’s misery with a fine solo goal from Ernesto Capili, who stole the ball from substitute Bellemurillo from inside Haranguer’s area before embarking on a great solo run, rounding past Bright and tapping the ball into the net. 3-1 to San Sebastian the game would end.

“I have no words to say,” Wallace Partridge said in the post-match interview. “San Sebastian outplayed us everywhere, plain and simple. We were completely inept against them. We didn’t deserve to get anything out of this game, and I’m glad we didn’t.

“I don’t have the team that I really want,” he continued. “Don’t get me wrong; I have a very capable team that can achieve promotion, but it’s not the team that I want. But there’s still time to improve this team and get the players that I want to turn this team into what I want it to be.”

The day after the game against San Sebastian, Partridge sat in his office with Baz Coltrane, talking about what they could do to not repeat the mistakes that the team made against the Saints when they face Sporting Busov next week. “It doesn’t matter if we can get the SFA to overturn Lasse’s red card, Wally,” Coltrane said. “I’ve just been told by the doc that Lasse picked up a bruised metatarsal after he tackled Oliver Hanson. We don’t have a CAM, Wally.”

“I told you that that’s one of the reasons why I didn’t want to play Lasse at CAM,” Partridge said. “Lasse’s what, 30 years old already? He’s already lost some of his pace, and what you just told me shows how vulnerable to injury he is. We really could’ve used someone like Arkadi Zima in this game, if only to provide us with something different, but he had to go and basically say to us that he would rather play in Nordskania. Speaking of Arkadi, how are things between him and Marissa?”

“Well, you could say that the inevitable has finally happened. They broke up. Or should I say that Marissa threatened to break up with Arkadi if he signed for any team in Nordskania, and then Arkadi beat her to the punch, so to speak, and broke up with her first. Social media’s all over their breakup. Oh, and get this: apparently, Arkadi called Marissa a gold-digger on social media, and all because of something that happened to them that I don’t really understand.”

“Oh, that’s ice cold. How’s Marissa taking that?”

“Not well; what do you think? You get called a gold-digger just because you want the person you love out of harm’s way and see how you react to it. Marissa would’ve gone with Arkadi anywhere, so long as it wasn’t to Nordskania. She was willing to move to another country with him if that’s what Arkadi wanted, but the lad’s heart is in Nordskania. You know what happened in Riuwiee during the Holy Catholic Revolution; that’s why Marissa’s family ended up moving to Markovsky after the revolution. She doesn’t want Arkadi to get hurt like what happened to the people of Riuwiee during the Catholic Revolution, but he doesn’t get her because he’s a firebrand and a revolutionary. Marissa just wants a peaceful like, and Arkadi wants to be at the forefront of his country’s liberation; from that perspective, it appears that their relationship was doomed from the start once Arkadi went to fight for Nordskania.”

“Yeah, that’s the problem with kids these days, I think,” Partridge said. “They don’t talk to each other anymore because everything’s now gone online, where what you’re trying to say doesn’t exactly translate to what you’re actually saying, and it leads to shit like this.”

“Marissa likes to think that she got the last laugh though,” Coltrane said. “FK National announced that they signed Arkadi on a one-year, 160 thousand per week contract. Who’s the real gold-digger now, she says.”

Partridge laughed, and Coltrane laughed with him, not because what the latter said was actually funny, but because they needed to laugh to relieve the tension about their team’s deficiencies. Once their laughter died down, though, it was back to trying to figure out how to solve their problems once again.

“We still need a central attacking midfielder,” Partridge said. “But where are we going to find one? Especially in the last two weeks of the transfer window? I know that Sam Gonza can play CAM, but he’s just so much better for us up front.”

“Do we really need to have a CAM, though?” Coltrane asked. “Can’t we just play a 4-2-2-2 with both Gonza and Bellemurillo up front?”

“That means training for a new formation, which means disrupting the way that we’ve been playing and training for the past few months. We’ll have to come up with new tactics to go along with our new formation, and there’s no guarantee that this new formation will win us games. And before you say anything, if we play Gonza at CAM and Bellemurillo up front in a 4-2-3-1, Gonza will still end up going forward beside Bellemurillo and basically making us play in a 4-2-2-2 anyway.

“And we’re back to square one,” Partridge finished. “We need a CAM. But where are we going to find a good CAM at a good price with two weeks to go in the transfer window?”

“I don’t know, Wally; I don’t know.” At that moment, Coltrane’s cellphone rang. “Yeah?” he said as he picked up the call. His eyes slowly widened as he listened to what the person at the other end said, and then he finally said, “I’ll be sure to let him know that,” before he ended the call.

“Who is it? What’s it all about?” Partridge asked.

“It’s Ross United, over in Anglatia,” Coltrane replied. “You’re not going to believe this, but we’ve been offered a CAM. And her name is Katarina Dana Bonner.”

[Banija]

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

After going undefeated in group play, Banija now has the most difficult of tasks- can they beat San Llera 3 times in a row?


Lemuel Yafets celebrates 1st quarter touchdown against San Llera in the last game of the group stages

BUSUKUMA- Banija clinched a perfect record in group play, and with it the #3 seed of the knockout stages of the World Bowl, when they defeated San Llera by a final score of 20-19 at the Stadium of the Restoration. This result, of course, clinched a lot of things for Banija. For one, it clinched a perfect record in group play, going 8-0, winning all of their home & away games for this tournament. This, of course, must be considered an accomplishment in and of itself. In World Bowl 27, not that long ago but Banija's debut on the international stage, the Banijans went a pathetic 0-10, and were easily the worst team at that tournament. This accomplishment, of course, shows how far they have come. Nothing has been won yet, but this shows that Banija is here to stay as a power in international gridiron football.

Of course, this result also clinched the #3 overall seed. While going into this game, they were gunning for the #2 seed, and did not get it due to them only winning by one point in this last match, the #3 overall seed still leaves a great path to get to the final, to most likely face Anglatia, the defending champs and the most dominating team of this tournament. If they had lost, they could have easily fallen all the way down to the 5 seed, which would've possibly left a 2nd round date with Anglatia, which is the team that nobody wants to play. Not that Banija is scared of them, but you want those matchups towards the end of the tournament, not earlier on.

Banija's starters, on both sides of the football, only played for the first half. All 20 of Banija's points were scored the half, as Debaba took one in himself and he threw a touchdown pass to Lemuel Yafets, while Kahsu added a touchdown on the ground at the end of the half(where the extra point was blocked). Banija took a 20-5 lead into halftime, as San Llera managed a field goal and a safety on this Banijan squad. The starters had played, they wouldn't be rusty for the knockout stages.

There was no way Daniachew was going to risk his starters, even at the risk of playoff seeding. What mattered was staying healthy for the knockout stages, and he believed that his boys could win it in the second half. Of course, the 3rd quarter started about as poorly as it could have possibly started. The opening kickoff of the half was returned for a touchdown, and all of a sudden, it was an 8 point game. Then, Dennis Zervos, in his first major action of the tournament, made a massive mistake. On a 3rd & 3, he didn't see the corner and threw the ball right into the hands of Tomas Guardiola, the very man whose pick six crushed Banijan hearts in World Bowl 29. He, once again, returned an interception for a touchdown, and all of a sudden, the score was 20-18. In a mysterious call, the San Llera coach decided to go for the point after instead of for 2, as it was still early in the 3rd quarter. It was a decision that they would come to regret, as the Banijan second team defense smothered the San Llera offense throughout the half.

Ultimately, Ezekiel Daniachew liked what he saw from his players. "We showed that we have a lot to work on today, but a victory is a victory. Dennis Zervos, after the butterflies got a hold of him, responded really well to his interception. Bad plays happen, and when you're a quarterback, you need a short memory. You learn your lesson, maintain your confidence, and keep playing ball. He protected the ball well for the rest of the half, and even though we did not score in the 2nd half, there are a lot of things I like from his performance." He also then decided to speak about their upcoming match-up against San Llera.

"The fact that we've beaten them twice makes this third match-up all the much more difficult. And the fact that we're playing them two games in a row, of course, makes this a much tougher game. Beating the same team three times in a tournament is something that rarely happens, and yet, that is what we must do. We do not ask for the easy path- there is no easy path to winning the World Bowl, and if you ask for it, you've already lost. This will be a difficult game, as San Llera is a talented team, and knows all about defying the odds, like they did in World Bowl 29. We must throw wrinkles in our game plan, as this will be our fourth match-up between these past two World Bowls, but we will put everything on the line to obtain victory in Swanmouth."

[Allamunnic States]

Allamunnic States Daily
Sports Section
Special World Bowl Coverage

Regulars win Group 2
Team takes care of business against Vakolic, draws the Fair Republic
by Gaarutt Wyllsunn

When the final whistle blew, the Regulars had finished an eight-game campaign in which they stated their case to be recognized as favorites for a seventh World Bowl Championship, with an 11-0 win over the Greater Vakolicci Haven, which both let the Regulars escape Group 2 with a 7-1 record, while also giving the Royal Kingdom of Quebec the help it needed to slip into the playoffs. Bearing the qualifying round's second-best point differential (+129, second only to defending champions Anglatia, who had a +147 point differential) and finishing with the best scoring defense of the qualifying round (allowing 9 points over 8 games, or an average of just over one point per game). The Regulars also finished qualifiers without allowing a single touchdown, on offense, defense, or special teams.

All of this was enough to give the Allamunnic squad the top seed among the one-loss teams, behind only defending champions Anglatia (#1 overall), Abahnfleft (#2 seed), and Banija (#3 seed) who all went 8-0 in qualifiers. The Regulars finished with a better point-differential than the #2 and #3 seeds, ultimately dropped to the #4 seed by that single, field-goal loss to the Royal Kingdom of Quebec on the first match day.

With that #4 seed in hand, the Regulars have drawn the Fair Republic as their Round of Sixteen opponent. The Fair Republic have been around the World Bowl for several cycles now, reaching a modest share of success not unlike the Regulars in their first decade in the World Bowl (recall that, despite first competing in World Bowl VII, the Allamunnic national team would not win a championship until World Bowl XVI).

The final game of qualifiers itself was a fairly pedestrian affair for the Regulars, even as they forced their sixth shut-out of World Bowl XXX, with the defense turning in another dominating effort in which they held the Greater Vakolicci Haven's team to under 100 total offensive yards on the day. The defense forced three turnovers (all three interceptions), plus a safety on a sack of the Vakolicci quarterback in the second quarter. They also forced seven total sacks, along with a large number of tackles for loss to keep their opponents easily contained.

The offense did not display anything that might be called "fireworks," but they were efficient enough, making three different scoring drives for field goals of 34, 46, and 41 yards to get the points they needed. Despite the relatively quiet day, HB#35 Bryndyn Traewyk had his sixth-consecutive game with at least one hundred yards rushing, as he piled up 113 yards on 26 totes. The day had Traewyk finish qualifiers with 208 total carries for 1,018 yards and 8 touchdowns with only a single fumble over the course of eight games. The Regulars will likely need more of the same out of Traewyk if they want to be successful in the playoffs, as the passing game has been mostly quiet for the past several games.

When asked about the team's next match-up, head coach Baeryk Vaalburger seemed confident, if restrained in his demeanor. "The Fair Republic is a very good team. Once you reach the playoffs, it's always anyone's game, so we have to be very careful to take care of business. Just because a few news outlets have us picked as favorites does not mean we should look past anyone."

On the Regulars' defense: "This is as good of a defense as we've ever had. They go out there and they play hard for sixty minutes, make the plays when we need them." When asked about how the defense had been so effective despite a relative lack of star power (relative to previous Regulars' squads) he opined that the lack of star power was, in fact, a strength, because the defense lacked an obvious cornerstone or flaw that could be exploited; it has been simply a rock-solid unit from top to bottom for the entire qualifying round.

And, of course, when asked about his team's chances to win the tournament: "Of course I think we can win it. We're capable. But actually doing it is a whole different beast. We're as good as anyone, we can beat anyone, but at this stage, we're not the only ones. We'll have to play well if we want to win. But do I think we can? Now that is a dumb question."

[Ethane]

You know you need to shine in this game.

Cutoff - Round of 16

[Ethane]

Round of 16 Results
#timeforEthane

Anglatia 0–0 Abaja (0–6 OT)

Abanhfleft 14–7 Royal Kingdom of Quebec

Banija 10–7 San Llera

Allamunnic States 6–6 The Fair Republic (6–13 OT)

Cosumar 20–24 Chromatika

Drawkland 50–23 Frenline Delpha

Kaboomlandia 6–16 Schottia

Ethane 0–9 Gregoryisgodistan (scored by House of Judah)

Quarter-Finals

Abaja vs Abanhfleft
Banija vs The Fair Republic
Chromatika vs Drawkland
Schottia vs Gregoryisgodistan

[Allamunnic States]

Coaches' and Administrative Offices
Allamunnic States National Team Practice Facility
Near Dunnmaar, Bluwaald, Allamunnic States

The team had flown back in near silence after the shocking loss. The team allowed its first touchdown of the tournament at the single worst possible moment. But it was not the defense that had yielded, as a hard pass had bounced out of the hands of wide receiver Emma Kaarlsunn and into the waiting arms of a defensive back, who had run the ball back to the Allamunnic end zone for the game-winning score. It was the worst finish in recent memory for the Regulars, who had not lost in the Round of Sixteen since World Bowl XV, when Civil Citizenry had ushered the Regulars to a first-round loss in the last year before the Regulars went on their run of finals appearances and championships.

It was absolutely disappointing, and none of the players had been in the mood to talk to media after the game. Still, they had been good sports, congratulating the players from the Fair Republic and then answering the questions asked of them. Baeryk was proud of them, all things considered. There were absolutely things they would need to work on, of course, he mused as he cleaned off his desk for the off-season. Still, it would be business as usual. Back to work, as always.

As he piled papers up on his desk, he wondered what it would be like working with the new Allamunnic Sporting Commissioner. The Senate had approved the Board of Directors' recommendation, to the dismay of both Baeryk and former coach Ryan Smart, who he kept in touch with, remaining good friends even after they had gone separate ways. Neither one of them liked Gaarutt Kolvyn, the new Commissioner. There was something about him that rubbed Baeryk and Ryan alike the wrong way. Maybe it was how young he was (far too young to have ascended to his current position in a normal career progression). Maybe it was the smile he wore constantly. It was toothy, and wide, and, Baeryk was sure, utterly fake. Maybe it was the way his hair was always slicked back. Vaalburger always had the sneaking suspicion Kolvyn was trying to sell him something. Maybe he was. Smart said he was a former AGL marketing executive, and a company man through and through.

So working with him would be an... interesting experience. But that was in the future. Right now, Vaalburger was thinking about schemes and patterns and x's and o's and how they could avoid another upset like that next year around. He was shaken from his musings by the ringing of the corded phone on his desk. He glared at it suspiciously. He was not expecting any calls until at least the next day, when he would start scheduling the players' exit interviews for the years. That was very, very odd.

"Who is it?" He picked up the phone, answering brusquely. A moment later, he realized he should probably identify himself. "This is Vaalburger."

"Baeryk!" came an entirely-too-jovial voice. Baeryk's eyes narrowed as recognition clicked. Speak of a demon, it was Kolvyn. "Just the man I wanted to talk to!"

I imagine I'm not going to like this. Funding's probably getting reduced. The board was making noises about refunding the other teams... "What can I do for you, Gaarutt?" Part of him realized he probably should have addressed him as "Commissioner" or "Commissioner Kolvyn," or even "Mr. Kolvyn," but he was in a lousy mood, and could not be bothered with the proper official courtesies. Not that it mattered. Three championship wins bought a pretty hefty amount of wiggle room.

"Well, Coach, I'm afraid I've got some bad news. Really bad news, actually. Just got back from a meeting with the Commission's board of directors. They insisted I inform you immediately." Baeryk rolled his eyes. Just let me know and get it over with. I can handle it.

"Commissioner, I've had a long day. If you don't mind, I'm not really in the mood for beating around the bush. I'm a grown man. I can handle a little bad news." There was a sigh on the other end of the line. It sounded just a touch over-dramatic, but not so much that Baeryk could definitively tell if it was fake or not.

"We won't be requiring your services next year. Sorry, coach, the Board decided. We're moving in a new direction. Naturally, what's left of your contract will be bought out. You'll get severance. But we've got to turn this program around, and the team's been regressing the last few years."

The entire first sentence had been so much noise to Baeryk. "I'm sorry, what was that first sentence? I think I misheard you."

"Your contract is terminated, Baeryk. It's over. I'm sorry."

Vaalburger was a restrained, composed person. In spite of that, he slammed the phone down, cutting off whatever else Kolvyn might have been about to say, the world turning red and the room spinning. The words would not process. Yes, it was not a difficult concept, but no national team head coach had ever been fired. Not from the gridiron program. Sure, Baeryk's father had retired with possible firing looming if he had tried to stay, but Stevan Vaalburger had been planning to retire anyway. And Ryan Smart had gotten to ride off into the sunset on his own terms, with no indication that firing was coming any time soon, regardless of his own struggles.

So he couldn't have just been fired. That was unprecedented. He was only the third coach in World Bowl history to win more than one championship, only the second to win three. That had to count for something when it came to job security in the program he had run for most of a decade.

Apparently not. Baeryk stood there in a state of shock before he calmly, without another word, his mind detached, continued gathering his possessions, now leaving nothing out of the box he had been filling. There was no reason to leave anything behind, now.

---

Auditorium
Allamunnic National Gridiron Team Practice Facility
Near Dunnmaar, Bluwaald, Allamunnic States

Sixty players sat in the room, utterly confused as to what the point of the conference was. They had been called on short notice, many of them before they had even had the opportunity to get a full night's sleep after their return journey. The room was bland and inoffensive, and it had an antiseptic quality that was not reassuring to anyone under the circumstances. A certain amount of group cohesion was visible in how the players had seated themselves. If one looked, they would notice that the offensive linemen had all sat together, as had the two main platoons of the defense. The offensive skill position players were more dispersed, although there were knots that betrayed personal friendships, or, in one or two cases, other relationships.

Anna Eriklunn glanced at her boyfriend, who had dozed off, leaning on her shoulder. They had only gotten a couple hours of sleep since returning, and she was not sure she would not follow his lead on this, tired as she was. She looked around, and could detect the nervousness of many of her teammates. This whole conference was quite unusual. But all she could think of was to wait.

Suddenly, a figure in a sharp suit walked out to the podium that was usually used by Coach during press conferences. The man was square-jawed and handsome, with a wide, white grin, and blonde hair that was slicked back over a pair of baby blue eyes. Anna thought he looked familiar, but she could not place the face. Instincts twinged to something wrong. There was something off about the man's manner, his posture.

"I am afraid I must deliver some bad news. In light of the change in administration brought on by the passing of dearly-missed Commissioner Thornburger, and this year's World Bowl results, Coach Baeryk Vaalburger has been relieved of his duties as head coach of this team. This decision was made by the entire Board of Directors, myself included. There is a broad consensus among the Commission. Other members of the front office, coaching staff, and the roster, will have their contracts up for review. There will be changes coming, in the hopes of maintaining the high standards this program is known for."

A stunned silence settled over the room. Torren Tormundsunn, the team's fullback and one of its main leaders since its last championship run, stood up, his voice harsh with anger.

"Now what the hell did you go and do that for?" he snarled. "If anyone was going to be able to get us back to basics and lead us to another championship, it was Coach Vaalburger!" For a moment, Kolvyn's mask slipped, and he glared at Tormundsunn. Then he remembered himself and shook his head.

"The Board is not convinced. In addition, the move of some of the government funding from our budget means we need to be convincing donors to be helping to fund these programs. And all indications are that donors want to see a change in direction."

"Well fuck that," Torren growled. "If Coach is gone, so am I." There were mutters of angry agreement from several areas of the room. Anna was quite sure the linemen, to a man, had agreed with Torren, as had most of the defense. In fact, most of the offensive line, including her and Bryndyn's favorite, Snaari Knutsunn, stood up and started trying to leave the room.

"I am very sorry to hear that," Kolvyn said. "If that is the case, we will terminate your contracts and use the roster spots on players who are willing to play for this program even in light of the change. I wish you nothing but the best." Anna doubted he actually did, but the wide smile never left his face. She half-suspected that this had been the hoped-for reaction.

Most of the defensive line made movements to do the same thing, as did several of the linebackers. Oddly, while Pio Farrangur and Waldr Baersvylk left, Rik Theodur remained seated. Olaf Rynnur stayed, Kyl Waalturs, Junn Haaldur, and Fradrik Eriksunn all stood up and walked out. Even most of the secondary joined them.

She looked over at the now-awake Bryndyn, who looked furious himself. He glanced at Anna, who simply stared back, unsure how to process the information, what decision to make. Bryndyn squeezed her hand, then shook his head.

"I can't. I'll stay here with you, but I'm not signing another contract with this team if they're not bringing Coach back," he said quietly. Anna nodded back. That made it easier for her. So many others were leaving. The linemen. Coach. Torren. If Bryndyn was going to be gone, too...

"Me neither. I don't know what they're thinking, but it's not going to end well," she said. She glanced over to where Ella Kaarbrynn sat, her arm still in a sling, immobilized so that her clavicle could finish healing. She had not been able to come back for the Round of Sixteen game, and now she was sitting there in shock, trying to make her own decision. "If we're on the same page, let's go. There's no reason to stay, now." She got up, Bryndyn in tow, and they walked over to Ella, who still wore a thousand-yard stare. Anna, then Bryndyn gave her a gentle pat on her good shoulder. "We'll be in town, still, El. If you need to talk or anything..."

Kaarbrynn nodded back, except as she looked up, Anna noticed there were tears in her eyes, that hadn't fallen. She was taken aback, but it made sense. As a smallish, female tailback, not many coaches would have been willing to take a chance on Ella. Vaalburger had been one of the comparatively few who had trusted her to be tougher than her frame suggested. "Yeah. Yeah. I'll text you. Maybe figure out... dinner. Or something. I don't know."

And then they walked out. The Allamunnic National Team remained. But, it seemed, the Regulars had left the building.

[Banija]

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

In the week of the upset, last second field goal by Beyne Yemane sends Banija to the quarterfinals


Beyne Yemane(#3) boots the game winning 47 yarder against San Llera

SWANMOUTH- While Banija had beaten this team twice in a row in the group stages, on their way to a perfect 8-0 start, this game was by far the toughest game they had against them. Banija's week 5 visit to San Llera was a blowout 38-13 victory for Banija, where they established dominance as the group's pre-eminent power. The game in Banija was more balanced, but Banija's starters played only for the 1st half, and San Llera's comeback was against Banija's 2nd unit on both sides of the football.

The game here, of course, was winner-take-all, loser-goes-home. It is extremely difficult to beat the same team three times in a tournament, just because they know your tendencies, know your personnel, and have even more of an incentive to end your World Bowl run after they've already lost to you twice. San Llera also ended Banija's World Bowl run last time around, so if they won this game, it would more than make up for their two group stage losses to Banija, a team that is quickly becoming a rival.

Banija, even though they were the favorites, had that going against them. Also, this round was the round of upsets. The two teams with the best point differential in this tournament, defending champions and #1 overall seed Anglatia(+147), and #4 seed 7-1 Allamunnic States, both fell in low-scoring overtime battles against teams that they were expected to easily dispatch. With #16 seeded Abaja and #13 seeded Fair Republic both pulling off those stunning upsets, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that Banija could get upset as well.

This game was a defensive battle from the start. Neither offense could do much of anything, as both first half touchdowns were scored on special teams. Lemuel Yafets scored on a 67 yard punt return, and then on the ensuing kickoff, San Llera returned the ball 101 yards to the house, making Banija's lead last for all of 13 seconds in the 2nd quarter. The game was 7-7 for the rest of the game, as neither team was able to put a decent drive together. Banija finally did, when they ran the 2 minute drill at the end of the game, with Myles Debaba guiding the team 61 yards down the field, from his own 9, to the opposing 30 yard line. Yemane, of course, was money from that spot on the field, and the team celebrated as they celebrated their second straight berth in the quarterfinals.

In the quarterfinals, they will face a potential tournament cinderella, Fair Republic. They beat a team as talented and as celebrated as the Allamunic States, which means that they are good. While they only went 5-3 in group play, they showed grit to get the game to overtime against a heavily favored opponent, and won the game with a pick six in overtime, a storyline that Banija is all too familiar with. All the pressure, of course, is on Banija. Last time around, they snuck up on teams. It is difficult to win as a favorite, with the weight of expectation on your shoulders. Can Banija pull it off? They'll have to come out swinging against Fair Republic, or else they'll end up with the same fate as the Allamunic States. If you fail to put your opponent away, they will put you away.

[Ethane]

No, Ties are not allowed.

Cutoff - Quarter-Finals

[Ethane]

Quarter-Final Results
#timeforEthane

Abaja 13–13 Abanhfleft (13–16 OT)

Banija 10–0 The Fair Republic

Chromatika 20–27 Drawkland

Schottia 12–0 Gregoryisgodistan

Semi-Finals:
Banija vs Drawkland
Abanhfleft vs Schottia