Campionato Esportiva 15 | Everything Thread

[Yttribia]

Round of 16 Match-Ups
Yttribia 1-0 Southern Sunrise Islands
(Stade des Metropolis, Le Grange Réal) - scorinated by Electrum
Nephara 2-0 Nova Anglicana
(Graham Drake Pitch at Windham Boulevard, Zevella)
Northern Sunrise Islands 0-0 [(0-1) AET] Racao
(Villanueva Memorial, Delare Minon)
Apox 1-0 Damukuni
(Stadia Suprema, Fontvieille)
San Jose Guayabal 3-0 Thalamascia
(La Fontaubella, Fontaubella)
Banguela 1-1 [(1-1 AET) (5-4 pen.)] Shytysle
(Calcio Centro Serraville, Seraville)
Gregoryisgodistan 1-1 [(2-2 AET) (3-0 pen.)] Omerica
(Punktlich.cy Arena, Gorintschach)
Brenecia 2-0 Polkopia
(Mosson Cliff, Gaillard)

Quarter-FInal Matchups
Yttribia v. Nephara (Stadii Ximena, Telino)
Racao v. Apox (Kirkloff Planned Stadium, Kirkloff)
San Jose Guayabal v. Banguela (Casa Naranja, Stemanisis)
Gregoryisgodistan v. Brenecia (The Crossroads, Zevella)

[Banguela]

Does a regular penguin have a preferred foot?
Do those strange toes make it easier for him to push the ball in the furthest corner?
Can he actually backheel?
Are his legs too short to make a rabona?
How does he actually get up after a tackle - oh, wait Figuerinho did put him against the grass already. Help of teammates, apparently.

There's too much time to think as it takes a penguin an awful lot of time to waggle from the halfline to the penalty dot. Admittedly, it's kind of cute how he tries to put the ball right with those flippers, but that's not what counts. Focus, focus... You shouldn't be thinking about bird ergonomics when the decisive penalty comes up to you. Left? Right? Something inside me knows he'll just put everything he's got in that shot and that it could end up in the net as well as the second ring. A cannonball, a rocket that will tear the gloves. I'ld say he walks up, but it's the wrong term for...

A panenka? Seriously?
Even if your teammates are lauding you as match winner, for Joao Pinto it just doesn't feel like it should.

[Racao]

Racao advanced to the elimination stages of the 15th Campionato Esportiva, despite the somewhat successful group stage campaign still leaving much to be desired. The team had thrashed Pinoy or Pinoyistan or whatever unranked team was in their group 4-1, leaving some happy campers. Racao simply dominated the match against the hapless Esportivan team. No matter what Pinoy did, Racao simply outmatched them at every opportunity. Throughout the match, Racao did maintain possession, a situation Soja loved. On the scoring front, Mosa opened up scoring with stunning alacrity at the beginning of the match with a run through the Pinoyi defense that seemed as brittle as a toothpick statue or house of cards. Pinoy's defense still proved brittle, although it did stiffen up throughout the game. Ryan Arivelo knocked a goal past the outstretched hands of the goalkeeper into the upper right corner of the goal, while Ipirina touched a good pass from Ravalomanana, who had recently transferred to the Polaa side Red Star Slazhnov, into the left side of the goal when the nameless goalkeeper thought it was headed to the right.

After halftime, some suspect actions by the Pinoy defense brought up a penalty kick for Mosa, which he executed superbly. However, disaster struck as a fracas near Racao's goal caught Sakoto off guard, especially because Justin Rabelomasina was the one to accidentally knock the ball into the goal on a botched pass. Nevertheless, Racao rebounded from its own goal to close out the game with a goal from Mena Rabalasoa, who received a good assist from Mosa. Racao had completed the win, and Pinoy did not score a single goal (although Sakoto did concede one). Despite the good feelings produced from the Pinoy drubbing, though, the ghosts of the futile attempt to win against the Sarian did come back to haunt them as there was every possible chance of not advancing when the Sarian beat Pinoy seventeen goals to nil or some outrageous scoreline like that.

When it came time for the third matchday of the group stage, the ruthless Gregoryisgodistani team didn't so much pick apart the Racaoan team as just hold onto the ball. They had 90% possession and didn't give Racao any chances at all, only scoring when they had all the opportunities lined up in a row so nobody could thwart them. It was long and boring, for Gregoryisgodistan apparently parked the bus. It didn't move for a while because of the heft of the Gregoryisgodistani team. One wonders how anyone could score goals against them. And thus the Gregoryisgodistan match played out: 90 minutes of agonizing boredom. However, Racao still advanced because the Sarian didn't beat Pinoy. In fact, they lost. While Racao was a bit grateful that they would advance, they seethed from the lost opportunities in their own game against the Sarian, and they were jealous of the fact that a tiny minnow nation could beat the Sarian when they couldn't.

The Northern Sunrise Islands game could be described as a game of chess: rich in tactical strategy and smart moves but not exactly the most entertaining match to watch. While both teams had their fair share of chances in the match and had possession of around 50% each, neither of them could score in an hour and a half of moderately interesting football. It was hairy close, but not really that close, and the teams prepared for 30 minutes of extra time. The lone goal of the match came in that extra time. When Mosa got hold of the ball after dispossessing Kike, one of the NSI's many proficient strikers, he marched forward into the offensive zone. The prodigy Paranawe attempted to get the jump on him, like he had on so many of Racao's previous striking attempts, he passed backwards to Mena Rabalasoa, who then passed around Paranawe to Ryan Arivelo. With the defense rapidly coming for him, Arivelo sent the ball on a spinning path to the right of the goal, but the goalkeeper knocked it out of the air. Seeing the opportunity, Aristotle Ipirina moved in and sent the ball to the left of the goal, catching the keeper off balance. The tricked worked, and with two minutes remaining on the clock, Racao had basically won. Now they move on to face Apox, one of the world's most dangerous sides. However, Racao has them in their sights, this being a team that has beat Free Republics and Buyan, among other world-leading sides. Still, Racao must not be too confident, or pay the price.

Some unrelated news comes from the transfer market, where New Gelderlish clubs have confirmed that they will place the following Racaoans on their rosters: Celtic Noviodunum will take Masibo Andrianajaka, Lexington Victory will take Felix Manendry, and Royal Queenstown will take Aristotle Ipirina. Mosa and Ryan Arivelo, among others, are still playing in the Cenian Premier League. These opportunities can be a way for Racaoans to both earn foreign capital and send it back to their country as well as for Racao to further develop its international expertise on the footballing stage. Maybe, just maybe, if the Racaoan team gets good enough, it will return to the World Cup, which Soja has his eyes on after cancer damaged his first World Cup run, but Racaoan football authorities have hinted that there isn't enough money in the nation's coffers to pay for a stadium and expensive plane trips, some perhaps halfway across the globe. Nonetheless, Soja, Mosa, Arivelo, and the rest of the Racaoan team dare to dream that one day, they will return to the World Cup.

Here and now, however, is the primary concern, as Racao hopes to repeat an upset of an established team in the Campionato Esportiva quarterfinals. Almost a year after their historic third-place run, Soja hopes the team can do it again and establish their chops on the international footballing scene. It will take bravery, courage, confidence, humility, and, most of all, good footballing skills. Soja is confident that his team has all the essentials necessary to take down a top footballing power. The only question: can they actually pull through, or will they have to suffer against a recent World Cup cohost with so much confidence, experience, and strategy? Soja believes that they can, and the team knows that they can. Everyone kept this in mind as they started to train, and everyone knew what they were training for: the fight of the underdogs against an established power. Everyone wanted to win, so they put their heart and soul into their efforts. Hopefully hearts and souls will be enough to win against Apox, but if they aren't, Soja knows his team has guts and an all-or-nothing attitude that can carry them through any match.

[Apox]

The Wofford Story
Part One
Part Two
Part Three

Wofford is a modern city in Apox. As seen in previous posts, it has grown incredibly quickly, and the ride has not always been easy. Despite the government devoting large sums of money to its development, it is only at this point, as the people of Wofford begin to find their feet, that the real work begins.

There are a lot of people in Wofford who are finding their feet and learning on the job. City administrators who 10 years ago lived in the country of Old Guard are now tasked with keeping a city running on a budget which doesn't really cover it - though this is nothing new and tends to be typical of all city administrators grumblings.

However, many think the cities most impressive days lie ahead of it. It has begun to rejuvenate the entire region, with cities such as Wye, Cawln and Uxminster, all largely abandoned by investors for the larger market of Urbanista, beginning to see trickle down investments. Wofford itself is continuously evolving. It's city centre is now growing upwards as the city slows it's outward growth. The transport system is continuously being updated, and the bus network Wofford Buses (administration owned) is expanding and working better than other, profit driven, public companies in other cities. The football team, Wofford Town recently broke the points and goals record in the ANL3, earning it's second promotion in as many seasons. The ANL isn't thought to be far away. The University climbs the league tables. There is a flourishing arts culture being established in the "old" region of town.

Wofford is a city with it's glory days ahead of it. It's time to join the ride.

Apox 1-0 Damukuni Zozula 74'
APX: Anaximander -- Storbrittania, Etezadi (c), Shahzad, Fowey -- St. Cleer -- Abbraciabene, Ibrox, Aurora -- Zozula, McKenna (Vladimirescu 78')
DKI: Patrick -- Wakahisa, Jakeman, Rupertson, Sato -- Dietrich, Himura (Rose 45') -- Matsushita, Statham, Ackermann -- Butler
Apox field a full strength line-up with two exceptions. Eneko Treloquithack has a groin strain sustained in training, Odar Storbrittania being brought in instead and Alpha Gandhi, despite being the leading player in assists for Apox this tournament, is replaced by Adnan Zozula. Not really a step down in quality though, just different styles of play. Both teams are step up defensively, and it showed, with the opening minutes being dominated by midfield possession. Adnan Zozula has a shot blocked by Jayne Patrick, while Joni Butler gets one which is seen past goal by Halyos Anaximander. Those are the best two opportunities of the first half and both teams go into the break goalless. Milburn Rose is brought on to try and influence the game more in the second half, but it is Apox who get the breakthrough in the end, with Adnan Zozula jumping higher than any other in the box to score off Kaj Aurora's penalty. Kaj Aurora doesn't cover herself in glory 4 minutes later, wiping out Gabriel Ackermann off the ball and receiving a red card for her troubles. Nakahara comes on for the injured Ackermann as Damukuni try to press their player advantage late into the second half, but Apox are on top of it and hold out, with Corinna McKenna coming off for Titan Vlamidirescu following Aurora's red card to help out defensively. But, Aurora's sending off and suspension next match aside, we're through to the Quarter-Finals and face upset team Racao there. It will be another tricky game.

[Nephara]

THE BRINEMOUTH HERALD
FRESH RIETHER, NEW CORMORANTS, BLANK SLATE - IT'S GETTING RESULTS
by Karin Rietveld

It's a year to the day when Theresa Riether went missing from Nephara's ill-fated last match at the World Cup and disappeared from sight. It took fifteen days for her to be found, hiding under an assumed name, and she was quietly put into therapy upon her return to Nephara. Until two months ago, there was genuine doubt as to whether or not Riether would be returned to the fold from gardening leave in time for the tournament. Riether was well-respected globally. She was a renowned tactician. But the sheer weight of expectation upon her had driven her to breaking point, and as she has revealed in more than one candid exclusive interview, she was driven solely by results. Lust for victory eventually became an all-encompassing fear of failure.

Make no mistake; it was the culmination of a crisis of identity in Nepharim football, and it went from head to toe.

Just look at the rhetoric the NFA had been putting out for the past few years, and the media have been guilty of it, too. All of it presented Nephara as all-conquering overlords who were effectively champions-in-waiting through the gift of destiny. The Cormorants haven't actually won a trophy in nine years. It's the longest drought in modern history for Nephara, and it makes sense that as the Cormorants' rise had been nothing short of meteoric, the inevitable return to the mean felt nothing short of devastating. If early Nepharim sides pulled from journeymen across the multiverse with only a mediocre national league to call upon had managed success, then why shouldn't a modern side packed with superstars just immediately win everything?

The problem is that the most prominent tournament in the calendar is now the World Cup, and to be fair the expectation to qualify every year is a pretty reasonable one by now. But it's hard to see early sides really accomplishing much at that level - Nephara's first entry into a World Cup saw them fall into the category of a good mid-tier side, good enough to put down Antoletia 1-0 but already eliminated by clearly superior sides who dominated them by that stage. Part of the legend of the side that finished in the quarterfinals two years later was that it had been such a surprise to most people. The other major metric is regional success, and, well. The side that secured that first famous victory only needed to brush through teams like Bongo Johnson, Dandillis and Swyftlandre, with the Licentian Isles and Uitbregen the only decent sides in their way. Esportiva was a very weak confederation back then as opposed to the conveyor belt of mid-ranked sides with a few diamonds among them, and two of the world's three strongest leagues, that it is today.

That realisation seems finally to have hit home.

The Cormorants have looked different in this tournament. There has been a massive focus on bringing up young talent, and the team's playing differently, none of the recent, more cautious attitude. Michael Kellard, a destroyer, not a creator, has been largely sidelined. And with Covenant and Amokachi starting up front after Bottlegreen's injury, it's a different sort of strike partnership to any we've had in the past.

The original strike partnership for Nephara was, of course, the brutal efficiency of Gerhard Thunder and the slightly more limited Alicia Scabbard, who played her entire career in the Premiership back when that wasn't a good thing for an international. Thunder put himself in the mix and was a clinical finisher as well as making space for Scabbard to run into and sometimes finish chances. Fast-forward a few years to the era of Rowland and Cathar, both winning over a hundred caps, both large men who used their physicality to batter opponents into submission. Amokachi and Covenant are just 22 and 25 and could lead the line for the Cormorants for a few more tournaments - they're different. They're versatile. Amokachi assisted the first goal when she flicked a cross into the path of Cawdor as the winger cut inside and blasted it past Thomas Barnett. The second was a pure solo effort, dancing through Wells, Bowen and Martinez before firing a railgun of a strike through Barnett's legs. The Brinemouth forward had plenty of other chances, too, and Covenant (who hit a post) is not to be discounted either. An extremely classy midfield of Rainsford and Ashdown ran the game, and at 25 and 28 they aren't exactly veterans either. Nephara looked comfortable against a very good team whose results against the Cormorants a year ago would have translated to a victory on away goals, 2-2 on aggregate and with one win each.

Some people feel like Nephara should have strived for another 71 or 72. Gliding through qualification still has a satisfying touch to it, breezing to the quarterfinals is, well, preferable, but both times the Cormorants encountered the eventual champions and were blown away, not looking anywhere near the pace. And then last time around the pressure around the team caused, well, an implosion. The NFA have seemingly noticed that the team needs to go up another level, and it needs time to do so. As much as it would be nice to believe that Nephara could ever become a world power by basically being the Audioslavia of 63 except tall, it's not the case. Nephara has already carved out a place in the multiverse for itself. The league is extremely powerful, there are many great Nepharim players over the globe and there's a strong sense of national identity. But to go from perennial dark horses to genuine contenders, Nephara have to reinvent themselves.

And five years in the future, we might be looking back at this innocuous moment in Zevella as the day it all changed.

[Brenecia]

THE ROZELLE OBSERVER
How Did We Get This Far? A Retrospective On The BFA's History
by Karena Fife

Today, watching Brenecia breeze past Polkopia through crisply-taken strikes courtesy of Rankin and Thatcher with plenty of fantastic, well-renowned talents in the ranks and a thriving professional league, it is easy to forget things weren't always this easy. It looks like Brenecia are recovering from the failings of the past year and might just be ready to start reclaiming their place in the World Cup.

Fifty years ago, Brenecian football was nothing more than a state league, and a relatively poor one at that. Brenecia itself wasn't a country, just a part of the Confederacy of New Sideburn - yes, it's true, the early history is unavoidably linked to Nephara. On paddocks across the largely agricultural Brenecian plains, Northern Union broadly represented the north, Kingsgrove the urban capital and no other team drew more than three or four thousand to their gates. All players were semi-professional, and the primitive Brenecian teams were routinely put to the sword by representatives from Crownsend or Aries on the Nepharim mainland.

There was a tide rising in Nepharim and Brenecian football, however, and only a couple of years later there had been a revolution driven by the players' unions. Now, for the first time ever, there was a league across the whole confederacy, and it could claim among its members the two strongest sides from Brenecia (those just mentioned). Here, things at least get a little recognisable. Northern Union struggled to compete in the upper midtable with a workmanlike local side supported by big contracts for aging Nepharim stars. Kingsgrove, meanwhile, struggled in the lower reaches of the table but tried to keep faith in youth. Both played 4-3-3 in a continent dominated by strike partnerships and two banks of four.

And then there was a revolution. A real one, this time, as a Brenecian uprising overthrew the Sideburnese government who cut and run as bloodshed was, thankfully, minimal. But that left Kingsgrove and Union stranded as Brenecia tried to figure out what kind of country it was going to be. A BFA was slapped up quickly and somewhat clumsily as Union and Kingsgrove were thrown amongst the pigeons, the actual semi-professional sides that made up the Brenecian state league at that stage. Unsurprisingly, they were leagues ahead of the others, and it took years for the other teams to professionalise and catch up. Still, in the seventh season of the Brenecian First Division (the A-League name would only be adopted decades later), little Falkner United wrested the title from the duumvirate by a slender point. They'd done so by beating a suspiciously tame Rozelle side away (who, finishing fourth, were no pushovers) in the final match of the season, and evidently the idea that the Saints had tanked to spite their nearby rivals proved a compelling one as riots swept through the capital. Football fever had arrived.

One advantage of splitting away from New Sideburn was that Brenecia was, well, a country instead of a loose association of states, and the Brenecian national football team had a few years' head start over their Sideburnese counterparts. Brenecia was, back then, associated stronger with the region of Serenes rather than that of Esportiva (not that many Esportivan football teams were exactly tearing up the world circuit forty years back, either) and that association gave them plenty of minnows to stomp on. As soon as a Brenecian football team could be mustered together it was sent off on tour. Given the nature of Brenecian football at the time, it was pretty much half of Kingsgrove and half of Northern Union, playing a 4-3-3 that has hardly been deviated from since and, according to the tapes that survive, playing a very physical, uncompromising style of football in, yes, navy shirts and shorts with white socks. The best player on the team was Bran Sixsmith, a 6'4" and muscular right winger daring enough to still play in New Sideburn (with Crisisbless) who stomped fullbacks into dust before smashing unerring crosses into the path of meaty Northern Union striker Reiss Corcoran. Fittingly, the first international match in the Brenecian national team's history was a scrappy 1-0 win over an Echidnation side with a few Sideburn-based players and a reasonably solid semi-professional league, won by a Corcoran header, followed by a 1-1 draw with Integristan (who had two teams in the Premiership) and then some various stompings over lowly minnows.

New Sideburn eventually got its act together and formed enough vague sense of national identity to form a national side of its own, and having beaten Integristan 3-0 over two legs, Brenecia haughtily invited it to play matches in an extravagant series taking in Rozelle, North Hall, Sabrefell, Treason and finally neutral ground in Integabad. After all, Brenecian football was in seemingly rude health as the league was in its competitive stage, and things had calmed down enough that they had four players in the stronger Premiership. The problem was that New Sideburn could call upon an entire team from the stronger Premiership, and in the first international between the two rivals, the Cormorants outpassed, outfought and outran a side newly marketing itself as 'the Patriots' to the tune of 4-0 in Rozelle. That, at least, was the scoreline in the 86th minute before a pitch invasion forced the game to be abandoned.

Unsurprisingly, the NSFA sought guarantees of security, and things were tightened in North Hall. But there'd been a change in the side itself, as manager Mark Cotton had been sacked and a new man, Bruce Okon, brought in temporarily from Northern Union. Okon had very definite ideas about what Brenecia could and could not do - specifically, anything exciting. So comprehensively outplayed in Rozelle, Brenecia came out solely to destroy in North Hall, and a scrappy corner saw them scrape a 1-1 draw. The Northern Union school of footballing thought in Brenecia had won out for the time being. They were even more dour away in New Sideburn but the superior hosts won out 2-0 in Sabrefell and 1-0 in Treason, but when it came to the neutral leg and supposed decider, Brenecia parked the bus, hit hard on the break, and when Eliza Paperweight's dipping shot was palmed by Garland into the path of the onrushing Sixsmith, who bundled it into the net, Brenecia parked even harder. By the end of the day, they had a 1-0 win against their hated rivals.

Brenecia continued in the same vein for years and, bluntly, both national team and league were terrible. Eventually, the crowds stopped coming, and the eventual decision to follow Nephara and popular opinion into the WCC came more as a desperate publicity boost than anything. But the public had watched enviously as the Cormorants claimed the Baptism of Fire title against a wide variety of unusual nations from across the multiverse. And they watched Blake Lawless - his squad still in a Northern School state of mind - crash out in the first round of the tournament before losing half their matches in qualifying.

Things got better, slowly, but Lawless stepped away from the national team. Under his successor, Clint Hemingway, things only got worse as Brenecia suffered the humiliation of being drawn into a qualifying group with Nephara, whose significant but beatable advantage back in Serenes had grown into a seemingly unscalable gulf. More of the Brenecian side played in Nephara than the actual Nepharim did, as they had become highly sought-after in more lucrative leagues abroad. A narrow 1-0 loss at home was almost respectable. Losing 4-0 away wasn't, and midway into the following Cup of Harmony, the BFA had seen enough - Hemingway was axed.

The first ray of sunlight in the Brenecian game begins here. Not in the tactics, though. North Hall native Jon Slatesaver was brought in from AFC Treason in the tail end of a distinguished career - he'd been exceptionally successful in Nephara, and was the standout candidate. The only candidate, in some ways. Setting up his side in a rigid, counterattack-based 4-4-2 his side made it to the quarterfinals of Campionato Esportiva 8, losing to eventual champions Nephara (sigh) 1-0 in extra time. Better still was to follow as Sabrefell Moths goalkeeper Franca Connell kept clean sheets in the first six matches of World Cup 67 qualifying, the last a scoreless draw in Valanora. Brenecia were the last team in the entire world to concede a goal that cycle! While a crippling late swoon of three consecutive defeats cost them a shot at the playoffs, things were looking up.

But that was the high point of Slatesaver's reign. He'd brought stability, but no glamour, and that stability had been largely reliant on Brad Kuepper's goals. He'd scored 24 in his first 40 caps, but would net just 14 in his next 40 as a collective malaise seemed to set in. Campionato Esportiva 9 followed a controversial and since-discarded process of qualification in which Brenecia managed three 1-0 wins at home and a scoreless draw and two 1-0 defeats (one to rising star Buyan) away. Unsurprisingly, they went out in the playoff rounds to Estope, and the qualifying process that followed was a disaster, seeing them finish 4th in a field of 8. Yet again, Brenecia were bridesmaids to Nephara as the Cormorants became the first Esportivan side to reach the World Cup quarterfinals, and as the Nepharim went on to become champions of Esportiva a year later, three draws and a 3-0 defeat to the Sarian set the course for group stage elimination for the Patriots. Slatesaver's final match was a 1-0 win over Uitbregen, and he, too, was sacked - Brenecia had risen and fallen, but at least it had risen.

In the newly-branded A-League, the Northern School seemed to have won out in the early seasons, years defined by bad pitches, windy conditions and hoofing the ball to the big single striker. Success in UICA seemed a long way away. But amidst all this darkness, there was a light in Rozelle, as the Kingsgrove School returned in earnest. Catherine Bardsley's Kingsgrove side - with Sasha Bale as her assistant - pursued a policy of quick attacking football based out of the youth academy, pressing very high and with decisive forward passes, an emphasis on pace the key throughout. The Royals swept through the league and left financially-superior Union in their dust, and Bardsley seemed the only choice for the national team. The BFA agreed, and Bale was left to continue Bardsley's good work. Finally, glory be, the Kingsgrove School was in charge of the nation. All pretenses of any sort of good defence were thrown out the window as a new side began to take shape, younger, quicker... locally-based. The Cup of Harmony side Slatesaver had taken in his last qualifying cycle literally did not have a player who played his club football in Brenecia. They were exciting times - Brenecia won 5-4, 4-2 and 6-3 while losing 7-3 as they were narrowly edged out of a very tight qualifying group, did pretty well in the Cup of Harmony and next regional tournament, and then... finally... Brenecia not only qualified through Apox and the Blouman Empire, but they won the group outright. They had a seat at the world's most important table, and though they were eliminated in the group stage, they had a 3-2 win over the tournament's surprise package, Felix, to show for it.

The story from here doesn't need retelling. It hasn't all been smooth sailing, and there's plenty to change in hindsight - but there's been a few glorious moments that nobody would ever want to swap out. It's just that it's important not to lose perspective - we're in the last eight of a regional tournament and look good to make another push in the World Cup, even if it's been a couple cycles now. Not bad for a country tucked into the armpit of northern Esportiva that didn't even exist half a century ago.

[Yttribia]

Hello old friend, we meet once again.

Your players have been idolized by us time and time again. We strive to be as good as you, because you had been the gold standard of football in our region. I remember the first time we had truly met. The group stage was strenuous, and it was a well fought battle. We met once more in the quarter-finals, having the hope that we could expose your disadvantages to our own, but that never really happened. In fact you took our method of play and dismantled it. But I remember the respect earned from that battle, and something being created out of those matches.

This respect led to something amazing: a celebration of Esportivan football in our nations. We had come together to organize the biggest tournament in our region's history. Your FA continues to believe that you messed up a lot, but you really discredited yourself a lot. The Football Federation considers you as one of the best co-hosts ever. The point was often made that we would come together in a final rendezvous on our pitch. That did not come to fruition, sadly, as you were knocked out by some no-name nation in an upset. But we felt your presence in the crowd as you rooted us on in the final, before losing in a heartbreaking fashion. We felt the comradely relationship formed between the two of us.

Our greatest moment came seven years ago, when we had defeated you, after all of those years struggling to do so. I was ecstatic to have done the seemingly impossible. While our second match at your place didn't go as anticipated, it proved there was something in the air between our two nations. Once considered to be unbeatable, I know I could put up my fists and throw in a punch or two. The only question is if you did not dodge the hard blows we were throwing. Sure, you got the best of me again four years later, but you know those fights were well fought.

As we finally make our way to the pitch inside a legendary venue, it is time to consider that our series of matches is a lot more than just a series. Sari football hasn't been the same for the longest of times. The Buyanese have gone into some state of lockdown, just like we were in. At this point, you are now our major rival. A friendly rival, but a rival that has caused so much pain and suffering for us. Our matches have made people rise up in agony, joy, and wallow in their beds at three in the morning as they sob over that last minute header. This is, quite frankly, the rivalry for a new Esportiva. Sure, Apox is definitely a better draw than we are, in terms of sales and tickets. But we have the ability to make a crowd of over 75,000 go through the whole nine yards, and that ability is the most important ability any football fan would want in their national teams. It is the beauty behind the madness that is football. You and I have created a strong bond off the pitch because of our football. We have everything to put out on the pitch, because it will be a legendary game no matter what.

And I think you and I are destined to do this forever.

[Yttribia]

Quarter-FInal Matchups
Yttribia 1-2 Nephara
(Stadii Ximena, Telino) - scorinated by Schottia
Racao 0-5 Apox
(Kirkloff Planned Stadium, Kirkloff)
San Jose Guayabal 6-0 Banguela
(Casa Naranja, Stemanisis)
Gregoryisgodistan 1-1 [(2-2 AET) (4-5 pen.)] Brenecia
(The Crossroads, Zevella)

Semi-Final Matchups
Nephara v. Apox (Estadi dels Nuvols, Gremalsco)
San Jose Guayabal v. Brenecia (Die Einundsechzigste, Dahlen)

Finals and 3PPO
Winner of Nephara/Apox v. Winner of San Jose Guayabal/Brenecia (Le Nid Violet, Fontvieille)
Loser of Nephara/Apox v. Loser of San Jose Guayabal/Brenecia (Rosseini Stadio, Pontidexxu)

[Apox]

Apox are through to the semi-finals of the Campionato Esportiva for the 5th time in their history. So far, it's been a fairly easy ride, with a perfect record in the Group Stage containing no teams would could really push the team, before Round of 16 and Quarter-Final matches against Damukuni and Racao.

Now though, it gets serious. According to the CE Ranks, it is the top four ranked teams in the semi-finals, which is surprising in a tournament where there are often upsets in those teams who make their way to the latter stages of the tournament. We've reached the stage where we are the underdogs (based purely off CE ranks) at every turn now, which is a rapid change from before where we were always the favourites for games.

So who are we up against in the semi-finals? Nephara. Oh yummy. Surprisingly, we've somehow managed to largely avoid Nephara in the Campionato, usually because both teams are good at ensuring only one of us will make it through to the latter stages of a tournament at a time. Obviously, everyone knows Nephara are the biggest team we'll face this Campionato - and this match will be massive.

Hell, it wouldn't be hard to suggest that this is a heavyweight clash between the two best teams of Esportiva's history going against each other, both squads playing with the confidence of champions. Both sides have confidently dispatched all those in their path so far, with Nephara's 10-1 victory against Mareibat surely going down as one of the abiding memories of this tournament when all's said and done.

Both teams will be really up for ending their dry patches in the Campionato as well, with Nephara standing in front of the rest on three Campionato titles, while Apox have two to our name. We've waited longer - it's now fully 10 tournaments since our last win, our last win being Campionato Esportiva. That squad contained such players as Dravid Scott, Marlon Vetta, Chris Neguwa and a still relatively youthful Olim Benzari. Yep, that's the measure of how long it's been. We've come close since, finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the CE since then, but christ, we want to achieve this and we can.

Nephara are on a bit of a dry spell as well (though perennially ranked 1st it seems), and they haven't won it since Campionato Esportiva X, although they were pipped by close rivals and Apoxian bogey team Brenecia last time out. They've got a real hunger in their eyes this tournament, a brutal efficient hunger. Up front, they are fielding a more "Apoxian" style of striker, in Theodora Covenant and Tanya Bottlegreen rather than their destroyers of the past. It's all set up to be a grudge match by the two teams who've made the greatest difference to the regional tournament since it's inception, especially as teams such as The Licentian Isles, Uitbregen and Buyan no longer compete.

And this isn't even the final! Whichever one of Brenecia or San José Guayabal wins the other semi-final will be hard to face, either in the Final or the 3PPO.

Oh, one final thing. This match will be Solomon Etezadi's 100th for Apox. Let's hope it's good for him with a win, rather than the disappointment of a loss. Come on Dragons!

Racao 0-5 Apox
RAC: Sakoto -- Rakotomaharo, Manendry, Rabelomasina -- Manasoa, Mosa (c), Andrianajaka, Rabalasoa -- Arivelo, Ravalomanana (Rasoa 55') , Ipirina
APX: Anaximander -- Storbrittania, Etezadi (c), Shahzad, Fowey -- Kinlasson (Palmisano 67') -- Abbraciabene, Ibrox, Vladimirescu -- McKenna, Gandhi
So now fairytale run throughout the competition this time as Racao are, well, flattened by Apox. It started fairly well for Racao, and the game was at least even for a time, and they were unlucky to go into the break at 1-0 down, Rakotomaharo gaining a deflection on McKenna's shot which moved it past Sakoto in goal. However, after half-time, it was a different story as Apox struck early through Corinna McKenna and from then on Racao just lost their shape, especially after sustaining a red card to their captain Mosa in the 67th minute. This led to Alpha Gandhi, Olim Shahzad and Corinna McKenna all scoring within 15 minutes from the 70th minute on to seal the game, and then, turn it into a bit of a thrashing.

[Nephara]

The scene is a POORLY-LIT HOTEL ROOM in TELINO, YTTRIBIA. Enter FISH, a stringy-looking peroxide blond, and CHIPS, a larger man in a Crisisbless United jacket and five o'clock shadow, talking into a SMARTPHONE CAMERA.

FISH: "Alright lads, welcome to the latest instalment of campioNinety's Away Days series, coming to you from the heady heights of Telino!"
CHIPS: "Yet again, we're bringing you football action all across the region, all across the globe. and we're gonna get right in the mixer for the match that the whole region's been waiting for."

FISH voices over a number of scenes featuring HIJINKS filmed on the same SMARTPHONE.

FISH'S V/O: "Our last videos took us on a whirlwind of adventure, partying with Batto Vitolans, blending in seamlessly with the terrifying Gregistani travelling support, discovering the wonders of recent urban developments in Apox and last time around in Seraview finding out why Os Gnus might just be the next big thing in Esportivan footballing history. But that's all in the past - and this is the big one."

The scenes change. FISH and CHIPS are interviewing a mixture of LOCALS and LARGE, INTIMIDATING NEPHARIM HOOLIGANS, slickly edited so that one question is answered by a whole host of them.

FISH: "What does it mean to you when I say... Nephara?"
MILENNIAL: "Frenemy."
IMPRESSIVELY-GUTTED MAN: "Should watch their backs."
HIPSTER: "They've always been there, but tonight I reckon they're going down, two to nothing."
TINY GIRL: "Aren't you a Nephara?"
GORGEOUS WOMAN IN HER EARLY TWENTIES I CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF HER HOLY SHIT GODDAMN WOOOOO: "Well, they've always been there, haven't they?"

CHIPS: "What does 'Yttribia' mean to you?"
MAN IN OLD NEPHARA AWAY SHIRT: "Biggest match of the region on paper, I reckon."
MAN WHO IS SO OBVIOUSLY A HOOLIGAN THAT IT IS UNCLEAR WHY HE IS TRYING TO SOUND RESPECTABLE: "Well, they're our opponents today, they're gonna be our mates tomorrow, like they were yesterday. 'Specially if we win. And we're gonna-"
MAN: "A winnable match. ... Nah, seriously, it's gonna be a good one, it always is."
SMALL WOMAN: "Two words - Isadora Caravella. We took her from you, and you aren't getting her back."
WOMAN WHO LOOKS UNCANNILY LIKE CALLIOPE KATSKALIDIS IF SHE PUT ON A FEW POUNDS AND NEEDED GLASSES, FANCY METAL-RIMMED ONES, THEY SUIT HER, VERY PROFESSIONAL KIND OF LOOK WITH TIDY MAKEUP AND A BIT OF LIPSTICK, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN: "You know what you're gonna get from them, and it's a good fight."

A return to the earlier, successful format of CHIPS' VOICEOVER and VARIOUS HIJINKS of them getting around town for various PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES with ACTIVE SUPPORT GROUPS of BOTH SIDES. CHIPS' SMOOTH CRISISBLESS VOICE is far more SOOTHING than that of COCKNEY SCOUNDREL FISH.

CHIPS V/O: "The two sides, of course, have form - it's ten years ago to the day that the sides were facing off in a quarterfinal match in Campionato Esportiva 10, the Cormorants having barely scraped past the impressive new kids on the block who announced themselves by overthrowing the group's standout candidates to be runners-up, the Royal Barangay. But the semifinals would prove a step too far for the Ravens - Rowland's early strike was cancelled out by Abbatantuono, but there was no answer for follow-up goals from Bittencourt and Leinster."
FISH V/O: "It was a highly politically-charged match, coming as it did in the midst of the late and unlamented Corvidae reign over the country. Catheline Harper's recent autobiography, the surprisingly readable 'Always Harping On', tells the story of how she started that match in a team full of nervous, patriotic energy, claiming that Leinster 'felt her goal was a direct blow against fascism.'"

Now interviewed is KURTIS BORROWFELD, described in a subtitle as a 'FOOTBALL HISTORIAN'. The wind is EXCESSIVE.

BORROWFELD: "Things got better a couple years later, of course - Yttribia was free of its fascist reign and declared its intentions to host the Campionato. Nephara were willing co-hosts, and the two nations were truly linked for the first time. The score was set for them to meet in the final, Nephara in particular standout favourites, but, uh, evidently Ruentenbach didn't get that memo, and in their last real triumph as a nation, beat Nephara in Treason in the quarters and Yttribia on their home soil in the final. They've met twice in qualifying since - both matches in Yttribia fantastic, both in Nephara grinding affairs, but this is the highest in a while that the stakes have been."

FISH and CHIPS filter into the stadium surrounded by LOUD CHANTING MEN. They have now shown their TRUE COLOURS of green. This is perhaps UNSURPRISING.

FISH: "We're out here now with plenty of Nepharim fans eager to get-"
BACKGROUND VOICE: "WE'RE GONNA KICK YOUR FUCKIN' HEADS IN-"
FISH: "- into the stadium, the atmosphere is intense here but the Yttribian fans are no less, ah, emphatic in their support."
CHIPS: "Who d'you reckon's gonna win, mate?"
FISH: "Ahhhh... fuck it, extra time, I reckon, 3-1 to us."
CHIPS: "I reckon we'll win by a clear goal in the ninety minutes but it'll be a handball or something. Let's get some controversy going."
FISH: "No fuckin' way, mate, I want to leave this stadium alive.

The scene changes to INSIDE THE STADIUM. It is a CAPACITY CROWD.

FISH: "It's just started and it's like a fucking, a fucking mental house here! Jesus christ-"

FISH is JOSTLED. The crowd goes WILD.

FISH: "This is for a fucking corner-!"

Cut to a NEW SCENE in the QUEUE FOR BEER.

CHIPS: "Half-time and it's scoreless, but christ, it doesn't feel it. The crowd's fuckin' pulsating."
FISH: "Yeah, and we aren't even in the home end."

Scenes of THE HOME END captured through FISH'S TERRIBLE SHAKY-HANDED SMARTPHONE JOURNALISM.

FISH V/O: "It's fucking mental. But brilliant."
CHIPS V/O: "Still reckon it'll be an extra time win?"
FISH V/O: "Well, annoyingly, Yttribia look really fucking good, and I'm a bit nervous there's no big unit up front."
CHIPS V/O: "What, bring on big Micky Kellard?"
FISH V/O: "I mean, always bring on big Micky Kellard."

Back to the stands. The subtitle runs: 72 minutes. The ENTIRE NEPHARIM STAND seems to collapse, chanting slowly dying, people swearing. The entire rest of the stadium erupts. The subtitle helpfully adds; Yttribia 1-0 Nephara.

FISH: "Fuck me, they're good."
CORNROWS MAN: "You're a CROCK OF SHITE, Kruse! FUCKING SHITE! Fuck's sake!"

Like an ARTHOUSE DOCUMENTARY the form shifts to timelapse footage, quickly landing at SOME POINT LATER. The subtitle runs: 79 minutes. The crowd is back to chanting. The chanting intensifies. It intensifies further. And then EVERYONE CHEERS. Someone kisses the man next to her. The rest of the stadium is dead. Nephara have EQUALISED.

CHIPS: "You fucking beauty! You beauty, Covenant, I'm gonna fucking marry you!"
FISH: "One-all! One-all!"

MORE HIPSTER TIMELAPSE BULLSHIT until the subtitle runs out: 91 minutes.

FISH: "What the fuck. Oh, come on. Come the fuck on, please, please, ple- YESSSSSSSSSSSSS! FUCK YEAHHHHHH!"

This one area of the crowd erupts again. FISH has the FUCKING SMARTPHONE knocked out of his hands. STIRRING MUSIC plays as more footage of the match and various fans gets thrown in. Eventually, after about a minute, it cuts to FISH and CHIPS relaxing with KEBABS.

FISH: "What a hell of a match. What a hell of a night."
CHIPS: "That was the best thing Auburn Tarrant has ever done."
FISH: "Ever."
CHIPS: "Yep."
FISH: "It's a shame to see Yttribia go out, they've been brilliant hosts-"
CHIPS: "- and that was a brilliant match."
FISH: "If you'd like more of the world's most far-reaching independent football coverage, hit the Subscribe button below, or use the links on the side to find campioNinety's accounts on other social media platforms. Until next time, lads..."
CHIPS: "... Do we have a catch-phrase here?"
FISH: "Don't leave me hanging, Chips."
CHIPS: "Hah, no, seriously-"
FISH: "Fuckin'-... alright, just, until next time, lads."

EXEUNT.

[Brenecia]

Geneva Urquhart was going to be a hero.
It had been a tit-for-tat match all throughout, Brenecia less than clinical and constantly open to counterattacks. Frankly, Urquhart was a little disappointed with the first, letting herself be beaten at her near post by, ahh, fuck, whoever their left-sided central midfielder was. But out of Brenecia's myriad chances to equalise, Rankin had finally converted one in the 63rd minute, taking a Thatcher cross on her chest, ignoring the less corpulent of their opponent's two centre-halves and dragging the ball past the goalkeeper. And Purrington had lifted the best free kick of the tournament past him in the 92nd minute... sadly distinct from the 90+2nd minute. Yes, it had gone to extra time, and you aren't meant to concede in extra time.
Urquhart knew she was a legend for her country. It was what kept her going, really. She'd done so well for them in the past, so frankly, penalties didn't scare her. Failure did, penalties didn't. She'd been the hero before, she'd be the hero again. Christ, she was probably the only player to emerge from Dani Granger's tumultuous year in charge with her stocks enhanced.
It had been Robert Possibe who'd equalised for Gregoryisgodistan in the 97th, scuffing home a corner. And here he came again, with an annoyingly good touch, but Urquhart had to come out and close him out, he pulled back his boot, Urquhart touched the ball out of the way but Possibe's reflexes didn't account for it and the boot kept going-

Mathis Woodgate was going to be a hero.
It wasn't really his role. In fact, it was his first cap for the national team, and he hadn't even had a season of consistent starts for Union yet. Granted, a productive year on loan in the LigAnaia 2 was nothing to sniff at, a league probably as good as the A-League anyway. But the hero job was normally Urquhart's, and it had kept being Urquhart's right up until Possibe's unstoppable momentum kicked her in the face.
It had been a nervous wait, but the medics had determined she was okay. Concussed, obviously, and she thought they'd been holding seven thumbs up, but okay. But the game wouldn't stop for her. So here, Mathis Woodgate made his debut - and it wasn't long until the inevitability of penalties, where, well, a goalkeeper could never really lose, could they? Assuming, well, everyone else on the team did their job...
Just had to stay calm.
It came, without so much as a shot on target between then and now, mostly with the Patriots pressing wearily for a third. Cullen was dead on her feet. Kilbane, who normally added so much composure to the team, was out - oddly enough, it was the often-overlooked Cathy Blackslate, red-hot after 40 minutes of being able to run as hard as she wanted, who was providing the team's real drive, and extra time ended as she sent a shot skimming along the top of the crossbar.
Woodgate walked out into the technical area with the rest, Sasha Bale plotting away as Fiona Sylver, the assistant, came to judge how everyone was doing.
"Right, lads. Who's first. Isadora?"
"I'll... yeah."
"You look fucked, Isa."
"I am."
"Go fourth. Take a breather. I know you're mentally up for it, just..."
"Right. Right. Okay. Fourth."
"I'll go first," barked Ursula Rankin. You wouldn't think she'd been tirelessly running for a hundred and twenty minutes. You wouldn't think she had been playing every single minute so far.
"Second," Blackslate volunteered. "I'm still fresh."
"Right." Sylver scribbled this down on her clipboard. "Third would be... ?"
"Me." Purrington, short and round, stepped up. Third was when the pressure was, relatively, off. It was all technique, and nobody's technique was better than hers.
"Then I'll go fifth." Dani Pendragon - Woodgate's teammate at Union, and a redoubtable presence - shrugged. She'd been brought on in the 76th minute, and was relatively fresh. "Someone's got to, eh?"
"Right. Now, uh. Matt. You're feelin' good about this, right?"
Woodgate nodded. "I'm ready, boss. You know I am."
"Alright, well." Sylver glances across to the referee, who was waving everyone towards one set of goals. "Good luck, lads."
Woodgate trotted along the way, Orson Faulkner clapping him on the shoulder as he went by. That meant a lot - sincerely. Faulkner was a hero of his, and it was still just a little surreal to share a pitch with him.
Rankin, naturally, dispatched it high and to the right. Their goalkeeper had no chance. Now it was Woodgate's turn, against, uh, some striker. Alllright. Just move and punch. Easy. Ea-sy. Fuck okay wrong way, shit. Well. Blackslate. Low. Hard. Easy. 2-1. Woodgate vs. one of their midfielders. Oh, this was good. He saw every movement as it came, the angle of the man's body, the- fucking, really? Fuck penalties! Penalties are shit. Well. Purrington - of course - with a panenka. 3-2. And now it was his chance to make sure they FUCKING SERIOUSLY? He'd stutter-stepped. Woodgate had fallen over. Cullen, exhausted, managed to put it into the bottom corner with the last reserves of her strength, but Woodgate was getting a feel for this, at least. He sprang across, got a hand to Death to SJG's effort but it was just a little too hard, a little too fast... it went in, off the inside of the post. Woodgate swore.
Pendragon stepped up. She looked nervous, suddenly. Understandable. She stepped forward anyway and... whipped the ball past the goalkeeper. She breathed a sigh of relief.
More pressure on the Prune Farmer that wasn't the goalkeeper. He did not look happy to be here. His life very possibly rested on scoring this.
The whistle blew. He fired. Woodgate dived the wrong way, fuck...
He waited to hear the sound of the ball rippling the back of the net, but instead, he just heard a loud clank.
He glanced up.
The ball bounced innocuously towards the centre circle. The Prune Farmer and Woodgate shared a single, tender moment of eye contact. Woodgate was, through no actions of his own, a hero. The Farmer was, by virtue of not being good at football, going to die.
And Woodgate broke into the broadest, most shit-faced grin just as he was mobbed by his white-clad teammates. They were in the fucking semis!

[San Jose Guayabal]

The referee took his whistle again and again in a short time, La Selecta was making history again, first it was reaching the semifinals of World Cup when no one, not even the most optimistic imagined it and now La Selecta qualified to be in the semifinals of the Campionato Esportiva, a championship that many people came to regard as "cursed" for La Selecta because they always fail in the early stages, now they reached the semifinals and optimism is quite high, higher considering various factors like fairly regular beat a team like Banguela in such an overwhelming way, including a good display of football provided by Jonathan Faña, who scored four goals and two assists to leave the game in a shocking 6-0 in favor of La Selecta, which is regaining the momentum and effectiveness in to attack the opponent while the defense is having an extraordinary behavior, not allowing a goal was scored against throughout the tournament, allowing reaching the semifinals with a record of five wins, twenty one goals in favor and none against, averaging 4.2 goals per game, a rather flattering and promising index if we hope to get good results and if possible lift the regional trophy for the first time, but in front there is a tough hurdle that is similar to ours, we are talking about Brenecia.

Brenecia is the defending champion and throughout the tournament has shown that characteristic ambition of those teams that wish to endorse the title at all costs and establish a monopoly on the pursuit of maximum regional award. Speaking about establishing a monopoly in the Campionato Esportiva is very early and somewhat unreasonable but who prevents this from happening? Chances are present, there will be fans saying that it will not happen but that is not impossible, the recent passage of Brenecia in this tournament has been tremendous, the second best offense, scoring twenty goals in five games while only received six goals against average of four goals scored per game, a fairly high number for a team that is theoretically not so offensive and plays in a balanced way but in reality they are a team that plays with a lot of speed and uses the attack on the wings, and what matters to them is the generation of opportunities, they expect to score a couple of goals per game basing on their constant pressing to defence.

How can you decipher the game of Brenecia? What we know about this team is that they are literally a wolf in sheep's clothing, but do not appear to be offensive really are, it is clear that the number of goals that have managed to score over the previous five games, proving that the defense of San José Guayabal will need to be applied again in order to neutralize the attempted attacks that come by Ursula Rankin, who is the spearheading, the main player of the Patriots for this championship, Rankin is the typical competitive player looking to win at all costs, is characterized as fairly accurate when placed in the hand to hand against the rival goalkeeper, she knows how to handle the defenses at her will but her performance is not the best, considering that she is recovering from an injury that she suffered some weeks ago, she plays in FC Endeavour, from Apox, this being a good parameter style of play that she manages, a physical, fast and powerful game that does not tends to spruce up with flashes of plays with great technical difficulty, while Naphtali Thatcher and the really experienced Isadora Cullen are the fundamental support for Rankin in the attack, both players have a key role in the attack too, so Brenecia drives a good set of variables when it comes to find the goal.

Who is the real bulwark of the team is Catherine Purrington, it is not disputed, is the cornerstone in the game system implemented by Sasha Bale, not too athletic in appearance but as Bale described, "she is the brain and his left leg this midfielder that puts rivals in troubles", is the brain of the team and as we see, the passes that she gives are usually lethal because it has an excellent accuracy when taking a long pass or change the panorama from left to right or viceversa in the pitch, is the key piece of the team. Another of the veterans of the team is Orson Faulkner, a figure that represents strength and security to the Patriots in the defense, a player with a fighter temple attitude and excellent leadership on the pitch, those are reasons that have led him to be captain of this team, despite being a defender, he also decides to venture to score goals and has scored at a time where these were necessary, for this reason we understand why Brenecia would fail on defense without him. Now we add to these factors the presence of Geneva Urquhart, a small goalkeeper but with great reflexes and security under the three posts , height does not matter, what matters is safety and this is precisely what this goalie has, security, adding who has a good talent with his feet, being a good resource in times of need, it is certainly a keeper who gives great confidence to the team.

How can we neutralize Brenecia? Football is like chess, to excel in this you need a proper strategy to beat the opponent, and beat a rival who may become one playing on the same characteristics as La Selecta is simple, what is needed is place a line of midfielders blocking the work performed by Purrington, and the right player for reasons such as: the plays the role of destroyer opponent's moves, and know Purrington to the point of playing together in the same team and both in the midfield is Saucedo, placing personal pressure on Purrington will be useful in order to not let her act, to prevent her providing accurate passes to the front, the knowledge of Saucedo in how she plays will be definitively useful to keep Purrington under control. Another thing to consider is to give Brenecia some pressure, pressure on the defence in order to watch them commiting a mistake or doing something wrong, being quick to attack and avoid wasting opportunities is critical in this situation. Apart from that, the attackers should be pressed in areas, in order not to use too many players to press a single player, pressure is important, those players should be aware of the skills that every striker can have and its particular way to solve the plays, Passarelli has the most difficult task, it has to keep under control Rankin, pressing aggressively and being as a kind of shadow, do not let it be clear opportunities will be important.

The potential that has been shown by La Selecta in recent months has been quite high, it is important to be constant and keep the level of game and also the individual performances of each player, have not underestimated the rivals with which they have faced, it is essential to demonstrate that level to beat Brenecia and thus be a step closer to glory, one step closer to winning the Campionato Esportiva, reaching the semifinals has been a big step and now must close successfully, so La Selecta need to play with courage!

[Yttribia]

Did you think I'd forget about you? I certainly hope you didn't.

Two nations will enter the New Year with a lot to play for. The other two will have to console themselves a lot. This is your semi-finals cutoff!

EDIT: Here are the results!

Semi-Finals Matchups
Nephara 1–0 Apox
(Estadi dels Nuvols, Gremalsco)
San Jose Guayabal 3–3 [(5-3 AET)] Brenecia
(Die Einundsechzigste, Dahlen)

With that, the Grand Rendezvous is set! The two winners of each semi-final are set to face off at the legendary stadium that is Le Nid Violet in Fontvieille for the greatest prize in all of regional football. However, this does not mean that there will be a cool game such as this. The third place match up is set to captivate the crowd at Rosseini Stadium in Pontidexxu. All of this is scheduled to take place within the next forty-eight hours! Have a lovely new year everyone, and be safe out on the road.

[San Jose Guayabal]

San Jose Guayabal vs Brenecia was one of those games that will be hard to forget because the amount of action that happened throughout the match, a 3-3 draw during the ninety minutes of regulation in what was a real display of football by the two teams had so far shown the best display of offensive game in the tournament, with 21 and 20 goals for each respectively, came thirty minutes where I could highlight the experience of one of the two teams or ambition of the defending champion. In those thirty minutes San José Guayabal managed to win with two goals in that period, from Zelaya and a goal of Daniel Coco, the defense, to consolidate a historic pass to the final for La Selecta, with a really tight 5-3 and the note have allowed the first three goals against the tournament, finally it's nothing important, what matters now is the game that it is approaching, the big rendez vous, one of the few opportunities they have, to glory there biggest sport in the region of Esportiva, the option to win the Campionato Esportiva, but do it in front of Nephara will be a quite difficult challenge, a team that is motivated and want to win a competition like this after a while failure to do so La Selecta seems to come at some disadvantage to this end.

In recent times, Nephara has shown that it is always the perennial candidates to compete for the regional title, succeeding with a base of experienced and skilled players that give stability to the team at least in this competition, but have suffered the lack of this element in certain parts of the previous World Cup Qualifiers but they seem to be returning to normal. While on the other side of La Selecta, things have been in progress since the previous World Cup Qualifiers, where they surprisingly reached reach the semifinals and finished third in the competition, apart from this recent success in the recent adds internatonal years in club competitions such as the occasion when Alianza FC managed to win the CEDC and exceeded three consecutive group stage of the Globe Cup, plus the addition of CD FAS passing the group stage of the Champions' Cup the previous edition, adding ingredients that certify the slow but noticeable progress by the San José Guayabal teams in different competitions, both sides generally arrive in good form but let's look a little more as they come, a superficial analysis but to least we'll get a notion of how things are for each of the teams and thus give a verdict.

As for Nephara, they have done a pretty decent tournament in defense as they only allowed three goals in previous, similar games Selecta, the only difference is that La Selecta received all three goals in a single game while Nephara received them Throughout the tournament, a sign of consistency throughout the tournament but also shows the weaknesses La Selecta was in the match against Brenecia. In attack things are totally different, La Selecta has scored so far 26 goals in 6 games, averaging 4.33 goals per game, a very high figure compared to what Nephara has done in the tournament, scoring 16 goals in six games, averaging 2.66 goals per game, good figure but puts out the potential of attack of both teams in the spotlight.

How to play against them? The key to beating a team that plays a lot in midfield and has the means to act well in a final, apart from the advantage of experience in such moments in competitions like this, one of the emblems is Hadrian Belfast in the defense, the key to undermine the defense will take advantage of the lack of speed on the part of Belfast in the midfield is necessary to keep them locked up in that area so that no act with freedom of movement, in addition to the work of lobbying and trying to destroy the opponent's game will be important to stop and prevent Nephara of win this tournament. La Selecta's defense should be fairly careful when this game to prevent incursions by Bellard and Bottlegreen so they do not surprise us when the game, play hard and unceremoniously the opponent by the defense and the rest the equipment will be key if we want to be champions.

What do you expect in this game? Typical of a final, tons of action, excitement and a good deployment strategy by both teams, knowing the schemes game both teams are expected, looks to be a tight game in the midfield and with caution by part of Nephara by the slightly conservative nature of this team, as described above and despite the typical fast-paced game that usually presents La Selecta, in this final will be different, we will not see an offensive game on the part of the Guayabalenses but we'll see more conservative deployment in the game, and to reach a final no to play dangerously against an opponent who has more experience than ours at this point, so you will need to play with some risks but not so exposed, play with caution is key in this game, avoid Nephara dominate the game will be important so that La Selecta will have to tangle a little game to turn the action on our behalf, La Selecta will use the backlash as a tool to attack, I am convinced of this possibility and seems that it will if we consider the form of the game that uses the opponent. In conclusion expect a pretty close game and the winner will be who knows note the goal and keep the advantage that it provides. We are optimistic that the elite has a good chance to win this dream opportunity for regional glory, let the Guayabalenses play with courage and passion!

After the general expectations may have regarding the game, it is worth noting the hopes of the fans of San Jose Guayabal is great, over the past two years has been achieved across the board are great and it stimulates a lot to the fans, Hopes are high and also the wishes of the fans with La Selecta, players and managing staff are aware of the responsibility that reach this stage, so the players say they feel no nerves and no pressure as far reaching instances like this one is not something rutinary for us, in short there is nothing to lose in this match, in fact reach this end is a sign of passion and courage of our players to walk over any adversity, showing a style of play attractive to the eyes of many fans, reaching the final is a great reward for the way they have managed to play during the last months, if not win no problem, you should go step by step because success does not come at night morning, successes and triumphs came in due time to quench the thirst of triumph and victory of the fans, the players and the managing staff of La Selecta.

[Nephara]

Michael Kellard might have worn the number 9 on his back, but he'd had 23 minutes of football under his belt in the tournament so far. It seemed as though the highly-vaunted new style of Nepharim football had rather left him behind.
But he was an option. That's what he kept hearing, and, well, at least it was something. If there had been no room for him in the squad, he wouldn't be in the squad, would he? And it was more important that the team was doing well. He'd been their top scorer in the World Cup with a brace against Kernansquillec, but he hadn't exactly enjoyed the group stage exit. It was far more satisfying to watch his country beat every side in its way.
It still sucked, though. And now that Tanya Bottlegreen was ready to sit the bench again, that presumably shunted him further still down the pecking order.
He glanced across to the opposing side in its red and white. Plenty of Nepharim played in the ANL, plenty of Apoxians played in the Premiership - it was fair to say the two teams knew each other pretty well. The bookies weren't giving anything away in the odds, either - everyone knew this was a dead even match.
Still, as Amokachi kicked the ball out to Covenant, Kellard felt just a twinge of jealousy he wasn't out there instead of one of them.
It was strange to watch it on the bench instead of out on the pitch, of course, and never quite as good. Different to the stands, too. Sometimes it was hard to see what was going on in the far corners of the pitch, for one, and when the first shot on target of the match happened Kellard wasn't really sure what had happened around Christener/Aurora to enable it. Either way, Gandhi sent a low, dangerous shot at goal and Ballard saved it with relative ease, waggling her finger at him as if to say, nope, it's not gonna be that easy, mate. It was strange to think that Gandhi (and Ibrox) were her teammates more often than anyone wearing green tonight. International football was weird in general like that.
This match had a lot more finesse than most Nepharim matches Kellard had been present for. Pace without urgency. Threat from the wings, but not just whipped into the far post. But, of course, the old steel was still lurking under the surface, as Rainsford smashed into Ibrox for the game's first booking.
Poke, test, thrust, an occasional shot. It was a tense match, belying the freedom Nephara had played with in other matches, and it had required at times desperate defending. One terrifying near-post corner in particular seemed to hang in place for five seconds of scuffling before Belfast swept imperiously in and booted it into the stands. The first half was on a knife-edge.
So, too, was the second, though some gaps were starting to appear, the midfielders getting their eye in. One second all was calm, the next Ashdown had suddenly played Covenant through the entire defence as she lashed it into the side netting.
65 minutes... 66... 67-
"Mick. Warm up."
"Huh?"
Portia Thrift rolled her eyes. "You heard."
He had - so he did, eventually coming on for the beleagured Theodora Covenant. There was a distinct Look in the Apoxian centre-halves' eyes. Etezadi in particular had a hundred caps under his belt (precisely a century, in fact) but he played his club football in Farfadillis, where strikers tended to be flamboyant and quick and elegant and not an unstoppable bulldozer. Kellard wasn't elegant, and his first touch was incredibly heavy, turning a dangerous chance enabled by Ashdown into a goal-kick. But he worked his way back into the game, making up in energy what he lacked in match-fitness. After Amokachi fired straight at Anaximander and he looked to throw the ball quickly to Fowey, Kellard noticed Christener was in a vulnerable position and less than subtly inserted himself between Anaximander and his intended target, tangling across him and unleashing his studiously innocent look when the referee booked him for timewasting.
There was nothing innocent about what Kellard did next.
Tanya Bottlegreen had come on four minutes ago - as a winger, on for Rivers as Fowey seemed to have his number. She wasn't at her quickest either, but it was pure class when she nutmegged Fowey and swanned her way back into possession, shaping and firing a high cross across the bar.
Bread and butter. Too high for Amokachi, Anaximander waited to claim it. But he noticed, marginally too late, that it wasn't coming for him. It was coming too far out to claim and the intended target was currently slipping away from Shahzad and leaping high inches out from the far post, flicking his head to meet the ball with as much grace as any more flamboyant striker could manage. Anaximander almost pulled off the greatest save of his life, but the fingertips weren't enough and the ball powered past him - and for the first time in a while, the fans were chanting Kellard's name again. The good times were rolling.

[Yttribia]

Four teams have one last match to play. One match will be for the glory of being called "champion." The other match, while not important at first glance, will be for the chance to walk out of Yttribia with one more win under their belt.

This is the final cut-off for both third-place and the grand championship. Sit tight. Results will roll in momentarily.

EDIT: Here are the last results of the tourney.

Apox 0-1 Brenecia

Nephara 5–1 San Jose Guayabal

Congratulations to both winners of each match-up, and commiserations to the respective losers. Most importantly, I want to thank you all for participating in this competition throughout the past two weeks, it's been a wonderful ride with you all. Hope to host another one of these in the near or distant future, whichever one of these is first.