World Cup 63 RP Thread

[Cyborg Holland]

Amzterdam SPD HQ

Cases like this should be mopped up easily. The thought of everyone in the group as they trawled for answers. Julie Seegers and Varina Dekker bad been round most of the colleges, interviewing people on their long-list. All had solid alibis, so it probably wasn't a student. They all sat around the table in the meeting room, files strewn out, stained with the occasional brown circle from the numerous coffee cups.

There was a knock at the door and the weedy looking technician, Njord Koumans, entered the room. He went over the the large electronic screen and fumbled with its small remote.

"If everyone would, er, look at the screen, we've compiled some things"

The screen came alive with a picture of a man who fitted the vague description.

"This is Wessel Simonis, 22-years old, dropped out of AU two years ago with a criminal record. Assault, drug possesion. Did six months for attacking a girl in Downtown Amzterdam. He know lives just outside the University in Benchtstrate. Now get this, Wessel recently broke-up with his long-time girlfriend Daniella Sniejder, last month. Look through phone records of Mr. Aleksandr, he has a contact named Dani S, who it is pretty obvious is his recent girlfriend. Going further, he has multiple e-mail exchanges with this girl, and she explains how she broke up with her "pyscho" ex-boyfriend last month."

"Coincidence?"

"I think not. The clincher was found in Martin's mailbox. Three love letters with an address from the west of town. Quick search of the address brings you to Daniella's Florists, run by..."

"Daniella Sniejder"

"OK, we've got our suspect. Where is he?"

"Well, he bought a return train ticket to Eindhoven four days ago, and it is schduled to return today. In 40 minutes"

"Well then" said Simon, rising from his chair "our friend is about to get a nasty suprise from us..."

[Mytannion]

The most explosive match in the Mytanar club footballing calendar is that of Atletik Thessia versus Olympic Thessia in the Zenit Toranj Derby and it is fair to say that this derby has had its fair share of scandals and shenanigans in the last few years – from Olympic stealing ‘sacred’ Atletik banners, a massive inflatable naked woman, attacks on Olympic’s training ground, the Atletik team bus being overturned on the road into the stadium and something which is considered ‘normal’ in Mytannion, mass brawls between the rivals supporters in the central train station in the Zenit Toranj District.

Last season, the 56th Zenit Toranj Derby between the two Thessian clubs set a truly remarkable precedent: a significant section of Atletik supporters boycotted the game at Olympic’s Kaunostadion. For the first time in decades, there would be a near empty away section. It should be noted that the Kaunostadion has a capacity of only 2,600 – the away section comprises one end and holds approximately 300 fans. The main Atletik supporters group the Ofras boycotted the game completely and this meant the away end was littered with a small group of 50 fans sprinkled around hugely outnumbered by the home support.

The Atletik fans’ decision to not take up all the tickets for one of the most important (and fiercely contested) games of the season is not an attempt to push their heavily indebted rivals further towards administration, however. Olympic are on the brink in them terms, they can only buy once they sell and still have to try and profit on players – but Atletik fans were most certainly not trying to hurt their closest rivals in that regard.

“This should definitely not be seen as an attack on Olympic or anybody else,” said Theo Remmingen, one of the organisers of the boycott. The Atletik fans were making a more principled stand, he explained to the Mytannion Gazette: “We are not prepared to accept the unreasonable rise in ticket prices and have decided to say that enough is enough.”

Olympic are demanding a special 50 per cent ‘top-game surcharge’ for the derby game – this meant that a game on the terrace cost £15.50, a rise of £5.08 on last season when an equivalent ticket for on the terrace would have cost only £9.92. Both home and away fans have been hit by this hefty increase as home tickets in seated areas have rose from £34 to nearly £50 – a scandalous increase in price. Supporters are wary that this ‘top-game surcharge’ is really being used as a way to usher in higher prices on a much wider scale, but almost forcing it through the back door.

“When the derby ticket prices were announced in the summer, we were so angry,” said Remmingen, the leader of the Atletik supporters group, the Ostzeit ATO. “For many students and younger people that is simply too expensive. So we decided to do something about it and fight back. When Atletik agreed to take back derby tickets that had already been sold under the ‘away season ticket scheme’, we knew that this protest could really work.”

Four different fan groups had aligned themselves with the boycott and since that, more than 200 tickets – two-thirds of Atletik’s total allocation for the match – had been returned, according to Remmingen: “The difference is definitely going to be noticeable in the ground, especially so in the away end,” he said.

At Olympic, they are a little suspicious about the Atletik fans’ true motivation. “The timing of this protest is somewhat unfortunate,” Ralf Hanzek, the Kaunos’ former supporter liaison officer commented. “Because this is Olympic versus Atletik, everybody will think that this is about the rivalry, not something more fundamental and a matter of principle.”

Atletik manager Marius Sadowsky has added fuel to the fire too, by blaming Olympic’s financial trouble on their summer spending on players like Emeryk Walczak and linking the protest to that. “I think it’s great that our support won’t go and finance expensive transfers like that when Olympic are financially stricken.” Sadowsky told the Gazette.

Other have accused the no-show of fans of maybe hurting their team’s chances. “We did consider that side of it,” Remmingen said. “I can assure you, nobody is happy to miss this match but football is about more than just one game and the twenty-two players competing. We want to safeguard our game’s future. We want to make sure that football will remain affordable for young people and students and means that support around Mytannion will remain as diverse as possible. If we simply accept higher prices, we’ll end up like other countries where money dominates and young people are priced out.” He continued. “The crowd demographic will just become older and older and we will lose our unique atmosphere and all the people who support their team by staging choreographies.”

Cheap tickets, as well as the right to consume beer inside the stadium are two things which are hoped to give Mytanar football a bit more good press in recent years rather than the fan trouble of old. There is terracing still, which is thought to be fan-friendly and even that is becoming safer. This sort of thing is hoped to promote the Mytanar game in a better way that the crowd trouble of the past did and even that is slowly being fought against, though it still and probably will always exist.

This situation amounts to ‘an obligation’ for Mytanar fans to make a stand against ticket prices rising and the boycott organisers intend to display a banner outside the Kaunostadion reading ’20 coruns for standing – no way!’

“Forcing out lower-income groups and financially weak young people would do real long-term damage to the game’s popularity here,” Remmingen says. “Once you lose the 20-year olds that is it, they will not return when they are older.”

The derby boycott was only the starting point, he argued. He wanted supporters groups of all professional clubs to get behind the initiative and to pressure clubs into ensuring a fair pricing structure. He is also a part of a group that wants an arrangement enshrined in the league’s rules that requires club members to own 51% of their club. This would immediately give the benefit of the fans having a say in how clubs are run.

It is an interesting situation and one which is cause for concern in Mytannion.

[Birolika]

The Daily Sheep
Birolika take first points of Qualifying (and then lose, but we won't dwell on that)

Birolika managed to take what is our third ever win in international football and for the first time by more than a two goal margin. The win came against Bordurian on away ground and is our first win in qualifying since we beat West Angola in a shock 2-1 result last time round. Of course this result means little now as we are 15 points adrift of anything meaningful and really have no chance at all (and all this before the half-way mark).

Either way the game kicked off on a drizzly afternoon and it looked like the same depressing thrashing for Birolika as we fell on behind just three minutes in. For the first 20 minutes we then preceded to watch on as the home team dominated Birolika and with the flow of play came another goal in the 19th minute leaving Birolika despondent and waiting for defeat. However the sun suddenly came out and Birolika seemed to get a move on. Jane Wass was the first person to score in the 32nd minute, although after that things remained balance until half-time. After half-time Birolika seemed a changed side, lord only knows what the manager said to them, but Birolika suddenly began to control a game for the first time. Shots were suddenly hammering towards the goal and Orick Blaines was the one to level it up with a curling shot from the edge of the box. Rex Malone also scored in the 65th and 70th minutes with the first coming from a vague poking of the ball over the line from a corner and the second being a powerfully shot effort in a one-on-one with the keeper in the box. Suddenly Birolika found themselves 4-2 up and a little lost, with these dizzying heights they found Bordurian fighting back into the game, however this ended as Yook took his first goal in ages after headering in a cross on the penalty spot. With the game over Birolika finally found themselves off last place for the first time in a long time.

This sudden burst of decent football came to an end rather quickly after we went on a trip to the Northern Sunrise Islands. The game was close enough not to be embarrassing, however it was rather dull as Birolika watched the NSI team put away two quick goals later on in the second half leaving our defence looking weak and useless (which is true). Luckily this result didn't put us in last place again, however the other teams just above us put in decent games and we are now 3 points behind 8th place (currently occupied by Tyrrin). Up next we have Kartvelistan at home, a game which is vital in the battle to stay off bottom (lets just hope that we don't mess it up like last time against Charruterra).

[Cambirano]

A HEARTBREAKING LOSS FOR CAMBIRANO

Bloodbath Generation defeated Cambirano 4-3 in a hard fought match yesterday. The team played a clean and effective game, but their opponents found the ability to put just one more goal past Theo Walden than Cambirano could reciprocate.

Bloodbath Generation scored first, on the back of an Arlo Narut header. Cambirano came back just 3 minutes later though.

William St. Mark took the ball down the right side of the field, drawing several opponents to him. At the edge of the box, he cut inside, driving diagonally at the BG keeper. Although another defender sprinted to intercept him, he simply cut the ball back at the 6-yard box and played a cross across the face of goal which found the foot of Xavier Camette for Cambirano's first goal fifteen minutes in.

Bloodbath Generation tacked two more goals on before halftime; Ari Borg launched a 20-yard bullet in the 33rd minute, and Narut scored again, this time in the 44th minute.

"We were discouraged, but we didn't give up. I'm proud of us for that," said manager Klaus Handel on the subject of a 3-1 halftime deficit.

It got worse before it got better. Borg scored again, this time on a deflected free kick, and it looked like Cambirano was in for a heavy defeat.

They made it interesting, though, in the 77th minute, when a Henri de Camouette corner collided with the head of Joseph Flanden for an important goal.

Then, Bloodbath Generation looked in danger of dropping at least two points when William St. Mark whipped another cross in, finding a sprinting de Camouette who took one touch with his chest and then placed it into the back of the BG net.

Cambirano couldn't quite score four goals, though, as an Xavier Camette shot from outside the box skirted inches wide in the 3rd minute of stoppage time, leaving Cambirano with a disappointing 4-3 loss.

"Uh, we're not happy, but I think everyone expected us to lose. That's no excuse, but if we keep improving, we will beat these guys next time," said Camette.

The loss leaves Cambirano 8th in the group, with 9 points.

[Andossa Se Mitrin Vega]

Missed Opportunities

If two words could be used to describe the fortunes of Group Two on day number eight of qualification, they would probably be “missed opportunities”. Those were numerous on this day and the repercussions of them will last much longer than most would expect. Let’s have a closer look at just what I am talking about…

1 - The Archregimancy missed a golden opportunity to seize complete control of the group by stealing a win from top seed ASMV on home soil. The draw did keep them two points clear, but five points clear would have been a huge boost during the second half.

2 - The Sea Dragons missed on their shot at taking the group’s points lead from the Monks. Trailing them is beginning to become a severe itch under the skin of most Vegai and somewhere along the line this side will have to step up and act like a world top ten squad.

3 - Armed Bears and Eastfield Lodge both had a chance to pull themselves within a point of ASMV on the table and yet the result was a 2-2 draw that kept both sides four points back.


Cadye Did

The Monks and the Sea Dragons battled for 90 minutes at the Holy Monastery of the All-Holy Mother of God Angeloktiste and in the end the fifty Vegai fans were treated with a 1-1 draw with a side that has become the Vegai equivalent of Kryptonite. And yet one player seemed unaffected by the test of facing the Monks. Cadye Tas’dyn played a monster of a match as she is quickly establishing herself as the squad’s new superstar.

The Monks seemed to a little put off by Cadye’s colorful verbiage, which always seem to ride the line for what would be acceptable for a sailor much less a Lady on the pitch. Add to that her very physical style of play and she set the tone for the Sea Dragons on defense. At one point she even managed to make Fr. Artemius the Unwashed blush and turn away as she aggressively used her rump to keep the surprised Monk behind her and out of position.

Perhaps the oddest moment of the match came as she made a direct challenge on Fr. Mark the Goatskin Wearer whose current choice of attire was the complete skin of a feral pig. As she made the challenge, the head of the once glorious beast swung unnaturally from his side, where it had been hanging for most of the match, to catch the monk squarely in a place much better left untouched by such things. As the tusk easily ripped the skin covering that area, it was readily apparent that all present were overjoyed to be playing in The Archregimancy, Such an injury in a normal reality setting could easily have resulted in the monk being known from that moment as Fr. Mark the Goatskin Wearing Eunuch.

Cadye was, in the end, named Woman of the Match for the fourth time in eight matches.


Thoughts of Figs

In the sixty-fifth minute of the match against The Archregimancy the quite unbelievable happened. I say unbelievable due to the strict monitoring of visiting fans and the general tendencies of the Monks themselves. But believable or not that was the time when a streaker appeared on the pitch and spent several minutes eluding everyone before disappearing the way he came.

The first accusations were thrown in the direction of the Vegai contingent, yet all fifty permitted fans were accounted for during the incident. And thus the identity of the four hundred plus pound figure clad in nothing but a plush rabbit head remains unknown. The only other immediately identifiable markings were the words “Orthodoxy Smell Like” hastily scrawled on his ample backside.

The incident also managed to spawn a couple of side effects. First, Fr. Eusebius the Rigorous actually puked following a remark by Sithias Zyh'athkim about certain bouncy body parts and their resemblance to figs. And secondly, and more important, was the reaction by Fr. Hilarion the Naked who quickly decided that since etiquette had already been broken by the Streaker and the Vegai women had already been shown the organs of man, by the Will of God of course, that he would play the rest of the match in his preferred state of nakedness.

That decision would eventually cost the Sea Dragons the three points they had been hoping to gain as none of the defenders would willingly allow his sweaty genitals to make contact with exposed skin. Fr. Hilarion the Naked would score in the 82nd minute to bring the match level.

At this time no protests over the incidents in the match have been planned. “At least noine of our girls were called whores this time around.” seems to be the most common thought on the matter of the match.

[Maklohi Vai]

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Tumo Makanopalani's Travel Journal
Day 2

I'm disappointed by the loss to TBI, but I can't say it was unexpected. They're ranked #3 in the world after all. The game was not horribly one-sided, I suppose, but there were never really opportunities for us to break through. I took some time after the team dinner to look into the Babbage system, to try and see how they did so well. I saw a solid base of training and commitment, spread out over many of the past World Cups. It didn't really help me on a personal level, however, so I had to call my dad for help to find a way to get my journey for the day in.

"Hi, Dad?"

"Tumo, how are you?"

"Besides the loss to TBI, I'm fine. I'm having a little trouble with finding something for my daily journey, though."

"Did you look into their culture?"

"Their soccer culture, sure."

"You need to look at their national anthem. It's something quite special."

"You know I've never been a big music person."

"I know. But this one could be different for you. It's called They, the Builders of the Nation. Look it up."

"Ok, thanks for your help, Dad."

"No problem. Good bye."

"Bye."

So I searched up the anthem, unsure of what it would be like. I eventually found it and started to read.

They, the builders of the nation,
Blazing trails along the way;
Stepping-stones for generations
Were their deeds of ev'ry day.
Building new and firm foundations,
Pushing on the wild frontier,
Forging onward, ever onward,
Blessed, honored Pioneer!

So it was sort of a glorification of the settlers and founders of the region. I had always been taught to respect and honor my Polynesian ancestors who came far across the sea to found our nation.

Service ever was their watchcry;
Love became their guiding star;
Courage, their unfailing beacon,
Radiating near and far.
Ev'ry day some burden lifted,
Ev'ry day some heart to cheer,
Ev'ry day some hope the brighter,
Blessed, honored Pioneer!

Virtues to follow, joys to have. Seems like a manifesto as to how to live like a pioneer.

As an ensign to the nation,
They unfurled the flag of truth,
Pillar, guide, and inspiration
To the hosts of waiting youth.
Honor, praise, and veneration
To the founders we revere!
List our song of adoration,
Blessed, honored Pioneer!

Well, there's sort of some fluff in the last stanza, but the song made its purpose pretty clear to me: respect those who have come before you, for they may be able to lead your way. It fits quite nicely with the tradition that I've been taught of honoring the ancestors, so I guess it's really nothing new. I'll still have to look out for another journey, I guess. Another day will come.

[Secundus Kasius]

There was potential disaster today as many of the Secundus Kasius national football squad was unable to play in their scheduled match, due to mass hospitalisation.

There was confusion and outcry as the Kasians walked onto the pitch led by Gallus Haxtes, the black sheep of the team. Following him was a mixture of the normal line-up, and a selection of people nobody was able to recognise. It soon came to light via an announcement that many of the Kasian team were being treated for caffeine poisoning after ingesting Caffee^TM, and whilst they were making a swift recovery they had been advised not to play. The substituted players looked uncertain upon the pitch, but found their way into their positions, and the referee blew the whistle to begin.

Things got off to a shaky start for both commentators and Kasian players alike - those watching struggled to identify the substitutes, though it could be argued it was a moot point as they were not offered many chances to touch the ball. It was not long before the inevitable occurred, and Jake Simpson slipped the ball past Arkwright - who was still showing mild trembling - at the 15th minute. The Kasians swiftly regrouped, but the teamwork just wasn't there - the starting squad weren't used to playing with other people, whilst the subs were undertrained and underprepared. Humiliatingly, the Octinstine team began to take things easy, still managing to keep the ball well away from Gallus, Holt, or Jessie Bell; the three forwards currently on pitch. Despite the apparent lack of effort, it was with an audible sign of resignation from the Kasian fans that Simpson managed to line himself up for another goal at the 38th minute, pulling further ahead for Octinstine.

The mood was tense during half time, with the fans unsure as to who the Kasian team would bring back onto the pitch, and whether they'd even be returning at all. Cheers were subdued as players walked back into their places, but it soon picked up as the group showed more life than they had done previously. Cox and Clayton in defence began to work as a unit, with Hall mirroring their position on the opposite side of the goal. Mary Scott however was the star of the second half, as she tirelessly regained possession of the ball again and again and again. Whilst Warren continued to block the efforts of Gallus and Holt, it was only a matter of time before Bell managed to boot the ball into the back of the net, and bring Secundus Kasius back in with a chance.

Inspired by the goal, the Kasian team began to pull together and push to gain any possible advantage. Tactics got increasingly dirty, and it wasn't long before Liam Mitchell was booked for an illegal challenge. As the match began to draw to a close the squad became more and more desperate to equalise, knowing what it would mean to lose. Holt managed to save the day with his late goal at 86 minutes, but unfortunately there was no time to bring the game to a victory rather than a draw. However, considering the lack of many of the usual starting squad, it is perhaps understandable they weren't able to achieve a more conclusive result.

Our thoughts are of course with the Kasian team members who could not be present on the pitch today - there is a full investigation in place on the safety of Caffee^TM, and thankfully it seems there has been no lasting damage to the players' nervous systems or hearts. Worst affected was Kasian mascot Milly Guilder, due to her reduced age. However, she is expected to make a full recovery, and is already concious and wanting to get back besides the pitch.

[Leorudo]

Another continuation of the story of Michael Strelle. Still no word on Luke, as New Mathdon remains cut off from the rest of the World.

The story so far: Michael Strelle's brother, David, has just returned from a failed attempt to get rich off of one of Leorudo's many colonies, and after getting kicked out of his own home again, he has found work for the Leorudian Roar's B-team, and Michael tagged along with him for one of his practices. After meeting a friend of David's who plays on his team, he also tagged along to his friend's party after practice, and they watched the parent club play in the World Cup Qualifiers.

When the small circular object flew across the small apartment's television that day, a party turned to a vigil.

Michael was shocked at the instant change in the atmosphere of the room. When the game started, everyone just froze and watched the television. Even the girlfriends some of the men had brought along knew the drill. The only voices in the room was those of the commentators, and Michael suddenly became very alone as Luke Moore dribbled the ball up the pitch, making fools out of defenders, only to be stopped at the last second. Ten minutes into the game, still silence, no one had spoken a word.

Then Leorudo scored.
"-and the ball to Fenlon, now to Moore, back to Fenlon, GO-" The room exploded, as did the announcer's voice. Luke Moore had scored a goal, and now everyone could relax. Ten minutes later, Leorudo scored again, and it became a party. No longer did people sit around the television, music blared, and the volume was turned up. Alcohol began to flow, but Michael didn't want to leave, so he just sat there, tapping on his phone and watching the rest of the game. Leorudo scored a third time, but by then no one was that interested, and when the opposition scored in the last minute of the match, no one cared. It became your typical dormitory-style party, and by then Michael had the sense to leave, but when he walked out, he realised it was pitch black outside, and he had to get all the way across town. Should be fun.

[Lalo Limahina]

WLAK: Lakomi's Sports Leader
BREAKING: Lalo Limahinan Manager Kyle Cole has resigned

In the midst of a one win qualifying campaign, Lalo Limahinan manager Kyle Cole has resigned from his current position, citing health issues. Mr. Cole will stay on through mid-qualifying as head coach before leaving the program. He has been experiencing what he cited as "loss of normal mental capacity," along with a desire to "get things straight." The National Football Association was able to tender his resignation due only to the fact that they had another candidate lined up. That candidate is Akaok Kapekeoa, a Andossa Se Mitrin Vega native of Zirakulii descent.

The National Football Association issued this statement to introduce their new coach:

"Akaok Kapekeoa is 41 years old and a first time manager, but we have no doubt that he can be effective. He has been a true leader on the pitch for what has become a world class Sea Dragons squad. He is of some Polynesian-esque descent, and has a fierce mindset, both of which fit quite well with the goals of our program. He will provide a new direction that we believe will turn out quite well for the national team.

For reference, included below is his previous World Cup player info.
A native Zirakulii, Akao has become a true Vegai hero on the pitch and a terror to opposing teams as well. Huge and bronze skinned he makes quite an impression in this traditional grass skirt and body paint. That he has lost a step is not a question, but he remains one of the most feared players in the world. When skills begin to erode, intimidation is a wonderful replacement."

[Audioslavia]

Mesomerising!
Brilliant Bulls edge Mesoland, increase winning streak to six

Audioslavia are, game by game, proving to their detractors and themselves that they have within them the tools and skills to be classed, once again, as a world-class footballing outfit. On two occasions, in Mesoland, the claret and green visitors fell behind, struggling to keep to a fast-paced game in the humidity of a Mesolandi evening.

Beritata Nukaba opened the scoring for the home side, collecting a blocked shot as it landed, steadying himself, and poking the ball into the corner for 1-0. Audioslavia would take twenty minutes to summon an equaliser, being able to threaten only in fits and spurts between Mesoland's dominance in possession and unnerving ability to probe behind the claret and green defence. Wim Van Wildernis was the scorer of the goal, rasping a shot into the roof of the net after Mesoland ineptly failed to clear a corner properly. The home side would be back in the lead just two minutes later, Nukaba again, this time with a superb piece of skill that saw him 'nutmeg' John Ryan and peel around the defender, lashing a left-footed shot between a wrong-footed Imaslavii and the near post.

The Bulls, 2-1 down at the break, came back in emphatic style in the second half, breaking down the hosts' defence and finally scoring the equaliser in the sixty-fifth minute through a crisp finish by that man Karsten Eiger.

Eiger would turn provider five minutes later as Audioslavia continued to press, nodding down a long ball to be swept into the corner first-time by Mauro Soccorso, scoring his first goal of the campaign.

Victory would be sealed in the first minute of injury time, as Audioslavia's lethal counter-attack play claimed another victim, substitute striker Niko Ferz scoring for the third game in succession, finishing into the corner after being put through behind the defence by another substitute, the experienced Weverton Sporadic.

Great Expectations
"We must keep raising the bar for ourselves" :- Israel Klimt

With Audioslavia still three points clear at the top, with a five-point gap between ourselves and surprise package Jukenia in third, manager Israel Klimt warned of complacency. "We can't afford to have even one off-day" said the boss, who's star has been on a constant rise since taking the job late last year, "Before the qualifiers started our aim was to sneak past Akbarabad, Liventia and Mesoland and make it, somehow, to the playoffs. From what we've seen so far, we've proven that we've enough talent and nous to make it to the World Cup, maybe as group winners. What we still need to prove is that we have the bottle, that we can hold our nerve when the finishing line comes into view. If we can traverse the hurdle of Riyahda, we'll have to be honest with ourselves and say that anything other than automatic qualification will be a disappointment. If we can overcome Riyahda AND the home game against Nethertopia, then we can go into the trip to Polar Islandstates with a sense of equality that we certainly didn't have for the first game. From there, anything is possible".

The lightly-regarded Riyahdans have proved a bananaskin for a few nations before ours, so far in group 13, and if the Bulls can take yet another win - increasing their haul to seven on the trot, beating a very old and famous winning streak from World Cup 9, then Israel Klimt's assertion may well be right: We can no longer be satisfied with second best.

IBJJ, G'NB

[Lymantatia]

Lymantatia 6–3 Anollasia
It was Matchday 6 when the Anollasians were who the Multicultural Peoples of Lymantatia defeated 6-3
Goals Scored:
Jacques Bressler (4)
Sylvius Johnson (2)
Kyle Ray (3)
DYK:
Did you know that Nicholas Ivanov's paternal ancestor Ivan Ivanov (1300s-1377) was a scientist who discovered diseases are caused by viruses, not evil forces?

[Groteberg]

St Lucoa 0–1 Groteberg
We defeated the St Lucoa football team 3-1.
Goal Scorers:
Charles Winston (1)

[West Angola]

NAMIBE CHRONICLE

TEAM TRAVELS TO ANOLLASIA TO FACE "PARALELL UNIVERSE SELF"

Today, the West Angolan National Football Team departed from Namibe for its World Cup Qualifying match against Anollasia. In a pre-departure press conference, Coach Phillip Garren likened Anollasia's situation to West Angola's, even going so far as to call them a "parallel universe incarnation of ourselves." Coach Garren's analogy comes from the remarkable similarities in West Angola's and Anollasia's histories in the World Cup. West Angola finished third in its Baptism of Fire group, then entered the World Cup and, after a few cycles, went on a run, finishing third in their qualifying group for World Cup 60 and nearly earning a playoff spot. However, in their next World Cup, the team collapsed and had to enact a desperate second-half scramble to finish fourth in the group and salvage their ranking.

Anollasia's rise is going in much the same manner. The team also finished third in its Baptism of Fire group, and, in its second World Cup (62), finished third from a ranking that was nearly in the 200s. This incredible feat enabled Anollasia to vault nearly a hundred places into the top 100 in the KPB rankings, and they entered World Cup 63 as a team on the rise. Unfortunately, this campaign has been average at best. Anollasia is currently 4-0-4, and sits tied with Lymantatia for fourth in the group. An opportunity to supersede Lymantatia was squandered with a 6-3 drubbing in the highest-scoring match the group has seen thus far, and they will be looking to recover against West Angola tonight. If Anollasia comes into this match angry, and takes their latent frustration out on West Angola, they could very easily claim a win that vaults them back into contention for third place, or even higher than that.

---

MATCH PREVIEW: (#47) WEST ANGOLA AT (#96) ANOLLASIA

West Angola:

World Rank: 47

Previous Appearances:
Baptism of Fire 45: 3-1-1, 3rd in Group
World Cup 58: 4-4-8 in Qualifying Stage, 7th in Group
World Cup 59: 5-2-5 in Qualifying Stage, 5th in Group
World Cup 60: 8-1-5 in Qualifying Stage, 3rd in Group
World Cup 61: 5-4-6 in Qualifying Stage, 4th in Group
World Cup 62: 9-1-4 in Qualifying Stage, 3rd in Group
Cup of Harmony 50: 1-1-1, 3rd in Group
Cup of Harmony 51: 0-1-2, 4th in Group
Cup of Harmony 53: 2-1-0, 1st in Group, Lost in Round of 16 to The Archregimancy 0-1
Cup of Harmony 54: 2-2-0, 1st in Group, Lost in Round of 16 to Andossa Se Mitrin Vega 0-2

Anollasia

World Rank: 96

Previous Appearances:
Baptism of Fire 48: 2-1-2, 3rd in Group
World Cup 61: 2-8-6 in Qualifying Stage, 8th in Group
World Cup 62: 7-4-3 in Qualifying Stage, 3rd in Group

Our Analysis: Anollasia achieved unprecedented success in World Cup 62 when they came within inches of reaching the playoffs. However, this Cup has gone slightly less well, as the team sits fourth with a four-point gap between them and West Angola in fourth. Anollasia is still very much a factor within the group, but they need to get their team pulled back together following a 6-3 loss to Lymantatia. The road to qualification is a long and difficult one for Anollasia, but an upset of West Angola in their home stadium would be the perfect place to start for this team. Given West Angola’s propensity for falling to team’s it should statistically defeat, it may not even be that hard. I'm tentatively predicting a win for West Angola tonight, but given the up-and-down nature of both teams, as well as the fact that the match is in Anollasia, there is no result that would surprise me.

Our Prediction: West Angola 1, Anollasia 0

[Sandwich Territories]

To: Gordonopian Games

From: Sandwich Entertainment

Hello, and my name is Lewis Ray, and I am the CEO of Sandwich Entertainment. Our console, the Gameagon 5000, (Pentagonal shaped), has some amazing games, but only recently have we been getting mass produced games. And we would be interested in having this game being exported to the Sandwich Territories. You would not only be exporting to Sandwich, who happens to be the gaming hub of Kennan, but to a region with billions of people.The people here are crazy for soccer, and I think both of us would benefit from this move. We hope to hear from you ASAP.

- Sincerely,
Lewis Ray

[Silar]

Judge Bridgeman closed the door to his chamber, exiting the large courtroom beyond. Another messy case he thought, with perhaps a little pity for the family of the victim of a rather grim and complex murder case that had landed in his court. He rmoved his violet robes, hanging them on a hook by his door and settling into his large armchair beyond the desk at the center of the room. A knock came from the door leading into the hall before it opened to reveal his clerk, a young man right out of law school.
"Your Honor." he said, stopping at the door and executing a brief bow, "We have some the of the preliminary briefs from the Balding case if you're interested."
"Of course, of course." Bridgeman replied, "Leave them on my desk, Charlie. I get a look at them later.. Oh, and make some copies for yourself, I'd like to know your take on the entire affair."
"Yes, your Honor." Charlie nodded before stepping out to make the copies as ordered.

Bridgeman turned towards his computer now, idly flicking through his long line of emails. Magistrates from some of the subordinate courts, Lower Court Judges asking guidance on a few points of civil law, a notice about an appeal of one of his cases. He moved over to another tab to glance at the news, courtesy of The Silaran Evening Telegraph. "Chevaliers Win against Qazox!" the title of the homepage article declared displaying an image of a player in the Silaran home navy blue jersey sending the football towards the one goal scored against Qazox. Bridgeman glanced over the article with midle interest. He enjoyed football recreationally.. he would follow some of the highlights of the game at home later.

Charlie returned, dropping off the briefs on Bridgeman's desk before disappearing back through the door. The Judge leaned over and picked up the first of the rather hefty documents, an argument with all the various and sundry evidence enclosed. He flipped through to the statement of the facts in the case to read it over:

The Honorable Lord Eric Balding is, and was at the time of the events herein, the President of the Royal Football and Rugby Association of Silar (RFRAS), Silar's regulatory authority for association football and rugby. It holds a Royal Charter which reserved stock shares for the King of Silar who must ratify the appointment of the President. RFRAS is not a Crown Property.

Lord Balding's daughter, Jillian Balding, was involved in a high level drug ring with a player from Demesne Football Club (name unknown) with supplied high quality drugs to members of the upper class. Alexius von Winter was, at this time, the Manager of Demesne Football Club and became aware of the ring.

According to emails found in the search of Lord Balding's residence, Alexius von Winter threatened to reveal Jillian Balding's involvement in the ring after the loss of his team that season. He wished for Lord Balding to endorse Demesne FC to play in the World Cup and coorespanding Baptism of Fire (Baptism of Fire 40). Balding brought the matter to the board who decided against it, stating that it was too early to field a team in international football.

When pressure mounted from Mr. von Winter, Balding, with a secret circle of RFRAS officials (names currently unknown), sent authorization to the WCC after receiving a bribe from Mr. von Winter of SC$120,000 and secretly fielded the team making use of Balding's private jet.

Copies of emails found within as well as...

[Super-Llamaland]

Group 6
Darmen 5–1 Super-Llamaland
Powersith 3–3 Cuboneland
Kericia 0–0 Velkomorave
Jedi8246 3–2 Pacificius
Jeruselem 3–2 Carmadin
CODE: SELECT ALL
Group 6 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Darmen 8 5 1 2 26 18 +8 16
2 Jeruselem 8 4 3 1 15 10 +5 15
3 Super-Llamaland 8 5 0 3 21 17 +4 15
4 Carmadin 8 5 0 3 23 12 +11 15
5 Jedi8246 8 4 2 2 17 16 +1 14
6 Powersith 8 4 2 2 14 12 +2 14
7 Cuboneland 8 3 2 3 14 17 −3 11
8 Velkomorave 8 2 1 5 10 19 −9 7
9 Kericia 8 1 1 6 2 14 −12 4
10 Pacificius 8 1 0 7 11 18 −7 3

Byron Sims, president of Llama Soccer Players' Association (A.K.A LSPA or "The Players'"), stared at the chart that depicted Super-Llamaland in third place after being crushed 5-1 by superior Darmen. It was their second straight loss, and the Llamas were now in jeopardy, or at least their comfortable Group Six Playoff throne.

Manager Bryan Ferguson declined to comment. In his first game back, Tyson Richards allowed four goals in sixty-two minutes as Nick DeJesus finished it off with a goal allowed in twenty-eight. Trevor Duncan scored the lone goal.

Jeruselem edged Carmadin elsewhere in the group to make the race a close one with six teams separated by two points. Velkomorave, Kericia, and Pacificius trail easily and Cuboneland's hopes are beginning to fade.

The slumping Llamas go to Powersith next in hopes of kick-starting another nice run. While Powersith is unranked, their Baptism of Fire performance showed that they can play along with their sixth-place standing. It will be a key game along with Carmadin v. Darmen.

See you tomorrow!

[Darmen]

First! Like a Boss!
All Greens pick up four important points, get ready for fight with Carmadin

Following a very exciting 4-4 draw with Jeruselem, Darmen returned home to face group leaders Super-Llamaland. Darmen secured a 5-1 victory over the Llama's, moving into first place in the Group Six table. Darmen is one point clear of Jeruselem and Super-Llamaland, and also their upcoming opponents, Carmadin.

Darmen's 4-4 draw with Jeruselem was an exciting affair, as both sides provided some superb goals. Luca Cormio scored his first goal in a while, hammering a shot past Digger Smith, in the 19th minute. His goal was followed by two from Rudy Dacopao, sending Troy Osborne twisting to stop the ball, and failing to do so, was replaced by Kimi Siesman. Siesman didn't fare much better, allowing two more goals, but not before the All Greens took the lead.

Tor Tong Lee scored off of a free kick in the 41st minute, the final goal of the first half, leveling the score at 2-2. Gene Turko scored the opening goal of the second half, in the 56th minute, as he rifled a shot past Smith for Darmen's third goal. Jeruselem's Frizz Frapp and Park Jae Sang scored the next two goals, in the 67th and 71st minutes respectively. With Jeruselem leading 4-3, Manager Timothy O'Donahaue made two final changes. Kimi Siesman was replaced by Thulani Daniels, who may be playing in his final World Cup campaign, and Tor Tong Lee was replaced by Josimar Son.

It was Son who scored the final goal, curving a nasty shot past Smith for the equaliser, in the 92nd minute. The All Green's rushed the field as the Referee blew his whistle only a few minutes later, celebrating a much needed point gained against a tough opponent on the road.

The match against Super-Llamaland was a bit strange for sure. Timothy O'Donahaue pulled all of the starters, and relied mainly on the bench for the match. Brad Schreier started in goal, while Arik Sikula, Johan Garza, and Matt Flemer made up the backline. Javier Zakuani, Charles Ramirez, Steve Nystizor, and Maika Molesi started in the midfield, and Fernando Grevsthan, Natt Dittman, and Adam McKay started up front.

The match didn't start well for the All Green's, as Super-Llamaland forward Evan Powell went down inside the box. Javier Zakuani was sent off, and the penalty was sent home by Trevor Duncan.

The All Green's responded however, as Adam McKay sent two goals past Tyson Richards to put Darmen in front. Arik Sikula scored on a corner just before halftime, and Fernando Grevsthan and Natt Dittman added goals in the second half to round out the 5-1 win.

Rumors abound that several Darmeni Jedi were present at the game, and may have used the Force to ensure the All Green's win. Other rumors indicate that several Darmeni Ministry of Magic wizards were present along the pitch, and that wands were used. The Darmeni Soccer Federation has denied anything, maintaining that the All Green's were just the superior side.

But the biggest game of the whole qualifying campaign is coming up. Darmen will make the short journey nextdoor to Carmadin for the final match of the first half of qualifying. A very familliar Carmadin lineup will face Darmen, and the All Greens are ready.

"This is the tenth match in the series," said O'Donahaue, "I think we've won six of the nine previous matches, and we've only lost one. So I think we'll add a seventh win to that record."

If the All Greens are able to get the three road points, Darmen would retain their position in first place for longer than just a single matchday, which is the record so far. And depending on the results of the Jeruselem vs. Pacificius and the Super-Llamaland vs. Powersith matches, Darmen could find itself up to four points clear of second place with nine matches remaining.

Darmen will face Slembana during the Mid-Qualifying break as part of the Sixth Darmen Exhibition Series. Slembana is sixth in Group 18, behind nations such as New Montréal States and Wight. What exactly that has to do with the rest of this article, we're not sure. But hey, we're first, LIKE A BOSS!

[Farfadillis]

Oh god, nobody believed it. No storyline, nothing really interesting had happened, they didn't even remember who scored, but they had got three wins in a row, one against Astograth away from home, one against... uhmm... some unkown team and one thrashing against Ossidiacqua. It all seemed weird.

Still, now they remembered. O'rosso had scored a free kick against Cyborg Holland to level things. Dandalleion had scored a rather miraculous hat trick against Asteran. Finally, Mêndêlöindçêl, who played at Astograth and was used to the environment, scored two long-range efforts to defeat them at their stadium, which was a huge upset from the Farves. But now, the most epic and probably important match was the thrashing against Ossidiacqua,

It was a shocking match, Farfadillis and Ossidiacqua both took it as a final. Fibonacci and O'rosso started playmaking for their respective sides and breaking through both rather weak defenses, with the Acquan defense being almost as weak as their opponent's, but proobably because of the lack of organization. Soon, a first goal broke in when just ten minutes had gone by, and it was one that would silence the entire I7'snerra, at least for a moment. Fibonacci sent a through pass to Finiguerra, which neither Setentriona nor Chinsúa could predict or intercept well, and the ball was left to the striker who quickly one-touch-chipped the ball over a Lisdiren that had nothing left to do but watch it go in. There was no-one to blame for that goal, really, Farf tactics just made it possible for other teams to score goals like that. Luckily, Johans, who was a starter that day, would quickly equalize after nicely dribbling two oponents and shooting precisely to the lower-left corner, leaving Fausti laying on the floor after a completely useless dive. The game had been luckily levelled by the Farves, after just five minutes had gone after the Acquans' goal. Both teams would play for possesion, mainly, with Farfadillis winning mainly on organization and stealing the ball, thanks to Mêndêlöíndçêl and Wanderis, who were having a fantastic day. Twenty minutes after the Farf goal, another goal would be scored. This time, it was Tuzzio the one who scored, after Johans received the ball from him, and one-touch passed it back, for Tuzzio to shoot with his somewhat-famous-or-at-least-I-hope-so shot from outside the box, which was just as powerful and precise as always. Before half time, the Acquans would equalize froma corner, where defender Uguccione managed to jump over Chinsúa and head towards the left post with power, and just as much precision as possible from that awkward position. It was a bit disappointing but expected as well, Ossidiacqua was ranked better than La Verdheroja, afterall.

After half time, with Mêrí replacing Dandalleion on the left flank and the latter replacing Tenian, who was substituted, the game changed a lot. Now Farfadillis managed to get a very powerful attack down the flank with both youngsters, and also managed to get nice attacks through the centre. Their possesion was now a bit lower, but Tuzzio's incisive passing was much easier to exploit now, just as O'rosso's. Just ten minutes had passed when Tuzzio managed a through ball to Dandalleion, who one-touch shot with impressive power and left the Acquan goalkeper motionless, from inside the box, and remembering past times at World Cup 61's qualifyings. The goal now made the chants deafening at the I7'snerra, everyone wanted the result to stay like that, or maybe even widen the margin between the teams. Except everyone who wasn't Farf, obviously. Sadly for almost everyone, this was the case, as Mêrí managed to get a cross right in Johans' head in the seventeenth minute, and the young striker wouldn't fail. In the last minutes, Dandalleion got another goal with a fantastic dribbled down the flank, then going in and chipping it over the goalkeeper. Most say he wouldn't have done that if they had any chance of not winning the game, but everyone at Farfadillis knows how crazy Dandalleion can be in a pitch... The game was fantastic for their moral,now they had to beat Asteran, but since they now remembered about their winning streak, and the storyline had moved a little, they were almost bound to fail, or at least really likely.

[Socialist States Owen]

Shock on the home front as West Angola joins Overseas Territories
Lafferton: Great day for both nations
A special report by Chief Political Correspondent Lyle Evans in Namibe, West Angola

What was supposed to be a brief meeting over the detainment of football fans has transpired to be a historic moment. As of this morning, the Kingdom of West Angola has become a Euran Overseas Territory, part of the economic and military co-operative pact known as the Eurapshere.

In a statement released to Euran and West Angolan press, as well as regional news outlets from their regions, King Sien III declared that he looked forward to a new era of "co-operation and prosperity between our two great nations." West Angola will be the largest member of the Eurasphere territories, and as they have little previous connection to Eura compared to the other territories they are expected to be given a bigger voice in debate between the territories. West Angolan parliament has been dismissed for a week, with arch enemies King Sien III and Prime Minister Kevin Garret seemingly united in taking a deal that they perceive to be in the national interest. The government will reconvene once appropriate functions of state have changed to befit Euran integration, while the West Angolan military has been ordered to stand down entirely and "await instructions from the King and Parliament." Meanwhile the nation has come to a standstill as the political situation remains unclear. A spokesman for the West Angolan government told the Emplor in an email this morning that the government plan to get the country going again soon, while steps are taken to manage the new state of play.

In Eura, this sudden announcement has taken even members of the House of Metropolitan's at Parliament by surprise. PM Andrew Lafferton, with an election on his doorstep, will meet MP's this evening in a special televised session to discuss exactly what is happening. The Emplor's sources seem to be more informed than our own politicians; the value of the Euran Pound has skyrocketed in the last 24 hours and as many as 15,000 civil servants have left the country since last night. The Ministry of Defence has refused to comment after being asked on multiple occasions as to why a naval carrier battle group, led by the General Hartson class CVN Ambitious, left the naval port at Falourr last night seemingly at the drop of a hat, with many military supplies and pieces of equipment being rushed on to support vessels. Initially this news found its way to West Angola via the internet and caused a momentary panic after the soon to be mentioned speech of King Sien III was broadcast - presumably this implied an invasion at the time, but given that it is a single carrier battle group it is likely intended to make its way towards West Angola to assist in the immediate reorganisation of the West Angolan armed forces.

An unexpected journey: ENS Ambitious leaves port at Falourr in the early hours of the morning, with no explanation given

Sien's speech, which came before the issuing of a full statement which had been recorded inside the royal palace, received a hostile reaction and he even had fruit thrown at him by a mob as the announcement was made. This initial anger seems to be the result of a lack of clarification by West Angola's ruler; a fear that this was the beginning of a coup de'tat and a military occupation. This is clearly not the case and it is predicted that West Angolan public opinion should swing towards a positive outlook by the time parliament is reconvened next week. It is unknown what sort of mood their politicians are in: they were reportedly not consulted on this decision and some may feel it is a betrayal of democratic principles. When government reconvenes, the first session of debate should be lively to say the least. Meanwhile international reaction has been exactly what the Euran Foreign Office will have wanted it to be; indifferent. A spokesman from the government of Ossidiacqua, Fether Tad, simply stated "Down with this sort of thing!" on a social network account, whilst the office of the leader of Ancharmunn (who very recently met the leader of the Capital Party) issued a "Declaration of Meh". Some troublesome citizens of Falconwhereveryouare decided to protest outside the Euran embassy in Falcus but were hurriedly moved on by embassy staff using the much maligned 'ramming tactic' assigned to diplomatic cars these days. The Euran Foreign Office has dismissed dissenting opinion with a brief statement on Drive Directus FM:

"Pfft, wankers."

Within Eura, reaction to the announcement has been largely positive, but with a very large and very cynical minority criticising the government. The governing Social Party have organised rallies supporting their governments move, and public opinion polls suggest a mostly positive reaction to West Angola's inclusion in the Eurasphere, though Euran's displayed a lack of knowledge about the new members of the collective economic community. Reaction to the opening up of massive new employment opportunities and easy access for Euran businesses to West Angola's natural resources and key industries is overwhelmingly positive in particular; defence giant Mansley Systems has already expressed a keen interest in developing a new series of vehicles in this otherwise economically unexplored country. However, Prime Minister Andrew Lafferton has come under a lot of criticism as the timing of this announcement has been made so near to a General Election, prompting accusations that he may have engineered the situation to boost Social Party poll ratings - and specifically rebuild confidence in the current cabinet. Lafferton is expected to rebuke these accusations in parliament. Criticism has also focused on how large the Territorial Stipend given to West Angola will be, due to their relative large size compared to other Eurasphere territories. A lot of questions remain unanswered, but we will surely have answers soon.

[United Gordonopia]

To: Gordonopian Games

From: Sandwich Entertainment

Hello, and my name is Lewis Ray, and I am the CEO of Sandwich Entertainment. Our console, the Gameagon 5000, (Pentagonal shaped), has some amazing games, but only recently have we been getting mass produced games. And we would be interested in having this game being exported to the Sandwich Territories. You would not only be exporting to Sandwich, who happens to be the gaming hub of Kennan, but to a region with billions of people.The people here are crazy for soccer, and I think both of us would benefit from this move. We hope to hear from you ASAP.

- Sincerely,
Lewis Ray

To: Lewis Ray
From: Harvey Damon
Subject: Re: Offer to Port World Cup 63
Restriction: High

---

Dear Mr. Ray,

We thank you for your interest in porting World Cup 63 to the Gameagon 500. Unfortunately, I must inform you that it will not be possible.

World Cup 63, and a number of other high quality titles, are developed by Gordonopian Games specifically as first-party titles for our own Cronos Elite. Being a console manufacturer yourself, I am sure you understand that strong exclusives, including first-party ones, can be key to a console's success. Porting World Cup 63 for play on another console could, unfortunately, be detrimental to the success of our own.

If you would like to create a partnership to distribute Gordonopian Games products within Kennan, such as the Cronos Elite, Gordonopian Games published IP, and our upcoming, but as of yet officially unannounced, console, we would be more than happy to work out a deal.

---

Best,
Harvey Damon
Operations Chief of Gordonopian Games

---

"Well folks, we welcome you to yet another exciting match in the Gordonopian Games World Cup 63 Virtua-Cup! It's been an exciting tournament so far, with Daniel White managing to hold onto a slim 3rd, with five wins, two losses and a draw; slightly less than the real Gordonopian team's 6-0-2 record. As he wraps up the leg tonight, he will be pitted against 115 ranked Arlo Greene, piloting the Newmanistan squad. It's sure to be a hell of a match!"

As the stream host quieted down, letting World Cup 63's patented Truecomment virtual commentators take over calls, the duel was underway. As White and Greene sat facing one another, with only large monitors between them and controllers in their hands, they intently dove into the action.

White knew he had a lot riding on his shoulders. Despite the fact that the live-streams of the video game tournament had managed to attract somewhat of a worldwide following, the majority of viewers still came from Gordonopia, and they wanted most to see how well their virtual national team was doing. Early estimates said that the match would draw anywhere from 10 to 20 million viewers, all online, making it one of White's larger matches yet.

At first, it was mostly back and fourth. One player would make an advance, perhaps take a shot, but would quickly be stopped. Often, they found themselves on the receiving end of a counter, but with the exception of a few close headers and free-kicks, there weren't too many heart-stopping moments. As the game wore on, White knew that he needed to do something fast if he wanted to maintain his edge. Exploring the virtual field as well as he could on the screen, he saw what had the potential to be an alley; perfect for a cross to Tobias or Keller. Getting the ball off of a good pass to Bates, he made the attempt. Now to see if he could get on the board.

[Jedi8246]

Theme
Fenris Sports Corner

"Hello and hope your having a lovely night. I am Logan Dale bringing you the Fenris Sports Corner. The World Cup is heating up. Jedi8246 is in one of the more competitive groups of the year with six teams all within two points of one another for the top spots. While the Wyverns have suffered tough losses, ,this competative state leaves the group wide open and means that every game still counts. The Wyverns have had mixed success in the past two weeks. The game against Carmadin was a brutal slaughter. The early defensive success seemed non existent as 5 goals were given up in the 5-1 lost. The Wyverns managed a late goal near the end of the game but it was practically pointless when it happened.

The latest game was a 3-2 defeat of the Pacificius team. The defense still looked fairly shaky in giving up 2 goals. However the Wyverns tore the inferior defense apart and managed three goals. This victory places Jedi8246 fifth in the group. They are tied in points with the Powersith, but have the the head to head tie breaker. Though they are the middle of the pack, they are only two points back from the teams placed 2nd to 4th. Victories in the next few weeks may help form a clearer picture of how the group will shape out. The Wyverns have one game left before every team has been played. Several losses hope to be turned into victories in the second half. This final opponent will be Velkomorave, one of the supposed inferior teams. However, the Wyverns sloppy defensive efforts mean that every game is open. Coach Hemlock will be pushing the team to it's upper limits. Stay tuned for more news."

[Karditan]

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9 <-- You are here.
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Part 14

"I'll just get out of your way." The Grand Cardinale backpedaled towards his throne, leaving Emanuel and the P.I.M.P. to their own devices--specifically, their newly acquired swords.

Emanuel closely inspected the blade. It wasn't quite as sharp as the dagger, which had been safely returned to its sheath, but it would certainly do the job. The hilt was, like everything else here, inlaid with ivory and gilded. I have a feeling that's all the luxury resources they have. The hilt betrayed it to be a one-handed sword, but the length of the blade could have fooled most. Probably designed for a more Ignacio-type swordsman rather than myself, but it will work. "I trust you have as little training with these as I do?"

"Most likely. How do you hold this--wait, I think I have it." The P.I.M.P. figured out that his sword was a two-handed sword, gripping it (almost) properly.

"Well, then, a fair fight. En guarde!" They began the swordfight where they left off the dagger fight, with wild flails and lucky parries, but now with some breathing room between them. Any veteran fencers would have cringed at the display they were putting on; the Cardinale was running around the room trying to find the best view for when the blood starts to spill. He didn't have to wait very long. A straight downward slice aided by gravity and the power generated by the P.I.M.P.'s two-handed grip had enough power to knock Emanuel's block aside and slice into his shoulder. Somewhat surprised and in pain, Emanuel wasn't quite as eloquent as he normally is. "GAFUCKINGHELLSHITFUCK"

"Aha!" The P.I.M.P. seemed pleased with himself. "The fight is mine, now!"

The Cardinale, who had found a nice viewing spot coincidentally in front of the large stained-glass window, gave a little cheer before muttering something about getting the Servants to wash the carpet.

"Not so fast!" The P.I.M.P.'s sword had impacted Emanuel's left shoulder; his sword arm was still fine. A quick lunge caught the P.I.M.P. flush in the stomach, knocking the wind out of his sails real quick. Emanuel twisted the sword and circled to the left as he pulled it out, maximizing the P.I.M.P.'s suffering. He came back with a wild slice, up-and-to-the-left, trying to end the fight with one blow. Emanuel simultaneously ducked and swung his sword straight above his head; he felt it hit flesh and heard a swooshing sound. A glance up revealed a severed hand holding onto a blade spinning through the air, blood spraying all over the expensive furnishings. A shocked Cardinale had no time to react before the sword, its spin perfectly timed, plunged into his chest. The momentum of the sword flung him back and spun him to the left, crashing through the stained glass window. But not much farther. That window had been dark because there was another building just beyond it. The Cardinale was in the awkward position of his face slowly sliding down a brick wall while his waist was impaled upon a large piece of broken glass.

"WUNUF YU IMBETHILTH CUMHELFME"

The P.I.M.P. and Emanuel slowly made their way over to the shattered window, stepping lightly around the pools of colorful shards. By the time they made it their the Cardinale's face had slid well below the level of his waist. A moment or so later friction finally gave into gravity and he fully slipped out of the window, falling head-first down five flights.

The P.I.M.P. flinched at the meaty crunch that followed. "I would not want to be him."

"Then today isn't your lucky day." Emanuel put his palm on the back of the P.I.M.P.'s head and gave a firm push. The weakened P.I.M.P., still clutching his bleeding gut, didn't put up much of a fight. "Well... job well done, I suppose." Emanuel started to turn, only briefly pausing at the second crunch, then continued to the door.

"What the hell happened here?" Giocomo swung in through the cityscape window. "There's blood everywhere."

Emanuel was the most surprised he had been all day. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"The pimp was slippery. He led me all the way here before I could take him down. Did you rappel down from the roof?"

Giocomo waved around the rope he had just detached from his belt. "No, I just climbed straight up the sheer brick wall. And before you ask again, I had a contract to kill a magistrate who's office is two floors up. So, this is all the pimp's blood? I assume he's dead?"

"See for yourself. He's in the alley beyond that shattered window."

Giocomo glanced down the narrow shaft between the buildings and squinted. "There's two bodies down there. And one of them looks... suspiciously like me." He shot Emanuel the most inquisitive glance he could muster.

"That's actually the Grand Cardinale. Err, that was him. Armed us then got in the way. Rookie mistake."

"You KILLED the GRAND CARDINALE? Fuckfuckfuck, this is bad..."

Just then, a servant entered the room. "Ah! Cardinale! Have you been out climbing again?"

Giocomo gave the servant a terrified, confused glance while saying nothing. Emanuel shuffled over to him and gave him a nudge. "He thinks you're the Cardinale. Play along."

The servant seemed to completely ignore Emanuel's presence. "I see you had some of your 'fun', again. Shall I call for the maids to get the blood rags?"

The short Acquan finally seemed to put 1 and 2 together, shaking himself and inflecting his best vocal impression of the late Cardinale. "Uh, yes, of course. Bring me a new wardrobe, as well. I'd rather not wallow in blood for the rest of the day."

"As you wish, Signore."

Once the servant had left, Giocomo grabbed Emanuel and shook him. "You crazy bastard. I think you just made me the leader of the country. Now get back to the Asbiddia. Tullia should have your money--she can probably do something about your shoulder, too--and you should probably use it to get out of Ossidiacqua."

Emanuel rolled up his sleeve and glanced at a watch that wasn't there. "Yeah, I think I've spent more than enough time here. If you ever need to find me, you can probably look me up on the streets of Norleans in Karditan."

"I have not the slightest clue where that is, but I will see if I can get one of those fancy Polarian maps everyone is raving about. Now go; I will take care of the situation here."

"I'm sure you will, mister Grand Cardinale." Emanuel chuckled as he made his way out of the room, hoping the ticket clerk at the train station wouldn't mind a little blood on his coin.

[Polar Islandstates]

The team flourished once again at the Nasjonale, and ran out three-nil victors, with a clean sheet for substitute goalkeeper Artemiusz Korzhanenko one of the main talking points. Vadim Illich-Svitych did get the goal he so desperately wanted, and he celebrated by turning provider for David Wien to score his first ever goal for the Terns with a header after a corner was poorly cleared. It turned out to be a day for the defenders to score, too, when Julius Oyen-Spekke thundered in a header in the last few minutes to underline the Terns' superiority. Buoyed, the team entered the changing room to hear the rest of the story - told enthusiastically by the Storyteller.

---

The last match of the first half of qualifying saw the Terns heading out to high-flying Traila to end the half and look ahead to the traditional mid-qualifying friendly with Astograth with hopefully another three points in the bag. Audioslavia had won again, and with the points between them remaining at three, just a single slip up by the Bulls could mean the Terns sharing top spot. Getting over the twenty-point barrier would be a significant psychological boost for the second half of qualifying, too, not to mention burying the demons that were caused by Conclespia's defeat of the Terns in the last match before halfway last cycle.

The team gathered in the alien dressing room to talk tactics and motivations for the game ahead, aware by now that there was a strong chance the Storyteller was listening in on them judging by his reactions to coming in the room earlier in the cycle.

Torre Urfstadt started by stating that he was going to show resilience and determination in the face of the home crowd doing their very best to put the Terns off their game.

Zacharias Juul agreed, adding that his own personal aim would be to make sure he paid attention to detail and didn't let anything get past him.

Racking his brains for the morals of the previous fables, many of the other players also piped up with their own suggestions on what they would be making their personal mission to achieve out there on the pitch that day.

Upon entering the room the second after Henning Tir had turned out the lights, the Storyteller wasted no time in settling at the front of the room and immediately chastising the players for their transparent attempts to win favour. He explained that whilst he was impressed at how readily they'd remembered and accepted the morals, he was concerned that not only were they repeating them as a machine for approval rather than for the advice contained within them, but also that they had also chosen different morals to pursue. A breadth of experiences and shared wisdom from which to draw can only be an advantage so long as you're all aware of which is the correct path to follow in any given situation. If Jorge instructs the midfield to show resilience whilst Jan is shouting at the defenders to be aggressive and pay attention, mistakes could ccreep into the game that end up helping nobody. It was imperative, explained the Storyteller, that the players understood how to all pull in the sam direction at the same time - and to do that, they had to make sure to know each other thoroughly..."

Excitedly, Lucia Borgen pulled her old and battered Farautoo into the usual lay-by on the back road between Sibir and Vedby. Up in the forested hills, the landscape was white. Snow lay on snow, snow lay on the treetops, snow lay on the roads. Sibir was only just pulling out of the winter just now, and the very notion of daylight was still only a few weeks old at this point in the year. She got out of her car and leant against the door, looking out across the road and the the vista beyond, the lights of Sibir just visible in the hazy distance. She took a deep breath - the cold air stung her throat and reminded her she was alive. She lit a cigarette, and waited for her brother Fabian.

It was a big day for the Borgen siblings. They were reforming the band for the first time in fifteen years. More than that, they were meeting for the first time in the same time-frame. That catastrophic argument in the recording sessions for their fifth album had been the culmination of a series of damaging rows, and the two had fallen out. The Sickle had broken up as a result, of course. When your two and only members aren't speaking to each other, there isn't much hope of progression for a band. They'd barely shared a handful of stilted phone conversations up until the end of last year, each arranging through their parents which sibling would attend which family events. It has been a tiresome arrangement for the entire family, and their mother was delighted her attempts at reparation had appeared to work. The phone calls got longer, and more amicable. The conversations turned to the times they were recording or performing as The Sickle, and then naturally onto what was wrong with doom-laden atmospheric electronica these days.

"Sure, I want to be depressed and thinking about death, that's a given! But why can't I do that and want to dance at the same time?!" her brother had joked down the line last weekend. And that was it, something had popped in their minds. The bubble of whatever poison had built up over the years had been burst. The sack of venomous fluids drained away. Right there and then, Lucia proposed that they reform The Sickle immediately, and return to the old cabin that had always been their site of recording and writing. It was a good place for the siblings - all of their successful albums had been written there. In fact, under pressure from their record label and unable to get to the cabin, they'd rushed the sessions for album number five in a grotty studio in Sibir, and look what had happened there - disaster, and a chasm between them. Fabian had agreed enthusiastically and caught the next plane from Savoonga.

She smiled as she thought about what the fans would say when they heard the The Sickle had reformed out of the blue and recorded new material. They'd had loyal fans. Right from the very first album when only a handful of people had seen them play their first gig in their famous black masks, all the way up to the triumphant tour of the entire region just after the fourth album.

She flicked her cigarette away. Where was Fabian? The two had always been creatures of habit when they'd been recording. All their best material had flown like water out of the synthesisers like water from a spring provided they'd followed the same daily routine. Wake up at the same time. Eat the same breakfasts on the same days. Same beverages at the same times. The usual break for lunch at two in the afternoon for exactly one hour. Working all through the afternoon and into the night, stopping for food and drink at the same times every night to eat the same things. In the same cabin. Together. After agreeing to meet at the same lay-by beforehand. Every day the same. Every day the inspiration. They'd therefore checked with their parents that the cabin was still there in the same condition before they went to look for it. The answer came that as long as they didn't mind moving some of Uncle Mikkel's belongings into a cupboard somewhere, they'd be fine. So, Fabian and Lucia had arranged to meet at the usual lay-by at the usual time. He'd seemed so confident and back to his usual self on the phone. It was one of the ways that she was aware that their special connection was still there.

Time passed, and still Fabian didn't show. Tentatively, she tried his phone. Answerphone. Getting cold, she got back into the car and sat in the relative warmth of the shabby synthetic interiors of her car, surrounded by musical equipment. And then she waited for the crunch and hiss of her brother's hire car over the muddy gravel in the road, signifying his arrival. But no such noise came. Two trucks passed, but neither stopped. The day drew on, and the daylight began to retreat.

Wiping her hand on the window in order to remove the condensation and see outside again, Lucia realised that the windows remained just as obscured as before. She opened the door, it wasn't condensation at all, it was mist. As the last rays of the sun disappeared from the sky, leaving nothing but a warm glow and an absence of its huge cosmological presence in the deep blue void, she watched the mist rise. The forest was breathing.

Realising that she needed to get to the cabin before night drew in completely, she got back in the car and brushed her dark hair out of her eyes in order to drive. It may have been unlike Fabian to forget where their usual meeting place was, it was unlike Fabian to miss an appointment full stop, but she couldn't spend the night in a lay-by. She turned the ignition, and drove away.

Twenty minutes later, as the headlights curved their beams through the night in front of her, Lucia turned the wheel into the mud track that would lead to the cabin, only to find that the path was blocked by a fallen tree. She hit the brakes and slowed to a stop. She swore under her breath. The cabin was still a way off yet, and not being able to drive the car all the way down meant that they wouldn't be bale to start making music until at least the following evening when the equipment had all been transferred by hand. She opened the door and fetched her bag and a torch. At the very least, she could get to the cabin and sleep in the warm that night. Flicking the switch on the heavy metal torch through her mittens, the beam illuminating the darkness left behind when she had removed her keys from the car, Lucia was able to see off to her right for the first time. A hire car was neatly tucked away off the road. Fabian's, she presumed. Good. So he was here. Still, it ws unlike him to miss the lay-by. She briefly entertained the possibility that he'd forgotten, but no, something must have been wrong with the car or something. She knew her brother too well, there was no way he'd have simply forgotten.

Setting off down the dark mud track, Lucia hoped she could remember the way. It had been over fifteen years since she had last walked down these paths, after all. The torch light barely shone more than a few lines of tree into the darkness, so thick was the coverage of fir and pine in these woods, and the constantly dancing shadows caused by her moving the torch were distinctly unsettling at best. Stumbling on an unseen root breaching the surface of the path, Lucia tumbled and fell, grazing her knee and sending the torch scuttling away down into the undergrowth. Lucia swore again, picked herself up and dusted herself down. She reached down into the undergrowth to reclaim the torch, guided by the light it continued to give off.

Shining the torch back onto the root that had caused her to fall, she realised with the sickening lurch in her stomach that it hadn't bee a root breaking the surface of the path whatsoever. In fact, she had somehow conspired to leave the path entirely. If she got lost in these woods now, at this time, it could prove a very difficult night indeed. Like all Polarians, she knew what to do in such a situation, but it wasn't a desirable position to be in by any stretch of the imagination. A few shuffling noises and a dull thud off to her left alerted her to the presence of snow falling from the thick pine needle coverage above. A wolf howled in the distance. It was a potentially very dangerous situation.

But then, didn't that crest look familiar? Those rocks situated just so?

Weak torchlight illuminating the way, Lucia used its light to scramble across the rough ground up to the familiar looking rocks. Sure enough, there was the cabin in the distance. Lights on, looking inviting. With renewed energy, she pressed on towards the light, and re-found the path.

With the lights of the cabin getting stronger through the trees, Lucia walked faster, eager to embrace her little brother once again. She looked up to check the distance left to go, and spotted a silhouette she would have recognised anywhere, lit dimly from behind by the deep indigo of the night.

"Fabian!" she called, waving her torch light towards him. "Fabian! Over here! Brother!"

There was no response, not that that discouraged her. Her brother had never been one to raise his voice unnecessarily. That was the primary reason why she did all the vocals for the band. She called his name again, and headed towards where the silhouette had been stood, relieved to have found her way after being lost. Those shoulders, that neck, that hair. He hadn't changed a bit. Funny how the mind can recognise something so simple as a flat filled-in outline, she thought as she walked towards the cabin. She began to feel safe.

She reached the spot where he had been, and looked at the cabin. Where was he? She stopped and swore again, realising that somehow they'd conspired to pass, literally, in the night.

"Fabian?"

No answer. Then, footsteps between her and the cabin.

"Fabian? Stop messing about! Why haven't you got a torch? Look! Here I am! It's me, Lucia! Fabian where are you? I want to give my little brother a hug!"

No answer.

She walked towards the cabin and its inviting orange glow. It was now about twenty metres away, and she heard the footsteps again, this time behind her where she had just been stood.

"No! Fabian! Over here, now!" she called, waving her torch again.

And then she heard the familiar thrum of her brother's synthesisers working their electronic way up and down the spectrum. But, Fabian was outside, wasn't he? His was the silhouette she had seen, she was sure of it. He'd come out to find her, hadn't he? She walked closer to the cabin, following the noise of the humming and throbbing pulse of the machines, sending out their rhythms into the forest, industrial drumbeats sporadically accompanying them. It was beautiful. Exactly what Lucia had had in mind when she proposed reforming the band.

Another twig snapped behind here, followed by the thump and hiss of more falling snow. Was it just snow?

She was now close enough to see through the dusty windows of the cabin. And there he was. Fabian. She flashed the torch through the window into his eyes and called his name again.

"Fabian?" Why hadn't he met her at the lay-by like usual?

Distracted by the light, he looked up, squinting into the source of the light outside so as to determine who was behind it. Clearly, he couldn't hear her.

But then, if he was inside all along, who was outside?

Another footstep, this time closer. Lucia spun around and shone the torch in the direction of its source. She screamed. The owner of the silhouette she was so sure had been her brother's was definitely not her brother.

Not her brother at all...

To conclude, the Storyteller conceded that it was perhaps a rather extreme example of the perils of assuming you know someone well enough to predict their thoughts, actions, and motivations. Nonetheless, he pressed, there could be no mistakes out there on the pitch, or the players would not be allowed to hear the rest of the story. Mistakes could not be tolerated. They needed to pull together to get to the right result.

Energised and determined to prove the Storyteller wrong about his hunch on their sense of togetherness and the way they knew themselves, the players rose and headed for the tunnel, each looking at the other and considering just how well they knew what they were going to do on the pitch out there.

[Equestrian States]

Low Expectations
The Realistic Fan Site for Equestrian States Sports

Pegasi Drop Like Flies in Equestrians’ First Qualifying Draw Since World Cup 61
By Downtrodden Crankyface

Equestrian States - 1
Apple Pie ’48

Carpathia and Ruthenia - 1
Unknown ‘11

STALLIONGRAD - This’ll be a shorter post since I have a flight to catch to Estope in a couple hours, but I’ll still give you the real story of the Equestrian States-C&R match in a nutshell.
The Ponies got lucky again. Ask anypony with a brain, and they’d agree. Subtle Trix was as subtle as usual (in other words: not at all), Rainbow Blitz and Fire Dash performed poorly, and Sonar looked as confused by the visitors’ defense as a sapient pony at a horse show (weird story, don’t ask). None of that is even going into the two new injuries suffered by the brother-sister pair of Lightning Bolt and Quick Bolt and how it will affect an already crippled Equestrian squad.

As has become tradition, the Equestrian States started off by falling flat on their faces and allowing another early lead. Some random player from Carpathia and Ruthenia (I don’t know his/her name since I couldn’t find a roster and I had a terrible seat with a microscopic view of the field) scored after intercepting a pass from Ironclaw right outside of the Equestrian goal box, giving the visitors an easy 1-0 lead. A foul from Subtle Trix a couple minutes later, right in front of the referee, earned the unicorn a yellow card and gave the higher-ranked team a chance to extend their lead by one more. But somehow the kicker managed to miss the shot and the Equestrian fans around me breathed a sigh of relief while I rolled my eyes.

The rest of the first half was dull and boring. The Ponies botched every single chance they could on offense and on defense, but the Carpathia and Ruthenians also managed to miss every shot except for the ones that were right at High Soarin’. So by the time the two teams headed off at the half, I was about to fall asleep. I couldn’t see much, and when I did see something it wasn’t worth the effort. I also missed the Lightning Bolt and Quick Bolt injuries, but I heard they were pretty ugly from a couple of my followers.

At the start of the second half, the Ponies went charging up the field trying to score. Unfortunately for head coach Twilight Striker and the Equestrian team, the visitors had apparently seen the footage from the last several times that the Ponies had used that strategy. Thus, the Equestrians were solidly beaten back to their own side of the pitch. Yet somehow, in the 48th minute, Apple Pie took the ball and went from one end of the field to the other before sneaking it by the visiting goalkeeper who bobbled the ball right into the net. The crowd cheered wildly at this momentously unimpressive goal and continued to do so for the next 42 less notable minutes.

So, in the end the Ponies got a draw off play of lower quality than that of the national U-12 team. The last time the Equestrian States managed to tie a game was in the last qualifying match of World Cup 61 against Krytenia, a match as dull as the 0-0 score would suggest. Next up for the Equestrians is the second most overrated nation in the group: Estope. I don’t expect anything interesting to happen at all. In fact, I wouldn’t blame Twilight Striker if she pulled her last three remaining MD1 starters for reserves to try and keep somepony healthy on this injury-riddled team. Predicted Score: an uneventful 2-0 in favor of the slightly less overrated Ponies.

Starting XI: Equestrian States @ Estope (MD9)
GK - High Soarin’
DF - Subtle Trix*
DF - Antonio Randall*
DF - Ironclaw*
MF - Carrot Cake*
MF - Apple Pie*
MF - Rainbow Blitz
MF - Blaze* (replaces Lightning Bolt)
FW - Fire Dash
FW - Katherine Everdeen* (replaces Quick Bolt)
FW - Sonar*

* - Replaces Injured Player

Injured Players: Starters: Flitter (DF), Stronghoof (DF), Andrea Molovi (DF), Starlight Sparkle (MF), Rapid Dash (MF), Cloudchaser (MF), Apple Jack (MF), Thunderlane (FW); Reserves: Ice Block (DF), Candace Rivers (MF), Lightning Bolt (MF), Quick Bolt (FW)

[Sandwich Territories]

To: Gordonopian Games

From: Sandwich Entertainment

Hello, and my name is Lewis Ray, and I am the CEO of Sandwich Entertainment. Our console, the Gameagon 5000, (Pentagonal shaped), has some amazing games, but only recently have we been getting mass produced games. And we would be interested in having this game being exported to the Sandwich Territories. You would not only be exporting to Sandwich, who happens to be the gaming hub of Kennan, but to a region with billions of people.The people here are crazy for soccer, and I think both of us would benefit from this move. We hope to hear from you ASAP.

- Sincerely,
Lewis Ray

To: Lewis Ray
From: Harvey Damon
Subject: Re: Offer to Port World Cup 63
Restriction: High

---

Dear Mr. Ray,

We thank you for your interest in porting World Cup 63 to the Gameagon 500. Unfortunately, I must inform you that it will not be possible.

World Cup 63, and a number of other high quality titles, are developed by Gordonopian Games specifically as first-party titles for our own Cronos Elite. Being a console manufacturer yourself, I am sure you understand that strong exclusives, including first-party ones, can be key to a console's success. Porting World Cup 63 for play on another console could, unfortunately, be detrimental to the success of our own.

If you would like to create a partnership to distribute Gordonopian Games products within Kennan, such as the Cronos Elite, Gordonopian Games published IP, and our upcoming, but as of yet officially unannounced, console, we would be more than happy to work out a deal.

---

Best,
Harvey Damon
Operations Chief of Gordonopian Games

---

"Well folks, we welcome you to yet another exciting match in the Gordonopian Games World Cup 63 Virtua-Cup! It's been an exciting tournament so far, with Daniel White managing to hold onto a slim 3rd, with five wins, two losses and a draw; slightly less than the real Gordonopian team's 6-0-2 record. As he wraps up the leg tonight, he will be pitted against 115 ranked Arlo Greene, piloting the Newmanistan squad. It's sure to be a hell of a match!"

As the stream host quieted down, letting World Cup 63's patented Truecomment virtual commentators take over calls, the duel was underway. As White and Greene sat facing one another, with only large monitors between them and controllers in their hands, they intently dove into the action.

White knew he had a lot riding on his shoulders. Despite the fact that the live-streams of the video game tournament had managed to attract somewhat of a worldwide following, the majority of viewers still came from Gordonopia, and they wanted most to see how well their virtual national team was doing. Early estimates said that the match would draw anywhere from 10 to 20 million viewers, all online, making it one of White's larger matches yet.

At first, it was mostly back and fourth. One player would make an advance, perhaps take a shot, but would quickly be stopped. Often, they found themselves on the receiving end of a counter, but with the exception of a few close headers and free-kicks, there weren't too many heart-stopping moments. As the game wore on, White knew that he needed to do something fast if he wanted to maintain his edge. Exploring the virtual field as well as he could on the screen, he saw what had the potential to be an alley; perfect for a cross to Tobias or Keller. Getting the ball off of a good pass to Bates, he made the attempt. Now to see if he could get on the board.

To: Harvey Damon
From: Lewis Ray
Subject: Re: Re: Offer to Port World Cup 63
Restriction: High

Well, then, we are also Sandwich's main entertainment center. If you wish not to port the game to our console, which is understandable and respectable, then may we create a partnership? We even have our own chain of stores to sell it in. I don't like to brag, but I have a monopoly over our region. However, I understand that being successful means not taking every deal. But, we would definitely like to introduce your games and systems to Kennan, and maybe you can dominate the private sector of entertainment with us for Sandwich, and some.
Sincerely,
Lewis Ray,
CEO and Founder of Sandwich Entertainment