World Bowl XX Everything Thread

by **Subramani** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 2:51 pm

Subramani Loses to Cosumar again

	Period 1	Period 2	Period 3	Period 4	OT	Total
Cosumar	10	10	0	10	-	30
Subramani	0	0	7	0	-	7

Subramani lost once again to 9th ranked Cosumar, thus keeping them on 3rd place on the group. So far, Cosumar is the only team against whom they have lost in the World Bowl. Subramani attack was able to score only one touchdown in the match that is in the third period. All their attempts to score field goal also failed to yield any positive result thanks to Anish Kumar’s surprisingly poor form in the match. It was stark contrast to his performance in other matches. Subramani defense was once again not able to handle the onslaught of attack by Cosumar and conceded a touchdown and a field goal each in all the periods except the third period. Third period was the only one during which Subramani showed dominance and it was sad that they could not replicate the same in other periods.

by **Ko-oren** » Fri Apr 26, 2013 1:33 pm

Yoyo

The second half started, and we can't say that we are not happy. In fact, we are very probably glad with the results. It was genuinely mildly impressive, even. With our seven victories already, we at least won half of our total matches at the end of the campaign. We've beaten our own record. That was a low bar, though. We just need to get more consistent. After eight match days, we had a PD of +11. One match day later, this was back at the level we started with on day one: +0. One day later, we won again, but guess... we were back at +11. The win over Chunnan got us (despite the - again - bad loss against Yesopalitha) to third place (again). Even though the team is not that consistent, we are only one game below Yesopalitha, who are now one game behind Thrilledge, but everything can change after another MD (in fact, we expect a loss by eleven points). All in all, it's very not completely bad.

Four matches left, and we already did 10 times better than last time. But we can do better.

(OOC: some Glados quotes after finishing both Portal 1 and 2 this week)

by **The Sova Empire** » Fri Apr 26, 2013 2:31 pm

Revenge is a sweet dish, best served cold

Vengeful victory against Angola opens offense for Rodard Rout

The Sova Empire was sick of losing. When West Angola came up on the schedule for the 2nd time in World Bowl 20 (and 4th time overall), many took long, determined looks at that game. In 3 matches, West Angola has had their way with TSE, winning all 3 times. The players vowed to finally bring home a victory against the Angolan squad. They worked diligently in practiced, studiously poured over the playbook, and analyzed video data for hours on end. There was no way that TSE was going to lose.

The Sovan defense has given TSE some black eyes in the past, so the biggest worry was whether or not this was going to be a high-scoring game or not. After a bad start, the D has only averaged 10 points allowed per game, a number that made most analysts optimistic about the result of the game. West Angola was also good, their defense was slightly better, but numerically speaking, their offense was one of the worst in the group. As time ticked down to the kickoff, there was a buzz about the fans. Could the 3rd rematch of these 2 teams be the closest yet?

Last 3 matchups:
TSE 0-24 West Angola (Baptism of Iron MD3)
West Angola 44-7 TSE (Baptism of Iron MD6)
TSE 0-7 West Angola (World Bowl MD2)

Kickoff. The game was in West Angola, and they won the coin toss. They elected to receive, so a huge kick by Claus almost went for the touchback. West Angola chipped away and got all the way to the Sova 24 yard line. Almost to the red zone, the defense ignited. 3 huge sacks by George, Mitch and Luis forced West Angola to a field goal. TSE was losing...again. Hugo, the kick returner didn't take to that well. He received the kick, jumped over tackles, swerved, and dived into the endzone for a kick return. TSE lead 7-3. Incidentally, both defenses ramped things up. Neither team scored again. A sad home crowd lurked home, and there were celebrations at TSE. Finally, TSE had a winning percentage against W. Angola.

The offense exploded after this game. Rodard is not an elite team, and the Hurricanes took advantage of that. A safety, a field goal, and 6 touchdowns resulted in a 47-0 rout of Rodard. This game had other significance though, as for the first time in any international sport, TSE has a positive point differential. Also, the 1st-year team has a .500 record, something rare out of TSE sports.

by **The Fair Republic** » Fri Apr 26, 2013 4:34 pm

The Toucans groan after their 2nd win of the world bow and boi combined. The Coach will most likely be fired after the tournament and the defense style will move over for a more offensive approach to winning

by **Karditan** » Fri Apr 26, 2013 7:30 pm

An unexpected conflict came up yesterday; sorry about that. Back to your regularly scheduled programming!
MD11:

Group 1
Euskirribakondara 44–0 Gzbfernigambia
Saintland 50–7 Sibirsky
German Zerabithea 36–0 Ironite
Cyborg Holland 7–9 Equestrian States

  Group 1                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 German Zerabithea             11   11   0   333  101 +232
2 Cyborg Holland                11    9   2   232   86 +146
3 Equestrian States             11    9   2   186   56 +130
4 Saintland                     11    7   4   303  172 +131
5 Sibirsky                      11    3   8   134  234 −100
6 Ironite                       11    3   8    97  212 −115
7 Euskirribakondara             11    2   9   107  276 −169
8 Gzbfernigambia                11    0  11    65  320 −255

Group 2
Quebecois Acadiana 30–33 Cassadaigua
The Royal Kingdom of Quebec 12–10 The Serbian Empire
Catonia Majora 10–0 Kinzar
Michael VII 37–3 Backyard Sports

  Group 2                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 The Royal Kingdom of Quebec   11   10   1   258  112 +146
2 Cassadaigua                   11    9   2   189   67 +122
3 Michael VII                   11    8   3   186   36 +150
4 Backyard Sports               11    6   5   174  158  +16
5 The Serbian Empire            11    4   7    94  171  −77
6 Kinzar                        11    3   8    75  165  −90
7 Catonia Majora                11    3   8   110  213 −103
8 Quebecois Acadiana            11    1  10    72  236 −164

Group 3
Konariona 6–24 Chunnan
United Warrisons 7–13 The Babbage Islands
Thrilledge 23–9 Yesopalitha
Franklin Delano Bluth 13–28 Ko-oren

  Group 3                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Thrilledge                    11   10   1   238   63 +175
2 Yesopalitha                   11    8   3   272   94 +178
3 Ko-oren                       11    8   3   222  196  +26
4 Franklin Delano Bluth         11    6   5   173  154  +19
5 Chunnan                       11    6   5   186  196  −10
6 The Babbage Islands           11    2   9   124  172  −48
7 Konariona                     11    2   9    95  216 −121
8 United Warrisons              11    2   9    87  306 −219

Group 4
Kriegiersien 13–7 Crysuko
Catholican Catholica 3–22 Qazox
Lunar Republic Islands 23–0 Slembana
West Guiana 3–3 The Fair Republic (6–12 OT)

  Group 4                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Qazox                         11   11   0   298   99 +199
2 West Guiana                   11    8   3   195  130  +65
3 Lunar Republic Islands        11    7   4   249  126 +123
4 Kriegiersien                  11    6   5   145  195  −50
5 Slembana                      11    5   6   196  190   +6
6 The Fair Republic             11    3   8   110  161  −51
7 Crysuko                       11    3   8   102  197  −95
8 Catholican Catholica          11    1  10    56  253 −197

Group 5
Shadowbourne 17–20 Osarius
Vettrera 10–0 Northton
Schmiegelland 34–13 Korena
Kintratar 0–10 Thatius

  Group 5                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Osarius                       11   10   1   245   76 +169
2 Vettrera                      11   10   1   209   77 +132
3 Thatius                       11    7   4   146  127  +19
4 Shadowbourne                  11    6   5   175  121  +54
5 Schmiegelland                 11    6   5   164  157   +7
6 Northton                      11    3   8   148  164  −16
7 Kintratar                     11    2   9   101  256 −155
8 Korena                        11    0  11    29  239 −210

Group 6
Sicoutimont 23–6 Gaveo
Free South Califas 33–10 Subramani
Cosumar 6–7 Estope
German American States 27–32 Demonslove

  Group 6                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Estope                        11   10   1   212   97 +115
2 Cosumar                       11    9   2   291  131 +160
3 Subramani                     11    8   3   202  143  +59
4 Free South Califas            11    7   4   243  139 +104
5 Sicoutimont                   11    4   7   126  178  −52
6 Gaveo                         11    3   8   108  199  −91
7 Demonslove                    11    2   9    86  236 −150
8 German American States        11    1  10    97  242 −145

Group 7
Powersith 13–6 Firiminaz
Karditan 7–0 The Sova Empire
Rodard 3–13 Grandterre
West Angola 17–17 Allamunnic States (23–20 OT)

  Group 7                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Karditan                      11    9   2   248   35 +213
2 Allamunnic States             11    8   3   168   76  +92
3 Powersith                     11    7   4   139  112  +27
4 West Angola                   11    6   5    89  111  −22
5 Grandterre                    11    6   5   121  186  −65
6 The Sova Empire               11    5   6   132   97  +35
7 Rodard                        11    2   9    49  218 −169
8 Firiminaz                     11    1  10   107  218 −111

Group 8
Zomni 0–7 Levivania
Bongo Johnson 12–23 Stretta
Zeedoom 0–16 Taeshan
Darmen 14–3 Democratic States of Fenbar

  Group 8                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Darmen                        11   10   1   239   78 +161
2 Stretta                       11    9   2   350  172 +178
3 Taeshan                       11    7   4   230   89 +141
4 Bongo Johnson                 11    7   4   188  136  +52
5 Democratic States of Fenbar   11    4   7   152  205  −53
6 Levivania                     11    4   7   117  236 −119
7 Zeedoom                       11    2   9   101  266 −165
8 Zomni                         11    1  10    60  255 −195

by **Qazox** » Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:17 pm

Qazox becomes the 1st team to clinch their group after a 22-3 win over Catholican Catholica, and West Guiana's 12-6 OT loss to the Fair Republic. With 3 games left, the top over seed is still in play, as German Zerabithea is also 11-0, so Qazox does still have something to play for. Jim Zebow went 14-26 for only 237 yards, but had 3 TD's total in the game. Qazox failed on 2 extra point attempts in the game, both bad snaps by Frank Stallings that sailed over Arthur Muadh's head. Up next, Qazox returns home for the first of two home games against Kriegiersien.

QZX  6  7  3  6  22
CCD  0  3  0  0   3

SCORING SUMMARY:
QZX: 38 yd TD pass by Jim Zebow to Alan Mordred. PAT not attempted (bad snap). 9 plays, 68 yards in 4:01. 6-0 Qazox.
QZX: 2 yd TD run by Jim Zebow. PAT by Oliver Muadh good. 14 plays, 85 yards in 7:48. 13-0 Qazox.
CCD: 43 yd FG by K#10. 5 plays, 41 yards in 3:19. 13-3 Qazox.
QZX: 48 yd FG by Oliver Muadh. 7 plays, 50 yards in 3:56. 16-3 Qazox
QZX: 17 yd TD pass by Jim Zebow to Ryan King. PAT not attempted (bad snap). 6 plays, 58 yards in 4:03. 22-3 Qazox.

QAZOX STATISTICAL LEADERS
Offense
Jim Zebow: 14/26, 237 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INT; 1 TD rush
Ian West: 32 carries, 114 yards,
Alan Mordred: 5 catches, 97 yards, 1 TD
Defense
Aaron Caroll: 14 tackles, 5 for loss, 1.5 Sacks
Bruce Neuman: 12 tackles, 4 for loss, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery
Victor Damien: 6 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 1 fumble recovery.

by **Stretta** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 4:48 am

	Period 1	Period 2	Period 3	Period 4	OT	Total
Bongo Johnson	6	0	3	3	-	12
Stretta	14	9	0	0	-	23

Strettan Sports Journal wrote:Stretta have beaten Bongo Johnson to maintain their second place position in Group 8. This must-win game has put the team in a position where losing two of their last three may still secure advancement into the knockout stages. Pundits are confident that Stretta will win two of the last three as they face Zomni and Levivania with a home-field advantage before heading to Taeshan.

Looking further in the group, both Taeshan and Bongo Johnson will need to win all of their last three (with Stretta losing all three) to guarantee themselves advancement. There is only one team so far to have secured their position in the knock-out, and that is Group 4 Qazok. But within Group 8, and indeed across all the World Bowl groups, this is now do or die time for a lot of teams.

"They've got to be happy. This is a dream situation for Bobby Stevens & Co. to be in. They're all but guaranteed a second place in the group, and are playing with such confidence."

"It's the kind of confidence that being BoI champions gets you, isn't it?"

The second presenter laughed. "It sure is," He paused for a couple of moments, before continuing. "Now, obviously, the great news about the Strettan team is being shadowed by events in Giroux, something that that team will be flying back in to. It's caused a bit of a media frenzy. Pat Kolna, former punter of the Gerfent Ironmen, and punter for most of Stretta's Baptism of Iron run, is being charged with two counts of murder. This follows a not guilty verdict in the trial of three men suspected of assaulting Mr Kolna while in West Guiana.

"It's gripped the nation, who are shocked that murder has happened in Stretta, but also that it would be someone as high profile as Pat Kolna. So what are your thoughts on this?"

"It's got to be damaging for the team morale to see a former Stretta player facing charges this severe. Obviously, the trial will tell the tale, but until then it already seems that people are making up their minds. I'm worried that it's going to become hard to find an objective panel of his peers."

"That is a worry."

"Cheers for letting me have a look around," Billy Freedom stepped through the front door of the first victim. He surveyed the room. The police officer stayed at the door, minding his own business. "You weren't joking when you said nothing had been touched." He knelt down and looked at the blood stains in the carpet.

Freedom had an invested interested in working for Kolna. Not only was it big bucks and high profile, but it was also for a friend. He truly believed that Pat wasn't capable of murder, and was determined to prove it. He stepped outside, and looked through a folder and some crime scene photos. "The victim let them in?" The police officer began to reply, but was cut short. "Not a question, officer. There was no forced entry," he stated as he tapped on his folder. He crossed the street and looked back at the house.

Something didn't quite sit right.

Freedom usually worked spousal cases. He was one of the few investigators in Stretta, and while there was less than one murder a year on average, there was plenty of sleeping behind partners backs. It was something that great personal freedoms afforded the Strettan people. He looked down and spotted a few cigarette butts. There were more than three on the ground, but the rest were damp. These ones were not. "It hasn't rained since the first murder," he thought to himself.

Bagging them up, he made his way back to the house. It was going to be a long week.

by **Saintland** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:51 am

Saintland 50, Sibirsky 7

(SP) Sibirsky never stood a chance. The inconsistent Prince Petrus was at his best on this day, as he led the Saintland National Soccer team to a 50 to 7 victory at Royal Stadium. The win puts the Saintland National Gridiron Team into a favorable position going into the last 3 days of the World Bowl XX group stage. "Sibirsky is a team that we beat by 17 points on the road. Today, we beat them at Royal Stadium by 43. If German Zerabithea goes undefeated and we win out, we're probably going to be the 2nd team that advances out of our group. We cannot win the group, but what you do in the group stage really isn't important. What is important is that you qualify and that you win those last 4 games. I think we are starting to get on a hot streak at the right time. Now, we just have the hope those Rams can get the job done against the talking horses and the cyborgs. If they do not reach 13-0, our hopes of advancing are finished. If we do not win the rest of our games, we do not advance. If only we had beaten the cyborgs the first time, we would not have to rely on a team that is all but already qualified." - Prince Petrus

After the World Bowl was unexpectedly delayed for a day, a capacity crowd was on hand at Royal Stadium yesterday. They had come to watch the home team play their 6th home game of the World Bowl for the Sanctii and they got to see the outcome they were hoping for. The game opened with the Sanctii winning the toss and deferring. Philippus Francus booted the opening kickoff way. The Sibirsky kick returner caught the kickoff and the Sanctii coverage team over-pursued the returner. He simply moved to the right side of the field and had an open lane to run past the defense. Francus almost caught him, but he dove and fell just short on the diving tackle. The kick returner ran into the end zone and Sibirsky had a 7 to nothing lead.

Sibirsky's lead would not last long. Prince Petrus took the field after a touchback. On first down, he handed off to Andreas Tuccius. Tuccius burst through the line and ran through Sibirsky's defense. He was gone for an 80-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage. Prince Petrus stayed on the field, deciding to go for 2 and the lead. He called a pass play. After checking Ioannes Lusius, Lucius Herius, Petrus Maximius and 2 of the Favonius brothers and deciding that none of them were open, he decided to run for it himself. He leaped onto the back of Ioannes Conconius and landed on the other side of the Sanctii left guard. The Kingdom of Saintland led by a score of 8 to 7 early in the first quarter.

Sibirsky would pick up 2 first downs on their next drive, but a Georgius Didius sack on a 3rd and 3 forced a punt. The punt would be fair-caught by Nicolaus Lusius at the 13 yard line. Prince Petrus came out with a play action on the very first play. He found Ioannes Lusius on a short route over the middle and Lusius picked up many yards after the catch to take the Sanctii to the 31 yard line. Going back to the run, Tuccius ran for a gain of 5. The Sanctii offense just imposed their will upon the opposition as they kept changing up their play calling and the opposition couldn't stop anything that they tried. A long drive would eventually result in a 1-yard touchdown run by Andreas Tuccius. The Kingdom of Saintland led 15 to 7 after the Francus extra point.

The Sanctii defense forced a 3 and out. Prince Petrus picked up a few first downs in the air on his 3rd possession, but was forced to punt after overthrowing his receiver on a 3rd and 2. Sibirsky ran a total of 4 plays on their next drive and they booted a deep punt. The Sanctii offense retook the field. However, the first quarter clock ran out just as they reached midfield. At the start of the second quarter, the Kingdom of Saintland led 15 to 7 and the Sanctii had a 3rd and 1 at the 50 yard line.

The Sanctii used the break between the quarters as an extended time out. After what appeared to be a long strategy discussion, the referee signaled for the start of the 2nd quarter. On 3rd and 1, Prince Petrus handed off to Alessandro Ancharius on an option play. Ancharius dove and picked up 2 yards. The Kingdom of Saintland had a first down. Prince Petrus tossed a screen to Andreas Tuccius and the big running back caught the screen. He rumbled over a cornerback and picked up a gain of 9 yards. On 2nd and 1, Prince Petrus brought in the 5 wide set and called a deep pass. Sibirsky put everybody back into coverage. Seeing the opening, Prince Petrus took off for the sure first down and picked up a gain of 18 yards before going out of bounds to avoid a hit. Suddenly, the Sanctii had the ball at the 21 yard line. After Andreas Tuccius picked up 6 on first down, Prince Petrus called a pass on 2nd and 4. He looked to the end zone and saw Matthaeus Epidius being single-covered in the corner of the end zone by a much smaller defensive back. Prince Petrus threw a pass high enough that only Epidius could possibly reach it. Epidius leaped into the air, caught it with one hand and the defensive back tried to force him out of bounds. However, Epidius bounced to the other side of the defender and easily landed in the end zone for a touchdown. Epidius got up on his own power and was visibly limping after that landing. Francus booted the extra point and the Sanctii led 22 to 7.

Epidius would be checked out by the Sanctii trainer. X-rays on his left leg came back negative and he would return to the game early in the second half. For the remainder of the 2nd quarter, the Sanctii would be without their tall #3 receiver as he was being checked for a potential injury. After a few Sanctii drives stalled prematurely, they would get another scoring chance near the end of the second quarter. Getting the ball back with 4 and a half minutes to go, Prince Petrus didn't hesitate to consume the clock. His goal was to score near the very end of the first half. This ball control approach seemed to be effective, as the Sanctii offense slowly moved the ball downfield. However, that all changed on a 3rd and 1 at the 8 yard line. Alessandro Ancharius got the handoff. Ancharius burst through the offensive line and picked up the first down easily. However, as he was being tackled, the ball came out and a defender from Sibirsky fell on it at the 4 yard line. A kneel down followed and the Kingdom of Saintland led 22 to 7 at halftime, not 25 to 7 or 29 to 7.

Once again, Cantus Virginum performed at halftime. This was a lengthy performance that went well over the scheduled time. After a 45-minute halftime interval, Cantus Virginum finished their performance and got a round of applause from the crowd. Once again, there were no sightings of that illegal terrorist organization. They have seemingly gone quiet in the Kingdom since the recent arrests of several of their members. The only remaining known members of that organization are currently in Esportiva, protesting the Sanctii presence in the Cup of Harmony. Their photographs are prominently featured at every port and airport in the Kingdom and they will be apprehended by Customs should they attempt to return to our Kingdom. It seems that our long national nightmare is finally over.

After halftime, the Sanctii offense took the field again. Epidius returned to the game on the very first play, as Prince Petrus called a 3-wide set. He had shaken off the injury, easily catching a sideline pass for a gain of 12 yards. Prince Petrus had come out throwing to start the 3rd quarter. He spread the ball around to his myriad of receivers as the Sanctii marched downfield. Prince Petrus did not have a single incompletion on the drive as he completed a screen to Petrus Maximius and Maximius picked up 5 yards and a first down to put the home team in the red zone. On the first play of the drive in the red zone, the Prince of Saintland rolled out to the right side. He looked and saw a clear running lane in front of him. He took off. The Sibirsky defense realized what was happening as he crossed the 5. A defensive back reacted. Prince Petrus was hit at the 2 yard line. As he was going down, he reached out with the ball. For a moment, the referee waited. Then, he threw up his arms, signalling a touchdown. Francus booted the extra point and Saintland led 29 to 7.

The Saintland defense forced another 3 and out. Prince Petrus took the field and handed off a few times to Andreas Tuccius The running back picked up 15 yard on 3 carries. On the very next play, the Prince of Saintland called play action with Ioannes Lusius going deep. The defense bought the fake and the defensive backs moved forward to cover the run. That was a huge mistake. Prince Petrus threw a deep pass. Ioannes Lusius was already past the Sibirsky defense. He caught the pass in stride and kept going. No defender even came close to catching him as Lusius had a 64 yard touchdown. Saintland now led 36 to 7.

Now, Sibirsky put together something resembling a drive. Lucius Curtius tried to jump a pass and missed it, allowing one of their receivers to pick up a huge gain. Marcus Stlaccius eventually got to the receiver and laid a big hit on him. However, Sibirsky was now in field goal range. After picking up short gains on 1st and 2nd down to force a 3rd and 6 from the 30 yard line, Sibirsky called a pass on 3rd down. Georgius Didius was blocked by a running back, but he got by the back eventually and hit the quarterback as he was throwing the ball. The pass fell harmlessly to the turf. The Sibirsky kicker made his way onto the field and booted a field goal attempt that landed in the end zone, several yards short. The Sanctii had the ball again, still leading 36 to 7.

This time around, Prince Petrus decided to stick with the running game. Andreas Tuccius would carry the ball a dozen times on this drive, rushing for 58 yards and taking the game into the 4th quarter. After Tuccius was stopped just inches shy of the goal line, Prince Petrus decided to try something different. He called play action in a triple tight end formation and passed to Paulus Favonius. The youngest of the Favonius brothers caught the pass for what was officially a 1-yard touchdown. The Kingdom of Saintland now led 43 to 7 early in the 4th quarter.

When Prince Petrus went to the bench after that touchdown, the SP can confirm that he checked the score between Cyborg Holland and the Equestrian States. When it was evident that the competition were stuck in a low-scoring game, Prince Petrus was suddenly less worried about running up the score. After the defense forced the next 3 and out and Nicolaus Lusius allowed yet another punt to bounce over his head, Prince Petrus decided to waste the clock. He wanted to conserve his team's energy for the 3 upcoming games instead of trying to stick 70 points on Sibirsky. The meant even more Andreas Tuccius running plays, with the occasional runs by Ancharius and Maximius to change things up. On the 19th play of the drive, Prince Petrus called a pass in the red zone. It was a screen pass. Andreas Tuccius caught the screen, ran over a defensive back and scored a touchdown. The Kingdom of Saintland would lead 50 to 7 after the extra point by Philippus Francus. Just 2 and a half minutes remained on the clock.

Sibirsky picked up 4 first downs on their final drive, but eventually Georgius Didius would sack their quarterback on a 4th and 4 to force a turnover on downs. Prince Petrus came out and kneeled down twice to end the game. The Kingdom of Saintland had defeated Sibirsky by a score of 50 to 7. The Sanctii were now 7-4 in their first World Bowl. That guarantees the first-time entrants a non-losing record at this World Bowl.

At the end of the day, Prince Petrus had completed 22 of 30 passes for 245 yards and run 7 times for 71 yards. He had 4 touchdown passes and a touchdown run on the day. Andreas Tuccius had rushed 38 times for 241 yards, including 2 touchdown runs. He had also caught 3 passes for 20 yards and a touchdown. Maximius had run 12 times for 45 yards. The Sanctii offense had dominated the opposing defense on this day.

German Zerabithea improved to 11-0 today, defeating Ironite 36 to nothing. Meanwhile, the Equestrian States edged out Cyborg Holland 9 to 7. The 2 nations with the ridiculous names also played today, but nobody really cares what the score of that game was. The cyborgs and talking horses are tied, as both have a 9-2 record. The cyborgs lead on point differential as they have a +146 while the talking horses have a differential of +130. The Sanctii are now 7-4, with a differential of +131. Tomorrow, the talking horses host German Zerabithea. While the Sanctii have to beat Ironite on the road, they also need the 2nd ranked team in the world to finish undefeated. The talking horses can all but eliminate the Kingdom of Saintland tomorrow, if they pull off the upset. Tomorrow, the Sanctii will visit Ironite. The first time around, they defeated Ironite 27 to 3 at Royal Stadium. Tomorrow, our Kingdom would be more than satisfied if they can defeat Ironite by the same score again. The match will be televised live on Royal Two and the Royal Two broadcasters will keep you updated on the score between the Equestrian States and German Zerabithea throughout the game. The outcome isn't really in doubt, but the Sanctii should put on a good show regardless.

by **Karditan** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 7:33 pm

MD12: Green means the colored team has guaranteed a spot in the knockout round.

Group 1
Gzbfernigambia 0–17 Cyborg Holland
Equestrian States 0–27 German Zerabithea
Ironite 3–37 Saintland
Sibirsky 33–0 Euskirribakondara

  Group 1                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 German Zerabithea             12   12   0   360  101 +259
2 Cyborg Holland                12   10   2   249   86 +163
3 Equestrian States             12    9   3   186   83 +103
4 Saintland                     12    8   4   340  175 +165
5 Sibirsky                      12    4   8   167  234  −67
6 Ironite                       12    3   9   100  249 −149
7 Euskirribakondara             12    2  10   107  309 −202
8 Gzbfernigambia                12    0  12    65  337 −272

Group 2
Cassadaigua 6–10 Michael VII
Backyard Sports 26–0 Catonia Majora
Kinzar 3–13 The Royal Kingdom of Quebec
The Serbian Empire 24–24 Quebecois Acadiana (24–30 OT)

  Group 2                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 The Royal Kingdom of Quebec   12   11   1   271  115 +156
2 Michael VII                   12    9   3   196   42 +154
3 Cassadaigua                   12    9   3   195   77 +118
4 Backyard Sports               12    7   5   200  158  +42
5 The Serbian Empire            12    4   8   118  201  −83
6 Kinzar                        12    3   9    78  178 −100
7 Catonia Majora                12    3   9   110  239 −129
8 Quebecois Acadiana            12    2  10   102  260 −158

Group 3
Chunnan 13–6 Franklin Delano Bluth
Ko-oren 10–10 Thrilledge (13–16 OT)
Yesopalitha 26–7 United Warrisons
The Babbage Islands 0–7 Konariona

  Group 3                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Thrilledge                    12   11   1   254   76 +178
2 Yesopalitha                   12    9   3   298  101 +197
3 Ko-oren                       12    8   4   235  212  +23
4 Chunnan                       12    7   5   199  202   −3
5 Franklin Delano Bluth         12    6   6   179  167  +12
6 Konariona                     12    3   9   102  216 −114
7 The Babbage Islands           12    2  10   124  179  −55
8 United Warrisons              12    2  10    94  332 −238

Group 4
Crysuko 14–0 West Guiana
The Fair Republic 6–13 Lunar Republic Islands
Slembana 23–7 Catholican Catholica
Qazox 33–7 Kriegiersien

  Group 4                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Qazox                         12   12   0   331  106 +225
2 Lunar Republic Islands        12    8   4   262  132 +130
3 West Guiana                   12    8   4   195  144  +51
4 Slembana                      12    6   6   219  197  +22
5 Kriegiersien                  12    6   6   152  228  −76
6 Crysuko                       12    4   8   116  197  −81
7 The Fair Republic             12    3   9   116  174  −58
8 Catholican Catholica          12    1  11    63  276 −213

Group 5
Osarius 35–10 Kintratar
Thatius 34–7 Schmiegelland
Korena 17–23 Vettrera
Northton 3–24 Shadowbourne

  Group 5                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Osarius                       12   11   1   280   86 +194
2 Vettrera                      12   11   1   232   94 +138
3 Thatius                       12    8   4   180  134  +46
4 Shadowbourne                  12    7   5   199  124  +75
5 Schmiegelland                 12    6   6   171  191  −20
6 Northton                      12    3   9   151  188  −37
7 Kintratar                     12    2  10   111  291 −180
8 Korena                        12    0  12    46  262 −216

Group 6
Gaveo 17–7 German American States
Demonslove 0–13 Cosumar
Estope 10–38 Free South Califas
Subramani 20–3 Sicoutimont

  Group 6                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Cosumar                       12   10   2   304  131 +173
2 Estope                        12   10   2   222  135  +87
3 Subramani                     12    9   3   222  146  +76
4 Free South Califas            12    8   4   281  149 +132
5 Sicoutimont                   12    4   8   129  198  −69
6 Gaveo                         12    4   8   125  206  −81
7 Demonslove                    12    2  10    86  249 −163
8 German American States        12    1  11   104  259 −155

Group 7
Firiminaz 7–20 West Angola
Allamunnic States 51–10 Rodard
Grandterre 10–17 Karditan
The Sova Empire 17–6 Powersith

  Group 7                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Karditan                      12   10   2   265   45 +220
2 Allamunnic States             12    9   3   219   86 +133
3 Powersith                     12    7   5   145  129  +16
4 West Angola                   12    7   5   109  118   −9
5 The Sova Empire               12    6   6   149  103  +46
6 Grandterre                    12    6   6   131  203  −72
7 Rodard                        12    2  10    59  269 −210
8 Firiminaz                     12    1  11   114  238 −124

Group 8
Levivania 0–17 Darmen
Democratic States of Fenbar 13–3 Zeedoom
Taeshan 20–17 Bongo Johnson
Stretta 30–0 Zomni

  Group 8                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Darmen                        12   11   1   256   78 +178
2 Stretta                       12   10   2   380  172 +208
3 Taeshan                       12    8   4   250  106 +144
4 Bongo Johnson                 12    7   5   205  156  +49
5 Democratic States of Fenbar   12    5   7   165  208  −43
6 Levivania                     12    4   8   117  253 −136
7 Zeedoom                       12    2  10   104  279 −175
8 Zomni                         12    1  11    60  285 −225

by **Qazox** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:19 pm

Qazox is now 12-0, the best start for the Sharks at a World Bowl in team History after a 33-7 win over overwhelmed Kriegiersien. Thomas Bradford finally got a chance to shine, getting his 1st 100 yard game; as Ian West missed today's game due to a family illness. With only 10 men on the offensive side, Coach Harper moved the offense to a Pistol ormation, using Peter Hamilton as a 3rd reciever. Jim Zebow threw for 365 yards on 23/31 passing and 2 TDs. Up next, Qazox seeks to cut into German Zerabithea's 34 point Point Differential lead for the #1 seed as they host 4-8 Crysuko next Sunday.

KRG  0  7  0  0   7
QZX 10  7  9  7  33

SCORING SUMMARY:
QZX: 19 yd TD pass by Jim Zebow to Larry Loring. PAT by Oliver Muadh good. 7 plays, 59 yards in 3:44. 7-0 Qazox.
QZX: 52 yd FG by Oliver Muadh. 8 plays, 40 yards in 4:19. 10-0 Qazox
QZX: 3 yd TD run by Thomas Bradford. PAT by Oliver Muadh good. 6 plays, 29 yards in 2:01. 17-0 Qazox.
KRG: 74 yd TD pass by Bud Hill to U. 'Saint' Bolt. PAT by Manni Burgsmüller good. 2 plays, 78 yards in 0:52. 17-7 Qazox.
QZX: 40 yd FG by Oliver Muadh. 7 plays, 65 yards in 3:31. 20-7 Qazox.
QZX: 1 yd TD run by Thomas Bradford. 2-pt conversion pass from Jim Zebow incomplete. 8 plays, 62 yards in 4:40. 26-7 Qazox.
QZX: 50 yd TD pass from Jim Zebow to Alan Mordred. PAT by Oliver Muadh good. 4 plays, 63 yards in 2:14. 33-7 Qazox.

QAZOX STATISTICAL LEADERS
Offense
Jim Zebow: 23/31, 365 yards, 2 TDs
Thomas Bradford: 29 carries, 103 yards, 2 TDs
Larry Loring: 9 catches, 185 yards, 1 TD
Defense
Craig Boothe: 6 tackles, 3 for loss, 1.5 sacks
John Leiohana: 7 tackles, 4 passes defended, 1 fumble recovery
Issac Richards: 11 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 1.0 sacks

by **Stretta** » Sun Apr 28, 2013 2:08 am

	Period 1	Period 2	Period 3	Period 4	OT	Total
Stretta	14	7	3	6	-	30
Zomni	0	0	0	0	-	0

"As if any doubts were in the minds of anyone that Stretta might not win two of their last three, and they put in this performance. I know Zomni haven't shown good form, but a complete shut-out shows determination start to finish, and is something this team needs."

Stevens was in the middle of the field at All Maiden. "Solid performance from kick-off to quarter-back kneel. I'm lucky that Stretta breeds players of this calibre. I don't know exactly where that's left us in the standings, but I think it still stands that we could potentially afford to lose the next two, but winning one will secure us that knock-out round spot."

"We're still waiting on the Taeshan/Bongo Johnson result, but that is indeed where you are. Any plans for this evening?"

"A night in Giroux. Probably just a well-earned rest. We can celebrate tomorrow if we win! Excuse me..." Stevens headed for the locker room with a smile on his face. If someone had told him headed into the tournament that they might have a shot at the knock-out round, he would have dismissively cited the stats on BoI winners and their World Bowl success, or lack thereof. The team left that evening, but Stevens didn't head to the hotel.

Climbing out of the car, he made his way to the front desk of the police station. He handed over everything he owned, signed his name and was shown through to Pat Kolna.

"Well Frank, that was one hell of a boring game. A complete shut-out isn't exactly thrilling TV, but still, a much needed win for Stretta, with each win bringing them one ladder rung closer to climbing out of the group stages. That being said, care to run us through the rest of the path to the knock-outs?"

"I sure can. With Zomni out of the way, it leaves Levivania, currently 6th in the group on a 4-8 record. Stretta posted a 43-3 scoreline last time, and that was away. Now, we can probably expect a similar scoreline there, if not a second shutout, but that's the warm-up show. After that, Stretta go away to face Taeshan. This is where it gets troublesome.

"If Stretta beat Levivania, they have nothing to worry about. They're through to the knock-out. However, if Levivania win that match, then the Taeshan game becomes... not a must-win, but the scoreline will matter. Losing to Levivania could send that final match into a points battle for Taeshan. If Stretta lose to Levivania, and to Taeshan, they'll be relying on their group leading, 4th in the World Bowl points differential. This one is hard to predict, but Taeshan need a big win against their next opponents, and then need to win to Stretta with a large points margin.

"I don't want to say it's unlikely, but let's be honest. It's a bit of a stretch."

by **Saintland** » Sun Apr 28, 2013 5:59 am

Saintland 37, Ironite 3

(SP) On the 12th day of the World Bowl, the Kingdom of Saintland's National Gridiron Team traveled to Ironite. On this day, the Sanctii pulled out their most dominant road victory yet, crushing Ironite 37 to 3 in Ironite. They were even more dominant this time around and are now all but certain to qualify on point differential should there be a 3-way tie for second place in Group 1. Coming up next for the Sanctii is a showdown with the "Fire Ponies" from the Equestrian States. "Today's victory was a sign of growth for us. Despite playing on the road, we actually played better today than we had played the previous time we played Ironite. We imposed our will upon the opposition and now we are exactly where we want to be, going into the last 2 days. We played so well that I pulled our starters for most of the second half. Scoring more points against Ironite would have done us no good if we wore ourselves out and lost our last 2 games. Tomorrow, if German Zerabithea takes care of business, we just need to win both of our remaining games and we qualify for the Round of 16. If the cyborgs upset German Zerabithea, we are eliminated from the World Bowl. If we make it to the last 16, anything can happen. Right now, we just need to get there." - Prince Petrus

Today's game started without much fanfare, as Ironite was already eliminated from the World Bowl. Ironite was just playing out their schedule. Meanwhile, the Sanctii were playing for a spot in the last 16, even though most observers outside of the Kingdom assumed that they were already out of contention. Ironite won the toss and chose to receive. Philippus Francus kicked off to start the game. The kickoff was returned to the 42 yard line. The Ironite offense took the field, but they were off the field in a blink of an eye. They punted and the punt sailed out of bounds at the 14 yard line.

Prince Petrus and the Sanctii offense took the field for the first time in Ironite. He came out throwing. On the very first play, he tossed a pass to Ioannes Lusius near midfield. After a screen to the Petrus Maximius picked up several yards, Prince Petrus picked up another dozen yards with a pass to Matthaeus Favonius. After a completion to Lucius Herius set up a second and 2, Prince Petrus handed off to Andreas Tuccius. Tuccius ran for a gain of 5 or 6 yards, putting the Sanctii into the red zone. On the first play from the red zone, Prince Petrus scrambled and slid down at the 6 yard line for a first and goal. On first and goal, Prince Petrus tossed a screen to Matthaeus Loreius. Loreius evaded the defense and scored the touchdown. The Kingdom of Saintland would lead 7 to nothing after the extra point by Philippus Francus.

Later in the first quarter, 2 Sanctii drives would stall in the red zone. The first time around, Andreas Tuccius would be stuffed in the backfield on a 3rd and 1. Later on, Prince Petrus would throw an incompletion on 3rd and 4. Both times, Philippus Francus came on and booted field goals. Meanwhile, the Ironite offense couldn't do much of anything, managing just a single first down in the first quarter. At the end of the first quarter, the Kingdom of Saintland led 13 to nothing.

On the first play of the second quarter, Georgius Didius sacked the Ironite quarterback to force a punt. After the punt, the Sanctii had the ball at their own 33 yard line. Prince Petrus came onto the field and handed the ball off to Andreas Tuccius on first down. Tuccius picked up 7 yards. After an incomplete pass on second down, Tuccius got the ball again and ran for 4 yards and a first down. Prince Petrus called the option on the very next play. As the defense keyed on the Prince of Saintland, he pitched to Petrus Maximius and Maximius ran for a gain of 15 yards before going out of bounds. On first down from the Ironite 41, Prince Petrus threw downfield for Matthaeus Epidius. Epidius caught the pass for a gain of 24. With the ball now in the red zone, Prince Petrus handed off to Tuccius. The running back burst through the line, ran over a linebacker and just would not go down. He was brought down by a gang of Ironite defenders, but only as he was crossing the goal line for a touchdown. The Kingdom of Saintland led 20 to nothing.

After an Ironite 3 and out, the Sanctii drove downfield again. Prince Petrus completed a few passes, including a completion to Ioannes Lusius at the 1 yard line to set up 1st and goal. On first and goal, he handed off to Alessandro Ancharius. Ancharius fumbled in the end zone and it was recovered by an Ironite defender for a touchback. Ironite's quarterback took the field and immediately found an open receiver in the middle of the field. The Sanctii defense was in shock and one of the defensive backs had forgotten to cover that receiver. He was eventually brought down from behind by Lucas Desticius. After the Sanctii defense recovered and shut down the Ironite offense, they brought out their kicker and booted a field goal. The score was 20 to 3.

With 5 minutes or so to go in the second quarter, Ironite booted the ball away deep. Nicolaus Lusius downed it in the end zone for a touchback. Prince Petrus threw a screen to Petrus Maximius for 7 yards. A handoff to Andreas Tuccius picked up a first down. A designed QB draw picked up 4 for the Sanctii. Prince Petrus called a play action and passed to Thomas Favonius for a gain of 15. As the Sanctii slowly marched down the field, the time remaining on the clock slowly evaporated. By the time Prince Petrus tossed a 7-yard touchdown pass to Matthaeus Favonius, the Sanctii had run down the clock to less than a minute remaining in the first half. The score was now 27 to 3, which had been the final score the first time these teams met.

After the halftime interval, both teams returned from the locker room. If Ironite thought things would go better for them in the second half, they were mistaken. Their kicker came out and booted away the opening kickoff of the second half. It was brought in by Lusius, who decided to run it out. The coverage team made the mistake of leaving their lanes and the speedy Sanctii kick returner found an opening down the right side of the field. He broke through and used his speed to evade the kicker. Once he was past the kicker, everybody in the stadium knew he was gone. The score was now 34 to 3. The Kingdom of Saintland had all but locked this one up.

Ironite came out and was again held to a 3 and out by the Sanctii defense. Prince Petrus took the field and handed off to Tuccius, allowing the running back to work his way down the field. On a 3rd and 1 from the Ironite 41 yard line, Prince Petrus called play action and passed to Lucius Herius for a first down. After 2 Tuccius runs picked up 8 more yards, Prince Petrus called play action again on 3rd and 2 from the 25. This proved to be a mistake, as his pass that was intended for Ioannes Lusius was batted away by a defensive back. Philippus Francus came on to kick the field goal and the Kingdom of Saintland led 37 to 3.

At this point, the Sanctii captain decided to bring in the backups to get them some game experience. Paulus Salvius wasn't exactly prepared to lead the Sanctii offense, but he mostly just handed off to Matthaeus Loreius. The backup defense still prevented the Ironite offense from doing anything, although Georgius Didius remaining in the game probably contributed to that. For the remainder of the game, there was only 1 scoring opportunity for either side and Paulus Salvius threw an interception in the red zone. The final score would remain the Kingdom of Saintland 37, Ironite 3. "[Prince] Andreas decided to pull the starters in the middle of the 3rd quarter. He wanted me to leave the game, but I wasn't about to do that. We had their offense right where we wanted them and I wasn't going to risk the backup defense giving up some points and costing us the point differential advantage that we have worked so hard to obtain. I compromised with him by agreeing to let the defensive backups play and I'm glad I did. They showed me today that they can play and I plan on changing the defensive around more often." - Georgius Didius

When the Sanctii looked at the results from elsewhere, they saw that they were now in even better position. Cyborg Holland had won against the winless team by a score of just 17 to nothing. Their point differential was now +163. The Sanctii had a point differential of +165. Meanwhile, the Equestrian States were shut down 27 to nothing by German Zerabithea. The "Fire Ponies" now have a differential of +103. German Zerabithea is 12-0. They have clinched a spot in the Round of 16. Cyborg Holland is 10-2. They play at German Zerabithea tomorrow and will host the Sanctii on the final day. The Equestrian States are 9-3 and the Sanctii are 8-4. The Equestrian States will be visiting the Kingdom of Saintland on the penultimate day of the World Bowl's group stage. If the Kingdom of Saintland and German Zerabithea win tomorrow and the Sanctii defeat Cyborg Holland on the final day, it will come down to point differential. Cyborg Holland would be unable to win on point differential while the "Fire Ponies" would need to make up a deficit that is currently 62 points and will be even higher under this scenario. Tickets are still available at Royal Stadium for tomorrow's critical game against the Equestrian States. If it is not sold-out, the SP can confirm that King Paulus XV has ordered the game to be blacked out. Under this scenario, the game would not be broadcast in the Kingdom and the result would not be revealed by the press until the following morning. The King is confident that the remaining tickets will be sold so that the game can be carried on Royal One.

After the Saintland National Gridiron Team returned home from Ironite, Prince Petrus went to visit his father at the Royal Palace.

King Paulus XV - Petrus, my son, I see that you have returned.

Prince Petrus - We won again today.

King Paulus XV - I heard. Why did you pull the starters?

Prince Petrus - We already had the point differential tiebreaker locked up. It was more important to rest for the talking horses and the cyborgs.

King Paulus XV - Last time around, the talking horses got upset about being called that.

Prince Petrus - That's what they are.

King Paulus XV - I have ordered the SP to refrain from calling them "talking horses" until after tomorrow's game.

Prince Petrus - Thank you, father.

King Paulus XV - A few days ago, you asked me to do something to the Royal Stadium field to stop their kicker from booting long field goals.

Prince Petrus - If we can't take away those 70-yard field goals, we can't beat them.

King Paulus XV - I recognize that. Only God can control the wind, but there are matters that we can control.

Prince Petrus - What kind of condition is the field in?

King Paulus XV - The Royal Army performed some drills at Royal Stadium today and now the surface between the 30 yard lines has been turned into mud.

Prince Petrus - The entire surface between the 30s?

King Paulus XV - No. Between the hashmarks and a decent part of each side. There's still plenty of room for receivers to run deep routes.

Prince Petrus - Is there any chance that World Bowl officials will object to this?

King Paulus XV - I doubt it. They allowed a team to illegally enter the Baptism of Iron because they couldn't check their own records long enough to notice that they had already competed. I'm more worried that they'll get off a long field goal by moving to the far side of the field.

Prince Petrus - They couldn't do that. They'd need to set up a screen-like blocking scheme. That takes time and would give the defense plenty of time to block the kick.

King Paulus XV - I hope this is effective. I'd prefer not to waste the Royal Treasury on replanting grass.

Prince Petrus - If we get to the Round of 16 and go deep into the knockout rounds, it will be money well spent.

King Paulus XV - I hope this works.

Prince Petrus - It will, unless they can kick field goals from beyond 80 yards.

King Paulus XV - Petrus, I'm proud of you for making it this far. Now, finish the job.

Prince Petrus - I will.

As the critical game between the Equestrian States and the Kingdom of Saintland approached, Prince Petrus was confident that his side would prevail. They had even found a way to neutralize the long field goals. Now, they just had to execute that plan and hope that German Zerabithea would defeat Cyborg Holland...

by **Ko-oren** » Sun Apr 28, 2013 7:14 am

Group 3 - Almost there

Group 3 is not yet set in stone. It's hardly baked clay. We could say that it is unbaked clay, there are still some possibilities but it is not too likely that things are going to change a lot from now on. United Warrisons, The Babbage Islands and Konariona have never had a big chance to reach the top half of the group, and Chunnan, until this round, floated between the top half and the lower half of the table. Meanwhile, Ko-oren and Franklin Delano Bluth fought between themselves over the question who would finish third. Thrilledge and Yesopalitha were the remaining two teams, battling in which order they would qualify, first or second. Most of these were 'set in stone' since the beginning of the tournament, but this round has a few shifts.

First of all, Thrilledge secured the first place of Group 3. It took them some perseverance and concentration to beat Ko-oren all the way in overtime. With 11 victories and just one loss in all twelve games until so far, Thrilledge are among the first seven teams to secure their place. Ko-oren have now lost one third of their games, but still won the other two thirds. They have been consistent in losing against Thrilledge and Yesopalitha and winning against any other opponent.

Yesopalitha, in second place, had an easy day against the United Warrisons. They won 26-7, but as they have a 9-3 record, they are two wins behind Thrilledge and only one behind Ko-oren (last match day, Yesopalitha and Ko-oren were equal...). So instead of the top two team system of Thrilledge and Yesopalitha, it is now the case that Thrilledge reigns (almost) sovereignly, and Yesopalitha and Ko-oren are together in their own little group within Group 3.

Next are Franklin Delano Bluth and Chunnan, and while FDB had been on their way to a second or third place finish, they have gotten a few consecutive losses. In the game between Chunnan and FDB, we would at least have a temporary answer who is most likely to end in the top half of the group and who is not. This round was won by Chunnan: 13-6. Now that Chunnan have been doing well for a few match days, they are now just one victory behind Ko-oren and could technically still finish second. FDB seems close to a complete breakdown and they are slipping away on the table. With just two more match days to go, they cannot fall even further, which is at least one thought their fans can hold on to.

The last match of the group was TBI - Konariona. Not many people would be extremely interested in the result, but it was of vital importance to these teams. No one wants to finish last, after all.

Next two match days:
TBI - Chunnan (Will Chunnan keep the pressure on Ko-oren? Will TBI finish last in the group?)
Konariona - Yesopalitha (Will Konariona definitely avoid last place, and will Yesopalitha secure their qualification?)
United Warrisons - Ko-oren (Will Ko-oren be able to keep their small chance to advance, will United Warrisons not finish last?)
Thrilledge - FDB (Will Thrilledge stay motivated even though they're through? Will FDB get a hold of themselves? Is this match not the most insignificant of all?)

Chunnan - Thrilledge
FDB - United Warrisons
Ko-oren - Konariona
Yesopalitha - TBI

With two easy matches for both Yesopalitha and Ko-oren, it will be very likely that they will finish second and third behind Thrilledge, respectively. Chunnan should be able to get one win, but their last match day game against Thrilledge might be a bridge too far. FDB should also end up with one win, and Konariona, TBI and United Warrisons could be expected to lose both their last games.

by **Chunnan** » Sun Apr 28, 2013 9:30 am

Does Chunnan Have Hope

At first, it seemed that there is no way Chunnan will get out of the group stage. Chunnan would win 1, lose 1, and that pattern kept continuing. But, Chunnan was able to break that pattern after beating Konariona with an astounding 24-6 at Chun City and an "edge of your seat" matchday 12 where Chunnan was able to comeback and win in the 4th quarter vs Franklin Delano Bluth.

In the game @ Franklin Delano Bluth, Chunnan had it's last hope for survival right here. If Chunnan lost this game, Franklin would officially be ahead of Chunnan for good. Yet, Chunnan was full of hope. In this tournament, Chunnan is the underdog, but the only thing that kept them going was hope. Let's talk about before the 4th quarter. The 3rd quarter ended with another field goal to Franklin Delano Bluth, making the score 6-0. Chunnan wasn't doing too well on offense, but they did great on defense. But everyone knew, even QB Carl Kapernickle, Chunnan needed an offense play.

So kick off finally came, 4th quarter, in an unknown country far off. LeMike Johns receives the ball, jukes out 3 player, and gets into the open field for a 70-yard run until finally getting tackled. Of course, Chunnan wasn't doing well on offense, so it it ended up being a field goal. A couple of silly mistakes and plays later, it ended up being 6-6 after an interception by CB Roger Carlos. Unfortunately, Kapernickle was still on a cold streak and eventually, another field goal. The good thing was, it was 6-6, which means that Chunnan didn't lose.

Finally came the 2 minute warning, and it was Franklin's ball. The game looked over, until just 1 last defensive play would save them all. Franklin was lined up at the 10-yard line after a bad kick return. Once the ball was snapped, the QB couldn't get a good grip on it, and it became a fumble. Whoever got the ball would decide the fate of the game. After a giant dog pile was formed and the refs had to clear everyone from the mess, DE Yoseph Randalf ended up on top of the ball, while at the same time, crushing the QB beneath him. Fortunately for Franklin, the QB walked off the field only with a sprained ankle, which he recovered quickly from.

The coach told Kapernickle with only 1:45 on the clock, "You can do it if you try hard enough. I know we are in a strange place with strange people, but that shouldn't matter. We're going to show these people we are the best and we can win this!" So Kapernickle, full of confidence, immediately began to play well. Starting from the 5-yard line, Kapernickle was able to avoid getting sacked for a safety and chucks the ball into the air. All you can hear is booing, which was a good sign for Kapernickle. As he got up, he saw the ball was in the hands of Charles Roberts, who didn't get a single catch for the past 3 games. Instead of calling a timeout, Kapernickle knew he had to hurry up the offense. Charles was down at the Chunnan 30-yard line, so there was a long way to go.

The rest of the plays seemed to go like a 90's sports movie, with the team making a comeback eventually. Kapernickle used the read option and was able to run for 20, Appletree caught a ball for 30, and Killer was able to run for 10, making it only 10-yards away from victory or OT. Also, there was only 5 seconds on the clock, no more timeouts, and not enough time to call the field goal unit. This play was going to finish the game once and for all. Kapernickle takes 5 steps back, almost gets sacked three times, and eventually throwing the ball into double coverage towards Sandy Hilbert. Next thing you know, you hear booing, followed by the buzzer of the game clock. The game was over and Chunnan has won.

Although Chunnan won by a miracle this game, they can't always rely on miracles. Chunnan needs to be stronger in their next 2 game versus TBI, who Chunnan beat in TBI 17-6. Then, Chunnan must make it's final game against #1 team Thrilledge, which Chunnan lost to 33-20 in Chunnan. Chunnan is in 4th place in the group, behind Ko-oren by 1 and behind Yesopalitha by 2. For Chunnan to get in 2nd, both teams need to lose noth of there next 2 games. That's extremely unlikely to happen, but all Chunnan could do is hope to at least get a 3rd place in the group knockouts. So the question is, does Chunnan have hope? We'll find out in tonight's game, TBI @ Chunnan at 5:30 CST (Chunnan Standard Time), where Chunnan needs a win to have hopes of qualifying.

by **The Sova Empire** » Sun Apr 28, 2013 12:05 pm

"Lame Duck" Hurricanes Power through Powersith, poised to finish strong

With a 0-7 loss to the group-leading Karditani team, the playoff hopes for the Hurricanes were up in smoke. There was no longer a mathematical chance that TSE could finish 2nd in the group. That game, which was still a great defensive game, clinched a playoff spot for the host nation. The coach wasn't feeling too low about the game "Again, when you can show up and be within a TD of the host nation, you've done your job right. I'm proud of the Hurricanes. They were struggling, and now it seems like we finally have some rhythm on the defense. The next World Bowl will be exciting if the growth continues: I personally guarantee it."

Other teams would simply give up once they've been eliminated. After all, logic dictates that there is no big reason to play once the prize is out of reach. However, in a great show of sportsmanship, TSE didn't lay down against 41st-ranked Powersith. The 2 nations have a short-but-vibrant history. In World Cup 64 qualifiers, a 3-1 upset by TSE ignited a winning streak that cooled by the next matchup with these 2 teams. Powersith came up on the winning hand that match, 1-0. In the first World Bowl 20 qualifying match, the Sovan offense was stifled in a Powersith victory, 13-0.

The Hurricanes evened the score in the next matchup, winning 17-6. Powersith's only score was a TD run in the beginning of the 4th quarter that very nearly came up with a 2-point conversion. The dive into the endzone was just wide. With 2 TD's and a FG, all in the first half, the Sovan offense got the job done. The defense was good too, only allowing the 1 TD run and forcing several fumbles in the process. This proved that TSE should never be underestimated.

The remaining 2 games are against lower-ranked teams Firiminaz and Grandterre. In the first matchups against these 2 teams, the combined score was 61-7, so much can be expected out of the remaining 2 games. Experts predict wins for both games, boosting the record to 8-6, which would be 1 win shy of the current 2nd place team (Allamunic States, who is 9-3).

by **Cassadaigua** » Sun Apr 28, 2013 3:01 pm

Boycott hasn’t been the problem,
by Lauren Rheingold, Concord Heights Times- junior Sports Editor

Had Cassadaigua defeated Michael VII last night, this article is written in an entirely different light. But they didn’t, and despite holding a 6-3 lead at the two minute warning, the defense was unable to prevent the visitors from going 75 yards to get their only touchdown of the night. A Cassadaigua win would have put the pink and black at 10-2, while Michael VII would have been 8-4, and the playoff spot would have been pretty much in the bag. However, they were not able to get that win, and now with both teams at 9-3, and chasing the surprising Royal Kingdom of Quebec, the Dagans playoff hopes are questionable. At the beginning of the tournament, I talked about the boycott of the male players that would conventionally hold positions on the line of scrimmage, both offensively and defensively. While QB Jessica Minor has surely been affected by the protection not being as good as it could be, her numbers have actually been pretty good over the course of the World Bowl. Stacie Meehan’s yards per carry are down a bit from the average yards per carry by Dagan starting RB’s in previous World Bowls, but not by some enormous amount. Defensively, the team has been strong, allowing less then a touchdown per game. How can that be any better? There may be teams with lower points allowed, but Cassadaigua’s numbers certainly don’t signify a struggling defense.

So, what has the problem been? First, 9-3 obviously is not a bad record to begin with and this is an unforgiving format for the playoffs. Second, well their really isn’t a second. The fact is, this team should be pleased with their performance in the wake of everything that has happened. It would be disappointing if the team did not advance, but like their counterparts in the World Cup (soccer), this team has been extremely resilient and showed the world that the trademark of Cassadagan sports being one of high work ethic character, has not gone away.

by **German Zerabithea** » Sun Apr 28, 2013 5:56 pm

Back up QB clinches Playoffs for Rams

It's never fun to see a player hurt, especially when it's your star quarterback. But that's what fans had to deal with when Robert was once again hit hard during the previous game and was forced to wait out a week. This meant back up QB Altozar Bofas would have to show his stuff against E.S. He did not disappoint.

Bofas threw 18-23 for 218 yards and 1 TD, while running 103 yards and a touch down to help secure a 27-0 blow out that gave the Rams a guaranteed play off spot. "I'm quite happy to see our back up do a good job." Said Coach Rogers during the after game press conference. "Generally, the Rams have lacked a good back up for the QB, so to see one succeed like this, I can tell you he may one day have a starting job."

Clarine and her offensive coordinator were watching some recordings of videos and stories from this week. They did it to get a feel of how things were looking for the team outside the field.

Darren: Everyone's talking about Altozar.

Rogers: That does not surprise me.

Darren: Still, dual threat QBs have been all the rage this past year. Perhaps we should consider our options here.

Rogers: Darren, I'm not going to let you get rid of my star QB because you want to join the bandwagon.

Darren: Oh come on, you've seen how some of these mobile QB have done.

Rogers: You mean the one from Saintland? Please, I'm sure that prince of theirs thought he was going to run across the competition, then he met our defense, and we figured him out. If they can't beat us, they won't stand a chance against some of the other top teams in this competition.

Darren: They almost beat us a few weeks ago.

Rogers: Yeah, but that was because Robert got hurt and insisted on staying the whole game.

*Darren ponders for a moment*

Darren: I wonder...

Rogers: Oh no.

Darren: Now just hear me out, I know you are still skeptical about this kind of QB, but I think we can still make this work with two QBs.

Rogers: You're not seriously thinking of using two QBs in a game are you?

Darren: Perhaps, if we can get Altozar to be as on tune with the offense as Robert is, we can keep the defense on their toes. I mean, that's why dual-threat QBs are gaining popularity right? Defenses have a hard time dealing with a QB who could go ether way. So if we pick random intervals to switch and force the defense to switch gears on the fly. I mean, their playing styles are different enough that...

*Darren sees Rogers staring at him with a look of utter petty.

Darren: Look, at least let him play the last two games, we already have the playoffs in the bag, and we own the group. Give him a chance to play and if he does good, I say we try it out.

Rogers: ... I'm not promising anything, but I don't want to risk Robert right now, so let's see what the new kid can do.

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by **Equestrian States** » Sun Apr 28, 2013 7:43 pm

Approximately 1 Hour Before Kickoff
Royal Stadium
St. Petrus, Saintland

Crafty Crate wasn't happy. In fact, you could say he was outright furious.

Using his wings to hover over the field, the Equestrian head coach was joined by Fire Streak and Ferocity. As the three looked in silence at the mud before them, they discussed the dwindling options still available to them.

"Well, it looks like the rumors were true," fumed Crafty Crate, "The Sanctii are a team of cheating hypocrites. 'Will-of-God', my flank! More like 'will-of-the-physically-challenged-hairless-apes'. There's no way their groundskeepers are this incompetent."

Fire Streak nodded in agreement as he responded solemnly. "Blackstone's gonna have a hard time getting any hold in this mud. Not to mention our running backs. Tartarus! We don't even have Lightning Bolt anymore! That Celestia-damned broken leg the accursed Dutch robots gave him certainly didn't help us last week, and we had reasonable ground for the others then."

"Aye. We're gonna have to run on the outside or pass today to have a chance."

Ferocity spoke, "But how on earth did the field get to looking like my aunt's flower garden? I mean, if they'd had a torrential downpour this week, I'd understand it, but this is just too perfect for the Sanctii. Something's going on here, and there's not a chance it's legal or sportsbeinglike."

"So what then?" asked Fire Streak, "Do we keel over and play like dead-ponies?"

With a deep scowl of one bent on revenge, Crafty Crate responded, "No. If they want to play dirty, we'll meet them halfway. If that Prince of the it's is carted off the field before the end of the first half, it'll do wonders for their morale. Our defense will have to put their best hooves, claws, and talons forward if we want to beat these cheating upstarts. They'll find out our defense can play as dirty as their staff."

by **Karditan** » Sun Apr 28, 2013 7:55 pm

MD13: Green means the colored team has guaranteed a spot in the knockout round.

Group 1
Sibirsky 40–0 Gzbfernigambia
Euskirribakondara 0–16 Ironite
Saintland 10–20 Equestrian States
German Zerabithea 18–0 Cyborg Holland

  Group 1                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 German Zerabithea             13   13   0   378  101 +277
2 Cyborg Holland                13   10   3   249  104 +145
3 Equestrian States             13   10   3   206   93 +113
4 Saintland                     13    8   5   350  195 +155
5 Sibirsky                      13    5   8   207  234  −27
6 Ironite                       13    4   9   116  249 −133
7 Euskirribakondara             13    2  11   107  325 −218
8 Gzbfernigambia                13    0  13    65  377 −312

Group 2
The Serbian Empire 10–10 Cassadaigua (17–10 OT)
Quebecois Acadiana 7–14 Kinzar
The Royal Kingdom of Quebec 9–7 Backyard Sports
Catonia Majora 0–10 Michael VII

  Group 2                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 The Royal Kingdom of Quebec   13   12   1   280  122 +158
2 Michael VII                   13   10   3   206   42 +164
3 Cassadaigua                   13    9   4   205   94 +111
4 Backyard Sports               13    7   6   207  167  +40
5 The Serbian Empire            13    5   8   135  211  −76
6 Kinzar                        13    4   9    92  185  −93
7 Catonia Majora                13    3  10   110  249 −139
8 Quebecois Acadiana            13    2  11   109  274 −165

Group 3
The Babbage Islands 12–16 Chunnan
Konariona 0–12 Yesopalitha
United Warrisons 6–10 Ko-oren
Thrilledge 23–10 Franklin Delano Bluth

  Group 3                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Thrilledge                    13   12   1   277   86 +191
2 Yesopalitha                   13   10   3   310  101 +209
3 Ko-oren                       13    9   4   245  218  +27
4 Chunnan                       13    8   5   215  214   +1
5 Franklin Delano Bluth         13    6   7   189  190   −1
6 Konariona                     13    3  10   102  228 −126
7 The Babbage Islands           13    2  11   136  195  −59
8 United Warrisons              13    2  11   100  342 −242

Group 4
Qazox 9–6 Crysuko
Kriegiersien 20–3 Slembana
Catholican Catholica 10–20 The Fair Republic
Lunar Republic Islands 7–14 West Guiana

  Group 4                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Qazox                         13   13   0   340  112 +228
2 West Guiana                   13    9   4   209  151  +58
3 Lunar Republic Islands        13    8   5   269  146 +123
4 Kriegiersien                  13    7   6   172  231  −59
5 Slembana                      13    6   7   222  217   +5
6 The Fair Republic             13    4   9   136  184  −48
7 Crysuko                       13    4   9   122  206  −84
8 Catholican Catholica          13    1  12    73  296 −223

Group 5
Northton 31–27 Osarius
Shadowbourne 20–0 Korena
Vettrera 10–7 Thatius
Schmiegelland 30–10 Kintratar

  Group 5                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Vettrera                      13   12   1   242  101 +141
2 Osarius                       13   11   2   307  117 +190
3 Shadowbourne                  13    8   5   219  124  +95
4 Thatius                       13    8   5   187  144  +43
5 Schmiegelland                 13    7   6   201  201    0
6 Northton                      13    4   9   182  215  −33
7 Kintratar                     13    2  11   121  321 −200
8 Korena                        13    0  13    46  282 −236

Group 6
Subramani 56–6 Gaveo
Sicoutimont 7–14 Estope
Free South Califas 20–10 Demonslove
Cosumar 17–0 German American States

  Group 6                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Cosumar                       13   11   2   321  131 +190
2 Estope                        13   11   2   236  142  +94
3 Subramani                     13   10   3   278  152 +126
4 Free South Califas            13    9   4   301  159 +142
5 Sicoutimont                   13    4   9   136  212  −76
6 Gaveo                         13    4   9   131  262 −131
7 Demonslove                    13    2  11    96  269 −173
8 German American States        13    1  12   104  276 −172

Group 7
The Sova Empire 46–0 Firiminaz
Powersith 17–14 Grandterre
Karditan 0–10 Allamunnic States
Rodard 7–31 West Angola

  Group 7                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Karditan                      13   10   3   265   55 +210
2 Allamunnic States             13   10   3   229   86 +143
3 Powersith                     13    8   5   162  143  +19
4 West Angola                   13    8   5   140  125  +15
5 The Sova Empire               13    7   6   195  103  +92
6 Grandterre                    13    6   7   145  220  −75
7 Rodard                        13    2  11    66  300 −234
8 Firiminaz                     13    1  12   114  284 −170

Group 8
Stretta 20–7 Levivania
Zomni 14–13 Taeshan
Bongo Johnson 42–7 Democratic States of Fenbar
Zeedoom 7–14 Darmen

  Group 8                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Darmen                        13   12   1   270   85 +185
2 Stretta                       13   11   2   400  179 +221
3 Taeshan                       13    8   5   263  120 +143
4 Bongo Johnson                 13    8   5   247  163  +84
5 Democratic States of Fenbar   13    5   8   172  250  −78
6 Levivania                     13    4   9   124  273 −149
7 Zeedoom                       13    2  11   111  293 −182
8 Zomni                         13    2  11    74  298 −224

by **Qazox** » Sun Apr 28, 2013 9:00 pm

Crysuko's defense held Qazox under 200 yards again, as the Sharks escaped with a 9-6 win to improve to 13-0 on a 53 yd FG by Oliver Muadh at the gun. Despite the win, Qazox will not get the #1 seed, unless German Zerabithea loses in their finale and Qazox wins at 6-7 Slembana.

CRY  0  3  3  0   6
QZX  0  3  3  3   9

SCORING SUMMARY:
QZX: 47 yd FG by Oliver Muadh. 8 plays, 32 yards in 3:44. 3-0 Qazox.
CRY: 51 yd FG by K#3. 6 plays, 27 yards in 2:52. 3-3.
CRY: 48 yd FG by K#3. 6 plays, 51 yards in 3:03. 6-3 Crysuko
QZX: 43 yd FG by Oliver Muadh. 8 plays, 47 yards in 3:42. 6-6.
QZX: 53 yd FG by Oliver Muadh. 6 plays, 29 yards in 1:37. 9-6 Qazox.

QAZOX STATISTICAL LEADERS
Offense
Jim Zebow: 11/31, 132 yards, 3 INTs
Ian West: 23 carries, 63 yards
Larry Loring: 4 catches, 59 yards
Defense
Craig Boothe: 7 tackles, 4.0 sacks (ties team record)
Jason Rigby: 9 tackles, 4 passes defended, 1 INT
Issac Richards: 13 tackles, 5 for loss, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery.

by **Ko-oren** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 1:26 am

Meanwhile, in the future...

"Hey man, could you believe it? Of course, everyone knew our Greenblues had still a chance to beat Yeso to second place and the World Bowl, but who would have expected it to actually happen? Remember when there was only one game left? Yeso on +209, us on +27. That's a difference of 182. One match left, did I say that already? Yeso played TBI then, and we played Konariona. Both not very strong teams, but at least TBI had some potential and the history."

"Sorry, I don't really follow Gridiron. I guess I know four or five team names from our league, but that's it. I'm more of a Rugby guy, at the time I was still pissed because we did pretty bad in the group then. Not even winning half our games, you know."

"Ok. Well, this was the case. We had the second worst defense of the group. And this was with... you know, United Warrisons, Konariona and so on. Even TBI and FDB had bad seasons. And we were third. With 218 points conceded. We scored 245 though, which more or less is the only reason we were not dead last in the group. Yeso had 310 scored, and 101 conceded. Amazing. You might not believe it, but Thrilledge was even better at avoiding td's against. But they are not in this story, they were already first. Well then the last match day happened. I still have the newspaper from that day."

Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Ko-oren 14 31 28 44 117
Konariona 3 10 0 3 16

Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Yesopalitha 6 0 3 3 12
The Babbage Islands 31 13 39 12 95
Group 3                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Thrilledge                    14   13   1   300  100 +200
2 Ko-oren                       13   10   4   362  234 +128
3 Yesopalitha                   14   10   4   323  196 +126

"Wow, that's amazing! That has to be the greatest comeback ever!"

"Well, you're right about that. We still conceded 16 points, because our defense really was not that good, but every ball that ended up somewhere in the vicinity of a Ko-orenite, went forward and TD'd. And many, many thanks to The Babbage Islands. They really pulled through in the end. It was a bit weird they ended up that low in the table, anyhow. It was like they saved all of their power for this game. It was kind of like that Yeso's players were completely out of it, just not thinking about the tournament anymore."

"Weren't there accusations of matchfixing?"

"Of course, but it didn't happen. Or it was never found or proved. But do you really think a team would just give up on a tournament like that? With at least 25 players in the roster? You'd have to bribe all of them to make a team lose by 83 points! I don't even want to know what kind of money you'd need for that."

Meanwhile, in the future...

"World Bowl XX? Hardly remember it. Wasn't it that tournament where we finished pretty good, but hardly defended at all?"

"Yes, that's it."

"Oh yes, and that the organization still politely said that we still had a chance even though Yeso's PD was up by like 200 points or so. Thanks, I guess."

"Right. And Yeso won, again, by a load of points. And we won too, by a small margin because that's what we'd been doing the entire group stage. Yeah, it kind of ended unspectacularly. But what could you expect?"

by **Stretta** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 2:06 am

	Period 1	Period 2	Period 3	Period 4	OT	Total
Stretta	7	0	10	3	-	20
Levivania	0	7	0	0	-	7

Chants of "we're on the road, we're on the road, on the road to Karditan" echoed around the All Maiden Complex. With a 20-7 victory over Levivania, and Taeshan being upset 14-13 by bottom place Zomni, advancement was now secured. The team would now leave this home venue and, with a great deal of luck and fortune, return back with silverware to parade through the streets of Giroux.

Bobby Stevens was already making plans for this when he received a phone call. "It's Mac here, Bobby. Great work, you and your boys! We truthfully didn't expect this. You've really done your nation proud. That's not just me saying it, either, that's a message from the whole of the Strettan Sports Council!"

It was very rare that the SSC took any great note in football, as they were usually more interested in anti-doping and working out how high up on the wall a dart board rested. Still, the praise was enough to plaster a huge grin across the face of Stevens. Hanging up, he turned back to his coaching staff. "Right, so the Taeshan match... Rest the big boys for the next round. We'll give the other plays a good run on the field, and make sure we're firing hard when we play the round of 16."

They all nodded their heads in agreement.

The previous evening, Giroux East Station, Holding Cells

"Cheers for coming to see me, Bobby," Kolna looked thrilled to have some company. They exchanged a hug. "Things are beginning to look up."

"Up? I thought they'd set a date for the trial?"

"Yeah, but I've got this guy working on a little something. He reckons he's found evidence that it was someone else who killed those guys," Stevens was looking a little puzzled. "It's Billy Freedom, y'know? The guy who does all that famous 'my wife is a cheat' nonsense? It's him." Stevens was still looking confused. "Right, nevermind. I'm glad you could help me out, Bobby. I really appreciate it."

"It's a lot of money. You know that, but if it's going to help..."

"A lot, Bobby. A lot."

by **Saintland** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 11:01 am

Saintland eliminated from World Bowl as Prince Petrus injured by talking horses

(SP) The talking horses from the Equestrian States eliminated the Sanctii from the World Bowl today. After Prince Petrus threw a touchdown pass in the first quarter to put the Sanctii up 10 to nothing, he was tackled in the leg by a talking horse. It was a late hit that resulted in a 15-yard penalty, but the damage was done. Although the capacity crowd on hand at Royal Stadium feared that their National Team's captain had torn his ACL, x-rays revealed that the injury was just a high ankle sprain. Prince Petrus is expected to be out of action for the remainder until the next World Bowl at the earliest. "Today, my son Petrus was viciously injured on the gridiron field by a cheap shot. I call upon World Bowl officials to suspend the animal responsible for the remainder of this World Bowl and to investigate the coaching staff from the Equestrian States. I suspect that the incident was premeditated. The field was not in bad shape intentionally. The Royal Army was using Royal Stadium for training exercises and something went wrong with the exercises. With the National Gridiron Team scheduled to play on that field today, there was nothing I could do. I can't reseed the field and expect it to grow back to normal in a day, but I will be ordering an immediate reseeding of the Royal Stadium field. I also could not move the match to another stadium. There simply weren't any suitable stadiums for international competition that were available at that time. Royal Park was hosting a double-header in baseball between St. Paulus and St. Petrus. Via Damascus Stadium is currently configured for rugby and the National Rugby Team was scheduled to host Mapletish on the following day. The choice was either to play the game at Royal Stadium or move it to some tiny stadium that only seats a few thousand fans. While we are renovating a few of the village stadiums to be suitable for international competition, the renovations are currently ongoing. We simply had no other options and the visitors from the Equestrian States assumed the worst, for some reason I don't understand. We are Christians in this Kingdom and everybody knows that devout Christians wouldn't do anything underhanded. That would be a sin." - King Paulus XV

The game started with Cantus Virginum singing the National Anthem. This time, given the condition of midfield, the members of the musical group that were on hand split into 2 groups and each sang from an end zone. Early in the game, the horse called Score slipped on the surface and fumbled the ball. The ball went flying to the 24 yard line, where Lucas Desticius fell on it. After Tuccius picked up 5 yards on 2 rushes, Prince Petrus attempted a pass on 3rd and 5, but the defense got to him as he was throwing it. The pass fell incomplete, forcing a 4th down. Philippus Francus took the field and easily kicked a 35-yard field goal.

After forcing a punt by the Equestrian States, the Sanctii got the ball back. This time, Prince Petrus brought in the Vassinus brothers as additional offensive linemen and placed a fullback on each side of him. Ioannes Lusius was the lone wide receiver and his task was to beat the "Fire Pony" defense deep before Prince Petrus ran out of time. The blockers got plenty of time for the Sanctii quarterback and Lusius somehow broke away from triple coverage in the end zone. Prince Petrus's pass was a perfect spiral right into the hands of Lusius, who caught it in the end zone for a touchdown. The Kingdom of Saintland was now up 9 to nothing.

However, all was not well for the Sanctii. After he threw the pass, one of the players from the Equestrian States hit Prince Petrus in the leg. The Heir to the Throne tried to get up, but he couldn't. A shocked crowd watched as an ambulance drove onto the field. It was a rare sight to see an automobile in the Kingdom of Saintland, but Royal Stadium had been constructed to allow an ambulance onto the field. While this worsened the condition of the field even more, the ambulance quickly arrived and EMTs came out to put Prince Petrus on a stretcher and take him to the nearest Church of Saintland Hospital. He was out for the rest of the game and Paulus Salvius was now the quarterback for the Sanctii.

Following the injury, Francus kicked the extra point. The Sanctii came back out and kept playing, but they were not the same for the remainder of the game. The defense still did a decent job of shutting down the Equestrian States offense, but the Sanctii offense just couldn't do anything, as they continuously found new ways to turn the ball over. By halftime, the Equestrian States had scored 2 touchdowns off of Sanctii turnovers and they would add an additional touchdown in the 3rd quarter. However, their holder mishandled the snap from Longtalon on the 3rd extra point attempt and they ended up being stopped by the Sanctii. Thomas Ulpius came on during the first Sanctii drive of the 4th quarter. Although he had slightly more success, he was still unable to score any points against the opposition. When it was all said and done, the Sanctii had lost 20 to 10 and had been eliminated from the World Bowl.

Tomorrow, the Kingdom of Saintland plays their final World Bowl game in Cyborg Holland. Thomas Ulpius will be the starting quarterback for the Sanctii. German Zerabithea won 18 to nothing against the cyborgs today, so they merely need to defeat the Sanctii to advance. The talking horses would move on with a victory over Euskirribakondara and a victory by the Sanctii. The game will be televised on Royal Four. "Tomorrow, I get the opportunity to start at quarterback for the National Team. I hope to make the most of this opportunity and defeat Cyborg Holland. It will undoubtedly be a tough game, but I think everybody in the Kingdom would rather finish 9-5 instead of 8-6. I wish [Prince] Petrus a speedy recovery, but if he is unable to return for the start of World Bowl 21, I hope to earn the spot as the starting QB until he returns." - Thomas Ulpius

by **German Zerabithea** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 2:02 pm

*Chad and JR are seen fighting a giant dragon*

Chad: This is it JR, if we beat this lame dragon, we can return home!

JR: But he's so powerful, don't know how much more of this we can take.

*explosions come out around them*

JR: Dude, you need to become one with the brodome!

Chad: You know what happened last time I did that JR, I blew up an entire Kitchen!

JR: We don't have a choice dude, it's now or never!

Chad: ...Fine

*Chad sits and meditates, he begins to glow as he prays to all the bro gods to give him the strength to win. He then in a flash sees a window to their old world and finds Billy doing his show.*

Billy: With the Rams win over Cyborg Holland 18-0, they are not only one win away from going undefeated and claiming the top seed twice in a row, but also proving that they also finally have a quality back up QB with Altozar Bofas.

Chad: Sweet!

*Suddenly, Brociden god of the Brocean appears from the sky.*

Brociden: Chad, by surviving these challenges with your bro for life JR, you have achieved true broness.

Chad: So you mean I can beat the dragon now?

Brociden: "laughs" Why Chad, you had that power all along, you simply needed an epic adventure like this to discover it.

Chad: That... sounds like a cop out.

Brociden: Just shut up and leave.

*Chad enters back out of his trance and stands up.*

JR: You ok bro?

Chad: Yeah dude, grab my hand, It's time we went home.

* JR grabs his hand and a bright blinding light appears around them. Then as it disappears Chad and JR are gone.*

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by **Subramani** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 2:18 pm

Subramani in Must Win Situation

This young enthusiastic team from Subramani has generally performed well beyond the expectations, considering the fact that this is their first World Bowl Competition. They have lost 3 matches out of 13 matches played so far in the group stages. Two of those loses were against World Number 9 team Cosumar. In the last match, they hammered Gaveo which got them a good point difference when compared to Estope, who are currently sitting in number 2 of the table, just above Subramani. With next match against Estope, what Subramani needs to do to qualify for the next round is simple. They have to just defeat Estope; by how many points doesn’t matter. It should help Subramani that they have already defeated Estope once in the previous match. In fact that was one of the two matches that Estope has lost so far in the competition.

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Yesopalitha	6	0	3	3	12
The Babbage Islands	31	13	39	12	95

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