Runner Cup 3 - Everything Thread

[Jeru FC]

Jeru FC coach Princess Amy and player Dream Lord after 3-2 win to seal their spot in the quarter finals of the Runner Cup 3.

Amy: Well done, but the hard work is far from over. We got a big game next. We play McKleigh, who have won all three games and conceded 4 goals in 3 games.
DL: Bet they didn't score many goals
Amy: No, they scored 8 goals. We can't afford to concede 2 goals a game against opponents like that
DL: Surely we'll score 3 or more goals
Amy: we're up against good teams now, we have plenty of work to do
DL: I guess no one expects us to win

Amy: No, they expect the local team to win.
DL: I guess they do
Amy: But I'm not here for a holiday, I'm here to win!
DL: Surely we can't win with all these good teams
Amy: We're not here to make up numbers, I want to be winner. Well, with your help that is.
DL: We're doing our best

Amy: You are not, you can do far better.
DL: But we're over the hill
Amy: You'll be under a hill if you lot don't get better
DL: I suppose we're expendable
Amy: Come on, don't you want a bit of glory. winning something.
DL: But we're born losers

Amy: Losing is not an option, failure is not an option
DL: Seems default for us
Amy: Accepting failure is one thing, expecting it is another
DL: Surely, we aren't expected to go anywhere
Amy: I'm expecting a lot, I'm putting my reputation on the line here
DL: I guess you are giving up your time

Amy: I'm working for free, I expect more effort
DL: We work for free ... sorta
Amy: what you looking at
DL: Nothing
Amy: Can you stop looking at breasts please
DL: I can't help it

Amy: No wonder you can't concentrate
DL: You've got very good ones too
Amy: Yes well ...
DL: No bra today?
Amy: It's in the washing
DL: Why

Amy: Someone dropped a beer on it didn't they?
DL: Oh yes, silly me.
Amy: I sure it wasn't an accident
DL: It was, I'm not like that.
Amy: Stop lying. I know your type.
DL: I'm innocent

Amy: Just concentrate on your football now. The fun and games is over.
DL: This work business is spoiling the holiday
Amy: This is work, not holidays young man
DL: Speaking of work, what you wear while working in your room.
Amy: Nothing, why? I'm allowed to work nude.
DL: I thought so

Amy: I left the webcam on again
DL: Yes, we watch to see you're alright
Amy: Good to see you care

[Timbermunich]

Timbermunich Soccer Squad
Hardwoods Player Profiles
Part 4 - Forwards

Starting Forwards

Great Dagger Dan

– Club Team – 
None
- Position – 
 Right Wing

Dan is a great positional player, rarely ever found out of position and he is exceptionally fast. His speed sometimes gets him into trouble as even when he times his runs officials will still flag him as offside because they can’t imagine someone creating that much space behind a defender without being offside. His Coaches know this is of a concern and often will show officials prior game footage so they are aware of his speed and hopefully not mistake a great run with a true offside call. Dan is also very good in the air and is often a primary target on corner kicks. However he does have one drawback in that he is solely right footed, to the point that he will go out of his way to circle the ball to avoid his left. This can make him an easier mark as defenders learn quickly that he is going to his right, every time. He is working on the left foot but we think it will be a great deal of time before he gets any better with it, his coaches have even restricted him to left only practices in hopes it gets better sooner rather than later.

As for his greatness, well he is an heir of Great One-Arm Willy but he wasn’t thought to contain it at first. It actually wasn’t until he was 12 years old that his greatness was confirmed. He and his father, Willy, were adventuring together (before the Heart Canopy was built) in the outskirts of TimberOak Grove one weekend. The two had planned to visit the northern boarder, do a little recreational hunting, fishing, and just spend some time together in the wilderness. This is something that Great One-Arm Willy would do with each of his children throughout the year; taking them one on one for a weekend each. This allowed them to explore and learn first hand from their Great father as well as express themselves with no other input from the others. The particular weekend when Dan’s true greatness came through was like most of the adventures he and his father went on but in the middle of their trip the two came across a TimberHound that was trapped in a sink hole. Normally they would have left the animal as the TimberHound can be a dangerous creature and it often hunts in packs so more were sure to be in the area. But Dan would not let his father leave without trying to help the beast. So Willy agreed to help but told Dan that he would have to come up with the plan of action on how to get the beast out while still staying safe and watching for other TimberHounds. Dan could not immediately come up with a plan and he was encouraged to think it through until he had something. He sat on the edge of the hole watching the beast pace back and forth, just trying to think of something until he noticed something. It was a vine system growing up a nearby tree. Dan told his father that he would use the vine to create a ramp and he suggested that his father climb the same tree to watch for other TimberHounds while he himself lowered the ramp into the pit. Willy thought it was a decent plan, but wondered what or how Dan planned to be in a safe place when the beast came up the ramp. At first he did not say anything; he just let Dan get to work building the ramp. But Willy stopped his son just before he lowered the ramp into the pit, asking him how he thought that he would escape the beast if it instantly ran up the ramp at him. Dan simply said he would run and run fast, which puzzled his father as he couldn’t imagine his boy out running a TimberHound but he let him continue as it might be a good lesson for him plus he would be ready with his ax if anything did go wrong. So Willy climbed up into the tree as a lookout for more beasts while Dan readied the ramp. The beast in the pit now watched the boy and moved to the far side of the pit, almost seemingly knowing that a ramp was being placed for it to get out on. As soon as the vine ramp hit the floor of the pit the beast sprung into action and sprinted up the ramp at the boy. Dan did not waste a second and was already turned and running in the other direction. The beast was right at his heals but Dan stayed a few steps ahead, weaving through trees and moving away from his father. As his son disappeared into the distance Willy couldn’t believe that he was actually running at the same speed, maybe a bit faster, than a TimberHound. Then all of a sudden Dan appeared and was headed right back at the pit with the TimberHound still behind him. When Dan made it to the pit he jumped over the entire width and then scurried up a tree on the other side. The beast tried to leap after him but could not make the distance and fall back into the pit. It seemed to be stunned from the fall as it took a moment for it to rise to it’s feet again, but when it did it came back up the ramp and then ran off into the distance not to be seen again. Willy was so amazed he went over to his son, gave him a hug, and knew his son was Great and had the greatness as no normal person could have out ran a TimberHound and then leaped such a great distance with ease. The two would finish up their weekend adventure and then return home to tell the family of their encounter.

Great One-Arm Willy

– Club Team –
None
– Position –
Center Forward

There is not much more to add to Willy’s story that has not already been covered. He is the second Great of Timbermunich and lost his arm when the greatness was first discovered with his teacher Great Battle. Before this, he was a very normal child living with his parents in one of the first villages in Timbermunich. He was pledged to train and learn under Battle to hopefully one day become a village elder. He trained diligently and learned all he could from Battle in the ways of Grove Control, which before the accident he along with Battle were two of the best Grove Controllers in all of Timbermunich and the two of them helped keep the Grove from closing them into the cave which they lived in. But even before that he was an adventurer at heart, as before the pledge to learn from Battle he would often be found exploring alone in the Fern Grove. He would search for all sorts of creatures many of which he had no idea what they were, but nonetheless he would find them and watch them trying to learn from them and about the land he, his family, and the other villagers lived on. You would almost say he was an extremely inquisitive young lad, a lad that would often disappear for days on end before showing back up in the village. There was one occasion that his mother thought he was lost for good as no one had seen or heard from him for four days before he just showed up at the village dinner. To the surprise of everyone he was just the way he left, just a bit dirty, with no injuries and he didn’t even look famished. Willy was truly at home in the wilderness so it was no wonder that he was pledged to Battle and eventually become an excellent Grove Controller. The rest of his story is, well, what they say history..

As for his playing ability and style, he is an excellent striker and has pin point accuracy with his shooting. In order to challenge him and make him a better shooter than he already is the coaches often hang small one inch twigs from the cross bar at different heights and locations around the goal and challenge him to hit them, which he does every time. Because of this he is one of the teams free kick takers and a key target when the team is in the attacking third. The one aspect of his game that suffers is his stamina, he has been working on it but he is often the first to need a substitute in those games that he is required to run a lot in. Another good thing to his game is that he plays up top with one of his sons, which the two almost seem to know what the other is going to do before it ever happens. Willy is one of the best forward the team has.

Great Kyle Slater

– Club Team –
None
- Position –
Left Wing

The left wing for Timbermunich is Great Kyle Slater and he is a decent player, but does need to improved in a few areas before he will be considered one of Timbermunich’s great players. He is very good on the ball and can dribble at pace with ease, but his dribbling skill is about where is abilities end. Unfortunately there isn’t anyone to fill his spot that is better so the team is kind of stuck with him on the left. His passing is something that, well, sucks to say the least as he will often miss his target when it is only five yards away. The coaches are desperately trying to fix this and work one on one with him, setting up cones at three yards for him to pass between or try and hit with the ball. His field positioning is okay but he tends to hold back and stay more in the central portion of the left side rather than pushing forward with the other two forwards. The other part of his game that is bad is his heading, he will actually duck away from a ball when he could easily use his head to knock it into the goal and he is often whistled for high kicking because he just refuses to use his head. Hopefully the team can find a replacement for him soon or all the individual training he gets will start to pay off.

[Kandorith]

Kandorith Survives, Presses On

  Group F                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  Darvale                  3   2  1  0    8   4  +4    7
2  Kandorith                3   2  0  1   12  10  +2    6
3  Semarland                3   0  2  1    8  10  -2    2
4  Patistan                 3   0  1  2    6  10  -4    1

When all seemed lost according to some fans, the Red Dragons bounced back into their extremely attacking style. A 4 - 2 win over Patistan secured the spot for Kandorith, where they should have done better. The team is on their way now to play against Dainer. A very exiting moment for the new coach of the team, Yúan, the question remains; is the Kandorese team a tourney team?


Many analysts believe Kandorith is the favorite for the match and could advance even further; it would be a golden opportunity for the new coach and this young team. After being unable to qualify for the World Cup, the Kandorese team was beyond disappointing after suffering a bad start in the Runner Cup. Finally the Kandorese team seems to be playing the football they are supposed to, aggressive and scoring goals as if nothing else counts. Coach Yúan was not prepared to give his commentary to the press; but did let us know he was absolutely delighted with Kandorith performing to 'his vision'.


Méng, the star player from this team was quite happy but had some points to note. "Last match went absolutely great, although again we kind off switched off in defense again." he said. "As long as we can score more goals than the opponent it should not be a problem, we are indeed a very attack orientated team; with lots of midfield play to push forward. But I think it wouldn't harm the team to play a more balanced play. Although the coach envisions this style and it's working; I'm not complaining." he said with a smile.


Kandorith advances to the next round and is preparing their first match against Dainer. An opponent they need to approach carefully. We believe Kandorith will try and touch around the pitch to find out what kind of team Dainer is; in terms of style and flanks. As we have seen before, Kandorith will launch it's full attack once the team knows it's enemy. According to some analysts we can expect a rain of goals, others say Kandorith will win by a very small and difficult obtained margin. Who gets the right and who gets the wrong will be decided on the pitch. Jiayou Kanyúo!

[Kitsunia-Deesse]

A decent rock-track starts to play, while the skyline of different cities of the countries involved in the SUN.League appear on the screen. The lights start to change, the colors of the buildings change into the city teams, ranging from big cities such as Nibutani to small places such as Afonse and somehow even the Western Sunrisian town of Regatas manages to smuggle in the video under the colors of the "Big Four": Lince, Leão, Cobra and Lobos. Eventually, the video ends on Granger, as a Dragonite take flight, only to pass through the image of the sun, suddenly changing it into the SUN.League, causing the name of the league to sprout from the sun.

THE LEAGUE

On tonight's episode of the SUN.League show...

On the very first Anaitecer, the rising Sunrice side of Granger Dragonites played against Audioslavian powerhouse 1830 Cathair on the Ultimate Stadium back at Southern Sunrise and we were there to recap the game!

We had a quick talk with our youth product of the week as Mizuyukijin Midfielder Josefina Yua about the Asahi side of Project +90 and how the team is excited with the concept of facing off the arguably superior Project +90 Northern Sunrise and the possibly weaker Project +90 Western Sunrise under an exclusive SUN.League Youth tournament.

We also talked with seasoned veteran Yayoi Izumi about her team, Mikan Wave, her own career, her accolades and how they expect the tournament to be.

But first...

LOOKING AROUND



Tonight we make a trip to Esportiva. North of Felix, East of Kazamatsuri, the Holy Kitsunian Empire of Kitsunian-Deesse has always seemed to be a pseudo-rival, given their story with the Sunrisians being mostly of chivalry and the fact their industries strongly depend of Northern Sunrise, in particular. With an influence like this, it's no surprise that the SUN.League had a couple of Kitsunians figuring amongst their ranks, though without the impact that the Kitsunes would ever expect. However, the display of the team on the Runner Cup could be a good motive for the teams of the SUN.League to rethink about it.

Dressed on Gloriax's own AER, les Guerriers had a surprisingly good run at the group round, which almost ended up 100%, had Jeru FC not been on their way, but great results against Zackalantis and Olastor surely gave the team a good light on the eyes of the scouts and as such, the rumor mill has suddenly started to generate buzz. While some of these players seem to be particularly happy at their teams, this doesn't prevent the fact that they could be leaving the Holy Kitsunian Empire.

Oironi Xabanaxaspatrua, les Guerriers' most important defender and a proud "Les Marilles", term used to define the Pokémons that gained citizenship back at the Empire, used to be the nation's biggest star, though such quality was taken from him after the team failed to do an impact on almost all tournaments they played and as the team got better, to some extent, Lione Zarastrusesc became the major player, defending Avenida Victoria of Farfadillis and while still being the captain, Oironi also had to play third-fidle thanks to Sophie Plebonesqueteu's rather decent run on the Sunrise. Oironi has been considered a target of Daineri side Sport Wios.

Louise Sioux, the fast paced forward that has been playing with Fantina Zirome on the front has certainly catched the eyes of the fans with her talent and became a huge name for Sunrisian sides. That's the case with Rosas and Magnólia, two teams that seem to prefer female players "for history's sake" and strongly believe the Kitsune could do wonders. Joan-Marie Bronanturt, a Basswulf tied to the Basswulf-ruled Wolfenstade Ehrgeiz is also on contendership to be another foreign star for the Jaunepont Persians and Diéter Langnussbaum has also been on consideration by the Perrsians.

Safe to say is that, regardless of how the team on green and yellow does at the Runner Cup, the SUN.League could have way more fur sooner than the expected.

[Darvale]

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QUALIFIED!
Darvale secure a spot in the Runner Cup Round of 16 after a draw against Semarland
Article by Ramon Goldstein | Sports Category | Posted 8/9/2014 at 5:46 pm

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An estatic Hugo Simmons after the match

Ironworks Park, Stalliongrad, EQUESTRIAN STATES - The title says it all. Manager Hugo Simmons, who has been managing the Darvalian side ever since the beginning of the World Cup 69 Qualifiers, has finally qualified Darvale for its first ever international football tournament, with a 1-1 draw against Semarland being sufficient for the Darvalians to qualify, finishing in first position of Group F, after Kandorith, who also qualified.

This match was the third time the nations of Darvale and Semarland have faced each other on an international level, with the first time, on the first matchday of the World Cup 69 Qualifiers, ending in a 2-2 draw, and the second time, on the eighth matchday of the World Cup 69 Qualifiers, ending in a 3-5 win for the Semars. History repeated itself on this third encounter between the two sides at the Ironworks Park, in Stalliongrad, with Darvalian substitute striker Tom Greyfriars scoring for the Darvalians, and Demba Cisse scoring for Semarland. A detailed report of the match can be found below.

The match started, with the Semars dominating the first 20 minutes of the game, as Semar wingers Mads Olsen (who confirmed his signing with Darvalian club Grimsby Town FC shortly after the match) and Ture Skøjerhavn posing constant threats to the Darvalian defense and goalkeeper Elias Byrd, throwing in passes to both Demba Cisse, and team captain Marc Lygaard. The Darvalian defense, which comprised of John Evans, Micah Harrington, Anthony Barrett, and James Berkeley, managed to hold the line, blocking Semar shots and passes. However, the ice was broken in the 18th minute.

Semar right-winger Ture Skøjerhavn faked a pass to Marc Lygaard, allowing the former to pass Darvalian midfielder Willis Finchley, and penetrate deep inside the Darvalian box. Skøjerhavn went straight up to the goal, and, at the last moment, sneakily passed the ball into the box, where Semar attacking midfielder Demba Cisse capitalized on the easy opportunity that stumbled upon him, tapping the ball into the open goal. 1-0 for the Semars in the 18th minute.

The Darvalians pressured the Semar defense for the rest of the first half, with the strong Darvalian offensive calibre constantly pushing the Semar defense. This pressure did grant the Darvalians some very good chances, but the Goats weren't able to capitalize on any of them. The first of these opportunities came in the 26th minute, eight minutes after Demba Cisse's goal. John Evans, Darvale's left-back, produced a ridiculously long ground pass - from his normal post, just left of the Darvalian box, all the way, without touching or being intercepted by Darvalian or Semar players - to Spencer Campbell, Darvalian left-winger, who was just inside the Semar box. Campbell dribbled past Semar defenders Eirik Malsen and Matur Eiriksson, sneakily skimming around the edges of the Semar box. This was to get towards the center of the box, where he fired an on-target shot that, in a shred of incredible luck, was somehow blocked by Semar goalkeeper Jorgen Karlstad.

The second Darvalian first-half opportunity came only seven minutes after Spencer Campbell's 26th minute shot, in the 33rd minute. Micah Harrington, Darvalian central-back, chipped the ball over the heads of Marc Lygaard and Demba Cisse, to Darvalian central midfielder Willis Finchley, who followed up on Harrington's chip with a strong header that, unbelievably, flew well over the heads of Semar defensive midfielders Andreas Jansen and Marko Halck, and all the way to Darvalian right-winger Ryan Keane. Keane fired a dangerous cross into the box, but a follow-up shot from Roman Saxsmith ricocheted of the post, denying the Darvalians an equalizer.

Another opportunity came in three minutes later, in the 36th minute. Brett Cole, Darvalian central striker, was dangerously fouled by Semar defender Matthias Karbruck a couple of meters outside the Semar box, after a dribble attempt coming from the former ended badly after a late tackle from the latter. At first, the Darvalian players protested that the foul occurred inside the box, but finally settled for a free kick after the referee threatened to give out bookings.

Spencer Campbell, who had already scored twice (once against Kandorith on Matchday 1, and once against Patistan on Matchday 2) from free kicks at similar distances, was, naturally, as the team's free kick specialist, the one who took the penalty. However, this time, Campbell's free kick was denied by Semar goalkeeper Jorgen Karlstad. Campbell attempted to quickly shoot the ball into the bottom-right corner of the net, but, unfortunately for the Darvalians, the chance of an equalizer was yet again denied, after Semar goalkeeper Jorgen Karlstad was able to get a touch on the ball by spreading his leg as wide as possible, causing the ball to instead hit the post, allowing Karlstad to clear the ball.

The final Darvalian first-half scoring opportunity came in the 44th minute shortly after Roman Saxsmith was subbed off for Tom Greyfriars, who was making his debut for the national team. Greyfriars' addition to the 21 other players on the pitch proved to be a mastermind move. With the Semar defense already starting to get wary from the constant offensive operations the four Darvalian strikers were constantly launching on them, the fresh pair of legs Greyfriars had brought onto the pitch proved to be an excellent boost for the Darvalians. The Darvalians would finally break the Semar defense line.

Greyfriars, in an excellent display of footwork, dribbled past Semar players Ture Skøjerhavn, Andreas Jansen, Marko Halck, Matur Eiriksson, Nicolas Janzaard, and Matthias Karbruck, before finally finding himself facing Semar goalkeeper Jorgen Karlstad in a one to one situation. Taking a mild risk, Greyfriars, instead of shooting, faked a shot, rouletted Karlstad, and scored into an open goal, to a dumbfounded Semar team. A relieving Greyfriars equalizer in the 44th minute makes the score 1-1.

Knowing that the draw would be more than enough to see them through into the Round of 16, the Darvalians were mainly just trying to hold the line and play the game out, concentrating more on defending and keeping possession of the ball than attacking and trying to score. This tactic proved to be effective, as Semar strikers Marc Lygaard, Demba Cisse, Mads Olsen, and Ture Skøjerhavn were not able to produce any more opportunities.

The Darvalians will be facing a more-than-strong Super-Llamaland side, who currently have an astounding ranking of eight, whilst the Darvalians have a much lower ranking of 27th (Mid-Runner Cup 3 Rankings). To the disappointment of the Darvalian fans, many analysists predict a crushing Darvalian loss. However, Darvale have faced the Llamaneans before; twice. Both matches were Pre-Runner Cup Friendlies, with the first one ending in a 5-4 victory for Darvale, and the second one ending in a 3-3 draw. However, the regular, senior team was representing Darvale during both matches (and pretty much everybody admitted that them not losing at least one match was already miraculous), whilst a bundle of amateur free agents are representing Darvale in the Runner Cup (and are already considered incredibly lucky to have finished in first position of their group and making it to the Round of 16).

Manager Hugo Simmons, who was given endless showers of praise for getting Darvale so far into the tournament, said himself that "Even though the team is extremely motivated for the match against Super-Llamaland, I personally, along with many others, think that, even though the team has gone so far into the tournament, that this Round of 16 match will be the end for Darvale, but, although it would truly be amazing to win against such a team, it will still be an honor to lose against one like that." To make matters even worse for the Darvalians, Darvalian head coach Dennis Carter confirmed in a press conference after the match that Roman Saxsmith, a key striker of the Darvalian team, had picked up a minor knee injury, and won't be fit enough to play against the Llamaneans, and Tom Greyfriars will be instead playing for him.

[Equestrian States]

RUNNER CUP III
ROUND OF 16 RESULTS
(Scorinated by Nephara)
Equestrian States 1-1 Timbermunich
(2-1 AET)
at Wild Grounds in Everfree

Eastfield Lodge 2–2 Boring Paradise
(2–3 AET)
at the Equestria Dome in Canterlot
(Scorinated by Nephara)
Crystal Empire 0-0 Schiavonia
(1-0 AET)
at Apple Orchard Park in Appleoosa

Itanpavia 2–3 Kazamatsuri
at Pony Lands Park in Manechester

Dainer 1–1 Kandorith
(1–2 AET)
at Star Stadium in Canterlot

Kitsunia-Deesse 3–0 Gloriax
at Shady Grove in Whitetail

Darvale 1–1 Super-Llamaland
(1–3 AET)
at Elements Stadium in Ponyville

McKleigh 3–3 Jeru FC
(3–3 AET) (3–4 pen.)
at Manehattan Industrial Park in Manehattan

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QUARTERFINALS SCHEDULE

Equestrian States vs. Boring Paradise
at Star Stadium in Canterlot

Crystal Empire vs. Kazamatsuri
at Manehattan Industrial Park in Manehattan

Kandorith vs. Kitsunia-Deesse
at Elements Stadium in Ponyville

Super-Llamaland vs. Jeru FC
at Wild Grounds in Everfree

[Super-Llamaland]

Tigers Through to Ro16, Comeback Kids Await

This is what we've been waiting for for a long time - the Tigers coming through in the clutch.

Super-Llamaland
GK Henry McNeal
LB Alex Bale
CB Javier Agudieres
CB Jordan Valdevic
RB Derrick Roberts (C)
LH Kyle Sturgeon
RH Jake Wiggins
LW Aidan Ferguson
AM Alex Ford
RW Eden Powell
ST Peter Masters

GK John Blank
LB JP Gutierrez
CB Robert Marks
CB Dell Showers
RB AJ Fernandez
LM Rudy Sterling
CM Benjamin Clucke
CM John Hanks
RM Matt Tutor
ST Rudy Bungle
ST Shaun Belfort (C)

SLL       MNG
3 - goals - 2
8 - shots - 8
7 - shots on goal - 5
53 - possession - 47
2 - yellow cards - 1

It was a beautiful day for a game, sunny with a slight breeze in Manechester, and the game itself was absolutely fantastic. Bogdan Antonlescu came out with another 4-2-3-1, baptizing Aidan Ferguson by fire on the front lines to replace the decent-but-not-great Dickinson.

The Tigers controlled the pitch early on, their strolling play keeping the ball always out of reach of a Mangolanan. Clichéd quasi-tiki-taka as it might have been, it was effective, fatiguing the Mangolanans and letting the Llamaneans keep control over the possession game.

Around the tenth minute, the tone of the game shifted. The Mangolanans played tight, man-covering defense, what might be considered stingy, but a through pass from Kyle Sturgeon rolled its way through and Alex Ford, the lucky recipient, launched a devastating bender under the cross bar. John Blanks barely managed to punch it out, setting up a corner for the Llamaneans.

It was Eden Powell to do the duty. Powell exchanged through passes with Aidan Ferguson, setting himself up on the left fringes of the box. Powell drew back to kick a left-footed shot, but it was the speedy Fernandez to knock it out of Powell's reach. The Tigers' possession seemed done for when Ferguson stole the ball from Fernandez and drove it home for his first goal with the senior team. One-nil, Llamanea.

The Tigers kept pushing, setting up beautiful runs deep into the heart of the box via a tiki-taka-esque passing game. Mangolana struggled to keep up, sending more and more halfbacks to protect the goal, but with John Blanks' vision blocked, the second goal, a lofted pass by Alex Ford, sailed over the defenders. Eden Powell slipped by the back line and was pursued by Robert Marks, but Marks' tackle came a step too late, Powell's finish tumbling off the right foot and off the post, Blanks standing no chance.

But Mangolana wasn't done yet, despite being down two-nil before thirty minutes. While most predicted a rout, Akeem Howard of Mangolana decided something different was in order. In the thirty-sixth minute, he waved forwards his entire line after Fernandez stripped Masters of the ball. The left-back's clear shot into the midfield, where the ineffable Rudy Bungle trapped it, feinted by Derrick Nelson, and sent a long ball swerving by Henry McNeal to make things two-one.

Both teams managed to hold down the fort, Mangolana taking control of possession. At halftime, the striker Peter Masters was removed for center halfback Anthony Player, turning the 4-2-3-1 into a 4-3-3 and letting the Tigers counterattack and defend better. Antonlescu's gambit didn't work out as well as he'd hoped - the relentlessly pushing Mangolanans, a wave formation keeping a counterattack from getting too vicious, eventually caught a lucky break, Alex Bale's tackle on John Hanks forcing a penalty kick.

It was Shaun Belfort to take the penalty kick, and his offering slammed off the left post and in. McNeal guessed right, but he had no hope of getting to it, and just like that, two-nil became two-all in the sixty-eighth.

But the Tigers were not about to be defeated. In the eighty-third, after a few minutes of pushing, Eden Powell, once again, found a gap in the defense and sent a shot by Blanks. Three-two. Llamanea was advancing to the Ro16.

Our opponent there? The vicious attack of Darvale's finest amateur's. The team plays a 4-2-4 attacking formation, but luckily for the Tigers, central forward Roman Saxsmith will be absentee. It'll promise to be a great game!

[Jeru FC]

Manehattan, Manehattan Industrial Park after Jeru FC beat McKleigh in penalty time 4-3 after 3-3 in regular time. Princess Amy and player Dream Lord after a dramatic day ...

Amy: You lot sure know how to give people heart attacks
DL: We did alright hey!
Amy: Yes, winning a penalty shootout is no mean feat
DL: See, we can do good!
Amy: Although you lot do live on the tips of a razor blade
DL: We can't have boring games can we

Amy: It'd be nice if you stop giving your coach reason to stress out
DL: I guess we did concede a few to many goals in the first place
Amy: Good thing you lot scored some goals
DL: Yes we do that bit well, defense isn't really our thing
Amy: Good thing they didn't defend terribly well either
DL: All that matters is we got through

Amy: Just
DL: Yes, just ...
Amy: We face, Super-Llamaland ... who call themselves the Tigers
DL: Tigers from llamaland
Amy: I dunno, that's just their name
DL: Must be some scary llamas there

Amy: They are a very good team, we can't relax or give up too many goals
DL: Don't worry coach
Amy: That's my job
DL: Oh yes
Amy: We still need to improve, if we keep letting in 2-3 goals per game. We won't make the final
DL: We've got the best attack of the teams

Amy: And the worst defense
DL: We can only do one thing at a time
Amy: Laziness is our worst enemy, we have to stop being lazy
DL: I don't get it
Amy: Don't defend in sleep mode, you could win big if you lot stopped falling asleep during the game
DL: I guess we only know two modes

Amy: Turbo or asleep?
DL: We call it all or nothing
Amy: No moderation I guess
DL: We're doing great, no need for grey hairs
Amy: This coaching business is more stressful than you think
DL: I guess we're not the easiest lot to manage

Amy: Yes, it's like herding cats
DL: We're not that bad
Amy: You get the idea
DL: You're doing a great job, I mean for someone who hasn't done this kinda before
Amy: Well, I'm still learning. I don't have much patience really.
DL: Something, real coaches have.

Amy: I can see why
DL: Only three more games
Amy: I'm not sure I want to keep this position though
DL: We'll back ya, not that our word has any bearing on anything
Amy: I might be stuck as Jeru FC coach if you lot actually win
DL: We think you can do the job

Amy: I'd better ask for money the next time, doing stuff for free isn't a good idea
DL: Actually, we haven't won anything for a while have we?
Amy: No, no Jeruselem team has won anything for a while
DL: 3 games, we promise to do our best ... whatever that is
Amy: Yes, whatever that is.
DL: We got no idea as well

[Equestrian States]

Equestrians Leave it Late, Still Advance
by Steve McNotapony

Equestrian States 2-1 Timbermunich
at Wild Grounds in Everfree, Equestrian States
Attendance: 58,964
Scoring:
One-Arm Willy '30 (Unassisted)
Cloudchaser '81 (Rainbow Blitz)
Wither '93 (Pristina Shine)

EVERFREE - To say that the Equestrian States' luck usually runs out in the Round of 16 of most tournaments would be an understatement, especially when hoofball is involved. As such, despite the Ponies being vastly superior to their second round opponents, a fair number of Equestrian supporters expected their beloved team to fall short here in Everfree. And although the match was certainly closer than it should have been, the Equestrian States survived to fight another day after winning in extra time.

The match began quite poorly for the Ponies, as the Hardwoods hammered at the Equestrian back line seemingly without end, forcing Gentle Breeze to make more than a couple acrobatic saves and Flitter and Andrea Molovi would both make goal line clearances to keep the match level. However, Timbermunich would finally get lucky in the 30th minute when One-Arm Willy found a gap in the Equestrian wall off a free kick and drilled the ball just beyond the reach of Gentle Breeze's hooves, eliciting an audible groan from the purple and orange-clad crowd. By halftime, the Ponies were finally beginning to find their rhythm, but entered the dressing rooms trailing by a goal.

Once again, Equestrian manager Pearly White called upon Rosie Tyler at the midpoint of regulation; and once again, the 21 year-old midfielder delivered. Tyler brought the Ponies that extra dose of energy they needed to take control of the match's tempo, and the momentum swung in favor of the hosts after being held firmly by the visitors for much of the first half. By the 70th minute, the Equestrian States were bombarding the Timbermunich goal with shot after shot and there was little the Hardwoods appeared capable of doing that could stop the Ponies' rampage. Finally, with just under ten minutes remaining in regulation, the Equestrians found the back of the net, national team captain Cloudchaser heading home a cross from star midfielder Rainbow Blitz.

From that point on, it seemed inevitable that the Ponies would notch a game-winner, and although the 90 minutes of regulation expired before they could do so, it didn't take long in extra time for the Equestrians to seize the lead. Just a few minutes in, the deadly striker pair of Pristina Shine and Wither darted up the pitch and winning a 2-on-1 face-off against Timbermunich goalkeeper Hatchet Hank, Wither ultimately taking the shot that put the Ponies in front. The remaining 27 minutes felt like an eternity for the anxious Equestrian supporters, and their relief was made clear when the whistle finally blew to end the match.

---

Match Report :: Round of 16

 EQUESTRIAN STATES 2-1 TIMBERMUNICH 
Wild Grounds (cap. 56,500) in Everfree, Equestrian States

Scoring:
 One-Arm Willy '30 (Unassisted)
 Cloudchaser '81 (Rainbow Blitz)
 Wither '93 (Pristina Shine)

Starting XI:
GK - Gentle Breeze
RB - Krysia Bailey
CB - Flitter
CB - Andrea Molovi
LB - Brix Hamilton
CM - Cloudchaser
CM - Apple Jack
RW - Apple Cobbler
CAM - Rainbow Blitz
LW - Krystal
ST - Pristina Shine

Substitutions:
 Rosie Tyler in for Apple Jack '45
 Wither in for Krysia Bailey '72
 Stardust in for Apple Cobbler '82

[Equestrian States]

RUNNER CUP III
QUARTERFINALS RESULTS
(Scorinated by Yttribia)
Equestrian States 2–0 Boring Paradise
at Star Stadium in Canterlot
(Scorinated by Yttribia)
Crystal Empire 0-0 Kazamatsuri
(1–1 AET) (6–5 pen.)
at Manehattan Industrial Park in Manehattan

Kandorith 4–2 Kitsunia-Deesse
at Elements Stadium in Ponyville

Super-Llamaland 2–2 Jeru FC
(4–2 AET)
at Wild Grounds in Everfree

---

SEMIFINALS SCHEDULE

Equestrian States vs. Crystal Empire
at Royal Equestria Stadium in Canterlot

Kandorith vs. Super-Llamaland
at Diamond Park in Stalliongrad

[Super-Llamaland]

Tigers Beat Darvale in 120, Jeru FC Awaits

Super-Llamaland
GK Henry McNeal
LB Alex Bale
CB Javier Agudieres
CB Nick Gray
RB Derrick Roberts (C)
LM Kyle Sturgeon
CM Anthony Player
RM Jake Wiggins
AM Alex Ford
ST Eden Powell
ST Aidan Ferguson

GK Kieran Faulkner
LB John Evans
CB Micah Harrington
CB Anthony Bartlett
RB James Berkeley
LM Willis Finchley
RM David Rowe (C)
LW Spencer Campbell
ST Brett Cole
ST Tom Greyfriars
RW Ryan Keane

SLL       DRV
3 - goals - 1
10 - shots - 5
8 - shots on goal - 3
57 - possession - 43
1 - yellow cards - 0

Aidan Ferguson was relaxing in the clubhouse when he, in the corner of his eye, noticed Bogdan Antolescu trot over.

"Oi Ferguson, you're starting at striker today."

"With Masters?"

"With Powell." And then he was gone.

Ferguson stood up. The announcement was abrupt - there was an hour left till game time, and he suspected that Antolescu's decision had not been an easy one. He pulled on his socks and walked out to the pitch.

---

Ponyville at game time was ecstatic. The stadia were packed with the blue-and-green faithful of Llamanea, their Darvalian opponents, and a smattering of equines from the host nation. Everywhere was immense energy, and as Aidan took the pitch, he felt every bit of it.

Come at us, Darvale. We're going to the quarterfinals.

The early game was a hot mess, both sides playing sloppily and forfeiting possession often. Darvale hung back, timid with the injury of their center-forward Roman Saxsmith, while the Tigers pushed forwards messily and squandered chance after chance. Things came to a head in the twenty-third, when Eden Powell's cornerkick flew from one corner to another without being touched by either team's players in the box.

Ferguson wasn't playing poorly - he'd had a few missed shots - but you could hardly say he was doing well. At halftime, with the score still nil-nil, Antonlescu spoke harshly of the team, but he was careful not to single anyone out. The defense hadn't been seriously tested, but the offense was playing terribly.

The second half began, and finally Llamanea struck. They locked down possession early, and in the fifty-third, Aidan managed to strip the ball from the right-back and send a backpass to the wide-open scoring midfielder, Alex Ford. Ford's shot nearly cleared the crossbar, but it sailed just underneath, out of Kieran Faulkner's reach. One-nil.

And, with possession firmly in Llamanean hands, it appeared it would stay that way. Their old monopoly on the shot-taking business was gone, Darvale going for a few but never quite making it in, but by the the eightieth minute, nobody was expecting a Darvale win. The midfield managed to find a wide-open Spencer Campbell from an awkward angle, and the winger spun and fired a perfect cross to Brett Cole, who headed in the ball to tie the game.

Aidan broke wide with a minute of injury time to play, but his shot clanged off the right post and out of play. As he despaired at the lost opportunity, the whistle blew and the two nations were sent into extra-time.

Extra-time was special. The Llamaneans wrested back possession and began firing on the Darvale goal. Faulkner held out well enough, but nine minutes into the added half hour, Aidan slapped a pass to Eden Powell, who slammed it in. Six minutes later, Jake Wiggins added a third. The Darvale squad got a few more chances, but in the end a two-goal deficit was just too much to surpass in fifteen minutes, and the loss of Roman Saxsmith didn't help. The Tigers took a three-one win into the quarterfinals, with Jeru FC standing between them and a possible rematch with old foes Kandorith.

(OOC: I realize cutoff was yesterday. I'll post another match report, maybe advance the Ferguson plotline a little bit, later in a separate post.)

[Kandorith]

Kandorith Strikes, Without Mercy

Kandorith 4–2 Kitsunia-Deesse

The atmosphere exploded as Kandorith passed Kitsunia-Deesse with ease during the final minutes of the game. The Red Dragons had a difficult start, giving away two goals in the first half of the match. Eventually they could rally and shot themselves to amazing new records with reaching the semifinals.


The first half did not go as planned for the Kandorese team, they were looking energetic, but losing a lot of possession in dangerous places. It seemed the team was a bit out of focus when Fantina Zirome made his way trough the Kandorese defense after a wonderful precision pass from Michél Petit. In a one on one against Wú; Zirome easily passed Wú, who anticipated the incoming centre-forward's movement entirely wrong. With the easy move around Wú, Zirome easily ticked the ball into the net, putting Kitsunia-Deesse in front in the twelfth minute.


It went from bad to worse when Kandorith got the ball in the thirty-second minute and tried to pass the ball back to Wú. Mitsuharu passed the ball back quickly, as he could not find anyone to cross to as the Kitsunia midfield was pressing hard, the ball rolled towards Wú who overstepped the ball and could only look towards the goal with his head down, own goal for Mitsuharu.


The complete turn around came just before half time, Kandorith gained possession and seemed to shape up again, with quick passing between Miraki and JieJie, Ximin and Atasuki closed the triangular passing patterns. In the forty-third minute they saw their chance after spending countless minutes trying to press forward heavily. Taiji passed the ball high and far up the pitch and no one else but Méng was already there to receive the ball. With a quick dash passed Lilian, Méng ensured himself his favourite shooting position in front of goal; A very hard hit seemed to hit the crossbar, but bounced back in to much delight of the Kandorese fans; an absolute great goal from Méng, to show why he is the all-time top scorer of Kandorith.


After the half time things went uphill for Kandorith even further, with three quick succeeding goals, one more from Méng (47), JieJie(55) and Ximin(76) the game was turned back completely. The fight was not over yet as Kitsunia got another goal chance from a corner in the eighty-ninth minute. The ball was swirled in hard and a powerful header attempt from Petit only found Jin standing ready to head the ball back up field for an instant counter attempt for Kandorith, which ended in a very wide shot from Iichi.


The crowd's cheers exploded when the final whistle was blown, Kandorith had made it to the semi-finals. They would have rather been in the World Cup, but it would be the first time Kandorith participated in a semi final. Tears of joy for the Kandorese team, while Kitsunia fans and players were tearing up. It wouldn't take long for the Kandorese players to try and cheer up the Kitsunia players and of course request a shirt swap for the amazing game they have played. A highly respected opponent for Kandorith for sure. Now they will face an old opponent; Super-Llamaland who they have previously met in the World Cup qualifiers, but with a different coach at the time for Kandorith.


The Red Dragons seem to be fearless and heavily motivated to move onwards; the next match will be the matches of matches for the Kandorese team. They are prepared and they are motivated, Jiayou Kanyúo!

[Super-Llamaland]

Tigers Score a Brace in AET, Top Jeru FC 4-2

Once again things were tight, but in a clash between the balanced, laid-back Tigers and the ruthless fast-and-loose attacking play of the Jeru FC squad, the Tigers prevailed, sending the team to the semifinals, the furthest they've ever gotten in an international football tournament.

The Tigers went back to basics early on, reverting to the double-diamond 4-4-2 formation. Anthony Player took the field as a center midfielder, but once again Jordan Valdevic sat for the energetic youngster Alex Bale. Alex Ford, Peter Masters, and Eden Powell, meanwhile, were expected to play well, with Aidan Ferguson benched.

Meanwhile, the Jeru squad played a more aggressive 4-4-2. While not usually as aggressive, the team had scored twelve in five games - but allowed ten. Their odd roster featured an odd trait - of their seventeen players, all were thirty-four year old males with odd names. Odd for a Llamanean - although their criticism of our team nickname ("Llamaland" calls themselves "Tigers" oh wow so new) was much of the same.

Early on, the "Cannons" showed why they were in the quarterfinals. The team got off to a quick start right away, Dalek's knives intimidating the impressionable Bale into silence but his shot clanging off the crossbar. The Tigers tried to recover, launching a devastating counterattack via Wiggins towards Ford, but the defense proved surprisingly firm under the tutelage of yet another Dallas princess, Amelia Jane Dallas. Dallas proved Antonlescu's counterpart, and the team continued to push on.

It was James Master who launched a through-pass that tripped up the Tigers defense in a poor display, and Dream Lord caught up to it first, sending a right-footed shot zipping by Henry McNeal. To the Tigers' protest, the shot was ruled onsides, and Llamanea found themselves down one-nil before ten.

Jeru FC's age and experiment drug use began to catch up to them, though, and they tired quickly. James Master was slotted to take a penalty kick after Bale defended himself from Dalek's knives with a punch to the stomach, earning himself a yellow. Master slotted one coolly home in the twenty-eighth, putting the team up two-nil, but the Tigers were beginning to catch up.

It was Javier Agudieres to launch the first counter, stripping Dream Lord of a shot and slamming a pass up to the left flank, where Kyle Sturgeon passed it on. Alex Ford found the left center of the penalty box, stepped back out of Munk's reach, and unleashed a devastating assault on Angelica in the goal. Angelica barely managed to punch it over the bar, starting a Llamanean attack. At the forty-third minute, after a lengthy Jeru defense, Jake Wiggins stepped by a defender and crossed one into the box, where after a scuffle, Peter Masters tapped one out of Angelica's reach into the right corner. Two-one, which it stayed going into the half.

And it stayed that way. Dallas' substitutions bought Jeru FC some time, slotting Ganger, Sonatran and Cyberdude in the back to keep the team afloat. The Tigers tried as hard as they could as their opponents neatly parked the bus, but to no avail. Ferguson, Dickinson, and Valdevic were added to the mix in the seventieth minute for Bale, Nelson, and Player, a dangerous ploy by Antonlescu to be sure, and finally the team began to broke through.

Small chinks in Jeru FC's armor began to build up. Tobias Dickinson making a run. Jake Wiggins delivering a few beautiful passes. Wavemakers Sturgeon and Valdevic keeping the defense running hard. Sonatran dangerously slipping and falling in the seventy-ninth.

But it was unclear whether the team would still pull off, running out with what many experts thought were three points and a semifinal appearance for the Tigers. But in the eighty-seventh, with New Llama biting its nails and Vargas feeling its head pound, Peter Masters went down in the box.

tweeeeet. Yellow card on Slitheen, never the most pleasant, for tripping Masters up six feet from the goal. The guy's name was Slimy, ferchrissake. But no matter, because Eden Powell stepped up and slammed one by Angelica. Two-all.

The wheels fell off the bus, skidded in oil pools, and sent shards of fiery rubber into the stratosphere upon detonation for the Jeruselem defense. Tobias Dickinson got his first goal, volleying Wiggins' pass into the net, in the ninety-fifth, and eight minutes later, to the disgust of Coach Dallas, Peter Masters literally ran a circle around two defenders before using the left to finish the deed.

Four-two. The Tigers are advancing.

Kandorith - Llamaland : WC67 Rematch Showdown in the Semis!

Hey, it's Kandorith. Who remembers these guys?

Ten years ago, the Llamanean roster looked completely different than it did now. Instead of Powell and Cartwright policing a stacked line of strikers, the team showcased the aging Evan Powell and Bobby Crosby. Rather than Wiggins and Sturgeon, playmakers for all intents and purposes, policing the wings for the shoot-first-ask-questions-later Alex Ford and midfielders like Dickinson and Player, this team featured the ineffable Trevor Duncan, vicious World XI reserve Xavier Platona, and the consistent and solid Chris May, Chris Chapman, and Jared Mullin. Rather than our eh, we'll take it defense, that defense from a decade ago makes us look like Cosumar at their peak.

Kandorith was a different team too. While they still have players from that team, and their fluid 4-4-2 has been kept the same despite a manager change, they're certainly not static.

The two both placed second in their groups at WC 67. And then they were slated to meet in the playoffs.

The Tigers played at home first, and it showed, Bobby Crosby scoring a brace in a two-one victory. Next, both teams flew back to Kandorith, where a late goal put the nail in the Llamanean coffin. One-nil, Kandorith, advancing on away goals to their first World Cup in history.

And now they're due to play again. Both sides play a fluid, attacking 4-4-2 variant, unless Bogdan makes the switch to a 4-2-3-1 or perhaps something defensive. This is going to be a fun game.

Roundtable: Who will win the Third Runner Cup?

We rounded up a few foreign columnists along with Tigers Footy Daily's very own Justin Bennett and asked them the question : "Who Will Win the Third Runner Cup?"

---

"The Tigers!" quoth the Jecklander

Equestrian States will be the favourites in most people's eyes. Home advantage, plus a very strong and established team makes them very strong candidates. But their opponents, Crystal Empire have battled admirably to get this far, and won't want to give up the chance of a final berth now. Kandorith aren't the most likely semi-finalists themselves, but like all the teams that have made it thus far are not who you would like to play against. They play Super-Llamaland, a side incredibly unlucky not to get invited to the Cup of Harmony after an underwhelming qualifying campaign by their recent high standards.
I reckon it comes down to Equestrian States vs. Super-Llamaland in the final. The equine team will have home advantage, and are the better team on paper, but you don't play football on paper, you play it on grass. And I see something in this Super-Llamaland side that makes me believe they will win the Runner Cup.

Sebastian Hutchinson, The Dispatch, Jeckland

"The Ponies!" say the Eires

Home field advantage is a miraculous thing.

It's what propelled the dark-horse Holy Empire team to the World Cup Championship two years ago. It's what helped out Llamanea's own Tigers on their way to the WBC 30 crown. Of course, you can't win on home-field advantage alone. But when you pair your advantage with a cast of talented players and a new, capable manager (Twilight Striker was great, but twelve Cups is just too much.), that's just begging to have international cups thrown at you. Featuring Gentle Breeze in goal, a capable back line, the goal-scoring Pristina Shine, and a rotating cast of brilliant, playmaking halfbacks, the Ponies should go far, using this tournament as a springboard back into relevancy.

-Reed James is a lead sports editor for the online mega-blog eireliatoday.net. An ethnic Eirelian, he currently lives in Vargas, Super-Llamaland, as it's better than the communists.

"Actually, Kandorith," says the Vjaal

Despite what is sure to be a stadium full of salivating Llamaneans, I think the Kandorese have what it takes to pull through and win it all. I'm aware that the Ponies and the Tigers are more conventional picks, but in literal terms, neither hold a candle to a dragon. The fluid attack of the Red Dragons can trump the Tigers' multifaceted passing game any day, just like it did in the sixty-seventh World Cup's qualifiers. Both teams have fallen since then - Kandorith hasn't made it back since, and I think this is their chance. The offense is just too good.

-Øscar Anderssen enjoys doing things, most commonly writing for vjaalsburgnews.com.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Jeru FC wrote his roster, thanks for doing that - those things help a lot. Thanks to Jeckland for contributing a blurb. Thanks to Equestrian States for doing one of these and probably giving me the inspiration.

[Equestrian States]

Battle of the Pony Lands: Regional Rivals Meet in Runner Cup Semis

CANTERLOT - For the first time ever, the Equestrian States and the Crystal Empire will meet in a meaningful competitive fixture, and it just happens to be in the semifinals of a competition being hosted by the former. Although the two Pony Lands nations have regularly faced each other in annual two-leg friendlies held between World Cup cycles since the Crystal Empire first started competing in the multiverse's premier hoofball tournament, the Ponies and Crystal Knights have never met before in a formal competition. When the draw for this year's Runner Cup was announced, there was speculation that the two could meet in the later stages of the tournament, speculation that only increased when both teams won their respective groups.

Though some pundits and analysts remained skeptical of one (or both) of teams' chances at a deep run to the semifinals for a number of reasons, fate has decided that the time has finally come to pit these two nations - which share a normally friendly rivalry of sorts - against each other. For the first time since the last Equestria Cup, two teams from the Pony Lands will clash in a semifinal of epic proportions that will either end the Equestrian States' streak of nine years without a Final appearance in any tournament or send the Crystal Knights to their first ever Final. Supporters of both teams are expected to turn out in massive numbers to pack Royal Equestria Stadium to the brim, and the streets of Canterlot are already jammed with purple-clad hoofball fans.

Without a doubt, the atmosphere at the match will be nothing short of absolutely spectacular; but what about the match itself? What should fans of each side expect to see from their beloved teams? Who will take the pitch for the national anthems? How will the opposing managers look to gain an upper-hoof over the other? What does each team need to do in order to win a chance at lifting the trophy next week? Those are the questions our experts will be looking to answer in this preview of tomorrow's semifinal.

The Teams:

#27 - Equestrian States
Manager: Pearly White
Group Play: 3-0-0 (1st in Group A)
Knockout Rounds: Won 2-1 vs. Timbermunich; Won 2-0 vs. Boring Paradise
Starting Players (4-2-3-1): Gentle Breeze (GK, #1); Brix Hamilton (LB, #24); Flitter (CB, #3); Andrea Molovi (CB, #8); Krysia Bailey (RB, #19); Cloudchaser (CM, #2); Apple Jack (CM, #4); Krystal (LW, #32); Rainbow Blitz (CAM, #9); Apple Cobbler (RW, #5); Pristina Shine (ST, #12); Full Roster

Overview
Equestrian hoofball fans, in all honesty, would rather be somewhere other than the Runner Cup semifinals. After the Ponies were eliminated from the World Cup in yet another playoff, long-time national team manager Twilight Striker resigned amid speculation that she was on the verge of being fired from the post she'd held for 12 years, and the Hoofball Association appointed Pearly White, the former boss of the Equestrian U21s, as an interim manager for the Ponies' Cup of Champions campaign. The Equestrian States would finish third in their group at the World Cup warmup tournament, but notched an impressive 4-2 win against the defending World Cup champions and eventual Cup of Champions winners, Vilita, much to the delight of supporters. Unfortunately, due to the instability of the HA, the Ponies were unable to compete in the Cup of Harmony and the Equestrian States' bid to co-host the tournament with Mizuyuki also failed. After the tumultuous situation with the HA had calmed down, the Equestrians accepted their invitation to play in the Runner Cup and secured the hosting rights for the competition as well. The Ponies entered the tournament as early favorites to win and are eager to show the multiverse that they're still a team to reckoned with, while simultaneously easing the lingering pain of supporters after another heartbreaking World Cup exit.

How They Got Here

MD1: Equestrian States 4-2 New North Aqmuland at Star Stadium (cap. 59,250) in Canterlot, Equestrian States (Win; 1-0-0)
MD2: Equestrian States 2-0 Schiavonia at the Equestria Dome (cap. 87,500) in Canterlot, Equestrian States (Win; 2-0-0)
MD3: Wolfenia 2-4 Equestrian States at the Equestria Dome (cap. 87,500) in Canterlot, Equestrian States (Win; 3-0-0)
Round of 16: Equestrian States 1-1 Timbermunich (2-1 AET) at Wild Grounds (cap. 56,500) in Everfree, Equestrian States (Win)
Quarterfinals: Equestrian States 2-0 Boring Paradise at Star Stadium (cap. 59,250) in Canterlot, Equestrian States (Win)

The group draw was fairly kind to the Ponies, who were drawn into Group A as hosts alongside New North Aqmuland, Schiavonia, and Wolfenia, none of whom ever looked likely to qualify even for the playoffs during World Cup qualifying. As such, the Equestrians were expected to easily progress from their group, which they managed in style. In their first match, the Ponies handled New North Aqmuland comfortably, winning by a 4-2 margin thanks to a pair of goals each from strikers Pristina Shine and Thunderlane, and defeated Schiavonia several days later to clinch a berth in the second round. The final game of the group stage, against 188th-ranked minnows Wolfenia, saw an Equestrian starting XI comprised mainly of backups complete the Ponies' sweep of their group and send them into the knockout rounds with a pristine 3-0-0 record.

However, there is a risk managers take when they give their usual starters a day off, which is that their players may not perform at their best when they return. This was certainly the case for the Equestrians in their second round fixture against Timbermunich, where the Ponies got off to a rough start and found themselves trailing at the end of the first half before rebounding to equalize in the final 10 minutes of regulation, ultimately going on to win in extra time. Fortunately, it seemed the Equestrian States had learned their lesson about leaving it late and the Ponies struck early, hard, and often against Boring Paradise in the quarterfinals to claim a spot here in the semifinals.

What to Watch For
As always for the Equestrian States, the number one thing to look for is the dominance of the Ponies' world-class talents. Although the Equestrian national team has historically been a side defined by its midfield stars, the last couple years have seen the Ponies' defenders earn more international respect and acclaim than ever before. In particular, goalkeeper Gentle Breeze has established herself as one of the best in the multiverse, having won titles with clubs in Astograth and Polar Islandstates as well as earning herself four consecutive Best Goalkeeper awards in two of the multiverse's most prestigious leagues. Defenders Brix Hamilton and Andrea Molovi have also won plaudits for their performances with Nithgard GU and 1830 Cathair respectively, and Hamilton's role in her club's rapid rise from an average mid-table side to Champions' Cup winners can't be praised enough. Of course, the Ponies' midfielders and strikers still play a major role in the team's success, with stars like Rainbow Blitz, Cloudchaser, Apple Cobbler, and Thunderlane all plying their trade in top-level leagues. But without a doubt, the biggest name to join the Equestrians' offensive arsenal in the last few years has been striker Pristina Shine. The 23 year-old unicorn first established herself as a future world-class athlete with Iturributa United before moving to Polarian Divisjon One club Red Star Severny last season where she has quickly gone about padding her resume by finishing third in the league in goals scored and winning herself the Young Player of the Season award, a prize she also won while in Iturributa. Individually, these players are all dangerous threats to their opponents; but together, they form a team bursting at the seams with raw talent.

Keys to Victory
Beyond any reasonable doubt, the Equestrians boast the most talented team in the Runner Cup, and are rightfully considered favorites by many to win the tournament. With the Ponies' defense more than capable of handling their opponent's experienced attackers, the key battles of the match will likely be fought in the Crystal Knights' third of the pitch, where some of the Crystal Empire's better players reside. Although the Equestrian States certainly has the advantage in talent at every position, the effectiveness of the Crystal Empire's defensive style against powerful teams is under-appreciated by many outside the Pony Lands. As such, the Ponies will want to find a way to score early and force the Crystal Knights to become a bit more aggressive in their approach, which could leave openings for the Equestrians to exploit.

#98 - Crystal Empire
Manager: Shining Armor
Group Play: 2-1-0 (1st in Group B)
Knockout Rounds: Won 1-0 vs. Schiavonia; Won 1-1 (PKs) vs. Kazamatsuri
Starting Players (4-4-2): Starshine (GK, #20); Firecrest (LB, #30); Arctic Lily (CB, #2); Toastie (CB, #4); Rose Quartz (RB, #18); Fleur de Verre (DM, #14); Amber Waves (CM, #8); Sugar Glass (CM, #5); Sapphire Rose (CAM, #10); Crystal Arrow (ST, #11); Berry Splash (ST, #12); Full Roster

Overview
After exploding onto the international hoofball scene with a semifinals berth in their Baptism of Fire and impressing in a challenging World Cup qualifying group in the months that followed, the Crystal Empire has been largely irrelevant on the international stage. Despite having a number of quality players, the Crystal Knights have fallen behind many of the other teams that made their debuts at the 53rd Baptism of Fire and remain active to this day, such as San Jose Guayabal, Furellum, Kazamatsuri, and Vaugania. The last several years have seen more than a few performances by the Crystal Empire that could be described only as average, and the Crystal Knights' World Cup qualifying campaign earlier this year was no different, as they finished 5th and were far from contending for a playoff spot. Still, after narrowly missing the knockout rounds of the last Runner Cup (where they went undefeated, but finished with more draws than wins), the Crystal Pony supporters entered this edition of the tournament with high hopes, which have matched the "other" Pony Lands team's ambitions perfectly.

How They Got Here

MD1: Crystal Empire 3-1 Cata Larga at Elements Stadium (cap. 48,750) in Ponyville, Equestrian States (Win; 1-0-0)
MD2: Crystal Empire 1-1 Timbermunich at Sky-High Coliseum (cap. 45,000) in Cloudsdale, Equestrian States (Draw; 1-1-0)
MD3: Lymantatia 2-3 Crystal Empire at Sky-High Coliseum (cap. 45,000) in Cloudsdale, Equestrian States (Win; 2-1-0)
Round of 16: Crystal Empire 0-0 Schiavonia (1-0 AET) at Apple Orchard Park (cap. 52,680) in Appleoosa, Equestrian States (Win)
Quarterfinals: Crystal Empire 0-0 Kazamatsuri (1-1 AET) (6-5 pen.) at Manehattan Industrial Park (cap. 47,160) in Manehattan, Equestrian States (Win)

Like the Equestrian States, the Crystal Empire was drawn into one of the Runner Cup's weaker groups, sharing Group B with Lymantatia, Timbermunich, and Cata Larga. Following an expected 3-1 win over 144th-ranked Cata Larga, the Crystal Knights took on Timbermunich in one of their group's defining matches, where the grace and agility of the Crystal Empire's stars clashed with the aggression of their opponents and both emerged with a share of the spoils. The draw set up a decisive clash with top-seeded Lymantatia on the final match day, and in convincing fashion, the Crystal Empire won the match and the group despite conceding a pair of goals to Lymantatian players not named Jacques Bressler.

In their second round fixture against Schiavonia, the Crystal Empire struggled to score against a team that had only barely made it out of their group, but thanks to some late extra time heroics by Sugar Glass, the Crystal Knights moved on in the first tournament they had made it past the group stage in since their Baptism of Fire debut. Appropriately enough, it was another Class of '53 nation which the Crystal Empire faced in the quarterfinals: Kazamatsuri, managed by none other than former Equestrian national team assistant Mad Dash. In front of local crowd split between supporting their regional neighbors and an Equestrian-managed team, the two sides put on a thrilling display that was only decided after nine rounds of penalties. In the end it was the Crystal Knights who would advance to the semifinals, with defender Arctic Lily burying the decisive penalty to see them through.

What to Watch For
For the Crystal Knights, the number one thing to watch for is - as usual - a strong outing by the defense. Although their performances thus far at the Runner Cup haven't exactly been among their best, it's still clear that the defense is where the Crystal Empire is strongest. With players like Arctic Lily, Starshine, Firecrest, and Rose Quartz leading from the back, the Crystal Knights have a fairly talented team that's capable of holding their own against even top-notch offenses. While the Crystal Empire may not win many of those clashes, they manage to keep themselves in the match and are rarely ever blown out by anyone. In addition to boasting a better-than-average defense, the Crystal Empire may want to win more than the Equestrians, as not only would a victory send them to their first ever final with a chance to collect some much-desired silverware, but also would be the first win for the team over their regional rivals to the far north.

Keys to Victory
While many of the key battles may be fought in the Crystal Empire's third of the pitch, what the Crystal Knights need to do in order to stand a decent chance at winning is not being overrun in the midfield. Tactically speaking, the traditional Crystalline 4-4-2 formation leaves the wings more exposed and the lack of any true wide-midfielders on the roster has always posed a problem for manager Shining Armor, especially against teams which have players capable of attacking from the wings like the Ponies. Expect some slight adjustments to the usual formation by the dual Equestrian-Crystalline manager to account for that threat, and if they work as planned, could offer the formidable Crystal Empire defense a valuable reprieve and even pose a threat to the Equestrians on a counterattack.

[Equestrian States]

RUNNER CUP III
SEMIFINALS RESULTS
(Scorinated by Northern Sunrise Islands)
Equestrian States 2–0 Crystal Empire
at Royal Equestria Stadium in Canterlot

Kandorith 2–3 Super-Llamaland
at Diamond Park in Stalliongrad

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THIRD PLACE PLAYOFF

Crystal Empire vs. Kandorith
at Diamond Park in Stalliongrad

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RUNNER CUP 3 FINAL

Equestrian States vs. Super-Llamaland
at Royal Equestria Stadium in Canterlot

Participants, please note that the 3PPO will be scorinated tomorrow and the Final on Sunday.

[Equestrian States]

RUNNER CUP III
THIRD PLACE PLAYOFF
(Scorinated by Yttribia)
Crystal Empire 1-2 Kandorith
at Diamond Park in Stalliongrad

[Equestrian States]

RUNNER CUP III
FINAL
(Scorinated by Nephara)
Equestrian States 2-0 Super-Llamaland
at Royal Equestria Stadium in Canterlot