Di Bradini Cup 32/U21WC53 RP/Roster/Scores Thread

by **Free Republics** » Wed Oct 01, 2014 8:16 am

Holy Republican National U-21 Soccer Team

Formation: 3-1-2-1-3
Style Modifier: +5
Colors: Blue and White
Manager: Rule Theriault
Assistant Manager: Massimiliano Abdullahi

Roster (age in parentheses)

Starting Lineup

GK: #2 Marius Christoffersen (21)
RB: #25 Nusmir Senicar (18)
CB: #55 Miroslav Bozek (21)
LB: #50 Leonid Borodin (21)
CDM: #6 Rados Miletic (18)
LM: #47 Roberta Villalobos (17)
RM: #42 Ayub Sandstrom (21)
CAM: #62 Orazio Lucchesi (16)
ST: #19 Porvaldur Hinriksson (19)
ST: #12 Koby Theodore (20) [C]
ST: #17 Faredin Pozenel (20)

Bench

GK: #3 William Walls (19)
GK: #88 Levai Imre (17)
RB: #71 Vezirkhan Khadzhiev (14)
CB: #13 Zrina Martinovic (19)
CB: #28 Melania Lucchesi (18)
CB: #91 Filip Perkovic (17)
LB: #92 Omar Asbergsson (17)
CDM: #0 Sachiya Inoue (16)
CAM: #72 Thomas Donahue (16)
LM: #9 Chandler Sirois (18)
RM: #31 Leonti Ulyanov (21)
RM: #78 Hegyi Bence (17)
ST: #14 Drazan Topic (17)
ST: #68 Paul Anisimov (18)
ST: #5 Vincent Branch (16)
ST: #87 Connie Chase (15)

Kits (made by Kirola Sports)

Notes

While their second place finish in World Cup 68 was regarded as a fluke, at the time, pretty much everywhere outside of the nation then officially known as the Free Republics (and still often referred to by that name), the Republican National Team proved that it was no fluke in World Cup 69, making it back to the Quarterfinals of the World Cup before faltering against Legalese. Then again, anybody familiar with their performance at the youth level shouldn't have been too surprised by their sudden rapid ascent to an elite level. From the 27th through the 29th Di Bradini Cup, this team finished in the top 3 in every edition and won the 28th edition of that prestigious tournament. Now, with the core of that team approaching their respective primes, the Republicans are one of the most formidable teams in the World Cup and they are always certain to ensure that everybody knows it. After skipping the 31st edition of the DBC, the Republicans are returning for this edition, intent upon returning to their former glory

When he first decided to create the Republican National Soccer Team, Rule Theriault decided against using professional athletes on the team, at that time. He decided that it would be next to impossible to convince the best athletes in the Free Republics to put their egos aside for the good of the team. So, he did the next best thing and assembled a team of fringe players and a few stars who fell through the cracks, mostly for off-the-pitch issues.

The 2 stars of the Republican U-21 striking trio both have notable backstories. Faredin Pozenel was a son of immigrants from the Republican colony of Irad who was overlooked by scouts, in large part because of his background as an immigrant. However, Massimiliano Abdullahi, himself a grandson of immigrants, recognized Pozenel's talent and brought him onto the National Team. Koby Theodore was extremely young and his dedication to the sport was questioned as an amateur, but Theriault saw something in him, took a chance and Kyle Bolton took the young striker under his wing, molding him into a star.

When playing away, the Republican National Team is usually be accompanied by a military escort, for security, and the Republican Navy and Air Force typically positions some troops near the nation where they are playing. This is done so that the Republican military may invade any nation that attempts to harm Republican players. After the events that took place in World Cup 67 qualifying, Rule Theriault has decided to ensure that it will never happen again. Yet, that will not be the case at this DBC, as the Republican military flat-out refused to position troops near the Equestrian States. An addition in the prior World Cup cycle was the Cheerleading Squad, comprised of 68 cheerleaders (in honor of World Cup 68), which accompanies the Republican National Team to all matches. After each of the first 68 goals scored by the Republican National Team in a World Cup cycle, the respectively numbered cheerleader will celebrate with the goalscorer. The celebrations, however, became substantially less risque, as did their outfits, after the Republican government fell into the hands of the Sanctii-backed Holy Party. Every single Republican player, coach, cheerleader and security escort will travel armed, for the sake of security, as usual, and should they feel that their safety or their right to keep and bear arms is threatened, they will not hesitate to use their firearms.

Cheerleading Squad (age in parentheses)

#1 - Almina Ekmecic (20)
#2 - Wagner Zsuska (19)
#3 - Davorka Marjanovic (21)
#4 - Fabiana Bianchi (18)
#5 - Elizabeth Imler (21)
#6 - Ermengardi Dupere (19)
#7 - Patricia Cobb (18)
#8 - Nediljka Baric (18)
#9 - Alena Veselska (18)
#10 - Mikiko Miyakawa (17)
#11 - Hollie Taylor (21)
#12 - Kiyoko Aizawa (21)
#13 - Matilda McLean (19)
#14 - Cerise Favreau (22)
#15 - Malwina Dudek (19)
#16 - Ruby Ngabidj (20)
#17 - Louise Mathiesen (18)
#18 - Oona Hakala (21)
#19 - Sakinat Dratchev (17)
#20 - Zargan Khadzhiev (22)
#21 - Chovka Vedzizhev (22)
#22 - Madison Flegg (18)
#23 - Ragnheidur Joakimsdottir (19)
#24 - Belle Majory (19)
#25 - Kurutz Greta (18)
#26 - Janna Collins (17)
#27 - Sabine Avdeeva (21)
#28 - Kaija Heikela (18)
#29 - Rosa Collins (22)
#30 - Paninnguaq Pedersen (20)
#31 - Mevlide Dihpol (21)
#32 - Lima Mishina (21)
#33 - Angela Webber (21)
#34 - Rewjeana Newra (21)
#35 - Karina Saito (19)
#36 - Ane Knudsen (21)
#37 - Elvira Biryukova (21)
#38 - Sonja Aavikko (20)
#39 - Rice Frolova (18)
#40 - Inger Sandgreen (18)
#41 - Fatima Agee (18)
#42 - Hanne Petrussen (22)
#43 - Bianca Maurice (19)
#44 - Nanna Lund (22)
#45 - Speranza Calabrese (17)
#46 - Santana Hajna (20)
#47 - Agate Plante (22)
#48 - Irina Shcherbakova (22)
#49 - Yasmin Franklin (22)
#50 - Farrah Moore (22)
#51 - Maruko Kan (22)
#52 - Oddlin Algroy (17)
#53 -Dorota Pawlak (22)
#54 - Bewsh Thana (22)
#55 - Aracelia Chacon (17)
#56 - Jenna Heikkila (18)
#57 - Mette Josefsen (19)
#58 - Lydie Skage (19)
#59 - Birthe Lovstrom (21)
#60 - Clarabella Leyva (17)
#61 - Marlene Norheim (17)
#62 - Florine Vogt (20)
#63 - Donna Romriell (19)
#64 - Lucie Nguyen (22)
#65 - Colomba Bergamaschi (21)
#66 - Hansine Kristiansen (18)
#67 - Louise Josefsen (22)
#68 - Isabel Fox (21)

Past Records

All-Time DBC Record: 20-2-5
Di Bradini Cup 27: 6-0-1
Di Bradini Cup 28: 7-0-0
Di Bradini Cup 29: 5-1-2
Di Bradini Cup 30: 2-1-2

Penalty Kick Order of Preference

Remove players from this list that aren't playing at the start of the shootout.

Theodore
Pozenel
Chase
Sandstrom
Hinriksson
Topic
Branch
Donahue
O. Lucchesi
Anisimov
Ulyanov
Inoue
Villalobos
Sirois
M. Lucchesi
Borodin
Miletic
Bozek
Martinovic
Senicar
Asbergsson
Khadzhiev
Walls
Christoffersen
Imree

RP Permissions

I give my opponent permission to:
Choose my goalscorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
Give my players yellow cards: Y
Give my players red cards: Y
Give injuries to my players: N (This includes killing, maiming or arresting my players)
Godmod injuries to my players: N
Godmod other events: Y

by **Northern Sunrise Islands** » Wed Oct 01, 2014 9:30 am

Ladies and Gentlemen, we would like to present to you, one of the biggest and most important youth national teams, now coming on four flavors: this is the Unified Sunrise Islands!

LINE-UP

ROSTER

Num.	Pos.	Name				Age	NAT	Team
1	GK	CANJICA				17	NSI	Project +90 Dainer
2	LB	DONDOCA				16	NSI	Project +90 Dainer
3	CB	DAVÍ				17	NSI	Project +90 Kjelstad	(Captain)
4	CB	PAULO SOUSA			15	WSI	Project +90 Dainer
5	RB	Cleo DURAN-LENS			17	ESI	Cypress Hill Brawlers
6	DM	Leona BONECRUSHER		18	SSI	Little Singapore Sandmen
7	CM	FELIPE HOGAN			15	NSI	Project +90 Dainer
8	CM	Akaho SUGIURA			18	NSI	Project +90 Kjelstad
9	OM	TYSON NILO			15	NSI	Project +90 Dainer
10	CF	June GARDOT			19	NED	Project +90
11	CF	Remus OTHNIEL-ĽUBOMIR		16	ESI	Dayton FC [Darvale]
12	GK	Fionnuala KEITH-NIESHMEDSEN	15	ESI	Project +90 Darvale
13	LB	RENATA APUCARANA		18	NSI*	Campos [Barra e Janeiro]
14	CB	Guilherme RADÓKZI		20	NSI*	Perenye SE [Volskaya]
15	CB	Joleon BAINES			19	SSI	Gagne University
16	RB	Redd BANNER			20	SSI	Lee University
17	DM	Loren BUTUROVIC			19	SSI*	Rutten University
18	CM	Susan CHRISTOPHERSSON  		18	SOL	Deluphiville University
19	CM	Aloisie CHRISTOPHERSSON		18	SOL	Deluphiville University
20	OM	RATAMARY			18	WSI	Canal Canalha [Andarahy]
21	CF	MATÍAS COSTA			18	WSI	Red Star Mardi
22	CF	C.P. MONEY			17	SSI	Raven University
23	CB	DAVID GENDARO			19	WSI	Porto Comercial State University
24	CB	Evan Jéorg COUNTOUT-MATUIDI	18	ESI	Port Rique University
25	DM	Grégori CABAYE			18	ESI*	Lucita Bolla [Deluphi]
26	CM	RATINHO				17	WSI	Porto Velho University
27	OM	Henrietta AMALFITANO		17	ESI	Miss Alissa University
28	CF	Malenna VON KRAUS		17	NSI*	Marylebone Espirit [The Fallenmark Islands]
29	CF	Henrik RIPPERT-LLORIS		19	ESI	Georgetown Arts Academy
ON STAND-BY (INJURY BANK)
Num.	Pos.	Name				Age	NAT	Team
--	GK	Mike CARRADINE-LEWIS		19	ESI	Georgetown Arts Academy
--	LB	Nicolaw WROCZEV			18	SSI*	CNN [Saint Anne and Jacob]
--	CB	Casey SQUOSHELLOUS		17	NSI	Project +90
--	CB	Dennis ELISSON			20	NSI	Project +90 Felix
--	RB	Widnes KINGSTON-ROWES		19	ESI	Davestone University
--	DM	Iran DEMICHELLIS		18	SSI	Empire State University
--	CM	MÁRIO CACAU			19	WSI	Santa Vaporeona Southern University
--	CM	MIGUEL SARNEY			17	NSI	Project +90
--	OM	MIGUEL PEREIRA			18	NSI*	Project +90
--	CF	Eric KWRAVRENJARVK		18	SOL	IFK Nytt
--	CF	Nexxus RIOT			18	BPI	Wolfenstade Ehrgeiz [Kitsunia-Deesse]
STAFF
Num.	Pos.	Name				Age	NAT	Team[/u]
--	COACH	SILVA FREIRE			30	WSI	Unattached			[Style: +1]

Asterisk denotes player with double nationality.
Trigrams:
Main Nations:
NSI - Northern Sunrise 	|WSI - Western Sunrise	|ESI - Eastern Sunrise	|SSI - Southern Sunrise
Colonies:
NED - North Edenia      |SOL - Soluppgängen	|BPI - Basil Pike	|AON - Aonx
SED - South Edenia	|SAN - Sant Jordi	|SON - Son Vasco	|STE - Saint Elsewhere
NMW - New Milkwood	|NVA - Novacqua		|WDW - Widowrovery	|ROB - Roberick
SPR - Spear Pillar	|ARC - Arceusland	|NOV - F.A.A. Nova	|FLT - Flatland Heights
CRO - Crosstate

RP PERMISSIONS
Don't kill or injure them. Rest is fine.

by **Semarland** » Wed Oct 01, 2014 10:26 am

A brilliant 4-0 victory over Independent Gredavcat saw Semarland top the qualifying group - with three wins out of three, six goals scored, and none conceded.

Marc Strand scored the first with a 24th minute penalty after a trip on Thorsten Luune. Strand converted the penalty with no hesitation, beating the Gredavcat goalkeeper. Diego Snow doubled it on 31 minutes, after twisting and swirling around the entire Gredavcat defence, before smacking the ball home. However, Gredavcat looked strong and tested Blaise N’Zonzi numerous times.

Semarland scored again right after the break. On the 46th minute, a brilliant lob from Marc Strand found Thorsten Luune who belted it home. Lasse Pedersen rounded it off with a brilliant sublime finish on the 86th minute, completing the 4-0 rout and sending Semarland to the group stages. Semarland will be in Group E, alongside Mizuyuki, Filipines, Patistan and the Holy Republican Empire. This will be a tough group.

SEMARLAND: Blaise N’Zonzi; Kristo Aalmkjaer, Niko Schone, Jores Mbangu, Mikael Jakobsen; Gunner Brickwalk; Lasse Pedersen, Marc Strand, Diego Snow (Adebayo 84); Thorsten Luune (Maaksemstad 77), Amos Nkuna-Ybangwa (Moss 85)

Player ratings:
Blaise N’ZONZI - 8 - Showed brilliant form in goal and is a good contestant for the No.1 spot.
Kristo AALMKJAER - 8 - Was excellent in left-back as always.
Niko SCHONE - 7 - Made some great tackles in the game.
Mikael JAKOBSEN - 8 - Provided superb cover for the injured Reto Janssen.
Gunner BRICKWALK - 9 - Was a rock in defensive midfield.
Lasse PEDERSEN - 8 - Good tactical play and a sublime finish to top it all off.
Marc STRAND - 9 - A man of the match performance from the 16-year old.
Diego SNOW - 7 - Decent game, fantastic solo goal.
Thorsten LUUNE - 8 - Played much better than in other games.
Amos NKUNA-YBANGWA - 7 - Provide good decoy runs and an excellent partner to Luune.
SUBS:
Soren MAAKSTEMSTAD - 6 - Decent, but missed a few chances.
Pascal ADEBAYO - 7 - Played very well for the last few minutes.
Erik MOSS - 7 - Brilliant target-man for the last few minutes.

by **The Inevitable Syndicate** » Wed Oct 01, 2014 2:05 pm

The Football Federation of Mertagne Presents...

The Calanian Union National U-21 Football Team
For The Di Bradini Cup 32
Held in the Summer of 2191

The Calanian Union's first Youth Squad for international play needed to be one that could show the world that the nation is full of rising stars, and Mertian manager Vandero Seltzassi didn't have too much trouble picking from the best youths the Union had to offer in the LigAnaia, thanks to the league's tightly knit transfer culture, that often sees players joining third tier clubs in other nations in order to get a feel for international play while still remaining in the league.

Seltzassi's got a good bunch of players, that key people in the industry like Gerald Montier will be looking at closely, hoping to snatch up some of the better ones for World Cup play. Among those considered the best of the team include 19 year old Lester Fiero, whose skills often amaze those playing FC Oberyn's Shield on match days when he is in goal, and 20 year old midfielder Bic Morandi, who many condier to be the next Bradley Birch. If he'll meet those expectations, nobody knows, but Seltzassi's put him on the starting squad to test his skills.

Captaining the team is 21 year old Antony Sixton, a current reserve striker for the Syndicatian dominated club of Tenth Star Hasiera. Picked by Seltzassi because he was the loudest player on the pitch in training, Sixton seems to be coping well in his role, guiding some of the younger players to make more attacking manoeuvres against bigger and maybe scarier foes.

A strong squad for the future of Calanian football, then. While the limelight might not be on them due to a lack on interest in football in recent years, this Di Bradini Cup should be the perfect platform in order to build a footballing career for all 21 of these under-21's.

Vandero Seltzassi's Player-Picking Depth Chart:
	GOALKEEPERS:
No.	Pos.	Name			Age		Club
1	GK 	Johannes Medici		18	 Dysenside Duellers
12	GK 	Lester Fiero		19	 FC Oberyn's Shield
37	GK 	Phil Dornell		18	 Utica United
	DEFENDERS:
2	DEF	Kaden Osbourne		17	 KT Koroatuz
3	DEF	Mann Milburn		20	 Six Star Cyanaes
4	DEF	Anton Viponde		18	 Sien Bay Pirates
5	DEF	Gus Merrv		19	 DDR Fighting Disco
13	DEF	Pacal Durante		19	 CF 16 September
14	DEF	Evan Royer		21	 Lowlands United
	MIDFIELDERS:
6	MID	Bic Morandi		20	 Rye's Landing FC
7	MID	Louis Crespo		17	 Codexus Fraxcinus
8	MID	Jann Firoensi		18	 Ceilerden Harp
9	MID	Raymond Smitt		20	 CF St. Alfreds
15	MID	Virgil Alderesi		17	 Hersch Albion
16	MID	Kirk Lambert		19	 Fligsive Gunners AFC
	FORWARDS:
10	FW 	Antony Sixton		21	 Tenth Star Hasiera
11	FW 	Miles Rinaldi		19	 Internashionale
17	FW 	Ben Lintone		20	 Myre Town
18	FW 	Quentin Ponticorvide	20	 Burgess Mariners
19	FW 	Frank Deniauld		18	 Callisto City
20	FW 	Ichiio Tupper		18	 Nightwatch FC

Starting Lineup:

Kits:

Style: +0.370
Manager: Vandero Seltzassi
Coach:   Kat Imasyndii

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Do absolutely anything short of killing my players: Y

by **Zenic** » Thu Oct 02, 2014 5:54 pm

“Another year, most likely another set of headaches,” Assendorp said aloud.

Assendorp proceeded to lay his head on the headrest and closed his eyes as the Zenic U21 national team flight took off. He sat beside the other two important staff: his assistant, Cremona and Dr. Oceanus. “That’s one way of put it,” replied Cremona, reading the latest edition of the Leinz Herald and the exploits of the senior team in the Copa Rushmori. Cremona was envious of Sanders and the fact that he was the most famous and successful of all the managers of national team squads in Zenic. He could only hope that he and Assendorp could win a Di Bradini Cup soon. Heck, even Duval had an U15 world championship…Duval, of all people.

Assendorp opened his eyes once the plane had leveled out. “So, who do we face first this year? I’m curious as to whom we might face.” Cremona rolled his eyes and flipped the newspaper to the Di Bradini Cup special foldout which showed Zenic’s group mates. Cremona couldn’t help but chuckle when he saw who they had first. “The Unified Sunrise Islands,” replied Cremona singularly.

Assendorp stood up in his seat, looking over at Cremona. “Brutus, you better be kidding me right now! We don’t seriously face off against the Sunrise Islands again…especially now that they have their shit together and are pooling all of their talent into one team.” Cremona smiled a bit, slightly enjoying the sight of his former rival, and now boss, bewildered. “Yup, looks like it. The game is going to be played in Ponyville at the Elements Stadium. We’ve also got games against Jeckland, Super-Llamaland and then we end the group stage against Cosumar. So, we’re going to have to play as well if not better than last year.”

“Yeah, yeah. You think I don’t know that, Brutus? I don’t want to be the only national team manager to not win a trophy,” replied Cremona. He returned to lying his head on the headrest with his eyes closed, trying to catch a little bit of rest. “Now shut up and let me rest. The moment we land in the Equestrian States, we’re going to be spending most of the time either drinking, yelling or preparing for the match so better rest up when you can.”

If the last match against the Sunrise Islands, and the last Di Bradini cup, was any indication, it was going to be a tough and memorable tournament.

by **Darvale** » Thu Oct 02, 2014 6:09 pm

The Official Darvalian Roster for the Di Bradini Cup 32

Starters
#1 | Goalkeeper - James Cullen | 19 Years Old | Astaria United FC
#3 | Left Central-Back - Keenan Cambie | 20 Years Old | Moncton FC [Quebec]
#5 | Central-Back - Ryan Adman | 18 Years Old | Astaria United FC
#4 | Right Central-Back - Andrew Chambers | 19 Years Old | Karijuku Lirin [Mizuyuki]
#2 | Left Central Midfielder - Sean Cornerstone | 18 Years Old | Free Agent
#6 | Central Defensive Midfielder - Leyton Caine | 18 Years Old | Dayton FC
#9 | Right Central Midfielder - Louis Porter | 20 Years Old | Free Agent
#7 | Left Winger - Rohen Lambeau | 19 Years Old | Free Agent
#9 | Central Attacking Midfielder - Callum Ramsey | Cyflymder CP [Zenic] | CAPTAIN
#14 | Right Winger - David Rowe | 20 Years Old | Kingsgrove [Brenecia]
#11 | Central Striker - Jermaine Wallcroft | 19 Years Old | Free Agent

Substitutes
#12 | Goalkeeper - Michael Nakamoto | 20 Years Old | Fairbanks United FC
#13 | Left-Back - Shane Smith | 18 Years Old | Grimsby Town FC
#15 | Right Central-Back - John Marble | 19 Years Old | Connover 1878
#16 | Left Central Midfielder - Kenny Sterling | 17 Years Old | Free Agent
#17 | Right Central Midfielder - Archie Fleming | 17 Years Old | Free Agent
#21 | Left Winger - Ruben Stokes | 17 Years Old | Shirane Strike [Mizuyuki]
#23 | Right Winger - Cassius Camden | 18 Years Old | Kagami Sunburst [Mizuyuki]
#10 | Central Striker - Sean Mallory | 20 Years Old | Grimsby Town FC

by **Mizuyuki** » Fri Oct 03, 2014 1:41 am

"What d'you think of this crop of players, Kaede?"

I snorted and helped myself to a bottle of sparkling mineral water from the minibar.

"I think you'll find I have nothing to add on to my assessment of last cycle's team. That's because we basically picked the same thirty players as we did last cycle."

"Oii ... we did select one or two new girls. Or have you forgotten Sakuranami's in our starting XI for the opening match?"

"She's one player."

"Kirigiri forgot to put in the optimism when she made you ..."

It was four in the afternoon. We had just been out for a training session - thanks to a certain pony's largesse, we had been able to procure a training pitch for the team's use - and make use of it we did. We'd been out putting the players through their paces since seven in the morning, with a couple of breaks spaced in between for rehydration and nutrition. Less than two days until we opened against Filopines. We had to make use of every spare moment to get the team up to speed and firing on all cylinders.

All in all, our stay in Whitetail had proved largely uneventful, though the average human wouldn't believe it thanks to the hordes of sentient animals trooping about the place. Their tourism people certainly weren't joking when they sold themselves as home to a wide range of species - so far we had come across earth ponies, unicorns, pegasai, and sentient horses, to name but four. Fuu even fancied she saw a sentient Kodak bear in an ice-cream parlour, gobbling down a sundae dripping with honey.

There was one 'funny' moment, and I use that term in its loosest sense, when the pony who had been assigned to cater to our needs - Apple Cobbler I think her name was - could make no sense of the word 'football'. It took us the best part of half an hour to realise that they, the ponies, called it 'hoofball'. The back-and-forth was verging on tiresome; at one point I had to restrain the urge to break something - but in the end Samukawa was able to get her hands on a multilingual dictionary, and we ended up getting through to her.

The rent cost us a bomb, even with the discounts we squeezed out of the pony proprietor by waving our official DBC cards in her face. Totally worth it, though; the indoors 'hoofball' pitch was equipped with just about everything a top-tier pro team could possibly need. I was delighted to find the sorting equipment we had requested in pristine condition, as was Fuu when she was able to avail herself of the services of a professional earth pony chef at a cafe right across the street. Only to be expected; Fuu was always the more epicurean out of the two of us, after all.

I went about overseeing the drills while my best friend busied herself ordering Caesar salad and just about anything else the cafe had on the menu. The owner must have been overjoyed; it isn't every day that a customer single-handedly doubles your profit margin for the week. But the rest of us had no complaints about munching on greens for lunch, and particularly succulent ones at that.

One advantage that comes with fielding an entire roster of prepubescent girls has to be the savings on food expenses.

Anyway, we were back at it hammer and tongs once the last stick of celery had been swallowed and the last bottle of carrot juice ingested. I still managed to come close to breaking the sound barrier once or twice - most notably when an errant shot struck Fuu full in the small of her back - but all in all, I concluded the training session reasonably happy with what I had seen.

I wouldn't be caught dead uttering these words in public, but I had to admit that these girls had come a long way since they first took to the pitch under our guidance. Where there was once a bunch of slapstick individuals who were only united by a common love of football, there was now a professionally trained U21 team, tactically flexible, mature and possessing remarkable physical attributes for their age. Granted, they had a ways to go before they could stand toe-to-toe with the cream of the crop; granted, they had been a shambles for the best part of the ninety minutes in our last full match against the senior team, who had been fielding their second choice side. But hell, after seeing the profligate Steiner of old gone, replaced by a consummate poacher with ice running through her veins; after witnessing Uryū actually track back with tenacity during a match; after seeing Kashiwagi in full command of her area, a vastly improved incarnation of the error-strewn performer who'd concede at least one soft goal every match - it was hard not to get my hopes up.

That alone would have been enough to get anyone's hopes up. But most pertinently, we had an especially exciting performer amongst our ranks for this DBC. Sakuranami Koeda, a product of Kagami Sunburst's much vaunted youth system. A deep-lying playmaker by trade, she was a player in the mould of the senior side's Ishibashi Tomoe - a languid player who could drift in and out of matches, consistent only in her inconsistency. If she was having an off day, you could slap her in the middle of a high-school kickabout and she'd get muscled off the ball every time she touched it. But damn, she was practically electric whenever she was on her game. I had spent the best part of three months working with Koeda, but the only time she ever let her immense potential shine through the stifling layers of muddling, maddening mediocrity was in the latter stages of the friendly match against the seniors.

Losing 1-4 with half an hour still to play, I had elected to go for the unexpected, risky gambit - and so I made a triple sub, replacing the pedestrian Kamazuki with Sakuranami. It was more a desperate final toss of the dice than a strategic alteration, but my introduction of Sakuranami turned out to be masterstroke in its own right. Playing to the left of captain Miyashiro, the driving forward runs and majestic passes that the fourteen-year-old produced belied her tender age. One reverse pass, in particular, was sublime - it left the tiger of Mizuyuki's midfield, Saten Ruiko, lunging at thin air while the ball was ferried forward by the grateful recipient of the pass. In hindsight, I should have fielded Sakuranami from the start, although it is debatable as to whether she would have managed to sustain her level of performance for the entire ninety minutes. She single-handedly tore the senior team to shreds. Thanks to her, we battled from 1-4 down to 3-4; and to cap off a truly spellbinding performance, Sakuranami supplied a cross-cum-shot that curled past Takanashi in the goal and pinged off the crossbar. Had that been an inch to the left, we would have drawn level - and it would have been a fourteen year old debutant who dragged us to the result.

At the end of it all, we just couldn't find the equaliser. But the fact that the senior side's manager, Shirakiin, approached Sakuranami and congratulated her after the match, spoke volumes. The message that was waiting for me on my smartphone is still fresh in my memory - 'you've got a gem of a player there, Kaede. Nurture her well; I just might poach her for the next World Cup.'

"The next World Cup, huh ..."

"Why're you talking to yourself, Kaede?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just thinking ... you might be right. With all the talent at our disposal, we just might stand a chance."

"Stand a chance at what?"

I smiled and chugged down the rest of my mineral water.

"Winning the DBC, of course."

by **Northern Sunrise Islands** » Fri Oct 03, 2014 10:11 am

The Sunrisians were all set. The first tournament under the Unified Sunrise flag was clearly a mix of representatives. Northern, Western, Southern, Eastern. Hell, even colonial-born players like the Christopherssons and the already near established June Gardot earned a slot. The squad was already set on the hotel and after the training, a couple of players kept chatting on the field.

"So, you're saying that while we were there, dealing with our own business." said Henrietta Amalfitano, scrubbing her hair. "...Northern Sunrise won the Di Bradini Cup already?" The Eastern Sunrisians had a lot of curiosity regarding on what the World was before they arrived from their own dimension.

"Yeah, but even then, Northern Sunrise isn't as developed as the rest." muttered C. P. Money, the full-of-himself bench forward from Southern Sunrise. "Western Sunrise has a near perfect water transporting sector, Eastern Sunrise has cultural benchmarks and Southern Sunrise is the War Master one. NSI's just average."

June Gardot sighed, giving Money a very dirty look. "I think you forgot that the "average" country ran over the biggest threat to peace back in the Corvidae days, has a very powerful artistic scenery and so happens to use Abras for teleportation, making ships rather useless."

C.P. grew on the discussion, angered. "So you're saying that your land is superior? Typical."

"Actually, I'm from North Edenia." answered June, giving an ironical smile.

"Oh, a colony." muttered C.P. "How amusing. Isn't there an actual Northern Sunrisian to defend their case?"

The group looked among each other, only to find out that Felipe Hogan was the sole Northern Sunrisian around that didn't left the pitch. Felipe looked to both sides before looking at them and answering everything, on a nutshell.

"Eh... We're all special in some way, brother. Besides, we're not here to talk about politics. We have people to legdrop and a title to win."

by **Felix** » Fri Oct 03, 2014 3:31 pm

Free Media In Unfree Felix

DBC 32 / U-21 WC 53 Preview
By: Steven Smith

It took a while but it’s finally here, the 32nd Bi Bradini Cup / 53rd Under Twenty One World Cup has reached the tournament final group stage as the qualifying stages concluded with a playoff round to determine the last two teams from the qualifying stage. Along with that, the Equestrian States (the host) quickly drew the groups for the tournament. Felix was placed in a tough looking (at least on paper) group, Group D. Group D contains Audioslavia, Felix, Tumbra, Quebec, and Kernansquillec. Judging by past and current results this group is the “Group of Death”. Audioslavia, the underperforming yet always dangerous side, Felix (us) which fields a strong team this year, Tumbra which had a promising qualification, Quebec which has been making noise with their U-21 programme , and Kernansquillec which finished 3rd last DBC. By far this group looks to be the toughest of them all, hence the name.

Now we are going to take a look at the teams we’ll face Group D individually starting off with Audioslavia.

Audioslavia- Despite the fact Audioslavia’s senior side won two cups their U-21 programme has been… Underwhelming. Sure, they have made some runs where they get out of the group stage but in Audioslavia’s history of having a U-21 team in the Under Twenty One World Cup they results they have had has been, unimpressive. But this year they field a good team that can make it out of this group probably and make a neat run to a Quarterfinal finish.

Felix- Felix is feeling confident for this Under Twenty One World Cup and who could blame them? Quebecois coach, Ho Weon Han has led to the U-21 Programme’s revival after consecutive World Cup failures by winning gold in women’s football and getting a strong quarterfinal finish for the men’s tournament. With these recent results it is safe to say that this cup could be the cup to win for Felix but there are some stiff competition mainly in the form of a always strong (only because they cheat) Free Republics and San Jose Guayabal, which was got silver in the women’s football event. But Felix seems to have that determination and skill to persevere through those potential challengers.

Tumbra- This U-21 programme is relatively new to the U-21 footballing world but so far has impressed us with their attacking styled offense and how they finished in the qualifying stage with a perfect record with no defeats or draws. But will that translate into the final group stage? We are unsure, after all this Tumbra team is new to us and we have no history of them playing in the U-21 stage but before we finish with this team lets remind our readers that Felix was a debutant before in this tournament and we did finish 4th, our best finish. So don’t always count off the newbie this time.

Quebec- The idea of a Quebecois U-21 National Team should be intimidating for us, I mean one of their coaches is the national team coach for our U-21 team, but alas, this team needs some work in order to be a true challenger they need to be better at the defense and midfielding positions. Despite those shortfalls they do have some starlets that we should keep an eye on from a competitive standpoint and a club buying that player standpoint. Leonardo Coavacio and Angelo Gelinas are two midfielders that are talented and could pose a threat to our defense. In defensive side of the pitch we have Jannik Kontiola who, while isn’t flashy or a player of attractive football he is very physical and can cause disorder in an organized attack. Lastly in this team we have Seung Myeon Courtois who is their goalkeeper. He has great hands for catching balls and vision to see the ball coming but he does have a weak defense in front of him (other than Kontiola) and will eventually succumb to that pressure. Coconutstani sapient Coconut William Bowens will be the official coach of the team.

Kernansquillec- Despite the fact this team has yet to post a roster on the DBC/U-21 WC database we believe that this team will still carry the threat and sting it had back when they finished a programme high 3rd place finish. That’s assuming that most of the players from that 3rd place team are actually playing this world cup, if not then expect this team to much easier than previously thought.

Elsewhere in the final stage, Group A looks to be another tough group as hosts Equestrian States faces off against Nephara, Taeshan, Chiata and other strong qualifier team, The Oaklands. I predict the hosts and Nephara are going to make it out of the group with The Oaklands finishing a strong third. Next up is Group B which contains San José Guayabal, 95X, Blouman Empire, Schottia, and Darvale. The only nation that can clearly win Group B is SJG which has been successful in the unofficial U-23 tournament that is the Olympics. After B is C and Group C contains some interesting teams. United Sunrise Islands (formerly known as NSI, or ESI, or WSI, or SSI…), or USI for short, Jeckland, Zenic, Super-Llamaland and Cosumar. All these teams have an equally as good of a chance to qualify for that group since every team presents themselves as a team that can do some good things, especially for USI which contains the talents of all the Sunrise Islands.

Moving on and skipping Group D (for obvious reasons), is Group E which contains Mizuyuki, Filopines, Patistan, Semarland, and the Holy Republican Empire (gross). Predicting a close fight for that second spot as Mizuyuki will probably get first and Semarland and HRE will duke it out for that 2nd spot. Group F is just as clear as Group E due to the fact Polar Islandstates is in a group that contains, Devonta, Kiryu-shi, Nassau Hessen, and Lymantatia. Obvious choice for first place is PIS followed by either Kiryu-shi or Devonta. Group G contains a Corvidae team, yep, that organization is actually still a thing as Furellum faces off against Wolfbenz which had a solid qualifying campaign, former Corvidae nation, Ytrribia, Ko-oren and Darmen. Lastly, Group H contains two former Corvidae states and one current one. The Calanian Union (formerly known as the Inevitable Syndicate) and Farfadillis square off against The Sarian. The other two teams in that group are Estenia and Abanhleft. Out of these teams Farfadillis and The Sarian look like to be solid candidates to get out of the group stage as The Calanian Union will probably embrace their past as being an underachiever in the U-21 WC.

Our first match will be against Kernansquillec the team that finished third last DBC and has yet to field a roster. It’s because of that I am not sure what we can say about this team. I guess they will pose a challenge but at the same time they might not. What we do know though is the lineup for Felix. It starts off with goalkeeping captain, Bernat Picasso. In defense Ho Weon Han is looking to start an all-female line Kreszenz Vann, Rachel Fabron, and Ulrika Kistner getting the nod to start. In the midfield expect to see León Félix, Alexa Narváez, Ana Baptista, and Rudolf Venetianer to start. And finally the unpredictable forward corps will include Nicolas Costa and Simonetta Neroni. That’s it for Felix, good luck to the team and until next week!

by **United States of Devonta** » Fri Oct 03, 2014 4:45 pm

Devontan Di Bradini Storm!
The road to the Di Bradini Cup 32 has just begun for the young inexperienced Devontan U-21 national team, The team surprising critics by taking Group 1 in the pre-qualifiers by storm with a series of three well played close matches against the Group 1 nations, Daritii, Western Borderlands, and Cosumar. First beating Western Borderlands 2-1 surprising some critics and then taking down the more experienced team from Cosumar in a close 2-1 victory topping the team that most critics put on the top of the list for Group 1. In there last match of the pre-qualifiers the Devontans beat the struggling U-21 national team from Daritii 2-0 ending up the surprising #1 team in Group 1, With a total of nine points with the next team at six.

Even after much hard work the young Devontans had a hard played October 1st friendly against Estenia that resulted in a 5-5 draw, Both teams playing well but making mistakes. The next day the Devontans received there first break in a long time, Although the next day the team practiced in preparation for there next matches in Group F against the teams of Kiryu-shi, Nassau Hessen, Polar Islandstates, and Lymantatia. Polar Islandstates by many has been chosen as the top pick for Group F but the young Devontans believe they can pull it off and beat Polar Islandstates and the other favorite Kiryu-shi.

by **Super-Llamaland** » Fri Oct 03, 2014 4:50 pm

"What are the three nations whose flags are almost all green and yellow?"

"Senegal!"

"Cameroon!"

"...and, the last one is Jeckland! One of the nations in our DBC group!"

"..."

"...that was the worst build up you've ever written."

"It wasn't that bad, was it-"

"I am legally obliged to slap you."

DI BRADINI CUP 32 GROUP C PREVIEW

The group draw was fickle, I'll have to admit. The new and improved Sunrisian squad, with a cartload of new islands now in the mix, along with Jeckland, Cosumar, and Zenic could all be threats to make the final eight, our Royals included. Let's take this one apart team by team.

JECKLAND
The Spuds of Rack City

While player info hasn't come from Jeckland's authorities yet, this can be a very dangerous nation. While inconsistent, possibly due to their many playing strategies, the team's out-of-nowhere success in lacrosse and baseball is a strong portent.

ZENIC
The Empire's Young Survivors

Unlike the Jeckish, Zenic has already posted a roster for the world to see, and what we see isn't encouraging. Aalto, Van der Vennen, and Mulryan form a solid front line with the brilliant attacking-halfback Zabala and Jani, the captain and Quick, the right-halfback playing just as well. With a passable back line supplemented by Raphael Phelps donning the number-one kit, this team could prove to be quick and possession-based, playing solid football and showing what made this organization Baptism of Fire champions.

UNIFIED SUNRISE ISLANDS
Arceus's Best Eleven

A nation with a long, storied history of success, the Northern Sunrise Islands, have just gotten better. With the addition of Sunrisians of the Eastern, Southern, and Western variety, along with many a colony, the dynamic, uptempo offense is now just as good as ever. With a solid back four and a diamond 4-4-2, Davi and Gardot set for breakout tournaments in particular, it's hard seeing how they'll be eliminated early.

SUPER-LLAMALAND
The Royals of the Republic

Here we are! With newly-hired Adam Castronova, the mastermind behind Corbin Island Polytechnic University's run to the championship, at the helm and some of the LSL's best managers, Nilsson and Adrien, at his side, we're sure these selections could prove to be great. Castronova favors a fluid, pushing 4-1-4-1, more attacking than most, with the defensive midfielder often pushing forwards to snag poorly-executed clears. Reginald Apostaza gets a rare second chance at the DBC and should prove an excellent keeper, and the kamikaze counterattacks, based off the driving run, of the offense should work well. With half-Arendellenske striker and captain Kristopher Nilssen heralding a new wave of northern immigrants, including Rasmussen, Bogusevic, and Herleksson, all potential starters, this could be an even better team than the one that went to the quarterfinals four years ago.

COSUMAR
The Silver Dragons of AO

Formerly one of the world's best, Cosumar has since then fallen on leaner times. But this is not a team that you should underestimate. With an attacking 4-2-3-1 spearheaded by diamond Lilley, Mason, Kaspian, and Va'Goshal in the front, all of which could see NT caps within a few years, this could be the wave of talent that takes Cosumar back to their old heights. A solid defense should help them out as well.

Predictions:

The Unified Sunrise Islands is just too strong to handle and will take first. Second is up for grabs, but we feel the Royals have the ability to take it, followed closely by Zenic and Cosumar. Jeckland, in fifth, will be a victim of a strong group - none of the big names like Group D, the group of death, but definitely a harder one.

by **Nephara** » Fri Oct 03, 2014 5:20 pm

THREEFOURTHREE MAGAZINE
The Di Bradini Cup - A Retrospective

Tess Riether's selection for the new Di Bradini Cup squad has just been released. It isn't a tournament where Nephara has traditionally enjoyed success, but it has nevertheless paved the way for a new belief in youth development, and the talent of our up-and-coming players. But ultimately, how much does success at this level guarantee the step up to the national team? Gretchen Merchant delves into the archives to find out.

Looking through the roster for the Di Bradini Cup tells a story in itself.

The manager, Darryl Boyden, was a bitter but experienced manager for senior club sides - he'd volunteered for the job due, for the most part, to his disillusionment with that work. And yet, this was to be the best performance of his four cycles in charge.

The question is - where are they now? Was that first batch a success?

Daniel Cromwell
A good goalkeeper, he now plays for Alianza FC after they showered Crisisbless in money. Hasn't gotten within a sniff of the national team since.

Harry Grimm
Entered the tournament as Sabrefell Athletic's backup goalkeeper. Currently Sabrefell Athletic's backup goalkeeper.

Seb Seward
While the then-Goodfeather goalkeeper was third-choice during the tournament, Seward has since superceded Grimm at Sabrefell Athletic.

Rhys Bergman
Second of the three Athletic players there. Bergman is now captain of Athletic, but has never been capped and has had the unfortunate fate of being overshadowed by others at his position - first Snowy Sleet, then Markus Rhein.

Hadrian Belfast
The first resounding success story. Recently plucked from Chenoworth Harriers, Belfast was by this stage yet to enjoy his successes with Athletic, and this would culminate in a set of 41 caps for the national team. But performances for both club and country would deteriorate with Sabrefell's league position, and he was dropped from national contention. However, a move to Dwile Warriors defibrillated his career, and he started to go above and beyond his already high expected potential. Now it's unthinkable to think of the national team without him at the heart of its defence.

Amanda Clough
Then of Corvette, Clough has blossomed into a very good Premiership-quality overlapping fullback. Surprised few when she was called up to the national team to back up, and then replace, Cathy Stokes.

Tosca Marlowe
Another success story. A dynamic rise paralleled that of her club, Shale, before Treason snapped her up. She's never left since. This tournament is notable for the beginnings of the Belfast-Marlowe partnership - the two centrebacks have always had disturbingly good chemistry considering they've never played at the same club.

Tara Dante
A volatile First Division leftback. A decent attacking player who needed more discipline. Now bouncing between divisions at Felix.

Brady Monroe
When he was 17, Monroe was regarded as an indestructible bulwark. Then his ACL snapped twice in two years. Now a First Division journeyman, but perhaps this isn't quite his own fault, and his career's starting to make a recovery - he's really a Brenecian, only qualifying through a Nepharim mother, and A-League clubs have been sniffing around his signature.

Lucas Hoffer
Found a home in Felix, where he's done well as a straightforward stopper centreback.

Elaine Candell
Has enjoyed a good Premiership career, chiefly with North Laithland. That said, she never really established herself as worthy of the Cormorants - save for the year in which North Laithland became champions. There were callups for Pearce and Keynes, but Sedgwick (who was later capped) and Candell were both overlooked.

Kylie Penrith
Another success story, though her best years are ahead of her. 17 years old and with Raven River, she nevertheless managed to start in the squad. A very fast, flamboyant player, and deservedly capped.

Chris Christon
A bustling, energetic attacking midfielder out of Brinemouth's academy, Christon was capped seven times for the national team, but looks unlikely to add to that - particularly after teammate Kunibert Mathias announced his eligibility for the Cormorants. Peaked early, but his performances in this Cup were superb.

Eloise Parrish
Like Christon, but less of an early bloomer. Parrish has a few caps to her name, and has enjoyed success with Maximum City.

Erin Camden
People expected precisely nothing of Erin Camden. But she went on to be one of the better performances in the next Cup, before becoming one of the leading lights not only for Parrhesia, but for her country as well. The hitch? That country was Brenecia.

Rhianna Bartok
Had the misfortune to try to build her career in the Icemark shortly before the Icemark lapsed from UICA. A good First Division player these days.

Adrienne Eastway
Fairly conventional rise. Once unselfish to a fault, she's fresh off scoring eleven goals in forty-two matches for Athletic.

Rook Cathar
We know how this story goes. First Moths, then East Franz, then glory for the Cormorants, that goal against Valladares... and now, a struggle for form that has seen him be a scapegoat at times.

Cheney Bittencourt
Yes. They were once strike partners. Rook Cathar was a volatile Moths academy graduate, Bittencourt enjoying a great run of form for Martella rewarding him with a contract for River. They showed decent chemistry - and now Bittencourt is trying to dislodge Cathar from the first XI, having enjoyed success with

Jake Valentine
A very good striker in the FCL, with no interest of returning to the Premiership. Temperamental but skilled.

Ryan Linen
Linen's reputation for streakiness eclipsed Cathar's at this stage, but he was always a fairly reliable source of assists, at least. Has spent practically his entire career in the Sunrise Islands.

Kyle Lawrence
Scored one Premiership goal, joined Leopolis. Pinged around the First Division - now with Bishop.

Sometimes it has seemed as though the U-21s are pointless - and there are many examples of players who've slipped under the radar. Rutger Locke, for instance, was never capped at youth level. But while you wouldn't, perhaps, want to craft an entire team from this set of 23, there's still a solid core who did go on to be capped - eight, from this group, and that isn't counting Erin Camden of Brenecia. And as scouting keeps improving, so will our selections.

And what does it matter if some of the current group don't become the next generation? Sure, it will demand the likes of Corren, Kestrel, Ashdown and Kellard to step up, and those four at least can be expected to have fertile national careers - but the beauty of this tournament is it can be an opportunity for others, as well. Alex Beckett will likely never be capped for the national team, but here and now they have the chance to represent the green and black - the likes of Larkland and Matheson are rewarded for their form as well. Sure, the point of the Di Bradini Cup is to develop youth. But it's important to remember it's a chance for lesser-known journeymen to shine as well.

And, well... if all that isn't enough? It's another chance to win a trophy. And we've never been a nation to turn that down.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Fri Oct 03, 2014 11:01 pm

CRESCENT NEWS NETWORK
SPORTS CHANNEL - OFFICIAL WEBSITE

ARSENAL DE RELEINTHI, RIUWIEE UNITED INTERESTED IN TUMBRAN STRIKER, AMONG OTHERS
By Adelmio Bandini

EQUESTRIAN STATES - It's only just been the qualifying stages of the 53rd U-21 World Cup, and already Tumbra striker Peter Jones has already scored nine (9) goals in two games. Yes, you read that right: nine goals in two games. It's such an impressive score tally that already, Premier League club managers are clamoring to secure the services of this prolific youngster as soon as the next transfer window opens.

"The kid has all the looks of an up-and-coming superstar," said Godric Wexler of Arsenal de Releinthi, latest champions of the Premier League, in a special one-on-one interview with the author. "I believe he would really benefit being included into the Arsenal system."

"When I saw this kid score his fourth goal in that qualifying game against Fenbar, I knew immediately that I was looking at the future of football," said Riuwiee United manager Georges Leblanc. "This Peter Jones has the potential of becoming probably the next Maradona, the next Messi. And I am confident that we can bring that talent out into the open through Riuwiee United."

Other clubs in the Premier League, like Xemlice Rovers, Rosenpfelblatz City, Wanda Island Wanderers, and even the usual cellar-dwellers like Ludogorets Markovsky, Submarin Yeralenko, and Antslinngs Islands are interested in snapping up the Tumbran youngster. But a few teams are not getting in on the Jones hype. Being the manager of Malabon SC, the author can safely say that his club has already invested so much in young players, which led to the usually-competitive side slipping lower and lower down the league table while the others kept on rising. Make no mistake, Malabon produces some of the finest young players of Abanhfleft today, but there are times that experience beats youth with raw talent.

It still remains to be seen whether Jones' home club will be willing to part with its newest star. But, when the philosophy of the buyers is "We can buy anything if the price is right," huge money may be involved if one of these teams do make a move on this diamond in the rough.

Adelmio Bandini is a retired Italian football player who played as a defender in Malabon SC from 2010 to 2013, when he officially retired from football. He was named Malabon's new manager in 2014, after the club went through extensive changes in management that eventually led to its prioritizing its youth school and subsequent drop in league standings.

MORE NEWS: ABANHFLEFT TRIUMPHS OVER OCTINSTINE 6-2 • ABANHFLEFT'S RECENT RUN OF OWN GOALS: WEAKNESS IN DEFENDERS OR MERE BAD LUCK? • AFOLAYAN: THESE OWN GOALS ONLY HAPPEN WHEN WE DON'T KNOW WHO WE'RE PLAYING AGAINST • GODRIC WEXLER REPORTEDLY INTERESTED IN OAKLANDIAN LIAM FREDERICKS

by **Jeckland** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 2:39 am

Th executive board of the JFB sat in the conference room. An emergency meeting had been called by the chariman of the national football body, Reece Swift. The 57 year old walked into the room, frustration etched into every line of his face. He looked as if he hadn't slept last night, and the congregated board were about to find out why.

"Ladies and gentelmen, despite the fact that we have withdrawn all funding from our national youth teams, believing they bring players away from the established academies for too long, some imbecile has entered us for the Di Bradini Cup."

He paused for effect.

"As we do not have a national U21 team, I have called this meeting to establish who exactly to send to Equestrain States to compete for us."

The officials sighed, knwoing this would be a long meeting. Little did they know.

The argument waged on, with several different options on the table. Retconning the withdrawal of fundgin and reassembling the team. Sending the academy side of a top Jeckish club. Holding open trials for a temporary team. To try to ensure meetings like this do not go on for too long, they are required to have a vote every two hours at least. Unfourtunately, the vote must have a clear majority to pass.

After 11 votes, 22 hours had passed. Frustrated, tired, Reece Swift was left with no other option.

"ALRIGHT, IT'S SIX IN THE FUCKING MORNING, NONE OF US HAVE SLEPT, LET'S AGREE ON SOMETHING AND GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"

"YOU SEE THAT HERD OF HORSES! THERE'S 23 OF THEM! THAT'S OUR TEAM! ANY OBJECTIONS! NO? GREAT!"

And he fell immediately asleep.

RP Permissions: Go mad.

by **Tumbra** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 7:16 am

It was seven in the morning when Peter Jones walked into Coach Stoff's hotel room.
"Coach..."
"Yes, Peter?" Robin said as he sat up, still in his nightclothes.
"Have you seen this?" Peter asked as he passed the newspaper over to him.
Robin took the paper, glanced at it, and looked up.
"Yes, I know about these rumors. So, tell me, are you intending to go?"
"I...I'm not sure. That's why I'm here. To..to seek your advice."
"Well, Peter, the decision is up to you, really, isn't it? Decisions in life are yours, not anyone else's. If you wish to go, then go. If you don't, then tell them straight in the face. Through a press conference, of course. I could always organise one for you, this afternoon in the Lobby..."
"I don't think that'll be needed, Coach. I need a few more days to...think it over."
"Let me give you some advice."
Peter looked up.
"Your current club is the Karanooga Jet-Setters, is it not?"
"Yes..."
"And you are indeed a member of the senior squad, no?"
"Yes...but I don't see how it will affect-"
"Well, Ahbanfleft is a mere five hours' flight away from Tumbra. If, in the end, you do decide to sign, just include a contract clause that makes you have the power to return to Tumbra during international breaks, and they must agree. If not, then, I might just say..."
"Say what?"
"That the future of your Tumbran international career hangs in the balance. Unless of course, you decide to change citizenship. What does your club say about this?"
"They won't let me go unless it's a sum of over 60 million pounds."
"Well, that may prove to be a stick-in-the-mud. I'll organize the press conference for after today's game, and then you can clear your mind on what you wish to say. I'll put you on the bench-now, don't argue. You've scored nine in three, but I don't want this to be influencing your form."
"Well, okay then..."
Peter left the room.

by **Estenia** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 7:59 am

Hotel Room, Oatlahoma City
2100 Local Time

Yuri Makareshi was in the same hotel room with Yuri Alekseyevich and as such, they had finished the training and they were resting in the living room on the big red sofa in front of the large 32 inch TV to watch Jelle FC playing their last match as everyone thought in the Globe Cup. Well Yuri Makareshi and Yuri Alekseyevich were saying something completely different and they had played their bets in the Equestrian States, they played the same bet, without anyone knowing it and they were the only ones playing that score. All the ponies and the pegasus' were asking them on how Jelle FC could win without them and that Yur Alekseyevich had to move to Jelle FC or both of them being older and playing in the team so they could make the best Jelle FC. Both of them were disagreeing with them just because they are good didn't meant that they were the best, while they were the best Estenian players, to Estenian opinion.

Let's return to the good stuff now, as they were holding their bets for the games, they opened the TV to an Estenian channel, Sports Channel 1HD which showed Jelle FC. The announcer said(Blue shows that the announcer speaks in Estenian)

"Hello, welcome to the last Globe Cup game for our champions against the superior team from superior country in association football Felix, Real Santa Maria. Let's see the basic lineups....
That's all the basic lineups, let the game begin.

that wasn't a good start for the morale of Yuri Makareshi and Yuri Alekseyevich but when they saw the first goal Alekseyevich quickly screamed

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL, GOAL, GOAL. It's in, we scored a goal. Come here Yuri and hug me."

and Yuri Makareshi said while hugging him tightly

"Here brother let's hug we scored a goal against a Felixian team, the biggest achievement of an Estenia, it surpassed Levadia Narkiv's win against Sparta Torspeda for sure. GOOOOOOOOOAL."

everyone that was a Jelle FC fan was screaming so damn much like them. A goal that united all the fans of the team and made others clap, even Kortu Dunamo fans, who were wishing not to see them as opponents if they qualified to the 3rd premlinary round, something almost impossible. Then after minutes the second goal was scored and both of them just jumped out of the sofa, and hugged each other tighter and Makareshi said this time

"Wow I still can't believe that we win with 2-0, we win a Felixian team, a Felixian, from a country ranked 33 in the world in Association Football leagues and 18 as national team. I really did want this thing to happen and it happens, let's score 2 more goals, it won't be much of a challenge if we play this way still."

then Alekseyevich said now that the TV Channel showed the replay

"You play it 4-0 also? Amazing we must share the money if the scores ends to that score, I am a both Jelle FC and a Juunu FC fan, actually I used to live in Murin before moving to Rannin to play for that team. I used to be a fan solely for Jelle but that changed over time. Now let's sit down and see the excellenmt game, we must win this thing."

then the refferee whistled the end of the 1st half and after waiting for 15 minutes preparing some popcorn and some cola, they sat down and started watching the game, the time was around 22:00 o'clock and they had lighted the lights a tad stronger to the room. When the refferee whistled for th second half to begin, they were silent, they were only eating the popcorn and drinking the cola whil watching the full fun game for them, on the 85th minute the 3rd goal is scored, they jumped out higher and they shouted louder and then in the replay Alekseyevich said

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL, WE DID IT AGAIN, WE DID AGAIN! Nice playing from our lads, don't you think?"

then Mareshi nodded positevely and answered

"Yes, indeed we must score a goal more."

and then on the next chance on the 90th minute the 4th goal, they shouted louder and jumper higher than the other goals and both of them screamed

"WE DID, WE DID, YEAH WE DID IT, WE DID THE IMPOSSIBLE! THE IMPOSSIBLE"

and then the match ended and starte singing the famous Estenian wining sone Lak Ik Nak in which means 'we won the tigers' in Old Estenian

"Lak ik nak, so ma kak se re so li ka lak, lak ik nak!"

and then danced the tradional 'Isaaland de Guurga' which mean island of mermaids in Old Estenian and then they drank some water before they went to sleep it was 23:30 when the match ended and they slept on 00:20.

by **Free Republics** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 1:10 pm

Sporting World

Di Bradini Cup, Thou Art Mine
by: Rule Theriault

Well, we are set to play Filopines tonight in our first match since our return to the Di Bradini Cup. To their credit, the Equestrian States have recognized that we are far too good of a team to have to play in a qualifying tournament and given us an automatic spot in the final field of 40. I want to start off by thanking them for that. To tell the truth, I never thought that I would be thanking them for anything, given that I still believe that it is unfair for ponies to play soccer against humans and I still believe that we should be considered the champions of Di Bradini Cup 27. Nevertheless, we are back in the Equestrian States, where they believe in some false goddess called Luna or something like that, I think. With the Starblaydians occupied at the moment and not even participating in their own tournament this time around, the Equestrians have once again earned the right to host the tournament.

Now, this immediately brings my thoughts back to the events that transpired the last time they hosted the Di Bradini Cup. As you may remember, that was the time when some Felixian troll made a false rape allegation against Kyle Bolton because she was too stupid to remember that she had slept, consensually, with Koby Theodore. To their credit, the Equestrians did not arrest any Republican players and they, generally, tried to avoid Feeding the Trolls. For that, I am eternally grateful. I am surprised that I am, once again, giving those talking ponies credit for something, but they deserve it.

Now, you may have heard about the recent events in Felix. The decent government of General Passerini, who established something resembling freedom and morality in the wicked and tyrannical land of Felix, has been overthrown by a bunch of terrorists, who laughably call themselves "Free Felix." I pray that the Creator of this multiverse shall rectify this wrong soon, for the land of Felix hath, once again, fallen into iniquity. This is most regrettable, since I was beginning to actually feel sorry for them, considering how we always seem to knock them out of the World Cup every year. Even worse, that lying scumbag Stephen Smith (OOC: [sic]) has apparently escaped from jail and returned to publishing articles that only bare a passing resemblance to the facts. For the record, Stefan, the Holy Republicans are NOT cheaters and we have never done ANYTHING even remotely underhanded. Come on, everybody knows that we're very good, except you, so get with the program and admit already that we're simply better than Felix.

Enough about Trolls. Its time to focus on the teams that are, actually, playing in our group. Our first opponent among them is Filopines. Filopines are a decent team, but outside of Beach Cups, I can't remember them ever playing at a truly elite level. Second is Patistan. They haven't revealed their roster yet, so I think they can be safely dismissed for now. Easy win. Then, we'll play Semarland. They apparently made it to the Round of 16 of the BoF last year. However, in the actual World Cup, they actually finished behind the Crystal Empire, of all mediocre soccer nations, in their group. We'll beat them as well. After a breather, we'll face the one opponent that, I guess, we really need to be worried about.

That would be the Mizuyuki Slants, our rivals from the infamous Group of Death. As you may remember, they narrowly edged us out for first place in the group, slamming that Glass Ceiling down on us to keep us out of World Cup 67. As you may also remember, they haven't been the same in the last 2 years and have, basically, spent those years at home watching us knock the Felix Trolls out of World Cups. Were it not for those ever-shifty Legalites, maybe we'd have 2 World Cup titles by now. But, that was then and this is now. We need to beat Mizuyuki on the final matchday and we need to do so without allowing them to get in any cheap shots on Koby Theodore, whether its over those old lies about him or whatever new phantoms Steaphan Smith decides to conjure up this week.

Once we're done, we'll have to face somebody from Group F. That group includes the United States of Devonta, a nation that will reportedly be competing in the next BoF, along with a bunch of rosterless nobodies. Those nobodies include Kiryu-shi, Nassau Hessen, Lymantatia and, most notoriously, the Polar Islandstates. To be honest, I'm not really worried about any of them. In case you don't remember, we're the team that knocked Polar Islandstates out of World Cup 68 and they're probably the best in that group.

Finally, I want to congratulate Connie Chase, who just signed a lucrative free agent contract with Trojana FC, of Quebec. While she will be competing, mostly off the bench, in this DBC, you will get the opportunity to watch her compete at the U-15 World Cup, as our team captain. That is, assuming that this year's U-15 World Cup isn't canceled. When she isn't competing with the National Team, however, she will now compete in the Q-League, where I am certain she will become the face of the league, sooner than many would expect. Be sure to watch the game tonight. God Bless the H.R.E.!

Rule Theriault is the manager for the Holy Republican National Soccer Team. Over the past few years, Theriault has taken a very young team and turned them into one of the best national teams in the multiverse. Currently, he is managing the U-21s in the Di Bradini Cup, hoping to uncover the next generation of Republican players.

by **The Royal Kingdom of Quebec** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 3:15 pm

Royal Kingdom of Quebec Grim Reapers

Country Code: QUE
Denonym:Quebecois
Nickname: Grim Reapers
Manager: William Bowens (Coconutstan), 79
Assistant Managers: Martin Bernardi (Norrehavn), 36
Ryan Ipsen-Khabbadi (Coconutstan), 38
Coaches: Cody Gallant, 27; Michel Lalonde, 42, Imam Al-Bahdi (Coconustan), 78
Physiologist: David Michener, 27
Captain: Jannick Kontiola, 19
Assistant Captains: Leonardo Conavacio, Angelo Gelinas

RP Permissions
Choose my goalscorers: Yes(TG me)
Godmod scoring events: Yes(TG me)
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes(TG me)
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes(TG me)
RP Injuries to my players: Yes(TG me, and no more than one)
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes(make them creative, but TG me beforehand )
Godmod other events: Yes(Be creative, but TG me beforehand)
Style Modifier: +5

Starting XI
GK- Seung Myeon Courtois, 20, St.John's Arsenal
DEF- Hye Min Jeong, 17, Montreal Koreana U-21
DEF- Lorne Dunford, 19, PLI Paladins (Q-League)
DEF- Jannick Kontiola, 19, OAS Royal FC (Cosumar)
MID- Aaron Shin, 16, Montreal Koreana (Q-League)
MID- Storm Marchand, 17, Kingston FC (Q-League)
MID- Edouard-Maxime Han, 21, St.John's Arsenal (Q-League)
FOR- Leonardo Conavacio, 20, Backwater City (Taeshan)
FOR- Rudy Ithbiro, 19, Project +90 Quebec
FOR- Angelo Gelinas, 19, Burgess FC (Greater Mertagne Union, LigAnaia)
FOR- Marco Engvall, 17, Kingston FC (Q-League Challenge)

Reserves

GK- David Isiduko, 16, Project +90 Quebec
DEF- Ryan Seon Hyeok Kim, 17, Winnipeg United (Q-League)
Andre Turrey, 16, Iqaluit Red Army (Q-League)
Rostislav Halak, 14, Montreal Impact (Q-League Challenge)
MID- Michel St.Armant, 15, Zenit Attawapiskat (Q-League)
Jason Kewispak, Chemo-Metallurg Sarnia (Q-League Challenge)
Michel Houde, 16, Montreal Koreana (Q-League)
FOR- Stanislav Konstantinov, 17, Project +90 Quebec
Jason Goulding, 18, Montreal City (Q-League Challenge)
Ryan Houde, 17, CSKA Quebec (Q-League)

Formation

3-2-3-2
----------------Middleton--------------
----Varsteeg-----Miller-----Kontiola------
--------Kim-----Han-----------
----Di Maria-----Boyle-----Conavacio------
--------Gelinas--------Zelaya------[/strike]

by **Nassau-Hessen** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 8:22 pm

Nassau U20 Di Bradini Squad

Nation: Nassau
Stadium: Arima Pavilion
Name: Eagles
Demonym: Nassauite or Hessian (Hessen refers to entire race)
Colors: Blue & Gold
Formation 4-3-3
Style Modifier: -1
The teams staff (and basically all teams of Nassau) always have a mindset on being balanced with a slight edge on defense. They see the importance of playing conservative and intelligently, preferring strategize counter attacks over aggressive attacks.

by **Equestrian States** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 9:05 pm

DI BRADINI CUP 32
MATCH DAY 1 RESULTS

Group A

Nephara 3–1 The Oaklands

at Royal Equestria Stadium in Canterlot

Taeshan 4–2 Chiata

at Star Stadium in Canterlot

Group B

95X 0–4 Darvale

at Derby Field in Manehattan

Blouman Empire 0–5 Schottia

at Manehattan Industrial Park in Manehattan

Group C

Zenic 2–2 Unified Sunrise Islands

at Elements Stadium in Ponyville

Super-Llamaland 2–1 Cosumar

at Sky-High Coliseum in Cloudsdale

Group D

Felix 2–0 Kernansquillec

at Diamond Park in Stalliongrad

Tumbra 0–1 The Royal Kingdom of Quebec

at the Maple Bowl in Trottawa

Group E

Filopines 2–1 Holy Republican Empire

at Wild Grounds in Everfree

Patistan 1–0 Semarland

at Shady Grove in Whitetail

Group F

Kiryu-shi 3–3 Lymantatia

at HarmonyLink Field in Seaddle

Nassau Hessen 4–1 Polar Islandstates

at Pony Lands Park in Manechester

Group G

Furellum 1–0 Darmen

at Apple Orchard Park in Appleoosa

Yttribia 0–3 Ko-oren

at Salt Lick Stadium in Salt Lick City

Group H

Estenia 0–1 The Calanian Union

at Thunder Palace in Oatlahoma City

Abanhfleft 7–2 The Sarian

at Point Stadium in Hoofston

Host Note: Expect the cutoff to be at about 11:00 PM EDT (or the midpoint in the window given in the OP) tomorrow.

by **Nephara** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 3:05 am

Tess Riether was a habitual note-taker, with a scratchy, skinny blue nib that tended to annoy anyone within a five-metre radius. And there were plenty to take, on a match that was possibly the easiest in the group. 'Easiest', however, didn't mean easy - U21 matches were so often on a knife-edge.
Early signs in training had been encouraging. Kruse and Ritter gelled well. Ashdown was superb at this level. And lanky Mike Kellard, who walked with an easy grace, and the stocky boar that was Harald Matheson were a fantastic partnership.
Riether had taken notes of her predecessor's matches, too. Too much rotation. Too risky. Dropping matches... that robbed a team of momentum. As a result, their record was poor. She was intent not to make the same mistake. Ashdown on the left and Christener on the right were making starts here - and both were roughly of even quality to those they were deputising for.
She'd scratched in a note that Kruse and Ritter were even chatting casually before the match. That helped, too. The team in general seemed easy going and prepared for victory.
Hell, what if they won the whole tournament? Stranger things had happened.
Oakland kicked off. Strange formation they seemed to have, a very wide... almost scattered 4-3-2-1. But they had talent - anyone who'd seen them in qualifying could vouch for that. They were very attack-minded, but a 15-year old in goal was surely nothing but a liability.
Minute by minute the match passed - the Magpies were cautious, but composed in defence, with a physicality their lone striker (two years Ritter's junior, three short of Kruse) was struggling to cope with.
Until Nephara got caught. A surging attack down the flank, Christener finding Matheson who smashed it right at the crossbar, and as it bounced down Matheson and Modden both ran forward into it, both flinging legs at it - contact from Matheson was weak, Tinns collected it without issue, and then hurled the ball ferociously forward to Holmes on the right side. He belted forward, a neat series of passes through the midfield, and while Fredericks couldn't do much on his own playing with his back to Kruse, and goal, he managed a neat layoff to Owen Gower. The attacking midfielder snapped a shot high and over Corren.
The pen scritched and scraped and snapped furiously, though Riether never took her eyes off the pitch.

The Magpies reacted.
That was the only word for it. They saw a deficit and they acted to change it. Matheson was first, finding his way onto a through-ball from Elaine Ashdown, holding back Yacht (both players grabbing one another's shirts, Matheson rather dragging the Oaklander captain along with him) and slotting home past Tinns. And there was another Matheson goal in the 38th minute, catching a Christener cross sweetly with his boot and leaving Tinns motionless.
How to bring the best out of them in the second half? "Turn the screws on 'em," said Riether in the interval. "They don't score, we win. The ball's in their half of the pitch, they can't score. We're stronger than them - make 'em know it. Make 'em fear us. The job's half done, but we slip up? And we're fucked."
Steadily, the Magpies began to muscle their opponents off the pitch - though Matheson was more muted, the Oaklands hoping to strike on the counter. With a flick of Kellard's head, the Magpies hit the crossbar for a second time, and Elsa Layland really should've scored unmarked from ten yards. Not that the danger was entirely one-way traffic - Chris McDonald, brought on for the ineffectual Fredericks, nearly snatched an equaliser as he rounded Kruse and fired, but Corren was equal to it. But the third was coming. And it came, surprisingly, for Jess Teagan - far more a creator than a goalscorer, but she fancied her chances from distance and, well, it paid off. A deflection off the back of Yacht helped take Tinns out of the picture, but it was goalbound regardless, and besides - their dominance had perhaps justified a bit of luck.
So there it was, then, a 3-1 comeback victory against respectable opposition, Riether's first match in charge. But had it really answered more questions than it had raised... ?
Riether's pen kept scratching and scraping furiously, even as the players celebrated on the pitch with handshakes and swapped shirts all around. Their work had finished for the day - Riether's had just begun.

by **Mizuyuki** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 3:13 am

"Well, I think it's safe to say that none of us saw that one coming."

Stretching on top of the plush couch, I reached over for the remote control and turned the television off. We had already concluded training for the day; left with a blank slot in the schedule, Kaede had coerced me, by way of threatening to confiscate my stock of chocolate, to watch the DBC's opening action. Well, sure, it was a good way to get a handle for our upcoming opponents, Filopines, but hey, I have better things to do with my time. I could have spent that time ... scarfing down a strawberry pudding, for instance.

"I hope you got a lot of info to share, Kaede, 'cause those two matches were like a Greek play to me. You know me - I'm not the type to stare at match footage and formulate clever strategies."

Kaede yawned, covering her mouth with a hand, before turning to give me what she clearly intended to be a stern stare; the only problem was, she was so sleepy that she came out looking like an adorable kitten instead.

" ... well, I was on the verge of falling asleep myself, Fuu. Can't blame me for nodding off when I've been out supervising strenuous training for the better part of the day. You, on the other hand ..."

She suppressed another yawn.

" ... you've just been lazing around, eating desserts and candies, haven't you? Not to mention getting in a sociable mood with the foals playing 'hoofball' on the next pitch."

I grinned sheepishly at this rebuke of hers. Knowing her as well as I did, it was easy enough to discern that her remarks carried no heat; it was just her way of balancing herself, in a manner of speaking, against my carefree, relaxed personality. She had to let off steam at times; steam that accumulated thanks to the pressures of managing a group of rowdy teenagers, not to mention the intense scrutiny that inevitably followed us back home. Rather than taking it out on some poor guy in one explosive burst, she let it off in carefully controlled spurts like these.

"Ehehe ... these Equestrian desserts are delightful. You really should try some of them out some time. How about I take you out for a meal after our match against Filopines tomorrow?"

"Nah, I'll pass. It isn't good for health, to be chewing on sweet things all the time. I still wonder if your entire alimentary canal is covered in some gooey mucus that breaks down all the excess glucose that you consume ... and I lie awake at night pondering the eternal question - how is it that you don't get toothache from all the sweets you eat?"

"Come over to the dark side, Kaede ... we have candies! Mountains and mountains of sweet delights that just melt in your mouth. You know you want to!"

Kaede waved me away dismissively. "Like I said, I'll pass ... I can't eat just before I hit the sack. I'll gain weight - and you know I need to stay in prime condition."

"Aww ..." Producing a lollipop from my carry bag, I swiftly removed the wrapping and stuck the lime-flavoured orb in my mouth.

"In any case, this set of results bodes well for us."

I looked up. "Eh? It does? I thought Filopines picking up the win was a bad thing, since we're going to be facing them next!"

Kaede heaved a weary sigh, immediately followed by a conspicuous yawn. "Of course it does, dummy. Remember, for all his faults Rule Theriault remains a very critical analyst of footballing matters. If he says Filopines aren't playing at an elite level, it means they aren't, though I wonder what that makes the Republicans ..."

"These two results boosts our hopes significantly, Fuu. First off, it deprives both our main contenders for the group title, the Holy Republican Empire and Semarland, of three crucial points. It keeps the pressure on them right from the off, and if we can grab the win tomorrow they'll only be under all the more pressure. Secondly, I'm not concerned by Filopines or Patistan - like Theriault wrote, Filopines are nowhere near elite level, and as for Patistan ... "

Kaede snickered. "I think it's pretty safe to say that they won't be making any waves - apart from their upset of Semarland, that is."

It was my turn to yawn. "On this evidence, Kaede, I think you'd be right at home as a pundit at some snobbish, pretentious football punditry programme."

"But of course, Fuu. It is part of my job, after all."

by **The Inevitable Syndicate** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 3:52 am

Honestly, it’s tricky to say where it all began. I don’t remember how I got into this mess, and I don’t remember the first few. That said, I have flashbacks of what I assume was my first. This must have been, what, six months ago now?...

A laundromat. Not the most conspicuous joint for a back room poker game, I’ll give the guy that, but I didn’t appreciate the sense of intended irony I felt when I discovered the business was a laundering operation for his winnings. At least, this is what the note in the briefcase I picked up from the train station had told me. It had also told me other things, too, but I’m not going into detail on that right now. You’ll have to push harder than that.

So, I entered the laundromat, briefcase in hand, and slid it over to the woman behind the counter. She shot me a scowl, and asked if I wanted the ‘Business Deluxe Wash’. I said yes, my case was clicked open, and I could swear I heard her whisper something in Astograthi before she pointed at an door on the other side of the room that read “Employees Only”. Taking my case back, and nodding at her, I walked into the back room with a confident stride. This stride couldn’t be further from my inner feelings at the time.

Luckily for me, there was a cloakroom before what I assumed was the poker table. I didn’t really get the chance to see it once I’d entered, because, well… You know. So, here I am, briefcase with ᶑ10,000 in, a mask in my right coat pocket, and a gun in my left one. I drop the briefcase. I imagine you found it. I put on the mask, take a deep breath, and kick the door down.

Time seemed to stop in that moment. I fired a shot at the man sitting opposite me, and his large body flew across the room, uplifting the table and scattering chips and cards alike everywhere. Faces were in shock, and most likely pain, as I tore through them too, fingers pulling the trigger far faster than my mind could react. I didn’t regain my senses until I was walking out of the laundromat and back to the car. I’m still not sure I completely regained them after that.

The drive home was a blur, I saw nothing but the haze of streetlights illuminating my path. I imagine the police were rushing to the scene, and had no time to catch me for speeding, as I was probably going far too fast for my own good. I got back, unlocked the door to my apartment, bolted it back up again, pulled the mask off my face, and crashed on the bed.

by **The Sarian** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 4:09 am

The Sarian Football Federation presents
Roster for the 32nd Di Bradini Cup

The Sarian Football Federation presents its twenty-three man squad for the 32nd Di Bradini Cup

The Management

Head Coach: Wiley Tyrell (40, Sarian)
Assistant Coach: Jarrett Firmin
Captain: Methuselah Meeuwessen
Vice Captain: Jacobo Yap

The Team

Goalkeepers
Listed in likelihood to play

GK: Azazias Forney (21, New Oslo Town)
GK: Toribio Pocock (20, Gorgona City)
GK: Filips Sumner (21, Lavington City)

Defenders
Listed in likelihood to play

DR: Sargon Garrard (19, New Oslo Town)
DR: Adolf Llewellyn (20, Salvador FC)
DC: Shimshon Cory (19, Beckwih City)
DC: Alfred Yates (19, FC Chippenham)
DC: Klaus Strudwick (21, Setter Trinity)
DC: Conchobhar Logan (18, Gorgona City)
DL: Stian Quinn (20, Beckwith City)

Midfielders
Listed in likelihood to play

DM: Enric Tobias (17, Lavington City)
DM: Georgijs Van Dael (18, Pud United)
ML: Wulfric Danielson (19, FC Chippenham)
MC: Methuselah Meeuwessen (20, North Spire HC [CRY])
MC: Magna Birlo (19, Beckwith City)
MC: Micheil Tennyson (20, Stanley Warrahs)
MR: Yeriyahu Masters (20, FC Chippenham)
MR: Graham Marston (21, Crompton City)
AM: Alessio Kokinos (18, Setter Trinity)
AM: Maitland Landon (21, Lavington City)

Forwards
Listed in likelihood to play

FC: Jacobo Yap (19, Roundway Down)
FC: Gabriels Hadaway (20, FC Chippenham)
FC: Eadmund London (18, Stanley Warrahs)
FC: Lycurgus Spears (18, New Oslo Town)

Quick Reference

Style Modifier: +3.5
Nickname(s): Bustard Chicks (Official), Buzzard Chicks (Mostly Foreign Use), Young Punks (If you're from the Free Republics), Fascist Bastards
Formation: 4-4-2 Diamond most likely, although many can and will be used. See most recent RP.
Lineup:Will be in most recent RP, if not feel free to make one up, within IC justification, for example don't play all my reserves if you are the top seed - and accommodate for resting players if you are lower ranked than I.

Kits (made by Kirola Sports)

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: Should be okay, TG if anything major. 
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes
Godmod other events: TG me.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 4:13 am

Godric Wexler had finally done it. He had done what many others like him had not done yet, for fear that it may be misconstrued as "taking an unfair advantage." He had inquired about the possible price of that great new striker from Tumbra, Peter Jones. Through one of the scouts that he'd placed in Tumbra to search for up-and-coming football talent from that nation, he had asked the manager of the Karanooga Jet-Setters, Jones' home club, the price with which he would consider sending over the striker to Arsenal de Releinthi. Wexler truly believed that Peter Jones could be groomed into the next greatest football player in the whole multiverse, if only he could be made to fit into the Arsenal system. And also, if the price is right.

An envelope icon popped up on the monitor of Wexler's laptop. "Here it comes," he muttered to himself. He went to his email service and opened the latest email.

FROM: KARANOOGA JET-SETTERS
TO: GODRIC WEXLER, FC ARSENAL DE RELEINTHI
SUBJECT: YOUR PETER JONES INQUIRY

Mr. Wexler,

In response to your recent Inquiry of Peter Jones, we would like to inform you that the player is one of the key players in his role in our club, but we would consider a bid in the region of £60,000,000.

Karanooga Jet-Setters' manager.

So the price was 60 million pounds, Wexler thought. That was absolutely way beyond the available transfer budget of Arsenal de Releinthi, even after all the prize money he got from winning the league last season. And even if he played around the balance between the transfer budget and the wage budget, his maximum available funds would still be ten million pounds short--at least--of Karanooga's asking price for Peter Jones. He would have to have a good hard think about his next move.

"I have bad news, fellers," Wexler said as he reentered the bar where some of the managers of Abanhfleft's Premier League clubs were watching the buildup to their country's first game in the group stage of the U21 World Cup. Wexler walked up to two men sitting in a private booth, who were both staring up at the massive flatscreen television mounted on the far wall of the bar.

"You always have bad news with you, Godric," said Georges Leblanc, manager of Arsenal rivals Riuwiee United, and a manager who had a friendly rivalry going with Wexler.

"Is it about that Peter Jones kid?" asked Adelmio Bandini, the Italian defensive star of Malabon SC from 2010 to 2013, and the club which he was managing now.

"I've just inquired about him from his club," Wexler replied. "They're asking for 60 million pounds."

"60 million?" Bandini blurted. "Who do they think he is? Neymar? James Rodriguez? No one that young's worth that much!"

"Even United can't afford such a price tag," Leblanc said. "The only clubs who can afford him will be the clubs that won't have much use for him, like Real Madrid and PSG and the like."

"What do we do now?" Bandini asked. "Well, what will you guys do now? You know I don't want to get involved in any more youth players right now."

"I know, I know," Wexler muttered. He took a sip of bourbon and a drag from his cigarette, and then he sat up as a figurative lightbulb went on over his head. "I have it!" he said. "What if we loan him?"

"Loan him?" Leblanc asked. "Is that even possible?"

"Of course!" Wexler replied. "Monaco loaned Falcao over to Manchester United."

"Yes, and as I understand it, Man United had to pay 6 million pounds for the loan deal," Bandini added. "And that's just the fee itself. Adding his wages, Falcao will be worth upwards of 16 million pounds before the season is over."

"Well, here's to hoping Peter Jones won't cost as much to me," Wexler said.

"Not if I get to him first," Leblanc retorted.

"Just shut up, you two, and let's watch our boys and girls win this game," Bandini said.
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"Was that even real?" Bandini asked no one in particular after the referee had blown the final whistle in the game between Abanhfleft versus The Sarian.

"I know, Adelmio..." Wexler replied. "We won 7-2!"

"It was just like that disaster in Brazil!" Leblanc added. "No one expected that!"

"All right, gentlemen, you know what this means," Wexler said. "We shall treat the boys and girls to dinner!"

"It's coming out of your pocket, Godric, because you're the one who proposed it!" Leblanc said.

FINAL RESULT: ABANHFLEFT VS. THE SARIAN

               ABANHFLEFT 7 - 2 THE SARIAN
      TOMAS WALTERS (19')       JACOBO YAP (45')
     YOSHINOBU MORI (25')       SARGON GARRARD (60')
           LEA CHOI (26')
KAREN VILLEGAS (27', 31')
  RORY EDWARDS (29', 30')

FINAL RESULT: OCTINSTINE VS. ABANHFLEFT (I had to put this down)

                   OCTINSTINE 2 - 6 ABANHFLEFT
     SHELLY MURRAY (24') (og)       VALERY ZOLNEROV (21', 58')
MELISIZWE AFOLAYAN (79') (og)       SARITA CAIRO (37')
                                    ZSOFIA DOLAN (52')
                                    MARGUERITE CHAMBERS (54')
                                    KAREN VILLEGAS (55')

Di Bradini Cup 32/U21WC53 RP/Roster/Scores Thread

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