World Cup 70 - RP Thread

[Isula ge Ru]

Fire on the Water
Intrigue in Isula ĝe Ru

Season One-Baptism of Fire 57
Prologue, Part One
Prologue, Part Two
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV

Season Two-World Cup 70
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII

Royal Palace, Isula Aura

His Royal Highness Dabit, Prince of the Islands, sat uneasily on the gilded throne.

The chair itself was comfortable enough, strewn with satin cushions as it was, but a throne was not a throne without a crown, and he had no such accoutrement upon his head. To him, for this night, it was merely a chair to sit in, another seat. God knew he did naught but sit as of late.

"Hold the Palace while I attend the Esiruans" his brother had told him. It was a taste of rule, of regency, of what would await him upon his succession. If he succeeded.

There were two people before him, his wife and six-year-old child, Uilhau-Maria. Should Dabit ascend the throne for longer than an evening, the child would reign after Dabit's own death as Uilhau the Fifth.

He'd rule over promises and antiquated traditions, thought Dabit. The monarchy and noblity was little more than a game, an elaborate pretending, a hobby those who had the right birth devoted their lives to. For the first time ever, tonight, King Uilhau was attending to an actual matter of state, not the grievances of some arsehurt lordling trying to reclaim a purely symblic façade of a title. Uilhau was attending to a matter of state, taking his kingly self to the capital to speak with the High Scholar and the Esiruans on there independence, and here was Dabit, looking over the flock of little lords. It was a hollow, fabulously wealthy job, that of the Crown Prince of the Islands.

"You are my brother, and I love you." That's what Uilhau had said to him before he'd left. "My brother, and currently, my heir. Enjoy the shitfaces."

"You are my brother. I love you, and you love me."

But who was King Uilhau IV to decide on the prince's emotions? Crown Prince Dabit could choose those for his own.

He looked at his wife. She'd been born Isabelh Carla Madiu, the ducal house of Madiu being as old and noble as it was poor. Uilhau had consented to the marriage, as was required, but who cared? Nobody outside the corner of Isula Aura where they played their little game.
She'd been born Isabelh, but liked to style herself "Princess Maria XXIX", though nobody besides her added numbers to any title but King. Maria the twenty-ninth. She seemed to think it made her important, made her sound official and validated. She was beautiful, and Dabit loved her and little Uilhau more than he loved anything else, but there were too many fucking Marias in the Islands. Twenty-nine princesses had been named Maria. The Royal House was named Maria. Half the people in the nation had Maria in their names at least once, and half again twice. It was ridiculous.

King Uilhau IV was extending the pretender's role. He was cooking himself into the politics of the nation, into Parliament and the Scholar's Council.

Uilhau was cooking himself, but Crown Prince Dabit was determined to taste the dish.

He would reign as Dabit III.

He would see the Twenty-ninth Princess Maria become Queen Isabelh.

He would place the crown onto his son with his dying breath.

Let Uilhau play. Dabit could lead.

His eyes chilled the gold seat he rested on.

[Mizuyuki]

Ten minutes after their conditioning and fitness session with the fitness coach was over, fifteen dog-tired players piled into the dining hall for their mid-day 'sustenance session', as it was officially termed by the camp authorities. Their limbs limp, numb, and in some cases shaking from sheer fatigue, the players formed an orderly line to collect their food.

As they waited patiently in line for their meals to be cooked - the camp never cooked food in advance, something about wastage and hygiene - a ponytailed girl ran a hand over her forehead, mopping beads of sticky sweat off with a piece of tissue paper.

"Boy, am I ever glad that we get special treatment today. A special nutritious lunch, tailored to meet our dietary requirements, then it's straight off to the spa and sauna for a good three hours of blissful R&R."

At that observation, snorts erupted throughout the entire line. "And we deserve it too, Amaya. By all the kami, a session with Midori really takes it outta a guy ..."

"Or girl, in your case."

Spontaneous bursts of dutiful laughter rang through the dining hall at that quip.

The ponytailed girl shrugged. Wise guys, wise guys everywhere. Wisely deciding not to pursue the point further, she continued mopping her brow with tissue paper. There was not the slightest bit of doubt, though, that those early-morning fitness sessions really played hell with her muscles. At this point, she had to wonder if the coach wasn't overworking them; most of her class were only thirteen years of age, after all, and smack bang in the middle of puberty.

The queue progressed at a tortuous pace. Even as the line inched forward, bit by painful bit, Amaya fancied one could hear her stomach's discontented growls from all the way across the dining hall. Well, she didn't know all that much about muscle groups, one way or the other, but she was pretty damn certain that the dull ache gnawing away at her stomach wasn't a good portent.

She tried to distract herself from the rumbles of her stomach, fantasising instead of the blissful sensations she would be experiencing during the R&R session. For a moment, the girl lost herself amongst the seas of her fertile imagination; the warm, welcoming water, the special massage, the pleasant floral scent of her shampoo. It was enough to make any exhausted thirteen-year-old salivate.

"Go on, Amaya, your meal's done. Don't hold up the line; I'm starving here!"

Peals of good-natured laughter shook the ponytailed girl from her momentary reverie; that, coupled with the thought of the delicious, filling food that awaited her and a lighthearted shove of her shoulder was enough to jolt her into action. Dutifully collecting a tray and her cutlery from a nearby table, she trooped up to the counter and handed over her purple-coloured special meal ticket; receiving her portion of food in return.

"Mhm ..." Appraising the food with a connoisseur's discerning eye as she carefully transported it to a communal table, Amaya decided that today's food was to her liking, after all.

"Salmon, miso soup, a generous serving of rice, sweet-and-sour pork chops, and an egg omelette with beans ... well, at least it's a damn sight better than all those vegetables we usually get."

Humming a happy tune to herself at her good fortune, the girl carefully set her tray down. She uttered a quick prayer under her breath, thanking the kami for the food, before snapping her chopsticks apart and digging in. Unlike the rest of her teammates, Amaya didn't wolf down her food like a glutton; she might have been famished, but common courtesy dictated that she maintain at least some sort of decorum during mealtimes. It wouldn't do for her to be likened to a ravenous pig; or even, Kirigiri forbid, a starving ghost.

"Hey, check out those lanky guys huddled in the corner."

"Mhm?" Looking up from her pork chops, Amaya turned and saw a petite girl, her hair an unusual lustrous hue of gold, walking towards her with a tray in her hands. She immediately recognised the new arrival as one of her friends, Lucia Steiner. The baby sister of U21 regular Kirara Steiner, Lucia had been born to a Gylian father and a Miraian mother - and it was from her father that she'd inherited her most distinctive traits; her stunning head of golden hair and her piercing, ice-blue eyes. Despite her foreign ancestry as well as her unusual physical appearance, she was very much quintessentially Miraian; heck, Amaya would be the first one to admit that her own knowledge of Miraian culture paled in comparison to Lucia and her sister.

Lucia placed her meal right beside Amaya, settling herself down, and thumbed a finger in the general direction of the back of the hall.

"There, those guys in the back. They're Electrumites, if my source is correct."

Swallowing a mouthful of rice, Amaya took a quick sip of tea before replying. "Electrumites? How'd you know?"

"Well, it was kinda a lucky coincidence; I just happened to have two separate sources that could corroborate each other's info."

She sounds like one of those information brokers the feudal lords had back in the day. With a wry smile on her face, Amaya continued to shovel food into her mouth as she listened intently to her friend.

"Sis told me she was coming down to Kinokomura for a spot of training with the senior squad, y'know? And she said there would be a load or two of foreign players hanging around, and that we'd probably get to play them. Now that got my interest right up - it isn't exactly every day that we get to face off against a foreign team, right?"

Amaya nodded her agreement, all the while continuing her systematic demolition of her meal. "Yup, that's true enough. We don't play foreign teams nearly as much as I would've liked; or as much as the coaches would've liked, for that matter."

"I know, right?" Continuing in her usual excitable manner, Lucia clapped her hands together in a dramatic show of glee.

"And you know what? Just minutes after I got that call from my sis, Kayano let me know that Kaede-chan was all worked up over something or the other about some foreign party coming to stay at our camp, and that Fuu-chan had to - and I swear this is true - literally clean up shit in the reception after an Electrumite took a dump there. It was a pretty awful mess - Kayano looked even paler than he usually is, haha!"

Amaya choked on her mouthful of egg. "Kirigiri damn it, Lucia, I'm in the middle of a meal! Stop bringing up distasteful topics when I'm eating!" The ponytailed girl craftily dumped a spoonful of rice onto Lucia's plate. The two were close enough that they were well aware whenever one of them was joking; and this was the case here.

"Haha, sorry, sorry! But you don't get to push your leftover food on me!" Picking up her own spoon, Lucia shovelled an even bigger spoonful of rice and dumped it into Amaya's miso soup. She laughed happily, a pleasant tinkle of a laugh, as Amaya - putting on a show of being grumpy - fished her rice out of her miso soup and transferred it to her mouth.

"Back to the topic of conversation, then; well, being the sharp girl that I was, I put two and two together and came up with four!"

Lucia did a little victory pose, laughing happily as she did so.

"And so, that's how I happened to know for sure those guys in the back are Electrumites."

"And what does that have to do with us, Lucia?"

The golden-haired girl clapped a hand to her mouth.

"Have you forgotten already, Amaya? We're gonna get a chance to play against them; and if my sources are to be believed, Kaede-chan's already pencilled in a practice match for today!"

"A practice match, huh ... well, we do that all the time, don't we? It's hardly a big deal." Amaya shrugged and returned her attentions to attacking her omelette.

"This practice match is different than the rest! Shirakiin's going to be there!"

For the second time in as many minutes, Amaya choked on her food.

"Shirakiin? You don't mean ... "

Lucia nodded happily, a triumphant gleam in her blue eyes.

"Yes, that Shirakiin. Shirakiin Kurumi, manager of the senior squad."

Amaya took in a deep breath and murmured reverently under her breath.

"Holy sheeet."

[Maklohi Vai]

‘Sanjay, let’s go! We’re not going slow today. Big game tomorrow. Look how Komo is warming up. Going quickly, right? Come on, I know you can do it.’
‘Yes, Coach P.’

Lomuko Poranawokoi adjusted his sunglasses and sighed, his thin frame shifting slightly. He had taken up coaching his son Lumo’s teams from the first year of pee-wee. Now, eight years later, he was preparing to become the U15 all star coach once the regular season ended. The manifestation of a young leader from his perspective was vastly different from that of the young man’s peers. When a grown man sees a player who has passion and drive, he sees a leader, but for the same characteristics a fellow fourteen year old sees an overly competitive annoyance. Poranawokoi looked back at one of his “Poor Four” players on this team before turning to his son.

‘Lumo, you’re going to set an example for these guys, right?’
‘Yeah.’
‘And do you know why you’re the one who’s setting the example?’
‘Because I’m the leader.’
‘Yes you are. And why are you a leader?’
‘Because I was born one.’
‘Damn right you were. You’ve got a talent. Use it.’

Lumo jogged over to where Sanjay and Kiloko had finished up their sprints. Both boys were bent over, hands on their knees. Sanjay looked up briefly before nudging Kiloko to alert him of Lumo's presence.
‘Hey, you guys need to be working harder if we’re going to win tomorrow.’
Sanjay was silent. He looked cautiously over at Kiloko, who refused to look up. He was no longer breathing
‘I said, hey, you guys need to be working harder if we’re going to win tomorrow.’
Kiloko broke his silence, still wheezing from the running. His rotundity was never more apparent.

‘What the fuck do you want, Lumo?’
‘Did you just swear at me?’
‘No.’
‘Did you just swear at me?’
‘No.’
‘Did y--’
‘Yes, why do you care?’
‘I’m telling my dad.’
‘Go ahead.’

Lumo was taken aback by the lack of submissiveness. They had no right to be talking back to him; he was the leader and the best player on the team. His role was to keep them in line, so why didn’t they respect that?
Sanjay began walking away from Lumo, towards the dugout. Kiloko stayed put.

‘Hey, come back!’
‘No thank you.’
‘I wasn’t asking you!’

Sanjay wheeled around and placed his gaze firmly into Lumo's eyes. He held a neutral pose before leaning down and spitting into the grass. Lumo lunged forward, about to launch into a tirade; he was stopped only by his father’s hand on his shoulder.

‘Everything alright here, boys? Kiloko, are you still tired?’
‘No, Coach P.’
‘Are you sure?’

Kevin looked at his coach reproachfully but didn’t say anything. He glanced over at Lumo, who was biting his lip in anticipation.

‘Dad, Kiloko's not trying very hard today.’
‘Oh, is that so? Kiloko?’
‘I’m doing my best.’
‘Well, then, how good is your best? Not up to par?’
‘It’s my best.’

‘Well make it better.’ Coach P nodded slightly, then glanced at Sanjay before walking back to the center of the field to resume passing practice.
Lumo smirked. ‘You’re gonna be in trouble at the game tomorrow, Kiloko. I’m gonna tell my dad what you said to me.’

‘What are you, five?’ Sanjay made a re-entrance.
‘Stay out of it, this is between me and Porky the Pig here.’
‘Oh fuck off.’
‘Again!’ Lumo exclaimed. ‘Oh you’re in trouble now Kevin. Big trouble.’
‘What gives you the impression that he cares?’

Lumo snapped back to Sanjay. ‘Because he’s a member of this team, and th--’

‘Please. This isn’t a team. It’s a group of guys and their dads with a few extra weirdos thrown in because the league requires you to carry 15 players.’
‘And you don’t even get it, do you?’ Kiloko took a step towards Lumo. ‘You have no clue. You’re completely unaware of your surroundings.’

Sanjay spat again before turning his back and walking away. Kiloko stared at Lumo for a moment before joining his friend in their walk back.

‘Have you ever been on a team that wasn’t like this?’
‘Yes, when I was seven.’
‘Really?’
‘It was back in Siroy though.’
‘Oh.’
‘At least the season is done soon.’
‘Yeah.’
‘I used to like playing football. Now I’m afraid I’ll have to let my dad sign me up for cricket.’
‘You can do that around here?’
‘Wherever there’s Indians, there’s cricket. That’s what he always tells me.’

Kiloko didn’t have a response. He knew this was going to be the last season for both of them, and that Sanjay didn’t actually mean it when he said that he used to like playing, because he still did.

[Mizuyuki]

We're edging closer and closer to the home stretch now. The MD12 cutoff is now ... here!

MATCH DAY 12 RP CUTOFF FOR GROUPS 1-10

RESULTS

[Eura]

Jeckland suffer deja vu as Oslograd strikes again
Eura record comfortable win against lackluster home side
Simon Banning reports from Jeckland National Sports Stadium, Rack City

JECKLAND - 0

EURA - 3
Watson 35
Oslograd 67
Spartan 78

Eura started the second half of qualifying well by beating Jeckland 3-0 once more, more comfortably this time and away from home, as the Euran defence continued its fine form.

In Bastion, both sides had been treated to wind and rain, but the weather was mild in Rack City and presented no problems for either side. Eura took advantage against a Jeckland side which was talented but physical and overly reliant on aerial play, keeping the ball on the ground in the early stages and building a lot of pressure simply by virtue of having all of the possession. The first real chance for either side came in the 8th minute, when Glenn Anderson - back into the starting lineup ahead of Rob Bell - blazed a shot over from 20 yards. Eura looked quite confident overall, glad for the mid-qualifying rest and a lot more alert than their opponents, who you could tell were feeling like their chances of qualification were already slipping away. Those feelings can only have increased as the first half went on because Eura were looking assuredly dominant, and should have taken the lead from a glorious chance in the 25th minute. Craig Sinclair's low driven cross into the box was deflected away a little bit by the home captain Richard Barker, but neither Joe Harnett or Logan Cole were really paying attention and they failed to close down the unmarked John Spartan, who latched on to the loose ball at the edge of the box. Spartan had plenty of time and took a couple of touches, almost waltzing into the box, and yet he inexplicably shot straight at Toby Thompson with a weak toe poke that was easily saved.

However there would be nothing that Thompson could do about the next attack on his goal. Some clever passing in midfield by Eura led to both Cole and Micah Hoonas being dragged away from their positions in midfield. This left Glenn Anderson, with acres of space in midfield, with enough time to play a through ball to Skorji Oslograd. The ball was actually quite wide and Oslograd had to follow it, being pursued by the left back while the two centre backs converged on the box. Oslograd held the ball up at the edge of the box and waited, not going back to Adams behind him, but instead waiting for the two centre backs to converge on Craig Sinclair who had come inside. He then smacked the ball through and out of the box to Andrew Watson, who brought the ball down brilliantly and blasted it in first time. It was a fantastic pass and an equally classy finish, but Oslograd had to take credit for his innovative play. Eura continued to apply pressure until half time, but Jeckland were still in the game just about. Cole gave Connor Long a golden opportunity by lobbing Blackthorn with an inspired improvised ball forward from 40 yards, but once again Eura's much improved defence were on hand to deal with it as Rogers intercepted, tackling Long as he sprinted through on goal.

At half time Eura brought off Mike Adams, who was carrying a knock, for Ryan King. Jeckland did not make any changes, and indeed they would not do so until the final minutes as they sought to try and get something from the game with their full starting eleven. Their best chance of the second half came early, as Long rose to meet a wonderful Henriques cross, but he headed over from just 8 yards after beating both Rogers and Gilbert to the ball. Gilbert then had a chance on goal of his own from a corner, heading Spartan's ball in just wide of the post, leaving Thompson completely beaten in goal. John Spartan then forced an incredible save out of Thompson, taking a hopeful shot from 30 yards that dipped and forced the Jeckland keeper to backpedal and tip the ball over the bar. Jeckland looked like they might be able to see off the storm and frustrate Eura, especially when in the 60th minute Ryan King was wound up enough to pull a shot wide when shown slight physical opposition by a defender. This would give them an opportunity to try and snatch an equaliser, or so they hoped. Alas there would be no saving Jeckland here as Oslograd showed his class once more to end the contest. In the 66th minute he was given the ball on the edge of the box when Murray accidentally passed to him as he tried to play it clear, after Thompson had palmed away a weak Sinclair cross. Oslograd actually had a lot of work to do, but he managed to powerfully surge past Barker and Harnett before thumping the ball in at the near post past Thompson.

Eura then brought on Liam Allen for Oslograd as he began to tire, and Will Andrews came on for Glenn Anderson as they started to see out the game. Gareth Blackthorn was dominating the midfield and now would find that even easier with Andrews alongside him in a dual holding role, giving Spartan the freedom to surge forward. Allen nearly got on the scoresheet in spectacular fashion, meeting a 77th minute Craig Sinclair cross with a wonderful overhead kick. Yet the ball went just wide of the top right hand corner. Just a minute late though, Eura made it 3-0 and the game was dead for good. Spartan made another charging run forward down the middle and was tripped, but the play was waved on to Eura's advantage as the ball rolled away to Watson. The wing back was clearly tempted to have a go at scoring a second of the game, but he didn't get ahead of himself and wisely went wide to Sinclair. Sinclair tried to switch the play only to play it short. Murray came inside and intercepted with his head, but for the second time in the game he had made a crucial error and the ball went straight to Andrews. Andrews played the ball to Spartan who was now in a completely open space 25 yards from goal. Unlike earlier the Revolutionaries captain made no mistake, drilling the ball into the bottom right hand corner from that same distance. Eura played the game out, while Jeckland withered. A critical tie is next for Eura, at home to Taeshan.


Player Ratings

Jeckland - Thompson 6, O'Neill 7, Barker 6, Harnett 5, Murray 4, Henriques 5, Hoonas 6, Cole 5, Roper 4 (Kemp 6), Long 7, Parry 4 (Whitehouse 5)

Eura - Waller 7, Churchilli 6, Gilbert 7, Rogers 8, Watson 8, Adams 6 (King 7), Spartan 8, Anderson 7 (Andrews 7), Blackthorn 9, Sinclair 7, Oslograd 9 (Allen 7)

Match Stats

Shots - JEC 6 - 19 EUR
Shots on Target - JEC 2 - 9 EUR
Possession - JEC 38% - 62% EUR
Fouls - JEC 16 - 8 EUR
Attendance - 98,654
Man of the Match - Skorji Oslograd (Eura)

[Super-Llamaland]

Tigers Beat Dracum Late, now Four Points Behind Osarius

Super-Llamaland (3 - 4 - 3)

GK - Jared Finch
LB - Nick Gray
CB - Alex Bale
RB - Derrick Nelson (CAPTAIN)
DM - Bryan Fordham
DM - Javier Agudieres
LM - Kyle Sturgeon
RM - Anthony Player
LW - Aidan Ferguson
RW - Peter Masters
ST - Kristopher Nilssen

Dracum (4 - 4 - 2)
GK - Luis Vela
LB - Vitale Puerta
CB - Paolo di Stefano
CB - Nazario Rossoni
RB - Osvaldo Pesaro
LM - Lorenzo Sessa
RM - Matheus Alagonna
AM - Vitale Ferreira
AM - Severino Valdez
ST - Marcos Albano
ST - Ali Traversi

MatchStats
SLL       DRA
4 - goals - 2
13 - shots - 8
10 - shots on goal - 5
55 - possession - 45
1 - yellow cards - 0

GOALS - Nilssen 11, 90+3; Masters 45, Ferguson 79
Valdez 25, Albano 38 (PK)

It was an ugly win at times, but it was an undeniable victory for the Tigers - Bogdan Antonlescu had taken a chance, trying out an experimental defensive lineup and giving key starters off days, and Dracum had made them work for their three points - but in the end, the Tigers prevailed over a young side from Dracum to keep themselves firmly in playoff position.

Resting star striker Alex Cartwright seemed risky, but after an early few minutes in which the Tigers managed to establish dominance in the midfield and began to advance, the former Di Bradini side captain Kristopher Nilssen vindicated Bogdan's decision, pouncing on a poor clearance by the young Vitale Puerta. In the eleventh minute, he caught the misclear on his right ankle, followed its deflection, and banged a shot home into the upper left-hand corner. The Tigers continued to keep Dracum constantly on the run with the one-nil lead, but after an off-target cross fell into the hands of the keeper, the Dracum side started a veteran-looking counterattack that lead to Severino Valdez's bouncing strike past Jared Finch.

It was one-all and a more evenly-matched game than the Llamaneans had planned for, but panic didn't set in until Alex Bale's poor tackle lead to a penalty kick from the striker Albano. Finch guessed correctly, but his attempted block only sent the ball spinning into the corner, and with the first half almost over Dracum had taken a two-one lead from far better opponents on the road.

Panic set in - was Dracum really this good, or were the Tigers choking as usual? As the two teams played - evenly matched, as it seemed - Peter Masters managed to take a beautiful snaking pass from Kyle Sturgeon and run with it, dispelling all Dracum hopes of a win by taking advantage of Vela's wide stance and kicking it through the keeper's legs for a goal. Two-all.

Going into halftime, the atmosphere was uneasy. Dracum had seemed young and strong, not like a last-place team with only four points, and Super-Llamaland was starting to feel that their chances of three easy points were no longer one hundred percent.

But in the second half, Dracum tired considerably - the halfbacks easy pickings in a skirmish, the strikers dropping back out of exhaustion. Their tactics hadn't been sustainable enough, but the team spirit was strong as they made Super-Llamaland work for every opportunity. The Dracum manager noticed, and quickly subbed out Albano and Traversi for fresh legs for the defensive effort - namely Mendoza and Marquez. Playing six back was the ultimate bus-parking, and Dracum was beginning to hope only to salvage a single point from a stronger side.

But the Tigers would have none of it, pounding shots on goal one after another and always running in for more. But it didn't work - the score remained assiduously at two-all, and the additions of Alex Cartwright and Eden Powell to the front lines didn't seem to help, although they certainly forced Dracum back a bit. In the seventy-ninth minute, Dracum fans' hope for a draw was at an all-time high, and the Llamanean faithful were beginning to pack up and head home, not wanting to see the team squander so many points to an unranked side that had challenged them so well.

Whereupon winger Eden Powell came running forwards on a seemingly-normal, putatively-failed attack and found a brilliant cross across the field to a wide-open Aidan Ferguson. The ball was angled perfectly, requiring Ferguson only to take a step back and volley as hard as he possibly could from eleven yards out. Ferguson's shot bounced off Vela's hands and into the net, and all of Super-Llamaland exhaled.

Dracum began to desperately push for a final goal, but the Tigers held them back - and in stoppage, Kristopher Nilssen managed to take one into the box and work his Northern magic for a second goal of the night. The Tigers had won another game, although not prettily - but would they win the real battle?

[Kandorith]

Draw Disappoint Crowd


Mangolana 1 - 1 Kandorith

   Group 6                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 1 Polar Islandstates               10    8   2   0    23    5  +18    26
 2 Kandorith                        10    6   2   2    29   12  +17    20
 3 Kernansquillec                   10    6   2   2    22   19   +3    20
 4 Chiata                           10    4   3   3    16    8   +8    15
 5 Mangolana                        10    4   3   3    20   23   −3    15
 6 Absurdly Polite Gentlemen         9    4   0   5    17   20   −3    12
 7 Gregory Llama Land               10    3   1   6    18   33  −15    10
 8 Beauce                            9    1   1   7     8   20  −12     4
 9 Friday Freshman                  10    0   2   8     8   21  −13     2

With some amazing wins behind them the squad of Xí-tiang disappointed in ther latest had to win match against Mangolana. It seems once again Kandorith is now on the edge of getting eliminated before the World Cup; which would mean a total overhaul of the Kandorese association; which is already clinging on to their positions as of lately. A rocky road to the World Cup as they have lost their latest coach Yúan, who did promise the World Cup to Kandorith, but failed to deliver. After many internal conflicts and low team morale, the council decided it was time for him to go and make way.


With the latest draw Kandorith finds themselves in the danger zone again, they have to keep their lead over Kernansquillec and Mangolana or at least draw their match against Polar Islandstates, even though unlikely; to keep their status in the home country. With yet again a rocky road to the World Cup; the team's future is very uncertain and it looks like the heroes we all came to love; have had their best days. Perhaps this time, it is time for Kandorith to reconsider how they select their sport talents; although not all is lost yet; fans are losing their hopes again.


(OCC: Edit; aww just noticed it was posted after the cutoff was already posted earlier due to some AFKing.. my apologies)

[San Jose Guayabal]

The time is passing quite fast, we are on MD 12 today and some things will begin to take shape, we can sttart seeing for the contenders taking his positions and anothers losing their hopes.

MATCHDAY 12 RP CUTOFF FOR GROUPS 11-19

Music

[Cosumar]

MATCH COVERAGE LIVE FEED: Cosumar @ Dracum MD12

Hello, my name is Wally Vanderjagt, Dragons beat writer for The Cosumarite Courier. I am about to bring you live updates and commentary from the site of the today's match! We've got just 10 minutes to go until kickoff, and the atmosphere is beginning to build here in Dracum. There is a sea of Dracum red and green, but patches of Cosumarite supporters have made their presence known as well.

The two teams are out and singing their national anthems. Can anyone ever get tired of Glorious and Majestic?

The Dracum players clearly remember the 4-0 result last time they faced the Dragons - they seem apprehensive!

COSUMAR XI: Koskinen, Lindroos, Mortonsson, Nodtveit, Miyori, Na'Noni, Merchison, Petrov, Newman, Engström, Arora

DRACUM XI: Vuela, Puerta, Pesaro, di Stefano, Rossini, Alagonna, Sessa, Ferreira, Valdez, Albano, Traversi

PREDICTION! On paper, Cosumar should comfortably win this match, but that was said for their draws against Ancharmunn and Peruvian Highlands too. Farris Crowley has likely stressed the importance of a convincing display after seeing Super-Llamaland drop points against Ancharmunn earlier in the day. Cosumar win 4-1.

...

0 min: Cosumar gets us underway in the Dracumian capital.

1 min: Offside, Cosumar. Tae Woo Miyori tries a through ball, but Anders Engström is victim to the offsides trap.

2 min: Attempt saved. Vareza Na'Noni (Cosumar) shot from the left side of the box is saved from the bottom left corner by diving Luis Vuela.

4 min: GOAL! Dracum 0-1 Cosumar! Ace Newman (Cosumar) shot from the center of the box into the top-middle of the net. Assisted by Paaron Petrov.

5 min: GOAL! Dracum 1-1 Cosumar! Severino Valdez (Dracum) curls a stunning effort into the far corner from 18 yards out. Tomi Koskinen was hapless.

9 min: Attempt missed. It appears as though Newman is in the zone this evening, like he was against Super-Llamaland. He slides through a picture-perfect pass to Sur Arora, who fires wide after taking the ball around the keeper.

10 min: Attempt saved. Na'Noni shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. The Vloo has appeared uncharacteristically aggressive today. I like it.

10 min: Anders Engström wins a free kick in the attacking half.

13 min: Crowley is urging his players to increase the tempo. They are relentlessly attacking the final third, but Dracum is sitting back and absorbing it well so far.

14: Corner kick, Cosumar. Conceded by Matheus Alagonna.

17 min: Engström fights hard on the right byline to earn another cornr. The resulting set piece is swung over by Newman, but Vuela rises up and claims the ball.

18 min: Ace Newman earns a free kick in the attacking half.

19 min: Attempt saved. Lorenzo Sessa (Dracum) shot from outside the box caught in the right corner by Tomi Koskinen

21 min: Osvaldo Pesaro has just brushed past Jukka Lindroos effortlessly, but he couldn't create anything once he got to the byline. Dracum are doing an effective job getting their crowd involved.

27 min: Attempt missed. Dracum's biggest threat, forward Ali Traversi, is beginning to find some creases between Kirum Mortonsson and Jon-Perohlin Nodtveit. He just had a great chance but blasted it inches over the crossbar. The Dragons need to seal up the defense before Traversi makes them pay.

30 min: Attempt saved. A powerful shot from Paaron Petrov from 30 yards forces Vuela to work hard to palm it over.

32 min: Cosumar are finally starting to rally forward again. Engström plays a one-two with Miyori to get inside the penalty area. His shot is deflected by a defender, but wait! The rebound has come back to him, but his close-range strike is blocked once again! Shoot. Excellent defense by the Dracumians.

37 min: Attempt missed. Jukka Lindroos header off a Na'Noni cross sails inches wide of the left post.

39 min: Attempt saved. Dragons earn a corner after a Miyori cross was deflected. Petrov's set piece was headed on goal by Nodtveit, but Vuela punched the ball away.

40 min: Cosumar keeping the pressure on. Dracum can't get a much-needed clearance. I can sense a goal swelling to the surface.

42 min: Dracum has moved back and formed a blockade on their 18-yard line, hoping to preserve the 1-1 scoreline until halftime. Newman and Na'Noni of all people are looking particularly lively, but so far they can't find an opening.

45 min: Attempt saved. What an effort! Cosumar wins a free kick from 35+ yards out. Scoring from that distance is rare, but Arora produces the perfect trajectory that forces the keeper to claw the ball from the top corner.

45+1 min: GOAL! Dracum 1-2 Cosumar! The Dracumian crowd has gone silent thanks to an Ace Newman dagger just before the break. Arora threaded a perfect pass to Newman through the legs of Alagonna. Newman took a couple quick touches then curled a beautiful 18-yarder into the top corner past Luis Vela. That's Newman's third goal over the last two matches. What remarkable form he is in!

45+2 min: HALF TIME: Dracum 1-2 Cosumar

HT: Dracum have done well to keep things competitive in the first 45 minutes, but the statistics paint a different picture. The blue-clad side had 70% possession, forced five saves. The Dragons created six corners compared to none from their opponents. But don't close this tab quite yet. Dracum are a young and athletic side. They netted two goals against Super-Llamaland and have enough quality in the final third to snag another one here.

46 min: We are back underway in Dracum. The Dragons have come out with guns blazing. They look ready to take this match.

48 min: GOAL! Dracum 2-2 Cosumar. Severino Valdez (Dracum) scores again, this time on a full-throttle counter-attack after Merchison was intercepted by Vitale Ferreira. The Dragons couldn't get numbers back in time. Valdez calved the defense open and had plenty of time to pick his spot and hit the ball into the side-netting from 12 yards. We have an interesting match on our hands! Cosumar really needs all three of these points.

48 min: Anders Engström wins a free kick on the left wing. Vitale Puerta commits a bad foul during the delivery and is given a yellow card.

50 min: Attempt saved. Sur Arora left-footed chip from inside the penalty spot is kept out by a fingertip deflection from Vela.

52 min: GOAL! Dracum 2-3 Cosumar! Dragons go straight up the field, earn a corner and score. Engström's delivery found the extended knee of Tae Woo Miyori, which powered the ball into the roof of the net for Miyori's first goal of World Cup 70.

54 min: Attempt saved. Sur Arora shot from the right side of the box at a tough angle is collected in the bottom right corner. Ace Newman did well to break free from his marker and slide in the splendid through ball.

58 min: Corner kick for Cosumar, conceded by Paolo di Stefano. Petrov's corner is poor and Dracum clear it.

61 min: Valdez had a good chance for Dracum when the ball fell to him in the middle of the box. He hastily hit it towards goal, but Mortonsson blocked it away.

64 min: SUBSTITUTION! Ace Newman is being withdrawn by Cosumar, and the Cosumarite faithful cheer their ascending hero off. He is replaced by Francois Renault, who also gets a warm reception from the blue patch of seats.

68 min: The match is beginning to open up. Dracum have nothing to lose and are pushing men further forward to go for a draw, but they are vulnerable to the counter. Neither goalkeeper has really been tested in awhile.

72 min: Anders Engström Is displaying his strengths, accelerating past Osvaldo Pesaro and di Stefano before sending a promising cross into the penalty area... D'oh! Despite several blue shirts in close proximity, no one is able to get anything on it and it whistles through untouched.

74 min: Attempt missed. Phew. Valdez just came very close to a hat trick. A cross from the right flank was drilled into the center, where Valdez sent a one-touch volley from his left foot over the crossbar.

77 min: Attempt missed. Petrov plays a corner to Renault, who crosses it to the center of the box. Mortonsson gets a header on the end of it, but it plows just left of the near post.

78 min: Attempt saved. Amazing play from Cosumar! Engström touches the ball to Vareza Na'Noni before blazing into the penalty area. Na'Noni does a hesitation move before scooping the ball into the path of the Mallox man who hits the ball in stride, but Vela tips it wide!

80 min: Dracum corner kick coming up, their first of the match. Conceded by Nodtveit, who was outworked by Traversi on the baseline.

83 min: Crowley's squad had been starting to assert themselves but Dracum are hanging around. Mortonsson and Nodtveit have had to put their bodies on the line to prevent shots getting through to Koskinen. They are doing a good job of taking the pressure off of him. There's still seven minutes to go though.

84 min: Attempt missed. Ali Traversi (Dracum) tries his luck from a considerable distance out, but his strike swerves clear of the far post and Koskinen watches it fly past.

87 min: Attempt missed. Another near-equalizer for Dracum, who are really going for it now. Farris Crowley isn't happy. The late defensive collapses earlier in the campaign are clearly still fresh on his mind. Pesaro powered his way inside from the right with little interference and fired an open chance into the side-netting.

89 min: SUBSTITUTION. Crowley is going into defensive mode, ending CF Sur Arora's night and bringing in versatile midfieler Giovanni Aldinne.

90 min: Attempt saved. Felix Merchison (Cosumar) finds Paaron Petrov in an open pocket of space. Sessa was slow to close in, so Petrov surged forward an fired a shot from outside the box. The ball was on target and had pace, but didn't get enough movement. It was pulled from the air by the goalie at the top-center of the goal.

90 min: There will be four minutes of added-on time. The Dracum crowd has rallied to its feet, hoping for that elusive third goal.

90+3 min: Attempt missed. Francois Renault attempts to catch Luis Vela off his line with a sailing arch from far out, but the ball lands on top of the nettings. That ought to wrap things up.

90+4 min: FULL TIME: Dracum 2-3 Cosumar

The final whistle has come and gone in Dracum and the stadium is emptying out. Cosumar have secured their sixth win with a 3-2 victory. They now possess 20 points in Group 15, and remain in 3rd place behind Super-Llamaland. With the Tigers only picking up a single point in MD12, however, the Dragons gain some on their rivals.

Ace Newman (2 goals) will deservedly take the Man of the Match honors, but I would like to tip my cap to the Dracum players, who made this match a lot more intense than I expected it to be. Being the bottom-dweller and whipping-boy of a group is no fun, but Jamaal Masi still has his team competing with heart. They have a young core of talent and potential for success in future World Cups.

Newman and the Dragons will return to Kaldukosic for MD13, a rematch of that 4-4 Ancharmunn miracle comeback that will give Cosumarites nightmares for years to come. Team Cosumar can help alleviate that pain they caused us by getting the full three points this time. Ancharmunn might only have two wins, but the Kumquat Terrors are not to be taken lightly. Oisín Ó Mordha's team forced Super-Llamaland to split points today and can do the same to us. Their unconventional 5-3-2 is a tough nut to crack and Juan Bucanero rivals the quality of anyone on the Cosumarite roster.

Thank you for reading The Cosumarite Courier's exclusive World Cup 70 Coverage. Follow us on Twitter @TheCourier or subscribe to our website (TheCourier.cos) to receive daily updates and analysis of Cosumar's progress in the tournament.

---

Cosumar's World Cup 70 Journey
Pre-Qual Friendly: Star United States 0-0 Cosumar
Pre-Qual Friendly: Cosumar 2-1 San Jose Guayabal
Pre-Qual Friendly: Equestrian States 1-0 Cosumar
Matchday 1: Super-Llamaland 4-3 Cosumar
Matchday 2: Bye
Matchday 3: Cosumar 4-0 Dracum
Matchday 4: Ancharmunn 4-4 Cosumar
Matchday 5: Cosumar 1-1 Peruvian Highlands
Matchday 6: HorusLand 2-4 Cosumar
Matchday 7: Cosumar 4-0 Zips Nation
Matchday 8: The Greater Vakolicci Haven 3-6 Cosumar
Matchday 9: Cosumar 2-4 Osarius
Mid-Qual Friendly: Walamzia 1-5 Cosumar
Matchday 10: Cosumar 4-2 Super-Llamaland
Matchday 11: Bye
Matchday 12: Dracum 2-3 Cosumar
Matchday 13: Cosumar vs. Ancharmunn (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic, Cosumar)
Matchday 14: Peruvian Highlands vs. Cosumar
Matchday 15: Cosumar vs. HorusLand (@ Fire River Arena, Ramusok, Cosumar)
Matchday 16: Zips Nation vs. Cosumar
Matchday 17: Cosumar vs. The Greater Vakolicci Haven (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic, Cosumar)
Matchday 18: Osarius vs. Cosumar
Blue: Draw
Green: Victory
Red: Defeat

Cosumar Goal-Scorers Tally (35 GF)
Sur Arora (13)
Anders Engström (5)
Ace Newman (5)
Paaron Petrov (4)
Jon-Perohlin Nodtveit (2)
Kirum Mortonsson (2)
Jukka Lindroos (1)
Felix Merchison (1)
Dean Harold McSaunders (1)
Tae Woo Miyori (1)

Cosumar Assists Tally
Anders Engström (8)
Ace Newman (4)
Felix Merchison (3)
Paaron Petrov (3)
Sur Arora (3)
Vareza Na'Noni (2)
Tae Woo Miyori (1)
Petri Hansen (1)

[Electrum]

Sigh...

That was all Risa Shigaraki felt after being utter humiliated for her shocking performance on the Mizuyukian pitch where she had a kickabout with her counterpart, Fuu Kiriyama. Her head felt airy, lips and tongue bone dry, feet light and body numb. She didn't know how she did but she somehow made it to the dining room with food and drink in hand... at least nobody saw her state of mind. That's when Fuu-san came into the room. To be honest, Risa just wanted to be left alone, but it couldn't be helped.

She just sat there eating - not a word between them - the way Risa would have liked it. She could bathe in her suffering. Oh. But no. The golden silence was shattered as Fuu-san started talking - Risa knew why though. No one likes awkward silence, it's one of the worst things in the world to some, especially to those who chat a lot.

But Fuu-san would not just stop talking. She was leaping from one topic to the next without any sign of coherence - questions about the weather led to cosplaying to fitness sessions... Her way of talking was truly circuitous. So, Risa did what she knew best in shutting down conversations - by staring intently at Fuu. Fuu quickly got the message and stopped talking again. Finally, Risa had time to think.

Was it time to quit her job? Maybe there was no place for a can't-play-football person on the executive board of an actual football team. Why did they even hire her in the first place? Did she really deserve a development spot over the others? Was this the shocking epiphany of her life that would change everything? So many questions, so little answers. In times like these, where Risa wanted to assume the fetal position and cry on the floor... she would text her boss... the one who always calmed her down.

She put down her fork and starting intently into her phone -

Milo... help me. I cant take this place anymore. Take me home.

A reply was immediate.

What's the matter hun?

I don't think I deserve to be here...

What do you mean by here?

I can't even play football! Why am I on the trip in the 1st place!?!?!1

I didn't choose you for nothing. You're one of the most talented girls I have ever seen... you choose the very best players.

But I can't kick! I can't do anything!

lol. I didn't choose you for that. Remember? You were very smart and that's why I chose you. Smart people aren't always the best of kickers from my exp.

Shigaraki was a lot more relieved than before. She could count on Milo for advice and support when she needed it. As quickly as those questions popped into her brain, they disappeared. She didn't need to be good at football to be a coach. Not wanting to sound too down, she resorted to being less formal and more casual. Milo replied in the same way.

ty milo

np. oh btw, tell me how the players are doing? we're winning our match right now, thanks to the players you selected!

dunno, i'll tell you later. kinda busy. in a meeting.

She smiled and looked up. Fuu-san was still sitting there eating.

You know Fuu-san, I'm more of a fan of rehabilitation and rest days. You really need to give those muscle fibres a rest -- the lactic acid buildup and the wear and tear in the long run is not good for these players. Fuu Kiriyama's eyes lit up.

I'm so sorry for before... I know I shouldn't have... It was so rude of me. I'm a bad host, aren't I?

What's done is done Fuu-san. I can't play football - that's the end of it. Though, I'm not going to accept if you ask me again, OK? Now can we just talk about training processes?

All of a sudden, there was a noise outside the door. Risa Shigaraki looked at it and noticed three shadows.

You better not say anything about what happened, alright Fuu? Alright?

Okay, okay Risa!

That's when three other people walked into the room...

[Starblaydia]

Part One: Thursdays
Part Two: Belief
Part Three: Ghost
Part Four: Oranges

Part Five: Click

It was the first time that Lucas Cable, ex-Starblaydia international goalkeeper, had been to the Bayside Stadium in Montepool, at least the outside of it. He'd played almost all over Starblaydia and far further afield, but he'd never seen anything of this place except from the tinted window of a team bus or the inside of the stadium itself when playing. Being able to walk around the pedestrian areas by the waterside was a new thing to him and he took his time strolling along the various piers and jetties that marked the point where the Nemyan Straights finished and mainland Starblaydia began. Except that this bit wasn't really 'Starblaydia', as he'd once been told by some guy in a pub.

The six city-states that had made up the titular Loose City-State Association of Nova Britannicus, as it had been called all the way back then, were apparently proud and noble institutions that went back to ancient times with many deeds of derring-do before being inevitably swallowed up by the Starblaydi political machine as it ground its way to taking over Nemya, Nova Britannicus, Aquliana and even, for a time, Krytenia and Legalese. It didn't stop Lucas from checking his wallet was still in his pocket, though, as he felt uneasy even as he walked along the pleasant, grass-lined path in the middle of the day. Something was making him uneasy, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Ever since he'd arrived at the stadium in Montepool for the Matchday Seven game, he'd had a feeling that every time he turned a corner, there'd be someone with a smile like a knife and a weapon, presumably also like a knife, ready to shank him for every Starblaydi Credit he was worth and more besides. Strangers on the street eyed each other warily as they passed each other and the definition of 'personal space' in Montepool seemed to be somewhere in the region of five metres. This was all very strange compared to everything he'd ever heard about Montepool. With every step he was taking, he felt more and more defensive.

Defensive, of course! The va'karela! There had to be one around here somewhere, but where?

Lucas thought for a moment, then decided to trust his instincts. The best place to put a va'karela to have maximum impact on the game would be inside the stadium itself, ideally at the end you wanted to have the best defence at. Depending on how wide their influence was, Lucas reasoned, you may only need one at each end, or maybe two, to project a defensive influence around the local area. Considering that he was standing outside the ground, some hundred meters or so from the towering flanks of the Bayside Stadium, there were either a lot of them, or they had to have quite a strong influence. He began to walk towards the stadium, stopping every twenty paces or so go listen to his instincts. As he got closer and closer, approaching the gates, he repeatedly checked his pockets for his wallet, ticket, VIP pass, phone and loose change, even going so far as to ensure that his watch was still firmly clasped around his arm. He caught himself shoving his hands deep into his pockets in order to hide the expensive timepiece from any onlookers and decided that he must be heading towards the source of the disturbance that the va'karela was causing. He didn't know what it looked like, nor even how he'd know it when he found it.

The VIP stadium pass got him wherever he wanted to go within the enormous building, as well as the fact of him being a legendary Starblaydi goalie. "Best since Taniquentar!" and 'Wish you were in net tonight!" they'd say to him. They meant it. Lucas really had been that good 'back in the day'. Considering he was only forty years old and could well have been selected for the current World Cup Campaign, it just made him dislike Lena Kochanska's selection policy even more. She couldn't see the talent in him any more, he was still a world-class goalie, even if he was forty, he'd proven how good he was for over a decade, his reputation shouldn't be...

He realised how defensive-minded he was. This wasn't good; this wasn't like him.

Lucas looked around at where he was: he'd managed to work his way into the very depths of the stadium, underneath the stand behind one of the goals. Thankfully the architecture down here was a mirror of what was above, so he knew roughly where he was. He was surrounded by poured concrete that no-one had ever bothered to paint. Columns held the stadium up at regular intervals, casting a latticework of shadows from the harsh white lights. High above him, he saw the zig-zag pattern of the underside of steps that would take the fans to their seats. Everything seemed fairly normal, though, despite the lack of normality in what he was doing he still felt relatively fine. Lucas carried on his path, looping around underneath one of the long sides of the stadium to get to the area behind the other goal. With every step, he knew it. He could feel it. Every step now brought a sense of fear and foreboding for all that he held dear. He could imagine that, were he playing football above, the goal that his team protected would be dearer to them than their own children and require the sacrifice of their bodies in order to protect it.

He wondered about that sacrifice, what it would mean on a football pitch. Suddenly something moved in the shadows up ahead and Lucas found himself hiding, crouched down behind a pillar of textured concrete. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, breath quick and sweat beading on his brow. As he stared into the shadows he could see, eventually, that it was not something in the shadows that was moving, it was the light itself changing. Pulsating like a heartbeat, growing brighter and dimmer in an endless slow rhythm. He crept towards the light, slowly placing one foot timidly in front of the other and images flashed through his mind of what might be around the corner, what might happen to him, who might find him later.

He had to protect himself, he had to defend himself, keep everything away, but he had to keep stepping forward until he saw the source of the light and-

"Don't move," said a woman's voice.

The unmistakable sound of a firearm being cocked, he'd seen enough television to know that. Before he could even react he felt the hard, cold touch of metal at his left temple, placed there delicately and deliberately.

Click.

[Abanhfleft]

CRESCENT NEWS NETWORK
SPORTS CHANNEL - OFFICIAL WEBSITE

ABANHFLEFT CONTINUES WINNING WAYS WITH 2-0 UPSET OVER THE ARCHREGIMANCY
By Doobus Orafanya


Fleftic fans storm the field of May 26 Stadium after Abanhfleft secured a 2-0 victory over the Archregimancy in last night's World Cup qualifying game. (Courtesy of Crescent News Network/Lomax Ollix)

MAY 26 STADIUM, RIUWIEE - In what has become another massive upset in a string of upsets, the Abanhfleft national football team stole three points from under the noses of the monks of the Monastic Football Association by way of a 2-0 victory right in the biggest temple of association football in the country, the May 26 Stadium.

The monks of the Archregimancy had been allowed to celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in the Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Riuwiee three hours before the match was due to kick off, since this was a time-honored tradition of the monks, and Fleftic fans wouldn't want to stand up for two hours just to watch a bunch of monks celebrating what is basically some kind of Mass. An extra hour of time had been given to the monks to allow them time to travel from the cathedral to the stadium, but that turned out to be moot because the monks just simply opened a portal from the cathedral right into the pitch of May 26.

The game began ordinarily enough, with the monks content with playing possession football combined with short passes and the occasional counterattack. The monks had some early chances in the opening minutes of the first half, with Fr. Theodore the Slow to Anger hitting a high volley that clanged off of the crossbar before going out of play, and Fr. Anthony the Kindly almost opened up the scoring with a rocketing low ball that James Tarragona only barely managed to save at the last moment. Fr. Auxentius the Merciful almost made it 1-0 in favor of the monks when he hit a header from a corner, but luckily for Fleftic fans the ball sailed high over the crossbar.

Abanhfleft had its fair share of chances too. Alexandra Rousseau managed to score a goal in the 25th minute, but then it was found that Rousseau was offside, and so the goal was not counted. Allison Torres had a shot at goal of her own, but Fr. Ireneaus the Meek just managed to push it to the wrong side of the post. Jefferson Samonte had a chance to score his first international goal in the 41st minute when he headed the ball towards the net from a Lillian Prescott corner, but once again the ball flew too high. The first half ended with both teams in a scoreless deadlock.

Into the second half, it appeared that both teams would have to settle for another scoreless draw. But then in the 75th minute, Lilly Prescott made a cross into the box that appeared to be another easy clearance for the monks. Suddenly, Chelsea Stuart came out of nowhere to head the ball into the now-undefended goal, and Abanhfleft had finally managed to score a goal before any player from one of its higher-ranked opponents. Jefferson Samonte finally got his first international goal twelve minutes later, thanks to an Adelaide Singh corner kick and a very fortuitous bounce from the keeper's gloves to his feet.


Fleftic Ultras set off flares in the May 26 Stadium after Abanhfleft defeated the Archregimancy 2-0. (Courtesy of Crescent News Network/Toby Tawalisi)

With this victory, Abanhfleft finally jumps up to fourth place at the expense of the Archregimancy. Following this victory over the monks, Abanhfleft will be seeking to add another win to their streak when they visit Ramosverg to face off against that country's national football team. Ramosverg are right below the cellar of Group 8, just barely above Guadalajara due to the former having two draws over the latter's one single draw. Abanhfleft had already triumphed over Ramosverg 5-0 in the Stadion de December 27, and they will certainly look to repeat or top that performance in the next few days right in front of the Ramosvergians (or Ramosvergers, or whatever). Keep on scoring those goals, boys and girls. Ave Scoreologia! Vyievra Abanhfleft!

FINAL MATCH STATISTICS

             ABANHFLEFT 2 - 0 THE ARCHREGIMANCY
   CHELSEA STUART (75')
JEFFERSON SAMONTE (87')

Possession
Abanhfleft: 44%
The Archregimancy: 56%
Bookings
Abanhfleft: None
The Archregimancy: None
Injuries
Abanhfleft: None
The Archregimancy: None

[Mizuyuki]

"You're not pulling my leg, are you? I swear, if this is some kind of elaborate practical joke ... "

Picking up her chopsticks, Amaya eyed her friend with more than a hint of suspicion in her gaze. She was wearing one of those smiles of hers Amaya often saw - one that made her look like the cat who ate the canary. And felt pretty damn pleased with herself with pulling it off, too.

Picking up her chopsticks, Lucia flashed the ponytailed girl a power-watt smile before clapping her hands together in a quick prayer.

"Aww, come on, Amaya, don't be like that. You know I'd never pull a prank on you. My sis maybe, but I'd never pull a fast one on one of my best friends!"

"Somehow I have this niggling feeling of suspicion that just won't go away ..."

"It must be your mind playing tricks on you again! I swear, you're too imaginative for your own good!"

"Yeah, riiiight ..."

Returning to her meal, Amaya speared a piece of salmon with her chopsticks and dipped it in soy sauce.

"Seeing as Shirakiin-san is coming along ... I assume she'll probably be taking notes?"

"Mhm? Notes? What notes?"

Amaya reached over and gave Lucia's empty shell of a head a light push.

"Notes for her next international squad call-ups, baka. If it were any other coach,we'd probably be at lest six years away from receiving a call-up; but with Shirakiin, it's not implausible that she's here to scout out her next batch of senior talent, right?"

Lucia took a moment to slurp up a spoonful of apple soup before responding.

"Yeah, that's what my sis told me. Apparently Shirakiin-san's here to pick another couple of players for a call-up! Remember Samukawa and Sakuranami? They won the last Di Bradini Cup with Kaede-chan and Fuu-chan, right?

Amaya nodded as she meticulously picked a bone out of her salmon.

"I know. That's pretty much common knowledge these days, what with the DBC-winning team being composed entirely of homegrown youngsters."

"Well, I heard tell that on the return flight from the Equestrian States, Kaede-chan just up and told them they'd be called up the next squad, and they'd better work their socks off. They did, and guess what? A week to the day, they both get communications from the FA asking them to get to Kirayuki on the double."

Amaya let out a soft, awed whistle.

"Must be great for them ... living the dream, eh?"

Lucia nodded taciturnly as she took another bite out of her veal cutlets.

"I don't think a single player in this entire camp - and that's including Kaede-chan - would feel otherwise, Amaya. For me, anyways, a pro footballer's ultimate dream is to represent her country. They're getting the chance to do so now. Boy, am I ever envious of 'em ..."

Polishing off the last scraps of her meal, Amaya let out a frustrated sigh. Cupping her head in her hands, the ponytailed girl wondered aloud -

"I wonder if the two of us will ever get a chance to represent our country ... ?"

As soon as the words escaped her, Amaya thought she saw the faintest hint of a smile curl mischievously, like a playful, enthusiastic kitten, around Lucia's lips. She reflexively narrowed her eyes, producing a practised cynical look - a prerequisite for a friend of Lucia Steiner's - and stared directly at the golden-haired girl.

"Don't tell me ... you have some sort of devious plan in store?"

Lucia simply smiled and tossed her friend a knowing wink as she brought another spoonful of soup to her lips.

"Keeping your cards close to your chest, I see. Well, in that case, I guess I'll just have to pull ... this!"

In the blink of an eye, Amaya had wrestled her grinning friend to the floor, putting her into a headlock with one arm while relentlessly tickling her in the ribs with her free hand. It was at times like these that the ponytailed girl blessed her superior physical development; she could easily keep a hold of her struggling victim while mercilessly dishing out punishment.

"Ahaha ... HAHAHAHA!"

Laughing in exhilaration as she continued her tickling, Amaya, breathless with exertion, tightened her hold on the flailing girl pinned beneath her.poking

"Going to spill the beans now? Or shall I continue tickling you 'til you tire yourself out from laughing?"

With tears of laughter springing forth and welling in her eyes, Lucia tapped weakly at Amaya's arm, all the while laughing fit to burst.

"Ahaha ... give! give! I give! Hahahaha ... "

"Mhm, good to see you've come to your senses."

Slowly releasing her chokehold on Lucia, Amaya plastered a triumphant laugh across her face and helped her friend back onto her seat.

"Owowow ... your tickling hurts. I'm all sore now ... uuuu."

Amaya puffed her chest out, the very picture of a victorious prizefighter lording it over a defeated, submissive opponent.

"Now, tell me all about your devious plan. Don't leave a single detail out, mind you, or you'll be screaming for mercy again." The ponytailed girl grinned happily and winked at her pouting friend.

"Oh, alright ... I was gonna keep it a surprise for later, but I guess there's no helping it. Mind you, I'll definitely get you back for this, uuu."

Spooning a final mouthful of rice into her mouth, Lucia took a moment to swallow before reaching for her carry bag. Unzipping the cheerily coloured bag, she rummaged in it for a few seconds before producing a smartphone. A couple of deft swipes on the screen was all it took; before too long, Lucia had pressed the phone into Amaya's outstretched hands.

"Here, take a look."

Overcome by curiosity, Amaya took the sleek phone in her hands and peered intently at the screen.

"Oh ... ? A message from one of your confidential sources?"

Squeezing beside Amaya for a better look at the glowing LCD screen, Lucia responded in the affirmative.

"Yup, and I'm doing you a big favour by letting you in on this! You better treat me to something delicious next time we make a trip into town!"

"Be grateful for the fact that you're not sprawled all over the floor busting your sides from laughing, right this moment." The ponytailed girl smirked after delivering her devastating riposte.

"...ugh." Lucia crumpled her face into an expression of mock disgust. "Seriously, though; remember how I told you that we're gonna have to play a practice match later today? Well, my source managed to gain exclusive access to Kaede-chan's plans; and apparently we're to play an entirely Jeckish team."

With a few practised strokes of her finger, Lucia brought up a spreadsheet and magnified the view.

"See, here we are; 'Amaya Rikasa' and 'Lucia Steiner'. We're both part of the first team to get the chance to take on those foreigners. Match's pencilled in for seven thirty in the evening, on the full-size indoors pitch. It's a full-length match - ninety minutes, not taking into account stoppage time."

"Mhm mm, I see. But what about the Electrumites? I was of the understanding that they too, would be involved in the practice match ... "

Lucia flashed her a wolfish grin.

"You'll see soon enough, Amaya."

She stabbed a finger at a column of names that ran the entire height of the spreadsheet.

"As you can probably see for yourself, we're set to go on as part of Team Alpha, which means - " Lucia began manipulating the spreadsheet with deft movements of her fingers " - that we're gonna play together with those Electrumite blokes back in there."

"Ahh ... " A smile slowly surfaced on Amaya's face. She was beginning to understand what Lucia was up to.

Beside her, the golden-haired girl broke into one of her trademark grins.

"I take it that was enough to clue you in?"

Baring her incisors, Amaya responded with a mischievous smile of her own.

"Absolutely, Lucia. Absolutely."

[Nephara]

Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit.
They'd fucking destroyed the Filopines the last time they'd played. What was so different now?
Ah, yeah, that was right. Nephara were away. And God knew they couldn't string three away wins together in a row, christ.
Auburn Bywater, alleged assistant manager, had barely said a word since the argument. Tess Riether had gone missing entirely, as was, annoyingly, her right as U-21 manager and technically not senior team staff. Franziska Rensenbrink was chewing on a nail.
Okay, so the Filopines were 2-1 up. Harodzic had slotted low past Coleman in the third minute of the game thanks to uncharacteristically poor marking from Marlowe. Harodzic managed to slip Marlowe once again in the seventh to put it across for Tori Lamane as she angled a diagonal run into the box to fire perfectly inside. The Cormorants had been left with a mountain to climb, and while Keith Rowland had flicked on a Kellen cross for Cathar to smash home with his left foot in the 20th minute, and another from Cathar in the 49th, they'd failed to grab a winner.
There were fifteen minutes to go.
Okay, so the lazy option was to bring on Quinn and hope he did his magic again. But that was... well, call her superstitious, but Mortlock had a feeling Rowland would be best used to see out the whole game this time around. She had good midfielders - Mathias and Ashdown were the obvious choices to spark the match.
Sometimes she wished she could just take a moment to herself as the game halted.
Well, she kind of got her wish - Luis Rodriguez hauled down Jess Carragher a few metres outside of the box. Alright, so that gave her some time - did she bring back Murdoch or Rhein, who'd both been rested? Bittencourt on for Cathar? No, not since Cathar's been in good form. Quinn for Cathar was out for the same reason. ... Quinn for Locke, at the head of the diamond? She had opti-
There was a cheer from all around her, and from the green-and-black section of the crowd - and she looked up. Kylie Penrith was pumping her fist as she walked away from the goal, as the Filopino defence looked inconsolable and Kenneth Nolder was trudging to pick up the ball.
Well... there you had it. Some problems just seemed to solve themselves.

"Oh, yeah, well sometimes you have to keep your faith in the players you have," Mortlock deadpanned at the press conference later.
"You decided you should just keep with the starting XI you, well, started?" asked Theodora Kenway. The Herald journalist, not the U-21 centreforward. She sounded sceptical.
"Yeah. And, well, you saw the results it got. Kylie was one of the players I was considering pulling, but I kept faith."
"Right..."
Mortlock shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Anyway, me and the squad are confident ahead of the coming matches. The Saint James Islands, well, they're a stumbling block, but they're fresh off a draw to Arvenia at home. We can beat them at the Farham. We can beat Yttribia at the Farham. And frankly, a draw with Quebec in between is more than enough - though obviously we're going to be going for the win, and we're confident we'll get it. Any talk of an away hoodoo is bollocks, to my view - we've won three straight on the road." She leaned back, relaxing at last. "Pure bollocks."
"Right. Any plans for the lineup?"
"I still plan to bring our starting XI for the Quebec and Yttribia matches. That means some rotation against the Saint James Islands - the specifics aren't yet nailed down."
Kenway pounced. "Will Marlowe be dropped for her errors today?"
"No."
"... You're sure about that? Not even being rested."
"I tend to let the players decide if they could use rest. Right now, Tosca's feeling 100% fighting fit, and fresh for the three coming matches. You'll see who gets rested when the team comes out onto the pitch." And as she rose, preparing to leave the press conference, she needed one last high-risk soundbite for them to pounce on. Staring Kenway in the eyes, she said firmly, "But I'll promise you this much - we'll win."

[Brenecia]

It was almost an easy victory.
But then it never could be, could it? Tsuchiya's long ball over the top found Rudolf Walter, whose looping header wrongfooted Jayce Pence - the Kingsgrove goalkeeper simply couldn't backpedal quickly enough, but she attempted gamely to try and tip it over anyway. She missed.
Bardsley stared, sighed, and glanced away in disgust. There really wasn't much else to do.

Still, they'd won the thing. And Bardsley had made their position clear to them at the post-match.
"Right, Patriots. It's perfectly simple."
She nodded to Conrad, who started putting numbers on a board. Simple numbers. Queer Poco - P 11, 25 pts. Apox, 11 and 24. Quakmybush, 11 and 23. Brenecia... 10 and 22.
"Right. We've a game in hand. That puts us on top. Not to mention these matches are against those top three teams. So, yeah. It's all in our own hands. Now, c'mon, I've prepared shit for this. Conrad!"
The assistant nodded. "Alastonia and Daritii you can beat, and you know it. All the tough matches come after that. Blouman Empire away... they're four points behind us, and for good reason. We can hammer another nail in their coffin. Just do what we did the first time and we'll be fine. Apox... we're at home. That's another fucking tough match."
"We've beat 'em once, guv," said Cheney Scherzer with a smirk. The centre-forward was on fire, and he was one of four Brenecians to ply his trade in Apox. Bryson, his deputy, was also conveniently on fire. Going forward definitely wasn't a problem for Brenecia - they'd scored 26 from 10. "We'll do it again."
"Yeah, confidence is all well and good," said Keane sharply. "Just don't get complacent. They're incredibly tough opponents. Remember we drew the Calanian Union last cycle, and that ended with us in second."
"There's no reason not to go out and attack from the get-go again," said Bardsley firmly - ignoring Keane's sideways glance. "Our strength is going forward. Might as well stick to the front foot. Now. Queer Poco el Mono Ara. Yet another challenge. Balanced 4-4-2. Two banks of four. Stick to what we've been doing up to that point, and we'll be just fine. We dominated for eighty minutes - now try to make it ninety, right? You can do that away from home?" Now time for a bit of psychological warfare... "You're no Nephara, you don't melt away the moment you're out of your nice houses and home crowds, aye?"
"No, guv!" barked Orson Faulkner. He'd been a hero throughout for Brenecia in the centre of defence - coming into the ascendancy just as Seth Greig was starting to lose his pace, just when Brenecia needed a defender of his centreback. Mind, he'd just played that match at rightback, but he'd done a fine job there too. Echoes of agreement rang around the dressing room - notably absent, captain Erin Camden, who practically was Nepharim.
"Right. And, well, Quakmybush at home - for all their placement right now, they're a pushover after those four. Enjoy yourselves and win. Because forget talk of second."
She wiped out Quakmybush's name on the board. She wiped out Apox. She wiped out QPeMA. And, for effect, she scribbled a little trophy and a scrawny little arrow from Brenecia's name to it.
Fiona Berenger snorted from somewhere near the back of the room. Bardsley ignored her, turned, and tapped insistently on the whiteboard with her marker.
"I'm telling you, lasses and lads - the top of this bloody group? Ours. For. The. Taking."
She clicked the marker's cap on, and swept out of the room. Her point had been made. All the team needed to do was get the results.

[Jeruselem]

Jeruselem coach Jayden Bella looking tired and player Laurina Dallas in Karditan after hard won 3-2 win

Laurina: What's wrong, you should be happy we beat one of our rivals. We also beat Ko-oren at home last game.
Jayden: I'm happy but I can't celebrate yet. We have lots of work to do still. And I don't feel very well.
Laurina: Did you eat something wrong?
Jayden: I think I'm just not coping with all this travel
Laurina: At least you don't have to worry about us. We've beaten two top teams recently.
Jayden: I'm very happy we're doing great but I can't take success for granted. We have lots of work left.

Laurina: I guess our problem is we have a bye late in the qualifiers
Jayden: Yes it means we pretty much need to pick up all the points left
Laurina: Only 4 points off the lead, which it better than when we started at the halfway point
Jayden: Yes, but the bye and we haven't played the Starblaydia yet is the problem
Laurina: We'll be doing our best for you
Jayden: Don't worry about me, worry about yourselves first. I can take care of myself.

Laurina: So what did Mum say?
Jayden: She was very good. You're lucky to have her as your doctor. And you were right.
Laurina: I guess all that travelling isn't really good for you and babies
Jayden: She said keep working. I think she knows me moping around at home worrying about things wasn't going be productive
Laurina: Yes, better to keep busy and not think about it too much.
Jayden: I assume Jeruselem women giving birth during a world cup isn't new

Laurina: No, it isn't. Doesn't happen very often but we don't think it's weird.
Jayden: I hear Princess Amy's team lost to the The Calanian Union 2-0 today
Laurina: Yes. I think that's a big blow. They were getting on a roll and winning games.
Jayden: But you need to beat the big teams. Well, we are one really but Jeru FC aren't one anymore.
Laurina: Yes, means there's like 12 points between Jeru FC and group leader.
Jayden: Which is about 4 wins. Looks really hopeless.

Laurina: At least we're still in the fight
Jayden: I knew Princess Amy's job would be pretty hard given she's got a whole new team
Laurina: I would be pretty stressed running that team
Jayden: I'd be on stress leave already if I was doing her job
Laurina: They were doing alright for a short while
Jayden: Not to worry, your priority is this team. We need to make the finals. Well, or at least get to the playoffs.

Laurina: Do it contribute? I don't score goals or win games. I don't save goals.
Jayden: Yes you do. You have a very important job feed supply to the strikers and clear the ball for the defense.
Laurina: I don't feel I actually do anything really
Jayden: That's because your job is largely invisible. Midfielders don't generally have a lot of publicity.
Laurina: I just feel I might lose my job when Princess Laura gets into the team
Jayden: Now now, she's a different breed of player. She's the fearless inspirational type. Your job is different.

Laurina: I worry too much
Jayden: Let me do all the worrying. It's not going be your fault if we fail. I have far more to worry about.
Laurina: I don't know why I don't trust myself
Jayden: You're still young. Maybe when you get older you can back yourself and be more confident.
Laurina: You had to work hard to get where you are now
Jayden: As a single female, and from the lower classes, I really had to work hard. You're lucky. You have a rich family.

Laurina: Do I deserve to be here?
Jayden: I didn't pick you because you're a Dallas. I picked you because you're a good person.
Laurina: No one says that to me
Jayden: You got nothing to worry about
Laurina: Thanks coach
Jayden: Keep strong girl.

[Jeru FC]

Jeru FC coach Princess Amy looking a bit frustrated and Jeru FC player ROAW

ROAW: Err, I think we fucked up today.
Amy: No no, it's OK. I expected to lose today. 2-0 isn't actually that bad.
ROAW: Right, so you expected us to lose anyway.
Amy: Yes, I didn't expect any win today. Our opponents was always going to win.
ROAW: But we still lost and that's bad.
Amy: We're only like 4 wins off top spot

ROAW: So we're not going to make finals
Amy: Unless you lot win all your games, and someone else totally fucks up
ROAW: Not going happen that
Amy: We're five points off 2nd place, meaning we still have some chance but there's like 3 teams ahead of us not including the group leader
ROAW: Sounds like we're up the creek still
Amy: Wonder if I can scrape up enough money for the Cup of Harmony

ROAW: I guess we could win that, since it's kinda impossible for us to win this World Cup
Amy: Well, I did get the previous Jeru FC team into the quarters of the Cup of Harmony
ROAW: There's hope for all of us here
Amy: You forget those guys were experienced World Cup players, this one is your first.
ROAW: So what do we do now?
Amy: Look, we might be able to scrape into playoff. And then we might qualify, so no slacking off still.

ROAW: I guess it's not impossible
Amy: Saying all that, if we lose or draw any more games - we are going be eliminated
ROAW: So you want us to win all the rest
Amy: Yes well, it would be nice. But I don't expect that to happen.
ROAW: We were pretty rubbish today.
Amy: Well, it should have been 5-0 loss but 2-0 is not a bad loss.

ROAW: Say, just something I have to ask.
Amy: Not football related I assume
ROAW: Not really but some of the boys might do it. I want to ask first.
Amy: Let me guess, you want to ask my daughter out for date.
ROAW: Yeah, I mean you're the Mum and it's good ask Mum first.
Amy: Ordinarily, if anyone else in the team asked I would so no.

ROAW: We are a mixed up weird lot, some weirder than others.
Amy: Actually, you're one of the players she doesn't mind so I guess you can ask.
ROAW: Gee, thanks. I was expecting a no.
Amy: You have to ask her, Dallas girls always pick their dates - if Mum doesn't object violently.
ROAW: Don't worry, I'm not that kind of idiot.
Amy: You sure you know what you're up for? I mean we aren't the easiest type to date.

ROAW: That's OK, I'm used to difficult people.
Amy: Oh yes, people like me ...
ROAW: I prefer difficult people to idiots like some of teammates
Amy: Me too. People can be difficult for legit reasons, and sometimes it's not their fault. Idiots are just idiots and I have no time for them.
ROAW: I assume she likes her alcohol
Amy: Yes well, we love a drink or ten. Five should get a Dallas naked.

ROAW: I guess it's going be party time.
Amy: I maybe considered middle age but I still love a good party.
ROAW: I'll see how I go then
Amy: Well, you know what to expect I guess. We are high maintenance though.
ROAW: I fully expect Princesses to be a bit different from your girl in the street.
Amy: You can get low maintenance Dallases though

[Queer Poco el Mono Ara]

Matchday 11

The excitement of seeing ourselves at the top of the group is almost too much to bear. Looking at the table it’s hard not to let out a little squeal. We’re top of a World Cup qualifying group for the first time in a LONG time, but only 3 points separates us at the very peak of the table to the team in 4th. At this point it’s now anybody’s to win in a four horse race between us, Apox, Quakmybush and Brenecia (three teams we are still to play, and if we want to progress further, will need to get a result against).

It’s not entirely unheard of, but it would be entirely unlikely for a team ranked as lowly as ourselves to reach the World Cup proper, but we’d put ourselves in a good position to do so.

The win against Dariti was an example of a never say die attitude we’d yet to see from the Whites.

Taking the lead in the 28th minute through a Jokin Quiros freekick, it looked like we were headed for another routine win, but an equalizer with only moments to go in the first half rocked the team and the fans in attendance. When the whistle went to start the second half the tempo was upped and QPeMA focused on pressuring the man in possession and hunting down the ball. They limited the tourists to only one more shot in the second half, but laboured to find a way to goal themselves, but for an 88th minute winner from Rizwan Abdullah, back from injury. The striker who proved to be lethal in the league this season made some space inside the away team’s penalty area and received a pass from Quiros. Controlling the ball with the inside of his left foot, he knocked it back across to his stronger right foot and leathered it beyond the keeper to snatch a win.

After the game centre back Ilhan Solak commented “We never gave up hope today. We knuckled down and fought hard for this win. It’s good for our momentum, coming into the ‘big’ fixtures. We just need to show this same level of dtermination.”

Asked how he felt about the team’s chances of qualifying, the Cobalt Stars defender said “It’s in our own hands now. I don’t believe in faith or destiny or kismet or any of that rubbish, it’s down to hard work and a will to succeed.”

_____

Pocoan Football History

Lesson 2

A rival is a person or thing competing with another for the same objective or for superiority in the same field of activity. Footballing rivalries stem from geography, competitiveness, regular fixtures and some base level hostility. For Queer Poco el Mono Ara, our nearest and dearest rivals hail, like ourselves, from Rushmore. But we’d like to consider them more than just sparring buddies and regular foes on the football field, but friends, particularly after decades of competing against one another. Obviously, we’re talking about Sargossa.

In our very first competitive fixture against one another, a game at Baptism of Fire 34, we managed to tie 2-2, with the Whites coming back from behind against the Corsairs to pinch a point. The draw was one of three, as Queer Poco went five games unbeaten to reach the knockout stage, leaving Sargossa behind in the group.

Back on home soil, we were hosting the second Copa Rushmori when the Corsairs came to town. We were leading the game in the second group match, and Joesph Hamburgstein’s men looked like they were going to cruise to victory, only to suffer a humbling and somewhat embarrassing 4-2 defeat on Pocoan soil.

The next high profile meeting between the two sides was at World Cup 52 in the first group game. The Whites had been drawn against 3 teams beginning with an S – Schiavonia, Sorthern Northland and Sargossa. The Corsairs came up trumps on this occasion, battering QPeMA 3-1 as the Whites limped out, bottom of their group with only 3 points.

Years down the line we were drawn together in the group stages at Copa Rushmori XIII and a bore score draw between the two nations in Ancharmunn was played out. The point however was enough for QPeMA to make it out of the group in second, where Sargossa had to rely on results going their way to make it through as the best third placed team. This did little to damage the Corsairs who went on the reach the final for a record fourth time, only to taste defeat at the hands of Darmen, in a 4-2 loss.

At the following tournament played out in Taeshan we met in the round of 16. Again Sargossa would prove to be the victors, eliminating us 2-1 at a packed Fadron Pizza Field, before going on to be crowned Champions of Rushmore.

With the years of civil war and the slide into footballing obscurity this rivalry has taken a one-sided turn as Sargossa go from strength to strength and currently find themselves ranked at 45th in the World, 90 places above The Whites. It’s hoped that now we’re returning to the fold we may get another crack at our Rushmori neighbours and this time, maybe a win.

[Gregoryisgodistan]

"Hello, I'm Sportscaster SDI99PPF, and we're coming to you live from Leadan for today's World Cup Qualifying match between the hosts and the Gregoryisgodistan Foot Slaves. It is really a must-win for Gregoryisgodistan, and if Horse Beater KFIU9140 wants to live, it could be a must-win for him too. Will Gregoryisgodistan survive? Will Horse Beater KFIU9140 live? It's time to find out, next. But first, a pause for the national anthems. First, the national anthem of Gregoryisgodistan. Sing along and sing it strong, it's "Gregory, Gregory Lord Almighty."

Gregory Gregory Lord Almighty
We Praise You We Worship You
Gregory Gregory Lord Almighty
Master of Gruel and Prune Juice
He Gives Us Gruel And Prune Juice Yes
We Worship Him as a Deity and Bow Down To Him Whenever We See Him
On TV or In Person or In Statue
Gregory Gregory Lord Almighty
We Love You We Worship You
Gregory Gregory Lord Almighty
A million praises unto you
Gregory Gregory Is Immortal
He Considers Us His Little Playthings
A term He Only Uses In Jest Because He Has Infinite Mercy for Us All
Gregory Gregory We Adore Thee
We Bow Down To Thee In Praise
Thou Art More Smart Than Sir Einstein So We Say "Einstein Who?"
Gregory Gregory Master of Slave Labor
We Are All Your Slaves in Heart
Some Of Us Are Slaves to this Nation
Some of Us Just Wish We Were
Gregory Gregory Inventor of the Solar Bomb
Which We Use to Vanqiush Our Enemies
Gregory Gregory Master of Everything
Thou Art Lord and Thou Art God
Gregory Gregory You Wrote This Song
Our Favorite Song In The Entire World
We Sing it Every Hour on The Hour
Like Clockwork We Praise your Lordship
Gregory Gregory We Bow Down Again
We Fly This Flag Outside Our Home
Gregory Gregory We Have Shrines in Our Homes
In Our Shops and Everywhere
Gregory Gregory We Worship You Day and Night
In Our Dreams We even Worship You
Gregory Gregory This is the Only Song We Sing!

"And now, for the national anthem of Leadan, "We are Leadan" which we most certainly didn't write ourselves and dub over the real audio."

We are Leadan We Kill Babies Every Day
Then We Eat them and think that that's ok
Leadan is home to the baby eaters and the clowns
Our king wears a shiny little crown
That is made from gold and the teeth of babies
Leadan is where that is ok
We like to eat babies especially with some basil
And some thyme, and Larry's Seasoned Salt
Leadan, Leadan, We are Leadan Indeed
Eating Babies is What We Need!

"Ok, now it's just about time for kickoff. Since Leadan did not submit a roster, we will give their players stupid names. Their captain, a midfielder named Captain Dunce, is shaking hands with Soccer Captain Laredo Potato, and now we're just about ready to get underway. We're here in Leadan, and the stadium is more than half-empty because nobody cares about soccer. Maybe they should enforce a mandatory sell-out policy like we do back home. In any case, about 50 percent of the fans who are actually here made the trip from Gregoryisgodistan. Presumably they are government VIPs and/or family of the soccer players on the field today, so they were allowed to do that. They were singing along very loudly and passionately with the anthem just now. Anyway, here we go. It's time for FOOT SLAVES SOCCER!

"13th minute, here come the Foot Slaves on the attack, Secret Police Agent Dominic Button at midfield passes ahead to Pervert Chaser 867530PNC. Pervert Chaser 867530PNC then fires it into the box and tries to find Loyal Friend of Lord Almighty Gregory Robert Possibe, but it's cleared over the back line by a defender. That will be a corner kick. Executioner 98481 will take the corner - it's into the box and Police Agent Jorge Warlord gets a head on it, it's IN THE BACK OF THE NET! GOAL FOR GREGORYISGODISTAN! That is Police Agent Jorge Warlord's first career goal for the Foot Slaves and they are up 1-0 already. It's looking like a promising start for Gregoryisgodistan.

...

"28th minute, here comes Leadan, and it's Ugly Stupid Fartface passing into the box to Mini Dumb Uglybutt, who shoots, but oh, a diving save by Prune Farmer 3818F will keep the hosts off the board. He gets up quickly and sends it up to Hacker Fred'); DROP TABLE Rosters;--, who is viciously slide tackled by I am a Clown. And the ref is calling Mr. Clown over and it will be a straight red. He's off. That was a vicious tackle, definitely worthy of a card, though even I'm not sure it should be a red. Probably should have just been a yellow. And when even the Gregoryisgodistani commentator thinks it just should be a yellow on the team that isn't Gregoryisgodistan, it probably should be. Ah well. The call worked out in our favor, so now Leadan will have to play with just ten men for the rest of the game.

...

"44th minute, still a one goal game, but Soccer Captain Laredo Potato to take a free kick from just outside the penalty area. He goes for goal, it's off the wall. Oh, but Soccer Captain Laredo Potato is charging right at the ball and manages to tuck the rebound just inside the right post. GOAL! GOAL! GOAL! GOAL! GOAL! Gregoryisgodistan leads 2-0! And that will probably take us just about to halftime with that score. Soccer Captain Laredo Potato is celebrating on the field by dancing. And now one of the coaches is unveiling a statue of Lord Almighty Gregory on the sideline and the whole team is bowing to it in celebration. And now Soccer Captain Laredo Potato, as the leader of the celebration, has been yellow carded for delay of game. Poor ref, spoiling our fun. What a shame. But that's the halftime whistle, with the score 2-0 Foot Slaves. Gregoryisgodistan definitely on their way to a decisive victory that will get us right back in the thick of things.

"Meanwhile, it's time for the halftime report. We're getting reports that Sargossa knocked off Furellum 1-0 earlier in the day, meaning Gregoryisgodistan would be two points out of second with a win, though Sargossa would have a game in hand. The two teams would not have to face each other again, but both would have to face Valladares. Furellum would also be a point ahead of the Foot Slaves, but would not have that game in hand - both of them still have their byes. And of course, Furellum still has to face the Valladars as well. That's going to be the toughest remaining match by far, but if anyone's up to it, it's Gregoryisgodistan. Everyone else should be easy victories, except perhaps Nassau-Hessen, who gave the Foot Slaves trouble last time. But this time, the Foot Slaves are at home, and they've gotten better over the course of qualifying while Nassau-Hessen has gotten worse. That will be the Foot Slaves' next matchup, tomorrow, while Sargossa takes on Leadan and Furellum has their bye. This means that, assuming Gregoryisgodistan hangs on tonight, a win would move them at least into third place, and possibly into second place if Sargossa loses that one. A draw would see the two of them tied on points, but Sargossa owns the tiebreak, which in this case is head to head. It is possible Gregoryisgodistan would eventually own the tiebreak on wins, but for this to happen with the teams actually tied, the Foot Slaves would have to lose at least two games and Sargossa would have to draw at least three, not counting the hypothetical draw against Leadan. If that happens, it is unlikely either team will be in position to advance to the playoff. So clearly the Foot Slaves will need to finish ahead of Sargossa on points. Anyway, it's time for the second half to get stated, so let's take you back to the field.

...

"59th minute, Leadan on the attack, Dumb Bozo charging into the box, he shoots, oh, but a diving deflection by Prune Farmer 3818F. Baby Eater shoots it, but Prune Farmer 3818F kicks it away while still on the ground. What a play by Prune Farmer 3818F. Still in danger though as Prune Farmer 3818F gets back up. Bozo shoots it and again Prune Farmer 3818F makes a diving save. This time he holds on and the threat is over.

...

"76th minute, here come the Foot Slaves. Prune Farmer 913881 passes it into the box and Loyal Friend of Lord Almighty Gregory Robert Possibe is there. He heads it left post and IT'S IN! THE FOOT SLAVES LEAD 3-0! IT'S BASICALLY ALL OVER NOW! GREGORYISGODISTAN WITH THE GOAL!

...

"And we're in the last of the three minutes of stoppage. There's the referee's whistle and this one is over. The Foot Slaves get a much needed win and move within two points of a playoff spot. Next up is a home game against Nassau-Hessen. We'll see you then. Good night everyone."

[Neu Engollon]

My apologies for this short, weak RP. Short on time on a library PC. Hoping to get a working PC back today and edit this before cutoffs. Hopefully can still tilt the balance just enough, barring Margaret's whims.

---

"Buonachi, Neu Engollon. Gerry Paseult with you here on the NETV Sports 7 Update. A quick review of the Group stage so far for the Goats in the World Cup. Some major matches against Ceni and Darmen with crucial wins, yet some steps back with the most recent draw, one all, against Rejistania in their home stadium in Sike Kali. Rejistania should have been an easy win but they held our forwards fast with their very unique defense tactics.
The Ceni match was predicted to be close and they wanted this win bad, but we were able to get the winning goal courtesy of Hummelmann. Still, one wonders why the Goats couldn't put more points on the board, even if they probably would have conceded almost as many. 2-1 and we'll still take the win. The biggest and best win so far was against the Darmeni All Green, 4-1, to push the Goal Difference totals up to a more comfortable level again. I think that match was a shocker for a lot of folks.

Everyone is on edge here in the Confederacy as the National football squad continues to flub easy matches, yet turn around and pull out a seriously tough win against opponents who have every reason to beat our unsteady team. The question on everyone's minds is, can we keep plugging along at this rate without racking up a significant margin of wins. The second spot in Group 9 is far from locked in and Ceni, Electrum and Darmen are all breathing down the necks of our beloved Goats. This could be one of the most tense finishes in a Group in recent Cup history memory. Next up is Masentur, who the Goats beat handily in their previous encounter. They need a good margin win on this one in order to keep pushing up that GD tally and they also need Ceni and Electrum to take losses in their upcoming matches. With Ceni facing Audioslavia, that is highly likely. With Electrum to face Rejistania, this is much less likely. Ugh.
As always, you can catch the live matches here on NETV Sports 7 and replays, profiles, highlights and other indepth coverage on our sister station, NETV Sports 19. After the break, we have a Seasogs preview courtesy of Magda Wertauer. Stay tuned..."

[Red Blackiland]

Roster Apresentation

Article 1

Article 2

Article 3

Article 4

Article 4.5

Article 5

Article 6

Article 7

Article 7.5

Article 8

Article 8.5

Article 9

Article 10

Article 11

Article 12

Article 13

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Summary - Article 14
- Game against Seltik!
- Supports Tradition : Support and watch the gamse at the bar!

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Article 14 : Bar and Beers

Giant flag in the game against Paradystopia.The chance to pick a place on playoff now is very hard to the team,follow with bravure even with the little probablity or wait for the CoH?

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Game against Seltik!

Red Blackiland fans spectations for the game against Paradystopia

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Seltik vs. Red Blackiland.The game in the first half don't bring much good records or memories to us,a 3-3 draw with a goal in the last minutes that are bad to the objectives and the 'Dark Lions' pretentions.Now,the team needs fix and don't make the errors that them made in the previous match in first-half of Qualifiers,the team need to gain more points possible and lose less points possible for can dream about a place in the playoffs.
Bokorín in this time,will start in the place of Rodristander and Defour will be more recuated to give more velocity in the middile,being the descent of the velocity of the midfielder that are essential sector in a tactical system in football,and certainly,we don't need lose velocity in a very important moment for Red Blackiland and your campaign,not much to talking more than this,as see that Seltik have a little conservative media that don't allow that some informations can be see by other teams.
Estimated that 1,500 Red Blackilandian fans will be in Seltik,is a colonized country by Darvale,measure the fans are passing with the Red Blackiland National Team shirts,the Seltikians say about Meski that made a crest for Darvale,''Oh,these guys made a crest for Darvale,i know them!Fans of a new team in the scene will be great!'',almost one of Meski directors approached near one of Seltikians and say ''Perhaps you need some democracy on sports uniforms?''.The fans came to the bar and made a good sociabilization with Seltik citizens,that received us with a very good way.
Now,we need the three points to follow dream with a place in the playoffs,we can!!

---

Supports Tradition : Support and watch the gamse at the bar

Football, bar and beer. In the popular imagination these are three of the great passions of Red Blackilandian. To some extent, this belief was one of the reasons that led me to investigate and write about this topic. In a way, in my history of fan club, this reality was also part of my life. When I tried and could not have tickets for the games in the Red Glorious i see the bar as an alternative, a plan B, in which I could even miles away, scream, sing and even "be heard" by the players and encourage my team . Several times already I found myself giving instructions to the TV, hoping to be answered. "Turn the game!", "Fast! Leverages the counterattack" and so on ...
In Redínxson, city considered the capital of the bars, we found many of them who transmit football games and also make soccer a major product of the "menu". The bars were historically constructed as relevant places for meeting and sociability. We see that is what also occurs when we think this space as the target of much fans.Many bars can gather a large number of fans, even when the game broadcast is being held in Blackberry or where there ''open'' TV transmission.We suspect strongly that a major reason for the observance of this phenomenon is the emotional engagement that according VERSATTI (2005), is one of the ingredients for the formation of belonging to a club. In this engagement the people who cheer for the same club identify themselves as equal and then become an activist for his club. That's where the key point. Militant for his club, not necessarily entails the presence of passionate fans in the stadiums. And so, as the fans who go to the stadium, many ''bar fans'' carry and give the twist a range of other meanings beyond a "simple fun".
In addition, there is also the consumption of alcohol. Especially beer, is an important factor for these guys. For them, sociability that beverage consumption to some extent favors, also contributes to the adoption and incorporation of bars supporter habitus can be reached. We realized that in addition to root for a particular club, there are some other signs that are shared. It is true that a fan can make use of a non-alcoholic drink, but within that ambient,especially when the more informal treatment of clients. The fan seems to be seen with a "strangeness", perhaps for this fan is necessary to have more in common signs to left or exit out this "brand".
Speaking in informal treatment of clients, we also observed,the different styles of bars.Some,like already said in text, have a more personal and informal service others have a more formal and entepreneur service and character. Some have opening for a more diverse attendance,few more traditional only "accept" men.Other still do not care about a varied menu of snacks, others participate of gastronomic contests.Even with their much difference these bars see in game display a way to attract customers and increase revenue. A peculiar example in Blackberry is the bar attached to Pindaíba radio network. This station broadcasts the games of the top clubs Blackberry and have one of the largest audiences of the sports radio in the country. The bar was opened in 2012 and the main attraction of the property are two giant screens in high definition, several TV's and a simultaneous radio transmission without the characteristic delay of TV in relation to the radio.
This diversity of bars fits into a category of Jumando (2009) who understands the bar as a suitable locus for the meeting, for sociability. However there are bars "foot-clean", which have a more sanitized feature and the bars "foot-dirty" for which the author holds a characteristic of the most authentic space and conducive to sociability of Blackberrian society, which is the cut-out (happy hour) of their work.Jumando see even greater social importance of the bars economically and aesthetically less exquisite.
We can with this short description of bars and an analysis still incipient what was observed until this moment and date,saying that evidence points to an interesting study of a campus in Blackberry,has in bars a great symbol of leisure and cultural experiences in the city. We also emphasize that the importance that football and support in football in Red Blackiland,it is always important and relevant to know and understand more how is this practice in its different possibilities, in its most different formats in this case at the bar.
You can also say that the fans and the crowd in the bars is multiple and diverse, as well as the types of bars that are chosen by fans and the degree of involvement they have with other fans, with the owners of establishments and their employees. But all this catalyzed by a sense of belonging to a club and identity, a goal and a willingness to push and encourage your heart club, even if the waves of television are not able to take all this vibration back.

[The Sarian]

Pre-match Team Talk - The Sarian vs Sameba

I don't care if you think the job is done, we still have six games left to play and I expect to see each and every one of you put one hundred percent into every single one.

The media may think we have already qualified, but we haven't. Seven point advantages come and go very quickly, it's all very well waving around our game in hand, but that advantage deteriorates with each passing match day and I will not let us rely on it.

We know this team, we've played them before and we've seen them play. While they have no real achievements to boast of, they are famous for upsetting teams; do not let that happen to you.

You know what to do - Methuselah, I expect you to boss that midfield, yeah? Prove you are no push over, they have been known to play the aggressive game, don't get caught up in it.

Same goes for you Jobo, they will push into you, don't let them. Use your pace to go past them, they will make the late challenges.

Most of all, go out there and do what you're best at, go out there and win.

[Greater Watford]

International Club Football

Despite their relatively small status on the football world, clubs in Greater Watford have enjoyed some international success. The GWFA is affiliated with the UICA and the AOCL, so the nation’s teams are represented on the world recognised stage. However, it was in other tournaments where their success has come.

In the FireStorm V Cup, Greater Watford sent Watford FC and St Albans City FC, the top 2 teams in the Repechage. In this tournament, they were debutants, along with several other competing nations, and the tournament was played in Mizuyuki. Both teams came 2nd in their group to qualify for the Round of 16. Toddinlofer knocked out St Albans City 4-0 in that round, but Watford FC progressed on. In fact ,Watford FC reached the final against the aforementioned Toddinlofer. In the final, a 2-0 victory for the Hornets saw Watford FC take home a major international trophy.

For International FireStorm Cup VI, Watford FC was entered by the GWFA as defending champions. Hemel Hempstead FC entered the AOCL, so St Albans City FC competed for a 2nd time in the tournament. Both teams won their groups, with Watford FC taking a memorable 10-0 victory against San Antonio in their final group game. By the Round of 16, St Albans City FC was 6 wins from 6, and Watford FC were looking strong. Both teams reached the semis, where Watford FC lost 4-3AET to Persepur Bhagawanta. They secured bronze and 3rd place in the 3rd/4th playoff. In the final, St Albans City FC beat Persepur Bhagawanta 2-1, completing the perfect tournament for them.

International FireStorm Cup VII was entered by St Albans City and league winners Hemel Hempstead FC. This time, the Saints failed to make it out of the group stage, to the disappointment of their fans. Hemel Hempstead di better, reaching the Round of 16, but Lizland City Motors got the better of them in a penalty shootout. This tournament saw a waning in popularity for the FireStorm Cup by Greater Watford fans.

International Firestorm Cup VIII was contested by Leavesden Rovers FC and Marlowes City FC. Both sides were able to win their groups, and qualified for the Round of 32. Furthermore, they won their next games, making it into the Round of 16. However, both teams were knocked out at this point, ending their involvement in the tournament. By this point, the tournament was held in limited regard by the GWFA and Greater Watford fans, meaning that they may not compete in any future editions.

In the UICA coefficients, Greater Watford are ranked 64th, which is still off the Top 32 places that secure extra Champions Cup spots. Individual Greater Watford team rankings are as follows: 259; Leavesden Rovers FC; 463 Hemel Hempstead FC; 480 Marlowes City FC; 542 Watford FC; 543 Bovingdon FC; 574 Bricket Wood FC; 607 Sporting Tudor.

[Buyan]

“The teams are lining up for what is already our seventh confrontation with the Hornets, so far we can boast a 5-1-0 record, with a little help of the penalty series. It’s a time that provides quite a match every day of the week, Shale knows it’s the moment to do or die but that Greater Watford won’t give in easily.”

The stereo in the Five Oaks blared loudly as the place had filled up. Henrik took a sip, hesitated a second and then threw half a pint in his mouth. Who would bother? Over they were, those days when he had to take care of every penny. In his pocket, he felt the warm glow from the plane tickets. They lighted him up to a state of excitement as things were going his way. He had done all unfinished business, managed to ensure that his father would have a proper place to rest, finished all doubts, ended his job on a positive note and had taken the time to say goodbye to the few friends he had.

Originally, he should have boarded tonight already but the knowledge that a clash in the Nine was scheduled, one that quite possibly might decide the destination of the Buyanese team this winter – to the World Cup, to the Cup of Harmony or to some exotic island to hide from the shame of not qualifying for anything at all. He looked forward to the encounter with Greater Watford, a skilled side that pushed the Hedgehogs to their best level on each occasion, almost a talisman in a strange way.

For tonight, he had decided to share a last drink with Stefan. After all, he had been the only one who knew in advance that this would be his destiny, to leave this forsaken town and see the national team live. Although he might have the intellectual capacity of a mole rat, he always had a soft spot for his fellow worker from the steel mill. After they both had been sacked, they had lost touch but he had fortunately run into him a few days ago. For an instance, Henrik had hesitated whether he should give him some of his newfound glory, but he had decided to wait and break the news tonight.

“Samuel Harris with the through pass, Mannetti is quicker on the ball than Mamontovas, he’s searching for… Oh! What a save from Ulle Seber, the Hornets close to the lead after only five minutes, but Seber saves the day!”

But Stefan was late and that slightly worried Henrik. You could tell a lot of things about Stefan – he was lazy, dirty, lacked personal hygiene and had no sense of tact – but he did fulfil his promises. Just when Henrik got another lager, a scruffy lad walked in. He looked as if he were Stefan, only pushed into a shrinking machine and with long blond hair instead of a short ginger coupe. He had the same wishy-washy look in his eyes but immediately spotted Henrik and waved him closer. When Henrik walked up to him, the kid could only attempt to form sentences in between trying to catch his breath. Henrik could spot the sweat dripping out of every pore of him.

“Use… The back exit… They’ll be here soon… Stefan wishes you… Good luck…”

…

He would never understand women and especially not the type that liked it when a man with more muscles than brains flirted with her – despite she obviously being a sad, old tart and he making use of her – but if it caused his assistant to get names out of some steel mill secretary, Kjetil Olufsen was all right with it. It had taken him some time to locate him, but someone from his former apartment told him that he used to work in the place. The steel mill had closed down – or at least, most of it – but the horny secretary didn’t mind babbling about who and when and what for a second of attention.

From the list of co-workers, they had met the first two. Poor creatures, who had little interesting to tell but that they were unaware of the whereabouts from Henrik Jorgensen. It annoyed Kjetil and such news made his fists itch. With that in mind, he had little interest in patience and simply ordered his assistant to whack the door out of the pity backroom some real estate marketing boy had once called an apartment. The tenant, obviously quite shocked by their powerful entrance, was doing an attempt to warm up a sorry meal.

“Ehm… What? What are you doing here?” he asked once his first shock had been overcome.
“Listen up, f’face,” Kjetil scolded as his assistant pushed Stefan – as it was him who tried to create food out of two old eggs and a forgotten slice of cheese – against the nearest wall, “I ask the questions here.”

Stefan’s eyes were large, seemingly able to pop out of his head any second now.

“First question, are you Stefan Helming?”
“Yes,” he nodded, afraid to speak up.
“You worked in the steel mill two blocks down the road along with a certain Henrik Jorgensen?”

A slight hesitation, quickly ending as Olufsen clicked his tongue and Left Wardrobe closed his fingers around the neck of Stefan.

“Ehm… Yes! Yes, that’s right,” the latter squealed, “I know him well.”

Kjetil smiled, as it seemed that for a second, Stefan hoped that that name could be his exit from trouble. Whisperers must have told him that Henrik had been in dirty business.

“I know him pretty well, I’m just going to get a beer with him tonight and…” his babbling ended when Left Wardrobe planted his fist in Stefans stomach.
“That wasn’t necessary,” Kjetil smiled devilish as Stefan’s face showed that he knew that it had been a wrong idea. “Our good friend will tell us all he knew.”

Kjetil had a simple and tested method for victims like this one. For a wrong answer, he got beaten up. For a right one as well, but a bit less.

…

“The… The Five Oaks.”

When the Wardrobe smacked him again and Stefan violently slammed against the wall, all started to turn. Grasping and clamping to find stable ground, all he could see was the face of the shorter man, visibly the boss, coming near him.

“See,” he grinned with his raspy voice, “that wasn’t so hard after all. Good luck.”

One last punch in the face and things went black around Stefan but not for long. When he opened his eyes, he discovered that the bang with which they closed the door had brought him back to life – something their lust to throw his meagre possessions to the ground or the taste of blood and mashed teeth in his mouth hadn’t.

Trying to stand up with a sad attempt, like a drunk in the gutter, he whispered, “you can come out now, Erik.”

From underneath the bed, a scruffy boy stood up. He was a spitting image of Stefan, but a tad shorter and with remarkable long, blond hair. Stefan tried to get himself together, everything was still vague but he knew one thing.

“They’re going to kill him… Run to the Five Oaks, find a guy named Henrik. You know, long, brown hair, deep blue eyes, black jacket, you’ll recognise him. Tell him to run. They’ll be there soon.”

As the kid started sprinting, Stefan lifted his head one more time.

“Wish him good luck.”

…

“Kluszak with the pass, Duco Dalmshelf is getting rid of Sproul, he lifts it over Warthon and yes! Hannon without a chance! What a goal by Dalmshelf, a marvellous score and Buyan gets on equal footing now. Time is running out but this could bring them back in the match, Shale is urging them to get on their side for the kick-off.”

Erik took a sip from the lager. To be fair, he hated the taste but he could use it. The guy he had just delivered the message to had just left by the bathroom when a duo entered the full bar. From underneath the bed, he hadn’t seen their faces but he didn’t need to in order to recognise their voices. For a few minutes, they had carefully scanned every face in the facilities. When they passed by Eriks, it seemed to take them a second longer and a shiver went down his spine, but they didn’t seem to recognise him. As they waded through the crowd, Erik could hear them talk.

“He’s not here,” the Raspy one concluded.
“I don’t see him either,” the Wardrobe responded, “maybe that Stefan has lied to us?”
“He wouldn’t dare,” his boss riposted, “he values his life a bit too much for that. No, that’s not the case.”
“Maybe,” his assistant contemplated, “he heard about it already.”

Erik had to get hold of the glass to avoid shaking, his chest was going up and down.

“Impossible,” Raspy spoke, “we came as quick as possible.”
“But…”
“No buts. I think he felt that there was something wrong. He’s quite clever, you know. But we make sure he can’t escape far.”

The duo walked out, quite discontent. Erik took another sip. After all, the taste wasn’t that bad.

“A corner kick by Castell, to the penalty point… Kendrick Hannon only with a glove, he has trouble with… Zemaitis! No, Current stops it on the line but there’s Moen! Sil Moen! The eternal substitute does it, he heads it against the net! Buyan takes the lead with little time left on the clock, they make a narrow escape here against a strong opponent. Is it joy on the face of Reinhart Shale? Is it relief? I’m not entirely sure, but they might have taken the big leap today!”

…

Line-up for MD13 UNITEDWESTAND123 - Buyan

Erbald Saldlund
Giedius Justs * Antanas Mamontovas * Sigurd Tufte * Maxim Dziuba
Bartosz Wladecki
Marco Castell * Vridrich Lammerschon
Piotr Kluszak
Andrey Rettinger * Duco Dalmshelf

Some surprised reactions amongst the crowd, some clear explanations.

“Saldlund on goal, for the first time in over four years?”
“He worked hard and he has taken more than one step forward in those years. Seber and Schmidt aren’t getting younger and I want to see him on an international stage.”

“A B-defense, but with Sigurd Tufte?”
“B… That’s a big word. First of all, I’ve got some guys who are one yellow away from a day on the bench. I can’t miss Giertych or Zemaitis for a match as Turori, you understand that. Indeed, a new chance for Tufte, we’ve talked it out and it’s water under the bridge for me. Time for him to show that he’s ready.”

“Wladecki back on the number six?”
“He did well before, so he deserves to be fielded again. But, Quinten will be back against Turori.”

“Castell and Kluszak stay on their spots?”
“They both have been vital for the turnaround against Greater Watford, so why not.”

“Rettinger and Dalmshelf as strikers?”
“Balnerii complained about back pains, no need to field him this evening if we’re looking to Turori up next.”

“All in all, not the best eleven. Is it not too dangerous?”
“These eleven can do it. And they will do it.”

[RP ends on the sound of scribbling journalists]

[Schottia]

All Covered Up

Part Eight

The worst type of person imaginable.

A stoppage during the Schottia - Polaaskan match, Harbour Hill Stadium, Handon

'Is that any better? How about now? Do you feel that?' Claire asked Gary holding his leg aloft.

'It's still rather tight, I fear I may need to come off.' This was a new one. Gary had often wondered if he would ever fake an injury to come off the pitch; now he was seriously considering it. He had always carried himself with a certain air of dignity, a modicum of self-respect. Lying on the turf like this trying to convince the team physio that he was unable to continue was pushing this right to the limit; could he go through with it?

'Then I think you must have damaged your knee, it might be your cruciate ligament.' She said laying his leg gently down again. 'Right I need to call for a stretcher. I'm sorry about this Gary.'

'No wait!' He said propping himself up on his elbows to lean forward. 'I think I can continue.' This would be too much, the thought of the money the poor fans had paid to see him play. Also poor Claire, how would this reflect on her; she would work out at some point that he wasn't really injured. He glanced over to the technical area where his manager Barry Gorman was pacing around like a caged lion.

'Look Claire, I need to tell you something.' She leaned in looking perplexed. All around them players on both sides were pacing too, taking sips from sports bottles. 'Its about me and Abigail...'

'Gary, what are you talking about? We are in the middle of a competitive match.' She had one hand on the zipper of her medical bag, unsure as to whether she should close it.

'But I just need to say we are not really a couple. It's all just a ...'

'Gary please, this isn't the place, can't it wait...'

'No it can't. I have to tell you it's all a big publicity stunt.'

'What?' Claire scowled, he finally had her attention for the moment he needed. She grabbed him by the ankle and began rubbing his thigh, as if treating an imaginary cramp. 'What do you mean publicity stunt?'

'Abbey and I are old friends, her band are just starting out and they need the recognition. I said that she could tell people we were dating, so they could get their name in the papers, that's all.' He cringed, hoping that didn't make him sound as bad as he actually was.

'You know, you didn't talk to me once after what happened in Yttribia. Not one measly text message.' She snarled as she took her frustrations out on his leg.

'I was in a bit of a dark place, I had just come out of a long term...'

'No you listen Gary Corise, for once in your life.' If she kept this up she was genuinely going to inflict an injury on the leg. 'I was going out of my mind worrying, running things through in my head. Then you ran off to New Edom, without so much as a word. You know the next time I saw you after that night was when you turned up for training before the Saintland game?'

'I know, I shouldn't have done that. But this feels like a weight off, just talking...'

'And then I find out you seeing some 17-year-old musician, so I get to feel like I was traded in for a younger model. Is that what I am to you Gary? The kind of girl you sleep with then just run off? Did you and the rest of the team have a good laugh behind my back? Claire Hanson the girl the drops her pants for any one in the team!'

Gary considered interjecting but he knew his interjections weren't up to much; they never sounded sincere, even when he was. Her eyes filled slightly with water, but she didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Satisfaction? He knew that's what she would be thinking. It wasn't true though, nothing particularly gave him any satisfaction these days; least of all watching a grown woman cry in public.

Gary could hear the Polaaskan players asking the referee what time would be added on for this stoppage. The officials were pressing the point that Gary should be carried from the field of play to let the game continue.

Claire helped him to his feet looking him straight in the eye.

'You might be God's gift to football Gary, but you're the worst type of person imaginable.' She moved her face an inch from his before telling him the next part. 'I expect this kind of behaviour from the other players, but I though you were different. That's what makes this so much worse.'

'Okay he is good to play on!' Claire said turning to team captain Colin Donaldson, before jogging back of the pitch. The relieved fans gave Gary a standing ovation and began chanting his name. He wondered if Claire felt she had had her revenge now; the dark humour of leaving him on the park with an ironic round of applause.