Copa Rushmori XX - Everything Thread

by **Polar Islandstates** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 3:57 pm

NB: Slight jump in expected statistics comes because I just noticed I never entered the results/caps/goals of Cup of Champions 3 into my spreadsheet, despite already accepting editions 2 and 4 as canon. D'oh. All fixed now.

Introducing the two-time reigning Copa Rushmori champions...

THE GREATER VALHALLAN FEDERATION OF POLAR ISLANDSTATES ROSTER FOR COPA RUSHMORI XX
Nation Name: The Greater Valhallan Federation of Polar Islandstates
Demonym: Valhallans (or Polarians)
Team Nickname: The Terns
Official Supporters Group: The Twitchers

KIT COLOURS:
HOME - AWAY - KEEPER

HOME STADIUM:
Nasjonale Stadion - 67,481 (Franz Josef City)

HOME SUPPORT: The Ostkurven - Home of the Twitchers

STAFF:
Manager: Morten Rasmussen, 66
Record in Charge: P 218, W 171, D 27, L 20, GF 478, GA 170, GD +308, WP 78.4%
After guiding the Terns to three World Cup finals in a row, Rasmussen has added to his managerial CV by retaining the Copa Rushmori title on home soil, winning back the Cup of Champions, and reaching a fifth World Cup semi-final out of the last six editions. Sure, they lost to Osarius, but rumours of a slump are, it would seem, well off the mark. He has been a revelation in his tenure so far, but with the hardcore of the team that lifted the World Cup trophy now retired or ageing, the time for revolution is upon us. Several players are being tried out here for the First time in a Terns shirt, including his grandson. Let's see if Rasmussen can make use of his formidable record in this competition - you have to go back as far as the second round of Copa Rushmori XVII in Sant'Antioco, Ossidiacqua (yeah, that long ago) to find the Terns' last defeat in the tournament - to stretch his run to make a history three-peat. Nobody is expecting the performance we saw last time around on home soil, where we conceded only a single goal on our way to the trophy, but something similar would be nice. I like winning this trophy. Let's do it again. Heia Terns!

Assistant Manager: Iulian Finnibaturinn, 43
With the departure of Steffan Pekarik, Rasmussen turned to Surtsey Island Gulls coach Finnibaturinn to fill the seat to the right of him in the dugout. Finnibaturinn played for the Terns a huge ninety-seven times, four times as captain, and scoring four goals in the process. He might have retired just before Rasmussen took charge of the Terns, but that doesn't mean he was ever unknown to his new boss, with Rasmussen trying to sign him several times whilst FC Axel Heiburg manager. Pekarik was a born winner, and a tough fighter, and it is thought that Rasmussen has brought in Finnibaturinn because he shares those exact attributes. Once thought of as down and out, he fought his way back into the Terns squad after having found himself at imploded league after imploded league, with a move back to Surtsey and a Champions' Cup medal at Urbizania Wanderers to show for his efforts. Never gave up as a player, and doesn't do so as a coach either. An inspired appointment from Rasmussen.

PLAYERS:
#1 - GK - Leif Ulsletten - Age 28 -

Red Star Severny

- 21 Caps, 1 Assist
Originally making it into a Copa squad thanks to Alexis Sand carrying a minor niggle, Rasmussen once again used the Copa to turn to Red Star goalkeeper Ulsletten and give him a promotion. That time, it was into the number one jersey, and he never looked back as he played every minute of the campaign whilst only conceding a single goal. Iulian Kirilaunen is expected to come back to be first choice for the World Cup again, but Ulsletten has taken what he's learned whilst being an integral part of Red Star's surge up the league and has clearly learnt enough to become a fiercely talented international goalkeeper. Fast, nimble, and with excellent distribution - Kirilaunen's one big weakness - his long throws can often be the first line of attack for his sides, as proved by his assist.

#2 - DR - Moses Luc Bjerregaard - Age 25 -

FC Endeavour (APX)

- 112 Caps, 32 Assists, 11 Goals
At just seventeen years of age, Bjerregaard was the youngest player to get a call-up to the Terns squad since Alexsandr van Sorensen, and it's not hard to see why. Lightning fast speed, fearlessness, a wicked control of a dead ball, and a willingness to run at players that means Bjerregaard has all the credentials required to be a fine right winger. However, when you add a tough tackle, the ability to read the game, and a keen positional sense into the equation, it's easy to see why Bjerregaard makes such a devastating wing-back. Hence, he is perfect for Rasmussen's formation. His strength in the air can leave something to be desired, but he's still young, and with that youth comes further itchy feet that have resulted in his sudden transfer from SK Franz Josef City to FC Endeavour of Apox. Patchy form of recent years was put to bed at the World Cup with some fine performances, and now he wants another Copa medal after being rested for the side that won at home last time around.

#3 - DC - Aapo Nordenberg - Age 31 -

Northbrook Diamonds FK

- 119 Caps, 2 Assists, 8 Goals - Vice-Captain
Oyen-Spekke's retirement left a gap at centre-back that Rasmussen could have filled with any one of the many talented centre-backs that the nation is awash with at the moment. In the end, he opted for the player who was brought from FC Torshavn to East Franz Athletic to replace Oyen-Spekke there as well. Nordenberg had previously found it easy to slip under the radar and avoid the hype, though at East Franz his quietly impressive performances changed that, and he was sold to Ituraitz FC in order to balance the books; where he excelled. The implosion of the Astograthian league saw the Spires attempt to re-sign the player, but it was Northbrook's bid that tempted him more, and he joins his club captain Kohev Küngas-Vaga in the Terns back four now. Quiet, considered, and a scholar of the game, his game reading is excellent, meaning he is often able to make a challenge and prevent a dangerous situation before it even materialises. This lack of eye-catching last minute tackles contributes towards his relatively low-key profile, though they are of course also indicative of his ability to stop them being necessary in the first place. Tall, strong, and with a fine touch, Nordenberg is one of the ball-playing central defenders that are now becoming the vogue around the leagues. An instrumental part of both the World Cup winning squad and the squad that conceded only one goal as part of their Copa Rushmori defence, and at the peak of his abilities right now.

#4 - DC - Willem Otkupshchikov - Age 28 -

Gwinevra Barbarians (APX)

- 46 Caps, 1 Assist, 3 Goals
Otkupshchikov represents one of those rare success stories where a player can grow and mature way down the leagues with a lesser team before a bigger team notices him and takes a chance on him, only to see said player blossom on the bigger stage and totally steal the limelight. Otkupshchikov did just that at Bjarnarey after having spent the first four years of his career Divisjon-jumping with Waldenoya Bears, and he now finds himself pinched across to Apox to play for Gwinevra Barbarians under the direct tutelage of Terns legend Jorgen Hauge. Even better, Morten Salo being rested gave Otkupshchikov a chance in the starting line-up that he hasn't wasted, and hasn't given back. Tall, solid, and with an incredible work ethic, you won't see Otkupshchikov popping up in the opposition box much, but you will always be able to rely on him to be in the right place at the right time in his own box.

#5 - DL - Kohev Küngas-Vaga - Age 35 -

Northbrook Diamonds FK

- 240 Caps, 43 Assists, 23 Goals - CAPTAIN
This defender is well known and trusted by just about the entire nation, and after having taken the armband after the retirement of Alexsandr van Sorensen, Kohev will forever go down in history as the Terns' first World Cup winning skipper. As captain for club and country, he is a combative and battling left-back, though he is a talented centre back and defensive midfielder as well, and this enthusiasm and adaptability is something that Rasmussen has always been able to make good use of. After originally moving to the first team as a result of Edvar Folke's hamstring tear, his athleticism was called upon to offer support and attacks from down the left side, and he later ousted the SK defender from the starting XI entirely. One of the youngest players to ever move past a hundred caps for his country, he has moved past his second century and is eyeing up that record caps total set by van Sorensen. He had said that this Copa would see his last involvement in a Terns shirt, but I wouldn't be surprised if he went on for just one World Cup more...

#6 - DMC - Anders Holzhauser - Age 27 -

Northbrook Diamonds FK

- 69 Caps, 10 Assists, 6 Goals
It took two consecutive Copa appearances for Holzhauser to provide performances good enough to convince Rasmussen, but he's been along in every Terns squad ever since. Holzhauser is a strong and tough-tackling defensive midfielder, and has made quite an impact on Rasmussen. With a commanding presence, he quickly grabs the eye as he marshals the defence behind him, and though he is able to fill in at centre back should he be required to, Holzhauser has the urge and the ability to push forwards in possession of the ball and add a different dimension to the attack in the process. All this international exposure was bound to create a big move for him eventually however, and he now turns out for Divisjon One champions Northbrook Diamonds FK, who splashed the cash necessary to get Issington to part with one of their prized assets. Fans already think him cheap at twice the price.

#7 - MC - Bjorn Konigstein - Age 27 -

SK Franz Josef City

- 88 Caps, 17 Assists, 13 Goals
With all the money at SK's disposal and all the attraction of playing for the biggest club in the Federation, they can pretty much bring in whoever they want. How remarkable, therefore, that the diminutive Bjorn Konigstein has fought his way through the youth academy and has been commanding a place in the starting line-up for years now. Full of enthusiasm and energy, he's got a sort of magnetic presence on the pitch that just seems to draw the ball towards him, and he is adept at launching forwards and finishing attacks with a sweet strike from the edge of the area in his role as a classic box-to-box midfielder. As with many players, Rasmussen was impressed with his performances during a test run at a Copa, and as such he's now here to stay as part of the starting line-up. A real talent.

#8 - MC - Eidur Gunnlaugsson - Age 22 -

FC Axel Heiburg

- 26 Caps, 9 Assists, 6 Goals
It takes a special kind of talent to get called up into the starting line-up of the Terns aged just twenty, but that is just what Eidur Gunnlaugsson is. The famed Haapa-Mechelin Youth Academy of Axel Heiburg has had something of a dry spell in terms of output recently, but Gunnlaugsson's emergence turns that on its head. Already one of the first names on the team sheet for his club, a dearth of impressive performances from midfielders at the last World Cup led Rasmussen to consult his notes and find himself unable to come up with a reason why he shouldn't call up Gunnlaugsson. Gunnlaugsson hasn't looked back since. Quick, combative, and with a visionary eye for a pass, Gunnlaugsson could be one of the Multiverse's great deep lying playmakers if he continues to develop like this.

#9 - ST - Gustaf Kolehmainen - Age 33 -

SK Franz Josef City

- 150 Caps, 19 Assists, 96 Goals
With a vicious right boot and a desire to succeed, Gustaf Kolehmainen was perhaps the player upon whom Surtsey built their recent success, and is still the player that proves the difference for the Terns time and time again. How devastating for the Gulls therefore that a series of personal tragedies left him feeling like he could no longer stay in the city, leading him to make a move for SK Franz Josef City - of all teams. Has scored ninety-six goals for the Terns in just a hundred-and-fifty matches so far, guaranteeing him a place at the table of all-time greats. This is only fitting for a player capable of utilising his broad range of talents to fit into whatever formation he is required to do so. He can lead the line, he can support it, he can poach, he can hit screamers, he's strong, he's fast, he's two footed, he's strong in the air; he's the perfect all round striker, and Surtsey's loss has been SK's gain. This is going to be the last tournament we will see him leading the line in the number nine shirt, so make the most of it - he's a joy to watch, and he'll be looking to go out and hang his boots up in style. He'll be greatly missed.

#10 - AMC - Luar Dardan - Age 27 -

SK Franz Josef City

- 32 Caps, 13 Assists, 6 Goals [- 59 Caps, 21 Assists, 20 Goals for Astograth prior to defection]
It takes a special player to change the rules on who can play for the Terns. Previous rules had stipulated that only players without caps for other nations, and who qualify for citizenship, can play in the hallowed Terns jersey. (See; Torsten Navarro and Yann-Erik Nilsson). The WCC however, appear to have slightly laxer rules on this sort of thing. (See; Alexio Del Nieran). Despite this, the FPIFA resisted any calls to match any policy that would put them more in line with the WCC. This despite the Polarian stewardship of the WCC. Nonetheless, when it transpired that the suddenly stateless Luar Dardan would no longer have the chance to play at any World Cup or Copa Rushmori since the demise of Astograth, and that he qualified for the Terns and Polarian citizenship through residence, Morten Rasmussen successfully campaigned to have the FPIFA relax their rules slightly. They now ignore previous caps for other nations should mitigating circumstances prevent that nation from competing. As a result, the Terns welcomed formerly Astograthian ace Luar Dardan into their squad. He had a very slow start that attracted a lot of negative press, but he finished like a runaway train and the stats speak for themselves. Zeljeznicar's irresistible form has kept him out of the starting line-up for a wee while, but with the East Franz attacker being rested from this tournament, it's Dardan's time to shine.

#11 - ST - Rauno Bickermann - Age 23 -

Red Star Severny

- 20 Caps, 3 Assists, 6 Goals
Rauno Bickermann's emergence in the Red Star starting eleven has coincided neatly with their run up the table, and this is no coincidence. Powerful, strong on the ball, tough to shake off and with a knack of finding the right channels to run into at the right time, Bickermann's touch-to-shot ratio is impressive to say the least. Scoring goals is the first, second, and last thing on his mind, but even so he finds the time to play the supportive target man if he's asked to, holding onto the ball and releasing a team-mate through on goal at just the right moment. An exciting talent just waiting to be moulded into a team player of the highest calibre. He gets an exciting chance in the starting eleven here thanks mainly to concerns over Larsen's ability to play with a strike partner, and he will lap up this chance to learn from Kolehmainen from the same pitch. Could be just as good, one day.

#12 - GK - Casper Rzatkowski - Age 29 -

FC Axel Heiburg

- 1 Cap
Resting Kirilaunen and Korshanenko at the same time struck many as foolhardy and reckless team selection from Rasmussen, but when he has the likes of Casper Rzatkowski to call up, why wouldn't he? FC Axel Heiburg have been going through something of a lean spell recently, true, but Rzatkowski has been at hand in the back sticks to make sure it hasn't been getting any worse. He's steadily eased Aapo Jelavic out of the Argonauts' starting elevens, and now this athletic and imposing goalkeeper is getting the chance to represent his country for the second time.

#13 - GK - Mateusz Rosenmeyer - Age 22 -

SK Aasiaat Harbour

- Uncapped
Despite Aasiaat's unfortunate plunge down the table in recent years, there have been a few silver linings. First amongst these is the appearance of young Rosenmeyer as a force between the sticks. Patient, and with a calmness that you wouldn't expect from one so young, his performances have impressed enough to take him into the first team on several occasions, and after making his point with the u-21s he now makes his debut in a squad here. Will he get on the pitch? Perhaps towards the end of the group stage if things are going well.

#14 - AMC - Boris Jenssen - Age 22 -

Red Star Severny

- Uncapped
One of many players who are giving Red Star fans some serious hope for the future, hopes are high that Jenssen has the potential to be a long-term member of Terns squads. With a delicate eye for a pass and a level of technical skill and close ball control that you don't often see with Polarians - who tend to play ina slightly more straight-forward manner generally speaking - young Boris breaks the mold a little bit. Bursting forwards with pace, you will often see him pirouette or fake the wrong pass in order the baffle defenders, and it often works as well. An exciting prospect.

#15 - DL - Niels Kruse - Age 27 -

Revolutionaries (EUR)

- 28 Caps, 4 Assists, 2 Goals
Niels Kruse has been busily beavering away in Eura for the best part of his career, and as the Terns scouts and Rasmussen finally started making the trips to Revolutionaries to see Salo play, Kruse coincided by having the best season of his career so far. Busy, hard-working, and with superb fitness levels, Kruse has made the most of doubts over Vaaraniemi's match readiness to take the spot and by all accounts he is just itching to make his case to be KKV's long term replacement.

#16 - DR - Espen Erevik - Age 23 -

East Franz Athletic

- Uncapped
Guus Tuulari's reign at East Franz is a tough one, a hard one, and a strong one. Only the toughest players remain in the matchday squads, and Espen Erevik is one of those without a shadow of a doubt. Built like a bulldozer, he is apparently one of the hardest trainers that any coach could hope to instruct, and he has worked hard at his mobility and speed over the past few years to become to complete full-back. He might be a little too defensive for the pioneering runs that Rasmussen usually requires of his wing-backs, but as an alternative to the buccaneering Bjerregaard when we're looking to close up a game, that could be Erevik's time to shine.

#17 - DMC - Ulrich Mortensen - Age 23 -

FC1. Surtsey Island Gulls

- Uncapped
Emerging into the Surtsey first team over the past few seasons has been this young defensive midfielder. Used to operating between two flat banks of four, Mortensen will have to adjust his game to be at his most effective here, but in the image of Eikr Lillehammer, he has the potential to do just that. He patrols his area of the pitch like a general, and always seems to be in the right place at the right time to close down opposition dangermen. An expert marker of players from set pieces, he only really needs to work on his game going forwards as, with his energy, he could be a great player when arriving late into the penalty box.

#18 - ST - Victor Larsen - Age 28 -

Spartangrad (EUR)

- 58 Caps, 11 Assists, 25 Goals
Huge, hulking, physically intimidating, and with a foot like a traction engine, Victor Larsen is notable for being - along with Yann-Erik Nilsson - the first black Polarian to ever be called up to the national team. Impressive with the Chicks at u-21s level, his pace and raw power can change the game in an instant, and he was doing just that with Red Star in Divisjon One. Spartangrad in Eura took interest in him as a result, and he now plays in the ever-strengthening Euran league. Described as a human battering ram, he provides something very different from the bench, and it will be interesting to see how Rasmussen uses him with the other strikers in the squad when it comes to deployment on the pitch.

#19 - MC - Alexsandr Kiriyenko - Age 21 -

Northbrook Diamonds FK

- Uncapped
Without a doubt on the most controversial players of the last few years. Born and raised in the capital, he was brought up a Young Boys fan, but was brought through the ranks by East Franz and was already in the first team and highly thought of by Tuulari when Northbrook Diamonds turned his head and made public bid after public bid to unsettle him. After getting their man, they turned him into a dynamic utility midfielder, and poor East Franz were left seeing ghosts when he scored against them on the last day of the season to clinch the title for Northbrook. He celebrated, too. He's not out to make friends, is Kiriyenko, he's out there for one reason and one reason only... to win.

#20 - ST - Finn Kirkkegaard - Age 22 -

SK Nasjonale Hauker

- Uncapped
Yes, his grandson. SK Nasjonale Hauker's first ever player called up to the Terns sees that particular achievement overshadowed a little by the identity of the player in question. Sol Kirkkegaard, legendary first ever manager of the Terns and current co-President of the WCC, had a son, Julius. Julius wasn't much good at the sport and only made a handful of appearances in the lower leagues for Energie Møllna-Grei. Julius' son Finn, however, has proved to be a deadly and accurate striker of the ball. With several goals now in Divisjon One, and a handful of impressive performances for the u-21s, Kirkkegaard has made it to this squad on his own merit. Press interest in him will be larger than usual, but Finn has enough to let his football do the talking for him.

#21 - MC - Robin Geirsson - Age 23 -

Ramusok United (COS)

- 4 Caps, 1 Assist, 1 Goal
Highly thought of in the Federation, it was something of a surprise to many when he turned down offers from Divisjon One clubs to move to Cosumar, but Robin Geirsson is showing just why he wanted to move away to prove himself. Independent, headstrong, and always looking to do something impressive with the ball. Not just adequate, but spectacular. The most wonderful thing about this is of course how frequently he achieves it. Geirsson has moved back into the centre of the park from the more attacking position he started out at Torshavn with, and his new found freedom to be more physically imposing is something he is apparently enjoying very much so far. A bundle of energy always looking to prove himself, the only problem is when he bites off more than he can chew.

#22 - DC - Yann-Erik Nilsson - Age 27 -

SK Franz Josef City

- 32 Caps, 2 Assists, 2 Goals
One of the two young two-time Champions' Cup winners to have graduated from the SK youth academy, Nilsson brings a certain attacking joie de vivre into the back four, with him seemingly unable to lose the attacking influence on his game he gets from being half Acquan. Strong and difficult to dispossess, he will often try and play his way out of danger - and usually succeeds at that. He has matured slightly since we last saw him in a Terns shirt, and now acknowledges that the time isn't always right for bombing forwards and leaving a gap behind him, which will please Rasmussen's more conservative side. Having said that, it's always worked for him at SK, and he'll be an interesting player to give a game to if the Terns continue the attacking streak they started at the last Copa.

#23 - DC - Marten Ortendahl - Age 23 -

FC1. Surtsey Island Gulls

- Uncapped
There are literally tens of players out there at the moment who make a good case for their inclusion in a Terns squad at centre-back, and Rasmussen has never been shy to try many of them out at the Copa. Not all players take to international football as well as others, whatever their ability at club level, and Rasmussen would much rather whittle down the list to the players who he feels adjust the quickest to the demands of the platform. With that in mind, here comes Marten Ortendahl, a leader on the pitch for Surtsey despite his young age, and head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to set piece situations. Calm, motivated, and a decisive tackler of the ball who doesn't take many risks on it, Rasmussen will be hoping he settles quickly and gives him yet another name on the list to consider for the World Cup.

TACTICS: "The Pythagorean" 2-3-3-2
The Polarian game is methodical, abrasive, technical, and physical. They won't give you a second on the ball to think, and they won't hold back in the tackle. In the centre of the park they will play a possession based midfield game of triangles, though a defence splitting pass could come at any moment towards the fast and direct attack. Rasmussen plays a narrow, modified version of the diamond formation dubbed the Pythagorean by the sporting press. It is reliant upon two key triangular sets of players that transcend the normal "rows" of player in conventional formation layouts. Nordenberg, Otkupshchikov, and Holzhauser will act as the defensive triangle, and Dardan, Kolehmainen, and Bickermann will counter at the other end as the offensive triangle. Holzhauser and Dardan's roles in this scheme are absolutely crucial, as their job is to support and unlock the other two players in their respective triangles, providing outlets and creativity in abundance. Einarsson and Gunnlaugsson are part of a compact and creative midfield that will supply steel or style whenever the situation demands it, as well as partnering up with their respective full backs to form a kind of "bumper" that sweeps the flanks in attack or folds in to protect the penalty area in defence. Fitness of all players will therefore be key to the success of this plan; not just the constant positional changing demanded of Holzhauser and Dardan, but the athleticism of Bjerregaard and Küngas-Vaga in particular will also be tested to the limit as their roles require frequent attacking. It's not quite a 4-3-3, it's not quite a 4-1-2-1-2, and it's not quite a W-M... Well, alright, it's more or less a W-M with a focus on two specific trios of players. It's the Pythagorean.

Penalty Taker: Gustaf Kolehmainen/Aapo Nordenberg/Bjorn Konigstein
Free Kick Taker: Moses Luc Bjerregaard/Luar Dardan/Eidur Gunnlaugsson
Corner Taker: Moses Luc Bjerregaard/Eidur Gunnlaugsson/Bjorn Konigstein

Starting line-up

Modification: -1

Record going into Copa Rushmori XX:
Played 550, Won 370, Drawn 92, Lost 88, Scored 1141, Conceded 524, Goal Difference +617, Win Percentage 67.3%
Top Goalscorers:
Timo Skye - 117
Alexsandr van Sorensen - 107
Gustaf Kolehmainen - 96*
Felix Saarinen - 60
Patrick Ackermann-Finn - 57
Most Assists:
Alexsandr van Sorensen - 117
Jean-Eric Villeneuve - 94
Luc Demarchelier - 73
Ole van Jendrisen - 68
Marten Cornelius - 48
Most Caps:
Alexsandr van Sorensen - 268
Kohev Küngas-Vaga - 240*
Jorgen Hauge - 215
Timo Skye - 168
Zacharias Juul - 166
Asterisks indicate player is in the current Terns squad

THE OPPONENT CAN
Choose my goalscorers? Yes.
Godmod scoring events? Yes.
RP injuries to my players? Yes, within reason, and I reserve the right to change the severity in a follow-up RP.
Godmod injuries to my players? Yes, as above.
Hand out yellow cards to my players? Yes.
Hand out red cards to my players? Yes, but only 2 per match maximum, and never to my captain or vice-captain.
Godmod other events? TG me first, but I'm always open to ideas.

OOC: For IC reasons of having hosted the last edition, I won't be offering any stadiums. Unless you're struggling for numbers. In which case, Nasjonale Stadion, Franz Josef City, and Palace Approach, Northbrook.

by **Eura** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 5:15 pm

A bid to host matches of the Copa Rushmori XX Group Stage and Quarter Finals; The Euran Football Association presents...

Bastion Arena

The Nation and the City

Eura is one of the great nations of Rushmore, and it needs little introduction. Home to three billion people, Eura has been Rushmore's largest democracy for nearly a century since the success of democratic forces of government, and one of Rushmore's largest unified states for nearly two centuries. Based on the eastern coast of Terranea adjacent to the Endemian Ocean, not far from Valladares itself, Eura is a nation swarming with a history of culture, innovation and most importantly sport! It is perhaps most well known for holding the prime Rushmori political position within the World Assembly, for its vast military and industrial strength and its numerous megacities, but it also has a reputation as one of the great sporting nations of Rushmore. In football, it has been the runner up of one Copa Rushmori, and won the 66th World Cup over fellow Rushmore giants Polar Islandstates in a legendary 4-2 victory.

The city of Bastion is Eura's capital, and likely the largest city in Rushmore. Home to eighty million people, Bastion is larger by population than many of the countries in Rushmore! However, this does not mean that it is packed to the brim with housing and little else. Bastion is an industrial, political and cultural hub. It is home to thousands of international businesses and most of the main institutions of the Euran state, ranging from the famous Blackhall complex to the Kings Road upon which many ministries of state reside. It is in Bastion that Euran media often convene, along with Directus, and to provide for all of this activity Bastion boasts some of the world's most magnificent infrastructure, making it perfect for hosting such an event, as will be detailed in this bid. The city itself, being so big, has a massive tourist and nightlife scene, as well as numerous galleries, museums and important buildings from both Euran and Rushmori history. There is even a special line on the tram service dedicated to touring sites from the various Euran Unification War, which are scattered throughout the city. Alternatively, one can also visit other major sporting venues, such as Bastion Lions football club, Bastion's large cricket stadium and the National Athletics Centre.

The Stadium

The Bastion Arena is a 110,000 seater stadium situated in the Grandmouth District of Bastion, the large swathes of suburbs to the west of the city. It is not an old stadium, though many would be surprised to learn that it is now already over twenty five years since it was built. It has been built on the old former industrial estate of Grandmouth, about five miles from the site of the former Bastion F.C. stadium at Bastfort. Built for both the Euran national team and Bastion F.C., it has been home to Bastion during a period in which its former dominance over Euraleague has been broken, although they have continued to win league titles and domestic cup titles since. It has also been home to Eura ever since they started attempting to qualify for the World Cup, taking them from the cradle of international football to the summit of footballing achievement at the 66th World Cup. It is indisputably the holy temple of Euran football, a rare accolade for a modern stadium.

Bastion Arena is a seasoned veteran of tough sporting schedules and massive events; despite being a venue designed for football, it hosts numerous national sporting events in Eura annually and deals with that workload with ease. Due to the wonders of Euran engineering amongst other things, it even managed to continue most of its duties during two recent expansions. The seating allocation changed, as Bastion Arena's top tier was once again raised and expanded. The capacity has risen now, from 98,000 to 110,000, an expansion of 12,000 seats. The stadium, which was originally built to accommodate 90,000 fans, cannot be expanded beyond its current size without significant redevelopment but given its already impressive capacity and stature, it is unlikely this will be necessary. In any given year it will, as a minimum, host the home games of the Euran Gold League side Bastion, the Charity Shield, the National Cup Final, the Endemia Cup Final, and various playoff finals for smaller leagues. It has hosted two major UICA competition finals. The first was one of the most memorable of Globe Cup finals, the final of Globe Cup 36 between Navel Sharks were beaten by Neurologists, and the second was a Champions Cup final - the greatest club game of them all - won by the Jamaica Giants.

The stadium is specifically designed to maximise the amount of playing area available and the visibility of the event to fans, despite its modern bowl-arena configuration. it also has a very high quality pitch with an undersoil heating and multi-event capability system, allowing it to be quickly modified for multiple sports - but it serves best as a football pitch, a large one, allowing free flowing, attacking and hopefully injury free play. Its catering and commercial facilities, including executive boxes, are of a world class standard and will draw a healthy profit. It also has extensive safety procedures and a government enforced minimum of stewards per game, making it one of the safest grounds in the world. However, its atmosphere is perhaps it’s greatest quality. This stadium concentrates the noise of fans into a passionate atmosphere with its state of the art architecture, which is matched by an impressive lighting and audio suite and large interactive scoreboards. Any nation which has played away in Eura will know the furious roar one can get from the Bastion crowd, which surely will remain whomever fills the 110,000 seats should the Arena host games at Copa Rushmori XX.

Transport and Accommodation

Although Bastion is a crowded city, the Bastion Arena benefits from having some of the best transport facilities in the country available to it, giving the stadium top marks for accessibility. For local fans or those in driving range from nearby countries like Electrum and Valladares, the Arena has large parking facilities only a few hundred metres west of the stadium, with special assistance available for those with disabilities. Three motorways converge within sight of the stadium, and the motorway from which direct access to the stadium grounds is provided is one of Bastion's best roads. Even so, it is not expected that this will be the main form of access for fans. The stadium is in close proximity to one of Bastion's four international airports, the third biggest, Memorial Hill International. Airport taxi travel to the stadium from MHI is cheap but alternatively there is a park and ride system to the stadium, which extends to both MHI and several of Bastion's central bus stations. Even if one cannot enter the country via MHI, Rushmore's largest airport - Bastion Fairway's International - is not far away either by bus or train, and is also included in the park and ride scheme. Both airports service flights from many international airlines and the major Euran carriers including Federation Airlines, EurAir, Euran Airways, Swest and Falconair. Trains from the city will be put on a special schedule on each matchday to allow cheap and convenient transport to a station just half a kilometre away from the stadium.

Due to its size and the importance of commuters to its massive financial centre, Bastion is home to thousands of affordable hotels of good quality. However to ensure against problems accommodating people in such a densely populated city, there are six hotels near the stadium which are the first stops for the park and ride system. All six are owned by Gorum Experiences, one of Eura's largest hotel chains, and are guaranteed to be empty and ready for supporters for half a week either side of every match day.

Seating arrangement and finance

The tournament organisers are of course permitted to exercise their usual authority over the use of stadiums they need to run the tournament successfully. Nevertheless, the recommended seating configuration provided by the Euran FA, who of course have an extensive experience of using the stadium, is as follows;

- 45,000 seats for both sets of fans. (90,000 over all.) The two sections of fans will be segregated – one half of the stadium for one set of fans, the other half for the opposition fans.
- 14,000 seats for neutral supporters.
- 5,500 executive seats for dignitaries and VIP’s, which will be divided appropriately amongst the clubs and other groups.
- 500 seats to remain empty to divide segregated fan sections.

This is only a recommendation, and is not binding. Due to the prestige this event would bring to the nation, the stadium, the FA and Bastion F.C., the share of profit for the organisers will be very favourable. The stadium owners, the FA and all other parties will only need to cover their costs and turn a minor profit. There is no doubt that choosing the Bastion Arena will provide ample commercial opportunity for all, through ticket revenue and in stadium purchases from hot dogs to shirts.

Security and Safety

It should go without saying that the most basic questions of safety and security are answered easily with Bastion and Eura as a whole. Eura is a dominant military power by most metrics in the region and has a massive apparatus of intelligence services, special branch internal security services and counter terrorist assets. However, the stadium itself is just as prepared for more mundane and likely disturbances. Euran legal guarantees and reforms carried out nearly forty years ago now ensure that Eura holds a very high minimum standard for stewarding and crowd management at sporting events, without trying to suppress the fan experience. It has a minimum number of stewards per event that is higher than most international rivals, and Euran armed police and military reservists are readily available to provide extra security.

Why Bastion?

The Bastion Arena is undeniably a superb sporting venue with a rich history. It has nearly unrivaled facilities, fantastic transport access, a good reputation for safety and profitability that make it an ideal choice for hosting major games of Copa Rushmori XX. Indeed, it is hoped that the stadium one day may host a Copa Rushmori final as part of a Euran bid. The stadium is likely to be the only Euran venue suggested, as the Euran FA is considering also applying to host with the Sasky Rising Memorial Stadium in Brigham, home of the reigning Champions Cup holders Revolutionaries. Nevertheless, it is an impressive candidate.

This bid has been formulated and/or endorsed by; The Euran Football Association, the Ministry for Sport and Federal Government, B-Arena PLC (stadium owners), Bastion Football Club, Football Eura and the Euraleague Board, and all of the Bastion Arena's sponsors.

by **Valladares** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 5:13 pm

Copa Rushmori XX - Venue Selection and Group Draw

Venue Selection

The Confederación Rushmori de Fútbol (CRF) and the Valladar Football Association (VFA) are pleased by the success of the stadium nomination process announced for this upcoming Copa Rushmori edition, as 17 stadiums from 13 nations were submitted to consideration of the Organizing Committee at the end of the nomination process. A thorough analysis of factors such as capacity, facilities, accessibility, governmental support, and profitability, etc was conducted for each candidate stadium in order to select the 12 stadiums that will host matches in this Copa Rushmori edition. The 12 stadiums with the highest ratings after this evaluation were eventually chosen as venues for the 20th Copa Rushmori. Those 12 stadiums, listed in no particular order, are:

Royal Stadium, St. Petrus, Saintland
Sarissa Energy Solutions Stadium (henceforth Augustinople Stadium), Augustinople, Pravenna
Stade de Torgos, Torgos, Pasarga
Bastion Arena, Bastion, Eura
Coliseo Nacional, San José, Alianza Albos
Half-Moon Stadium, Boswijck, Nouvelle-Angouleme
Estadio Generalissimo Joaquín Delgado, Soluca, Sargossa
Colosus Romanopolis, Romanopolis, Darmen
Centralis Stadium, Centralis, Electrum
National Stadium, Kernansquillec City, Kernansquillec
Ericcson Minnesmärke Gamlæ, Versålölm, Vjaalsbürg
Corsley Stadium, Fort Town, Filopines

Furthermore, the twelve selected stadia were separated in two groups: Standard and Elite. All the selected stadiums will host six matches in the competition: five in the group stage and a knockout round match. Elite Group stadiums will be hosting one quarterfinal match each, while Standard Group stadiums will host one Round of 16 match each. The Elite Group stadiums are: Royal Stadium, Stade de Torgos, Bastion Arena, and Colosus Romanopolis. The remaining eight stadiums are part of the Standard Group.

The Organizing Committee would like to congratulate the 12 successful bidders while also noting the effort made by the remaining 5 bidders which regrettably did not make the final cut and thanks all the nations that expressed their interest in hosting matches in the competition.

Group Draw

The six groups for the group stage are listed below:

Group A (Matches in Eura & Electrum)
Eura
Electrum
Sarrbia
Vjaalsburg
Vermark

Group B (Matches in Pasarga & Sargossa)
Pasarga
Valladares
Sameba
Stvoto Latoli
Polaaskan

Group C (Matches in Vjaalsbürg & Darmen)
Zenic
Darmen
Sargossa
Irad
Kasugano

Group D (Matches in Filopines & Kernansquillec)
Polar Islandstates
Kernansquillec
Mapletish
The Kytler Peninsulae
Kalimekka

Group E (Matches in Nouvelle-Angouleme & Pravenna)
Taeshan
Saugeais
Pravenna
Queer Poco el Mono Ara
Nouvelle-Angouleme

Group F (Matches in Saintland & Alianza Albos)
Saintland
Filopines
Alianza Albos
New Ponyville
Sancta Sede

Randomised groups, list of fixtures, schedule, and specific match allocation for each venue can be found here and here.

by **New Ponyville** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 7:15 pm

The Equestrian Colony of New Ponyville
National Hoofball Team - Copa Rushmori XX Roster

Quick Stats
Ranking: 30th (7.94 pts.)
Style Modifier: +5.00
Nickname: The Crusaders
All-Time Record: 2-1-8 (0-0-0 at Copa Rushmori XX)
Achievements: None

Kits

Home - Away - Reverse

The squad from New Ponyville will wear the same kit design used at the last Copa Rushmori. Kits for humanoid players (see above), as well as those for equine and other non-humanoid players, are provided by Generosity Sportswear of the Equestrian States. The New Ponyville kits were designed to be easily-recognizable, utilizing the purple, orange, and white color scheme that is widely associated with the Equestrian States and its overseas colonies, though New Ponyville's kits emphasize the white to a greater degree than those of the Equestrian national team.

Group F
#6 - Saintland (23.56 pts.)
#10 - Filopines (20.83 pts.)
#20 - Alianza Albos (10.29 pts.)
#30 - New Ponyville (7.94 pts.)
UR - Sancta Sede (0.00 pts.)

Tournament Schedule

Group Stage - Group F
MD1: Sancta Sede vs. New Ponyville at Royal Stadium (cap. 62,383) in St. Petrus, Saintland
MD2: Bye Day
MD3: New Ponyville vs. Filopines at Coliseo Nacional (cap. 57,500) in San José, Alianza Albos
MD4: Saintland vs. New Ponyville at Royal Stadium (cap. 62,383) in St. Petrus, Saintland
MD5: New Ponyville vs. Alianza Albos at Coliseo Nacional (cap. 57,500) in San José, Alianza Albos

Players

Starters (4-3-3)
GK - #1 - Apple Hangover (Earth Pony - Male) - 30 -

New Ponyville HC (NPV)
DF - #2 - Crimson Rose (Pegasus - Female) - 23 -

Detrot Assault (EQS) - VICE-CAPTAIN
DF - #6 - Peter Smith (Human - Male) - 28 -

Starland South HC (CRY)
DF - #8 - Emelie (Earth Pony - Female) - 19 -

New Ponyville HC (NPV)
DF - #3 - Glimmering Jewel (Unicorn - Female) - 21 -

Manesterdam Foxes (EQS)
MF - #7 - Indigo Storm (Zebra - Female) - 16 -

New Ponyville HC (NPV)
MF - #5 - Nocturnal Rest (Unicorn - Male) - 25 -

Fillydelphia Union (EQS)
MF - #11 - Grassy Plains (Earth Pony - Male) - 20 -

New Ponyville HC (NPV)
FW - #4 - Berry Pie (Earth Pony - Female) - 26 -

Oatlahoma City Thunder (EQS) - CAPTAIN
FW - #9 - Chrysanthemum (Earth Pony - Female) - 22 -

Maresaiiles HC (CRY)
FW - #10 - Flash Fog (Pegasus - Female) - 31 -

Coltenhagen Magic (EQS)

Reserves
GK - #16 - Lightning Blaze (Unicorn - Female) - 21 -

Royal Trotheim (CRY)
GK - #22 - Rainbow Connection (Pegasus - Male) - 34 -

Trottawa Express (EQS)
DF - #13 - Hard Tackle (Earth Pony - Male) - 37 -

New Ponyville HC (NPV)
DF - #15 - Mighty Mage (Unicorn - Male) - 27 -

HC Edmaneton (EQS)
DF - #12 - Applenut (Earth Pony - Female) - 19 -

Whitecrystal North (CRY)
DF - #14 - Little Flame (Earth Pony - Female) - 23 -

New Ponyville HC (NPV)
MF - #23 - Underhill (Earth Pony - Male) - 29 -

Hoofington Flames (EQS)
MF - #17 - Sunset Orange (Pegasus - Female) - 30 -

New Ponyville HC (NPV)
MF - #18 - Blistering Forge (Unicorn - Female) - 28 -

Buckston (CRY)
MF - #21 - Agile Gallop (Earth Pony - Female) - 33 -

Trotting Crystal City (CRY)
FW - #19 - Holden (Dragon - Male) - 26 -

Featherwood Hydras (EQS)
FW - #20 - Fierce Fire (Earth Pony - Female) - 25 -

New Ponyville HC (NPV)

Staff
Head Coach -

Yellow Pansy (Earth Pony - Female) - 69
Assistant Coach -

Amazing Grace (Earth Pony - Female) - 45
Assistant Coach -

Kyle Patterson (Human - Male) - 53
Goalkeeping Coach -

Diving Hoof (Pegasus - Female) - 49
Scout -

Curiosity (Unicorn - Female) - 32
Scout -

Hayne Rooneigh (Earth Pony - Male) - 58
Fitness Coach -

Rose Care (Earth Pony - Female) - 41

On Species and Equestrian Hoofball
The Equestrian States is a nation of incredible diversity. When many countries make this kind of statement, they are referring only to racial matters dealing with differences in skin color or culture. But the Equestrian States takes diversity to a whole new level, with dozens of sapient species living alongside each other in harmony. From pegasai to griffons, and humans to dragons, the Equestrian States is among the most diverse nations known to exist. But diversity has also had a unique and intriguing impact on the playing of sports in the Equestrian States, and hoofball is no exception. In the following paragraphs, the natural strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies of each prominent species in the Equestrian States will be explored, offering those unfamiliar with the Equestrian States a chance to explore the wonderful diversity that makes the Equestrian States a great country and gives our beloved national hoofball team a versatility that few others can hope to match.

For the full article, which I highly recommend my opponents read, click here.

RP Permissions
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: No
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes (Max: 2)
Hand out red cards to my players: No
Godmod other events: Yes, but please keep it somewhat realistic

by **Zenic** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 7:47 am

The Empire of Zenic National Team

Nickname: The Survivors
Formation: 4-4-2 Diamond
Federation President/ Minister of Sports: Hans Zimmel III (57 years old)
Deputy Minister of Sports: Emile Forte De Luciano (28 years old)
Manager: Joseph Michael Sanders (49 years old)
Asst. Manager: Dmitri Golovkin (40 years old)
Doctor: Dr. Wakahisa Emi (39 years old)

Starting XI:
GK Bartholomew Sagan (#1, 35 years old, Lupinia United [New Wolfopolis], 47 caps)
RB Yasif (#29, 30 years old, Internacional Binar , 47 caps)
RCB Pedro Villa-Lobos (#22, 33 years old, Honneur, 47 caps)
LCB Nikolai Romanov (#26, 36 years old, Real Old Maiz, 47 caps)
LB Leon Gaspare Rosso (#20, 26 years old, Mortsey [Jeckland], 47 caps)
DM Luke Killian (#10, Captain, 32 years old, FC Virtus, 47 caps)
RM Daniel Oliver Barnsley (#98, 25 years old, Reichton, 47 caps)
LM Gavin Barnsley (#89, 25 years old, Real Old Maiz, 47 caps)
AM Seok Kun-Woo (#11, 24 years old, FC Virtus. 47 caps)
RF Sandro Michel Augustine (#73, 24 years old, U. de Santanter [Felix], 17 caps)
LF Alexander Ayaode (#9, 28 years old, Telino [Yttribia], 47 caps)

Bench:
GK Hiroyama Sai (#0, 27 years old, Internazionale [Felix], 2 caps)
RB - Momoi Kenshin (#35, 31 years old, FC Virtus, 5 caps)
CB Lee Chan (#2, 21 years old, Eretium AC [Western Borderlands], 3 caps)
CB Xavier Marshall (#6, 25 years old, Loderno Inferno [Jeckland], 3 caps)
LB Thomas Marley Edu (#64, 24 years old, FC Mineurs [Nova Anglicana], 2 caps)
DM Paolo Jorge Camargo (#5, 29 years old, Grimsby Town FC [Darvale], 4 caps)
RM Henry Wallace Evans (#30, 29 years old, Internacional Binar, 4 caps)
LM Leonidas Pagonis (#99, 33 years old, Deline Athletic, 5 caps)
AM Alexi Romanov (#7, 22 year old, Oceania [Felix], 6 caps)
F Felix Peer (#50, 28 years old, Galton United [Jeckland], 1 cap)
ST Isidor Wessel (#91, 29 years old, Wrexton FC [Apox], 2 caps)

Kick Takers:
Left corner - Daniel Oliver Barnsley
Right corner - Gavin Barnsley
Free Kick - Seok Kun-woo
Penalty - Luke Killian

Kit (Provided by Barrengeka)

Stadium
Name: Philosophia Colosseum
Location: Manacus
Capacity: 106,255

Style Modifier = +2
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:

Choose my goalscorers Y
Godmod scoring events Y
RP injuries to my players N
Godmod injuries to my players N
Hand out yellow cards to my players Y (within reason)
Hand out red cards to my players Y (within reason)
Godmod other events (TG me first)

by **Eura** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 5:01 pm

The Euran Football Association’s Copa Rushmori XX Squad

Manager: Steve Thompson (50, Eura)

All time Euran record appearance holder Steve Thompson, with 301 caps to his name and 75 goals, has been made Euran manager amidst much fanfare. By beating Tom Benedict, several other former Eura internationals and international candidates to the post, Steve has set himself up with the tough task of helping Eura recover from three consecutive poor performances at World Cup finals. Eura seemed to gain more defensive stability and ruthlessness under Louis Watson last cycle, but while they dispatched of the minnows easily they underperformed badly against the higher seeds, and then fell apart in the group stage. Only a deserved draw with Valanora salvaged any pride.

Thompson must now deal with the problems he has inherited from the short lived reigns of Kallstrom and Watson. Eura have a number of quality forwards available to them but with Skorji Oslograd now being 35, and Sam Ashtree being 31, they lack a truly world class striker. Glenn Anderson seems to be past his prime at international level while the first choice four of the midfield – Sinclair, Spartan, Blackthorn and Adams – all seem unable to reach their highest performance levels simultaneously. They must do so now that all of them bar Sinclair approach their late twenties. Thompson is expected to turn the clock back a bit and make Eura an attacking side again, but Thompson must find a way to do this without upsetting the balance of the first decent looking Euran defence for a number of years. One question that will be asked about Thompson is if he can turn John Spartan into the worldbeater he can be, with the Revolutionaries captain riding high on the back of a Champions Cup victory – and more importantly having been moulded in the image of Thompson for a number of years.

Assistant Manager: Matt Boyce (50, Eura)

Boyce was a surprise appointment as Thompson’s assistant, having been out of coaching roles for a couple of years. However he has plenty of experience at various clubs and the national team before that and his appointment has been responded to positively. It is expected that he will play a pivotal role in maintaining Eura’s improvements at the back, while his bubbly personality and reputation as a leader will make him a valuable asset in the dressing room.

Styles and Permission

Style Modifier: +3

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:

Choose my goalscorers – YES
Godmod scoring events – YES
RP injuries to my players – YES
Godmod injuries to my players – YES (But only how the injury happens, NOT the extent of the injury)
Hand out yellow cards to my players – YES
Hand out red cards to my players – YES
Godmod other events – YES, provided you keep events within the realms of realism, so no deaths etc.

25 man squad

Shirt number – name – position – age – caps – goals – club

Goalkeepers

1 – Chris Waller – GK – 32 – 101 – 0 – Ulsa
13 – Ben Prince – GK – 29 – 4 – 0 – Revolutionaries

Defenders

2 – Weylon Churchilli – RWB – 29 – 67 – 8 – Spartangrad
3 – Andrew Watson - LWB – 26 - 53 - 2 - Directus
4 – Craig Gilbert – CB – 27 – 71 – 3 – Directus
5 – Mark Rogers – CB – 27 – 42 – 1 – Revolutionaries
15 - Gavin Madison – CB – 28 – 40 – 1 - Ulsa
19 – Stan Graham – LCB – 31 – 0 – 0 – FC Endeavour (Apox)
21 – Joe Caffin – RB – 26 – 5 – 0 – Revolutionaries
23 – Anthony Cotra – LB – 23 – 5 – 0 – Falourr
25 – Charlie Harris – CB – 26 – 8 – 0 – Holdenberg

Midfielders

6 – Gareth Blackthorn - CDM/CM – 28 – 95 – 8 – Revolutionaries
7 – Craig Sinclair – AM – 26 – 116 – 39 – Ulsa
8 – John Spartan – CM/CAM – 28 – 102 – 33 – Revolutionaries
11 - Mike Adams – RW – 29 – 69 – 18 – Spartangrad
12 - Ryan King - AM - 29 - 41 - 8 - Ulsa
16 – Rob Bell – CM – 27 – 31 – 4 – Ulsa
18 – Charles Hunter – CM – 24 – 2 – 0 – Falourr
20 – Joe Robel – CM/CAM – 29 – 22 – 3 – Spartangrad
22 – Danny Sullivan – LAM – 30 – 9 – 1 – Brigham
24 – Kevin Colbert – CDM – 27 – 8 – 0 – Revolutionaries

Forwards

9 – Sam Ashtree – ST – 31 – 70 – 30 – Ulsa
10 – Skorji Oslograd – ST - 35 – 137 – 84 – Revolutionaries
14 – Liam Allen – CF – 30 – 27 – 12 – Revolutionaries
17 – Miles MacDonald – ST – 29 – 1 – 1 – AFC Mayville

Preferred starting lineup

Note; does not take into account suspensions, injuries or any other change. At the end of each RP I post, I will give a team for the next match and formation type. If no such lineup is posted, assume that there have been no changes and use the lineup below.

GK - 1. C Waller
RB - 2. W Churchilli
RCB - 4. C Gilbert
LCB - 5. M Rogers
LB - 3. A Watson
RW - 11. M Adams
RCM - 6. G Blackthorn
LCM – 8. J Spartan
LW - 7. C Sinclair
ST – 14. L Allen
ST – 9. S Ashtree

Subs

13. B Prince
21. J Caffin
19. S Graham
24. K Colbert
16. C Hunter
12. R King
10. S Oslograd

Player Roles

Captain: John Spartan
Vice Captain: S Oslograd
Direct free kicks: John Spartan, Craig Sinclair, Skorji Oslograd
Indirect free kicks: John Spartan, Craig Sinclair
Right corner: Craig Sinclair (Both), John Spartan (Outswinging)
Left corner: John Spartan (Inswinging), Craig Sinclair (Both)
Penalties: 1. John Spartan 2. Skorji Oslograd 3. Craig Sinclair 4. Liam Allen 5. Mike Adams

Kits

by **Sameba** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 5:49 pm

The Copa Rushmori XX Squad of the Republic of Sameba

Manager: Elgar Derei (Sameba, 57)
Assistant Manager: Meya Gelton (Sameba, 52)
Style Modifier: +3

Permissions
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:

Choose my goalscorers – YES
Godmod scoring events – YES
RP injuries to my players – YES
Godmod injuries to my players – YES
Hand out yellow cards to my players – YES
Hand out red cards to my players – YES
Godmod other events – YES

The 25 Man Squad

Shirt number – name – position – age – senior caps – senior goals – club (nation)

Goalkeepers

1 – Roman Ayebler – GK – 30 – 85 caps – 0 goals – Lajuno (Eura)
13 – Lucio Boni – GK – 26 – 9 caps – 0 goals – Samebus

Defenders

2 – Fabio Quella – RWB – 26 – 52 caps – 3 goals – Directus (Eura)
3 – Mario Andella – LB – 26 – 74 caps – 1 goals - Aspel
5 – Levi Andetel – CB – 26 – 74 caps – 2 goals – Falourr (Eura)
6 – Massimo Dini – CB – 24 – 34 caps – 0 goals – Workers Union (Eura)
15 – Asey Vella – CB – 33 – 104 caps – 5 goals – Hornchurch (Eura)
19 – Dibo Lori – CB – 25 – 19 caps – 0 goals – Aspel
21 – Bart Ricci - RWB - 23 - 0 caps - 0 goals - Storfan
23 – Ben Esposito – LWB – 27 – 21 caps – 0 goals – Blueway United (Itor)

Midfielders

4 – Luis Aldardo – CDM – 30 – 83 caps – 5 goals – Ulsa (Eura)
7 – Pablo Dohi – RW/ST – 29 – 91 caps – 37 goals – Holdenberg (Eura)
8 – Alan Dabix – CM – 28 – 83 caps – 15 goals – Bastion (Eura)
10 – Huele - AM/ST - 22 - 24 caps - 7 goals - Borkin
11 – Maurice Arcuri - AM - 23 - 8 caps - 0 goals - Marketville (Eura)
16 – Roman Mayalla – CM – 25 – 50 caps – 5 goals – Holdenberg (Eura)
17 - Renato Capion - RW - 23 - 20 caps - 2 goals - Borkin
18 – Pedro Corrigan - CM - 20 - 9 caps - 0 goals - Oakstone (Eura)
20 – Eugene Sabattini – LW – 25 – 26 caps – 3 goals – Farrenton Athletic (Eura)
22 – Gavino Lungun - AM - 27 - 12 caps - 0 goals - Rivet
24 – Vince Padovesi – CM – 29 – 30 caps – 2 goals – Honeybadgers (Eura)

Strikers

9 – Julius Carrera – ST – 31 – 88 caps – 40 goals – Bastion (Eura)
12 – Andres Silva – ST – 27 – 18 caps – 4 goals – Samebus
14 – Michael Sarado – ST – 26 – 42 caps – 17 goals – Honeybadgers (Eura)

Starting Lineup

GK - 1. R Ayebler
RWB - 2. F Quella
RCB - 6. M Dini
LCB - 5. L Andetel
LWB - 3. M Andella
CDM - 4. L Aldardo
RCM - 8. A Dabix
LCM - 16. R Mayalla
RAM - 7. P Dohi
LAM - 10. Huele
ST - 9. J Carrera

Subs

13. L Boni
23. B Esposito
15. A Vella
21. B Ricci

20. E Sabattini
11. M Arcuri
14. M Sarado
12. A Silva

Player Roles

Captain: Luis Aldardo
Vice Captain: Alan Dabix
Direct free kicks: Julius Carrera (Right), Pablo Dohi (Either)
Indirect free kicks: Alan Dabix (Right)
Right corner: Pablo Dohi (Either)
Left corner: Pablo Dohi (Either)
Penalties: Julius Carrera, Michael Sarado, Pablo Dohi, Huele, Roman Mayalla

Kit

Home kit is primary colour green, with blue trim on the shirt and shorts. Away kit is black, with green trim on the shirt and shorts.

by **Valladares** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 6:10 pm

Time is running out...

THIS IS YOUR TWENTY-FOUR HOUR WARNING

...Which means the Copa's first cutoff will be roughly at this time tomorrow. We now return you to your normal broadcast, have fun RPing.

by **Stvoto Latoli** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 3:02 am

Mahathu's Number One English Language Daily

Stvoto Latoli's Copa Rushmori XX Squad Released

Shaghni Oj'vash - Midway through the 4011 Zhahogowdoo season, there is no bigger story than the catastrophe in Caisleán Luaith that is Brewers. The defending champions spent the whole close season consolidating in a barrage of transfers, and they were by far the most popular choice for prognosticators at the start of the year. But things haven't gone quite right for the Chartreuse-Oranges - at the time of writing, they have lost more games than they have won. So, as you might expect, this presents a few problems for Gold-Whites manager Brendan al Tameer. Satatu Bei, for example, is usually the creator the middle of Stvoto Latoli's midfield, but he has been flat out terrible thus far in the league. Then again, the brilliant performances from teams such as Sunbirds, Lobyuseistvooshu, Vezhidrupa, and Cóiméid offer him some new options, especially young ones (and, obviously, that's never a bad thing). One thing that has not changed, however, is al Tameer's notorious preference for large, clunky, inelegant tough men. Fans aren't big on it, and it hasn't exactly provided amazing results, but al Tameer remains very popular with the TSLB, the media, and his players (in no small part due to his genial personality and general affability). He's taken three players each from Sunbirds, Vezhidrupa, Lobyuseistvooshu, Hozastvu, Brewers, and Stvozhaboythumow. Those selections make up the vast majority of the roster. But the most interesting bit? A whopping thirteen of twenty-three players (well over half) of al Tameer's team is Muzira'a Ba'aydi. Nationalistic bias? Maybe, but it certainly seems to us here at the Mahathu Herald the most of the good players in Gu Zhahogowdoo are from Muzira'a Ba'aydah, so we can see why the head coach did what he did.

Vezhidrupa keeper Shyusoolootru Lyu continues to be by far and away the premier goalkeeper in the Stvoto Latolisi top flight, and he retains the number one shirt. The Golden Xantus, as a developing football nation, can depend on very little, but one thing they can depend on are brilliant performances from a man who can safely call himself the best Stvoto Latolisi football player in the world. Cool-headed right back Charpabaqhi Ouithima of Hozastvu, a favorite of the Golden Xantus' manager (likely because of al Tameer's history with Hozastvu), stays in the starting eleven, as does Brewers' left back Zhiqi'savedhi Medhazhinanju, one of the few players at Caisleán Luaith's orange-clad team who has kept his performance levels as strong as last season's. Newbies in the starting center backs are Pkethat Hevnaje's Khadim Ismail (who was in the team at the last Copa Rushmori but never saw any game time) and Gerthamasa Boyseh's Vigean O'Blighe (a youngster who was incredible in the Purple-Green's remarkable promotion last season and who has been instrumental in the Stvoto Latolisi outfit's overachieving year thus far). Finally, Cóiméid tough man and tactical master Ševhi'khijidhu Chenu is the back line's center piece and remains the wearer of Gold-Whites' captain's armband.

In a diamond midfield (a new feature of al Tameer's tactics), 25-year-old Lonán Madani has usurped his Vezhidrupa teammate Rasheed Ouinhichamba both for club and country - his hard, clinical tackling skills and fantastic work rate will make him a great new addition to the starting eleven. Usama O'Bearga, also 25, is Gu Zhahogowdoo's leading assist-provider, and he will start on the right wing. His lovely, curling crosses should electrify a team with limited attacking options - this has certainly been the case for his club Lobyuseistvooshu, who scoring lots of goals despite having very few true goalscorers. Stvozhaboythumow's Quinn Vail has successfully lost all the weight he had gained over the past couple years, and though he isn't quite playing at the level he's capable of, he is a favorite of al Tameer's, so he's back in the first team. Finally, the front two have been plucked straight from the team that looks destined to win Gu Zhahogowdoo this season: Sunbirds. They've employed a lightning-and-thunder approach in their attack - trequartista Nataliaja Irmedheghi is a cautious, patient participant in the attack, looking to exploit space and provide the key through ball, where as target man Tastvu Zhooheizhyu prefers to barge around opponents' eighteen-yard boxes, using muscle to bring down aerial balls and pace to blast past center backs when he receives a ball at his feet in space. The best part? The two are both in their early twenties. If they can both stay in form, the duo may become a long term institutions for the Golden Xantus.

Goalkeepers:
Shyusoolootru Lyu - 27 Years Old - Vezhidrupa
Mr. Lyu will be wearing number one, has Stvoto Latolisi ethnicity, and has Stvoto Latolisi nationality.
Joavan Orman - 24 Years Old - Cóiméid
Mr. Orman will be wearing number sixteen, has Irish ethnicity, and has Muzira'a Ba'aydi nationality.
Pachomiušam Ouachaburughu - 27 Years Old - Šešri'makaru
Mr. Ouachaburughu will be wearing number twenty-three, has Mahathan ethnicity, and has Pazhujebi nationality.

Defenders:
Charpabaqhi Ouithima - 26 Years Old - Hozastvu
Mr. Ouithima will be wearing number two, has Mahathan ethnicity, and has Pazhujebi nationality.
Khadim Ismail - 35 Years Old - Pkethat Hevnaje
Mr. Ismail will be wearing number three, has Arab ethnicity, and has Muzira'a Ba'aydi nationality.
Ševhi'khijidhu Chenu - 26 Years Old - Cóiméid (CAPTAIN)
Mr. Chenu will be wearing number four, has Zahuji ethnicity, and has Pazhujebi nationality.
Vigean O'Blighe - 22 Years Old - Gerthamasa Boyseh
Mr. O'Blighe will be wearing number five, has Irish ethnicity, and has Muzira'a Ba'aydi nationality.
Zhiqi'savedhi Medhazhinanju - 34 Years Old - Brewers
Mr. Medhazhinanju will be wearing number six, has Zahuji ethnicity, and has Pazhujebi nationality.
Khebi'ghašmeda Šedhigveda - 29 Years Old - Sunbirds
Mr. Šedhigveda will be wearing number twelve, has Zahuji ethnicity, and has Pazhujebi nationality.
Muhammad abd al Raziq - 22 Years Old - Lobyuseistvooshu
Mr. abd al Raziq will be wearing number thirteen, has Arab ethnicity, and has Muzira'a Ba'aydi nationality.
Ayman Hijaz - 23 Years Old - Vezhidrupa
Mr. Hijaz will be wearing number fourteen, has Arab ethnicity, and has Muzira'a Ba'aydi nationality.
Nanašimudh Kourouma - 22 Years Old - Brewers
Mr. Kourouma will be wearing number fifteen, has African ethnicity, and has Pazhujebi nationality.
Fionn al Nubi - 33 Years Old - Hozastvu
Mr. al Nubi will be wearing number seventeen, has Arab-Irish ethnicity, and has Muzira'a Ba'aydi nationality.

Midfielders:
Lonán Madani - 25 Years Old - Vezhidrupa
Mr. Madani will be wearing number seven, has Arab-Irish ethnicity, and has Muzira'a Ba'aydi nationality.
Usama O'Bearga - 25 Years Old - Lobyuseistvooshu
Mr. O'Bearga will be wearing number eight, has Arab-Irish ethnicity, and has Muzira'a Ba'aydi nationality.
Quinn Vail - 27 Years Old - Stvozhaboythumow
Mr. Vail will be wearing number nine, has Irish ethnicity, and has Muzira'a Ba'aydi nationality.
Nataliaja Irmedheghi - 24 Years Old - Sunbirds
Ms. Irmedheghi will be wearing number ten, has Mahathan ethnicity, and has Pazhujebi nationality.
Doran Palmer - 33 Years Old - Lobyuseistvooshu
Mr. Palmer will be wearing number eighteen, has Irish ethnicity, and has Muzira'a Ba'aydi nationality.
Qussay O'Loingseachain - 30 Years Old - Stvozhaboythumow
Mr. O'Loingseachain will be wearing number nineteen, has Arab-Irish ethnicity, and has Muzira'a Ba'aydi nationality.
Khalil Kerrigan - 17 Years Old - Brewers
Mr. Kerrigan will be wearing number twenty, has Arab-Irish ethnicity, and has Muzira'a Ba'aydi nationality.
Baja'khirušu Mha - 26 Years Old - Stvozhaboythumow
Mr. Mha will be wearing number twenty-one, has Zahuji ethnicity, and has Pazhujebi nationality.

Strikers:
Tastvu Zhooheizhyu - 22 Years Old - Sunbirds
Mr. Zhooheizhyu will be wearing number eleven, has Stvoto Latolisi ethnicity, and has Stvoto Latolisi nationality.
Órlaith Tilley - 32 Years Old - Hozastvu
Ms. Tilley will be wearing number twenty-two, has Irish ethnicity, and has Muzira'a Ba'aydi nationality.

Manager:

Brendan al Tameer - 46 Years Old
Mr. al Tameer has Arab-Irish ethnicity and has Muzira'a Ba'aydi nationality.
Fun-loving, boisterous, and media-friendly, it might come as a surprise to an outsider that Stvoto Latoli's current manager is among the world's most tactically conservative minds. An Arab-Irishman born in Teach Iarann, al Tameer categorically rejects the maxim that "a good offense is the best defense." Preferring muscle-bound enforcers to pace or technical ability, al Tameer grew up in his home country of Muzira'a Ba'aydah but moved to Stvoto Latoli after being selected for military service. It was there, among the Stvoto Latolisi Navy's intramural leagues, that he began to formulate his football ideology. (Incidentally, the same influences can be seen in the general instincts of the Hozastvu club side, which represents the Navy. Fans of the Reds are often deeply uncomfortable when they witness their side venture forward for any reason.) al Tameer famously regards the nil-nil draw as a result as good as a victory, and this is in keeping with his Navy footballing education. At any rate, the Arab-Irishman generally makes selections in his own image: stocky, powerful, and often quite dirty athletes uninterested in sprinting or one-touch passing. He views tactical understanding as critical in his teams. And yet, despite all these utterly uninspiring and aesthetically displeasing attributes, al Tameer is well liked by the media, if not by the fans. Genial and warm, and with a light sense of humor, he famously enjoys (rather than resents) giving press conferences. Interviews after the many losses that Stvoto Latoli should be expected to suffer during its halcyon years as a competitive national side are sure to be as friendly and good-natured as those after the rare victory or draw. When asked what he plans to do after leaving his manager's post for the Golden Xantus, he often intimates that he might leave the sport altogether to spend more time with his hobby of woodworking. Nobody is entirely sure if he is serious or is using humor to dodge the question. There is no doubt that both Cóiméid (based in his city of birth, Teach Iarann) and Hozastvu (the outfit based on the Navy Headquarters site where he spent so much time as a serviceman) would be elated to secure his services if he ever departs his current post. However, for the time being this is obviously pure speculation.

Kits:

These are the kits used by Stvoto Latoli. The metallic gold, white, and dark blue strip is used for all home matches and occasional away matches, whereas the all-black change strip is used for most away matches but never at home. An unpaid intern in a dingy back office will toss a coin to decide which uniform will be worn in the case of neutral venue matches such as those at the Copa Rushmori or the World Cup finals.

Style Modifier:
-4

Tactics:
Brendan al Tameer has simplified his unnecessarily complicated formation from the last Copa by bringing the wingers back into the midfield and eliminating the deep lying playmaker position once reserved for Satatu Bei in favor of an out-and-out center forward. More stereotypically "al Tameer-esque" than the previous 5-2-3, this new 5-4-1 stresses narrow play, eliminating green space for opponents to run into. The left and right wingbacks have license to move forward and cut inside, while the anchor man defensive midfielder may occasionally drift ahead to provide link up play for the center attacking mid. Wide midfielders, as mentioned earlier, are far more withdrawn. While they will stay wide, they'll avoid going too far forward as they need provide cover in defense if the wingbacks get caught inside. Thusly, the Gold-Whites attacking thrust will come through the middle, with deep crosses coming from the wings and long balls from the center backs and defensive midfielder, while defensively the idea is to become as compact as possible. Don't like negative football? The Golden Xantus probably aren't for you.

Lyu

Ouithima          Ismail          Chenu (c)       O'Blighe       Medhazhinanju

Madani
O'Bearga-----------------------------------------------------------Vail
Irmedheghi

Zhooheizhyu

Home Base

As a consequence of Group B scheduling, where the Gold-Whites will play three of four group stage matches at the Generalissimo Joaquín Delgado, in Soluca, a front desk receptionist at TSLB Headquarters in Stvoto Latoli was asked to pick a city off a map of Sargossa. Telling coworkers "I stayed at a hotel there once and the soap smelled really dank" before speed-dialing Empanada Dungeon for some delivery medieval-knight-themed junk food, he chose the city of San Marquez. A luxury hotel has been arranged in a downtown location near a small training pitch.

Information for the Foreign Mahathu Herald Reader

First of all, thanks for buying our paper! We're a rather small outfit as there are a couple of big Pazhujebi-language papers in Mahathu we have to compete with, so we appreciate the business. Secondly, you will probably have guessed that Stvoto Latoli is a geographically and culturally diverse federation of countries, and you're right.

The barbaric Stvoto Latolisi people are aggressive scavengers living at sea. Likely East Asian in terms of ethnic ancestry, they typically have straight, shiny black hair. Their faces are almost always concealed by traditional makeup patterns: men wear a pattern of diagonally alternating white and metallic gold, women wear a quartered pattern of navy and blue. (Footballers, incidentally, forego this makeup while playing the sport.) Their language is notoriously difficult to learn, while it only contains twenty-some basic sounds, all words are formed from abstract relative concepts explained in hieroglyphic form. Rather than letters representing vowels or consonants, letters represent words or phrases. For the purposes of intelligibility, we here at the Mahathu Herald have adopted an Anglicization policy for Stvoto Latolisi words.

Stvoto Latoli's background is mired in murky prehistory. The legend goes that in an ancient land, a specific group of humans, united by some unknown faith, gradually became greatly feared for their brutality, greed, and mercilessness, until some political event occurred that resulted in the religious practitioners' expulsion out to sea. These people evidently could never find a new place to live, as word of their terrible nature had spread worldwide, and no other nation allowed them to land. So the early Stvoto Latolisis simply accepted their reality, and began to construct massive wooden rafts upon which they could build a large city in which to live. A less ambitious, less devout, less fervent people might have failed in this seemingly impossible task, but they succeeded, and the maritime city-state of Stvoto Latoli was born.

Since, the ruthless people descended from that original group have become less devout; in fact, the religion they followed has been completely forgotten. But their merciless nature has not changed. Once the economy and society of this new country stabilized, the Stvoto Latolisis united to make their floating raft city more flexible and mobile, and eventually it became possible to fragment districts of the city into separate "islands" and direct the superstructure across the oceans to whatever location they preferred. They then began the process of plundering as many vulnerable peoples as they could find. A famous legend explains that the Kagdaz witch Baba Yaga witnessed one of these such pillagings. According to the story, she visited Stvoto Latoli during a time when they were conquering and destroying a race of merpeople below the sea.

In recent years, however, the Stvoto Latolisis have changed approach. (No one is quite sure why.) They have continued to conquer other nations seen as susceptible, but rather than looting and destroying these countries, they instead have looked for ways to mostly preserve the culture of their conquered possessions, while maintaining strict political and military control. They refer to these incorporated possessions as "vassal states."

Various vassal states have been won and lost in the last century. At the current present, the attentions of the Stvoto Latolisi navy and air forces have been occupied by the large vassal states of Muzira'a Ba'aydah and the Pazhujeb Islands. Their relationship with the Muzira'a Ba'aydi is moderately good; the Arab and Irish country appears mostly happy to be able to preserve their culture and avoid the devastation suffered by other possessions. That mutual amicability is non-existent, however, between the Pazhujeb Islands and their overlords. The Pazhujebis have proven rebellious and troublesome, and prison camps are filled to nearly 250% capacity.

We shall briefly explain the cultures of these two complex vassal states.

Muzira'a Ba'aydah consists of two territories, typically referred to as the Northern Territory and the Southern Territory. The large Northern Territory lies in an environmentally tropical zone, and is mostly covered by jungle. No one is quite sure why, but a group of Irish settlers have lived in the area for thousands of years. The other territory, the Southern Territory, is much smaller, and lies on the northeastern corner of a moderately-sized subarctic continent. From this state emerged the Arab people who eventually traveled to the Northern Territory, and began to peacefully settle alongside the native Irish. As these peoples united into one culture, the Irish began to emigrate the opposite direction, and by now there are more or less equal numbers of each ethnicity in each of the two territories. (Place names, incidentally, still follow the old origins: the Northern Territory is filled with towns with Irish names, and the Southern with Arab names.)

The Muzira'a Ba'aydis are quite conservative and religious. They have developed a unique religion which is organized around The Myth of the River, an old story. In this myth, a golden boat travels down a wide, wide river, but the further it travels, the wider the river becomes and eventually the members of the boat do not know if they are still in the river or at sea. This is a critical metaphor for the attainability of the afterlife - one cannot know when he or she has reached it.

Pazhujebis on the other hand, are the largely the descendants of North Indian expellees of Rome. They settled the Pazhujeb Islands about two millenia ago. They have light to medium brown skin, dark hair, and brown eyes. All Pazhujebis, men and women, wear purple turbans at all times, including during football matches. There are multiple ethnic groups here. The Mahathan Pazhujebis are by a slight margin the largest group; they consider themselves to be descendants of wealthy entrepreneurs within the Roman Empire and as such feel a general sense of superiority. Following close behind in terms of number are the African Pazhujebis, who are full or partial descendants of Yoruba immigrants who have arrived over the course of the last millennium. Finally, the smaller group of the Zahuji Pazhujebis also consider themselves to be descendants of Indians expelled from the Roman Empire, however, they have rejected Roman social influences due to lingering resentment over the expulsion, and have tried to culturally return to their North Indian roots.

Geneticists have studied the sequences of Mahathans and Zahujis and concluded that there is no fundamental racial difference between the two clades, but that does not stop Pazhujebis from perceiving strong distinctions between the two, and the belief that Mahathans and Zahujis are ethnically separate remains heavily prevalent.

While football is incredibly popular in both Muzira'a Ba'aydah and the Pazhujeb Islands, it is a developing sport in Stvoto Latoli, where their partially-mechanized form of rowing has always been the country's most popular sport. That being the case, Stvoto Latoli is by far the most economically powerful country in the federation, and so clubs are able to train local players more effectively and purchase Muzira'a Ba'aydi or Pazhujebi players away from their home sources. This serves as an equalizing factor, though the phenomenon is still visible when examining the demography of this current national team; there are nine Muzira'a Ba'aydis and nine Pazhujebis, but there are just five Stvoto Latolisis and two of them are goalkeepers.

Demonyms are slightly complicated. In terms of citizenship, it is acceptable to refer to anyone in Muzira'a Ba'aydah, the Pazhujeb Islands, or the city-state of Stvoto Latoli as "Stvoto Latolisi," but in terms of describing ethnicity, referring to somebody as such implies that they are from the actual raft complex. (In the same way, "Stvoto Latoli" may refer to either the small raft city-state, or it may refer to the broader empire as a whole.) It is not, however, typically considered offensive when foreigners refer to anybody from the federation as Stvoto Latolisi, even if they are actually Muzira'a Ba'aydis or Pazhujebis.

The TSLB ("Tazi’shu Stvoto Latolisi Balomobi") is the organizing association for the national football team and the league structure for club teams. There is no such thing as "the Stvoto Latoli FA" - what you mean to say is "the TSLB." Among fans, the most popular nicknames for the national team are "Gu Milusatratu Gerhoomow'thatho" or "The Golden Xantus" in English (the Xantus are a species of hummingbirds), and "Gu Zhomo-Zootyusoyzyu" or "The Gold-Whites" in English.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod Scoring Events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes
Hand out Yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out Red cards to my players: Yes
Godmod Other Events: Yes

by **Queer Poco el Mono Ara** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:17 pm

A dossier landed on Tayip’s desk, containing information about the other 29 nations taking part in the 20th edition of the Copa Rushmori. He thumbed through the sizeable document, Valladares, Pasarga, Darmen, Taeshan, Sargossa, Kernansquillec, Polar Islandstates, Eura, Kytler Peninsulae, Saugeais. 10 teams he recognised the names of, the rest, they were a mystery. Queer Poco el Mono Ara had been out of the international football scene too long. Life had moved forward whilst we had been locked in a stasis, a stasis we were now trying to shake off and re-launch ourselves from, Queer Poco el Mono Ara Mark 2, if you would. A decent attempt at qualifying for World Cup 70, followed by a foray into the international competition right on our own backdoor should set his men on the right track.

He was planning on fielding an unchanged squad from the recent qualifiers as he’d seen some good stuff from a number of his team, particularly young midfielder Jokin Quiros. The shaggy haired midfielder had scored multiple times during qualifying and had proved to be a shining star in this new team. He’d considered making the Cobalt Stars midfielder his captain for the upcoming championship, but worried such a youthful captain might not get the respect he needs from the rest of his team and opted to give the armband to Ilhan Solak, Jokin’s Cobalt team mate and orcish looking centreback.

At 69 Misra was getting old, his body couldn’t keep up with his brain and his breath was constantly short. He knew that this would be his last hoorah and for that, he was rueful. The war had stolen the best years of his life and now here he was, the biggest job in his career and his tenure would be just a brief flicker, a footnote in Pocoan history. A history that had seen legendary managers in the Whites’ dugout, Asdrubal Espinoza, Joseph Hamburgstein, Mark Sloan and some other, less celebrated men who had worked hard and done exceptionally with a team from a tiny little corner of Rushmore.

Tayip smiled to himself, a little, wistful, smile as he thought of what he could have achieved if given the time with this team. If he was the one who would be here to see them grow and build on their victories, to see them restore the glory to Queer Poco el Mono Ara. It wasn’t all over yet though. If this was to be his final, and only second, tournament in charge, he was determined to make it a champagne moment in Pocoan history.

-- footnote, despite being active from World Cup 49 to World Cup 60, we never actually won anything. We hosted some tourneys (BoF, CoH, oh and a World Cup) and won an Under 21’s Championship, but, it’s not as illustrious as we fondly look back on.

Introducing the Queer Poco el Mono Ara National Football Team for ~~World Cup 70!~~ Copa Rushmori XX

Head Coach – Tayip Misra (68). Selected by the newly formed national football association, Misra is an ageing warhorse who over 40 years ago, before the civil war, played for Racing Minanda and Hunslet Wanderers in central defence. His managerial experience is limited to some non-league sides and a brief stint as the under 21’s coach of former Una Serie club Augustus. The sexagenarian coach is still very defence minded and will line up his team to soak up attacking pressure, sit deep in numbers and then counter attack. The team is most likely to line up in a 4-3-1-2 formation

#1. Goal Keeper. Shahrukh Kartal, Varuna Rock Hoppers (32). Shahrukh has been in outstanding form for the Rock Hoppers. Considering this is his first season as a professional he has displayed excellent agility and reach and has been a commanding and vocal presence in his box. He’ll keep his defence in check and won’t be afraid to come for crosses from corners.

#2. Right Back. Bonifacio Cuellar, Vrazillia Rolling Thunder (23). Coming straight out of University into his first professional contract Bonifacio is a natural athlete and a bit of a genius too. The Rolling Thunder right back covered more distance than any player this season and completed the most percentage of tackles. He’ll be hard to beat for most wingers.

#3. Left Back. Washington Bennett Zavala, Batil Toads (21). Another youthful wingback, Washington offers an injection of pace on the opposite flank. He might not be as strong defensively as Cuellar, which could be exploited by savvier coaches, but the boy can shift.

#4 Central Midfield. Ramesh Nibhanupudi, Galene Corsairs (27). The 27 year old played a big part in the Corsairs season, playing just in front of the defence. Reads the game well and breaks up attacks, his completed pass percentage this season was the second highest in the league. Ramesh will be a key figure in the Pocoan team.

#5 Centre Back. Mateu Demirici, Varuna Rock Hoppers (29). Mateu is one of those rare diminutive centre backs, standing at only 5ft 8, but his ability to read the game and time a tackle have made him one of the toughest defenders in the league to beat. He also has an outstanding jump which allows him to get up and challenge those tall strikers.

#6 Centre Back. Ilhan Solak, Cobalt Stars (32). Big, mean, imposing, tough tackler, horrendous scar under his right eye, Ilhan might not have the silkiest of skills but makes up for it by being the archetypal hardman. He’d probably have been named captain if it weren’t for his disciplinary record in the Una Serie this season.

#7 Right Midfield. Peregrine Raeburn, Neptuna Sea Dragons (23). Peregrine may come from the illustrious Raeburn family, his rakish good looks are almost a carbon copy of his movie star father but he hasn’t traded on his name. The young midfielder has a wealth of talent and could become one of QPeMA’s new rising stars.

#8 Striker. Lisandro Espinoza, Badawi Scorpions (24). Lisandro finished top scorer in the Una Serie, bagging 17 goals in 29 appearances, or a goal every 1.7 matches, or 1 every 153 minutes. He’s young, agile and will be the focal point of the counterattack.

#9 Striker. Rizwan Abdullah, Varuna Rockhoppers (28). Scoring 6 goals in the last 11 matches of the season propelled the big man into the limelight for the national team. His powerful, muscular frame allows him to hold the ball and jostle with defenders, this will most likely be his function for the Whites, to hold the ball until the rest of the attack can join in.

#10 Central Midfield. Jokin Quiros, Cobalt Stars (25). The shaggy haired Jokin plays just behind the front two at Cobalt and will be expected to do the same for the QPeMA national side. He’s good with the ball at his feet and driving towards goal. Expect him to be a goal threat throughout qualifying.

#11 Left Midfield. Roc Alvarado, Monolithia Football Club (26). He may not be blessed with a left foot, but that’s been the curse of the Pocoan National Team for as long as time began. He can still cut inside on his right peg and deliver a decent ball to the back stick.. are the words of his club manager that have been echoed by the national team coach.

Substitutes

#12 Centre Back. Lucas Ruiz, Badawi Scorpions
#13 Goalkeeper. Hakim El-Mofty, Agrabah Sultans
#14 Central Midfield. Cedric Baumgartner, Batil Toads
#15 Striker. Elvis Raincloud, Cobalt Blue Stars
#16 Winger. Bilal Albaf, Cobalt Blue Stars

Reserves

#17 Wing back. Atuf Ahmad, Monolithia Football Club
#18 Striker. Moran Nussenbaum, Neptuna Sea Dragons
#19 Attacking Midfield. Paul Watson, Vrazillia Rolling Thunder
#20 Goalkeeper. Cornelio Salamanca, Kukuxumushu Fire Dragons
#21 Centre Back. Imad Karim, Salacia Broadbills

Home Jersey:

Alternative:

Style Modifier: 0

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers Y
Godmod scoring events N
RP injuries to my players Y
Godmod injuries to my players N
Hand out yellow cards to my players Y
Hand out red cards to my players Y
Godmod other events Y

by **Valladares** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 4:34 pm

Big questions still unanswered as Copa opener looms large

SOLUCA (VAP) — The Valladar national football team has already landed in Torgos looking for redemption in the upcoming Copa Rushmori, which will be held all over the region. The disappointing performance at the most recent World Cup finals in which La Nacional was unable to make it out of the group stage has already taken its toll with Euran coach Dimitri Campbell and his couple of assistants being fired by the Valladar Football Association at the team's arrival to Metropolis. In spite of Campbell's otherwise brilliant record as Valladar gaffer, the poor showing in San José Guayabal made the VFA realize that was it for the Euran manager.

This Copa Rushmori edition, which will be tinted by a special aura of celebration as the VFA won the hosting rights and chose to spread most of the matches of the competition to the rest of the region, is regarded by the VFA as the perfect chance for a renewal, and as such they contacted current AS Bezieres coach Jean-Pierre Aulas to be in charge of the team during the Copa in order to start a squad renovation process in time for World Cup 71. There is one problem, though, and it is the fact that given his obligations with ASB, Aulas only accepted to be in charge until the end of the Copa and as such, the Valladar national football team continues in an interim state not desirable by any means. And this also means the VFA are also desperate for a new coach who can hold office on a permanent basis for the next World Cup campaign.

As for the 23 men who travelled with Aulas and the rest of the Valladar delegation to Pasarga and Sargossa for the Copa Rushmori, there are also several changes as Raynor City United forward Carlos Alberto Sáez was not called up given his poor performance in the WC finals, and former Nacional striker Lucas Valdez, who is currently shining in the Euraleague, got his first NT call-up at Sáez's expense. In the defensive line, Alexander Lopes was rewarded with a place in the national team thanks to his outstanding performances with Real Campo Grande in the Liga-1, while Patriotas FC's young midfielder and Liga-1's Youngster of the Year Ósman Candelo was also included in the list of 23 players for the Copa. There were also calls for renovation under the posts, as Luis Fuentes retired from international football at the end of the last World Cup, and Eterna Stars's goalkeeper Alan Cross was given a chance by Aulas after his superb performances during the last Liga-1 season. However, the team's backbone is still there, with Yoan Gignac and the ever dangerous Pedrinho and Frank Rozenthal commanding the lethal Valladar offense, and Pedro Pedretti, Ivan Coupet, Juan Pablo Reyes and Ruben Morantes keeping their spot in the team. In short, the future looks promising for the Valladar team, however, there is still the question as to whether the new squad members will be up to expectations in their first big tournament or not.

The Copa Rushmori will be kicking off tonight with several high-voltage clashes to be held in the group stage: Eura will have to battle for Group A's top spot with Electrum and Sarrbia, Sargossa and Darmen were placed along Zenic in a fairly tough Group C, defending champions Polar Islandstates, Kernansquillec, The Kytler Peninsulae, and Mapletish will be competing in a Group D which will only give out 2 or 3 berths to the following round, while Saugeais, Taeshan, and Queer Poco el Mono Ara will be the main attraction of Group E. Meanwhile, Valladares placed in Group B along seeds Pasarga, Sameba, Stvoto Latoli, and Polaaskan, and La Nacional will be playing Sameba in their Copa opener at the Stade de Torgos in an a priori winnable match for the Valladars to start with, before playing Group B "hosts" and top seeds Pasarga at the Stade de Torgos at probably a totally different environment than the one they might find in tonight's match against Sameba. A win in this match will help to dispel some of the doubts still raised on the Valladars, although the search for a new coach will definitely carry on.

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by **Stvoto Latoli** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 4:56 pm

Part 1

PRESENT DAY

"'Did you remember to order your takeout, too?' Fucking bullshit!" yelled Jorojoro with no regard for the table ten feet away, where a mother with three children was giving him a scathing look.

I started giggling, half because of Joro's fake indignation and half because his fortune cookie really was that stupid. Meanwhile, Nyangoma looked rather like the mother, her lips pursed and her expression completely unimpressed. She was always difficult when I tried to introduce her to a new boy - her standards were too high. But this was especially cold. "That's really mature, Joro," in a humorless, sarcastic deadpan.

"Look!" he responded, pushing the tiny piece of paper into her face. "Look, that's what it says!"

"I don't care!" she answered.

"Don't be mad just because yours offended you!"

"I didn't even rea-"

"'Good clothes open many doors. Go shopping.'" He burst out into laughter (again).

"Obviously you were supposed to get mine! Where did you get that fleece, a garbage can?!" she spat hotly, completely destroying any jovial mood that we had had at our table. The dead silence that dropped, as Joro rolled his eyes but obliged by shutting up and Goma put her sharp chin down on her palm grumpily. I stopped giggling and recapped the events of the day in my head.

It had been a bright and sunny Monday in the Kuratmad District of Mahathu. A student at the University of Mahathu, I'd killed it in a history exam in the morning, and my mood was good all day after that (well, up until this aforementioned row between Joro and Goma). I'd grabbed an orange to scarf down as lunch while I dashed back to my dorm room to switch out textbooks - I had an archeology class at one. Scrambling up the stairs in a blur, I crossed paths with Louise, to whom I said hello happily. (Her response was a perplexing "I rearranged the clothes on your dresser," which as usual was probably passive aggressive, but I was in a good mood for once and ignored it.)

In the room, I dug up the copy of The Robbers' Discovery that Dr. M had loaned me. I stood up, threw it in my backpack, shoved the rest of the orange in my mouth so I could pick up my keys, and hurried out the door. I didn't get far, though, as I remembered something - the night before I had vaguely recalled something Dr. M had said in a different class I'd taken with her the year before, something about silver squares - I needed to grab my grandfather's little trinket and ask the professor a question.

In class we went over more material on the pyramids of Queer Poco el Mono Ara. For possibly the first time all semester, I had done my reading and didn't have to fudge my way through Dr. M's discussion period. (The sly look she kept giving me was worrying, though - it looked like she knew I had done more homework than usual.)

At the end, I stayed late.

"Hi, Savathi."

"Hi, Dr. M! Um, so I had a question for you. Did you-"

"Notice you seemed quite a bit more knowledgeable during discussion? Yes." She smiled. I went pink.

"Oh, uh, no. It's actually about something I remember you saying back in Early Multiversal Cultures last year. Here," I said as I dropped my backpack, tossed my keys on her desk, and yanked out the square trinket, "this looks a lot like something you were talking about... silver squares... what culture used them?"

"Wow..." Her eyes widened. "Do you know how valuable that is? Don't keep it in your pocket," she said, taking it from my hand.

"What is it?" I asked in a curious whisper.

"This is a relic of the Ebburacians of the lost Great Northern Continent. They were religious objects, worn by the commoner caste as a believed method of welcoming the timeless gods into the mortal realm. The square shape is a metaphor for the door - the door that the gods may pass through between heaven and earth. Often they were considered the most valuable possession of an Ebburacian citizen. Despite being very precious and fairly widespread, they have become increasingly rare today. Nobody knows what is happening to them."

"So... is this one authentic, then?"

"I don't know, I'd have to have somebody else look at it," she said as she pulled off her reading glasses and closely examined it, "but as far as I can see, it appears to be legitimate. Savathi, where did you get this?

"My grandfather gave it to me."

"The Prime Minister?"

"Yup."

"Ah. That explains it, partially at least. He would have been given full access to the National Historic Archive, and nobody knows how many Ebburacian relics they have. They keep it a secret, as do many other governments."

"Why?"

"Because some countries have cultures or religions that are connected to or have historical roots in the Ebburacians. Some have authentic claims of connection, others do not, but either way, international law creates a murky legal area whereby countries may be required to cede incredibly valuable artifacts to other countries, some of which are quite barbaric and primitive. We are talking about value amounts in the billions. The Ykhabuhi Hinterlands, for example, claim entitlement to the silver squares and other Ebburacian artifacts, and they openly practice cannibalism. Women in Zerbojka Krai are legally slaves, and the Zerbojkans are frequently demanding massive sums from relic-holding nations. The Bu-u Arjovonese, the Stvoto Latolisis, the Puhaluxians... you name it. They've all made claims."

"Huh," I said. I was somehow disappointed. I guess my recollection of the class last year gave me the impression that Dr. M would have some spectacular metaphysical explanation for the square. In the end, Grandpa's trinket was merely something that someone somewhere had once worshiped as a superstitious religious idol.

"Does that answer your question?"

"Yeah, it does, I guess."

"Get it appraised, Savathi. It might be worth a lot of money. Of course, given that your grandfather gave it to you, maybe you'd want to keep it," she said with a smart, kind smile.

"Okay. I will. Thanks Dr. M!" I said chirpily. I brushed aside the silly sense of disappointment as I reminded myself that I was off to have dinner with Nyangoma (my best friend) and Jorojoro (my new crush). I left her office (though I had to come back three minutes later as I'd left my backpack and Dr. M had to call me).

So then there we are, back in the present, at a table in the back of a nice Chinese place in the Vezhidrupa District. I was looking austerely at Goma, trying to get her to stop being so bitchy, while Joro sat to my left, still snickering to himself about Fortune-Cookie-Gate. Goma, a tall, thin, beautiful African Pazhujebi woman a year older than me had been my best friend since I'd met her at the start of my freshman year. Her outward appearance was that of a cold sorority girl, drenched in makeup, vapid and selfish, but to those who knew her, she was an incredibly kind woman who knew whose side to take when shit went down. Her instincts were good and her tenacious protective instincts towards her friends were better. She'd seen me through two very difficult breakups, for which I was extremely grateful.

However, that put her on edge any time I told her I was seeing someone new, and Joro, a dreadlocked, flannel-wearing parody of the modern hipster band bassist, was the last type of guy she'd approve of. I'm sure she saw him as a stoner loser who would only disappoint me. But I'd gotten to know Joro slowly but surely for the last few months (we met lifting weights together at the campus gym), and while I'd had the same first impression, now I knew he was a genuine, charismatic, and impressively talented artist. He was tall, too, and also a year older than me, but those were the only similarities he had with Goma: his long black hair was knotted and messy, his beard was unkempt, and his face was almost always wide in a smile, making him hard to compare with her.

So there I was, trying to bridge the gap between two people who I both really, really liked, but who were too different to put at a table together. Desperate to say something, anything to break the tension, I snatched up the nearest object I could find on the dinner table, which turned out to be the last of the three fortune cookies.

"Here, look, what's mine say?" I cracked it open and slipped the paper out.

WHAT YOU SEE IN YOUR SLEEP WILL ONE DAY BE DREAM NO LONGER. A CATASTROPHE AWAITS YOU.

My stomach dropped. My mouth went dry. I'd been having the disturbing dreams, where that horrible voice rasped through the fire about the enslavement of the Pazhujebi people, much less lately. But, now, here, it was brought back to my mind with a gutwrenching lurch.

"Huh. It's a joke, obviously, but it's not very funny," said Joro, who had picked up the fortune and read it. "Hey, you all right?" he asked, noticing how white I must have gotten.

"The dreams."

"What about them?" questioned Goma, who was also now gazing at me, concerned.

"The dreams I've been having. The voice that talks about exterminating Pazhujebi people. He's Stvoto Latolisi."

Goma and Joro looked at each other, baffled. I had just remembered the last place I'd heard that demonym.

(NOTE: This RP is part of a very long and ambitious storyline that serves as an origin story for this nation. I will be referencing at least a half dozen of my own former RPs, written as the Pazhujeb Islands or Kagdazka and Pazhujebu. As such, I feel like it is in good faith to report this to hosts who might be tabulating my RP bonus: the past RPs I will reintroduce are original material, but most of them have been directly copied and pasted. If this is considered uncouth, I will understand if I am docked bonus points. However, it is worth mentioning that in many of these ancient RPs I left hints that I did plan on revisiting later. Subsequently, this self-plagiarism simply attempts to give context for the plot I will be weaving. I will always provide a notice in this space any time an old RP is used or referenced.)

by **Valladares** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 6:16 pm

The Road to Swangard starts tonight. This is the first RP cutoff of the twentieth Copa Rushmori.

And, scores:

Group A
Vermark 2–4 Vjaalsbürg
Sarrbia 2–6 Electrum

Group B (Scorinated by SJG)
Valladares 3-3 Sameba
Polaaskan 0-2 Stvoto Latoli

Group C
Kasugano 0–2 Darmen
Irad 0–1 Sargossa

Group D
Kernansquillec 1–1 Mapletish
The Kytler Peninsulae 3–0 Kalimekka

Group E
Queer Poco el Mono Ara 3–1 Nouvelle-Angouleme
Saugeais 1–2 Pravenna

Group F
Alianza Albos 0–1 Filopines
Sancta Sede 1–2 New Ponyville

Tables to come after Matchday 2.

by **Vermark** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 7:13 pm

Vermark Senior Men's National Football Team
"The Hounds"
Style Modifier: +1.0
Trigramme: VER
Demonym: Vares (noun)/Varish (adj.)
Manager: Oskar Backlund (Raskstad United)
Assistant Managers: Daniel Marburg (Shipwrights)
and Paul Yzersson (North Star Enberg)
Trainer: Martin Kelstad (Academica)

Bold denotes starter.

Goalkeepers
GK #30 Ronald Dinlund (Age 24 -

Jackson City)
GK #32 Robert Nyquist (Age 28 - Academica)
GK #35 Jukka Sedin (Age 26 - Raskstad United)

Defenders
CB #02 Samuel Gustavsson (Age 32 - Raskstad United)
RB #03 Aleksander Abrasson (Age 27 - FK Raskstad)
CB #04 Fredrik Rasholm (Age 26 - North Star Enberg)
CB #05 Samuel Salquist (Age 26 -

Old Boys Club)
LB #06 Brandon Kellisson (Age 28 - Varmeon Islanders)
RB #12 Axel Lenburg (Age 27 - Academica)
LB #17 Anders Larsson (Age 23 - Agriholm Prairie)
CB #21 Nicklas Eisburg (Age 24 - Raskstad United)

Midfielders
LM #07 Herbert Alfredsson (Age 29 -

Iry Shore)
LM #09 Keith Arnold (Age 28 - Varnskog Forest)
CM #11 Reid Sorensson (Age 27 - Larquist Rovers)
RM #13 Emanuel Clausen (Age 24 - Dunsvik Town)
CM #14 Patrik Prebensen (Age 25 - Union Petrovik)
RM #19 Joel Christiansen (Age 26 - Forstader)
CAM #24 Henrik Stevensson (Age 30 - Academica) [Captain]
CDM #33 Jonathon Patriksson (Age 33 - Dunsvik Town)

Forwards
ST #08 David Isaacsson (Age 22 - Raskstad United)
ST #10 Erik Hjamar (Age 20 -

Molsbik Arkjet)
ST #20 Ryan Tenner (Age 29 - Agriholm Prairie)
ST #22 Alek Andersson (Age 25 - Larquist Rovers)

Kits: Manufactured by Sejr Sport
Home / Away
Kits designed by Red Blackiland

Formation: 4-1-3-2
------------------------------Dinlund-------------------------------
----Kellisson-------Gustavsson-------Salquist-------Lenburg----
------------------------------Sorensson-----------------------------
----Clausen-----------------Stevensson-(c)---------Alfredsson---
--------------------Hjamar----------------Isaacsson---------------

Roleplay Permissions
Choose my goalscorers? Yes
Godmod scoring events? Yes
RP injuries to my players? Yes (Subject to change regarding type and severity)
Godmod injuries to my players? Yes (See above)
Hand out yellow cards to my players? Yes
Hand out red cards to my players? Yes (Not to Captain)
Godmod other events? Yes

by **Nouvelle-Angouleme** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 7:30 pm

Mohawktown 1981

The apartment was shit, but you really couldn't beat the location. Five hundred guilders a month for four hundred square feet of unfinished plywood with no insulation, sound or heat, might sound like a lot, but split among three people it was doable. Plus it doubled as rehearsal space, of which there was a serious lack in the city, and it was right upstairs from the Seventh Nation, the roughest and most lucrative of all the bars in Mohawktown. This meant that any time another band canceled because one of their members picked up a night shift on a sky scraper or got put in jail overnight, which happened with roughly equal frequency, the logical thing for Big Mike to do was come and scare us up to put a set together for the steel workers downstairs, who by that point were even rowdier than usual. The Mohawk steel workers embodied the ethic "work hard, play hard"; they had built the New Amsterdam skyline from the ground up, and when they threw parties at the union hall, the best the NAPD could do was form a perimeter and keep out anyone who wasn't at least one-quarter Iroquois.

We weren't much of a band in those days. Truth be told, we were more of an idea, a good idea, but one without any clear direction. Nobody in the band could sing, but Larry Ironheart had learned acoustic guitar from his uncle, and he had a raspy smoker's voice that sometimes masked its lack of pitch, while Johann van der Wall knew how to play bass from his alcoholic father, who'd left not long after teaching him. As for me, I had picked up all manner of percussion in my youth in Aruba, and being the person with the most to lose in the band, I was also our de facto leader. Larry and Johann were local boys; Larry was a pureblood Iroquois from Mohawktown, a fourth-generation steel worker, where Johann's oupagrootjie had been a Transvaal rebel who'd taken up in Kleine-Afrika rather than live under British rule. Of the three of us, I was the only transplant and also the only one with no skills besides music, since Larry worked in steel alongside his father, uncles, and cousins, while Johann somehow knew how to drive and so was an unlicensed chauffeur, driving drunks around and dodging the NAPD. I made my money washing dishes for Big Mike downstairs, but mostly I stayed in the apartment and watched our stuff since none of the windows latched.

Growing up, New Amsterdam had seemed like a dream, a city in the clouds where nobody went hungry and there was always plenty of wealth. Families saved up for years to send their eldest sons to "the city" where they could find work as bouncers or manual laborers and send home five-hundred-guilder notes to keep their younger siblings and cousins in school. As one of those younger siblings, I grew up hearing about my older brother, Yankee, and all the money he was supposedly making in New Amsterdam, but I thought it was bullshit because we still lived in a crappy house and we never had any beef to eat. So when I was fifteen, I left from school one day and stowed away in the hold of a cargo ship carrying raw aloe for processing in New Amsterdam, and by the time I climbed out we had passed St. Augustine and the next port of call was New Amsterdam.

Finding Larry and Johann wasn't easy. I spent most of my first year sleeping on a cot in the back of a West Indian grocery in Little Aruba, working for a lady who told me that if the NAPD came, I had to say I broke in. I stayed there until one day I read an ad from a band looking for a drummer; I called one night after the proprietor had left, moved into the shitty apartment the next day, and we started rehearsing from there. With a mix of Johann's jazz, Larry's rock and roll, and my calypso, we sounded not unlike the two-tone music that was popular in England at the time, although we had no idea. Our lack of a vocalist was vexing, but we'd agreed that putting out an ad for "singer wanted" was likely to net us exactly the wrong kind of person for the gig. We scouted talent almost every night at the Seventh Nation, and when bands broke up we sometimes approached their vocalists, but so far nobody had bit. It was hard to blame them; who'd want to sleep on a splintery floor in your rehearsal space that doubled as your apartment?

by **Pravenna** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 1:14 am

Augustine Charisteas walked out into the light at the end of the tunnel.
Somehow, his home nation had won the right to host. This was, technically, the first ever home game the Golden Lions had ever played. There'd unsurprisingly been somewhat more stringent safety restrictions than the General had hoped for, and the capacity had been reduced to a still-ambitious 25,000 from the originally-theorised 60,000. And it was standing room only, behind both goals. But there was still a great crowd though, nineteen thousand turning out to watch the national team.
He couldn't feel more privileged to be wearing the captain's armband. He was old, out of contract, and tossing up a choice between retirement or trying to help out the struggling local league. But this gave him hope - there were people who cared.
Not that Saugeais was an easy opponent, or indeed one that seemed remotely possible to beat. But by God, they were going to go out there and give it a shot.

Things looked rough at half-time. A goal down - Stasinopolous beaten from distance. And that had come when Pravenna was playing well. After the seventeenth-minute goal, well, it was all Saugeais. Stasinopolous was keeping them in the match, and a couple last-ditch tackles from Tzavaras bailed them out of positions where the goalkeeper would've been helpless.
The crowd was silent as they trudged back into the tunnel. Constantine Katsaros was not. The shouting, coming in very efficient Greek, seemed to last an age. At the end of the day, they needed a goal - and they weren't getting one like this.
So, somewhat timidly, the Golden Lions dared to strike into the Saugeais half. Attempting to exploit the wings, Barbarouses barely missed a near-post header that he should've scored, and an unmarked Niko Stavros utterly fluffed a free header from a corner. Saugeais continued to defend stoutly - but it took an unlikely bit of skill to unlock the defence.
Zoe Merochite's cross, floated high, taken on the chest by Theseus Barbarouses. As with many Project +90 members, he had that little edge of Islander skill to him, and startled the Saugeian centrebacks by rolling a backheel through them. One lunged awkwardly for it, sending it slightly curling away from the prowling Isadora Xenophon, but all it took was a slide and the swing of a boot, and somehow - somehow - Pravenna were level.
What happened next? Saugeais reapplied the pressure, sending shot after shot on target, forcing the already deep defence back. Disastrously, Stavros hacked down a player for his second caution of the match - Barbarouses was forced off for South Rathia centreback Katsalidis. And Stasinopolous, of course, got a more than fair workout in goal. There was a ten-minute period where Pravenna had eighteen percent possession. The only solace Pravenna had was in the terrible quality of the pitch, as Saugeais was constantly foiled by its unpredictability.
But in the following minute, a Saugeain midfielder was caught in possession by Calisto Matraxis. A heavy first touch almost carried the ball out of reach, but she managed to stab it upfield, playing Xenophon into a desperate run against their back line, one she narrowly managed to win before pulling the trigger... but the Saugeian goalkeeper was narrowly equal to it, tipping it around the post.
Pravennan corner. Seven minutes left. Zoe Merochite hustling to the corner flag, clearly exhausted but stepping up gamely to take it. It was hoofed in...
... and when the dust settled, Matraxis was shouting triumphantly and pumping her fist. The slim 5'2" midfielder had somehow slipped her marker and ducked in at the far post, chesting the ball over the line.
It was pure, undeserved bullshit. And yet, the home crowd went wild for them. And as Katsaros pumped his fist on the sideline, the realisation came almost at once to the players clustered around the corner flag...
... if they could beat a team the skill of Saugeais, who couldn't they beat?

by **Electrum** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 3:17 am

Centralis Herald - Sports Section - Stewart Faraday

Copa Rushmori 20 starts, but the hunt continues....

The Copa Rushmori, which was won by Valladares, was cast wide open to all of Rushmore, as it was the twentieth edition - each nation would submit a host bid, and that nation would host a group stage as well as a knockout stage match. Electrum Football sent out Centralis Stadium in Centralis, and gained the right to host a group, Group A, which will be held in Eura and Electrum, as well as a Round of 16 match. We will play three of four of our matches here in Centralis, and the last one, we will be visiting Eura. It's exciting times for Electrum, as we've climbed up the rankings, now 49th in the world, and 11th in the region.

Electrum certainly had a cracker of a start, defeating Sarrbia 6-2. Sarrbia, which were former qualifiers for the World Cup, were a shadow of their former self, easily being defeated by the relatively young Electrum team. The Electrum National team played some of their best football, after the start of the E-League kicked off just a few weeks ago. As part of that development of the new league, Electrum Football has been desperate in bringing attention to football in Electrum, where traditional games such as curling and tennis are considered national sports. As a result, they have bid to host a stadii, as well as host a whole bunch of events - mostly cultural, artistic and tourism related so that people recognise Electrum as an up-and-coming nation.

The match was a relatively clean one, with no-one being warned or sent off the field. It was an extremely high scoring match, with five of the eight goals being scored in the first half. Krane scored two goals in the first half, after Lynn-Peters set up a valuable opportunity for him in just the twenty-second minute, with a cross - Krane used his noggin and headbutted the ball into the goal, past the Sarrbian goalkeeper. The other goal off Krane's feet was an impressive bicycle kick - wowing the crowd in the process. The Sarrbians then replied with two goals of their own, equalising by the fortieth minute, thanks to Electrum's leaky defense. Acting Coach Walker will need to work on that coming into the match against Vjaalsbürg and then Eura, as the Electrumites are known to leave wide swaths of field wide open for the taking. Krane would then complete the half with another goal of his own, this time, a relatively simple one, dribbling the ball past the Sarrbians, and scoring during injury time - completing his hat trick. By half time, the score was 3-2.

In the second half, Electrum completely dominated possession, 60% of the time, the ball being in our hands. Newbie Jess Fielding proved her worth, by converting a corner kick into a goal, Tyler Fernando, which was subbed in for Henry, scored another goal during the 87th minute, the playmaker getting help from Krane, while Midfielder Luna would score the last goal, as the cherry on top. Overall, a comprehensive victory, with not much else to say. The crowd simply enjoyed it, and the Electrum team chalked another victory at their spiritual home of football. It harked back to their first international victory in Centralis, when they beat Ratastan.

But what's different this time round, is the coach. Sure, the team may be half different, but now that Coach Wilkinson has retired after the Cup of Harmony, there's a kind of vacuum in the Electrum Management Board, Coach Walker just doesn't have the same passion as he has - and being under Milo Wilkinson's wing, he's not entirely sure what to do next. Of course, in just a few weeks time, Electrum Football will be opening up applications for the role of coaching the Electrum NT, and it's unclear whether or not Acting Coach Walker will go for the role. What's likely is that he'll stick with the Assistant Coaching role, and a better, more experienced coach should take the helms of this team. We're no longer in the establishment phase, we're in the consolidating phase now, and we need to continue the ascent up the rankings for our team. The hunt for a new coach continues, and the team is in cruise control. Something needs to be done about our tendency to overextend, lest we want to give up more goals. All the good teams are more disciplined in that aspect, which is what we should strive for.

by **Kernansquillec** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 9:24 am

KERNANSQUILLEC ROSTER FOR THE 20TH COPA RUSHMORI

Manager: Gabby Indignu (50, ♀,

)
Assistant Manager: Fernando Di Pablo (46, ♂,

)
First Team Coach: Danielle Hughes (52, ♀,

)
Goalkeeper Coach: Tito MacNeil (38, ♂,

)
Youth Team Coordinator: Naoise Grieve (50, ♀,

)
Physio: Christian Lloyd (43, ♂,

)

Formation: 4-2-3-1
Style modifier: +3.45

Senior Team's Wiki page

Starting XI:

Player info:
#1 Kate Ellysa (GK, 27 years old, ♀,

Rennes, 0 goals)
#3 Julian Yegos (RB, 31 years old, ♂,

Guingamp, 3 goals)
#14 Candi Winter (LB, 28 years old, ♀,

Guingamp, 2 goals)
#4 Annette Markey (CB, 27 years old, ♀,

Louargat, senior team début)
#5 Gabrielle Andrewson (CB, 23 years old, ♀,

St Marie, 1 goal)
#15 Isabelle Zorm (DM, 25 years old, ♀,

St Marie, 3 goals)
#17 Londyn Käufer (DM, 29 years old, ♀,

Rennes, 2 goals)
#9 Zac Poutre (RM, 23 years old, ♂,

Louargat, 10 goals)
#7 Marie Iris (LM, 22 years old, ♀,

Guingamp, 24 goals)
#11 Peter Lilac (CF, 27 years old, ♂,

Guingamp, 37 goals)

Subs:
#13 Liselotte D'Aramitz (GK, 33 years old, ♀,

Guingamp, yet to feature in a match)
#2 Mary Cressac (RB, 24 years old, ♀,

Mont Kate, 1 goal)
#12 Grégroire Seresimo (CB, 24 years old, ♂,

Rennes, 0 goals)
#8 Caren Findlay (LM, 26 years old, ♀,

New Southampton, 0 goals)
#20 Sara Blackwood (LM, 22 years old, ♀,

St Marie, first team début)
#6 Pauletta Ayers (CM, 29 years old, ♀,

Louargat, first team début)
#18 Barbara Keys (CF, 29 years old, ♀,

Rennes, 5 goals)

Kit (Home - Away)

Fixtures:

Kernansquillec 1-1 Mapletish (Iris)
Polar Islandstates 1-1 Kernansquillec (Lilac)
Kernansquillec 3-0 The Kytler Peninsulae (Käufer, Noupen, Blackwood)
Kernansquillec 1-1 Kalimekka (Noupen)
Pasarga 1–0 Kernansquillec

RP permissions:

Choose my goalscorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod injuries to my players: N
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Y
Hand out red cards to my players: Y
Godmod other events: Y

Please note: Godmod's can be fun, but must be used in moderation

Team info:

Captain: Adélaïde Noupen
Vice-Captain: Julian Yegos
Penalties: Peter Lilac
Free Kicks: Adélaïde Noupen
Corners: Zac Poutre

by **Darmen** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 12:36 pm

New Prime Minister announces goals for next two years
Vehicle Tax and Free Collegiate Education top goals

Hayes prefers to work from his smaller MP office in the Parliament building
rather than the large Prime Minister's Office at No. 1 Government Street

SCOTT CITY - Prime Minister Bram Hayes, and several of his cabinet members, met with the press for the first time on Friday. During the course of the meeting, Hayes announced his plans and goals for the next two years. Below, we've listed six of Hayes' goals and plans, and some of the details he shared, as well as the responses of other parties.

The press conference was held outside of his public office in the Parliament Building, rather than in his private office at No. 1 Government Street. According to various sources, Hayes never made much use of his private office, located one floor below the Prime Minister's private office, while Deputy Prime Minister, and continues to do the same despite moving one floor up.

Vehicle Tax
Hayes said that the introduction of a Vehicle Tax for 2016 was his biggest plan, and one that he believed would have multipartisan support. The tax, which he said would be B.20 per vehicle, would raise approximately 2 billion Babas. That's a small amount considering that Darmen's current budget is slightly over 33 trillion Babas, but Hayes said that the funds raised from the vehicle tax could prolong a raise in the Income Tax rates.

"We're very proud that our median Income Tax rate is 4%," stated Hayes, "and we'd like to keep it that way for a long time. Anything we can do now to prolong the inevitable rise in Income Tax rates, we're going to do. This, along with raise Property Tax rates for next year by a tenth of a Credit, will hopefully add an extra year of low Income Taxes."

The Royalists, as expected, and the Greens, less as expected, came out in support of the plan. The Greens said that the Vehicle Tax could help push more people towards public transportation and reduce carbon emissions by a considerable amount.

The NLDP were fairly silent on the matter, while the Libertarians vehemently came out against the Tax, stating that its flat rate would hurt poorer car owners. Hayes responded by saying that the B.20 rate was low enough that any effect on poor car owners would be negligible.

Free Collegiate Education
Currently, only Wiess College will offer free tuition for the 2015-16 school year, but Hayes made it clear that he wants to see all 121 universities offer free tuition for the 2016-17 school year. The new Education Minister, Dirk Vernon, estimated that the funding needed to provide free tuition for all students would amount to between 1-2 trillion Babas.

Once again this proposal is expected to have multipartisan support, although the NLDP were quick to point out that adding 1-2 trillion Babas per year to the government budget would have the opposite effect that the Vehicle Tax would, and may speed up an increase in Income Tax rates.

University officials and current and prospective students were overwhelmingly in support of the proposal. University officials stated that the increase in funding would not only provide free collegiate education, but would also allow them to offer more classes and degrees, as well as increase the number of research projects.

One downside comes for prospective students, who are currently gearing up for the University Entrance Exam, a massive ten thousand question test that will decide which universities they are eligible to apply for. With an increase in funding, the Education Ministry is expected to raise standards to limit the increase in students which is expected due to the lower costs of attending college.

Other Proposals
Hayes and veteran Defense Minister John Terry announced a major shift in Naval strategy, moving away from acquiring capital ships such as Aircraft Carriers and Battleships, and acquiring supports ships and coastal patrol craft instead. Terry also announced that they plan to buy as many as 20 Destroyers and 30 to 40 Submarines.

Hayes and Foreign Minister Petronius Mencher announced that improving relations with Valladares will also be a top priority over the next two years. Mencher is expected to nominate a candidate to become Darmen's first Ambassador to Valladares, and it is hoped that Valladares will also send an Ambassador to Darmen for the first time. Mencher said he hoped to get approval from the Valladares government to build an embassy in Metrópolis and a consulate in Adelaide before the end of the year.

by **Pasarga** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 2:22 pm

Torgos Tribune ~ Copa Here We Go

In this 20th edition of the Copa Rushmori, the so called Copa for Rushmore, the Wanderers look to build upon the success of these past few years in the World Cup and even the Copa itself. That is to say, with a new group of players, the Wanderers are looking to capture the regional title that has eluded them despite being one of the founding members of the tournament itself, alongside the likes of Nethertopia, Sargossa, and the fabled C&M. They have come close at times, including one tournament where they denied the world number one, the regional number one, but fell to the World Cup champions themselves before taking third in the third place playoff that came after. With continued success in both of the major arenas for the national team, you can understand why the side is now thinking that the time is now for them to pull in that elusive title as they look forward to a new cycle.

Our "hosts" in Valladares were even kind enough to select the Stade de Torgos as one of the home venues for this Copa, with sites sprinkles throughout the region, with the side being put into the northwest region with Estadio Generalissimo Joaquín Delgado in Soluca, Sargossa as the second site in Group B. As virtue of being the first seed, the Wanderers had the first matchday off, while the hosts of Valladares opened up the tournament in our nation's capital against Sameba, who surprised everyone with a draw. Perhaps the lack of playing in their own home stadium was a factor as the Valladares squad looked out of sync to this reporter, their squad perhaps cursing their FA's decision to not have them at home for fan support and familiarity. Doubly so as they get to take on our squad here in the second matchday in what is usually the home stadium of the national team, a definite advantage for our Wanderers, provided fan support continues to be as high as it has the past decade.

On top of the "hosts" and Sameba, the Wanderers will be facing off against Stvoto Latoli and Polaaskan, with all of the matches taking place here in Torgos, saving the squad the fatigue that comes with traveling. Instead of hotels and the less than happy natives in Sargossa to deal with, after the dissolution of the Liga de Fuego, the side gets to stay at home and be able to rest in their own beds and have the support of their family and friends in their own familiar surroundings. While it may be a minor thing, such little mental advantages have been shown to be hugely beneficial in our most fickle and entertaining of sport, with home sides most definitely having advantages more often than not.

Valladares is an excellent squad though they have been having troubles as of late, failing to advance out of the group stage in the World Cup after the hosts decided to make themselves first seeds, knocking ourselves and Valladares into the second seed spot. Unlike our Wanderers, Valladares was unable to overcome the unfortunate circumstance and found themselves bounced out, resulting in the shake up of the roster for this Copa. Despite our advancement, the roster for the Wanderers has been heavily turned over, as the "Latter Golden Generation" mostly finds themselves now dropped from the squad in exchange for some new blood who look to carry on the pedigree their predecessors have created for the crescent and arrow. Valladares will want to rebound while the Wanderers will want to make a good opening statement as they begin group play, with a victory going quite a long way towards securing their advancement out of the group given the quality of the rest of the group.

by **Kernansquillec** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 2:31 pm

CAGEY FIRST GAME ENDS IN DRAW

This Copa is going to be Green and White! Well, at least a little bit of it is. Despite Port Marie's failed bid, the National Stadium was awarded six matches, including one round of sixteen tie and three ties involving Kernansquillec. The only disappointment came when it was announced that the Kers' glamour tie against Polar Islandstates - their next match- would actually take place in Filopines.

A bumper crowd of 110 000 showed up for Kernansquillec's first Copa Rushmori game that took place on Green and White soil and saw Marie Iris open up the Green and Whites' account for the Copa with a close range header late in the first half against Mapletish. But the opposition survived a number of Kernansquillecan attacks to momentarily silence most of the crowd as they equalized with just sixteen minutes of normal time left to play. The Kers had dominated the most part of the game and had carved the better chances, but a lack of composure in front of goal and a number of loose passes meant that Kernansquillec's dominance wasn't rewarded with more than the one goal allowing Mapletish to grab a point.

The mighty Valhallan team is up next. As favorites for the title itself, Kernansquillec will be in for a very tough game. However, Polar Islandstates will be kicking of their first game of the campaign against the Green and Whites so they could be a little rusty. The long trip to Fort Town won't do Kernansquillec any good, but Polar Islandstates have been on site for about a week now as all four of their ties will be played in Filopines. The bookies don't fancy the Kers' chances but should they lose it will leave them needing two wins to hope of qualifying. A point would be most welcome and as for the unlikely victory, it would be one of the greatest results in recent years.

Expecting starting XI: Ellysa; Yegos, Winter, Markey, Andrewson; Käufer, Zorm; Poutre, Iris, Noupen; Lilac

by **Saintland** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 3:36 pm

Copa Rushmori XX: Preview

(SP) The 20th edition of the premier regional tournament in the multiverse, the Copa Rushmori, has begun. This time around, the Valladars will be hosting the tournament and they are already proving to be excellent hosts. In their infinite wisdom, the Valladars have selected Royal Stadium to host 6 Copa Rushmori matches, including all 4 Sanctii group stage matches and a quarterfinal match. The first such match has already been played and featured some talking ponies beating a team from Sancta Sede, a nation of Latin rite schismatics who use an altered version of Holy Scripture. "I want to thank King Petrus XX for the opportunity that he has given me to manage the Sanctii National Team. This is a historic opportunity and I am grateful for the opportunity, especially after the unfortunate events that led to the end of my tenure as the Republican manager. So far, I have been pleased with my Sanctii team's work ethic and piety. While it was like pulling teeth to keep all of those giant egos in check, here in Saintland, I can trust that my team will do exactly what I expect them to do, to the best of their ability. I know that many people around the multiverse don't believe in the True Church, but when you see just how dedicated the Sanctii National Team is to being the best that they can be and how their faith drives them to be that way, you can't help but be impressed. There's just something about this Kingdom that just brings out the full potential of its athletes better than anywhere else in the multiverse and I can only wonder how great Holy Republican athletes would be if our society embraced the teachings of the True Church to the same extent that the Sanctii do." - Rule Theriault

The field for the 20th edition of the Copa Rushmori consists of 30 teams, competing in 6 groups of 5. Rule Theriault's Saintland National Soccer Team has been drawn in Group F. Their first match in Group F will be against Alianza Albos, hosts of the 18th Copa Rushmori. Alianza Albos is currently ranked 20th in the CR rankings, but they are not ranked at all in the KPB rankings. Their only World Cup Qualifying attempt, for World Cup 67 saw them go 3-2-11 and finish 8th in a 9 team group. Second on the schedule is Sancta Sede, a nation that is playing their first soccer matches in this tournament, but best known for their "Church" that has adulterated the text of the Holy Vulgate in direct contradiction to Apocalypsis Ioannis 22:18-19, which prohibits adulterated the text of the Vulgate. As Scripture says, "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this Book and if any man shall take away from the words of the Book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the Holy City, and from the things which are written in this book." Yet, the Sancta Sede Church had done exactly that! The other 2 teams on the schedule are New Ponyville, a colony of talking horses and Filopines, a team that is ranked 74th in the KPBs.

Faced with a relatively soft group and home field for all 4 matches, Rule Theriault will have to have his team ready to play to the best of their ability. Expectations are extremely high going into this tournament and anything less than a return trip to the tournament finals will be considered a disappointing result. Saintland is one of three Rushmori nations ranked in the top 10 of the KPB rankings and expectations are sky high for the new manager who led the Republicans to a second place finish at the 68th World Cup...

by **Zenic** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 5:06 pm

“Congratulations on getting 3rd place in the Runner’s Cup. Sorry about not being there but now that I am, let’s try and win this Copa.”

Golovkin and Sanders embraced in a friendly hug after having not seen each other in a long time. Golovkin had missed the entirety of the Runner’s Cup as his daughter feel ill and was hospitalized. Sanders and the others understood completely, playing their games with a passion and dedicating the victories to her. They managed to beat Polaaskan 4-3 on penalties to get third place and some much needed momentum after missing out on the World Cup and Cup of Harmony.

With the band back together, as the saying went, Sanders handed over the latest report on Kasugano, their first opponents in the group stage of the 20th Copa Rushmori, to Golovkin. Normally, it was the other way around so it did catch Golovkin a bit off guard. “Heh, this is a new experience. So, is this how it feels to be in charge? Getting important papers handed to you from others that did most of the work?” Sanders looked at him with face that simply read ‘really?’ Golovkin burst out laughing. “Come on now, let us not get angry over such trivial things,” Golovkin said, patting Sanders on the back before rummaging through the file.

“So, Dmitri, how’s Cassandra doing?” Golovkin smiled, appreciating the concern from his closest friend. “She has been doing better. Her appendix burst so it was painful for a bit but she can be her old self in a week or two. In the meantime, she will spend her time either catching up on homework and watching us win games.” Sanders nodded, eager to get back to work now that he knew she was healing well.

“Well, if we want to at least repeat last year’s performance, we’ll need to cut the chatter and get to work.” Golovkin simply nodded in agreement.

by **Valladares** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 6:04 pm

MD2 will have the six top seeds of the tournament entering action. Time for cutoff!

Scores:

Group A
Vjaalsbürg 1–1 Sarrbia
Eura 2–1 Vermark

Group A                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vjaalsbürg               2   1  1  0    5   3  +2    4
2 Electrum                 1   1  0  0    6   2  +4    3
3 Eura                     1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
4 Sarrbia                  2   0  1  1    3   7  -4    1
5 Vermark                  2   0  0  2    3   6  -3    0

Group B (Scorinated by SJG)
Sameba 3–2 Polaaskan
Pasarga 3–2 Valladares

Group B                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sameba                 2   1  1  0    6   5  +1    4
2 Stvoto Latoli          1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
3 Pasarga                1   1  0  0    3   2  +1    3
4 Valladares             2   0  1  1    5   6  −1    1
5 Polaaskan              2   0  0  2    2   5  −3    0

Group C
Darmen 6–1 Irad
Zenic 2–0 Kasugano

Group C                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Darmen                   2   2  0  0    8   1  +7    6
2 Zenic                    1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
3 Sargossa                 1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
4 Kasugano                 2   0  0  2    0   4  -4    0
5 Irad                     2   0  0  2    1   7  -6    0

Group D
Mapletish 2–1 The Kytler Peninsulae
Polar Islandstates 1–1 Kernansquillec

Group D                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Mapletish                2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
2 The Kytler Peninsulae    2   1  0  1    4   2  +2    3
3 Kernansquillec           2   0  2  0    2   2   0    2
4 Polar Islandstates       1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
5 Kalimekka                1   0  0  1    0   3  -3    0

Group E
Nouvelle-Angouleme 0–1 Saugeais
Taeshan 2–0 Queer Poco el Mono Ara

Group E                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Taeshan                  1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
2 Pravenna                 1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
3 Queer Poco el Mono Ara   2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
4 Saugeais                 2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
5 Nouvelle-Angouleme       2   0  0  2    1   4  -3    0

Group F
Filopines 3–0 Sancta Sede
Saintland 1–0 Alianza Albos

Group F                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Filopines                2   2  0  0    4   0  +4    6
2 New Ponyville            1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
3 Saintland                1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
4 Alianza Albos            2   0  0  2    0   2  -2    0
5 Sancta Sede              2   0  0  2    1   5  -4    0

by **Nouvelle-Angouleme** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 7:37 pm

It was early one evening when we didn't have a gig, Larry didn't have a shift, and Johann had decided running his cab wasn't worth the risk or the gas. Usually, such a night would be a golden opportunity for us to sit down and actually write some songs, or rehearse, get over the recent roadblocks we'd hit, but for some reason it just wasn't happening. It reminded me of spending all my time with my family in Aruba in our one-room shack; we'd just been around each other too much, and all the small annoyances, Johann thinking he was the best musician, Larry's inability to actually sing, and my not having a "real" job, added up to us being unable to stand each other's presence for any longer. I was the first one to leave, stepping out into the cold January air in my threadbare coat and jack boots. I've never been creative sitting in one place, which is why I'd tried to get the other guys to play in Central Park with me for some money, but they hadn't gone for it, and now was definitely not the time.

The sun had just ducked behind the skyscrapers and the chill had set in, causing people to step out their strides or risk getting caught out after dark. I knew instinctively that the day shift on all the skyscrapers had just ended; soon the Mohawks would pour into the Seventh Nation to fight and gamble and spend their money on cheap Canadian beer. Instead of heading back and hoping that we would catch a break, though, I stepped out my stride too, heading north along Sixth until I encountered the canal, where I turned right and kept going until the dive bars started to turn into corner stores, and I heard more Dutch than English or Mohawk in the passersby. I realized then that I'd strayed into Little Aruba, the rundown immigrant neighborhood where I'd spent my first few months in the city.

I stopped where Canal met Broadway, in front of the Aruban grocery that had been my home and place of employment for those miserable first few months in the city. A small crowd had gathered outside, a mix of different Caribbean ethnicities that would have scared the bejeezus out of the white folks uptown, but down here it was just a regular night. A tall, heavyset Jamaican man in his mid-twenties wearing a Nieuw Haarlem sweatjacket was standing in the center of the circle, apparently entertaining the crowd with whatever he was saying in patois. I stopped for a second to see if the old bitch who'd run the store when I worked there would tell the rhymer to move along, but as I did, he called out to the crowd.

"'ay, anybody give me a beat?"

When nobody volunteered, he looked a little crestfallen, so I stepped forward. I knew from the way he looked at me that he knew I wasn't Jamaican, but he didn't object when I stomped my feet to create a rhythm for whatever it was he was going to do next. I started simply, and so did he; rhyming a few syllables in English and patois about the pavement, the orange cabs as they rolled by, the store, the crowd. After a few bars of that, I stepped it up a little and added a clap into the mix, and the crowd picked it up, two dozen or so young black folks clapping along with my riddim. The Jamaican rhymed faster, dropping the English entirely for his own tongue, and by and by I recognized what he was doing, though I'd only ever heard it described. It was called toasting, its practitioners were deejays, and it had been a big deal when I left Aruba.

By the time that riddim ran out and the deejay and I stood side-by-side before the cheering crowd, breathless, a few guilders had appeared at our feet. The Jamaican looked at me sideways and grinned a lopsided grin, and I began to stamp out a different rhythm in my feet. The crowd picked it up fast this time, and after a few bars to catch the beat, the deejay went off, rhyming in rapid-fire patois that I didn't have a prayer of understanding, but that seemed to move his audience. They danced and cheered and clapped along, and more importantly, threw money in the center of the circle. I didn't have time to see the denominations of the bills, but even if they were all singles I would make more money here than washing dishes, that was for sure.

Copa Rushmori XX - Everything Thread

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