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.
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.