WC72 RP Thread

by **Valanora** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 9:58 pm

Welcome one and all to Valanora and the Equestrian States. On behalf of all of Atlantian Oceania and the World Cup Committee, we welcome you to this 72nd edition of the World Cup. Will the mighty Firebirds of Osarius go for the majestic threepeat or will someone finally be able to stop the juggernaut? The quest begins in qualifying!

Group A
12 Royal Kingdom of Quebec
22 Mertagne
45 Semarland
36 Valanora

Group B
24 Kandorith
25 San José Guayabal
11 Felix
5 The Holy Empire

Group C
33 Kirisaki
2 Pasarga
23 Apox
14 Farfadillis

Group D
6 Nephara
86 Krytenia
21 Falcus
9 Legalese

Group E
40 Gregoryisgodistan
10 Audioslavia
15 Ko-oren
29 Equestrian States

Group F
3 Polar Islandstates
17 Unified Sunrise Islands
8 Turori
38 Sargossa

Group G
43 Sandwich Territories
7 Eura
16 Valladares
4 The Holy Republican Empire

Group H
19 Saintland
28 Yttribia
1 Osarius
13 Vilita

Fixtures
MD1: 1v4, 2v3
MD2: 4v3, 1v2
MD3: 2v4, 3v1
Ro16: A1vD2, B1vC2, C1vB2, D1vA2, E1vH2, F1vG2, G1vF2, H1vE2
QFs: R1vR2, R3vR4, R5vR8, R6vR7
SFs: Q1vQ2, Q3vQ4
3PPo: LS1vLS2
Final: WS1vWS2

Schedule
July 27th: MD1
July 28th: Bye
July 29th: MD2
July 30th: Bye
July 31st: MD3
Aug 1st: Bye
Aug 2nd: Ro16
Aug 3rd: Bye
Aug 4th: QFs
Aug 5th: Bye
Aug 6th: SFs
Aug 7th: 3PPo
Aug 8th: Final

Schedule is subject to change based upon unforeseen occurrences or host discretion.

by **Valanora** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 9:58 pm

Map of Valanora

Valanora Information
The most important thing to know about traveling through Valanora is that automobiles are banned except for government officials. A high tech railway system connects the entirety of the nation, with three international airports in Raynor City, Gladerial, and Baysleef. A ferry from Rinaldi travels to and from the island of Capri every hour on the hour. The most distinguishing feature of Valanora is the prevalent amount of forests standing in many of the inner half of the nation, even in cities, with the elven attempts to live in harmony with nature. Vanorians are a polite if not a bit high on themselves, believing elvenkind to be superior to humans, though they show a respect for the potential their humanoid cousins have.

Venues

The Battleground

Capacity: 78,000
Location: Raynor City

Artani

Capacity: 74,000
Location: Mar Sara

Angelotic Temple

Capacity: 71,000
Location: Longview

The White Fortress

Capacity: 70,000
Location: Gladerial

Donna Cathedral

Capacity: 60,000
Location: Mar Sara

Hatire Memorial

Capacity: 60,000
Location: Capri

Aranfield Bridge

Capacity: 52,000
Location: Everlin

Castle de Mot

Capacity: 49,000
Location: Wexax

Rose Gardens

Capacity: 49,000
Location: Kareen

Metropolis

Capacity: 39,00
Location: Ibini

Miner's Haven

Capacity: 36,000
Location: Goldsan

Lathal

Capacity: 29,000
Location: Ianisle

Group A
MD1: Royal Kingdom of Quebec v Valanora @ The Battleground, Mertagne v Semarland @ Angelotic Temple
MD2: Valanora v Semarland @ The White Fortress, Royal Kingdom of Quebec v Mertagne @ Rose Gardens
MD3: Mertagne v Valanora @ Angelotic Temple, Semarland v Royal Kingdom of Quebec @ Miner's Haven

Group B
MD1: Kandorith v The Holy Empire @ Donna Cathedral, San José Guayabal v Felix @ Rose Gardens
MD2: The Holy Empire v Felix @ Lathal, Kandorith v San José Guayabal @ Castle de Mot
MD3: San José Guayabal v The Holy Empire @ Artani, Felix v Kandorith @ Aranfiled Bridge

Group C
MD1: Kirisaki v Farfadillis @ Castle de Mot, Pasarga v Apox @ Miner's Haven
MD2: Farfadillis v Apox @ Metropolis, Kirisaki v Pasarga @ Aranfield Bridge
MD3: Pasarga v Farfadillis @ The Battleground, Apox v Kirisaki @ Angelotic Temple

Group D
MD1: Nephara v Legalese @ Metropolis, Krytenia v Falcus @ Aranfield Bridge
MD2: Legalese v Falcus @ Miner's Haven, Nephara v Krytenia @ Angelotic Temple
MD3: Krytenia v Legalese @ Aranfield Bridge, Falcus v Nephara @ The White Fortress

by **The Sword Bloke** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 12:21 am

The groups were being drawn. The Swordean players were at a hotel in Angelou, enjoying alcohol-free beers and listening to the sounds of One-Hit Jimson, the Swordean representive in the WorldVision Song Contest's 39th edition. Having not paid attention during the draw at all, the Swordean players started discussing their chances in the upcoming World Cup.
"I think we may do something.", said Jamie Haigh. Veteran captain Ormond Langford said "We may make it into the final stages.", while another veteran in McAldo noted "Last season was alright. This will be my last World Cup, so let's do something.", as everyone agreed. Suddenly, Group 20 was drawn. "In Group 20, there is The Sword Bloke..."

While listening to the draw, the boys updated their social media accounts, writing posts with the hashtag #20&Rockin. The group continued with their first opponent. "With The Sword Bloke is Unified Sunrise Islands..." Though the boys had never played the Sunrisians, they were supposedly good in international football, and hearing the name of that nation scared some of the boys. "Why do we have to get one of the best sporting nations in our group?", said McAldo, while some other boys frowned at the thought of playing the Sunrisians. The draw continued. "In Group 20, Electrum..."

These boys knew Electrum, thanks to the WorldVision Song Contest & Gertrude Pullman, who I'm pretty sure is the president of Electrum or something. Anyways, we had no idea how good they are in football, but they must be decent to be in the top 50 nations in the world. The Swordeans were expecting a close one against these Electrumites. By now, some social media pages were full of likes, thanks to football's World Cup draw. Here is 3 examples.

mcaldo_4 wrote:
Got 2 alright nations so far. Let's do this boys!
#TSB #20&Rockin #WorldCup #Valanora&EQS

boyHaighsy wrote:
Unified Sunrisians? Oh god...
#20&Rockin #WorldCup #TSB

hayward_in_polkopia wrote:
Wow... We don't have much of a chance now
#TSB #Electrum #NSI #WorldCup #20&Rockin #WCGroupDraw

Next up they got... "Sandwich Territories..." These Sandwiches were often the joke if many puns in The Sword Bloke, mainly after the Club Sandwiches lost to us brave Swordeans in the most recent World Cup of Hockey in Gregoryisgodistan and Ko-Oren. McAldo found some time to upload another post in his social media accounts, making a lame joke about the Territories.

mcaldo_4 wrote:
Sandwich eating time, Swordeans!
#TSB #WorldCup #20&Rockin #WCGroupDraw #Sandwiches

Next up? "Thatius..." Nup, know nothing about them, so we'll just carry on with the normal group draw. "Fren-line Delpha..." These were people the Swordeans knew about, having been up against them in the World Junior Hockey Championships, Baptism of Fire & International Baseball Slam. The Swordeans are expecting an easy win against these Anacondas. Speaking of anacondas, the word 'anaconda' is banned in The Sword Bloke. Boo for all anacondas, and especially for Frenline Delpha!

mcaldo_4 wrote:
Oh gawd, a team that we may beat!!!!! to the Shop Owner!!!!
#Anaconda #BannedWords #TSB #WCGroupDraw #20&Rockin #HooBoy #Yessss!!!

Next up for these Swordeans was... "Gonzalez Isle...." The Swordeans were buffleheads and confused. Who were these major minnows? Are they good? Probably not. Meh. Another victory on the cards. Yay!!! And finally, the group draw ended with... "Starlarknia..." The Swordeans had no idea who they were either. But they were Unranked, which should make their game a relatively easy game. All Swordean fans were confused as normal. But luckily for them, that was their group. Yes, they may actually make the final stage of 32. Who knows what will happen for the Swordeans...

boyHaighsy wrote:
#TSB
#NSI
#Electrum
#Sandwiches
#Thatius
#Anacondas
#WhoIsle
#Star-whatia?
#WCGroupDraw
#20&Rockin
#WorldCup
#Valanora&EQS

by **Albaie** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 1:57 am

Imperial Broadcasting Company

Dubrack's Town Herald

01st July 2015 75 Dubrack's

Dubrack Town Sport Herald

Albaie Return to World Cup Football

The last few years have been a dark period for Albaie football. The team has struggled since Campionatio Esportiva VIII were hot on the heels of Albaie's greatest world cup result and a Cup of Harmony entry the beloved manager Earl Vincent Deberen was critically injured in a car crash and entered a coma which he remains in to this day, the team since then has struggled to get a grip despite the good turn out they presented at World Cup Qualifying 67 where they came third in there group even if it was by a long way which was then followed up by a Round of 16 finish at Campionato Esportiva IX the country's best finish in an international sporting event yet. Despite the good performance at CEIX the country was engulfed in the Great Imperial War so the success had little impact on the standing of Albaie international football. Despite the raging war and the huge lengths Mark Deberen went to to gather the team at World Cup Qualifying 68 Mark Deberen managed to lead the team to a fourth place finish in the end only being one point behind the third place team and many hailed this as in fact Albaie's best world cup performance despite the higher placing at World Cup Qualifying 67.

Mark Deberen then followed this up at CEX by leading his team to yet another Round of 16 finish but were some say cruelly knocked out by The Licentian Isles on penalties but it was hailed as Albaie's greatest ever international football tournament performance considering the epic 2-1 win against rivals the German American States. The less said about the next period of Albaie international football the better as the team lost funding due to money being poured into the rebuilding causing the team to be unable to afford flights for WCQ69 and then the acceptance letter for WCQ70 went missing in the post so the the team lost even more momentum and more status in the rebuilding period of Albaie then actually during the war a fact that has bamboozled many critics and Mark Deberen himself. And then there was WCQ71 given a free pass by the Emperor meaning he just had to try and regain the team's once rising power status Mark Deberen tried to experiment with the team to disastrous results finishing 6th in a group of minnows and with little highlights. Despite this for his earlier good performances Mark Deberen was retained and now in the face of their lowest international ranking in years Albaie remains defiant and should hopefully pose a threat in this World Cup Qualifying.

Felix the well known country also from Esportiva who rank 11th in the international ranking system pose the largest threat to Albaie's return to international football and Mark Deberen and Duke Arthur Sportern have acknowledged that there is little chance of a victory in even the home leg of that tie. The next most feared team is also from Esportiva Gloriax the 34th ranked team which Mark Deberen has said he hopes for a draw in the home tie and believes that at the Saint Ruk Stadium there is always a chance of an upset. Then comes the 61st placed West Angola which is not in Esportiva and which Mark Deberen holds secret hopes over beating. Then is the 80th Polaaskan from Rushmore which Sportern has said if Albaie has any hope in this tournament they have to beat. The team below Albaie in the group is the 257th placed Borxinoia who Sportern has claimed Albaie has to beat if they even want to stay in international football and then is the 326th placed Deiorus who Deberen has claimed pose no threat to the returning Albaie team. The group is then completed by Lunar Republic Islands who are remarkably unranked in international football.

Written by Robert Clive

by **Super-Llamaland** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 8:30 am

WORLD CUP 72 - TIGERS PREVIEW
The Tigers, under new manager Carlton Hoover, trot out a new-look team - will they qualify for a third straight World Cup?

You can say many things about this new-look Tigers team (with new kits to match), but you certainly can’t say they haven’t changed. After the Furellese Bogdan Antonescu, by far the most successful Llamanean manager of all time, retired, ex-FC New Llama skipper Carlton Hoover was tapped for the job. He brings with him a departure from traditional ways - in tactics and player selection - and the result is, without question, one of the more interesting Tigers rosters we’ve ever seen.

COACHING STAFF

Antonescu’s coaching team is completely gone, and Hoover has brought his own one in. Tobyn Clearwater was an obvious choice, being Hoover’s right-hand man for roughly two decades, and his tactical expertise should serve the team well.

But Clearwater wouldn’t get the Assistant Manager position - that job went to ex-U21 manager Adam Castronova. Castronova is strong at developing young players, but as a manager he’s often a bit lacking - failing to leave the group stage both times as the U21 manager. Still, he’s a solid addition to the coaching staff.

Eric Matthews is known with Llamanea as the teenage phenom whose NT career went horribly wrong, so having him as the goalkeepers’ coach might not be the greatest idea. Despite this, he’s still experienced and good with young players, as evidenced by a three-year stint as the keepers’ coach of FC Vargas and a key part in developing Reginald Apostaza,

Finally, Dennis Moore, an ex-prospect who never panned out as a defender, went into medicine after his career ended and managed to get onto the national team as the team trainer. Moore seems competent enough, which is all they really need out of him.

THE KEEPERS

The general consensus was that Hoover’s list of options looked like this:

Kudlowski - McNeal - Finch - Ferguson - Ramires - Matthewson?

It was a pretty deep top three, vaguely reminiscent of the days of Richards/DeJesus/Kerraway talent-wise, and most Tigers fans were happy with the idea of those three on the team. There were rumors that Matthewson wasn’t ready yet and McNeal was contemplating retirement, but nothing serious.
Sixteen days before the roster was first drafted up, Henry McNeal announced his retirement. Not a big deal - then three days later, McKenzie Ferguson was reportedly in a car accident. She survived, but would be out for the Cup. And during training camp, Kudlowski went down with an injury that would likely keep her out of the qualifiers.

Jared Finch, who looked less than impressive at WC72, will get another shot; Finch is nimble in the box but a bit mistake-prone. He’ll be backed up by AJ Ramires, an ex-defender who adapted to the position late and still has major flaws, as well as the unproven Connor Matthewson and unknown Tanner Blanton. If Finch doesn’t perform, this could be an ugly set of qualifiers.

DEFENDERS

Whether or not the defense will do well is a toss-up at this point. On the left wing, we have Adrian Carmichael, a competent defender who likes to venture up the side but doesn’t seem to be quite the explosive wing-back Hoover wanted. Steven Meng might be a better fit, but well-deserved comparisons to Jordan Valdevic should make Carlton reconsider - he can certainly push the offense, but whether or not he can help on the back end as well will be the difference between “Mujica” and “Valdevic”.

The LCB position should be held firmly by Sebastian Myers, a good defender who specializes in anticipating passes and is a decent man-marker. At twenty-seven though, he’s already the right age to lead the defense - will he do so?

In the center is Javier Agudieres. In his thirties he’ll be expected to lead the defense if Myers isn’t up for it, but to be honest talent-wise he’s not better than Alex Bale. What he is, however, is a consistent sweeper-type player who is a great second-last line of defense in front of Finch - the two seem to have a unique chemistry as well. Bale, on the other hand, is more adventurous but not suited to a wingback position - he doesn’t fit in very well with Hoover’s defensive schematic.

Another misfit is the talented Sagan Myers-Briggs. Myers-Briggs is an interesting, versatile, defender who is good at man-marking and could see some time at the center-back position, or on either side of it. It’s unclear whether Hoover actually thinks he’s more suited to the defense than Bale or Agudieres though.

The competition for RCB will be fierce between Michael Herleksson and James Smith-Reynolds. It’s unclear which is better, but they’re both surprisingly similar - smart, athletic backs who are mature for their age and should go far. It’s a shame there’s two of them - I could see Hoover opting for Carmichael-Myers-Smith Reynolds-Herleksson-Karnstedt if necessary.

On the right wing though, the duties will fall quite clearly to the youngster Tristan Karnstedt. Karnstedt at twenty-two appears to be a carbon copy of Alejandro Mujica - great attacking prowess on the pass or on the run, passable defense - and Hoover’s 5-3-2 system gives him a chance to flourish - as opposed to Bale or Myers-Briggs, he’s perfectly suited for a spot in it. Some are concerned over his defense, saying he’s too aggressive, but this is no Jordan Valdevic - he’s a competent defender, but not great, and unlike Valdevic, not horrible either.

It’s likely that Hoover will go with Carmichael-Myers-Agudieres-SmithReynolds/Herleksson - Karnstedt to start with, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. It’s a fluid unit that can contribute on both sides of the field and the group has pretty good chemistry. When in need of attack, though, expect Meng-Myers-Bale-RCB-Karnstedt, a dynamic back line with three players that can pitch in well on the attack. As for parking the bus, we could see some action from Sagan Myers-Briggs in a Carmichael-Myers-Agudieres-RCB-Myers Briggs full back line of five. All of these options have decent chemistry and Hoover can revert to any of them if needed, making this a defense flexible and competent - something the Tigers haven’t had in a while.
MIDFIELDERS

There are three starting spots for nine midfielders - and the midfield is so deep in talent that Hoover might resort to a 5-4-1. On the left, it’s Kyle Rainier’s job to lose - Rainier is a jack-of-all-trades midfielder who does nothing special, but his consistency has lead Montgomery Athletisch of Eirelia to consecutive league championships and he’s known as a fierce competitor and a great teammate. Lily Stanton is more talented but less consistent - there are concerns that she may not be able to handle the pressure of the World Cup, although she’s an excellent ball-carrier and capable of restarting seemingly-lost attacks. Orson Kerraway is a winger, deadly as an attacker, but injury concerns have sapped his speed and he barely made the roster.

Sara Reyshavic is still a relative unknown, but she’s great on attack and defense and a solid playmaker at South Bryant and Wingham (Eirelia). If the Tigers want to hold on to a one-nil lead late or just play a defensive game, Reyshavic-for-Dickinson could be likely. Tobias Dickinson, though, is the more likely starting candidate. He’s incisive in the attack and selfless making plays - not a strong finisher, though, and his chemistry with Cartwright and Player is questionable.

Jake Raburn is another interesting option at center-midfield - he’s also not much of a finisher, but is a useful playmaker and could get a handful of caps.

Anthony Player is expected to try his hand at right-midfielder - Player is also a playmaking type, rendering Raburn kind of irrelevant (Rainier-Raburn-Player! Expected value of combined shots from midfield - 0.4), but he’s remarkably consistent and turning into a leader of this youngish Tigers team. Karnstedt, Player. and Nilssen tend to be the Tigers’ formula of choice for kickstarting offense these days, hearkening back to Player’s “Bermuda Triangle” days (Valdevic-Player-Guzman) with the U21 team and manager (surprise) Adam Castronova; perhaps we’ll see a different Anthony this time.

Michael de Vries is an intriguing option - unlike many others, he’s a proficient attacker, and he uses his height well in set pieces. Not a bad playmaker either, but there is some concern about his stamina and ability to perform under pressure.
Sebastian Inriquez is so devastatingly talented Hoover couldn’t leave him off the squad, but it’s unclear what he’ll be doing in the 5-3-2. A deadly attacker who has elicited comparisons to Alex Ford in his prime, Inriquez can score goals from seemingly anywhere on the right wing - but with no need of such a deadly right winger, and an ego stoked by the twenty-plus million dollars Lyon ponied up for him in his early twenties that isn’t suited for benchwarming, it’s unclear how this will turn out.

The best three here obviously has Tobias Dickinson in the middle and Anthony Player in the right, with Rainier or Stanton on the left. An interesting option would be to have Player in the middle and Kerraway and Inriquez on the wings, essentially turning the formation into 3-2-1-2-2 with four deadly attackers. Either option would be fun to watch - more defensive options could see Bale making an appearance in the center, with Player and Rainier - quite boring, but good at holding off opponents.

STRIKERS

Seven strikers for two spots. Fun.

It’s still Alex Cartwright’s job to lose - at thirty-three he’s starting to lose a few steps, but he’s still the vicious striker he used to be. In addition, he can pair well with the two young strikers, Nilssen and Magnusson. Kristopher Nilssen is a very good player, and has proven so on the biggest stage - he isn’t as deadly but has wider range and an array of moves that allow him to get by defenders with ease. Alicia Magnusson is fast and incisive, but lacks Nilssen’s array of moves and Cartwright’s finishing touch. Peter Masters is a strong all-around striker, but is also losing a step (although Hoover seems to like him and he’s grown from a me-first introvert into a leader), Aidan Ferguson’s shot never quite panned out despite his playmaking ability, while Michael McKenzie is consistent but lacks the athleticism to really succeed.

Magnusson-Nilssen or Cartwright-M or N all seem like good options right now. If we have to move towards one striker, I’d go with Nilssen in the 3-2-4-1.

The bottom line? The Tigers have a ton of interesting lineup options and Hoover's flexibility could be key down the stretch. You can't not be optimistic about this new bunch of players. I think this could be the year we get back to the Ro16.

by **Walkany** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 9:26 am

Jason Albu plopped down on the brown leather sofa next to his best friend, Iona Ma. The over head fan buzzed, the blades slicing through the air, cooling their hot, sweaty bodies. They had just come in from a practice session with the county team, which did not have any real skill improvement, but gave them a way to stay fit. Iona flipped on the TV while Jason put his feet up on the coffee table. Iona switched it to Walkany International and National Sports News, or WINSN, though how everyone pronounced it was 'wins'. It showed the latest news about the Di Bradini Cup, with the Gators securing another win against Gregoryisgodistan.

"I thought for sure we would lose that one," Iona said. Jason watched as they showed the highlights and grimaced, remembering how close he had come to being on that team. He replied with a grunt while the highlight reel showed the opposing team's goal in injury time.

Jason Albu had come within inches of being on the team. After one-hundred players were put on the initial list, the camps began. Each camp had about twenty five players at them, though one had no more than ten and another had over thirty. The first cut called for only fifty players making it through which meant that each camp was to release a certain amount of players. Iona and Jason had been in the same camp in Walkany City, when ten of the twenty-four at the camp were gone after the first week. The next cut called for only thirty available players. Jason at the time had thought for sure he would be cut that time, but somehow he and Iona had both made it through. With only the two of them and three others on only the third week, things did not look good. Or they looked very good, is the way Iona looked at it. The remaining thirty players went to train at the national team training head quarters where day by day, players were cut, one by one. Soon, after only five days, twenty five remained. Two players were to be cut. Jason that day had been so nervous that his stomach knotted up. Iona, as usual, was calm and collected, ready to do what ever it took. At the end of the hot, humid practice, one of the coaches pulled five guys aside, told them that two would be cut today, and let the silence fall. It must have been some mind game, Jason thought. He wanted to see who would crack and leave on their own, make the coaches job easier. No one moved, though Jason almost wet himself. That is what he had worked so hard for. After years of hard work, it all came down to that moment. Then, after the long silence, the coach pointed at Iona and Jason, told them they were cut, and went on his marry way.

The bitter memory was all he could think about lately, but Iona seemed fine. The two of them continued their training, while the senior players prepared for World Cup Qualifying.

"Yes!" Iona shouted. Jason jumped when he did so, and angrily growled at his friend. "Look, Jason! The groups are coming!" Iona lived for World Cup football, even if it was only qualifying. He cheered loudly until they saw who they would be playing:Ko-oren, San José Guayabal, Sameba, Abanhfleft. All teams ranked highly above Walkany, but at least they knew they could take New Wolfopolis, Gabbindon and The Liffan Isles, and Nurovo, all teams ranked far below them. Jason looked over at Iona and saw, for one of the few times ever in their long friendship, a worried face. "You alright there, Iona?" Jason asked. "At least we're ranked this time. Last time every team was higher than us." Iona shook his head and tsked.

"This'll be a hard one," Iona muttered. Jason smiled, he knew that Iona was excited despite showing such a worried expression. Every game, even against unranked Nurovo, would be difficult. Walkany had been unranked last time and had tied and beaten some good teams. Jason just hoped the team's previous experience in the past World Cup Qualifying would give them a bigger advantage.

"At least San Jose's starting keeper is only seventeen," Iona suggested, smiling," maybe we can score a few goals on 'em." Jason smiled back and leaned his head on the couch as the WINSN continued to blare its analysis of Group Twelve. Soon, sleep over took him and dreams of starring for the Gators flew trough his mind.

by **New Wolfopolis** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 1:50 pm

MIRACLE IN NEW WOLFOPOLIS
Citizens survive 3-year time freeze, continue life generally as normal - June 6, 2017

LUPINIA - Citizens today, including those of us here at the Tribune, woke up today, just like any other day. However, it seemed peculiar that we would wake up on June 6, 2017 - after going to sleep on July 22, 2014.

Personally, I took a walk this morning. I walked my dog throughout my neighborhood, as I do every morning. After that, I sat down at my computer, and noticed that it was a little less than 3 years after I went to sleep. Why, just yesterday was July 22, 2014, no? I looked around. Everything in my room was just as it was. How could this be? How could I have slept for 3 years?

I went into work, and everything was the same. No one acted like they were unusually happy to see me, as if I hadn't turned up in over a decade. I quickly ruled out the possibility that it was just me. I yelled "Hey! What's the date today?" One person checked their watch and told me it was the 23rd. However, a couple people checked their phones, and seemed just as confused as I did. But no one seemed to be phased. This was a peculiar instance, indeed.

I checked my email. I had some from back in 2014, from some international friends showing concern, trying to reach me. One said "heard about the loss of communication to New Wolfopolis, and I just wanted to check in. Are you ok? Are the rumours true?" This was certainly peculiar. I knew nothing of a loss of communication to New Wolfopolis, but certainly, I knew nothing about this situation at all. Then, I got one, today, from a friend in Super-Llamaland. "HOLY S**T YOU'RE BAAAAACK" was all it read. I had no idea what he was talking about. I inquired further.

After a few back and forths with this friend, I came to my conclusion. So, here is exactly what happened:

Overnight, on July 22, 2014, time in New Wolfopolis froze. Every person, doing whatever they were doing, froze. People throughout the world lost communication with the country, and a couple Esportivan nations sent in crews to investigate. They came to find frozen bodies. No one seemed in danger, but no one knew what would happen. These people could be frozen forever. And it seemed that we would be. However, today, on the sixth of June, 2017, we have awoken. Time continued, not where it left off, but where it should have been. However, nothing else did. No one aged, no food spoiled, everything remains the same as it did 3 years ago - except the date. How this will impact us is yet to be seen, however, it seems as if we will mostly be able to carry on as normal.

Assuming the National Football Team is still in existence and as unfazed as the rest of us, they will have to get in gear quickly, as World Cup Qualifying begins in a few days.

IMPLICATIONS OF TIME SHIFT BECOME APPARENT
Government scrambling to recover - June 7, 2017

LUPINIA - The main implications of the time shift seem to be coming to light now, after seeing that many government measures expired on days that never existed.

The parliament of New Wolfopolis is currently meeting to discuss what should happen to said laws. There are a few proposals on the table right now.

One of which is to revote on all measures which expired during the time shift. Parliament would have to act quickly, but that is certainly something they've shown they can do, by meeting for an emergency session today. However, seeing as there are about 50 measures in total, that would be a lot to have to work with.

The second proposal on the table is extend all expired bills to December 31, 2017. This would give the laws their time to be in place before parliament would have to vote on them. However, this just pushed back the time chunk to vote on all 50 of these bills, and is essentially just procrastinating on the first proposal.

Third and finally, one lawmaker suggests extending the laws indefinitely, voting on each one when they come up in Parliament, as they see fit. This is probably what they'll end up doing, seeing as our parliament can be lazy at times, plus it will make the most sense to just wait until we have to extend the bills. Some lawmakers are concerned that without the automatic expiration of the bills, those who want the bills repealed will have to work harder, whereas before, both proponents and opposition had to work equally.

A resolution to the issue is expected within the week.

MYSTERIOUS WOLFOPOLIS
International scientists perplexed by Wolfopian time shift - June 8, 2017

LUPINIA - Across the world, scientists cannot figure out why New Wolfopolis held perfectly in time for three years, or why during that time, no one aged, nothing aged, in fact; everything remained exactly the same.

This issue is currently science's hottest topic, having global implications worldwide. Currently, scientists are trying to figure out three things: what caused it, why it lasted so long, and why nothing changed during it.

So far, no one has been able to come up with a reasonable answer. [OOC: have an idea for what it could be? TG me and you could be featured in a future RP]

This will certainly be one difficult case to crack, but no one is willing to rest until they come up with an answer.

by **Volcanoc** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 3:03 pm

THE JOURNEY - GROUP 17

As you know, our Volcanoc heroes were eliminated by some minnows called Hodife in the quarter-finals of the 59th Baptism of Fire. Now, they are in the big stage. The 187th ranked Volcnaoes will do exactly what they did in the BoF, yes, but they will come up against harder teams this time, unfortunately. Let's have a look at them.

Legalese
One of the worlds best teams. I don't know why, maybe they are horrible or something, but hey, they're the top seed in our group, so obviously they're average. Expect a Volcanic loss.
Expected Result: Legalese 1-0 Volcanoc

The Royal Barangay
The 2nd seed in our group, and some nation those filthy Swordeans know. These guys are below average, and we may pull a win off against them, as unlikely as it is. Draw.
Expected Result: Volcanoc 1-1 The Royal Barangay

Jeru FC
Ah, the 'pretty princesses' as Gregoryisgodistan calls them. Not sure how they play, but they are meant to be better than the other 2 teams we were drawn against, I think. I dunno... Draw?
Expected Result: Jeru FC 0-0 Volcanoc

Pays d'en Haut
Who??? I know nothing about these guys. It's rare I just say we'll win this without getting info of the nation, but... We'll win this!
Expected Result: Volcanoc 2-0 Pays d'en Haut

Octinstine
These guys, we don't know about either... I may as well also predict a Volcanic win in this, thanks to our defensive awesomeness. Yay me!!!
Expected Result: Octinstine 1-3 Volcanoc

Corralejo
Seen their name before... Were they in the BoF? Na, I don't think so. Another win for us

Expected Result: Volcanoc 4-0 Corralejo

Electrum Diplomatic Offices
A nation we actually know :roll:

WorldVision, and the Swordeans commonly voting for this Jerry Pullman. We've seen it before. Anyways, they're Unranked, so of course we will win!
Expected Result: E.D.O 1-3 Volcanoc

Yep, that's our group alright. Group 17. That's our group, the Volcanoc group. That's our group.

by **Ceni** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 4:25 pm

TORREMOR: Good evening, and welcome to the first of three Presidential debates held for the Presidential election of 2015, at the Coben Jerfel Auditorium at the University of Ceni in Cenial. I'm Lara Torremor, your moderator for today. This debate will last approximately two hours, with six twenty-minute sessions on various domestic policy issues, which are the economy and taxes, immigration, the environment, transportation, health care and social welfare, and the role of government. I have personally vetted the topics and questions up for discussion, which were submitted by individuals in a telephone and online survey. The two other debates will follow different formats, which will be announced in each debate. On the first topic, the economy, the candidates have drawn lots and they will each present a two-minute opening address before ten minutes of questions, answers, and follow up. Ms. Thirmen of the Cenian Conservative Union will present first, followed by Mr. Binnill of the Democratic Socialist Party, Ms. Aralen of the Green Party, Mr. Debord of the Alliance for Cenian Future, and Mr. Valtan of the Cenian Social Liberal Party. Ms. Thirmen, your remarks?

THIRMEN: Our free market econony is an important force. We need ro keep it that way, with a minimum of government intervention. We need to make sure our economy is best suited to handle the needs of the people. How can we do that? I have a four point plan to make sure our economy works for everyone. First, we need to reduce our high taxes. Companies and corporations will not be able to invest in Ceni, or they will not want to invest in Ceni, if they pay excessively high corporate income taxes. We shoudl offer those companies that create jobs tax cuts and breaks in order for them to be attracted to Ceni. We should reduce corporate taxes and fees across the viard so that companies will be willing and able to do business in Ceni. We need to cut individual taxes as well. The more money in your pocket, the more money you will spend, increasing consumer spending, and with it, the economy. A flat tax of 21 percent will help to accomplish that goal. Not only will more money be back in your pocket, this tax will also reduce loopholes and inefficient bureaucracy that only harms Cenians. The simpler, the better. Secondly, we need to increase free trade agreements. These will help other countries to do business with Ceni by making it easier to do business. Both imports and exports will be cheaper since there are no tariffs or high taxes on these goods, making both imports cheaper to buy and exports easier to sell, increasing the economy. Thirdly, we need to help pur small businesses. They are the engine of our economic growth, and we need to facilitate their growth. We can help them by reducing onerous regulations and giving tax credits for those small businesses that are hiring workers and adding to our economy. We need to help our small businesses get loans so they can expand. Lastly, we need to invest in what we do best, and that is science and technology. Special areas - with special tax breaks and cuts - will bring creative minds together and make it easier to research and develop new products. New products and breakthroughs in science will only make it easier for Ceni to stand out and improve its economy. In short, I will reduce taxes, increase free trade, help small businesses, and improve science and technology.

TORREMOR. Time is up. Mr. Binnill?

BINNILL: One day while walking in our very own capital, Cenial, I noticed a stark divide. At one end of the street, there was a block of run-down apartment buildings where the occupants could barely make ends meet. At the other end, there was a large mansion. The owner owned dozens of cars, hired dozens of servants, and drank dozens of fine wines. This kind of divide cannot be allowed to happen in our country. This kind of divide, in which a poor man and a rich man do not have the same opportunity to make a living, cannot be tolerated in our country. Our economic platform needs to address that. Under a Binnill administration, the poor will have an opportunity to suceed as much as the rich. Under a Binnill administration, the poor will not have to oay higher taxes than the rich. What our country needs more is not corporations and their lraders taking home all the profits and leaving none for the workers. Our government can remedy this through several steps. We can naturalize all companies that are absolutely essential to the public need. This includes energy, utilities, the internet, health care, anything that the public needs and that large corporations are benefitting from. When these companies make a profit, it will be returned to the public as a social dividend. These companies will be more interested in serving the people instead of making money. Secondly, we need to increase taxes on the rich and corporations, not decrease them. These people need to pay their fair share of taxes. It is unfair when the rich man's secretary has to pay a higher portion of taxes than the rich man.mUnder my administration, this will happen no longer. We also need to reduce loopholes and exemptions that let the rich get away with not paying their taxes. The rich and their crafty tax lawyers can use these, but the poor cannot, so we must eliminate them. Third, we must increase the minimum wage so that our workers can live on the money that they earn. Fourth, we need to invest in our workforce and provide a quality education for the next generation, including investing in STEM education. We need to change our society from one focused on greed and profits to one focused on the people that make our country great. Profit shouldn't be important, people should be.

TORREMOR: Your time is up, thank you. Ms. Aralen?

ARALEN: Two hundred years ago, we had a pristine environment. We were not making species extinct and we were not emitting a large amount of pollution into the air. With the Industrial Revolution, that changed. People became more concerned about money and profits, and they started to spew large amounts of pollution into the atmosphere. Today, we have smog in our cities, poor air quality, and a hole in the ozone layer. If this trend continues, in twenty years, we will not have an environment to speak of if rapacious companies continue to wreak havoc on our environment. Our economic policy needs to reflect our environment. Our economic policy needs to exert pressure on those companies that are harming our environment. Our economic policy needs to reflect the people that are harmed by companies' relentless pursuit of profit. It is time to change our focus from profit and greed to the people and the environment. To that end, I propose several solutions. I will impose taxes and fees on companies that break environmental regulations. This will send companies a message: by harming our enviornment for economic profit, these companies will play an economic price. We need to impose a carbon tax and disincentives for harming our shared environment. We also need to support the people at the bottom of society by raising the minimum wage to a living wage. We need to tackle income inequality and inequality of opportunity and allow everyone the same opportunity to succeed. We need to raise taxes for the rich and ensure that the poor are not paying more in tax than the rich. It is simply unfair that the rich can inherit money and live highly, while the poor work hard and gain nothing. A living wage and subsidies for education can help the poor break out of their cycle of poverty, as well as job assistance and programs to help people increase their skills and knowledge. We need to support economic activities that improve the environment and disdain those that degrade the environment and our biological diversity. Our environment should have the highest priority, and economic development needs to be reviewed for its impact on the environment. We need to make sure our economy supports both those at the bottom and the environment.

TORREMOR: Thank you, your time has expired. Mr. Debord?

DEBORD: The economy is but a mortal concern. By putting your concern in the word of your True God and your True Church, you will receive rewards, both in this life and the next, for your concern. By putting your concern in the economy and worldly pleasures, your True God will mete punishments upon you, both in this world and the next. Only by following the word of the True Church and the True God will you achieve success in this life. This life should be spent in prayer and preparation for the next life and adhere to the principals of the True Church. As such, the True Church must be able to dictate economic policy. There will be no taxes under my administration, for the government will not be in charge of your economy. Instead, your True Church will receive a monthly tithe of 50% to support its operations. Your support is essential in order for our Church to expand its membership and spread its message. In addition, all businesses under my administration will be forced to belong to the True Church and only sell products approved by the True Church. Satanic products will not be allowed to be sold in Ceni under the rule of the True Church. Under my administration, the poor will be forced to rely on the generosity of the True Church and members of its congregations. What is the mortal economy of money comlared to the welfare of the soul in Heaven, with your True God? It is nothing, and mortals should not focus on something that will gain them nothing in heaven. By focusing on the next life and your True God, then you will receive reward, but if not, then you will receive punishment. Our True Church should be the ultimate dictator of economic policy, and our True God should be the ultimate dispenser of reward.

TORREMOR: Thank you for your opinion. Mr. Valtan?

VALTAN: Our economy is a mass of contradictions. On one hand, there is the welfare of our economy as a whole. Jobs numbers, gross domestic profit, GDP per capita. On the other hand, there is the welfare of our individual citizens. Paychecks, a living wage, income inequality. If you boost one, you boost the other, right? Not necessarily, but blth parts of the economy are equally as important. Therefore I support an economic policy that benefits everyone. On one hand, we need to keep our free market economy. it has been shown time and time again that communism doesn't work; the same elite still controls the economy, and the economy, as a whole, is worse off because their is no incentive to produce. The free market economy is an incentive to produce, and we need to keep it, although some nationalized companies can exist and compete in a free market. We can keep our economy strong, though, by having a strong workforce. This means that our workforce needs to have the good education it needs to survive in this day and age. Education helps people to achieve higher wages because they have higer skills, and education helps Ceni compete on the global marketplace. We can, and should, continue to develop investments in science and technology; in areas where private business will not step up to the plate, the government should. On taxes, I support a plan that will close loopholes and exemptions. A simpler tax plan both increases tax revenue and decreases costs involved in collecting tax. A moderate and progressive tax plan makes sure everyone is paying their fair share. I also support measures to help the most marginalized in our society. Under my administration, I will make sure that workers have wage and contract protections, and workplace safety rules. I will increase the minimum wage and help to promote measures to decrease the cost of living. I will continue to support the Earned Income Tax Credit, which both decreases the tax burden on our lowest earners and encourages those on welfare to work. Everyone is happy when the people at the bottom are happy, not when the people at the top are happy. A trickle down, top down approach does not work, but a bottom up approach does.

TORREMOR: That brings us to the end of our two minute statements. Thank you, Mr. Valtan. Now we will have a ten minute question and answer session, with time for rebuttals. This question is for Mr. Debord. What does your so-called True Church have to do with the economy?

DEBORD: The True Church has everything to do with the economy. If you support the True Church, then you will receive economic reward. If you do not, you will suffer economically.

ARALEN: Your True Church has no business doing anything in government. Ceni is a secular state, and religion, according to the Constitution, has no place in the state. If you are elected, which I seriously doubt, you cannot force anyone to believe in your church and you cannot force anyone to pay a tithe to it. What you propose is blatantly unconstitutional.

DEBORD: The Constitution, an earthly authority, is no match for the authority of the True God. His wish is our command, and we have no choice but to accept it.

THIRMEN: Unfortunately, Mr. Debord, I see no idea how your policies will benefit the economy. To me, your policies seem like an unwelcome attempt to convert everyone in Ceni to your religion, not an economic policy. Your policies will not help Ceni in the least, not one bit.

TORREMOR: Mr. Valtan, Ms. Aralen, and Mr. Binnill, how should voters differentiate between you and your policies when they are very similar? Do you think your parties could work together

VALTAN: I think that my policies, while giving support to the poor, also have the larger economy in mind, so that both the poor and the larger economy will benefit. My economic policies are designed to give everyone a good opportunity to succeed and a good economy, so that not just one group benefits. Of course, I will be trying to reduce income inequality, but I will also try to improve the overall economy.

ARALEN: My policies are designed with the environment in mind. In my exoeriences as an environmental activist, I've seen so many companies exploiting the environment for personal profit. I disagree with that, so my economic policies reflect the fact that our environment is the most precious possession that we have. I also recognize the social inequality in our nation and will work to address it.

BINNILL: I think that my policies are best suited to help the individual workers. Nationalizing companies will help workers. Increasing the minimum wage to a living wage will help workers. Making sure that our workforce has a quality education helps the workers, because they will have increased skills that they need in our workplace. I think we can work together on the purpose of a living wage, seeing as we all agree with it.

ARALEN: I don't see why we wouldn't support a common proposal for a living wage.

VALTAN: Compromise and cooperation is always a good thing, and if we work together, I think that we can achieve a living wage.

THIRMEN: Laties and gentlemen, although I think the living wage will help our workers, it will not help our companies. Our companies are the engine of our economic grow and they help our economy grow. A living wage will only hurt our small businesses, some of which are struggling to make ends meet.

VALTAN: A living wage will increase the income of those at the bottom of the ladder, so they will have more money to spend at small businesses. Those small businesses will then have more income to support a living wage, so it will work out in the end.

THIRMEN: But your tax policies also unfairly target companies and corporations. With your high taxes, nobody will want to invest in Ceni, and nobody will want to help our economy grow because they will be too afraid to expand.

BINNILL: Companies' profits do not go to their workers like you suggest, just their executives and their rich stockholders. So when the companies expand in Ceni, they aren't helping the workers or the vast majority of the population, just themselves. On another note, higher taxes support health care and social security, so companies will not be forced to spend that money on those expenses. Companies will also want to expand because Ceni has a high-tech and highly educated workforce.

TORREMOR: Ms. Thirmen, how will your policies help the poor and marginalized?

THIRMEN: A rising tide lifts all boats, and my economic policies reflect this statement" When our overall economy expands, companies have more money, and they reinvest that money back into the economy, helping to create new jobs for those who need them.

VALTAN: I disagree with that assessment. When companies grow, they reinvest their profits in their rich shareholders and in bonuses to their executives, not their workers, so your argument is invalid. Companies' growth does not help those at the bottom, just the top.

TORREMOR: Ms. Aralen, do stricter environmental restrictions and economic costs help grow the economy?

ARALEN: They grow different sectors of the economy. While some sectors of the economy might decrease because they are not following environmental restrictions, others which are will benefit from environmental restrictions, such as renewable energy.

THIRMEN: Environmental restrictions are both burdensome and onerous. That increases costs and decrerases the likelihood that businesses will come to Ceni to do business. Neither of those help the economy in the slightest.

ARALEN: But the economy won't matter when the environment is a dump and we all need environmental suits to move around. A lot of the human race will be dead, and we won't be worrying about the economy when we have a poor environment twenty years in the future.

TORREMOR: Thank you, candidates. That's all the time we have for now. After a short break, we will move on to our next topic.

by **San Llera** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 4:58 pm

At 4:00 AM in the morning, the only person left in the clubhouse break room was Jon Lleranerus.

The San Llera coach was tired, and he knew that he had an 8:00 AM flight to Valanora the next morning, but he didn't care. The World Cup draw was on the TV, and he would be damned if he didn't get to watch the draw. He watched with much anxiety, but also much excitement.

The Valanoran women helping to conduct the draw were very attractive.

13 groups had been drawn without Lleranerus hearing San Llera's name. Now onto the 14th.

"In Group 14... The Holy Empire!" The person on the screen said. The camera cut to some Holy Empire fans dressed in red and yellow who were cheering. The announcer then gave a short descriprtion of the nation.

"The Holy Empire in Group 14. They should be expected to win that group, as they are a real juggernaut, and probably the most storied nation participating in this World Cup" Storied? Pah. San Llerans invented soccer. We can take this team, Lleranerus thought.

"And with The Holy Empire is... Sargossa!" Another team that was no match for the San Llera fighting spirit. "And with them... Jerusalem!" Lleranerus hoped that San Llera could be drawn into this group of minnows. 4th in the world? No match for his squad. And Sargossa just sounds like Saragosa, and Sargossa's players were definitely no match for Martini Saragosa. The fourth team in Group 14 was drawn. Omerica. They probably aren't as good San Llera.

"From Pot 5, entering Group 14, is San Llera!" Lleranerus nodded his head in satisfaction. OK, he thought, we might have a shot at winning this. After all, San Llera always wins.
"San Llera, in their second World Cup, are drawn into Group 14." Is that all the announcer was going to say? Oh well. Lleranerus would show him.

"Tumbra." Easy win. Next. "Viktoria." Another easy victory. "United North States," That should be an easy couple of victories.

There it was. San Llera's group. We're going to win easily.

Lleranerus finally fell asleep.

by **Taeshan** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 6:00 pm

Group Analysis

http://chirb.it/HFA7F3

by **Stellonia** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 6:08 pm

After the draw, Stelloni captain Txelemigte was interviewed by a mysterious reporter. Here is the transcript for the interview:
REPORTER: What do you think about the draw?
TXELEMIGTE: I think that we could beat quite a few of the teams in our group.
REPORTER: What do you mean? We're the lowest ranked team in the group!
TXELEMIGTE: We did quite well in the Baptism of Fire. We were only eliminated in the last minute of that Emporer Pudu game, when Tselaminga's challenge made it into my goal.
REPORTER: Why are you so confident?
TXELEMIGTE: We have won six Cup of Life tournaments! We are the strongest team in our region! Many of our opponents cannot say the same.
REPORTER: How do you think Stellonia will do in qualification?
TXELEMIGTE: We are going to hold the Holy Republican Empire and Buyan to draws and beat Cosumar and all the other weaker teams. Assuming that we do not win the group, we are going to win the play-offs and compete in the World Cup.
REPORTER: I would love to think that. But remember, the World Cup qualifiers will be much harder than the Baptism of Fire!
TXELEMIGTE: When there's a will, there's a way!

by **Madesu** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 6:35 pm

Matchday 1 of the World Cup preview

LARUE: "Hello everybody and welcome to this pre World Cup coverage, I'm Yochanan Larue. Here to speak on insights on the Madesene team to their first world cup journey based on their performance in the Baptism of Fire is Lucas Abreu, Adina Frary, Malachi Medeiros, and Monica Fonseca. Now, Madesu has made it to the quarterfinals of the Baptism of Fire and they demonstrated outstanding and quality team work. They took on the not-so-experienced teams to the moderate ones. Now Madesu is going to face tougher teams out there, more experienced teams and the most efficient in the world. Although many say Madesu played flawless during the Baptism of Fire what is there that Madesu should fix or correct to be successful in this tournament?"

ABREU: "Well Madesu in the Baptism of Fire played astounding, indeed, but yes there were or are a few things they could fix as a team. Let's take a look at a replay of Madesu's round of 16 match against the Fhulghamous Peninsula. Let's look at the 29th minute. Once that Fhulghamousian gives his corner kick here it seems like the Madesenes scrambled, pretty much all of them dove towards the Fhulghamousian attacker and did not even give each other eye contacts as to see who can clear it from their side. Thank God, though, that Chapman was able to save that. But, really, other than that Madesu should be good to go, if they can communicate more efficiently."

FRARY: "Actually there are not really a lot of things they need to fix. In my opinion I think they should allow attackers Levi Melende, Rosaire Richelieu and Del Gibson to play altogether. With that, Madesu's dynamic play against any opponent, dynamic or defensive, will be slightly better."

MEDEIROS: "I think field efficiency is one thing they could continue to fix because as I watched their match against Emperor Pudu in the quarterfinals they often giving long passes and shots. It was quite obvious that Jerônimo Pressley, team captain was pretty upset with that type of play during the game, as we all saw him giving extra "coaching", if you will, to his team. Once they can nail that, they're off to an excellent start to this first matchday. And before you know it, we're in the group stages."

LARUE: "I agree with Malachi here. So on our official website at http://www.NSHQ.nda we set up a poll on whether attacker Rosaire Richelieu should sub for Walter Kevinson, a 4-time goal scorer for Madesu in the Baptism of Fire, or should the team keep Walter Kevinson to continue to play? Results were 52% agreed that Walter Kevinson should keep playing and 48% agreed that Rosaire Richelieu should sub for Kevinson. A few days ago the Madesene National Football team released their roster information including the starting 11 and this shocked many, many fans. Why do you all think on why the majority voted for keeping Kevinson instead of Richelieu?"

FONSECA: "Well, older football fans go for Kevinson because to a whole lot of people Kevinson seems to play very calmly and with practically every play of his he delivers a beautiful but very organized play. Even when he scores he remains calm and humble. Richelieu, however, to the majority of the younger voters is much more dynamic and tends to ensure that his opponents know that he is better than they are."

FRARY: "Well, that's what makes Richelieu widely admired and liked is because of his powerful and dynamic play. Everyone watching the game wants to see action with the ball, and Richelieu knows how to dance around his opponents and still attempt an accurate shot or pass. That's what makes him a Phillipsburg star, really."

MEDEIROS: "I truly think that the team ought to put Kevinson back into play as Monica pointed out he has more maturity in the match or game than Richelieu does. If we look back at the Premier League Richelieu was mocked at the same time applauded for having so many missed but close shots. Richelieu tends to go for his own shots without an assist sometimes. Kevinson is known for his accurate and excellent assists. So, I would have voted for keeping Kevinson back on the field."

LARUE: "Right. For a tournament this big and Madesu's first time being in it I think it would be best to have the more mature player, if you will, on the field to establish self control within the whole team than have dynamic but crowd-entertaining plays. But that's just me. Folks, the Valanora Footballing Association recently announced the group draws for the next 15 or so matchdays of the world cup qualifications. In Madesu's group, in group 8 we have #12 Vilita, #24 Falcus, #48 Antoletia, #72 Quakmybush, #114 Xzyxrouw, #304 Venta de la Mesilla, and unranked team of The Isles of Azoria. Madesu is currently ranked number 223 after the BoF. How do you guys think Madesu will do against these teams?"

ABREU: "Hmm, as I said, all the Madesene team will have to do, in my opinion, is to correct their communication on the field as well as their field efficiency. Madesu could have a hard time with Vilitia but other than that, once they master field communication, we'll be in the main group stages."

FONSECA: "I believe Madesu won't have any problems with Venta de la Mesilla or The Isles of Azoria but the games between Xzyxrouw and us will be pretty interesting. The top 3 of the group could potentially give Madesu an interesting match, but hey, who knows. With Richelieu, Gibson and Melende playing together in a match the chances of Madesu dominating the group leaderboards could be pretty good."

MEDEIROS: "Saturday the Madesenes will play a friendly match against the Swordeans, I think we should take that opportunity and observe on the Madesenes if they have really noticed the few issues in their game. But we shouldn't worry too much, head Apollinaire Mathieu is a very experienced coach who will be able to take us through this cycle. Perhaps from there we can make even more accurate predictions on how the Madesenes can really do against the top ranked teams in our group."

LARUE: "Right. I agree with Malachi that we should wait and see if any of what we mentioned was fixed and whatnot. Well, thank you, folks for watching. As Malachi stated Madesu's friendly matches will take place this Saturday, and the first matchday should begin in a few weeks, home and away. Good night!"

by **Augusticinia** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 7:38 pm

Augusticinia National Training Grounds, Munich

Manager Nikolaus Idoni said,"Stop Practicing and come here. The Qualification Drawing has been done. In our group is Mertagne, Carialus, Matthewsiania, The Blouman Empire, Szavoda, Murovanka, and the Fulhghamous Peninsula. We will have Scouting Manager George Matos look at our opponents. Right now we know nothing. I want to see you get back to work and practice hard." The players continued to run and practice when Nikolaus said to Assistant Manager Robert Castro,"They are looking good this year. I think we have a chance of making it out of the Qualifiers."
"Agreed Nikolaus, Agreed."

Augusticinia National Team Conference, Munich

"I would like to say that I am excited for Augusticinia to attempt to Qualify its first World Cup. I know we did miss the Baptism of Fire, but that won't stop us. I would like to thank the Managererial Staff and Players. They have all put out their fullest not on just the International Stage but also in the Clubs. All of our players except for one had great seasons with their club teams. Mr. Victorsson our famous Physiotherapist has been running around helping out on Imperia FC in the Augusticinian 1st Division. I would also like to thank the Augusticinian Referees who have worked so hard to analyze the game. I wish to give our Staff, Players, and Augusticinian Referees a round of applause." Applause soon came after as Manager Nikolaus Idoni began to finish his speech. "I would like to wish Augusticinia the best of luck in its Qualifiers and hope that they perform as well as I know they can."
Idoni stepped off of the podium and began to shake hands. Idoni was confident and ready for Augusticinia to face the Qualifying Stages.

From: Scouting Manager George Matos
To: First Team Coach: Joaquim Salazar
I have found information on Fhulgamous Peninsula that will be helpful for training. They are a powerful team with an Attacking Mindset. They last used a 4 - 4 -2 System and played well during the BoF. I would like to discuss more of this at Cafe Deutsche at 542 Russlandstrasse, Munich.

by **Polkopia** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 10:06 pm

ALBERT: "Hello, and welcome everybody to the group draw for the 72nd World Cup held in the lovely nations of Valanora and The Equestrian States. I'm Albert Kalev, and with me is Valentin Matej, with you as always, where we will bring you the live coverage of the Qualifying Group Draw. Plenty of excitement and drama here, folks. Everyone will want to know who they'll be playing against and the online betting websites will have their hands full by the end of the night."
VALENTIN: "Absolutely, Albert. I can assure you, nobody wants to face off against Osarius. They're the team that everyone is dreading to be in their group. Hopefully the Polkopians have it relatively easy. Last time, we had a tough group, but we managed to put on a stunning performance after Coach Spartak Stenin's outstanding coaching."
ALBERT: "Yep, couldn't agree more. Now we have the first pot about to be drawn. Let's see how this goes."

Farfadillis Is Drawn Into Group 18

ALBERT: "Well, there it is. Nobody has too much to worry about now, though. Osarius has been drawn into group 3. Hopefully, we don't get drawn into the same group. I wouldn't be surprised if we got drawn against Valanora again, but only time will tell!"
VALENTIN: "Alright, now the second pot is coming up..."

Gregoryisgodistan Is Drawn Into Group 18

ALBERT: "Brenecia will have their work cup out for them in the third group there. Meanwhile the crazy, but for some reason good Foot Slaves have been drawn into 18 against Farfadillis. Interesting."
VALENTIN: "Yeah, so far Group 1 is looking interesting with Super-Llamaland being drawn into The Royal Kingdom of Quebec's group. Yeah, that'll be a good couple of matches right there."
ALBERT: "Ooh, and group 7. Blouman Empire being drawn against Mertagne? That'll be a hell of a series."
VALENTIN: "And Polkopia could be drawn into any of these groups! Let's see what Pot 3 brings us!"

Starblaydia Is Drawn Into Group 18

ALBERT: "Well the fight for the qualifying positions in Group 18 look a bit heated now, with Starblaydia now competing with Gregoryisgodistan for those spots. Not to mention Farfadillis there. No, this will be an interesting group."
VALENTIN: "I actually thing the second group is more interesting. Ceni, Kirisaki, and Barunia. All three are great teams. Their games will be great to watch!"
ALBERT: "Unfortunately, we don't own hundreds of TV's to watch these games. Our beloved dictator has been nice enough to grant this station three television sets, so we'll have to plan accordingly."
VALENTIN: "Yes! Here is is! Pot 4. We're in this Pot! Let's see who we get!"

Polkopia Is Drawn Into Group 18

ALBERT: "Not bad. Not bad at all. Could've been much worse. I'll tell you, I was holding my breath when Group 3 was on. Poor Lymantatia. Better them than us though."
VALENTIN: "Hmm... Well, be prepared to hear plenty of lies about us spread by Gregory or whatever that whacko's name is in his corrupt cesspool of a nation. How many times do you think they'll plan to nuke us?"
ALBERT: "Doesn't matter. What does matter though is now we know our opponents who are all ranked better than us. We might be able to pull an upset or two, but we'd have to stay focused here. We cannot slack off in this group."
VALENTIN: "Before we get too ahead of ourselves, the fifth pot is being drawn! Take a look!"

Furellum Is Drawn Into Group 18

ALBERT: "Alright. Again, not too bad. We'll definitely be able to win against these guys, but they'll give some fight, I'll imagine."
VALENTIN: "Yeah. So far, we have the first five pots drawn. I don't think anyone else matters at this point. It'll just come down to these five-"
ALBERT: "I don't think so. If you remember last World Cup, you also remember the massive upset we pulled against highly-ranked teams. Remember Pays d'en Haut? We finished the group higher than them. Remember The Calanian Union? Yeah, well, we beat them. Anything is possible in this sport. Don't ever count anyone out here."

Vettrera Is Drawn Into Group 18

ALBERT: "And Vettrera is the fifth team Polkopia will face in Group 18. A decent team, I think, but we still should be able to beat them at least once in Polkopia."
VALENTIN: "Yeah I know you talked about the chance of an upset, and I think if there's a team to pull one against Polkopia, it's these guys here. I'll be surprised if we don't beat these guys, but like you said, anything is possible in this sport."
ALBERT: "And with our strikers getting old, I'm not sure how much they'll be scoring this tournament compared to the last. Pretty sure this will be Serevo's last World Cup for Polkopia. Sad, really, but we're not talking about that now. Instead, we've just passed Vettrera and we're waiting on the next Pot to be drawn."

Kaboomlandia Is Drawn Into Group 18

VALENTIN: "Yeah, I don't think this team will be pulling an upset against us anytime soon. Football may be unpredictable, but I can safely say that these guys aren't really good enough to beat us."
ALBERT: "While I agree with you, I don't think you used the proper terminology for that, but it's too late. This is live, and you just said that. So I'm going to pretend that you didn't just completely insult another nation's National Team and move on to the next and final Pot."

New Pazania Is Drawn Into Group 18

ALBERT: "And there you have it. These are the teams that Polkopia will face in order to qualify for the multiverse's most prestigious sporting event; The World Cup. Teams like Farfadillis, Starblaydia, and Gregoryisgodistan will prove tough teams to overcome, while Furellum and Vettrera will be looking to upset Polkopia. Our first game will be at home against Kaboomlandia, so don't forget to purchase tickets! Until then, I'm Albert Kalev."
VALENTIN: "And I'm Valentin Matej, goodnight everyone!"

by **Augusticinia** » Fri Jul 03, 2015 4:01 am

Munich International Stadium

It was the Final Friendly Augusticnia would play before the qualifiers start. They were to play Lilliputia. The Augusticinian Team anxiously waited in the tunnel as fans began to find their seats. The Augusticinian Team soon began to welcome the Lilliputian Players. The Augusticinian Players marched onto the field and proudly sang the national anthem. The Match soon started off.

12": Vladimir Maier (Augusticinia) scores on a volley that goes right under the crossbar after a brilliant cross by Markov. 1 - 0

23": Jakob Sarka (Lilliputia) tries to shoot from outside of the box. The shot is saved by the Augusticinian Goalkeeper

24": Robert Michelakos (Augusticinia) gets the long ball, the goalkeeper is rushing at him, he chips it over the Goalkeeper into the Goal. 2 - 0

37": Norris Waterman (Lilliputia) shoots a fast ball from outside of the box but it flies out.

45": There will be 2 minutes of Extra time

45 + 2": Stephan Dragić gets the cross right in front of the goal and shoots to far off to the side.

Half Time

58": Harry Aconi (Augusticinia) receives a yellow card for a bad tackle

69": George Corna (Lilliputia) shoots from inside the box but it is miraculously saved by the Augusticinian Goalkeeper.

78": Eduardo Viteri (Augusticinia) is shown a yellow card for Tripping an opponent

90": Robert Tash (Lilliputia) is shown a yellow card for Pushing an opponent

90": There will be 6 minutes of extra time

Final Whistle.

Statistics
Augusticinia-Lilliputia
Goals: 2-0
Shots on Target: 4-3
Shots: 7-9
Fouls: 8-7
Corners: 2-0
Free Kicks (Near Goal): 1-2
Offsides: 3-4
Own Goals: 0-0
Yellow Cards: 2-1
Red Cards: 0-0
Posession: 60%-40%

Man of the Match: Wilhelm Markov (Augusticinia)

Wilhelm Markov making a cross as Lilliputan Defender Henry Findlay tries to block it

Press Conference, with Augusticinian Manager Nikolaus Idoni

Reporter: "How do you think Augusticinia played tonight?"

Idoni: "I think they played well, Stanić, our goalkeeper had a great game. Also, Markov had a great game and showed excellent leadership."

Reporter: "What about the Yellow Cards?"

Idoni: "During the Qualifiers and possibly the World Cup we need to be more careful that our Defense Based team doesn't pick up a lot of fouls."

Reporter: "Is the Management Staff ready for the World Cup?"

Idoni: "Yes, they have all worked hard keeping the team running. I know that they may be a crucial element in the Qualifiers."

Reporter: "This is a bit off topic, but do you have any Augusticinian Referees going into the World Cup."

Idoni: "I am not sure, I hope they do though. I would really like to see Julius Auttenberg as a World Cup Ref. He does an astounding job in the Augusticinian 1st Division and he is more than capable of Ref'ing the World Cup."

Reporter: "How are you preparing for the teams ahead."

Idoni: "I have my scouting manager, George Matos doing some research on teams in our group. Really our preparations are friendlies like this and practice."

Reporter: "Thank you, I have no more questions."

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Fri Jul 03, 2015 5:20 am

CRESCENT NEWS NETWORK
SPORTS CHANNEL - OFFICIAL WEBSITE
ABANHFLEFT • PRIDNESTROVIA • OONTAZ DERT LI NG • COPPER CUPRUM • TRENDSTART • FHULGHAMOUS PENINSULA

WOMEN'S SFA CUP FINAL: LUDOGORETS MARKOVSKY LADIES VS ROSENPFELBLATZ CITY LADIES AS IT HAPPENED
By Malik Qazizadah

Ludogorets Markovsky Ladies' Felicity Ambrose sidesteps Elena Migdvorak of Rosenpfelblatz City Ladies during the final of the Women's SFA Cup in Wanda Island's Admiral Park. The match went to extra time after 90 minutes failed to separate the two teams at 3-3, and Ludogorets scored twice in the last five minutes to secure the double for the ladies' team, who have also won the Ladies' Premier League just a week earlier. (Courtesy of Crescent News Network Sports Channel/Ulysses Turogo)

WANDA CITY, WANDA ISLAND, ABANHFLEFT - It was quite probably a fitting end to the Women's SFA Cup. The current cup campaign had become very well known for its propensity for high-scoring affairs, with scoreless draws and 1-0 wins almost becoming a thing of the past, and this final match looked set to continue that trend, as both Ludogorets Markovsky Ladies and Rosenpfelblatz City Ladies have taken the East Mezaladbyi derby to Wanda Island's Cabron Admiral Park on the back of two high-scoring games against Arsenal de Releinthi Ladies and Riuwiee United Women's FC respectively.

Ludogorets started off the affairs almost immediately with a free kick from Eriko Ogigayatsu flying into the left corner of Yannie Redborne's net just seven minutes in. Rosenpfelblatz mounted a quick response however as Queenie Yllana netted a goal for the Lady Sky-Blues just four minutes later. The first half then settled into a display of goalkeeping prowess as both team's keepers managed to keep the scoreline from increasing up until half time. The most notable instance of goalkeeping was when Ludogorets' Nadezhda Debaltseva managed to stop the incoming screamer from Alexandra Rousseau.

Things heated up in the second half, and once again it was Ludogorets that struck first courtesy of Felicity Ambrose heading in an Adelaide Singh cross. And once again, Rosenpfelblatz was quick to respond, as Marivanna Henson sent in the screamer from just outside the D just ten minutes after Ambrose's goal. Karen Villegas, who had substituted Rousseau, finally netted in what the Lady Sky-Blues thought was the game-winning goal, but the Lady Foresters had other ideas. With only two minutes left, Ogigayatsu got her brace when she slotted home the ball after Redborne had parried away Singh's shot at goal. Extra time it was going to be then.

Extra time became almost the opposite of regulation time, with both teams having become content to possess the ball and engage in hold-up play. However, just when people were thinking that maybe penalties would be needed to separate these two teams and determine which was the better, Ludogorets struck. Five minutes before the end of extra time, Bella Maynard made a deep run into the Rosenpfelblatz half and then slotted the ball into the net with a calm and cool finish. Just two minutes later, Schottian defender Jenna Koemann got on the right end of the ball following a corner kick from Singh and sealed victory for the Lady Foresters.

LUDOGORETS MARKOVSKY LADIES 5 - 3 ROSENPFELBLATZ CITY LADIES
       OGIGAYATSU (7', 88')       YLLANA (11')
              AMBROSE (48')       HENSON (58')
             MAYNARD (115')       VILLEGAS (81')
             KOEMANN (117')

by **Electrum** » Fri Jul 03, 2015 6:26 am

OOC: A reference to Wolfie's post here

April 9 2014, A Meeting Room

"So it's settled then. We don't have the resources nor the energy capacity to sustain your projects in Centralis anymore. There are far too many people here, and this could be the breakthrough that will make you the world's most well-known scientist. You want that don't you?" A slightly balding man poured out two glasses of tokaji from the highlands of Agri, and slided a glass to the other side of the table. "It's a deal, right?" On the other side was forty year old Lucas Gambaro, a physicist at Centralis University. They had been discussing some very important scientific business about a new breakthrough in science that was very close to being cracked, figuring out the connections between the Standard Model, the model that links three of the fundamental forces together, and gravity, the last fundamental force -- one of the last few frontiers of modern day Physics. Lucas, chugged down the tokaji and said, "Very well. I'll have to tell Mary then." The university chancellor laughed, "Of course. Your plane tickets to Lupinia are in that envelope. Tell Mary I send her my best wishes."

April 11 2014, Gambaro Household

Lucas's life was in front of him in the arranged suitcases on his bed. All of the clothes were neatly folded into bundles and placed into neat sections -- nothing less for a perfectionist. Mary, his wife, stood by the door. Swaddled in her hands was their three month-old son, Nicholas. Mary whispered, "Are you sure it won't be long?" The grandfather clock rung nine times from the lounge room -- 9PM. Lucas turned around and said, "It will take three months. I promise." With that, he zipped up his suitcase, locked each one meticulously, gave a quick peck to Nicholas and an even longer one for Mary. As he went for the door, he turned back around, "This is for us Mary. Just think about it, this research means the whole world to me, and we could revolutionise science as we know it." "But Nick. You can't just leave us alone." "This is for our own good. I'll be back before you know it." Outside, a car honked for the third time -- the taxi driver was getting impatient. Lucas turned around and waved a quick goodbye to Mary and Nick and ran towards the taxi bound for the airport to catch the 11:30PM flight to New Wolfopolis on AirElectrum.

May 10 2014, New Wolfopolis Compound

Finally, everything was all set in the new compound. It had taken a month for the new staff to be hired, and for them to be shipped to an unknown rural location in New Wolfopolis. This experiment was to be the culmination of three year's work by Gambaro and his crew into the Standard Model and quantum physics. Admittedly, although most of the work had been in Electrum, Dr. Lucas Gambaro knew that eventually he would have to use most of the generous and off-the-books grant funding from the university to set up a new facility in New Wolfopolis. He had a friend from way back there, and he had owed a favour from way back then. It was a complicated and hi-tech labyrinth of technology -- rainbow cables scattered about the facility, with a large circular particle accelerator that stretched out for (and had a radius of) kilometres in the rural Wolfie land. He had a dedicated staff of two dozen scientists, all of them locally picked, or from Electrum. Gambaro headed the research crew.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you would please come here." Gambaro had called a meeting in the conference room, and slowly, they all shuffled into the room. This large underground complex had to be secret, and it also had to hide the large accelerator. There was no way that anyone had to find out about this experiment -- they were playing with time and gravity. "I'm sure you're all aware of the Standard Model -- the theory that links together the fundamental forces of weak and strong nuclear force, and electromagnetism. It is the model that helps explain a lot of things about how our universe works, from classical physics, to the formation of the very universe we live in. You would be aware that predictions in the model led to the discovery of the Higgs Boson and quarks, but there is one thing missing. The last fundamental force of nature has yet to be linked to this theory, Gravity. And supposedly, gravitational force, over a field, is transferred by gravitons. Again, you should know this. The problem is, no one has yet to find the graviton, or even observe it. That's what we're here to do. If we observe the graviton, and link it to the Standard Model, we unlock all of these new secrets and potentials in physics like we have never done before." The staff all looked at each other wide-eyed. They thought they would be getting some high-level experience using a particle accelerator, and although some questioned the hush-hush nature of this project, they never knew that this would be the thing they would try and solve.

"This is ground breaking research ladies and gentlemen, and I will need your full mental faculties to solve this problem of observing the graviton. It is nearly impossible to find. But what we can find is the waves emitted by the gravitons, or gravitational waves. This could provide us clues about what the graviton is, and will easily be able to detect it. I hope to follow in the footsteps of the people who discovered the Higgs Boson, and I trust that I have your full attention for the duration of this project. I don't know how long it will take. Maybe it will take weeks, or months, or even years. But by golly, we are staying down here until we work things out. I've given you all a quick tour of the facility before, but I just want to take note of a few things." Dr. Lucas Gambaro points to a clock at the back of the room. "This is a 133-Caesium clock, and it is the central clock. We will need super precise measurements of time, and that's where we'll get it from. Over there, across the hall is the quantum computer. It is a computer that accepts inputs and outputs for experimentation. That's where our accelerator is controlled. For the love of god or Margaret or whatever deity you believe in, if you do, please don't touch it without asking me first. Thanks. Any questions?"

Everyone's hands went up.

July 22 2014, New Wolfopolis Compound

The fickle nature of science meant that they wouldn't really get close into finding any results. Such was Science -- one day, they'd brainstorm a new experiment, but the results were always negative. Regardless, the team would always continue working for ways to find something. Anything. This was going to be the big thing, and they were all 100% dedicated to the project. But a strange thing happened that day. The experiment, looked to be successful, only for a fleeting millisecond or less. "Sir, I think I found something!" yelled a physicist at the doctor. He turned on a simulator on the control panel and went through the experimental data for Gambaro to see. He pointed at the screen, "Look at the wave pattern here and here, if we go back to where they were emitted, we arrive at a singular spot. That is, our graviton." Gambaro was dumbstruck. Did they really find the graviton already? After a month? What fluke! But, it didn't matter. It was going to make them all famous. It had to be retested just to be sure. Dr. Gambaro looked at the student, and said, "Go up to the quantum computer and do the exact same thing again. I want to replicate it so we know it's real." The student stood up from his seat and ran towards the computer. He mashed a few buttons and put it in. Little did he know that he miscalculated the amount of replications.

The experiment happened again and again. Dr. Gambaro just looked in awe at the machine. Maybe it was all true after all. The experiment kept repeating itself, with more and more gravitons being produced. By the first minute, everyone in the whole lab was at a stand still, but the machine kept going and going. Eventually, the produced gravitons leaked out of the facility and into the air, affecting everyone in New Wolfopolis. They had failed to take into account that gravity dilates time to the extent that greater gravity would slow things down. Of course, this was widely understood in the wider scientific community, with scientific results stating that clocks go faster where there is less gravity. But the reverse was happening. The clock was slowing down. A graviton bubble formed around the entire nation, but luckily, there were no other nations in the vicinity of New Wolfopolis (it was to the far east of Aslotten Bederborg sa Cesky), and time slowed down so much. Everything froze into place in New Wolfopolis.

That was, until by chance, one of the spin states of one of the atoms in the highly sophisticated quantum computer was entangled with an atom far away, such that it flipped. The machine turned itself off, but for what seemed liked hours, or even seconds in New Wolfopolis was a whole three years everywhere else around the multiverse. Computer systems relogged back onto the internet to find out that time had advanced, and had adjusted automatically. The atomic clock in the conference room displayed the correct time. It was now June 6, 2017.

OOC: Yes I know I fudged some science, especially the amount of gravitons it would take to slow time to that extent, but this is just an RP and Wolfie wanted an explanation

by **San Llera** » Fri Jul 03, 2015 7:14 am

Group 14 Preview

(OOC: This will be updated as teams release their rosters and RPs)

San Llera has been drawn into Group 14 for the upcoming World Cup. Here are previews and predictions for San Llera's games against all of the teams in their group:

The Holy Empire
The top seed in San Llera's group is The Holy Empire, a World Cup powerhouse that has appeared in nearly every single edition of this competition and has four titles under their belt. They are currently ranked number four, and are the clear favorite to win this group. The Holy Empire has released their roster for this World Cup, and it is actually quite encouraging for San Llera. They have very little depth since they only have 11 players, and all players are also musicians, who are stereotyped to usually not be too athletic. They also will often play with 10 men due to one player playing with an orchestra. When they are playing, The Holy Empire is very attack-oriented, and led by captain Miguel Lebournes, who also plays countertenor. And while this roster isn't too intimidating, The Holy Empire's relentless attack should be too much for San Llera. A single point going San Llera's way would be optimistic.
Prediction: The Holy Empire 5-0 San Llera, San Llera 2-3 The Holy Empire

Sargossa
The 2nd seeded team, ranked 38th in the world, is Sargossa, who recently released their roster for the World Cup. From that roster, we can infer that some of the more dangerous players on the mildly attacking side will be midfield playmaker German Sauseda and striker Federico Noyola, who will pounce on any ball thrown his way. Sauseda, Noyola, and company should be too much for San Llera on the road, but San Llera can look to sneak in a point at home.
Prediction: Sargossa 3-1 San Llera, San Llera 1-1 Sargossa

Jeruselem
Ranked 59th in the world and 3rd in the group is a very strange team of princesses from Jeruselem. Jeruselem has a very storied history in the World Cup, but they are also made up of princesses. And a lot of other very strange characters. Jeruselem have released their roster for the World Cup, but the information provided isn't very helpful in terms of pinpointing their strengths and weaknesses. But what we do know is that Eric Abetzz may be a Nazi, Emma Bunton is a failed pop singer, and Andre Slavis is very grumpy. And we also know that they are ranked considerably higher than San Llera. But I am also biased.
Prediction: Jeruselem 2-0 San Llera, San Llera 2-1 Jeruselem

Omerica
The 4th best team in the group is, unfortunately, still not San Llera, rather 76th ranked Omerica. The Omerican side has released their roster, and it describes a moderately attacking team led by their captain and vice-captain Jan-Niklas Rosenkrants and Kao Rai. I like San Llera's chances to pull an upset or two against this team.
Prediction: Omerica 1-0 San Llera, San Llera 1-0 Omerica

Tumbra
Finally, a team ranked below San Llera, at a measly 173rd. The Tumbran team, like so many others, has not released a roster yet for the World Cup, however World Cup 70 star Henry Pandon will be very dangerous should he return to form. And other World Cup 70 veterans like Don Roberts and Peter Jones were youngsters then, but could have lived up to their promise and trouble San Llera. Tumbra will attempt to upset San Llera, and it is no less likely than San Llera upsetting one of their higher-ups. However, I would hope that San Llera could take care of business.
Prediction: San Llera 2-0 Tumbra, Tumbra 0-0 San Llera

Viktoria
The 7th highest ranked team in the group, in their first World Cup appearance, is Viktoria. Not much is known about Viktoria, other than that they a relatively defensive and extremely young team. Not much is known about their players, but their goalkeeper, it should be noted, is 6'10" and might pose a problem for San Lleran attackers. Viktoria is very difficult to scout, but I think San Llera can take care of the 279th ranked team in the world.
Prediction: San Llera 4-0 Viktoria, Viktoria 0-3 San Llera

The United North States
Finally, we have The United North States, a team ranked last in the KPB rankings at 337th. Like most other teams here, they haven't released a roster for this World Cup yet, but their Baptism of Fire roster outlines a very balanced team led by captain Collin Stacy and striker Logan Walker. But unfortunately for The United North States, last in the KPB won't be enough to earn them a single point against San Llera.
Prediction: San Llera 4-0 The United North States, The United North States 0-2 San Llera

Final Prediction: 7 wins, 2 draws, 5 losses, 22 Goals For, 16 Goals Against
San Llera probably won't reach the playoffs in their second campaign, but it will be an encouraging step in the right direction.

by **Augusticinia** » Fri Jul 03, 2015 3:15 pm

Augusticinian Training Ground

"All Right boys, we are going to try a good exercise. Im going to divide the team up into two teams of ten then you are going to play a Match for an hour against eachother."

Unanimously the team said,"All right."

Idoni came back with a list and said,"All right here is the Draw. Team A: Stanić, Apolostov, Jameson, Wyrzyk, Michelakos, Harrell, Wu, de Filippis, MacBranian, and Bulle. Team B: Aconi, Watson, Dragic, Markov, Maier, Mendoza, McNab, Ljungborg, Viteri, Borgioni. I will be Ref'ing, Mr. Castro will Manage Team A, Mr. Salazar will Manage Team B. You have 10 minutes to consult with your manager."

Augusticinia Practice Game A

2": Harrel (A) takes a shot towards the Lower Left-hand Side but it rolls out.

7": Mendoza (B) tries to chip it over the keeper but it goes over the goal.

11": Ljungborg (B) recieves a yellow card. Team A gets a Free-Kick within Shooting Range.

12": Wu (A) takes the Free-Kick and aims for the Lower-Left Corner but it is saved by McNab

14": Markov (B) aims for the Upper-Left Corner but shoots way over

20": Borgioni (B) taps it into the Right-Hand Side of the Goal. 0 - 1

21": Mendoza (B) tries to score at a 1 on 1 but shoots to far off

26": Markov (B) is given a Yellow Card. Team A gets a Free-Kick from the back

30 + 1": Wyrzyk (A) is given a Yellow Card. Team B gets a Free Kick right next to the Box.

Half-Time

36": Apolostov (A) shoots with his weak foot from the side of the goal. It ends up being off target.

43": Jameson (A) shoots from outside the box. It ends up going wide.

45": Bulle (A) tries to score on a volley but it goes off of the woodwork to out of bounds.

46": Viteri (B) tries to score with the Back-heel but it is saved miraculously by Stanić

48": de Filippis (A) shoots for the center and it is an easy save for the keeper.

56": Maier (B) tries to shoot but trips over the ball making the ball roll out

57": Maier (B) takes a Free-Kick near the box. It is blocked by a defender and bounces out

60 + 5": Harrell (A) attempts to head the ball in but it is saved by the keeper.

Final Whistle. Final Score: A 0 - 1 B

Idoni said,"I think we still have a lot of preparation to do. We will do this exercise once every week. I would like to make the man of the match Mendoza on Team B."

Applause came from the players as they slowly walked to the locker rooms.

by **Gregoryisgodistan** » Fri Jul 03, 2015 3:49 pm

OOC: Done with permission from Llama to ignite the Great War

The Skies, High Above Hicana

Air Force SuperCaptain Jason Clark hovered his command plane high above the Hicanan skies. Today was the day Lord Almighty Gregory's dream vision would finally come true - they were going to nuke Hicana. Lord Almighty Gregory had been promising it for months, but the multiverse had not taken him seriously, understanding his ravings to be those of a madman. But Lord Almighty Gregory was not a bad man. Lord Almighty Gregory was God. And now God was going to smite the wicked Hicanans for their crimes.

At the SuperCaptain's command, 5,000 different jet fighters dispersed from the base anchored off the Hicanan shoreline to their fixed points. This trip took several hours, so those who were in position at closer sites were instructed to circle and not alert any radar. Finally, all the planes were in place and it was time for the Grand Plan. At the captain's orders over the radio, each plane dropped its explosive payload of one nuclear warhead. Gregoryisgodistan could have used ICBM's, but decided to go with this plan instead to intimidate the Hicanans before their deaths. The site of those planes overhead could only mean bad, but they were capable of shooting any Hicanan War planes that came within 10 miles, and they did. Now it was time. Each of them dropped their payload simultaneously so there could be no response time. Then they arched up and away as fast as they could so they would not be caught in the mushroom cloud. In a series of near simultaneous explosions minutes later, all the bombs exploded. 5,000 mushroom clouds were visible throughout Hicana. 75 percent of the population was instantly vaporized by the nuclear blast, and they were the lucky ones. The remaining 25 percent received, or would shortly receive, a lethal dose of radiation and die a slow and painful death. Almost every building was destroyed, either vaporized or blown to bits by the sheer force of the explosion.

Most of Hicana was dead and the rest soon would be. The whole country was a nuclear wasteland and would be uninhabitable for millions of years. The casualties on the Gregoryisgodistani side were minimal - six planes failed to make it away in time and were vaporized. An additional two pilots received a clearly lethal dose of radiation, and a third received a potentially lethal dose but could survive with treatment. But the rest were fine. They managed to escape the mighty mushroom cloud and pilot to safety in their home shores. Gregoryisgodistan would survive, but Hicana was no more. Surely the whole of the multiverse would look down on Gregoryisgodistan for it, but Lord Almighty Gregory didn't care. He never cared. Perhaps this would start a major war as SETO nations saw Gregoryisgodistan as a threat. You never know. But for now, Hicana was destroyed, and it was time for Lord Almighty Gregory to give a speech.

Lord Almighty Gregory's Speech to the People

"Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, and slaves. I speak to you today with great news. We have nuked Hicana, exactly as I have promised. That wicked Enemy List nation is no more, for they have been turned into a nuclear wasteland. I have been told that about 25 percent of their citizens are still alive but are dying slowly and painfully of radiation sickness. The remaining 75 percent were vaporized by the nuclear blasts. They are dead too, needless to say, and their bodies will never appear. But they suffered less pain, so by and large, they are the lucky ones. We look at the remaining 25 percent and watch as they suffer, saying this is what comes to those who dare dishonor me, Lord Almighty Gregory. This is what comes to those who dishonor Gregoryisgodistan. We will not hesitate to do this to our other enemies as well if we feel like it. The Holy Republcian Empire, San Jose Guayabal, and Gloriax have formed a pact that they call SETO. if SETO dares attack us, we will respond by fighting back their armies with all force possible. The Holy Republican Empire is the greatest threat to the multiverse, not us, no matter what they say. I am immortal and will survive forever and always in this multiverse. I may not have an incentive to avoid a nuclear war, since I would survive it due to my immortality, but Consul Kulseth is actively seeking the apocalypse to bring about his so-called Rapture. The Rapture is a lie. Consul Kulseth is a liar. If the Republicans declare war on us, we will fight back viciously with the ultimate goal being to capture the nation, capture Kulseth, slice him with the Brownie Cutter of Death while he is alive, cover his pieces of body with pancake batter, and roast them over an open fire, then feed the pieces to our national heroes who helped destroy Hicana and the Holy Republican Empire. Kulseth will die if he attacks, mark my word. I would encourage him not to, but as he apparently seeks death and rapture, let us grant him his wish. He will die! As for San Jose Guayabal and Gloriax, bring it on. We will destroy them. We will annihilate them if they attack. For fallout concerns, they are too close to nuke, but our human blitzkrieg will work wonders like it always has. They will perish. We will destroy them if they attack us. Do not even think about it if you want to live!

"Thank you, and Me Bless Gregoryisgodistan! Good night, indeed!"

by **Electrum Diplomatic Offices** » Sat Jul 04, 2015 12:17 am

The Furry Coconut - Coconut Isle's finest newspaper

The LAG causes provocation, war must be provoked!
by Jim Snakeoil

Enough is enough Lord Almighty Gregory! The whole, entire multiverse is sick and tired of your innumerable vendettas, especially to the poor nation of Hicana today. The nation of Hicana has been totally, and utterly destroyed by Gregoryisgodistan after thousands of jet fighters simultaneously dropped nuclear warheads onto the poor nation, virtually vaporising the entire populace and leaving the survivors with sickening nuclear radiation for years to come. You lot with your silly laws! Why on earth can we not say the word "coconut" in Gregoryisgodistan, but rather, we must say the word "xylocarp"?! As far as I am concerned, I do not care for your silly "Enemy List," and I will not stand our nation's name being besmirched by the word "xylocarp". Effective immediately, I am banning the word "xylocarp" from general usage all throughout Coconut Isle in protest of that particular ban.

Also, I am pleased to announced, by the powers vested onto me by Margaret, god of Randomness, that Coconut Isle has joined SETO, the South Esportivan Treaty Organisation, to ensure that our common heritage is protected. The preliminary agreement was signed on May 2, 2015, and I have signed the final agreement just two days ago, or two months after the first signing. This is to accelerate our development and partnerships with the bastions of democracy such as Gloriax and San Jose Guayabal. It is this provocation which has led me to declare war on Gregoryisgodistan.

They are an evil peoples and need to be wiped from this planet. That is all. It is time that we save the slaves. It is time we saved the brainwashed populace, and convert them to Margaretism.

Jim Snakeoil is the ruler of Coconut Isle

by **Brenecia** » Sat Jul 04, 2015 1:28 am

Catherine Bardsley swallowed. "So that's it, then. Not even with a bang, but with a whimper."
The BFA President nodded gravely. "I'm afraid so, Ms. Bardsley-"
"Afraid? Fuck off!" Bardsley snatched her coat from the back of her chair. "This is how you reward success, is it? Two World Cups, a semifinal finish in the regional tournament? The restoration of-"
"Ms. Bardsley-"
"-a nation's dignity? If that's your idea of gratitude, I pity the poor bitch who steps up in my place."
The President sighed. "Good day, Ms. Bardsley."
"You can shove your good day up your arse," snapped the former manager of the Brenecian national team, striding out of the room with her head held high and slamming the door shut behind her.

THE ROZELLE OBSERVER
Catherine Bardsley Let Go As National Manager
by Karena Fife

In a controversial move by the BFA, Catherine Bardsley's contract with the national team was not renewed after the Campionato Esportiva. She was officially released earlier this morning.

Catherine Bardsley presided over 84 matches as manager, winning 48. In terms of specifics, she managed to bring the national team to its first two World Cups, winning the first World Cup fixture played (against Felix) - though the next five World Cup matches were all defeats by a single goal. At the time of her arrival, she picked a lot of new blood and cultivated a rapid, aggressive style of play. She was also notable for holding faith in the A-League, which prior managers had maintained far less faith in - the infamous nadir during World Cup 68, where no A-League players were even selected for the Brenecian squad. Given the far enhanced status the A-League enjoys these days, Bardsley has certainly been vindicated in this.

Pressure had been mounting on Bardsley after World Cup 70, however, with a sense that the honeymoon was over and an aging squad she seemed too reluctant to shift from her favoured core. Adding to the sense of the squad being unable to put it together for tournaments were the five straight World Cup defeats. Most of the press felt that a semifinal finish in the Campionato Esportiva would be more than enough to repair that reputation, and yet it seems that her fate was sealed from the start unless she won the tournament.

The frontrunner to replace her is Northern Union manager Althea Reader, with Sasha Bale - recently let go from Kingsgrove and Catherine Bardsley's former assistant manager - another strong candidate. Whoever it is, they will have massive shoes to fill. Bardsley herself offered no comment of note to the media, only stating that "there are many avenues open to me, and I look forward to exciting new pastures where I can further myself as a manager and as a person."

"You want me?"
"That is correct, Ms. Granger."
Granger blinked owlishly behind her glasses, a newspaper held in a limp right hand. She'd kept up with the news about the vacancy in the Brenecian national team, of course she had, but... her? The manager of unglamorous Rozelle United?
"It's just... it's a lot to take in. Um. Am I your first choice?"
It was a stupid question. "Yes," said the voice on the other end of the line, rather glibly.
"Alright. Uh. Yeah, um. I'll do it, I guess."
"You don't seem sure-"
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no," said Granger hastily. "No. Um. Just, as I say... a lot to think about..."
She glanced out the window- was that a cameraman?
He waved to her. Granger swore under her breath.
"Alright, I'll do the job. We can discuss the specifics in person, but ... look, fair warning, some cunt's already leaked this to the press. Talk to you later."
She hung up, breathed for calm and opened the door.

THE ROZELLE OBSERVER
Danielle Granger Announced As Brenecia Manager
by Gareth Horner

Rozelle United manager Danielle Granger has surprisingly managed to win the post of manager for the Brenecian national team.

Granger, fourth-favourite to take charge and a 12-1 outsider with most bookmakers, faces the unenviable task of taking over from an iconic figure in Catherine Bardsley. Exacerbating the problem is the fact that the BFA has not exactly made itself known for loyalty - not only was Bardsley shown the door, but all prior managers in the modern era have been sacked, in Clint Hemingway's case during the middle of a tournament. If Granger slips, the concern is that there will be immediate reaction.

Her first challenge will be the Liberty Cup annual friendly, not held last year due to the redundancy of the two sides having already been drawn against each other in the Campionato Esportiva group stage. Brenecia are the current holders, and will contest the match at Kingsgarden in two weeks' time. Historically, neither team has pulled punches with its squad selection, and it should prove a perfect opportunity for Granger to test out a first XI against top-quality opposition. The next match after that is the Patriots' first World Cup qualifying match, against 257th-ranked Skarosbrekka.

Granger has elected to bring in Fiona Sylver from the Violence Chariots coaching team to become her assistant manager, and further changes in the coaching structure are expected. It remains to be seen what changes in the tactics and squad are to be made.

Already, this seemed like the longest job of Danielle Granger's life.
Admittedly, that would be out of two. Rozelle United had been her first job in the hot seat - promoted from assistant manager. The effect had been immediate. Specifically, it had been promotion, and then she'd kept them up time and time again despite a lack of resources. She knew how to make shrewd signings and how to get the best out of journeyman.
But she had an embarrassment of riches at her disposal now, and they'd just been pumped for two goals in 45 minutes at home.
Was this the right team?
Well, it was a decent stab at one.
Eleven players that put to shame any team she'd had at her disposal before. Urquhart, a dazzling goalkeeper who'd made some great saves to keep the score down. Kilbane and Purrington in central midfield - why hadn't Bardsley tried it? Sure, it wasn't gelling now, but on paper...
Others... others hadn't convinced so much. Scherzer, Connolly and Cullen - the wet dream of anyone who liked quick, interchangeable front threes that had already had so much chemistry - all had been kept quiet. Theresa Riether's hard-working back four had shut them down, Ballard in goal snuffing out any further chances. Murdoch was brutalising Purrington - sure, he was on a yellow card, but Riether had just told Nikita Lundgren to warm up, and like any Chatswood player she was ready to get the job done.
Berenger, at rightback, had been dismal. That was justifiable, but leftback Ronan Dailly hadn't convinced either. And he was a debutant - 28 years old, playing for Crisisbless United, now being pummelled by Brendan Rivers down the right. That was her call. She'd be pilloried if he couldn't improve. And Breton hadn't done too much to convince anyone.
"Oi, Granger!" shouted an unusually clear voice from the crowd. It was a mistake, but Granger looked up to the man - face painted navy blue with a white cross on it. Great.
"The fuck's Camden, Granger? The fuck's Camden?"
She turned away. Yes, that was... another choice. Erin Camden, ninety-odd caps, a fair few goals. Former captain. Not even on the bench here.
And they were missing her fluency on the ball and calm grace under fire. But she was in her thirties, now, and they had to get over her someday. Why not today?
The man obviously disagreed, and spat at her. Granger walked solemnly down the tunnel. This was going to be a long year, alright...

by **Nephara** » Sat Jul 04, 2015 1:29 am

Riether smiled grimly as the full-time whistle blew.
It wasn't pretty, but it had worked. And Katskalidis, given one more chance alongside Belfast - one last chance, for the time being, had impressed.
Everyone had impressed. Ballard in goal had done brilliantly when called upon, making two reasonably pedestrian saves but one particularly outstanding one. Connolly, quiet to that point, had suddenly swerved past Katskalidis and Stockinger, shooting high across Ballard. The goalkeeper had been lurking at her near post, but with prenatural foresight had taken a couple steps towards the centre as soon as Connolly took up possession and hurled herself to the far post as the shot was taken, a fingertip save putting the ball out for a corner (which she subsequently claimed with ease). It had been in the 43rd minute. If that had gone in, Brenecia would've been right back in it.
But the Patriots weren't, despite a defiant home crowd. In a fairly boring second half, the Nepharim shut up shop. Purrington limped off in the 55th minute, careworn from the attentions of Murdoch and Lundgren, and from that point Riether knew that touch of the extraordinary was gone. Particularly as the weak depth began to show through. Adelaide Swain on for Isadora Cullen in the 79th minute was not something to strike fear into her heart.
Credit to the new Brenecian manager, though - she'd made some brave decisions. Not least in keeping Ronan Dailly on the pitch after a torrid first half. He'd improved markedly in the second, making the best of his debut. Maybe they'd do alright after all.
But Nephara would do better than alright. Ballard in goal had excelled, as had the back four - Belfast and Katskalidis at the heart, Christener and Stockinger on the wings, Ritter with a 60th-minute cameo on for the captain. Bottlegreen on the left and Rivers on the right, Murdoch (then Lundgren) in midfield with, of course, Elaine Ashdown putting herself about. Big Mick Kellard up top doing a job, too, creating space and testing Urquhart a couple of times.
Crucially, Rowan Gawain had been the man of the match in the attacking midfield role, looking dangerous throughout and drawing some excellent saves from Geneva Urquhart in the Brenecian goal. Most importantly, though, he was responsible for both assists - passes out to the wings, one for Bottlegreen and the other for Rivers that evaded the Brenecian defence. More of the same, please.
Rivers had been excellent in general as well, not just for the goal, and this performance had only strengthened Riether's hunch that he might be worth a starting berth in the side from now on. When he was taken off in the 84th minute for Merry Reiter to get her debut, the entire away crowd applauded.
And Riether smiled as the final whistle blew, smiled as she shook Granger's hand, smiled as she walked down the tunnel. They could do this.

THE BRINEMOUTH HERALD
'NEPHARA NEEDS ITS DRINKING CULTURE BACK,' CLAIMS RETIRED LEGEND
by Rowena Mason

Hazard Sports pundit and commentator and former international defender Rook Harm has come out in public to make several sensational claims in a recent interview with BigLadUpTop magazine as to why Nephara seems to have lost its trophy-winning spark.

"The team that drinks together wins together," Harm's rant begins, "and so far Riether's managed to win fuck-all, hasn't she? Back in our day, we wouldn't've choked in the semi-finals, even though we had a team far inferior on paper to the current generation. The Campionato Esportiva is our birthright, and we would've fought tooth and nail to have it back home, where it used to be every two years - like clockwork."

When pressed on the nature of what he saw as 'Nepharim drinking culture,' Harm replied, "Back in my day, we went back down to the pub after every match, had a few drinks and got the pressure off our shoulders. We wouldn't go cavorting with filthy Brenecians - if someone needed a good lay, they'd find it within the squad, for fuck's sake. Not some fat sheep-shagger midfield fuck, during the Campionato Esportiva, in the Brenecian squad, playing for Wye, who shall remain nameless."

Harm stopped aiming broadsides at Catherine Purrington long enough to further elaborate on his philosophies. "An international footballer's career has got to be like a perfectly-formed mullet - business at the front for the club, party at the back for the country. If you're just treating it like a job, what's the fucking point? Get twenty-three shitkickers from the Third Division into the green shirt and they'd play out of their skins, probably win a World Cup or something. But these players aren't performing to their capabilities, because they're taking this opportunity for granted."

Harm, who was given the number 5 during the Baptism of Fire that Nephara went on to win, was also present as the Cormorants lifted the sixth Campionato Esportiva and sixth Market Cup. He won 67 caps, scoring once, and after spending the majority of his career in Crisisbless ended it with Egloskerry in Apox.

He closed his argument with a simple swipe at Riether's tactics. "Oh, and using one up front against Brenecia? That's just cowardice, for fuck's sake."

"I'm confused, Portia," said Riether briskly, as she closed the newspaper and tossed it in the bin behnd her. "What actually is this pile of shit that passes for journalism?"
"The Harm article, guv'nor?"
"I mean, that was your generation."
"Yeah, and there was a reason we never made it to the World Cup." Thrift sighed and took a nearby seat, resting her feet on the one next to her. "Don't worry about it."
"I'm not worried. I'm fucking puzzled."
"Not worried about our group at all, either?"
Riether shook her head. "It's a two-horse race, and we're better than Yttribia. It won't be like before. We can be consistent - that's what this change is for, you know? We'll shut teams down like we've rarely managed in the past, hopefully get goals using our actual technique rather than just trying to bash them."
Thrift chuckled. "But if we do need to bash them..."
"That's why Kellard's in the team. And Levy, or Colfer..."
"Right."
Riether shrugged. "I'm just looking for us to do what I know we're capable of - every game. We're going to make this damn Cup, Portia - and then the fun starts. Because I'm going to cause some bloody havoc."

by **Fhulghamous Peninsula** » Sat Jul 04, 2015 5:21 am

SemperFiMarinos.com
The Official Website for Fans of FC Marinos Thimpodopoulos
MATCHES • PLAYERS • TRANSFERS • TEAM NEWS

Marinos Thimpodopoulos in talks to sign Prusy Krolewskie's Lukasz Przyborowski - FCMarinos.com
By George Mazukis [10th in the Premier League, I guarantee you] - 14 hours ago

So apparently after being rebuffed by Pogon Miedrydoje (I can never spell these names right) once again, we've now turned our attention to another Pruski player, Lukasz Przyborowski (I hate writing Pruski names). Don't know much about this guy, haven't been following the Pruski league much, but Googling him says that he's the fifth best in Prusy Krolewskie and that he's now a free agent. Any Pruskis here who can confirm this?

Wojciech Przewalski - 13 hours ago
I am from Prust Krolewskie. I follow Przborowski and can confirm that he is very good striker. Here is video compilation I made for those curious.

George Mazukis [10th in the Premier League, I guarantee you] - 13 hours ago
Nice video! I wish I had the same editing skills you do.

Adam Blatter - [Semper Fi] - 13 hours ago
How much are we looking at to get him. Anyone have any idea as to his wages?

Metrophanes Dandanikos - [The Marinos Insider] - 3 hours ago
From what I hear, we're looking at at least NS$45000 per week.

LaTonya Massey - 12 hours ago
Not too expensive, but not too cheap either. I just hope all this spending early keeps us in the PL.

George Mazukis [10th in the Premier League, I guarantee you] - 12 hours ago
Ikr

LaTonya Massey - 12 hours ago
I'll keep your flair in mind, man

Metrophanes Dandanikos - [The Marinos Insider] - 4 hours ago
The transfer's been confirmed on the official website

Sharif Massoud - [Kevin Kelvin isn't better than Max Fetfatzidis - actual SemperFi user] - 4 hours ago
Good news! I've been following the Pruski league for some time now and he has an absolutely beautiful shot and amazing ball control technique. He is 30 yrs old though so I hope he can still keep it up especially in a physical and demanding league like the PL

Anna Milner - [Semper Fi Marinos!] - 4 hours ago
30 years old? Looks like we're gonna be in the PL for just one season. Two if we're lucky.

Sharif Massoud - [Kevin Kelvin isn't better than Max Fetfatzidis - actual SemperFi user] - 4 hours ago
Not really. Reston's still banging in goals for Wanda Island at 35.

Anna Milner - [Semper Fi Marinos!] - 4 hours ago
Yeah but Reston's built like a tank. Lukasz (I'm not gonna type that name) doesn't look like that way.

Sharif Massoud - [Kevin Kelvin isn't better than Max Fetfatzidis - actual SemperFi user] - 3 hours ago
Ctrl + V is very helpful for that, my friend.

What happened to our interest in Cheim Ogem? - self
By Urros Watley - 3 hours ago

Just a few weeks ago during the Baptism of Fire we were quite heavily linked with that guy. Now there's literally no news about him. Do you think we've dropped our offers for him?

George Mazukis - [10th in the Premier League, I guarantee you] - 3 hours ago
Never did really any sense in signing him. He's the only person in his whole country who knows about football, but even then he doesn't even know things like the offside rule. And he's also quite the temper as seen with Deiorus' press conferences. I see no real benefit for our team other than depth, and even then I don't think he's good enough for that.

Metrophanes Dandanikos - [The Marinos Insider] - 3 hours ago
I heard that we were in talks with Deios Sporting but they've suddenly gone quiet. No one knows what to think about it.

Eberhardt Yunglingssen - 3 hours ago
Even the lizard people don't think it's worthwhile.

WC72 RP Thread

WC72 RP Thread

Qualification Preview WC

Who is online