WC72 RP Thread

by **Krytenia** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 3:31 pm

Bring On The World. Again.
World Cup Finals Preview by Trevor O'Carroll

NOBODY - not even on these shores - expected things to be this good. Even the most optimistic fans would have taken fourth in the group at the beginning of qualifiers. But then, that's Krytenia in a nutshell. Whether it's their seeming inability to win against the never-good Kipto-Mare, losing to Starblaydia eight-nil, beating Bostopia by the same scoreline (in a World Cup Finals game, and still a record for a match at the main event), or the goal-ridden insanities at the Sokojito Überdome, we've never been predictable.

And right now, that's scaring the World Cup establishment half to death.

Fact is, that unpredictability, that sky blue blur coming right out of left field? It's here to stay. Granted, there's a good chance it may not stay here in Valanora for more than three matches, but it will return for World Cup LXXIII, stronger for its escapades. The Aces are not about to be cowed by supposedly superior opponents; speaking of which, let's have a look at the three that Krytenia will face in Group D.

NEPHARA
KPB Rank: 6^th
Nephara are a strange creature. Their ranking would suggest that they're a force to be reckoned with, the big dog on campus; on the other side of that, they've never got further than the last eight. There'll be a familiar face when the Nepharim line up against the Aces; Michael Kellard, known to Emberton Reds fans as the man who replaced Avenida Victoria bound Ronnie van Rijn. Not that Kellard will necessarily have that much to do, as the Cormorants tend to play a defensive game. Expect a lot of possession, and potentially frustration, for the Aces midfield.

Fun note: the common name for a cormorant is a shag. Feel free to insert your own jokes here.

LEGALESE
KPB Rank: 9^th

The Legal Eagles will be hoping to fly high again; like Nephara, the quarter-finals have been the limit of their achievements, but these guys are a little closer to home. Just across the Beck, in fact. Often (mistakenly) derided in Krytenia for seemingly being Starblaydia's "partners in crime", the irony of using the word "crime" there hopefully not being lost, Legalese are in fact a very friendly nation...so long as you like lawyers. Ah well.

Fun note: Legalite clubs compete in the LANE Conference, the "dark side" of the LigAnaia.

FALCUS
KPB Rank: 21^st
Nope, us neither. Krytenia's least-known opponents are also their first, and being the next-lowest ranked team in the group, this is the Aces' most winnable game. If they get three points here, all hell might break loose in the World Cup community.

Fun note: Falcus originally competed as Falconwhereveryouare. They were crap then, too.

So there we are. Falcus, Nephara, and Legalese in that order; if by some (additional) miracle the Aces make it through, it's a three in four chance of another Calanian derby.

Or else the hosts.

Oh crimony.

by **Osarius** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 5:29 pm

Ultimate Teams: Osarius Edition
We ask various Osarius legends to construct their dream elevens...
...For no real reason, to be honest. But it's fun.

The concept of the Ultimate Team in football is something that doesn't really need explanation, does it? It's the whole point behind fantasy football, after all. However, we at OSN are taking it to another level here. We're going to present to you, dream team selections from various Osarius legends -- players and staff -- with their justifications. The only stipulation we gave them, is that they have to be included in the squad they select, so each of our legends has selected ten players to play alongside. At the end of the series, we intend to pit these teams against each other in a simulated tournament to crown an Ultimate Ultimate Team.

Jermain Lewis at age 22, after having
just been named Firewood City captain

First up to select a team; Hall of Famer and current national team manager, Jermain Lewis. We're sure you know plenty about the gaffer, but in case you need a refresher, here's a quick factfile.

The gaffer was born in Firewood, all the way back in 2150 -- he celebrated his 71st birthday earlier this year -- and was signed to Firewood City's academy at age ten. When he broke into the first team almost a decade later, he established himself quickly, impressing then-manager Geert Bakker with his influential and driving runs from midfield. Lewis took over as captain at just 22 years of age, and led the team to a Golden League and OFA Cup double under Benedict di Corradi the same year. When the Osarius national team first entered World Cup Committee sanctioned events, Lewis was named captain. He went on to spend his entire career at Firewood, making over seven hundred appearances -- a club record that still stands -- while making over one hundred appearances for the national team.

Lewis' national team career was perhaps disappointing, as Osarius struggled to become an established team on the international stage -- though he was the first Firebird to score in back to back internationals; scoring in both the 2-3 defeat to Shivat, and 2-0 win over Koodart during the 36th Baptism of Fire -- but his return, as manager... it would perhaps be fair to say it was a slightly different story. Aside the AOCAF Championship and two World Cups the national team has won under his stewardship, he has effectively re-invented the Firebirds. No longer are they the "chokers". No longer are they the underdogs. When they fail to win, there is widespread shock, these days.

It has been a lengthy and successful reign. Jermain Lewis' 200th game in charge of the Osarius national team was the 7-1 victory over Varmelle during qualifying last year, which equalled the national record for largest margin of victory (a feat the team has managed three times under his management; the other two occasions being 6-0 vs Kaldtland and 9-3 vs Nephara). The result edged him ahead of Amandeep Sahota, under whom the national team recorded two 6-0 wins (vs The Sanian Confederacy and The Gypsies, both away from home).

In addition, under Jermain Lewis, Osarius have lost just twenty-eight games [of an astonishing two-hundred and eight! - Ed.] in all competitions, including friendlies. The only nations with more than one win over the Firebirds in that time period are Valanora, Audioslavia, Polar Islandstates and Equestrian States. Until the recent defeat at Mount Crown Stadium at the hands of Lymantatia, Osarius had not been beaten there under the leadership of Jermain Lewis. It was the national team's first defeat in the national stadium since a 3-4 defeat at the hands (hooves?) of the Equestrian States some sixteen years previous.

With all that in mind, it's difficult to argue that Lewis doesn't know a bit. His dream team selection (above) seems to back that notion up.

The Selection

Jermain Lewis' Ultimate Eleven
Seven former Firewood players, but no bias, of course...

GK - Orlando Florian

"Anyone who doesn't pick Landy never actually saw the man play, or they're just fooling themselves. It took something really special to beat him in training, and I like to think I had a pretty good shot on me. There have been great 'keepers since, and they all deserve respect, but Landy... he is and always will be the original Osarius 'keeper, the legend, in my eyes."

LB - Georgina Carsley

"Putting aside how much she'd hit me if I didn't pick her, Georgie is probably one of the best left backs we've -- as a nation -- ever produced. She had impeccable timing in the tackle, rarely ever committed a foul. Strong positioning and really read the game well. Not the best going forward, but she didn't need to be. She knew her job and did it well."

CB - Reiss Ryerson

"Under different circumstances, Reiss could have played up top or in midfield his entire career. He got sort of pigeonholed as a centre back in a way, but that was partly because he was so good at it. I remember players telling me how hard it was to get the better of him because he was just so impressive physically. He was the platform on which Firewood built a lot of success for a while, carrying the ball out of defence."

CB - Juan Pablo Rodriguez

"Lots of candidates here but J.P. tops them all. Look at his age and what he's already accomplished. He never seems to panic either, just what you want at the heart of your defence, a cool head. He's already brilliant and will only get better, so I reckon he's got a great career ahead of him. I like him in the same way I liked Rafa [Higuain] way back when. He has this natural ability to calm everything down. Priceless."

RB - Habib Kouli

"This will probably upset Jay Jay [Anderson] a bit because he was a great fullback, but Habib was something else. He broke into one of the top teams in the country before he'd left school, and enjoyed a solid two decade career. He's done well as a manager too, which says a lot about his tactical understanding. He's the kind of guy you want shutting down those pacy, tricky winger types."

CM - Jermain Lewis

am

Star Player: Ezio Grassi
The former Hastmead striker's lethality in front of goal has impressed Lewis greatly

CM - Serenity Lewis

"I know, I know... But I just... really wish I could have played alongside my daughter. Is that so bad? I shouldn't have to justify this beyond that, really, but if anyone is asking; who was the first player to captain Osarius at a World Cup finals stage? Exactly. Serenity inherited my drive to win, I think, though she's not as harsh as I am. She's more technical, a lot more comfortable playing different roles in the middle."

AM - Benedict di Corradi

not

LW - Rene Wilson-Ouaddou

"I'm cheating a bit here. I know Ren loved to play through the middle more than he liked it on the wing, but just look at my front three. Devastating. Best thing about Ren was his intensity. He didn't know how to hold back, and I think he'd have got on well with Ezio, for example. They both have a similar approach to the game. Ren offers something defensively, too, though. Even if he could be a bit hot-heated at times."

ST - Ezio Grassi

"This one was tough, because I've been lucky enough to play alongside, and manage, some outrageously talented strikers. But at the end of the day, Ezio holds the goalscoring record for a reason. I just can't not pick him, he's one of the main reasons we've won two World Cups. He's an X-Factor. You can't really prepare for a player of his calibre, you can just do your best and hope it's enough. All the while, knowing that if he gets the ball in a shooting position... he's probably gonna score. There's not much you can do about it."

RW - Benni Watson

"Some will say he had his best days playing in the middle, when he was older, leading the team. And he was good then, a great captain, a worthy successor... but people who say that are forgetting just how quick he was, and how smart he was. He always knew the best way to hurt a team. I imagine he could have played in several positions if he'd wanted to, but he liked it out wide, getting chalk on his boots. He'd pick the wing, if I asked him, I'm sure."

OSN Ultimate Team: Osarius Edition
Jermain Lewis | Roque Acosta | Benni Watson
Ayanna Barca-Carthy | Jayson Dhanda

by **San Jose Guayabal** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 7:51 pm

National Defence Council Head Quarters - San Salvador - 07:25

The committee woke up relatively early, considering it is full austral winter and the sun appears in its splendor in the sky at about eleven o'clock, the committee literally rose early to discuss certain issues of relevance to the war that was fighting alongside the Allies Block hedge against Gregoryisgodistan and ultimately against the regime of The Sword Bloke, the latter nation had been responsible for causing a number of casualties and allegedly shattered all the "port" city of Metapan (Metapan is not a port, by the way), finally, the population of San Jose Guayabal was already showing discomfort with such situation of war, the people are thirsty for peace and wish to further bond between the nation, with the main factor responsible "La Selecta" that failed to qualify for the third time to the World Cup Finals, a sign that the sport and peace go hand in hand.

Queen yawn and began to speak with Colonel Saavedra and Pereira, talking about how to resolve the issue with Gregoryisgodistan, Pereira spoke and said, after taking a coffee "Agreeing to war with Gregoryisgodistan would be a smart thing considering that already we caused enough damage, and attack again would be like shooting a dead, what I'm getting at is that it is not necessary to shoot at someone who has been defeated, that's enough. 'The Saavedra Colonel began to differ slightly from what Pereira said, saying "A dead? These rats never be presumed dead, really, ever. "Making Queen spoke" more war against them is not necessary, the same people said that it is necessary to end this war and the people are tired of this. "The Colonel Saavedra spoke and said annoyingly" But can it be? Why not settle for once? "The Prime Minister told Camargo Saavedra" War is against the government of Gregoryisgodistan, but I have noticed that you are taking this against innocent people, first, the stadium was really attack necessary? "Saavedra said," Sure, it was necessary. "The Prime Minister was outraged and said" I might have said, continue, but many of the dead were children, were children. "Saavedra said haughtily" And does it matter? "words caused Camargo retired to the bathroom showing some degree of indignation with these words of Saavedra.

Prime Minister Camargo went to the bathroom and decided to wash his face, looking to prepare an argument that would lead to Saavedra be convicted for actions that were committed during the war, as not all killings were authorized by the government, including 360 children killed in a village in Gregoryisgodistan, something that is totally abhorrent by any human being, the Prime Minister called in the bathroom to the General Prosecutor of the Kingdom in the bathroom, turning on the jets and hand drying machine in order to avoid being heard by someone, Camargo began and said "Hey, how are you? I have something very important to tell you now. "The Attorney General, Natassia Cabello responded by saying" What is it? I hope it's something important worth to be awakened middle of the night. "Camargo said" Is it possible to impute to Saavedra in charge of crimes against humanity? Considering the slaughter of 360 children in a village, that was just wild. "Cabello said" That gets the maximum sentence, although 20 years is the highest in almost any crime, only terrorism and crimes against humanity can receive death penalty or be automatically deported to the country where the incident occurred. "Camargo said" you support a cause for trial? "to which Cabello answered" Yes, it is a nightmare to see innocent children being killed by being involved indirectly in conflict in which they did not choose to be involved. "Camargo said" It is good to know, I am pleased to hear that kind of news, I'll start proceedings against Saavedra soon, I notify if there are new, enjoy the rest of the night, you can sleep. "
After ten minutes, Camargo returned to the hall and found a stony silence, perhaps because the typical old style of Guayabalense people not to talk behind the other, but to say that the truths of front Camargo sat down and talked with Queen, Her Highness spoke saying "Poor children, should not have been killed, they did not choose have been at war, indeed, they had refused to be at war, so we have done that is simply unacceptable." To which Camargo said "Because I do not accuse them of crimes against humanity?" To which the Queen replied he saying "It would be excellent, just splendid." The Queen called security in the building and ordered the arrest of Saavedra instantly for trial in a court-martial.

And with Saavedra out of the way, Joaquín Pereira was promoted to the rank of General Commander of the Armed Forces, Pereira, a great strategist who opts for missions that do not involve blood, was responsible for the attack of electromagnetic pulse against Gregoryisgodistan and The Sword Bloke, Pereira spoke with The Queen and I said "Why do not we just this once? Gregoryisgodistan negotiate with a solution to the conflict that will be beneficial, as with The Sword Bloke, I think that's enough war for this decade, I believe it is time to rearm and prevent any possible war in the future, let's do it for our citizens." The Queen agreed with Pereira, deciding to end the Great War.

by **The Royal Kingdom of Quebec** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 8:15 pm

Across Vorita

Taking over Vorita was pretty easy. Crippling the military after several hours of Yoongdan Pokgyeok, the Imperials proceeded to march into the cities and towns of the Northern province. One after another they were liberated, with citizens welcomed and high-fived by the Commonwealth soldiers and their Legion of Lucifer partners as they put the Quebecois flag on top of every municipal landmark and public building. By the end of third day, all of this was done. Vorita was completely liberated and more was to come in next few days.

Those few days went the way the Quebecois wanted. Churches were burned, veils were shed and people liberated from their shackles of the oppressive rules of the Kulseth Regime, as they took to the streets and celebrated over the course of time. Lovers would cry in each other's arms and engage in wild intercourse, while the stoners and other religious practitioners practiced their arts over the streets and homes after years of oppression and pain. And the soldiers, the ones behind all this, just enjoyed the festivities around their bases, before going back to work on a greater mission.

Somewhere in Central Free Republics....

Captain Veleno hovered his plane high above the Republican Army. At his command, the remaining batches of imperial planes left off the Base, put in their fixed point. It's been 12 hours since their takeoff from various airfields off the Northern shorelines, but it seemed to most of 5,000 pilots in 4,000 planes and LCBM missile operators down Patistani bases. 6 hours of harsh, challenging battle took toll on large number of the planes, for they had to face the Republican patrols guarding the way to Republican General Hodge's 1st Army. This, a clear Quebecois victory, left 358 planes and 640 lives lost and few others injured, so the first batch had to return to bases while the second ones took over for the actual mission.

Fortunately, they still had more than enough pilots, ammunition and planes to complete the mission. With the Republican patrols being eliminated, they knew that the Republicans had no aerial mode of defence in what's been a muddy, painful ride that had them stuck on lakes of muddy Passchendales that the Felixian Nazis had to handle in last Civil War. With one million men encamped for overnight, surrounded by a lake of mud and crocodiles, they all knew this had to be the time they bomb the Republicans until every last one of them perished......

Nejax, Free Republics

At General's command, 1,000 jets took off from the Gregoryisgodistani Naval base off the Republican shores. Charged with fuel, bombs and surprising parcel packages, those floating bombs were flown to be destroyed in ground as expected. The pilots, in which there are 1,431 of them, were meant to die- they were criminals found guilty of serious offences such as rape, human trafficking and treason (which included republicanism). Being spared of execution back home, they instead were sent out to die burning, crushed and regretting somewhere far, far from their homeland. Most didn't like this option of death, but there was nothing they could do to stop it, for they had committed executionable crimes.

The journey took few hours, so the planes were spread out right above cities and major military and government establishments. Once all in place, they were in place for the bombing. Upon the orders of General's command, they dropped 5 million contraceptives over the skies, as if it's been raining Trojanas. After hearing the offer, Trojana, who had just opened its megafactories in Santa Ana and Jeruselem (OOC: asked latter for permission and he said sure), agreed to produce such amount and quickly came up with the solution. Few days later, Nejax was raining with contraceptives.

But that's not it, as the Imperial Commands had another addition to it. Shortly after dropping their load, all the systems on the plane were shut down. With no way to save the pilots from death, the planes dropped like flies after flies, before crashing into the ground. With planes still possessing bombs and great amount of fuel...

by **Valanora** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 8:57 pm

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, my fellow Vanorians. I sit before you today as we continue to flourish in this grand age of prosperity, tranquility, and harmony. This has been a blessed time from the great Goddess, of that I am sure that we all can agree upon. Valanora has seen its share of ups and downs through its history and it is without a doubt always come out stronger and better than before, even if it took some time to put all the pieces of the empire back together again. Going all the way back to before Valanora was formed or the Elven Alliance was originally formed to create the Elves Security Forces, these people have had a tenacity and determination that has been the bedrock of a glorious people that created a glorious empire.

To that end, we've seen much in the way of exporting our greatness across the world, most notably in the field of sport. Records still stand to this day that have been set for many years by our players and our teams when it comes to various competitions, though we all know that the World Cup and World Cup of Hockey are where the nation truly flourishes and where the populace places the most attention. It was on this day seventy-five years ago that the nation decided to put forward its first international team into the World Cup, after having previously performed for four years in a smaller competition. Seventy-five years ago, the nation decided to take a risk that many at the time thought it was a foolish and irresponsible move. However in under two decades that national team would find success in ways that would begin the process of it becoming one of the most well known and respected national teams across the world.

That reputation still stands strong to this day, even when the national team is, at a glance, not quite up to the same par that the teams of the past have been. However the crest of the national team carries five stars for a reason, representing each one of the record sharing of championships that the Marauders have won in the World Cup. Now, seventy-five years after our first entrance into the World Cup, we are bringing the World Cup back to Valanora once again. In just a few short weeks, millions of tourists from across the globe will be descending upon our nation and to our footballing venues as the month long tournament takes place within our borders for a record sixth time.

It seems a bit apt that the world shall come to Valanora just a few short years after we took up the whole of the Arrosia continent after a disastrous astronomical event laid waste to much of the continent. It took some time and dedication but we were able to stabilize the entire continent and have fully integrated it into the nation, with the rail systems being connected and even the local football clubs being put into the pyramid of the league. It is in honor of this full integration of the Arrosia continent into the empire and the anniversary of the first Vanorian entrant into the World Cup that we have changed the flag of Valanora. The new flag represents the unity of the Empire coming together to form a stronger bond than there was before. This flag will fly during the entirety of the World Cup and then will be joined by the traditional Stars and Scimitars as the official flags of Valanora."

by **Valanora** » Fri Jul 24, 2015 11:44 am

Valanora Times
VSC Announces Group Venues

This afternoon the VSC, along with the VFA and the rest of the Vanorian World Cup Hosting Committee, announced the venues for all the group stage fixtures set to take place within the Eternal Empire. As is tradition, our Marauders will be opening up the competition in the capital in the majestic Battleground stadium and should they find a way to get to the Final, that is where this World Cup will come to an end as well. We wish all our visitors to Valanora a good time and to enjoy the culture and diversity of our realm.

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

OOC: This can also be found in the IC post at the start of the thread.

by **Krytenia** » Fri Jul 24, 2015 4:47 pm

OOC: Admit it. You've missed these.

ALL ABOUT THAT ACE
as sung by the Cyan Army Ladies' Chorus

Because you know it's all about that Ace
Bout that Ace, no purples
It's all about that Ace
Bout that Ace, no purples
It's all about that Ace
Bout that Ace, no purples
It's all about that Ace
Bout that Ace (ace ace ace ace)

Yeah it's pretty clear,
We ain't no damn n00bs,
'Cause we can pass it, play it,
And score a goal or two,
Yeah we got that zoom zoom that all you guys hate,
That puts your defence in all the wrong places.

We see that Jaffacake, with goats and Photoshop;
You can't beat RN3, come on now let it drop,
We are the Cyan Army, we're risin' up
Because even though we started at the bottom we're on top!

Yeah now Rami he told us don't worry, we've got van Rijn,
Avenida Victor-ya they signed him, he's doing fine,
And Valrauncion he'll pass ya and score as he strolls along,
So if you think we'll just roll over then we'll prove you wrong!

Because you know it's all about that Ace
Bout that Ace, no purples
It's all about that Ace
Bout that Ace, no purples
It's all about that Ace
Bout that Ace, no purples
It's all about that Ace
Bout that Ace (hey!)

We're bringing Rami back,
Go ahead and tell those 'slavian whingers that,
(and we're not kidding) You think you're all that?
Well just remember guys that even though we started at the bottom we're on top!

Yeah now Rami he told us don't worry, we've got van Rijn,
Avenida Victor-ya they signed him, he's doing fine,
And Valrauncion he'll pass ya and score as he strolls along,
So if you think we'll just roll over then we'll prove you wrong!

Because you know it's all about that Ace
Bout that Ace, no purples
It's all about that Ace
Bout that Ace, no purples
It's all about that Ace
Bout that Ace, no purples
It's all about that Ace
Bout that Ace (x3)

by **Gregoryisgodistan** » Fri Jul 24, 2015 5:14 pm

Victory at Last! Guayabal Surrenders!

In what is a brilliant and jubilant news, the devil nation of San Jose Guayabal has announced it will cease military activities in Gregoryisgodistan immediately, bringing the western front of the war to an end. Victory parades were held throughout Gregoryisgodistan, but the war continues in the so-called Holy Republican Empire, which is anything but holy. As a result, Gregoryisgodistan will now devote their full military effort to assassinating Consul Kulseth, wiping the Republicans off the map, and allowing a Legion of Lucifer government to come to power. Lord Almighty Gregory has assured Legion of Lucifer that they will be removed from the Enemy List if they take power in the Republics. However, should their temporary ally Samuel Izmailov take power, they will remain on the Enemy List but at least the war will be over for the time being. Meanwhile, the Gregoryisgodistani Air force continues to bomb Saintland with conventional bombs, as the Sanctii tremble in fear and praise their false God Eye-ee-zus. They beg for mercy, but none shall be forthcoming until Petrus and Andreas are dead and Feministvs Sanctvsterra is in power.

Meanwhile, Lord Almighty Gregory gave a speech.

Lord Almighty Gregory's Speech to the People

"Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, and slaves. I speak to you today with great news. The war against San Jose Guayabal is over! We have agreed to a cease in hostilities from both sides, and we will now be able to devote our full attention to removing the major menace from the multiverse, Consul Kulseth and his nation which I won't even dignify by naming. Kulseth will be killed, he will be sliced with the Brownie Cutter of death, he will be deep fried, he will be coated in pancake batter, and he will be eaten. Kulseth is a clown, a fool, a devil, a wicked evil man, and soon, he will be a dead man. And Legion of Lucifer will be in charge, praise be them. Once Legion of Lucifer is in charge, the new regime will be removed from the Enemy List and we look forward to a period of open trade, exchange, and shared hatred of the Sanctii. Unless, of course, Feministvs Sanctvsterra comes to power there, in which case, Me Bless them. For I am God and that is what I do.

"But now, I must talk about other matters. Recently, the wicked, heathen land of Chiata released a defamatory song about me, the God of the Multiverse. I will not sing these lyrics for they are banned now, but they were highly insulting. And now Chiata must be punished for their sins. Indeed, Chiata, effective immediately, has been added to the Enemy List. They waged war on us, they pillaged and bombed our cities, and now they wrote a mocking song about me. They must pay for their sins. This is how they will pay. They join our other Enemy Nations on the Enemy List. We will kill their citizens and we will be rewarded. For I am God and that is what I say. Prasie me, bow to me, and kill Chiatans. Do not let any of them sing this mocking song or even hear it ever again. Nobody makes mocking songs about God if they want to live. But Maria Polus is not God, nor is the woman impersonating her, so we can and do make mocking songs about her. And remember, Maria Polus is completely heterosexual. That's a great song about how she's completely not heterosexual, by the way. Chiata is devil, Saintland is devil, Maria Polus is dead and woman impersonating her is devil. We will kill Kulseth soon, as well as King Andreas, ex-King Petrus, and everyone in the line of succession to the Sanctii throne, putting Feministvs Sanctvsterra in charge. That will be glorious, won't it. Now let's nuke our enemies and rejoice. It is a harsh time, but I guarantee we will destroy the Republicans sooner or later. It may take a while, but Kulseth will be dead, Legion of Lucifer will be in charge, and there will be much rejoicing. We will even invite Legion of Lucifer to share in the ceremonial feast on Kulseth. Yum yum yum. He will be eaten.

"That is all for now, but first I would like to wish the Foot Slaves good luck in their first ever World Cup. We're heavy underdogs, I have no delusions about that, but my goal is to at least not finish with zero points, and maybe even exceed my goal. Let's go out there and shock the world, people!"

Gregoryisgodistan Army Within 100 Miles of Republican Capital

According to reports from the Republican front, Gregoryisgodistani troops are within 100 miles of the Republican capital border, burning churches as they go and helping Legion of Lucifer install themselves in towns all around. It will be a much harder fight to get into and through the capital itself, especially to breach the Republican government offices and capture Kulseth, but together with Legion of Lucifer, the Gregoryisgodistanis seem poised to do it. Unless the Quebecois get there first, in which case they can share in the feast too. But Gregoryisgodistan wants to kill him themselves to make him suffer in a way the Quebecois military can't without being court-marshaled. And the Qubecois will probably be more than happy to wait and hand him over, even if he has to be "taken forcefully" to avoid the court-marshaling of the Quebecois. They know exactly what we plan on doing, and they don't mind. The remaining 100 miles won't go nearly as quickly, with the heavy Republican guard, but for now, churches have been burned all over, the Republicans are cowering in fear or pledging allegiance to Legion of Lucifer, and everyone is giving thanks to Lord Almighty Gregory for saving them - well, except the Church of Saintland members who are being shot in the head. But nobody ever liked them so boo hoo.

It will require great effort by the military to do their job, but sooner or later, they will do it. Kulseth will be dead and all will feast on his pieces.

by **Northern Sunrise Islands** » Sat Jul 25, 2015 1:37 pm

Back by popular request (and also because it's a hell of a cash cow)...

Snowflake Games (SnoGa) presents once again a new World Cup Game, now with 20% more flair and 20% more parry action!

After the World Cup 70, the trophy was broken into pieces by a foreign force while waiting to return for the 71st edition. By the time a 72nd World Cup tournament was announced, eighteen pieces were mailed for eighteen different figures with three other names listed on the letter as the people one should recruit for the upcoming tournament, where the winner would unite each piece of the trophy and be then the hero that saved an otherwise group of useless gold bits.

CHARACTERS

A grand total of seventy-two characters, depicting some of the most prominent national football teams to the new additions of the scenery and the eventual team that wasn't even signed up for the Cup, yet pops up because they buy it a lot. All here!

DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT

After a brief contest to fill in designs for nations that were not included, this design for Mangolana was picked as the winner and as such, will be available for free after the first match of the World Cup.

Grab yours now... There's not really any pre-order bonus, just grab it. Believe us, it's soooo worth it!

by **Nephara** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 4:02 am

Ten Years Ago...
It had all seemed so... different.
Regional tournaments were one thing, he'd seen those. Cups of Harmony, been there. Routine away trips? Yeah, that too.
But the World Cup. Christ.
It's a long way back to Chenoworth, Hadrian Belfast reflected.
"Oi, Hadi!" came the distant voice of Gethin Ramsey. "... The fuck is Hadi?"
Belfast found a strong hand fall on his shoulder. "Come on, lad," thrummed the low, powerful voice of Karl Finnan. "Let's not get lost in the crowd, eh?"
Belfast nodded, and scratched at his jawline - scruffily unshaven on a youthful face. He was 23 and looked it.
"Sorry, Karl. Just got a little... well, overwhelmed, you know?"
"Yeah..." Finnan sighed, and looked around. All the colours, all the fans of different cultures. He could hear Nepharim accents in the distance, too - raucous ones in a pub. That, at least, felt almost like home.
"Just all happened so fast. Fuck."
"Yeah, I know. First capped at, what, twenty? And now this... ahh, don't worry, lad, we're all feeling the whole 'holy shit, we're here' thing." The big Crisisbless man chuckled. "Even the veterans're feelin' it. You know I even caught Gerd staring at fireworks for a while? Motionless! For like, five, ten minutes! It's a big fuckin' deal that we're here, Hadi."
"Yeah, but it's not just that."
"Yeah?"
Belfast scratched the back of his neck. He hadn't had a great set of qualifiers. Truth be told, people had started to doubt his ability, and it was getting to him a lot more than he liked to admit. "Well... all these people came so far for us, right? But we're not favourites to win, not favourites to progress. Fuck, we aren't even favourites to score a goal."
Finnan snorted.
"But, like... you know, I've been thinking, what if we let 'em down?"
"Ahh, that's always the risk, lad."
"But here?"
Was that thunder rolling in the distance? No, it was the slow, steady footsteps of Gerhard Thunder. A veteran of the Baptism of Fire, a living legend to his countrymen, 6'6" and 211 pounds of pure bloodyminded muscle. At thirty-three years of age, this might just be his swansong, but like fuck was he going to act like it.
Quiet, please. The Cormorants' number seven is speaking.
"You're too young to be worrying about that shit," the striker rumbled. "Twenty-three? Fuck, all you got to do is go out there and play for ninety minutes."
He looked around, toying with a jade-green-and-blue banner with one meaty fist. New Sideburn's colours. Their colours. "This's new to all of us, but, fuck, the way I see it? It's the world's biggest party, every two years, and we're the star guests. So just live a little, alright? Enjoy your time here, and when you go out there on the pitch in a couple days against the States, just focus on doing your best. That's how we all got this far."
Belfast nodded mutely. In his peripheral vision, so did Finnan - one of the biggest and most violent centre-halves at this tournament, and all Finnan could do was nod.
"Can't choke on all that pressure," Belfast muttered.
"That's right. You're a good lad, Hadi. Clever, passionate. And a good fuckin' footballer, too - I'll wager this won't be the last World Cup you'll see, eh? But it's up to you to make somethin' of it."
"Right... yeah, right!" Belfast nodded, confidently.
"That's my lad. Now let's all go have a few drinks, yeah? 'S a new dawn tomorrow. Let's not waste it without a hangover."
"Hadrian?" That was a strange voice. Didn't seem right. Didn't seem to fit in with his memories.
"I'll drink to that!" Finnan's voice boomed through streets that already seemed more distant, greyer...
"Hadrian?"
"He's asleep, isn't he."
"He's not fucking asleep, he's-"
"Is he dead?" Rosewood? But he wasn't with the team ten years ago... ten years ago he was, what, thirteen?
"He's not fucking dead either, Mal. Jesus christ."
All suspension of disbelief for the pleasant memory gone, Belfast slumped forward in his chair, scratching his neck.
"He's fucking dead. He just-"
"Fuck off, Mal," came the sharp voice of Isadora Caravella. "See? Alive. Eyes open. Alert. Every inch the Nepharim captain. What's up, chief?"
"I was... dreaming."
"He was asleep!" The triumphant voice of Brigid Kestrel, somewhere over to the left.
"Yeah, daydreaming," snapped Caravella. "Happens to us all. Anyway, chief, the intercom started shouting about, like, it's about to start going down and shit."
"Wait, going down? We're all gonna die!"
"Shut up, Mal. It's going down as in landing. Obviously. Idiot. Anyway, you were... day... dreaming... so I figured you'd want to be woken up for this part."
"Right," grunted Belfast. "The fun part."
"Right, yeah! That bit! Now-"
A beep from the intercom. "We are now beginning the landing process... please strap yourselves in. The local time is 5.54pm - welcome to Raynor City!"
"Oh, hell-" muttered Caravella, a moment before the turbulence started.

Daniel Kruse smiled, quietly.
He wasn't someone to shout around his name, but he was really just happy to be here. He hadn't expected to come at all until getting a late run as the number 6, partnering Belfast at the back.
They were roommates now, by chance - along with sharp-featured, emotional Cawdor and aggressive, surly Lundgren. It worked well enough for them all. Live together, get dressed together, go down for breakfast togethe- well, okay, Lundgren generally had to be dragged half-asleep out of her bed to the nearest coffee, but it worked out.
Valanora was a strange place, but Kruse liked it well enough. The elves were nice enough, in a lofty way, and they seemed to have a fair amount to be proud of judging by their cities (not to mention their football team). No cars, that was one of the biggest things. He knew it... intellectually, going in, but he hadn't expected it to make this much difference.
Forests were nice, too. Nothing like that back home - let alone in the cities.
They'd arrived earlier than they'd used to, according to Belfast. Riether had been insistent on being one of the first teams to arrive, to 'acclimitise' or something science-sounding like that. Get used to the climate, the culture. The grass.
Some of them had complained - Lundgren had, but then she'd only played for Chatswood. Kruse, and the other LigAnaia players in particular, knew it better than anyone else - every country was different. You learned that when routinely hopping between about six of them.
This was good, anyway. This was nice. This was peaceful. Something he could get used to.
A heavy hand fell on his shoulder. He resisted the urge to yelp.
"'S just me," muttered Hadrian Belfast, slipping alongside him on the wooden bench.
"Oh, fuck, alright. Was worried for a second." Goddamn, Kruse hated it when people approached him from the back.
"Nothing to be worried about." The bed creaked a little. "'S nice in this place. You ever been here before?"
"Never. Seen elves before, but that's about it. And mostly Starblaydi ones, anyway."
"Mmh."
"You?- wait, that's a stupid question. Hawk. Obviously."
"Right. He's a good lad."
They sat together for a while.
"Hadi..."
"Yeah?"
"Really reckon we can win this whole thing?"
Belfast looked back at him, as Kruse's honest blue eyes shined right back up in the captain's face. "I mean," Kruse went on, "it just... maybe you're, I figure you're used to the expectations, and all, but I've never been to the Cup before. Never even been to the Campionato Esportiva before!"
"You were in that Under-21 Cup team..."
"Yeah, but that was different, it was... I mean, ten years ago I was out on the streets of Sabrefell, my father had just been laid off but I was in the academy, people were starting to pin hopes on me..."
Kruse sighed. Belfast, rather awkwardly, patted him on the back.
"It's alright, son."
"I've come a long way, and I'm starting to get a pretty bloody bad case of vertigo. I mean, to be starting alongside... well... you! It's scarcely believable."
"Don't think about it like that," said Belfast, gently but firmly. "We're both just two players from twenty-three. And to be honest, we don't have time to get starstruck. Not with this group coming up."
"Mmh."
"And... yeah."
"Yeah what?"
"Yeah, we can win this tournament. Fuck, we're capable of anything. Aren't you meant to be the young voice of passionate reason, all full of belief?"
"Maybe if this were a sport film..."
Belfast chuckled, and clapped him on the back. "Well, maybe we can still get our Hollywood ending from this, eh? Well, first off, it's Legalese. Got to keep your eye on the next opponent, you know?"
Kruse looked deep into Belfast's sharp brown eyes, and nodded solemnly. "Right. Beat Legalese first."
"Right! Now you're learning. So... you want to look through one of these damn forests or what?"

by **Semarland** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 4:53 am

CELEBRATIONS OCCURRED THROUGHT SEMARLAND as the national team qualified for the World Cup Finals for the first time. A 5-2 win in Buyan was enough to send them through and Semarland have been drawn in Group A – an all Atlantian Oceania group with hosts Valanora, and coincidentally neighbours the Royal Kingdom of Quebec and Mertagne, whom Semarland are sandwiched inbetween them.

Andreas Jansen has picked his final squad, with the unlucky 7 cut from the final squad being Inzazi Dvulu, Guillaume Chanoure, Knut Sakho, Matisse Obadaniah, Linus Eriksen, Matjas Nordland and Jakob Poulsen. To be fair, out of all them, only Sakho and Nordland made a significant impact and were tipped to be ahead of attacking midfielder Florent Marcssen and Soren Pedersen/Yacouba Sakho who hardly made any appearances in qualifying.

In this preview we’ll be looking at our chances and our overall prediction of what will happen in the World Cup. First we face Mertagne at the Angelotic Temple, followed by the hosts, Valanora at The White Fortress. The game against Mertagne could see Marc Lygaard make his 200th appearance for Semarland, and he’s deserved every one of them. Despite us being the second-lowest ranked team in the tournament (45th), ahead of Krytenia (86th), I reckon we could pull out two draws against Mertagne and Valanora, maybe even a small win if we’re lucky. Call me a pessimist but I have to sadly admit it’s unlikely we’ll qualify.

Then to round things up, we play our good friends, neighbours, you name it, the Royal Kingdom of Quebec. They’ve got a strong squad, and being the highest ranked team in our group we reckon they’ll beat us. You never know, we could scrape through to the Round of 16, but all of us need to be at our sharpest because we’re playing some tough opposition. We’re not playing the likes of Helmon, St Saratoga and Gylias now, we’re playing Mertagne, Valanora and the Royal Kingdom of Quebec.

So, let’s crack on with the full preview, shall we?

GROUP A

Royal Kingdom of Quebec
Ranked: 12th
Manager: Jayson Dhanda (OSR)
Captain: Frederic Beauchemin, MC
Star player: Leonardo Conavacio, ST
Prediction: 1st. We reckon they’ll top the group. Sharp squad, sharp manager. What’s not to like?

Mertagne
Ranked: 22nd
Manager: Farrel Kiter (As of AOCAF 47)
Captain: Not designated
Star player: Spencer Fox, ST (As of AOCAF 47)
Prediction: 4th. They’re a good ranked team, and our neighbours, but they’ll finish 4th, only just slightly though.

Valanora
Ranked: 36th
Manager: Vanauraiiel Nardironel
Captain: Laborious Hawk, MC
Star player: Laborious Hawk, MC
Prediction: 2nd. They’re hosts, expect lots of fans to come and cheer them on. Oh, they have Laborious Hawk, too.

Semarland
Ranked: 45th
Manager: Andreas Jansen
Captain: Marc Lygaard, ST
Star player: Marc Lygaard, ST
Prediction: 3rd. I don’t think we’ll qualify, but I don’t think we’ll come last, either.

GROUP B

The Holy Empire Not to be confused with the Holy Republican Empire
Ranked: 5th
Manager: Juan Tzimisces
Captain: Not designated
Star player: Unknown
Prediction: One of the greatest teams there is, yet we know so little about them. 1st.

Felix
Ranked: 11th
Manager: Unknown
Captain: Unknown
Star player: Unknown
Prediction: Know so little about the current state of their national team, too. Good rank but 4th.

Kandorith
Ranked: 24th
Manager: Xi Tiang
Captain: Not designated
Star player: Meng Zeiji, ST
Prediction: Not a bad team. 3rd.

San José Guayabal
Ranked: 25th
Manager: Paulo Oliveira (VLD) and Alfredo Herrera (AQU [OSR])
Captain: Rodolfo Zelaya, ST
Star player: Rodolfo Zelaya, ST
Prediction: Very strong team on the up in terms of rankings. 2nd

GROUP C

Pasarga
Ranked: 2nd
Manager: Jullian van Setten
Captain: Csaszar Mor, MC
Star player: Zdenek Moravec, DC
Prediction: No question. 1st.

Farfadillis
Ranked: 14th
Manager: Steffan Pekarik (PIS)
Captain: Yurpá Mêndêlöíndçêl, DMC
Star player: Yurpá Mêndêlöíndçêl, DMC
Prediction: A very good team, no doubt about that, but we reckon they’ll finish 3rd.

Apox
Ranked: 23rd
Manager: Gavin Hughes
Captain: Solomon Etezadi, DC
Star player: Tolgus Tregajorran, ST
Prediction: A strong side, the country will now appoint someone to be the new WCC President replacing Kirkkegaard and Ragnorak of Polar Islandstates. 2nd.

Kirisaki
Ranked: 33rd
Manager: Kurumi Shirakiin
Captain: Mikoto Tsuchimikado, AMC
Star player: Saten Ruiko, DMC
Prediction: Undoubtedly a talented – and energetic side, it’s a hard call but sadly we think they’ll finish 4th.

GROUP D

Nephara
Ranked: 6th
Manager: Theresa Riether
Captain: Hadrian Belfast, DC
Star player: Kurtis Quinn, ST
Prediction: In a country where “cunt” is one of the most popular words, football is undeniably their biggest talent. Obviously 1st.

Legalese
Ranked: 9th
Manager: Ben Gammal
Captain: Not designated
Star player: Unknown
Prediction: Relatively near us on the map but annoyingly we have little info on them. Except they’re good. So 3rd.

Falcus
Ranked: 21st
Manager: Unknown
Captain: Unknown
Star player: Unknown
Prediction: Like Legalese, we don’t know much about them. So sorry. 4th.

Krytenia
Ranked: 86th
Manager: Rameses Niblick III
Captain: Michel Demetrius, DL
Star player: Ronnie van Rijn, ST
Prediction: 86th? And they’ll qualify? You’re mad, you say. Considering we don’t know much about Falcus and Legalese, then why not? 2nd.

GROUP E

Audioslavia
Ranked: 10th
Manager: Alexander Kirk
Captain: Frantzko Intxausti, DC
Star player: Janos Hufschmied, MC
Prediction: One of the greatest nations in WCC history, we reckon they’ll keep up their good WC form. 1st.

Ko-oren
Ranked: 15th
Manager: Bogdan Antonescu (FUR) and Darius Fitzpatrick
Captain: Katanmak Juliasterinthen, DC
Star player: Katanmak Juliasterinthen, DC
Prediction: Good team. It’ll be close for second place, I must say, but I reckon they’ll do it. 2nd.

Equestrian States
Ranked: 29th
Manager: Unknown
Captain: Unknown
Star player: Unknown
Prediction: Sadly we couldn’t find any recent info. The other hosts for Groups E to H. 3rd.

Gregoryisgodistan
Ranked: 40th
Manager: Horse Beater KFIU9140
Captain: Laredo Potato, ST
Star player: Laredo Potato, ST
Prediction: Probably gonna get us on their “enemy list” but in fairness it’s a tough call – 4th.

GROUP F

Polar Islandstates
Ranked: 3rd
Manager: Morten Rasmussen
Captain: Willem Otkupschikov, DC
Star player: Rauno Bickermann, ST
Prediction: One of the best teams in multiverse. I don’t even need to say it. 1st.

Turori
Ranked: 8th
Manager: Unknown
Captain: Not designated
Star player: Enluta Makakio, ST
Prediction: Yeah, they’re good, pretty much. 2nd.
Unified Sunrise Islands
Ranked: 17th
Manager: Mihashi Chiyo
Captain: Not designated
Star player: Rolando, MC / Rolandinho Juliano, MC
Prediction: Despite being one of the most exotic teams there possibly is, sadly we think they’ll end up 3rd.

Sargossa
Ranked: 38th
Manager: Elias Carrasco
Captain: Not designated
Star player: Julio Cesar Merino, AMC
Prediction: Whilst there is nothing wrong with Sargossans, it is a tough group to be fair. 4th.

GROUP G

The Holy Republican Empire Not to be confused with the Holy Empire
Ranked: 4th
Manager: Petrus Fadius
Captain: Kyle Bolton, ST
Star player: Ayub Sandstrom, MR
Prediction: One of the best there is. 1st.

Eura
Ranked: 7th
Manager: Steve Thompson
Captain: John Spartan, DMC
Star player: Sam Ashtree, ST
Prediction: Close call between Eura and Valladares for who gets second place, but we’ll go with Eura. 2nd.

Valladares
Ranked: 16th
Manager: Juan Andres Verzeri
Captain: Jeremy Carasso, DR
Star player: Yoan Gignac, ST
Prediction: Close call between Eura and Valladares for who gets third place, but we’ll go with Valladares. 3rd.

Sandwich Territories
Ranked: 43rd
Manager: Laurance Blaise
Captain: Brennus Guarneri, SW
Star player: Barukh Kjeldsen, MR
Prediction: Sorry. 4th.

GROUP H

Osarius
Ranked: 1st
Manager: Jermain Lewis
Captain: Juan Pablo Rodriguez, DC
Star player: Marco Puntoriero, ST
Prediction: Do we really have to tell you this? 1st.

Vilita
Ranked: 13th
Manager: Unknown
Captain: Not designated
Star player: Kiliko Riazen, ST
Prediction: Close call. 3rd.

Saintland
Ranked: 19th
Manager: Unknown
Captain: King Andreas, AMC
Star player: King Andreas, MC
Prediction: Probably the toughest group out of them all. 2nd.

Yttribia
Ranked: 28th
Manager: Daniel Cardona (FEL)
Captain: Michel di Mercurio, DMC
Star player: Bruno Arce, ST
Prediction: Hard to say this, a very good team but very close. 4th.

ROUND OF 16

Royal Kingdom of Quebec (A1) v Krytenia (D2)
Our Quebecois neighbours have the advantage over the low-ranked Krytenians.

The Holy Empire (B1) v Apox (C2)
A very tough call indeed. A narrow win for the Holymen.

Pasarga (C1) v San José Guayabal (B2)
Again, tough, sorry Guayabalense fans but Pasarga will go through here.

Nephara (D1) v Valanora (A2)
Not all hosts have supreme advantage, and Nephara being 30 places above the Vanorians makes me think the Esportivans go through.

Audioslavia (E1) v Saintland (H2)
Tough game between two close teams, but we’ll go with the Audioslavians for this one.

Polar Islandstates (F1) v Eura (G2)
Probably the toughest matchup of them all, the Polarians will have the edge over a strong Euran side here.

The Holy Republican Empire (G1) v Turori (F2)
The Turorians will probably record a slim win over their Esportivan counterparts, but a close game nonetheless.
Osarius (H1) v Ko-oren (E2)
The Firebirds march on with a solid win over Ko-oren.

QUARTER FINALS

Royal Kingdom of Quebec v The Holy Empire
The Holymen advance to the semi-finals with a victory over the Quebecois.

Pasarga v Nephara
Sorry Nepharim fans, but Pasarga will win here.

Audioslavia v Osarius
A very tough quarter-final indeed, Osarius will claim victory over their Audioslavian counterparts though.

Polar Islandstates v Turori
As do the Polarians over the Turorians.

SEMI FINALS

The Holy Empire v Pasarga
Pasarga advance into the final with a good win over the Holymen.

Osarius v Polar Islandstates
Osarius probably triumph on penalties or extra time in a very, very tough game.

THIRD PLACE PLAYOFF

The Holy Empire v Polar Islandstates
The Polarians finish third place for the fourth time at a World Cup.

FINAL

Pasarga v Osarius
The Osarians win for the third time in a row and deservedly so, as the trophy returns to Atlantian Oceania once more.

by **Ko-oren** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 8:37 am

World Cup Preview: Three Ko-orenite Football Giants Decide

Especially for the start of World Cup 72 - Ko-oren's seventh - we've invited the best and brightest when it comes to World Cup football to show what teams have what it takes to win it big.

Our first guest: former head coach and currently working for the Union FA: Pet Rilasthaunden. Our second guest: former central back Sobek Dehenat. Our third guest: former striker Koyane Shiribeshi.

All three were part of the national team for years on end, including World Cup 64, the first time Ko-oren would qualify. Now a lot of things have changed: there's not just Ko-orenites on the team, but Thaulandians, Proteans and a whole lot more from the Union. Secondly, have you even worn the new shirt yet? Sobek? "I have, but we had the new shirt after I was benched. I've worn it as a substitute from time to time, but it just doesn't feel like my shirt. I need the gold and silver vertical. I don't think Koyane has worn it at all though. He was only substituted in in two away games before he left the national team altogether."

And now you're back to comment on a new team with a newish shirt. Sure, the shirt has been there since World Cup 67, but you haven't appeared on the team since then. First of all, how do you three feel about the new team?
PR: "They've perfected what we already set out to do. I'm not happy with Fitzpatrick's leave, but I think the national team has started a great new tradition with Bogdan Antonescu."
SD: "Basically, when I see the team play, I recognise a lot from our team in this team. There are more leaders on this team though: Davenport and Juliasterinthen are both the kind of 'we do what we feel is good for the team' players, and both have captained the green and blue, and rightfully so. A coach needs some players to doubt the plan, and Ko-orenites are not the kind of people to do that, usually."
KS: "There's women on the team now, so I feel like I was born about 10 years early. I mean, have you seen Millet? In all seriousness, I think we all feel the team is still doing good, but everyone's wondering when they are finally going to put up a good run into the knockout round. One Round of 16 appearance, that's a bit poor."

And on to this World Cup. Who's going to win it?
PR: "Osarius, probably."
SD: "The Firebirds, most likely."
KS: "The reigning champions and eastern AO bastards, who else?"

We would have loved if you made an actual bold prediction here, we're trying to sell copies after all.
PR: "I think I'm still sticking with Osarius. Otherwise a team with Holy in the name."
SD: "Sure, but if I say something other than Osarius, that's going to make me look pretty stupid."
KS: "I'm sure you want to sell copies, but I just want to be right. Osarius it is, I'll stick with them."

Right. So, what about our chances?
PR: "Bold one, but let's say a second round appearance?"
SD: "What do you mean, our? I'm not on the team, half the team isn't even Ko-orenite. The Union just doesn't feel right."
KS: "Quarterfinals, possible semifinals. Duh, we'll probably lose to Audioslavia, draw the Equestrian States on home disadvantage and I'm sure something happens which means we'll lose or draw to Gregistan. Or rather, I don't even think that match will matter very much for the final result. I'm going to say we're out in the group stage."

Group A
1. Valanora (home advantage)
2. Semarland (upsets)
3. Quebec (we can't in good faith allow our rivals to advance, not even in predictions)
4. Mertagne (who?)
SD: "I don't even think the rivalry against Quebec was a thing when I played. I'm going to say Quebec wins the group, but apparently my dear colleagues don't agree. I know they'll be put third or so in the final prediction, but I just want everyone to know I disagree. There's only one rivalry that matters, and that's Darmen."
KS: "I hate to break it to you, but those guys weren't even in the qualification to begin with!"

Group B
1. The Holy Empire (something with Holy in the title)
2. Kandorith (they deserve it)
3. Felix (because they have the reputation)
4. San José Guayabal (revenge)
PR: "As I said, something with Holy in the title will do well this year. As they always do. I remember one or two trips to over there... never easy, even when our team got better and better."
SD: "Kandorith in round two please. Difficult, four good teams here."

Group C
1. Pasarga (they're just a notch better than the rest. Or two notches. Maybe three)
2. Apox (Anything but Farfadillis)
3. Farfadillis (Ok, I suppose there is a small rivalry here as well)
4. Kirisaki (see Mertagne)

KS: "Farfadillis. Never a team we liked to play, even though the importance of the matches after I retired kept getting bigger. Screw those guys, really."
PR: "Pasarga and Apox are interesting. Definitely like to see them in the rest of the tournament. Tactically sound teams, they play with a plan. I like to see that."

Group D
1. Legalese (alphabetically over Nephara)
2. Nephara (alphabetically later than Legalese)
3. Falcus (nice try, but not enough)
4. Krytenia (zero points, minus 30 goal difference. Let's make it happen)

SD: "Krytenia, the big scary team, is back. They'll do well, as they did in my time."
KS: "Have you lived under a rock? New team, not even half the talent they had. Fourth!"
SD: "Not under a rock, no... How dare you suggest I don't know my stuff? I'm still your captain!"
KS: "Not anymore, you're not"

Group E
1. Audioslavia (about as good as us, but with the results to back it up)
2. Equestrian States (home advantage)
3. Ko-oren (will always find a way to do worse than should)
4. Gregoryisgodistan (coconuts for everyone if they do come last)

PR: "What's always fascinated me is how Gregoryisgodistan still hasn't collapsed. They execute about a million people a year, they keep throwing tantrums every single tournament, they even host a fair amount of them, but how in earth is that a sustainable nation?"
KS: "Ko-oren is going to be either last or first, that's our usual style. We might end third though, with the knowledge that just a little more effort would have gotten us through. Or second, where we will feel that we advanced, but only just by the smallest of margins."
SD: "So basically, you're saying every team has a chance, and that nothing is certain? Stunning material."

Group F
1. Turori (because AO)
2. Polar Islandstates (because not AO)
3. Unified Sunrise Islands (because AO)
4. Sargossa (because not AO)

PR: "Morten Rasmussen and his boys should take this, but I rather have Turori there."
SD: "I like the Sunrise Islands, but I'm sure they were Northern at some point..."
KS: "Again, four good teams, but two have fallen a little bit behind. Turori and Polar Islandstates advance because, well, that's what the numbers say."

Group G
1. The Holy Republican Empire (another something with Holy in it)
2. Eura (remember when we beat them at a World Cup? Nobody?)
3. Valladares (it's going to be a fight for second though)
4. Sandwich Territories (what are they doing here)

SD: "Remember when we beat Eura? Yeah, good times. They'll probably be good again."
PR: "Interesting fight between the top three here, but it's more that one team is the obvious worse instead of one team being the obvious best. But even then... I'm not going to say that the Sandwich Territories have no chance."
KS: "Would love to see the Lunch team advance, but I'm afraid they'll need something more to persuade me. A BLT would do."

Group H
1. Osarius
2. Osarius
3. Not Osarius
4. Saintland, Yttribia and Vilita, not per se in that order

SD, PR and KS: "Osarius will probably advance, and we're not sure if they're taking a second team with them."

by **Free Republics** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 10:33 am

Speech by Veleik Nicholls

Hello my fellow Republicans! I am Veleik Nicholls and I am the leader of the Legion of Lucifer. Today, we have taken control of every television and radio station throughout the Empire to deliver this message to you. I hope that you will give me a few minutes of your time and listen to what I have to say. I don't ask that you believe me. All I ask is that you think for yourself and make up your own minds about what the Truth is.

My story begins several years ago. In a moment of panic, you willingly handed over your freedoms to a man by the name of Reino Kulseth. Reino Kulseth had converted to the Church of Saintland, which was then in the process of rebranding itself as the True Church, and was their candidate for the Consulship. Its perfectly understandable if you believed his promises that giving up our freedom and submitting to one man's extremely literalistic interpretation of a two thousand year old book would lead to a better future. Our culture in the last days of the Federation did have its flaws. We may have gotten a little carried away at times and most of us probably did a few things back then that we regret, but look at where the Holy Party has taken our great nation.

Where we once took for granted the right to speak our mind about anything we wish, now the government has actually outlawed lying. Consul Kulseth has even decided that we must use the word "thou," as a formal version of you, a word that rightly died out hundreds of years ago because of its association with feudalism. The right to private property, once sacrosanct, has been eviscerated as our government has asserted its right to take what is yours if you do not toe the line. Even the idea that we are entitled to a fair trial before a jury of our peers is a thing of the past. If you dare to do something that Consul Kulseth doesn't like in the Holy Republican Empire, he can just lock you behind bars and throw away the key. Let's face it: we are no longer free.

Yet if we thought we were at least supposed to be safer and more secure without our freedom, we were badly mistaken. We now have foreign troops on our soil, occupying our cities and marching toward our capital. We have so angered the Taiyouese that they decided to declare themselves independent. Then, we sent troops to Taiyou to force them back into the fold. Consul Kulseth tells you that our victory in this war is guaranteed because God is on our side. Yet, it is plain as day that our nation is losing the war despite being stronger militarily than all of our foes put together! Even if you believe that God intervenes in the affairs of mankind to impose his will, it is impossible to claim that God's Will is on the side of the Holy Republican Empire in this war. How else do you explain the troops that were marching toward Vorita when they ended up stuck in the mud? I mean, the Quebecois Air Force somehow overwhelmed our own Air Force and bombed our own troops, on our own soil, back into the Stone Age. How could a God who was on the side of the Kulseth regime allow such disastrous defeats to happen on the battlefield, over and over again?

I founded the Legion of Lucifer several years ago because I saw which way things were going and wanted to organize an army that would fight to get our freedom back. We believe in living free or, if that is not an option, dying free. We are slaves to no God and certainly aren't slaves to any man either. Our sole desire is the restoration of the Federation of Free Republics, as a free and truly Republican nation. We want to end the bloodshed and establish a lasting peace. Do not be confused by our name. We do not worship Lucifer. We have merely named ourselves that as an ironic protest against the Holy Party.

I also wish to clarify my father's support for Feministvs Sanctvsterra in the past. Feministvs Sanctvsterra is an organization of Sanctii women who have some extreme views that neither my father nor myself agree with. However, they are a group that is resisting the Sanctii regime and bringing attention to the regime's outdated views on gender roles. My father has supported them solely because he believes that they would be a slight improvement on the current regime in Saintland. I should also make it very clear that neither the Legion of Lucifer nor Feministvs Sanctvsterra has ever engaged in assassinations or in arson. We deplore these tactics and we especially resent the false accusation that we were behind those attacks.

I urge those of you who desire to be free once more to 3D print a copy of our flag, raise it up high and join the fight for freedom. Just remember to spare the lives of the innocent and save your fire for those who are actively and willfully aiding and abetting Consul Kulseth. I hope that we may someday bring down the very heavens and regain our freedom!

Consul Kulseth could not believe the reports he was reading from the front lines. The Quebecois air force had slaughtered most of General Hodge's troops and destroyed all but 1 of his unit's tanks. Across large swathes of the Empire, teenage boys and young men alike were rising up en masse under the flag of the Legion of Lucifer. Large portions of the Republican military were beginning to desert and food against Consul Kulseth instead. While the Consul knew that he wasn't particularly popular with young men, due to his policies that had effectively ended the hookup culture, but he had thought that they would still be willing to join the military, obey orders and shoot Godless foreigners. Indeed, many of them had done exactly that, but now they decided that fighting against the government was preferable to fighting for it.

The single biggest vulnerability of the Kulseth regime, from the start, had been its extreme unpopularity among young men and teenage boys. These younger males were outraged that Kulseth had not only destroyed their ability to get laid, but had also taken away much of their entertainment. The Republican Wrestling Conglomerate, formerly a hugely popular business, had shut down after Kulseth had reportedly gotten their television programming canceled and convinced all of the major Internet providers to block the RWC Network. GamerRevolt, the resistance movement against the Christian takeover of video games, had ended in failure, as the makers of the Saint, the most popular gaming platform in the Empire by far, were controlled by members of the True Church. Indeed, all of entertainment had been forced to clean up their act and adhere to Christian values. Older works of entertainment which failed to do so were simply censored and the lucrative piracy sites run out of Saintland were now blocked in the Empire, as they existed to sabotage the entertainment industry in nations that weren't friendly to the Sanctii regime.

Reports out of Gregoryisgodistan, while exaggerated, increasingly had a veneer of truth to them. Gregoryisgodistani and Quebecois troops were aiding the local Legion of Lucifer rebels throughout the Empire as they marched toward Republica. The Holy Republican Empire was not falling to an outside invasion so much as it was crumbling from within and there was seemingly nothing that Consul Kulseth could do about it...

by **Kandorith** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 11:09 am

Uplifted Kandorith Faces Tough Group

Kandorith drawn into group B

Group B

Kandorith
San José Guayabal
Felix
The Holy Empire

The festivities are still going on as Kandorith prepares for the upcoming World Cup. A lot of odds were looking downwards as Kandorith did manage to get trough the qualifiers, into the play-offs. With winning the play-offs with an amazing 4 - 1 in total; the team is back in action. The draw of the World Cup was rather surprising and a bit worrying. Kandorith faces a mighty group, perhaps even a group of death for their doing. The confidence among the fans and the team remains high though, as Kandorith is ranked in the top 30 still, staying in the World Cup should not be a problem for now. The streets are still completely decorated in red, as the national team is preparing for their important World Cup group stage. One thing is certain, the mood for the Kandorese team has never been better at home.

With Huangzhou taking over the team from Xí-tiang the team started playing a more defensive and possession styled football, something which seems to flow beautifully when done with the quick pace everyone knows from the Red Dragons. Although Kandorith has quite a tough group in front of them, they certainly have their chances. Kandorith and San José Guayabal are closest in ranking, 24th and 25th respectably and Kandorith should be able to measure with them at least equally and most likely even come out slightly on top. However, with Felix and The Holy Empire the group gets a lot tougher already. The Holy Empire being the highest ranked team in the group (5th), the Red Dragons have to give their everything to beat them. For Kandorith the group stage starts with the toughest match immediately, against The Holy Empire. With concerns of Kandorith succumbing being there, the fans would rather think back to the team defeating Polar Islandstates against all odds. Not to mention, Kandorith is playing on their 'home ground' which should provide them with somewhat the upper hand and a way more representative supporter side.

With experts and critics alike looking at the possible outcomes and how the World Cup is going to take shape, many are already predicting the winners of each group. The Kandorese critics and even fans are a bit more careful when predicting but this year there were some surprises on the list even. With Kandorith not just looking at their own national team; the second favorites are of course Ko-oren, a nation which has been quite the example for the Kandorese football throughout the years. Another favorite for Kandorith, with which the fans look to with great respect would be, Polar Islandstates. Both these teams also rank high for the Kandorese favorites to advance from the group stages. In support of the current World Champion, Osarius, not many people saw them as becoming the World Champion. When the people were confronted who would become World Champion the Kandorese fans answered as World Champion; Polar Islandstates. With Kandorith as their second choice and Audioslavia as third choice.

Prediction Results Nationwide

Group A

1. Valanora
2. Mertagne
3. Royal Kingdom of Quebec
4. Semarland

Group B

1. The Holy Empire
2. Kandorith
3. Felix
4. San José Guaybal

Group C

1. Pasarga
2. Apox
3. Farfadillis
4. Kirisaki

Group D

1. Legalese
2. Nephara
3. Falcus
4. Krytenia

Group E

1. Audioslavia
2. Ko-oren
3. Gregoryisgodistan
4. Equestrian States

Group F

1. Polar Islandstates
2. Unified Sunrise Islands
3. Turori
4. Sargossa

Group G

1. The Holy Republican Empire
2. Valladares
3. Eura
4. Sandwich Territories

Group H

1. Osarius
2. Saintland
3. Yttribia
4. Vilita

by **Polar Islandstates** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 12:49 pm

HEYOOOO!

I'm back!

But, well, of course you knew I would be. We'll gloss quickly over the absolute nightmare that was The Big Freeze and say this: yes, I know I could have blogged the thing from home, but I usually get free tickets as a part of my job here at the FPIFA and - I'll be honest - I was that upset about not being able to leave the country that I pretty much just sulked at home and watched the games on my laptop.

What a depressing way for KKV to retire, too. Not in the quarter-finals, knocked out by the team that would eventually finish second - I've got no qualms about losing to Pasarga the way we did. I'm talking about the way there were no Twitchers int he stands to cheer him on. No raucous display of admiration. No floating flag. No banners. No singing his name at the final whistle. Nobody for him to applaud when it got too much. Nobody to catch his armband when he threw it at the end of the match. Nobody. Nothing. Just his teammates and his coaching staff. WE gave him a good send off when they managed to land back at Franz Josef International, yeah, but I've no doubt it wasn't the same. It's not the way legends should bow out.

Not that he was even the last player to bow out at the last tournament. I'm sure a few more of them might have gone as far as the Copa had The Big Freeze let up and allowed us to feasibly enter, but it didn't, and so they didn't.

Iulian Kirilaunen, Aapo Nordenberg, Kohev Küngas-Vaga, Eikr Lillehammer, Alexis Zeljeznicar, Torsten Wolff, and Yann-Erik Nilsson have all hung up their international boots since the last edition of the World Cup qualifiers - Nilsson being perhaps the most surprising of those names - and Rasmussen took the opportunity handed to him by this wash of retirements to name a surprisingly untested team. With his own time at the helm of the Terns coming to a close at some point in the near future, he appears to be in the process of building a squad that can seriously challenge for a title next time around, and with that in mind he warned us all at the start of the cycle not to expect too much as he uses this qualifying campaign to bed in some partnerships.

Leif Ulsletten, Olaf Strauss, Niels Kruse, Anders Holzhauser, Luar Dardan and Finn Kirkkegaard have all needed to adjust to being in the first eleven on a permanent basis, a task that some of them have had tasters of in the past but that is still a challenging position of trust to hold onto on both a physical and a mental level. Meanwhile, Gunnsteinn Moskowitz, Sim Lefebvre, Eirikur Sigurdsson, Karl-Franz Klemmensen, Kjartan Grndstrom, and Iosef Miroshnichenko have all made their debuts for the national team this cycle, as Rasmussen makes a concerted effort to introduce new blood. Alexsandr Kiriyenko was the big surprise omission from the squad, but as time has gone on we haven't really missed him.

With that warning to not expect too much too soon from these players ringing in our ears, it was still something of a surprise to see the Terns start quite as slowly as they did. Some awkward draws and a defeat to Kandorith in the first half of qualifying left us with our heads just about peaking above the waterline in the rush for automatic qualification back at the halfway mark. For a set of fans used to seeing their team sail through qualification, this came as something of a surprise at first, but we had to adjust.

Things picked up a bit in the second half of course, and we started to see the pieces of this finely tuned timepiece tick together like... well, like clockwork. Kirkkegaard has started to show his worth as a superb counterfoil for Bickermann and the two have begun to find their feet as a partnerhip, and the Gunnlaugsson-Konigstein unit in the centre of the park is purring over nicely. In addition, Sim Lefebvre has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, and he already looks like challenging Dardan for the spot in the first eleven. He's been inspired when he's been on the pitch, and off the seven new boys he is probably the most exciting.

In the end, eleven wins, two draws, and one defeat actually ranks as one of our more successful qualifying campaigns, and we cleared second placed Kandorith by ten points in the end. They actually outscored us over the course of the campaign - which won't be much of a surprise to anyone who caught our high-scoring home and away tussles - but defence wins championships, as they say, and only seventeen conceded was the strongest in the group. In fact, it was one of the strongest in the entire Multiverse this cycle - only Audioslavia, Nova Anglicana, Mertagne, Greater Watford, Blouman Empire, Felix, Gloriax, Saintland, Ko-oren, Buyan, Pasarga, Chiata, Turori, Apox, Taeshan, Boslenia, Legalese, The Royal Barangay, Electrum Diplomatic Offices, Gregoryisgodistan, Furellum, Sandwich Territories, The Sword Bloke, and Electrum conceded fewer. But then, not all of those teams finished first in their group. Many of them didn't even come close to qualifying.

It's all about the perfect mix of defence and attack, something that Rasmussen has learned how to do very well in his long and successful managerial career. In fact, our final goal difference of +29 is something to be very proud of indeed - only Osarius (+32), Eura (+30), and Pasarga (+33) could boast higher totals. Sensible goal differences galore in Rushmore, it would seem.

So, off we go to the World Cup, and off I go with my free tickets and my laptop.

Hooray!

And, well, would you just look at who we open our tournament against...

Hooray!

Sargossa. Oh, goody goody goody.

Now, we've got some history with Sargossa both on and off the pitch. On the pitch, think of the four-two victory in the group stages of World Cup 66, think of the two-one win in the group stages of Copa Rushmori XVIII, think of the three-two victory in the quarter-finals of that same Copa, and think of that glorious two-one victory in Montbenoit as we beat them in the final of Copa Rushmori XV. Don't think of the two-one defeat in Islay that nearly started a full-scale riot that time we hosted them in a series of preparation friendlies as we co-hosted World Cup 59.

That friendly was meant to kick-start a period of peace and cooperation between our two nations, of course, and of course it didn't work. Years later, we had that horrible Külmsaar incident that soured and twisted relations between Soluca and Franz Josef City for decades. Their occupation of West Külmsaar lead to Külmsaar voting for their own independence from the Federation but still rejecting rule from Soluca, and the whole thing just got politically messed up. In the end, as you know, East Külmsaar joined the VU alongside Bleak Rock and the Federation, opening the doors and accelerating the process for Fallenmark, Cairnskillen, and now Sint Karbijn to all follow suit. All moves that were objected to by Sargossa, of course.

In fact, pretty much anything we did during that time was objected to by decrees from Soluca. Anything.

Now, though, things might be changing. Word has it that Soluca and Franz Josef City are actually working together on a declaration of some sort of détente that would see a number of changes occur between our relations. Trade would be permitted between the two nations, a compromise on fishing rights and claims to the sea-bed between Terra Scotia and Sargossa would be found, and the borders and legal ownership of East and West Külmsaar would be consolidated as they currently are. I'm not entirely sure that the government in Agheim will be all that happy with Franz Josef City's decision to negotiate away any claims to West Külmsaar as the speaker for and on the behalf of the entire VU, but we'll see what happens there. A little more friction between VU nations is to be expected anytime someone goes straight to Franz Josef City, to be honest, and I for one can understand why the other members get a little annoyed by it.

We'll see what happens there, anyway, but certainly it would seem that it is the powers that be in Soluca who are driving this current de-frosting of relations. Perhaps they've got a lot more on their minds what with events in Terranea recently. Perhaps they just can't be arsed to squabble anymore. Who knows. Perhaps we'll even see some of the Ol' Pointy Bastards make their bow in Divisjon One. Stranger things have happened...

Whatever happens, I hope it doesn't lead to any loosening up of our rivalry on the pitch. I am so looking forward to this one. Sargossa qualified well with a strong performance behind group winners The Holy Empire, well ahead of third-placed Jeruselem, and then proceeded to beat Barunia in the two-legged playoff. Ranked 38 in the Multiverse, they may not be the high-end threat they were a few cycles ago, but they'll still pack a punch with players like Merino, Devesa, Sola, and Noyola in their squad, and don't think for a second that they won't be up for it against the Terns. We won't miss facing Defederico and Ferreyra, but there's more than enough talent in that line-up to cause our relatively untested team some problems at the back. Twenty-five goals conceded in qualifying would indicate that there will be spaces for our frontline to exploit at the other end however, and Rasmussen might well change things up and give Lefebvre more than just a cameo appearance in the second half if things are looking tight.

Battles to look out for - Devesa vs Dardan, Zacarias vs Konigstein, Lucena vs Kirkkegaard, and Noyola vs Otkupshchikov. It's going to kick off, hopefully, and I've got my ticket.

I can't wait.

Second up for the Terns will be Unified Sunrise Islands. Scraping into the playoffs courtesy of a better goal difference than The Sword Bloke, the Samba Kids then squeaked past Super-Llamaland six-five on aggregate. They may have had something of a "can't be arsed" attitude this year, but don't let that fool you. Sunrise Islands of all geographical persuasions have been producing technically gifted footballers for decades now, and even though I'm not quite sure if USI is a continuation or a new version of the Northern Sunrise Islands side that we only ever played twice, I can still tell that they'll be a tough nut to crack. Remember Hannah Alcouin? Once of RSK Longyearbyen Town? Well, she's still around, and still just as tricksy. The predicted climb through the Polarian teams never really happened for her and she moved back home, but the talent is still there, and with only nineteen goals conceded in qualifying we'll have to be sharp and make the most of any opportunities to squeeze a few goals in of our own past her and her teammates. Seventeenth in the Multiverse, and looking to avoid dropping, we'll need to be focused ahead of what could be a group-defining square-up against...

Turori.

Yikes.

Of course, in a World Cup where the consecutive top seventeen in the Multiverse all qualified, it was only natural that the second pot in the draw would be chock full of absolutely massive teams. However, with the hosts bumping numbers seven and eight down into the second pot, they were undoubtedly the ones to avoid. And so, naturally, here we are - stuck with Turori. I'd prefer Eura, to be honest. Vengeance for that World Cup final is long overdue...

...the quarter-final one cycle later doesn't count. Or any of the wins since. Because I say so, that's why.

So, here we are with Turori. Qualifying from an intensely competitive group ahead of Apox by just a single point means they are the only team in our group to have qualified without the aid of playoffs, and our last match against them in the group stage could be make-or-break. Now, we've never failed to make the knockout stages of a World Cup we've been a part of, and I sincerely hope that doesn't end this tournament, but in the best case scenario this last match of the group stage will define who goes on to play another group winner, and who plays a group runner-up in the round of sixteen. No offence to USI and Sargossa...

Players like Tuirma, Kulkkiia, Makakio, and Eelador should need no introduction for anyone who's been following the qualifying across all groups, and they are just four reasons why this Turori side is enjoying a higher rank than their traditional 'big brothers' in Vilita. And deservedly so.

Now, I know it's probably not the hardest group out there this cycle, but equally it certainly isn't the easiest. I mean, look at Group B. And now look at Group D.

Yeah.

Anyway, I reckon that's about it for this particular round of examination, a little bit of a look back at the team and how we qualified, and a little bit of a look at the teams we'll be facing. Let's look at how it's going next time I check in.

Speaking of which, I've got a flight to catch now, and I think it might even be the same one that the Terns are booked on. So, tally ho and all that! Bring on Sargossa!

Eff

xx

p.s. That's a sandwich box.

Petter Bielsen

Petter Bielsen, long time servant for a select handful of clubs, and one of the most loyal people you could ever hope to meet. And I should know, because I've actually met him! From Red Star Severny to Iturributa United, and then as manager from Iturributa United to Red Star Severny. Can't get much more loyal than that without going full on "one club man". Niko Marek I'm looking in your direction. As was Petter for much of his Terns career, in fact, as the pair of them were two parts of that historic Terns team.

But, we'll get to Niko later.

For now, Petter. I loaded up on loyalty and gave him a birthplace of Norway, and then pow! Look. Only a few teams, and only a few teams in management as well. Not hard to see how that happened, is it?

As happens with most of these things, the birthplace in the traditionally "Polarian-based RLstates nations" leads to being a player for a distinctly average side, and so it's not really a surprise that a big side in a very good league led him away by the nose before his youth career had even taken off. Spotted by Roma, though I'm sure that loads of other big teams would have been interested in his talented box-to-box midfield engine, he moved to Italy and became something of an institution by the looks of it.

As part of some kind of co-ownership or long-term loan thingy - I'm not sure which, the whole system the RLStates community made up for the Italian league seems totally bizarre to me, glad we don't have anything like that in real life - he ended up on a loan for three whole seasons at Parma. A once great side with a reputation for teaching star qualities to its young players, Parma were in the second tier when Bielsen joined them, and he helped them to a promotion in his second year there. One more season as a player there helped to establish him as a name in the top flight, and so when Roma took him back he was a world-ready twenty year old, all set up for the top flight.

He failed to shine on his first season in the capital by the looks of the stats, but soon began to find his feet. As his number of listed appearances went up per season, so too did his number of goals scored, and the ratings the CFM game gives you soon started to creep up and up and tip over the 8.2 average for the season mark in one particular year. That same year he won the league, cup, and Europa League in the same few weeks at the end of a great season, and then straight from there to captaining his country at the World Cup in Italy. They didn't get past the quarter-finals, marking the best Norwegian international performance in a generation, but it was a high waterline worth reaching for a nation of that size.

By the time he'd finished playing his last in a run of ten consecutive seasons in Rome, he'd scored forty-three goals in nearly three hundred and fifty league appearances, won the league four times, won the cup three times, the Europa League twice, and the Champions League once - as captain. It was a truly spectacular career, and clearly, the big man wasn't ready to leave Italy yet, as he moved only a handful of miles north to Bologna, where he was instantly captain and helped keep them in the top flight year after year.

A second move on a free to Siena after three seasons meant that for such a fantastic player he never cost any club a transfer fee - something of an anomaly for any league, real or made-up. And, though his appearances per season soon started to drop, he managed to keep popping up in the box and scoring goals at crucial moments, never getting Siena relegated either. Four goals in his last season as a professional player, in only twelve appearances, truly cemented his place as one of the all-time greats of Serie A.

It was clear in real life that he'd move into management, and so it proved in CFM as well. Nice to know they agree, there.

Moving back to Parma, he moved quickly from the assistant's position to the full managerial role and spent six years in the hot seat there before being approached by the French club Marseille. Marseille had pockets that Parma could never hope for, and with a budget to spend he managed to win the league in his second season there. As yet, he hasn't managed to take them on a run into the Champions League, but, you know... hope springs eternal and all that.

So, Red Star fans can be cautiously optimistic there if they want to treat this as some sort of a prediction.

Though, let's be perfectly clear here, they'd have to be kinda mad to want to actually do that...

Pip, pip.

Henrik.

Part 1: Kohev Küngas-Vaga
Part 2: Alexsandr van Sorensen
Part 3: Felix Saarinen
Part 4: Jean-Eric Villeneuve
Part 5: Tolgus Tregajorran
Part 6: Lee Sharp
Part 7: Henning Blonqvist
Part 8: Steffan Pekarik
Part 9: Petter Bielsen
Part 10a+b: Niko Marek + Ernesto Farías
Part 11a+b: Zacharias Juul + Mateus Carvalho
Part 12a+b: Timo Skye + 'Laborious Hawk vs Valrauncion'

by **Alasdair I Frosticus** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 12:57 pm

OOC - Suddenly remembered that I have one more qualifier to take care of...
see the Holy Empire roster for a detailed explanation of what's going on here.

World Cup 72
An oratorio by Jorge Handeles

ACT 4, SCENE 4
(Jeruselem in the Imperial Hippodrome)

Chorus - 'The Tarts Desport Like Tawdry Sluts'

The tarts desport like tawdry sluts
Jeruselem have come to play
They do not strip and yet their strip
Of pink offends my weary eye

Recitative - Let Us Not Relax This Day
(Miguel Lebournes)

Let us not relax this day
Though qualification is already ours
Instead let us press on....

To victory!

Aria - 'Many Matches Hath We Won'
(Miguel Lebournes)

Many matches hath we won
Won! Won!
Wo-o-o-o-o-o-n
Many matches hath we won
This qualifying campaign

We slipped against Omerica
But then we found our feet again
Sargossa are now left behind
As we seek our fifth cup

Many matches hath we won
Won! Won!
Wo-o-o-o-o-o-n
Many matches hath we won
This qualifying campaign

Recitative - 'I Sense That They Are Weary'
(Andres Daphophates as Juan Tzimisces)

I sense that they are weary
But the team must show their mettle
By winning this final match

Recitative - 'Let Us Not Accept Second Best'
(Isaac Gemisto as Simeone Di Bradini)

Let us not accept second best
Jerusalem are here to be beaten

Duet - 'We Demand That They Perform'
(Andres Daphophates as Juan Tzimisces and Isaac Gemisto as Simeone Di Bradini)

We demand that they perform
E'en here in the final match
Demand that they perform
Perfo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-rm
Perfo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-rm
Perform, perform
We demand that they perform
E'en here in the final match

Double Chorus Part I - 'Might'ly Hath We Played Today'

Might'ly hath we played today
To take a two-nil lead so early
But fifteen minutes gone
And we do lead two nil

Might'ly! Might'ly!
Might'ly hath we played today
Two goals from Dalesseno
Hath set us free today

Might'ly! Might'ly!
Might'ly hath we played today

Double Chorus Part II - 'We Are Ashamed'

We are asham'ed, dejected.
Asham'ed and dejected.

We hath not played well this second half
Otter hath pulled one back

We are asham'ed, dejected.
Asham'ed and dejected.

A win's a win, that we do know
But our lifeless play fills us with shame

We are asham'ed, dejected.
Asham'ed and dejected.

by **Apox** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 2:49 pm

Gavin Hughes had never really mended his relationship with his superiors following on from his spectacular tantrum mid way through qualifying in a "routine" check up on team progress.

His contract was up at the end of the World Cup - and he knew it would be it for managing the national side. He knew the AFB would never renew it, and to be entirely honest, he felt like he'd had enough of national team management. He'd held the job down for longer than anyone else, more games and cycles, and, if felt right to be leaving.

These thoughts had been pushed out of the back of his mind for the time being. He most definitely and determinedly still had a job to do, and he was damn well sure he'd see that it was done.

He'd dragged this team from it's nadir in the period from WC68-70 where they'd failed to qualify on merit for the World Cup, and done a sterling job of crashing out of basically everything else as early as possible. He'd even had the national team temporarily disbanded under his watch. Then, a change had occurred. Things had turned around. They'd now qualified for two World Cup finals in a row, and he'd led the team to second and third place finishes in the last two Campionato's they'd participated in.

It was about time Apox made an impression on this tournament, and he knew he had the team to do it.

It had been hard to pick a 23 player squad for the finals - they had a lot of experience within the ranks now. Difficult decisions had had to be made.

Some players, captain Solomon Etezadi, left winger Kaj Aurora, striker Adnan Zozula had picked themselves. But there were other players, players who'd never really dominated their positions like others had, who's performances had perhaps left room for speculation. Players like James Fowey, Olim Shahzad and Alice Monteforth - all brilliant players in their own right, but not the stand out stars of the squad, no.

Then there were further problems, the veterans of the side. Players such as Ettie Seabrooke, Armando Quillisi and Jack Lerryn. All of them extraordinary, fantastic players. The problem was, aged 36, 34 and 33 respectively, could they still do a job in their positions? All of them had younger, hungrier players queueing up behind them, ready to stake a claim. This is all without mentioning Tolgus Tregajorran, a player who, quite simply was one of those once in a generational strikers. The best, without question, since Dravid Scott. He'd smashed goalscoring records both internationally and domestically. He'd played in every major competition final... except one. But he was now, sadly, definitely not the talent he'd once been. The most recent ANL season saw him score a record low number of goals. His pace was going, increasingly fast now. But... his reflexes, his scoring ability... that was as potent as ever.

'Fuck it' thought Hughes to himself, 'One last huzzah for Tolgus. He's earnt it and he still has a role in my team. My final ever team.'

by **Vilita** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 12:32 am

World Cup 72 Finals: Group A

ROYAL KINGDOM OF QUEBEC

Best Feature: Swirly Gizmo thing

Worst Feature: The Color Yellow

Most Notable Feature: Swirly Gizmo thing

One Change To Make: Keep the color families, but darken the hues.

Could Also Pass As the Flag of... Gyatso-kai

Amakra's Final Word: The flag has a lot of goodness, but a lot of features. The Swirly Gizmo thing immediately draws the eyes, but the contrast lines between the red and blue background also draw the eyes; and Red is such a bright color. It would be interesting to see this flag using midnight blue, maroon and silver in the background, and perhaps a sky blue in place of the slightly out-of-place yellow. Considering there are no misplaced stars, however, it has a leg up on the rest of Group 1.

MERTAGNE

Best Feature: White stars forming the Shape of an M

Worst Feature: The missing dark star in the central-upper negative space

Most Notable Feature: 5 White Stars

One Change To Make: There is a large field of green around the star pattern that could be reduced or utilized

Could Also Pass As the Flag of... Patistan

Amakra's Final Word: At first glance, the flag is simple. Then you stare at it, and like it more. Then you stare even longer, and like it even more. Then you stare some more, and start thinking about how it could be improved. Stare at it long enough, and you're right back at the start.

SEMARLAND

Best Feature: The color blue (The softest of those chosen)

Worst Feature: The color red (the most extreme field color)

Most Notable Feature: The Nordic Cross

One Change To Make: Take a page out of the Fallenmark Islands' book, and add a shape at the intersection that provides room for a unique feature representative of the nature. Sure, they didn't take advantage of it, but they laid the ground work.

Could Also Pass As the Flag of... Greater Watford

Amakra's Final Word: I didn't realize that this flag style was so popular. It's getting to the point where its no longer original enough to get good comments in on. Its incredible that there are still unique color combinations available in this pattern.

VALANORA

Best Feature: The center feature

Worst Feature: Low-contrast blue on blue

Most Notable Feature: Symmetry amongst the bright white diamond shapes in the center feature immediately pops amongst the field of darker blue and blue stripes that adorn the rest of the flag

One Change To Make: It would be interesting to see a claw or a sword in there - or maybe even a yellow outline somewhere to bridge the national identity gap. It might not look better, but it would be nice to see it.

Could Also Pass As the Flag of... Star United States

Amakra's Final Word: This flag is unique. Its got all the key attributes a flag should have, good symmetry, solid lines, easy to recognize and represent. It, however, makes no nods to the previous Vanorian flag, a flag drenched in so much history it will be hard to disassociate it from the Vanorian legacy allow this new blue-on-blue design to intrude into its place in history. Only time can truly solidify this Vanorian flags place in history along side its predecessor.

World Cup 72 Finals: Group B

KANDORITH

Best Feature: Red & White alternating Stripes

Worst Feature: Field of Red

Most Notable Feature: Yellow centerpiece

One Change To Make: Invert the field of red and the white accents, such that the field is now White and the accents red. This may inversely require a de-emphasis in the use of yellow.

Could Also Pass As the Flag of... The Japanese-Soviet Socialist Republic

Amakra's Final Word: This is a very interesting, detailed flag that surely has an even deeper, detailed meaning on the placard than is initially visible on the surface. However, the attention-grabbing field of red results in many of the intricate details of the centerpiece being lost to the casual observer.

SAN JOSE GUAYABAL

Best Feature: Double outline between the field and the crossed feature

Worst Feature: Double outline between the field and the crossed feature

Most Notable Feature: National Seal accessory in the upper left quadrant

One Change To Make: Simplify the accessory such that its detail is more readily apparent

Could Also Pass As the Flag of... Skarosbrekka

Amakra's Final Word: Yet another Nordic-style cross but they've done two things differently here. First, they have a unique accessory in the seal in the upper-left, so its not just another boring, straight up Nordic Cross. Secondly, they've got a double border between the blue and the white. Its a good idea. Unfortunately, the fact that they've done it with Green and Yellow means it just drowns itself out, but it does make an interesting transition.

FELIX

Best Feature: Simple yet elegant detail of primary feature

Worst Feature: Size of Primary Feature relative to flag

Most Notable Feature: The bird clutching a shield in the center of the flag

One Change To Make: Blue on Red is bold, but i'd like to see the colors from the shield used instead, particularly the blue.

Could Also Pass As the Flag of... Haiti

Amakra's Final Word: The tones in the shield don't match the hue's in the field. The central feature is strong, however.

THE HOLY EMPIRE

Best Feature: The highly unique yellow feature that symmetrically adorns each quadrant.

Worst Feature: The highly detailed avian feature in the center of the flag appears to be a bit squished for space.

Most Notable Feature: The highly unique yellow feature that symmetrically adorns each quadrant.

One Change To Make: While the central details don't stand out due to being white on a field of yellow, I don't see that as a problem because the strengths of the flag lie outside the focus. I might push the unique yellow features closer to the flags border, however.

Could Also Pass As the Flag of... Zenic

Amakra's Final Word: This is a case where two high contrast colors - Red and Yellow, can actually be used together in a nice fashion. They key? Slightly softer tones and large features.

by **Turori** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 6:25 am

by **Saintland** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 8:09 am

Somewhere in Quebec

King Petrus XX, the legitimate King of Saintland, was in exile in Quebec. After the conclusion of World Bowl XXVI and the Sanctii loss to Ko-oren in the World Bowl Championship Game, the King of Saintland and the entire National Gridiron Team had fled to Quebec. In Quebec, he bided his time, making plans to retake the throne and punish that traitorous Patriarch. Patriarch Nicolaus V had been appointed by King Petrus, yet he had shown that he had no loyalty to the man who had made him the head of the Church. He had no loyalty to his childhood friend.

The betrayal ate away at the Sanctii king, but he knew that he was in the right and the hard-liners were in the wrong. This sense only increased with every report of Republican troops deserting their military and joining the rebellion against Reino Kulseth. King Petrus had never really liked Reino very much and he now had his suspicions that something was going on between Reino, the Patriarch and his no-good brother Andreas the Usurper. Yet, he just couldn't prove anything.

Now, however, he realized that he had to make his move. As the legitimate King of Saintland and one of the best gridiron players in the multiverse, he decided to release a statement and send it to every media outlet in Quebec, hoping they would publish it...

I am the Legitimate King of Saintland
By: King Petrus XX

Several months ago, my brother carried out a coup against me with the help of elements within the Church of Saintland. I was in Electrum at the time, competing in the World Bowl. I had just stated my intent to initiate reforms that are necessary to bring my Kingdom into the modern era. I wish to reiterate that my plan for a Parliament is ordained by God and that those who committed treason against me in order to prevent it have also rebelled against the Will of God and will face due punishment for their sins in time.

You see, as the Scriptures tell us, the powers that be have been put there by God and he who rebels against rightful authority rebels against God. As it turns out, the current leadership of God's Church is in active rebellion against God and it is our duty as Christians to reject false bishops and those who commit murders in the name of God.

The recent events in Vermark are especially disturbing to me and I want to reiterate my condemnation of the so-called Christian State and their perversion of our faith. I send my condolences to the victims and their families and ask that the nations of the multiverse rise up to defeat this abomination and to remove the usurper from my Throne.

I have also spoken with the newly elected World Bowl President Hilarion Vasin, the former Consul of the Free Republics, and I can confirm my intent to enter my Kingdom's National Team in World Bowl XXVII and play our home matches in whatever nation is willing to have us, even if I have yet to remove the usurper from my throne by that time.

Meanwhile, in St. Petrus

Queen Veronica had not been seen in public for months and for good reason. The Republican-born wife of King Petrus XX was pregnant with his child. King Andreas viewed this as particularly inconvenient and, upon finding out that she had never told her husband, had decreed that her pregnancy be kept a secret. Queen Veronica was astute enough to know exactly what was going on here. Her brother-in-law, who had stolen her husband's throne, was making plans to secretly send the baby to an monastery or convent, so that Petrus would never even know that he had a child.

Under Sanctii law, it was illegal to determine, prior to birth, whether the baby is a boy or a girl. The law had been implemented by King Paulus XV. The public pretense was that it was an additional safeguard to prevent mothers from traveling abroad for sex-selective abortions, but the actual reason had been a cost-cutting measure for the notoriously cheap Church-run health care system. Even after the laws prohibiting pregnant women from leaving the Kingdom, even if accompanied by a male relative, were put into place, the prohibition on ultrasounds and any other method of determining the sex of the baby remained in effect. Thus, King Andreas's plan was to snatch the baby away at birth before the mother even found out whether she had given birth to a son or daughter.

The captain of the Sanctii National Soccer Team had put the finishing touches on agreements with both St. Hermione's Convent in Acedonia and St. Gregorious's Monastery in IesusisGodistan prior to leaving for the World Cup in the Equestrian States. By the time he returned, he hoped that his niece or nephew would be born and already being raised for a life as a monk or nun, rather than a life in the Royal Family. Petrus's line needed to be cut off, so that his throne would finally be secure once Reino was finally able "off" his no-good heretic of a brother...

by **Zwangzug** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 9:53 am

There were some things about Colleen Donohue-Raub that had changed over time, and some that stayed the same. Not even her name was a constant. She had been born Colleen Raub, and hyphenated her name with Kenneth's when they got married. She had been a center fielder in high school, and became a shortstop in college. She had never been a very religious person, and still wasn't, despite marrying in Kenneth's family's church.

She had been born in Zwangzug, and had been a citizen there all her life, and had never been a citizen of any other country, and felt rather confident she never would be. That didn't change. What changed was how important that was--how much she or anyone else thought about it. Most of the time, she ignored it. In the dark days...well, there was too much to do to focus on herself, to consider what it meant to be part of the country as a whole. Being part of Inver was salient. Zwangzug was too big to matter, and maybe too frail to endure.

Being a Miller...

There had been a time when she'd dreamed of being part of the Gray Sox, when she couldn't have imagined anything would be more important than that. It was hard to refer to a member of the Gray Sox in the singular. Growing up in 102d, that was the dream.

But it had been Inver's system that had drafted her, Inver that had taken her in, and that was plenty. The chance to play in the majors was one she'd jumped at, no matter where. That had been before.

And since then, well, was she a Miller or wasn't she? The league had stalled--from the perspective of the outside world, it might as well not exist. The footballers had gotten something together, once, but who were they?

If Zwangzug knew and loved one sport (by the world's standards, anyway), she was sure, baseball was it. If any national team would get its act back together and compete, the Zebras would. They even had a name, what had the footballers ever had? Even if they drifted in irrelevance for months if not longer, if there was a chance, she'd wait it out.

And then the call had come, suddenly and without ceremony, that she needed to get ready. They'd gathered in amazement, bringing their own equipment as much for luck as for familiarity. Gene Perlin, a catcher from Weegham, had more tape around his bat than anyone she'd ever played against; she half-thought he might have been smuggling some very slim documents away. Andrea Throad, Bassabook's closer, had stitched some inspirational phrases onto her glove with a cliched, but exceptionally steady, hand. Jared McDonald, right fielder for the Flash, had yet to make eye contact with anyone from behind the confines of his batting helmet's visor, drooping low. None of them had left the country, at least not since the bad months.

"Stvoto Latoli?" Andrea asked.

"They aren't good," Colleen found herself saying. "I've never heard of them."

"It's been a long time," said Andrea. "They could be good now."

"I've heard of them," said Gene. "You don't think...?"

"What?" Colleen asked.

"No. They--they know better, we have to..."

He said nothing more, just stared intently out the window as they made the long flight, with such a nervous gaze that it almost gave Colleen a headache by proxy. In fact she didn't get one, but rather attempted to engage Rachel Spilk, who played second base for the Mustangs, on their potential as a double-play combination. Rachel, who was steadily more irritated at Colleen's intrusions on her prime puzzle-magazine-solving time, eventually resorted to pelting her with half-completed cryptic crosswords.

Stvoto Latoli was certainly a diverse country, Colleen conceded, but it did not put off the sense of unease that lingered as they made their way to the stadium. When she looked back on that day, later, she was surprised she hadn't been more excited during that final leg of the bus ride. They were doing it, after all, they were going to be the first team to represent the entire country since before. Sure, it wasn't a real tournament, just an unofficial game--we never played any of those before, Colleen whispered to herself, well, what of it, we never did a lot of things before, the world is changing.

And that was when they got to the field and saw the team from Stvoto Latoli, looking very experienced and talented and athletic and, above all, confused.

That was the moment when Colleen began feeling even less sure about her identity. Because a baseball player was what she had been all along, through quiet times and loud. And suddenly, it seemed that at least for ninety minutes that wasn't going to be enough anymore.

by **Equestrian States** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 10:19 am

LONELY MULTIVERSE
The Approx Guide to the Equestrian States

Introduction

The Pony Republic of Equestrian States is a diverse country inhabited by several dozen sapient species, each contributing to the nation's proud culture of tolerance and giving the Equestrian States a reputation of compassion and kindness. Tradition and innovation have combined well in this North Pony Lands nation, rapidly bringing it into the modern world after centuries of self-imposed isolation from the rest of the multiverse. This Lonely Multiverse travel guide is designed to be the ultimate companion for any tourist (regardless of their species) visiting the Equestrian States, and is loaded with every tip and bit of advice one needs to have an safe and enjoyable stay.

History

Originally colonized by sapient equines (commonly referred to as ponies) from Magical Equestria over 2000 years ago, the Equestrian States was first established as a largely-autonomous overseas territory of its motherland. As a colony, the Equestrian States was fairly prosperous, developing a matriarchal society similar to that of Magical Equestria and other prominent Pony Lands nations. Several decades after the first ponies set hoof on the islands now part of the Equestrian States, however, the rise of a mysterious and chaotic entity known as Discord led to the government of the growing colony to adopt strict isolationist policies to avoid attracting the attention of Discord.

Several centuries later, the anarchic reign of Discord in the Pony Lands came to an end, though the Equestrian States remained firmly entrenched in its isolationist policies. Having formally declared its independence from Magical Equestria during the rule of Discord, the Equestrian States was reluctant to turn away from the policies which had allowed it to escape the turmoil faced by the rest of the region. Yet another cataclysmic event, just over a millennia ago, saw the known world embroiled in conflict with itself and the fledgling former colony sunk deeper into isolation for the next several centuries.

However, about 200 years ago, the long-standing policies separating the Equestrian States from the rest of the region gradually began to erode with the rapid growth of international maritime trade. Though it would take until just 50 years ago for the remaining isolationist policies to be overturned or made obsolete, foreigners began to take note of the Equestrian States and its northern location in the Pony Lands. What finally drove the ponies of the Equestrian States to abandon isolationism entirely was commerce, with the nation's location being perfect as a refueling and stopping point for ships traveling from outside the Pony Lands.

Active membership in the Coalition of Ponyist States (a military, economic, and political alliance famed for its quick, efficient, and merciless dealings with nations actively persecuting sapient equines and other non-humans) gave the Equestrian States reason to become heavily involved in international politics and trade. Within a decade, the Equestrians entered the modern era, utilizing magic in creative ways to avoid industrial pollution wherever possible and speed the nation's development.

Today, the Equestrian States is an advanced country that has successfully merged tradition, magic, and technology. With an economy dominated by tourism, agriculture, and the mining of precious minerals, the Equestrians have found their niche in the international community. Thanks to its location in the Pony Lands, the Equestrian States has become a travel hub for many visiting the region from around the world, and the nation is easily among the more prosperous and safe for foreigners to visit.

Geography & Climate

The Equestrian States is best described as an island nation. However, most Equestrians live on the largest island, which is referred to by locals as the mainland, due to its size and role as a population and commercial center for the country.

The mainland is mostly flat grassland and plains, though forests and hilly areas exist and are generally scattered throughout the island. Running north to south are the Harmony Mountains, named for Mt. Harmony near the capital city of Canterlot. The mountain range divides the mainland into eastern and western geographic regions, and was once home to dozens of active volcanoes. However, no eruption has occurred in the Harmony Mountains in over 800 years, and the range is believed to be inactive. The ancient volcanic activity on the mainland (and on many of the Equestrian States' smaller islands, as well) resulted in mineral deposits from which Equestrian miners have extracted gold, silver, and other valuable materials for export.

Two notable exceptions to the mainland's grassy majority are the Everfree Forest and Southern Desert. The Everfree Forest is more of a jungle than a temperate forest, and is widely considered the most dangerous region in the Equestrian States due to its large numbers of wild carnivorous species, some of which would be considered "mythical" by foreigners. Within the Everfree Forest is the city of Everfree, located along the banks of the Stampede River and home to the largest population of non-equines in the nation. A number of more typical temperate forests surround the Everfree Forest itself.

The Southern Desert is (as one might expect) a dry region located in a small pocket of flat land surrounded by the Harmony Mountains near the southern coast. The only major population center in the Southern Desert is the small city of Appleoosa, located in what could be considered by some as a cooler oasis.

But where things begin to get weird for the average tourist is the Equestrian States' weather. Due to the magical nature of many of its inhabitants, the Equestrians are fully capable of creating, manipulating, and otherwise controlling the clouds and weather. This gives them the ability to determine where and when in rains, snows, hails, or any other . The Equestrian government is very actively involved in coordinating the pegasai of the country to generate and control weather patterns favorable to the Equestrian States inhabitants (and its many farmers, in particular). As such, the odds of an Equestrian weatherpony giving an incorrect forecast are almost nonexistent, unless you happen to be in the Everfree Forest (the only region of the Equestrian States where the weather is practically impossible to control due to a prevalence of wild magic).

Travel

Travelling to the Equestrian States is generally easy, as most methods of interregional travel are available to visitors from outside the Pony Lands. Most international flights to the Equestrian States arrive at Canterlot's Harmony International Airport, but other regularly-used airports such as Manehattan's Royal International and Stalliongrad's Friendship Heights International are easy to find flights to. However, it should be noted that pilots flying to and from the Equestrian States internationally must receive additional certification due to the nature of the Equestrian States and much of the Pony Lands. Because of this additional requirement for pilots, some airlines do charge extra to cover the training fees.

Another common way of reaching the States is via sea. Manehattan's seaport is among the most active in the North Pony Lands, and isn't located far from the heart of the Equestrian States' largest city.

Once in the Equestrian States, there are many other options for travel. Rental cars, taxis, and busses are easy to find in the larger cities such as Manehattan, Stalliongrad, and Everfree, though one might notice that most vehicles are electric-powered. But while cars and busses are regularly used in some cities, there are also several in which their use is limited to emergency services (most notably in Ponyville and Canterlot's Old City district) or is totally banned (as is the case in Cloudsdale).

However, the limited use of automobiles is balanced out by the proliferation of trains for travel between and within cities. Some of the more prominent and historical lines (such as the Ponyville-Canterlot Express) still use steam-powered engines or high-speed trains designed to mimic the classical appearance of an Equestrian train. Subways are also a common feature in Equestrian cities, spreading underground to connect many places of interest for foreign tourists. Cloudsdale is the only city where cars, buses, and trains/subways are unavailable.

But in the end, the most common method of travel in the Equestrian States is one's own two feet (or whatever you have to walk on). Few Equestrians drive or use public transportation unless they have to, preferring to take in the clean air on their way from place-to-place.

Culture & Society

Religion

Any analysis of Equestrian culture and society must begin with its majority religion and guiding philosophy: Harmonism. A dualistic religion, it revolves around the physical sun and moon deities, Celestia and Luna, as well as the six principles known as the Elements of Harmony. The religion's origins are near-impossible to determination, though it is widely believed to begun shortly after ponykind first encountered Celestia and Luna over two millennia ago. Unlike other religions, Harmonism lacks a written scripture or centralized multiversal organization to create such writings, occasionally resulting in disagreements between Harmonists from different regions. For the sake of brevity, we will only be exploring the most common spiritual and secular beliefs held by those from the Equestrian States.

As stated earlier, the central beliefs of Harmonism include the worship of the Regal Sisters (Celestia and Luna) and adherence to the Elements of Harmony. Celestia and Luna are the two Princess rulers of distant Magical Equestria, though Luna has (in recent years) begun to spend considerable time aiding the C'tan in preserving peace throughout the Pony Lands. Immortal and, according to spiritual Harmonists, capable of moving celestial bodies through magic, the two Regal Sisters are worshiped (or at least respected) by ponies throughout the multiverse as living goddesses. Some have recently begun to question the actual power of the Sisters, though it is widely accepted among ponykind that they are the two most powerful magical beings in existence.

The six Elements of Harmony are Honesty, Laughter, Kindness, Generosity, Loyalty, and Magic. These Elements exist both as philosophical concepts as well as physical objects capable of great power that contain the purest magical essence of the aforementioned virtues. The philosophical aspects of the Elements are more central to Harmonist faith as a set of morals to guide one throughout life. They are, for the most part, fairly self-explanatory, except for Magic. The sixth element has been connected not only to the ability of equine Harmonists to use magical spells, but also to the drive for new knowledge or understanding. It also has been connected to the power of friendship, and is mentioned in the most common Harmonist saying: "Friendship is Magic".

However, Harmonism has expanded from its spiritual roots (particularly as more non-equines are exposed to harmonist teachings) to become a secular philosophy as well. Secular Harmonists generally try to follow the virtues of Harmonism, though they generally do not believe that the Regal Sisters are physical goddesses. The expansion of Secular Harmonism has also led to the traditional virtues being adopted and woven into other religions as well, such as Christianity. Excluding the overwhelmingly Spiritual Harmonist equine population of the Equestrian States, the most common religion is Harmonist Christianity, which is especially popular among the human inhabitants of the nation.

Language

Traditionally, ponies have spoken in their native Equestrian tongue which is common throughout the Pony Lands. However, since the emergence of the Equestrian States into the international community, laws have been passed requiring citizens to be capable of speaking multiple languages. The most common non-Equestrian language is easily English, which is spoken by approximately two-thirds of the population. It should be noted that some English words have been altered by Equestrians to better fit the equine majority, as the use of "everypony", "anypony", "hoofball", and other such words are modifications of the more standard English words. Mastery of many different languages is especially common among Unicorns, and as they are generally the ones more involved in business, are easy enough to find for foreign visitors. Numerous translating services exist throughout the Equestrian States, and airport bookstores generally contain a plethora of multilingual dictionaries for purchase.

Food

As one might expect from a nation dominated by a species of herbivores, many traditional Equestrian dishes are vegetarian in nature. The proliferation of such food is also furthered by the general lack of agriculture for the purpose of raising up animals for the slaughter. To hurt another living creature is, to many Equestrians, simply unthinkable. However, the Equestrian States is not only inhabited by equines, but also by griffons, dragons, and humans (among others). Restaurants do exist to cater to these non-equine species, and do serve a wide variety of meats imported from outside of the region. That being said, it would be unwise to be seen in public eating a hamburger made from beef or any other meat product as many Equestrians are disgusted by such foods. This can make finding food difficult in smaller cities and in the nicer areas of the larger ones. A general tip would be: if your waiter looks like a herbivore, don't ask them for a cheeseburger or steak. Equestrian cafes are fairly creative with what they can do with non-meat products, and the bread and pastries are oftentimes better than what you might find in other nations.

Drink in the Equestrian States also differs significantly from other nations around the multiverse, as the most common alcoholic beverage is hard cider, which can be found at virtually every bar, pub, and restaurant. Ponies generally refrain from drinking too heavily, but other non-human sapients such as griffons are known to consume vast quantities of alcohol in a single sitting. We advise our human readers to graciously decline any drinking challenges offered, as one is unlikely to win, and drunk griffons can be notoriously temperamental. Beer is a distant second to cider, in terms of both popularity and availability, though bars and eateries which cater to human tourists will often keep domestic Equestrian brands in stock.

Inter-Species Relations

As the Equestrian States is home to a wide range of species, it is practically impossible for any visitor to the country to avoid seeing a member of another species, regardless of where they might be. Unicorns could pull this off in certain neighborhoods of Canterlot, and Earth Ponies could do the same in isolated rural areas, though foreigners will often stumble across other species upon entry into the Equestrian States as customs officials are perhaps the most diverse Equestrian demographic.

Relations between the three major pony races have not always been smooth, and some tensions still exist today despite the educational system's teaching of acceptance and tolerance. However, inter-species violence is very rare within the Equestrian States, as is violence in general, with the possible exceptions coming from dragons, griffons, and other more naturally-aggressive species. Angering a dragon is about as dumb as it sounds, and is not advised unless one has a death wish.

Visitors to the Equestrian States are also advised to avoid appearing speciesist to locals, as Equestrian society could be described as having a herd mentality, where an attack against or insult towards one person might be considered an attack on all those around that person. Thus, some words to avoid using in the Equestrian States are: horse, mule, foal, or donkey. Calling a pony any of those terms is likely to result in a backlash towards the offending individual, as they are considered to be offensive unless one is actually speaking to a sapient horse or donkey, which are both easy to tell apart from ponies through their size and general lack of bright-colored fur or manes.

Venues for the 72nd World Cup

Group E

Group F

Group G

Group H

by **Sargossa** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 11:06 am

It was one of those nights, electricity was in the air. As was rain but the day's unseasonal cloudbursts had singularly failed to dampen the spirits of the masses that had gathered for the night’s principal entertainment. Namely an entire World Cup qualification campaign boiled down to just one single fixture. Sargossa hosted Barunia, with a place at the seventy second World Cup the glittering prize for the winners. While the losers would get to sample the dubious delights of Krytenian cuisine at the Cup of Ignominy. The stakes were just that high.

As the TV cameras panned across the packed stands of the Estadio Generalissimo Joaquín Delgado, through the light yet persistent drizzle, the great and good of Sargossan society could be spotted in the plush VIP areas. President Emparán himself was in attendance, as was Vice President Trucco and no less than six government ministers. Actors, popstars, socialites, the city’s highlife mingled with puffed up members of the Football Federation hierarchy. The Barunian elite were in attendance too, although how the denizens of the Union of Red Nations felt at mixing with so many proponents of the ‘greed is good’ philosophy will have to remain unrecorded. And in a rare burst of generosity Federation President Gustavo Nadal had announced that twenty thousand pairs of tickets for the match would be available free to lucky winners of a national lottery. 108,879 seats, all filled, with millions more packed into fan zones, pubs, clubs, bars, or just in their living rooms.

As chart-topping pop starlet Lara Amaral led the nation in the singing of the national anthem the cameras zeroed in on Sargossa coach Elías Carrasco, the man charged with leading the side to the World Cup. Four years ago Starblaydia were the visitors on a night just like this, the Corsairs lost that encounter but still advanced thanks to their highly impressive win in Jhanna a week earlier. Against Barunia there was no place for such slipups.

Happily for the slightly moist masses few of the nerves that affected the performances of both sides in Porthaven a week ago were present tonight. For such a big fixture it was relatively open, Noyola and Urruti both tested Bainbridge’s reflexes at one end while Manzana twice did the same of Molino at the other. Cut and thrust was the name of the game, punch and counter punch. Until finally the one game to decide a World Cup place hinged on just one second half moment. Midfield maestro Alejandro Rodríguez slipped the ball across for substitute Miguel De Los Santos, who lurked on the edge of the box. The Daroca Marinos striker had plenty of space but instead struck the ball first time, the quick strike wrong footing Bainbridge just enough for the ball to sneak into the net. The slow motion footage of the crowd reaction would be used by TV promotion producers for some time to come. As would the footage of fans streaming onto the pitch at the final whistle. Those same scenes might be considered a massive overreaction when viewed through Euran, Pasargan or Polarian eyes, nations for whom World Cup qualification is usually a mere formality, but for the rest of us it isn’t so easy. So the delight was understandable, as Sargossa would be dining at the top table once again.

SSM | Sargossan State Media

International Edition - Sport

The Traditional Slightly Dull Group Prediction

Mario Najar reports;

So it’s actually happened, Sargossa has qualified for the World Cup. Which is nice. It’ll be the nation’s tenth appearance at the greatest show on turf, which is nearly as much as we’ve been to the Cup of Harmony. Which currently stands at eleven appearances, since you didn’t ask. And there’s another sequence of ten currently on the mind of the nation’s footy faithful, the ten World Cup matches since the Corsairs last tasted victory. That 1 – 0 win over the Sea Dragons of Andossa Se Mitrin Vega at the group stages of World Cup 63 was quite some time ago. Since then Starblaydia, Vilita, Mangolana, Pasarga, Darmen, Kiryu-shi, the Polar Islandstates, the Equestrian States, Nephara and The Sarian had all denied Sargossa in a run of five draws and five defeats. So who stands in the way of the Corsairs and the removal of this particular monkey off our back?

OMG! OMG! It’s them! It’s the Polar Islandstates! Hurrah, huzzah, et cetera. Here there’s history, quite a lot of it. It goes all the way back to the impromptu matches played between the crews of Sargossan merchant vessels and Polarian dockworkers during the earliest days of contact between the two nations. In fact it could be argued that those Sargossan sailors, as well as their Nethertopian and Candelariasian counterparts, helped the sport to take root across the future Greater Valhallan Federation. Away from the pitch modern relations between Soluca and Franz Josef City have been, at best, strained. And strained became downright poisonous as the Kűlmsaar question nearly led to open warfare between the Northern Rushmori powers. But more recently a strange feeling of détente has descended across northern Oygruppen. It would be a severe stretch to describe the atmosphere as friendly but the squabbles seem to have stopped and rumours abound of ongoing talks between the two nations, talks being made at the very highest level.

Happily on the pitch it can still get just a little bit tasty, with the footballing heroes on both sides of the divide quite happy to kick lumps out of each other. The record though is largely skewed in one direction. In inappropriately named friendlies the Corsairs may have the edge (that'll be one win out of one) but in competitive action it’s been all Tern. A group stage defeat at World Cup 66, two reversals at the eighteenth Copa Rushmori and, most painful of all, defeat in the Copa final in Saugeais. In the past Sargossa coaches have adjusted their tactics in an effort to frustrate (ie: hurt) the Polarians to no great effect. But current incumbent Elías Carrasco has ruled out any such changes this time around, insisting his side will continue to play the game that got them here. It's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it pays off for 'em.

After the sizable obstacle of the Polarians comes the Eels of Turori. Yep, eighth in the world Turori, bumped down into the second pot of seeds thanks to the presence of two relatively lowly ranked host nations. The Atlantians have been consistently excellent for a long, long time. Which makes this next bit a little odd. Sargossa and Turori have met on four previous occasions, with the Corsairs winning every one of those meetings. That includes humbling the Eels in front of their own fans when the nation hosted the sixty third World Cup. But you can probably bet against that run continuing here. Finally, and perhaps our best chance of ending the current World Cup hoodoo, comes the Unified Sunrise Islands. The Samba Kids scraped into the playoffs on goal difference and then edged passed Super-Llamaland to complete the group picture. Although there have been no previous encounters between Sargossa and the Unified Islands, the Corsairs did run into the Northern Sunrise Islands in a World Cup 69 qualification playoff. Both matches finished 1 – 1 and to this day we still have no clue as to how the winner was actually decided as no extra-time or shootout ever took place. Some measure of revenge wouldn’t go amiss.

by **Farfadillis** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 11:45 am

The Kamikaze
A site dedicated to Farf football

National Team Section

PHEW
submitted two months ago

That's a wrap, guys. We're in the World Cup. It was a tough journey, but we've gotten to our destiny, and we're so far undefeated, despite having tied one too many games and having had to go through the play-offs as a consequence. The team performed confidently and deserved it, there isn't that much to complain about. Though, had it not been for that Tzâín save in the last game, maybe we wouldn't be here after all. Most likely, actually. But anyway, let's talk about that last game, since it's still fresh in our memories having been played yesterday.

Both teams lined up with no surprise deviations from their standard line-ups. Urquhart, Given, Duffy, Breton, Faulkner, Duguid, Cullen, Kilbane, Scherzer, Purrington and Connolly, their names announced in that order, against well, you know, the standard line-up Pekarik seems to love so much. If there's anything we currently don't pack, it's a surprise. Same one-dimensional line-up, not much of a change in tactics and one very much expected attacking flair. Not like we mind, though.

When the match started, it looked like we would dominate just as much as in the first leg. A long shot off Terán's right foot hit the crossbar in the tenth minute, while Urquhart stopped Fôx one-on-one in the twentieth. However, Farf domination would not last as much as we would've liked, as it fizzled out before the first half ended. A bit too timidly for being one goal down on aggregate, but the Brenecians started looking for the intiative after we showed that we weren't exactly in out best day, at least in terms of finishing. Soon enough, both teams started playing on equal terms, and both rather offensively. However, two solid saves from Tzâín, a save from Urquhart and a pretty easy header missed by Fuego prevented the first half from having any goals. It had been exciting, though.

The second half started with the Brenecians looking increasingly desperate. A goal would send them through, but Farfadillis was not about to just hand them one on a silver platter just like that. However, they realized that going full-on kamikaze just wouldn't pay dividends as they'd expose themselves to a highly threatening team. Thus, the Esportivan team played more and more offensively as the clock ticked and tocked, while the Farves stayed rather offensive throughout the match. However, Pekarik was probably aiming for a more defensive approach, as was evidenced when he replaced Fuego, who was honestly not having the best game of his career, with Arambilet. Tôr replacing Fôx was pretty much expected though, as the Eura-based midfielder looked far too tired to continue his continuous runs up and down the pitch.

After the substitutions, the Brenecians for some reason started playing better. Perhaps it was the fact that we no longer had two strikers up front, and that meant they could attack more carelessly (well, as carelessly as 'having Dandalleion ready for the counter' might sound to you). If, after the first leg, someone had told you we'd be dominated by the Brenecians in the second game, you probably would've looked at them strangely. However, that's exactly what happened throughout the last ten minutes, as the Brenecians decided to go full Farfadillis and beat us in our own game. And it almost happened.

The Brenecians started looking to exploit the flanks, as Mêndêlöíndçêl, Arambilet, Bârr and even Terán were evidently having none of it. Mata, in great form, didn't suffer too much either. Alaminos, however? After the poor showing in the away goal the Brenecians had scored against us, the Brenecians knew where their chances of qualification lied. Now, I'm not sure what exactly happened to our beloved Santos in these last two matches, but he didn't look sharp at all. He was exposed twice, on both occasions having his ass saved by Mêndêlöíndçêl's traditional last-ditch sliding tackles, and Pekarik decided to play it safe. He replaced the Faroleran with Salomón Cayfú. Surely, a set of fresh legs would seal the deal and send us through to the World Cup finals, right? Not really.

Salomón entered the pitch with just a minute to go before injury time was given. Just one minute later, as the fourth official announced there would be four more minutes of playing time, he decided to go full idiot and get his dumb ass sent off for an excessively dangerous tackle on the flank. Unnecessary, as the Brenecian wasn't in a particularly threatening position.

Anyway, Purrington crossed and Danmark, who had been subbed in a few minutes before Cayfú, jumped higher than Mata, who was taking care of marking two players thanks to Cayfú, and headed the sphere to the far post. Pretty much every Farf sighed of relief, and most probably gesticulated wildly, as they realized Tzâín had made the save of his life, deflecting the ball to his left. However, Kâí got the ball on the rebound, dribbled two on his way out of the box, and passed the ball to an incoming Tôr, who was running faster than anyone thanks to having played less minutes. The Apox-based winger then dribbled a desperate Brenecian tracking back.

He ran his way to the centre of the pitch and Dandalleion, who'd been the only one capable of joining Tôr in his glorious run, managed to break free from the defender marking him. Tôr connected a perfect through pass to send him through, one-on-one with Urquhart. Friekder then dribbled the Brenecian and slotted it in with the goal at his mercy. The crazy goal celebration that followed the goal was just one big relief to all of us. We'd definitely won the game. So definitely, in fact, that as soon as Brenecia restarted the game, the referee ended it with thirty seconds to spare.

The Kamikaze
A site dedicated to Farf football

National Team Section

Group Preview
submitted just now

Well, the World Cup's almost here, and it seems the group draw's not been exactly nice to us! Very few expect us to oust Apox, which is surprising since we are the second seed, not them, but I digress. The time's perfect for a rundown on what we will face.

PASARGA
Ranking: #2
Prediction: 1st in Group C, Finalists
Manager: Jullian van Setten
Key Player: Császár Mór
Captain: Császár Mór
Formation: 4-4-2

Ah, how lucky we are. Of all the possible top seeds, we get the second scariest. I'd say we have ok chances against any team outside the top three. Sure, there's a reason we're below them in the rankings, but on a good day winning wouldn't be too much of a surprise. The second-best team in the world, though? We're far from that level. Best case scenario we'll get a slightly undeserved tie, I believe. Let's hope by the time they play against us one of the two has already secured a place in the knock-out stage.

The Pasargans play an orthodox 4-4-2. They slightly favour offense, though nowhere near as much as we do. However, their attack is still lethal, their midfield out of this world and their defense miles ahead of ours. There isn't much to analyze here if I'm honest. I don't think our defense can hold this team back, not even in its best day. When it comes to midfield and offense, the difference is not that big, but their players are much more balanced and their chemistry is way ahead of ours too. Csázsár Mór worries me in particular. He's gonna dominate in midfield, though I suppose not as much as usual if Mêndêlöíndçêl's in a good day. Our best chances lie in Dandalleion's pace and Kâí's runs down the flank. Tzâín had better play like he did against Brenecia or we're screwed big time.

Overall, it's likely Pasarga will surprise absolutely nobody by topping the group, perhaps with three clean wins. They're ahead of their competition here, and it will show. I predict they'll make their way to the final, though teams like the Holy Empire, Nephara and Legalese can prove tough challenges for them on the way there. I just can't see them beating Osarius/Polar Islandstates - whoever faces them in the final - though.

FARFADILLIS
Ranking: #14
Prediction: 2nd in Group C, Quarterfinalists
Manager: Steffan Pekarik
Key Player: Risko Kâí
Captain: Yurpá Mêndêlöíndçêl
Formation: 3-2-3-2

Oh, that's our call! We're in pretty awesome form, despite having had to endure a nerve-racking two-leg play-off against the Brenecians. We're so far undefeated this cycle, and have apparently managed to leave our disastrous AOCAF Cup behind. Hopefully we can bring the Southwest back to glory! I'm not fancying the Vanorians on that one, as a side note. Anyway, with our renowned (and pretty infamous) attacking football, we'll be looking to plow our way through one very tough group.

We play a suicidal 3-2-3-2, which is probably too offensive for our own good. Nonetheless, it's part of our identity and there's no changing that. Our defense is not very good, our midfield is and our strikers are both very talented, one's at the peak of his game and the other will be playing his last tournament for the national team. It's undeniable that we've got the weapons to bang in goals (Kâí, Terán, Fôx, Delafuente, Dandalleion and Fuego are all renowned offensive-minded players), but I'm not sure those weapons can bang in enough to outscore our opponents, who will surely take advantage of our shaky defense, now more shaky than ever following Alaminos' unexpected and very inconvenient dip in form. What's worse Mêndêlöíndçêl's getting old, and Monrazón is still too young. We're gonna have to endure this one, it seems.

Anyway, I'm gonna put my bias hat on to predict how far we'll go. I'm optimistically expecting us to make it to the quarterfinals, after a good showing in the group that allows us to barely scrape through along with a more comfortably-placed Pasargan squad. Not sure who, exactly, will knock us out, but I can't see us getting to the semifinals, or any further than that. It's nice to imagine how it would be, though...

APOX
Ranking: #23
Prediction: 3rd in Group C, Eliminated
Manager: Gavin Hughes
Key Player: Solomon Etezadi
Captain: Solomon Etezadi
Formation: 4-1-3-2

Ah, fantastic. Who do we get as third seed? A team that can actually beat us. Truly fantastic. Though we've never faced them, most Farves will be more than just acquainted with the Apoxians. Many good Farf players have plied their trade in the current best league of the Multiverse, while a similar number of Apoxians have made the step down to the crazy Farf league as well. Important Farf players likely to be very well-known in Apox? First and foremost, Alex Terán. Then there's Yurpá Mêndêlöíndçêl and Rancisc Tenian, who also made lasting impacts in the league. And of course, there's a lot more players who have not been as great but have been doing well enough, like Cleto Mata, Rübéãn Tôr, Leonhard Mixé, Ikkon Karrkka and some guy called Michelsen Enigóó (I looked this one up, who is he anyway?). Meanwhile, Novan fans would never forget the name of Dravid Scott, who kickstarted their rise to the top of the league. Meanwhile, Mâ Âlâmëómë fans will have to endure facing two of their most idolized players in Solomon Etezadi and Kaj Aurora, possibly hopefully eliminating them from the competition (they won't be facing Jack Hawke though). Then there's a bunch a few names you may or may not remember like Georgie Zuru and Thom Hoy. Oh, there's also Grant Pickton, but you didn't need me to tell you that, what with his son actually in our squad and all? I can only imagine how weird our match against the Apoxians will be for good old Grant.

Anyway, that was quite a long introduction for the Platypus-flagged nation. Their football is rather conservative, with a 4-1-3-2 that would make most Farves puke. No Farf actually need me to tell him/her who to watch out for. Solomon Etezadi will be one of the toughest defenders our national team will ever face, and quite frankly I don't understand how nobody from a lowly team like Fragardallians thought of breaking his leg or something in the last few matchdays of the season. Same goes for Kaj Aurora, their very talented winger, though I can understand not wanting to hurt a lady (not like she's not one of the most fouled players in the league though...). Then there's Adnan Zozula, a player not as ever-present in the typical Farf's mind. If we can't keep this guy quiet, we're gonna need one huge performance from Dandalleion and Kâí to make up for it. Also, keep an eye on Alpha Gandhi if you're interested in future stars, he looks like he'll be one of those guys who could free an entire country peacefully just by virtue of scoring goals.

Anyway, I like Apox as a nation - hard not to like them when they've been so influential to our football. However, I really want them eliminated, and I'm gonna go against popular consensus to predict that's exactly what will happen. Yes, I've got my bias hat on, how could you tell?

KIRISAKI
Ranking: #33
Prediction: 4th in Group C, Eliminated
Manager: Kurumi Shirakiin
Key Player: Mikoto Tsuchimikado
Captain: I've got no effing idea
Formation: 4-2-3-1

I'll be honest, I feel nothing about this one. I don't know the Kirisakians enough to know just how screwed over or favoured we were by the draw on this one. I can tell you, however, that I don't expect them to be anything but tough, despite the fact that they seem to be mostly teenage girls. I expect to beat them, yes, but I'm not expecting an easy match. Teenage girls may not be good footballers in Farfadillis (far from it), but they may very well be in Kirisaki. Just don't go into this match thinking we've got it in the bag, ok?

They play an offensive 4-2-3-1, but that's all I know about it. The name Mikoto Tsuchimikado's the only one that doesn't just ring a bell. The girl's definitely a big, big talent, but to be honest she's the only one I can name off the top of my head. Nonetheless, her talent alone should worry our team, and I hope Pekarik knows a few more names to watch out for, because I'm not a dedicated scout but he does have one with him.

I expect the Kirisakians to end up bottom of the group, but not without a fight. They may snatch points from a team, possibly two, and end up third, but I just don't see them advancing. I hope I'm right.

by **Pasarga** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 12:14 pm

Torgos Tribune ~ Group C For Champions?

The Wanderers to everyones great surprise ran a perfect record through the length of the Qualifying cycle, despite resting its stars and most of the first eleven those last two games after having clinched the group and one of the best records in the qualifiers. Even were here at the Tribune thought for sure that complacency or experimentation would find the Wanderers dropping a game or coming to a mere draw, but alas they proved their depth and concentration in seeing out the entirety of the Qualifiers with the same intensity and determination that they began them with. With Nephara's loss in matchday thirteen, coincidentally coming after they defeated Yttribia to secure their own qualification, also meant that the Wanderers were the only squad with a perfect record, although there were a handful of unbeaten teams at the end of the qualifiers.

One of those teams happens to be in our Finals group, as Farfadillis made it through the qualifiers and then the subsequent playoff without a loss on their record. This is most likely going to be the biggest challenge for our squad, with Farfadillis one of those teams that no one ever wants to see in their group because of how relentless their attack can be. Though much in the way of their star power in terms of players is growing long in the tooth and will soon find itself gone from the limelight, they are as dangerous as ever and their ranking shows it to. Fourteenth in the world and co favorites with the Wanderers to advance out of the group, they are going to be a formidable task for our squad to overcome. Expect to see the midfielders playing deeper to try and stymie the attack and perhaps play a possession game to limit the amount of chances they can produce.

However that is the last match of the group stage for the Wanderers and if fate is kind, then they will not have to be worrying about their advancement come that tough fixture. We cast our eyes on the first match in the group and the Esportivan outfit of Apox, who come into the Finals thanks to a very surprising turnaround in their playoff match. Everyone thought that The Royal Barangay had advanced after winning the first leg in Apox, yet the Apox side came out of the second leg with a triumphant victory that cast the Barangay down. Apox is one of the powerhouses of Esportiva football, along with Nephara and Yttribia, but have yet to show it in the Finals, though that can be said of many Esportiva teams. If the Wanderers apply a bit of pressure to the Apox side and play up to their strengths, it may be that they will wilt as has been a chronic scene in their history. However any side that can turn around the playoff the way that they did may be turning a new leaf when it comes to how they handle pressure, though history is a tough cloak to discard.

In the middle and what most people consider the pivotal fixture for many teams World Cup hopes, we get to play the squad currently known as Kirisaki, though they have been known by other names in the past. They are a middling side who are trying to find their footing among the power elite, much like our squad about four cycles ago. If they can string together a few good cycles, they have the potential to be the next Starblaydia, Polar Islandstates, or Holy Empire. However it is their lack of consistency that is holding them back, as can be seen quite clearly in their qualifying campaign where they had losses and draws that seemed to creep out of nowhere. To be fair, even Osarius found themselves with a shock defeat in qualifying, however I don't see Kirisaki as an immense threat, not in the same vein that the other two squads in the group are. They play an unusual 4-2-3-1 formation that may be hard to break down, but such is the challenges you find here in the Finals.

Looking at the travel and where we play each of our opponents, it is safe to say that we got a decent travel schedule that could have been better but also could have been much worse all things considered. The group seems to mostly stay in the northern half of Valanora apart though there are two in the south. All that being said, I think the Wanderers have a substantial chance of emerging from the group with three wins, though I would also not be surprised if they came out with a win and two draws. The side will ideally look to win the group if they do advance, as the prospect of playing The Holy Empire in just the Round of Sixteen is not a one that any side really wants to be facing, especially the Wanderers as they look to do one better than last cycle and win the tournament. With Osarius in the Equestrian half of the bracket, there may even be a repeat of last cycles Final, which would be quite tantalizing should it happen. First, the group awaits!

WC72 RP Thread

Who is online