World Cup 73 - RPing Thread

by **The Saint James Islands** » Wed Oct 14, 2015 11:31 am

#omericavotes21: who is who and what is what in the federal election
a loss of supply has led to a dissolution of parliament and many confused people

Georgetown — Parliament has been dissolved! Omerica will head to the polls to elect a new House of Representatives after Prime Minister Staci Laurent suffered a defeat on the budget, where the fractured opposition united to topple the Socialist government in a 145–139 vote.

what happened?
The last election in 2019 was inconclusive, producing no majority for any one political party. The governing Socialists, who were seeking a third term in office, were by far the largest, but remained short of the 145 seat mark needed to form a majority government. Under normal circumstances, this would have led to a coalition government, which, while uncommon, is not unheard of in Omerican politics.

Both the centre-left Socialist government and centre-right National-Liberal opposition sought to court the left-wing, socially conservative Confederation of Peoples, a party which has made inroads into heavily Takiari areas that were once Socialist strongholds. With the CoP ruling out the possibility of formal cooperation with both the incumbent government and opposition, then-PM William Lee Hennessey opted to form a “slalom government”, a minority government that was not propped up by confidence and supply pacts that would have been usual in the formation of a government without a majority. On economic issues, Hennessey would be able to count on Confederation support to pass legislation, while legislation on social issues could be passed with support (or mere abstention) from the Liberals.

However, with Hennessey’s poll numbers starting to stagnate and decline after seven years of grace, his deputy Staci Laurent won sufficient support among the Socialist members of parliament to call for a leadership ballot, which she contested and won. Five months later, her refusal to negotiate on her proposals to lower excise taxes on alcohol and freeze those on tobacco and cannabis convinced the Confederation to vote against the Laurent government’s first budget, causing her to lose a money vote (“loss of supply”), which resulted in the fall of the Socialist minority government.

By law, Laurent had two choices: resign and advise President Anatarea Mahana to invite Leader of the Opposition Aleksänder Mätjassen to form a government or advise the President to dissolve Parliament and call for a snap election (an early election). Now Laurent has left the Victoria Palace with the dissolution order, signifying the beginning of the 2021 federal election.

what happens next?
With the House of Representatives now dissolved, the Federal Electoral Commission has ten days to draw up the writs of election. After the President issues the writs for the 288 electorates, there will be between 10 and 27 days for candidate nominations, with 21 being the norm. After nominations close, there must be at least 23 and no more than 31 days for campaigning, with the date of the poll fixed on a Saturday.

Each of Omerica’s 288 electoral districts will chose a single Member of Parliament by first-past-the-post voting, which has often been criticised for the tendency of “vote-splitting” to affect the results. Vote-splitting between the Liberals and Socialists during the first decade of the 21st century led to several consecutive majority governments for the National Party, who enjoyed strongly supportive Parliaments despite often being beaten out by the left-wing opposition in the popular vote. With the gradual shift of the Liberals towards the right over the course of the millenium, the Socialists have become the primary beneficiaries of vote-splitting, but the rise of the left-wing conservative Confederation has given pause to predictions of a Socialist era of dominance.

If a single party can win a majority of seats, they will be guaranteed to form a government. If no party wins a majority, one of several things may happen. Two parties may form a coalition, working together to form a government that has a majority in the House of Representatives; the last coalition government (between the Liberals and Socialists) existed between 2007 and 2010. If no coalition is formed, the largest party may run a minority government, the situation in the last Parliament before its dissolution. Such a government may or may not seek out agreements that guarantee it a majority on matters of confidence or supply—the last National government elected in 2010 reached a confidence and supply agreement with the Liberals, while the current Socialist government opted not to seek out any such pacts—though the comfort they provide means they usually happen.

who is who?
Prime Minister Staci Laurent will be seeking a Socialist majority to guarantee that she will be able to reform the current excise staircase, while National leader Aleksänder Mätjassen, who took the helm from Steven Harrison in 2019, will be looking to guide his centre-right party to the magic 145 seats needed for a majority government and kill off Laurent’s plans. Both John Holst of the Liberals and Kirakina Matarea of the Confederation will seek to hold the balance of power in the next Parliament and will be likely targets for National and Socialist attacks respectively. Other smaller parties, such as the environmentalist Movement 1988 and solidly right Democratic Labour Party, will also be looking to get into the House of Representatives, but look unlikely to muster the necessary votes to get into the lower house of Parliament.

The Confederation will look to hold on to their 14 electorates and make deeper inroads into Takiari territory, where voters tend to be friendly to the economic policies of the Socialists, but sceptical of their socially liberal attitudes. Opposition Leader Mätjassen has taken the Nationals closer to the centre in an attempt to court Liberal voters, who will be a key demographic for the Nationals if they want to form the first right-wing federal government in eight years.

where will the election be won?
Key fights will take place in Selaga, whose eighteen electorates are crucial for Laurent’s election hopes, and Durham, a canton that overwhelmingly voted Socialist in the last three elections but may take many of its twenty-seven electorates back to the National camp. The Nationals will look to quash the Liberals in their strongholds in Philibiscostal, the financial centre where the centrists hold a majority of the 43 electorates, while the Socialists will be defending the capital of Georgetown from an assault by the Liberals.

Mätjassen’s leadership of the Nationals may help the opposition solidify its hold on much of the Aurentine southwest and makes inroads into Mätjassen’s native Kalsden, where the Socialists have traditionally done well. Meanwhile, Socialist hopes in the Francophone north look good thanks to Laurent’s leadership; her electorate in the Mid-Provence is in little danger of falling to the opposition. With Francophones appearing to gravitate towards the Socialists and Aurentines to the Nationals, Anglophone and Takiari voters will decide the next occupant of Rucker’s Hill.

With excise duties a major point of the campaign, the Socialists may find little love in Selaga, Chamangol, Alopi and Faroka, meaning that they will need excellent results in the beer-loving Anglophone cantons to win reelection. Laurent has been buoyed in the polls by a stable economy and a relatively tranquil Esportiva, with Socialist stewardship keeping Omerica’s proud tradition of neutrality afloat. Dissatisfaction with Laurent’s stubbornness will be the major challenge for the Socialists to overcome, as the Liberals and Confederation have found it difficult to work with the Prime Minister and may be hesitant to form a coalition that would keep her in power. For Laurent to remain in power, the Socialists will need to muster 145 seats in Parliament.

for your reading pleasure

World Cup Challenge 73: Pick your qualifiers for Apox-Québec ▶
Landslip in Mid-Provence leaves two dead and six injured ▶
TAO announces six venues to host Omerica home qualifiers for the World Cup ▶
Cruise ship off the coast of Braadwund backtracks to find overboard man ▶

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by **Alasdair I Frosticus** » Wed Oct 14, 2015 12:47 pm

OOC - this is a lightly edited repost of the OP of the thread linked at the end of this sentence, which is where the actual voting poll can be found (yes, you can actually vote; and I will take the voting seriously): viewtopic.php?f=7&t=356929

It's my hope that interested parties can participate either here as collaborative WC RP or in the separate thread, as they prefer.

Dear Mundies of Ordinary Reality,

So, it seems some of you think our national football kit is 'old-fashioned' and 'out-of-date' with 'only the weight of history to recommend it'. Well, what would you know? We've seen things you people wouldn't believe.. attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion; c-beams glittering in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate...

But we digress.

Sometimes - just sometimes - you lot have a good idea. So we thought we'd ask for your opinion. Three mundy kit designers have come up with suggested new designs for the Imperial Squad. It's just possible that one of these might be an improvement. So why don't you help us choose?

Just as a reminder, here's what we've been wearing since WC 1:

And here are the three possible replacement options:

It's simple, it's classic, both solid virtues that HEFA values highly - but it does seem to require us to run around without shorts, which could cause a scandal in some nations.

Quite close to the current design, but with a pleasingly modern touch; but it does oddly only seem to work in two-dimensional space given the focus on a front view.

A bold and attractive reimagining incorporating the national flag - and including actual socks! - but is it too much of a departure from the traditional virtues of Frosty Football?

So which would you pick? We welcome you outlining your reasons for choosing a particular design. Nations that aren't participating in the NationStates World Cup are very welcome to offer an opinion.

Vote now!

Yours,

The Holy Empire Football Association

OOC - the kits were designed by (in order) Audioslavia, Kernansquillec, and Red Blackiland respectively. It was a condition of design that there be no recognisable corporate logos on the kits. OOC'ly I'm very grateful to all three for their help. IC'ly I'm deliberately withholding credit, and all three designers are IC'ly welcome to express outrage and/or take all due credit in this thread or the separate voting thread.

by **Armeia** » Wed Oct 14, 2015 2:55 pm

This is half written in the truest sense of the term, because I'll probably miss the cutoff if I don't post it.

"Remember what you came here for?" asked the injured soldier, who Christa Cruz knelt next to. "What you gave up your footballing career for?"

"To kill Republikans? To crush this rebellion?" Christa replied, not sure what her friend Maria was playing at. And why was she asking questions like this at a time like this? They were in the mountains, waiting for a support team to take the nearby road, and occasionally they were peppered by wild fire from enemy units over a mile away. Maria had been injured early on in their battle, and her condition only worsened as she sat by the mountain wall and clutched her injured midsection.

"You came here for your city. To keep the people of Cora City safe, to make them proud. Don't forget that. I'm not gonna make it out of here, but you will... I know you will... Please don't just stay in the military, Christa, when you get out... Make sure you do something that will make Cora City proud," Maria said slowly.

Bang! The two were interrupted by more fire hitting the wall, making everyone duck and get low. Christa sighed and fired back some rounds, and she began to think that the only way she would get out of here was in a body bag.

Game day in Cora City was a spectacle. Something that every fan had to see at least once. It started early, the fans heading to the bars and drinking before setting up their tailgates. And then, when night fell, the IKCC Royals or the women's team, Vandals, headed to the stadium, the path of the bus illuminated by dozens of flares, the night air clouded with black and purple smoke, making the sky a hazy purplish color that both set the scene and stung at the lungs of anyone who breathed it in.

While Vandals played at the small Haas Field, the Royals had VapArena, the large stadium that seated 95,000 normally and sometimes packed 102,000 into its walls. Now, that wasn't a diss on Haas Field, because the intimate atmosphere there was priceless. The north end, the Nord Tribune, was always sold out, always packed with ultras group Inferno CC standing and raising hell the entire match. They were demanding, too. When Vandals nearly blew the title last season, they had turned on the team, showing up in pool clothes to show that the players spent to much time on vacation, skipping practice. Another time in years past, they spent part of the first half with their backs turned to the pitch in protest of the manager.

But last year everything was different. Vandals was contending for the title and with a win against their arch rivals, Northeastern, they would wrap up the season as champions. Christa Cruz, who had been playing for Northeastern at the time despite where she was from remembered it like yesterday.

She remembered the jeers as she warmed up, how bottles had been thrown her way before the match. She remembered thinking that there was going to be a riot when Northeastern initially took the lead. But then something changed, when Vandals equalized.

Christa remembered the purple smoke rising from the stands as the wild celebrations started, the momentum shifting, the looks of confidence from the Vandals players. How they knew that they were the better team, that Northeastern's run of three straight titles was over. They knew how long Cora City had waited for this, what was on the line in that match. And then, that magical play happened. Pandora Reimfeller played the ball deep to Svenja Volksson, who somehow got through three defenders to put the ball in the net.

When that happened, Christa felt like her heart had been ripped out. She had put so much into pushing this team to be great, and it all fell apart before her eyes as Vandals took the title away from them. She remembered kneeling on the pitch as the match ended, watching the fans from the Nord Tribune flooding onto the pitch, lamenting her missed chances, not just this game but all season. The noise level in this building was deafening, but Christa felt like she heard none of it. The only thing she heard was her own sobs, as she blamed their entire failure this season on herself. And from that moment on, she was motivated to change that, to never let it happen ever again.

by **San Jose Guayabal** » Wed Oct 14, 2015 3:23 pm

WC 73 Qualifiers: Who we will face? - Group 16 Survival Guide

"New Cycle, means that it's time to change the antics" is a common word among elder Guayabalense citizens in their daily conversations or suggestions with their sons or grandsons, that's something that might apply into this new history, a new World Cup cycle that will bring for sure lots of emotions to all the fans of football in our little mountainous piece of land that we know as Motherland" .

By: Santi González, the amateur journalist with a critical thinking.
From: San Francisco de La Laguna - World Cup 73 - Qualifiers.
Posted: May 27th, 2203 - 22:54 (Guayabalense Eastern Time - User's local time)

San Jose Guayabal returns to the action of the World Cup Qualifiers, this time is the eighth cycle of participation of La Selecta, after a good last year where we managed to reach the group stage of the World Cup Qualifiers and for a couple of minutes we did not entered in the Round of 16, has some motivation to La Selecta, proving to themselves that they are able to show the world that have the talent to get back to the World Cup Finals, although it is obvious that the road will not be easy, but progress has been concerning into clubs, players and the collective level has given a big momentum for Guayabalense football in its mission to become a world-class football, but that will not be achieved of overnight, we are taking the right steps in order to achieve that objectives, is not known how much will take but it is certain that the collective effort is heading to the right direction, good management and the Guayabalense Football Federation accurated decisions, the current coaching staff who managed to win the Cup of Harmony just having arrived a month before it shows the quality and positive impact of them.

There are many positive aspects that we can highlight and there are others that we should avoid, but this is the year to achieve something good, we can say that there is a problem that afflicts us and I hope it will be eliminated soon is the defensive shortcoming, we should have a defense that does not allow so easily, because in the last cycles, I listened to joke that our defense attaches more facilities than a rural savings and cooperative credit association. As for the front, everything is in order, that's the advantage of having players like that every day Rodolfo Zelaya seems to settle into the global football elite for his ambidextrous talent and a highly educated right leg to perform free kicks, apart the speed and dribble of Sean Fraser and Jonathan Faña, who give everything on the pitch in order to get the three points and delight the fans. Our midfield has also been improved over time, appearing as a very united group and also with very good communication and coordination in playmaking and provide the efforts of our three forwards, Sebastian Núñez with Leonidas Bregoo have achieved mature enough to be able to function adequately in any situation of the game or in the Qualifiers.

As for the goal, the young Terrazas has managed to concentrate and take over the position of goalkeeper La Selecta, despite his 17 years, shows the temple of Terrazas and a goalkeeper attitude of 26-27 years and with the international experience of a 35 years old keeper, is not a comment to put them high over the clouds but Terrazas has slowly become a symbol of the youth of our National Team and a kind of motivation for young football supporters who daily are concentrated in the academies scattered throughout the country to give their best r and one day fulfill his dream of playing for the national team, our players have achieved reserve replacement and positioned very well in the league and also in foreign leagues, although some of them have lost their relevance in national team as Henry Hernández, who for his mistakes, his professional career has suffered a big blow to the, now has become the keeper of replacement for Terrazas or Molodetsov if any of these two are injured or technical decides to try new variants for the tie or friendly about Hernandez has almost two years of not being goalkeeper in a match of the National Team, but ironically in his team, is immovable and is becoming a This banner.

Now back to the plane of the World Cup Qualifiers, we are positioned for the first time ever in the pot 1, fruit of the efforts that have been made from the already somewhat remote origins of football in San José Guayabal, it has been slow but now enjoy these rewards worth the effort and passion of the fans and also the players who show courage and love of country in each game. This was the good news, note that San José Guayabal has been placed in Group of Death for the first time, if, as is reading it, the group of death due to the difficulty level and those teams that can put in each game when we face one of those rivals some difficulty grade, that literary figure can be converted into something literal because the existing morbidity between the two countries and certain historical and recent history between the two countries, with another, was created during the most recent war one significant morbidity that can cause certain problems during the games we play against them while there are others that we have been obstacles in previous tournaments, one was responsible for virtually eliminate us from the Cup of Harmony 58 (Yes, first we played) and there are other competitors that we must take into account the motivation and potential of some of its elements quality.

Now we start the preview and analysis using the random order which has been published in the mass media and social networks, this order is not based on ranking, but is in random order, I have to also to say that the description of some teams may not be liked by certain people or may not have an adequate language, therefore it is recommended discretion when reading the descriptions of some teams, particularly the following team:

Gregoryisgodistan

Who are they? - The strongest opponent away from us in this group is nothing more and nothing less than our neighboring country, yes, those bastards slaves of Gregoryisgodistan share group with us in what will be the first time that "El Clásico" is played in the playoffs, He had already played once officially and that we won 1-0 in the Cup of Harmony 63 which subsequently won on penalties against Valanora. Back then, these unfortunates will be a great obstacle in our quest to qualify for the World Cup Finals, will not be easy and much less be with these stupid stupid slaves and their leader, they are inspired after achieving first classified the World Cup Finals was in a group where Farfadillis, that is, able to leave a good national team out of first place and that is worthy of admire them, perhaps the only significant of these bastards in the World Cup Finals did not have a good paper but at least they showed they have enough talent to within a couple of cycles or who knows in the next cycle to achieve progress to Round of 16, they have strength but for sure they feel compelled to save their skins whereas a bad game or an own goal can result in an execution with the help of a firing squad or still worse.

Advantages: The defensive play of these idiots makes them quite resistant to the pressure to exercise them during the game, even more defensive than two years ago Ko-oren, physical strength is a big plus for them and also the speed status of each of these players led by the intelligent strategist Horse Beater KFIU9140, stand in defense Police Agent Jorge Warlord who tend to be aggressive and sometimes brutal when looking to stop the rival strikers also find Prune Farmer HUXU88238ASF that game quite like using contact, trying to incite fights that may cause the expulsion of the key players of the opposing team. Besides the speed of this team can be lethal when starting a counter attack.

Disadvantages: As we know from logic, all quite conservative team is also a team whose front or bad ess does not have many chances to attack, as Loyal Friend of Lord Almighty Gregory Xylocrap Notatypo and Loyal Friend of Lord Almighty Gregory Death to San Jose Guayabal (not is a subliminal message, that's his name) tend to receive few balls by his midfield, especially when the game dynamics rests most often on the team more offensive power, this will be our case, they seek to attack and weaken our key players with blows and intentional contact.

How to win it? - The key is how well we play the game the player who has the role of destroying rival game and the player has to open holes in the defense, also in the liveliness of the players to try to avoid much closer to the defenses and at least attempted to hit, let's lie on the floor to call for the fault, just so we can stop this team, another strategy is in corner kicks or free kicks, make the implementation of strategic moves or long distance shots where goalkeeper can not reach the ball.

Verdict: There will be two tough matches, especially the first will be in the matchday No. 4 back in Gregoryisgodistan, I believe that in this game we have to be cautious because the party can be decisive, get three points this stage would be magnificent but I doubt that we will succeed, I feel that we will tie as much but maybe lose 0-2. When we face them at the new Queen Margaret I Stadium of Sonsonate, things will be different, considering that be in the matchday No 11 of the tie, that will be a game of life and death for our hopes of qualifying to the World Cup Finals, winning here is the priority in this game and I think will happen and in a somewhat unexpectedly, a 3-1 or 4-0 win so we can get to beat these bastards.

The Sword Bloke

Who are they? - The Sword Bloke is a relatively new team in what is the football scene but has made remarkable progress, led by the wicked and perverse mind of Shop Owner is another team defensive trend, this is the second of its kind in our group and is a prelude to break the opposing defenses will not be an easy task, and the visit is made to this nation, especially if we consider that we had a good run-in with this nation in the recent war against them, apart from So we do not know for sure if this team is good or it is not on the counterattack, everything depends on the facilities to allow or not the defense of La Selecta in the game against them and also depends on how well or poorly they defend when we apply our characteristic choking game to their opponents, also their previous flag was a bucket of chicken from certain "Alternate Universe" restaurant called KFC.

Advantages: The more defenses have two things can happen: Do not allow gaps so easily or do not know their roles and interfere with each other and facilitate the entry to the area and front and score goals are achieved more quickly, Shop Owner is not a person who can devote themselves entirely to football for its multiple functions and the lack of movement in the leg after a bullet was fired at his leg during the war, but that does not matter, we focus on the seeming inexperience defense we can show and its slowness, has major players that provide experience but are also quite slow, have high and beat the ball up will be difficult, John Antle is the highest and fastest defense, it sounds strange but he has a good stride that allows him to launch counterattacks, but not very effective, are factor.

Disadvantages: They have a fairly significant disadvantage and that is the lack of consistency in the games, they do not know how to handle an outcome in their favor, it is wasted and even allow the marker is flipped and the opponent beat them, do not know how to keep the results, which is vital in a Qualifier where any goal worth much when it comes to the playoffs in the last matches, aspirations depend on it as a monumental failure and does not leave a good taste in their fansmouths. Another disadvantage is the lack of footballing vision and analysis of their coach, someone who is not completely devoted to football is not expected to have a great ability to reason in this area, an erroneous approach that does can be a facility for us, we seize and we can beat this national team, which ultimately lacks enough to achieve an optimal level.

How to win it? - The important factor is to know how to decipher what the team seeks to play and take advantage of the slowness of the defense through long passages or fulminating against attacks, avoid falling into the trap potential offside play and learn to ignore the hostility of their fans when we have to play in Angelou will be of importance to beat, playing cards, this national team is more unprotected and this is where we can use to desndar facilities that can give us during the game, one hit will be difficult to obtain but goals not be an impossible task for the slow pace of defense of this team.

Verdict: The height factor of the city of El Roblar will be favorable for us, we know the stadium and we know how to adapt to low oxygen levels in the height of the city, in addition to proper contact with the ball for more height above sea level, the ball travels farther, based on these principles and the support of our fans, a 2-0 victory is real to us, when we play them in Angelou, things will be different but we must maintain the initiative in order to avoid surprises from them to us, the best way to secure this is to keep the ball in our favor as much as possible, we must change the periods of play often to confuse them so they can take advantage, a 0-1 victory in Angelou will be great for us, nothing impossible but not easy.

Associated Godlands

Who are they? - This is another team of religious base, we have faced several teams of these trends but apparently this nation is quite compatible with certain religious thoughts of our nation, except for his fundamentalism, led by Shirley Phelps-Roper Queen and King is our King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ, Associated Godlands have Recently decided to take a more vested interest in football, starting with entering the World Cup. In Associated Godlands's first ever international match in the Baptism of Fire, 50,000 followers made the long trip to Star United States to see them play out a 0-0 draw Against Recuecn. Their Associated Godlands Then Scored first goal and earned Their first win in the next match RussoAsia Against United, 3-0 victory. They That Followed up with a dominating 4-0 win over helmon to finish first in the group and make the knockout stages. Unfortunately, They did not last long, falling 5-1 to Port Christopher in the round of 16. But fans still optimistic Were About Associated Godlands's chances in the upcoming World Cup. But they were eliminated even though they fought to the end with the inspiration God provides them no doubt this team is very brave and interesting.

Advantages: It's no joke, the truth is, God is with you who can be against you? That is something we are constantly taught in Sunday meetings of our churches, they have Jesus Christ at his side and therefore this is a huge advantage for them and we are in great disadvantage, but we must believe and have faith, we must ask God to perform a good game and play them well know on equal terms also include Jesus Christ a completely effective striker, anotanto about 25 goals in the last World Cup Qualifiers, taking a more effective striker Rodolfo Zelaya is a intimidating fact, we must consider that we can not stop it, and he does not fail apart, the scenario looks pretty complicated when we face them.

Disadvantages: The rest of his team, without Jesus Christ what out of them? The rest of the team just has the basics of football and it is almost impossible not to take advantage of the mistakes they produce, apart from Jesus Christ who is perfect, others are not and is to take advantage of the mistakes they commit, especially from pr Tebow, not even what he does on the pitch, it is literally an embarrassment to his team, in addition to slow everyone except Jesus Christ is so remarkable that even Mattías Passarelli (the slowest of La Selecta) wins a race with ease, to that extent they are bad in terms of speed. Another flaw is that apart from Jesus Christ, no write down the goals and definition when top is bad, whether the other 10 players are a disaster.

How to win it? - The key will take advantage of the mistakes of other players, Jesus Christ did not commit any and that's quite logical, while others commit if in abundance, it is going to sound weird but I will say it is important to get "before" Jesus Christ reach the ball in order to initiate a move that will allow swift counterattack bring as many elements the opponent's area and seize any chance of scoring that we have, it is essential to achieve good results against this team.

Verdict: When we face them for the first time in the last match of the first half, to overcome them will be a priority, because that way we can reach a peaceful way to deal with the second part of the World Cup Qualifiers, play against them It will not be easy for the work which Jesus Christ will be very difficult in the match to be played at the Stadium of Jesus Christ, we may be able to win by a goal or at most two goals (I mean a 1-0 or 2-1). Already in our territory, for the last qualifying game we will play in Concepción Batres, we have the arguments needed to win that game and we have the quality and support of our fans, is to trust in God and achieve win, I feel we will win 4 -2 in that game.

Jeruselem

Who are they? - A selection steeped in history but has slowly been on a slow but significant decline, we are referring to Jeruselem, a nation known for being very liberal in terms of personal relationships and also for having a football team rather strange Compared to the rest, also noteworthy that this is the first time we faced them in a knockout phase as we played them in our first Cup of Harmony (58) in Falcus and Free Republics, where they were precisely those they complicated us qualify to the next round of the tournament, although they were not who eliminated us directly, they were the ones who played a key role in our elimination tournament. Having reached the final of World Cup which they lost on penalties it's been a bad run of form, which already have several cycles not qualify for this important competition, the lack of participation is indeed a dangerous factor for us as they are they who are motivated to break that slump and re-locate in the foreground Football National Team level, where many believe they should be.

Advantages: Having a fairly compact and the offensive team is a dangerous time for a team that tends to create spaces when attacking because of the natural tendency to use more front which should be used in certain situations, leave the rear bare against this team will not be pleasant for our defense can turn into a colander and allow too many goals facilities or perhaps that can be easily avoided. Having a relatively young team, Jeruselem has good gameplay and good speed in the legs of their front or in midfield as well as being quite accurate when looking to long passes.

Disadvantages: Few people the front joined tend not to push hard as it is usually done indicates that against this team, we will have to play in a smart way, if given the initiative, they are likely to make a pretty bad game and this is what that has driven down the level, all have found that if they yield the ball to them and are allowed to advance towards the goal can be very helpful unlike other teams because this way were naked defense and this is how we anotarles goals that may be key to our victory either local or visitor, even more if we manage against attack from set speed, is where we are stronger and we can use in great shape what we know do by nature.

How to beat them? - This question is quite easy to answer, to play them aggressively and crack the defense of Jeruselem is a key to beat them, make the slow defenses when making a pressure in areas or when they advance ranks in order to seek to score a goal, besides having the tendency not to keep in their favor positive results for them, no doubt, gain can be easy or difficult depending on the approach to the game they make.

Verdict: In the first game of Qualifiers in San Salvador (Estadio Cuscatlán) is likely to beat them, we know the pressure the Cuscatlán imposes visitors, so it is known worldwide, by the hostility of the fans, that factor more confidence that Players can take when playing at home can do to win, but so complicated it still be gathering pace after a year off, the friendlies we had something but will not be a definitive entry into rhythm, we will win 3-1. Business will not be easy away, perhaps some weird reasons among which are the nightlife in Jeruselem, considering that our players are undisciplined to some extent, I think they will locate themselves in what's going to do but do not succeed easily with a win, I believe that a 2-2 will happen.

Aeqamustopia

Who are they? - Well, I've been speaking quite a bit of the other teams, I think it will be unpleasant as to write little information but I have no choice, because the last two teams on the list do not have a lot of information, maybe this especially Aeqamustopia seems to be the typical full of stout but slowly people island nation that has enough ability to form a team of pretty decent football in comparison to other nations, from what little we saw in Baptism of Fire, could be seen a team that likes to play as a bit aggressive in comparison to other nations but does not have enough capacity yet to stand on equal terms against powers in the sport, I clarify that we are not yet a power but can not be stopped on equal yet, even we have problems with it.

Advantages: On whether the advantage of them is not as media and known worldwide, so it definitely allows them to be a great surprise to rivals who are in the group factor, we do not know how they can play against us, if totally offensive, conservative or totally defensive, we have no idea but we are confident that we may live a little surprise in the first game against them we know is that they are quite bulky but are slow at certain times of the game, definitely Another key factor is the inexperience of them to this kind of situations, they react well or badly, is a mystery because we do not know how they will react when being in certain situation.

Disadvantages: Without a doubt, the main disadvantage of them will experience and how they can react in away games, we do not know whether they will be a team that really disturbs La Selecta apart I think, with the few videos I've seen the BoF, they do not have at all a good defense, allowed a lot of goals against, it is how quickly eliminated from the tournament, apart who failed to hold the times they were ahead of the result.

How to beat them? - The usual way, playing offensively, pushing off defenders and force them to make mistakes, ceding the initiative from time to time so that rows are ahead and that we achieve counteract quickly and so undermine the weak defense of this team, another way is to use the air as a part of the defense is small while the other is not extremely high but enough to fight well against us in the passing game.

Verdict: This forecast series that will win both games to San Jose Guayabal, one can be a wide margin and not another, when we play here in Spesdorf, the sweltering heat of the island metropolis at about five in the afternoon is fabulous for us, they are optimally adapted to the tropical climate, they can be heat islands but Spesdorf is simply burning at that time, those who have already been there know what I'm writing, that heat will result in a 5-0 win for La Selecta, when we touch Aeqamustopia visit will be difficult because we do not know what we're dealing there, the condition of the field and other factors, perhaps 0-1 win or a draw, although I think we will win 0-1.

Natanians and Nosts

Who are they? - Natanians and Nosts is a team that in two cycles has managed to grow in a significant way compared to other new teams in the last cycle, achieving a promising rise, this is the second cycle Natanians and Nosts and are profiled on a computer that can be passed bitter drinks more than any national team during the playoffs, we ought to saberle play a team like this because let us do a trick in our own stadium is not something that we want, that if we want to sort, we must get the points to any team wherever the game is played, that simple things are, Natanians and Nosts may be a promise but we should not be complicated for them.

Advantages: In the cycle that we have seen them play, something I recognize this team is the speed they have, this team stand out precisely because the speed they have, are too quick on the break but also manage to defend themselves in an acceptable way, perhaps it is a early version of our national team, when we were emerging from the bottom of the rankings, apart from that another feature I like about this team is the tactical approach, which is variable and functional to any situation they may be, have a defined role but sometimes the inexperience they fail.

Disadvantages: This team has the peculiarity that its disadvantages are also fragile in his strength, because the game speed makes them sometimes tend to commit mistakes that can compromise for later in the game, plus they inexperience they may have for certain parts of the game, simpelente I have to say that in one or two cycles not enough experience to compete with teams above the top 100 of the World Cup Rankings are acquired, but we are aware that the rankings do not play on the court but inside there are eleven against eleven, and eleven have the same capabilities as the other eleven, so anything can happen during the match.

How to beat them? - As if Jeruselem, give the ball to start and make them tired to make an effort with his speed will be the best way to take advantage of them, let them attack but prevent goals and then find a counter attack will be beneficial for us, long passes between defenders to leave them with little protection from behind by the destruction of the plays that they make will be the primary point of this party, neutralize and attack will be crucial.

Verdict: Nothing to lose, nothing to lose has the elite in these games against Natanians and Nosts, this time we can make ourselves known in the Matchday No. 3 in Rostov with a good game and a lot of goals so that they are knowing our potential in the offensive zone, the more we score could be important against this team, a positive result of a 2-1 win is what I see happen. At the National Stadium, we must take advantage of the fact that we categorically settled in the first game for again we get another good result, I do not think it's that difficult but I'm sure there will be resistance, a 2-3 win will be enough to all of us.

To finish this: The group can be difficult and it really is, but it is not so much compared to others we have had, is the group of death for the reason that there is much rivalry and united as a single group, I believe that our selected can alright rid of this group, to even better than we think, I think that if we play good way a non-waste our local status, we get points for all visitors will be excellent, even better if we get four out of six points in dispute against Gregoryisgodistan, Jeruselem and and The Sword Bloke who are the most dangerous rivals can cause us to long for the tie, keep in good pace throughout the World Cup Qualifiers will be key to try to secure a qualification for the World Cup Finals in advance, even if we at the end of the Qualifiers, anyway, sorting The Finals worth the same everywhere and gives the same privileges regardless of the time it is earned, well I think that possibly we walk winning nine or ten games,tie one to lose one or two games, the Qualifiers looks to be nice but we should not be complacent, we must fight to the end.

Estadio Cuscatlán - MD 1: Vs Jeruselem

Location: San Salvador
Capacity: 121,000
Altitude: 786 meters above sea level
Tenants: Sporting Stadiums of San José Guayabal S.A.
Game Time: 8:30 PM - Friday 03/06/2203

The Estadio Cuscatlán is undoubtedly the cathedral of football in the nation, home to the national team, Atletico Militar Marte and the iconic team Alianza FC. Near the center of the Government and the big residential cores, with a capacity of 121,000 spectators is not the largest in capacity but certainly this stage is characterized by his painting of blue and white, with a roof that covers part of the western sector of the stadium. A stadium where the national team of San José Guayabal usually shows his most offensive version. This stadium has hosted games and group phase of the Champions' Cup, the Baptism of Fire 56 (Group stage and semifinals) the World Cup 70 3PPO and the Cup of Harmony 63, the one which San José Guayabal beat Valanora 4-3 in penalties, a game that is remembered in a special corner of every Guayabalense football fan heart.

About The Capital City: San Salvador

Provincial Anthem of San Salvador - Normally played before both National Anthems

It is located on a plateau between 700 and 1,000 meters above sea level, is the capital city of San José Guayabal for over 500 years, being a city that combines colonial architecture with modern and towering skyscrapers, all in an eco-friendly space This city is famous for having two football teams very recognized and also for being the city where the "mythical" Estadio Cuscatlán was built, a stadium that has seen many sporting history of our nation, from important victories until very close losses. San Salvador has plenty of places to visit, from lakeshore resorts to stunning volcanoes.

Accommodations: Continental Hotel, National Hotel, Avenue Hotel, Tres Pinos Resort & Spa, Spring Lodge, El Peñasco Restaurant, The Pirate Restaurant, Alligator Alley Restaurant.

Places of Interest - Where we can visit?

The Big Fair Touristic Complex, San Salvador

It is a resort located 20 minutes outside of San Salvador, is well recognized by the influx of tourists to this place, being a very cheap place where the whole family usually go to have fun especially in the summer, has different accommodations as a center of entertainment, cinemas, hotels, water parks and even beach soccer, and football fields, also one golf course with 18 holes is offered in this Complex.

El Boquerón village, San Salvador

El Boquerón is a town known for its cool climate and spectacular scenery of San Salvador, is located one hour from the capital city and is a popular place for people all over the country, located at 2,400 meters above the imposing volcano of San Salvador (inactive), is a place famous for its typical crafts of indigenous origins, which are often acquired as souvenirs, normally the tourist agencies offers a free hiking journey to the top of the volcano, which is of moderate difficulty and represents no economical charge to make the trek

by **Krytenia** » Wed Oct 14, 2015 5:01 pm

K1K: The Game Of History

MATCH #89: YOU BEAT US, WE'RE STILL BETTER
Krytenia 3-0 Starblaydia, World Cup 19 Qualifying
Everton City, Krytenia, 7 October 2009

If there's one thing you should not expect from the K1K Retrospective, it's linearity. Hence the jump of seventeen years, to the dying embers of the nineteenth World Cup, and the seniors' first victory over their biggest rivals...

THE BUILD-UP
Ah, Starblaydia. A team that, to Krytenians, needs absolutely zero introduction. The nations' respective "B" teams had met a couple of times in the AOCAF (long before it became the prestigious tournament it is now), but World Cup XIX would produce the first meetings between the two sides. To put the cherry on top, the group draw meant that this game would be on the final matchday of qualifying, with all the marbles on the line...at least for Krytenia. Starblaydia had, being Starblaydia, already sealed a place in the finals. This was a team who could still call on the talents of the great Simeone di Bradini, after all.

Krytenia hadn't had the best of qualifying campaigns. Having failed to reach the finals of World Cup XVIII, they ripped their way to the inevitable semi-final defeat in the Cup of Harmony, before launching their next attack at the finals proper. Things...could have gone better. Defeats to the likes of Lexmarak and Vorpal Bunnies hadn't helped; neither did a group which, alongside the Men in Mauve, also included the likes of Druida and Squornshelous. The Celestials rallied, though, and still had a wafer thin chance of reaching the finals. One problem: Starblaydia were the team standing in the way of them and three points (and a big chunk of goal difference).

THE MATCH
It should be noted, at this point, that the Krytenia-Starblaydia rivalry was nowhere near its current "death or glory" intensity. This was simply a meeting of two side with equal stature, similar histories, and a fanatical love of the beautiful game. Starblaydia were here to win points; Krytenia simply wanted to do all they could to qualify. The game was carried out in a good-spirited nature by both sides - though naturally the Krytenians, with more to potentially play for, were going into tackles that much harder. Khim Azanulbizarn, then a rookie defender in the visitors' purple shirts, surely approved.

The momentum of the match was with the Krytenians from the start, perhaps unsurprisingly. Dave Van Staveren was the man pulling the strings in midfield, with Anthony Picardo and Alex Zavarov running the wings tirelessly. Starblaydia are nothing, though, if not a well-organized side. Especially when Azanulbizarn is marshalling the defence. Chances were few and far between as the Blades' back line denied Acienko Rimmer and Ashley Moreaux the oxygen of possession for the opening exchanges.

Karim Isserson, the Tadjikistani boos of the national team, may have been in his seventies, but he knew when things had to change. He replaced the ageing Stephen Xousa with the more energetic Stephen Renshaw, placed him just behind the strikers, and most likely gave his assistant manager the idea for the "System Munitis" formation the side uses as Plan A to this day. The changes worked; with an extra man to defend against, Starblaydia started to look stretched. Rimmer and Moreaux found themselves more space, and to nobody's surprise the latter opened the scoring with a curling drive past the Starblaydi 'keeper. The score remained that way until half-time, with the Krytenians almost as interested in the goings on at the Druida-Squornshelous game as in their second half tactics. For the record, the Pschychoes led one-nil at the break.

The second half carried on as the first half ended, with the Krytenians laying siege on the Starblaydi goal. Azanulbizarn could, of course, only do so much, an issue that manifested itself in the form of Krytenia's second. There was nothing wrong with the dwarf's tackle on Rimmer; he just had the poor fortune to see the ball squirm out to the feet of Moreaux, who had the time and space to pick his spot and beat Markus Cragg with a low shot. The result, then, was surely in the bag; all they required now were more goals. Starblaydia put up only token resistance for the rest of the game, seeing no point in risking injuries to their star players in wait for them was a nothing game. That wasn't to say they were just going to give Krytenia the goals they needed, of course, but Stephen Renshaw had other ideas. His chipped pass found Moreaux, and the Westleigh forward popped it home for a memorable hat-trick. The game was up, and the Celestials just couldn't add another. Three-nil, though, was a good victory. All they had to do now was wait...

THE AFTERMATH
...and sadly, they waited in vain. Druida rallied to beat Squornshelous, and off they went to the World Cup. The KFA didn't even have a Cup of Harmony invite to fall back on; that was that for their WCC cycle. They'd be back, though, and would end up qualifying for the next fourteen finals tournaments. We'll get to the juicy bits of that period of history another time, of course.

As for Krytenia versus Starblaydia? This was the game that began to cement the rivalry. It's lost to the mists of time exactly who said it, but the quote doing the rounds in the immediate aftermath of the game was "You Beat Us, We're Still Better", an adage of Starblaydi superiority over Krytenia that is still used on the eastern side of the Beck. That superiority would, of course, be tested over the years...none more so than on a certain night forty-one years later.

You'll have to wait for that one though.

#1: It Haperd One Night

by **Zenic** » Wed Oct 14, 2015 5:49 pm

“If you look any harder at those stats, your eyes will probably burst from all of the pressure, Luke.”

Looking up from his desk, Killian saw the body attached to the voice: former national squad teammate and current assistant manager Victor Samuel Paredes. Honestly, Killian surprised some people, equally in the Ministry of Sports, the press and the fans, when he chose Victor as his assistant. However, Killian and Sanders had always seen the instincts and intelligence that Victor possessed, knowing he could easily be a good manager in the future. Also, when given the opportunity, Killian was always going to select someone he knew and trusted.

“You know, I don’t think eyes work that way, Victor,” Killian replied. They both had a good laugh before Victor walked in and sat down in the only other seat in the office. “So, I bet you’re looking at the Kirisaki reports.” Kilian placed the papers down and removed his glasses. “It doesn’t take a wizard to figure that one out. It’s a bit nerve-racking report. Manager Kurumi Shirakin and her team can be called nothing less than wonderkids, considering they’ve already made it to a World Cup at their ages. It’s an all-female squad that plays in a 4-2-3-1 formation. They play a little bit more conservatively than we do but still like to attack. And they’re only ranked 27th in the world so it’s a bit scary to face a team this talented who still have so much more potential.”

“Yeah it is,” Victor added in, “but that hasn’t stopped us from winning some big games before and I don’t think you want to be the one who stops trying, do you, Luke?” Killian nodded. “I never said I wasn’t going to try and win this game, I was simply saying that we will have to be at our best if we want to start off the qualifying campaign with a win in New Citum. But it is definitely possible since NO ONE is unbeatable,” Killian assured Victor of his intentions. “Good. Now hand me some of those reports: you’ll need some help on this one. You’re good but you’re not that good yet,” Victor retorted, removing his jacket and placing it on the backrest of the chair. Killian handed Victor about half of the papers, evenly splitting the workload.

“I was hoping you would say that; now let’s get to work.”

by **Saintland** » Wed Oct 14, 2015 6:36 pm

World Cup 73 Qualifying: Preview

(SP) At the Saintland Press, we have decided to try something new for this edition of the World Cup. Instead of telling you all about our National Team and their opponents, we'll instead do a broad overview of the 20 qualifying groups, along with our picks for first and second places in those groups. The 73rd World Cup will take place in Apox and The Royal Kingdom of Quebec and will be the first World Cup to be held following God's Judgment against the Hardliner Heresy. Let us begin with Group 1!

Group 1

Group 1 is headlined by the Esportiva nation of Nephara, which comes into this edition of the World Cup ranked 3rd in the KPB rankings, the highest ranking ever held by an Esportivan nation. They will be looking to improve on their Quarterfinal finish at World Cup 72 where the Cormorants faltered against Pasarga. That is nothing to be ashamed of, by any means, but Nephara want to be the first Esportivans to win the World Cup. Fortunately for them, they have a fairly soft group. Nova Anglicana, Timbermunich and San Llera are their 3 strongest opponents in this group. Nova Anglicana, while known for their excellence on the baseball diamond, just aren't very good on the soccer pitch. Meanwhile, Timbermunich has been overshadowed by their Hefemalt region mates from HopNation. HopNation, of course, is famous for costing the Republicans a spot in World Cup 70 and then going on to somehow reach the semifinals of said World Cup before returning to irrelevance thereafter. Timbermunich hasn't even done that. San Llera are fairly new to the international soccer scene and probably don't have enough talent to seriously contend for a spot in the World Cup just yet. We have to go with Nephara to win this group going away and Nova Anglicana to finish second. Yes, that's the safe and boring prediction but its hard to see anything else happening in this group.

Group 2

The second group in World Cup Qualifying could not be any more different from Group 1. At the top of this group are 24th ranked Barunia and 26th ranked The Sarian. This group also contains the always tough Kernansquillec. Those 3 are, far and away, the best teams in this group. Barunia have developed a reputation as that "other" team from the 51st BoF class. While the Sanctii and the Nepharim have gone on to greatness and even Ruentenbach won a Campionato Esportiva at one point, Barunia have not really done much of note, always seeming to crash out in the playoffs or the group stage. But the same could be said about The Sarian and the new generation of Sari soccer players appear to be significantly less promising than previous generations. The wild card in this group is Kernansquillec, who have had mixed results since their return to international competition but with numerous flashes of potential. We think Kernansquillec will finally put it all together this time and win this group. Barunia will finish second while The Sarian will struggle with Garifunya and Dreamplanet in the middle of the pack.

Group 3

Group 3 is headlined by 2-time former World Cup champion and several million time World Cup runner-up Audioslavia. The legendary Bulls of Audioslavia come into this cycle ranked 8th, their lowest in a long time, after a disappointing performance in the World Cup 72 finals. All the experts are picking them to bounce back and win this group handily and we agree. The interesting part of Group 3 will be the battle for second place. Chiata is favored in that one, at least according to the rankings, but the Chiata Suns have been notable for their mediocrity over the years. The same can be said, undoubtedly, about Eastfield Lodge and Nassau-Hessen. Therefore, we're going to do something bold and pick Baptism of Fire runners-up Fluvique to reach the playoffs by a 1 point margin.

Group 4

The fourth group is headlined by the Republicans. Rule Theriault is now back as their manager, again, and Sporting World is once again making headlines around the multiverse following yet another editorial flip-flop by the venerable Republican magazine. Also in this group are HopNation, Ceni and Frenline Delpha. Frenline Delpha consider themselves a promising up-and-coming team that is ready to take the next step. HopNation consider their performances in the past 2 World Cup cycles, not their World Cup 70 performance, to have been the fluke. Ceni just want to be something more than an also-run. Like a number of other teams in that range in the rankings, Ceni have been around forever and just can't seem to break through. Given the fact that the Republicans always struggle during World Cup Qualifying and given Theriault's questionable managerial abilities, we are picking Frenline Delpha to win this group and HopNation to make the playoffs.

Group 5

While it is a foregone conclusion that Pasarga will win this group, probably with a 12-0-0 record, nonetheless, the battle for second place in Group 5 should be interesting. Yttribia are ranked just ahead of The Sarian in the KPB rankings and their current woes mirror those of their Beltane rivals. Greater Watford looked, at one time, like a potential future power, but maybe not any longer. Gim and Damukuni look like two of the more promising nations of this BoF class. However, the crown jewel of this group has to be Flardania, who are entering their third World Cup cycle. The Flardanians have a bright future and we believe that they will win the war of attrition for second place.

Group 6

Group 6 is a 3 team group. The highest ranked team in the group is Mertagne, who appear to be on the decline in spite of their 19th ranking. The team that, we believe, has the edge in this group is Krytenia. Krytenia are one of the numerous legendary sides of Atlantian Oceania. Longtime rivals of both Audioslavia and Starblaydia, the Krytenians are expecting to play their 1000th WCC match this cycle and are preparing a big celebration. However, we're picking the up-and-comers from Schottia to win this group, barely snatching it from Krytenia, who will have to accept a playoff as a consolation price.

Group 7

Group 7 is headlined by Starblaydia, but Simeone Di Bradini's homeland has seen better days. They come into this World Cup ranked 62nd and appear to be a mere shell of the teams they put together during their glory days. Antoletia also appear to be far from a promising team, their fluke run into the knockout rounds of World Cup 69 notwithstanding. The strongest teams in this group are Ko-oren and Brenecia, both of which pride themselves on their excellent defensive play. While Ko-oren are the stronger side on paper, we expect Brenecia to edge them out narrowly for first place.

Group 8

Group 8 can be broken down into the top seeds (Legalese and Electrum), the possible contenders (Acronius and Port Christopher) and the pretenders (everybody else). Lymantatia's 72nd rank owes more to their having entered every WC in recent memory than to their on-the-pitch prowess, so we don't take them seriously as a contender. At the present time, Legalese and Electrum do not appear to be on top of their game so we're predicting a shocker in this group. Yes, we're going with Port Christopher to win the group and Acronius to make the playoffs.

Group 9

Vilita is clearly the best team in Group 9 and our pick to win the group. As for second place, we see Sargossa, Polaaskan and Eshan as the top contenders and we're going to go with Sargossa to just barely edge out Eshan at the end. Just a note for those who are not familiar with Eshan: They have absolutely nothing to do with Taeshan, the reigning Copa Rushmori champions, and are a national team that competed at the recent BoF. They looked fairly promising while doing so and many were surprised when they didn't win the competition.

Group 10

Its hard to see anybody challenging Farfadillis or Super-Llamaland in this group. While Super-Llamaland should be vulnerable, in theory, they are not in practice because Crystal Empire and Albaie aren't good enough to challenge Super-Llamaland and this group features the perennially underachieving Greater Vakolicci Haven rather than a BoF nation. Farfadillis are clearly the best in this group and Llama are clearly the second best, so we'll go with them in that order.

[To Be Continued...]

by **Ceni** » Wed Oct 14, 2015 7:03 pm

TRINDL CUP: REVIEW
Good performance from Ceni's Di Bradini Cup side

Ceni put its Di Bradini Cup squad on the spot competing against senior sides at the Trindl Cup in Semarland. In contrast to expectations, the squad performed well - drawing Valladares, a side thirty places above Ceni - and getting revenge on the senior side of Cosumar, the team that defeated them during the Di Bradini Cup before falling predictably to Pasarga, the number one side in the world. Despite the challenges, though, the team - all under twenty-one, of course - performed equally with teams that have been playing football for years longer than they have, and teams that have done exceedingly well over the years.

In its first game, against Valladares, the team performed exceedingly well against the top-20 ranked side with more than double Ceni's KPB points. Valladares, though, almost got the better of Ceni as they rocketed to a two-nil lead in the first half, their offense cutting through Ceni's beleaguered defense - flimsy and quite porous at best at the Di Bradini Cup, where strikers and midfielders don't have years of experience and the dangerousness of Valladares's striking - like knife through butter. Just after the buzzer sounded, in fact, Pedrinho of Valladares mounted a run down the sideline, with the defense unable to cope. Petro Valles was the only one who got his foot on the ball, but he sent it out - giving Pedrinho the opportunity for a corner kick. And sure enough, Morantes knocked the header into the net for the Rushmori side's first goal. Valladares took longer to pounce the next time, but they did not fall into the mousetrap - yet again Valladares proved too superior for Ceni's defense. Laura Oannes took a little longer to crack this time, but yet again Valladares proved too superior, Reyes receiving the pass from Rozenthal to send the ball into the empty net after Oannes's valiant effort fell a little short, her coverage getting some saves but ultimately proving unsuccessful. Although Valladares tried to put some more goals in the net to ramp up the margin, their magic and class apparently was not enough to get them the extra goals, as Oannes brilliantly saved some goals and the tight-goal defending of Morroghany proved enough to clear some balls. All in all, Valladares dominated except for some lucky defense and expected to continue to do so in the second half.

However, Ceni finally got possession and, determined to make up for their two-goal shortfall, set out to perform some of their attacking magic that had helped them to get to the Di Bradini Cup finals. Valladares, though, had a more tight defense and tried to win possession - and likely the match, as when Valladares has possession, they're likely to keep it - at every opportunity. Coupet and Pedretti, along with the normal three defenders, proved to be a lot for Ceni to handle, as they seemed to capitalize on every tackle and intercepted pass. It appeared to be a lost cause for Ceni as Valladares regained possession and set out to head for Ceni's goal again, but a magically lucky (yes, the Cenian team is lucky!) intercepted pass by Valles gave Fierro a very good chance to send the ball up the field. Fierro took advantage of it, finding a gap to send the ball to Solaris, the intelligent young striker from the University of New Oxford. He pulled out a classic feint against Valladares, drawing out Andrés Orozco to the left before shooting at an angle to the left. For Valladares, it appeared to be a lonely blip on the radar; for Ceni, it was an instrument of hope, as they now knew that that they had the opportunity to go further against Valladares.

However, they would still have to face the daunting obstacle of regaining possession from Valladares - a tough test in any game. Yet Allison Swan managed to dispossess Ivan Coupet with a creative tackle, sending the ball straight to the attacking-oriented Tomas Fierro, who excels at creating opportunities for his teammates Asturias, Solaris, and Koromin - widely touted as one of Ceni's emerging stars. (It doesn't hurt that she's the daughter of current Cenian national team manager Kirk Koromin and Cenian NT star Kel Koromin's brother). Fierro passed around the outside to Kira Koromin, who navigated a tricky angle around the defense before sending the goal into the right side of the corner. Ceni had now tied Valladares - it was up to them to score a winning goal. Alas, it was not to be, as Valladares finished with possession - mounting a few last attempts to look into Ceni's goal but ultimately to no avail, their last shots going wide or straight into the hands of Laura Oannes. At last, the whistle for final time rang - Ceni had earned a valuable point from a much higher-ranked team - showing that the underdogs did have some bite after all.

The next game came against Cosumar - a definite team to watch for in the Trindl Cup, as they have been on fire lately - winning the Di Bradini Cup and the Cup of Harmony, both very prestigious tournaments. Cosumar's victory in the Di Bradini Cup, to Ceni's chagrin, came at Ceni's expense, with an exciting - yet disappointing - victory in extra time of the championship match over this very same squad. It was not surprising, then, that Ceni came looking for revenge in this Trindl Cup encounter. The Cosumarites, with their slightly attacking strategy, in turn, looked to continue their winning streak. When the whistle to start the match sounded, the match quickly degenerated into a battle for control of the midfield, with Na'Noni and Swan forming the crux of each team's various abilities, Swan coordinating Ceni's efforts to pass, tackle, and steal, while Na'Noni passed galore to better-positioned teammates. Öhman scared Ceni when he pulled ahead from the midfield fray to start heading towards Ceni's goal - with Engstrom and Newman hot on his tail, ready to support or perform nice pass-work to get Cosumar the goal. Their trick almost worked - except Turich-Albertson got his foot on the ball and passed forward to Valles. Valles, in turn, sent the ball forward to Swan; Fierro was ready to create a ball-striking opportunity with a pass from Swan. The pass didn't came, though, as Sigler stole the ball, ready to make another sortie at Ceni's goal - but no tamales for the Cosumarite side as they failed to convert on possession, Swan stealing the ball back to see-saw the midfield momentum back to Ceni.

The decisive moment of the first half - and indeed, the entire match - came when Fierro finally received that pass from Swan he had been waiting for. This set up an excellent opportunity for Asturias, Koromin, and Solaris to get in the game. They relished the moment, they relished the chance to score a goal. Advancing towards Cosumar's goal, Solaris - with the ball - found himself surrounded by Cosumarite defenders but appeared nonplussed. In a smart - but to some, surprising - move, he passed back to Asturias, catching some of the Cosumarite defenders off guard. As they shifted gears to dispossess him, he ran forward, and shot with an angle right smack dab into the right corner of the goal, far out of the reach of Jakk Winterfyll. Celebration ensued as the Cenians had scored their first goal. But they knew to still be wary, for the two sides combined scored seven goals during the Di Bradini Cup final. Ceni knew that Cosumar would be coming back, ready for more. And they did - mounting an impressive attacking run with Ace Newman at the helm, deftly weaving his way over the Cenian defense and midfield. Yet it was not enough, for his powerful shot just ricocheted off the crossbar. Öhman was ready to send the rebound back into the goal - yet Oannes magically and luckily saved the shot. With that sortie over and goals successfully averted, the game was over; time for half time.

Cosumar came back after half-time with a vengeance, but Ceni launched some attacking maneuvers of its own. Solaris launched found a good angle to shoot at the goal, but was denied, and Garcia stole the ball off Gorham's feet to shoot straight at the goal, but also at Winterfyll. In turn, Ace Newman's shot after dodging Nick Torabi just missed the right side of the goal; Engstrom's shot, just a tad too high. Both sides missed a gamut of goalscoring chances with errors, mistakes, or just the plain good play of the goalkeeper. Momentum seemed to see-saw back and forth between the Cosumarite team and the Cenian team, yet the Cenian team always pressured Cosumar throughout the match - after all, they did own a one-nil lead over the Cup of Harmony champions. When both sides finished with their attacking runs, the contest again focused on the midfield as a pivot for the attacking and the defense. In the midfield, Cosumar was able to stop Ceni's attacking sprees just as the Cenians seemed to be creating them. But despite this seemingly even matchup in the midfield, Ceni still held the edge, both with the number, types, and creativity of their midfield-breaking attempts as well as the simple fact that Ceni still owned a one-nil lead. That's the way the game ended, with Ceni's defense surprisingly able to contain the amount of Cosumar's goals, while Ceni's attack was just enough to knock past one crucial goal.

In the last game against Pasarga, however, goals against Oannes came with stunning - or perhaps not - regularity; the Pasargans forced five of them down Ceni's throat. It was not totally unexpected, considering that Pasarga is the number one side in the world and the owners of an almost perfect KBP - just nine points away from the perfect sixty-nine. Yet Ceni did still manage to knock one past Lukacs of Iskara Daii for a consolation goal late in the match. Overall, Ceni showed that it was very undermatched yet still full of effort, energy, and potential. The contest was one-sided from the start as Mauer and van Stiphout had the ball right away, carving the Cenian defense to pieces in their wake. No tackles or slides could work against the Pasargans; no defensive cordoning, zonal defense, or any other method of defense could work at all. At goalkeeping, too, Oannes appeared inept; it seemed like shots zoomed past her like rockets, with a regularity unseen by Cenians in their careers. Sure, Ceni had always been quite vulnerable to conceding goals in the past, but only two games had seen a dominant power steamroller over Ceni - a six-two loss to Zenic and an embarrassing nine-two loss to Audioslavia. The Pasargans didn't need to be creative, either; just a powerful shot to the left or the right could stop Laura Oannes in her tracks. As the first half ended, Pasarga had notched three goals - one every fifteen minutes. For one, Mauer just sent the ball flying high over Oannes into the goal; Valdimarsdóttir angled the ball slightly into the left corner of the goal; van Stiphout just shot. It seemed like nothing Ceni could do had any effect on Pasarga, none of their attacks had any much effect whatsoever, due to Pasarga's great defense, as well as their attack.

In the second half, Ceni was glumly looking to more of the same of the first half, while Pasarga was gleefully looking forward to that very end. The pummeling that they had given Ceni would be good practice for pummeling other nations in the qualifiers of the World Cup. And they continued to make football look easy against the Cenians as they continued their dominance in every way, shape, and form - attacking and defending, with the midfield to boot. Yet Ceni had saved some of their energy to mount a last-ditch response, with Kira Koromin somehow making it past the Pasargan midfield and defense - maybe just a smidgen overconfident - to slam the ball into the left corner of the net, just past the outstretched arms of Lukacs. It was a consolation goal, though, and everyone knew it; Pasarga had basically already won, with the two additional goals by Oszlár and van Kruistum soaring over Laura Oannes's hands - Oszlar's coming after a nice run around Cenian defenders and a pass from Mauer, van Kruistum's after a run to Oannes's penalty box drew her out of the goal, leaving it wide open for the Pasargan's shot. Overall, Ceni performed as expected - without the full strength team taking the field, and playing the best team in the world and one of the best ever in footballing history. Yet if Ceni performs as expected in the World Cup - losing to the low-ranked nations no one has ever heard of - it will never qualify. With the loss to Pasarga, Ceni was unable to advance to the quarterfinals, but they walked away from Semarland confident about their chances in the World Cup.

Ceni faces a tough opponent away at Matthewsiania at the first matchday, a team that drew them at the Cup of Harmony - at home! This could cause problems for the Cenian squad, yet now they know how to deal with the dangerous side. They also have in their minds the lessons learned from Ceni's three Trindl Cup matches: Ceni's role as an underdog can spark it to magnificent things, Ceni should not let its expectations get the better of it, and the young players coming into Ceni's senior squad have a lot of new talent and potential to offer. With those lessons (and the successful Di Bradini Cup campaign) lodged in their heads, Ceni will be more confident in their abilities.

by **Dreamplanet** » Wed Oct 14, 2015 11:46 pm

DTV.com - World Cup Qualfier News

Kernasqulliec vs Dreamplanet

15th October 2015/15th October 2001 (Dreamplanet years)

Dreamplanet expects big things, our starting 11 is the same as the BoF Round of 16 Starting 11.

Dreamplanet's chances seem to be very slim due to Kernasqulliec's acclaim in the historybooks, but Dreamplanet are in a Football revolution at the moment, can we do it?

Pre-Match Interviews:

Aaron Hungar FC Libon Striker

Question-What was your reaction that your photo has becomed a huge part of Dreamplanet's recent footballing memory?

Ya know, i think that Football is quite important for it's emotions, i had a feeling that i could carry the country to the Quarter-Finals and continue our fairy tale run, i felt like all that all the goals were in some way my fault, how we had not won that match was beyond me, i know my goalie pal, Filipe Vaz absolutely lost the plot, causing a riot, but we gotta carry on as a team to prove people wrong and that we can do well in the WCQ, maybe not qualify but do well.

Luis Silva Sporting CD Striker and Dreamplanet Captain

Question-What is your main goals to achieve with the country?

Well, first i'd like to make everything better in the Squad's Harmony ever since João Souza gave us the yelling of the century, then the manager walked in, boy he was in trouble, poor boy will never represent his country again... And maybe i'd like to keep Filipe calm, jesus, you don't want to make him angry, i found out first hand. Then i would like to have a good start to our World Cup Qualifiers campaign and maybe do some shocks... Who Knows?

Filipe Vaz FC Libon Goalkeeper

Question-The media has labeled you as a angry goalie, how must it feel?

You know what, i don't really care, if people don't like the way i have my football, au revouir, because i don't really care. It's just that João that sonofabitch made me really angry, i already had a bad day in the office being the reason why we lost our opening game, then João has to call me "a blind old idiot", and i'm actually happy for him to leave the squad, i'm also happy he got sent to some other club and he doesn't play for FC Libon anymore, great times!

Rodrigo Vaz Dreamplanet Manager

Question 1-How is the dressing rooms ever since the Souza Incident?

Well it wasn't a pleasant experience, i now see it was a bad decision making him the captain, he caused mutiny in our squad and i do not tolerate that kind of behavior, he's pretty much banned from Dreamplanet's national side, we'll lift the ban if he becomes the best player in the world, which i doubt he will be.

Question 2-How did you feel about Dreamplanet's group being reasonable, and do you think that having some familiar faces will make you nervous?

Well, first of all, we do have some friends from WorldVision like Britonisea, that can make us nervous because god knows if we win against them they won't really like us, but other than that, we're happy that we're not in group 16.

And for your other question, i do think our group is ok to start, we didn't have the absolute best team in the world there but we have a ok competition, but our chances are very very slim, we can either triumph, do as expected or do really, really badly...

That is all we could get from Dreamplanet players as they went to line up for the match, next up, Kernasquillec vs Dreamplanet, Come-on tricolours!

by **Nephara** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 1:22 am

THE BRINEMOUTH HERALD
GROUP 1 QUALIFYING PREVIEW

SAN LLERA (108)
The dark horses of the group, though winning it will almost certainly be beyond their reach. San Llera are a decent fourth seed with a few good players in their ranks. Marshalled by Marko Vujvic, a calm, quiet, well-liked tactician, San Llera favour a 4-4-2 that has a somewhat lopsided look, with the majority of attacking duties falling to the right flank. Most of the squad is locally-based, but a few have been picked up abroad - rightback Belles, currently with Granger Dragonites, at the most prestigious club. An enigmatic set of strikers is the most eye-catching part of the roster - Capo a convicted murderer, Mestre just 5'1", highly-talented but streaky, Bellemurillo currently unemployed and Potus, nicknamed 'the President', out of favour despite a recent big-money move to Taeshan. Most notably, they play in a beautiful stadium, their 'Field on the Water' which sacrifices the utility of actual seating for an unimpeded view of the picturesque landscape and the sea. They'll press Timbermunich hard for third, but this is a clear-cut group, and Nova Anglicana should hold them back. Geneva Scharzer.

NEPHARA (3)
It has to be said; we're looking good. Riether has won all but two qualifying matches in her tenure, gliding smoothly to the finals each time. Top-quality players like Ballard, Belfast, Bottlegreen and Ashdown enhance a strong squad of capable regulars, with young guns like Rainsford and Covenant fighting to emerge as well. Nova Anglicana away is the date that people will be circling on the calendars - San Llera and Timbermunich present their own problems, but ones that can and should be overcome. The rest, well, there's more than enough reason to feel confident. Rowena Mason.

MANGETSUJIMA (Unranked)
Nobody knows anything about Mangetsujima. Their FA is keeping quiet for the time being, generally a bad sign. Still, what would the World Cup be without sides like this? Okay, granted, people probably said similar things about Krytenia, but they actually had good players, and pedigree. This lot should be swept up home and away by the top five seeds, no problem. Louise Belfast.

SHTIAR BAKAL (258)
Pretty much nothing is known about Shtiar Bakal. They're one of those sides that show up with twenty-three amateurs and probably leave with twenty-three amateurs without really kicking up a fuss. They exited the Baptism of Fire without disgracing themselves, four points to their name. That's probably about how many they'll manage throughout qualifying. Gerry Stavros.

NOVA ANGLICANA (34)
A good side, not to be underestimated. They have a number of good mid-range talents, though no world-class talents. You'd sense they would comfortably float in midtable in any league in the world. 29-year old Mallox forward Kelly is a dangerous prospect up front, and the Lions have a strong midfield to supply him - Moga and Chapin (the latter no doubt a familiar name) the creative central influences. There's a couple of weaknesses in the side - Martinez, for one, isn't an international-quality holding midfielder - but they have a good squad to pick from, and should do well for themselves. They're also one of the two sides from this group we've played against, a 1-0 CE win for the Cormorants. We wish them luck in the playoffs. Theodora Kenway.

TIMBERMUNICH (67)
The almost tribal feel of Timbermunich makes them one of the multiverse's more... distinct outfits. Each of their players' names is preceded by 'Great'. But sides that don't follow a conventional structure rarely make dents in the modern World Cup scene, and they will be hard-pressed to match the Lions in the battle for second place. They'll probably score in every game they play, of course, but their defence is more or less a sieve. Escher Tate.

MARETTA (132)
Maretta have yet to narrow down their squad for the qualifiers past an alleged shortlist too long to work with, but they're a competitive side on their day. Sadly, the draw was not made on their day, and they will face stiff opposition if they aim to punch above their weight. They have a couple players abroad, but seem to favour a domestically-based core, playing eye-pleasing, fast-paced football. They were played and beaten twice by the Cormorants in the 13-game winning streak en route to WC71. They'll get twelve points from the bottom two, and will be hard-pressed to get too many more. Karin Rietveld.

by **Brenecia** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 1:51 am

THE ROZELLE OBSERVER
Qualifying Group Draw Preview
by Gareth Horner

Well, all things considered, it could have been much worse. But it certainly seems as though the theme of the group was 'falling stars,' with only Recuecn out of all of them seeming to be on a clearly upward trajectory. Ko-oren is a relatively forgiving first seed, but they'd be forgiven for regarding the Patriots as a relatively forgiving second seed. It's been a while since Starblaydia have been more than a tertiary power, Antoletia made the World Cup at some stage but have been an irrelevance for a while, while Dainer, most shockingly of all, sit 228th in the world. Snugly ensconced a place below Murovanka. Recuecn have a really good chance of making a name for themselves with some scalps that will look really good on paper in the future. On paper, out of context.

A soft opening against unranked Ilasia should ease the Patriots into it, before an important fixture hosting Antoletia. If the Patriots are to choke again, that's probably where it'll be. Ko-oren away, however, will be the real test. Win that, don't screw up, and we're home clear. Dainer at home always seems intimidating on paper but the side's really not up to much these days. Starblaydia have the pick of a few LigAnaia teams to call on, but still... something's just wrong with them. A well-earned bye is followed by a home fixture against Recuecn, who seem to be the sort of side that are a hard win away but should fall at home. In theory.

But Recuecn are destined to live long in the memory of Brenecia fans, given that they played us to two 0-0 draws last cycle. Ko-oren aren't exactly associated with many happy memories, either - a 1-0 defeat in a distant Cup of Harmony was followed by a far more devastating 2-1 defeat in World Cup 71, all the optimism of what finally seemed like a side getting better and better smashed away from underneath us as we were consigned to almost certain (if not mathematical) elimination within two matches. It's arguable that the national side still hasn't recovered - though the Campionato Esportiva has cleansed the national palate. Dainer are the only side Brenecia has beaten, 6-3 at home eight years ago but with a 1-1 draw away that felt more like defeat in the context.

Still, there's plenty of cause for optimism. It's been a relatively light draw, some of the foreign press sweeping it under the carpet as a 'group of life', and if the Patriots are as resurgent as Sasha Bale wants everyone to believe, and as the Campionato Esportiva suggested, then we might actually manage to take this group in hand. Will it be Ko-oren's domestically-based wall of steel, or Brenecia's return to the old ways with a patchwork of journeymen? Only time will tell... and the results of the third match.

by **Banguela** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 3:38 am

It had taken quite some time and in hindsight, I should have been happy it took so long. But on the other hand, the twenty minutes building up to it had been crushing, knowing very well that the inevitable, impending drama was coming up to me like a train, rushing at two-hundred in an hour towards the poor cowboy, bound to the tracks by some reckless Indians. Admittedly, I’m exaggerating this a tad, but it did fell growingly uncomfortable whilst knowing very well that escaping from this place was impossible. The palms of my hands were wet and from beneath the large cup under which I had tucked away my features, streams of sweat formed fine, salty estuaries on my back. I had positioned myself with a shoulder leaning against one of the tall, peeled off columns in the hall of the Mpulo International Airport.

A term that was in all senses an embellishment and euphemism. By example, it was located several tens of kilometres out of the city centre, but that still was better than the driveways from Bassuto Airport, which allowed planes to nearly touch the rooftops of nearby townships with their landing gear. Secondly, calling something with less traffic than a dead-end alley in the bush an international location was a bit sad, like calling someone who had one seen a neighbour country from across the stream a globetrotter. The only word that was not a farce was naming it an airport, but the place had seen several decades and decay and rotting cement had taken their toll on the facilities. It was as such with a bit of a shiver that I delivered my whole weight to the once-red, currently vale pink pillar to my right. It should have guarded myself from at least half the audience but…

“Hey. Hey! Aren’t you? What’s his name…”
“Joao Ferreira? Joao Ferreira himself here!”

While one of the goons banged my shoulder as if he was smashing eggs for a farmer’s recipe, the other kept on repeating my name with his voice of an adult loudspeaker. By the time his mate had lost the fun of treating my scapula like a bongo, approximately three-hundred people had assembled around me. What followed was just straight agony for me. Over the course of five minutes, that seemed to span over a few more eternities, I had to sign their shirts, accept crappy advice (“Why not keep Amarinho and Flavio Kanté on the pitch together, I mean, it would be so awesome if it worked”), go on pictures, sign their shoes, accept even worse advice (“Why not go all out with four strikers on Legalese? They won’t know what’s coming?”), silly questions, join another selfie and throughout the whole thing shake hands and hug random strangers.

Look, let me establish one thing to avoid controversy. I truly think that fans form one of the core elements of football. They are what make it more than a game and an event, a happening that creates passion and action. And that is something unique and beautiful to cherish. And because of that, as staff and certainly as newly appointed head coach, you should be open to this element of the great game. But that’s exactly where I draw the line. Being open to it does not form an excuse or a synonym to ‘being flooded within a stream of passionate and slightly intoxicated supporters who have grown, quite correctly, tired and bored of waiting for something that is, in fact, not that spectacular after all’. But even if every nerve in my body screamed to my head to order its legs to run towards freedom and fresh air, I stood there and accepted it all with a sheepish grin. All part of the job…

As I had done so often throughout the previous days, I muttered something derogatory about the efficiency of Banguelan transport between my teeth. Maybe the transportation gods finally heard me, maybe these guys had been waiting around the corner but then the moment was there. Suddenly, all hell broke loose. Admittedly, the fans probably had been given enough time to hone their stampede skills at one of the many domestic games that ended in bloodshed but the two guys got simply swallowed by a sea of red and black. In general, violence goes against my principles but this time I felt little remorse to shove away some of the more senior citizens and even crawled over some guy to reach them. A few words were enough for them to realise that I was their best ticket out of this unexpected madness and a few struggles, pushes and a punch or two in the face of the more persistent ones, I somehow sat in the car with Djalma Yaba and Figuerinho. My car, by the way.

“Damn, Joao, you could have brought fewer friends,” the former grinned and added, after a good look of the vehicle, “and a bigger car in the meanwhile.”

Even if he only was in San José Guayabal for a few months now, it seemed like an eternity since he left. It was a bomb dropped on the Superliga about to start, to see the most gifted defender leave the shores for a foreign adventure and big bags of cash. Cash that hadn’t done him wrong, if you asked me. Somehow, he earned a few extra centimetres in the shoulders while he had always been quite strong. And his mouth hadn’t lost a bit of its capacities either, it appeared.

”I thought you had grown used to bonkers football fans?” I smiled back.
”It’s a close call, Joao, a close call.” he responded, still with a toothpaste-commercial smile. He looked better than ever, assuring me that giving him the lead role in the back was the right decision. His confidence was contagious and that was a trait we would not have in abundance when facing Legalese in a few days. If only he would stop using my first name, damnit.

Figuerinho, on the other hand, had not spoken a word so far. In the slipstream of Djalma Yaba, he had earned a remarkable transfer to CD Luis Ángel Firpo, a side that was slowly growing into a force to reckon in the Primera Division. But while Djalma Yaba had grown into a fan favourite overnight, the gentle and polite Figuerinho had struggled to earn his spot. I hoped it would strengthen him a bit but I quickly discovered that it had certainly not affected his quick mind.

”Just a minor question,” Figuerinho softly uttered in between two cascades of words by Djalma Yaba, ”and I’m thankful you did, but why are you taking us from the airport? I mean, in person.”
”That,” his compatriot and teammate spoke after hazing for a second or two, ”is actually a very good question.”

by **Barunia** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 6:30 am

BaruniainSports.com.bu
The Number One website for Barunian Sports Fans

World Cup 73 Preview: Our Most Anticipated Games of the Qualifiers
Article by Scott Watson, football correspondent ScottW@baruniainsports.com.bu

It's back! Your guide to the must see matches in the World Cup Qualifiers is here. This time we have 20 groups each fighting it out to visit Apox or the Royal Kingdom of Quebec. Along the way, there will be blood, sweat, and tears poured out on pitches across the mulitverse. Here's where to look for the best drama of World Cup 73.

Group 1 - Nephara (3) vs Nova Anglicana (34)
Nephara got lucky in the draw here, with a fairly weak group facing off against the world number 3. Nova Anglicana looms as the biggest threat to the Nepharim's likely easy run.

Group 2 - Barunia (24) vs The Sarian (26)
You will, of course, be watching every game of Barunia's qualifiers anyway, but this one has all the makings of a classic. The last time these teams met, it was the semi-final of the last Cup of Harmony. Barunia put 6 goals on the board, but the Sarian team matched it, and the game ended in victory for the Sarian at the penalty shootout. With that event still fresh in their minds, both teams will be looking forward to the rematch, and with such similar ranks and passion for attacking football, this could be one for the ages.

Group 3 - Audioslavia (8) vs Fluvique (175)
Back when we started this in World Cup 69, we recommended the game between Audioslavia and the Baptism of Fire winners as our pick for that group. Well, here are the runner-ups of WC69 against the runner-ups of the latest BoF. The battle between the legendary powerhouse that has dominated the sport for decades and the promising newcomer should be good.

Group 4- Ceni (48) vs HopNation (46)
Two spots separate these teams in the rankings, and with such closeness comes teams of equal ability and skill. This is a true test, something which is all too rare in tournaments which use pots to deliberately split the close-ranked teams. It should be a good one.

Group 5 - Pasarga (1) vs Everyone else
4 years ago, Pasarga became the undisputed best team in the multiverse. There's little in this group to challenge that supremacy, with the possible exception of Yttribia. Expect to see a master-class in how to play football from the men in red and green.

Group 6 - Krytenia (45) vs Mertagne (19)
Two of the oldest teams in multiverse football, the two countries are also neighbours. (We at BiS imagine Krytenia as an old man, shaking his walking stick at Mertagne camping on his lawn after having moved north from the south of Calania) Expect plenty of passionate fan support from both sides here.

Group 7 - Ko-oren (18) vs Brenecia (38)
Brenecia are a squad on the up-and-up, but they'll face a tough match against the masters of defence, the green-blue dragonflies of Ko-oren. Furelese coach Bogdan Antonescu will be guiding the dragonflies, which is an added incentive for those fans of commonwealth football.

Group 8 - Legalese (20) vs Electrum (42)
The first thing we thought when we saw this group was, who? A lot of unknown nations in this group, but there are two who have stood the test of time and earned themselves a reputation as good quality football sides. Lymantatia might be an outside chance, but otherwise, you're looking at the winners of this grow here. Who goes through automatically will be decided in these games.

Group 9 - Vilita (7) vs Sargossa (28)
As much as we'd love to give our friends in the Kyrjasmark our love, our pick here has to go to two of the stalwarts of the game, Vilita and Sargossa.

Group 10 - Super-Llamaland (31) vs Crystal Empire (56)
It's a pity the Tiger's players aren't real llamas (or tigers, for that matter), or this would be a much more interesting match. Still, one thing we think this match will have is fun, and that's what makes it worth watching.

Group 11 - The Holy Empire (5) vs Hot Skitty on Wailord Action (279)
Will their opponents' name so shock the Holy Empire that they collapse on the pitch? Or will HSOWA receive a stern spanking from the great-grandaddy of the World Cup and be sent to their rooms without supper for showing such cheek?

Group 12 - Bears Armed (73) vs Semarland (43)
We here at BiS have a bit of a soft spot for the Bear Belles, and we can't wait to see them in action against Semarland, one of the new breed making their way up the rankings.

Group 13 - Kandorith (29) vs Equestrian States (15)
The Equestrian States haven't released a roster yet, so it remains to be seen if Kandorith's Red Dragons will be lining up against actual red dragons. Either way, this match features the top two teams from Group 13.

Group 14 - Eura (2) vs Sandwich Territories (33)
The only game where, should Eura lose, it might not be called a massive upset. Sandwich Territories have a name to make for themselves here.

Group 15 - Kirisaki (27) vs Valladares (17)
No, we didn't just pick this because it's a game Kirisaki are likely to lose, and we want some revenge (by proxy) for losing our group to them last cycle. It's also looking like the battle for this group will be raged here.

Group 16 - Gregoryisgodistan (36) vs The Sword Bloke (82) vs Associated Godlands (161) vs San Jose Guayabal (22) vs Jeruselem (69)
What the hell was Margaret smoking when she put this group together? Put three despotic countries led by psychopaths who think they are gods (We know the leader of Associated Godlands claims to be Jesus Christ, but we're not buying it), and all hell (pun intended) is going to break loose. Add to that a team of Harlots and a devout nation that has publicly denounced the others, and this group may well include a bloodbath or two.

Group 17 - Osarius (6) vs Kaboomlandia (184)
Not an obvious choice, but word on the street is that the Kaboomlandian team have discovered a chink in the armour of the high-flying Firebirds. If the Kaboomlandians can exploit it, we could be looking at one of the biggest upsets in recent history. Otherwise, you can watch the Firebirds put a cocky team in their place.

Group 18 New Gelderland (166) vs Maklohi Vai (92)
This was a tough one, but in the end we went for the Baptism of Fire champions against the Vaians. Maklohi Vai have been around for a while, but they are not too strong that New Gelderland couldn't sneak a win here, if they can crack the strong Vaian defence.

Group 19 - Turori (12) vs Star United States (35)
Because, why not? We like the look of Star United States to at least give the Eels a game.

Group 20 - Cosumar (41) vs Taeshan (67)
The winners of the most recent Cup of Harmony vs the famous purple wall of Taeshan. If that's not enough, commentators (and astute sports journalists) will have a field day with the team names. Dragons vs Knights, people. Dragons vs Knights.

by **Flardania** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 7:02 am

グループ抽選結果投稿です！
Group draw released, a moderately difficult group awaits the Kitsunes
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Newsroom Today | Kirishima Broadcasting Corporation

News Intro (ends at 20 seconds)

Welcome back to Newsroom Today on the KBC Network, I'm Jwa Ji Woo. It's once again world cup qualifiers time and you can sense the positive aura everywhere you go. The anticipation and excitement is stronger than usual as this is the first tournament with Kirishima in the top 100 football rankings. With this top 100 ranking Manager Hikaru Kyosuke is looking to be more confident as well as more comfortable in his position as manager of the national team. Also in celebration of Kirishima being in the top 100, the national team has debut new meski national kits as a symbol of how fresh the Kitsunes feel as a top 100 team.

Earlier tonight the players that made the final 22 team selection roster met in Heiwa to watch the world cup draw with fans at the Ostianae Magnaem Centre. In what was a festive night with performances from top Kirishinan idols like Sayaka Maizono and Koyuki Hinashi. The fans went wild when the duo formed a quartet with Miku Hatsune and Yuu Haruna with the three girls and boy appearing with the new national team uniforms. An hour later all eyes were set at a number of the large corner screens or the big screen on the field to watch the draw. The one thing that every nation except Pasarga probably thought and hope was anyone but Pasarga. When Pasarga went to group 5 that was the group to avoid. However after Yttribia and Watford, Kirishima was drawn into Group 5 to the disdain of the fans. The Kitsunes will also be joined by recent trade partner Gim as well as Damukuni and Swilatia.

With the fans getting frustrated at the prospect of being in a group where instead of 2 available spots to compete for there is only one with Pasarga being guaranteed, and the gap between teams in front of Kirishima are in fact quite large. Manager Hikaru Kyosuke took to the stage to keep the festive mood:
"As you know by now we are in Group 5 and things look tough with the defending champions in our group. However the key to success has been our patience and our love of the game. What other nation opens up it's national stadium for fans to watch the draw with the team. What other people who are very talented would perform for free to make a night like this special. Our patience so far has put us in a position where we can be who we are. A team that plays hard sans expectations. Being the fourth best rank in the group we are in a position to compete and contend for our first World Cup qualification but at the same time we don't have the pressure or expectation to advance like Pasarga. I look forward to seeing many of you as we shock the visiting teams with how much fun we share as well as the shock we give when we visit and have a huge amount of supporters along with us for the ride. Merci et Arigatō! " -Hikaru Kyosuke

The national team first game is a bye and then facing Damukuni at home in Akihabara leaving the Kitsunes plenty of time for rest and practice before competing. Even though it's early on could imagine that despite the Kitsunes having a good mid table finish last qualifers, they would want to avoid repeating their mistakes. This said the Kitsunes will try and do everything in their power to avoid losing to lower rank teams and that in a sense makes the match against Damukuni at home practically a must win.

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by **Associated Godlands** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 7:44 am

GodHatesYou.God
The official blog of Shirley Phelps-Roper

As you probably already know, Associated Godlands has been drawn into Group 16 of the World Cup. People are hailing it as the "Group of Death" and whatnot, but I'm not really worried. Our men, led by the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will easily take down this group. And we all know that false deities and monarchs like "Lord Almighty Gregory" and this "Shop Owner" person are no match for the true deity, God, and the true monarch, myself. But anyways, let's dive into this group:

San Jose Guayabal
We start out with perhaps the most Godly team in our group, and that's a very poor sign. While San Jose Guayabal is openly a Christian nation, they are the wrong denomination of Christianity, and have in fact criticized Associated Godlands's religion. At first look, they are a pretty likable nation, with churches that "perform community works across the nation or even international level people who need it most." But if one was to look a bit closer, they would see that these "community works" include supporting heathens, instead of carrying out God's work and executing said heathens. Oh well. San Jose Guayabal is on the right track, and I desperately hope this nation will see the light before God judges them.

Gregoryisgodistan
Gregoryisgodistan acts as though Gregory is God, instead of the true God, God. But, unfortunately, Gregory is, in fact, not God, as the only God is God, and he and his people are hence heathen trash. Especially Lord Almighty Gregory himself, who is committing an incredibly heinous crime by claiming himself as a false deity, which is punishable by death in the bible. So, in short, we will try to execute this Lord Almighty Gregory. It may be a bit difficult considering that he is under heavy security and is in a completely different region, but you know what? We have God on our side, and God always prevails. Hail God! Hail the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Death to Gregory!

Jeruselem
Ah, Jerusalem. Tho holiest of holy cities, besides God City of course, and probably several other cities in Associated Godlands. Unfortunately, Jeruselem the country is not related to Jerusalem the city, and even if it were, the team would be full of Muslims and Jews. And that sounds awful. What pollution Jerusalem is suffering these days. But I digress. This team is even worse than a team of Muslims and Jews, because they commit the terrible sin of public nudity. Yes, the players on this team, as well as pretty much everybody from Jeruselem, is nude at all times. This unspeakable behavior promotes sodomy and goes against thousands of years of Christian values. Luckily for the world, God will judge these heathens soon enough, and they will be put where they belong - burning in the eternal depths of Hell.

The Sword Bloke
The Sword Bloke is ruled by what appears to be the owner of a very large KFC, known as the Shop Owner. Like Lord Almighty Gregory in Gregoryisgodistan, he is sinning by claiming himself to be a deity when he is in fact a heathen, and like Lord Almighty Gregory in Gregoryisgoidistan, we will make every effort to execute him. It is our God-given right to execute sinners in the way He detailed in the bible, and that is what we shall do. In addition to this killing of Shop Owner, our soccer team will metaphorically kill The Sword Bloke's on the soccer field. Or literally kill them on the soccer field, which is justified given their status as godless heathens.

Nestorians and Nosts
To be honest, I've never really liked the Nestorians. Or liked them at all. I'm confident God feels the same way, so I'm also confident our team will take six points against this one. I'm not sure what a "Nost" is, but this nation is already off to a very bad start. UPDATE: It has now come to my attention that this team is named "Natanians and Nosts", not "Nestorians and Nosts". Oh well. They're still heathen garbage anyway.

Aeqamustopia
Can't say I've every heard of Aeqamustopia, but I'm sure we'll get six points against them as well. I don't have enough information to make a proper judgement, but this nation is most likely full of godless heathens.

So there it is! Group 16. Not too intimidating. I think that this year is going to be our first World Cup appearance. I'm Shirley Phelps-Roper, and goodbye.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 7:49 am

The Saga of All-Inclusive Haranguer F.C., Part One

In 1990, the Fleftic Football Association (SFA for Samahang Futbol ng Abanhfleft) launched its most ambitious project to date: the Combined League. Football was one of the most popular sports within the country, just second to basketball, with tens of thousands of players from both genders playing for about eight hundred or so teams scattered throughout the large nation and the country's top football league, the First Division, raking in the equivalent of one billion new penenks in today's money for that calendar year (taking to account the near-rampant inflation of the old penenk and the subsequent revaluation of the penenk.) The women's game was also beginning to reach its first peak in this year, with the final game of the Women's First Division recording an attendance of 30,956 in the old National Stadium and receiving a 9% viewership share, the largest ever recorded for a women's football game at the time. Clearly it was time for a league combining the best stars from both genders playing against each other. And it was from this vision that the Combined League was born.

Many of the successful teams in both the First Division and the Women's First Division registered teams for the Combined League, which wasn't surprising given that many of the teams in the women's league system were affiliates of the teams in the men's league system. The likes of Riuwiee United, Xemlice Rovers, Sarvusdalamoive and Arsenal de Releinthi registered teams composed of players from their men's and women's teams, but there were also some teams that had been formed from scratch, meaning they had been established for the sole purpose of competing in the Combined League. Eventually there were twenty teams in the Combined League, the same number as that of the First Division. Many expected one of the teams from the established clubs to win the league's first title, but to the surprise of everyone, a team from the dusty center of the Myleishi Plateau, All-Inclusive Haranguer, won the title with a six-point gap over second-place Riuwiee United Combined.

The Combined League was deemed a success by the SFA, and they expected more of the same for the coming seasons. For the 1991-92 season All-Inclusive Haranguer successfully defended their title against Combined Arsenal, this time only by the skin of their teeth, securing the title only after a 1-0 win against the Arsenal in the last matchday of the season. However, by this time the novelty of watching men and women play football together was beginning to wear off on the people of Abanhfleft, and attendance and viewership of the Combined League began to fall. The league played for two more seasons before it was finally folded by the SFA due to low attendance and revenues. Most, if not all of the teams immediately folded, and the players went back to their old teams, having been part of the SFA's experiment in mixed-gender football.

But one team did not fold. All-Inclusive Haranguer, two-time champions of the Combined League, refused to let go of the dream. Not that anyone could blame them, as the city and people of Haranguer had invested a significant amount of time, money and emotion into the team. Haranguer's two football teams had combined into All-Inclusive, and it seemed a very big waste to fold the team. So instead the team registered itself for competition in the Myleishi Plateau Football Division, part of the ninth level of the Fleftic football league pyramid. All throughout this, they drew up a charter in which they would field both male and female players, which wasn't against the rules of the SFA because there were no rules preventing the fielding of players of both genders in an SFA-registered team.

The rise of All-Inclusive through the ranks of Fleftic football was meteoric, to say the least. Within seven years they were within sight of the Liga ng Abanhfleft, the top four tiers of Fleftic football (similar to England's Football League). They were finally promoted to the Third Division (now the Liga Ikatlo) in 2000, but then languished there for five years, even coming close to relegation in 2004, but then they bounced back wonderfully, recording back-to-back promotions up to the newly-rebranded Liga Ikalawa and Unang Liga. By 2010 they were constant and consistent challengers for promotion to the Fleftic Premier League, but then there would always be something that would trip up their campaign for promotion. Sometimes it would be a run of bad form. Sometimes it would be injuries to key players. And sometimes it would be just plain bad luck.

That seemed to be the case for the 2014-15 promotion playoffs between Athletic Dorfdifving and All-Inclusive Haranguer. The two teams had already beaten the two other teams eligible for promotion, and they were now facing off against each other in the May 26 Revolution Memorial Stadium, the new national stadium of Abanhfleft. The first ninety minutes of the game had ended in a goalless draw, leading to extra time. And as soon as extra time started, Dorfdifving's Magnus Thomasson scored almost directly from the kickoff, catching the All-Inclusive keeper unawares. Despite the team's best efforts, All-Inclusive could not score an equalizer to force penalties, and Dorfdifving took the third promotion spot into the Premier League. It was the closest that Haranguer had come to playing in the Premier League, and missing out by just one goal had irritated the people and players of Haranguer no end. The old manager was duly sacked.

His replacement? The husband-and-wife team of Tom Mereilles and Janine Fuller. Both had played for All-Inclusive before during its spell in the Combined League, and it was there that the striker and the goalkeeper had developed a relationship. Though they were picked up by bigger clubs in their later careers (Tom went to Riuwiee United and Janine went to Arsenal de Releinthi Ladies), as soon as they retired they married. Not that it would have mattered because everyone knew about them and how their love was like Romeo and Juliet in transcending the traditional rivalry between Riuwiee and Arsenal. Of course their story wasn't the same as Romeo and Juliet since the both of them didn't die, so it's not a fair a comparison as it would have been.

Their mission as new managers of All-Inclusive Haranguer was simple: achieve promotion to the Premier League, whether directly or by the playoffs, but preferably directly. It was a mission that the both of them had already given some thought, and they already had a list of staffers and players that they wanted to bring into the team in order to finally achieve promotion to the Premier League and be the first mixed-gender team to participate in the top flight of Fleftic football.

It was a long journey ahead of them.

by **Cruenatia** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 8:38 am

Cruenatian World Cup Qualifiers!

It has been a long time coming for this young bright team as they have chased this dream for as long as they can remember. Circumstance left them out of the previous World Cup and crushed the hearts of the Cruenatian people, but now, they finally have their chance to prove themselves.

The team is led by Manager Franklin Auguste, a once prominent footballer back in the 1980's, now a solid leader with mountain of knowledge and a thirst for glory. He has spent many years at the head one of Cruenatia's finest clubs, WolfPack FC. Now, he brings his genius to the world stage, hoping to come away with a few Upset victories and climb higher up the international standings. Beside him is the all-star striker from Atlantic FC, Jake Spender. Spender has passed on the opportunity to play in this cup in order to help coach as he has been gifted with a brilliant mind for strategy. In an interview done by Football 24/7, Spender spoke about his decision.

" I am not playing, not because I don't want to be on the field, but I know that I can help my team better this way. I trust my mates on the pitch to be able to lock it down offensively and I don't think that my absence will change the game for us negatively."

The talk of the town has been about the 24 year old All-star Striker from WolfPack FC, Justin Jones. He alongside CAM Freddie Chavez and ST Calvin Smith are expected to be a major threat to any team they face during their run in the World Cup. Jones this past season scored 42 goals and set up 22 assists which helped "The Pack" take home the domestic trophy. Although he reached this massive goal, he is still not yet satisfied. Justin claimed in a press release there is more football out there in the world for him.

"All my life I have only been able to play Cruenatian football. Every Country, every nation in this world plays football a bit differently. We are not all the same. I want to play against these people and see if my style stacks up against these other nations. I want to challenge myself against the best from all over the world because that is what good players do. But then I want to best all of them on the grandest pitch of all, because that is what legendary players do."

During the Baptism of Fire Tournament, the Cruenatian side did not play their best football. Their 0-0 Draw to Aeqamustopia left them in a bit of disappointment. Not only did they not clinch a victory in their debut, but on paper, that was their best chance of getting a victory at the BOF qualifiers. As they went on to face Thaldor, they showed that their heart and determination was enough to possibly get a victory as they drew the first blood in only 10 minutes, and leaving the first half with the score 1-1. But it would not be their day as Thaldor clinched a late goal in the 88th minute to break the hearts of the team and all of the fans at home. It was very possible that Cruenatia could leave the BOF empty handed, which made them more determined and hungry than ever. As they stepped on the pitch against Hot Skitty on Wailord Action, they no longer looked like a nervous pack of hungry players hoping for a victory. They looked like an angry, possibly desperate pack of high quality players that wanted to to bring a win home for their country. And that is just what they did. In a breath-taking fashion, they walked off the pitch with a 2-0 victory over the opposition and a spot in second place on the standings. However, their BOF dreams died early as they were taken out of the BOF in the round of 16.

Now that the dust has settled on the BOF and the war horns are blowing for the World Cup, How will Cruenatia Fare against their first opponents? The Aztec Enclave will be Cruenatia's first test in this World Cup and Manager Franklin Auguste believes they are ready.

" We have seen a few domestic videos of the players but not much is known about the team as a whole right now as they have been untested. This could be the biggest challenge we face the entire cup, or it could be a blow out victory. Who knows. But what I do know is the we are prepared for whatever they bring to the table. Working early mornings and late nights, perfecting our craft because we aren't here for fun, we are here to win. And that is what we do, we win."

So far, no changes in the line-up and all of the players seem eager to go out and play for their Country. This is going to be a great opening match I can just feel it.

- Author: Philip White,
Sapinta Daily News, Sport Section.

by **Kernansquillec** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 9:35 am

In regards to the Holy Empire's new kit competition.

-- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --

Contact - Richard Tyrello
K Kits PR Department
22 West Road
Kernansquillec City
+22 152 688 420
pr@kkits.krn

Statement Regarding Copyright Infringement By The Holy Empire Football Association

Kernansquillec City, Kernansquillec (12th May 2065) -- Representatives of K Kits and The Holy Empire Football Association were involved in prolonged negotiations over developing a new kit for their national team. These secrets negotiations began over two years ago and resulted in prototype kits being produced especially for The Holy Empire. The development of these prototypes demanded a considerable effort on behalf of K Kit researchers as they seeked to give The Holy Empire the best possible kits that factored in training conditions in the Dreamed Realm, as well as integrating the most advanced technology to give players an advantage in regards to climate control, recovery and sporting ability.

However, early this year negotiations broke down for reasons that shall not be disclosed at this time. As agreed in the Research and Development Agreement signed between K Kits and The Holy Empire Football Association all prototypes developed by K Kits and all technology associated with K Kits was to be returned to the company should contract negotiations fail. While initially respecting this agreement, The Holy Empire failed to return all of the products produced by K Kits. Given that this is in clear violation of the agreement between K Kits and The Holy Empire Football Association and that no payment was received by K Kits in exchange for this technology, K Kits have grounds to take action in a Court of Law against The Holy Empire on grounds of breach of contract and of theft.

Furthermore, one of the three kits that could become the new national kit of The Holy Empire appears to be the same kit developed by K Kits with a few subtle modifications (see attached documents). The K Kits logo has been removed and the back of the shirt and shorts appears to have been removed. These differences put aside, the kit in question is exactly the same of the prototype developed by K Kits that was stolen by The Holy Empire Football Association. As such, K Kits shall also be pursuing The Holy Empire Football Association for plagiarism.

K Kits refuses to see its hard work taken advantage of by groups who believe that they can hide in another realm of reality. K Kits also refuses to see its creations - that are just as much a piece of art as a scientific masterpiece - desecrated and potentially used as a means of sexual exhibition.

K Kits reaffirms its commitment to providing quality football equipment to all nations. We also reserve the right to pursue further changes against The Holy Empire Football Association should further violations appear. No further statements shall be provided by K Kits at this time.

Attachments
Original K Kits prototypes (Home front, Home back, Away front)

The Holy Empire's 'product' (Home, Away)

by **The Royal Kingdom of Quebec** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 11:28 am

Obituary - Part 1

AFANASY PAPAGENOV

Afanasy passed away in his home in Halifax on October 29. Afanasy was born in Mississauga on November 18, 1974 and was named for his great grandfather. Predeceased by his parents Ilya and Desiree Papagenov and his uncle Honore Dube, Afanasy will sorely be missed by his children Pavel and Anna, his siblings Denis and Valentin, as well as his cousins, nieces and nephews. He will also be missed by his sisters-in-law, Michelle Nguyen, Yoo Jin Park and by his companion, Daniela Matssialas.

Afanasy grew up in Kingston, graduated from Webster College, attended Farrer University and joined Bryce & Kim firm in 1997. In 2002, after settling down, he went on to fight in 2nd Acadianan Civil War, where he fought on 21 battles before his dispatch following the war. By the time of graduation, he had promoted 6 times, to the eventual position of Lieutenant-General. Many of his comrades became lifelong friends post-war. While he loved what he did for a living, investments weren't the only passion he possessed. Afanasy loved to coach and teach, from the days he played under his longtime mentor Roy Bayridge at Webster and Jae Ik Kim at Farrer. Following his dispatch he continued to work as a leader, hired as the head coach of Yeongnam Collegiate Institute's football and soccer teams at Halifax, Acadie. His greatest love was reserved for spending countless of hours on both teams. He originally coached as a youth football coach back in high school and was able to continue his legacy at Yeongnam Collegiate, the school that he served at since 2008. Many memorable hours were spent coaching and mentoring at the Downtown Halifax area school as well as bringing his family to games. After his retirement from teaching, he was present at every Wyverns game, his final being last week's soccer match against Dongnae Collegiate Institute.

The family would like to thank Royal Gyeongnam Hospital and his caregivers who helped make him comfortable in his final days.

The family will receive friends, comrades and players at the Salle 215, EIREANN FUNERAL HOME, 215 Suyeongro (near Sumyeon Rotary) from 11:00 p.m. on October 30th. A memorial service will be held 3 days later, after the 3 day period of mourning and visits, in ST. BASIL'S BASILICA, 18 Suyeongro, Halifax, on the morning of 2nd of November.

by **Alpha Gamma Kappa** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 11:41 am

National Team Unveils New Kits

Earlier today, the national team of Alpha Gamma Kappa unveiled its new kits in the New Athens Stadium, where it will play the Fallenmark Islands later today. The home and away kits are made by K Kits, a manufacturer from Kernansquillec.

The home shirt, shown above, features the traditional white with a blue v-neck collar and red and blue cuffs. The shirt is rather basic, featuring a blue ΑΓΚ trigram in lieu of a crest. It will be paired with white shorts and white socks.

The away kit, shown above, is blue with a white v-neck collar and white and red cuffs. The same ΑΓΚ trigram is featured instead of a crest, although this time it is white. The shirt will be paired with white shorts and red socks, although it may also be used with blue shorts and blue socks.

During the release, the national team also announced its starting lineup for the upcoming match against the Fallenmark Islands.

GK: #1 James Douglas
RB: #18 Gerald Ferris
CB: #5 Wu Ting
CB: #20 Murilo Pereira
LB: #3 James Pratt
DM: #4 Antonino Iadanza
DM: #19 Sigmund Smithson (captain)
RM: #14 Zachary Credle
LM: #7 Abel Welde
CF: #9 Mark Tucker
CF: #11 Ilona Hafliðason

The team will play a 4-2-2-2 formation.

by **Armeia** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 11:59 am

STAFORD, TANGEMEN, ROJO, REDMAN, RELEASE MUSIC VIDEO

Story by K. Zorasson, with Sporternav

Boom Redman training with Zoran Michel in the pre-World Cup qualifying training camp

19 year old Armeian goalkeeper Isa Tangemen as well as gridiron football player Storm Staford and Southeastern keeper Mia Rojo, along with rising eighteen year old fullback and winger Boom Redman, have teamed up to release a music video that is a strange combination of pop and rap. The song has a number of dissess according to the music section of the Loftus Post. The song is controversial, with Redman openly dissing star players Milan Toure, Soren Bayer, and Zoran Michel, as well as Bojan Fertig, and also dissing Isa Tangemen, in her own song. Read the lyrics bellow and see for yourself what you think about the new hit song, Remember Our Names.

by **Apox** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 12:03 pm

Groups 11-20 Matchday 1 Cut-off

Instead of the usual playing of classics for your cut-off music, I'm gonna work through some of the tuneage I'm currently listening to. Why not. Might be fun.

by **Osarius** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 2:44 pm

The "new" [odd to call him that, as he's been in charge for a while now - Ed.] Osarius boss, Azarai Robinson, took his squad to West Angola yesterday as the Firebirds embark on their first World Cup qualifying campaign under his leadership. Coming off the back of an AOCAF Cup final, and lifting the Trindl Cup in Semarland this summer, with the U20s dominating in the Rabastor Unity Trophy, the national team looks strong enough. In addition, Hastmead Diamante -- providers of several Osarian internationals -- have established themselves as a leading light in one of the multiverse's strongest leagues, looking likely to win a third LigAnaia championship this season. With all this in mind, it's not a stretch to suggest that anyone who has expressed doubts over the strength of Osarian football -- following the catastrophe that was World Cup 72 -- may well be in for a rude awakening over the next nine months or so. A four-goal win in West Angola for Osarius is hardly likely to concern their peers at the top table in world football, but it will perhaps underline expectations for Robinson's side this campaign.

The group, on paper, looks like it should pose little real threat to a squad which appears to have matured significantly since they struggled without the experienced heads of Roque Acosta, Toby Drummond and Ezio Grassi at the last finals. However, Robinson will be wary of making assumptions, given his background taking unfancied teams to heights they were never expected to reach. The gaffer will have despatched his scouting team already to gather information on the opposition, though an expectant public will be almost entirely unconcerned at this stage, with any defeats likely to resonate through a nation still feeling the sting of a humiliating home defeat last cycle to Lymantatia. A sting that is perhaps even more painful than seeing the national side, and reigning back-to-back world champions unceremoniously dumped out of the World Cup in the group stage, winless.

It is almost certain that the Firebirds' toughest test will come on matchday four, when they travel to face a strong Unified Sunrise team that has given them problems in the not-too-distant past, though the management is refusing to look beyond the next game. "One game at a time. That's how we do this, and that's how we get back to the top." Assistant manager Reiss Ryerson told gathered reporters at the draw ceremony. "We're familiar with most of these teams, but we have to be careful. How many teams thought they knew us in the past?" After two World Cup wins and a regional title, some have speculated that the players, under Jermain Lewis, forgot to keep an eye on those climbing the ladder behind them. Wins came easily. Robinson will not hesitate to change his squad, as he demonstrated in the Trindl Cup. "It's not a major tournament, sure, but it's a competition. That's a trophy to win. These matches matter, and any player who doesn't agree, or doesn't understand, will find themselves sitting games out. It's that simple. I took this job with the understanding that we were expected to win trophies. To do that, we need everyone focused on the goal." Nobody can doubt the degree to which the side is focused, though. The usual pre-qualifying exhibition tour was cancelled in favour of participation in the Trindl Cup in Semarland, and Robinson believes that this "tournament experience" will be invaluable, particularly for the younger members of his squad, the "new generation" as he termed them. It remains to be seen how well the former Tjelberg Forening boss can keep this "new generation" and the old guard together as the campaign progresses, but they have started well enough.

       West Angola 0-4 Osarius           
                       Afolayan 14'    
                       Puntoriero 38'    
                       Drummond 67'      
                       Crespo 79'

As if to make a statement -- it is notable that Jermain Lewis' Osarius opened qualifying with defeat the past two cycles -- Robinson sent out his full strength, first choice team in West Angola. By half-time, they were two goals up and it could easily have been more. FC Jansberg playmaker, Kayode Afolayan opened scoring with a free kick within fifteen minutes, before he cannoned a shot off the bar five minutes later. Wesley Kane forced a superb save with a driven strike toward the bottom right corner, and Jaconelli had the ball in the net from the resulting corner, only to see it disallowed for a questionable Rodriguez foul. It wasn't until the thirty-eighth minute, when Monroe squared to Puntoriero at the back post for a tap in, that Osarius actually increased their lead, but it had been coming for some time.

Seeing his side in almost complete control, Robinson withdrew Nicola Costello at half-time for Gavin Mitchell. "We were in control in the midfield so bringing Gav [Mitchell] in was a plan to open things up even more. It suited us better that way." Robinson explained post-match. The ploy didn't work out at first, with the home side defending resolutely -- probably in response to the onslaught faced in the first half -- and so, the gaffer made further changes. On the hour mark, Puntoriero and Afolayan made way for Crespo and Drummond, and the change was noticeable immediately. Drummond's approach being more technical, he drifted into the pockets of space between the midfield and defense -- a movement made easy by the overly cautious West Angola defensive line -- picking out dangerous passes. Crespo's willingness to drop off the front line suited Drummond perfectly, as he ghosted into the space vacated by the Hastmead forward to put the Firebirds three goals up less than ten minutes after coming on to the pitch. With a little more than ten minutes to play, Drummond returned the favour to Crespo with a well-weighted reverse pass between the centre backs. Crespo finished the job with the icy calm of an assassin, and for the briefest of moments, the youngsters looked remarkably like another playmaker-forward duo for Osarius that featured a Drummond passing to an assassin-like goalscorer......

by **Gregoryisgodistan** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 3:44 pm

Gregoryisgodistan Soccer Federation Unveils Slaves R Us Leaders Race

The Gregoryisgodistan Soccer Federation in combination with Lord Almighty Gregory National Stadium has unveiled plans for the Slaves R Us Leaders Race, to be held at halftime of every Gregoryisgodistan home soccer game this World Cup Qualifying, and hopefully beyond. In the event Gregoryisgodistan’s Cup of Harmony bid is successful, it will also be held at halftime of every Cup of Harmony game played at Lord Almighty Gregory National Stadium.

The race will feature costumed mascot, giant-head representations of Lord Almighty Gregory, King Petrus XX, Shop Owner, and Reino Kulseth wearing their national team jersey, and, of course, pants, so they don’t get the Pervert Chaser’s Doom. Mascots must wear pants. The mascots will emerge from the corner of the field, run down the sideline by the benches, turn, head around behind the goal, turn again, and head down the other sideline before crossing the finish at midfield. Whoever crosses first is declared the winner of the Slaves R Us Leaders Race.

Of course, Lord Almighty Gregory is God, so he will always win. To say otherwise would be blasphemy. However, the real fun is watching what happens to the other runners as they meet their doom. Whether it’s being slapped by Cleffie Martinez with her handbag, getting distracted by free cherry turnovers on International Cherry Turnover Day, or even getting attacked by the Lord himself as he takes matters into his own hands, each Slaves R Us Leaders Race will be positively entertaining.

Before and after the race, Lord Almighty Gregory will pose for pictures with fans, since he is the image of God and that is what God would do. The other racers will not, because they are heathens so who wants their picture with them? Nobody, that’s who. If they do, they die. But we won’t give them that opportunity so they have nothing to worry about.

Additionally, a fifth, one-time only Leader, Queen Margaret I, will participate in the Leaders Race during the game against San Jose Guayabal. Rumor has it she will be killed off during the race, but we cannot confirm or deny this.

In any case, the Gregoryisgodistan Soccer Federation wishes to stress that these Leaders are costumed characters played by Gregoryisgodistanis and no real people will be harmed during the Races, no matter what happens to the characters. The first Leaders Race will take place tomorrow in the game against The Sword Bloke. What will happen when the real Shop Owner comes face to face with his costumed representation, only to watch that costumed representation lose to God himself? He’ll be humiliated, and he deserves it. But he did attack our Enemies during the Great War, so we respect him somewhat. But not enough to let him win, because he’s not God.

Lord Almighty Gregory, Eternal Honorary Chair of the Gregoryisgodistan Soccer Federation, expressed his gratitude to Slaves R Us for sponsoring the race. "We are proud to partner with Slaves R Us in this elite, awesome race and entertainment." Slaves R Us is by far the largest slave retailer in Gregoryisgodistan. As part of the deal, two slaves available through Slaves R Us will hold the finish line to the Slaves R Us Leaders race, and a silent auction will take place on them during the remainder of halftime and continuing on through the 75th minute. The winners will be announced over the PA system shortly thereafter, at a stoppage of play. Only Government VIPs will be eligible to bid, and fans must show proof of Government VIP status when picking up the slaves. Anyone who is unable to show such proof will be executed for impersonating a Government VIP. This even applies if they are a foreigner secretly attempting to liberate the slaves, or kill them, or some other ulterior motive. So don't try it, you Stupid Guaya Beans and KFC fans! (OOC: Really, don't. Or do try and get killed. That's cool too. Just TG me ahead of time if you want to do that so I don't announce some other winners. But if you try, you're getting killed. Because it won't work.)

Stay tuned tomorrow at halftime for the inaugural Slaves R Us Leaders Race, which will also be aired live during the TV Broadcast.

by **Farfadillis** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 4:00 pm

So, where to begin? How did I get here? Well, I suppose it all started with Dandalleion's winning goal against Osarius. Not getting the call-up for the AOCAF Cup was frustrating, but watching us win it... while actually more frustrating, come to think of it, was exhilarating. I was in Ferdullaele as a result of not having been called up in the off-season. Enjoying dinner at a restaurant, to be more specific. Mistake number one, I guess, but how would I have known?

Anyway, as celebration, I paid for the meals of everyone at the restaurant. Wasn't exactly pocket change, but I was in a state of plain and simple not caring. We had fucking won, after all. Everyone seemed pretty thankful. After that, I had to sign autographs, appear in photographs and the like. After so many years, it just becomes part of eating out. Must've been the best day in life of some of the people there. Such an exciting match, then meeting one of their heroes (might be going on a limb there), then, finally, not having to pay for the food.

Anyway, once things settled down, I started to celebrate my way. It was kinda pathetic being all alone, but to be honest I never minded that. Usually, Friekder would've been joining me, or maybe some girl. Not this time, though. So I started dirnking by myself. I drank a glass of whisky or two... maybe more. The story is understandably blurry in my head, I'll have to warn you.

So... yeah, mistake number two. Mistake number three soon followed: leaving the restaurant at one in the morning. No, it's not uncommon for restaurants to be open at that time in Farfadillis. It's also not uncommon for people to get drunk at restaurants, I'll have you know before you judge me. Anyway, on the streets, alone and drunk, at night... Not my brightest moment, I admit. But at least there was an air of celebration. It all just felt different. That was all in my mind, though. I just felt safe for some reason. I just had to walk a couple of blocks (fifteen, actually) and I'd be chilling at home. No use in drunk-driving when you don't have to walk that much, right? Plus, taxis sure are expensive... Anyway, mistake number four.

There I was, a famous footballer drunkenly walking his way home. Keeping my balance proved a pretty difficult task. I was doing it kinda fine, though. Only I couldn't be very alert as a result. I wasn't in a busy part of the city - far from it, in fact. Kind of a part of the eventual problem, which I imagine you've already guessed by now.

When it comes to crime, Farfadillis isn't exactly known as a safe haven. Part of it is down to the fact that the crime rate rises several orders of magnitude when football is involved, but it holds true nonetheless. And... well, football was involved that night. I don't think football was had anything to do with what ended up happening, though. It really shouldn't have been any surprise when the two men I saw running towards me from a distance once I turned round a corner turned out not to be interested in an autograph. Bit of an arrogant thought, I admit.

Anyway, as I said: two men. One was pretty damn tall. Probably 4 inches/10 centimetres taller than me. Quite beardy, I think. The other guy was pretty short and had baby skin in comparison. Again, I think. I was drunk and it was dark. I can't be expected to remember those little details. Oh, but I do remember one detail. The short guy pulled out a gun and pointed it towards me as the other guy grabbed a hold of me. Drunk as I was, I inevitably tried to break free, but it was a fruitless effort. I'm not sure, but I think I caught a hint of surprise in their faces when they realized it was me.

"Alright, Ichi, this doesn't have to end badly." He said. Or something like that. This part is really blurry. All I remember is he knew my name. Which is pretty unsurprising. "Just give us everything you have and we'll let you go." He continued.

In this kind of situation, you're supposed to just obey your muggers and do everything they ask you to. But let's just say my decision-making that night wasn't top-notch. I just continued fighting, then I think I screamed. Overall, I made a big, big fuss. One of them warned me not to do that, else I'd be shot. I think I didn't think they had the balls to do it. And they didn't, but it still cost me dearly.

The light of one of the rooms of the house right next to us suddenly turned on. One of the few parts of this I remember clearly is the desperation in their eyes when they noticed. After a bit, someone opened the door. I don't remember what he shouted, but he shouted loudly. Something along the lines of calling the police, as you'd expect.

You know how I said they didn't have the balls to shoot me? Well, it was precisely because of that that they did. The one holding the gun fired twice in panic and started running.

I felt a sharp pain in my belly and my chest. I coughed a few times. Then I hit the ground, unconscious; so did the gun wielder's friend.

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