AOCAF 50 :: Atlantian Oceania's Golden Championship

by **Vilita and Turori** » Thu Apr 21, 2016 4:37 am

The coaches will select the squad from the National Player pool. Players are listed below, grouped by position and sorted by projection 'Depth Chart' position where the top player listed is most likely to be named the first player selected for that position, and so on. Depth chart positions are determined by performance in pre-cup training sessions, as well as performance and average ratings in the Vilitan League competition and previous appearances for the National Team.

GOALKEEPERS:

Nikki Tzimas [ - Jungle Strike FC - ]
GK ( AGE: 18 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS:0 ) :: [ N/R ]
Half-Audioslavian by blood, Nikki Tzimas came through the Venom Youth Academy an signed a professional contract with Jungle Strike FC at the age of 15. Tzimas spent V-League season 46 on loan to Kiiara-Torra.

Upsin Ajaara [ - Jungle Strike FC - ]
GK ( AGE: 18 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS:0 ) :: [ N/R ]
Originally trained at the Turoki Academy

Mitimi Obalialo [ - Makosile FC - ]
GK ( AGE: 18 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS:0 ) :: [ N/R ]

:: Reserves ::

Wiyauw An'maude [ - Cedniavella - ]
GK ( AGE: 16 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS:0 ) :: [ N/R ]

DEFENDERS:

Kwuimekii Hentetii [ - Eastal Lunar - ]
D RC ( AGE: 21 CAPS: 12 :: GOALS:0 ) :: [ N/R ]
Hentetii was promoted to the senior squad at the Alikki-Corra Academy to support their Season 44 Declasse campaign. Strong performances attracted interests from Eastal Lunar who snapped the player up for their Season 46 campaign.

Linkat Cjinder [ - Mliona-Lpaka - ]
D RC ( AGE: 18 CAPS: 9 :: GOALS:1 ) :: [ N/R ]
A product of the Turoki Isle academy system, Cjinder was snapped up by Turorian giants Mliona-Lpaka for a professional contract and made his debut during V-League Season 48

Mikki Mayelli [ - Eastal Lunar - ]
D C ( AGE: 19 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS:0 ) :: [ N/R ]

Monner Vileai [ - Tropicorp FC - ]
D RC ( AGE: 21 CAPS: 11 :: GOALS:0 ) :: [ N/R ]
Vileai made their debut for the Vilita National Team at the Eagle's Cup V tournament.

Yitizo Mpala'a [ - Lonngeylin Coast - ]
D C ( AGE: 18 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS:0 ) :: [ N/R ]
Trained at the Makosile Academy, Mpala'a spent one season at Eastal Lunar before joining newly promoted Lonngeylin Coast for V-League Season 49.

Lulu Pumaziiri [ - Cednia Beach AFC - ]
D RC ( AGE: 18 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS:0 ) :: [ N/R ]
Pumaziiri was originally signed by Colonial Sile but after a season away from home, returned to Turori to join up with Cednia Beach and was a critical member of their Season 48 campaign that nearly saw the Coconuts return to the top 3, sliding to 5th on the final day of the season.

Mileke Drokasorna [ - Colonial Sile - ]
D RC ( AGE: 18 CAPS: 1 :: GOALS:0 ) :: [ N/R ]
After a strong debut season after graduating from Marine Coast's Crosaibi Academy, Drokasorna earned a move to the Stellar Division after transferring to Colonial Sile.

Rintala Sekagaya [ - Alikki-Corra - ]
D RC ( AGE: 18 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS:0 ) :: [ N/R ]

MIDFIELDERS:

Timi'sala Koarena [ - Raynor City United (VAL) - ]
M LC ( AGE: 20 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: ) :: [ N/R ]

Westii Yahaya [ - Eastal Lunar - ]
M C ( AGE: 21 CAPS: 26 :: GOALS::SR: 7 ) :: [ N/R ]
Yahaya was a graduate of the Turoki Academy drafted in to the Turoki Isle senior squad ahead of V-League Season 44.

Cavuna Aquafek [ - Turoki Tide - ]
M C ( AGE: 23 CAPS: 10 :: GOALS::SR: 0 ) :: [ N/R ]

Ikala Mravedii [ - Lonngeylin Coast - ]
M RLC ( AGE: 21 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 ) :: [ N/R ]
Mravedii made their debut for the Vilita National Team at the Eagle's Cup V tournament.

Kentu Umaka'a [ - Rammsissil - ]
M RC ( AGE: 17 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 ) :: [ N/R ]

Jyuola Mtalata [ - Eastal Lunar - ]
M RLC ( AGE: 18 CAPS: 3 :: GOALS::SR: 3 ) :: [ N/R ]

Tinjus Mngomeni [ - Jlinal Cove AFC - ]
M RLC ( AGE: 19 CAPS: 2 :: GOALS::SR: 0 ) :: [ N/R ]

Mbdiai Akarenaa [ - Exton F.C (Apox) - ]
M LC ( AGE: 18 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: ) :: [ N/R ]
Akarenaa started out at the Eelandii Academy before signing a professional contract with Cednia Beach AFC during V-League 47

Cywrenta Vlintejni [ - Crosaibi Academy - ]
M LC ( AGE: 18 CAPS: 1 :: GOALS::SR: 0 ) :: [ N/R ]

Polaox Torerun [ - Tropicorp FC - ]
M LC ( AGE: 18 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 ) :: [ N/R ]
Started Career at Venom Youth Academy

:: Reserves ::

Jurzen Devmiko [ - Colonial Sile - ]
DM C ( AGE: 17 CAPS: 2 :: GOALS::SR: 0 ) :: [ N/R ]

Va'a-Rio Kiwavn [ - Marine Coast United - ]
M C ( AGE: 16 CAPS: 1 :: GOALS::SR: 0 ) :: [ N/R ]

Karisto Monafog [ - Mliona-Lpaka - ]
DM C ( AGE: 23 CAPS: 10 :: GOALS::SR: 2 ) :: [ N/R ]

Kamarul Zaman [ - Makosile - ]
DM C ( AGE: 24 CAPS: 8 :: GOALS::SR: 0 ) :: [ N/R ]

Indelli Nura'amura [ - Tropicorp FC - ]
ATH ( AGE: 18 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 ) :: [ N/R ]

FORWARDS:

Meldi'ita Mungwaii [ - Jungle Strike FC - ]
F C ( AGE: 17 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: ) :: [ N/R ]

Sipke Tarala [ - Lonngeylin Coast - ]
F C ( AGE: 18 CAPS: 7 :: GOALS::SR: 1 ) :: [ N/R ]

Fishtii Blikala [ - Marine Coast United - ]
F C ( AGE: 17 CAPS: 5 :: GOALS::SR: 1 ) :: [ N/R ]

Wiztsana Iretziia [ - Eastal Lunar - ]
F C ( AGE: 17 CAPS: :: GOALS::SR: ) :: [ N/R ]

Nuola Brenzil [ - Mavaloiao Locals - ]
F C ( AGE: 16 CAPS: 3 :: GOALS::SR: 0 ) :: [ N/R ]

Tenziki Kulakao [ - Yeaddin Owls - ]
F C ( AGE: 16 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 ) :: [ N/R ]

Linvoi Warazil [ - Jungle Strike FC - ]
F C ( AGE: 17 CAPS: 0 :: GOALS::SR: 0 ) :: [ N/R ]

I Give My Opponent Permission To:		
		====================		
		Choose Scorers: Y		
		GodMod Goalscoring Events: Y		
				
		Injure Players: Y (Limited to Duration of Competition)		
		GodMod Injury Events Y (Limited to Duration of Competition)		
				
		Red Card Players: Y   (TG After RP is Posted to Inform)		
		Yellow Card Players: Y		
		GodMod Other Events: Y		
		===================

by **Vilita and Turori** » Thu Apr 21, 2016 5:36 am

Matchday 1

On this (Match)Day in AOCAF History... The first ever AOCAF match was contested between Vilita & Xile at the People's Stadium in Avid-Diord. The Jungle Cats went into the match as favorites on paper but Xile, a regional diplomacy powerhouse also had geography on its side having recently completed a migration just across the river from the first AOCAF host nation, Krytenia. Elekim Cairns and Serge DuPont scored to give Vilita a 2-1 victory.

However, the match with the biggest impact of the day took place at Atterbrook Way in Elliston. A little-known nation named Sarzonia was entering its first ever international sporting competition. They got started on the right foot winning that match 3-2 and would eventually go on to become both AOCAF World Cup Champions a few seasons later.

Group A
Western Sunrise Islands [1] Starblaydia [0]
Schiavonia [1] Osarius [4]
Group B
Oontaz Dert Li Ng [0] Krytenia [1]
Greater Watford [1] Valanora [3]
Group C
Audioslavia [0] Cosumar [1]
Kingdom of Corelia [2] Eshan [6]
Group D
Tropicorp [0] Mertagne [3]
Semarland [3] Farfadillis [0]
Group E
Chromatika [1] Royal Kingdom of Quebec [2]
Lindmark [2] Ko-oren [4]
Group F
Equestrian States [1] Vilita & Turori [2]
95X [2] Iskandervale [0]

OOC: You may opt to RP these matches taking place at any Vilitan/Turorian stadium of your choosing to allow whatever RP storylines you wish to create. I will post assigned venues for the knockout rounds.

by **Chromatika** » Thu Apr 21, 2016 5:49 pm

Chromatik City Courier
Exclusive Interview with Nikolai Thorben
Chromatiks Fall to Quebec
Rumors About Mass Exodus to San Jose Guayabal

Interview with Nikolai Thorben

Janet Heinrik here, with your daily dosage of Chromatik sports. Today, we have for you a question and answer session with our national goalkeeper Nikolai Thorben, who has recently signed onto the Matthew Senators of Unified Sunrise Islands for a total of $7 million NSD, or $8.28 million Islander Dollars, which is about $ 9.1 million National Marks.

CCC: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, Nikolai. A lot of questions here from your fans, but before we get to those, how are you doing? What is the generic mood in the squad knowing that you are leaving for a different league soon - joining the ranks of Luuk and Meagan?

N.T.: Just like it didn't shake us when Luuk and Meagan decided to leave League Chromatiks for Vilita & Turori, we on the team haven't been shaken too much about the thought of Gabriella and me leaving. I'm doing fine, trying to keep the focus on doing well in this AOCAF, especially it being the fiftieth edition of such a prestigious tournament. The future will come when it will, we're not really looking too far ahead.

CCC: Why is it that you chose to look at international teams and leave Myana? Was it getting too boring to play in the League Chromatiks 1?

N.T.: It's not that our league is boring, I would never say that. It is still an honor to go out there and play in front of loyal Chromatik fans. I had a great time in Myana with Franscesca, Luuk, and others, but after talking to Franscesca and my family, I decided that I had a chance to go out there in the world and represent what Chromatik football is like, while honing my skill against the players of the Unified Sunrise Islands Championship.

CCC: Rumors are that the team you are going to is expecting you to be a centerpiece in their attempt to get back into relevancy, especially against their rivals. How do you feel knowing that you'll be heading into not only a foreign nation and a foreign club but also be looked at as someone who will provide solid performances? Can you be the man for the job?

N.T.: I had the opportunity to speak to Manager Sasaki recently, and I really like the way that the team is looking, and what they are looking for. I'm sure that with the management there and the players that they have, I can be part of a turnaround. You can be sure that I'll do everything in my power to do well.

CCC: What will you miss the most about your time at Myana?

N.T.: The Islander tradition that has already established itself there. The fans are rowdy - they love tossing that bass before every home match - and passionate about their club. We always made a point to get closer with our fans, and frequented the taverns and bars of there when we had our days off. They weren't just fans, they were our friends. It's hard to leave that behind, but I think that this is what's best for the future of Chromatik football.

CCC: Well, best of luck with your sojourn to Matthew City, and we of Chromatika will be keeping an eye on your escapades!

N.T.: Thank you. My heart will always be with Chromatika.

Anomalies Fall to Royal Kingdom of Quebec

In a spirited effort, highlighted by the first goal of Trenn Rien's international career, the Anomalies hung around with a tough Grim Reapers squad from The Royal Kingdom of Quebec before falling, 1-2. The incorporation of Erika Morningstar and Lucjusz Stef seemed to be working very well in the beginning, as attacks from Zachary Fortin and Leonardo Conavacio were headed away with ease. It seemed as if the game would go the way of Chromatik football - solid defense, fast counterattacks, and few but sure attempts in goal.

As that is the only style of football ever known or practiced by the national team, it could be said that for the first half hour, the Grim Reapers played Chromatika's game, and they were beaten at it. At the twenty-sixth, Zlastica Ellen trapped the ball neatly away from Hazel Van Robben; she took it a few paces forward before dribbling it to Meagan Kelly, and the Captain showed why she was the Captain, taking it up the pitch in a heartbeat. After seeing Stewie Burns off, she saw Trenn Rien start to make his way toward the goal; with one touch, the ball was neatly pressed to him, and Rien volleyed the ball from his right foot from a distance of about fifteen yards to score the first international goal of his young, and probably storied, career, the ball hitting the left corner of the net.

Whatever advantage the Anomalies scored for themselves, however, was lost after halftime. As befitting a powerhouse of a nation as they were, the Grim Reapers adjusted to the Anomalies' tactics and started playing more of a possession-based football, never holding the ball for longer than five seconds per player. The Anomaly defense was starting to tire, and substitutions of Damjana for Ellen and Liam for Lucas were made. That was when the Grim Reapers pounced. Leonardo Conavacio scored off of a neat shot after getting past the young Damjana, and five minutes later, Markus Lazarev-Horak scored off of a header for what was the deciding goal of the match.

Although a loss is not the best way to start the campaign, The Quebecois are definitely the hardest team in the group; games against Lindmark and Euran Oceania Territories should be more than manageable, and the game against Ko-oren will most likely be the decider to determine whether the team finishes in second or third place, barring a failure on the form of the Grim Reapers.

Rumors of Mass Exodus Looms

There have been reported rumors of no less than five players who are reportedly going to go over to San Jose Guayabal next season, giving legitimate concern to the state of the League Chromatiks if that is to occur. Trenn Rien of Z'ai'ai, Erika Morningstar of Urrheddiao, Daniel Lucas of Myana, Otis Sorendai of Anomalies, and Zlastica Ellen of Chromatik are the players reported to be leaving to San Jose Guayabal. The CCC was not able to reach any of those players or the teams as of this time, but this is what League Chromatiks Chairman Jason De Vrie had to say:

"I think it's an unfortunate part of the business when growing a football league to have players leave, but if nobody leaves, no one will come in, either. It is best for Chromatik football for our players to go play abroad, especially in nations like San Jose Guayabal that has proven itself to be one of the best footballing nations in the world. Do not worry, there are players remaining like Ki Niro, Jillian Nier, and Siri Rebekka, and others will take the place of those who are leaving, especially with so many foreign talent coming in. I think the League will be fine, and with the expansion to twelve teams, be able to generate more and more talent for the future."

When asked about the quality of players entering the League Chromatiks, De Vrie had this to say:

"We are still a fledgling football nation, despite our foray into the Round of 16 in the previous Cup of Harmony. Compared to the superstar nations out there - Nephara, Farfadillis, Eura, San Jose Guayabal, to name a few - we are still babies. I have been personally honored to see the amount of interest that players from around the globe have of playing in Chromatika, and I think you'll be quite surprised, and rather pleasantly so, with some of the names that we've been able to grab. Of course, none of the teams are allowed to talk about their signings until the transfer window closes, but the League is going to look very different next year. I am always willing to hear criticism about ways to improve upon the league, so all fans are encouraged to submit their comments and complaints to the League Office headquartered in Chromatik City."

The CCC will have more coverage about the potential exodus to San Jose Guayabal, and interviews with the players involved, as they become more and more available.

With all your recent Chromatik coverage, it's been Janet Heinrik.

by **95X** » Thu Apr 21, 2016 6:16 pm

Retirement or not, 95X had a group stage to win. The entire team arrived in Vilita pumped and ready, and it showed when 95X scored two quick goals in their opener against Iskandervale.

The move to Phalanx AF was beneficial for not only Elyssa Scholls, but the entire national team as she broke through a weak defensive effort for the first goal of the game in the 14th minute.

Later on, Xi Foureleven did something rare: she took on her defender, then passed back to Lizeth Beaverton who had a great look and lucky bounce off the bar to put 95X up two goals in the 27th.

Iskandervale took two desperate shots on goal but did not convert on either. Otherwise, 95X played out the clock for the remainder of the match.

by **The Royal Kingdom of Quebec** » Thu Apr 21, 2016 8:20 pm

ROYAL KINGDOM OF QUEBEC GRIM REAPERS

Manager: Jayson Dhanda (OSR) (50 year old)
Assistant Manager: Kurt Hlasek (VAU) (50 years old)
Thunderbolt Park (46 years old)
Style modifier: +4.5

Spiel: Grim Reapers are back. Unlike in past World Cups when they were focused on building the core of youth around with some existing veterans, the team is now stacked with up-and-coming players, who are ready to show the world what they're made of, and veterans who are more than happy to exceed their results with every passing tournament. In terms of experience and billeting, it's been led and well handled, with legendary captain on his last cycle of Frederic Beauchemin, fiery-footed striker Fortin, dangerous Conavacio, stable Varsteeg and lethal Hazel Van Robben. With a very tough group and some familiar faces, they look to finally break through the challenge and qualify for elimination rounds for the third time in its history, with home crowd making the difference. Scathe, Grim Reapers!

Squad
Players bolded are starters
   AGE NUMBER    NAME                       AGE     TEAM
   GK: #1        Ondrej Cech                 26     Turoki Tide (Turori) 
   LB: #2        Karl Varsteeg               32     Avenida Principal (Farfadilis)
   CB: #3        Claude In Shik Sung         25     CSKA Quebec (LigAnaia Nord)
   CB: #4        Andrew Hyun                 31     Montreal Koreana (LigAnaia Nord)
   CB: #5        Lorne Dunford               26     East Franz Athletic (Polar Islandstates)
   RB: #6        Devane Miller               31     Chatswood (Nephara)
   LW: #8        Xavier Hertel               30     CD FAS (San Jose Guayabal)
   ST: #9        Leonardo Conavacio          27     Alianza FC (San Jose Guayabal)
   ST: #11       Zachary Fortin              35     Marinos Metropolis (Valladares)
   RW: #12       Hazel Van Robben            22     CD FAS (San Jose Guayabal)
   LW: #13       Man Jin Kang                27      RGS Athletic (Eastfield Lodge)
   RB: #14       Jannick Kontiola            27     OAS Royal FC (Cosumar)
   MC: #15       Aaron Shin                  24     Montreal Koreana (LigAnaia Nord)
   ST: #16       Marcos Zelaya               24     Cassandra City (Cosumar)
   LB: #17       Dean-Philippe Ruperi        25     Trojana Condommakers FC (LigAnaia Nord)   
   GK: #20       Seung Myeon Courtois        28     FC Jansberg (Semarland)
   GK: #21       Adrian Middleton            33     Maximum Rovers (Nephara)
   CB: #24       Hye Min Jeong               25     Real Atlantea (Taeshan)
   ST: #25       Angelo Gelinas              26     Avenida Principal (Farfadillis)
   CM: #26       Stewie Burns                30     St.John's Arsenal (LigAnaia Nord)
   CM: #28       Philip-Michel Schneiderlin  21     Montreal Koreana (LigAnaia Nord)
   CM: #55      Markus Lazarev-Horak         28     Norrion Rovers (Eastfield Lodge)
   RW: #79        Gloire-Honore Mvouba III    17     Rene Skae Colonels (Farfadillis)

Score a goal: Zachary Fortin, Leonardo Conavacio, Hazel Van Zanten, Frederic Beauchemin (in this order)
Create that goal: Xavier Hertel, Frederic Beauchemin, Hazel Van Robben, GHM3/Gelinas (in this order)
Win a free kick: Xaiver Hertel, Stewie Burns, Hye Min Jeong
Take (and score) that free kick: Leonardo Conavacio or Hazel Van Robben
Win a penalty: Xavier Hertel, Zachary Fortin, Karl Varsteeg
Take (and score) that penalty: Zachary Fortin or Marcos Zelaya
Miss a penalty: Xavier Hertel
Score a header off a set piece: Marcos Zelaya, Marcus Lazarev-Horak or Hye Min Jeong
Score an own goal: Hye Min Jeong or Lorne Dunford
Hack an opponent down: Lorne Dunford
Lose their head and get sent off: Leonardo Conavacio, Hazel Van Robben or GHM3
Commit a professional foul: Leonardo Conavacio, Hazel Van Robben or Frederic Beauchemin. If substituted, GHM3 certainly. In general Quebecois commit lots of fouls, due to their excessively physical style of play
Try to ride an opponent player: Leonardo Conavacio, Hazel Van Robben and GHM3
Bite: Leonardo Conavacio, Hazel Van Robben and GHM3 are that trio of dangerous players. They love biting your players and isn't afraid to try whenever he can, and are currently the most infamous players in multiverse when it comes to his antics.
Argue with the referee: Leonardo Conavacio, Karl Varsteeg, Devane Miller or Philip-Michel Schneiderlin
Give a middle finger or any other inappropriate actions to opponent players/fans: Lorne Dunford, Hazel Van Robben, Jannick Kontiola
Headbutt: Hazel Van Robben, GHM3, Hye Min Jeong, Devane Miller
Kick opponent player on groins: Hazel Van Robben, Leonardo Conavacio, GHM3, Dean Ruperi
"Disappear" during a match: Xavier Hertel, Stewie Burns
"Put in a shift": Hazel Van Robben, Marcos Zelaya, GHM3, Marcus Lazarev-Horak
Have an elaborate goal celebration planned out: Leonardo Conavacio, Hazel Van Robben or Marcos Zelaya
Get caught stumbling out of a nightclub: Karl Varsteeg, Dean Ruperi, Leonardo Conavacio, Angelo Gelinas, Ondrej Cech
Do charity work: Zachary Fortin, Adrian Middleton, Andrew Hyun
Bring their children/grandchildren: Frederic Beauchemin, Zachary Fortin
Bring their date/fiancé(e): Karl Varsteeg, Leonardo Conavacio, Marcos Zelaya
Make an impressive pre-/mid-/post-game speech or media statement: Lorne Dunford, Frederic Beauchemin, Adrian Middleton
Smoke marijuana wherever they're not playing: Frederic Beauchemin, Leonardo Conavacio, Hazel Van Robben, Lorne Dunford, Man Jin Kang, GHM3, Marcos Zelaya, Dean Ruperi, Ondrej Cech, Seung Myeon Courtois and Jayson Dhanda the bench boss
Elicit marriage proposals from fans: Leonardo Conavacio. He's only 20, but is already considered by many Quebecois as the sexiest Quebecois football player to grace the turf, since Beauchemin's youthful days.....his off-turf personality (a devoted lover and son) is certainly a bonus as well.

Last.fm · by **Cosumar** » Thu Apr 21, 2016 8:55 pm

Cosumar looks to build momentum after upending Audioslavia in AOCAF opener

T U R O K I -- In a script that has come to feel more and more familiar in recent years, Ace Newman was again the hero for Cosumar. In the first (and biggest!) match of AOCAF 50, his 15th-minute strike proved critical as Gethin Ramsey's men won 1-0 over COCANEFA neighbors Audioslavia. In doing so, they have declared themselves contenders to be taken seriously in this tournament.

The 29-year-old Newman skinned Audioslav defender Vann Dallara with some tricky footwork and a burst of acceleration before rolling past Wim de Snaaijer to the far post, scoring the 60th goal of his international career and handing the Vanquishers an early three-point leg up on the group favorites.

Newman should also have been granted a penalty at the end of the first half for a foul by Dallara. The quick interplay between Newman, Anders Engström and Aziz Senturk was causing problems for Guillermo Sanchez-Dysos' back line and Dallara lashed a leg sideways into Newman after getting beat. It was not called, but it was symptomatic of palpable Audioslavian frustration on an afternoon in which their usually-crisp passing seemed sluggish and Cosumar's high-energy tandem of Vareza Na'Noni and Aziz Senturk controlled the center of the pitch. Audioslavia fired far more shots than Cosumar (upwards of 20), but few were actual quality chances - Aurrekoetxea's close-range header that hit the post in the 80th minute being one of the few exceptions. Newman had only four shots, but one was a goal and two forced de Snaaijer into tough saves.

Though he turns 30 in a month, Newman's career shows no signs of slowing down. He continues to flourish in the national team set-up. And in his club career. Though the impending dissolution of the ANL has cast a shadow of uncertainty over his future, the fact that Newman has led an exciting Urbanista team in goals for three consecutive seasons should ensure plenty of interest from top clubs. FC Jansberg and CD FAS are already being rumored as potential suitors.

Nothing fazed him today. Audioslavia's defenders could not handle his combination of pace and strength. He seemed to enjoy his battle with Dallara in particular. Meanwhile, striker partner Engström, who is already 30, is also still clearly one of the Cosumarite players performing best at the highest levels with Crisisbless. If Newman and Engström are still going strong by the time World Cup 75 comes around, it could create an interesting dilemma where Ramsey is forced to start two over-30 strikers at the expense of giving playing time to younger guys like Tevin Lilley and Belarmin Worsaw, who continue to patiently wait for their turn despite phenomenal club performances.

Excess strike talent is a good problem to have, however, and the aforementioned Lilley and Worsaw could very well get extended looks in coming group games against regional opponents of lesser clout such as Kingdom of Corellia. Also look for young defender Torbjörn Jorgensen and midfielder Denton Tapp to make appearances in the upcoming matches to earn their first senior caps. Ramsey showed last cycle that he is willing to reward fringe players who perform well in the AOCAF with spots on the World Cup roster.

If his Vanquishers can perform like they did against the might of Audioslavia today, they have a chance to win the group and lay the foundation for a first ever trip to the semifinals of this tournament that has frustrated the Fiefdom for so long.

Cosumar Goal-Scorers Tally (1 GF)
Ace Newman (1)

Cosumar Assists Tally
Ole Öhman (1)

Substitute Appearances Tally
Maynard Gorham (1)
Tomasso Tenebrosa (1)
Tiffany Elam (1)

Cosumar's AOCAF 50
Matchday 1: Audioslavia 0-1 Cosumar (@ Turoki National Stadium, Turoki City, Vilita)
Matchday 2: Bye
Matchday 3: Cosumar vs. Tallaga la Falla (@ Lonngeylin Park, Lonngeylin, Vilita)
Matchday 4: Eshan vs. Cosumar (@ Almintora National Stadium, Almintora, Turori)
Matchday 5: Cosumar vs. Kingdom of Corelia (@ Lunar Park, Seraai, Vilita)

Green: Victory
Blue: Draw
Red: Defeat
Home team listed first

by **Eshan** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 2:56 pm

Dex Temple was a man of two halves.

One half was light, laughing at every joke, smiling at every girl to pass by, taking joy in the pure, unadulterated joy of playing football. He was pleasant, if very much in love with himself. The other half was one of fire, of temper, of toeing the line of playing out of control, loving himself. That's just the way he liked it.

The moment the whistle blew, Temple's angry side dominated. He wanted to be the best on the field, he relished physical contact, a thirst born from growing up playing football on the streets, breeding grounds for toughness. With his speed and strength, hassling defenders and midfielders for the ball before going through on goal became his favorite game. He smiled to himself, oblivious to what manager Steven Dumolt was saying. He never paid attention. He was Dex Temple.

The team did their little chant, pre-game hype thing, Dex was too absorbed in pre-game thoughts. This was his national team debut, something he had fought and clawed his way for ever since his first steps towards being a professional when he graduated from street ball to professional soccer at the late age of 17. The noise from the crowd growing louder brought him to the present as they approached the end of the tunnel. Dex blinked, the light of camera flashes from the Eshan's gathered press shone is his eyes like so many stars, and he had to blink rapidly to clear his vision. A faint, high pitched buzzing sound was coming from somewhere; it made him nervous, he couldn't put his finger on what the noise was, a sort of whirring. He could hear the stadium commentator's pitch getting higher and higher with excitement as another qualifying campaign kicked off, and he had to smile to himself as he saw the crowd that had showed up in support of Corelia. He couldn't wait to spoil their day.

The national anthem started played. Dex Temple didn't sing. He stood with his jaw set, focused on keeping his rising impatience in check. All he wanted to do was play, show the world why he had scored 25+ goals this past season and shot from out of the picture for the national team, to where he was right now. Starting in the 50th edition of the most prestigious regional tournament in the world. Dex closed his eyes, focused on the gum in his mouth, he heard someone say his name and lazily opened one eye. Jordan Fierro, opposition captain for the day, wanted to shake. Dex compromised a gave him a stinging fist to fist connection. Who were these kids?

Eshan was going to be starting with the ball, perfect. Temple glanced to a full away section and gave a wave, before looking down at himself, a 6'3 athletic machine dressed in a beautiful black, crimson, and gold kit. Fit for a king.

Dex clapped to the referees, let's get this show on the road if we could please. He walked to the center circle and let himself smile as he saw who stood the juggling, a rare crack in his mask. The mop of blond hair that was Marco van Ciavatinni was waiting for him. Brilliant together at Sebio City, the presence of the chosen one made Dex Temple feel a whole lot better about the team's odds.

Temple closed his eyes.

Seconds stretched for what felt like an eternity, an eternity that threatened to push him down, and overwhelm him… The whistle blew, and it was game on.

And after what felt like less than 40 seconds, the whistle blew again. Foul. In his eagerness to win the ball, Dex Temple had been a little overzealous and slid in with a two footed challenge. "You've got to be fucking kidding me," he said to himself as he saw the referee reach into his pocket and pull out a yellow. Dex glanced at the clock, 35 seconds had gone by. "Ahhhh come on…"

Echan Sporting Daily
Strong Second Half Showing Overturns Poor First Half And Red Card

First half aside, a 6-2 win is the perfect way to make our AOCAF debut. Lining up in our traditional 4-3-3, the starting 11 featured two new inclusions with Demarcus Jones standing in goal for the recently retired Pietro Tomaselli, while hot head and suspected narcissist Dex Temple earned his first cap starting at striker in lieu of Irlian Ceka, and put in a pretty memorable performance.

We started the game well, Dex Temple committed a yellow card foul within the first 30 seconds, but the team pushed forward quickly in attack and doing well to maintain possession, patiently waiting for a hole to open up. The first six minutes was continuous Echani pressure, before we managed to be completely undone through a simple counter attack and go down at 5:33 to a long cross whipped into the box. We failed to clear and it got whammed into the net. 20 minutes later, another counter attack despite our control of the game.A winger cut in from the left flank and drove toward the center of the goal, both Smith and Luc Villaview stepped, and the player shunted the ball out wide before it got whipped back in for a header, and we were 2-nil down before 30 was on the clock. But, never put it past the Echani to make a comeback, and Dex Temple lead the charge when he nicked the ball from a defender with a little shove, dropped the ball back to Jean-Marie Bentacur who pinged it out to van Ciavatinni, who beat his man to the baseline before whipping in a cross that Dex Temple volleyed home emphatically to score on his debut in the 33rd minute. Two minutes later though, Dex was called for a poor challenge, and yelled his protests and probably a couple of unsavory things to the ref and was shown a second yellow. Two yellows, a goal, and 35 minutes after making his debut, Temple was off the field and Eshan was down a man. Halftime rolled around with the score 2-1, and the team feeling confident riding the back of Dex Temple's goal.

The second half was a slaughter. In the 48th minute, Antonio Mulcair scored from a brilliant lofted, outside of the boot pass from Bentacur to level the game. Seven minutes later, Deandre James won the ball high up the pitch and pinged it out left to a cutting Mulcair, who chipped the ball back towards the center and Marco van Ciavatinni was there to head it home to make it 3-2. 4-2 game in the 58th minute, when Iñaki Martón (in for Deandre James), shut down an attacking movement and rolled the ball to Samper Markovic, who hit a fantastic through ball right into the path of van Ciavatinni, who took a hopeful looking shot from 20 yards out that smashed against the crossbar and fell to Antonio Mulcair, who blasted it past a helpless keeper. 64th minute, debutant Xabi Arisilde hit a brilliant long ball up to Marco van Ciavatinni, who pivoted, neatly megged an onrushing defender, and found a cutting Anthony Baudelio, who curled the ball into the net to make it 5-2. The final goal came in the 81st minute, when Marco van Ciavatinni was fouled in the box, and the hawk Antonio Mulcair converted from the penalty spot to get his hattrick of goals to go along with van Ciavatinni's hattrick of assists. 6-2 final time, our introduction to the AOCAF had been made and our resumé, submitted.

Post-match rankings:
#1: GK: Demarcus: 6.2/10: Could have done more for the second goal, but a solid showing on a mostly quiet night
#2: RB: Di Nolfo: 7.1/10: Did well to shut down the right flank and came close to assisting Dex Temple before the red
#3: CB: Smith: 6.6/10: Completely at fault for the first goal, should have cleared the ball with no problem
#5: CB: Luc Villaview: 7.2/10: Could have done better in shutting down the attacking move for the first goal; did well to start attacks from the defense and to maintain possession
#6: LB: Albom: 7.8/10: Another brilliant defensive showing from Albom, the left back completely held down the left flank and let Antonio Mulcair focus almost completely on offense
#4: CDM: Samper M.: 8/10: Stopped almost every attacking move to make it into the Echani half; was the perfect pivot and kept possession in our favor
#21: CM: Deandre: 7.2/10: Did well defensively, could have possibly contributed more on the offensive side of the game, although he did make the key pass for Eshan's third
#8: CM: Jean-Marie: 8.1/10: Registered one assist in a game where he set the offensive tempo, slicing through the center of the field to set up quite a few chances
#7: RW: van Ciavatinni: 9.3/10: A hattrick of assists and a goal, bringing him to 13 and 11 in total for the national team, the 18 year old was the deciding factor by facilitating four out of our six goals
#22: ST: Dex Temple: 7.2/10: Yellow card in 30 seconds, goal in his debut in the 33rd minute, and a red in the 35th, instant legend
#9: LW: Antonio Mulcair: 9/10: A brilliant hattrick, the falcon takes his total for the national team to 20 in 44 appearances with a fantastic showing
Subs:
#14: CDM: Iñaki Martón: 6.8/10: Came into the game to provide defensive cover and did well to seal off the game
#23: CDM: Xabi Arisilde: 7.1/10: Subbed in to provide midfield stability; provided the key pass for our 5th
#17: ST: Anthony Baudelio: 7.5/10: Subbed in in the 61st minute, the pacey youngster found the net within four minutes, brilliant cameo

The lineup for the next match against Tallaga la Falla, who had a bye on the first matchday, is as follows:

by **Western Sunrise Islands** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 7:30 pm

Allan Texugo's lone goal against Starblaydia was, in the end, what separated the Western Sunrisians from their first opponents on the latest AOCAF edition. Surely a storied team would've wished for a better start, but in the end, the Corsairs' efforts, backed by a near-perfect day on the back saw the lights on the scoreboard benefit their side. No long after the match, however, they were out training again. Five in the morning even.

"We're starting to think your methods are bit too extreme, ma'am." said an assertive Yvo. The team's number 4 had a solid day on the last match but he knew very little on how she'd react. The Western Sunrisians weren't exactly known for their efforts, quickly complaining if things started to take too long or too much. That being said, Yvo was trying his best to get the point across without necessarily sounding like a lazy player. "Some of us imagined that you might be thinking that this is like your days at the PokéLeague, but-"

"Is that what you really think it is?" she shot back, already showing some signs of annoyance under the supposed lack of obedience the team might've had on her. "Because as far as I'm concerned, beating a team that was holding back by only one goal isn't exactly the kind of thing that deserves coconut yogurt and a slice of pie in front of a wide-screen television, is it?" Just as Yvo tried to talk again, she continued. "As far as I'm concerned, this team is noticeably weak and deserves some solid training to even get halfway through the tournament. Eastern Sunrise managed to get to the Round of 16 on their tournament. We need to do double that, at least. And then you can talk about the training being too gruelling."

Yvo once again tried to talk, before being once shot down by the manager, who turned her back to him.

"And if you do complain, I'm cutting you off the team. Any other notes?"

by **Oontaz Dert Li Ng** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 10:12 pm

Reorganization, Part One

al-Zakaria Palace
Manitogoro, Oontaz Dert Li Ng

The al-Zakaria Palace was just one of many palaces under the direct ownership of the Oontaz family, the ruling family of the Sultanate of Oontaz Dert Li Ng. With it came the prerogative to use any of the palaces whenever they liked. Today, the Sultan himself, Kudarat Oontaz, was residing in al-Zakaria, thus making it the official residence of the Sultan, even if it was just for the day or hours that he was staying there.

And Emir Usamah Andrade, the manager of Oontaz's national football team, knew that it was a bad thing when he had been personally called to the residence of the Sultan for a private consultation. The barbaric days were long gone; the Sultan wasn't going to have him beheaded right then and there by his Janissaries, but still... a private consultation with the Sultan was the most dreaded thing by the nobility of the sultanate.

Emir Usamah was wearing what he considered to be his best clothes, a three-piece black business suit with the Oontaznik flag and the seal of the nation's football federation pinned to the lapels. He had been made to wait in the anteroom of one of the Sultan's many offices in the palace by a hijab-clad secretary. One thing that he found really fascinating about Oontaz, the emir thought to himself, was that his country was liberated and Westernized enough to allow women in the halls of power, but they still had to wear head coverings like good Muslim women.

"His Royal Majesty will see you now, Your Majesty," the secretary told Emir Usamah after a few more minutes of waiting. The emir nodded his thanks to the secretary and then walked to the door to the Sultan's office. But before the door was opened for him by the Sultan's Janissaries, he took off his shoes and went down on his knees. Only once he had assumed a kneeling position did the Janissaries guarding the door open it.

Once the door opened, Emir Usamah lowered himself onto all fours and began crawling into the Sultan's office on his hands and knees. "May Allah forgive me for interrupting the life of the Sultan of our great nation," he said in Mayin. "I am not worthy of dividing the Sultan's attentions from the proper governance of his Sultanate. May Allah forgive my effrontery to His chosen leader! Forgive all of my sins! Allahu akbar!"

The ceremony of humiliation had been a long-standing tradition in Oontaz, although the Muslims were quick to blame it on the southerners of the Mayin Islands before they had been converted to either Islam or Christianity, and the ceremony of humiliation had somehow become embedded in Oontaznik culture. It was one thing that Emir Usamah would be glad to see gone, but he knew that his country was very, very resistant to change. Especially change to what had become a centuries-long tradition.

"The Sultan forgives you, Emir Usamah," Sultan Kudarat said from behind his desk. "Now, peace be upon Allah and His prophet Muhammad, stand up and be recognized by your Sultan."

Emir Usamah got up off of his knees and stood up, but he still kept his head down and looking at the floor of the Sultan's office. It was still part of the ceremony, and he will be damned if he strayed one bit from it.

"The Sultan is not divine, my Emir," Sultan Kudarat said. "You may look at me without risk to your life."

Emir Usamah finally lifted up his head to look at his Sultan. "I am at your mercy, Your Royal Majesty," he said.

"Sure, sure you are," Sultan Kudarat muttered. As far as the Sultans of Oontaz Dert Li Ng went, Sultan Kudarat looked more like a native of the Mayin Islands than a descendant of the Tribe of Oontaz, lords of the Hejazein Peninsula. "Finally, that ritual's over. The day that we get rid of it is the day that Oontaz will finally become a real country and not just a, what do those Western newspapers say, a shitty Third World shithole of a country."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Emir Usamah said.

"Now, I am sure that you are wondering why I called you over here for a private consultation," Sultan Kudarat said.

"I am sure that the Sultan will inform me of his reasons in due time," the Emir said.

Sultan Kudarat looked to say something, but then he thought better of it and instead said, "We will get to that matter later. Right now, let's talk about why I called you here. It concerns the football team, Usamah, and I am growing very concerned about it."

"What are your concerns, your Majesty?" Emir Usamah asked.

"Let's start that the team's recent performances in the latest World Cup qualifiers," the Sultan replied.

"Yes, your Majesty." Emir Usamah said. "I believe that we met the expectations set before us by the federation."

"Yes, yes, I know," the Sultan said, waving his hands dismissively. "I have not called you here to talk about results. I am here to talk to you about the team itself."

"What do you wish to know about the team, your Majesty?" Emir Usamah asked.

"I have heard rumors, hearsay, if you will," the Sultan replied. "I hear rumors that you have been choosing players for the national team, not on their merit as football players, but on the basis of their clans and their clans' allegiances."

"Is that a problem, my Sultan?" the Emir asked. "The managers who have come before me have done much the same thing."

"I am well aware of that, Usamah," Sultan Kudarat said, "and I also know that back then, the managers chose players for their merit as football players before their clans and their clans' allegiances. I am not hearing the same things about you and the players that you have chosen."

"I daresay that the rumors are false, your Majesty," Emir Usamah replied. "Many of the players on the national team are players whom the people like because they are the famous and the good players."

"But that is not always the case, is it, Usamah?" the Sultan asked. "Sulaiman Dimaculangan."

"Yes, your Majesty, what about him?"

"I have seen the people's thoughts about Sulaiman, my Emir," the Sultan said. "They do not think that he is deserving of his place in the starting eleven of the national team."

"I have nothing to say, your Majesty," Emir Usamah said after a few moments. "I know the lad's potential. He is young. He can still learn a lot of things."

"But is he not too old to still be swinging himself around like that, getting needless fouls and cards?" Sultan Kudarat asked back. "Yes, you may see potential in young Sulaiman, my Emir, but the people's patience have run out. Your patience with him may still be full, overflowing perhaps, but not the people's patience. And do not get me started on your other players. The people think that Abu Nayef Ismailuddin should be starting over Joey Macalacan, and that it is time to get new fullbacks into the team. McCreery and Sulaiman are good players to get us started, but if we want our nation to remain competitive in football, the old must make way for the new."

"The current team can still accomplish a lot of things," Emir Usamah said. "Sulaiman himself scored the winning goal that allowed us to qualify for the AOCAF!"

"At least you are defending your players as much as yourself," the Sultan observed. "I will admit something to you, my Emir. This decision has been made some time ago, before I have even called you here. In fact, that decision was the reason why you are here now. Usamah. I have asked you to come here because I wanted to tell you, face to face and man to man, that you are no longer the manager of the national football team."

Emir Usamah swallowed. "Are you asking for a resignation, your Majesty, or is this a termination of my obligation?"

"This is a termination of your obligation to the Oontaznik Football Federation," Sultan Kudarat said. "You may now consider yourself free of all responsibilities with the national team."

Emir Usamah gritted his teeth before nodding his head and saying, "As you wish, your Majesty."

"All right. Now get out of here. The private consultation is over."

Emir Usamah nodded his head, and then the nod turned into a bow. The bow then turned into a kneel, and the Emir once again got on all fours and began crawling away from the Sultan, still facing his general direction but head looking down at the ground. "I shall serve my Sultan like I serve the One True God, Allah, and His prophet, Muhammad. Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar!" The Emir continued proclaiming the greatness of Allah until he had gone out of the Sultan's office.

The Sultan walked over to one of the windows of his office, the window that was overlooking the skyline of his nation's capital of Manitogoro. He did that sometimes, when he needed to think deeply about a decision that could affect his country greatly. He had not become Sultan by making rash decisions, nor did his fathers and forefathers before him.

"Where am I going to get a good replacement for the Emir?" he asked himself.

Estadio General Virgiliano Santos dos Santos
General Santos City, Sao Paulo do Sarangani, Oontaz Dert Li Ng

Juan Dominador Macaspac had just played his last game of football as a professional player.

It didn't come as a surprise to most people, as Ador, as he was called, had already announced his plans to retire from the beautiful game, but it was still a sad event. Ador had been one of the best players, if not the best player, that Oontaz Dert Li Ng had ever produced. His playing style was reminiscent of Thierry Henry: fast and quick with the ball, excellent composure and skill to score from a variety of places on the pitch, and an eye for finding teammates in good scoring positions. This had led to him being the top goalscorer of all time for both Santos and the Oontaz Football League First Division, the top flight of Oontaznik football. And while Ador would forever be known as a goalscorer and not as much as an assister, he once made 18 assists for his teammates in one First Division season, which remains a league record to this day.

Yes, age was catching up with Ador, and he wasn't as fast as he used to be now, but he could still terrify defenders with his physicality. He was not afraid to get right in the middle of things and duke it out against the opposing team's defense, a fact that scared every defender going up against Santos shitless. It was what had kept him going in the league for so long. When he began losing his speed and pace, Ador replaced it with his physicality.

And it was that physicality that allowed Ador to score his last ever career goal, a powerfully struck six-yard shot that had resulted from the keeper from Gryphons Nubalochi trying, and failing, to deal properly with a Santos corner. Ador literally shoved aside a defender or two to get to the ball and strike it home to the very loud cheering on the Santos fans.

It was the icing on the cake really, as Santos had absolutely dominated Nubalochi and were already 2-0 up thanks to goals from Timothy San Marcelino and Leonardo Rosalez, the Amazonestan central attacking midfielder whom Santos had signed after the most recent World Cup qualifiers. Rosalez's signing had seemed like a waste of time and money back when he first came to the club during the January transfer window, but then Magomedun Mangudadatu had gotten his leg broken in three places after his motorcycle was sideswiped by a big rig truck, and Rosalez had filled in nicely for Magoo Mangudadatu in the CAM position. It was as if Magoo had never really been injured. Without Rosalez, Santos' attempts at a 27th league title would have been compromised and more likely derailed. But the ship had kept itself steady, and by the end of the game, Ador was already lifting the First Division trophy for the tenth time in his career.

It was after lifting the trophy that Ador was finally able to grasp the magnitude of his decision. I'm not going to be playing football again next season, he thought to himself as the trophy was passed around between his teammates. What am I going to do next? Become a manager? It would have been the logical step forward for someone in Ador's position, but the time that he had spent playing his heart out for Santos and Oontaz Dert Li Ng meant that he had little time to earn his coaching badges. Well, he only needed the badges if he wanted to manage Santos itself, or some other team in the top division. He could probably get a job at some team in the lower levels of the football pyramid without consequence. Who knows, maybe he could find the next Oontaz football superstar there and be able to guide him down the right path...

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

AOCAF 50: OONTAZ DERT LI NG VS KRYTENIA
By Abdulmecid Macasaysayan

Oontaz Dert Li Ng's console each other after their defeat against Krytenia. (Courtesy of Crescent News Network Sports Channel/Oliver Hassanal)

CITTEA, VILITA - Krytenia secured victory over Oontaz Dert Li Ng with a late strike from Valrauncion.

Krytenia, while not entirely unconvincing. was surprisingly held back by a robust Oontaz side under new manager and former star player Juan Dominador Macaspac.

The Cyans looked set for a point at the Estadio General Virgiliano Santos dos Santos before Valrauncion came to the rescue with a headed effort in the 80th minute.

The Lions of Sand and Sea had rights to walk away with the point, having been on the front foot for much of the first half.

Eduardo Estevez came closest but his shot was saved by David Heaton.

It was not pretty, nor was it effective, but the win for Krytenia sets them up well for a good start at the AOCAF this time around.

But few would begrudge the victory to Krytenia, even though Oontaz may have deserved to walk away from the contest honors even.

Thereisnogodistan midfielder Karimabdul Dimaintindihan covered a lot of ground, helping out his teammates in the midfield to quell the danger posed by the likes of Valrauncion, Alexander Sampson and Armando Ortega.

However, the young Oontaznik switched off in the 80th minute, allowing Valrauncion to twist his neck and convert a Marco Angelo cross.

Few would have expected this possession stat: Oontaz Dert Li Ng 50%, Krytenia 50%

The Oontaznik midfield dominated their forward opponents for a majority of the match.

The Lions of Sand and Sea looked a threat in their attack in this game, but Ador Macaspac's forwards have been misfiring: ten efforts at goal with only three going on target.

Striker Estevez, who plays for Torpedo Telgrad in Arioslavia following a swap deal with Alexey Bulganin, was supposed to step into the shoes of Macaspac, who used to be his team's star forward before his retirement from both club and international football, a role in which he has been deeply uncomfortable. Teofisto Abcede--another would-be Macaspac replacement--was near-invisible when he came on as a substitute, and as the Krytenian midfield was muted by the Oontazniks, so was Oontaz's midfield quieted by the Cyans.

Perhaps Macaspac could do his country one last service by temporarily coming out of retirement and suiting up for the national team once again?

Oontaz Dert Li Ng national team manager Ador Macaspac: "It's not a fair result. We controlled the midfield and held them back. We deserved at least a point.

"There will be a lot of blame coming in the next few days. The players will be blamed, the tactics will be blamed, the manager will be blamed. But that's football. You have to go through the challenges and the criticisms and go ahead with your team planning.

"It's just one game and one loss. There's still all to play for."

OONTAZ DERT LI NG 0 - 1 KRYTENIA
                        VALRAUNCION (80')

OONTAZ DERT LI NG
GK: 01 Barranquillano
RB: 25 Opulencia
RCB: 03 Macaraig
LCB: 49 Campanilla
LB: 15 Portencio
DM: 05 San Marcelino (Sarimanok - 82')
CM: 07 Abu Nayef
RM: 77 Zulfikar (Hagonoy - 73')
CAM: 20 Dimaintindihan
LM: 75 Zulfiqli
ST: 23 Estevez

KRYTENIA
GK: 01 Heaton
RB: 02 Lyons
RCB: 05 Xousa
LCB: 04 Davis
LB: 03 Mitchell
RM: 08 Angelo
CM: 06 Alinas
LM: 11 Anuzzi
CAM: 10 Ortega
CF: 07 Valrauncion
CF: 09 Sampson

MATCH STATISTICS
Possession
Oontaz Dert Li Ng: 50%
Krytenia: 50%
Shots
Oontaz Dert Li Ng: 10 (3 on target)
Krytenia: 13 (8 on target)
Corners
Oontaz Dert Li Ng: 4
Krytenia: 7
Fouls
Oontaz Dert Li Ng: 12
Krytenia: 6

by **Valanora** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 11:04 pm

Valanora Times
Watford Proved Not So Great

In the opening match of the golden edition of the AOCAF, the Mauraders took on Greater Watford in Mavaloiao at the Bear Claw Stadium. It was perhaps an apt venue for the fixture as the Wanderers bared their claws and showed Greater Watford and all of the region that there is no instability inside the camp, even after the change in assistants between the end of the Finals and the start of this tournament. While some might think that such a change in such a short amount of time or even the wild speculation as to where Laborious Hawk will be plying his trade after the ANL announcement, the squad show a resiliency and focus that one ought to have expect from the five time World Cup champions. Their passes were crisp, their finishing was clinical, and at the end of the day, the victory was well earned and well deserved, leaving the Marauders in an excellent shape at the start of this tournament.

The group will be one that should be rather straightforward, with Oontaz Dert Li Ng, New West Guinea, and Krytenia as the other members of the group outside of the Marauders and Greater Watford. It is fully expected that the Aces of Krytenia will be the other side besides our own that will advance out of the group and into knockout play, with their titanic clash on matchday four in the legendary stadium of Lonngeylin Colisuem, home to Jungle Strike FC, the venue for what looks by many to be the group decider. If any of the other three sides are likely to cause a disruption to that plan, you would have to expect it to come from Greater Watford, though as the Marauders have just dispatched of their threat with relative ease, it is hard to entertain such notions.

However to overlook the other two competitors completely would be a folly, with New West Guinea having the occasional tendency to surprise the odd upset in these regional championships. I can not say much about Oontaz Dert Li Ng however, besides that I believe this to be their debut tournament as far as my records are able to ascertain. They appear to be an enclave of Abanfleft that is inside the region, so perhaps their parent nation may be loaning them players for this tournament, as such can be sometimes seen in RLstates with the entities of Guadelope and France. In this way, it is perhaps best to be wary of the squad when the Marauders play them in the third match, though the focus should definitely be on New West Guinea in the upcoming fixture.

Hawk will be the subject of much speculation over the next much with his rumored transfer at the end of the current ANL season and one has to wonder just how well the captain will be able to continue to lead his squad over that time. Hawk has always been the model of professionalism, though the spotlight has never been quite welcomed for him, as his previous transfers between clubs have often been conducted behind closed doors and in a sort of gentlemanly manner. This apparent prolonged courting and public discourse may prove unsettling for the captain or it may merely be water to be brushed to the side as he looks to guide the squad through the treacherous waters of the group stage. All the side will not be happy with the fact that they have a bye on the fifth and final matchday of the group stage, though one would hope that they would have taken care of business before such troubling matters could arise. The next two weeks shall prove a very interesting study into the minds of the captain and the squad, as the path before them has its obstacles laid out to be cleared or derail them all together.

by **Tropicorp** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 7:35 am

The quasi-governmental entity of Tropicorp put out a call amongst a subset of its scientists, researchers and engineers for support on an ongoing project. The project, which requires exposure to competitive football, will see Tropicorp scientists, researchers, engineers and other such guinea pigs wearing special fabrics with electronic measuring devices sewn into them in order to aid in their measurements and calculations.

The Scientists & Researchers will be responsible for the field positions while the Engineers will be manning the goa

Goalkeepers
There are a total of 2 Engineers taking part in the testing and they will alternate matches. There will be a researcher assigned to monitor and document their activities who will also be listed as a goalkeeper.

Defenders
There will be two scientists and two researchers on the field at any given time to document the defensive characteristics, with a further 2 scientists and 2 researchers working from the sidelines and prepared to step in if needed.

Midfielders
As with the defenders, There will be two scientists and two researchers on the field at any given time to document the requirements of a midfield player, with a further 2 scientists and 2 researchers working from the sidelines and prepared to step in if needed. They will alternate between central and wing positions.

Forwards
There will be one forward Scientist, and one forward Researcher working in tandem and one each from the sidelines.

====================
Invent Names for the Scientists/Researchers/Engineers: Y
Choose Scorers: Y
GodMod Goalscoring Events: Y

Injure Players: Y
GodMod Injury Events Y

Red Card Players: Y
Yellow Card Players: Y
GodMod Other Events: Y
===================

IE: Have fun with it

by **Osarius** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 8:32 am

    Schiavonia   1-4   Osarius
 Schiavone 79'         Johnson 14', 56'
                       Monroe 33'
                       Crespo 82'

As expected, the reigning champions of Atlantian Oceania romped to a comprehensive win over Schiavonia, with Alan Drummond picking up man-of-the-match honours after laying on three of the Firebirds' four goals. Aaliyah Johnson's brace underlines her status as starting striker for the Firebirds, as she continues the rich vein of international goalscoring form she started two years ago. Marinate on that for a moment. Esteban Crespo, her main rival for starts (at U25 level at least) made certain to remind all watching of his ability with a late strike of his own, which will no doubt make things difficult for manager Azarai Robinson.

Schiavonia's 4-3-3 was something of a mirror of that used by the Firebirds, but the crucial difference was in the midfield. Young Carlos Cueto was tormented all game by the movement of man-of-the-match Alan Drummond, as the Utica man drifted into pockets of space, pulling the FC Jansberg man all over the pitch. With Cueto struggling to shackle Drummond, the Firebirds dominated possession -- as they are inclined to do, thanks to the "Osarian 4-3-3" -- meaning the other two Schiavone midfielders were often starved of service.

Osarius would make great use of their majority possession, repeatedly cutting through the midfield and making openings in the final third. "I think the scoreline was a fair reflection," said Azarai Robinson. "We maybe could have scored more but this is a good result." His opposite number was similarly honest in his appraisal post-match. "They're a very good side, I don't think the scoreline flatters them to be honest." Benny Sanderson, the Schiavone manager, admitted.

The Schiavone decision to man-mark extensively perhaps backfired in the end, as Osarius made use of this to create openings when and where they pleased. "We noticed they were tracking our runners a lot, so we started making use of that to confuse marking assignments." Explained Robinson, when asked why Luther Bailey had played a different role to his usual, operating higher up the pitch in a sort of box-to-box midfield role rather than his usual deep-lying ballwinner role. "Luther is a powerful runner, so we told him to get forward more, alongside Daniele [Gentile]."

It worked. With Gentile and Bailey moving forward, Cueto sometimes had his attention diverted from Drummond, despite the backtracking of Sanderson and Jones, and this would prove crucial. These brief windows of "invisibility", as Drummond calls them, were enough to give the Utica playmaker the chance to make that killer pass, punishing the Schiavone defense.

After a strong start to their title defense, Osarius will likely look ahead with confidence. They are easily the favourites to top their group -- with most prediction models expecting a minimum ten points from twelve -- and are certain to be targeting another deep run in the AOCAF. "It's been a while since anyone did back-to-back, but we can do it." Robinson asserted. "This team has the quality, the depth. That's our goal, absolutely."

by **Vilita and Turori** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 8:40 am

Matchday 2

On this (Match)Day in AOCAF History... Matchday 2 of AOCAF X in Fmjphoenix was memorable due to the fact that it saw the first point ever recorded by Falcania, a debutante nation in the tournament who stunned high-flying Lamoni with a 0-0 draw. While Falcania would never rise to the ranks of Lamoni or Pacitalia as a regional sporting powerhouse, the future reign of Falcania as Atlantian Oceania's World Assembly delegate would be unmatched by any other.

Perhaps the least memorable contest in Matchday 2 history occurred during the 26th AOCAF competition when West Pocono defeated Edward City 2-1.

Matchday 2 has been full of excitement throughout history, however, with many high scoring matches. Vilita & Turori required extra time to defeat Ulzaxid 5-4 in AOCAF 19's nine-goal matchday 2 thriller, matching the goal count from Matchday 2 just one cup prior when Vilita & Turori trounced Nojika 7-2 in Myrtannia.

Group A
Schiavonia [1] Western Sunrise Islands [3]
Sissil Bank Stadium, Sissil, Vilita

Osarius [4] Demot [2]
Click Here to choose the venue

Group B
Greater Watford [2] Oontaz Dert Li Ng [0]
Click Here to choose the venue

Valanora [3] New West Guiana [0]
Lirai Asku Castle, Yeaddin, Vilita

Group C
Kingdom of Corelia [0] Audioslavia [5]
Click Here to choose the venue

Eshan [2] Tallaga la Falla [2]
Click Here to choose the venue

Group D
Semarland [3] Tropicorp [1]
Click Here to choose the venue

Farfadillis [5] Geisenfried [1]
Click Here to choose the venue

Group E
Lindmark [2] Chromatika [4]
Click Here to choose the venue

Ko-oren [7] Euran Oceania Territories [0]
Click Here to choose the venue

Group F
95X [3] Equestrian States [0]
Click Here to choose the venue

Iskandervale [1] Legalese [1]
Click Here to choose the venue

---Group A----           P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
 1- Osarius                  2  2  0  0  8-3    +5   6
 2- Western Sunrise Islands  2  2  0  0  4-1    +3   6
 3- Starblaydia              1  0  0  1  0-1    -1   0
 4- Demot                    1  0  0  1  2-4    -2   0
 5- Schiavonia               2  0  0  2  2-7    -5   0

---Group B----           P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
 1- Valanora                 2  2  0  0  6-1    +5   6
 2- Krytenia                 1  1  0  0  1-0    +1   3
 3- Greater Watford          2  1  0  1  3-3    +0   3
 4- Oontaz Dert Li Ng        2  0  0  2  0-3    -3   0
 5- New West Guiana          1  0  0  1  0-3    -3   0

---Group C----           P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
 1- Eshan                    2  1  1  0  8-4    +4   4
 2- Audioslavia              2  1  0  1  5-1    +4   3
 3- Cosumar                  1  1  0  0  1-0    +1   3
 4- Tallaga la Falla         1  0  1  0  2-2    +0   1
 5- Kingdom of Corelia       2  0  0  2  2-11   -9   0

---Group D----           P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
 1- Semarland                2  2  0  0  6-1    +5   6
 2- Mertagne                 1  1  0  0  3-0    +3   3
 3- Farfadillis              2  1  0  1  5-4    +1   3
 4- Geisenfried              1  0  0  1  1-5    -4   0
 5- Tropicorp                2  0  0  2  1-6    -5   0

---Group E----           P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
 1- Ko-oren                  2  2  0  0 11-2    +9   6
 2- Chromatika               2  1  0  1  5-4    +1   3
 3- Royal Kingdom of Quebec  1  1  0  0  2-1    +1   3
 4- Lindmark                 2  0  0  2  4-8    -4   0
 5- Euran Oceania Territories1  0  0  1  0-7    -7   0

---Group F----           P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
 1- 95X                      2  2  0  0  5-0    +5   6
 2- Vilita & Turori          1  1  0  0  3-1    +2   3
 3- Legalese                 1  0  1  0  1-1    +0   1
 4- Iskandervale             2  0  1  1  1-3    -2   1
 5- Equestrian States        2  0  0  2  1-6    -5   0

+

OOC: The tournament schedule has been updated to reflect the fact that MD3 will be approx 36 hours from now (Sunday).

by **Ko-oren** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 1:44 pm

Soccer - National Team - AOCAF
Dragonflies get seven past EOT
Line-up: Macedo - Aoki, Davenport, Chou, Bahvahnin, De Jong - Bagaurunir, Volkov, Millet, Arevalo - Leroux

Witness the biggest scoreline the Union of Ko-oren has ever put up: 7-0!

Even before the game started, there was the sense that something great was in the air. The AOCAF is more known for extravagant scorelines than the World Cup, for instance. Differences between teams are bigger: for the AOCAF, you only have to be in Atlantian Oceania. In the World Cup, you know that every team is good, else they wouldn't have made it to there in the first place. And then Ko-oren is a pretty good AOCAF team. And on top of that, it's the second matchday that has the weird scores, like 95X's 6-3 over Cosumar in the 49th edition of the Cup, or Equestrian States' 4-3 win over Cosumar in the Cup prior to that (sorry, Cosumar).

Other games on this matchday already suggested some crazy things going down. Farfadillis scored five to Geisenfried, as did Audioslavia against Corelia, and even the other game of Group E had six goals, with Chromatika winning 4-2 against Lindmark. And that's not the only 4-2, as Osarius won against Demot. Not a single 0-0 today. Not a single 0-1 or 1-0. Iskandervale v Legalese (1-1) and Greater Watford v Oontaz Dert Li Ng (2-0) were the lowest scoring games. But nothing could prepare us for the legendary performance of the Dragonflies.

Just under 50000 showed up to Turori's Iobabao Legendary Park. The largest stadium of Turori's smaller island wasn't packed by far, but what could anyone expect from a random second matchday game? Even the 50000 consisted of about 15000 Ko-orenites, a couple fans of EOT and the rest mainly families with an easy opportunity to take their children to see a harmless game involving a well known regional team.

In the first 20 minutes, nothing suggested that this would be a game for the ages. Ko-oren as always starting slow, keeping the pace low, and baiting the opponent for mistakes. The EOT weren't happy to bite, and they also fell back, looking for an opportunity to counter. After 22 minutes, a long ball by Tingzhe Chou reached Arevalo, who found enough time to get the ball under control, sidestepped a defender and then saw enough space above the goalkeeper and under the crossbar to chip the ball into: 1-0. Chou celebrated his first tournament start with an assist. The first half ended at 2-0, when Leroux was the only player anywhere near a clever pass by Volkov and only had the goalkeeper to beat.

After the break, all brakes came off and at 55 minutes, the score was 4-0. Leroux earned a second goal from a cross, and Bagaurunir slotted a free kick to the left side of the wall and to the right side of the post. Bahvahnin was substituted off for an extra midfielder, Dionysius Hortensius, and the Dragonflies kept on going after that. Effectively playing a 4-5-1, Millet and Arevalo all but exclusively went up front to aid Leroux. Later, Leroux came off for Löddy, and both substitutions up until now were just to give younger players a chance to prove themselves on a higher level. Little did we know, but they stepped up to the plate for a great show. Hortensius connected with Löddy for the 5-0. Millet had a go from 30 meters out for the 6-0, and now the Dragonflies were just entertaining themselves out there. The last goal was a rare Davenport goal: the captain stepped up for the penalty kick when Löddy was brought down in the box. She made no mistake and at the 85 minute mark, scored the seventh for Ko-oren's biggest scoreline ever.

Schedule
Lindmark v Ko-oren 2-4
Ko-oren v EOT 7-0
Chromatika v Ko-oren
Ko-oren v Quebec
BYE

by **Oontaz Dert Li Ng** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 7:15 am

A BRIEF HISTORY OF OONTAZ DERT LI NG, PART ONE
FROM SCATTERED TRIBES TO SULTANATE

The Sultanate of Oontaz Dert Li Ng is a nation located in the continent of Atlantian Oceania. It is made up of two distinct geographical and ecological areas: the Hejazein Desert, located on the mainland of the continent, and the Mayin Islands, an archipelago composed of an estimated 3,560 islands located off the shores of the Hejazein.

The two areas had been geographically and politically distinct until about six hundred years ago, when the tribes of the Hejazein were converted to Islam and subsequently fought each other for the ultimate control of the peninsula. The tribe of Oontaz, led by their patriarch Sultan Abubakar Oontaz, eventually emerged victorious, and they ruled the Hejazein in relative peace for a hundred years. This period of Oontaznik history will be the first of many ages that shall be discussed in these pages.

Before their conversion to Islam, the tribes of the Hejazein Peninsula lived in nomadic groups like this.

Around 1000 A.D., the first mentions of the nomadic tribes living in the Hejazein were written in the diaries of Marwan ibn Abdul ibn Rashid, a noted merchant and imam from Mecca. He had gone to the Hejazein in search of new trading partners as well as opportunities to spread Islam. Marwan also reported that one of the leaders of the tribes, whose name was written as Untas, was more than willing to teach his people of the goodness of Allah.

The second mention of the tribes in the Hejazein came about a hundred years later, when Islamic general Yusuf ibn Jamal ibn Dhunnun made what would be called today an after-action report detailing his forces' pyrrhic victory over a massive number of nomadic tribes who had banded together to fight against him and his forces. Yusuf mentioned in his report that while those of the nomads who fought against him were pagans and animists, there were some nomads who saw it as their duty to assist him and the armies of Islam in civilizing the Hejazein. Yusuf also wrote down the name of this tribal leader as Ali Ontes.

Modern readers will no doubt recognize these various renderings as Oontaz, the royal house of Oontaz Dert Li Ng. Before their conversion to Islam, the tribe of Oontaz was just one of many nomadic tribes living off the dry desert lands of the Hejazein. They were pagans, worshippers of idols inanimate objects. Their chief god was the sun, and to them, the sun was a god who had many names such as Amon, Amun-ra, Aten, and Elyos. This sun god was a merciless god, and to the old Oontaz, the sun god gave blessings and cursed his people whenever he wanted. Sometimes, the tribe would make offerings to appease this god, but there were times when his wrath was unstoppable. It was during one of these dark and difficult times that the chief of the tribe came to know of Islam and Allah, and hence this was one of the many reasons why the tribe of Oontaz came to embrace the One True Faith.

Many of the allies of the tribe of Oontaz followed their example and also converted to Islam, but there were a few other tribes who refused to believe that Allah is the One True God, and that Muhammad is His prophet. These two alliances of tribes clashed in the Great Desert War, which lasted for at least three generations, but by the end of the war, the tribe of Oontaz, and Islam, had emerged victorious.

The remains of an old market town that was abandoned during the Oontaznik invasion of the Kingdom of Zalim and never resettled again.

With the nomadic tribes now united under the leadership of the Tribe of Oontaz, the leader of the Oontaz, Wadi ibn Oontaz, decided that it was time for his people to settle down and become a real nation. The nearest nation was the Kingdom of Zalim, a small and isolated kingdom who had remained pagan despite repeated conversion attempts and invasions by the Muslim armies. The Kingdom of Zalim was small, but it had an army that had withstood numerous attacks against the Muslim armies. But Wadi ibn Oontaz, armed with only his people and his faith, decided to invade anyway.

Wadi ibn Oontaz would time his invasion very well. At around the same time that his tribal armies entered the territories of the Kingdom of Zalim, a terrible plague had struck the capital of the kingdom, al-Suwayyil. Debate still continues to this day as to exactly what plague struck the kingdom, but what is undisputed is the plague's effect on the ability of the kingdom to fight back against the Oontaznik invasion. The tiny Zalimian army was confined to barracks so as not to catch the plague, and so the tribesmen were able to surround the capital quickly and without any major battles on the way. The siege lasted only eleven days before the king of Zalim surrendered to Wadi ibn Oontaz. The king had also caught the plague and had hoped to spread the plague to the nomadic invaders, but when the Oontaznik tribesmen found out about this, Wadi ibn Oontaz ordered the king killed and the capital sacked and burned to the ground. But Wadi ibn Oontaz knew an opportunity when he saw one and had himself crowned king of Zalim once the rest of the Zalimian royal family had been killed in the sacking of al-Suwayyil.

The sacking of al-Suwayyil as depicted by Pablo Alcantara, 1967.

The newly-crowned King Wadi wasted little time in integrating his tribal alliance with his newly conquered kingdom. Following Islamic tradition, he changed his title from King to Sultan and ordered the conversion of his new subjects to the One True Faith. It was not an easy matter, as the subjects of the former Kingdom of Zalim had fiercely resisted the armies of Islam, and would not be converted by a bunch of nomads. The resulting Zalim Uprising led to the death of over half of the old kingdom's population, and the kingdom's territory was forever scarred. Only in recent times has the lands of the former Kingdom of Zalim begun to recover.

Upon hearing the news of the fall of Zalim, the other pagan kingdoms in the area surrendered to the Oontazniks for fear of their lives. Sultan Wadi stripped the surrendering lords of all of their titles and distributed these to his family and loyal friends and advisers. But one kingdom refused to bow down to Sultan Wadi's authority: the Kingdom of Manitogoro. Manitogoro was the center of trade in the Hejazein, the main port of entry of all goods into the region, and was also the main source of wealth and power for the monarch, King Owobowale.

King Owobowale was not keen on giving up his titles, wealth and power to a group of nomads worshipping un unseeable god, so he amassed forces and arms and sealed up the citadel in his capital. Being a port city, Manitogoro was able to bring in supplies and food at a constant and uninterrupted rate due to the fact that the nomads of Sultan Wadi had little if any experience in naval warfare.

The siege of Manitogoro lasted for four months, during which a fourth of Sultan Wadi's army died due to the plague which they had caught from the late king of Zalim, as well as unsanitary practices in the siegeworks. The besieging army tossed the bodies of their plague-ridden comrades into the city in the hopes of spreading the plague to their enemies as well, a plan that was more successful for them than it had been for their first conquest. The plague spread to the citizens of Manitogoro, and the besieged army also threw the corpses of their dead and Sultan Wadi's army to return the favor.

Eventually a traitor opened the gates for the besiegers, and Sultan Wadi's army surged into the fortress of Manitogoro, killing and looting everything within sight. King Owobowale remained locked up in his castle along with what remained of his forces, but he held out for only twenty days more before he also surrendered to the Sultan.

The surrender of King Owobowale to Sultan Wadi ibn Oontaz, as painted by Francisco Obregon de Cortissoz, 1886.

With the fall of Manitogoro came the end of the Oontaznik Wars of Conquest. Now that a lot of new lands were under his control, it was time for Sultan Wadi to consolidate his gains, but it wasn't as easy a job as it sounded.

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

AOCAF 50: GREATER WATFORD VS OONTAZ DERT LI NG
By Abdulmecid Macasaysayan

Greater Watford's players celebrate their victory against Oontaz Dert Li Ng. (Courtesy of Crescent News Network Sports Channel/Oliver Hassanal)

CITTEA, VILITA - Martin Opulencia and Marco Portencio scored, but against their own team, as Greater Watford got away with an undeserved win over struggling Oontaz Dert Li Ng.

Right back Opulencia headed into his own net while defending a Greater Watford corner, while Portencio accidentally tapped the ball past Septimio Barranquillano while trying to clear away the danger.

Eduardo Estevez and Haider Zulfikar were denied by the Greater Watford keeper and produced a moment of magnificence in an otherwise boring match when he toe-poked away Estevez's close-range shot.

Juan Dominador Macaspac looks to be just one of many managers who will struggle to find the right attack partnership, and his most recent attempt with Estevez and Karimabdul Dimaintindihan has reaped him no rewards.

The partnership between Estevez and Dimaintindihan appears to not be as productive as the one between Macaspac and Magomedun Mangudadatu, who has missed the tournament after being involved in a traffic collision with a truck while riding his motorcycle home from training with his club, Santos FC.

Estevez and Dimaintindihan have combined to produce 26 goalscoring chances, but none of them have resulted in goals, a worrying conversion rate.

A 2-0 defeat to Greater Watford would not be seen as that disappointing for Oontaz fans, but the manner in which the Lions of Sand and Sea lost the game will send a lot of supporters mad.

One own goal was embarrassing enough; two own goals have made Oontaz Dert Li Ng the laughing stock of Atlantian Oceania.

The only positive that Ador Macaspac can get out of this is that his team defended well, if not well enough to prevent scoring the two own goals; his problem right now is getting his team on the scoreboard.

Oontaz Dert Li Ng manager Ador Macaspac: "I have no words for this game. We were simply disappointing.

"Scoring an own goal is bad enough. But today we scored two own goals. How can we recover from this?

"I cannot answer that. We have a game plan, but it's up to the team to implement it. We are in a bad position right now."

   GREATER WATFORD 2 - 0 OONTAZ DERT LI NG
OPULENCIA (26' og)
PORTENCIO (82' og)

OONTAZ DERT LI NG
GK: 01 Barranquillano
RB: 25 Opulencia
RCB: 03 Macaraig █
LCB: 49 Campanilla
LB: 15 Portencio
DM: 05 San Marcelino (Sarimanok - 61')
CM: 07 Abu Nayef
RM: 77 Zulfikar
CAM: 20 Dimaintindihan (Hagonoy - 70')
LM: 75 Zulfiqli
ST: 23 Estevez (Abcede - 80')

MATCH STATISTICS
Possession
Greater Watford: 49%
Oontaz Dert Li Ng: 51%
Shots
Greater Watford: 5 (3 on target)
Oontaz Dert Li Ng: 11 (4 on target)
Corners
Greater Watford: 3
Oontaz Dert Li Ng: 5
Fouls
Greater Watford: 9
Oontaz Dert Li Ng: 19

by **Eshan** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 1:42 pm

With the suspension of Dex Temple, Marco van Ciavatinni was starting at striker for the first time since he was a youngster. It felt…oddly comforting. It was a nice change to have the ball rolled to him from his right wing replacement and club teammate Marshawn Mercury, instead of rolling the ball to the striker as usual. He collected the ball, took a touch, absorbed its weight, the way the polyester felt to his cleat covered foot. He shot the ball back to club teammate Samper Markovic, and it was game on.

Drifting from pocket to pocket of space as the minutes started to tick on, it was a nice change from charging up and down the flank all the time. Despite his best efforts, it took a solid three and a half minutes before Marco got another touch of the ball. He picked it up ten yards in his own half; he'd dropped deep in a effort to open himself up for the ball. It was such a comfortable feeling, receiving the ball and having the entire world at his feet. He felt so in control, like a composer who could make 22 men jump around a field at his will. He took his first touch and turned to his right; he'd already seen the defender sprinting his way and neatly side stepped him as he turned towards Tallaga la Falla's goal. It took him a second to get accustomed to the sight in front of him.

He was so central…it was all spread out in front of him, every option, every pass, dribble, every line of attack, every route of possession, moves and countermoves and counters to the counters. It was glorious, it was infinite, it was………powerful. Intoxicating. The defender he turned earlier was coming back for a second helping, Marco dropped his shoulder and started to sprint forward, before taking a touch of the ball at the last second to kill its momentum and ran over it in an ornate dummy as the defender flew by at top speed. Marco quickly rolled the ball to Jean-Marie; He liked his new position.

Eshan Sporting Daily
Brilliant First Half Soured By Tired Second Half Disappointment

The first 45 minutes of the match against Tallaga la Falla was a continuation of the team's scintillating 45 minute, 5-0 half against the Kingdom of Corellia. We were missing Dex Temple for via a red card on his debut, something we all applaud him for (it's nice to see a little bit of raw passion and emotion, just as long as it doesn't happen too often), so Marco van Ciavatinni started at striker and Marshawn Mercury just his first start on the right wing. It was an interesting lineup, with MvC in the middle given his playmaking ability, and we were all eager to see what the team would produce.

The team were slow to make an impression on the game, the first five minutes were spent absorbing Tallagan pressure. Despite them dominating in that time, the defense and midfielders were superb in containing the threat to the distant perimeter, and any attempts to cut inside were dealt with well. After the fifth minute ticked by, it was like a switch was flipped. Samper won wrestled the ball free and BOOM! We exploded out of our tightly regimented defense on the counter. Di Nolfo, fresh from a season with La Nueva Avenida in the ultra-attacking showcase that is the Farfadillian league, screamed for the ball right this god damn second and Samper Markovic was too eager to comply, smacking the ball his way and the break was on. Di Nolfo tore up the right flank, pushing into the Tallagan half as Antono Mulcair started to make a looping cut with Marco van Ciavatinni slicing in unnoticed towards the left wing. Di Nolfo hit a fantastic cross field pass into his run. van Ciavatinni neatly caught it with his velvet boot on the left corner of the 18, before hitting a chipped pass into the center from a standstill. THE HAWK! Antonio Mulcair added yet another ariel goal to his collection with a perfectly timed jump and bullet header. 1-0, 5:27 on the clock. Brilliant.

The Hand of Eshan played exceptionally for the rest of the half, like a pack of wolves we chased down every loose ball, hassled and heckled Tallagan players and we broke forward immediately when we run won the ball. It was a brilliant display of high pressure counter-attacking football. Marco van Ciavatinni was brilliant in the first half. He dropped deep as a striker to pick up the ball from the midfield, and was simply superb in distributing possession, making runs, dictating the offensive game it must be said. He did well to assist Mulcair for the opener, and grabbed one of his own in the 35th minute with off a give and go with the blindingly quick Marshawn Mercury. MvC pinged the ball out wide, Mercury tore down the right flank and centered the ball for an easy van Ciavatinni tap in. 2-0 at half.

Halftime completely killed our team's momentum, and it was easy to see that we had plenty of tired legs as Tallaga la Falla ran circles around us, scoring in the 47th and 81st minutes to turn a 2-nil cakewalk into a 2-2 disappointment. We have a massive, massive game against the giant that is Audioslavia up next; Dex Temple returns to the starting lineup at jus the right time to give us a much needed defensive forward up top.

by **Chromatika** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 3:51 pm

Chromatik City Courier
Anomalies Thump Lindmark
Mass Exodus Confirmed
Chromatik Youth to Head Overseas

Anomalies 4-2 Lindmark

Janet Heinrik here, with your daily dosage of Chromatik sports. We start this segment by analyzing the match between Chromatika and Lindmark that happened in Lunar Park in Vilita. The Anomalies came into the game knowing that they needed a win here to not fall too far behind Ko-oren for second place. After the disastrous second half against the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, there were some concerns about the team not being able to make second-half adjustments well. Those fears were quelled this day, however, because the Chromatiks were on the other half, this time. Jonas Clarke and Knut Lindstrom dominated the first third of the game, peppering Thorben with an astonishing ten shots before twenty minutes. He blocked most of them - with lots of help from Morningstar and Stef - but two sneaked by, and the Anomalies were shocked into a 0-2 deficit before twenty minutes were up.

The next twenty-five were spent with Chromatika barely holding on, as Lindmark kept possession and continued to get many more shots on goal. Thorben showed why he is still the best keeper in the game, stopping even more shots. However, it was apparent that changes needed to be made, and Franscesca came through. First, she pulled Lucas for Liam, and then pulled Ellen to put Sybill in, turning the formation into a 4-4-2. This was an attempt to set the line of scrimmage at the midfield stage instead of being so numerically outnumbered all the time in the Chromatik third. It started paying dividends immediately. Sybill's possession skills started to jell with Meagan, who does the similar thing, and the Anomalies were able to score a goal from Antonio's header in the forty-eighth minute, showing that they were just getting started. Rachel Hellion was fouled in the fifty-second and snaked a ball past Eklund on a free-kick to tie the game. Five minutes after that, Rien scored off of a breakaway, and the Chromatiks were in the lead. The formation stayed true to the end, and on the eighty-second, Meagan Kelly shot a gorgeous volley from thirty meters out to put an exclamation point on the game. It was, believe it or not, Kelly's first international goal ever.

I'm sure the Anomalies would rather not get into such a position again, but it's nice to know that the team can play from behind, and that Franscesca Larriet-Cortez is willing to change formations. It was definitely the most non-Chromatika-like game ever. But if ever you get into a position where you can't play like the way you usually do, adaptation is needed.

Five Starters to Go to San Jose Guayabal

It was confirmed from both the CFF and the CNT that Daniel Lucas, Zlastica Ellen, Trenn Rien, Otis Sorendai, and Erika Morningstar will be heading to San Jose Guayabal to play in the Liga Premier.

Morningstar, who is getting her first stint in the Starting XI, will be heading to CD Barrio El Niño, who finished ninth in the Liga Premier last season. Joining her there will be Daniel Lucas, who is getting some recognition after few seasons at Z'ai'ai. Otis Sorendai will be leaving Anomalies for CSD Catamarca, a recently-promoted side. Ellen will head to CSD Ciclón del Golfo, another promoted side, while Trenn Rien hit the jackpot, being signed on by Atlético Nacional, second-place finishers. This will leave a gaping hole in the League Chromatiks, but there are enough rumors about international players heading to the league from countries like Nephara, San Jose Guayabal, Ceni, Osarius, Semarland, to name a few, that the quality of the league might actually go up.

Chromatik Youth Head to Unified Sunrise Islands

After a respectable showing at the U-15 World Cup held in Schottia, the Chromatik Anomalies Juniors had some decisions to make, and a few of them decided to accept offers from Project +90 in Unified Sunrise Islands, one of the biggest proponents of the youth system. Pietr Diovech, Lina-Maria Andhoven, Valence Ilya, Cierra Andersen, Ga-yeong Han, Rowena Sierra and Kylie Quren were to go to Unified Sunrise Islands' youth system to join the Project +90 Teams, while Whitney Kelly will be signed onto the team. Mia Ria would take the cake, however. She was to be signed onto the Matthew Rangers at such a young age, to go through the Academics League, through the youth system, and hopefully, to the pros. She will be starting off at Belle Epoquenne.

The hope is that international experience from such a young age will prepare the players to become the next age of Anomalies, and propel them to new heights in the years to come.

by **Tropicorp** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 6:32 pm

Tropicorp offer Discount Balls to fund Research Project

Tropicoast, Tropicorp :: Tropicorp Sports have today announced a sale on the TCp-X1 Soccer Ball line. With the all new TCp-X2 currently in development at Tropicorp's Research and Development lab in Tropicoast, Tropicorp Sports have instituted the first ever discount pricing plan on individual lots of TCp-X1 balls. While the revolutionary TCp-X1, originally developed for use during World Cup 68, has been wildly popular; Tropicorp is hoping to wind down production of the TCp-X1 in the next few seasons as they look to shift their focus to the TCp-X2.

In addition to using funds from the sale of existing TCp-X1's to fund development of the TCp-X2's, it will also be used to help fund a special research project that is ongoing with Tropicorp, the Island Emirate of Turori and the Cocoabo Preservation Society. The details of the project are not known though it is known that some of the Scientists, Engineers and other Researchers assigned to the special project deemed "Cocoabo-X" were also amongst those Scientists, Engineers and Researchers who volunteered to participate in the Tropicorp team for AOCAF 50, where the Tropicorp players are using Wearable Electronic Fabrics and accessories in order to collect data about 'what it means' to be a footballer.

Tropicorp's TCp-X1 Balls are available in lots of 50 Balls at a discount of 50% each. Individual Balls are not eligible for the Discounted Rate. Those ordering Lots of Balls will also be eligible for a 10% discount on any other products ordered at the same time as the Ball Lots. Interested parties should use the TCp-X1 Clearance Order Form and return the form to Tropicorp Sports representatives throughout their participation in the AOCAF tournament. The Discount will be available throughout the participation of the Tropicorp Team in the Fiftieth AOCAF competition. Additionally, a final opportunity to take advantage of the discounted rate will be afforded when Tropicorp Park plays host to one of the AOCAF 50 Quarter Final round matches.

by **95X** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 7:52 pm

From the 95X Wire Service:

95X Wins Second AOCAF 50 Match 2-0

95X defeated Equestrian States 3-0 in their second match of Xi Foureleven's final AOCAF.

Communication errors on the pitch left Xi Foureleven open but not offside in the 19th minute, who converted on a textbook shot near the goalbox. 95X led 1-0, and would lead the rest of the way.

95X took advantage of poor coverage by Equestrian States throughout the game and scored again on a long shot by Sam Seventyfifth in the 54th, which gave 95X a 2-0 advantage.

But someone forgot to turn off the faucet. Elyssa Scholls gave AOCAF fans another taste of how she tied for the Golden Boot in the Cenileague with a spectacular dagger in the 79th.

Despite a lengthy press conference following the game, 95X midfielder Sam Seventyfifth said it best: "all of us are here to win, not merely play while one player retires from the (national) Team."

Again, Xi Foureleven was asked if she would retire altogether from the sport after the tournament.

"I do not have an answer to provide you," Foureleven replied, when she got up and left the press conference.

Neither her husband Bo, who is a defender on the National Team nor her agent would speak on the matter either.

OOC: If you dislike Xi Foureleven, RPs involving relationships, or my writing in general, you might not want to click the spoiler. The timeline on this was several cycles ago.

by **Valanora** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 10:42 pm

Valanora Times
Hawk Lands

Amidst the backdrop of the AOCAF, there has been the intense speculation as to where Laborious Hawk would go to following the last season of the ANL. As anyone can guess, there was numerous bids for the legendary attacking midfielder and the captain of the Marauders, even some from within the hosts nations clubs, as well as one from Raynor City United. While this bidding war was expected to last the duration of the AOCAF, Hawk was keen to set the matter straight as soon as he was able to, instructing his agent to quit taking offers yesterday much to the surprise of those in the press and in the game itself. However that surprise made much more sense when earlier this day it was announced that following Dwile Warriors season, Hawk would be taking his talent to the impressive Audioslav outfit of AC Izotz Zubia after the club offered up a substantial transfer compensation package.

The announcement comes as a surprise as many had tipped 1830 Cathair to be the club that Hawk would go to had he decided to choose one from Audioslavia, as that is where Faeron Soldarian and Espy va Drake have both transferred to in the last two seasons. It is well known that the three players as well as Allandren Fresco share quite the bond and with this rare opportunity for the three of them to be club teammates as well as teammates on the national team, Cathair was the betting favorite. However it seems that the challenge of being perhaps in the second club of Audioslav attracted Hawk more or perhaps the excitement of trying to lead a squad on his shoulders in what many consider to be the most difficult league in all of the world to win.

What that does for him and the team here in the AOCAF is take away all the media speculation and instead sees the commotion around the team die down considerably. For a person who does not like the limelight, it will no doubt come as a great comfort for Hawk and perhaps even a relief, as he as the Marauders looking to make a deep run and vie for another regional title. With two wins from the first two matches, the side is well on their way to that goal and can secure their passage to the next round with a victory in the upcoming match against the rather unknown outfit of Oontaz Dert Li Ng ahead of the titanic clash against the Aces of Krytenia on the last match of the group. Such a victory would definitely relieve stress on the side and afford them the opportunity to play a rotated side against Krytenia.

What we can ascertain about Oontaz Dert Li Ng is that they are a very defensive and coordinated team that looks to limit their opponents ability to create scoring chances. It seems they are playing a version of the system Karelia that was made famous by the Rejistania national team several decades ago, though without the results that the Rejistania side often brought with it. It is a clash of opposing styles, with the offensive flair and excellence that is associated with the Marauders and has been on display for the first two matches with six goals to the good for our side already. Hawk leading that line as captain and the advance playmaker and shadow striker has certain facilitated that offensive display and it will be required of him once more if the Marauders are to grab the full three points and not drop precious points against a side that no one expected anything from going into the tournament.

by **Vilita and Turori** » Mon Apr 25, 2016 12:54 am

Tivali Ring Stadium, Alikki-Corra, Vilita :: Despite controlling the majority of the possession against their Equestrian opposition on the opening matchday of AOCAF 50, the Vilita & Turori Eel Cat Things went into the half time interval level at 1-1 after Nikki Tzimas was beaten by a strike from Apple Cobbler, negating the lead given to Vilita & Turori in the 14th minute by Eastal Lunar's Westii Yahaya.

The Eel-Cat things made just one change at the half introducing Tinjus Mngomeni in place of the goalscorer Yahaya. In the end, however, it was not the introduction of Mngomeni that made the difference.

Rintala Sekagaya got on the score sheet for the first time in their young career off a corner kick in the 72nd minute to give the Eel-Cat Things the lead, then Tripate Falcon finished the job 5 minutes from time to secure three points for the hosts to the delight of the fans at the Tivali Ring Stadium.

The Eel-Cat things tour of the cove in the group stage would resume on Matchday 3 in Turori when Vilita & Turori entertain Legalese at the Cednia Beach Center. From there it will move to Eels Park in Eelandii before returning to Vilita for a Matchday 5 clash with rivals 95X at the Lonngeylin Coliseum.

Vilita & Turori [3] - [1] Equestrian States

:: Vilita & Turori Goalscorers ::
:: 14' Westii Yahaya
:: 72' Rintala Sekagaya
:: 85' Tripate Falcon

:: Vilita & Turori Statistics ::
:: Possession: 65%
:: Shots on Target: 10
:: Corner Kicks: 5

:: Equestrian States Statistics ::
:: Possession: 35%
:: Shots on Target: 3
:: Corner Kicks: 1

Vilita & Turori Eel Cat Things Lineup v. Equestrian States ::
[GK]Nikki Tzimas, [D.]Kwuimekii Hentetii, [D.]Rintala Sekagaya, [D.]Mileke Drokasorna, [ML] Westii Yahaya, [MC] Teliima Loinara, [MC]Tripate Falcon, [MR] Nubara Moafalia, [FC] Wiztsana Iretziia, [FC]Mirana Gotuai, [FC]Berali Tzufarei
BENCH::
[FC]Meldi'ita Mungwaii, [FC]Nuola Brenzil, [M]Ikala Mravedii, [M]Tinjus Mngomeni, [U ]Inbekira Ajhabekk, [D]Monner Vileai, [GK]Upsin Ajaara

by **Vilita and Turori** » Mon Apr 25, 2016 2:17 am

Matchday 3

On this (Match)Day in AOCAF History... The first ever Matchday 3 in AOCAF history would give no clues as to whom would be crowned its champion. In a preview of the Final, Green Street in Westleigh was packed to see a goalless draw between eventual champion NEWI Cefn Druids and runner up Vilita.

AOCAF 2 would see a first win for a nation called Lamoni, who would go on to become an AOCAF champion. Their opponent? Krytenia. It wouldn't be the first time a future AOCAF champion got their first ever AOCAF victory against its founding nation (Generosity, perhaps?). In AOCAF 19, massive underdogs 95X who had just come off a pathetic winless performances in AOCAF 18 found a way to defeat Krytenia - thanks to an odd group stage system being employed in Bettia that allowed both Extra Time and Penalty Kicks. 95X won this one 2-1 in extra time.

Matchday 3 would also be an important one in Pacitalian history. After collecting their big upset win by a 4-0 scoreline over hosts Bettia in AOCAF 14, Pacitalia would go on to propel themselves into one of the winningest nations in AOCAF history. Their MD3 dominance was most prevelant in AOCAF 26 and AOCAF 27 where they recorded a 7-1 victory over Sorthern Northland in Starblaydia, and a 7-0 triumph over Nanwe in Krytenia to solidify their claim as masters of Matchday 3.

Group A
Western Sunrise Islands [1] Osarius [4]
Track Venture Field, Sile, Vilita
Starblaydia [0] Demot [0]
Click Here to choose the venue

---Group A----              P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
 1- Osarius                  3  3  0  0 12-4    +8   9
 2- Western Sunrise Islands  3  2  0  1  5-5    +0   6
 3- Starblaydia              2  0  1  1  0-1    -1   1
 4- Demot                    2  0  1  1  2-4    -2   1
 5- Schiavonia               2  0  0  2  2-7    -5   0

Group B
Oontaz Dert Li Ng [0] Valanora [0]
Council Stadium, Tivali, Vilita
Krytenia [4] New West Guiana [1]
Click Here to choose the venue

---Group B----              P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
 1- Valanora                 3  2  1  0  6-1    +5   7
 2- Krytenia                 2  2  0  0  5-1    +4   6
 3- Greater Watford          2  1  0  1  3-3    +0   3
 4- Oontaz Dert Li Ng        3  0  1  2  0-3    -3   1
 5- New West Guiana          2  0  0  2  1-7    -6   0

Group C
Audioslavia [2] Eshan [1]
Lonngeylin Coliseum, Lonngeylin, Vilita
Cosumar [4] Tallaga la Falla [1]
Lonngeylin Park, Lonngeylin, Vilita

---Group C----              P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
 1- Cosumar                  2  2  0  0  5-1    +4   6
 2- Audioslavia              3  2  0  1  7-2    +5   6
 3- Eshan                    3  1  1  1  9-6    +3   4
 4- Tallaga la Falla         2  0  1  1  3-6    -3   1
 5- Kingdom of Corelia       2  0  0  2  2-11   -9   0

Group D
Tropicorp [2] Farfadillis [2]
Tropicorp Park, Tropicoast, Tropicorp
Mertagne [1] Geisenfried [2]
Coliseum of the Inurahtii, Inura, Turori

---Group D----              P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
 1- Semarland                2  2  0  0  6-1    +5   6
 2- Farfadillis              3  1  1  1  7-6    +1   4
 3- Mertagne                 2  1  0  1  4-2    +2   3
 4- Geisenfried              2  1  0  1  3-6    -3   3
 5- Tropicorp                3  0  1  2  3-8    -5   1

Group E
Chromatika [1] Ko-oren [1]
Kionao Minor Field, Kionao, Turori
Royal Kingdom of Quebec [5] Euran Oceania Territories [0]
Click Here to choose the venue

---Group E----              P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
 1- Ko-oren                  3  2  1  0 12-3    +9   7
 2- Royal Kingdom of Quebec  2  2  0  0  7-1    +6   6
 3- Chromatika               3  1  1  1  6-5    +1   4
 4- Lindmark                 2  0  0  2  4-8    -4   0
 5- Euran Oceania Territories2  0  0  2  0-12   -12  0

Group F
Equestrian States [1] Iskandervale [2]
Click Here to choose the venue
Vilita & Turori [4] Legalese [0]
Cednia Beach Center, Cednia, Turori

---Group F----              P  W  D  L GF-GA     GD  Pts
 1- Vilita & Turori          2  2  0  0  7-1    +6   6
 2- 95X                      2  2  0  0  5-0    +5   6
 3- Iskandervale             3  1  1  1  3-4    -1   4
 4- Legalese                 2  0  1  1  1-5    -4   1
 5- Equestrian States        3  0  0  3  2-8    -6   0

Osarius have qualified for the knockout rounds. Equestrian States are mathematically unable to advance. All other teams are still mathematically able to qualify for the knockout rounds.

by **Osarius** » Mon Apr 25, 2016 8:57 am

                Osarius   4-2   Demot
              Monroe 4'         Santana 45'
            Johnson 38'         Nguyen 78'
       Drummond 64' pen
             Bailey 81'

OSR: Byrne; Simpson, Constantini, Santana, Rizzi; Gentile, Bailey, 
     Drummond; Samuels (Vollero 70), Johnson, Monroe (Watson 79)

The Firebirds march toward a second successive title continued in style against Demot, as they smashed in another four goals, from four different scorers. Monroe's early strike -- slotting in Darik Samuels' deep cross at the back post in just the fourth minute, following a swift counterattacking move -- set the tone for the rest of the game. Demot threatened often, but mostly from distance, as Demetrio Constantini led a strong defensive display in the first half. Santana's rocket of a strike deserved a goal, and gave some hope to Demot heading in at the break, but the 2-1 scoreline at half time was perhaps a little deceptive.

Second half, Osarius would continue where they had left off, pressing high up the pitch and seeking to pin Demot in their own half, where they could dominate possession and control the game. "We realised we had been giving a little too much space in the first half," explained Osarius manager Azarai Robinson. "So in the second half I asked Luther [Bailey] to press higher, with the whole midfield. The defenders moved forward into the space, and we compressed the field, just how we like to play."

The move worked well. Within seconds of the restart, Aaliyah Johnson had tested Simard with a low, stinging drive across goal. Monroe would do something similar after cutting inside from the right and hitting a curling strike toward the top left corner on the outside of his right boot. Simard didn't reach it, but it sailed over the bar. With those warning shots, Demot fought back. Aggressively attacking the spaces left when Bailey and Gentile pressed forward, Trosper and Nguyen combined to great effect, only to see Chelsea Byrne -- standing in for Clayton Hart, who has suffered a minor injury during warm-ups -- snuff out their attack at the edge of the box; more evidence for Robinson that the modern archetype of the "sweeper keeper" may well have more value than originally thought.

In the sixty-fourth minute, Osarius put the tie seemingly beyond reach of the Dynamo, when Alan Drummond picked out Darik Samuels' run into the left channel with a perfectly weighted pass. The Trothwands winger opened his body and feinted a shot with his right, before dragging the ball across his body to the left. McMorrow stumbled and stretched for the ball, grazing it, but bringing down Samuels in the process. The referee pointed to the spot, and Alan Drummond made no mistakes. "Some will argue that it was a harsh penalty but I don't think it was in doubt. McMorrow got a touch of the ball, true, but he's gone through Darik to get it. There was no way he could have stayed on his feet, and the ball was still near enough to play. Stonewall penalty for me." Robinson said post-game, dismissing any suggestion that his side were fortunate to extend their lead. "I'm sure my opposite number will feel aggrieved but objectively speaking I can't see any grounds for criticism of the referee here. I'm sure Mr. Gaines will agree once he's had time to process it all."

In fairness to Demot, if they felt the penalty was unfair, they didn't let it affect their performance. Jennifer Nguyen again combined effectively with Jacqueline Trosper to fashion a clear chance, and this time took it. The deficit halved, and a little over ten minutes to play, plus stoppages. "We might just have a grandstand finish here," remarked former Osarius midfielder Logan Yorke, providing commentary for OSN. "Demot have shown themselves unafraid of the Firebirds' counterattacking ability, and are willing to have a go." Unfortunately, this willingness proved their undoing in the end. Luther Bailey initiated the move, winning the ball from Lisenby high up the pitch, before finding Drummond in a pocket of space. The Utica playmaker released substitute Mario Vollero on the left wing, who attacked McMorrow, before rolling a pass across the edge of the box for captain Bailey to thunder home. 4-2 Osarius, game over.

With six points from two games, Osarius have the opportunity to secure qualification if they can defeat Western Sunrise Islands at Track Venture Field on matchday three, giving Azarai Robinson the opportunity to rest key players ahead of the knockout rounds. "Yeah it would be nice to be able to rest players, but we'll see. Sometimes a player is in a good vein of form and you want them to keep playing. Who knows what will happen next matchday?" Robinson said, entirely non-committal in response to the idea he might rest starters.

Western Sunrise Islands   1-4   Osarius
            Moreira 37'         Samuels 6'
                                Watson 35', 90'
                                Santana 71'

OSR: Hart; Simpson, Constantini, Santana (Okereke 83), Rizzi; Bailey, Zapata, 
     Drummond (Pearce 34); Samuels, Crespo (Saunders 73), Watson

Three games, three wins. Everything is going exactly as planned for Azarai Robinson's Firebirds. A convincing win over a spirited Western Sunrise Islands side last night secured Osarius' progression to the knockout rounds of AOCAF 50. "It's good to know we're through, we can relax a little bit, focus on making sure we don't pick up any silly bookings or injuries before the knockouts." Revealed Osarius assistant manager Reiss Ryerson. "It's a massive psychological boost as a player, and could turn out to be a difference maker if we reach the semis or the final, and we're up against a team that didn't have that luxury." Ryerson went on to explain that Osarius had attacked their group stage games with a greater attacking intent than usual in an attempt to secure this "rest" of sorts before facing Starblaydia. "Look, we know them. They're not at their best lately but you can't ever count them out." He explained. "It's not a case of fear, it's just precaution. You know, like, what if?"

Clayton Hart returned to the starting lineup after missing the Demot game with a suspected minor sprain. "It was nothing in the end. We just wanted to be sure, and Chelsea's a good 'keeper herself so we could do that." Hart said. "But it's great to slot straight back in. She did well so I wasn't sure the gaffer would take her out, to be honest." The Trothwands 'keeper vindicated Robinson's decision in the second minute, producing a magnificent reflex save to tip an Allan Texugo strike around the post after a lapse in concentration from clubmate Rinaldo Rizzi. "Smacked 'Naldo up the head for that. He should know better." Hart said, with a grin. Another of his Trothwands teammates would open scoring shortly after, with Darik Samuels drilling Ryan Watson's low cross into space across Fernandinho, into the bottom right corner on six minutes. "Ryan's gotten really good at that, I've noticed." Samuels acknowledged post-match. He times the pass nicely for the run, so you can just have a go without having to break stride. Does it all the time in training." Watson had only recently returned to regular football after a prolonged absence last season following the death of his grandfather Benedict Watson. Now he is tipped to start stealing more minutes from Jerome Monroe as he looks to fulfil his incredible potential.

Watson would star against The Corsairs with two goals and two assists, picking up man of the match while Monroe rested on the bench. "I just have to make the most of my chances," he shrugged. His first was a superb, curling free kick from a little outside the box, which he placed seemingly effortlessly into the top right corner. Bezerra had scythed down Alan Drummond -- who had to leave the game amidst fears of an ankle injury; though scans revealed he will be fit to play against Starblaydia -- and Watson was the next man up for set pieces. "Normally Alan would have taken it, but he'd gone off, so it was on me." Watson explained. "There was a moment when Antonio [Zapata] wanted it, but the gaffer signalled from the bench so I took it." Watson's set piece ability has been compared favourably with that of his grandfather, a noted dead ball specialist, of late, but the twenty year old dismisses the comparisons. "I'm not anywhere near his level." He says, before adding "Yet." With a cheeky grin.

Minutes after Watson's free kick, Moreira would pull one back for the Corsairs, prompting angry shouts from Reiss Ryerson in the dugout, and Luther Bailey on the pitch. "Half time was less pleasant than we'd have liked. Reiss went off on one, even though we were up." Admitted Daniele Gentile, who didn't even feature in the match. But the talk had the desired effect, as Osarius came back out and effectively controlled the game from that point on. Samantha Pearce showing her impressive passing range behind a midfield screen of Bailey and Zapata, she created several chances for Crespo and later Saunders. But it was Watson who stole the show. It was his free kick delivery that found Jorge Santana for Osarius' third, on seventy one minutes. He would put the icing on the cake with a late goal, after racing clear of the defence in stoppage time to collect Pearce's through ball and slot calmly home.

by **Eshan** » Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:46 am

That had gone really quite well, Steven Dumolt thought to himself after the game.

3rd best in Atlantian Oceania, fourth best in the world, Dumolt in many ways sought to emulate the beautiful football the Audioslavian national team played. How couldn't you, with their displays of high-tempo one-touch football, skilled dribblers? And the threat posed by big man Dragan Kryznjak upfront gave the Audioslavian sword a lethal point. Steven knew that it would be a tough battle, quite possibly the hardest of his managerial career.

Knowing the team's recent tendency to get the ball forward, especially after going a goal behind, Dumolt sent out a slightly modified Echani team. He had Samper Markovic and Demarcus Jones both sit deeper to clog the deeper midfield, and aimed to hit them hard. He sent out the team with instructions to get physical with the Audioslavian team. He thought a little physicality right off the bat could throw them off their game. He also asked the team to play offensively, and to really try to push forward and score a goal in the first eight minutes. If they did, to try and score again before 15 minutes had passed; if they didn't, to consolidate defensively and try to hit on the counter.

The team translated his instructions into action perfectly, pressing high and hard immediately. Dex Temple was key to his plan, the fleet footed defensive forward charged after the Audioslavian midfielders. Tanrisal and Ruisheart Wight never got a moment's rest with Temple and the closest winger chasing them down the moment the ball was headed their way. It paid off perfectly.

After largely dominating play for the first 3 minutes, the Audioslavian team drilled into their rhythm in a sharp attacking move that eventually culminated in Dragan hitting a rocket of a shot against the crossbar. The rebound fell to Di Nolfo, who knocked it up the right wing before slowing for a second to let the rest of the Echani team surge forward. He saw Jean-Marie Bentacur wide open and in the middle of his stride, and played him a delicate ball that Bentacur gently nudged on in his path, and the break was on.

Bentacur cut to the right, and then back to left to evade Lemuel Ortez and scampered into space. Marco van Ciavatinni, who had been slowly drifting inside, made a sudden break to the right wing. Bentacur found the rocket propelled 18 year old, who softly controlled it with his velvet glove of a left foot. With the ball seemingly stuck to his foot, he ran a few yards down the sideline before dropping his shoulder and cutting inside, sending Turi Varisco the wrong way. Dex Temple made a curving run towards Marco, who found him with a laser guided through ball. As Caceres made to close him down and Marco swung around Temple, the later backheeled the ball into van Ciavatinni's path. The young magician wasted no time pulling the trigger, firing the ball into the back of the net to send a nation into ecstasy.

Dumolt smiled as he remembered that moment. It's not everyday you go ahead against one of the best teams in the world. The smile turned sour as he remembered how fleeting that moment of glory had been. In the 28th minute, Deandre was robbed in the midfield by Ortez. The midfielder from Tanrisal looked up and saw Dragan crushing towards goal and played a great pass over the top to find the outstretched boot of the big man. The striker collected the ball before blasting it past Demarcus Jones to make it one all.

At halftime, Dumolt had made the decision to bring a little more defense to the team, recognizing that Audioslavia were in almost total control of the game. Xavi Arisilde came in for Deandre James, and the midfielder who recently completed a move to the second best league in the world sought to bring intelligent defending and smart playmaking to the midfield.

The team held their lines well in the second half, defending and attacking as one cohesive unit in the massive Lonngeylin Coliseum. Antonio Mulcair came close several times, his nearest in the 58th minute when he cut inside and unleashed a shot from distance that thundered against the bar. As the 75th minute came around, there was a sense that the team might actually do this, might actually hold the fourth best team in the world to a draw. Naturally, that wish was abruptly shattered into a thousand pieces in the 78th minute when the brilliance of Imanol Vengochea proved too much and the legendary #7 sent Francisco Di Nolfo to school with a neat little two-touch meg before easily skipping past a lunging challenge from David Smith. Cool as you like, Vengochea chipped the ball up towards Demarcus Jones' far post in a cheeky attempt that frankly Steven Dumolt had to applaud. Of course, the ball neatly kissed the woodwork as it lazily dropped in to make it 2-1, and Eshan was out of the game. Final time, 2-1 in a good showing.

The next game was essential; qualifying depended on the match against Cosumar. With the first and second place teams (one being Cosumar) sitting on six points, Eshan (currently in third with four points) needed a win to leap frog ahead and greatly improve our odds of making it through. This was no easy task, the brilliant Cosumar team had threats in every department and knew that this win would almost certainly seal their own qualification. More defense would be necessary, and Steven Dumolt really liked the way Xavi Arisilde had immediately settled into the match against Audioslavia and directed tempo and reduced pressure on the defense. That would be essential in keeping the team's collective cool against Cosumar, and Dumolt inked him into the starting lineup. Luc Villaview and David Smith would switch spots in the defense so that Luc Villaview could step into the spot left by Xavi Arisilde when we're in attack.

by **Ko-oren** » Mon Apr 25, 2016 1:35 pm

Great Rivalries - Soccer

The decision to split the remaining professional soccer teams into a Southern and Northern division (14 teams each as of next season) means that all of the great derbies and rivalries stay in place. Especially among the six Ko-orenite clubs, all in the North, or the games between Santa Teresa's two teams and the team from the Six Saints: lots of national and international rivalries to look forward to next season. Here's a small list of them.

7. Weiyao City versus Shumei / Weiyao City versus Taonuping
Actually, these are two matches. Kang Rao has three teams in the Southern division: Weiyao City, who gave us Chou and Ngai in addition to having a solid front three. Weiyao were the overall champions last year and they are projected to be as good next season. Both of these Kang Raoese rivalries are big city Weiyao versus provincial towns Shumei and Taonuping, and the smaller clubs want nothing less than upsetting their arrogant (in their eyes) neighbour who gets all the attention. Expect some bad fouls by the smaller teams' players, and expect Weiyao to drop more than a few points in these games.

6. Any Nine Sister team versus any other Nine Sister team
Four of the Nine Sisters have a team in the Southern division: New Bogota, New Emona, New Genoa and New Hamburg. It's the four 'classical' cities, with long histories of having several teams per city play each other for the glory of the city rather than the championship of the Nine Sisters. After a while, the teams slowly came together to recognise their similarties over their differences, and the games against the other 'sisters' became more important. Emona is the oldest city of them all, prides itself on its history. Genoa is the one with the most impressive architecture and likes to rub that in Emona's face. Hamburg is a newer city, combining old with new, and has always been a centre of merchants. New Bogota is the largest city of them all, owing to an incredible growth rate in the last three decades.

5. Racing Santa Juana versus Recreativo or Deportivo
The derby of the Seven Saints is when the sole Six Saints team, Racing Santa Juana, takes on either Recreativo or Deportivo. The game between the latter two teams will come up later, but these two (or, well, four, given they're home and away) are worth mentioning. The real grit has been taken out of these games, and the fans have chosen to value the game and the atmosphere over any weird situations that have happened up to a decade ago. This game was borderline unsafe to go to, but creativity has overtaken violence. Way to go, Seven Saints (Six Saints and Santa Teresa = seven saints)!

4. iMangatshebale versus iThulani: Protea
Crux Island, the southern landmass, isn't very soccer crazy outside of Kang Rao. But Protea has two teams in the league, representing the two historical kingdoms of Protea. It's iMangatshebale and iThulani, and each year the derbies tear open old wounds that never really healed. The big derby between the two is in rugby union, but as soccer is rapidly gaining popularity over there, this game is growing more violent each year. This game is easily first in intensity, but some things that were done in the name of this game in recent years cannot be overlooked. The atmosphere is so intense that this game isn't even fun to visit anymore. We're waiting for the first casualty. Nbekeni is playing for iMangatshebale as a native, while Morrow and Wakefield are imported Waratines playing for the Protean side.

3. Aminey versus Linieux, Ko-oren
Like Weiyao, Aminey is home to a few very, very high profile teams. Sadly, that doesn't extend to their soccer team, despite historical victories. Linieux has caught up, and in recent years have been the better side. This is to the dismay of Aminey. Where Weiyao is the big city keeping the little guys down, Aminey is the big city with the smaller team, while like a real life David versus Goliath story, Linieux is the usual winner of the central Ko-orenite derby. Aminey still has bigger names: internationals Millet, Macedo and Leroux. Linieux is home to a young team, dealing with some retirees from last year.

2. Recreativo versus Deportivo: Santa Teresa Derby
This is the only true derby on the list. Santa Teresa - the city - has two teams: Deportivo and Recreativo. Deportivo was the official professional early on, and Recreativo had an annual subscription to the Santa Teresan (the nation) title, while Deportivo was off to foreign lands playing soccer over there. To this day, Deportivo is the upper class team, the worldly eleven, while Recreativo are the low-key, everybody-knows-each-other atmosphere team. That doesn't mean one team is worse than the other, as the last three games between the two ended in ties.

Deportivo has Timo Arevalo and Roberto Rodriguez as big stars. Arevalo is the biggest of them all, probably the most prolific name in Unionite football at this moment. Recreativo lacks the big names, but always has that weird vibe in this derby.

1. Any Thaulandian team versus any other Thaulandian team
Fourteen teams in the Northern division. Five of them Thaulandian. That's 10 matchups, each played twice, for 20 incredible games. There is a little more money in Thaulandi than other nations in the Union, and they like to show that for these games. Soccer is the small town's game in Thaulandi, but even then, they go all out for this one. It's never played in front of the biggest crowds, Khabotskoye only has a 9000 seater stadium, for instance. And then these towns are further up north, played between September and April, and it's rarer to see a game played on a green surface with a white ball than to see an orange game on a snowy surface. This is Unionite soccer culture at its best, even if it's played in the one nation that promoted Gridiron as the Union's biggest sport.

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