- Group 13 -
1 - Eura - 44.29
2 - Ficiscia - 17.80
3 - Platerdam- 3.74
4 - Ethane - 11.62
5 - Alinghi Federal-Democratic Republic - 1.13
6 - Prestatyn - 0.88
7 - Dp Country - 0.13
Ethane Red Kites
National Kits
All thanks to JMC Football Kit Store of Krytenia for the logo and kits.
Basic Info/Stats
Nation: Ethane
Team Nickname: Red Kites/Fire
Style Mod: -3
Trigramme: ETN
Formation: 4-1-2-1-2
Staffing
Manager: Curtis Steeling; 41
Curtis Steeling once again is taking charge of the Ethanese National Football team for the third World Cup running, and his tenth football tournament of all kinds. Impressing in his capabilities as manager, he has commanded a team from the first World Cup, where the team finished a measly 5th in the group, to finishing second in the previous World Cup qualifiers, only missing out on qualification because of an away goal Banguela scored against the Red Kites in the playoffs of the previous qualification period, winning 2-1 at home before losing 1-0. Even though last World Cup he turned to his style of 'Explosive Football', which did help the team and has been kept as the philosophy of the Red Kites since, Steeling does have an emphasis on a strong defensive structure, evidenced by the fact that in both World Cups so far, the team has let in less than 1 goal a game, and only ever lost at home once in the two World Cups so far, to a strong Saintland team. Curtis Steeling has managed Ethane for 73 games, winning 24, drawing 18 and losing 31 of them. Steeling and Ethane have an average of 1 goal per game scored, and and an average of 1.2 goals conceded per game. However, he has not had quite such success in the Campionato Esportiva as he has the World Cup, crashing out in the group stages in both that Ethane have participated in so far. The team have had a fairly decent run into this World Cup Qualifiers though, with an away win against Unified Sunrise Islands and an away draw against Abanhfleft instilling some hope in Steeling's ability. This have somewhat been counteracted by the losses against Cosumar and Bonesea, and the much lower ranked The Great Pi, but most of these being higher ranked made these games a long stretch to win, apart from the one against The Great Pi. He will have to perform this qualifiers though, as the board like to put pressure on Steeling, and have said that following the performance last cycle, they want the team to qualify for the world cup this time around.
Assistant Manager: Gareth Barley; 42
Following the ultimatum given to him at the start of the last World Cup Qualifiers, Barley has massively improved his managing techniques and people skills, which has somewhat helped with some of the strong results the team has achieved over the past two years. The board recognised his performance, and have allowed him to stay on awhile longer to work with Barley. However, it is thought that his future is tied up with Steeling in his role, and if Steeling were to leave, it is likely Barley would also leave or be forced out.
Offensive Coach: Steven Carlsting
He has brought through the new era of 'Explosive football' in the Ethane game, with great success, and is seen as the figure guiding the style forward, evolving it to adapt to new situations. He is firmly in place after the teams performance last world cup, but if the team were to struggle in front of the goal, then he would be under pressure to leave.
Defensive Coach: Adam Hurnley
Following the recent friendlies, Hurnley will be under pressure to make the defence work in the world cup, as the team has been going through a period of sloppy defending recently. It's his job to correct it, and if not, he will lose his job.
Goalkeeper Coach: Harry Bentley
Bentley has been fairly successful in his role as goalkeeper coach, with strong performances from the goalkeepers in both previous world cups instilling some hope in the team. He probably has the firmes job of all in the staffing lineup, but still knows the board wants the best he has to give to this team.
Physio: Keith Lambeth
Medic: Kerry Hanners
The Players
Following the successful qualification campaign last World Cup cycle, which saw Ethane beat The Holy Empire, and miss out on qualifying for the World Cup only because of away goals in the playoffs against Banguela, the team are in a good place to come into this cycle and push for qualification. The team know that qualifying automatically is almost completely out of the window, with sharing a group with number 4 ranked Eura basically ending all hopes of that, but the space through the playoffs is still open for grabs, with the team having to beat out Ficiscia to reach it. The team are fully determined to reach that spot and finish off what they were oh so close to doing last cycle.
Defence
Goalkeeper: Joe Henderson; 33; Hullbury Town
Caps: 22
Sub-Caps: 0
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Clean Sheets: 11
With good vision, Henderson rarely lapses in concentration, and is extremely focused, always paying attention to where the ball is, and what he should be doing. He does take the role of sweeper-keeper sometimes, not to the extent of some other keepers, but he will do it when there is a goal at risk, and no defenders around to help him. A tall goalkeeper, he does have good reach over the whole of his goal. However, he is not so good at one-on-one situations, and his performance on set-pieces can sometimes let him down. However, his ability to stay calm under pressure, and perform well when any penalty is given, guessing correctly most of the time, makes him in the manager's eyes, the ideal candidate for goalkeeper.
GoalKeeper: Brody Church- 28- South Saints FC
Caps: 37
Sub-Caps: 0
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Clean Sheets: 12
At 24 years of age, he has plenty of experience to his name on the domestic league side of things, playing with South Saints FC as their first choice goalkeeper for the past 5 years, excluding the second season of the Explosive League format, which he was out for injury. He has had experience of the pressures that come with playing international football, and has shown he is capable of dealing with them, and remaining calm when the pressures are greatest, which is when his concentration is vital. He has a good work ethic, and is always concentrated on the game at hand, rather than letting his mind wander when the ball is not near. With strong reflexes, and a good dive to him, he is the perfect candidate to protect the net in Ethane's first venture into the world cup.
Goalkeeper: Nelson Delamora; 19; Briston Rovers
Caps:1
Sub-Caps: 0
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Clean Sheets: 0
The youngest of the players on the side, Nelson is more of a prospect for the future that is being included to give him a chance in a game or two if the possibility arises. He certainly has been getting plenty of playtime when it comes to his own club. However, with other contenders for the starting position, he is unlikely to play too much in this qualifying process, and will be looking one or possibly even two cycles more before he'll be contending for the starter of main substitute spot. Young, and quick in dives, he can be a bit gullible, and occasionally falls for the most basic of tricks. He rarely comes off his line, and when he does, he often is not very effective when doing so. He has a good reach across the stretch of his goal, but remains a liability in penalties, having not fully developed the art of keeping out penalties as of yet. He is one to watch for the future, but don't expect him to make much of an impact this cycle, if he even gets that much gameplay.
Left-Back: Bruce Washington; 31; South Saints
Caps:13
Sub-Caps: 0
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
His pace on the wing makes him a key counterpart in the defence, closing down oncoming wingers, and preventing them from crossing the ball into the box. Not quite so good with the tackling game, sometimes a bit clumsy, and not with the best style of tackle to take the ball in style, he prefers to intercept and block, which is an ideal thing for the left-back to have. He is at the peak of his career, and has the best pace he has had in a while coming into this world cup, but the question is how will he do this cycle, because he is expected to be one of the key players of the Ethanian squad, but it is whether he will be performing at the same level for the next cycle.
Left-Back: Rene Beckenhauer; 23; Briston Rovers
Caps:5
Sub-Caps: 0
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Certainly a player not to be reckoned with, she likes to act tough on the pitch, and does appear to be this dominating figure in left-back. However, what she has in bulkiness, she loses in pace, and while young, provides more of a tackling wall then an actual pace defender. Used more when the team goes into defensive mode, she is very good at preventing crosses being whipped into the box. While not the most agile, and can be easily outskilled, her dominance tends to throw an air of superiority over the pitch, and is a very intimidating sight on the pitch for the defenders to come face to face with.
Left-Back: Cliff Driscoll; 32; Bourne River
Caps:5
Sub-Caps: 0
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Driscoll is a very mature and intelligent player, bringing a wealth of experience to his games, and proves a useful mentor for those younger players who are not so mature and experienced. With good knowledge of the game, and experience, he knows many of the tricks in the books, and is difficult to fool on the pitch with gameplay, and is difficult to wind up and get to lash out against you. He has alright vision, and while there are players which can place themselves better for the opposition attacks, he is fine at this job, and can quickly reposition himself if he needs to, especially with his knowledge. His pace does sometimes let him down, but he has enough pace to provide a threat somewhat in attack down the wing, either supporting the left midfielder and distributing the ball to them, or whipping in crosses to the centre himself. He is not an authoritative player, and does like others to take charge, and direct the style and direction of play, not having much input in the tactics very often - not a good candidate for captain, but he is a mentor, like was said earlier, when asked, and can be someone which younger players look up to, with his calm demeanor and wealth of knowledge. He does get on well with most of the team, and tries to stay out of conflicts, and does not try to dispute the referee's calls, but when a terrible call does come up, he can sometimes get a bit infuriated. He is not the most bulky of players, and is not very intimidating, but he has an alright slide tackle, and while not the best, does get the job done.
Centre-Back: Darien Fear; 23; South Saints
Caps:43
Sub-Caps:3
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
He is seen as sturdy character. He also remains a constant feature due to his youthfulness and pace that comes with that, but also due to his demeanour at such a young age, which the selectors think will bring massive reward to the developing national team. He has also been included due to his consistency and ability to surprise, even when no one thinks there are any surprises left, which has been reinforced by recent games leading up to this World Cup. Darien Fear is not afraid to put his body on the line for games and results, sometimes to the level of getting an injury, which was seen in the previous season, when he had to miss 2 games due to an injury obtained from a bruising, but legal tackle. Sometimes, this attitude can lead to fouls though, and he has seen a few red cards in his days. He is an extremely passionate player, and puts all his emotions and energy into the game, and a result. However, while he has the best intent, and is one of the better players, he can sometimes get a little overexcitable, and make a few silly mistakes, which sometimes lead to goals which could have been prevented if he was a slightly mature player. However, with the few downsides that do sometimes create mistakes, he remains a very highly skilled player, and is a defensive masterclass, as well as an attacking aid sometimes. However, in this squad, it is likely he will be remaining back, with the move to a less defensive formation, which leaves the back open more, and will therefore challenge the defence to perform to a higher standard as pressure is placed on them to perform. It remains to be seen whether Darien Fear will be a little out of his depth or not, as at South Saints, he is used to a five-at-the-back defensive formation.
Centre-Back: Daniel Moore; 26; South Saints
Caps:13
Sub-Caps: 0
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Seen as the more mature, older counterpart to Darien Fear at South Saints, he also proves to be the player slightly less willing to put his whole body into the tackle, and the one to prefer to stand back more, survey a scene, and position himself accordingly, intercepting and blocking, with some tackles, rather than jump into tackles, which is where Darien Fear is more experienced, making them a great partnership in defence for South Saints. Certainly more mature and more experienced that Darien Fear, he is a more of a commanding figure, who is more controlled, and looks at the overall tactics rather than individual incidents. He is more of a technical defender, and is better on the removing the ball from the back than other defenders, which suits his position as a peripheral defender. He is a very defensive defender, and does not tend to help out with attacks, rather staying back when it comes to corners, unless in the last minute or so, when the team is on full attack, and even then he stands a little way back. He has strong vision and positioning, and sees a sneaky pass coming more often than Fear, putting them as possibly the most successful partner in the league, as they compliment each other. He doesn't often close down players, and is more of an interceptor and blocker.
Centre-Back: John Campbell; 33; Cassandra City (Cosumar)
Caps:22
Sub-Caps: 0
Goals: 1
Assists: 1
He is experienced and mature, and takes a great mentor role in the squad, being one of the key leading players for younger players, such as Darien Fear, to idolise. He is losing his pace as he gets older, but he still is very switched on, and is quick off the mark, as well as holding a brutal tackle to his plethora of skills. He can be intimidating in the squad, but has a good relation with everyone on the team, which is conducive towards a working environment. However, he does not have the greatest stamina, and is sometimes only used as a defender brought on to hold on to a result towards the end of the game, or substituted off towards the end of a game. He is good with headers. Some of his tackles can be dirty, which can lead to him being sent off on occasion. He is the captain.
Centre-Back: Alan Barnes; 22; Gaelic Club (The Licentian Isles)
Caps:5
Sub-Caps:10
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Alan Barnes is a very skilled 20 year old, and is very aware in his positioning, which benefits his role - ideal for the centre of someones defence. What he lacks in pace he makes up for with his awareness, and combined with any teammates he has, does a good job at preventing too many attacks from the opposition. He can occassionally be dragged forward into the attack, and does well in this role, but this can sometimes leave the back more exposed to counters. Has good stamina and can normally last the whole 90 minutes, but is prone to certain injuries if taken down badly. Some training would likely rectify this however.
Centre-Back: Kyle Cooper; 27; Bourne River
Caps:2
Sub-Caps:1
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
Good with the head, he tends to be referred to as an all-rounder who is good in many aspects. He doesn't get involved in attacks too much, and prefers to stay in defence on corners and the like. He is fairly pacey, but can sometimes lack on the slide tackles, but has still got some decent tackles compared to many people in the league. He is very cool-headed, and likes to work in unison with the team, in one large unit. Can sometimes try to dominate in decisions however, and no matter how cool-headed and nice he seems, he can occasionally be fairly annoying, which sometimes leads to opposition players, and teammates, to retaliate.
Right-Back: Archie Holmes; 31; Bourne River
Caps:11
Sub-Caps:4
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
Holmes has proven to be an experienced, yet low-maintenance in training, he has over his footballing career, developed from a shy, lower league player who was average, to a top quality, top league defender. He has a very shy attitude to himself, which is why he tends to struggle somewhat with media interviews, although he does cope. However, he is certainly no longer shy on the pitch, and no longer shies away from big slide tackles. He is rather lean, and tall, but he is still good with slide tackles, although sometimes fouling in them. His pace also helps him develop attacks down the wing, and move up to advance and score, especially when the team is behind, and they need to push to get the levelling goal. While he may not be the best with vision - he is not always the best when positioning himself in comparison to over national team players - his willingness to get stuck into the game, his work ethic, motivation, pace, and technical skills have made him an ideal candidate on this team, and booked his place on the plane to places such as The Holy Empire, when the need for him arises.
Right-Back: Joshua Cook; 20; South Saints
Caps:11
Sub-Caps:0
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
He has a sense of immaturity to the gameplay, and it has to be said that his skills and gameplay have certainly not been completely refined yet - he is still fairly raw and can be sloppy at times. However, with guiding mentors in the team that would be willing to help him become a better player, and this world cup giving him some experience, this should be, as well as a great world cup for him to come out and perform in for the team, a great learning experience for him, no matter how much he actually gets to play. He is a solid, consistent defender, and having made a mistake, tends for the most part to not repeat that mistake again. However, his inexperience does show, as he can sometimes be duped in some tricks, sometimes ones that he has not experienced used against him before in the flame league in Ethane. Not so good on the attacking front, he does tend to be used more when the team is on full defensive mode, but with training, he might be able to develop this attacking style of right-back skill as well. Not so good on the headers, he tends to press up against the corner kick taker, or not take a place in front of goal for them. He has got a good sized kick to him, and can sometimes be seen switching the sides of the pitch that the ball is on, to confuse the opposition, and open up gaps in the opposition defence, also helping on clearing the ball, and distributing.
Right-Back: George Smith; 31; Bourne River
Caps:2
Sub-Caps:1
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
A strong right-back, Smith certainly has got brains in his play. He is a very technical player, and good at positioning himself, so he is a good interceptor and a good blocker. Not so good on the tackles, his pace helps him in that respect. Good also on aiding attacks, he is seen as more of an attacking player for a time in which the team is attempting to quickly recover. Highly respected in the team, and in the nation, and doesn't retaliate easily to provocation.
Midfield
Central-Defensive Midfielder: Alex Brown; 22; Bourne River
Caps:0
Sub-Caps:2
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
A very defensively minded player as a defensive midfielder, the position he has taken is seen more as a connecting role to the attackers from the defence, but still retaining a very defensive style of play, in order to make up for the one defensive player they have lost due to the new formation under the ''Explosive'' style of football now adopted by the team, a phrase coined in the media ever since the new formation was tried out in some friendlies leading up to the last world cup. Brown is seen as a controller of the game, sitting in the back of the midfield. He has good vision and maturity for such a young player, and can get a good overview of the game, making him ideal with his decent long and short passing to play the role of a distributor. He does occasionally help attack, but this is rare, because he likes to play a lot closer to his own goal than some other players in this position may like to play. He has some good technical skills to get round players, although he is not amazingly brilliant in this department. Not quite so good on set pieces however, and tends to position himself wrong on these, or make a bad mistake. He can sometimes be brilliant, but when he is in an off-day every once in awhile, the whole team suffers, because of his important role in the team. He has an alright stamina, but sometimes cannot make it to the end of the game when he is starting, so is substituted off in the second half at some point. He has a calm demeanour, but when pestered lots, he can sometimes retaliate, due to his inexperience in dealing with the brutish nature of international football. However, it is unlikely his retaliatory behaviour would make headlines (apart from possibly in Ethane) or get him sent off the pitch. It would probably more likely get a yellow card.
Central-Defensive Midfielder: Gerald Coleman; 24; Hullbury Town
Caps:1
Sub-Caps:0
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
He gets the job done well, and therefore deserves a spot on this team. He also can help out in attack sometimes, and takes a much more aggressive role in this position, often pushing forward more than other players would in this position, and therefore better for when the team is trying to level with little time to spare, when the team is on full attack.
Central-Defensive Midfielder: Merlin Midgley; 29; South Saints
Caps:32
Sub-Caps:0
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
Described by some as a 'warrior', many have said he is fully deserving of this position, but other people argue that it was just him being the coach's cousin that helped him get into the squad. Nevertheless, he does have some valuable skills that this team could use. He is a very balanced player, and does not prioritise offence or defence while in this position, preferring to play in between. He is less skilled in passing, and is more of a dribbler, meaning he can take move into the large gap in his team in the middle of the pitch, and work in that space. He can see good runs, and makes the move to aid them as well, making him an extremely beneficial, though controversial, and arguably not quite so good as other player could have been, member of this team.
Left Midfielder: Grady Stevens; 26; Loconstead United
Caps:1
Sub-Caps:4
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
He is seen as a fundamental threat to any team with his crosses, and certainly one that they would need to stifle. Stevens is a very fast player, one of the fastest in the league for matter of fact, which helps him with his deadly runs on the wing. Where he falls down is defence, which is something that he is certainly not quite so good at, struggling with interceptions and tackles. However, with good vision, and decent long passes, as well as short, he gets an overview of the game, and can sometimes control play from the left wing, distributing the ball across the whole range of the pitch. While he certainly won't help out much in defence, the hope with him, and his pace and possessive style of play that he likes to take, and his ability to knock in decent crosses, he proves an excellent candidate for the role of LM in the team, and is expected to live up to his name on this team as the player who has the most assists to their name in the past season.
Left Midfielder: Kevyn Stidolph; 27; Mansestra
Caps:51
Sub-Caps:7
Goals: 2
Assists: 17
Not the fastest of wingers, he can sometimes be caught out by faster players, but his technical skills when with the ball can help him with his attacks, and he can outdo players and trick them. He also has some defensive skills as well, providing a backup of sorts for the defenders if they do get overwhelmed in the new, less defensive system that the team now follows. He also has the skill of having great awareness and vision, which allows him to spot the perfect run and either deliver the ball to his running teammates feet to take it further, or to whip the ball into the box, and give either the perfect kick or header to his teammate, in order to increase the likelihood of a win.
Centre Midfielder: Jack Potter; 32; Letson Town
Caps:1
Sub-Caps:1
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
Potter doesn't appear good in the stats, but when you actually see him play, he works wonders in midfield. Balancing attack and defence perfectly, he provides a post which keeps the team in a uniform structure. He is good on awareness and vision, and is always where he needs to be, and with the ability to distribute the ball around the pitch, is a perfect choice for this team. However, due to the formation of the team, there is no centre-midfield position naturally, so he will only be used when the team is in full attack mode, and going all out for a draw. Potter will provide more of a power substitute in order to save a match, rather than a starter that will dictate the whole game.
Centre Midfielder: Russell Johnson; 28; Mansestra
Caps:1
Sub-Caps:10
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Much like the other selected centre-midfielder, he is a very dynamic player, with great vision, so that he can distribute the ball to other players. However, with more of an attacking tint to his play than others, he can occasionally provide a deadly attack, to aid the rest of his team. Due to his position, he is seen more as an attacking super-sub, but it may be seen that he is included in one or two of the games this world cup, just not necessarily as a starter. With an occasionally foul attitude however, he does not stand well to provocation, and can retaliate, although as with all retaliations from Ethanians (for the most part), these are normally just a few harsh words rather than any actual action against the imposing player.
Right Midfielder: Edward Williamson; 34; Letson Town
Caps:20
Sub-Caps:1
Goals: 0
Assists: 8
An experienced right-winger, what he brings to the team is not so much pace to his play, but more knowledge of where and how to play best, as well as a wealth of technical skills, which can frustrate opposition players. HHe doesn't have the cleanest of crosses, his consistency, and knowledge of the game, has given him a direct role in this team. He doesn't have the cleanest of crosses, hence why the team prefers to play crosses from the left, but he is good at spotting runs, and can make decent through balls for strikers, which don't always register as assists.it remains to be seen whether Williamson, who has failed to impress in recent friendlies, is able to perform in this team with the limited players in midfield - something he is not used to either as a member of Letson Town, or in recent friendlies in the world cup, and is something he has not adapted to yet.
Right Midfielder: Branden Veresoto; 22; Old Sarum
Caps:4
Sub-Caps:13
Goals: 0
Assists: 3
Veresoto provides a very dangerous attacking threat to anyone who tries to face him down. Not quite so adept in crossing the ball, or assisting in goals, he is definitely not one to look out for if you want a team goal, as he is not great with working with other people on the pitch. Seen as very hostile to teammates and opposition alike, quite often getting into fights on the pitch, which can often result in cards, he is easily infuriated, and refuses to work within the rules, which is something that has made his inclusion in this team extremely controversial, especially after his track record.
Offence
Striker: Dewayne Boivin; 32; Doherty (Red Blackiland)
Caps:56
Sub-Caps:9
Goals: 31
Assists: 1
Having performed astounding well in the final season of the amateur Ethanian football league, saving his team from relegation to finish 15th out of 20th, 15 points above the relegation zone, when they were predicted to finish dead last in the league, he was quickly picked up on by the national team manager, Curtis Steeling, who rapidly gave him a starting role on the national Ethanian team for the Baptism of Fire - a controversial move which proved to work out well for the team. Having had plenty of experience in the lower leagues of the football pyramid in Ethane, he has a solid experience base of which to base his attacks upon, and fulfil the role of lead Ethanian striker that he seems to have acclaimed through his performances in the Baptism of Fire and the World Cup. He has the ability to deliver the goods when needed, and perform well when the pressure was at its highest level - a difficult feat for any player of any calibre. He transferred away to Doherty at the end of the first 'official' season of Ethanian football at professional level, where he has now stayed, and become a decent member of their squad, scoring goals when needed. With a strong final touch, he is good at connecting with crosses and finishing shots, with a good accuracy percentage and goal to shot ratio. One of his main downfalls, however, is his speed, which, with his age, means that he cannot rush around the defenders to get a clear shot on goal, and more and more now, relies on other players to deliver the ball to him and bring it up the pitch, where he tends to sit, ready for any counter attack that may materialise, rather than helping out with the defence, where he would not prove much use to the team. It remains to be seen how much he will actually get to play in this cycle, or in the future, as the manager moves towards the younger strikers as Boivin starts to grow old, and it also remains to be seen whether Boivin can adapt to the new, less defensive system, where he is part of a triad at the strikers end of the pitch, rather than all on his own, or with only one other striker.
Striker: Thomas Peone; 30; Merseyshore City
Caps:7
Sub-Caps:8
Goals: 3
Assists: 0
Thomas Peone is a talented, and experienced player, who is at the optimum of his career. Peone has proven to be a capable and deadly force in front of goal, and able to find the net many a time from his shots. He is very much like Boivin in his play style, as he is a much slower player. He does not have extreme place like some strikers do, and is more suited to a possessive style of play, and occasional counters - much like the new 'explosive style' as the media have coined it, that the team follows. While Peone may not be so good with headers, as he struggles to get enough power, or direction on the ball to pose an aerial threat, the threat he supplies with long shots, and volleys off crosses, makes him plenty a deadly enough threat to be included on the national team for this world cup.
Striker: Jose Morgan; 29; Mansestra
Caps:9
Sub-Caps:0
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Not quite as prolific as his fellow striker, he has still made a somewhat strong impression on the team, with not only his ability to score, but his unselfishness. Jose Morgan could be described as more of a pace striker than an expert finisher, zipping in between defenders, and using technical skills to get a shot on goal, rather than finishing with prowess. He is one to get the job done. His heading is also a lot stronger than that of most of the other strikers in the team, providing a dangerous aerial threat on corners, crosses and the like. He is a very cooperative player, and places the glory of the team above his own glory, not hogging the ball. He is not great on long shots however, and does have some flaws when forced to play out slightly wider, sometimes driving too far to the wing, which can damage the efforts of the team. However, all in all he is a strong striker, and well deserving of his place on the national team.
Striker: Julian Harrington; 30; Birdingstone United
Caps:11
Sub-Caps:2
Goals: 1
Assists: 0
He is certainly a threat in front of goal, and his determination makes sure he never stops fighting for a goal, no matter how desperate or easy the situation is in a specific game. He is quite a confrontational player, and can sometimes get up in players faces, in order to put them off and intimidate them. However, when a foul is miscalled, he can be respectful, and correct the ref some of the time. He is of an average speed in terms of pace, and is not that technical in his play, so somewhat relies on the ball being delivered to him, but he is a large threat when he has the ball in front of goal.
Striker: Julian West; 25; Cardnid Town
Caps:1
Sub-Caps:1
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Talented in finishing prowess, he is an expert at the chip shot, and is often first in the line when playing to take penalties. Mostly cool-headed, he does not tend to lash out when provoked. Also with some beneficial talents that help in defence, he is an all-rounder striker that helps with determination and passion wherever on the pitch he is needed. He is fairly pacey, and can zip around the pitch relatively quickly, which makes up for his lack of technical talent.
Striker: Yvonne Merry; 28; Osgarl
Caps:0
Sub-Caps:2
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
She is certainly a threat on goal, and can take long or short shots from anywhere. While she does not have the pace that some other players can manage, she does have a finesse to her play that only a few players manage. She has proven herself to be a team player as well, putting team over personal prestige, through her willingness to pass to someone else for an easier shot than take one herself.
Striker: Samuel Mitchell; 19; Mansestra
Caps:15
Sub-Caps:2
Goals: 6
Assists: 0
Mitchell is a natural star, and is great with the press. With his youth comes great pace, which brings him the ability to zip round opposition players, to get the best shot on goal. While his finesse and technical ability when with and without the ball is certainly not fully developed yet, he has the passion, determination and ability to get the job done, which speaks testaments to the great player that Mitchell is. However, this also speaks about the greatness yet to come from this player when he is trained up and reaches his optimum playing capability, and while he may not prove to be the best at this tournament, as he may get overshadowed by other Ethanian players, and therefore may get less playing time, and he may fizzle out from the pressure that is put on players at that level, as well as his immaturity in his play (although he is a highly respectable and calm figure on the pitch), his goal from this will be to pick up a bit of experience, get some decent training in, develop his abilities, and prepare for the star that he could potentially become in the future.
Striker: Wilmer Jaurequi; 19; Urrheddiao (Chromatika)
Caps:16
Sub-Caps:18
Goals: 4
Assists: 0
Taking the last spot in the squad comes Jaurequi, another future star to look out for. He has some pace, but is a very raw, inexperienced, and undeveloped player, who will be looking more into the future for increased involvement in the national team, as he will be overshadowed in preference of other, more experienced players at this world cup. He does not have the best temper however, and may be involved in a controversy or two when he plays (imagine a young Wayne Rooney).
Tactics
Ethanian football has changed direction recently. No longer will the team be following the ultra-defensive style of football used by Curtis Steeling in the last cycle, but will instead be adopting a new style, still slightly tinted by a defensive formation, coined by the media as 'explosive football'. 'Explosive Football' is the culmination of an increased supply pool of strikers, and a rather poor roster of teams with defensive capabilities sufficient enough to be included in this team.
It is a policy which now includes 4 players at the back, rather than 5. A more possessive style of football is played, with a focus still on defence, but the team has more of a policy of keeping the ball than before, passing it around the back. The team will have sudden (explosive) bursts of attacks, where they will advance quickly on the opposition in phases, and get a load of shots at once, overloading the defence of the opposition team, before referring back to their original, more defensive format. Counter-attacks are also used occasionally as a viable form of attack when out of possession and when being rapidly attacked when the chance arises, but the team is a much more possessive, pass around the team, slowly work their way to a goal style of play.
Stadium
King Edward IV Stadium
The stadium is situated in New Sarum, the capital of Ethane. It can hold 60,000 people in the setup as shown above, and will be used for all home games. The stadium can be accessed for fans from shuttle buses from the airport, and locations around the city. Plenty of accommodation has been set aside for travelling fans, and will be able to be enquired about on line in the lead up to games, and at the airport upon arrival.
RP Permissions
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes, but not too over the top.
RP injuries to my players: Yes, I decide the length of injuries
Godmod injuries to my players: No, however, if you do talk to me first through TG or on IRC, I can sometimes be lenient and agree to this.
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes, but not in excess
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes, but not in excess. I decide on length of suspension.
Godmod other events: Yes, but don't go too overboard.