Independent Associations Championship 24 Everything Thread

by **Taxhavn** » Wed Aug 06, 2025 4:00 am

Taxhavn 1-0 Tanirinthia
Unexpected Gains

Shillingmen hold on for surprise win

Left back Jonas Spori scored his first goal for the national team and the only goal of the match as the Shillinghmen clung on to record a precious victory that might yet just see them qualify out of the group, when most of us had already given up hope of that happening for this cycle. It also sets a new record which speaks to the generally poor showings of the Taxhavnites at the Indies - three games unbeaten is the best ever streak for the national team. Which is a bit embarrassing, but we'll take it. Jonas' goal came right on the 60th minute following a cornerkick for the Shillingmen which had broken down, led to a scramble in the penalty box, with captain and star striker Zubi Zuberbühler finally getting the ball under control, spotting Jonas coming back from the corner which he had initially taken, and threading a precise pass out to him through a crowded area. Spori took the pass gratefully in his stride and thundered a shot high into the roof of the net from the edge of the area. It was a rare moment of quality in an otherwise disappointing game, with neither side pressing much of a claim for ambition or creativity. While the Taxhavnites held the greater part of possession, Tanirinthia had almost twice as many shots, (13 to 7) with three times as many on target (6 to 2). That is not to say it was a wildly attacking game, but the Mighty Oaks will come away wondering how they lost this one.

Taxhavn, having beaten and eliminated the number one seed in the group, now take on the number two The Elder Lands in their final match, and then face an anxious wait having played a game more than anyone else. Defeat might not necessarily eliminate them - with two going through, that would be enough for The Elder Lands but could allow Oscioru to catch them. Likewise a draw - but victory, if unlikely, would secure them first place and a round off in which they could put their feet up. And it would stretch that unbeaten record to a mighty four games. Are there any good portents? Well, in each of the past three Indie tournaments, despite their generally poor form the Taxhavnites have always scored five in one group match - and in '22, that was against The Elder Lands...

Match data generated by the Bonesea Quickstatter

Tenuous Connections 
Jason Park Station & Renni Boom

Mr. Kobblers demonstrates his tenacity

Gnejsian dog-walker Karl-Johan Vaasa (63) and his friend Knut Svensson (65) had joined television celebrities Etienne Kobblers and Tammy Snopes on the Shilling Mountain Special - the train following the scenic route to Maartenstadt International Airport and beyond. They had organised a day trip to the airport to indulge their third favourite hobby - plane-spotting. Their first favourite hobby of course was football tourism, travelling all about watching the wierd and wonderful of multiversal soccer. Their second hobby was dog-walking. To tell the truth this was more Karl-Johan’s hobby, but Knut usually liked to tag along… for the exercise, you see?

«Mrrrrrrr, rolff!» - that was Hardly-Knut, the dog. A Rushmori rock terrier. He wasn’t especially interested in plane spotting but he liked a good day out and was celebrating Knut getting an official That's A Connection! off Tammy for successfully linking Albyn Bridge with Valentin Fey. Like Knut, he was also tagging along for the exercise.

«Rolff, rolff!» he said.

«But it's not your go, Hardly» said Karl-Johan to the over-enthusiastic terrier.

Tammy laughed. 'He's so sweet!'

Karl-Johan hoped she was talking about him, but probably Hardly-Knut was getting all the attention. He was definitely in show-off mode. I could hardly blame the rock terrier for trying, or Karl-Johan, for that matter. Imagine being in the actual presence of Tammy Snopes?! I'd probably get tongue-tied, myself.

«It's a good choice, Hardly,» agreed Knut. For Hardly-Knut had selected Renni Boom as the next player to be included in the tenuous challenge, although technically it was Knut's turn to select since he had made the connection in the last round. But Hardly-Knut always considered himself interchangeable with Karl-Johan and especially Knut. «We pick Renni Boom!» said Knut, patting Hardly-Knut on the head.

'Alright then,' said Tammy, 'so; Etienne, can you make a Tenuous Connection please between our next stop, Jason Park station, and Renni Boom, who is off to Saterun to play in the Indies?'

'Hmm, let me see...' pondered Etienne Kobblers. To be fair the nation's most famous train driver (he wasn't driving the Shilling Mountain Special) was the undefeated champion of Tenuous Connections, so he was probably only pondering for dramatic effect. 'I think I have it...' he said, dramatically.

'Jason Park station is located, obviously, in Jason Park. At the turn of the nineteenth century, this whole area was quite a squalid slum land that didn't really even have a name, and was ill-reputed as the home of bare-knuckle fist fighting. Occasionally the authorities clamped down on this often deadly pastime, and tried to host 'respectable' Queensbury boxing matches to satisfy the bloodlust of the locals. One of the biggest was between Men’s Super Heavyweights Sin Moŋ-jin & Park Kyung-Soo; they were from a country called Jasĭyun and while Sin was the favourite - he had competed in the Games of the IV Olympiad - Park knocked him flat out in the first round in front of an estimated 50,000 baying Bernadinites (precursors to the Taxhavnites), who promptly rioted, feeling short-changed at the rapidity of the contest. The area became known as the location of the Park of Jasĭyun Riots, and later the Jason Park riots... and then the only moderately more respectable District of Jason Park.

'Anyway.

'Jasĭyun is a place or an entity or something in the dread region of Ao, and part of the mysterious Paripana or SLANI or Commerce Heights commonwealth or whatever it is; Commerce Heights almost invented football (Ariddia actually did) but they certainly did invent 'excorination' which isn't a cruel and inhumane form of interrogation, but the way winners are ennumerated on Audioslav spreadsheets. Commerce Heights actually won the World Cup about three hundred years ago, in long-forgotten places called Eauz (which isn't related to Eura) and The Eagles Nest, which is related to Vilita - probably. Given it's similarity to the Eagles Cup, the Eagles Nest might well have a controversial connection to the shamed nation of Ao, also the secret puppet master of Crystalakere, Space, Misrantis and maybe Crpostran. When all this nationstates puppetry interference was first revealed by an Audioslav spreadsheet, Vilita was vigorously sanctioned, and many of their world class footballers were thrown out of offended nations like Valanora. Northern Taxhavn club Tijhuis Archimedes spotted an opportunity and in the face of great controversy signed a few world class Vilitan exiles like Sami Samiii from Mar Sara FC. All for free. They helped Tijhuis Archimedes return to the top echelons of the SteuerLig, from where they had been missing for a few years. So too did Renni Boom, who is a defender for the Owls, a team mate of Sami Samiii, and will play in Saterun.'

There was a brief pause while the astonished Gnejsian tourists took it all in. Even Hardly-Knut was barkless.

'Boom' said Karl-Johan, eventually, in an awed tone.

'That's a connection!' announced Tammy, using one of her show catchphrases.

And that's what a Tenuous Connection Black-Belt Champion plays like.

by **Recuecn** » Wed Aug 06, 2025 4:51 am

Héloïse, Moesha, and Rébecca had become fast friends since the World Cup. Rébecca was the youngest member of a Reçueçn squad that had plenty of older players, and sometime the age difference could make her feel a little excluded. Some of the adults on the team didn't know how to interact with a teenager at first, but fortunately she found friends in Heloise and Moesha, the two teammates closest to her own age. Both of them were just as new to Les Licornes as she was, having been called up for the first time for World Cup 99, after the player strike had forced the federation to allow female players.

The trio had become very close. Moesha and Héloïse were the same age as each other and had in fact been friends even before joining the ÉNRF; they were attending the same university and played on the same club team. Although they were four years older than Rébecca, they accepted her into their little circle immediately. Unlike some of the older Licornes, Moesha and Héloïse felt they were part of the same generation as Rébecca—they shared the same sense of humor, knew the same pop culture references, spent time on the same social media apps, and listened to the same music.

The three of them were hanging out together in the Karl Sommer Hotel and Resort in Anasb, where the ÉNRF was enjoying a rest day during its bye. Rébecca, who shared a hotel room with her dad, was coming down the hall to hang out in Moesha and Heloise's room. The TV was on, but Moesha and Héloïse were lying on one of the beds, scrolling on their phones and not paying any attention to it when Rébecca walked in. They had half an hour to kill before the team's next practice session.

Héloïse looked up as Rébecca came into the room and flopped onto the bed with them. "You made it," she said. "I didn't think we were going to see you before practice."

Moesha pushed an open bag of chips toward Rébecca without looking up. "Have some," she said. "We found these at a snack shop outside the zoo this morning. It's some Saternalian flavor I've never heard of, but it's pretty good."

Rébecca filled her mouth with a handful of potato chips but didn't let that stop her from trying to talk at the same time. "Yeah, my dad wanted to video call my mom together and they were talking foreverrrr. I didn't think I'd ever get free."

"It must be nice having your dad on the team," said Héloïse. "Must be a lot of perks to being the captain's daughter."

Rébecca rolled her eyes. "Everyone tells me that. But it's like, kind of annoying. You're crazy if you think I wanted to share a room with my dad. And when you guys have free time you can do all this fun stuff like your zoo trip this morning, but I'm still stuck following all the same boring rules from home."

"I can see that," said Héloïse. "But you don't think there's any benefits at all?"

"I mean, during the protests, people were saying nasty stuff about me online," said Rébecca. "The way my dad stood up for me meant a lot. And you've seen how the whole team looks up to him, so when he went on strike, they all joined him, and soon enough the whole league had joined the protests. It's thanks to them we can even be on the team. So I'm thankful he did that. And he still backs me up whenever he can. So the moral support is nice, I guess."

"That does sound nice. I wish my mom could be with me cheering me on at every game like that," said Moesha.

"You should give yourself more credit though," said Héloïse. "You were the one who started the protests. You got the ball rolling in the first place. If anything, we should be thanking you that we can play for the country now."

Rébecca flushed bright red. "I mean, it wasn't... I didn't do anything special, and my parents did a lot of it..."

"Just accept the compliment," said Moesha. "And yeah, what your dad did was very cool. You're not the only one who's glad to have him leading the team."

Rébecca looked down. "I just don't want people to think I'm getting special treatment," she said. "I feel like a nepo baby sometimes."

"Don't be silly," said Héloïse. "Everyone's seen you play. They know you earned your spot on the team. Honestly, I'm a bit surprised you're not first-string already."

Rébecca only grew more flustered, making Moesha laugh. "Ok, enough glazing, Héloïse, you're embarrassing her."

Héloïse shrugged her shoulders. "I tell no lies," she said. "Anyway what do you two wanna do before practice? We still have twenty minutes."

Moesha glared at her and pointed to the TV. "I thought we were gonna finish the episode."

It was Héloïse's turn to laugh. "You weren't even watching it!"

Rébecca looked from one to the other. "Oooh, I wanna watch, what is it?"

"Oh, it won't make sense unless we start over," groaned Moesha.

"No, here," said Héloïse, grabbing the remote and pausing the show. "I'll explain it to you, it's just getting good."

Laughing and smiling, the three girls passed the time without stressing about their upcoming game. Who could blame them for enjoying a day off? Little did they know their own importance. They were the next generation of Reçuecian soccer stars—that much everyone knew already. But they were still blissfully unaware that their nation's fate at the IAC would come to rest on their shoulders.

by **Riandera** » Wed Aug 06, 2025 6:20 am

After the match with the Osnari Federation

Anggrek and Krishna are unsurprisingly impressed that their Raffs won the match.

Krishna: Hmm. They might've won that match, but will they win against HUElavia?

Anggrek: Uhhh... we've definitely trained them enough.

Krishna: I feel I need a break from being this tough. Let's brag about this victory.

Anggrek: Should we? I don't think we should.

Krishna: Ahh, tell the Raffs.

Anggrek: OK, fine.

---

Krishna: Hey, Raffs!

A large "mob" walked closer to Krishna after hearing their group name.

Zhamanta: Is that about our victory to the Osnari Federation?

Anggrek: Yes, you're correct.

Zhamanta: Knew it.

Krishna: How about you lot go back to practicing.

Anggrek: Get C-R-A-C-K-I-N-G. Get cracking. Now.

The Raffs follow her order and "practice play" on the field.

---

Ira notices that Kevin is leaving a slightly large space.

Ira: Hey, Kevin! Don't make the opponent get it easily.

Kevin closes his space by a tiny bit. "Got it!"

Maryam multitasks: she watches, plays and observes. "Too rough of a kick." She silently says in her mind.

Zhamanta pays close attention to how her teammates are playing. Was her team going to win that match?

Some bench players, Cantik, Susana and Lalu, end up joining in the practice game.

Nathan laughs at the way he kicked the ball, but no one else joins in.

Cantik is not impressed with Nathan, despite usually being on the bench. "That's... not funny."

Nathan: Oh. Sorry...

Lalu: Should've read the room next time.

Lalu, Nathan and Cantik laugh.

Anggrek blows her whistle. "Lunch." She says under her breath.

The Raffs knew exactly what she said even if they couldn't hear hear. They knew the drill.

by **United Adaikes** » Wed Aug 06, 2025 9:09 am

Three Down, One to Go: UAD's Path to the Knockouts Runs Through Drawkland
By Blanch Curtis, United Adaikes Football Daily

[Mieteng, Saterun] – United Adaikes took another step toward history with a 2-0 victory over Strayaroos Barrier Islands, securing their place at the top of Group D in the 24th Independent Associations Championship. But the job isn’t done yet.

Match Summary:
-Fito Conway broke the deadlock in the 61st minute, getting another goal in the statline of the tournament after a clever through-ball from Leire Page.
-Page sealed the win in the 67th with a thunderous strike from outside the box—his fourth international goal.
-Goalkeeper Maria Tobin earned her second straight clean sheet, a testament to Leonel Nuñez’s defensive adjustments.

The Stakes for Matchday 5:
With a bye on Matchday 4, UAD now prepares for a winner-takes-all clash against Drawkland, the group’s highest-ranked team. A win guarantees progression, but a draw could leave them vulnerable if results go elsewhere in the final games of the other teams.

"We’re not here just to participate," growled Nuñez post-match. "Drawkland is strong, but we’ve earned the right to believe."

For a team that hadn’t competed internationally in 24 years, this is uncharted territory. The nation holds its breath.

Blood, Sweat, and Tears: The Untold Stories of United Adaikes’ Return
Exclusive footage from "One Nation, One Dream," airing next month on AdaikesSport TV

A camera zooms in on Leire Page, her hands trembling as she reties her laces for the third time. "I still feel like that girl from Porto Vellón," she admits. "What if I’m not good enough?"

This raw moment is one of many captured by documentary crew "Verité Films", granted unprecedented access to United Adaikes’ IAC24 campaign. The footage reveals:

The Hidden Battles
-Maria Tobin breaking down after the Delaclava loss, replaying her mistakes on a tablet alone in her room.
-Coy Sigourney video-calling his newborn son before every match—a child he’s yet to hold due to the tournament schedule.
-Eden Bird, the team’s quiet leader, visiting a military cemetery before flying out, paying respects to his grandfather, a war hero.

Nuñez’s Leadership
The coach’s fiery training-ground speeches are contrasted with private moments—like him handing Page a note before the Natkr game: "You belong here."

"This isn’t just football," says director Clara Mendez. "It’s about a country healing through sport."

The film’s climax? The looming Drawkland showdown—where dreams either soar or shatter.

by **Choppyhausen** » Wed Aug 06, 2025 11:11 am

Broadcasting Service Choppyhausen
Independent Associations Championship 24 - Interview

Group C - Matchday 3

Xaiv – In their second international football match, the Choppyhausen national team has achieved a goalless draw against last in the group Soviet Kem. The Broadcasting Service Choppyhausen has interviewed national head coach Harmon Merrit.

BSC: Mr. Merrit, how do you assess this 0–0 draw against Soviet Kem?

Merrit: Well, on the one hand, we’re still unbeaten and sitting third in the group, with first place still well within reach. That’s nothing to take for granted, especially considering this is our first international tournament. But when you look at certain moments in this match, it does sting a bit not to have taken all three points.

When you talk about those “moments,” are you referring to the missed penalty in the 34th minute?

Well, if Corte had converted that penalty, the match would’ve played out very differently, yeah. But especially in the second half, we had five or six clear chances that could — honestly, should — have put us 1–0 up. Tyr’s long-range shot that hit the bar, that brilliant solo run by Lukeson that sadly ended with the ball going out, Iduna holding onto it far too long… there were plenty of moments.

Sounds like you’re being pretty critical of your team’s performance.

Well, not at all! The fact that, as newcomers, we can dominate a match at the IAC like this and create that many chances is a huge achievement. And credit to our backline — they saved our skin more than once today. It’s not like Soviet Kem were just standing around the whole match. They’ve got some very capable players too. Without Holdenbeck’s incredible tackle in the sixth minute, this game could’ve gone south for us real early.

You subbed off Cory before halftime. What led to that decision?

Well, that’s football. Sometimes you’re just having a rough day — and for Cory, that was definitely the case today. The way he gave the ball away in those first 30 minutes, you simply can’t afford that in a tournament like this. And when that happens, as a player, you have to accept the consequences. But I’m confident he’ll learn from this and bounce back stronger in the upcoming matches.

Lastly, what can you tell us about your next game against Juvencus?

Juvencus will be a tough opponent. Sure, they’ve had a slow start to the tournament, but they’re a seasoned footballing nation — far more experienced than we are. They play a very attacking style, which hasn’t paid off for them so far, and we need to make sure that continues on the next matchday. And I’m confident, ladies and gentlemen: we can do it!

Herr Merrit, wie bewerten Sie dieses 0:0 gegen Soviet Kem?

Nun, einerseits sind wir immer noch ungeschlagen auf Platz 3 in der Gruppe, mit dem Gruppenersten noch locker in Reichweite. Das ist nicht selbstverständlich, dafür dass das hier unser erstes internationales Turnier ist. Aber wenn man sich einige Momente in diesem Spiel anguckt, dann schmerzt es doch, hier keine drei Punkte mitgenommen zu haben.

Wenn Sie von diesen 'Momenten' sprechen, meinen Sie dann den verschossenen Elfmeter in der 34. Minute?

Nun, wenn Corte den Elfer verwandelt hätte, dann wär' das Spiel sicherlich anders verlaufen, ja. Aber gerade in der zweiten Hälfte hatten wir bestimmt fünf, sechs Szenen, die zum 1:0 hätten führen können wenn nicht müssen. Der Weitschuss an die Latte von Tyr, dieses wunderschöne Dribbling von Lukeson, das im Endeffekt im Toraus landete, Iduna, der viel zu lange wartet etc...

Das klingt als würden Sie die Leistung ihres Teams ganz schön negativ sehen.

Nun, absolut nicht! Dass wir als Newcomer überhaupt so dominant in einem IAC-Spiel auftreten können und uns solche Chancen herausspielen können, ist schon eine enorme Leistung. Und unsere Defensive hat uns definitiv auch einige Male den Arsch gerettet. Es ist ja nicht so als wäre Soviet Kem das ganze Spiel über untätig gewesen, die haben auch ganz fähige Spieler. Ohne Holdenbecks Mega-Tackle in der sechsten Minute hätte sich das Spiel vielleicht auch schon früh in eine für uns ganz ungünstige Situation entwickeln können.

Sie wechselten Cory heute noch vor der Halbzeitpause aus. Wie kam es zu dieser Entscheidung?

Nun, so ist der Fußball eben. Manchmal hat man einfach einen schlechten Tag und bei Cory war das heute definitiv der Fall. So leichtsinnig wie der in der ersten halben Stunde mit seinen Pässen umgegangen ist, sowas darf man in so einem Turnier einfach nicht machen. Und dann muss man halt als Spieler auch die Konsequenzen tragen. Aber ich bin mir sicher, dass der Mann seine Lektionen daraus gelernt hat und das die nächsten Spiele besser machen wird.

Zum Schluss noch: Was können Sie uns im Hinblick auf das nächste Spiel gegen Juvencus sagen?

Nun, Juvencus wird ein harter Gegner. Sie hatten zwar bisher einen eher schwachen Start, aber das ist eine erfahrene Fußballnation, weitaus erfahrener als wir. Sie spielen einen sehr offensiven Fußball, der sie bisher in diesem Turnier noch nicht weit gebracht hat und wir müssen am nächsten Spieltag dafür sorgen, dass das so bleibt. Und ich bin mir sicher meine Damen und Herren: Wir können das schaffen!

by **Saterun** » Wed Aug 06, 2025 1:27 pm

Matchday 4

Group A
Saterun 4–1 Sixty-Nine X
Valentine Z 2–2 Britonisea

Group A                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Britonisea                       4   2  1  1   12   6  +6    7
2 Valentine Z                      3   2  1  0    7   4  +3    7
3 Saterun                          3   2  0  1    9   6  +3    6
4 Muralos                          3   1  0  2    3   4  −1    3
5 Sixty-Nine X                     3   0  0  3    2  13 −11    0

Group B
Crpostran 0–1 Of the Golden Harp
Dhemixia 4–3 Calgasia

Group B                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Calgasia                         4   3  0  1   11   7  +4    9
2 Solgavden                        3   2  0  1    6   3  +3    6
3 Dhemixia                         3   2  0  1    5   4  +1    6
4 Of the Golden Harp               3   1  0  2    2   7  −5    3
5 Crpostran                        3   0  0  3    1   4  −3    0

Group C
Juvencus 4–2 Choppyhausen
Indusse 1–0 Seeberg

Group C                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Indusse                          3   2  1  0    4   1  +3    7
2 Seeberg                          4   2  0  2    3   2  +1    6
3 Juvencus                         3   1  1  1    5   5   0    4
4 Choppyhausen                     3   1  1  1    3   4  −1    4
5 Soviet Kem                       3   0  1  2    0   3  −3    1

Group D
Drawkland 2–0 Strayaroos Barrier Islands
Delaclava 5–2 Natkr

Group D                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Drawkland                        3   2  1  0    7   1  +6    7
2 Delaclava                        3   2  1  0    9   5  +4    7
3 United Adaikes                   3   2  0  1    6   3  +3    6
4 Natkr                            4   1  0  3    3  11  −8    3
5 Strayaroos Barrier Islands       3   0  0  3    0   5  −5    0

Group E
Aphrilia 1–0 Oriental of Rio de La Plata
Visayas Islands 2–1 Sajnur

Group E                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Aphrilia                         3   3  0  0    7   1  +6    9
2 Maphidon                         3   1  2  0    2   1  +1    5
3 Oriental of Rio de La Plata      3   1  1  1    2   1  +1    4
4 Visayas Islands                  3   1  1  1    4   4   0    4
5 Sajnur                           4   0  0  4    1   9  −8    0

Group F
Edsmontik 1–0 Sel Appa
Sudilia 2–0 Abanhfleft

Group F                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Edsmontik                        3   3  0  0    4   1  +3    9
2 Sudilia                          3   2  0  1    4   1  +3    6
3 Abanhfleft                       4   1  1  2    6   6   0    4
4 Sel Appa                         3   1  0  2    3   5  −2    3
5 Ranoria                          3   0  1  2    3   7  −4    1

Group G
Tanirinthia 3–3 Oscioru
The Elder Lands 2–4 Taxhavn

Group G                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Taxhavn                          4   3  1  0   11   7  +4   10
2 The Elder Lands                  3   2  0  1    8   7  +1    6
3 Oscioru                          3   1  1  1    7   7   0    4
4 Aclan                            3   0  1  2    3   5  −2    1
5 Tanirinthia                      3   0  1  2    5   8  −3    1

Group H
HUElavia 0–0 Riandera
Reçueçn 1–0 Grand Exultia

Group H                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Reçueçn                          3   3  0  0    4   0  +4    9
2 Riandera                         3   2  1  0    2   0  +2    7
3 HUElavia                         3   1  1  1    2   2   0    4
4 Osnari Federation                3   1  0  2    3   5  −2    3
5 Grand Exultia                    4   0  0  4    3   7  −4    0

by **Drawkland** » Wed Aug 06, 2025 2:03 pm

We put two Drawkians with so much knowledge of Drawkian sport that it's almost pathetic into a room together. It's a typical podcast setup, two chairs and two sets of audio equipment set face-to-face at a small table, with tablets for reference. We told them that the door was locked and we wouldn't let them out until they'd had a satisfactory discussion on the following question:

"What is Drawkland's legacy in the Independents Cup?"

"I guess I'll start with the easiest answer. Drawkland is probably the most recognizable nation in IAC history. Off the top of my head, I believe Drawkland is the only nation which has participated in every single edition of the Independents Cup. Every single person who's watched an IAC has seen Drawkland in one way or another. We may not have been the nation to get the ball rolling but at this point Drawkland and the IAC are essentially inseparable."

"I assume you mean Drawkland is the most recognizable nation just in terms of the IAC itself. Even then it's not really an open-and-shut case. Bonesea and Schottia were quintessential indie nations, even though their actual IAC tenures weren't very long in the grand scheme of things. Those two were competing for World Cups, even against each other at one point. Without them, it would've taken a lot longer for the IAC to gain respect."

"I wasn't really arguing that Drawkland was the most influential or anything like that. Just that within the bounds of the tournament, Drawkland has always been floating near the top, at least after the first few cycles when the team came into its own."

"Let me fact check you as well. We know Drawkland has never missed an edition, but there's a few other nations that have at least been in existence for the entire history of the tournament. Juvencus and Abanhfleft come to mind; they participated in both IAC-1 and IAC-24. Also HUElavia has been around for awhile, they've gotta be top five in total tournaments played."

"I know for a fact Juvencus missed a couple cycles after participating in #1. They don't have an unbroken streak. I feel like Abanhfleft probably missed one or two at some point."

"Okay, yeah, Juvencus missed IAC-2 and IAC-3. HUElavia also missed five of the first ten editions, but their hosting job in IAC-9 kinda cemented them as a mainstay. So including this cycle, they're at 22 and 19 tournaments respectively. Regarding Abanhfleft ..."

"Don't tell me."

"Abanhfleft has never missed a cycle. So Drawkland isn't even the only team to have played in every edition."

"I could've sworn they missed one of the early ones! Oh well. Even so, Abanhfleft has only ever reached a podium position one time. The very first cycle, they got third place. Ever since then, they haven't really been contenders. They can get points for consistency but unlike Drawkland, they don't really get points for success."

"Can you really say that Drawkland gets points for success? Twenty-four editions yet only one title to show for it. If you-"

"Come on, man. Yeah, yeah, I get it, the Kick Corps chokes a lot. That doesn't change the fact that they've been to six finals, including a four in a row. If you want to talk about relevance, that's how you get it. Seven medals in total, if you include the bronze in IAC-16. Does that count for nothing?"

"Podium finishes don't mean a whole lot. Poafmersia only has three, but they converted all three into gold medals. They're arguably the most successful nation in the tournament. Actually, I take that back. It's hard to beat HUElavia in that department, once they got going."

"Right, because HUElavia has three titles too, but more podium finishes. So suddenly five second-place finishes actually make a difference when you're not talking about Drawkland?"

"I didn't say that."

"You implied it. In any case, you can say that Drawkland has a greater legacy than any other one-time winner. This is going by the standard you established ten seconds ago regarding HUE vs Poaf."

"Okay, fine. The question isn't really about who the greatest IAC nation is, but what Drawkland's legacy is in particular. Just wanted to remind you."

"Don't try to get cute with me. It's easier to explain Drawkland's legacy when comparing it to other big names in IAC history. It's also more interesting that way."

"Sure. So we could tentatively place Drawkland's legacy above most of the other one-time winners-"

"I'd say all of them. Seven podium finishes plus two hosting jobs is hard to beat."

"Don't be so sure. Bonesea gets the credit for starting the damn thing and winning it early. Reçueçn has also been an iconic IAC nation despite the one ring."

"Bonesea is certainly a big name in IAC history but I don't think their tournament legacy outshines Drawkland. They haven't been seen in nearly 40 years, same with Schottia. Really I'd put both those nations in the same tier of 'legendary but bygone.' They may have started the tournament and cemented its relevance but they didn't shape it into what the tournament is today. They were both long gone by the time HUElavia became relevant, and HUElavia probably has the greatest legacy by your own admission."

"And Reçueçn? With the one title and multiple hosting jobs, they're essentially on the same tier as Drawkland."

"Don't be ridiculous. Reçueçn is definitely an upper tier IAC name, but they missed several cycles in the teens and only have the one final appearance. Final losses are still semifinal wins, which are impressive in their own right. Reçueçn can't compete in that category."

"I still say it's closer than you think. Drawkland may not have missed a cycle but there's plenty of tournaments where they were irrelevant enough that it didn't matter."

"Please be serious. Twenty-one playoff appearances in twenty-three tournaments to date equals relevance. Drawkland reaches the playoffs over 90% of the time."

"It's the IAC, man. It's not exactly difficult to reach the playoffs once you're established. How about the fact that the Kick Corps makes the quarterfinals less than half the time?"

"More than half. Twelve quarterfinal appearances, twenty-three tries. Even if we miss it this cycle, that's still right at .500 overall. Plus 75% of the time the Kick Corps makes the quarters, they win. In those 9 semifinal appearances, 7 ended up getting a medal of some kind. I know you're salty that the Corps can't finish the deal, but you can't ignore this level of consistency. It's almost approaching Grid Corps levels of power."

"The Grid Corps has three titles, so it's a little different."

"Yeah, whatever, I don't want to get into that now. Still, you have to admit that Drawkland has a legacy that few can match up to, even considering the fact that they've only ever won it all once."

"Sure. I still think they're below the 'three time winner, three time host' tier of HUElavia and Poafmersia, but I'll slot them above the 'legendary but bygone' tier of Bonesea and Schottia. Y'know what, I think they'd fit perfectly in a 'Sonnelian nation with several semifinals' tier with Juvencus."

"I guess that's fair. Juvencus is tied for third-most podium finishes all-time with 4. Still 3 fewer than Drawkland, but I can admit that the additional title makes up for it. Though Drawkland still has a bit of an edge for longevity and the extra hosting job, plus the IAC President being in-house."

"Don't bring Avery and Pattinson into this."

"Fine, fine. But I think we've sufficiently answered the question at hand. Drawkland's legacy amounts to 'top longevity, generally great, and occasionally excellent, but not the greatest.' Can we have food now?"

by **Taxhavn** » Wed Aug 06, 2025 11:56 pm

The Elder Lands 2-4 Taxhavn
Through!

Taxhavn progress against the odds

A brace from attacking midfielder and player of the match Luis Glücki, with a belated one from superstar striker Zubi Zuberbühler - his first of the tournament - and an unfortunate own-goal from gnome Bellwether saw the Shillingmen guarantee a group win with one round to spare, and a rare qualification to the knockout phase of the Indies. Luis Glücki seemed to be everywhere in this game, influencing every aspect in a command performance as the team rose from third pot to secure progression very much against the odds, including wins over both higher ranked teams. An early Glücki screamer had put the Shillingmen ahead in the 8th minute and they held that comfortably until almost half-time, playing well and dominating possession, until the Eladrin inside forward Hallar took a Swoopstake cross on the volley and hit a surprise equaliser. Early the second half the Eldars even got themselves in front with Comgal's 49th minute strike, and things looked to be going horribly wrong for Nelis Fijnwever's men. But the team settled their nerves and got back into their stride when Super Zubi struck in the 66th minute. It certainly felt like they would go on to secure the points but it took until late to force the lead, when Zubi's header from a corner cannoned off the post, hit keeper Bellwether on the back of the head, and bounced into the net for a sorry own goal. The Eldar could not mount a second comeback, and that man Luis Glücki put the game to bed six minutes into injury time, allowing a massive long clearance from keeper Victor van Drop to come over the shoulder and bounce in front of him before finishing off delicately with a neat chip over vertically-challenged Bellwether.

While Glücki wins all the plaudits for his stand-out performance, we should take a moment to remember that Super Zubi Zuberbühler has now scored in each of the last four IACs, currently the only Taxhavnite to do so. With Rik Dam dropped from the squad, only forward Jeroen Blenkers can match that, and with the Shillingmen progressing into the knockouts, he will still have at least one more opportunity to match his strike partner in a remarkable record.

Match data generated by the Bonesea Quickstatter

Tenuous Connections 
Shilling Canyon Hotel & Zubi Zuberbühler

Tammy takes a turn

Gnejsian dog-walker Karl-Johan Vaasa (63) and his friend Knut Svensson (65) were playing Tenuous Connections on the Shilling Mountain Special - the train following the scenic route to Maartenstadt International Airport - with two of the famous TV show's celebrities - Etienne Kobblers and Tammy Snopes. The Gnejsians had organised a day trip to the airport to indulge their third favourite hobby - plane-spotting. Their first favourite hobby of course was football tourism, travelling all about watching the wierd and wonderful of multiversal soccer. Their second hobby was dog-walking. To tell the truth this was more Karl-Johan’s hobby, but Knut usually liked to tag along… for the exercise, you see?

«Mrrrrrrr, rolff!» - that was Hardly-Knut, the dog. A Rushmori rock terrier. He wasn’t especially interested in plane spotting but he loved a good quiz. Like Knut, he was also tagging along for the exercise. And the views.

The train pulled out of Jason Park and now the best leg of the journey began - the slow climb up into Shilling Mountain, through the marvellous engineering feats of the Great Mountain Cut, the South Incline, and the Penny Span - the famous iron truss arch bridge over Penny Gorge. It was so spectacular Karl-Johan and Knut almost forgot about Tammy Snopes, with her silky blouse and huge glasses. Almost. Next stop, Shilling Canyon Hotel, on the edge of the greater gorge, a famous landmark and tourist attraction.

Etienne Kobblers, perhaps the country's most illustrious train driver (it was his day off) had just completed the connection between Jason Park station and Tijhuis Archimedes right-back Renni Boom, a mainstay of the national team. As a champion of the show - no, wait a minute, I should say as THE undefeatable black-belt master champion of the show - he was often called upon these days to make guest appearances and even sometimes to present the show alongside Tammy. They were even now headed off to the airport to produce a show in Saterun themed especially for the Indies football tournament, so this little quiz on the train was good practice for them. Naturally he had thoroughly impressed the Gnejsian companions with his incredibly tenuous grasp of football, and was now handing over to Tammy by selecting a player for her.

'So Tammy,' said Etienne, doing his best Tammy Snopes impression, 'can you make a tenuous connection between Mount Shilling Hotel, and, let me see... yes! Zubi Zuberbühler!'

Tammy, of course, didn't usually actually make the tenuous connections, her job generally was to fact-check that the contestants hadn't made an error in their thinking. But she was a good sport and agreed to have a go.

«Mrrrrrrr, rolff!» said Hardly-Knut, the Rock Terrier, quietly, wagging his tail. He was obviously on to something.

«Shhhhhh, Hardly,» scolded Karl-Johan, «No helping! You'll get your turn in a bit.»

'Hmmmm,' said Tammy, frowning. She was taking her time as they passed the Lode Rock and Bankrupt's Leap. She began mumbling her connections to herself, counting on her fingers, frowning and shaking her head. They rumbled over Penny Span and looked back at the stunning sight of a slither of St. Bernadine City thousands of feet below through Keyhole Gap. Tammy muttered and giggled and tapped her perfectly manicured nails - so lovely - on the table, and slurped her coffee thoughtfully as they trundled along Overnook Pass. The conductor announced their approach to Shilling Canyon Hotel over the tannoy. It was getting tense. Was Tammy going to fail?

'I've got it!' she said suddenly. Of course she wasn't going to fail.

'Super Zubi Zuberbühler's dad's third cousin Henri's wife's younger sister Jemima is married to the sous chef Jean-Paul Delafosse who trained under Skúta Rask at the Shilling Canyon!'

I mean, it was hard to verify that, especially with Tammy Snopes unavailable and none of the others up to being third party verifier, even Etienne Kobblers, when it came to the spouses of distant relatives of football stars.

«Rolff-rolff-rolff-rolff-rolff!,» barked Hardly-Knut, «rolff!»

«He says 'that's a connection!',» said Karl-Johan, using one of Tammy's show catchphrases. Clearly the rock terrier had read up on the familial trees of the Shillingmen squad, and good for him.

by **Seeberg** » Thu Aug 07, 2025 5:15 am

Well the Zeiten they are a-changing and while it might seem sinnvoll to delve deeper into this state of affairs by investigating further Erscheinungen that add to the kulturelle degradation of society and look closer at such brutale and just generally halbstarke music groups like those hiphopers in the Teutonic Tang Clan and their specific brand of fusing kritische Theorie with equestrian lingo and frauenfeindliche over beats based on classical violin concertos that make the kids move in all the verkehrten ways down on Ordensgemeinschaft Straße just by Kaufleute Platz, I have decided that we could all benefit from a break at this point in time and engage in a more gemütliche activity.

True enough the game Schwache Verbindungen is fremdländisch in origin which we usually frown upon here below the great mountains but let us make an exception and focus on the Herausforderung before us which is to make any sort of connection between The Isle of Taxhavn and Horkenheimer forward Alberto Prosciutto.

Taxhavn is mostly known for money and banking and dubiose Geschäfte and so on and so forth but in recent years they have increasingly been starting to make a name for themselves in the world of football and while it is true that their Ruhm is definitely starting to be felt in terms of national team competitions like the IAC and various junge tournaments they are perhaps still best known for housing a very wettbewerbsfähige domestic league (or however you spell laegue) with Tax-teams progressing to all manners of late stages in whatever it is they call the equivalent to the Champions Leauge and similar competitions around this particular part of the multiverse and while the common man walking the streets of fair Brinterberg or any other great city will likely name such erstklassige teams like Tijhuis Archimedes or Raven Thöni when they’re asked about Taxhavn football there is a virtual Vielzahl of clubs dotting the isle in a great pyramid scheme of tiered football and if we move a couple steps down the ladder we find one such club named Roterlicht Knokschäft and while I doubt many Leute care much about this particular club in the grand pyramid scheme of things it is a fact that the aufkeimende fame of Taxhavn club football has led to them being richly represented in various football simulation games being played by folks all over and one of those simulation games is called Fußball Manager X3000 and one of those people playing it was resident of Ostkolonisation Straße in fair Brinterberg in The Gemeinschaft of Seeberg Willy-Emmanuel Brandt and he had made it his life’s mission to bring none other than Roterlicht Knokschäft to the greatness they so greatly deserved and he had brought home more than siebenundzwanzig consecutive virtual SteuerLig trophies over the years and while there are indeed many great things to say about young Willy-Emmanuel it is also true that he was more than a little völkisch and especially so concerning the Seebergundian Vulgo-Latinisch minority that mostly kept to themselves over in Rothaus or Cassa Rosa as they preferred to call their town and at one point he even went to the length of throwing a verfaulter Apfel at a boy his own age that had the audacity to speak in his mother’s tongue while walking down Neues Altes Rathaus Straße and that boy was of course none other than trusted Horkenheimer substitute forward Alberto Prosciutto.

Is das a connection? You be the Richter!

by **HUElavia** » Thu Aug 07, 2025 7:18 pm

HUElavia 0–0 Riandera
Continental Field, Anasb, Saterun

Only Divine Intervention Can Save This Team...

HUElavia suffers a frustrating scoreless draw against Riandera that leaves the team with a very slim option to advance to the knockouts.

Matchday 4 had arrived, and HUElavia was in a massive high, after the dramatic victory over Grand Exultia that gave them a lifeline in the IAC. Now, they were coming in against Riandera, who were having a great tournament up to now, having two victories, albeit of a 1-0 variety. While HUElavia were strong favorites, they could not take this easy, as a loss just about guaranteed the team a shock early elimination in the Group Stage, something not seen since IAC 5, the team's 2nd ever appearance in the competition. Coming out with the team from Matchday 2 once again, Coach Casillas gave confidence to the players, with the crowd being sold out once again, with many HUElavians present in the crowd to cheer on the A-Team once more, having hope that the team can put up a good result.

And that hope just faded... and faded... and faded... turning into anxiety. The match was an immense dud. Somehow feeling just as bad as the match against Reçueçn, Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos just struggled against a balanced Riandera. The attack of Milano, Arruda and Serra would take shots towards goal, but the Rianderan backline would make blocks and deflections to lighten the work of Dharmawanto, who would also make blocks and saves to gain applause and cheer from the Rianderan crowd. This is not to say that Riandera was surviving a barrage of shots, as their offense would orchestrate good passes to get some work out of the HUElavian backline. The most notable chance came in the 63rd minute when a pass from Handoyo would reach to Wahyuni, who would go one-on-one against Ancel to get around and take a shot, only to hit the post and go out for a goal kick. Time ticked on and on, and Coach Casillas would make substitutions, bringing on Aguero, Go and Pazarella for the likes of Arruda, Kim and Brandt respectively. Still, even with the fresh legs, nothing could get going. The crowd began to whistle the missed chances, as anxiety began creeping in more and more. After two minutes of additional time, the referee blew her whistle and ended the match, with Riandera happy for the result, while the HUElavians were gutted.

In the other Group H match, Reçueçn defeated the now eliminated Grand Exultia 1-0, securing their spot to the Round-of-16 with a match to go. Thus, Group H reads as Reçueçn in 1st with 9 Points (3-0-0), Riandera in 2nd with 7 Points (2-1-0), HUElavia in 3rd with 4 Points (1-1-1), Osnari Federation in 4th with 3 Points (1-0-2), and Grand Exultia goes home in 5th with 0 points (0-0-4). Thus, HUElavia has only ONE option in order to advance to the knockouts: HUElavia MUST defeat Osnari Federation AND Reçueçn MUST defeat Riandera. Ideally if HUElavia and Reçueçn win by many goals, the better the odds. Anything outside this option will send HUElavia back to Curumba in a shock group stage elimination. In the post match conference, Coach Casillas was quoted saying "It's been a frustrating match, if not the entire tournament so far. Props to Coach Brahma for their defensive tactics that helped distribute the points, but we should've done better with our chances. Now, we're in the rare situation where we have to depend on others, in this case our long-time rival in Reçueçn in order to help us advance past the group stage. We still have to train and study film and give it our all. Regardless of what happens, I intend to take responsibility for this team and our results. The fans here and back home deserve better and we need to go all out on Matchday 5. We still hope for the fans to show up and cheer us on. We all need to work hard, team and crowd alike to make a miracle happen." There will be a scoreboard following the match between Reçueçn and Riandera in order to allow HUElavians to follow the scoreline. While the HUElavian National Football Team has to put in their effort for a good result, we just leave it up to the Heavens for the advance to come. On to the next one and to one that will be historic day in HUElavian football, regardless the result.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Sel Appa** » Thu Aug 07, 2025 9:38 pm

Turtles Still Looking for a Coach

IAF Group Stage Matchday 0

Comment (54)

Recommend (78)

E-mail

Share

Print

Reprints/Permissions

NEMNENAIT—There were hopes that the National Team would have a new coach by the Independents Cup, but this has not turned out so far. Gérard Duceppe, the FFSA president, remains acting coach. He has taken on the role in stride and attempted to form the team into a more attacking mindset after two cycles of former coach Marek Löwys defensive plays. The players seem to have taken to it more and developed confidence. There is speculation that Duceppe may retain the position to help develop the team more, but this is unlikely and he has stated repeatedly he wants to focus on the management side. However, he seems keen to coach the team in the offseason Independents Cup to help the players and management figure out their best foot.

A number of throwback former players were interviewed, but Duceppe decided not to move ahead with them. He still has a few options left. Focus is moving towards Dzheighcymn Ghotiolo, the midfielder who played in Cups 37 to 42. While up there in years, he has shown evidence of leadership over the years in various coaching positions domestically, and might be exactly what Sel Appa needs to transition into this new era. The team struggled badly in 98 and 99 and is desperate to do better in the milestone 100th World Cup. Back in the 30s, it took the team four cup runs to qualify, finally making it in 33. There is hope for a better display this time.

There is also consideration of domestic league coaches, but the best ones are higher paid than the FFSA offers. Both Nemnen Turtles and Anila City pay over a million pounds, as does Royal Fizroe; the National Team cant compete. Rumor has it that Duceppe is trying to change this and improve pay for the coach, and the team. But, the board is unlikely to go for it until they see more promising results. A good run here at the Indy Cup, or the next WC Qualifiers could seal that.

Some say Sel Appa should look abroad, but after the Löwy controversies, that seems unlikely. However, it cant be totally ruled out and Duceppe would not confirm or deny looking at foreign coaches. All in all, fans, the team, and the FFSA board seem confident he will make the correct choice in the end.

Comments

by **Indusse** » Fri Aug 08, 2025 3:26 am

Hind Tribune
New Sport City Plan to get Approval?

By Subrato Shahla

The Hind Sports City had been the first and the largest initiative by the government in the area of sports. The Sports City was established in the capital district during the 82nd World Cup season and had housed multiple stadiums, sporting institutions and similar establishments inside the area. The Hind Sports City is located 3 kilometres away from the New Hind City Central Metro Station. Years after its inauguration, the Hind City Metro came into being and Hind Sports City got its own metro station. Over the years, the connectivity and infrastructure in the sports city has depreciated.

While this depreciation has happened, multiple sportspersons and the public had been calling for a complete renovation of the Hind Sports City. In respect to the protests and call for change, the Government decided upon expanding and renovating the Hind Sports City. Two days ago, they released a notice towards the public and every establishments in the area about necessary measures to be taken till the Government releases the official project map. The Government in the notice had also informed that when IFA does their press meet after the IAC, the Sports Ministry will join the same meeting to announce the final project map.

MINISTRY OF SPORTS
#10 Kreeda Bhawan, National Stadium Road Sports City, New Hind City - 04

Press Release

As part of the Government's "Sport City Rejuvenation Mission", it has been decided that the Hind Sports City will be renovated and expanded at large scale. This is said to be a very huge project and is expected to start in the end of this month. A Complete Project Plan and Map that has been approved will be published at the venue of the upcoming IFA Press Meet announced in their press release numbered 121/02.

As said above, we would like to inform that the below are the main agenda of the renovation program:
Expanding the Sports City to include nearby barren land as well as to incorporate the National Sports University, Kala Bharathi.
Reworking and Creation of all roads in the Sports City including the upcoming expansion.
Renovation and Restructuring of Kala Bharathi and Sports City Metro Stations which will now be located inside the Sports City Complex.
Re-routing of the metropolitan bus system and setting up of modern bus shelters so that travel inside the Sports City is also possible.
Construction of Cycle Tracks to the side of all major roads in the Sports City
Renovation of all offices and other infrastructure in the area.
Cable and Sanitation Rework for every building and road systems.
Construction of multiple Parks, Grounds, Stadiums and other Sporting Venues
Construction of Two Residential Layouts inside the complex
Major Renovation of IFA Stadium, Adityavarma Kulashekara Int. Stadium, National Council Indoor Stadium complexes.

Inorder to pursue the above said agenda, from the next monday the below restrictions will take place in the areas surrounding the Sports City. They are:
No Bus Service shall happen through the Sport City Compound, all buses that were following this route will be diverted from the South Gate Bus Stop towards the Bastion Town Route and those from the North Gate will be diverted towards the Jnanabharati Route. The Kala Bharati Campus and Bus Stop will still be accessible.
The Metro will not stop at the Sport City Station and Kala Bharati Station. The Red Line Metro will have its stop after the terminal at Museum Junction only. Operations at these stations will only resume after the renovation of these stations.
Entry to the Sports City Compound would be restricted and those who want to enter should get a written permission from the Chief Metropolitan Commissioner of New Hind City Metropolitan Corporation (NHCMC).
All offices and institutions that was operating from the compound will be temporarily shifted to the Ministerial Offices and other buildings in Durbar Hall Road and Cantonment Road until further notice.

Signed,

For Ministry of Sports, Government of Indusse

by **Aphrilia** » Fri Aug 08, 2025 4:50 am

What legacy does Nathaniel Rosberg leave behind as he retires from the national team?

From beginning to end, Nathaniel has best made himself a name by being the captain of The Anchors. An outside-the-box goal scorer who was always there, ready to take his chances for the team he loves most. A man who was the idol of many, whether it be other players or the fans themselves. An everlasting presence within the national team that could be trusted.

But now he is leaving. Once he's no longer here, what is it that will really stay despite the fact that he would no longer be physically there? What are some of the things that this team will continue to uphold even without him? There's a lot of aspects that may end up becoming a mainstay, things that are already seen as normal within the tam and perhaps a few that may have just missed the wall. But to plenty, there are two things that stand out as habits that will definitely stay within the team even after Nathaniel is gone.

Well for one, dynamic attacking will surely become a mainstay.

During the reign of Christopher Vermont, we saw the team lay down various forms of attack to try and score goals. This was all and good, but it never felt like they were dynamic. They felt... Instructed, bland, simple. One attack pattern after the other, no mixing things up despite this team having a diverse attacking option. Was this another thing that was overlooked back then? Merely due to the fact that it seemed The Anchors was performing well? Who knows, maybe it was. Maybe it wasn't and some are just misremembering. What can be said however, was that he tried changing things up if it seemed necessary. But those were sudden, and the team didn't get used to it.

Then Leonardo Bianchi came, and he decided to absolutely maximize every little thing the team had going for them, including attacking options. And what do you know? The team saw an increase in variable plays, offensive choices, and perhaps arguably to some, an increase of goals. Nathaniel's constant shooting from outside the box became a unique standout goal scoring chance for Aphrilia, a reliable option even considering who's shooting. It was one of the many things that helped overall team performance, thus it's definitely staying.

The second thing that will linger around even after he has left isn't as easily seen, however.

Whilst it's something that the team overall has among all of it's player, some have commented that despite the seemingly lack of expression or action, Nathaniel is the embodiment of the one aspect that keeps this team floating. Mentality. The Aphrilian mentality is... How should it be said? Unique? Deeper than it seems? There's no easy way describing it.

Some people water it down to the team's desire to fight until the very end, something that can be seen across different teams across the multiverse. But the Aphrilian mentality has been... More than that, at least when fans try to describe it. It's not just about fighting to the bitter end and giving it your all, it's also pushing past the limits of your physical capabilities. At least, that's how others describe it. Each and every match, this team, to some at least, only gets better. And seeing the results? You're inclined to see why they think so.

Every win is something that should be savored, every draw is a moment to see what could be done, and every loss is a stumble that the team needs to get up from. On the field, they focus on the now and do all they can to break the limits of what they can do? Long term? It's growth, fast yet... Sustainable growth, at least, as sustainable giving it your all each time can be. And each time when Aphrilia does it, you can tell that there's something about it that makes them different.

And that difference is what makes this team known as The Anchors.

FULL TIME RESULTS
Aphrilia 1 – 0 Oriental of Rio de La Plata
Jessica Rhine-Faust (36')
Theo Cooper -- (60')

by **Choppyhausen** » Fri Aug 08, 2025 5:17 am

Broadcasting Service Choppyhausen
Independent Associations Championship 24 - Liveticker

Group C - Matchday 4
Juvencus 4 - 2 Choppyhausen

Goals: 6' Keil (Tyr) 0-1. 32' Callejon (Peres) 1-1. 43' Campana (Bellacour) 2-1. 52' Cernoia (Ponce) 3-1. 79' Luizinho (Conte) 4-1. 88' Corte (Finch) 4-2.

And with that the game is over! Juvencus win 4-2 against the newcomers from Choppyhausen and open up their chances for the knock-out-stage once again now sitting at 3rd place with four points. Meanwhile, Choppyhausen still has the matter in their own hands as a win against Indusse in the last group stage match would secure them a place in the Round of 16. This will be a difficult task though, as Indusse is yet to lose a game in this tournament

FINAL WHISTLE

89' Goal for Choppyhausen (4 - 2)
Jule Corte (Finch)
Corte makes it 4-2. After a throw-in, Bellver is a bit to slow and gives Finch the chance to pass the ball nicely through to Corte who finishes easily.

85' There's not a lot happening in these last ten minutes as Juvencus controls the game and their fans are already celebrating the victory.

79' Goal for Juvencus (4 - 1)
Luizinho (Conte)
The decisive blow. Finch loses the ball in attack to Conte, who immediately picks out Luizinho. The right winger from Herona Calcio beats Weiner-Kracht with a composed chip. 4–1.

75' After a cleared corner, Keil and Caligaris try to break through. Spotting Ungaro well off his line, Caligaris tries his luck from the halfway line. His shot is heading straight for the Juvencus net, but the backpedalling goalkeeper stretches out an arm at the last moment to tip it behind for a corner.

72' Ponce and Alvardo clash heads painfully in an aerial duel and both need treatment. Thankfully, after a short break, both are able to continue.

67' Gaetan turns to experience in the final half-hour to lock down the lead.

66' Substitution | Juvencus
Giuseppe Conte ↑↓ Afrosina Bellacour
Luizinho ↑↓ Pau Vives
Simon Oliveira ↑↓ Paola Cernoia

62' After a one-two with Peres, Ajello skips past Oak on the left and heads towards the Choppyhausen goal. His cutback from the penalty spot finds Campana, but the striker mishits it and sends the ball two metres over the bar.

57' Caligaris gets involved immediately, dribbling past three opponents in midfield before Callejon nicks the ball away from him.

54' Harmon Merrit reacts to the increased deficit with a triple change.

53' Substitution | Choppyhausen
Til Lampe (#16) ↑↓ Henrik Frederiksen (#3)
Johnny Caligaris (#21) ↑↓ Marco Iduna (#10)
Lukas Alvardo (#22) ↑↓ Tommy Lukeson (#9)

52' Goal for Juvencus (3 - 1)
Paola Cernoia (Ponce)
And just two minutes later, it’s in the wrong net for Choppyhausen. The Juven attack crowds around the edge of the box looking for an opening until Cernoia decides to have a go from about 20 metres. Her thunderous strike flies perfectly into the top corner — unstoppable!

49' Just like in the first half, Choppyhausen come out aggressively. Finch wins the ball off Ponce and sends Iduna down the right wing. Iduna wins the footrace against Bellver, but his cross into the middle is too inaccurate and lands at Ungaro’s feet instead of the arriving Corte.

46' After a sluggish opening 15 minutes, it now looks like the defending champions from Juvencus have everything under control. La squadra lead 2–1 here in Tsear, but with only one goal separating Choppyhausen from getting back into it, everything is still possible. Both teams start the second half without any changes.

HALFTIME

43' Goal for Juvencus (2 - 1)
Julio Campana (Bellacour)
Juvencus turn it around before the break! Bellacour lifts a clever chip over six Choppyhausen players, Campana beats Frederiksen with two stepovers, and finishes the move by slotting the ball through Weiner-Kracht’s legs.

38' Coach Gael Gaetan’s side are now pushing hard for the lead. Vives gets to the byline on the right and cuts the ball back across goal. Campana gets a shot away, but Holdenbeck makes a crucial block to turn it behind for a corner.

35' While Juvencus are still lacking clear chances from open play, their set pieces are proving extremely dangerous.

32' Goal for Juvencus (1 - 1)
Carlo Callejon (Peres)
The equaliser! From a corner, the Juven captain rises above the Choppyhausen defence and heads the ball neatly into the top left corner. No chance for Choppyhausen's keeper Weiner-Kracht.

30' La squadra from Juvencus now have a clear advantage in possession, but they still can’t quite turn it into real chances.

27' Bender-McKay holds Cernoia’s shirt for so long that the Juven player eventually gives up running and goes down. The tactical foul leads to a free kick in a dangerous position. Campana’s shot is deflected by the wall and skims about half a metre past the outside of the post.

26' Yellow Card | Choppyhausen
David Bender-McKay

20' Ajello spins smoothly past Finch and Oak on the left, but his pass into the middle is intercepted by Holdenbeck.

17' Juvencus now seem to have recovered from Choppyhausen’s early pressure and are starting to keep the ball in their own ranks.

12' Choppyhausen are playing exactly how Coach Merrit wanted: the same attacking intent as against Soviet Kem, but this time with more precision.

10' Almost 0–2 right after! Lukeson leaves two opponents behind at the halfway line and sparks a 3-on-2 attack. His pass finds Iduna, whose curling effort brushes past the left post.

6' Goal for Choppyhausen (0 - 1)
Dominik Keil (Tyr)
Choppyhausen take the lead! After Bellacour loses the ball in a challenge with Frederiksen, the 'Team in Teal' breaks quickly. Frederiksen finds Tyr, whose perfectly weighted through ball is right into Keil’s stride. The 25-year-old dances past Ungaro and slots home for 0–1.

1' The referee’s whistle echoes through the stadium — we’re underway!

KICKOFF

Welcome to the BSC IAC24 Live Ticker! We’re here in Tsear at the Estadio Blanco Oro, where in just a few minutes Matchday 4 in Group C will kick off. The defending champions from Juvencus are up against the newcomers from Choppyhausen. Surprisingly, the latter currently sit above Gli attaccanti in the standings — Juvencus have only a draw and a loss so far, still without a win in the tournament.

by **Recuecn** » Fri Aug 08, 2025 6:16 am

Hyron LeBouffe was going over the game plan for the match against Grand Exultia the next day when his phone rang. Byron’s brow furrowed in concern. It was almost 10 in the evening; what could be so important

It was Dégaré on the other end of the line, his voice tense. “Coach, I’m at the hospital with Dirk right now. He said his chest suddenly started hurting so I took him to the ER.”

“Oh God, is he okay?”

“I think he’ll be fine. It doesn’t seem like it was a heart attack, but I think he was worried it was, cause his uncle had one a couple years ago. They ordered some tests but it’s taking a while and I think he might be here all night.”

“Okay, okay. Uh… Which hospital are you at? Do you need me to come there? What do you need?”

“No, no, thanks coach, I think we’ll be fine. I just wanted to give you a heads up.”

“Okay, thanks Dégaré. Text me if you need anything.”

“Thanks coach.”

Hyron pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed as Dégaré hung up. His first thought was concern for his player, but already his manager’s instinct was kicking in and his brain was cycling through the substitution permutations for the game tomorrow. The easiest solution was to simply bring in Héloïse, his second-string left wing, now that Dirk was out. But Héloïse was still new and hadn’t had as much time playing with Franky, Théophile, and Laurent. Hyron had only himself to blame, but she had had more time playing with Rébécca, Clélia, and Dégaré, the other second stringers, and it was obvious when you watched them play. The second squad gelled among itself in a way its players didn’t when pulled out singly to play with the A team. But did that mean he had to make multiple last-minute substitutions? He sighed and got up to turn out the light. A decision for tomorrow morning.

~~~

Heloise could feel the coach watching her more closely than usual as she warmed up the next day with the rest of the team. She'd arrived with Moesha, laughing about an inside joke, so she'd missed whatever gossip was flying around the team, but something had to be going on; they seemed abuzz. Was that why LeBouffe kept looking at her?

She was unsurprised when he called her and Dégaré over from the sprint exercises they were doing. She looked at Dégaré as they jogged over.

"Do you know what this is about?"

"I think it's because Dirk's not here."

"Wait, what?" Héloïse looked around. She hadn't noticed his absence. She was about to ask Dégaré, but here they were now in front of LeBouffe. The pair slowed to a trot and stopped.

"Héloïse," said Hyron, "I'm not sure if you've heard—I'll make an announcement in a few minutes—but Dirk was in the hospital last night. He's not going to be able to play today. Are you ready to play?"

Héloïse beamed, then remembered her teammate's misfortune and tried to look more somber. "You can count on me, coach."

Hyron turned to Dégaré. "You two play very well together, I've seen you give each other some great assists in our scrimmages. How are you feeling, Dégaré?"

It was not a rhetorical question—Coach LeBouffe sounded concerned. The right wing had visible dark circles under his eyes and he looked drained. "It's pretty rough, coach. I didn't get any sleep last night at all, I was sitting up with Dirk in the emergency room."

"Would you rather sit out today?"

Dégaré nodded meagerly.

Hyron set his jaw. "Okay, that's fine. If you need to get some rest, go do that." He turned to Héloïse. "I appreciate you being ready to take Dirk's spot at the last minute. I'll put Rébecca on the field with you, I think she's also a good partner for you. There won't be any other changes—nothing else you need to know. It'll be just like a scrimmage on any other day."

"Don't worry about it coach, that's why I'm here."

"Alright, go finish the drill." Hyron gave her a nod and a smile. "Dégaré, why are you still here!?" he laughed. "Go back to bed, you need sleep."

Héloïse jogged back over to the rest of the team. Moesha and Rébecca were waiting for her.

"What was that about?" asked Moesha.

"I'm going to play for Dirk today, he was in the hospital last night." Héloïse caught a little nod from Rébecca. "Did you know already?"

"I got here early with my dad and heard about Dirk. I figured coach might put you in."

LeBouffe called from across the field. "Rébecca!" Rébecca looked surprised. She glanced from Moesha to Héloïse as if she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"I'm not the only one he's putting in," said Héloïse, slapping Rébecca on the shoulder. "Go get your marching orders."

Rébecca grinned and jogged over to the sideline.

~~~

It was the forty-first minute of the Grand Exultia game that proved Hyron's vision. Reçueçn had started things off slowly, not trying to repeat its early onslaught from the game against HUElavia. But Grand Exultia also seemed reticent to go on the attack, so half an hour in Les Licornes started searching for the goal they needed to let them park the bus more comfortably. For five minutes or so Théophile and Laurent tested the Grand Exultian defenses, prodding and looking for the weak point.

Against two midfielders with such awareness and clarity of vision, no defense could last forever. Laurent and Théophile shared a nod and a smile as they found their gap. Lapix dribbled across the field as a distraction as his teammate went for the gap. With a last feint for misdirection, Laurent sent Théophile the through ball. Thériault was behind enemy lines, but the back line was still between him and the goal. He had Héloïse and Rébecca to his left and right. He ran toward Rébecca but then went wide to Héloïse on the flank. She dribbled into the box and launched a beautiful volley to Rébecca.

The ball was perfectly placed for her as she ran forward to head it in. But the Grand Exultian goalie got there at the same time. With no time to catch the ball, they punched it away but it took a deflection off Rébecca's head and went straight up. Héloïse was still running in. She careened toward Rébecca and the goalie on a collision course, face uplifted, eyes on the ball, hanging in the sky above her head for a little moment of forever... and then it was down, touching off her toe perfectly onto the ground and rolling into the goal.

Rébecca had her arms around Héloïse before the ball was in the back of the net. Héloïse raised a fist in celebration as Rébecca shrieked in exultation. On the sideline, Hyron pumped his fists. At the Reçuecian goal line, Gerauld, Rébecca's dad, cheered for his daughter's assist.

It was the only goal the game would see. But one was enough. Reçueçn was headed to the knockouts.

by **Edsmontik** » Fri Aug 08, 2025 7:04 am

Aerkalventiciti International Airport, Aerkalventiciti, Deiusig, Edsmontik
6:07PM, Thursday, July 8th, 2032

Seated in Premium Economy (to stick together), the family discussed the things that they'd do upon arrival in Saterun. There would be a lot to do in the IAC Host Nation, which hopefully wouldn't tire them all out. But for now, they had a 24+ hour flight to endure.

Far Eastern Flight 632 taxied down to runway 36 left. It was an older jet, but it had the capacity to go far distances.

The four engines rumbled as the aircraft crossed Runway 09 left and right to get to 36L. Passengers looked out of the windows at the amazingly boring scenery that was the fog covering the entire runway.

"I can already smell the food in Saterun." Stentdon said.

"You're that hungry?" Kaera asked. "I told you to get more for lunch."

"And I should have listened." Stentdon responded, laughing.

"This is going to be a great vacation." Kaera said. "Right Vienna?"

"I promise I won't complain about phone chargers every second we're there." V said in a monotone voice.

***

"Clevr 76, taxi to Runway 09 Left via Alpha, Charlie, Bravo."

"Now it's pretty foggy, am I right?"

"No shit, I can't even see the planes from up here. Gotta use this radar map."

"Has Edsmon Express 45 taken off yet?"

"No, FEA 632 is crossing the runway. We can't let a collision happen, are you stupid?"

"Well no one can see anything!"

"Hey, calm down. You mind getting FEA 632 off the ground for me?"

***

Tower: Edsmon 507, cleared for takeoff, Runway 36 Right. Have a nice flight.

Edsmon Air 507: Thank you. Edsmon Air 507 taking off, Runway 36 Right.

Tower: Far Eastern 632, line up and hold.

FEA 632: Far Eastern 632 holding.

Tower: Karmalink 98, standby.

Karmalink 98: Standing by, Karmalink 98.

Tower: Far Eastern 632 cleared for takeoff on Runway 36L.

FEA 632: Taking off, Runway 36L, Far Eastern 632.

Tower: Clevr 76, cleared for takeoff, Runway 09L.

Clevr 76: Runway 09L takeoff, Clevr 76.

***

"Wait, who cleared Clevr 76?"

"I did, why?"

"FEA 632 is taking off on 36 left!"

"Crap!"

***

Tower: Clevr 76, ABORT your takeoff immediately!

Clevr 76: We've passed V1, there's no returning now.

Tower: Far Eastern 632, please abort as quickly as possible!

FEA 632: Negative, we're going to have to hope this goes well for us.

***

The two jets rumbled down their runways. Both were slightly lifting off, but they would have to cross paths to fully take off.

The passengers on both flights knew nothing yet. It was too foggy outside for the window-seaters to see the other plane, and the impending doom. But that all changed with one intercom message and many panicked flight attendants.

"This is your captain speaking. Please remain calm, and brace for impact."

The passengers did not remain calm on either flight.

Towards the middle of FEA 632 sat Stentdon Beirber and his family. All were scared for their lives, but hopeful to make it out some way.

"Our final moments- imminent disaster" Stentdon whispered to Kaera, who was holding her children close to her. "It was supposed to be something, but it looks like that's not what fate wants."

"At least we spend our final moments together, as a family. No one is going out alone." Kaera whispered back, gripping his hand.

Around them, other families were whispering their goodbyes, everyone had tears to shed.

But it all ended in one giant fireball.

***

Clevr 76, being a Charragaher C201-100, was a small narrowbody jet. It was completely destroyed upon impact. There were no survivors from the 167 passengers and crew on board.

FEA 632, being a Charragaher C450Q, was a four engine widebody. It lost its entire nose upon collision, rose a few feet in the air, veered left, and slammed down onto Karmalink 98. There were no survivors from the 272 passengers and crew on board.

Karmalink 98, being a Charragaher C600-300, was a medium sized two-engine widebody. The center of the aircraft exploded upon impact, and the remains were set ablaze. 78 of the 232 passengers and crew on board survived.

In total, the mistake by Air Traffic Control that day took 593 lives, including that of Stentdon Beirbern and his family.

Matchday 4: Edsmontik v. Sel Appa - @ Crescent Arena, Ias, Saterun
1:40PM, Wednesday, July 21th, 2032

Just after Matchday three, ten days after the Aerkalventiciti Disaster, news had finally reached Saterun. It took that long.

The news struck the Eagles hard. Everyone was looking forward to meeting Stentdon Beirbern, an idol for many.

Maartin Stuero took the hardest hit. He had only talked about Beirbern upon his arrival. He had heard rumors about an accident but just assumed that Stentdon was late. Not one person ever corrected him when he said that Beirbern would arrive.

Alongside thousands of other Edsmons and his national team, he stood, tears in his eyes, as everyone gave their moment of silence. Up on the big screen was a picture of Beirbern himself, and the years 1985-2032 in Woodhill's golden color.

Over the loudspeaker, a voice explained the tragedy.

Stuero was too sad to be furious at the tower control for their mistake. One mistake that took the lives of nearly six hundred people.

Up in the stands, fans held up signs and jerseys with Beirbern's number- #8. They waved their oversized Edsmon flags but remained silent to honor the Edsmon legend.

The Eagles all felt defeated despite not being defeated. They had won every game so far. But now they had lost a close friend, an idol, a brother. They needed to do more than just win games for the team now. They would be fighting to win it for Stentdon and the nearly six hundred other people that never got to set foot in Saterun because of that fatal error.

Despite waves of sadness crashing down upon each and every player, the Eagles coordinated an attack and had Stuero score a beautiful ball into the net.

He formed a hashtag and then held up eight fingers at the camera.

"For Beirbern." he said. "For the six hundred men, women, boys, and girls that never got to walk away from that accident."

Edsmontik 1-0 Sel Appa - Full Time
M. Stuero (32') | None
3:36 PM, Sunday, July 18th, 2032

Next Lineup (GK -- LB, CB, CB, RB -- LM, CM, RM -- LCF, RCF, ST)

R. der-Zyfragken -- S. Kizani, L. Shouzvenkreden, J. Travdt, J. Vikral -- K. Wejikaj, D. Verto, M. Ghreksbvy [C] -- M. Rehcikt, S. Fotserr, V. Reiovus

by **Saterun** » Fri Aug 08, 2025 10:48 am

This was more like it. For the first time yet in the 24th Independent Associations Championship, Saterun had come away with a convincing victory. 4-1 against Sixty-Nine X in Sultan Stadium was the performance Claws fans expected, and the first time they had gotten it since the third-place match in IAC 22. Due to a draw in the other match, however, Saterun still sat in 3rd place. Valentine Z had already secured qualification, and Britonisea would anxiously wait during their bye to see if they progressed. For the Claws, it was simple. Win and your in. They could finish as low as 4th in the group and as high as 1st. If they won and Valentine Z drew or lost, Saterun would claim top spot. However, anything other than a win from the Claws meant elimination. The stakes were as high as they got. A second straight group-stage IAC elimination, on home soil no less, would virtually undue all of Handrix's progress during the last cycle.

They had done well in this match, though. The Claws, knowing they desperately needed a result here, got right to work. They pressed heavily in the opening 15 minutes, and it didn't take long for them to secure their first goal. Vidar Washington spotted Maksymillian Bates making a darting run through, and sent a perfect ball between the defensive lines. Bates may have been starting to age, but he was still one of the best players out on the pitch. He muscled one of the defenders aside, before putting on a burst of speed to beat the other. Within a few seconds, he was home free, with just the keeper to beat. He tried to curl it into the bottom corner, but the keeper made a wondersave to push the ball away. However, it fell right to the feet of Oscar Carlisle, who slammed it home.

Buoyed by the goal, the Claws chased the match. They peppered the opposition goal, with a few unlucky shots glancing off the post or crossbar. However, they eventually got a second goal. Washington whipped an inswinger corner kick towards the top of the box, an unorthodox strategy rarely employed in Saterun football. Handrix knew that they had to take some risks. However, this one mightily paid off. The first to meet the ball was Hans-Jürgen Becker, who managed to deflect it slightly towards goal. As the ball crossed in front of the goal, it was Leandro Alfienk who was the most ready. The right-back flung himself towards the ball, and headed it straight towards goal. Rooted in place, all the Sixty-Nine X keeper could do was watch as the Claws doubled their lead.

After the break, the Claws continued to press. Bates got his second of the night off another free-kick, in which he had knocked in a super header several yards out. Handrix, having done his homework, knew that set-pieces like corners presented a big opportunity this match. The Claws were much more physical than their opponents, and tonight they had used that advantage. However, late in the second half, it did produce a slip-up. As the opposition made a move into the box, Masoud Shain had recklessly slid in to try to dispossess the striker, and inevitably gave up a penalty. By this moment there were seven minutes left in the game and Saterun was up 3-0, so it didn't really matter, but in another game it might have. Handrix definitely needed to have a word with Shain about choosing your tackles. As expected, the penalty was converted, and the game looked like it would close out at 3-1.

However, Saterun had one last surprise. Subbed on to get playing time in what seemed like a locked-down win, Eli Cook wanted to contribute. He was fresh and hadn't gotten an opportunity yet this tournament, and was ready to make an impact. During the 3rd minute of extra time, he picked the ball up a little ways into the opposition half. He used quick, one-touch passing with his outside midfielders to dance around the tired defense, and was quickly able to break the back line. His final shot was simple, but effective. It was his first international goal, and he made sure to celebrate. After the match, Handrix had a lot of good things to say to the team. When they were most needed, they had turned up, and given themselves a life-line to progress. Now, all they needed was to do it again, in 3 days time, against Muralos.

*****

Now, 2 hours before leaving for their all-important final group stage match against Muralos, the Claws were sitting around the lobby of the Luewenparken training center, trying to relax. Handrix knew that the best preparation at this point was for the squad to de-stress. Recently, a lot of them had gotten into the Taxhavanite show "Tenuous Connections", and now they had organized a mini-tournament of sorts. They had made it all the way to the final, pitting Maksymillian Bates and Vidar Washington against one another. Hans-Jürgen Becker had assumed the role of host, and he explained the rules one last time. "Alright, you all know how this goes. You have 5 minutes to write down a personal connection between yourself and the random IAC nation we choose. Whoever's is the most tenuous wins the matchup. Your mystery nation is...Edsmontik."

Initially, this had looked easy, but both players soon started to struggle. Given that there was a time limit, you could always just put something simple out and hope the other guy didn't have anything, but they were in the final. Both players had shown themselves experts in connecting. Washington's first idea was through the A Liga. He knew Edsmontik star Maartin Stuero played for Anasb FK, so if Washington could connect himself to the Lions then he had a sure bet. However, that was proving to be the tricky part. He couldn't remember any players he knew of that had played in both teams, and was starting to get stressed.

Across the table, the gears were turning in Bates's head. The second he had heard Edsmontik, he quickly searched the team roster. Generally, in this tournament, internet searches were allowed, but only for specialized information. For example, visiting the team site to find out which clubs Edsmontik national team players were at was fine. And that's where Bates found his answer. He smiled as the clock ticked down. Washington, on the other hand, was getting more desperate.

A few minutes later, the time expired. Reluctantly, Washington went first. "So, I've played against Anasb FK before, when they had Maartin Stuero, and he plays for Edsmontik." Murmurs from the crowd. If Bates had nothing, it was good enough for Washington to win, but it wasn't great. Bates smiled as he started.

"There is a backup striker on the Edsmon naitonal team named Maven Recihkt. He plays for Tihon United. Up until this transfer window, our very own Caesar Ibañez also used to play for Tihon United. Finally, before Caesar played for Tihon United, he played for Real Anasb, with me." It was a clear winner. Washington's objections that it seemed more like a Caesar Ibañez connection were drowned out by cheers. Bates had proven himself the connections master of the Saterun squad. Handrix smiled. He liked seeing the team so relaxed, especially before a big game. They all knew what they had to do. It wasn't going to be easy, but he believed in his squad.

by **Dhemixia** » Fri Aug 08, 2025 11:06 am

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Columbus Dominion(Est.1873)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Twice the Pride, Double the Fall

Schedule

~~MD1: vs. Solgavden~~ L 0-1 (4th)
~~MD2: @ Crpostran~~ W 1-0 (2nd)
~~MD3: BYE~~
~~MD4: @ Calgasia~~ W 4-3 (3rd)
MD5: @ The Golden Harp

Gotta love it, right? The Serpents, in every tournament they've played in maybe ever, always find a way to follow the exact same "script" for each one, so to speak. In a story that reads like Drawkland choking at this point, the Dhemixian NT loses their first game to create a sense of danger that isn't real and never had to be there in the first place. Is it intentional? Who knows, but what it does do is get the fans just emotionally invested enough, both good and bad, to get them to have hope when they seemingly "come back" from a deficit they may or may not have put themselves in. That way, they just perpetually farm fan engagement to gain the momentum they so desperately need to have success. Eventually, this football chicanery leads them to barely qualify to the knockouts, where the only real part of their "tournament run" facade begins. Usually, that ends in disaster, lost knockout matches, and upset supporters who will somehow come back anyways for the next tournament, but the Dhemixians actually might not get that far this time.

Sure, beating their now-rivals Calgasia 4-3 away was a huge morale boost and momentum gainer, as it's the first time they've ever done that in a surprisingly high 3 attempts for the age of the FA, but they still find themselves in jeopardy entering the final MD. It turns out, Solgavden (the pot 5 side they lost to) and Calgasia (the pot 3 side they somehow beat) were actually really good in group play. Now, that could have been a side effect of Crpostran and The Golden Harp having unusually down tournaments, but if it's because of just how talented both sides are, the Serpents are in trouble. A comeback win against Calgasia, fueled by a 3-0 comeback transcending both halves that culminated in a Jonathan Obisana screamer to equalize in the 59th and an 81st minute strike from 20 yards out by Grant Clarke as the game winner, did gift the Dhemixians 3 points and a route to third in the table, but they're still hanging on by a thread and need everything to go their way on MD5.

With how the table is set right now, if the Dhemixians lose, they're out, no matter what. Now, that's technically not true, but that would require Solgavden losing to Crpostran, already unlikely, by however many Dhemixia loses by +3, basically impossible. In a world where Dhemixia and The Golden Harp draw, they would again need a Solgavden loss, as a draw for them would catapult the tiebreaker to GD, where Dhemixia loses. The only viable scenario for qualification is the Serpents clutching up and winning against The Golden Harp. They'd automatically clinch if they beat TGH by 3 or more, as they would take the tiebreaker from Calgasia on H2H and/or be ahead of Solgavden, should they draw or lose. If the Serpents don't win by 3 or more, that's where it gets very dicey. They would absolutely require a draw or loss from Solgavden if they only win by 1 or 2, if they even win at all, which is not something to count on. Even though I presented two "viable" qualification paths, there's only really one: the Dhemixians absolutely HAVE to win at TGH by 3 or more, or they're essentially done. We'll just have to see if Doug McMahon and company can lock in and clutch up.

by **Saterun** » Fri Aug 08, 2025 12:15 pm

Matchday 5

Qualified for Round of 16
Eliminated

Group A
Sixty-Nine X 2–5 Valentine Z
Muralos 3–4 Saterun

Group A                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Valentine Z                      4   3  1  0   12   6  +6   10
2 Saterun                          4   3  0  1   13   9  +4    9
3 Britonisea                       4   2  1  1   12   6  +6    7
4 Muralos                          4   1  0  3    6   8  −2    3
5 Sixty-Nine X                     4   0  0  4    4  18 −14    0

Group B
Of the Golden Harp 0–1 Dhemixia
Solgavden 2–0 Crpostran

Group B                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Solgavden                        4   3  0  1    8   3  +5    9
2 Calgasia                         4   3  0  1   11   7  +4    9
3 Dhemixia                         4   3  0  1    6   4  +2    9
4 Of the Golden Harp               4   1  0  3    2   8  −6    3
5 Crpostran                        4   0  0  4    1   6  −5    0

Group C
Choppyhausen 2–1 Indusse
Soviet Kem 2–3 Juvencus

Group C                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Indusse                          4   2  1  1    5   3  +2    7
2 Juvencus                         4   2  1  1    8   7  +1    7
3 Choppyhausen                     4   2  1  1    5   5   0    7
4 Seeberg                          4   2  0  2    3   2  +1    6
5 Soviet Kem                       4   0  1  3    2   6  −4    1

Group D
Strayaroos Barrier Islands 1–4 Delaclava
United Adaikes 1–3 Drawkland

Group D                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Drawkland                        4   3  1  0   10   2  +8   10
2 Delaclava                        4   3  1  0   13   6  +7   10
3 United Adaikes                   4   2  0  2    7   6  +1    6
4 Natkr                            4   1  0  3    3  11  −8    3
5 Strayaroos Barrier Islands       4   0  0  4    1   9  −8    0

Group E
Oriental of Rio de La Plata 1–3 Visayas Islands
Maphidon 1–4 Aphrilia

Group E                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Aphrilia                         4   4  0  0   11   2  +9   12
2 Visayas Islands                  4   2  1  1    7   5  +2    7
3 Maphidon                         4   1  2  1    3   5  −2    5
4 Oriental of Rio de La Plata      4   1  1  2    3   4  −1    4
5 Sajnur                           4   0  0  4    1   9  −8    0

Group F
Sel Appa 3–1 Sudilia
Ranoria 0–1 Edsmontik

Group F                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Edsmontik                        4   4  0  0    5   1  +4   12
2 Sudilia                          4   2  0  2    5   4  +1    6
3 Sel Appa                         4   2  0  2    6   6   0    6
4 Abanhfleft                       4   1  1  2    6   6   0    4
5 Ranoria                          4   0  1  3    3   8  −5    1

Group G
Oscioru 0–2 The Elder Lands
Aclan 0–1 Tanirinthia

Group G                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Taxhavn                          4   3  1  0   11   7  +4   10
2 The Elder Lands                  4   3  0  1   10   7  +3    9
3 Oscioru                          4   1  1  2    7   9  −2    4
  Tanirinthia                      4   1  1  2    6   8  −2    4
5 Aclan                            4   0  1  3    3   6  −3    1

Group H
Riandera 0–2 Reçueçn
Osnari Federation 1–5 HUElavia

Group H                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Reçueçn                          4   4  0  0    6   0  +6   12
2 HUElavia                         4   2  1  1    7   3  +4    7
3 Riandera                         4   2  1  1    2   2   0    7
4 Osnari Federation                4   1  0  3    4  10  −6    3
5 Grand Exultia                    4   0  0  4    3   7  −4    0

Round of 16 Matchups

Valentine Z vs Calgasia

Aphrilia vs Sudilia

Indusse vs Delaclava

Taxhavn vs HUElavia

Solgavden vs Saterun

Edsmontik vs Visayas Islands

Drawkland vs Juvencus

Reçueçn vs The Elder Lands

by **Taxhavn** » Fri Aug 08, 2025 11:39 pm

Tenuous Connections 
Finsterwolder & Eddie von Dach

Clippy Beluskque states the obvious

'Tickets please!'

Gnejsian dog-walker Karl-Johan Vaasa (63) and his friend Knut Svensson (65) were on the Shilling Mountain Special - the train following the scenic route to Maartenstadt International Airport - with two famous TV show celebrities - Etienne Kobblers and Tammy Snopes of Tenuous Connections. The Gnejsians had organised a day trip to the airport to indulge their third favourite hobby - plane-spotting. Their first favourite hobby of course was football tourism, travelling all about watching the wierd and wonderful of multiversal soccer. Their second hobby was dog-walking. To tell the truth this was more Karl-Johan’s hobby, but Knut usually liked to tag along… for the exercise, you see?

'And what about you, little fellow? Where's your ticket then?'

«Mrrrrrrr, rolff!» - that was Hardly-Knut, the dog. A Rushmori rock terrier. He wasn’t especially interested in plane spotting but like Knut, he was also tagging along for the exercise.

'Alright, alright,' laughed Branden 'Clippy' Beluskque, the train conductor, 'I'm only teasing, no need to get your knickers in a twist!'

«Grrrrrrr!» grumbled the rock terrier. He wasn't feeling up to the banter with Clippy, probably on account of mistaking him for a postman, what with the uniform and all. If there was one type of person Hardly-Knut did not like, it was a postman.

'Tickets ple - ' started Clippy, turning to the celebrities, and then recognising his colleague Etienne, who of course, as well as being a black-belt at ]Tenuous Connections, was also the nation's favourite train-driver on account of his incredible unbeaten record on the television show.

'Hallo matey!' exclained Clippy, 'what are you doing here? Playing Tenuous Connections is it?! A busman's holiday as they say... or train driver, anyway. Where are you fellows off to then?'

He had forgotten about the tickets.

Etienne explained about the special international edition of Tenuous Connections they were off to film in Saterun, and how they had met the nice Gnejsian chaps on the train and were getting in a little practice.

'Gnejsians, you say?' said Clippy, turning to Karl-Johan and Knut for a second look at his passengers. 'Not, by chance, Gnejsian dog-walker Karl-Johan Vaasa (63) and his friend Knut Svensson (65)?'

«Err, yes,» said Karl-Johan, somewhat surprised and confused, «...but how did you know that?»

'Ha! And this must be Hardly-Knut!' said Clippy, patting the suspicious rock terrier on the head. 'I read all about you in the football section of TAX Magazine. Football is my third favourite hobby, after train-spotting and dog-whispering. You chaps get about a bit don't you?'

«We're football tourists,» said Knut, by way of explanation.

'Indeed you are sirs, indeed you are! And all power to you. Always welcome on my Shilling Mountain Special, and I'll not clip your tickets next time, if you see what I mean.' Clippy gave them a knowing wink.

They didn't see what he meant.

'Anyway,' he said.

'Would you like a turn,' said Tammy. Ah, Tammy Snopes. Those blouses! That enormous brain! Those shapely glasses of hers! Who wouldn't like a turn, given an offer like that.

'Of Tenuous Connections,' she clarified.

'I certainly would,' said Clippy.

'Well then,' said Tammy in that luscious show voice of hers, 'can you make a connection please between the next station, Finsterwolder, and Taxhavn national team player Eddie von Dach?'

Clippy Beluskque thought for a brief moment.

'Well, I might risk a long and convoluted connection, like how Finsterwolder is the birthplace of the famous Taxhavn inventor and communications scientist Gramilién Alexander Berners-Locksley, who invented the stock price crash emergency paging pocket machine and the spreadsheet pivot table, among mainstays of the banking industry. His grandsons Tim and Mike, of course, are also highly regarded today in the fields of computing and environmentalism respectively; Tim Berners-Locksley having invented the cryptonet and Mike being the most famous philosopher of green concrete. He proposes replacing Portland cement with a mix of either fly ash or slag and living micro-algae that can absorb carbon dioxide and repair small cracks, even potentially proofing constructions against earthquakes. Saint Josey Earthquakes is a basketball team from Slagharen, a district up in Maartenstadt, which by the way is named for the area where slag from mining industries was dumped before the housing crisis of '32 kicked in and it was built on - that's a double connection, isn't it? double points?

'Anyway...

'The Earthquakes famously missed their one shining moment in the July Jamboree one time a few years back, when they failed to arrive for the National Championship Game due to a security shutdown at St. Maartenstadt airport when, allegedly, a sentient robot from Starblaydia got into a tangle with a baggage belt that claimed the robot was overweight. Security drones fought a small armed battle with the robot which escaped and disappeared into nowhere, turning up again a few weeks later in the valley of the Delte on an assassins mission, but allegedly having a change of heart and saving the life of a former factory worker from Starblaydia who had become a sportswear regional manager for Ediraf, the big Starblaydi corporation that used to provided kits for mighty champions like Starblaydia, Valanora and The Holy Empire. The Holy Empire football team was, and still is so far as I recall, managed by Starblaydi heart-throb and superstar Simeone di Bradini, who once had to undergo a humiliating strip- and cavity-search in Wight after the World Cup was stolen at a celebratory banquet. Turns out it was Wight defensive attacking midfield striker Climo Coss who just borrowed it for a joke. Climo Coss, a hundred and forty-something years later, turned up in the Delte valley under the psuedonym Ringer Smith, and helped the Representatives win the World Cup - his second such title. Also on the team were a couple of Taxhavnites, who didn't have a national team back then and shared their best players with the valley. One of them was Eddie von Dach...'

There was a pause, and then Clippy carried on.

'...but I'm not a confident player of the game in the staff canteen as Etienne here will surely attest to, and I may have got that wrong somewhere, so I'd rather stay simple and state the obvious: Finsterwolder is on the Shilling Mountain train line; I'm a ticket inspector on the train, I'm from the Delte valley (as I'm sure you noticed by my accent), my team back there is Oswark Town (Up The Town!!!) and Eddie von Dach plays his club football in the valley. For The Town, of course. Up The Town!!!'

'That's a connection!' announced Tammy, using one of her show catchphrases.

«Rolfff!» barked Hardly-Knut, off-handedly. Technically he was right of course, pointing out that Tim Berners-Locksley didn't invent the whole cryptonet, he just designed the tax-wide webbing protocols that allowed the everyday Stockbroker Joe to access the cryptonet; he was also right about The Holy Empire not wearing Ediraf, and Ediraf being correctly expressed with a lower-case 'e', as in ediraf.

'And that's why I prefer to play safe!' replied Clippy.

Karl-Johan and Knut, and Hardly-Knut for that matter, were quite taken aback. After all, the rock terrier only barked in Gnejsian, and yet the train conductor seemed to understand him perfectly.

'Well,' said Clippy, priming his ticket machine, 'I better get on. Have a good trip folks.'

He nodded at Hardly-Knut.

'Nowt wrong with a postman, lad,' he said 'just doing his job, like the rest of us.'

by **Sel Appa** » Sat Aug 09, 2025 12:39 am

Hope Rises as Turtles Face 2nd for 2nd

IAF Group Stage Matchday 4

Comment (80)

Recommend (156)

E-mail

Share

Print

Reprints/Permissions

NEMNENAIT—Despite a 1-0-2 record and only one Group Stage match left, the Turtles still have a chance to make the Knockout Rounds. They play Sudilia next, who are currently in second, and it couldnt be more relevant, as the results of this match are the only results that will impact the two teams. Third place Abanhfleft are byed out after playing their four. Sel Appa is in fourth. A win against Sudilia alone wont be enough, the second place team would go ahead on goal differential +2 to -1. Sel Appa would need to win by three goals to make it. That would put the Turtles at +1 and Sudilia at 0, enough to get thru. So far, the Turtles managed to score three against Ranoria, but still conceded one. The team havent scored any other goals, however, and things arent entirely optimistic. But, this is the best chances the Turtles have had in a long time and would be a big cause of celebration in the nation.

The team is determined to find some footing going into the 100th World Cup, and the Independents Cup is the place to do it. To even still be in contention at this point is a magnificent display, but the team has a long way to go. Despite a more attacking strategy, the young inexperienced team has been mostly outmatched. The improvement in attacking strategy has paid off, but the defense hasnt improved much, with the team still conceding sloppy goals. However, Duceppe as acting coach is testing plays and strategies he will be able to turn over to the coach he hires. He is experimenting with the players to find out their strengths and weaknesses and match them up better. Regardless of the result tomorrow, the Turtles seem to finally be on the road to success.

Comments

by **Calgasia** » Sat Aug 09, 2025 9:02 am

Pink Money: who is behind Wunderkuh

A Morgenstern investigation has uncovered who is behind the WunderKuh project. This initiative has provoked unprecedented interest with their genetics modification of cows that allows cattle to have blue or pink pigmentation, and have blue milk and strawberry flavoured milk respectively. Although the initial project was to reduce methane emissions from cows, this "fortunate error" quickly made a 180-degrees turn, changing quickly into the development and production of genetically enhanced livestock and its produce.

Behind the fanfare and the wows lies a potential multi-million business, and powerful companies have a stake in those operations that could redefine how we consume dairy products and disrupt agricultural and food production, with deep health, environmental, economical and ethical consequences.

On home soil we can find Aethra Biotech, part of the chemical company Aethra, one of the largests in Calgasia in such sector. Among its shareholders we can find finance giants like Goldstader Bank and Credit Österreicher, as well as investment funds like HabsCal, with connections to the imperial family and other wealthy individuals.

Morgenstern was able to uncover the "undisclosed company from Amenria", being Huang-Ahn Cooperative, a massive conglomerate of companies.

From Osarius, this investigation was able to discover what is behind the mysterious IPH conglomerate that was stated in the press conference. Due to a translation error, it is not Ipele Prossimo Humanité or IPH who is behind the project, but Metis, an Osnarian company. Metis is using IPH to provide technology to the project, hence the confusion.
IPH is owned by Metis, as well as the Osarius government (who owns 20 percent of the shares), and the Akachese government and the state of Cobrio.

Sports: IAC - Uncharted territory for the Black Eagles

For the first time ever, the National Football Team has advanced through the round robin and will play its first knockout match in the IAC. After finishing in a second place, Calgasia will play Round of 16 against Valentine Z in a tight matchup.

Our rivals, considered one of the strongest national teams in the multiverse, arrive with confidence, with 10 points, 12 goals for and 6 against. From our side, 9 points and very positive sensations, with 11 goals for and 7 against, conceding only against Dhemixia 4-3 in the final match day of the group stage, with the qualification to the knockout rounds virtually attained.

by **HUElavia** » Sat Aug 09, 2025 7:28 pm

Osnari Federation 1–5 HUElavia
(Mullis 27' (P) | Arruda 44', 72', Serra 53', 80', Girard 64')
Racetrack Road, Anasb, Saterun

THIS TEAM OF DREAMS AND MIRACLES!!!

HUElavia stages a furious and historic comeback against the Osnari Federation to advance to the Round-of-16 in a matchup against Taxhavn!

Matchday 5 had arrived, and arguably, this was probably the most anxious the national team and country has felt since IAC X, where HUElavia had to hope and pray for a miracle to advance to the knockouts. Back then, the team had to follow the matches and await results, where they got the miracle results to allow them to advance off goal difference. Back then, things were out of control for HUElavia's hands. 56 years later, HUElavia was facing a similar situation where they relied on other results, but this time, they had a shot to control their own destiny. Needing to win, as well as hoping for Reçueçn to defeat Riandera, there was no margin of error at this point. The A-Team was on the field with Racetrack Road having a massive crowd of HUElavians present to cheer on the team in what was a very rare occurrence: A do-or-die elimination game in the Group Stage of the IAC.

HUElavia was aggressive and not taking chances from the get go. Going for strong tackles, trying to get shots out there as best as they can. They'd have Osnari Federation pinned towards their own box, but they Osnarian backline stood strong making blocks. Eventually, Osnari Federation began to grow in the match and began pressing themselves, where eventually in the 27th minute Blum was on the ball and Lobo was covering him, where he tried to get a leg out to get the ball out, and Blum went forward and got tripped, where the referee did not hesitate to point to the spot for a Penalty Kick. Lobo was given a yellow card despite his pleas and protests, but the damage was done. Mullis stepped up and sent the ball to the top corner of the goal, just past the fingertips of Ancel, to make it 1-0. Mullis was mobbed and hugged by his teammates while the HUElavian crowd was left speechless and stunned, all while Coach Casillas gave out orders for the team to adjust. Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos would begin to pressure, and began to really put in the effort to desperately equalize. Eventually, in the 44th minute, after an attack by the Osnari Federation, Lobo was on the ball and began to run, seeing Arruda being played onside by Abegg, where he sent a cross towards the box, and Arruda jumped up to head the ball in a diving manner over Rosli into the goal, making it 1-1. The HUElavian crowd erupted in joy at the wonderful header, while Arruda got up and got the ball to run to center circle while being hugged and patted by his teammates. At the halftime mark, it was tied 1-1, but the HUElavian crowd was chanting and cheering, wanting more, now feeling life into the match.

The second half saw HUElavia begin to pressure more and more, now wanting to go for the victory they desperately needed. In the 53rd minute, a pass from Schmidt got to Serra, who got covered by Lau, before getting around and sending a curving shot past the reach of Rosli into the post and into the goal, making it 1-2. The HUElavian crowd erupted once more in joy while Serra was mobbed by her teammates for the goal. In the 64th minute, a shot from Milano took a deflection off Osterwalder to go out for a corner kick. Wahle stepped up to take the corner and sent it into the box, where Girard towered over Homberger to head the ball down past the reach of Rosli into the goal, making it 1-3. The HUElavian crowd was jumping and cheering once more, while Girard was mobbed by her teammates for the goal. In the 72nd minute a pass from Werren was intercepted by Milano, who began to run towards a quickly approaching Rosli, where he took a shot but deflected into the air, where Arruda towered over Irmiger (in for Abegg) to head the ball into the empty goal, making it 1-4. The HUElavian crowd was erupting and cheering loudly now, as the team was playing at ther strength and now the team was hopping and dancing in joy. In the 80th minute, a pass from Go (in for Kim) would get to Uchee (in for Arruda), who would give a back pass to Serra, who got the ball and gave a curving one-time shot past Rosli into the goal, making it 1-5. Doing The Cross and hugging her teammates, where was smiles around the team and bench for the performance. Eventually, word got out that the other match was seeing Reçueçn defeating Riandera, where the crowd began to cheer and applaud, singing the National Anthem in acapella, while also doing fan chants. Once the referee blew his whistle, the bench ran onto the field, hugging the exhausted players, as they knew they'd survived and advanced.

In the other Group H match, Reçueçn defeated Riandera 2-0, giving HUElavia the exact results needed to advance to the knockouts. Thus, Group H finished as follows: Reçueçn in 1st with 12 Points (4-0-0), HUElavia in 2nd with 7 Points (2-1-1, +4 GD), Riandera in 3rd with 7 Points (2-1-1, 0 GD), Osnari Federation in 4th with 3 Points (1-0-3), and Grand Exultia in 5th with 0 Points (0-0-4). HUElavia survives yet another group stage and continues their streak of being in the knockouts for the 17th consecutive edition. Coach Casillas was quoted in the post-match conference saying "We're grateful for the results that came out our way. It was a fantastic team effort and despite the early error from Lobo, we were able to turn it around and turn it into a victory and advance. We apologize for making the fans suffer this much, but such is the way of HUElavian football. Even when things may look bleak, we find a way to come out surviving. We got plenty of training and film study to catch up on now, and we got a big knockout match awaiting us. We hope that our fans make noise and fill up the stadium to cheer us on in hopes of another Quarter-Finals appearance." HUElavia will take on Group G winners Taxhavn, who finished with 10 Points (3-1-0) and had a very strong group stage. They will face off at Racetrack Road in Anasb, keeping Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos in the capital city once more. Fans back home were honking horns from cars, dancing in the streets and cheering loudly as they had joy in the advance and keeping the IAC dreams alive. Taxhavn are a strong and respectable opponent, and nobody can underestimate them. It can be a long and grueling 90 minutes, maybe even more, but one thing is for sure: HUElavia is serious for this title.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Aphrilia** » Sat Aug 09, 2025 9:00 pm

Once again, they were in the Round of 16.

Leonardo Bianchi sat in his room, as usual. On the screen, the match-ups for the Round of 16 had been presented. The Group Stage came to pass with some surprising results, such as HUElavia's historic comeback to gnaw into the knockouts, as well as Crpostran falling to a no-point group stage effort. Seeing his home nation have their football change was saddening to say the least. Where was The Sapphire Strikers that he knew? When looking at the replays, they played like shells of their former selves. No life, no spark, nothing.

From World Cup Finalists to... Mere pushovers? Bianchi couldn't explain it into words if he tried to do so, seeing his home nation perform so badly. It felt like his heart had been punctured by a bullet. But while he would like to have time to mourn over the fact that his home country's national team has had their worst ever IAC performance, Bianchi casted everything in his mind aside. Right now, he had another team to focus on. Aphrilia had once again got through the group stage, and they would be facing off against Sudilia.

There were many familiar names that faltered in the group stage.

Britonisea, Dhemixia, Crpostran, Natkr, Sajnur, Sel Appa, Abanhfleft, Ranoria, Oscioru, Tanirinthia, Grand Exultia. But on the other hand, it was the nature of a tournament for many to falter early. Plus, there were still many familiar names in the knockouts. And in Bianchi's mind, this year's edition of the IAC felt more competitive than usual.

But that's what the team would want. Knowing Nathaniel Rosberg's retirement, the team would want matches where they could give it their all, and this knockout backet had plenty of options. And speaking of the forward, he knew a replacement had to come from somewhere. His consulting with Theo Cooper and Amelia Haze have resulted in him finding a few players that could be a suitable replacement for Rosberg. One of them was on the announced team for the next Di Bradini Cup, which was surprising.

There were three specifically that he had in mind, however.

The first one of course, was the one on the national team. Hendrick Meyer-Bertrand is one of the forwards called upon The Junior Anchors. Provided with footage of his matches and a video analysis regarding his performance, he was a stark difference to Rosberg. Solid all-round, yes, but he was mainly a set piece specialist who could do most of the tricks that the current forwards on the senior team could do. Somewhat akin to Kevin Lacey, safe to say. If he were to be called up, he likely would become the team's set piece taker for good.

The second, and one of the two who hadn't been called up to either junior or senior team was a girl. Aurora Giselle was quick, nimble, and very technical. Likely even more so than all of the forwards here. But from what he knows, despite her cold sounding name, she had a bit of a hot-streak and a temper on the field. She could be a valuable asset, but the worry lies in if she would be able to handle her emotions properly whenever she is playing. Nonetheless, Giselle seemed to be another solid option.

The last player was the other one not called upon either national teams, and he was the only ohia out of the three. Max Gilbert-Montes was a birdian with mixed heritage from both Aphrilia and Novo Victoria, feathers mixed in with his hair among other ohia features. Not only that, he was also an agile player himself. Limbs that could flex when needed, a very much composed mind for someone of his age. For the type of player he was, Gilbert-Montes would roam everywhere for any scoring opportunity. Inside the box, outside of it, on the left or right side, he was there when needed. A sort of "roaming" player so to speak. Another unique sort of forward who may be of considerable value.

Bianchi was having a headache thinking about them. Because he sees that any of them could fit into the team system.

FULL TIME RESULT
Maphidon 1 – 4 Aphrilia
(14') Edward Elliot
-REDACTED- (26')
(39') Nathaniel Rosberg
(45+1') -- Aguri Hosokawa
(50') Ines Forrestal
(72') PEN Ardan McKernell
(90+1') -- Kennedy Christonson

by **Recuecn** » Sun Aug 10, 2025 7:33 am

Dirk recovered quickly—the chest pain he'd been feeling turned out to be a symptom of his acid reflux, and the worst consequence of his ER visit was a lost night of sleep. Coach LeBouffe was happy to see him feeling better again and started him in the game against Riandera.

In the Grand Exultia match, however, LeBouffe had also been very pleased with Heloise and Rébecca; the young substitutes had not just performed admirably, but even worked together to score the winning goal.

"I'll give you both more play-time later in the tournament," Hyron told the girls. Héloïse and Rébecca looked at each other. "What?" asked Hyron. "What does that look mean?"

"Nothing," said Héloïse. "We're just as confident as you are, coach."

Hyron laughed. "I guess I'm getting hubristic. Fine. Assuming we get the opportunity, I'll give you both more play-time."

It was strange, Rébecca thought, how at different moments one was expected to show different levels of confidence in the team. In front of the coach, the players had to pretend at times that they were entirely confident of winning the whole tournament, but at other times give the idea that each game was an impossible challenge they'd have to somehow transcend. For the fans who had high hopes for the IAC, you had to seem confident, and treat any loss like a failure to meet expectations, but in front of the media you had to remain humble. And of course, you would never want to jinx anything. For LeBouffe in his moment, assuming that Reçueçn had multiple games left in the IAC was a bit gauche and presumptuous, and risked jinxing the tournament. But for Rébecca and Héloïse, questioning the team's ability to win in front of their manager was tantamount to treason. And so here they were in front of each other, saying the things they were supposed to say, but looking at each other with knowing smiles. They all knew the truth: every game left in the tournament would be a challenge. Anything was possible, but nothing could be taken for granted.

The game against Riandera went as well as could be hoped, with the win securing Reçueçn's place at the top of group H. But Franky, who had scored the brace of goals, came up to LeBouffe afterward and asked to speak with him.

"Coach, I know you have certain players who you like to use together—Théophile and Laurent, me and Helibert, Rébecca and Héloïse. But I think Rébecca and I could do some great things together. She had that beautiful assist for Héloïse in the last game, and you've seen what I can do—do you think you could give us a chance to show you what we're capable of?"

Hyron thought for a moment. "You both fill the same role on the team. I can't just put you both on up front without changing all our tactics from the midfield up."

"Laurent can handle it, he's a genius," Franky insisted. "Please, coach, I'm begging you. I'm starting to get older. The Firauts have been such good friends of mine—I love Gerauld, and Rébecca is like a niece to me. I helped train her when she was a little girl, and I flatter myself that it's thanks to me she decided to be a striker instead of a goalie like her dad. I'm so excited she's can be on the team with Gerauld and me. But my dream is to play side-by-side with her before I retire."

"I'll think about it," said LeBouffe.

Franky went away feeling disappointed. But when LeBouffe announced the starting line-up for the game against the Elder Lands, the 4-3-3 was gone, replaced by a 4-4-2. Théophile and Laurent would be in the mid-field together, flanked by Emila and Helibert, and up front, leading the charge side-by-side, would be Rébecca and Franky.

OOC: If possible, I'd like to request a style change to +2.5 for the rest of the tournament.

Independent Associations Championship 24 Everything Thread

IAC-24 MD-3

[RIA] Part 2 - Another Victory to Brag About

2AWM

IAC-24 MD-4

IAC-24 MD-5

Who is online