World Cup 60: RP Thread

[Stachland]

Stachland Reds

Reds Gear Up for World Cup 60
by Witold Elliott

It's been quite a while, hasn't it? For whatever reason, the wait between World Cup 59 and World Cup 60 has seemed particularly long, relative to the similar absences which we have endured for more than a decade, now.

Still, not much has changed for the Reds. Midfielder Everett Lang of the Chevrin Nova still leads the team as captain—though he has announced his intentions to retire from international play at the conclusion of this World Cup cycle. Navering Pounchtal remains a solid goalkeeper between the posts. Jerce Wolszan and Janus Chambliss will continue to assist Lang in the midfield. Lyle Verdak and Zachary Zeelowe enter their sixth World Cup as the Reds' starting forwards.

It's true, these players are getting older. We already know of Lang's retirement, and Chambliss has begun to visibly slow down relative to his younger days. These two, along with Michael Esterhazy and Juran Chueran, may soon be singing their swan songs, as fresher Stachlanders step up to lead the team into a new age.

One familiar face has already departed—Jun Streat, formerly of Wolseley Technical Institute and presently of Central Lalard in Abcdefghijklmnopqrstuk, dropped from the roster in favor of Avery Milano, another talented youngster from the venerable Alossie Mountain State University football program.

Perhaps the most important member of the Stachland Reds remains, and will be with the team for the foreseeable future—Theodore Czacki, who is entering his second consecutive and fifth overall World Cup with the Stachlandic national team. His club team, Kapital F.C. of Chenkorya, has managed to win ChenkorFoot League A for the first time in Czacki's tenure as coach, and we can only hope that he can carry over some of the confidence and tenacity he displayed this past domestic season into the World Cup proper.

Drawn into Group Nineteen, the Reds will face familiar footballing nations such as Camwood and West Angola, as well as more obscure squads from Licentiapacisterra, Elstorm, Landarea, and Terio. The powerhouse in the group is Cassadaigua, a team which dealt the Reds some devastating defeats in group play in World Cup 55, when Stachland was only just emerging onto the world stage. The Reds will be looking for payback in their two matches against the Cassadaiguans in this qualifying campaign.

The first matchday is tomorrow, and the Reds will be looking for a strong start to launch them to the World Cup once more. Tune in to any National Magazine for Athletics television station for enhanced coverage.

[Vilita]

Kristofer Kilpter, Yves Gadois and Viji-Mara Lawaai sat together in the National Team provided condo Lawaai and Gadois shares outside the Tivali training grounds in Alikki-Corra having just finished a rousing game of "AOCAF Legends" where they competed as the NEWI Cefn Druids team from the first AOCAF. They opted against being Vilita or Vilita and Turori as they figured it might be a bit of a history lesson for them as well.

After topping their group, the trio defeated Cafundeu and Manhattan Prime en route to a final against AOCAF 35 champions Audioslavia who they had just imported into the game before starting their tournament.

During the final games Yves kept getting mad at Kilpter who was taking , according to Gadois, stupid shots from the middle of nowhere. Lawaai agreed and the two Strike teammates decided to stop passing the ball to Kilpter and try to make something happen so they didn't have to hard boot the system and restart if they lost.

Kilpter only got the ball if he stole it from the opposition which he was successful at doing a few times. One of those times came late in the match, after about 10 minutes of nobody scoring with the game clock on 4x speed.

Kilpter lined up controlling Druid legend Liam Gessemschmitthaagen-Po for a free Kick on goalkeepers right before hitting the sensors perfectly to send the digital kick into the back of the cyber net. Lawaai and Gadois were happy to see the goal go in but frustrated that it would be the selfish Kilpter that got the bragging rights until the next time they played .

After watching the obligatory lifting of the trophy and rolling of the game credits, the trio switched to live events for the World Cup 60 Qualifying groups draw.

Vilita were placed in pot 1 for the draw, advantageous in that only the top finishing team in the group is assured qualification to the World Cup finals. As the names came out of the hat, Vilitans everywhere realized they had a decent shot qualifying for the cup but they would have To be wary of a couple of the experienced teams in their group.

While Iturributa is a new world cup for for he Jungle Cats, there is plenty of footballing ability in their roster having previously been incorporated with the same Astograth team that was champions of the 38 th Cup of Harmony as well as being home to the former UICA championship club.

The jungle cats will also have to be wary of the threat presented by Valladares, home of the "other" "v.league" domestic competition in what could become an on-field battle not only for "V"'s but for a ticket to the World cup finals as well.

Vilita will start its qualification campaign by hosting The Kytler Peninsulae at the Tivali Ring Stadium. The Jungle Cats were originally planning to open their qualifying campaign at Lunar Park in Seraai but decided a change in that plan was appropriate after Lunar Park was selected to host the final of the series B champions cup, and considering the home field familiarity it might provide to The Kytler Peninsulaes Arthur Moon who plays domestically for Eastal Lunar.

Of the remaining teams in group 13, only Lymantatia poses a statistical threat to the Jungle Cats who will certainly be looking to collect all 6 points against The Tidal wake, West Spaam and the Lovonian Islands.

Gadois, Kilpter and Lawaai packed up their gaming console and headed off to the training grounds. The coaches will surely have already analyzed the group and would probably have some smart words to say in preparation for the opening match. They knew, between the three of them, no more than two would make the starting lineup against The Kytler Peninsulae. But none of them brought that up on the way over...

[Unified Falcon]

"Did you just say Civil Citizenry?" demanded Jacques Didier to Harold Nehafsaim, his mouth hanging open.

"Yeah, Jacques. Civil Citizenry. Is something of the matter?" inquired Harold.

"That is where Irwin Garland-Hart is from! He's the reason the Defenders won it all this past season! Oh yeah... You were in Astograth... But didn't you follow the league at all?" stated Loria Votmk, looking a bit disgusted.

"Ah. I see... He is a great player. Did he make their team?" asked Harold.

"I don't think so... I think they have better players. We are going to so get toasted by the Citiz," commented Jacques.

"Nobody is expecting us to do well this time," stated Kurt Yiddick, joining the conversation, "We didn't even go very far in the Baptism of Fire, although we did lose to the eventual champions."

"You are right," stated JeMichael, the Manager, "Our goal this time is just relevancy and competitive football. Play your best, have fun, and learn from your mistakes."

"Besides O Damn and Friday Freshman... and Equatorial Sarmen, we will be hard pressed to pull off any upsets," stated Barr the assistant manager, "But we shall give them all a hard battle."

"Yessir!" stated all the players.

They would start with Ko-oren, and try to play their best... Only time would tell how they would fare.

[Turori]

EELS DRAWN INTO GROUP 12
Turori could compete for World Cup berth

The Turori Eels will open up their World Cup 60 qualifying campaign at the coliseum of the inurahti hosting the groups top seed, Bostopia. It is not the draw the Eels were hoping for on the opening match day but they are sure to look to take advantage of he opportunity to get an early jump on qualification by stealing 3 points from the group favorites.

In order to qualify from group 12, the Eels will have to win the group outright, or; finish in the runner up position which would qualify them for a multi stage playoff against other group runners up.

Turori an supporters are already talking About qualification as the Eels look to break through to the finals for he first time since world cup 38. Other than top seed Bostopia and Atlantian Oceania neighbors Milchama, there is no familiarity in the group for the Eels. The former norwellian competitors of Free South Califas are likely to make the most noise in the group and Turori will have to play professionally to avoid dropping any points to the groups bottom sides.

On the issue of management, the football association of Turori has decided to once again begin accepting applications for the manager position of the Turori National team. The team will continue to be led by a consortium of its players as it had been through the previous world cup and cup of harmony campaigns until a permanent manager is found.

[The Kytler Peninsulae]

"Let there be no doubt that anything can happen this time around. This is the draw we waited for two years* ago and never got. That was the group of death we got back then, guys, and this is the group of life, the easiest qualifying group I can think of. We are good enough to qualify, but we've never fulfilled our potential! We've been defeatist, we've figured we're not that good, that only experience is going to get us anywhere... well, guys, you have that experience now. It's time to emulate the guys and girls of our other sports, who've emerged rapidly and triumphantly into becoming established, top-quality teams competitive with most rivals around the world. Margaret is going to help you, if you do all you can to gain her attention. The gods and goddesses or whoever you believe in are going to shine down on those who have earned the right to gain divine intervention. Go out there and prove that's you."

New Kytlerian manager Roddy Cannon, fresh from transforming the fortunes of Bravin Rangers, certainly pulled no punches. A man from a Kura-Pellandi military background, who ended up settling in the Kytlerian garrison town of Bravin and ended up taking their parochial little club to the Globe Cup, his fury was palpable with every word he delivered in an aggressive, twang-heavy vocal manner. But he could be softer at times, too, and never more so than with bona fide military hero Dean Wickens, who played under him for five years in between stints in the army himself in Bitternea.

"Dean, you've been astounding as a model of commitment, and I think the other players on this team need to learn something from you. You've overcome all sorts of hardship, you were a father at 13 without any intention to be, the mother abandoned the baby, your mother abandoned you, you... and to risk life and limb for your country when you could have made money doing what you love, and were making money even... I just can't describe what that means for all of us. This is a young nation, forged out of anarchy and chaos. I don't think our countrymen appreciate the military enough. They take it for granted, they just assume things are better now so they always will be. Well, if they're right, it's only because of people like you who go out and risk everything to make it so. You've done your part. Now it's time to get back to galvanising your nation some other way. If we win this match, I think we'll make the playoffs at least when all's said and done. This is as hard as it gets for us in this group, and we can still win it. I know we can. And you know it too, buddy."

"Damn right I know it. Nothing on a field feels hard after what I've been through. Bring it on."

"That's the spirit. Go get 'em."

*Under Kytlerian time dilation rules there are two years between World Cups.

-----

"Anyone to fear in this group besides Vilita?"

"Well, Valladares obviously, but besides that it's one of the weakest groups I've ever seen, even Valladares are probably there for the taking, the quality in these groups is so thinly spread now with this format that qualification might just be a bit too predictable."

"I don't know about that, because there are some vulnerable top seeds - I would put Vilita in that category, there are others as well - and we've had some massive volatility in the soccer world in the last few World Cup cycles, very fast rising teams like Polar Islandstates of course, Chetkosk as well, some dynasties have fallen like Starblaydia and Sarzonia, there's no slam dunk qualification processes anymore."

"With twenty groups maybe, twenty-four is a whole 'nother matter in my book."

"Even if that is the case, you still have the playoffs of course, and I think they could be very interesting indeed, two knockout games to win to make it to the big show."

"There's going to be some giant showdowns and confrontations in that, especially if some big guns fall - and bearing in mind the draws as well, you look at group 14 which is a much tougher group than ours, and if we come second then we might well be facing either Civil Citizenry or Allamunnic States. Now that would be... either of them..."

"Wow."

"Exactly. Probably our two greatest sporting rivals, obviously the Citiz rivalry is our biggest, but I think we tend to be more up for beating the Allamunnic States than vice versa, certainly we remember that lacrosse final so well."

"I don't see how the runners-up in 14 aren't one of those two, as Bears Armed will get their job done, I'm quite sure. And then it'd be another match against a battle between runners-up in 15 and 16 for the right to go to the big show, and looking at those two, one name sticks out."

"Sargossa, definitely, and if the Kytlerians were in that one, boy would that be something, a team the Kytlerians beat three times in their first World Cup cycle. Not a game they'd look forward to at all. They are a better team now, definitely, but so are we. Guess we'd soon find out who really is the better out of us."

"It could be a very interesting climax to qualification, and hopefully there'll be lots of excitement ahead before then. Starting tonight, Vilita against The Kytler Peninsulae, a World Cup 60 qualification match here exclusively live on TV3, we'll be back after the break with more on the Vilitan side."

[Wight]

.

[Octinstine]

Octinstine World Cup Qualifying Special

So once again Octinstine will try to qualify for the world cup propper, it has been many years of medicorece with the coloset the Panthers have came being a penalty shoot out loss is the last qualifying match for World Cup 58. With a squad with the majority of players in there prime as well as a couple of outstanding yougsters this could present a real chance for them to at least make the play-off stages.

Octinstine have been draw into group 5 with the teams listed below:

Octinstine
San Nitrento
Cowardly Pacifists
Jedi8246
Akbarabad
Alexanderburn
United commonwealth of Ayrshire
South Icemark

The shedule for the tournement is as follows:

MD1 - VS South Icemark
MD2 - VS San Nitrento
MD3 - AT Cowardly Pacifists
MD4 - VS Jedi8246
MD5 - AT Akbarabad
MD6 - VS Alexanderburn
MD7- AT United commonwealth of Ayrshire

MD8 - AT South Icemark
MD9 - AT San Nitrento
MD10 - VS Cowardly Pacifists
MD11 - AT Jedi8246
MD12 - VS Akbarabad
MD13 - AT Alexanderburn
MD14 - VS United commonwealth of Ayrshire

[Turori]

TURORI SEARCH FOR NATIONAL COACH
Eels request International Applicants

The Turori Eels are in need of a new head coach. After a failed attempt at a trialist coaching program during World Cup 58, and mediocre results with a player-led management team during World Cup 59, the Football Association of Turori would once again like to begin taking applications for the position.

The Football Association of Turori has been fairly successful in the past without having big named coaches to lead them. After debuting with a Baptism of Fire victory prior to World Cup 15, The small Island nation quickly rose to International fame earning the hosting rights for World Cup 19 and being ranked inside the top 5 of the KPB. The Eels consistently made the World Cup finals most cups through World Cup 37 when the gap pulled them out of sport entirely, making approximately 20 appearances in the finals. When they haven't been in the finals, the Eels have still been tough to beat, twice winning the Cup of Harmony competition.

Due to the gap, however, some experience has been lost in the Island Emirate. Despite the great performances of Cednia Beach AFC in the Vilitan League, their struggles in the Aeropag Invitational, and in the Atlantian Oceania Champions League, have indicated to the Football Association of Turori (FAT) that its probably wise to seek international experience to lead the Eels to their goal of a Top 2 finish in Group 12. The FAT feel confident that their group draw will allow the manager applicant the best opportunity to succeed.

Interested Applicants should provide the following information to the FAT:

-) Name:
-) Nationality:
-) Coaching History:
-) Coaching Awards/Trophies
-) Top 3 preferred opponents from the Turorian Schedule (Below)
---1)
---2)
---3)
-) Why do you feel you are right for Turori?
-) One interesting Fact about you:
-) Where do you see the Turori NT after World Cup 60Q?

mailto:: Vilita and Turori. (one nation)

Trialists should send their application ASAP to the unified mail service of Vilita and Turori.

[West Zirconia]

The schedule for West Zirconia's World Cup qualifying campaign has been finalised.
The Meerkats will play the folowing matches:

Matchday 1: Camerania (at Birchfields, Markham)
Matchday 2: Royalsoldiers (at Marc Edwards Memorial Stadium, Redwood)
Matchday 3: Kiryu-shi (away)
Matchday 4: Cafundéu (at Manchester Street, Moorcroft)
Matchday 5: Farfadillis (away)
Matchday 6: Darmen (at STORMGroup Stadium, Mort Park)
Matchday 7: Tales (away)

Matchday 8: Camerania (away)
Matchday 9: Royalsoldiers (away)
Matchday 10: Kiryu-shi (at Wickett's Lock, Taylor's Cross)
Matchday 11: Cafundéu (away)
Matchday 12: Farfadillis (at KPM Stadium, Snaith)
Matchday 13: Darmen (at National Stadium, Darmen City)
Matchday 14: Tales (at Williamson Park, Banks)


As third seeds in the competition, West Zirconia will have to upset one of the top two to progress, those top two being Darmen and Cafundéu, and the matches at Mort Park and Moorcroft should prove crucial. When asked his reaction to the draw, Ben Phillips said, "Well, any eleven men can beat any other eleven men on the day. Whether we can do it fourteen times is anyone's guess, but we'll give it our best shot."

Defender Karl-Heinz Holzmann said of the draw, "Wir haben eine gute Mannschaft, und wenn wir unsere Fähigkeiten durchführen, haben wir eine gute Chance weiterzugehen," before being reminded that the interview was, in fact, being conducted in English.

[Cassadaigua]

Looking to make our mark,
by Breanna Hawkins

Every new World Cup marks another Cup in which we are distanced from our glory years. So why is it that we just can never stop thinking about it? Well, I can tell you that it will be tough to forget about it during this Cup, since it is the 10th anniversary, and all. Now, the World Cup enters its “60's”, and we are like a few others that simply look back at the “50's” and smile. It was a period of dynasties, if you will, with ours at the beginning, Sorthern Northland in the middle, and Aguazul at the end. It was also a period of growth, and all though that probably started around World Cup 48 or so, the 50's showed that the World Cup will consistently draw over 100- 120 nations. New formats have been created in the meantime to accommodate the large numbers, and of course there is no better nation to think up an innovative competition format then The Babbage Islands, is there? That serves up another great memory, and one that is a little fresher on the minds: World Cup 54, where we were a co-host with The Babbage Islands, and the Aguazul legacy began. This year, our friends, and a nation in which Cassadagan players can tend to find themselves playing domestically, are co-hosting with Saugeais, after we had a great experience here with the Baptism of Fire. How then, can memories of the past not begin to fester within us?

As great as those memories are, we have to try to put them on the back-burner. The plan this year is to start the “60's” the same way we began the “50's”. Our nation isn’t quite the favorite as we were before, and just maybe we could sneak up on a few people again. A lot is different about this team, this year. We are younger and as a group don’t have a ton of experience. It is time, to make our mark, for ourselves. The girls of the 60's are ready to usher in this new era of World Cup play and I think it will be exciting. Ashley Barrett, for one, has continued to progress in a quick manner. You’ll recall that she replaced the injured Heather Wells after matchday 11 of qualifying for World Cup 59 and never looked back thanks to great play and was very quickly rewarded with a significant overseas offer to play professionally in The Babbage Islands. Despite playing overseas, and now, out-of-region, Cassadagans are loyal followers of Babbage soccer, and Barrett has not gone under the radar because of that move. She’s only 22, which is pretty amazing given her talents and what she has already been able to accomplish and I look forward to playing with her again. Otherwise, we’re young, but not necessarily inexperienced. All of the starters spent time on the World Cup 59 team, so we know what we are getting into, but for many, it is the first starting assignment. Erika Payton finally gets a chance to start in goal after being 2nd or 3rd string since World Cup 56. She hurt her elbow in a practice last week, but is good to go now, and even she wasn’t, nothing would be getting in our way.

So, here we are, in the 19th of 24 groups. Like I affectionately said, leave it to The Babbage Islands to come up with a different style of format, as the 24 group winners will have their advancement, but then the 24 second place teams will be placed into six, four-team playoff pools that will have a round robin to determine who advances. Our goal, is therefore to qualify directly and finish in first place, because my gut feeling says there will be some high profile teams that miss out that have to go to that playoff.

We’re ready to make our mark, a mark of our own. I hope you’re ready to watch!

[Socialist States Owen]

Unto the breach - FSSO look to go forward in swashbuckling fashion as "Attack attack attack!" takes over as the primary strategy A report by Clint Covey

So, the qualifying stage for World Cup 60 is upon us - and for once, it's our opposition who will quake in their boots at the sight of the FSSO team, rather than the other way round.

For the first time we really have a very good chance of qualifying from a group, with the right strategy in place, a squad on good form and weaker opposition. In their only pre-qualifying friendly, the FSSO showed their intentions with an imperious, almost comically easy 9-2 demoliton of arch rivals Sameba in Brigham, home city of twice FSSO champions Revolutionaries. Everyone played brilliantly that day, but an increasingly poor Sameba side had a miserable end to their 6th year in a row without even being strong enough to enter the World Cup qualifying round - they only ever made it that far once, and were demolished in the group stage.

Of course, it will still be difficult to qualify this year. The size of the qualifying stage means that the FSSO must finish top to guarantee a shot at entering the World Cup, as no longer will every second placed team in the qualifying groups go through to the playoff round - only the six best group runners up. With the Holy Empire above us in the rankings as the only remaining participant of the first ever WCC World Cup, the FSSO need to finish a very strong second at least to qualify - although finishing above the veteran first seeds is not out of the question after the FSSO previously pulled some very good performances out of the hat against the Archregimancy.

As for the rest of the group, they appear to be relatively anonymous - the last time the FSSO had a group like this, we somehow slipped to 5th. The group contains the Scrap Brain Zone, with a team of seemingly sentient footballing robots, Hutt River with a rather bizarre team that includes a sock puppet in midfield, and the known but not exactly famed Carpavia Group. There are three other teams which we know bugger all about - honest! This is why the FSSO's new all out attacking style, designed to compensate for its defensive frailties while mounting more responsibility on star goalkeeper Daniel Belgrave, is suited to this group. If we try to put a few past each team in every game, we can amount a decent amount of points, and if the FSSO avoid any slip ups, the Holy Empire might just have a couple of poor results and be there for the taking.

The FSSO team open their campaign against Deandean98, and are expected to play a full strength side while second string players will feature in later games against the smaller teams. There are two key fixtures, both against the Holy Empire; at home in Bastion on the fourth matchday, and away in the Holy Empire on match day eleven.

[Valanora]

"So, is anyone going to talk about what happened in those two years?"

"No."

"Why not? All was quiet, no one entered or left Valanora, well not the mainland anyways. Only Vyinta and Capri had any contact with the world outside of it, even the domestic league did not run. Surely you can not simply deny the right of the people to know what it is that transpired during those years."

"I have all the right, I am a Raynor, and as far as I am still aware, we are the ruling family of the nation. As such, we are entitled to withhold information when and if we deem it necessary."

"Nearly forty souls were lost in your expedition, only you, the priestess, and eight others returned from you campaign. Don't those families and friends deserve to know what happened to their loved ones, why it was that they gave up their lives when yours was spared."

"What happened in those two years is strictly off limits. It is for the good of the nation and all of the world that it never be spoken of again. Those who witnessed the events, those that were part of the events dearly wished they were not. Now leave it be."

"Tobias Raynor, one day you will have to answer the questions of what happened."

"And when that day comes, I will need not speak, for Elune will have already had the answer."

[Ancharmunn]

The Maudraiska Mirror

McVitie - “No nepotism is squad selection”
by Ruadhrí Mac Suibhne

A sister without a professional club, a cousin who plays amateur football as captain and a nephew yet to play a match at senior level. Each of these have received call-ups to the Ancharmunn squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifying campaign and yet Killian McVitie has denied that nepotism plays any role in his squad selections.

The former tabloid hack and sham football manager was a controversial choice to replace Paul Andrew ahead of the last Cup of Harmony. Results since then have done nothing to inspire those who had no confidence in McVitie from the start, whilst the few that did should be questioning that confidence if they are sane of mind.

Disgruntled fans have already threatened to stay away from international matches whilst McVitie remains at the helm, though the Cumann Sacair an Tearmann insists that tickets for the opening qualifier at Goidelic's Paradise against Rhodesiah is almost sold out. Cynics however will point out that a large reason for such demand has been to allow McVitie to fully bear the brunt of discontent.

For now though the manager remains in bullish mood. Speaking at the announcement of his squad he proclaimed, “I couldn't give a toss what the fans think. They're not paid to manage this team, I am. You know why? Because I'm fucking good at this. You give them what they want and you'd have that idiot Paul Andrew in charge again.”

“Where would we get then? No fucking where.”

Many would scoff that getting that far would be an improvement on the direction McVitie appears to be taking the team. A further cause for complaint has been the removal of captaincy from fan favourite Tiarnán Ó Beolláin. The decision is understood to have outraged a number of senior players. That Killian McVitie has handed the captaincy to his cousin, the thirty-one year old Ballymairead Constabulary midfielder and amateur footballer Finbar McVitie, only makes the decision more contentious. Twenty-five Caitlin McVitie, a striker without club and Donal McVitie, a seventeen year old neo-pro yet to play for Ballymairead Dynamos complete the family affair within the squad.

“They're not in the squad because of their relationship with me” insists Killian, “They're in it because the offer the best choice available within those roles.” Quite how seriously McVitie expects that to be taken is unclear.

The selection controversy however stretches further than a mere family affair. Few may have been all that aware of Eamon Power when he ventured east to join Revolutionaries in the FSSO. A league title and a host of awards later however and Power is one of the most highly regarded Charmunnry players around right know. Apart from in the eyes of the ever wise McVitie.

“Power? Who the fuck is he?” scoffed McVitie “He's gone over to a shit league and won a few awards. Big deal. He can come back when he does something in a proper league, like Elwyn Richard who won the title for Iturributa United.”

That the FSSO's Gold League is ranked as the 37th placed league by UICA whilst Iturributa's Premier League has yet to be given a ranking appears to have escaped McVitie's knowledge. Then again a lot of basic football knowledge seems to.

[Pasarga]

"Are we good?"

"We're decent, I would say, I mean, we've qualified for two straight World Cup Propers. So, I think the answer is yes, we are good."

"But I guess we're not great, since we've not done much when we've gotten in the Propers."

"Well, you could make that point, but once you get to that stage, every single team is dangerous. So, we really can not be faulted for not progressing to the knockout rounds."

"And our ranking stays in this weird limbo of the mid 20s to low 30s, keeping us perpetually in the second pot with the hard qualifications. And now we have quite the dangerous group and a qualifying structure that makes it quite the more difficult to progress."

"So you're saying that the Wanderers wont qualify for a third straight time."

"I am saying that if they are to do it, they will have to reach the next level in talent and precision. Polar Islandstates, Yeso-whatever, and Audioslavia will all push the Wanderers to the brink. While the side might have been able to handle the Mystical Unicorns and win the group last time, it is obvious to all that they are in decline. All these sides are on the accent, even the Polarians despite some struggles recently."

"Well, it is the first time we've made it in back to back tournament, perhaps we are on that level already."

"We shall see."

[Kiryu-shi]

Tziganes d'Arányi stood perfectly still, holding her breath. The security guard’s footsteps seemed to be getting closer, and her plan would fall apart if anyone noticed her. After she had come so far, there was no way that that she’d let a simple security guard be the person who brought her down.

It was seven months since she left the village on the far western side of Kiryu island, the only home she had ever known for her entire life. She had heard from her grandparents that it would take around four months simply to get to Kiryu-shi, the city that they had vowed never to return to. There had been others who returned, she knew, but given the persecution that her family and others like her had suffered under the Queeish regime, most everyone she knew thought returning would never be an option. They said that the taunts and ridicule had been just the tip of the iceberg, as as worshipers of Quee began to become more and more secure with themselves and the power that they had over the government, it became unsafe to live in Kiryu-shi proper. And thus they moved, organizing in clandestine meetings generations ago before moving out one night, en masse, to journey to the western side of the island.

Tziganes wasn’t sure if she had followed the exact route that her grandparents helped create all those years ago, but one way or another, she managed to get to Kiryu-shi in time to enact her plan. Her grandparents had advised her to aim for Sakaino, once she had found her way to the city, and so she did. She hiked there as well, substituting the foraging and small-game hunting with petty thievery to feed and clothe herself, all the while getting access to as much information as she could about the Kiryu-shi national football team. It was a process; her time in the city had taken longer than the time it took to get there, as she slowly made her way to the nation’s finest university, in her opinion. Football was one of those things that her village had maintained - at first, an act of rebellion against the Quee worshippers, until it began to become one of the ways that they were truly able to form a separate identity for themselves. If how they look was going to be labeled obscene, it might as well be reflected in how they acted.

So when word came that football was once again being played by Kiryu-shi, that they had sent a team to the previous World Cup Qualifications, the citizens of her town started to murmur about returning to the city. Eventually, they had decided against it, worrying about reintegrating with a society that had caused them so much pain and suffering. It was too soon, the elders said. We have lives of our own now, and we won’t go groveling back to those who shunned us all those years ago. And there is no guarantee that the Quee worshipers won’t come into power once again… But Tziganes had already decided that she would see the city for herself. She was never one for letting people stop her from getting what she wanted. After all, she was the best football player in the town, even though she was just 16 years old. People called her a prodigy, but she wasn’t ever going to get anywhere - there were no club teams to join. She needed to experience more than her town had to offer - she needed to see if she really was as talented as they said. She needed to help represent her nation in the World Cup. And so here she was, in a dark corner of the Sakaino University Athletic Complex, at midnight a couple of weeks before the first match was to start. Breaking into a spare equipment room, where she knew she’d be able to steal a maintenance worker’s outfit, allowing her access, she hoped, to the rest of the facility without having security guards come kick her out.

Finally, the sound of the footsteps began to get softer. The security guard was ambling away. After waiting until she could no longer hear any footsteps, and then a couple of more minutes for good measure, Tziganes forced the door open. Looking around the room she quickly spotted the lockers where the uniforms were kept - someone had left them wide open. Grateful, she tiptoed towards them and was able to pull out a maintenance outfit before noticing the mirror - her wig had slipped off. Nervously, she readjusted it and made her way back out of the room. She was going to return tomorrow - bright and early - and try and figure out how not be be thrown out. She had to figure out how to keep herself here until the first match - against a team from Darmen. There she would be able to watch her first match, see how talented it meant to be able to play international football. But the wig made her nervous - she was going to have to find a more permanent solution. She wasn’t ready to find out what would happen to her if it came to be known that she was a Ginger.

[Carmadin]

OOC: Thanks to Homelands our and to Ko-oren for their input

Lehmohn sat at his desk, pages of language samples from the world over strewn about. This was the work he loved, but sometimes, he wished he had chosen another profession. One with more action. He would get a nice bonus once this was all done, though. That was something to look forward to. Of course, redoing the entire language should damn well get him a bonus. He wished he had an office on one of the higher floors, or not down here, where all the assistant liguists in the cubicles were muttering to each other in the world's most obscure languages.

"Soooorluthu, Quoro In Parase. Illimara zeramay uruleath, corfues arante beuqse! Carnaaauteaj miroppa fjartjgafs baront, belasi Quoro In Parase"

Or singing the Karditani National Anthem....

"եք փակել է դժոխքի են?! Ես փորձում աշխատել!"
Will you shut the hell up?! I'm trying to work!

Of course, that was one of the benefits to working in a liguistics center. No matter what language you spoke, people were sure to understand you. Even the interens could carry on in some languages.

"Barkatu, Ez dut ulertsen"
Sorry, I don't understand

Except the ones who could only speak Astograthian....

"Ég sagði, munt þú leggja í helvíti upp?! Ég er að reyna að vinna!"
I said, 'Will you shut the hell up?! I'm trying to work!

"կատակում, կատակում: Ես գիտեմ ինչ ի նկատի ուներ"
Joking, Joking, I knew what you meant

Seething, Lehmohn returned to his work, studying language samples of Ko-oren, and silently vowed to greet the next visitor to his door with an outburst of the longest, most complicated Armenian he could muster. That'd teach them.
Now, about these samp--

"Lehmohn?"

"Դա վերջին ծղոտե! Ես հիվանդ եմ ձեզ մտնում իմ պաշտոնավարման բոլոր ժամանակը! Ես փորձում է ստանալ որոշակի աշխատանք է կատարվել, գռեհիկ եք տեսնել, որ?! Հակում դուք պարզապես հարգում եմ իմ տարածությունը մի քանի րոպե?! Ես փորձում Վերակատարել լեզուն մեր ողջ ժողովրդի Այստեղ ես չեմ մտածում, թե ինչ պետք է ասել!!"
That's the last straw! I'm sick of you barging into my office all the time! I'm trying to get some work done, cant you see that? Cant you just respect my space for a few minutes? I'm trying to redo the language of our entire nation here, I don't care what you have to say!

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning. I just wanted to tell you that we've got some ideas for the vowel issue"

Great. The one time he'd been able to put one of them in their place, they were actually trying to help him out. He was disgusted with himself.

"My deep apologies. I'm a bit high-strung today"

"There's an understatement. Nice Armenian, by the way. I was begining to think you'd lost your edge"

"Can you even understand Armenian?"

"No, but I got the gist. Something about getting straws out of your office to redo the language?"

"I actually said 'Da verjin tsghote', or 'that's the last straw'"

"Ah, I was wondering about that"

"Yes, well, how about those vowels then?"

"այստեղ"
Here

"Now you're just making fun of me"

Sound-previously used-proposed new

advance-Aeh- ä
know-Oh-ǒ
saw-Aw- å
destroy-Oy - Oi
youth-Oo-ō
wood-Uh-u
bet-Eh-è
now-Ow- ǔ
beat-Ee-ē
tip-Ih-ì
day-Ay-é
banana-Auh-ǝ
further-Er-ư
buy-Iy-ẙ
mat-Ah-ā
bother-O-ò
united-Yu-ü

"Huh. That's awesome. Just a few issues, though, that I can see. The ẙ is difficult for many people to write, and a major pain to encode (OOC: My computer hates it ), and Oi won't work, as the point of this was to simplify all sounds down to one letter"

"You're right, but other than that, whoever sent us this deserves all the thanks we can give them"

*Thanks, Ko-oren!*

"Perhaps we can use a dotless i (I ı) instead of ẙ?"

"պարկեշտ գաղափարը. այժմ վերադառնալ աշխատանքի: մենք մտածում մի բան"
decent idea. now, get back to work. we'll think of something

"Okay. See you all tommorow"

---

Joyn sat at his desk, looking over the vowel chart. It wasn't everything, and the language was far from finished. But it was enough.
He put pen to paper, and wrote the first sentence in the new Carmadese: The nation's motto. (S'aehch S'churdohp xur Pehch'b)

Säç Sçưdǒp xư Pèçb

OOC Notes:

If anybody has ideas for the destroy and buy sounds, please let me know. I'm quite pleased with the way this is turning out!
(That short last part is my excuse and explination for the motto change )

[Jedi8246]

Theme
Fenris Sports Corner

"Good morning.I'm Logan Dale with Jedi8246's #1 sports program. Well folks, it's official. Jedi8246 dares to stab at the World Cup for the fifth time. Last year's attempt was feeble at best as it featured major roster changes. Yet Jedi8246 fought on to get a fair 3rd. We come back this year motivated to go onwards. As always, we bring a look at the Jedi8246 schedule and opponents. Let's take a look at the group shall we?


Group Five
Octinstine
San Nitrento
Cowardly Pacifists
Jedi8246
Akbarabad
Alexanderburn
United commonwealth of Ayrshire
South Icemark


And now our schedule

Match 1
Akbarabad@Jedi8246
Match 2
Jedi8246@Alexanderburn
Match 3
United commonwealth of Ayrshire@Jedi8246
Match 4
Jedi8246@Octinstine
Match 5
San Nitrento@Jedi8246
Match 6
Jedi8246@Cowardly Pacifists
Match 7
South Icemark@Jedi8246
Match 8
Jedi8246@Akbarabad
Match 9
Alexanderburn@Jedi8246
Match 10
Jedi8246@United commonwealth of Ayrshire
Match 11
Octinstine@Jedi8246
Match 12
Jedi8246@San Nitrento
Match 13
Cowardly Pacifists@Jedi8246
Match 14
Jedi8246@South Icemark

There you have it. Now finally, our detailed breakdown of opponents

---

Octinstine
Octinstine is currently ranked 73 with a total of 10.66 points. Though a fairly good team, Jedi8246 expects to beat them in both games. Our first game will be an away match in the 4th week of the tournament. Though part of a 3 week away gauntlet, Jedi8246 will be able to keep up. The later Week 11 game will definitely be a nice bolster late in the tournament.

---

San Nitrento
San Nitrento is currently one of the lesser teams in the WC. Ranked down at 294 with a measly 0.67 points, they are not expected to be a threat. The week 5 home game will be a breeze. The away game later in the season during Week 12 will be hopefully another nice tack on at the end.

---

Cowardly Pacifists
Cowardly Pacifists remains one of those hard to tell teams. Though not expected to prove troublesome, they are up and rising. They currently hold a rank of 135 with 3.5 points. They employ odd defensive strategies, but have trouble attacking the ball. Sure to be an advantage for the fast striking Jedi8246 team. We play at there home in Week 6, which will be a nice test against their team. The late season game at Jedi8246 in Week 13 will be a nice evaluation of how they develop as a squad and hopefully prove a victory for Jedi8246.

---

Akbarabad
Akbarabad is definitely one of the toughest teams within Group 5. They are a high ranking 11, holding 34.71 points. A tough squad and one that has proven itself repeatedly through the playoffs. They are opening game of the season and opening home game. This will be a team to prove our mettle against. Beating them in the first game will surely be a jump start to Jedi8246. The mid season away game will prove even more difficult. If we win there, Jedi8246 will definitely be on the road to playoffs.

---

Alexanderburn
Alexanderburn is perhaps one of harder teams to judge. Though participating in only their 2nd World Cup, they are not strangers to the international scene. No information could be found regarding their ranking, though they are expected to be an interesting opponent. Our first game against them will be Week 2 at their home. This will be a good evaluation of their skills. The later home game will hopefully go to us.

---

United Commonwealth of Ayrshire
Rookies to the World Cup scene and unranked, they are not expected to pose a threat. We play them Week 3 and 10, both expected to be easy victories for the fierce Wyverns.

---

South Icemark
South Icemark is another lesser opponent. They stand at 241, with 1.11 points. Though not the worst team, they are nowhere close to a top contender. The away game is the final game of the season, expected to be a nice way to end a season. Though our playoff chances will probably be known by then, it will still be a good morale booster.

---

Expected Record
11-2-1

This is looking to be our season to finally qualify. With only 1 major team posing a threat, Jedi8246 expects to have it's best season yet. This will be our shining year to make playoffs. Stay tuned for more sporting news.

[Hutt River]

Info on Polymorphs

Stockton-on-Sea, Northern Ipeland

The Hutt River national football team, complete with cat, toaster and Mr. Flibble had arrived at Stockton-on-sea via boat. This was their last stop before going to The Holy Empire for their first World Cup match. It's not a great first team to come up against, as the only matches the team have played are against second rate teams in the recent AOCAF. This was a first rate team from a side who are ranked 4th in the world, and are the second highest ranked side in the whole World Cup qualifying after last years runners-up Krytenia (Kryten had been surprised that such a nation shared his namesake). Still rank doesn't matter, Lister had hoped. As usual, he and Rimmer were arguing over team selection.

"Come on, you have to select the toaster, he's better than Cat by a mile." said Rimmer, replying to an earlier argument
"No." Lister replied curtly
"Why not?"
"Listen, you've already heard everything I've had to say, so I'll say it in a nutshell: He should stop Queleshing around in training. If he does, I'll play him."
"Bu... What the smeg is Queleshing?"
Kryten butted into the conversation, "Queleshing is the act of ignoring all suggestions of improvements to something, for example a WA resolution. 'Your Excellency's Queleshing won't fly, Ambassador'"
"Thanks Krytie. All he cares about is toast anyway."
"No, I don't", said a voice in the bag Kryten was carrying, "I care about crumpets as well. And teacakes."
"Same thing", Lister replied, "Anyway, I thought I turned you off."
"You took out my batteries, but I run on solar as well."
"You always find some way to annoy us, don't ya."
"Yes. Want some toast?"
"NO!" Lister hit the toaster, which appeared to shut him up, for now.

The Cat was a few paces behind the rest of the 8ish humanoids, doing nothing in particular, looking about everywhere. He noticed something about the gaggle of 8-9 people walking past him. Something familiar.

"Err, guys." he said, "I just saw you walking past us"

The group turned around. All they saw was around 8-9 old women, one of them clutching a shopping bag which looked to be full of stuff, and another carrying a handbag. Everyone turned to Cat, who looked confused.

"I'm sure it was you guys"
"You've gone absolutely mad, haven't you?" Rimmer said, shaking his head
"No, I'm sure one of them was you."
"Absolutely mad." Rimmer tutted, and turned back with the rest of the group.

The Cat looked behind him once again, the women had disappeared completely. He turned his head forward, telling himself he was seeing things.

15 minutes later, after buying sandwiches the team returned to the shore where the boat was except it wasn't there. The team was puzzled about where it had gone, and came to the conclusion someone had stolen it. The Cat said he could smell a boat off in the distance, and Lister peering through binoculars, confirmed this. However he couldn't see whether it was theirs or not. Kryten used his zoom and said:

"Yep, that's our boat, and it looks like it's us who's driving it."
"Err, what?" Rimmer said in reply
"Those things that the Cat saw before, they're those polymorphs again. Now they've stolen our boat and are going where we are."
"Why would they want to play football?" said Lister quizzically.
"They want to do that so no-one would notice the difference. You have to be exact to get some emotions. Luckily their efforts are fruitless"
"Why?"
"In this universe, they can't suck emotions due to the quasi-divisional difficulties of transporting emotional matter across two universes through a time hole which by sheer coincidence led them here, in a universe in which it is impossible to suck emotions due to the emotional capacity of the Polymorph being reduced to being able to do it at absolute zero - 1 degrees kelvin. Add to that that The Holy Empire will be playing in the 'Dreamed Realm', which will further confuse everyone of them into doing good football for exactly 105 minutes."
"As simple as that, is it? Well, now we can't go, because that was the only boat we 'legally' own, so better stay somewhere, like in a camper-van or something."

[Chetkosk]

Topical Tweets, #WC60

@YevByshovetsiy ’s got his work cut out, people expect miracles from that guy. #WC60
-
A reasonable draw, but it’ll more-than-likely be absolute hell in the play-offs if we don’t top the qualifiers. Good luck, Puffins. #WC60
-
Anyone else worried for Chetkosk? Travelling to Wight, and most of the squad have already lost their appendix... #WC60 #invasivesurgery

---

---

Prologue

The damp smattering of sleet that threw itself against the castle cast a sour mood over the day, the mid-morning sun shining bleakly behind the dense cloud that hung low over the plateau. It was not only the wetting effect of the precipitate that caused the gloomy atmosphere, but also it's sound - thousands upon thousands of slushy, damp slaps assaulting the world with water, punctuated by the sharp stinging of barely formed ice. Below the castle, the townsfolk of Altevsk shut themselves in, retreating from the bitter onslaught to their dimly lit homes. Most were poor, peasants who could not afford to carve abodes from the rock up the mountain, eking out their existence in plain wooden constructs that stood ashamedly in inches of dank, grey, poorly drained mountain soil.

In the glum and palid light offered by the winter sun the light from the castle windows was warm, inviting, and very much juxtaposed with the events that oft occurred within, and would soon occur again. The Boyar walked leisurely from his chambers, taking his place upon his seat, in command of the entire room, and the entire town. His name was Olaf Grus, a distant part of the Gruseyvidin Tsardom and a foul specimen of humanity. Calling forth a serf, he spat, thus avoiding soiling the fine masonry of his house, leaning back to allow him to cast a true look of distaste upon the serf as he shuffled away again.

He continued his morning ritual, taking a glug of wine and listening as his advisor spoke of the news of the empire, occasionally letting loose a belch or interrupting to ask an inane question. The sun continued to attempt to climb the icy grey sky, reaching a low height and clinging to it for a short time, lighting up the damp town for as long as possible before beginning the inevitable descent, sleet still cascading from the cloud layer. The Boyar, being the bored and entitled man he was, grew increasingly frustrated with the inactivity, and soon the tempting tingle of his interest in the arcane began to grow in the back of his mind. Sitting up in his carved pine chair, Olaf called to his advisor,
"Bring me the witch." Several men scurried away to the dungeons to drag forth the Boyar's prize possession...

---

---

Qualifying Stage
Chetkosk - Carnova
Rochehaut - Chetkosk
Chetkosk - Maron
Wight - Chetkosk
Chetkosk - Corrizon
Baltskandio - Chetkosk
Chetkosk - Soviet Canuckistan

BREAK

Carnova - Chetkosk
Chetkosk - Rochehaut
Maron - Chetkosk
Chetkosk - Wight
OFF DAY
Corrizon - Chetkosk
Chetkosk - Baltskandio
Soviet Canuckistan - Chetkosk

[Free South Califas]

(UNR) Free South Califas 2 - 0 Romili (UNR)
Elected Manager: #12 Bakersfield HB Ralf Huber (1-1)

48'  FSC #2 Nadezhda Prokhorova (1)
63'  FSC out #11 RS Chidiebele Guttman, in #76 RM Obioma Chukwufumnanya
69'  FSC out #3 LCB Falerina Jomphe, in #68 LB Frida Rubaiyat
76'  FSC out #8 LS Marten Robertsen, in #45 Rufus Goldman
88'  FSC #45 Rufus Goldman (1)

(UNR) Romili 2 - 1 Free South Califas (UNR)
Elected Manager: #12 Bakersfield HB Ralf Huber (1-2 games, 1-0 series)

32'  FSC out #10 CF Bela Ceh, in #23 LM Hamrah Anzalichi
36'  FSC #23 LM Hamrah Anzalichi (1). Assist #7 HB Haidou Zhongyuan (2).
45'  FSC out #6 HB Godvin Nes, in #00 CM Seth Stackhouse
55'  FSC out #8 LS Marten Robertsen, in #17 WF Cao Dong
68' 
78' 

Series result: Free South Califas 3 - 2 Romili

(UNR) Free South Califas 0 - 3 Northern Sunrise Islands (UNR)
Elected Manager: #12 Bakersfield HB Ralf Huber (1-3 games, 1-0 series)

15'  
68'  
69'  

(UNR) Northern Sunrise Islands 2 - 1 Free South Califas (UNR)
Elected Manager: #12 Bakersfield HB Ralf Huber (1-4 games, 1-1 series)

60'  FSC out #1 GK Gerlinda Strelc, in #32 GK Marita Cummings
64'  FSC #9 CF Flavio Filippa (2). Assist #6 HB Godvin Nes (1)
66'  
67'  FSC out #10 CF Bela Ceh, in #68 LB Frida Rubaiyat
72'  
88'  FSC out #2 LCB Nadezhda Pokhorova, in #17 WF Cao Dong

Series result: Northern Sunrise Islands 5 - 1 Free South Califas

(UNR) Free South Califas 1 - 1 Deandean98 (277)
Elected Manager: #1 Huntington Beach GK Gerlinda Strelc (0-0-1)
Starting GK: #32 Bakersfield GK Marita Cummings

37'  
63'  FSC #2 LB Nadezhda Pokhorova (2). Assist: #9 CF Flavio Filippa (1).
74'  FSC out #10 CF Bela Ceh, in #76 RM Obioma Chukwufumnanya
76'  FSC out #8 LS Marten Robertsen, in #68 LB Frida Rubaiyat.
81'  FSC out #11 RS Chidiebele Guttman, in #65 RCB Isabella Ferreira C.

(277) Deandean98 2 aet 1 Free South Califas (UNR)
Elected Manager: #1 Huntington Beach GK Gerlinda Strelc (0-1-1 games, 0-1 series)
Starting GK: #32 Bakersfield GK Marita Cummings

1'  FSC #6 HB Godvin Nes (2). 
44'  
100'  

Series result: Deandean98 3 - 2 Free South Califas

(UNR) Free South Califas 0 - 0 Terio (UNR)
Elected Manager: #1 Huntington Beach GK Gerlinda Strelc (0-1-2)
Starting GK: #32 Bakersfield GK Marita Cummings

(UNR) Terio 4 - 0 Free South Califas (UNR)
Elected Manager: #1 Huntington Beach GK Gerlinda Strelc (0-2-2 games, 0-2 series)
Starting GK: #32 Bakersfield GK Marita Cummings

41'  #70 RM Paul Wright
47'  #13 RW Leite Pena
83'  #80 LM Edgar de Asis
85'  #33 ST Fransisco Rodriguez

Series result: Terio 4 - 0 Free South Califas

Free South Califas haven't scored in 169 minutes under Strelc Something tells me she won't be elected to manage the first qualifier...

The Harvest Mice went 2-10 with one tie, and 1-3 in two-legged series. Heading into the qualifiers, excitement is rising in South Califas as the Mice begin to show promise on defense (notwithstanding the last friendly).

[Kagdazka and Pazhujebu]

Roots. Underneath these stones placed upon the ground so that grief is never forgotten. Some millennia old, some placed only days ago. Underneath these stones; roots. Not literal roots, though surely they could be found beneath the oil palms at the gate, or maybe the cotton tree just feet to the left. Nay, roots grown metaphysical through families over the generations, back into the annals of genealogical history.

Brutušam Erassi gently brushed the dust away from the tombstone. Yivashaktim Erassi, he could read faintly, 5106-5168. His great-grandfather's bones had been laid to rest here, decades ago. Roots, he thought, grew not where one made their money was earned, but where ancestors' blood and sweat had been cast unto the ground.

Emuzhezh. He took it in as he dropped a wildflower onto the grassy grave and stood up from his squat. The cemetery was at the top of a large hill overlooking the eastern port district of the city. He could see the sea from here, shining blue about a mile away. Here was home, where he'd grown as a boy, toiling away in school as an unsuccessful student. Football had saved him, surprisingly, given that when he'd first learned to love the game, his club was a puny and insignificant little band of misfits toiling away in the Pazhujeb Islands' lower divisions.

But Urnabhi had treated him well. Though he'd been an awful player, he had found it easy to wrap his head around the tactical nuances of the game, and with his achievement of the outfit's managerial position, he had become a national name when he brought the white-and-pink clad Spiders up to the Federation's First Division.

Soon FKM came a-calling. And it was then that Erassi had left his home behind, knowing he'd return someday, but unprepared for the feelings of emptiness when severed from the bonds of blood. After all, there had once been a time when his grandfather ran a rickshaw business in the days before international integration, in the days before modern technology swept in.

He remembered Bugga's words, uttered during his last year on earth. "It was the worst thing that could ever have happened to our homeland, Brutušam. We once lived with respect toward this, our tiny little home. And where we will be when we forget it? You know, there was a time when our ancestors came here with nothing ostracized from their homes, arriving on sinking boats that had seen them through awful rains and winds at sea. Imagine their joy when they found these isles way out at sea. We have forgotten."

His grandfather had been referring to the legendary journey of the Pazhujebi people. Expellees of the Roman Empire during the 2nd century AD, almost all of them ethnic North Indians who had migrated west, they had been cast off from the western coast of the Iberian Peninsula by Claudius II. Lost at sea, most had died, but the ones who were courageous enough to survive what was more or less a genocide had eventually drifted southward and stumbled upon the islands which would ultimately become known as the Pazhujeb Islands and then Pazhujebu.

And if Erassi thought about those roots enough, he knew his ancestors could somehow be traced back to those destitute travelers who first crashed upon these shores. It was home, no mistaking it, and he couldn't help thinking of his grandfather's words "we have forgotten" as he reflected on his own journey.

But then, his abandonment of home hadn't been up to him, really. His initial departure had been to honor his family's name, not spit on it; receiving the top managerial post at FKM was a grandiose accomplishment indeed. It was only to be surpassed by his eventual appointment as the Urchins' head honcho. There, he'd strived as hard as he could to change the way the previously defense-minded national team had gone about their business, instilling an aggressive, all-out-attack mindset.

Of course, it hadn't worked out. Despite his tireless work, he'd failed to get everybody on side. The Kagdaz players in particular, unapologetic in their adoption of a more cynical approach to the game of football, hadn't been willing to change. Well, not all of them. Eduard and Natasha, proteges at FKM, had turned out to be critical players, and they were both Kagdaz. But the others... Mizirov, Ogorodov, Omelchenko... the list goes on... they just didn't believe in him.

In the end, he wasn't the least bit surprised when the KPFA sent him a polite but unmistakably terse email, asking him to go. He didn't have any intent to protest. Every manager knows: once you lose the dressing room, you're done. There's no chalk-waving or hairdryer treatment in the world strong enough to change a team's fatalistic mentality. So he quit, half planning to go back home here to Emuzhezh.

But he'd gotten lucky. The Sargossans were on him like white on rice, and, seeing that he might be more successful in a different country where there might be different tactical systems ingrained in players' heads, accepted the contract at first glance.

All this would be of peripheral significance, except for the fact that it was his job as Sargossa boss that had, indirectly, brought him back home. The World Cup 60 draw had sent his Corsairs off to Pazhujebu on Matchday One, and would you believe it, Emuzhezh Stidiyama, the stomping ground of his beloved Urnabhi, was the venue.

So now Erassi would have to look his replacement, Maksim Astafyev, right in the eye. The two had never met, as they'd never managed First Division clubs during the same season. He'd been told, however, that Astafyev was like night to Erassi's day, charismatic, not awkward, tactically dismissive, rather than studious, and impulsive, not circumspect. Though he planned to shake Astafyev's hand, he didn't plan on inviting him over for dinner; he had a feeling they wouldn't like one another.

In a certain sense, he felt as though his Sargossa deserved to win here in Emuzhezh. This was his hometown, this was his home stadium, these were his fellow fans. Astafyev's K&P were just an amalgamated group of vagabonds from faraway places, led by a young Russian-speaking punk from the redneck ghetto known as Aypabirsk. What business did Astafyev have in defeating Erassi here in Emuzhezh?

He strolled over to a series of stone posts indicating the edge of the graveyard and marking the beginning of a steep hill descending down into a residential area of the southeastern area of town. Erassi could see the house that his grandfather and grandmother had built themselves, a tiny grayish-tan dot just blocks away from the ocean. Across the street, which looked like no more than a whitish thread from here on the hill, he could see the small local bank that had once loan money to the good citizens of the neighborhood. (Now, of course, it was owned by a Dyurtyuli-based banking conglomerate; things had changed.)

This, thought Erassi, is my great-grandfather's grave. This is my ancestors' city; my ancestors' land. And if it helps to beat my old team tonight, I'll convince myself that I'm defending all those things from the invaders of the modern times. Emuzhezh, get ready.

[Sargossa]

The Island Chronicle


Group of Sod All


Well it's that time again folks. There's a world cup to qualify for and the Corsairs are in the mix for the eleventh time. So we're getting to be old hands at this. Just as well really as the group is an underwhelming mass of coma inducing nothingness. ABK at least provide a bit of local interest in the inevitable Rushmori derby. Erassi's side have a winning record against them with that name following a 3 - 2 Copa Rushmori win in Astograth three years ago. The Icemark may prove a test but the very fact their media believe a quarter final place at the Cup of Harmony got them noticed suggests their standards are pretty low. We won the damn thing and no one noticed. But, we have actually heard of them. The same cannot be said of the Greckan Tribes, Calorax and Savski Venac who should all dutifully roll over and perish in the face of the awesome Sargossan attack. Although they probably won't. Then there's Sørøya, who would appear not to exist at all. Which is nice.

Of course that does casually leave out any mention of Kagdazka and Pazhujebu, the group's top seeds and unquestionably one of the best, albeit not entirely consistent, footy nations in the multiverse. Now we've had a quick scan of the record books and it would appear that our two fine nations have never yet clashed in this modern gladiatorial arena that is international football. But the Corsairs' are about as clued up on the Urchins as a squad can be. You can rest assured on that. Sargossa's Pazhujebi coach Brutušam Erassi is himself a former national boss of his homeland and is probably itching to show his former employers just what they lost when they gave him the boot, particularly in a match scheduled to be played in his native Emuzhezh. We assume so anyway, at this stage the nation's press corps is too terrified of the shaven headed tactician to ask him anything.

With a qualifying campaign looming it was up to the Football Federation of Sargossa (FFS) to once again dig out their big map of the nation and fling some darts at it to determine match venues. Unsurprisingly the capital gets the plum ties with both Kagdazka & Pazhujebu and Abcdefghijklmnopqrstuk being hosted at Soluca's Estadio Generalissimo Joaquín Delgado. The Icemark will be treated with a trip to the Ciudad Deportiva in Maturín while Savski Venac and Calorax will be heading to San Marquez and Cordova respectively. The jungle city of Durgos, a notorious shithole, hasn't hosted an international fixture since World Cup 53 but that's set to change with the visit of the Greckan Tribes. The lucky swines. And in something of a historic move the Sargossan national side will be competing out in the colonies as the Corsairs and Sørøya clash in Costa Azula. Provided the now non-existent opposition can rustle up a team.

Schedule
MD1: Kagdazka and Pazhujebu v Sargossa
MD2: Sargossa v Savski Venac (Estadio Silva, San Marquez)
MD3: Greckan Tribes v Sargossa
MD4: Sargossa v Calorax (Estadio Del Mar, Cordova)
MD5: ABK v Sargossa
MD6: Sørøya v Sargossa
MD7: Sargossa v The Icemark (Ciudad Deportiva, Maturín)
MD8: Sargossa v Kagdazka and Pazhujebu (Estadio Generalissimo Joaquín Delgado, Soluca)
MD9: Savski Venac v Sargossa
MD10: Sargossa v Greckan Tribes (Estadio José Romero, Durgos)
MD11: Calorax v Sargossa
MD12: Sargossa v ABK (Estadio Generalissimo Joaquín Delgado, Soluca)
MD13: Sargossa v Sørøya (Arena Azula, Delgadopolis)
MD14: The Icemark v Sargossa

[Camerania]

"Hello folks, and welcome to Matchday 1 of World Cup 60. I'm Barry Norman with your update. Today is the day, folks; Camerania has been kicking it into high-gear in preparation for our third World Cup appearance. I know I speak for many in saying that we're all looking forward to seeing Camerania go far! Our first match is today against West Zirconia, a strong opponent. While we may not be the oldest or best team out there, we sure do have the spunk and heart to do our absolute best. With me is the Fightin' Commies' manager, Freyjr Bestin. Freyjr, how do you think the team will do today?"
"Well, the team has been working hard these past couple weeks to make sure they work like a well oiled machine. I know they'll exert the absolute most out there, and I cn ssure you I'll be pushing them as hard as I can."
"Thanks, Freyjr. Folks, this is looking to be a great run for us. There are a lot of big names out there, and we may not win every match, but our Fightin' Commies won't be intimidated, an will keep on fightin' to the finish! Tune in later tonight for the details of the match, and stay tuned for the next two weeks to see Camerania try to take the football world by storm! Until then, for the CBC, I'm Barry Norman, keeping you posted."

[New Pebble Island]

Locker Room, Pregame, Outside the Stadium
The President Scribbled down on his notepad
"Place is bugged, we cannot talk anything about him."
"Him" meaning Juanito, who had been missing for two days, the team had reason to believe he was killed by the government of this place they were playing.
The President wrote more notes
"Time for fake speech, remember, I don't mean this."
He spoke outload for the first time.
"Okay team, today we must hoped we can win down a man, try hard, Lets get out there!" He said in a voice that was not his.
The team was rattled as they walked onto the pitch pregame, trying to look as normal as ever.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Juanito was talking to this man, Gomes, about what had just happened, flying towards the stadium.
"Okay, so now that we are out here, how am i going to get past security?"
"Your going to parachute into the stadium with four guards parachuting around you. The Cup officals will be forced to let you play. Oh, and another thing, you are never aloud to talk about this agian. If you do, we will sent you right back there." Gomes said pausing...
"You don't want to stretch?" Gomes asked.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Reed Benson was trying to warm up as usual, but he could not stop from thinking about the poor boy, He let another practice shot from Durbani fly past him when Luisito yelled at them to look up towards the sky. Five men dressed in soccer jersies made a square around a small man wearing Juanito's jersey. Wait... that was Juanito! He was parachuting into the stadium, Reed looked over to the Manager who ran and greeted Juanito like that was supposed to happen. Juanito's jersey looked clear, but his face told a different story. His face had cuts and bruises scattered, but if you were not within twenty feet of him, you would not notice. The President/Manager scribled something down on his roster card and handed it to the ref, Juanito wore a relieved and shocked face, he had been through alot. He had a feeling Juanito would not have the greatest game of his career tonight, but him being alive gave a new life to the club, and some of them were looking even excited, they were ready for the game.

[Civil Citizenry]

---

Domestic
Nationwide League of Championship Football Franchises

---

Astodon Lannies
LINEUP: N. Pounchtal, W. Wilton, J. Haslett, C. Washington, V. Piqué Amborsio, P. Wingate, H. Covington, S. Ichtyelkov, A. Blackburn, O. De Luca, A. Radcliffe
MANAGER: Soter Lomas

Athenian Towns
LINEUP: Y. Larraza, W. Bickford, R. Montgomery, J. Pidulski, R. Addison, D. Hilton, W. Sporadic, O. Yobanna, J. Reeve-Wilson, D. Nagato, S. Fulton
MANAGER: Fernleigh Whitcomb

Baker Red Devils
LINEUP: O. Carroll, D. Livingstone, C. Kirkwood, B. Nye, C. Olin, R. Dryden, T. Camelot, B. Norman, W. Bliss, M. Bloodworth, K. Chancellor
MANAGER: Tomlin Whitelaw

Bartewick Hilltoppers
LINEUP: É. Thibault, T. Patton, P. Blackburn, R. Ellison, L. Garroway, H. Tanner, K. Prescott, L. Shelleigh, U. Charleton, L. Nordin, T. Newhall
MANAGER: Slade Collier

Briarshaw Bonnies
LINEUP: P. Newman, P. Marveau-Kahn, M. Gomer-Audleigh, M. Kingman, Y. Stoddard, S. Churchill, R. Wharton, Z. Wilson, L. Hadleigh, S. Farrell, K. Bassford
MANAGER: Dean Marsdon

Briarshaw Peoples
LINEUP: J. Parr, M. Seabrook, C. Ordway, G. Ragnarsson, J. Matinzky, S. Elsworth, S. Bishop, C. Nye, E. Street, J. St. James, J. Behnke
MANAGER: Wladyslaw Bashirskaya

Cambridge Ivies
LINEUP: K. Denzil, M. Hammond, M. Allenby, B. Barclay, D. Ortega, R. Beval, F. Hernandez, B. Roxbury, B. Frey, S. Kester, G. Dell
MANAGER: Pickford Kyne

Chastings Barts
LINEUP: D. Northrup, R. Rutleigh, K. Ransom-Everard, B. Wainwright, J. Morgan, D. Truch, K. Ale'ack, P. Gifford, C.R. Cangelosi, C. York, R. Putnam-Dubric
MANAGER: Talbot Moore

Comesby Foxes
LINEUP: K. Waverleigh, P. Elder, A. Leighton, M. Leighton, D. Preston, F. America, P. Hall, S. Krause, X. Demichelis, P. Elder, B. Felton-Brewster
MANAGER: Montgomery Ingram

Eastern Chase Giants
LINEUP: S. Seabrook, Y. Mercer, S. Austin, C. Clifford, A. Kemp, D. Haden, M. Hamilton, G. Phillips, W. Stanfield, J. Cedric, L. Cobourne
MANAGER: Henderson Bolton

Eastern Chase Nationals
LINEUP: A. Filmore, S. Hibbert, M. Squire, G. Washington, S. Harden, B. Maxwell, D. Pollard-Beck, P. Sundstrom, A. Scarloff, E. Langston, W. Dudleigh
MANAGER: Reginald Deacon

Islaic Gold
LINEUP: W. Covington, P. Wilkinson, G. Ascensión, M. Wakefield, D. Saxon, O. Henderson, F. Augustin, O. Golding, M. Magyar, R. Waldo, P. Latimer
MANAGER: Nelson Hartford

Kyle Stevedores
LINEUP: B. Storm, K. Holbrook, H.H. Stanford-Wallace, W. Thormond, B. Filmore, M. Hargrove, P. Geary, J. Simmons, Y. Marsden-Holmes, F. Kent, E. Stillman-Sagar
MANAGER: Wade Turner

Merrilin Chasers
LINEUP: N. Prakusya, R. Reeve, M. Kumar, J. Maguire, J.A. Worth, H. Freeman, A. Dew, O. Hastings, B. ap Rhys, F. Whitmore, C. Ellison-Lincoln
MANAGER: Irwin Clay

Portsdan Athletics
LINEUP: C. Marte, D. Davis, E. Deacon, H. Stoddard, R. Weston, D. Quinn, B. Reading, N. Wesleigh, V. Jefferson, M. Royce, P. Carlisle
MANAGER: Marvin Grayson

Salutin Ports
LINEUP: G. Diamond, E. Upton, M. Atterbarry, A. Mckellar, B. Phelps-Newton, G. Norman, A. Guerrón, B. Guildford, F. van der Ryst, J. Abosi, S. Kingston
MANAGER: Rex Conway

Sherwood Yellow Wasps
LINEUP: W. Carroll, R. Haven, I. Jefferson, M. Touré, A. Barton, T. Chance, S. Nenci, R. Sherlock, S. Salisbury, B. Aldoaga, F. Benson-Fisk
MANAGER: Prescott Welbourne

Skyanter Infantry
LINEUP: É. Reuter, R. Roper, Osinachi, K. Yale, M. Holmes, P. Pollock, J. Sedlak, S.H. Sherman, C. Keaton, S. Gresham, J.A. Cedres
MANAGER: Fleming Beresford

Topher Graces
LINEUP: D. Szezlak, M. Read, H. Morse, G. van Zant, R. Upwood, C. Mills, R. Bolton, S. Vordsson, S. Mitchell, O. Oosthuizen, P. Bickford
MANAGER: Emmett Frey

Woodlands Lumberjacks
LINEUP: H. Tanton, J. Scoville, U. Akaregi, E. Thatcher, C. Thorndike, N. Bancroft, R. Marie, P. Sinclair, T. Freeman, R. Buck, T. Patrick-Peterson
MANAGER: Gi Han

Matchday One
Lumberjacks @ Lannies
Graces @ Towns
Infantry @ Red Devils
Yellow Wasps @ Hilltoppers
Ports @ Bonnies
Athletics @ Peoples
Chasers @ Ivies
Stevedores @ Barts
Gold @ Foxes
Nationals @ Giants

Matchday Two
Nationals @ Lumberjacks
Giants @ Gold
Foxes @ Stevedores
Barts @ Chasers
Ivies @ Athletics
Peoples @ Ports
Bonnies @ Yellow Wasps
Hilltoppers @ Infantry
Red Devils @ Graces
Towns @ Lannies

Matchday Three
Lumberjacks @ Towns
Lannies @ Red Devils
Graces @ Hilltoppers
Infantry @ Bonnies
Yellow Wasps @ Peoples
Ports @ Ivies
Athletics @ Barts
Chasers @ Foxes
Stevedores @ Giants
Gold @ Nationals

Parris Trophy Summary

If you watch football for the amazing goals, you would not have wanted to watch the Parris Trophy unfold. The Woodlands Lumberjacks, emerging as the early season favorite, averaged just over a goal per game, and allowed merely two goals in seven matches. It was the combined defense of Josh Scoville, who has taken the title of best defender post-reign of Burkett Barclay in earnest, and Astograthian Urre Akaregi that led the Lumberjacks to a preseason title. Robert Buck, a southpaw youngster with sharp-shooting legs, was the team's leading scorer (if you can call it that with so few goals to go around), aided by assist specialist Pascal Sinclair and top midfielder Templeton Freeman.

The biggest storylines for this team belonged to the foreigners. Gi Han was a bit of an odd managerial choice for a team that, in the old King's League, was considered a top-tier club. He hails from the tiny, faraway nation of Hsien-Ko (good luck finding that on a map, I couldn't, word has it neither could the Candelariasians), whose only claim to fame is a third-place showing at the second World Cuppet in Polar Islandstates. Apparently, that was more deserving of an NLCFF manager position than being the coach of a mid-level Lord's League team. One of the most surprising things for the nearly-70-year-old Han is that he managed to gel with a team that speaks English, first and foremost, rather than Korean, his natural language. Han does have experience with emigrating to different countries - he used to be a Pocoan coach - but it is astounding that he has been so successful in a new country in so short a time. According to the men in the locker room, his biggest asset is his ability to keep the players in line and sticking to their fundamentals. Han's tenure at the Hsien-Ko Military Academy as a teenager is the root of his fundamentals-based nature. The Lumberjacks were able to close out so many close games (including a 1-0 final victory over Kyle) because they did not get too fancy or cocky - or, as the eloquent Han put it, "彼らは非常に最後までハードプレイ."

For Han, a Parris Trophy ring may be a capstone on a long and distinguished career given his roots as a commoner from a tiny nation, but for Akaregi, this is just another victory to list on his resumé. Akaregi, hailing from the eastern side of the Hegoaldekomugan, has won five titles since crossing the border: one league title with TFC Lannymore, twice more with Merrilin FC, a Trofeo del Príncipe, and now this. The one thing he's missing? A selection to his country's national team. "That are my only goal," he said, still trying to master the English language after over a half-decade in Civil Citizenry (he could use some tips from Han!). "Play international, represent Olibondeka. This trophies is good, but I devote to country first."

---

International
World Cup

---

Civil Citizenry Bakers
LINEUP: G. Diamond, J. Scoville, L. Kendrick, R. Montgomery, L. Garroway, C. Mills, P. Pollock, L. Sutton, A. Sanders, M. Royce, J. Cedric
BENCH: P. Newman, R. Haven, C. Washington, B. Filmore, R. Beval, D. Pollard-Beck, W. Bliss, V. Hewitt, B. Felton-Brewster, P. Latimer, B. Bond
MANAGER: Lester Blackburn

First Half
Civil Citizenry vs Equatorial Sarmen
(Doman Field (43,000), Briarshaw, Civil Citizenry)
Civil Citizenry at O-Damn
(unknown)
Civil Citizenry vs Allamunnic States
(The Barn (58,100), Comesby, Civil Citizenry)
Civil Citizenry at Bears Armed
(Wimbley Stadium (60,000), Council Groves, Bears Armed)
Civil Citizenry vs Friday Freshman
(Victoria National Arena (15,000), Victorwick)
Civil Citizenry vs Unified Falcon
(Coastal Citiz Stadium (39,000), Kyle of the Isle, Civil Citizenry)
Civil Citizenry at Ko-oren
(unknown)

National Team Preview

There is no man alive who can argue Wladyslaw Bashirskaya was not the most successful manager in Bakers history. At least, no man alive who does not wish to be dead. The Pazhujebi has become well-known in both Rushmore and Atlantian Oceania for being an absolute mastermind of the field and its strategic nuances. He took the Bakers to within penalty kicks of the World Cup. Twice. His guidance helped the team rise to the top thirty in the rankings, and during his reign the team claimed third place in the Cup of Harmony in front of a home crowd that was happy to avenge the team's early exit when Civil Citizenry first hosted the tournament years ago.

Despite all of his fantastic accomplishments that have made him idolized throughout the nation's proletariat and footballing elite, Bashirskaya failed to meet his one goal when he took the head job: reach a World Cup proper. After four failures at accomplishing this task, he knew it was time to leave about as well as he knew how players move around the football pitch. When the Briarshaw Peoples - a sister franchise of ultra-successful Kagdaz club FK Murmansk - reached out to Bashirskaya to fill the open managerial position, he had to take it. So the experienced manager of a long-time top fifty national team, now in his late sixties, reveled by an entire nation, is now the manager of a relatively small and not-well-known domestic team. Just another unexpected twist in the life of the eccentric but successful Wladyslaw Bashirskaya.

His surprising announcement was met with some worry by the Citiz Football Association: who could possibly fill his shoes? Surely, no foreigner; for years, CFA officials have said they would much prefer a homegrown manager (Civil Citizenry produces those by the dozen). But the nation's top managers are all abroad. Manning Pelham, the legendary Athens Town manager, is now at the helm of a top-five national team in the Babbage Islands; Ramsey Parris, a failed Bakers coach, now manages the world's number one club team; Powell Pieran, the scandalous former Eastern Chase helmsman, is fighting to keep his job as the successful manager of the Astograthian national team (maybe the CFA could give him a call about Akaregi). The next best choice was Lester Blackburn, a dark-haired fifty-something who had built a dominant, three-title-winning Merrilin FC out of a mid-level Lord's League team. But no one expected the CFA could lure him away from Merrilin, where he had become the city's greatest hero and was even more revered than Bashirskaya for his unbelievable leadership.

So when the CFA managed that, it was quite a shock. Once the league franchising proposal and the subsequent fantasy draft became a reality, Blackburn realized the familial ties he had formed with his players would be broken, and things wouldn't be the same in Merrilin. This would be his best, and maybe only, opportunity at managing a high-caliber team (if you can call the Bakers that). Now he has been working with the team for a couple weeks, aided by the fact that pre-qualifying workouts coincided with the NLCFF offseason, and it is becoming evident that he plans to take a hands-off style with this team. Whereas Bashirskaya was willing to micro-manage every detail from goal to goal - and was capable of doing it, too - Blackburn does not have that kind of hawkeye scouting ability. He prefers to let the players handle themselves on the field. "These are the best players in the country," he said. "If I can't trust these guys to handle themselves on the field, I can't trust anyone. Not even my wife. Well, okay, I don't trust her with everything. I'd try to wink, but... wait, I think this is the part where I stop talking..."