World Cup 88- Roleplay Thread

by **Vilita** » Fri Jun 11, 2021 7:13 pm

Jungle Cats Thrashed by Dazza's Princesses

Canopii Chased Off in Five Goal Horror Show

Cocoa-bo Stadium, Starksville, Cassadaigua :: Despite having struggle through World Cup Qualifying and finishing with one of the worst records among Group Winners, the Vilitan National Team entered the World Cup 88 Finals with optimism after being drawn into a Group H schedule which many experts projected the Jungle Cats could advance from to make amends for their failure to advance from the Group Stage during World Cup 87.

Each of Vilita's three group stage opponents would be nations that at least some members of the National Team Squad had played in person with both Mercedini and The Holy Empire having been defeated by the Jungle Cats en route to Vilita's triumph in the World Cup 82 Final while Vilita played home and away against Jeruselem the following Cycle during World Cup 83 Qualifying. However, prior to that there was even more reason for the Jungle Cats faithful to be optimistic about their nations draw at the World Cup 88 Finals as they also had a history of playing Jeruselem on the way to a World Cup Championship - having done so during World Cup 68 in Legalese and the Free Republics. During that cup, Vilita defeated Jeruselem 3-1 on the final matchday - a result the Jungle Cats needed just to advance to the Round of 16. From then on, the rest was history as Vilita would win all four Knockout Round matches to become the nation with the longest cyclical gap between two World Cup victories, lifting the World Cup 68 trophy 48 cycles after their first triumph in Starblaydia and Druida.

Among the nations that Vilita had to play on the road to winning World Cup 20 in Starblaydia and Druida? Jeruselem. After being held by Eauz on the opening matchday of the World Cup 20 Finals, Mauro Baraza would be the difference maker on Matchday 2 as Vilita picked up their first ever victory over Jeruselem at the World Cup Finals kicking off an unbeaten run that would culminate in the Jungle Cats first ever World Cup Title. Fast forward from there a full 68 cycles and Jeruselem would also be the Jungle Cats opponents on the first Matchday of the World Cup 88 Finals after the Dazzling Princesses stunned the oddsmakers during World Cup 88 Qualifying by winning Group 10 as a 4th seed over Mercedini while top seed Siovanija and Teusland were a full 12 points back in fourth position.

While the re-match between Jeruselem and Mercedini would come later in the tournament with the two Group 10 foes meeting right up again in the World Cup Finals, there was much history to go through as Vilita and Jeruselem squared off on the opening matchday. While their meeting in qualifying for World Cup 83 was the most recent major competition clash between the two sides, Vilita and Jeruselem have been contesting meaningful matches since the Jungle Cats very first cycles in internationstatal competition. Vilita's first and only triumph in the Cup of Harmony came during the World Cup 14 Cycle. During the Group Stage of the Cup of Harmony for World Cup 14 the Jungle Cats only defeat came at the hands of Jeruselem in a 0-1 result. Despite the loss, Vilita would still advance to the knockout rounds and from there would advance through to their first ever World Cup Committee sanctioned Final, ultimately claiming the Cup of Harmony title 4-2 over Jeruselem on the strength of two goals from Callum Banda. The history of meaningful matches between Vilita and Jeruselem stretched from the 10's to the 20's and 30's and all the way through to the present day, with the two veteran nations clashing again in a juicy opener to World Cup 88 between a flailing superpower in the once mighty Jungle Cats and the ever present and once-again-rising Princesses who will never waver in their own quest for glory.

Despite the difference in their ranking, it was clear from the outset that the match would be no walkover for the Jungle Cats. Vilita got on the scoreboard early through defender Inteali Koranjo who converted an optimistic shot from long range early in the match which awkwardly caught goalkeeper Keiran Biden in a moment of distraction while busy sniffing the uniform of teammate Gladys Goop. The Jungle Cats advantage would not last long however as youngster Ina Ninomae literally went underneath the towering Kudii Davsarii putting a new meaning to the nutmeg/five hole/through the tunnel commentary line and stunning the Vilitan defense, as well as Mako Canopii who could do nothing to stop the tiny equalizer. Ninomae celebrated with an Octopus dance by the corner flag and set off a chain of events that would see the Jungle Cats suffer one of their worst ever World Cup Finals defeats.

By half time, Vilita were down 1-4 and head coach Poloax Torerun was looking to make a move. Although Mako Canopii had been medically cleared to play by the Vilita National Team medical staff, it was evident to Torerun that something was wrong with the Jungle Cats goalkeeper. There had to be. While Canopii had missed a series of games in the wake of the unfortunate events that took place during a match inside the 14 Stars involving a "Torndao" and other unfortunate tactics employed by the home team, It was believed that the Yeaddin Owls netminder had been given plenty of time to recover and come in prepared for the World Cup 88 Finals. Canopii even made an appearance against Hebitaka on the final matchday of World Cup 88 Qualifying to ensure match fitness. Although Vilita failed to win the match, Canopii's performance was deemed adequate enough for the netminder to re-gain their spot as Vilita's #1 heading into the World Cup 88 Finals.

45 minutes into Chromatika and Cassadaigua, however, Canopii was out. Vernasa Sanamun took over the gloves for the second half of the match while Canopii was instructed to stay back with the medical team in the locker room. Unfortunately for Vilita, the damage had already been done. In fact, while Vilita were pressing forward in search of a way back into the match, Jeruselem would add one more goal going up 5-1 before Tenziki Kulakao saved a little bit of the Jungle Cat's pride right at the end of the match scoring a goal that could be equally as important in the big picture as it was irrelevant at the time it hit the back of the net. When the full time whistle blew a dejected and completely embarrassed Jungle Cats squad sulked off the pitch and looked to drown their sorrows with the free Cocoa-bo on offer in the locker room.

 Vilita [2] - [5] Jeruselem
				
	GOALS:	Vilita 	:: 3' Inteali Koranjo:: 91' Tenziki Kulakao             		
	STATS:	Vilita 	:: Possession: 47%:: Shots: 5:: Corners: 9	Jeruselem 	:: Possession: 53%:: Shots: 9:: Corners: 6
	Lineup:	[GK] Mako Canopii, [D.] Lohani Riiyaaw, [D.] Inteali Koranjo, [D.] Jirak Trikala, [ML]  Kudii Davasarii, [MC]  Cywrenta Vlintejni, [MC] Trezisi Rokopolis, [MR]  Limu Katarakhna, [FC]  Enzoril Alabonni, [FC] Clarana Refiami, [FC] Nii'arala Milaaso			
	Bench:	[FC] Sipke Tarala, [FC] Tenziki Kulakao, [M] Imauka Lkomorak, [M] Intikko Kuhilana, [U ] Fishtii Blikala, [D] Linkat Cjinder, [GK] Vernasa Sanamun

Of course, if there was ever a result to debunk the controversial theory that Vilitan players gained performance enhancing effects from the ingestion of Cocoa-bo, it was this. In Starksville, the Rushmori headquarters of the Cocoa-bo Eatery, at the Cocoa-bo Stadium and with literal fountains of the famous delectable concoction inside the locker rooms, the Vilitan National Team looked despondent. There was no energy and the skill seemed to be lacking as well. They had taken what was supposed to be an assured three points against the lowest ranked nation in Group H and not only blown it but exploded it, tossed it into a volcano, blasted that volcano off into space and then had it swallowed up by a black hole into complete and utter nothingness. In other words, not only did Vilita drop three points to the lowest seed nation in the group but they dropped three points AND three goals. Even if they did somehow manage to come back and defeat Mercedini on Matchday 2... and The Holy Empire on Matchday 3... they could still finish the World Cup 88 Group Stage with a negative goal differential which would not bode well in a three-way tiebreaker.

Of course, the first step for the Jungle Cats was to figure out what had happened. While there was never going to be a home match for Vilita while contesting a World Cup within Rushmore, this was certainly as close as it was ever going to get. They were surrounded by Cocoa-bo. Outside the stadium. Inside the stadium. ON the stadium. There was Cocoa-bo everywhere. It was practically like being in Turori - which itself is close to Vilita and as close to home as the Jungle Cats were going to get. Homestyle desserts. Familiar brands. Unfamiliar shellackings by Jeruselem.

The glass is half full crowd will certainly point to Vilita's history of rebounding from opening matchday troubles in both World Cup Qualifying and the Finals as a reason to remain optimistic about the Jungle Cats chances of advancing from Group H. In fact, during both the World Cup 88 Qualifiers and World Cup 87 Qualifiers the Jungle Cats had dropped points early but rebounded to win their group. Of course, in qualifying they had between 15-7 matchdays to recover from their early troubles. In Cassadaigua they would have two. In reality, however, they would have just one. Mercedini on Matchday 2. Failure to secure victory over Mercedini would likely result in Vilita's elimination from the World Cup. However, even Victory may not be enough. Head Coach Poloax Torerun will have to impress on the Jungle Cat players not to take their feet off the floorboard even if they should manage to get a much-needed early lead in the match. The Jungle Cats will almost certainly have to not only defeat the Golden Eagle's on Matchday 2, but defeat them by at least two goals in order to put themselves back in position to secure a spot in the knockout rounds when they square up against The Holy Empire on Matchday 3. As one of a handful of historically and competitively intriguing matchups on Paper in the World Cup 88 Group Stage, Jungle Cat Faithful, Competition Organizers and Broadcasting Rights holders throughout the multiverse are all hoping that Vilita can do enough on Matchday 2 to ensure that there is still something to play for against the Holy Empire on Matchday 3.

Vilitan Locker Room, Cocoa-bo Stadium, Starksville, Cassadaigua - As the rest of the Vilitan National Team tried to salvage the mess they had been left after the first 45 minutes of play in Starksville, Mako Canopii was being asessed by the Vilitan Medical Staff. Deemed physically fit coming into the World Cup 88 Finals, the staff were now uncertain about their star goalkeepers disposition. The medical team asked Canopii a series of Questions hoping to gain answers that would explain what had happened out on the pitch. Instead, they only got more questions. Among the areas of concern for the Training staff was that Canopii - and they would soon learn a number of other Vilitan players, received unlabeled packets of Tea in their take-away bags. The bags - which were left for all members of playing and coaching staff on both teams courtesy of the stadium's sponsor Cocoa-bo, were largely filled with desserts, coupons, beverages and other delectable selections from the popular Cocoa-bo Eatery. However, only a select few were determined to include the unlabeled Tea packets and all but one of the Vilitan players who received the Tea packet in their goody bag had, for some reason, felt compelled to immediately consume the tea prior to the match. Most cited the desire to partake in the goodies from the goody bag but believing that all the other delectables were too sugary to be stuffing their faces with right before a match while the Tea would settle them down. Now, the Vilitan staff was beginning to wonder if there was any correlation between these Tea packets and the questionable on-pitch performance from a number of key Vilitan players - including goalkeeper Mako Canopii who conceded four goals in just 45 minutes for the first time in their career. Advising Canopii not to make mention of it to their teammates, the Goalkeeper was sent back to the hotel while the Football Association of Vilita quietly launched an internal investigation into the origins of that Tea.

by **Chromatika** » Fri Jun 11, 2021 7:16 pm

It's time to see if your hopes remain, or if you need to start planning your trip home. Cutoff!

Results

by **Kelssek** » Sat Jun 12, 2021 6:48 am

Moonbeam Infantino ✓ @MoonbeanInfan
How can football help us eat, pray, love?

Moonbeam Infantino ✓ @MoonbeanInfan · 1h
It's so lovely to see groups like @GOOF working to outreach and improve spirituality in global football #hailcthulhu

Moonbeam Infantino ✓ @MoonbeanInfan · 4h
Whisky in Rogerton absorbs energies from the sun and moon. This is why it is so powerful! Football must reconnect with its roots. #fans

Moonbeam Infantino ✓ @MoonbeanInfan · 1 day ago
A wonderful day tasting finest whisky in #Darmen and studying its feasibility. Greatly aided my meditation afterwards! Highly reccomended for its cleansing power of your mind #blessings #radiance

Moonbeam Infantino ✓ @MoonbeanInfan · 2 days ago
How many elephants are there really in Elephant Valley? A blessing to have visited magnificent South Newlandia #elephantsarebig

SPORTSINFO RADIO
“They gave us very little time on the ball and we didn’t adjust to that. We made our own downfall a bit. No doubt I have to take responsibility for this.”

“That’s Colm Ó Tuathail reacting to the loss. This is SportsInfo Radio’s post-match coverage as Kelssek lose 1-0 to Savigliane at World Cup 88, James McGregor here with former Kelssek international Thomas Brodif. I’m hearing a player who’s really frustrated and despondent. And this worries me because there’s still one more match to go, a must-win match where they have to hope Cassadaigua also loses against the team that just beat them. I wonder what you make of it, Tom, when the captain is saying things like this?”

Tom: “Well, at the time, there were questions about, is he the right choice? And emotions are raw in the moment, I don’t want to read too much into what a guy is saying when he’s just been part of a very bad defeat. As the captain, you need to be part of driving the mentality of your teammates and so yeah, you do have to question was he ready for this role, and did that inexperience as captain show in that situation?”

“Because you don’t really get to practice for this kind of thing, do you?”

Tom: “Well, no, but you do look at this squad and ask who are the leaders here, who are the ones with that kind of mental steel, and to be honest, I’m not sure I can tell you... Macon-Petrault is another player who supposed to be a leader, not a great performance from him either. I can understand you put your best players out there because you trust them to win you the game, but to me Macon-Petrault still has a lot to prove. We know he has the ability, he needs to show that he can do it in big matches, in World Cup matches, and that's something he didn't prove today.”

"Should it have been Macon-Petrault taken off, instead of Brayden Custworth?"

Tom: "Well that's a tough one. That's a hard one. As a striker, sometimes it just isn't working for you and the defenders seem like they've got one guy figured out, you bring on someone with a different skill set and that can make the difference. So tactically, it made sense. But I do think Brayden is a proven big match player while... Loic is still young and has a lot to learn."

"Okay that's Thomas Brodif giving his take on Kelssek's loss to Savigliane which puts them on the verge of World Cup elimination. I mean, they're as good as out you have to say. We're taking your calls on SportsInfo Radio when we come back."

VATRICAN’S PENALTY PUTS KELSSEK ON THE BRINK OF EARLY EXIT

Faced with the big moment from the penalty spot, Amara Vatrican’s look of disdain for Cathal Gallagher’s arm-waving antics was palpable. There was no saving the shot that put Savigliane into the second round of the World Cup and Kelssek all but eliminated.

It was the fifth time in the match that Savigliane had caught Kelssek on the break, and there was only so many times that the team in blue were going to get away with it. In a very similar situation Damien Halliger had gotten a vital tackle exactly right in the 37th minute, but this one was mis-timed and desperate, and Thea Squarciafichi took the invitation to hit the deck.

Kelssek had the lion’s share of possession but were far too vulnerable to the aggressive pressing and quick counter attacks their opponents were able to employ. For fans skeptical of how Kelssek would deal with the retirements of Ruslan Demetriev and Kai Poirier from international play, this was the nightmare made real.

But fault must also be laid at the inability to invent on the attack. Colm Ó Tuathail’s passing became less effective as the match wore on as he tried to do too much. That at least is excusable as a response to teammates who either did too little or simply couldn’t figure out what to do. Playmaking bogged down into hitting the ball and hoping, or taking the safe option when Kelssek needed to take risks to stand a chance.

Kelssek manager Andrea Crowe was characteristically blunt in assessing the team’s performance after the match. “There’s no reason that players of this quality shouldn’t be able to make the right decisions and find the play under pressure. This is what we’ve trained for, what we’ve prepared for, and that simply didn’t show on the pitch.”

Crowe was as frustrated as her players and took a bold step of substituting Brayden Custworth at half time. Custworth was visibly unhappy with the decision but said he “accepted” it.

“None of us had a very good performance but I thought I had a lot more to give in that second half, but this a team game and if the manager says I’m coming off, that’s her decision,” Custworth said.

Kelssek must win by at least two goals against Omerica to stand a chance of advancing on overall goal difference against Cassadaigua. While this is certainly a possible goal, it relies on the hosts losing against Savigliane on the final day.

SAVIGLIANE 1 – Vatrican (pen. 68’)
KELSSEK 0
Gallagher, Liadon, Halliger, Lozic, Douglass (Farahani 73’), Lapierre, Blueman, Ó Tuathail, McDonald (Taleb 63’), Custworth (Wylten 45’), Maçon-Petrault
Peak’n’Break Stadium, Grande Mountain (attendance 62,471)

by **HUElavia** » Sat Jun 12, 2021 10:47 am

Stayin' Alive!

A late goal from HUElavia eliminates Tikariot and keeps the World Cup dreams alive.

Tikariot 0-1 HUElavia
Savedra 90+2'
(The Shock, Wirr Tsi, Chromatika)

Enterting Matchday 2 in World Cup 88, HUElavia was facing a dire situation in the tournament. A 4-1 thrashing against Pasarga had the team sitting in 4th Place with 0 Points and a -3 Goal Differential. Their next opponents were Tikariot, who were coming off their own defeat against Banija, 2-1. Both teams were facing off at The Shock (51,350) in Wirr Tsi, where it was 50-50 in terms of crowd support, with the HUElavians taking their usual endzone, draping the colors of Yellow, Blue, and Green. Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos were fielding changes with Ezwa, Di Donato, Nazario, and Savedra starting over Liberman, Grunberg, Duran, and Sol respectively. For both teams, a loss meant that they would be getting eliminated with a game in hand. The winner had one final chance to make the Round-of-16. The teams came out, and the anthems were played, with the HUElavian players and crowd singing with all their might. The coin toss was done and the ball rolled, starting what was a do-or-die match!

Both teams were playing attacking football from the start, with Tikariot being more ambitious with their attacks, while HUElavia pushed forward with more caution, but were going deep into the Tikariot defense. The opening chance came in the 13th minute, when Nighthorse was being covered by Ezwa, where he crossed the ball into the box and up came Vacarese to head the ball over Di Donato, but Ramos got her fingertips to the ball to put it out for a corner, earning applause from the HUElavian crowd. In the 25th minute. Nazario had the ball and sent a long pass to Hamada-Navarro, who was played onside by Coronello, and was one-on-one with Merson, where she shot to his right, but the ball hit the post and rolled out for a goal kick, much to the dismay of the HUElavian players. At the half, the score was 0-0, and both teams and supporters had a growing level of anxiety, knowing they needed something to break through in order for them to stay alive.

In the second half, both teams continued attacking, wanting more and more. In the 58th minute, Navarro was given a knock from Faizullah, that had him down and limping a bit while walking. He was substituted off for Yamane, meaning Hamada-Navarro was now the captain on the team. Upset at her huband's injury, Hamada-Navarro began attacking more and more at the Tikariot defense, especially against Faizullah. Despite her attempts, her shots would get saved by Merson or go out wide for goal kicks. Tikariot also had attacks by Morrison, Mosnyk, and Nighthorse, but the HUElavian backline held out, as well as Ramos held through with saves. Time ticked away and the match was looking as if it would end in a scoreless draw, but HUElavia finally got their chance. In the 90+2nd minute of the match, Gagne-Leblanc (in for Nazario) had the ball and was being covered by McNair. In an attempt to make something happen, she gave a curving cross into the box and up came Savedra to head the ball down from Al Hak, and now facing a sprawling Merson one-on-one, he blasted the ball at point-blank into the goal, making it 1-0. Savedra ran to the corner flag to celebrate, trying to do a jig, but was mobbed by his teammates and the bench, while the HUElavian crowd jumped up and screamed and cheered to make the stadium rumble once again. "Bang on the Drum All Day" rang throughout the stadium, with some supporters singing and cheering to the tune of the song. Two minutes of additional time were left, and Tikariot went on one last attack, where Fredriksson (in for Mosnyk) got a pass from McNair, and gave a blast that was saved by Ramos, earning cheering from the crowd and pats from her teammates. Seconds later, the match ended, giving a sigh of relief of the HUElavian players, Conavacio, and the crowd.

With the victory, HUElavia move up to 3rd Place with 3 Points (1-0-1), but with a -2 Goal Difference. Their next opponents are none other than former World Cup winners, Banija, who come off a 2-1 loss to Pasarga, which meant Pasarga advanced to the Round-of-16. Thus, this match is a winner-take-all match, with the winner advancing to the Knockouts, and the loser going home. Most of the XI that played against Tikariot will start, but Gagne-Leblanc will start over Nazario and Duran for the match. Both teams will wear their Home Uniform for the match. The Cove (51,265) in Lhor will be the venue for this match, where it will also be filled to the brim with fans in what is expected to be a 50-50 in terms of team support. The team is training and working hard, as well as studying film in preparation for the big match. Coach Conavacio has had his chat with the squad, giving the best motivation possible to the players, who are in good morale and with good chemistry with each other. HUElavian supporters have flocked to Lhor, taking in the scenery, and buying some of the fashion in the area, where some of the top fashion designers for men and women have been spotted taking notes of the clothes and material to be able to come up with things back home. On top of that, fans are enjoying their time along the coast, with people (especially families) taking their time enjoying the aquarium across from the stadium, while others are in their bathing suits enjoying the beach and swimming in the ocean. One thing is for sure, the fans are grateful that HUElavia got a victory in this World Cup, and they look to cheer on Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos in what can be a historic match for the team, should they pull the upset. Both teams will be bringing in their A-Game, where these two nations have met in a variety of sporting tournaments, and once again they meet each other in the most prestegious tournament in the Multiverse for a second time in their histories. Here's to a passionate match filled with goals and a strong fight to the finish, with a Round-of-16 spot awaiting the victor.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Savigliane** » Sat Jun 12, 2021 12:32 pm

WORLDS AWAY

10 . Adrian Toscani
”The cracks in the wall got bigger and bigger. The world we knew was collapsing and my friends, like all my people, no longer believed in anything and were lost...love and football saved me.” -Andriy Shevchenko

It was two nights after the shock upset over Kelssek, and the Savigliano national team had just gone to their hotel from the training grounds. Except, of course, for Adrian Toscani. He’d always enjoyed taking late walks around the training ground before making his way back on his own, and with a pivotal match against Cassadaigua - followed by the team’s knockout round debut - on the horizon, tonight was no exception. For now, though, he was not on the practice field, but still floating around the locker room, a still-upset Nathaniel Auvergne on speakerphone.

“It’s goddamn infuriating is what it is,” Nathaniel said from the other side of the call. “Form of my life with Hofvinger, making the most of my time with Le Cigne, and I get dropped a month before the World Cup for someone who hasn’t played a match in four years.”

“I’m sure she’s played since the Portal Event,” Adrian replied levelly.

“I heard she was in an asylum,” Nathaniel countered. “I mean, surely Tlanx would be playing her if she was back in form, right? But they just keep standing her up and sitting her down.”

“We’ll see what happens against Cassadaigua, I guess.”

“I see how it is, man. You don’t want to listen to my pity party. I’ll let you focus on getting that win against Cassadaigua.”

“Nah, you’re all good. I get it,” Adrian offered, detached. “I’d be upset too. You’ve just go to rise above it. WC89 will be your year, yeah?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you,” Nathaniel offered lamely in response. With a sigh, Adrian put his phone away and walked out of the locker room. There was one other person sitting at the practice field, but it was otherwise empty, the dusk air almost unnervingly still.

“You shouldn’t talk so loudly on the phone, you know,” Bianca Fiore said, backlit by the floodlights of the field.

Adrian shrugged, taking a seat alongside his captain. “I’ve got nothing to hide.”

“Your friend might.”

The young midfielder ignored the quip. “So, four years in another world. What was that like?”

Bianca turned, surprised. “You know, not a lot of people ask me that. It’s all about my first games back, how I’m adjusting to Tlanxball, and maybe what the government was doing with me in quarantine when I reappeared.”

“Really? You just came out of a different dimension.”

“People see what they want to see,” she said sadly. The two shared a moment of floodlit silence.

“I was at your funeral,” Adrian said abruptly.

“Weird way to keep a conversation going.”

“No, it ties back. There were national weeks of mourning - well, not just for you, but a lot of people did it for you. They filled Parco di Terme solid for a week. Millions of people came to watch your empty casket laid to rest. Nobody thought La Capitana would ever come back.”

“She hasn’t,” Bianca offered in response.

“You have. I think it’s even better that way. People don’t know what you went through - I’m not sure they would even want to. They’re just excited to have you back.”

Bianca nodded, lost in thought. The two looked out towards the empty field.

“I didn’t realize how fucked up our world was until Savigliane had left it,” she started.

Adrian turned to her. “Really? Everyone here was so nice to us. So many countries helped us back onto our feet. Savigliane really became part of a community.”

“Not where we were,” Bianca countered. There was a fire in her eyes that Adrian hadn’t noticed before. “Savigliano refugees were subhuman as far as Lutetie was concerned. Left out to rot in the street like dogs. It wasn’t the Portal Event that broke me, Adrian. It was trying to uplift Savigliane, throwing everything I had at refugees to help them out, retiring to go into human rights advocacy before flaming out, that broke me. You guys were lucky,” she finished. “You escaped.”

An awkward pause. “I can’t even imagine-”

She dismissed the thought. “You don’t have to. We’ve both got roles to play now.”

Adrian thought it best to change the subject. “I’m sure you’ve heard of the Interdimensional Travel Task Force that Caccini’s set up, yeah?”

“Why would we want to go back? What’s there for us? You just talked about how much you loved this place.”

“We could reunite with all the Saviglianos. Think of how happy people were to see you - we were broken before you came back, and without all of you, we still are, but there’s hope now.”

“People were happy to see La Capitana. But there’s a million Bianca Fiores out there, and zero La Capitanas. And you guys think you’re so broken,” she scoffed.

Adrian sighed. “Do you remember the first time we talked?”

Bianca looked up again at the suggestion. “World Cup 2018 qualifiers, yeah? It’d be the last time we really talked too. You were still playing for FC Baró then.”

“Yeah. I’d been over there my entire childhood, basically, just working my way up the youth teams. That was the first year I was on the senior squad - that was supposed to be the pinnacle, you know? Playing for such a massive team in arguably the best league in the world.”

“But you weren’t happy now. I remember that.”

“Right,” he affirmed. “I was so burnt out and homesick. And I had this...feeling that things were going to change soon, and that staying at FCB would be a mistake. But it would’ve been throwing away everything I’d been working for up until then. I was just about to break into the starting lineup there. That’s where I was back then.”

“What did I say? That was so long ago.”

“You said there would always be a part of me missing if I stayed at FCB. That if playing on such a high level was important enough to me, then I should stay. But that some part of me would always want to go back to San Ludovico, that there would always be something incomplete.”

“I didn’t know how right I would be. What was that, a few months before the Portal Event? Just imagine if you’d stayed.”

“I sort of owe you everything I’ve done after I went back home. But you can see why I’d want us to be reunited. I think you would still have said that if I came to you today.”

Bianca nodded, and the field went silent for a few minutes. Adrian opted to press on.

“Both Acqui Bollente clubs and Villeneuve both made offers for me after the dust settled. And San Ludovico had just been promoted - everyone tipped them to go down. But there was only ever one option for me if I was to leave. I don’t think I could’ve played for one of the big clubs after they went back down, either.”

“That’s why I never left. It’s not the same.”

"San Ludovico got hit hard post-Event, too. We got the worst of the riots and all the fundamentalist shit that rose up afterwards. I hadn't been back living in the city in such a long time - it was so alien to me to see everyone hurting like that. It was never a prosperous place but...a lot of people just gave up hope. That's why I ended up going to Caza - I just couldn't be in a city like that, especially with all my FCB friends gone into another dimension. It was so alien without the people there."

Another moment of silence. It was dark now, and they spoke solely in the glare of the lights. “I hope you play against Cassadaigua,” Toscani offered. “Coach mentioned they might move me to the wing. That opens some room up in midfield.”

“It won’t be what people are expecting.”

“I think people are just expecting you. It doesn’t matter how you’ll play. We just want to be whole again.”

Kelssek 0 - 1 Savigliane
D’Ambrosio; Marchetti, Garcia, Blanco, Vitale (Romano 70’); Vatrican, Giraudo, Toscani; Coste (Roux 65'), Squarciafichi, Montevecchi (Durand 63’)
Goals: Vatrican (pen 68’)
It wasn’t the high-flying, attacking performance that casual fans might have been expecting from the Swans. But for ninety minutes in Grande Mountain’s Peak’n’Break Stadium, fans were treated to a whole other side of Tlanxball, as Kelssek, despite having the lion’s share of possession, were constantly harried by the Swans’ high line and constant pressing and unable to create much. Some staunch defending from the likes of Damien Halliger were able to hold Savigliane at bay despite a number of good chances, but the Holdenberg center-back was just a fraction of a second late when tackling Thea Squarciafichi in the box. Amara Vatrican, cool as could be, slotted home one of the most important goals Savigliane has scored from the spot, and the Swans held firm to clinch their first Ro16 berth in national history.

Lineup to play Cassadaigua (4-3-3): D’Ambrosio; Lamontagne, Garcia, Blanco, Vitale; Vatrican, Buvalelli, Fiore (C); Coste, Squarciafichi, Toscani
It’s happening.

Tlanx-Nulzk Hal, seeing the chaos unfolding in Group F and with progression to the Ro16 already secure, has chosen to rotate a bit against Cassadaigua. Serena Lamontagne makes her World Cup debut in place of Bertrand Marchetti, while young Gabriel Buvalelli gives Giraudo a breather in central midfield. Most notably, though, they seem to be trying Adrian Toscani on the wing to give more room in midfield, which has been used to insert Bianca Fiore, for the first time in four years, back into the starting lineup.

by **Ko-oren** » Sat Jun 12, 2021 1:57 pm

Lunaro Tsukida's Numbers' Game: Formations used in the WC

In between all the political upheaval, the editors did think the time was right for a Numbers' Game. Not going to lie: I didn't think I got the space to write an article so I had to hastily pull an old idea off the shelf. Not that I have done this kind of article ever before, but the idea has been living rent-free in my head for a while and this was (probably) the best time to evict it. Meanwhile I've not made an attempt to write anything on politics - they're not numbers. Arguably football isn't numbers either, but it's so convenient how we've developed an enormous amount of shorthand to explain the visual entertainment in numbers anyway. You've probably caught yourself asking "so what percentage possession did they have?" instead of "just how brilliant was Longchambon?". The former tells you a partial story that takes on a world of its own in your head, while the second actually makes you feel like you were there. I mean, if everyone would ask the second question only I'd be out of a job, so I'm very happy there's a market for incomplete statistics.

Somewhat less of a statistic, but definitely a numerical shorthand for something that's hard to grasp in a few numbers: formations. 4-3-3, 3-5-2, 6-1-2-1, 2-3-5 - they don't have much to say about the outcome of a game but we sure like talking about it as if they do.

Defence
Three defenders: 9
Four defenders: 20
Five defenders: 3

Four defenders - a cornerstone to the typically most popular 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 formations - are used in 62.5% of our 32 formations. Three defenders (all of them central, I imagine) are up next - but they often have wingers that double as fullbacks in a pinch. On the other hand, only three nations have named five defenders, the outermost of which sometimes have freedom to wander up front as backup wingers. So, in a lot of cases, there's not much of a difference between naming three or five defenders - but it certainly speaks of a certain cynical view of the game so I'll make the distinction. Five man back lines are a tiny majority but we commend Audioslavia, Twicetagria, and Ko-oren for sticking to it.

Midfield
Three midfielders: 5
Four midfielders: 14
Five midfielders: 12
Six midfielders: 1

Again, let's focus on the outliers. What the hell is up with Yuezhou's 3-4-2-1 - what can be described as a six-person midfield? For the rest, four midfielders is most popular, followed by five. And that's interesting: weren't 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 the 'standard', default lineups? Heavy midfields, versatile, wide, and built for possession, are definitely an innovation that has conquered the multiverse extremely quickly.

Forwards
One forward: 8
Two forwards: 18
Three forwards: 6

While I suspect that the qualifiers were much heavier on three-forward systems, the World Cup itself is fairly light on forwards (or attackers, strikers, or whatever you want to call them), but that's probably also because wingers can be listed as midfielders as well as forwards, and it looks like the former is the preferred method.

Or, to rank our 32 formations by 'family' of formation - which wasn't necessarily necessary but what's the difference between a 3-5-2 and a 3-4-1-2 anyway:
3-4-3: 1
3-5-2: 7
3-6-1: 1
4-3-3: 4
4-4-2: 11
4-5-1: 5
5-4-1: 3

Despite the preference for very heavy midfields, most formations come down to 4-4-2. 3-5-2 and 4-5-1 are second and third, further pushing the agenda of the heavy midfield lobby.

Fluidity: some managers have been very, very explicit in their use of extremely fluid formations, which makes it difficult to 'rate' a team on surface formation alone - where you can't see what's below the waterline.
Fluid: 6
Not fluid: 26

Though honestly, if you'd actually watch these games instead of just talking about the numbers, it would come out as the following:
Secretly fluid: 32

by **Yue Zhou** » Sat Jun 12, 2021 2:53 pm

OOC: please change my style mod to +4.5. This is solely for RP purposes, not to OOCly influence Ro16 qualification results.
Lu Jialan Switches Things Up Ahead of Must-Win MD3

PÙR, CHROMATIKA -- After a disappointing 3-2 loss to Newmanistan where the scoreline heavily flattered the Dragons, Yuezhou no longer controls their own destiny in the race to advance out of Group B. While they've at least avoided the unfortunate fate of being eliminated before the final matchday that has improbably befallen the likes of Farfadillis and Eura, they'll need a small miracle to finish as Group B runners-up. Newmanistan, unlikely group leaders, are no longer reachable, while Turori, who drew with the Dragons MD1 in Anfanhar, has a three-point and four-goal advantage on Yuezhou. If Yuezhou is to advance, they'll need a win over the World #4, combined with a Rockets win over Turori. Additionally, since these results would force a tie, they would need to make up a massive deficit in goal differential to actually advance, rather than simply finishing third in a fancier way.

As such, Lu Jialan will need to win big. "Our goal is to win the World Cup," the manager said, despite reports that the FA was pressuring him to play his usual defensive, counterattacking tactics. "And I'm going to set the Dragons up in a way that maximizes our chances of doing so." While the former Dynamo Dalian and Beian City manager has never been known for offensive acumen, preferring instead to sit seven men behind the ball, he will be expected to seriously mix things up in order to inject more attacking potential into Yuezhou's starting lineup. He'll be either helped or hindered by his choice of opponent - Farfadillis is known for nearly-suicidal dedication to the attack, after all, leaving gaps that the Dragons could potentially exploit, but the decision to play so aggressively could also leave the Dragons torn to shreds by one of the best attacks in the world.

It's unclear what Lu Jialan is going to do tomorrow, although we have been given some clues into what the Yuezhou manager is thinking (besides "when are they going to fire me and hire Kang Guilin"). After the loss against Newmanistan, Lu suggested that he had been disappointed by the team's lack of width and counterpressing intensity. "We set up too deeply, hoping to get a result instead of just playing our football," said Lu, who is now reportedly moving away from his style of football just to get a result. "That's on me, and I think that's what cost us." Against Newmanistan, the substitutions of Luo Dan, who scored a late consolation goal, and Tao Beiliang seemed to help address those issues, so it is possible that either or both could feature against Farfadillis. Leaked audio from the Yuezhou training room after training also revealed that defender Ren Fang and midfielder Yang Tao both thought Lu's lineup selection was "fucking bullshit", meaning the veteran center-back and Fagli Cinquanta cult hero are likely to miss out.

Lu Jialan has earned a reputation as a tactical tinkerer during his time with Yuezhou. Time will tell whether it leads to jubilation or disaster.

MD2: L (2-3) v. Newmanistan
Lineup (3-4-2-1): Lu; Ren, Han (Guo 63'), Zhu; Kang, Yang, Wan (Tao 71'), Reeve; Wen, Li Jing; Liu (Luo 73')
Goals: Wen 45+1', Luo 87'
Lineup to face Farfadillis (3-4-3): Lu; Han, Guo, Zhu; Luo, Li Jing, Tao, Reeve; Wen, Huang, Liu
Lu Jialan, knowing he needs a big win over la Vherderoja to stay alive, has decided to play...three attacking midfielders and three strikers (including winger Luo Dan at left-back). It's a strat, I guess.

by **Hampton Island** » Sat Jun 12, 2021 7:59 pm

(Conversation between Stafford City CEO and Assistant)

CEO: It is too coincidental that Hannah Sanders knows where we are. Even at the Brenecia game, she knew actually where we were sitting. So, the question is, who’s the rat?

Assistant: I don’t understand why anyone would want to play that role. If anyone, probably someone in an administrative position.

CEO: Even then, it’s too coincidental. Who’s going to know, when specifically, we would have been in the hotel lobby that is within our office. It’s someone from the team. Who is it?

Assistant: I guess it could be some minor staff person.

CEO: Well, it’s time to figure that out and make sure that they are relieved from their duties. We cannot have anyone backstabbing us at this point in time. I don’t care if there is only one game left for us to play. And can we score some damn goals in this Cup?

Assistant: I still think it's the bears. They were better against Brenecia, but still the transition from the defense to the forwards is struggling. Ned has to stick with the bears though, and look, we win, we’re probably in because you know Nephara should beat Brenecia.

CEO: They should, but you never know. Naturally, we have to root for that, but it means nothing if we don’t beat South Newlandia. It’s a good matchup for us, I believe. Hopefully, we can put it in the back of the net at least once, but they haven’t scored in this yet either, I don’t believe.

Assistant: Nope.

(Hannah Sanders walks into lobby)

CEO: Hi, Hannah, glad you’re here. I have something for you.

Hannah Sanders: Can’t you see I’m busy?

CEO: Yes, but it has to do with money, so I know you are interested, so come over here.

Hannah Sanders: What is it?

CEO: Here, have this.

Hannah Sanders: Really? This better be a check. (opens envelope). What the hell is this?

CEO: You’re a smart woman, you know what that is.

Hannah Sanders: I’m not paying anything!

CEO: You want to take the sponsorship revenue from Freestyle Mobility and Charged Up Transmissions, then I think it is only fair for you to take on our expenses as well. When those creditors decide to come after us for the money, I will tell them that Hannah runs the team. Because, since in your mind, you still run this team. You can’t only pocket the revenue and not have expenses, sweetheart.

Hannah Sanders: Airfare?
CEO: You think qualifying road trips are cheap? Plus, we have to transport bears. That is not a very easy thing to do and requires additional planes. Only fitting that the supposed owner foots the bill. I even paid a few of them out of the kindness of my heart. Plus, I took care of payroll for the team. After all, if they don’t get paid in a timely manner, it could affect morale on the field. The airlines are going to want their money soon, though, so have at it.

Hannah Sanders: Like I said, I am not paying any of this. You owe me money.

CEO: Again, Hannah. Learn the difference between profit and revenue. Don’t worry, Charged Up realizes they should have sent that final check to me, and are going to make up for it in the next NSSCRA season, so I don’t have to go after you for that. I will discuss it with Freestyle, though. Also, who on the team is telling you where I am?

Hannah Sanders: Completely irrelevant, even if someone on the team was doing that.

CEO: I’ll find out.

Hannah Sanders: Like I care. So if that is all, I’m done. And take this back (places bill back on table and leaves).

CEO: You were quiet.

Assistant: I have nothing to say to her.

by **Jeruselem** » Sat Jun 12, 2021 9:38 pm

Princess Kate the virtual vtuber (aka Princess Katherine Annabelle Dallas) in front of a virtual stadium.
She's dressed like Hololive vtuber Ninomae Ina'nis with a little Ina in the background (her daughter Stella)

Hello, this is Princess Katherine Annabelle Dallas for Naked News Jeruselem!
YEAH, it's World Cup finals time once again!
32 teams battling it out in Chromatika and Cassadaigua to see who's going be considered the best in World Cup 88.
We're still in Cassadaigua, where our friends are also battling to make the knockouts.

So why I am looking like a cute eldritch horror?
Well today Jeruselem took on The Holy Empire! YEAH, something wanted to avoid but hey shit happens.
Vilita took on Mercedini where for both teams that was a must win.
You can see which teams were favoured to win today.
Yes that's my daughter there, she wants to be like Ina too today.

Vilita recovered from their disaster against us, beating Mercedini 4-0.
Which means Mercedini are eliminated because they lost to The Holy Empire last game.
Leaving Jeruselem against the 3rd seed.
I think we lost to them last time we played them. Us being the lowest seed in this group too!

BUT before we do talk about that, there's already results from other groups!
Marco Hertel and his friends from the Independent Athletes from Quebec are eliminated in Group A. Hey look, they qualified ...
In Group B, Newmanistan qualified but Farfadillis was eliminated.
Group C, Nephara qualified with it's 2nd win like the others.
Pasarga moved on from Group D, but Tikariot are out now.
In Group E, Savigliane qualified with Omerica bowing out.
Group F is still undecided all round.
Group G, Valanora qualified but Eura crashed out.

Leaving Group H, with Mercedini eliminated.
It was like Princess Luna vs Ninomae Ina'nis hololive showdown!
Well well, we didn't win but both teams came out with 0-0 draw.
I am certainly NOT complaining!
We could have won but then they could have won too.

Unlike the previous games, no goals but then The Holy Empire are on their game and impossible to beat mostly.
The fact the lowly 50th seed can manage a draw is nothing to sneeze at.
Oh yes, one shouldn't sneeze in public in case others think you have COVID or something.
An exciting game, not for the goals but both teams putting up defenses which stopped the other from scoring.
We couldn't blast our way past them, it was dumb idea.

So that leaves the table where we have weird situation with Jeruselem and The Holy Empire on 4 points but Jeruselem on +3 vs +1.
Vilita are 3rd on 3 points with +1 recovering from -3 with their four goals today.
Mercedini on zero.

So, that's just Jeruselem vs Mercedini and The Holy Empire vs Vilita.
If Jeruselem and The Holy Empire only need draws to secure their position.
Vilita really need to win but a draw for them ... makes things complicated as it puts them on 4 points.
All teams can end up on 4 points then other factors take over.
That's it from me, and WAH!

by **Twicetagram and JYPe** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 12:44 am

Home >> Twicetagria

What are the odds: Poafmersia vs Twicetagria

By Kanni Vartov

After a baptism-of-fire loss to Valanora, most Twicetagriens would expect the Lieutanents to be the first to be eliminated. To the surprise (and relief) of most of us, we managed to get away with a win against Eura. As we head into the final match, we play against the team standing between us and the playoffs: Poafmersia.

Valanora has already quaified, so it leaves us and Poafmersia to battle it out. Though, there's a thing: we're almost equal. We share the same amount of points as well as goal difference. As we face each other off, we can look at some things to expect this weekend, as well as some burning questions.

A huge effort from the Lieutenants
The Lieutenants know this match is quite important. Win this and we go to the knockout stages; lose and we head home. While we're still new to the World Cup proper, a win can propel us to the pinnacle of international football. The Lieutenants have everything to win for, and this isn't really a game of pride as it is a game to test our mental capabilities.

Expect some blunders from us
Poafmersia aren't newbies to the World Cup: they've been here the past World Cup. They're a formidable opponent so our players will obviously feel the stress and pressure on them. Our players have been known to throw away seemingly clear wins, especially against smaller teams. The spotlight is on them to defy expectations and make the knockouts.

Will our fanbase spur the Lieutenants to victory?
Twicetagrien football fans aren't really known universe-wide as fervent supporters and fierce hooligans, but maybe they can provide the players with the extra energy they need? Maybe.
Ever since the domestic footballing scene has fallen into disarray, Twicetagria only has her national team to cheer on. Uniting the whole nation, maybe Twicetagrien football fans can be the deciding factor in our upcoming faceoff.

Will a loss be enough for the FA to disband the NT completely?
As farfetched and outrageous this might sound, this rumour is making the rounds in Twicetagrien Twiitur. We know what the FA can do, as we saw them disband the domestic structure without any intervention 3 years prior. However, making the World Cup is already an amazing feat, and can probably bolster our international reputation. The idea of an obsolete Twicetagrien National Team or a nonexistent Lieutenants isn't to be ignored, but for the time being we should focus on what we have up ahead.

Catch the deciding match against Poafmersia on VVStv on Channel 63 or TSC, or you can catch our livestream if you subscribe at www.vseveshisports.com.tw/subscribe.

by **Nephara** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 3:56 am

Nephara 1 - 0 South Newlandia
(4-4-2) 1 - Provost; 2 - Stride, 5 - Clevinger, 19 - Sale, 22 - Lind; 7 - Koerner (13 - Reed 66'), 15 - Horvath (4 - Timekeeper 66'), 8 - Cromwell, 11 - Considine; 10 - Lovelace (23 - Gjasula 81'), 21 - Basilisk
Goal: Basilisk 17'

Grey clouds floating under a reluctant sun,
And Rook the Liberator is smiling as they run;
There is laughter like the fountains in that face of all men feared,
It stirs the forest darkness, the darkness of his beard,
It curls the blood-red crescent, the crescent of his lips,
For the inmost sea of all the earth is shaken with his ships.
They have dared the broken nations up the Endemian cape,
They have dashed the head of their own King from his noble nape,
Brenecia's King has cast his eyes beyond his land of crags,
And called the proud lords of his lands for swords against the Shag,
The cold earl of Rozelle balances his tolls;
The Northerners are bickering over coin and coal;
From distant isles fantastical rings faint Nephara's guns,
As Rook the Liberator laughs under the setting sun...

It was not a great match, for the neutral. Not one that spawned a thousand think-pieces, either. No talk of !Nephara In Crisis!; there were plenty of sides actually in crisis, for one thing. This was a very good team mostly holding off the world champions, but unable to quite muster the killing edge themselves; not that they didn't come close. Corban Green forced a flying save from Aranea Provost from outside the box, while Bjorn Cohen at one point had the ball in the net, though was some degree of daylight offside as he rushed past Clevinger and dragged a shot past Provost.
Instead, the only goal came from Latona Basilisk. Nephara tried all game to find the right pass to thread past South Newlandia's disciplined back line, but only one stuck, courtesy of Lothaire Cromwell. A tackle - more subtle than crunching - nipped the ball off Wallis in flight, before playing a neat one-two with Konrad Lovelace followed by a beautiful, deft flick of the left boot that released Basilisk at the perfect moment. The Farfadillis-based striker outpaced Gurero and nervelessly slotted the ball low beyond Trischuk as he raced forward to close her down.
Neither side ever stopped pressing for that other goal - Nephara for that decisive second, South Newlandia for, well, the equaliser. Neither came. It suited Nephara well enough, of course, but bizarrely also wound up suiting South Newlandia as in the other match the Patriots could only muster a scoreless draw with Hampton Island. In fact, Nephara had scored the only two goals across the four matches in the group. The implications were that South Newlandia's fate - and for that matter, Hampton Island's - rested essentially in their own hands, locked in with the tie against one another.
Provided, of course, the Cormorants could deal with that little problem called 'Brenecia'.

Seeker's in her marquee tent under the evening star,
(Rozelle's Earl Ector is going to the war.)
She moves her eyeless great-helm on her favourite whore's knees,
Her great-helm that is woven of the sunset and the seas.
She shakes the sands of Pikeshore as she rises from her ease,
And she strides among the tree-tops and is taller than the trees,
And her voice above her serried ranks is thunder sent to bring
Black Azrael and Ariel and Ammon on the wing.
Giants and the Genii,
Multiplex of wing and eye,
Whose strong obedience broke the sky
When the Marchers slew their King.

There are not many Nepharan poems about the conquest of Brenecia. There aren't many Nepharan poems about much of anything, really. Nepharim write prose, then talk shit. No real room for rhyming schemes or scansion or whatever.
Brenecians did, though. Old Brenecian poetry is flowery, long-winded to the point of being soporific. It's only after the Nepharim arrived that there came with them a sense of...
... urgency.
Tallin Fields is the most famous. Written some four hundred years after the Nepharim made landfall. When Brenecia was just another of the 'Long Marches', and its people had ascended to the degree of equal, if maybe a little less equal than the Cathelines and Gareths of the mainland. When the head was unbowed, just a little, and its people began a dream of release.
Nepharim didn't write poetry about the Brenecian conquest because there wasn't a lot to feel poetic about. A lot of very strong men landed with longbows and swords and murdered everyone in their way. Nephara needed the land, sure, but there wasn't much glory involved in getting it.
Tallin Fields - the battle of the poem - was the one Brenecian victory of the war. A Nepharan relief column was isolated and routed by a full force of Brenecian cavalry, the flower of backwater chivalry. One of the marcher warlords, Opal, was slain; her body dragged back to the capital, her head mounted on the walls.
Tallin Fields the poem left out the part where Seeker, the Nepharan commander and Opal's lover, flew into a rage, broke down the gates, gave Rozelle's inhabitants six hours to flee before ordering her soldiers to rush inside and kill anyone that remained inside.
It was an atrocity. Some of the marcher officers record unease about it. But none dissented; so terrible was Seeker's rage, so...
Well, it didn't matter. Tallin Fields focused on the victory, cleverly mirroring 'the Liberator' - long dead, but still Nephara's symbolic leader - with the actual liberation of the Brenecian prisoners in Opal's convoy. The Nepharim are portrayed as unearthly, un-Godly beast-creatures, the Brenecians as heroic beacons of glory, all the moreso for the fact we, the audience, know they are doomed.
It's a questionable poem, but you can see why it was written.

Earl Ector's cavalry thrash against the shields,
Crushing bones and crushing men across Tallin Field,
Scarlet running over on the blacks and on the green,
Breaking of shag spirits facing loss they'd never seen,
Thronging of the thousands beaten back across the sea
White for bliss and blind for sun and stunned for liberty.
Vivat Brenecia!
Domino Gloria!
Earl Ector of Rozelle
Has set his people free!

Nepharim will tell you Brenecia could've just asked nicely for independence. Maybe set up some kind of poll or something. Or at least, they did. That train of thought's starting to die down, thank fuck.
It's little wonder Brenecia had to rise up. Centuries of bullshit, still kowtowing to Seeker, the Crownless Queen who Sought glory, but found only wealth. Poor old her.
Now it's just something Nepharim don't tend to talk about at all. It's been the better part of a century since Brenecian independence, after all. Good as new, right? But as Nephara become wealthier and more respected, Brenecia remain stricken by poverty and corruption; little wonder they turned to authoritarianism for answers, and little wonder they found few of them. It's hard, being small and angry and insignificant and Brenecia, wailing into the void.
Hard to begrudge them their World Cup.
Hard to begrudge them their Tallin Field.
And hard to begrudge them victory against Nephara. Three straight finals on one side, while the others were staying in poor hotels and looked set to start a teenager on the wing. They hadn't played a serious match in around 25 years, and a lot had changed in that time. Nepharan fans liked to say that they were above Brenecia, now. Like they'd moved past that, and anyway, plenty of nations have chequered histories with other places, and anyway, it's only Brenecia.
Don't believe that for a minute. This is the one time Nephara get to face Brenecia as genuine equals, eleven versus eleven on a pitch. It matters so fucking much to grind them into the dust when given the chance.

by **Newmanistan** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 8:57 am

Please note that most of this takes place before MD2.

Bryce Miller was feeling very confident after winning his case against Hannah Ramsey. Technically, he may not have won, but for the judgement to be reduced to a $5,000 amount instead of five million sure felt like a win. After all, he was fined more by the ENFL for a late hit in a game a season ago. Now, it was time to go on a mission, and confront Vlady, his bookie with ties to the Dover Bloodhounds concerning his gambling records. This was really getting on Bryce’s nerves, as of the three things going against him, Hannah, Jessica Schaefer, and the gambling issues, the gambling was the one thing he was innocent about, and he knew the evidence was out there. Vlady was not an easy man to get a hold of to others, but Miller was able to finally reach him.

“Vlad, come on dude. Release the data to the league.” he begged in a video call.

“Why, Bryce Miller, you have not logged into your account in quite some time. I would like to see you become an active player again. After all, you just had a big win in court. I can get you back that five grand, too.” he replied.

“Vlad, please, you know that the reason that I am contacting you is to get my gambling history released to the ENFL. They do not believe that all the transactions that I have showed them are my complete record. They need to see it from you guys that I have not bet on gridiron games. If I can prove this, then I can get this off my shoulders for good. Why can’t you release this information. I have tried to understand this from your point of view, and I don’t know why you can’t.” Miller continued to plead.

“It is because of your friend, Lance Halterman,” Vlady began, “he publicly called out the Dover Bloodhounds and that was a big mistake. This has made the authorities monitor us when before we were doing such a successful job at operating under the radar. It is tough for us to do what we do when we know we are being watched.”

“I had nothing to do with that! Or him! I hate him! He sides with Jessica (Schaefer) now, and I wouldn’t care if he was shot down in some kind of secret hitman attack!” Miller replied.

“Bryce, we don’t do that anymore. There is no joy in that and just a bunch of unneeded aggravation to find a hitman and then have them carry out the plan and hope that law enforcement never finds out about your role. This is why we have resorted to cyber crime. You know why you haven’t seen anything from The Rocket Report in a couple days?”

“I don’t care about The Rocket Report right now, but why?”

“Because some idiot there downloaded a ransomware package and they uploaded it. It’s been on the news a little bit, so now they can’t access their servers. Right in the middle of the World Cup, which must be awful for them. They haven’t paid up on the three million we are seeking yet, but they will. You know they have to. They have people in Chromatika and they can’t even report on the game from their own offices and own websites. They’ll give in.”

“Fine, Vlady, that’s all great for you guys I suppose but has nothing to do with me. Please, just release my records to the ENFL.”

“I have a hot tip for you. And if you do it, you might make some money that will exceed what you just paid out to that clueless cheerleader Ramsey. World Cup, Matchday 2, take Savigliane over Kelssek in Group E. Put down $2,000 on it right now, and you will get $8,000 after Savigliane wins the game.”

Miller sighed, “I didn’t contact you to make a bet. And why would I do that?”

“It’s a classic let down game for Kelssek. They just drew with Cassadaigua and now meet a team they should easily beat. If you place the bet, and if Savigliane wins, I will release your complete history to the ENFL.”

Miller sighed, “Can’t I at least pick the game? I don’t know anything about Savigliane. Or Kelssek, really, but I know that Kelssek should win the game. I would rather not have my fate rest on that game. Can I at least pick the match I bet on?”

Vlady nodded, “Very well. Bet $2,000 on any match and if you win, I will release your records. But I promise you, you have great odds on Savigliane right now. Take them, Bryce. The Bloodhounds know these trends. It’s a great play with a great payout. But fine, go ahead. Pick your match, Bryce.”

“Eura over Twicetagria.” Miller replied.

“Oh, that’s such a weak play, Bryce. Come on. There is such little to be gained on that play. Trust me, the Bloodhounds know their stuff. Savigliane over Kelssek, take that!”

“You said I could have any game, and the payout is you releasing my records more than the money. Please, Eura over Twicetagria.”

“Well, a deal is a deal.”

Small talk finishes off the conversation. Bryce Miller was happy now, as long as Eura took care of business, Vlady would release his records and he would be much closer to playing again. He turned on the match.

“No!!!” Nooooooo!!!” he screamed at the conclusion of the Twicetagria upset win over Eura.

Soon, the notification came in that he lost the bet on the website. It got worse, later in the day.

Savigliane 1, Kelssek 0. “Nooooooo!!!!!” Bryce screamed again. Why didn’t he trust Vlady? All of that confidence he had from the Ramsey case was gone, and as the court date of the Schaefer case got closer, he began to get nervous once again.

by **Valanora** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 10:44 am

When the Marauders took a reserve side to the Eagles' Cup, it was widely accepted that it was there to test the guile and determination of the up and coming players looking to place themselves firmly in the national team ranks. The results of that competition were an impressive first half showing, but then a faltering in the second half of the group stage, particularly in the defensive unit that had been so stalwart in the first half of the competition. They had gone from conceding no goals through the first half of the group stage, to conceding ten in the second half, with Zwangzug scoring five and Turori four in their dismantling of the Vanorian defense. At the same time, the offensive unit which was supposed to be the strength of the team failed to deliver, with the attacking talent being starved of service to be able to showcase their skills. Not even the best striker in the sport could break through an entire team on their own without any support or service to provide the avenues of attack. The general consensus of the manager and fans was that the skill was there but the young players still needed a bit of experience to truly be ready for the rigors ahead with the national team.

With this knowledge in hand, Didrik Gjedrem sprinkled these youth players between the starting roles, his usual set of substitutes, as well as a reserve pool to call upon during the Qualifying cycle. The most prominent of these young players is of course the standout of Lothas Ludwig, whose story is well known at this point and has become a budding superstar in the sport. Knowing that the defense was aging, Didrik had to bleed in those other players into the starting roles and he resolved himself and the squad to be of the mentality of being able to bend but not break against the attacks of their opposition, relying on the normally very strong midfielders to tilt the scales in favor of the Eternal Empire's squad. Remarkably during the qualifying process, that beleaguered defense managed to forge themselves into a formidable unit under the fire of the stress that comes with the qualifying tournament, only averaging a single goal conceded per game, while the offense was averaging two goals a game. Not the most dominant of displays from the number two team in the world, but it was thoroughly efficient and the side had qualified from the group with only a single loss to their name despite some difficult opposition to overcome.

Confidence was riding quite high coming into the Finals, making the trip to Rushmore with a squad of twenty-three players that had many of the same reserve side that had taken part of the Eagles' Cup earlier in the cycle. Those players looked a different type of person those many months later after the grueling qualifying process and various domestic campaigns that had brought that much needed experience that they had been lacking in Banija. The draw had been far from kind, giving the Marauders a group with traditional powerhouses of Eura, as well as a foe from the last World Cup Finals in the form of Poafmersia, as well as the up and coming Twicetagria, whom the Marauders were to play first in the group. The new nation to the Finals had put up quite the fight against the Marauders and their attack, hitting the side on the counterattack multiple times, but a brace from Saxstrom and a gaming winning goal from Ludwig in the seventy-six minute had seen the Vanorians emerge from the tough first round match with a three to two win and full points to keep their goals on the table.

Before a titanic clash with Eura, who had been turned upside down in their first match, the Marauders had to play against a Poafmersia side that was looking to show that what happened in the last World Cup was not indicative of their true strength and they were up for a game against the Marauders. A goal from Makana Tuft just fifty-two seconds into the match certainly outlined the desires of their foes for the match and the Marauders had to now do the unfamiliar and play from behind. The lead would be shortlived with Veliz passing to Hawk who returned the pass to the winger coming in and slotting home a shot past the hands of Sandi Jaliaha. The Sabine player making their mark clear in what might be the last tournament of them as a starter and settling the nerves of the Vanorians with the teams level once more. It was a tug of war battle in the middle and a poorly weighted pass allowed Poafmersia into the attack once more, with Nero Wood being a late arrival into the attack but with a well struck strike that was outside of Miljeteig's range, giving Poafmersia the lead six minutes before the halftime whistle.

Saxstrom was replaced by Hammer at the the half and the Marauders began the second half with a quick attack that Ludwig just misses, grazing the outside of the post as it goes wide, signaling the intentions that the Vanorians were not about to go quietly into the night. Eight minutes later a free kick from Hawk just outside the area was chested down by Hammer and Ludwig was there to hit it on the half volley, Jaliaha caught out of position and the young star had brought the Marauders level with over half an hour still to play. Söderström thought she had put the Marauders ahead in the sixty-seventh minute after latching on to a through ball from Heike Schoß, but replays showed that the winger had strayed offside and the goal was disallowed. Yet in the eighty-fourth minute she would play playmaker, having made a daring run down the side of the field and sending in a low cross into the mixer, where Gideon Riemann was waiting with a diving header to put it home, just outside the fingertips of Jaliaha in net and into the far post netting. Just like the first game in the group, the Marauders had found a victory despite bending against the pressure, a pair of three to two victories.

However instead of a match to decide who would win the group, the Marauders will play the Eurans with little to play for but pride for either side, with the Marauders having clinched their advancement and the Eurans remarkably having been eliminated from the tournament after losing both to Paofmersia as well as Twicetagria. With so little to play for, a heavily rotated side is expected from Didrik, and eyes will be cast towards the scoreboard and the matches playing out in Group H, with three teams in contention for the two spots advancing out of the group. There is a bit of concern that the Marauders will get The Holy Empire in the Round of Sixteen, meaning a first knockout round match of the second and third ranked teams in the world, a heavy shame should it come to pass. Yet not giving Eura the respect they deserve would be a disservice and the side will be looking to get a victory in this match as well to try and ride the momentum needed to make it through the gauntlet that is the World Cup Finals knockout rounds.

by **Alasdair I Frosticus** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 12:37 pm

The Holy Empire's Training Camp

"And no one on the Jerusalem team wanted to join GOOFI and be our friends!"

"No, no one, Yoggy! They even said that we were 'something [we] wanted to avoid'!"

"What? They said they wanted to avoid us? WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"Please don't cry, Yoggy. It makes me sad too."

"But, but..... we were so nice to them, Cthulhu! It only ended 0-0 because Hastur pointed out to the referee that he'd tripped over his own feet in the penalty area, and the referee couldn't possibly give a penalty because of his own clumsiness!"

"I know, Yoggy. But they just didn't want to join GOOFI."

"Or share tea and crumpets and cuddles."

"No. I'm really, really sorry."

"Do you think Vilita will join GOOFI, Cthulhu?"

"I really don't know, Yoggy. One of the previous imperial captains was a bit mean to them. He said that they were cheating by taking something that made them play better."

"And did they?"

"I don't know, Yoggy. They do seem to like tea, though."

"Really? Maybe they'll join GOOFI after all!"

"Say, you know what'll cheer us up? How about a game of Scrabble!"

"Oh yes, Cthulhu! Scrabble is the bestest!"

"Let's invite Dagon and Gobogeg to join us!"

"Oh yes, Dagon and Gobby just love Scrabble! I'll set up the board while you invite them over!"

<some minutes later>

"So Yoggy is going first..."

"Thanks, Cthulhu. I'll play 'insane'. Your turn, Gobby!"

"Ooooooh.... I'll play '-ldritch' off the 'e' in insane..."

"Excellent move, Gobby! And that's 50 bonus points for a 7-letter word!"

"Thanks, Cthulhu! And now Dagon."

"I'll use the 'r' to play 'hor-or'"

"Gosh, you're all doing so well. I can only play 'rise', but I'll put the 's' so it also pluralises 'horror'".

"Well done, Cthulhu! Best I can do is play 'feed'."

"Awwww, I was so hoping you'd play another long word, Yoggy. So sorry. I'll play 'mad', but across the last two letters of 'feed', so I also get 'me' and 'ad'."

"You're really good at this, Gobby! I'll play 'cults'".

"Gosh, this is exciting. I'll play 'dance'."

"Nice move, Cthulhu. I'll go with 'un-er', playing off that new 'd'. Your move, Gobby".

"Thanks, Yoggy! I'll play 'moon'. Over to you, Dagon."

"Can we play Old One words?"

"I don't see why not, Dagon."

"In that case I'll play 'wga-nagl' off the free 'h'."

"And I can play 'fhtagn'!"

"Brilliant move, Cthulhu!"

"Thanks Yoggy! I really like Scrabble! Just look at the words we've played! "Insane Eldritch Horrors Rise Feed Mad Cults Dance Under Moon Wgah'nagl Fhtagn".

<silence while this is absorbed>

"What were those words again, Cthulhu?"

"Insane Eldritch Horrors Rise Feed Mad Cults Dance Under Moon Wgah'nagl Fhtagn"

"Maybe we should, erm, drop the Scrabble for a bit."

"I was more in the mood for tea and crumpets anyway."

"Yesss...... definitely time for some tea and crumpets."

"And don't forget the cuddles!"

"And cuddles. Tea, crumpets, and cuddles; and definitely not Scrabble. Not for a little while, anyway."

by **Cassadaigua** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 1:18 pm

My first World Cup,
By Jenna Frontiera- Forward

I was confident that I would get called to the World Cup roster this time, but did not know what my role would be. I am really grateful that Brittany Byers has given me this opportunity to start beside Rachel Schanke as we hope to succeed in the World Cup. Throughout my younger days, I have heard people suggest that I would be here, but that doesn’t mean anything. I am the same age as Steffie Garrett, who was seen as the next great scorer for our team. I was able to play with her in youth tournaments before that terrible night in Baker Park, and I could see just how talented she really was. Steffie was going to be a great one and I was hoping to learn whatever I could by playing with her at that level. Then came the game against Tequilo and the unnecessary brutal cheap shot by Jair Iscla on Steffie. You probably know the rest of the story, so I am not going to get into it all that much. Thankfully, Steffie was okay and has been able to resume her playing career to an extent, but the concussion ruined her career trajectory. Seeing that as a teammate, I was sickened. I was irate that Tequilo’s governing body made jokes about it and that none of them even showed any compassion for Steffie. It was a gut check for me as someone who was not even eighteen yet. Don’t take anything for granted, and don’t ever assume an opponent will play a game cleanly and within the rules.

Steffie and I have become good friends through the years, and we are in constant contact right now. She probably would not have made the trip to another nation to watch World Cup games, but since we are playing here in our great nation, she has been able to travel with us. With her going down, I took her role as the one the media called the nation’s next great young scorer. In a way, it was a little annoying to get that label, because I wanted to be able to enjoy my early years in the league, and to be part of the process and not be seen as the final solution. Though, I also did mind that all that much, playing for a star-studded team like Brattleboro FC. How fortunate was that for me? To already come up through their system and learn from the great players that are a part of this roster. Of course, as you probably know, Brittany Byers has also been my manager at the club level, so it has been great to continue and learn from her. We have a wealth of experience on our team with people who are on the World Cup roster, and they have been able to see me through and lead me along. Even though she plays a much different position than I do, Brooke Sutter has been a tremendous mentor for me. As for Steffie Garrett, we are still keeping in touch very closely since she plays for our rivals, Brattleboro Westside. Playing in the same city allows us to remain great friends.

The last Copa Rushmori is where I took the biggest step of my career. It was the first time that I was ever playing on the senior team at that level, and I made the most of it. I was not a starter, but coach Byers gave me a lot of playing time in the second half. That is not really something I was used to, but it was interesting to get that kind of experience to really see how much you can be better with fresh legs against opponents who have been playing the whole game. I felt that I really thrived in that situation, and it was a joy to play with some of the greats that we have. Getting key goals, and bringing us all the way to that final even if my name was not always called, I was honored to be along for the ride. Then, soon after we got back, Brittany was named the head coach of this team, replacing Stephanie Sweeney who is now the President of CASE. When that happened, I was confident that I would be a part of this World Cup team.

One player that I did not get a chance to play with in the Copa Rushmori, or even the Eagles Cup that followed was Rachel Schanke. She took those tournaments off, as it is the right for a player in their position to opt out of tournaments like that (without any repercussions or media scrutiny). She has not usually opted out, but she wanted to this time. It would be in the friendly that we played that we would have some time to play together, and she did alot to take me under her wing. Right away, I felt that we had great chemistry and when she told me that she thought the same with me, I felt great. Then, Rachel told me that her grandmother felt that I was going to be the “next one”, and Rachel told me that. To know that the great Jessica Schanke thinks that way about you, is truly an honor. I have not met her grandmother, but even in her older age, she is one of the biggest fans of this team. You can’t play this game forever, and people are beginning to wonder now if Rachel Schanke will move on to her next career. I wouldn’t give up on her yet, but I know it is really motivating to get a World Cup title.

It is such an honor to play on home field in the World Cup. It is very rare that a player will have this opportunity, for some of the people on our roster, they have now been able to do so twice. For me, I didn’t really think that I would have this chance, since we did just host it pretty recently, but it makes me even more thrilled to play on this team, and to be able to play at Dagan Airways Stadium and be cheered. I like that, Concord Heights fans! It’s a great city to be in, and when we go on to play our third game, scheduled for New Lakeland, I am excited to enjoy the great fans that are there. Between those two games, I was able to play against Omerica right here in Brattleboro, and score my first ever World Cup goal in at the stadium that I call home. How cool is that? I don’t know how much better it could be than that.

So, I guess I am at a part in my career where people will call me a success, but I don’t think so, yet. I am only 23 years of age, so much that could happen and my dreams are large. The first game of the World Cup, we saw the retirement of Lupe Enriquez’s number, and all of the numbers that exist along Monument Wall. You have to be elite to get there, but to be wearing #12, when 10, 11, 13, 14, and 15 are on the Wall makes me hungry to add the number that is missing up there. But, obviously, there is still much more to go, and team success is the biggest level of success.

We want to win the World Cup at home. We won’t, but Chromatika will be the next best thing. That is where we want to be. I watched our baseball team win the Classic at home recently, and I know how amazing it was for them. That’s a long way away right now, and we have a very important match coming up. Savigliane is a perfect two for two and ready for the round of sixteen. We must be ready and prepared for them!

by **Chromatika** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 1:32 pm

Chromatika vs. Squornshelan Remnant States @ The Hive, Deprí Sanar
Goals: None.
Starting XI: Fillar; Xiao - de Aea - Anderson - Ilya; Humphreys - Armageddon (C) - Kuznetsov; Mora; Vidal - Gainsbourg.
Substitutes: Marc -> Humphreys ('64), Hauser -> Mora ('75), Ken -> Anderson ('82)

CHROMATIKA 0-0 SQUORNSHELAN REMNANT STATES
@ The Hive, Deprí Sanar

If you'd asked any casual Chromatika Anomalies fan about what teams they were worried about the most in the Group, they'd have said Baker Park, and they'd have been correct. Many others may have quoted the roster of Independent Athletes from Quebec with their striker, Enrico Hansen-Conavacio. The last name you'd have heard would've been the Squornshelan Remnant States, a side that many Chromatiks don't have much exposure to. Sure, Mithya Hashemi is one of the brightest young midfielders in the Red League, but she is just one player.

The expectation amongst most football experts was that Chromatika, having narrowly edged out IAQ in the opening match, would handle the SRS with ease before focusing on the task at hand of facing the Commonwealth of Baker Park, who were still reeling from their first loss. A few others stated that the game against the SRS presented the best opportunity for what people called a trap match.

In front of a sold-out, pro-Chromatik crowd of 42,000, Stovar Krieven put on a show as Chromatika failed to score despite holding the ball for 76% of the time, having twelve shots on goal including three one-on-one situations, and having a goal be called back due to being offside. To their credit, the Squornshelan back four held firm in front of Krieven, but it was Krieven who was undoubtedly the star of the match.

Chromatika had four golden opportunities to score. The first was in the twenty-third minute when Olimpia Vidal pounced on a slow pass from Enigma Armageddon, splitting past Hashemi and Marrish to get to a one-on-one with Stovar Krieven. Vidal went left, and Krieven, after a moment of hesitation, guessed left as well. The shot was low and to the point; Krieven gathered it into his hands without much ado.

Fifteen minutes later, Chromatika was still pressing into the Squornshelan side. The Remnant States had only managed four shots on goal, and none of them had been particularly good ones. An Alicia Gainsbourg shot had been parried by Stovar Krieven out of bounds. Hermaeus Mora, the most established kick taker of the team, curved one in, which Henri de Aea, the center back, put into the back of the net. Pandemonium erupted and everyone celebrated, but the side judge had their flag raised. Replay showed that de Aea was offside by a single step, disallowing the goal.

In the locker room at halftime, none of the players were happy. They were just missing that one piece to get the ball into the net, and the team was lacking inspiration. Hermaeus was talking to Haley about what he was seeing, while Juxon was trying to make sure that the defense wouldn't go stagnant. Valens and Landers told their charges to keep doing what they were doing and to maintain the pace.

To give them credit, the Squornshelan side that came out in the second half was much more aligned. Twice, Hashemi and later Petrov faced Fillar, leading to Juxon having to make two spectacular saves himself. Twice more, Chromatika would have legitimate chances on goal - once on a looping shot by Haley Hauser that just sailed above the uprights, the second being a runaway ball by Gainsbourg where Krieven went out to meet her and barely got to the ball.

The game ended on a 0-0 tie that felt like a loss to the Chromatiks. Then, news came that Baker Park had handled Quebec, leading to the situation of the SRS and Chromatika being atop the table with four points apiece, while Baker Park was a step behind them with three.

It will all come down to the last matchday, back at The Hive. If the Chromatiks defeat Baker Park, they'll be through; a draw will also see them through as Baker Park will not be able to overcome the one point deficit. If Chromatika were to lose, it'll depend on if the SRS loses to Quebec, and by how much.

Valens and Landers, of course, are high on their chances of triumph over Baker Park. "They defeated us the last time we saw them in the AOCAF," stated Richard Valens, "And we hope to return the favor."

DARIAN VUSTAUX ARRESTED
Leader of Ticket Scalping Gang Apprehended

MYANA, MYANA ISLAND - Myana Chief of Police Liana DeSario reported that Darian Vustaux, the leader of the Ticket Scalping Gang that had caused some pandemonium in the last World Bowl but more predominantly in this current World Cup, was apprehended in his residence in uptown Myana, bringing to end a nationwide manhunt for one of the biggest financial criminals that Chromatika has faced since the Rainbow Revolution.

Darian Vastaux, known as "The Ticket Agent" by the CPD, had a troop of over two hundred underlings who were involved in a tournament-wide black market for tickets in the last World Bowl. Per Chromatik law, the sales of tickets between individuals not authorized by the sporting event is punishable by a steep fine and potential jailtime. If one is the buy a ticket for another individual, they must put the individual's name on the sale itself. If someone is unable to go due to things changing in their life, they can call the stadium where the sporting event is taking place and let them know of who will be coming in their stead. This law was implemented to stop the sales of tickets for more than their listed price by individuals who were trying to make money off the scarcity of the items.

According to the CPD, Vastaux and his troop made over 10.15 NMS in the last World Bowl by selling tickets on a black market site to the highest bidder. They were careful to not involve any visiting tourists, and the people who made the purchases did it by cash only at undisclosed locations. The CPD states that it first heard of this illegal market from one of its undercover agents who were able to purchase tickets to the World Bowl Final between Ko-oren and Drawkland for more than five times the listed price.

Knowing that The Ticket Agent and his group would be looking to make a lot of money in the World Cup, the CPD set up a web of undercover agents to track down all the underground black markets. "We are confident we got every single one of them," stated Chief DeSario, "We waited till now to make sure that we will get everyone. By the capture of Vastaux, we put this to bed."

Thankfully, the way that Vastaux operated means that no foreign visitors were affected by the crimes that were committed, meaning that Chromatika is still doing rather well in the hosting department. Hopefully, this case can give Chromatika more insight as to how they can prevent similar crimes in the future.

by **Pasarga** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 1:41 pm

Most teams that qualify for the World Cup enter into the tournament hoping to at the very least be alive for the final group stage match, that there is still something to be able to play for besides just mere pride. Given that the Wanderers were drawn into a somewhat difficult group for these Finals, that goal was ultimately for the Wanderers, especially having been fortunate enough to be able to qualify after the dreadful start to the qualifying process. With former World Cup champions of Banija, a formidable growing power in fellow Rushmori side Tikariot, and a side moving up in the world in HUElavia, being able to go into the third group stage game with the ability to still be alive in the tournament was a modest goal indeed. Thoughts of procuring advancement out of the group for a third straight tournament were tempered but with a top twelve ranking in the world, it was definitely a goal that many in the dual islands hoped would be achieved by a side that had seemed to have really turned in the corner in the last half year and with the appointment of a new manager at the helm.

The opening matchday dominance against HUElavia meant that the Wanderers were going to have something to play for on the final day, with Müller and Nagy both grabbing a brace in a sensational performance. It was the sort of performance that could really have all of the fans and the team itself completely forget about all the trouble that was had during the qualifiers. The entire side had looked strong and even though the defense did concede a goal, they looked good for most of the rest of the game and were able to put in a solid performance that they could be proud of. However the player of the match definitely had to be Szalyk Földessy, as the well versed midfielder made his presence felt all over the pitch with a pair of assists and numerous tackles and interceptions in breaking up the opposition attack. It was a performance to remember for the defensive midfielder and one that really speaks well to how the team has come together over the last several months to form a better cohesive unit that is definitely living up to their lofty ranking.

However there is a difference between HUElavia and Banija, the latter being a former World Cup Champion and one of the most prominent footballing nations of the day, especially with their innovative multi-association league they formed with Busoga and Farfadillis. Despite how well Banija plays the game and have proven at developing talent across the board, the Wanderers entered with an unbeaten record against the side and the continuation of that record would make advancing into the knockouts all that more likely. The crowd was definitely pro Banija but this was not unexpected nor unwelcomed for the Wanderers, having played their best game in the last two World Cup cycles away from the Stade de Torgos, with perhaps the pressure of having to perform to a high standard for the home side having the opposite effect. Indeed, it was perhaps a bit of relief to see how in favor of their opposition that the crowd was for the Wanderers, letting them slip into that mindset that they were merely playing another away game, something that was quite in their wheelhouse having had to defeat Ethane, Freeport, and St Trinians away in the second half of the campaign.

Vojmil Topić opened up the scoring in the sixteenth minute, cutting in off the left wing and dribbling past Alanso Tibamba before thundering the ball into the near corner that seemed to surprise keeper François Tantoh with its pace, unable to react in time before it was already in the net. The winger was a bright spot for the Wanderers as well as his domestic team in CA Paulinthal, looking to be quite the player for club and country. Playing opposite of more experienced players on the Banija side, he was using his pace to really dictate the play. Yet that experience of Banija is not easy to dismiss and they were able to cultivate a well worked goal with Momodou Sene finishing off the move to bring the sides level in the thirty-third minute. It was an open affair, both sides creating chances but both keepers were up to the task between the sticks, even as fresh legs were brought on for both sides. It would be one of these substitutes that would tip the balance, as the young Elek Salai slipped in behind a pressing Banija defense and rounded the keeper before calmly slotting the ball home in the eighty-first. Nine minutes of withstanding the Banija siege afterward not only brought in a victory but qualification. What a massive change of fortune from what it was just months before and confidence flying high and wondering what all was possible for the team.

by **Tikariot** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 2:44 pm

Walking with Shadows
--- Chapter XV ---

Chapter I - Chapter II - Chapter III - Chapter IV - Chapter V - Chapter VI - Chapter VII – Chapter VIII – Chapter IX – Chapter X – Chapter XI – Chapter X – Chapter XII – Chapter XIII – Chapter XIV

A newscast on one of the TVs in the pub talks about some people calling for the government to bring over an ark, because they might have to start putting animals on soon. The news overall are fairly grim, widespread floodings, all bridges across the Oxligt River are closed down, the radius of the state of emergency has been widened. In other news, authorities in Kotzellach are also contemplating a call for a state of emergency after reports of a Sarzonian warship have surfaced that supposedly is in their international waters but has not been found. The weather forecast is not looking any better as the rain is predicted to continue on for at least the next day or two. James and Sophia look at each other, their motivation to go back out there on an all-time low.

With a sigh James pushes his chair back. “I guess we should go and try to get this over with, doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better.”

Sophia closes her eyes and rubs her temples. “Mhm. The other side knows even less than we do, you sure we can’t wait and dry before going out there again?”

“Well, we’d get wet no matter what, so…”

“Alright, alright, you win. I’ll get the car, last thing I need is Nurisema stinking up the whole place.”

As she walks towards the door, the dog gives her a death glare, clearly having understood what she meant.

*****

Knowing that the original entrance is buried under tons of stone and other debris, Sophia parks the car as close to where they had emerged as she can. Nurisema is snoring in the back with a full belly when they exit the car back into the relentless downpour that has been soaking Samreach and more and more of the surrounding area for days now. The gravel patch, which is used as overflow parking, resembles more a lake district than anything else, but at least they are still able to thread through the small islands of higher ground to avoid having to wade through the water. The roar of Samreach Falls sounds louder than before, drowning out the rush of the rain, but neither of the two pays much attention to that, rather focusing on not stepping into any of the deep puddles. As they approach the waterfalls, though, they stop dead in their tracks as in the few hours since they had been here last, they had grown by dramatic proportions, the volume of water having increased so much that the narrow ledge they had used to get back to safety is now obscured by the fringes of a solid wall of water churning over the ledge far above and tumbling down into the valley. James looks at Sophia, whose eyes are fixed upon the torrent, clearly having second thoughts about attempting to go through.

“Are you—”

Before he can even properly begin his sentence to ask her, if she was ok, Sophia gives a resolute nod and walks forward with a determined gait, pressing against the slippery stone wall, inching sideways onto the ledge and into the water. A shriek pierces through the roar as she disappears into the spray, causing James to leap forward and after her. The water hitting him from above is freezing and despite the quality of his rain gear it still manages to find its way through in more places than one, momentarily taking his breath away. Worrying about Sophia, however, he pushes on and when he emerges on the other side, he is relieved to see her, sodden like a drowned rat, but safe.

“Goddamn, that water is freezing! Went right into my collar and urgh!” She shivers.

James breathes another sigh of relief that the shriek was ‘only’ due to the water and not something more threatening, but he still pulls her into a hug, trying to calm himself down. She does not resist, apparently taking comfort in the embrace as her shivering subsides.

She looks up into his eyes. “Ready?”

He nods and let’s go. She opens the large oilskin bag he was carrying, taking out the rope and hook from earlier today, together with some climbing hooks. She hammers the hooks into the sheer rock before threading the rope through them, the grappling hook ensuring that it cannot slip through. With an encouraging smile she grabs the rope and lets herself glid over the edge towards the entrance to the tunnel leading to the catacombs. A minute later he hears her give him the all-clear, barely audible over the roar of the waterfalls. He grabs the rope and follows her down, securing the rope to another hook she had driven into the rock at the side of the entrance.

As they enter the tunnel, the rumble of the water turns louder, echoing off the walls, but it does not take long before it recedes into a low din in the background. A few thin rivulets of water flowing down the tunnel from the catacombs raise a feeling of worry in James, afraid that the continuous rain had started to flood the cavernous space, but to his relief it is only some runoff for some water that had managed to seep through the rubble and the connecting corridor from the original entrance.

“Do you remember where you saw the tombstone?” Sophia lets the cone of her flashlight wander around the floor.

“It was towards the back wall. Well, technically the one closest to the entrance, right centred.”

She turns towards the indicated spot and not long after they look down at the plain tombstone of Friar Agapidus of Anithero, looking strangely out of place within the extravagant splendour of gold and colours surrounding it. They both look at it for a long moment, not able to shed the almost palpable feeling of desecration for breaking the tombstone that had been in place for hundreds of years. James goes down on his knees to inspect the stone, trying to find a way not to have to destroy the final resting place of the friar.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to find a way in without having to resort to violence.”

“Aha.”

He sits back on his heels and looks at her. “If that decree is in here, it has been put there way after he died. The Order was around for way longer than he was alive, so unless they broke it and then put a fresh tombstone on it, there must be another way in. And as breaking the stone would have been viewed as sacrilegious, I am pretty sure that they did not do exactly that.”

“Makes sense.” She goes down as well and scrutinizes the edging of the tombstone when James tries to get her attention.

“There is a button here, but it doesn’t do anything.”

She scooches over and sees a stone button, barely visible among the dust and sand that had accumulated in the cracks. Immediately she moves back to her original position to see if there is one on her side as well and after brushing away some of the debris of the ages, she finds an identical button. She nods as she presses it together with James and a clicking sound comes from the stone plate, which ever so slightly rises up. A smile sneaks into their faces as they spring to their feet and try to find a handhold, which they do on both sides, close to the corners. They lift in unison and the heavy stone slides up and aside with remarkable ease. As they look down into the tomb, they see a skeleton, a wax-sealed tube clutched in its hands.

by **Squornshelan Remnant States** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 2:56 pm

Lifted Lamp, Chapter 13
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12

For the first time in longer than she could recall, Ailen Koirala was looking forward to a meeting with a journalist. She had an hour long interview scheduled this afternoon with Petra Ruoho of Confederate Football Weekly. As a publication, it had an excellent reputation for both quality and impartiality, and the timing couldn't be better for them to write a feature about Ailen's tenure as SCFA President, as far as she was concerned. While there might be a few probing questions about some of the lean years, the present was a story of resounding success, no matter what might happen in the final match of the first round. Groothuis had rewarded Ailen's continued faith, exceeding all expectations and likely saved both their jobs in the process. For once, she had no fear of any question that might come up.

The intercom built into her desk popped and came to life, "Excuse me Ms. Koirala, there's someone here to see you."

That was odd, her interview wasn't until the top of the hour, and in her experience journalists were rarely this early. "I'm not expecting anyone, am I Ivar?"

"No ma'am. I wouldn't interrupt you under normal circumstances but he's making some very interesting claims, something about representing "footballing interests" in the Imperium. He is also," there was a note of tension in Ivar's voice, "very insistent."

"How much time before Lachtna is due to arrive?"

"Twenty-eight minutes."

"I can spare fifteen then, send him in."

The man who stride through the door was shorter than average, only an inch or two taller than Ailen. His dark hair was made glossy by the product which held it motionless at he walked, swept back from his forehead and temples. He wore a dark gray suit and white shirt, with shiny black leather shoes and a blood red tie. This last was a bit cliche in Ailen's estimation, but she supposed it did complete the look of a young, cuthroat business executive. She might even has called him handsome, but there was something a little too predatory about his confident smile and easy stride. It set of alarm bells somewhere deep in her psyche, and set her on edge.

"Thank you for seeing me Ms. Koirala. I apologize for the suddenness of my visit. I hope I haven't interrupted anything."

"You haven't. Please sit, though I can only spare a few minutes, I have an appointment..."

"Of course," the man plopped himself down in the offered chair and crossed one leg over his knee. "I shall endeavor to be concise. My name is Anders Groentfell. I am here as a representative of a consortium of six football clubs, to discuss a potential business arrangement between said consortium and the SCFA."

"Did you say your name was Græntfjall?"

"Not quite, but close. Groentfell."

"Groentfell. Very well, you're here as representative of six clubs, not the Imperialiga as a whole?"

"Indeed, the associated clubs are Vogsphere United, Striterax Knights, FC Santraginus, Xaxis FC, FC Kakrafoon, and Stavromula United. The finest footballing organizations in the Imperium, not that it will be an imperium for much longer, mind you."

"That's a strange thing to hear an Imperial citizen say."

"These are strange times. Our predictions indicate that restoration of the Imperium is now a practical impossibility. The logical conclusion from that premise is detente between our nations, whatever form the new Squornshelan government may take." He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. His smile broadened. "It will be a turbulent time, but there is tremendous opportunity in turbulence for those with the nerve and skill to navigate it."

"Every football league has its winners and losers. The teams who are true contenders, who carry the league forward, both competitively and financially, and the lesser clubs who are merely along for the ride. This is as true in your league as in ours. There is no reason for the clubs at the top to be saddled with supporting the others any longer."

"Forgive me, the essence of our proposal is this: six of our best clubs join six of yours. The Confederate Superleague becomes the Squornshelan United Superleague."

"I will be frank with you Mr. Groentfell, this proposal has very little appeal for me, and I suspect very little for our clubs. Football is a business here, yes, but we do not aspire to the same sort of plutocratic stratification of our league that you seem to desire," she stopped him from replying with a raised hand. "I want to be clear that I am not rejecting your proposal out of hand, but you must understand that there are many administrative and legal barriers to this plan ever being implemented in the Confederacy."

"I am confident that the interest will be greater than you believe, and the barriers less when the potential rewards become clear to the club boards."

"That is not how we do things here. Don't test my patience any further or I will reject your proposal out of hand."

"That would be a grave mistake, especially if anyone were to disagree with your decision."

Ailen took a moment to formulate her reply, biting back her angry words to a mere professional dressing down, rather than a profanity-laced outburst. She discretely pressed a button under her desk.

"Let me be very clear with you, Mr. Groentfell. We have standards for our clubs here. Standards of fair business practices, of financial transparency, of corporate ethics. Standards that I very strongly suspect none of the six clubs you represent can live up to. It is completely impossible for the SCFA to consider partnering with your clubs without first conducting thorough audits of your clubs. I do not think we will like what we find." A signal from Ivar in the anteroom lit up on her desk intercom. "Finally, on a personal note, I will not be threatened in my own office," she pressed the button, "Please send them in Ivar." Two large men in the crisp white and blue uniforms of building security entered. "These gentlemen will show you out, Mr. Groentfell."

Groentfell glowered at her, but offered no resistance, the two guards flanking him on the way out to the hallway. Ailen followed as far as her office door. "Ivar, please contact the police and report that an Imperial citizen arrived here unannounced. I have a pretty strong suspicion Mr. Groentfell is not in the Confederacy legally."

Schedule and Results:

GS1: SRS 1-0 CBP @ The Hive (cap. 42,000/122,000), Deprí Sanar, CMT 
GS2: CMT 0-0 SRS @ The Hive (cap. 42,000/122,000), Deprí Sanar, CMT
GS3: SRS  v  QUE @ Hawks' Nest (cap. 38,000/112,000), Deprí Lanar, CMT

MD1:  SRS 2-2 VIL @ Radlov Arena (cap. 76,800), Brantisvogan, Megabrantis, SRS
MD2:  USD 4-6 SRS @ TBA
MD3:  SRS 1-1 SDG @ Killough Grove (cap. 31,400), Han Wavel, Han Dold, SRS
MD4:  PSI 0-3 SRS @ TBA
MD5:  SRS 3-3 SVJ @ Overburg Arena (cap. 46,222), Damogran, Algolia, SRS
MD6:  HTK 0-1 SRS @ TBA
MD7:  SRS 2-0 LIS @ Flanoil Arena (cap. 50,350), Traal, East Flania, SRS
MD8:  SRS 1-1 TFS @ Smolak Systemy Stadion (cap. 31,200), Sjerezo, Molvania, SRS
MD9:  ESH 1-2 SRS @ The Eshialand City SuperDome (cap. 75,000), Eshialand City, ESH
MD10: VIL 5-3 SRS @ Tivali-Ring Stadium (cap. 87,000 ), Alikki-Cora, VIL
MD11: SRS 3-2 USD @ Sunergy Field (cap. 37,550), Hunian, Algolia, SRS
MD12: SDG 0-1 SRS @ Stadium Persekutuan (cap. 40,000), Kambang, SDG
MD13: SRS 1-0 PSI @ Old Flamarion Stadium (cap. 26,405), Flamarion, Megabrantis, SRS
MD14: SVJ 4-4 SRS @ Nationastadion Carl Gustaff Bjurman, Sjoedrhavn, SVJ
MD15: SRS 1-0 HTK @ Pheldagriff Stadium (cap. 45,620), Yassaca, Sivolvia, SRS
MD16: LIS 5-5 SRS @ TBA
MD17: TFS 0-1 SRS @ TBA
MD18: SRS 4-4 ESH @ Chernov Stadium (cap. 57,600), Viltvodle, Megabrantis, SRS
PO1:  TRL 2-3 SRS @ 1th December Stadium (cap. 100,000), Trolleborg City, TRL
PO2:  SRS 1-1 TRL @ The Lutenstaad (cap. 75,000), Lutenblag, Molvania, SRS

by **South Newlandia** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 4:29 pm

A statistical look at World Cup players and the clubs they call home

Probably because of boredom, sports writers have taken to analysing the players on the rosters of World Cup teams, specifically looking at the clubs they play for domestically. 31 teams (except Farfadillis, since no information about the countries of the clubs was given and editors didn’t feel like looking them all up) were catalogued, and a total of 752 players were examined.

Of those 752 players, 638 (88%) were listed with a specific club team. Of those, 321 were listed for a team from the country they also represent at the World Cup, while 317 were listed for a foreign team – nearly a 50/50 split!

A total of 54 nations have a World Cup player in one of their teams, although 18 (including strong nations like Eastfield Lodge, Zwangzug, Krytenia, Darmen or the Equestrian States) only appeared once.
The most common nation for a player to earn his money in is Eura, with more than 60 players at the World Cup playing in the Euraleague. Other nations with more than twenty include Nephara, Audioslavia, Tikariot, Vilita, Valanora, Newmanistan, Omerica, HUElavia, Turori, Brenecia, Banija, Cassadaigua, and Poafmersia. Basically, a who’s who of some of the strongest leagues in the multiverse, and by no means surprising.

Despite being outdone by Eura in total players, the Nepharan league system is represented in 19 rosters – by far the most. If you don’t have someone from the premiership on your roster already, it might be about time.

The highest-ranking nation by IFCF coeffiecient to not be represented on any World Cup roster is, according to our data, Abanhfleft.

Some nations heavily rely on players playing at home domestically, like HUElavia, Newmanistan, Omerica or Tikariot, who have nearly their entire roster playing domestically, while Yuezhou and Chromatika both have not a single player not earning their money abroad!

In case you’re only interested in the SNSL, six players from there have found their way to the World Cup; three on South Newlandia, Conlin on the team from Newmanistan, Toussaint for Chromatika, and Ji for Yuezhou. It’s just a shame TJUN-ia missed out, or that number would be much higher.

(all of this data may be entirely wrong, I take no responsibility for my ability, [or lack thereof], to count)

NEWS
**Search for new baseball coach for Elephants continues**
**Too many numbers most common reason for crying at the workplace**
**”Owlephants stole my bananas”, complains shop owner after truck goes missing**
**SNL with Trischuk – Roy, Gurero, Wu, Barker – Mohamed, Green, McMora, Wallis – Irving, Cohen**
**Will Victorino stay coach of South Newlandian gridiron team, or does he have something better to do?**

Wolverine was cold. Felswyr was very nice, but despite wearing a jacket, he felt freezing. This wasn’t what he was used to, South Newlandia was much warmer year-round. He could feel many of his players felt the same way, many were even wearing gloves to combat the cold a little bit. He was trying to motivate them, but there was no need. Everyone on this team was ready to go, to put up a big fight, to battle for every centimetre of ground.
After they had lost to Nephara, in one of the Elephants’ strongest games yet, they really wanted to end this tournament on a high note. They came close, with Cohen nearly slotting in the equalizer, except for it being off-side. Admittedly, it would not have been a deserved one. Nephara had been in control of the game throughout the match. Trischuk, in goal for the Elephants, had managed to stop them from losing by even more, but it wasn’t enough that day.
Now, the Elephants would be battling a familiar foe, the Golden Bears from Hampton Island. They had previously seen each other a cycle ago, in the qualifying for World Cup 87, when South Newlandia topped the group while Hampton Island, pot two at the time, missed out. They had also previously met at both the WBC and the IBS, usually with the better end for the Elephants, but none of that mattered now. The Golden Bears had the same results as the Elephants so far, a scoreless draw with Brenecia and a 0-1 loss to Nephara. With Brenecia still having to play Nephara, the winner of this crucial match had good chances to reach the Round of 16.
Would having played in Felswyr for all their games so far be an advantage? Are ursines better in the cold? Could South Newlandia (or Hampton Island, for that matter) score a goal? All of these questions would be asked in the next 90 minutes. Wolverine was ready for it – if only it were a bit warmer, too.

NEWS
**Elephant Field upgrade by 77 seats called “nonsensical” by experts**
**Could chess become a regular fixture in international sports?**
**South Newlandia revealed to have decent food, no patriotism**
**Should South Newlandia feature more women is sports? Yes, says Jacobs**
**A game of medieval history, RLstates references and cutlery – chess guide for newcomers**

by **Turori** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 4:29 pm

Eels Battle for Revenge in Farfadillis Rematch

Riders' Arena, Pùr, Chromatika :: The Group B, Matchday 2 Fixture between Turori and Farfadillis had always been identified as one of the signature matchups of the World Cup 88 Group Stage. The two Atlantian Oceania nations had a rivalry that had been growing every cycle - particularly due to the number of times the two nations would compete head to head. Just in the 80's alone, the two teams have contested numerous critical World Cup Finals matches starting in World Cup 80 itself meeting on the opening matchday in Equestria & Starblaydia. For Turorian Fans, the World Cup 80 Finals represented an opportunity. It was very different than what they were used to, but it was an opportunity nonetheless. One cycle earlier, during World Cup 79, Turori's National Cocoabo Squad lifted the Turori National Team back to the Quarter Final stage for the first time since World Cup 71. At the time, Turori were the nation with the most all-time appearances in the World Cup's Quarter Final stage to have never once advanced to the Semi-Finals. After nearly a decacycle of mediocre performances from the Citizen Squad that included just one Knockout Round appearance, the Cocoabo Squad's performance during World Cup 79 - losing out only to eventual champions Schottia in the Quarter Finals, gave room for great optimism among Nigel's Army that the Cocoabo Squad was the key to breaking through the Quarter Final barrier and finally allowing Turori to contend for a World Cup Title. While the impending fixture between Turori and Farfadillis in Chromatika featuring the highest ranked matchup in the entire World Cup 88 Finals would be a bottom-of-the-table Group B clash at one of the smallest stadiums at the games, the atmosphere when the two teams met in World Cup 80 was quite different.

With optimism flying high in Turori they entered World Cup 80 - a tournament hosted entirely within Atlantian Oceania - with massive hopes that it would finally be the breakthrough tournament they had been waiting to accomplish for generations. Twii.tur had only just been opened widely to the public after first being developed as a limited use Weather and Information interchange and #EqueStar80 quickly set initial record for the most trending tags on the service. Usership numbers in twii.tur tripled across the multiverse ahead of the opening matchday fixture against Farfadillis and overall message volume had increased ten-fold. Dubbed the 'Official feed for angry fans to yell at each other' - twii.tur established itself as the biggest Turorian success story of the games. That is because after ninety minutes against Farfadillis. optimism for the success of the Cocoabo Squad had all but been extinguished. The match was not without its excitement and brief moments of joy with the twii.tur servers being stretched to their breaking point when Cocoabo #53 scored the opener for Turori 24 minutes into the match. However, when Cocoabo #58 was later sent off for a claws up challenge on Fôrté Mâás Wínrôuge Çíânflöné, twii.tur earned its reputation as the 'Official Feed for Angry Fans' with such twii's as Fôrté Mâás Wínrôuge Çíânflöné. Is that even a name or a sound you make when constipated? and other far less appropriate criticism's of the officials and in some cases their mothers. Just as the situation devolved on twii.tur with an overwhelmed moderation team trying to determine if twii.tur even had any rules that were being broken, and the back end team frantically trying to establish new server connections to keep the service running - the 10-player Cocoabo Squad lost their way and ultimately the match to their Farvish rivals by a 3-1 scoreline.

While the Cocoabo Squad would rebound with two victories to round out group play and advance to the Round of 16, their inability to keep pace with 3rd Ranked Farfadillis was just a sign of things to come. The Cocoabo Squad had established themselves as a great team - advancing to two consecutive World Cup Quarter Finals. When they faced the best teams, however, they crumbled. For the Cocoabo Squad, World Cup 80 started with a 1-3 defeat to 3rd Ranked Farfadillis and ended with a 1-4 defeat to the 6th Ranked Holy Empire. As a result, the Football Association of Turori decided to re-evaluate its stance on the Citizen v. Cocoabo debate. The decision to go with the Cocoabo Squad to represent the Turorian National team was done in the hopes of lifting the Turori National Team into a new era - not simply to maintain the tradition of Quarter Final defeats. In a way, the Citizen v. Cocoabo era did exactly what it was intended to do - just not in the way it was expected to.

Having missed out on two straight World Cup Finals, Turori's National Citizen squad found themselves extra motivated to work harder, to improve their skills and to prove that they should be representing the Turori National Team at the World Cup Finals - not the Cocoabo. During World Cup 81 Qualifying, they did just that. Outperforming the Cocoabo on the pitch and earning their way back to the World Cup Finals. The World Cup 81 Quarter Final against Ethane would go down as one of the most important matches in Turorian National Team history. The traditional 1-0 victory and the goal from Meldi'ita Mungwaii that no Turorian will ever forget allowed the Eels to break down a barrier that had stood for over 60 cycles. Doing so allowed them to focus their sights on delivering the next step to Turori - a World Cup Title. During World Cup 82, the Citizen Squad once again advanced to the Quarter Final Stage and won, defeating Cassadaigua in a thrilling match that consequently set a record for multiverse wide consumption of Cocoa-bo's primary delectable drink within a 2 hour time slot. That would set up another meeting with Farfadillis. This one wouldn't just be a random group stage match, however. This one offered the winner a ticket to the World Cup 82 Final. Neither Farfadillis nor Turori had ever been to the World Cup Final and most expected the match to be a low scoring, nervous affair. Turori had already posted three shutouts in the finals on their way to the Quarter-Final and while Farfadillis were one of the highest scoring teams in the tournament, it was anticipated that the gravity of the occasion would temper the scoreline.

All expectations were shattered on that day in Mar Sara, Valanora when the Turori National team engaged in a Shootout with La Verdojara. Fifteen minutes into the match both sides had already found a way onto the scoresheet with Daliora Toru'u converting an early penalty kick for Turori after Wiztsana Iretziia was tripped in the box by Ezequiel Marchiondo before that goal was cancelled out by the farves Xíxì Êns. At that point, the idea of a nervous defensive chess match was tossed completely out the window and the two teams instead traded attack after attack in an attempt to pummel their opponents penalty area. Over the next fifteen minutes, three more goals would be scored and Farfadillis would briefly take a 2-3 lead. Turori would respond to level the scores at half time and a match that many feared could be goalless through 120 minutes due simply to its importance instead had seen six goals scored through just forty-five minutes. The goalless stretch would come after the restart - with the scores level and the stakes just as high both teams started settling into the nervous defensive play that many expected from the start. The break though came in the 72nd minute when Wizstana Iretziia provided a moment of individual skill to put Turori back in front 4-3. From then, the Eels defense had an answer for each Farfaditian attack and even expertly converted their opponents all-out-attacking mindset to their advantage, counter-attacking in open space to secure two more goals by the end of the 90 minutes. The Eels had earned a 6-3 victory and their first ever World Cup Final appearance.

While the Turori National Team may have won the battle on the day over Farfadillis, it was the Farves who eventually won the war. Turori's first ever World Cup Final appearance would end with a dud, failing to score a goal in a lopsided 0-3 defeat to colonial rivals Vilita. The demoralizing finish for Turori seemed to quell any momentum they had built up and the Eels would crash out in the Group Stage of World Cup 83 and once again exit early in World Cup 84. The players of the Turori National Team had to watch from their couches as the National Team of Farfadillis would triumph as World Cup 84 Champions as Turori would have to take in the reality that yet another of their long-time Atlantian Oceania regional rivals would have their flag added to Atlantian Oceania's hall of Champions before Turori's. The Eels would have the opportunity to square off against the newly crowned champions during the Group Stage of World Cup 85 and while there was no Trophy on the line nor could a knockout round be advanced to, Turori would win the match comfortably, embarrassing the World Champions on their home turf. In the end, however, the result was a drop in the bucket. Farfadillis were still World Cup Champions and Turori were not. Playing in Farfadillis, many felt that the Turori National Team could finally break through in World Cup 85. After a perfect showing in the Group stage, Turori defeated Kelssek 3-1 to advance to the Quarter Final stage for the first time since their final appearance in World Cup 82. Their opponent would be a Free Republics team that many believed to be punching above their weight. The Eels seemed to have a golden opportunity to prove that the Quarter Final curse had been well and truly lifted. Instead, Turori crashed out on penalty kicks while the Free Republics would go on to lift the World Cup Trophy in Farfadillis - and in the ultimate shock, promptly withdraw from internationstatal competition.

Farfadillis and Turori would continue their World Cup intersection meeting on the opening matchday of World Cup 87. After two consecutive high scoring games between the two rival nations, this was a match that went back to the low scoring Turorian style. It was also one that Turori lost. The final result was 0-1 in favor of Farfadillis and it would ultimately result in Turori being eliminated from World Cup 87 at the Group Stage after a subsequent defeat at the hands of World Cup 88 hosts Chromatika. While each of the five recent World Cup Finals meetings of the 80's between Turori and Farfadillis had been important, the one that would take place at the Rider's Arena in Chromatika on Matchday 2 of the World Cup 88 Group Stage would be unlike any of the others.

Unlike World Cup's 80 and 87 where the two sides met on the opening matchday with nothing to lose and nothing to gain on the day - with momentum the primary factor - this match was unique primarily because of the matches that preceded it. Farfadillis and Turori entered Group B in Chromatika and Cassadaigua as favorites to advance. Farfadillis ranked 4th in the multiverse and Turori ranked 9th, both sides were expected to advance from Group B and make strong runs into the World Cup knockout rounds. Against the form books, however, Farfadillis were defeated on the opening matchday of World Cup 88 by Newmanistan while Turori were held by Yuezhou, the lowest ranked nation in the entire tournament according to the latest World Cup Committee National rankings. The result was a matchday 2 fixture between a pair of top ten nations in which neither could secure their place in the Round of 16 at the end of the day - no matter what either side would still need help on Matchday 3 to advance to the next round - but both could potentially see their World Cup 88 campaign end before it every really got going with a defeat.

What many expected to be just a high-profile match for final placement within Group B had effectively turned into a knockout round match in the middle of the World Cup 88 Group Stage. With a victory, one of these Atlantian Oceania heavyweights could put themselves in position to earn a result on Matchday 3 and advance to the knockout rounds while in defeat, the loser could be securing their ticket back home with a group stage Exit.

Having lost the previous meeting between the two sides one cycle prior, the Turori National Team came out swinging bringing the Attacking pressure to La Vherderoja and mounting pressure on Dieje Ibrelaná in the Farftic goal. It took just five minutes before Turori were on the scoresheet when Kentu Umaka'a's shot from just outside the area struck the thigh of Loxjilo Exihosahar who was attempting to block but instead re-directed the attempt outside the reach of Ibrelaná and into the back of the net. It was an unfortunate piece of luck for the Farves but Umaka'a wheeled away in celebration with many of the players remembering the frustration of being unable to score a goal against Farfadillis during the World Cup Finals one cycle ago. Those fears were now erased and the match was on. The Farves were not being dejected at the scoreline, however, and pressed forward taking less than ten minutes to find an equalizer. Sürgân t'Öéséné collected a nifty back pass from the heel of Edmün Çídh and fired past Turorian goalkeeper Wiyauw An'maude to level the scores at one just a quarter-hour into the match.

It was clear at that point that System Karela would not be coming into play on the day at Rider's Arena. The Turori National Team would strike back with the next two goals - the first coming on a 20th minute corner kick delivered by Daliora Toru'u and converted by Lulu Pumaziiri - the Turorian defender recording their second goal in as many games at the World Cup 88 Finals. Less than ten minutes later it was Turakia Diijelhma working as attacking partner to Meldi'ita Mungwaii who extended the Turorian advantage and giving the Eels a two goal lead. During the play, however, there was concern for Farfadillis as their earlier goalscorer t'Öéséné appeared to suffer a hamstring or muscle injury during transition. The Marine Coast United midfielder would attempt to play on but ultimately a change would be made in the 33rd minute with Fujanej Moloses entering in place of the veteran t'Öéséné. While the loss of a veteran presence in midfield was a big hit to the Farfish game plan it would actually provide a short term boost as Vilitan based midfielder Moloses provided a burst of energy to the field late in the first half and would find their way onto the scoresheet with the last kick of the half narrowing Turori's lead to 3-2.

While the Turorian players were dejected at having conceded a late goal, the timing of the goal - if it were to come at all - was likely the best it could have been as there was little time for celebration on the pitch before the referee blew for full time and the paltry crowd of just about 35,000 were quickly quieted as they raced to queue up for the bathroom and concession lines.

The result was the potential momentum gain that Farfadillis could have experienced from the goal was negated at the break and the two sides returned to the pitch for the second half refreshed and ready for action. Farfadillis would have the better of the chances over the first fifteen minutes of the second half and would likely have leveled the score if not for a pair of outstanding saves by Wiyauw An'maude on Roemün Çídh. Those saves would prove to be crucially important as Turori would score against the run of play just past the hour mark to restore their two goal lead. It was a second consecutive goal for Turakia Diijelhma that served to change the complexion of the match. Farfadillis became more desperate knowing that a defeat could eliminate them entirely from the World Cup Finals. Turori would withstand the pressure through to the 87th minute when the match unfolded entirely for Farfadillis, conceding a penalty kick when Turori decided to play keep away during a counter attack in the Farfadillis penalty area and frustrations saw Turorian substitute Nua'oma Aikiki bundled over in the box while defending possession. Daliora Toru'u stepped up to convert the spot kick and it was all over from there as Turori notched a feather in their cap to take a slight advantage in the 80's over Farfadillis at the World Cup Finals. While it was another Battle Won for the Eels, the road was only just beginning as Turori still needed a result on the Final Matchday of the Group Stage to find themselves through to the Round of 16 - whether that was in their own match against Newmanistan or if their rivals Farfadillis could find a way to get their first points of the finals against Yuezhou in the tournaments most lopsided matchup in terms of World Ranking Position.

 Turori [5] - [2] Farfadillis
				
	GOALS:	Turori 	:: 5' Kentu Umaka'a:: 20' Lulu Pumaziiri:: 29' Turakia Diijelhma:: 62' Turakia Diijelhma:: 87' Daliora Toru'u          		
	STATS:	Turori 	:: Possession: 52%:: Shots: 7:: Corners: 11	Farfadillis 	:: Possession: 48%:: Shots: 6:: Corners: 9
	Lineup:	[GK] Wiyauw An'maude, [D.] Lulu Pumaziiri, [D.] Mikki Mayelli, [D.] Yitizo Mpala'a, [D.]  Karek Edgeli, [ML]  Kentu Umaka'a, [MC] Daliora Toru'u, [MC]  Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, [MR]  Lati'ala Giaoka, [FC] Turakia Diijelhma, [FC] Meldi'ita Mungwaii			
	Bench:	[FC] Nua'oma Aikiki, [FC] Wiztsana Iretziia, [M] Naraiza Ruaplal, [M] Kinabo Telioa, [U ] Moumouni Verre'elali, [D] Amakli Inuro'o, [GK] Timaala Hualtia

With victory over Farfadillis on Matchday 2, the Turori National Team is now just one point away from an assured place in the knockout rounds of World Cup 88 in Cassadaigua and Chromatika. While the fact that Turori still have Group B leaders Newmanistan to play on the final matchday, Nigel's Army and other fans of the Turori National Team may be optimistic about their chances of getting the result they need at the Dragon's Nest in Anfanhar due to the fact that their opponents, 17th ranked Newmanistan, have already assured their place in the World Cup 88 Knockout Rounds by virtue of victories over both Farfadillis and Yuezhou on the opening two matchdays.

The Rockets are truly flying high as it will be just the third appearance all time for Newmanistan in the Knockout Rounds of the World Cup. The Esportivan nation have never won a Round of 16 match in the World Cup Finals and will be motivated to stay ahead of Turori in the standings to keep their position atop Group B. However, that motivation is likely to not be quite as strong as the Turori National Team's desire to actually make it through to the Round of 16. Having rested some players during the opening match against Yuezhou, the Turori National Team will be at full force during their final group stage matchup with Newmanistan while the Rockets may take the opportunity to rotate some of their starters in preparation for their Knockout Round appearance. While a draw would be good enough for both teams to advance in order to the Round of 16 it is unlikely that either side will be completely satisfied on the pitch with Turori looking to take over top spot with a victory and Newmanistan working equally hard to deny the Eels the spot.

While Turori and Newmanistan could both advance to the Round of 16 regardless of the result at the Dragon's Nest, Turori will be reminded of their misfortune in their previous visit to the Dragon's Nest when they were held 1-1 by the lowest ranked team in the World Cup Finals in their opener. If Turori were defeated by Newmanistan on Matchday 3, it is still possible that a Yuezhou victory over Farfadillis could eliminate Turori from contention for a knockout round berth. If the Eels can avoid that and do advance to the knockout rounds, it may not matter much whether they do so as Group Winners or Runner-Up due to the current state of affairs in World Cup 88 Group A. The Winner and Runner-Up of Group B will face the Runner-Up and Winner of Group A in that order and at the moment in Group A there are three teams separated by just one point with hosts Chromatika leading the Squornshelan Remnant States on goals scored while Atlantian Oceanian nation the Commonwealth of Baker Park sits one point behind the duo. Baker Park will play the hosts Chromatika in a winner take all matchup on the final matchday while the Squornshelan Remanant States will face the already-eliminated
Independent Athletes from Quebec knowing that a draw will be enough to ensure their first ever appearance in the knockout rounds as a breakaway segment of former World Cup Winning nation Squornshelous. There is no telling how the three nations will align themselves in the final standings and as a result, no concern from either Newmanistan, Turori or Yuezhou about aligning themselves in the group table to meet a specific opposition in the Round of 16.

All of this is good new for the Turori National Team who will be hoping Newmanistan rest some of its stars in Anfanhar. The uncertainty could also cause chaos in the joint Cocoa-bo - twii.tur World Cup 88 promotion whereby twii.tur users can predict the result of Turori National Team matches on twii.tur using the #CocoaboWC88 tag to earn tickets to a World Cup 88 Round of 16 matchup at the Cocoa-bo Stadium in Starksville, Cassadaigua. Only 2 users predicted that Turori would defeat Farfadillis by a 5-2 scoreline on Matchday 2 and the tiebreaker went to the goalscorers as one user accurately predicted the scorer of 2 of Turori's 5 goals on the day while the other user who predicted the correct scoreline actually didn't predict any goalscorers with their response. With both Turori and Newmanistan likely to play a game with perhaps one notch of intensity dialed back on the final matchday, it is more likely that the scoreline will remain lower and more potential winners identified in the twii.tur based contest.

by **Audioslavia** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 5:37 pm

Needing A Knock-Out
Bulls look to K.O Ko

Winless in their first two games, Audioslavia require a victory and some outside help if they're to stand a chance of reaching the second round. It is, for those of you with memories worthy of the name, an almost exact replica of the Bulls' predicament at this stage of World Cup 87.

Rohan Cammers has done his best in the World Cup, and his best appears to be exactly as good as the relative bests of predecessors Wilf Lidgley and Sean Patterick. Cammers has a piece of silverware, which is more than the others could say, but that and his ludicrous dress sense are where the differences end. In two cycles, Rohan Cammers has thus far failed to fulfil his end of the bargain when it comes to the World Cup: just win two games.

His Audioslavia sides in World Cup football have been as effective as the others of the mid-to-late eighties: Lacking the sort of luck that gets teams into the latter stages. It's not so much that Audioslavia have bad luck - they don't - it's that don't have a lot of good luck, and if there's one thing this side has needed in recent campaigns it's a lot of good luck.

Again, it's worth repeating that this isn't so much the case for regional football. A final and a championship in the last three cycles is an excellent return. It's just here, in the tournament of tournaments, the one fans want to win more than anything else, that they have not been able to make progress in for over a generation.

In terms of lots of good luck, it's exactly what Audioslavia require in their final group game.

Ko-oren are similar to Audioslavia in that both are islands of negative football in a sea of douches. Both sides employ a 5-4-1 formation and have tried hard, for years, to create an aura of being difficult to beat that dissipates on contact with reality. Ko-oren, finalists last time out, are one of two teams on four points, with the Bulls on just one alongside Tequilo. With the two sides due to battle it out in the latest installment of Anaia-go-mad-in-Rushmore, it's the Bulls that require a win in order to progress. Victory by whatever margin would put the side through so long as Starblaydia don't lose to Tequilo. Should that happen... well let's just say that shouldn't happen and deal with the heartache afterwards.

Should Audioslavia fail to win, and exit another World Cup winless and without even threatening to force their way into the final stages, Cammers may well walk, and take his tartan feather-boa with him.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

© Sporting Times Weekend 2021
BP, Anomalies have all to play for
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

When the final Group A match for Chromatika and Baker Park kicks off, the fate of both nations in World Cup 88 will play out over the 90 minutes at The Hive in Depri Sanar with one of the sides possibly suffering a surprising crash out of the tournament.

The hosts need only a point to assure their place among the last 16, but a draw does BP no good as they will need all three points to continue; Quebec and Squornshelan Remnant States will play in the other match in Depri Lanar, with the Grim Reapers only having a chance to be a spoiler by defeating SRS, which would see the Bees and Anomalies through if Park wins and the Chromatiks maintain a plus goal difference.

It was the forward trio of Alicia Craig, Daniel Pryor and Ayana West who spearheaded the win over Quebec, Craig setting up both of the others to score and Nicole D'Amico chipping in with her 9th international goal, the third in this WC cycle.

The black & gold pounced on key mistakes by the Reapers in the opening 20 minutes to get the lead through West, then doubling it on the stroke of halftime with D'Amico's bullet from 26 yards. Pryor added the third in the 71st minute and the Bees held off a late assault over the last 18 minutes to get their win and send the Anaians to an early vacation.
Failing at the final hurdle towards advancement would be a bitter pill to swallow for the last remaining stars of BP's Golden Generation, adding the Bees to the list of surprise early exits that includes Farfadillis and Eura so far, and the possibility of a couple other nations with high expectations joining them. The Chromatiks would also be a major name to fall should the results not pan out in their favor, not merely as co-hosts but like BP, as one of the top 15 sides in the world. The match will be the first since their meeting in Flavovespia, and will be watched closely to measure the development of both teams since that tournament. Like that match, BP will be the designated 'home' team and will wear the black & gold hoops first worn in World Cup 84.

The situation in Group B is also on the minds of the three contenders for the Round of 16, as Newmanistan is already in with 6 points, and Turori, which dominated qualifying, still needing a point to clinch as the two face off. The group winner will play the Group A runner up in Eyerods, while second place will face the table topper from the host's group in Urrehddiao.

Jennifer Prescott is expected to start the same line-up that faced SRS on matchday 1, with Zach Johnston making his 48th start in net, behind Kelly O'Connell (59), Alan Wiseman (45) and Derion Hutchins (53) at the back, with Travis Grimaldi (41), Marcus Nolan (69), Junior Ngoba (79) in midfield with the probability that Antonio Sotolongo (103) and Annabeth Westmoreland (120) will swap roles, with Sotolongo dropping back & AB playing behind forwards Lainey Wadsworth (73) and Reggie Laing (58), who would be the only change as he's the only field player not to have started thus far.

The off-field political situation isn't expect to be a factor inside the stadium, as the countries remain on good terms following Foxchester, and the hosts have not made regional rivalry a prominent issue during the tournament; the FAC has also tamped down pro-AO fervor among the supporters who have traveled here for the matches, stressing the fact that both of the Anaian group opponents have more than just superficial relationships with the Commonwealth.

by **Independent Athletes from Quebec** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 5:56 pm

The Agent

PART 14 - Untitled

'Well, congratulations Zina.' said Pierre McCarthy gently, sipping a cup of coffee placed over a long, mahogany table that didn't really fit the flat. 'I'm sure if somebody had told you a week ago that you would sign your first professional contract with Montreal Koreana, the defending champions, with assurance of a first-team spot and lots.' He smiled back at Zina, being in awe over how reminiscent she was like that of her late mother.

'Thank you Pierre,' she responded with a glow, feeling slightly tired as she looked back at him. The long table was an odd feature in this shared flat that Pierre rented out to his clients. Occupied by four clients of his at either Montreal Koreana or intercollegiate teams, the flat was messy, with lots of cans on the table, sofa, and the charging pods lying near the TV set and video game consoles. Pierre, of course, knew this sight was more the norm than the exception, and that it was better there were some human smells (better worded in Korean language as '사람냄새' ~~Quebbles~~) than the dry vacuum with no sign of a life. 'I don't know....there has been a lot going on in my life, and that the waves of people...who come and pass by...and it hasn't been the easiest for me to handle.'

'No, and that is never your fault.' Pierre moved his left hand forward with a backhanded motion, as he shook his head to indicate otherwise. 'If I have ever learned one thing from those days, of being an underappreciated dreamer, and it's that you should never your blame yourself for what's happened to you.' He then slowly drew his hand back, still looking at Zina as his gaze shook. 'And that's probably the best way to handle whatever that comes to you, as you become older, else you'll be regretting things forever.'

'And if you were standing before my mum, what would have said?' Zina asked, as Pierre grabbed another sip with his left hand on the cup handle and his right hand on his wallet, entrenched quietly on the right pocket of his dress pants. 'I remember you telling me that you and mum had a thing back in high school...'

'Yes, that's absolutely true...it's not the easiest thing to say, especially since I'm talking to her daughter, but yes, you got that part right.' Pierre answered, giving a slow nod as he ignored a temptation to grab a drink from the refrigerator. 'I remember meeting Elora the first time, twenty-five years from now. Her and I came from neighbourhoods not far from each other, but went to different schools.'

'I see what you mean. I remember visiting the Old Centre of the city, with all the old buildings centred by the Heart, Suho-dong and the Nalchi Market. Just east of it, near the Seomyeon Cross and the Bujeon station, is apparently where you grew up.' she answered, remembering the details of stories mum and her late maternal grandparents have told her, as she grabbed a glass of whisky on the other side of the table and poured it on a glass cup right in front of it. 'Are you going to drink tonight?' Zina asked Pierre.

'Yes. I went to Gaeseong Middle School right next to the high school, and her Mountfield Yeshiva, which was a Jewish school that went K to 12. It was a small community I remembered, but a lot of her friends also ended up coming to Gaeseong Secondary or went to another major ones.' answered Pierre, gesturing with his hand the refusal to drink for the night, as he had a long way to go before the Aeroquebec flight to Greencaster was scheduled to take off at 1am. 'But the fate did come to call, and the proximity, as well as the fact that my uncle happened to be Sir. Joel, helped I guess.'

'But what exactly happened?'

'Well, a classic tragedy,' Pierre responded, shaking a little on the inside as he tried to find ways to not say too much. 'Let's say there was once upon a time when I was a prude with visions, but not the right words or actions.' Pierre swallowed, realising that it was too late to change the conversation. 'It was Elora who defended me when I was unfairly accused of actions I did not commit, who understood me the best, and really....didn't run away when she could have, just as I made that leap of judgment.'

It was then that Zinaida Woodcarver realised that she was entering the tunnel of neverending emotional circles, the multiples of multiples that Pierre had chained half of him inside his body. 'So you were saying that you two...knew each other, beyond the levels you had ever mentioned?' Zina stopped herself for a second, trying to gather her own thoughts. 'And is that the reason why you never came back, and the artificial gap...for all those years?'

'Correct, because many years ago I made a mistake out of my foolishness, and lord dreads what happened afterwards.' Pierre answered the questions, a lone tear forming on his left eye. 'It was from the time when her friends and mine were the worst of enemies, and they represented the different sectarians with different ideals, that were never going to agree unless it was for mere extracurriculars. Being a sixteen year old, you probably know too well about how the social dynamics work in any, fucking, high school, and how silly they were looking back many years later, but really shape the fuck our of you.' All this time he had kept the social contact from the old high schoolmates limited, purging them over time while keeping a few useful ones and a couple of lifelong friends on the stack, one leaf after another until the tree was seemingly barren in the wintry state his emotions had found themselves under.

'Well, of course! That's why it hurts the most when you use the words as weapons.' Zina replied, her picture slowly forming around her head.

'And that's where the worst judgment was made, mademoiselle.' Pierre answered, the left lens of his glasses reflecting the infrared blue light twice, before reverting to the normal, as he looked at the beautiful, low skyline of the Big Smoke. From some distance, he could see the Esplanade Tower on the south shore, beyond the river that had separated the island from its more recent, glass-built South Shore. 'A letter was sent to her from the proxy, we couldn't talk to each other for a month because of my mistake, and much more...' He felt Zinaida gazing back at him out of empathy, an attempt in trying to understand The Agent. 'I asked for forgiveness my junior year, and of course she did, and we became friends. But there were some things that couldn't be brought back, so I knew the best I could do at that point in time, was to fly away, as far as I could be without being left a destitute...and yeah.' Pierre answered with a smile, standing before horrified Zinaida in response.

‘I could see why,’ Zina responded, doing her best from her body shaking from the tension. Even with previous words Pierre had briefly given to her over the course of the last three days, this was an impressive development for her. The ties that bound us all, the neverending ties that the Quebecois people were truly known for, had brought her to the agent, whose life had come with plenty of misunderstandings and non-requittals. Zina wondered if that may have been why his eyes, already dark, were sprinkled with starlight when the past-life memories had come up.

‘And you know, she was right. That’s the worst part.’ Pierre laughed, giving in as he grabbed the half-filled beer can situated right in front of him. ‘It’s not the easiest being the non-believer, and I was wrong in staying that way all this time. Now can you please grab me a cab for the airport?’

‘Alright, have a rest on the couch.’ Zina answered, as Pierre moved to lie on the couch. It was interesting that Pierre McCarthy, a self-committed non-beliver, was admitting to a mistake for once. It was an amusing feeling, the one reflecting that of a true Anaia every man needs, and Zinaida could agree on that.

by **Cassadaigua** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 6:06 pm

It's time for a cutoff! I could post a link to a video where I play the annoying song that is grudgingly stuck in my head right now, but you all wouldn't let me host anything again if I did!

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