WC 82 RP Thread

by **Pratapgadh** » Mon Mar 11, 2019 8:35 pm

Sports
Football

WHAT IS PRATAPGADH'S FUTURE IN FOOTBALL

Written by Rajeev Chauhan

Chittorgarh, Pratapgadh - The match between Pratapgadh and Equestrian States has finished, and Pratapgadh gets annihilated by the Equestrian States by 3 goals. Many things have been said by people after the match, let me go through them.

This match has raised a question, what is the future of Pratapgadh in football. The B team did really well in the 2nd Baker Park Open Cup, but it looks like the A team is just not good enough to play these other experienced teams. Thanks to the match, many Pratapgadhis now think that Pratapgadh will be way behind from others in football.

Nalesh Tandel said to us "I am disappointed by our latest match against Equestrian States. I believed that we would be able to at least compete and give them a tough time, but things didn't go our way. We will continue to put our effort and try to win some games." Ravindra Jadeja, the new coach of the national team, said "The defence today wasn't as great as it was in the last match with Kandorith. But I wouldn't blame them for everything, even the offence was bad. The strikers had missed a lot of opportunities to score, but this match was still better than the friendly we played against Equestrian States before. Hopefully in the next match against Krytenia, we would be able to get a win and perform better."

Anirudh Singh Thakur, a pundit, gave his opinion on the team's performance "The game was disgusting for our national team. I think there is no future for Pratapgadh in football. We are really experienced with cricket, why can't we work on that?" Though Veer Roberts, main goalkeeper for Pratapgadh, replied to him "Sir, I understand your anger on our performance, we played really bad. But that doesn't mean there is no future for Pratapgadh in football. Look at the rugby league team! They have performed so well in their first ever tournament, and rugby league isn't even that famous in Pratapgadh. We need some more time to develop in football, just a few more years and we would one of the best footballing nations soon."

Now, this is my opinion. I can see Pratapgadh doing well at football. But we are really new to this game and also we don't fund it really well. The Pratapgadh Football Federation needs more funds and the players need better facilities. A bright future is clearly there, we just need to explore more.

So yeah, the main things are: many people are talking and giving their opinions on this match, the players are disappointed, I got a cappuccino instead of a mochaccino, and I didn't sleep well. Whatever the result, best of luck Pratapgadh!

by **Barunia** » Mon Mar 11, 2019 8:43 pm

Starlight, Star Bright
Part 1 Chapter 2

Sarah sat in the stands at Blackrock Stadium, watching the Newland Derby. She found that no matter where the ball was on the pitch, her eyes always strayed back the top of Port’s midfield line, where Hannah was. Sarah was up in the second tier, but even at this distance it was impossible to miss Hannah, her golden hair shimmering in the stadium floodlights. Sarah loved Hannah’s hair, especially when she let it hang loose over her shoulders, framing her pretty face. Tonight Hannah had it tied up, as she always did when she played, into a single thick braid. That braid whipped around behind her as she headed down a clearance from the Port Newland defence.

Sarah came alive. “Come on Hannah!” she cheered, as the Port fans around her began to get excited. Sarah’s own heart was racing, her pulse quickening as she watched her girlfriend weave her way through the midfield with ease. Sarah didn’t follow the ball as Hannah flicked it to Tyler, but saw Hannah slip past the defence and into the perfect position, right at the top of the box, as the ball reappeared at her feet.

Sarah’s excitement hit boiling point. She’s going to score!, she thought. Newland’s goalkeeper wasn’t up to the task, Hannah had put harder goals past better. In her mind, Sarah saw the goal, drilled right past the keeper’s left glove, and her heart was filled with happiness. A second later, her heart dropped out of her as Hannah was taken down. Sarah screamed; not a scream of outrage like those around her, but a blood-curdling scream of terror, and fear gripped her. She didn’t see what happened next, or even hear the crowd’s reaction. Her eyes were fixed on the spot where Hannah now lay, writhing in agony. Sarah watched nervously, desperately willing Hannah to stand up. When the medical team called for the stretcher, Sarah screamed and fled from her seat.

Sarah ran through the stadium, heading straight to the player’s entry to the field. Her mind was racing and she didn’t even notice the security guard until he moved directly in front of her, preventing her from moving any further.
“Sorry miss, you can’t come in here.”
Don’t you know who I am?, Sarah wanted to scream. But even if he had recognised her as a player, she had no business on the pitch for this game. Perhaps if she could identify herself as Hannah’s girlfriend, the guard would make an exception. But Hannah had insisted that their relationship remain a secret. Not even their families knew, a fact that frustrated Sarah. But Hannah was not ‘out’, and Sarah knew that it was a difficult step for Hannah to take.
Having been turned away, Sarah now headed out of the stadium, hoping to catch the ambulance. But there was a gate between her and the vehicle, and they were already closing the doors. She could only watch as the ambulance drove off. Sarah collapsed on the ground, sobbing. Every thought she had was of rushing to Hannah’s side, to make sure she was okay, to hold and comfort her. But she had no idea which hospital she had been taking too.
Panic started to set in. Who might know where Hannah was? Sarah desperately tried to go through a list.. She could try ringing around all the hospitals, although they wouldn’t just give that information out. Port’s management team would know, obviously, but Sarah had no way of contacting them. Then she realised: Port wasn’t the only team Hannah was a part of. She grabbed her phone, and opened up contacts. At the top of the list was the name she wanted. Her hands shaking, she called the number.

Adam Johnson had just poured himself a beer and was relaxing in front of the television when his phone rang. The Barunian coach sighed when he saw who was calling. He’d just spent four days with the national team, so why was one of his midfielders calling him now? He thought for a second about not answering, but then changed his mind and picked up.
“Hello Sarah.”
The voice on the other end was panicked. “Coach, I was ....I was wondering if you knew where they’d taken Hannah?”
Adam tried to make sense of what he’d just heard. He felt like he’d come into the middle of a conversation.
“Alright Sarah, start at the beginning. Who’s Hannah and who’s taken her?”
“Miller of course. What hospital has she been taking too?”
Adam took a sharp intake of breath. He could feel the hairs on the back of neck start to rise? What exactly had happened to the Barunian captain? He asked Sarah, who told him she’d been injured in the Newland Derby, and repeated the question about the hospital.
“I’ll call you back,” Adam promised, and hung up.

Grabbing the TV remote, he flipped over to BBN Sports, just in time to catch another replay of the event. It certainly didn’t look good. Hannah’s right leg had taken the full force of the sliding tackle and had been forced sideways, and then as she came down her knee hit the ground first, quickly followed by the rest of her body. Adam swore that, in the extreme slow motion, he could actually see her bounce off the turf. He quickly shut the TV off. Adam headed into his office. It was going to a long night.

In the carpark of Blackrock Stadium, Sarah waited anxiously. Her attention was caught by a group of Port fans leaving early, complaining bitterly to each other.
“Three-nil, it’s a bloody disgrace.”
“How that wasn’t a red, I’ll never know. There’s no way he was trying for the ball.”
“She’s probably out for the season too, not to mention the World Cup. That moron Carlson just screwed the whole nation.”
Probably did it deliberately, just because he’ll never get a spot on the Suns. The man’s a thug.”
They passed on, leaving Sarah with even more horrifying questions. Would Hannah really miss the World Cup?
Her phone rang, and she picked up immediately after seeing it was Adam. True to his word, he’d found out where Hannah was.

by **Zwangzug** » Mon Mar 11, 2019 9:07 pm

(Issue 551)

The Kerlagrad Courier
Vows

Who: zebra-rights advocate Brianna Splinter-Tripp and Spiream corporate counsel Noah Friemont

What: the legal act of civil marriage

Where: Willdaw, Parmel District

When: like yesterday

When when: Dude, who cares, dilation is hard

Why: because they were in love with each other, hopefully

But like, why do I care: You don't, obviously, you're just reading this so that when other people bring it up you can nod knowingly while silently judging them for caring about something as shallow as celebrity gossip.

But like, why do those other people care: Because Splinter-Tripp's aunt, Erin Splinter, is the current Composite Minister, and the fact that she pledged to finance her niece's wedding years ago was apparently national news.

Did she? Apparently so, just not on the taxpayer check. It was a fairly quiet occasion, although a few press snapped some pictures because they had nothing better to do.

Can we please talk about some interesting celebrities? Well, the national football team won a game! Spencer Gleason scored the opening goal, a header in the seventeenth minute. After a fast-paced strike from the visitors in minute 41, Kendra Jover displayed some long dribbles in the second half and tapped in the winner to make it a 2-1 finale.

How did they meet? Um...on the field of play, overseen by an impartial referee affiliated with the Esportiva region.

No, I mean the couple. Oh, in college or something. They both went to Sapper Tech; Splinter-Tripp was two years ahead of Friemont there.

What was the attendants? Like several myriad. Eglantine Park is in the nation's largest city, after all.

Are you going to be specific enough that they could bid for the UICA someday? Probably not.

Also I meant attendants, like at the wedding. Oh. Splinter-Tripp's brother Sebastian, and Friemont's longtime friend Kit Tribeca.

Was there any religious segment, and I mean at the wedding, not some stupid pun about salvation at the football game? No. Although Splinter-Tripp's great-grandmother was a leading member of the Church of Caissa, neither of them wanted a religious component, and their personal views are a private matter.

So where are they off to next? They play away in Gor Kebab on Matchday Three.

THE COUPLE, I MEANT THE COUPLE, NOT THE FOOTBALL TEAM. Oh, probably touring famous sites in Forest or something. It's a pity Errinundera aren't around to get drawn into our group...

by **Main Nation Ministry** » Mon Mar 11, 2019 10:11 pm

The Red Wagon: For Fame or Fortune

Josh Etten hated being near these "so-called" people, who are wasting his precious space. Josh wasn't the brightest guy to hang out with. Josh mainly was the guy who hated being given orders from anyone. To which, ironically he wanted everyone to take orders from him. The party was already starting to die out, which he decided to leave. "Hey, you're leaving already? We just going started?" Gerald asked him, having known him from his friends. "Place is already boring. Can't believe I had to be dragged to this." Josh complained, where Gerald tried to nicely correct him. "Didn't you arrive here by yourself?" Gerald asked him. Of course, Josh being an overbearing prick had this gem to say.

"You have no right to correct me, jackass." Josh said, before leaving through the front door. "What a dick." Henry Cotterie, the man with the grey hair and cane, joked at Josh's attitude.

Outside the house, Josh Etten walked down the sidewalk, wanting to put up a noise complaint, since he can hear it from outside, despite the fact that his house was no one nearby where Jessica lived. Josh was a man who is frowned upon by his peers, including some of his friends. He was caught cheating on his homework, where he used one of his friends to do it for him. When he got caught, he accused the teacher of unlawfully flunking him from his class. He was later kicked out of the education facility that he lived nearby, where he had to transfer to another one. He's older than Jessica, being just 22 where he managed to steal away a girlfriend from another friend. However, she left him after he treated her rather badly. Even when she left him, Josh attempted to harass his ex, where some men had to "convince" him to stop. Literally, the possibilities of a perfect life was ruined by Josh's own mistakes that he refuses to accept. It was a surprise to know that he still had friends.

Josh was crossing the road, when he heard the sounds of what appeared to be a wagon. He glanced to the source of the sound to see that there was someone moving towards his direction, where he can make out a small shape that was about to go under a streetlight. "Who's there?!" Josh demanded, where the girl with the red wagon showed herself, dragging behind her red wagon with her bag still in it. "What is a kid like you doing out here?" Josh said. "I'm just a salesperson. I'm looking for customers, silly."
"Silly? You're the only one that's silly with that stupid hat of yours."
"..."
"So what the fuck do you have that seems so interesting to sell to people."
"You just literally insulted my hat and now you're demanding to see what's in the bag?"
"Yeah. So what?"
"..."

The girl in the red wagon put her hat over her face to hide a look of seeing prey in her sights. "I see.. I can see what you want the most." the girl with the red wagon said, digging into her bag. "What's in there? Junk?" Josh said, where the girl took it as an insult. "It's something that will get what you want the most." the girl said, pulling out a large book. Josh couldn't make out the book at first, until he saw the title of it shine from the reflective surface the words were made outta.

Sports Almanac. The book was titled. "What the hell is this? A sports book?" Josh asked. "It's not a sports book. It's a book that can tell you what will happen 20 minutes in the future. And it's for you." the girl offered it to him politely, while trying to keep a calm expression. "How is this what I want the most?!" Josh asked her. "You just want people to see you as entitled. There is a way to make them see you as entitled. In this book, if you help show the future, you can use it to change other people's fates. Of course, there are-" the girl was trying to explain more, until Josh just ripped it out of her hands. "I didn't ask you to offer me this book! I read it, if you are just complaining so much of me not reading it. God!" Josh said, which was the opposite of what the girl imagined.

"That pig.."

After the party at Jessica's house ended, Henry Cotterie exited out of the house, waving goodbye to some people. Henry was just approaching the age of 50 years old. To some, he was considered rather stingy. Others, he was simply greedy. However, both of them can say that he was more passive on the subject. He wasn't like Josh Etten, no sir. But he can be considered to be a "scrooge". Henry walked with his cane to his electric car that he owned, unlike many who would just ride their bikes. Henry had his brights on, so the road in the suburbs was illuminated as he went to drive to his home that near the city. Henry considered that his house was directly on the edge of where Bright Falls meets one of the suburbia sectors. Henry didn't mind having to go through several checkpoints, who were interrogating him on what he was doing out by himself so late, since it was nearing the curfew.

As he was driving on a rather empty stretch of road, since all of the houses had their lights off, Henry saw something enter his headlights, where he slammed his foot on the brakes. Looking through his windshield, there was a kid with a witch hat with a red wagon in the middle of the road. Wanting to yell at the kid, Henry decided to get out of his car, but decided to reconsider. "Hey kid! You're not supposed to be outside at this time of the hour. It's best you get home. You nearly gotten hurt." Henry said, as he slammed the car door. "Sorry. I just had to deal with a diseased pig that came into my sight." the girl in the witch's hat explained. "You ate it or something?"
"I cursed him to suffer."
"You got a sense of humor, kid."
"It's that sales pitch humor people use."
"What you selling? You got anything for free?"

The girl wanted to laugh at that statement. She did consider some stuff free. Until the buyer had no money. Yet, Henry here had a crocodile-skinned wallet full of money he could be spending. He's just greedy, maybe if she can give him a bottomless piggy bank that eats money, she can-

Wait.

The girl started to sense something about Henry. The girl claimed that she knew Jessica's future. But the girl was seeing Henry's past. She gripped her hat tight and began to dig into her bag. "I don't prefer myself a salesperson who sells free stuff. Some are generous. Some are not. So I have them pay." the girl explained, as she found something to give to Henry. She pulled out a small statue that had a stone man in a standing position, where Henry noticed that it looked like him a bit from his younger years. "You sell statues, kid?" Henry asked. "No. I only sell what I believe people want the most. This statue is what you actually want." the girl explained. "How much? I can offer you some exposure, instead of money. Helps gives you some customers." Henry offered. "I don't do exposure. Nor money." "So how much do you want to pay?" Henry said, before the girl simply gave him the statue.

"It's doesn't matter. You already paid."

"Well. Thanks, kid! I know you don't run on exposure, but I tell my friends about the stuff you're selling at these prices. It's best you head home now." Henry said, before letting the girl in the red wagon move aside to let him drive by.

by **Banija** » Mon Mar 11, 2019 10:13 pm

W2W4 World Cup Edition- The Banijan Soccer League

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- The Banijans, after two games in World Cup Qualifying, have earned maximum points so far in this competition- and all things considered, a solid start. Impossible to have a better start, of course, in the table at least. They had a solid 2-0 win away from home against the Grod Islands, following their big 3-2 home victory over Eshan to kick off the campaign, and find themselves, at least at this point, at the top of the table. They were heavy favorites in that game, but still, in a qualification campaign, on the road, nothing is guaranteed- that was a tough three points earned, and that will go a long way towards reaching the end goal, which will be earning a trip to Valanora & Apox. Of course, next week they welcome New and Improved Peru to town, a team that they almost have to get three points against- before, of course, their massive trip to the group's top seed, and #5 in the multiverse, Brenecia.

But, of course, we know about the national team- we've watched the games, we've seen them at their best in a dominant first half against Eshan, and struggle mightily to finish in the same game. We've seen them control a game in a solid, defensive format against the Grod Islands, and come away with maximum points. Of course, as we watch the World Cup however, our interests can go beyond Banija. There are a whole host of games going on, each Matchday having 75 games, from all over the multiverse. And many of us, of course, are fans of various BSL teams- from Herzegovina City FC, to Jinja City FC, to the Hawabark Boulders, to everyone in between. The question is- which teams should you watch in Qualifying if you want to watch your favorite BSL stars? Banija and the Busoga Islands are the obvious choices, of course, but what other countries will be trying to get to World Cup 82 with players based in Banija? Let's get that list going.

Juvencus
Demetro Laterza, the Juvencus striker for Umbazi Metropolitan SC, is coming off the bench for the Squadra Nazionale. He has been a solidly consistent player for Umbazi Metropolitan SC, even if the team hasn't really made a splash since he's been there. Still, for a low budget club, they are safely in the middle of the league, almost entirely safe from relegation, even if they have never mounted a seriously UICA challenge, or a cup run, in their 8 seasons in the top flight. He is a consistent striker, scoring 16 goals in Season 7, and 16 more in Season 8- earning a spot on the top 10 goalscorers list for the BSL in both seasons. Despite that consistency, he has not been able to break the starting lineup of the national team, though he gets a decent amount of playing time in later minutes. It will be interesting to watch to see if he can finally break into the starting XI for the talented Juvencus squad.

Devonta
Noah Lamont Hill is a Devontan striker who has played in the Banijan Soccer League for a number of years, and is in a similar situation to Demetro Laterza, attempting to break onto the first team. He has had a number of quality seasons in Banija, first playing for a big team in Jinja City FC, until being sold to the Isipongo Flash. He has had an excellent run of form in Isipongo, earning 1st team All-Pro honors after Season 6, and finishing in the top 10 in the league in scoring after Season 7, his 15 goals in that season putting him 9th on that list. He is also trying to break through to the first team XI on what is certainly a talented squad, with a pair of younger forwards in front of the 28 year old. He does add a veteran presence to the front line for the Devontans, however, and late in game, needing a goal, they are a squad that certainly isn't afraid to bring him on in those crucial moments.

Siovanija & Teusland
The first regional neighbor on this list has one player from the BSL on their national team- and his name is Dennis Brotzmann. The starting central midfielder for Herzegovina City FC, he was in the starting lineup for the most recent BSL champions, a squad that has set the bar extremely high, winning their fourth league title in six seasons. Dennis Brotzmann is a strong force in the middle for Herzegovina City FC, a player who helps set the tone. Their midfield pairing, with him paired alongside Harald Fireblade, is probably the strongest in the BSL, and is probably the reason that they were able to hold off such a strong surprise title challenge from Bunyoro RSC. Like the players we mentioned before, Brotzmann is still attempting to break into the country's starting XI, though expect to see him playing late in games.

Commonwealth of Baker Park
Another regional neighbor, the Commonwealth of Baker Park has two players on this list- Alex Sandoval, of Busukuma Athletic Club, and NIck Haller, of the Kitara Athletic Association. Nick Haller has made a major impact at Kitara AA, as they, in the last two seasons, have gone simply from a club that is content to finishing middle of the table, to a team finding a place in the top third of the table, and even looking for a UICA berth. In Season 7, he scored 15 goals, and he will look to continue that impact for the national team. Alex Sandoval, on the toher hand, had an even larger impact at the biggest capitol club. His 19 goals in Season 7 helped lead Busukuma AC to their first league title. He, alongside the rest of Busukuma AC, had a dropoff after an extremely disappointing 10th place finish in Season 8, but he looks to put a rough club season behind him as he puts on the national team jersey. Both players are certainly capable of starting, so tune into Baker Park's matches to watch them play.

Qusmo
Not a neighbor, this is a nation that Banija is developing deep sporting ties with, especially in this sport. A Qusmi, Forzu-Denir, managed the Vijana Kadongo Kamu in both the Di Bradini Cup and the latest Olympic Games, while Winad-Lenpi Xlo took Lakiska SC to a fifth place finish in the league, just short of finishing in those Champions Cup places. Therefore, Banijans are quite familiar with the nation, and with the pair of players that they will post, Ozolx-Mazur Guv, of the Hoima Warriors, and Xilit-Zaxac Yol, who will go to Jinja City FC at the end of the World Cup cycle. Ozolx-Mazur has a solid season for the Warriors, but their frustration of finishing outside of the top four deepened, which made it six straight seasons that the Super 5 club couldn't qualify for a UICA competition.

Xilit-Zaxac, however, might be the player to watch. He is Qusmo's all-time leading goalscorer, and he made a big time money move to come to Jinja City FC and Banija. Jinja City FC fans will want to know exactly what they're getting, and Alexander Bumba will want to ensure that he has more time to study him, to ensure that he uses him in exactly the right way. Either way, Qusmo's #1 all-time goalscorer will have a chance to shine before he makes the trip to Jinja City, and make the club's fans salivate as he seems to be the centerpiece of Bumba's strategy to dethrone Herzegovina City FC, and add a second league title to the trophy case.

Cosumar
Cosumarites have had a big impact on the game in Banija, and there are deep ties in the sport between the two countries. A pair of Banijan internationals, Gitonga Kahara and Ensa Camara, play in the Härlighet Ligan, and Brian Emerson, Herzegovina City FC's manager, has had a near dominant run as a manager for what has become Banija's premier club, winning a pair of league titles in his first three seasons, and becoming the first, and still the only, manager to lead a BSL side to the group stages of the UICA Champions Cup. The contributions have been a one way street, but for the first time, the favor seems to have been returned, as Harald Fireblade is part of the player pool. While he is a reserve and rotating player, and far from a guarantee to be on the Final 23, the man is talented, and is being developed under the tutelage of a man who is widely seen as the BSL's best manager. Already having won a league title, he has set his sights on becoming the first BSL player to put on the jersey of the Azure Dragons.

Cobrio
Cobrio's national team is the native homeland of Hoima's central striker, Chizoba Emenanjo. Leading the front line for the Warriors, in what Mark Grayson, before the season, warned would likely be a 'multiple season job', he had a solid season. While not putting up large numbers, Mark Grayson, the Nepharim, was absolutely pleased with his output, saying that the player was 'absolutely' capable of a breakout season in Season 9. The Warriors, of course, who cycle through players and coaches like nobody else in the country, with their demand for success so high, a bar that they seemingly cannot meet, are going to look to improve next season to get to the UICA- and Emenanjo will be at the center of their efforts. He, like Laterza and Lamont Hill, both mentioned above, is set to come off the bench in Qualifying, at least for now. We'll see if he can crack the starting XI with any kind of consistency.

Freeport
Another subregional neighbor, there are a few players from Freeport who choose to ply their trade in the Banijan Soccer League, who are potential internationals for the Freeport squad. There is Giovanni Falco, a goalkeeper for the Hawabark Boulders, who has been with them since their time in the Southern League, helping them become the first team ever to get promoted from the regional leagues to the Banijan Soccer League. There is Torvald Royle, a solid striker who played opposite Assefa Yitebarke in what was the league's most electric offense, even if Istria City FC could not climb back to the summit of the BSL. And, lastly, there is Eindride Cleary, a defender for the Herzegovina Phoenix. While Freeport's squad has not been announced yet, all three are seen as contenders to be on the squad for the Qualifying campaign.

Equestrian States
And last, but certainly not least, the Equestrian States- ranked 10th in the multiverse. A player that we have to mention, even if he isn't in the BSL anymore, is Aaron Aiza. A player, while attempting to climb the national team ladder, came to the BSL in Season 4, and right as the league started its long climb up the UICA ladder, he was at the centerpiece. The league's star player for a number of seasons, he was a dominant force on the field, even helping lead Herzegovina City FC to an undefeated championship-winning effort in Season 6. The sporting ties between these two countries run incredibly high, with more Banijans playing abroad in the Equestrian States than in the rest of the multiverse combined, and quite a few Equestrian internationals plying their trade in the Banijan Soccer League. And, of course, we can't not mention Marcus Waters, the manager of the Kadongo Kamu, who hails from the Equestrian States.

Who to start with? There is Equestrian international Rosie Tyler, an excellent player who gets consistent playing time for Banija's larger numbers. She, of course, won a league title in her first season at Herzegovina City FC. There is Josef Lawerenz, the young Equestrian winger who has, due to his excellent play, been bounced around the BSL, but seems to have finally found a home in Hoima. There is Jermaine Poole, an integral part of an offense that put up a stunning 100 league goals during the course of the campaign.

And that, of course, is the list of your favorite BSL players during World Cup Qualifying! If you can't get enough, if you want to watch your favorite club's players put on their national shirts and play for their countries, then when you turn on your television or radio, watch one of the above countries play- you won't be disappointed.

by **Nephara** » Mon Mar 11, 2019 10:23 pm

Baker Park 2 - 3 Nephara
(4-3-3 / 4-4-2) 1 - Swoboda; 2 - Rafford, 5 - Konoval, 6 - Steelhenge, 3 - Close; 8 - Klein (10 - Metzger 76'), 4 - Rowland (23 - Shone 76'), 21 - Moxham; 7 - Fanaiyan (13 - Saroszi 76'), 9 - Hawke, 11 - Strongbow
Goals: Strongbow 23', Moxham 81', Hawke 85'

Away against the second seed was always the first match you circled in the calendar. Then again, you generally expected more of a... build-up. And yet, after a single game to warm up against Astoria - a formality, enlivened mostly by the return of the traditional 4-4-2.
But this was a familiar look for the Cormorants, the same eleven faces running out the tunnel in green and black that pretty much anyone could have named. This stood in contrast to their yellow-clad hosts, an experimental approach to squad selection robbing them of arguably their best player, Annabeth Westmoreland, as they opted for a large-scale approach to finding the best possible 23 come the end of qualifying.
Brosque crushed Scott's hand in his bear paw - no hard feelings, that's just how he rolls - and hostilities were quickly ignited on the pitch.

Just ten minutes in, and it was already clear this was going to be something special. By then, Hawke had already managed to break clear twice, sending one shot across Pelletier and narrowly past the post, sending the other arrowing low and hard and forcing Pelletier into a... creative save, throwing out a leg and deflecting it over the bar with an ankle. Pelletier was, it is fair to say, displeased with her defence, but after some bickering, they looked sharper. Hawke grimaced, disappointed with herself - but she knew how to recover from setbacks.
The game quietened down for a while, Nepharim physicality and Commonwealth discipline ensuring scant opportunities for either side, though an optimistic strike from Bozeman nearly found the top corner, drawing a sharp save from Andreas Swoboda. That aside, there wasn't too much to draw the neutrals' attention - perhaps most of them were on the verge of flicking to another match, before out of nowhere, a slick pass from Moxham found Strongbow loitering in space, enough space to take the ball forward unchallenged and curl it past Pelletier from just inside the box, with only belated pressure from Brown and Haller.

There's two ways to react to going a goal down early on in a crunch match on home soil. You've already bent, but will you break? Some fold under the pressure, let the floodgates open. These are where the unexpected massacres stem from.
The Commonwealth did not break. The ambiguity of the initial fencing was out of the window - would a scoreless draw be a good result? - no, they needed a goal, now. They went out in search of it, with Pamela Scott a commanding, inspirational presence from the touchline. The shots started to rain in, at first from distance, tests Swoboda was more than a match for - and the Nepharim defence was put on notice. The breakthrough felt like it was coming, and like Nephara's, when it came, it was down the hitherto quiet left flank - a pass from Bozeman simply easy to cut out by Leona Rafford, who complacently failed to account for the wingback Whitestone running like hell. Whitestone stretched out a boot, Rafford reacted too late, overstretched and was flattened as the Mashu wingback hurtled past her, set herself, before cutting back to where Sabrina Patton lurked on the edge of the box. Patton, unlike Strongbow, didn't have the luxury to take a touch before Konoval steamed in towards her - but limitation is the spirit of creativity, and she laced a first-time snap-shot low past Swoboda, into the bottom corner.
But the Commonwealth wasn't done there. With the momentum on their side, it would've been madness to try and kill the game here. The Cormorants did manage to bite back now and again, but a scrambled double save from Pelletier - a long strike from Moxham, fumbled somewhat but redeemed by selflessly hurling herself on the rebound, taking an inadvertent boot to the chest from the following Fanaiyan - kept them level.
Yet again, Bozeman would be central, this time finishing where last time she started. A long period of Commonwealth possession eventually picked a hole in the Nepharim line between Rafford and Konoval, Bozeman opportunistically ran through it and Alex Sandoval, back to goal, managed to turn into it and lay the ball across. Bozeman's first touch was heavy, but the second more than made up for it, guiding it past Swoboda's near post at the narrowest of angles; 2-1.
The crowd, as they say, went wild.

Most of the way into the second half, the situation remained unchanged, and Brosque had seen enough. Nephara had put a ball into the net; the minor issue had been that Fanaiyan had been about two metres offside at the time. A pair of numbers came up on the fourth officials' board... and another, and another. The powerful striker Aristide Metzger, the classy holding midfielder Tawny Shone and the intense Monako Saroszi would have to turn this around. Shone and Moxham outnumbered by three Commonwealth midfielders; Metzger and Hawke against a back three. Leaning into your opponents' overloads isn't exactly fashionable in the modern game. Nevertheless; it worked.
Granted, none of the three were involved in the equaliser. Fernandez, herself a substitute, hipchecked Chimera Moxham as she'd shaped to shoot from a fair distance outside the box. Moxham, being herself, took that as a challenge - and hooked the resulting free kick over the wall and skimming under the underside of the crossbar.
By this stage, it was clear there would be a fifth goal - neither side was willing to leave with just a point. For the Commonwealth, this represented their best shot at the first seeds; for the Cormorants, victory here meant they were in a relatively comfortable position for the rest of qualifying. The Commonwealth launched an attack almost straight from the kickoff, a slick maneuvre taking the ball down their left before, this time, Bozeman's pass to Whitestone was nicked away by a brilliant sliding challenge from Leona Rafford. Her redemption story, perhaps.
Better still, the start of one. With that challenge, she'd seemingly put a poor match behind her; before long, she was marching down the right with her usual swagger, jinking past Whitestone and suddenly with free air between her and the touchline. She ran like hell for it, evading Bozeman, then the hesitant Stephens, before swinging in a high cross. Metzger rose for it - so did Pelletier and, fatally, Haller. The three cancelled one another out, and for all Pelletier's early heroics, she was caught in no-man's land. The ball kept on its path.
The best strikers will find a way to get you a goal, to bounce back from the chances they miss. Even if it blindsided her by smacking off her cheek, before instinct swept out a boot to lash it in the rest of the way, Hawke didn't care about aesthetics at a time like this. All goals were equal, and some goals - like ugly tap-ins that decided crunch qualifiers in the 85th minute - were more equal than others.

NEPHARIM NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 2
Goalkeepers: 1 - Andreas Swoboda (Holdenberg, EUR), 12 - Hesterine Mercator (Eastweald, COS), 20 - Leila Ramelow (Vermillion Rage)
Defenders: 2 - Valeri Longship (Crisisbless), 3 - Marcin Close (Brinemouth), 5 - Alcander Visser (Starling), 6 - Dragora Steelhenge (Ramusok United, COS), 18 - Eloise Kielseng (Kingsgrove, BRE), 19 - Nike Rouphos (Chenoworth Harriers), 22 - Roxelana Thorn (Revolutionaries, EUR)
Midfielders: 4 - Monica Rowland (Bastion, EUR), 8 - Malachi Chalk (Falourr, EUR), 14 - Marica Kuepper (Jungle Strike, VIL), 15 - Circe Rosenthal (Directus, EUR), 21 - Chimera Moxham (Crawford City FC, COS), 23 - Tawny Shone (Sabrefell Moths)
Forwards: 7 - Ishtar Fanaiyan (Eastweald, COS), 9 - Estrella Hawke (Sabrefell Athletic), 10 - Aristide Metzger (AFC Treason), 11 - Rowena Strongbow (Directus, EUR), 13 - Minka Kranevitter (North Sabrefell), 16 - Marisha Staunton (Crisisbless), 17 - Kurtis Bastable (Hornchurch, EUR)

SCHEDULE
Astoria 0 - 3 Nephara
Commonwealth of Baker Park 2 - 3 Nephara
Nephara vs. Dreamplanet @ Eagle's Club (Brinemouth)
Pridnestrovia vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Blaneu @ Ludd's Hammer (Stahlburg)
Natanians and Nosts vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Tinhampton @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
Walenstein vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Robostania @ Phoenix Rise (Corvistone)
Nephara vs. Astoria @ The Iron Hill (Vermillion)
Nephara vs. Commonwealth of Baker Park @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Dreamplanet vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Pridnestrovia @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
Blaneu vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Natanians and Nosts @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Tinhampton vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Walenstein @ Godswatch (Crisisbless)
Robostania vs. Nephara

by **The Sherpa Empire** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 12:08 am

‭Jigme Sherpa had committed himself to a life of silent contemplation and cut his ties to the outside world, but there were some things in the world that were hard to leave behind. He still kept a small TV hidden among his few possessions, which he occasionally used to watch football games with the volume turned way down, so that the other monks wouldn't hear. Danu's arrival had reminded him how much he missed his days playing on the high school football team. He had been a good player, but then they told him he couldn't play professionally because he had too much magic in his blood. The fascists were quite strict about keeping magic separate from professional sports -- probably because the players that had the easiest time competing against it were the ones who had the weakest ideological commitment to fascism.

‭Jigme showed Danu the TV and talked a little about how he had been forced to give up his dream of playing football professionally.

‭Concord Heights (capital of Cassadaigua):

‭"What the hell?" Brian Jones-Dan said, apparently reacting to something he was reading on his tablet.

‭"What?" said Nawang Bao.

‭"Apparently we're 'the land of Kai Qiang' now," Jones-Dan said sarcastically.

‭Bao laughed. "I don't understand how that guy can be so popular. It's just... Why? You know?"

‭"We'll just have to give them something else to remember the Sherpa Empire for," their coach said cheerfully.

‭"Ha, yeah," said Jones-Dan. "We'll show them how men play football."

‭After seeing how men play football, Cassadaigua was in no danger of becoming a patriarchy. The Sherpas lost 3-1.

‭ Kathmandu (capital of Scherpareich):

‭The Führer and several of his high-ranking associates were gathered around a conference table.

‭"My Führer, I don't think we can ignore the Cassadagan Question any longer," General Thupten said. "We have reports that Cassadagan officers have met with Kai Qiang. That means their government is supplying weapons to the Resistance."

‭The Führer ran his fingers through his beard, considering the situation.

‭"How reliable are these reports?" Jamling Ihawa asked.

‭"Our agents know what they are doing!" Thupten said defensively.

‭"I wasn't asking how good our agents are," said Ihawa. "I was asking how good their sources are."

‭"There isn't any difference," Thupten insisted. "Do you think our agents don't know who to listen to and who to ignore?"

‭Ihawa buried his face in his hands. "I don't think you understand how intelligence works."

‭"Then why don't you enlighten me, oh great Ihawa!"

‭"Buddha himself couldn't enlighten you," said Ihawa. "Your reports are useless if we don't know where the information came from!"

‭"My Führer, you can't allow this! First he questions the competence of our agents and then he insults me!"

‭The Führer motioned for them to be silent. "How reliable are the reports?"

‭Thupten looked hurt. "They are reliable!" he insisted.

‭Ihawa didn't look convinced, but the Führer took Thupten's word. "Then we have no choice. If Cassadaigua is supplying weapons to Kai Qiang, then we are already at war with them."

by **Mriin** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 12:58 am

Maal Memoirs
Sports
Four Games, Thirty-Five Goals

Yon Kegant
[redacted], Apl0n

Some squads like to start qualifiers off cautiously, to carefully reacclimate to international pressure and get reacquainted with the ragtag mercenary bands we call national teams. Neither of Group Twelve's top seeds are that kind of squad. Both Farfadillis and Mriin are known for that temerous sort of play that can rack up the score to a comfortable margin while still making their defense look half-baked, no matter how a priori skilled they may be. Of course, not all victories are equal. The Reavers minted two shooting gallery showcases against Baptism of Fire graduates--of differing skill, but still both very new to the scene--while the Farves did the same to the well-respected third and fourth seeds. A 6-2 demolishment of Beepee and a 3-6 victory over Acronius--away--puts a gigantic chip on the Reavers' shoulders. Qualifying is a long process and anything can happen, but this is a strong sign this isn't the Farf squad we faced in World Cup 78's quals. The sort of team that breaks down repeatedly and drowns in unexpected draws, managing to hand first place to a nascent Mrii squad despite winning both legs against them. If we're looking to top our group for the fifth consecutive time, a way around The Farf Problem has to be found.

That's still a few matchdays out, however, and is none of my problem. Hopefully Joren will have the time for an analytical breakthrough now that he's not taking the pitch, or Solara just blasts them into the next dimension. Either works, I'm not picky. Both Reaver victories so far have been a mix of both, experimental tactics cut with the raw skill to bring home the bacon. A hardcore fashion of counterattacking was put into place where their traditional 4-3-3 would slam into a 2-5-3 at a moment's notice, heaving tremendous loads of pressure around. When you end a fortnight and Pia racked up three goals on the way, only one nodded from a corner, you know something was up. Naturally, that kind of strategy isn't without consequence. When your wingbacks are rocketing upfield enough to score repeatedly you're awfully wide open to the counter-counter attack, with little hope for a counter-counter-counter attack. Ofasval's wunderkid Takara Østergaard and Apl0n's [redacted] both found themselves with acres of free space to sprint through, twice--notching up a brace each. Thankfully for my heart, a lead was already securely in hand in the Apl0n match when those concessions came. Portia and Lasser coming on in the twilight of the Ofasval match to net a goal apiece is an excellent show but these aren't the sort of games I'm looking to for excitement.

Next on the docket for the Reavers will be hosting Eraman, a name that might ring familiar a tad more than the typical Baptism entrant.

Mriin - 6
Vol 13’, 46'
Levaani 34'
Vocani 37'
Polandre 62'
Vahn 83'
Apl0n - 3
[redacted] 51’, 77'
[redacted] 69'

by **Indusse** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 2:51 am

Good start for indusse

indusse on a good start after a tie and a win. in both matches capt.baskar scored goals. the team is currently third with equestrian states first in group. indussean ally pratapgadh is also in this group.

   Group 15                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Equestrian States                2    2   0   0     6    0   +6     6
 2 Kandorith                        2    1   1   0     7    6   +1     4
 3 Indusse                          2    1   1   0     5    4   +1     4
 4 Mercedini                        2    1   0   1     9    6   +3     3
 5 Garifunya                        2    1   0   1     7    6   +1     3
 6 Krytenia                         2    0   2   0     3    3    0     2
 7 Ancherion                        2    0   1   1     4    6   −2     1
 8 Pratapgadh                       2    0   1   1     2    5   −3     1
   Zeniyadh                         2    0   1   1     2    5   −3     1
10 Lisander                         2    0   1   1     3    7   −4     1

by **Vilita** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 3:02 am

Abanhfleft spoil World Cup homecoming in Alikki-Corra

Tivali Ring Stadium, Alikki-Corra, Vilita :: The Football Association of Vilita have released their schedule for the World Cup 82 Qualifying campaign which has kicked off for the defending World Cup Champions in the little known nation of Bysantia with the Jungle Cats picking up a convincing 8-1 victory to notch the perfect start to their qualifying campaign.

Rammsissil midfielder Jurzen Devmiko had a night to remember in Bysantia scoring their first career natural hattrick and doing so incredibly within the first ten minutes of the match. Devmiko opened the scoring with a long range effort in the third minute then doubled the Jungle Cats advantage off a corner kick in the 8th minute of the match. Just two minutes later Bysantia were down to ten men after Sipke Tarala was hauled down in the box and the players handed the ball to the skillful midfielder Devmiko to finish the job and complete the hattrick.

While it was a thrill for Devmiko, the moment came with somewhat tempered excitement for Tarala, one of the Vilitan National Teams top goalscorers during their World Cup 81 campaign and the highest-valued played in the most recent International Transfer Window where defending Vilitan League Champions Lonngeylin Coast accepted a high-value offer from the eventual UICA Globe Cup Champions, Sabrefell Athletic. Tarala had fallen awkwardly after being taken down on the break and while the Sabrefell attacker had earned the Penalty Kick for the Jungle Cats, it became immediately clear that something was bothering the striker Tarala pressed on for about ten minutes until Limu Katarakhna's 23rd minute goal gave the Jungle Cats a 4-0 lead. With the match looking well won and little reason to risk further injury the Vilitan coaching staff made the call to take Tarala out of the match and insert Linvoi Warazil of Raynor City United in Valanora.

By halftime, the Jungle Cats had added goals from Cavuna Aquafek and Nii'arala Milaaso to take a 6-0 lead into the tunnel in a match where they were dominating the possession and had all the chances with little for Mako Canopii to do at the other end.

In the second half, Bysantia would actually secure a consolation prize for showing up to participate on the day, bottling in a corner kick on the hour mark to draw one back but the match was never in doubt and the Jungle Cats added late goals from Monner Vileai and Linkat Cjinder to give the Vilita National Team its biggest opening matchday victory in recorded history.

Vilita [8] - [1] Bysantia

:: Vilita Goalscorers ::
:: 3' Jurzen Devmiko
:: 8' Jurzen Devmiko
:: 10' Jurzen Devmiko
:: 23' Limu Katarakhna
:: 34' Cavuna Aquafek
:: 41' Nii'arala Milaaso
:: 71' Monner Vileai
:: 88' Linkat Cjinder

:: Vilita Statistics ::
:: Possession: 68%
:: Shots on Target: 11
:: Corner Kicks: 12

:: Bysantia Statistics ::
:: Possession: 32%
:: Shots on Target: 4
:: Corner Kicks: 3

Vilita Jungle Cats Lineup v. Bysantia ::
[GK]Mako Canopii, [D.]Linkat Cjinder, [D.]Monner Vileai, [D.]Rintala Sekagaya, [D.] Inbekira Ajhabekk, [ML] Limu Katarakhna, [MC]Va'a-Rio Kiwavn, [MC] Jurzen Devmiko, [MR] Cavuna Aquafek, [FC]Sipke Tarala, [FC]Nii'arala Milaaso
BENCH::
[FC]Fishtii Blikala, [FC]Linvoi Warazil, [M]Jyuola Mtalata, [M]Ikala Mravedii, [U ]Kudii Davasarii, [D]Rojara Tiones, [GK]Vernasa Sanamun

While the massive opening day victory was one for the record books with a seven goal margin of victory being tops in recent Vilitan history, it was the third consecutive campaign which the Jungle Cats had popped eight goals on their opponent. During World Cup 81 qualifying the Vilita National team defeated Swibia 8-2 on the strength of a Jyuola Mtalata hattrick and during World Cup 80 qualifying Fishtii Blikala and Purapal Eskiiy each had a pair of goals to help lead the Jungle Cats to an 8-3 win over West Angola on the final matchday. While it was a great start to the campaign for the Jungle Cats it was also a dangerous start for a team that is used to getting off the mark slowly and building momentum over the course of a qualifying campaign.

The Jungle Cats would return home for their first competitive World Cup qualifying match on home soil since lifting the World Cup 81 trophy against Abanhfleft on Matchday 2 of World Cup 82 qualifying. The Tivali Ring Stadium in Alikki-Corra was packed, the World Cup Trophy was on hand and the team were high on confidence after their big victory on the opening matchday. Unfortunately, it would not be the celebration that the Football Association of Vilita were hoping for as the Fleftic side picked up a signature victory over the reigning World Cup Champions to greatly bolster their qualification hopes in a difficult qualifying group that had now gotten even more interesting with the top ranked nation in the multiverse having fallen so early in the campaign.

Vilita [1] - [2] Abanhfleft

:: Vilita Goalscorers ::
:: 64' Fishtii Blikala

:: Vilita Statistics ::
:: Possession: 53%
:: Shots on Target: 4
:: Corner Kicks: 9

:: Abanhfleft Statistics ::
:: Possession: 47%
:: Shots on Target: 7
:: Corner Kicks: 10

Vilita Jungle Cats Lineup v. Abanhfleft ::
[GK]Cilamara Issah, [D.]Inbekira Ajhabekk, [D.]Monner Vileai, [D.]Mileke Drokasorna, [D.] Jirijii Januaa, [ML] Cavuna Aquafek, [MC]Polaox Torerun, [MC] Jurzen Devmiko, [MR] Jyuola Mtalata, [FC]Berali Tzufarei, [FC]Enzoril Alabonni
BENCH::
[FC]Fishtii Blikala, [FC]Nii'arala Milaaso, [M]Cywrenta Vlintejni, [M]Va'a-Rio Kiwavn, [U ]Tinjus Mngomeni, [D]Kwuimekii Hentetii, [GK]Upsin Ajaara

The defeat was the first home defeat for the Jungle Cats since the final home game of the World Cup 80 qualification campaign when an already-qualified Vilitan National Team dropped a surprise result to 237th ranked Norcambria in a match which had little meaning to either side. It was just the third home defeat for the Vilitan National Team since they lost their opening matchday fixture of World Cup 76 Qualifying by a 2-1 scoreline at the hands of Anglatia. While the result was certainly a disappointing way to spoil the World Cup Champions return home, the Jungle Cats have an opportunity to rebound on Matchday 3 as they travel to 273rd ranked media-starved nation Nottinhaps looking to re-gain their Group 13 momentum.

From there the Jungle Cats will return home to face Soviet Micronesia at the Track Venture Field in Sile, Vilita home of newly former Vilitan Stellar Division champions and recently promoted side Makosile United. Other home matches in the first half of World Cup Qualifying for the Jungle Cats will include a crucial matchup against Valladares at the Turoki Community Complex in Turoki City, the only stadium in the Tropics that is home to two former Stellar Division Champion clubs: The Turoki Tide and Turoki United, and then the Vilita National Team will round out the first half of qualifying against the Busoga Islands at the Lopinka National Stadium on Matchday 8.

by **Audioslavia** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 3:49 am

Good start for Audioslavia

Audioslavia on a good start after a win and a win. in both matches captain Baran Kuznetsov watched his brother score goals. The team is currently first with Eura hilariously fifth in group. Audioslavian ally TigerSharkistan is also in this group.

RivalsWatch

The RivalsWatch section makes a return for matchday two. As the saying goes, 'Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, but then have one friend in between those enemies so you've got backup in case the proverbial hits the rotational, but also maybe make that friend actually be an enemy who thinks its a friend? I dunno man, I just make aphorisms. They usually just cut me off after I've said what I needed to say. Whatever meaning you may glean from that pithy idiom (pithidiom), we at the Northern Messenger newspaper believe the RivalsWatch section is the most important part of our sports coverage. It shows we have our finger on the pulse not only of Audioslavian football but of foreign football as well. Here we go:

Squornshelan Remnant States
Manager Bethany Donnell wears a simple wind-up watch with leather straps. Substitute midfielder Shrike Hagaz wears a watch with a strap just about big enough to fit his enormous wrists, while Gezan Djanetic wears a watch that he believes is a genuine high-quality brand despite buying it for five dollars at a car boot sale in Ramusok. Arlo Damot's watch is so big and shiny, and his wrists so small, that it looks like he's permanently holding a silver tray in his left hand like he's some sort of ambidextrous butler.

Krytenia
Krytenians don't have watches. We asked Krytenia's most intelligent person why Krytenians don't have watches, and Krytenia's most intelligent person said this:
"I personally believe that A.O. Krytenians are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don't have watches and, uh, I believe that our education, like such as in South Covello and, uh, the Eshan, everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should—our education over here in the A.O. should help the A.O.., uh, or, should help South Covello and should help the Eshan, and the Rushmori countries, so we will be able to build up our future, for our children.

Vilita
Vilitan watches are round, because they love pi, and they have large straps, because they love pie. Jirijii Januaa's watch gets a new diamond put on it every time Jirijii wins a major football trophy, making Jirijii's left wrist more valuable than most Esportivan countries.

Osarius
By international law, Osarians are only allowed to import digital watches. This is because foreigners were getting frustrated after asking an Osarian for the time, as the process of telling the time - finding which one is the big hand, which one is the small hand, what that means, etc - would take upwards of five minutes.

Starblaydia
The most common type of watch in Starblaydia is the Nintendo Game and Watch. The pre-game dressing room of most national football teams is largely made up of footballers tweeting and selfie-ing and asking their agent to demand something ludicrous from their club team for the sake of bants, but the Starblaydia national football team's pre-game dressing room largely consists of players furiously mashing buttons on their Game and Watch. The sound of this event has been compared to the sound of four crabs fighting over a rubix cube on a marble floor.

So there you have it, that's RivalsWatch for this week. Join us next week when we're sure to have some more news about our rivals' watches (editor's note: not likely)

by **Krytenia** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 4:20 am

Z-List
By Rami Niblick in Emberton

THE natives are getting restless, it would seem. The Krytenian national team's plane landed at Hessenthaler Airport last night; rather than the usual cheering fans, however, there were jeers and boos for the squad as their World Cup hopes seemingly lie in tatters after just two games.

The reason, as if it needed spelling out, was the Dragons' performance in their game against Zeniyadh. As with their opener against Indusse, the men in sky blue and white were positive but profligate on the ball, creating chances but failing to put them away; for the second game in a row, though, the team overcommitted forwards, leaving the back line susceptible to the sucker punch of the counter attack.

For the team to seemingly capitulate to the most basic of footballing errors is too much for some, and it was this vociferous minority that "greeted" the team at the airport. Those in the crowd believe that Valrauncion should step down as head coach, or pull himself from the starting line-up - or both. There is growing support, too, to call up teenager Selaphiel Kennedy to the starting eleven.

The manager, for his part, is unrepentant, mainly because he's Valrauncion. The official word from the dugout is that there will be changes for the game in Avidia later this week against Pratapgadh; what shape these changes take, however, remain to be seen. Onward!

by **Libertas Omnium Maximus** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 5:41 am

The Litudinem Herald
A Less than Perfect start for the Maximusian National National Team
by James Ogden, Sports Department

With a loss and a tie under their belt, the Maximusian National Team is certainly having some trouble. What started as a nearly perfect run with a bronze in the 69th Baptism of fire is rapidly going in a direction it shouldn't be going; straight down.

"We just have to pull ourselves together, we lost a lot of players after the end of The Baptism" says Maximusian Head Coach, Vincent Alfonsi, "they had to go back to playing for their league, the ones who payed on are exhausted and tired. I am confident that we can pull our selves together, we just need a moment to get back into the swing of things. I am sure we will!"

While support for the team is faltering some, and is reflected in qualifying match viewership, the team morale hasn't really dropped all too much.

"We have one loss, there isn't a point in blowing it into a bigger issue than it is," says Maximusian goalkeeper, Johan Vanderbilt, "The fact that we tied it up afterwords shows that we are in the right direction. We are still up against some tough fools, but, as the sayings goes, 'their time will come top die, in time.' My only hope is that that time comes sooner rather than later. Besides, we faced flippin' Eastfield Lodge. They are A GREAT TEAM. One of the best we have ever faced, ever. We can pull it together!"

Indeed, let us hope that the TEAM can pull things together as they are facing off against the toughest teams in the Multi-verse. They will need every bit of intellect, strategy, raw skill, and luck that they can get. Let us pray for them and give them a shout, Go LOM!

by **Jeruselem** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 5:42 am

Dazza Dallas Stadium, Princess Chloe and Kaz Sallad, the Jeruselem coach after the Princesses drew 3-3 with Vakolicci Haven and Celeria.

Chloe: So, how are things?
Kaz: Work in progress. It's all new to me, so far. I guess after coaching a few World Cups you'd get used to this.
Chloe: It's never easy, take nothing for granted. I mean we haven't even managed to qualify yet.
Kaz: Don't expect miracles from me
Chloe: Hey, just qualifying is fine.
Kaz: I guess that's not too much to ask

Chloe: We got to something about that defense, we were lucky not to concede a goal in our first game
Kaz: Good thing we scored a few goals today, I guess it's better than the one goal we got last game
Chloe: Yes well, that was a frustrating game to watch
Kaz: I guess that was the teams first outing, you can excuse them
Chloe: I expect a lot better at home
Kaz: I know, we must pretty much win everything at home but not today
Chloe: I guess my son finally scored a goal, and then also helped give one away to the opponent ...

Kaz: Yes, 3-2 win would have been fine.
Chloe: Just tell him, don't bother defending. He's not good at that.
Kaz: I know he was trying to be helpful
Chloe: He's only got one speed, full speed. He's not very subtle at anything.
Kaz: I guess the only way to learn is to make mistakes early, and hope its not repeated constantly
Chloe: If he's as stubborn as I am, I don't know.

Kaz: We got a few positives but I have to work out that defense. It's bit disorganised, especially if you end up one the strikers doing some defending.
Chloe: That Lady Dada girl sure is a good find, she's pretty good with the headers.
Kaz: Must be something to with pole dancing she does for fun
Chloe: I had to give that up when I broke my knee a while ago
Kaz: Oh yes, that wrecked your playing career.
Chloe: Yeah, titanium knee joins! Well, they don't set off airport alarms like steel ones do.

Kaz: I might need those pretty soon myself
Chloe: Oh yes, you got those Dallas genes too. Oops
Kaz: Nevermind, I was never any good as player in the first place.
Chloe: So everything is still OK, just kinda getting used everyone.
Kaz: You pretty much need the first half of qualification to work out what works and what doesn't
Chloe: The team last cup was pretty good, pity we had a few retirements

Kaz: I'm surprised I have this job in the first place
Chloe: You're weren't the number pick, it's just some of others wanted too much money and one was found to be a pedophile
Kaz: Oh yes that guy, geez can't have him running a team.
Chloe: Yes, did for his club ... for a while
Kaz: And he even coached some youth teams for them
Chloe: For sure, they covered up his crimes. It was one of those old school all male clubs, old school pedos!

Kaz: No one interferes with my kids, same with you.
Chloe: If I had my way, those pedos would fed to pack of wild animals.
Kaz: That's extreme
Chloe: Ya don't want piss off Princess Chloe
Kaz: What if they are clergy or religious people?
Chloe: Doesn't matter, they should know better. For them, they know hell waits for them. And Hell can come early if they do bad things to children.

by **The Authoritarian Republic of Lochario** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 5:48 am

Zuniti

REVENGE FEELS SO SWEET!

Locharian Football National Team is so far having a good time in the WC 82 qualifiers being 2nd and having won both of the games in the group. The 2nd victory tho was the biggest, since it was against Darkmania – a nation that the Ginger Tigers have lost to in the IC6. A goal from Jereman made Locharians sing all the night as the team won 1:0.The next game will be against Oberour ar Moro.

by **Mercedini** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 6:31 am

Talking Points
The Future Of Blue Strike Sports
@ Blue Strike Arena - Zoloroni, Mercedini

While the World Cup Qualification campaign is in full swing with Mercedini playing their second game at home against Kandorith, it's easy to get caught up in the results, the fixtures and the ramifications of it all. Here at Mercedini Sports Daily, we thought we would take a step back from the international aspect of football, to look at a more recent development in the Mercedinian sporting sphere, which has the potential to bleed onto the international stage of domestic football. Blue Strike ltd, is family-owned, multi-billion NS$ soft drinks manufacturer which has begun to plough it's vast swathes of it's cash reserves to get into the Mercedinian sporting world by buying out a small club on the outskirts of Zoloroni. There, it has built a sporting empire from the nation's capital and has begun investing in teams abroad, resulting in the successful bid for the ownership of a club in the Velestrian city of Calix. Will Blue Strike continue to stick it's fingers into even more pies, or is the business model, which is relatively unmatched by any model across the multiverse, simply unsustainable? That is what we will be discussing in this edition of Talking Points.

Blue Strike: Football's New Oligopoly?

Beginning life in the third tier of Mercedinian football, Blue Strike Zoloroni has seen astronomical growth since it was took over by the soft drinks manufacturer and solid member of the Mercedinian Business Community. The multi-billion dollar company is privately owned by the Praisca family and is well know for it's high profit margins and multi-billion Merceds¹ in cash reserves. Their semi-final appearance in this season's MFA Cup combined with their successful promotion from National League 1 , put the club on the map and attracted a fair amount of interest in the club. However, their business model combined with the fact the Blue Strike Zoloroni effectively bought their place in the MPL, attracted a large number of detractors, with the club widely known as the most hated club in the nation thanks to their artificial growth and 'plastic fans'.

Extortionate wage bills in the lower tiers of Mercedinian footballing pyramid meant the only way was up for Blue Strike Zoloroni in their fast rise to the top, with the club also recording a number of shocks and surprises in the MFA Cup thanks to their unassuming low rating masking a high-quality team within their ranks. Wage caps in the lower leagues meant their had to grow their team from the ground up at first, but their transfer bills sky rocketed once their his National League 1, where spending caps were removed. Star players from teams below and seasoned veterans from teams above were pulled into the growing sphere of influence of the club, assembling an accomplished squad for their seeming eventual promotion into the top tier. By them, income from the club was finally beginning to pay off the transfer bills that the team was beginning to mount up, with the Praisca family beginning to see a return on investment from their new venture into the sporting arena.

The next realm to conquer was the Mercedinian hockey leagues, where the company was able to buy one of ten licenses for the new and expanded Mercedinian Development League, the second-tier of Mercedinian domestic hockey. Assembling a team from local talent from the capital to form Blue Strike Zoloroni HC, not to be confused with their previous creation; Blue Strike Zoloroni FC which is in a completely different sport. BSZ was able to in the inaugural season of the Development League by a fair margin of eight points to earn automatic promotion to the Super League, earning them a seat at the table which featured some team which had their sights on the Hockey Champion's League. It took a couple of seasons until Blue Strike earned a Champions League spot of their own, being knocked out after finishing third in their HCL group. The club has been a steady earner for the company, with less income in the Hockey League compared to other sports. Their cheap set-up meant costs were easy to recoup, allowing their hockey team to become a slow burner for the owners and for the local community which has been positively effected by investment in the surrounding infrastructure.

Until now, the investments of Blue Strike has mainly been contained within Mercedini, and with UICA income a large part of total income for many clubs in Mercedini, making it more important than ever to secure those UICA berths whenever you can get it. Rumours of a BS subsidiary within the nation of Cosnaolta is being considered by the company, with the low quality of the Cosneoltan league a big opportunity for the Mercedinian company to sweep in at least a Globe Cup spot, or even a Champions Cup spot if they can somehow manage to sweep in and displace the juggernauts that are the Dynum City Wanderers.

However, the one confirmed foreign venture that has been secured by the Blue Strike band is that of Blue Strike Calix, which has been rebranded after the original Premier League team was bought out by the company for a reported $75,000,000. That figure turned heads not just in Velestria, but also in Mercedini where fans of other teams were quick to hold reservations about the owners now holding second dealings with another club. One major benefit of this was the ability for the clubs to converse with each other and swap talent when either club saw fit to, either to escape relegation or to push for a crucial UICA berth. With the three clubs all likely to compete for UICA spots in their respective associations, it's likely that Blue Strike will end up with three clubs vying for success in the tournament if their potential is realised in each of their leagues.

The Blue Strike Arena in Zoloroni was a host venue for the most recent Independents Cup held in the Mercedinian cities of Zoloroni and Langtree, with the company given an opportunity to put on a show for their guests and to increase awareness for their brand in the sport which they have a deep financial interest in. Whether you agree with the operation of the clubs is a question for your own moral sensibilities, but the trajectory of the company in the realm of football cannot be understated. It's looking to be a fruitful era of sport if your are a Blue Strike executive.

Appendix & Footnotes:
¹: the Merced is the current currency of the Republic of Mercedini, replacing the Yvroni two years ago. Both currencies are pegged to each other, and both are still accepted in the nation, however retailers and banks cannot give out old Yvroni notes and coins. Old Yvroni coins and notes must be sent back to the Mercedinian Mint for financial compensation, where the coins and notes will be melted down or recycled to form pieces of the new Mercedinian currency.

by **Oberour Ar Moro** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 6:59 am

⁂

From: Guillemecte de Cante-Pre
Sent: February 2, 1762 at 10:10 AM
To: Brianne Talbourdet
Subject: Re: Sieg d'Ableges fact-check

Brianne,

Thanks for all the work you've put into the fact check. It seems like you have a lot of questions that could be better answered by Sieg himself. I'm going to try and connect you two so you can run any questions you might have about this article to him.

Guillemecte de Cante-Pre, Sub-Editor
I N I T R E magazine

From: Brianne Talbourdet
Sent: February 3, 1762 at 12:56 PM
To: Sieg d'Ableges
Subject: Fact-checking "Stadium of Leaves"

Mr. d'Ableges,

My name is Brianne Talbourdet. I've been assigned by Intitre Magazine to fact-check your article. Guillemecte de Cante-Pre gave me your e-mail. I was hoping I could ask you some questions about the essay, and clarifing some things.

By the way, I loved your essay "To Abolish Chance". I read it in creative writing at Emelin College. It had a big part in deciding that I wanted to become a writer professionally.

Yours Truly,

Brianne Talbourdet
Intern at Intitre Magazine
8 Rue de Immarcescible, Suite 702, Regium 773007
Office Number: 43 28 97 246, ext. 7187
E-mail: btalbourdet@intitremagazine.oam

From: Sieg d'Ablesges
Sent: February 3, 1762 at 2:20 PM
To: Sieg d'Ableges
Cc: Guillemecte de Cante-Pre
Subject: Re: Fact-checking "Stadium of Leaves"

Brianne,

My essay does not need a fact-checker. This is a waste of your time, as any liberties in the piece are not harmful.

-

Sieg

From: Brianne Talbourdet
Sent: February 3, 1762 at 12:56 PM
To: Sieg d'Ableges
Subject: Re: Re: Fact-checking "Stadium of Leaves"

Mr. d'Ableges,

It is Intitre Magazine policy that all nonfiction pieces must be fact-checked. And there will only be a few questions.

Yours Truly,

Brianne Talbourdet
Intern at Intitre Magazine
8 Rue de Immarcescible, Suite 702, Regium 773007
Office Number: 43 28 97 246, ext. 7187
E-mail: btalbourdet@intitremagazine.oam

From: Sieg d'Ablesges
Sent: February 3, 1762 at 2:20 PM
To: Sieg d'Ableges
Cc: Guillemecte de Cante-Pre
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Fact-checking "Stadium of Leaves"

Brianne,

I would like to see my piece published after so many years, so if it's necessary I will answer any questions you might have. Also, if Guillemecte is referring you to me you must be alright. Guillemecte edited "To Abolish Chance" for Palibin Quarterly. I think she butchered it, and she knows I think she butchered it, but she is still one of the better editors I've worked with.

-

Sieg

From: Brianne Talbourdet
Sent: February 3, 1762 at 2:25 PM
To: Sieg d'Ableges
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Fact-checking "Stadium of Leaves"

Mr. d'Ableges,

Thank you! I can't begin to describe how excited I am to work with you.

Yours Truly,

Brianne Talbourdet
Intern at Intitre Magazine
8 Rue de Immarcescible, Suite 702, Regium 773007
Office Number: 43 28 97 246, ext. 7187
E-mail: btalbourdet@intitremagazine.oam

From: Sieg d'Ablesges
Sent: February 3, 1762 at 2:37 PM
To: Guillemecte de Cante-Pre
Subject: Brianne Talbourdet

Guillemecte,

You could have given me advance warning you were sending your fact-checker after me.

-

Sieg

⁂

Drawkland 5–4 Oberour Ar Moro
@ "Home of Kickerball" Gelia Field, Gelia, Restemin

Goals:
5': Cam Cross, Drawkland
10': Selyf Broderesse, Oberour Ar Moro
17': Ellzidan, Drawkland
22': Cam Cross, Drawkland
28': Katie Madison, Drawkland
40': Brevalan Gaspard, Oberour Ar Moro
55': Cam Cross, Drawkland
74': Eneour Pique-Pain, Oberour Ar Moro
90'+1 :Brevalan Gaspard, Oberour Ar Moro

Oberour Starting XI:
GK Raphael Friquan
LB Gwion du Bourc-la-Reyne
RB Lunen Margas
SW Josselyn Pessiere
SW Phelippon de Gentilli
LM Morvan Saurine
RM Brevalan Gaspard
CM Jerian Pellier
LW Eneour Pique-Pain
RW Selyf Broderesse
ST Kerrian Odierne

Oberour Susbstitues:
45' Out: Lunen Margas; In: Pius A' l'Espee
58' Out: Kerrian Odierne; In: Nycollas Mauranghas
70' Out: Phelippon de Gentilli; In: Benedig de Croiseus

Eighty-Second World Cup Qualification Schedule
WIN DRAW LOSS

MD1: Overour Ar Moro 2-2 Eura
MD2: Drawkland 5-4 Oberour Ar Moro
MD3: Oberour Ar Moro (0-1-1) v. Lochario (2-0-0)
MD4: Rakivland (0-1-1) v. Oberour Ar Moro (0-1-1)
MD5: Oberour Ar Moro (0-1-1) v. TigerSharkistan (1-0-1)
MD6: Audioslavia (2-0-0) v. Oberour Ar Moro (0-1-1)
MD7: Oberour Ar Moro (0-1-1) v. San Rocca (0-1-1)
MD8: Darkmania (0-1-1) v. Oberour Ar Moro (0-1-1)
MD9: Oberour Ar Moro (0-1-1) v. Kevagaria (0-1-1)
MD10: Eura (0-2-0) v. Oberour Ar Moro (0-1-1)
MD11: Oberour Ar Moro (0-1-1) v. Drawkland (1-1-0)
MD12: Lochario (2-0-0) v. Oberour Ar Moro (0-1-1)
MD13: Oberour Ar Moro (0-1-1) v. Rakivland (0-1-1)
MD14: TigerSharkistan (1-0-1) v. Oberour Ar Moro (0-1-1)
MD15: Oberour Ar Moro (0-1-1) v. Audioslavia (2-0-0)
MD16: San Rocca (0-1-1) v. Oberour Ar Moro (0-1-1)
MD17: Oberour Ar Moro (0-1-1) v. Darkmania (0-1-1)
MD18: Kevagaria (0-1-1) v. Oberour Ar Moro (0-1-1)

by **Dreamplanet** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 7:06 am

STRIKING BACK

Os Tricolores offer the display fans wanted at home.

Ahead of probably their biggest match this qualifying campaign, Dreamplanet was able to comfortably beat unranked Astoria to heal the wounds of the 3-0 beating to ROBOSTANIA.

The first half started slowly for Dreamplanet, they were dominant but couldn't knock the goal in, Benedito finally gave the home fans what they wanted after hitting a longshot from outside of the box, Dreamplanet went into the second half with the narrowest margin but Dreamplanet turned on the flair in the second half as Aaron Hungar made it 2-0 with a close range free kick after Luis Silva got tackled by a panicking defender, Luis Silva himself would strike back with a close-range header after the assist of Miguel Benedito, Aaron Hungar would close out the scoring with a header from a corner, sealing a 4-0 win for Dreamplanet.

Dreamplanet faces Nephara next, it will be the toughest match yet for Dreamplanet and with hopes low, the only hope is not to lose too badly.

Dreamplanet 4 - 0 Astoria
(Miguel Benedito 35', Aaron Hungar 62', 84', Luis Silva 77' - None)
Libon, Dreamplanet

March 10th - MD1: ROBOSTANIA 3-0 Dreamplanet
March 11th - MD2: Dreamplanet 4-0 Astoria
March 12th - MD3: Nephara vs Dreamplanet
March 13th - MD4: Commonwealth of Baker Park vs Dreamplanet
March 14th - MD5: Dreamplanet vs Pridnestrovia
March 15th - MD6: Blaneu vs Dreamplanet
March 16th - MD7: Dreamplanet vs Natanians and Nosts
March 17th - MD8: Tinhampton vs Dreamplanet
March 18th - MD9: Dreamplanet vs Walenstein 
March 20th - MD10: Dreamplanet vs ROBOSTANIA
March 21st - MD11: Astoria vs Dreamplanet
March 22nd - MD12: Dreamplanet vs Nephara
March 23rd - MD13: Dreamplanet vs Commonwealth of Baker Park
March 24th - MD14: Pridnestrovia vs Dreamplanet
March 25th - MD15: Dreamplanet vs Blaneu
March 26th - MD16: Natanians and Nosts vs Dreamplanet
March 27th - MD17: Dreamplanet vs Tinhampton
March 28th - MD18: Walenstein vs Dreamplanet

Group 9                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Nephara                          2    2   0   0     6    2   +4     6
 2 ROBOSTANIA                       2    1   1   0     5    2   +3     4
 3 Natanians and Nosts              2    1   1   0     1    0   +1     4
 4 Dreamplanet                      2    1   0   1     4    3   +1     3
 5 Tinhampton                       2    1   0   1     3    3    0     3
 6 Pridnestrovia                    2    0   2   0     2    2    0     2
 7 Walenstein                       2    0   2   0     1    1    0     2
 8 Blaneu                           2    0   1   1     3    4   −1     1
 9 Commonwealth of Baker Park       2    0   1   1     2    3   −1     1
10 Astoria                          2    0   0   2     0    7   −7     0

Qualified for World Cup
Qualified for Playoffs
Eliminated

by **Brusseldorf** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 7:08 am

Excerpt from Podcast: Road to the World Cup - Episode 2
...
{BRAD} Well. What a night. What a game. Those who managed to brave 1am alarms to catch the match definitely got their money's worth. A six goal bonanza in our second match of the Qualifiers.. and this time the spoils were shared - 3-3 was the final score.
{ELLA} That's right. Fozzy and the lads certainly put on a bit of a show last night. I'm sure they'll be very pleased with their efforts.
{B} I mean, coming off a 5-0 loss I think there were some presumptions that the team would be demotivated or shell-shocked. Certainly that was the media rhetoric. But, no. I think we were all proven slightly wrong!
{E} Yeah, at this point I think we have to have faith in Craig. He's said from the start that he would be playing attractive football. He never told us to expect any wins. Whether or not that's what you want in a results-driven business, I know for certain that it's doing incredible things for the game back home.
{B} For sure, I think Craig is proving himself to be trustworthy as a manager. He's set out with a plan in mind for the team, and he's followed through with it. So far they haven't parked the bus once.
{E} Well, we haven't had a lead to defend. *laughs*
{B} I guess, yes but Craig hasn't given up at any point either. I bring your attention back to Sunday Night's game, and you look, we didn't stop attacking. For lack of quality against The Holy Empire, we certainly never held back and I think Los Alrededores have bore the fruit of that last night. Sure, maybe it only works against weaker teams, but I admire Craig for sticking to his guns.
{E} Definitely. Well one thing's for sure, no-one will be complaining about the entertainment factor. Collectively 11 goals from our first two matches. There's value for your money! *both laugh* I'm starting to think we may have a few overseas fans by the end of this!
...

Ximénez, Hernández and Sciolan all netted for Los Alrededores in last night's entertaining 3-3 draw

The Match Schedule is as follows:

March 10th: Brusseldorf 0-5 The Holy Empire
March 11th: Libertas Omnium Maximus 3-3 Brusseldorf
March 12th: Brusseldorf vs Dritten Asopie
March 13th: Eastfield Lodge vs Brusseldorf
March 14th: Brusseldorf vs Sulsuland
March 15th: Brusseldorf vs Acapais
March 16th: Santa Regada vs Brusseldorf
March 17th: Brusseldorf vs Quakmybush
March 18th: Qasden vs Brusseldorf
March 19th: Mid-qualifying Break
March 20th: The Holy Empire vs Brusseldorf
March 21st: Brusseldorf vs Libertas Omnium Maximus
March 22nd: Dritten Asopie vs Brusseldorf
March 23rd: Brusseldorf vs Eastfield Lodge
March 24th: Sulsuland vs Brusseldorf
March 25th: Acapais vs Brusseldorf
March 26th: Brusseldorf vs Santa Regada
March 27th: Quakmybush vs Brusseldorf
March 28th: Brusseldorf vs Qasden

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 8:16 am

"I mean, if you really look at it, gaffer, there's no reason to panic, no reason at all," Robert "Bobby" Washington, assistant manager at Locomotive Imgortur Football Club, said to his boss, manager Klearchos Kazantzakis as they took a long and appraising look at the state of the Fleftic Premier League table at the end of matchday one. As things stood, it wasn't looking good for Locomotive; they've lost their first game in the season, but on the other hand it wasn't all that bad. They had only lost by one goal, and lots of other teams had also lost by just one goal, including the defending Premier League champions Arsenal de Releinthi. At least they hadn't lost as bad as Thereisnogodistan, who were thumped four goals to nil by Wanda Island Wanderers, who also happened to be Locomotive's next opponent.

"Sure, Bobby, maybe for us it's no reason to panic," Kazantzakis said in reply as he walked back to his seat in his office and sat down. "It's just one game lost. 37 left to go, and that's not counting the cup. Sure, all right! We can still do this. But what about the players, Bobby? How do you think they're taking this loss? Especially Rabatsy," he added, referring to the center back Motewa Rabatsy whose lapse of concentration had enabled Athletic Dorfdifving to score past him and mar an otherwise excellent defensive display. "You know how these guys think, Bobby," Kazantzakis continued. "I'm sure right now Rabatsy is beating himself over and over again for letting himself get fooled by Charlie King's shoulder drop."

Washington shrugged his shoulders noncommittally. "I know I would do the same in his shoes," Kazantzakis said. "In fact, I did do the same when I was in his shoes. Remember Wilbur McGee? Remember when he was tearing up Liga Ikalawa with Duhblakk? He got the drop on me twice, Bobby. Twice. First when I was twenty and then when I was 26, almost the same age Rabatsy is right now. Did I beat myself up over it both times? Damn right I did! And it didn't stop there. Remember when Sarvus played Xemlice in the Cup, I don't know, ten years ago? Ruud Akinfenyor. Twilight of his career, but still banging in the goals. Yep, you guessed it, Bobby. He dropped a shoulder on me as well. Kept me up all night after the game. I've always prided myself in being a good defender—not the best, sure, but still someone who can put in a good shift—but no one wants to be the guy who makes the mistake that leads to the other side scoring a goal.

"That's where Rabatsy is right now, Bobby," Kazantzakis continued. "He's in that headspace where he knows that he's screwed up and therefore he's afraid to screw up again. This can then go one of two ways, Bobby: first, Rabatsy will recognize that just because he messed up one time doesn't mean that he's gonna mess it up time and time again so sooner or later he's going to stop beating himself up over it and get back with the job at hand."

"And what happens if the second thing happens to him?" Washington asked.

"Well, that's why I brought in Anton," Kazantzakis said, spreading his arms wide as if that answer was the answer to answer all answers.

****————****————****

No one was looking forward to getting on the flight that would take them from Imgortur to Wanda Island to face the Wanderers, but everyone knew that it had to be done. Motewa Rabatsy had made the trip to Wanda Island with the rest of the 30-man squad that Klearchos Kazantzakis had opted to take with him to the Capital Islands for this Premier League fixture, a fact that pleased Kazantzakis even though he wouldn't show it physically or any other way. Upon landing at Wanda City's airport, Kazantzakis had asked Rabatsy if he was up to play, and Rabatsy had replied to it in the affirmative. "Good man," Kazantzakis told him as he patted the Copperite's shoulder. Sure enough, Rabatsy was included in Kazantzakis's final starting eleven, right in his preferred center back position.

Once again the mantra that Kazantzakis had drilled into his players' heads in the week leading up to the match against Wanda Island was "defend, defend, defend." He had drilled this mantra into their heads particularly hard owing to the Wanderers' result in their first game of the season, a 4-0 smashing of recently promoted Thereisnogodistan. The hope, of course, was for Locomotive not to suffer the same fate as that of the Atheists, but as always that was a matter easier said than done. And all of the prior fixtures of matchday two before this early Sunday kickoff between Wanda Island and Locomotive did not make for reassuring reading, especially if that person was particularly attuned towards the number of goals scored per matchday. It seemed as if the league had compensated for the large number of 1-0 games last week and decided to let the players go mad, scoring goals here and there. It was a quality that has endeared the Fleftic Premier League to many football fans, but not those who wanted to see good defenses week in and week out. It all started with the seven goals scored between Arsenal de Releinthi and Marinos Thimpodopoulos (the game went 4-3 in favor of Marinos), and then Gyouza Young Lads and Admiral Porcusces saw that and decided to up the ante with ten goals in a 5-5 thriller. Then Sporting Ceneisis and Sarvusdalamoive said "challenge accepted" and scored twelve goals between themselves; Ceneisis taking the three points with their 7-5 win over the Pinks. Not good reading for someone like Kazantzakis who really wants to focus on the defensive aspect of the game this time.

But strangely enough, it seemed to work. Locomotive did manage to keep Wanda Island at bay for the vast majority of the game. Oh, of course there were always times when the Engineers didn't look so solid at the back; Wanderers winger Arthur MacAlistair (a mainstay of the Fleftic national football team since his late teens) was a thorn in the side of every member of the Locomotive back line, and the 3-5-2 formation that Kazantzakis had deployed against Wanda Island turned more into a 5-3-2 as they tried to keep MacAlistair and by extension the rest of the Wanderers out of their box at the very least. That didn't mean that the home side didn't get close though. As mentioned before, Arthur MacAlistair was the biggest threat for Wanda Island; in fact, MacAlistair had actually found the back of the net after heading home a free kick from Dane Lansforde, but the video assistant referee informed the actual referee that MacAlistair was offside when Lansforde had played the ball, and this allowed Kazantzakis to breathe a sigh of relief. The clean sheet was still in the cards.

But never let it be said that Wanda Island didn't make them fight for it. If it wasn't MacAlistair making life hard for the likes of Motewa Rabatsy and Melisizwe Afolayan among others, it was someone like Paul Osomoai, Harvey Pastramo, or Damian Gregorius. That was the problem with playing big sides like Wanda Island Wanderers: they weren't just these one-dimensional teams wherein if you shut down their main source of goals, they just can't score. Or rather they would find it much, much more difficult to score a goal against the opposition. But as the glut of offensive players from Wanda Island shows, they have the firepower to overwhelm Locomotive if need be.

Except they never really did it, overwhelm Locomotive with their massive glut of firepower. It always seemed like their forwards were never really on the same page at any given time. MacAlistair would send a cross into the box but Osomoai would make his run either too early or too late to take advantage of the cross. Osomoai would call for the ball whenever his teammates were not looking up, and when it was his turn to distribute he was then the one often caught looking down at the ground instead of all over the field to gauge his chances of playing the pass. And Gregorius could seemingly never find the perfect cross, always going either too high or too low.

Not that Locomotive were in any condition to talk about taking their chances. Attempts to catch Wanda Island on the counter were met with either the woodwork in the case of both Desmond Pablo Robles and Quique Borja Morales or the massive gloved hands of Edward Pinkerton, in the case of Coke Handu and Melisizwe Afolayan. Nobody looked like they were capable of scoring a goal. It looked as if the universe had finally had enough of all the goals and decided that for this game, a 0-0 result would be acceptable.

Then came the turning point. Kazantzakis had just brought on the young Apoxian midfielder Quintrell Lidgley, a product of the famed Centre for Excellence, in place of the tiring Jarrett Holmes. That was strange, at least from Holmes' point of view. Usually he could play the full 90 minutes without too much difficulty, but after a hard tackle from Caleb Wayne he was finding it more and more difficult to move around the pitch. Kazantzakis had noticed his midfielder's growing problems with running and walking and decided that it was now time to get Holmes off and get him looked at. Lidgley took to the field like a duck to water; in fact he was now expected to, given that he had been given FPL experience by Kazantzakis's predecessor Merlin Rupe. And as soon as Lidgley got the ball he advanced it straight into the Wanda Island box, where he was brought down by none other than Caleb Wayne himself. The away fans who had made the trip from Verbergerkinnh to the IKEA Arena immediately clamored for a penalty, and after another consultation with the VAR the referee decided to award said penalty to Locomotive. And, seemingly as an afterthought, he showed Caleb Wayne his second yellow card of the day, leading to the left back's dismissal from the pitch.

Coke Handu stepped up to take the penalty. He was Locomotive's primary penalty taker and had had a good record of scoring goals from 12 yards, netting 30 out of 31 attempts throughout his career. And on this day, that record would become 31 out of 32 attempts. 1-0 to Locomotive Imgortur, and a massive upset was brewing at the IKEA Arena. It was an upset because of both the form that the teams were on coming into this game, and it was also an upset because of the manner that the score was achieved. Wanda Island did their utmost best to find the equalizer, even throwing on their big man striker Petro Zhdanov in place of Osomoai in the hopes that maybe hoofball tactics would see them snatch a point away from the Engineers. But it was not to be in the end, and Locomotive Imgortur tallied their first ever win of the 2025-26 season away to Wanda Island Wanderers. Both the fans and the players were singing all the way back to Verbergerkinnh Province.

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

WORLD CUP 82 QUALIFIERS: VILITA VS ABANHFLEFT
By Malik Qazizadah

Britt Hanokssen-Hanks and Elene Liner of Abanhfleft celebrate Liner's goal during the World Cup 82 qualifying match between Vilita and Abanhfleft. (Courtesy of Crescent News Network Sports Channel/Andros Tasasa)

ALIKKI-CORRA, VILITA - Abanhfleft surprised everyone, including themselves, when they emerged victorious against the defending World Cup champions Vilita at the champions' own home ground thanks to Amelie Rusev's late winner.

The defending World Cup champions had been tipped as the favorites in this matchup, especially since they were playing at home in front of an 87,000-strong crowd at the Tivali-Ring Stadium and Abanhfleft did not have a good track record of playing against Vilita: one loss and one draw for the Revolutionaries.

And it was Vilita who would get off on the front foot, creating a score of chances in the first thirty minutes in which the World Cup champions could very well have gone up by at least three goals were it not for a combination of excellent defending from both the Fleftic defenders and goalkeeper and a healthy dose of luck that kept pushing the ball towards the woodwork.

Vilita continued to press their advantage for the rest of the half, and it was evident that this dominance was made possible by the Vilitan midfield overrunning the Fleftic midfield, specifically Trinidad Kleist and Cecily Segovia, handed their first starts in the current qualifying cycle by Ginny Katesmar. Katesmar was able to recognize this deficiency in her team though and, come the second half, switched Kleist and Segovia out for her regular midfielders Stephanie Winter-Slaughter and Erin Jensdottir-Jennings.

The introductions of Winter-Slaughter and Erin into the game injected renewed life and vigor in an otherwise flagging Abanhfleft side, and the momentum soon began to shift towards the visitors who began applying pressure on the hosts.

But Vilita could not be denied their goal for all of ninety minutes, and an excellent chip shot by Vilitan substitute Fishtii Blikala over the head of tall Stephanie Bryan ensured that it was the champions who would open the scoring.

This pressure from Abanhfleft would not be deterred by Blikala's goal however, and it would eventually pay off with an Erin diagonal pass to the right wing, received by Elene Liner and smashed past the face and hands of Cilamara Issah.

Both sides then recognized that the three points were now up for grabs by anyone willing to work for it, and both ramped up the intensity of their attacks, and Blikala almost came close to restoring his side's lead with a half-volley after Berali Tzufarei somehow managed to find him despite a crowd of red shirts in the middle of the box, but quick reactions from Stephanie Bryan turned what would have been a sure goal into a corner kick that Vilita would eventually get nothing out of.

Then, as the clock approached ninety minutes, Abanhfleft launched a counterattack which ended with Amelie Rusev arriving just in time to head home the rebound from Cilamara Issah's save of substitute striker Karen Villegas' attempt.

Abanhfleft women's national football team manager Ginny Katesmar: "Well, that was an unexpected turn of events! I never expected that this was how we were going to win against the defending champions. But the best thing that I can say about all of this is that we absolutely worked hard to get the win and therefore I would say that it was deserved.

"I have to admit though that we didn't have the best start of all. Especially Trinnie [Kleist] and Cecily [Segovia]. I gave them the starts because I thought that they were the best players that I could send out against Vilita. I don't mean to sound critical but this is surely a learning moment for them, for all of us. We can't always play negative, be negative. We all have our chances to succeed and this time we, Abanhfleft, took it."

Abanhfleft will return home for their next qualifying game against Soviet Micronesia, whom they will host at the Stadium of the Southern Lights in Uranium City, Fleftic Antarctica.

███████VILITA 1 - 2 ABANHFLEFT
BLIKALA (64')       LINER (76')
                    RUSEV (89')

ABANHFLEFT
GK: 1 Bryan
RB: 2 Baum
RCB: 4 Soler
LCB: 5 Sullins
LB: 3 Roos █
RM: 18 Kleist (Winter-Slaughter - 46')
LM: 19 Segovia (Erin - 46')
RW: 7 Liner
CAM: 10 Britt
LW: 11 Rusev
ST: 9 McGinnis (Villegas - 75')

VILITA
GK: 1 Issah
RB: 2 Ahjabekk █ (Hentetii █ - 72')
RCB: 5 Vileai
LCB: 3 Drokasorna
LB: 4 Januaa
RM: 6 Mtalata
RCM: 7 Devmiko
LCM: 8 Torerun
LM: 10 Aquafek
RS: 9 Alabonni (Blikala - 53')
LS: 11 Tzufarei (Milaaso - 84')

MATCH STATISTICS
Possession
Vilita: 53%
Abanhfleft: 47%
Shots
Vilita: 12 (4 on target)
Abanhfleft: 18 (7 on target)
Corners
Vilita: 9
Abanhfleft: 10
Fouls
Vilita: 20
Abanhfleft: 26

by **Sajnur** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 8:19 am

Saltstead 3 - 1 Sajnur

The good: Sajnur scored against an unreasonably defensive but high calibre team.
The bad: Sajnur conceded three goals against an unreasonably defensive team
The ugly: Alluersia lost 4-1 at home to a team managed by a goat

Sajnur suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Saltstead at the King William VII National Park, with the defence reverting to its usual mild incompetence. The game consisted largely of empty periods of time, interspersed with moments of brilliance and marred by many fouls, from which three of the game's four goals resulted. Piotr Laghiev only had to make five saves as the Sajnuran defence wasn't quite as leaky as the three goals by Saltstead would suggest, but Sajnur yet succumbed to an expected second loss. Saltstead's conservative, possession based attack style meant their three goals came from 71% of the possession.

Saltstead secured the lead in the 20th minute, a lead they would never relinquish, with a free kick by Martin Wissen from 37 yards. Michael d'Angel was crunched in the box by Kaori Hajat, who received a yellow card for his misdemeanour, and Wissen sent the ball sailing over everyone's heads into the top corner, sending the home crowd into wild cheers. Sajnuran manager Eliseo Marinon could only clap in response. The 33rd minute saw another foul by a Sajnuran defender, followed by another goal by Martin Wissen, This time, though, the yellow card recipient was debutant Kahala Murje, and it was inside the penalty box, and thus Wissen had a much easier shot from 12 yards for his second. The half time score was made 3-0 by the only goal made from open play in the match when D'Angel shot first time from inside the box, assisted by Wissen.

The second half, however, proved much better for the Sajnurans, even if it started badly. Alan Gharici slid into Ann-Claudie Uristssen from the side, causing her almost to flip on her way to a hard landing, and Gharici was sent off for the garish attempt at dispossession, leaving Sajnur 39 minutes plus stoppage time with ten men. Saltstead, curiously, were unable to capitalise on the personnel advantage, and were left scoreless in the second half. Sajnur, manwhile, were not disheartened by their deficits and snatched a consolation goal by the way of Jessica Siafik. Basuli Maktar, having come on for a battered Andre Naulo, was tackled late by Emmet le Duc, receiving a yellow card and handing the captain a free kick from 32 yards. While one would expect Siafik to send the ball to the 6'9" Maktar to head it in, she instead launched the ball well wide of Maktar, who could only watch as the ball viciously curved around him and left Valerie Rotscheud thoroughly deceived at her left post as the ball bounced off her right post and into the net. This 78th minute goal would, sadly, be too little, too late for the Sajnurans, and the score remained 3-1 until the final whistle, even after Vasil Stoianov was late in tackling Wissen in the penalty box, as Piotr Laghiev would make a spectacular save, preventing Wissen's effort from entering the top left corner and leaving Wissen without a hattrick.

Other investors in the not-quite-gold boom include Jean de Marcht in the 7th minute for a tackle from behind on Naulo, Uristssen in the 35th minute for a late tackle on Ahmed Nazar, Zain Hasan in the 41th minute for a studs up challenge on D'Angel and Ann-Elisabeth Smid in the 58th minute for a bad tackle on Naulo, which led to Naulo's substitution.

These results leave Saltstead top of Group 11 leading into their away fixture against Kavagrad, while Sajnur host fellow bottom dwellers Alluersia at the Niurka Stadium in Ciarkhan, where another sellout crowd is expected, and where Sajnur are optimistic for the chances of a maiden victory in World Cup Qualifying.

Preview: Sajnur v Alluersia

Alluersia is a nation in Atlantian Oceania that is vying for independence from New West Guiana (NWG), and their efforts at international recognition have included assembling a football team to international competition. Ironically, New West Guiana, despite not competing in international football for four decades, have also sent a team to attempt qualification to the World Cup, and also ironically, Alluersia are ranked ahead of NWG thanks to making the Baptism of Fire (BoF) knockout stages, although strictly speaking NWG are not ranked at all, having been ineligible for the BoF due to not being a new nation. Alluersia's efforts at qualification, and indeed international respect, have however suffered a severe setback at the hands of the Vartugian national team. Vartugia were also at the BoF, and left with nul points, and the team has many other quirks, such as apparently being managed by a goat. Yet somehow this Vartugian side travelled to Alluersia and hammered them 4-1 on their own turf. Alluersia will therefore be arriving in Ciarkhan seething and hungry for redemption.

Sajnur cannot be complacent against this side. A wounded tiger is a dangerous beast, after all. Besides, Alluersia are ranked ahead of Sajnur, having topped a group that contained eventual finalists Balqia, while our team was punted out in the group stages, albeit in a group with eventual 4th place Bohr. Alluersia are an ostensibly offensive side, playing in a 2-4-4 if their roster follows convention, so Sajnur's defence will be receiving yet more strain. However, the formation should leave plenty of opportunities for Sajnur to attack, and the match should see plenty of chances at goal. Eliseo Marinon and his players must be clinical, though, as a loss will almost certainly leave Sajnur bottom of Group 11, and losing to a team that lost to Vartugia will be a deep blow to our honour.

Marinon has signaled that he will be playing a 3-4-2-1 against Alluersia. Sian Levici will be starting alongside Jessica Siafik in central midfield as Zain Hasan is suspended for the fixture. and Rowan Down will receive his first start at right forward, notably leaving Dario Tule at right midfield and giving Taulant Haji a foray at left midfield, with both players receiving significant defensive duties in their wide positions. Kahala Murje will be starting in the back three alongside Kaori Hajat and Tomasi Vuierev, with Alan Gharici suspended for the next three matches. The formation is aggressive, but Marinon will have tomake sure that Alluersia is dealt with on the wings, especially given that the visitors are effectively playing two pairs of wingers. Daniel Kerlov will be receiving his debut cap in the fixture at left forward, leaving Ahmed Nazar on the bench.

Starting XI

by **Free Republics** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 8:24 am

News Magazine Offices
New City, Orlandiana

Admiral Pierre Theriault sat in his office in New City. He was relieved that today had been a lighter day than usual for him. Being the owner and editor of News Magazine was a significant time investment but News Magazine's mission to publish fair, objective news to inform the public and battle against extremism was vital to the future of the Free Republics. Indeed, the previous ownership of News Magazine had contributed to the rise of extremism in the Free Republics by openly cheerleading for extremist politicians and parties. That simply did not happen any longer.

The admiral had taken a moment to watch his brother, the "Soccer General" Rule Theriault, manage the Republican National Team to a 7 to 4 victory over Geektopia. He noticed that his brother did not play a full strength squad against the BoFers who fought with everything they had against a mix of starters and backups from the #9 team in the multiverse. Andreas Hansen had a breakout performance in his first career WCC start, scoring 3 goals and assisting 2 others. However, Donka Solyom played poorly at defensive midfield, making a couple of key defensive mistakes that led to Geektopian goals. While the 4-2 deficit at halftime certainly had to be concerning, ultimately the Republicans had taken care of business at the MilaneseDome without any key injuries and that was really all that mattered.

Just moments after the match ended, Theriault's office phone started ringing. He picked up and discovered that it was Consul Scarlett Nicholls on the other end. Eventually, Scarlett got around to the reason for her call:

Scarlett Nicholls - Admiral Theriault, I need your assistance.

Pierre Theriault - What might that be, Consul Nicholls?

Scarlett Nicholls - Today, I visited the Assembly to watch as the Defense of Marriage Amendment passed the chamber and I was met by a protest from a Christianist extremist group. I want you to investigate Radical Christianity and report on what these extremists are up to.

Pierre Theriault - Am I hearing you correctly, Ma'am? You want me to report on groups that fall under the No Platform policy?

The No Platform policy was an agreement, voluntarily entered into by most major Republican media organizations at the request of Scarlett's father, the former Consul Robert Nicholls, to starve extremist groups of attention by ignoring them.

Scarlett Nicholls - Yes, Admiral. These groups are intent upon disrupting my policy agenda so I want you to help me destroy them. Otherwise, we will never root out their misogyny and homophobia from the Free Republics!

Pierre Theriault - I think it would be a big mistake to give them attention but, if you insist, we will report on them because the numbers at their recent protests are definitely newsworthy.

Scarlett Nicholls - That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Thank you, Admiral.

Pierre Theriault - You're welcome, Ma'am. Do you have any leads we should look into?

Scarlett Nicholls - I had a run-in with this nun called Maria Polus at the Assembly. She had a Sanctii accent. She didn't believe me when I told her who I am so I said I was Corette Tetrault and promised to report about her efforts!

Pierre Theriault - That was rather irresponsible of you, Consul. While it is true that you bear somewhat of a facial resemblance to Miss Tetrault, you are at least half a foot taller than she is!

Scarlett Nicholls - Well, I had to come up with a name quickly.

Pierre Theriault - Very well. Its no big deal in the larger picture.

Scarlett Nicholls - Yeah, I imagine Sister Polus doesn't even remember me at this point.

Pierre Theriault - I'll look into her for you.

Scarlett Nicholls - Thank you. I'll talk to you again whenever there's something you need to report.

After finishing this call, Theriault spent the rest of his day digging up information on Sister Polus online. He discovered her video series "Sister Polus's Thoughts" which had apparently become fairly popular internationally with people who laughed at Polus's extreme ideas. Most of the comments below her videos had to be from obvious trolls who were playing along while some were undoubtedly true believers. He also discovered that she taught at Barjavel Academy's Republica campus and that the elite prep school had been lobbying the Assembly for the last decade, without success, for assistance getting out of her contract. At this point, Theriault realized what he had to do...

The next day

Corette Tetrault had flown from Baseton to New City on short notice. She had been working on a story about the upcoming launch of NichollsTech, a new division of Nicholls Enterprises which would compete with the likes of RepublicSoft, Citrus and Googol in the computer technology industry when she received an email from Admiral Theriualt asking her to travel to New City ASAP. Corette arrived at the office early in the morning and after speaking with Theriault's secretary Joan Palacios, was granted access to the boss's office.

Admiral Theriault - Miss Tetrault, I appreciate your ability to make it to my office on short notice.

Corette Tetrault - I'm here to do my job, sir. I imagine you wouldn't have called me to your office unless it was important.

Admiral Theriault - You are correct about that, Miss Tetrault. Yesterday, I received a tip from a very reliable source about a story of great importance to our Federation and I want you to investigate.

Corette Tetrault - I'll be glad to do that, sir, but why are you asking me to take on such an important task? I've only been working here for a little over a year!

Admiral Theriault - I don't believe your lack of experience will be a problem. You've always done great work, Miss Tetrault. I believe you're one of the most promising young journalists in the Free Republics.

Corette Tetrault - Thank you. I'd be honored to take on an important story.

Admiral Theriault - Well, I haven't told you the details yet so please wait before accepting this task. Yesterday, there was a protest in Republica against the Defense of Marriage Amendment. To the best of my knowledge, this protest was led by an extremist nun named Sister Polus who may or may not be connected with radical Christian elements.

Corette Tetrault - I thought we didn't report on fanatics?

Admiral Theriault - In this case, we are making an exception in the public interest. Now, it turns out that this "Sister Polus" teaches at Barjavel Academy in Republica, which is one of the most prestigious prep schools in the Federation. My sources inform me that the school has been campaigning for years for the right to fire her, as it seems that she has an ironclad contract that effectively guarantees her lifetime employment on some rather ludicrous terms.

Corette Tetrault - I'm familiar with Sister Polus. My friends from this MMO I play are always talking about her videos and what a complete twat she is. What do you want me to do?

Admiral Theriault - Here's the plan: I need somebody who can pass as a minor to go undercover as a student at Barjavel Academy. Given your youthful appearance and your, um, diminutive stature, I believe you could pass for a high school freshman.

Corette Tetrault - Actually, I'd be fine with doing that but I'm not sure I could pull it off without giving myself away. Afterall, I'm 25 years old! I have no idea what is cool these days and it'd be a dead giveaway!

Admiral Theriault - That can be addressed. If you take on this assignment, I would set you up with a friend of mine who has 5 teen and tween daughters and there would also be a crash course to make sure you know everything that a high school freshman should know before this summer ends. Barjavel Academy's administration would, of course, be in on the whole thing as they despise Sister Polus and want to get rid of her. Your mission would be to enroll in Polus's elective classes and gather as much information as you can about her teaching methods and her ideology. It will, of course, be up to you to determine the best course of action here. The goal here would be for you to gather as much information on Polus as possible by Christmas so we can run an expose on her early next year.

Corette Tetrault - That sounds good to me.

Admiral Theriault - Great. Your compensation for the time spent undercover will, of course, be double your normal compensation with an extra bonus to be paid out if your reporting helps bring down Sister Polus. In addition, we will be covering all of your expenses to maintain your normal residence for the duration of this assignment and success here will be looked upon extremely favorably when it comes to your future career prospects. While you should not feel like you are under any pressure, this is a huge opportunity.

Corette Tetrault - Thank you, Admiral. I'm grateful for this opportunity.

Admiral Theriault - Very well. Mrs. Palacios will send you an email later informing you of where you need to go and when you need to go there. In the meantime, please return home, finish your current story and set your personal affairs in order for the next few months as you will need to refrain from contact with your family and friends for the duration of this assignment.

Admiral Theriault was pleased that Miss Tetrault had agreed to participate in the undercover sting operation. Just hours later, News Magazine would publish a story about the protests at the Assembly and other actions by Sister Polus's new group. His goal was to make Sister Polus a celebrity in the Free Republics before the expose that would put an end to her teaching career at Barjavel...

by **Polkopia** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 8:28 am

01. Fiora

The crisp, cool breeze cut through Fiora’s skin like a blade and she couldn’t help but to walk with her arms crossed over her body. Today, the warmth of the sun was hidden by a thick stretch of clouds which seemed to stretch across the entire sky. To her, this was the first sign of the harvest. When the cerulean sky gradually fades into a drab, gray nothingness, the life of the countryside seems to follow suit. Peasants pray for a mild winter and begin to ration their harvests, while the lords and ladies retreat to the capital, occupying themselves with a superficial life filled with gambling and debauchery. At least, this was what Anton once told her. Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden tug on her gown and she nearly fell over. She yanked the golden fabric out from under Pyotor’s boot and continued walking.

“Watch your step, idiot!” She hissed.

She immediately looked at her father walking in front of her, who slightly turned his head after hearing his daughter’s outburst. She heard a sigh of disapproval leave his mouth, and Fiora hung her head in shame. Stupid. She thought to herself but continued walking behind him at the same pace as before, holding the folds of her magnificent gown in her hands.

She turned her attention to her surroundings, where the peasants littered the golden sea of wheat fields adjacent to the path on which they walked. Their convoy surely attracted the attention of those close by, and once they caught sight of their Master, the peasants nearest to them would cease mowing, only to bow before grabbing ahold of their scythes once more and continuing their harvest. Father hardly seemed to acknowledge them, not even looking in their direction, but such was the life of a peasant and his Master.

In the distance, Fiora could see the silhouettes of the decrepit buildings that were characteristic to any peasant commune in Polkopia. This was only her third time visiting such a village, but the first time in Politvoe. Despite the pitiful condition of these villages, Fiora had a sort of strange admiration for these people and how they managed to live and work, despite these conditions. The villagers didn’t necessarily seem happy about their way of life; however, they did possess some sort of perpetual contentment which allowed them to go about their daily lives without so much as a complaint.

Father led them past the first few buildings of the commune. Fiora stared at the peasants as they bowed towards her father, but then quickly remembered how her mother had reprimanded her on the impoliteness of staring, and quickly turned her head away. They soon rounded a corner and found themselves in the courtyard, where Lord Borvin stood, accompanied by two guards. Lord Borvin caught sight of them and acknowledged the family with a curt nod. Father approached Lord Borvin, and Fiora and Pyotor stood on either side, and the family’s guards took their places on the outside. Father took off his gloves and extended his hand.
“Alexander Ilyich, it’s a pleasure to see you in good health.”

Lord Borvin exhaled heavily and looked toward one of his guards. He smirked before stepping forward and taking Father’s hand.

“Thank you, Amaraas Vladimirovich, but please spare me your false courtesies. We both know I would not have written to you if the circumstances hadn’t called for it, however something has happened here that I cannot begin to ascribe.”

“And you believe that I somehow have the best solution to this problem?”

“Quite frankly I couldn’t begin to imagine a world where you’d have a solution to any of our problems. I do, however, believe that it is in the best interest of Polkopia that information on this matter spreads quickly.”

“Very well.” Father turned toward Fiora and Pyotor. “I’ll be back shortly. Do not lose sight of this courtyard while I’m gone, understand?”

Fiora and Pyotor both nodded.

“Alright.” Father turned back around to Lord Borvin and nodded. Lord Borvin made his way inside the church adjacent to the courtyard and Father followed. The guards shut the doors behind them and proceeded to stand outside the massive wooden doors, holding their rifles across their chests.

Fiora sat down on one of the benches in the courtyard and looked around. Many of the villagers were out of their homes and working in the fields surrounding the commune, but plenty of inhabitants remained, most of whom lazily walked down the wide-open streets of Politvoe. She focused her attention on one man in particular, whose frail knees quaked with every meager step his ancient body could manage. He held a poorly-woven basket whose wickers were so convoluted and spacious that the basket’s contents periodically spilled out onto the street. Fiora watched these delicate purple objects fly out of the basket and onto the ground on the other side of the courtyard. She waited a minute or two and stood up. She began walking across the muddy terrain of the courtyard, passing by her brother who idly stood and waited for their father. He hardly seemed to take notice of her presence and instead maintained a strong and penetrating gaze toward the massive wooden doors of the church as if though he could see Father’s every movement through the cherry wood. Fiora reached the spot where she first took sight of the man and grabbed one of the purple objects that had fallen out of the basket. She rolled the material in the palm of her hand several times, feeling the silky epidermis of the petal graze against the tough skin of her palm. She scanned the ground for more petals and a large object soon caught her eye. Laying on the hard-packed earth of the courtyard among the petals was a large stalk with petals colored in the same vibrant hue as the ones littered around it. She allowed herself to let go of the petals in her hand and paid no attention as a gust of wind immediately took the petals and sent them to an unknown destination. Fiora, meanwhile, took the stalk and firmly held onto it as she watched the man disappear behind the corner of a building.

"What are you doing?" Fiora heard the familiar voice of her brother call out to her from afar. She whipped her head around and held the flowers close to her breast.

Fiora remained silent as Pyotor approached her. "Come on, let me see." Pyotor held out his hand, looking directly at the flowers. Fiora reluctantly handed over the flowers and stared at Pytor as he examined the plant.

"It's silly to hold on to this, you know." Pytor lectured, "This flower will die before we even make it back home, you know this, right?"

Fiora rolled her eyes. "Yes, of course I know! I was just curious, that's all."

"Curious?" Pytor smirked as he rolled the flower in his hands. "That's all right, it is not in my power to obstruct a young mind's fascination with the world surrounding us. Do yourself a favor, sweet sister?" Pytor asked as he handed the flower back to Fiora. "Find out everything you can about this flower - where it grows, what it's called, and so on, so that you may tell everyone in Morevin about your discovery here today."

Fiora smiled and nodded as she took the flower out of her brother's hand. She immediately turned around and followed in the same path as the old man from before, paying no attention to the filth and wear that was accumulating on the hem of her dress as it dragged along the muddy paths of Politvoe.

by **Balqia** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 8:37 am

The hotel room seemed small for the entire team to reunite, and the agitation of the players made it seem smaller.
-...and that ends the technical meeting for today, good job- The coach was a pretty happier today.- You guys can go to your rooms for now. See you all in the training field tomorrow.
Rigo leaved the room after that, he was dividing the room with the Goalkeeper, and because of that he was sure that his roommate will arrive much latter. He reached his bag and pulled a book out of it, “A game of thorns” is written in the cover. He laid down in the bed and before he could start to read a voice echoed through the room.
-Good job mate.
Janus looked to the door, and there he was, Kaesar Putiniq, the bull.
-Thanks, I could say the same, but unfortunately it’s not true.
The player entered the room, he was taller than anyone in the team, 2,06 meters of pure muscle. His blue eyes stared in the eyes of Rigo. He was worthy of the nickname, his body and face resembled a bull.
-Look here boy, I am older than you, and apparently smarter too. I was just complimenting you for the goal.
-I know, and I have done the same.- Janus smiled, he knew that if Kaesar tried anything funny he would have troubles.
-I have done my best just like you, this is not about individuals, but about teamwork.
-Oh, a great teamwork that you have done when they passed you in the first three minutes of game. The big bull could not stop their forward. That Yusen made you look like a newbie, if it wasn’t for Kuld we would have suffered a goal in the beginning of the match.
-Qalti have done his work, after he recovered the ball we advanced and reached the goal area. Aio gave me the ball and I…-
-You missed it.-
-I kicked it to the goal, without success. But this isn’t reason for shaming anyone, if we miss we try again. And so we have done, we stopped them in the middle and defended until the very end of the first half. Ptolq and Charles did a good work, and the enemy team also did. Their defense was pretty good, they prevented our attacks two times in a row, that guy Jarus was pretty though, and this Jenin is very good, he almost stole the ball from Qalti when he advanced, the game was pretty balanced.
-Oh it was, so balanced that we almost got a draw- Janus spoke with a voice more aggressive than he wanted -If it wasn’t for Qalti to do that goal in the second half we would be playing until now.
-He advanced just like the coach said he would do. And then we started to press them in the center to do another goal just like the coach intended. And this time was you to do the goal, their defense could not stand against our offensive, so this is why we won.
-And why did they made a goal?
-Because their tactic was defensive but yet their forward was very good. We should speak with him someday, he managed to pass through us three times in a game, I am sure their coach is very good and trained the team very well.
-So? They team is good, but still managed to score against us.
So now Primlid will analyse our weakness and what the enemy team have done better than us and adapt to the next games.
-Oh, the coach, the coach. Football isn’t just about the coach, it’s about ability to do things. You must be the best so even if your coach is a dumbass you can win.
The bull was silent, he stared to the wall and after some seconds sayd.
-This is something you father would have said.
-Don’t open your mouth to talk about my father!- Rigo yelled that, he had lost his patience with Kaesar.
-I am sorry, I shouldn’t…
-Get the fu&% out of here-
-Bye- Kaesar leaved the room in silence.
Janus couldn’t read after this, so he just bathed and went to the bed. His body was tired, but his mind did not slept that night.

by **Xanneria** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 10:24 am

Hangover Over?
Steve Stevenson football.xan

Brencia - After the embarrassment that was the 5-1 loss to Peru, it seemed game to could end up worse. Playing world #5 Brencia it seemed an even worse fate could be in store. But alas it was a loss, but optimistically a tight loss, 3-2 to a much superior Brencian team. A Brencian team who played well, fought hard and did all the usual tricks to keep a lead going. It also helped, Xanneria played a much "cleaner" game this time. Where as 5 yellow cards were called in game one, only one against Levon'elle Draymore was called for his first after a tackle didn't quite get aimed properly. While Brencia got out to a 2-0 lead early, including a PK after the Dray more Yellow Card, Xanneria hung in when Glenn Hailey did his thing and scored in minute 42. But a third goal left the game 3-1, and even with a Mark Hailey goal, the game would end 3-2. But in reality this was a moral victory for the Maroons. A game is coming up against HUElavia in which the world #72 will play versus #180, BoF champ Xanneria, a game that could determine a lot for both teams as are sitting mid pack or lower in Xanneria's case

Brencia - 3*
Calhoun 15'
Szubanski 27' 68'

Xanneria - 2
G Hailey 42'
M Hailey 84'

* (Roster provided by brencia on discord)

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