The 81st Cup of Harmony: Sylestone and Zwangzug (Everything)

by **Zwangzug** » Fri Oct 15, 2021 6:46 pm

Again again!

Group A
New Lusitania 1–1 Sylestone
Nyowani Kitara 1–1 Yuezhou

* Group A                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 New Lusitania            2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
  Sylestone                2   1  1  0    2   1  +1    4
3 Nyowani Kitara           1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
4 Yuezhou                  2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1
5 Sendhang                 1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Group B
The Licentian Isles 1–1 Poafmersia
Ottoman Syldavia 1–1 Chartistan

* Group B                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Chartistan               2   1  1  0    2   1  +1    4
2 Poafmersia               2   0  2  0    1   1   0    2
3 Ottoman Syldavia         1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Sargossa                 1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
5 The Licentian Isles      2   0  1  1    1   2  −1    1

Group C
Saltstead 1–1 Banija
Eraman 2–2 Adab

* Group C                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Saltstead                2   1  1  0    6   5  +1    4
2 Banija                   2   0  2  0    1   1   0    2
3 Eraman                   1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
  Saint Eleanor            1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
5 Adab                     2   0  1  1    6   7  −1    1

Group D
Hispinas 0–0 Savigliane
Geisenfried 0–0 Sharktail

* Group D                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Savigliane               2   1  1  0    3   1  +2    4
2 Hispinas                 2   0  2  0    3   3   0    2
  Sharktail                2   0  2  0    3   3   0    2
4 Geisenfried              1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
5 Flavovespia              1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

Group E
Trolleborg 0–0 Jeruselem
Bollonich 1–2 Sarzonia

* Group E                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Jeruselem                2   1  1  0    5   2  +3    4
2 Sarzonia                 2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
3 Trolleborg               2   0  2  0    1   1   0    2
4 Bollonich                1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0
5 Hapilopper               1   0  0  1    2   5  −3    0

by **Barunia** » Fri Oct 15, 2021 9:18 pm

The question of whether Emmanuel Carter is needed in this Barunian team or not has been answered: no. After leaving the team suddenly mid-campaign, the Suns climbed up to third in their group in what was essentially a lost cause. That performance earned them a spot in the Cup of Harmony. The team reached the quarterfinals in the previous cycle under then new coach Liesel McLelland, and have a chance to repeat that success. They started strongly with a 4-1 thrashing of Britonisea, proving once again that they don't need Carter to score goals.

The new look attack is a female-led affair, and in fact this is the most feminine side in Barunian history, with 7 of the main starters women, plus of course the head coach. In the years since the Chenoworth Decision led to gender neutrality in sports, the X-League has become more balanced in terms of the gender ratio. Men still make up the majority of the players in the X-League, but the split is now about 60-40. It's unlikely that will change much, as the statistics show that hockey is the number one sport of choice among young girls, with football fifth behind sailing, gymnastics, and judo. Football remains the number one sport for boys, although it is a tight race with hockey.

Perhaps though, the performance of the women on the national team may inspire a new generation of girls to take up the sport. Sara Moorhouse would certainly have inspired with a hat-trick against Britonisea, and the Suns' fourth goal went to Melissa Hunt. The solid win puts the Suns on top of the ladder after the first game, going ahead of Squornshelan Remnant States on goal difference. The Squornshelan Confederacy also scored four goals in their match against Indusse, but let in two. The Confederacy is the top seed of the group, with 2nd seeds Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom yet to play. Barunia are just 7 places behind Zeta Reka in the rankings, having climbed to 58th place. Indusse are ranked 87th, while Britonisea are the lowest ranked team in the competition at 167.
It's early days in the Cup of Harmony, but in a competition where every win is crucial, and every goal scored counts, the Suns have gotten off to a great start.

by **Huayramarca** » Fri Oct 15, 2021 10:00 pm

Fishing for a Living - Part 2
Three Hearts Living Together

Part 1 - Disgrace and Business

Shango-Fogoa basin, 365 kilometers away from the Farf coast – 09/09/1984; 5:00 a.m.

Dealing with octopi and related species, including the always elusive and dodgy kraken is a complicated matter, as their robust organism gives them extra resistance when somebody tries to kill and then fish one of those. Three hearts, pumping out air and blood through the gigantic extension of the kraken and helping it to be almost unbeatable in battle with fishers, specially to ones with rudimentary weapon and lack of training such as the Huayramarcan fishermen.

David, Francisco, Carlos, Florentina and pretty much everybody else were worried at the sight of 135 meters (approx.) long kraken marauding the abyssal depths of the Shango-Fogoa basin, only a few seconds after fishing a long 45 meters kraken which was already processed and given to some sort of mothership or meat collector that, after filling its storage, would take the two-week long trip from the basin to Huayramarca to unload the fishes and krakens and serve those at prestigious restaurants along the Huayramarcan coast. The reason behind the fisheries is the so desired “Ceviche de Kraken”, a ceviche made with shrimp, lettuce, fruits, vegetables and the unforgettable kraken meat and parts of their tentacles, so expensive that it’s considered to be a dish affordable for the absurdly rich people.

David was convinced that his fishing duty was being good, he screamed to Francisco “Son, it weighed 2.2 tons, that’s roughly 500,000 Intis!” ($166,666 NS Dollars) Francisco jumped in joy, enough to make a living for six months after paying up employees, maintenance and navigation permissions for the authorities. Carlos was close “You better see this movements that will let your earnings be seen like nothing.” David noted that the 135 meters long kraken was rising to the surface, not at high-speed considering his massive body. “It moves slowly, but it’s because that thing measures at least 10 tons” analyzed Florencia after doing some quick math.

Carlos was wondering about the capacity of the boat they were taking care of, he asked “How much can we handle in terms of weight?” David said “We can handle 10 tons, no more. It’s a borderline one for us”. Disappointment was noticeable in Carlos face, David said “Don’t worry, we can try some maneuvers in order to take it home if we can catch it.” Although, Florencia was frightened by the task “Aren’t we pretending to do something a bit unrealistic?” David answered in a pedantic way “You won’t say that when you get your paycheck in your hands” Florencia smiled sarcastically, still, she knew that David had some reason due to the nature on how kraken fishing works.

Edwin, one of the crewmembers yelled “Tentacles on sight, get ready!” The sonar displayed that the entire body mass of the kraken was still 200 meters away, Carlos rushed to check if Edwin was lying, in fact he saw ink emerging and two tentacles “This is not real…” Carlos returned back to the cabin and told David “Go and check that, I suggest you to run away and check the kraken from distance.” The seasoned captain went to check and, in fact, ink was appearing and already covered a square kilometer of water, some tentacles were rising from the water, bubbles appeared from underneath the boat.

David worried and said Francisco “Let’s get the hell out of here, it’s a massive piece of sh*t” Francisco activated the engines and accelerated to the maximum power available, he managed to run 200 meters until a big hit shocked the boat. The crew failed to run away from the kraken, in fact they were on top of its head, he needed to breathe some fresh air “Oh God no!” said Francisco while he tried to contain his fear. The boat was, at least, 50 meters over the sea, he had a clear measurement on how big the kraken was, Florencia said “We won’t kill this with a grenade nor a simple harpoon.

Decisions had to be taken, maybe some support would be needed in order to get out or kill the kraken, hence Francisco had to take the communicator to yell “El Zeus Criollo here. S.O.S. I repeat, S.O.S. A gigantic kraken has our ship over its head. This is not a joke; a kraken has our ship over its head.” He put the microphone off and said “I hope nobody thinks this is a joke, our life is on stake.” Said while shivering. The dawn didn’t favor them too much, as they weren’t that visible nor they used a lot of lamps in order to avoid letting run away the krakens, only horizontal lights.

David said “Get back, let me turn the lights on in order to attract attention” He went to the control panel and switched on a lot of lights in order to attract some other boats and reveal the real size of the kraken. A boat, identified by “Paceña del Alma” replied to the call “Zeus Criollo, do you copy?” Francisco took the mic and said “We copy, we can hear you.” Paceña answered “We can see a light, you’re like 100 meters above the sea, we manage to see something red.” Francisco was mildly annoyed and said “Yes, it’s a red kraken” Paceña noticed some movement close to the water, in fact, they managed to confirm that it was a kraken in fact “Oof, that’s a big kraken. We will try to gather more ships in order to rescue you.” Francisco said “Roger th…”

Communications stopped suddenly as the kraken moved a tentacle and lashed it against the water, causing a 2.5 meters wave that hit Paceña a bit hard, still not strong enough to sink them or damage them hardly, the Paceña captain took the radio and said “We have an enormous kraken on sight, it has trapped El Zeus Criollo they need some help, please consider asking support from Farf fishers.”

The kraken once again lashed its tentacles against the water and caused more waves, it was notoriously obvious that it was annoyed by the presence of boats trying to hunt, or perhaps was the mother of the “little” 45-meter kraken fished by David and teammates?

To be continued.

by **Sylestone** » Fri Oct 15, 2021 10:09 pm

Cutoff for matchday two, Groups F-J!

Group F

Savojarna 3–1 Vilita
Eshialand 0–1 Mertagne

* Group F                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Savojarna                             2   2  0  0    7   4  +3    6
2 Mertagne                              2   1  0  1    4   4   0    3
  Vilita                                2   1  0  1    5   5   0    3
4 Eshialand                             1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
5 Juvencus                              1   0  0  1    2   4  −2    0

Group G

Siovanija and Teusland 1–2 Schima Bas
Pluvia and the Saxean Isles 3–3 Oberour Ar Moro

* Group G                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Oberour Ar Moro                       2   1  1  0    5   4  +1    4
2 Geektopia                             1   1  0  0    4   2  +2    3
3 Schima Bas                            2   1  0  1    4   5  −1    3
4 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles           1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
5 Siovanija and Teusland                2   0  0  2    2   4  −2    0

Group H

Huayramarca 2–1 Lathamford
Valladares 0–0 Le Choix

* Group H                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Huayramarca                           2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
2 Le Choix                              2   0  2  0    1   1   0    2
3 Independent Athletes from Quebec      1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
  Valladares                            1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
5 Lathamford                            2   0  1  1    4   5  −1    1

Group I

Squornshelan Remnant States 3–1 Britonisea
Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom 3–1 Indusse

* Group I                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Squornshelan Remnant States           2   2  0  0    7   3  +4    6
2 Barunia                               1   1  0  0    4   1  +3    3
3 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom             1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
4 Indusse                               2   0  0  2    3   7  −4    0
5 Britonisea                            2   0  0  2    2   7  −5    0

Group J

Atheara 0–1 Darmen
Milchama 1–4 TJUN-ia

* Group J                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 TJUN-ia                               2   2  0  0    5   1  +4    6
2 HUElavia                              1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
3 Darmen                                2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
4 Atheara                               2   0  0  2    0   2  −2    0
5 Milchama                              1   0  0  1    1   4  −3    0

by **Savigliane** » Fri Oct 15, 2021 11:45 pm

FIND YOURSELF

3. Granaio

“Bro, I’ve been telling you that you’re too good for them. If Tlanx doesn’t realize you’re the only star on that team, that’s not your problem,” the thin man said between gulps of beer.

Adrian Toscani sighed. Every conversation he’d had since he’d come home had been like this. Porto Vecchio wasn’t quite the right-wing heartland that a Castiglione or a San Ludovico was, owing to its port city status, but it was getting there rapidly. “Thanks, Nico. But it’s really not that big of a deal.”

“Nah, fuck that! Champions League winner, assists leader - you’re the star, not Thea or that new kid with the dumb name-”

“Buvalelli or Bonaguinta?”

“-second one. But Tlanx needs to build that shit around you! I mean...you saw what happened this cycle. We created fuck-all against Troll-”

Adrian was rescued by his phone going off. “Sorry, man, one sec.” He pulled it out and froze at the white letters of the caller ID. “I gotta take this,” he said, ducking outside, bracing himself against the cold Porto night. “Bianca.”

“Adrian. How’ve you been?”

“Could be better. Swans are back out of the World Cup. Porto Vecchio’s still going to shit.” A third thing went unsaid. “You?”

“Good, good. Listen, I was wondering if you’d be interested in a Porto Vecchio rally-”

Adrian could feel the anger welling up inside him. He desperately tried to push it down, keep things civil. “No.”

“What?”

But it wasn’t enough. “How the fuck could you do this to us, Bianca? Piano di Dios?”

“Adrian-”

“You run for prime minister of all things, you fuck with the far right now, and you announce all that the day before the most important match of qualifiers?”

“Adrian, I wanted to talk to you about this.”

“Please do.”

“Look, I told you about the years I spent in Lutetie after the Portal Event. Everyone abandoned us. The Occitans treated us refugees as subhuman and that nearly fucking broke me. We’re not stuck here. We’ve escaped - to some sort of utopia, where there’s no war or refugee crisis or anything, just friendly faces. And if Populistas want to send us back to that place, well I need to do whatever it takes to stop them.”

Adrian skipped a beat. “What the fuck are you talking about? Who’s sending us back?”

“Rizzuto showed me...something. They’re planning on building something and forcing us back to that old reality. And they’re really close right now, Adrian.” A pause, then, shakily: “I wouldn’t be doing this if there was any other way.”

“Fine,” Adrian replied, clipped. “So speak out against this in other ways. Lobby Populistas or ASD to end the ITTF. But you don’t abandon your team...you don’t turn your back on everyone like that. I mean, seriously? Prime minister?”

“But don’t you see?” Somehow, she wasn’t angry, but instead pleading. “This is me doing my best to take care of you guys. You don’t want to go back. I can’t play, I can’t be your captain, the way I am right now - this is the only way I can help my people.”

“I just don’t buy it. You could’ve taken care of us, been our captain, just by showing up. Instead you dropped a fucking grenade on us the morning before we played Trolleborg and left. Do you know what that did to us? Having to think about playing the game while your captain is standing at a press conference next to...that monster?”

“Oh forget that. You guys had moved on already, you had that La Nueva Avenida girl in midfield now...you didn’t need me.”

“But you’re not getting it. We don’t need Óceane like that. Even if you’re not who you once were...we never cared about that. We just needed you. And when you got up there...I know you haven’t been for long, but Rizzuto stands for more than just staying in this reality, you know. Just look at what he’s done to these towns. Castiglione, San Ludovico, even fucking Porto. He’s filled them with hate, torn them away from all sense of decency. That’s what we saw when you got up there.”

A pause before Bianca steeled herself. He almost didn’t recognize the voice that responded. “I’m really sorry, Adrian. I didn’t know you would be affected like that. But this is so much bigger than all of us. This is about the future of Savigliane. You know I wouldn’t care about this kind of shit otherwise. But the nature of reality - everything we’ve built for ourselves here - is at stake now.”
Adrian breathed in and out. It made a certain kind of sense, if he zoomed all the way out and ignored the atrocities she’d been implicitly supporting. But then he looked back into the bar he’d just left. At his friend(?) Nico, now in a heated argument with some other guy, a broken bottle in his hand.

“I can’t believe I looked up to you.” click.

by **Milchama** » Sat Oct 16, 2021 8:18 am

"So how about that start"

"Yeah a bye"

"Terrible"

"I get all excited for the tournament, turn on the TV, and nothing"

"Just awful"

"At least we could watch the cricket"

"Yeah, you want to talk about the cricket?"

"Nah"

"Why not?"

"Well there was a plan to talk about the cricket and talk about baseball in the cricket thread, and then talk about politics in the baseball thread because that would confuse everyone and be kinda funny but it was scrapped"

"Why was it scrapped?"

"Didn't end up making sense and the small amount of funny was outweighed by the larger amount of confusion it would have inserted"

"To whom?"

"Mostly us because who can remember to talk about what in which thread and when. Also, we might actually want to say something about what was going on in the field"

"Is it worth it to talk about what's going on in the field right now?"

"Not really, we got smashed by TJUN-ia again"

"So we're 0 for 3 against them?"

"Yep"

"That's not good"

"Nope"

"We should not play them again"

"Well that calls like a prayer to Margaret"

"Margaret does not control group draws"

"Who the heck is the god of group draws?"

"Not sure, hmmm...we'll have to invent that one"

"Ok, well I think that's too much for us to take on by ourselves in one RP so we'll have to take others into account"

"Right now I'm leaning towards Bill"

"Who is Bill?"

"Margaret's husband"

"Oh we're creating a whole cosmology?"

"Sure why not? It's RP anyway, let's RP a NS cosmology"

"Can we have a Gilgamesh?"

"No we get Percy Jackson"

"Ok why not both?"

"Because I feel like basing it on Greco-Roman cosmology is more fun than Mesopotamian cosmology because the Mesopotamians assumed their gods hated them"

"I guess but I like Gilgamesh"

"Ok well we have to keep going with this cosmology"

"Meh I think we should turn it over to the comments"

"There aren't comments on NS"

"Other RPers, look at NYK, so many people are participating"

"Fair"

"So let's ask others what they think"

"Yep, time to create a NS cosmology"

"Hooray! I love us being a monotheistic nation and creating the most polytheistic of things!"

"Woo hoo!"

"Come on You Warriors!"

"Let's Go Milchama!"

by **Sarzonia** » Sat Oct 16, 2021 10:42 am

After several World Cup qualifying campaigns and an AOCAF that saw the Incorporated Football Federation send its Under 21 national team to compete with senior national teams, Jake Campos might feel like he had nothing left to prove. He starred on a team that qualified for the World Cup proper in just its second attempt after a 27-cycle absence and helped his team to a shock third place finish in the prior cycle's Cup of Harmony. He'd also been a key force on teams that earned massive upsets against the likes of Brenecia and Nephara.

But anyone who knows Campos knows he's not like that at all. He very much took being substituted for by manager Nathan Hanifer in the team's draw against Trolleborg in the team's Cup of Harmony 81 opener as a sign he had a lot more to prove. He did so by scoring the match-winning goal in the 87th minute with a rarity for him -- a header -- and Sarzonia prevailed over Bollonich 2-1, drawing them level with No. 22-ranked Jeruselem with four points in the Group E table. The Stars will take Matchday 3 off before playing Jeruselem in what amounts to a potential battle for the group title and the bye directly into the Round of 16.

Manager Nathan Hanifer demurred when he was asked if Campos felt he had something to prove to his manager after being substituted for.

"You're gonna have to ask Jake that question," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, he's earned his spot in the starting 11 and he proved once again his will to win and to be the best player he can be."

The Stars (1-1-0) stumbled out of the gate in the early going as right back John Taylor whiffed on an attempted clear in the 19th minute and that failed effort left the ball perfectly placed for attacking midfielder Bryant Marshall, who fired a rising shot that diving Stars goalkeeper Carlton Sandt got a hand on, but that hand ended up deflecting the ball into the back of the net to give the Bollonichians a 1-0 lead and get Taylor muttering to himself. That was until fellow defender Tommy Benignati gave him a pat on the back and encouragement.

Sarzonia threatened almost from the subsequent kickoff and spent much of the rest of the first half probing the Bollonichian defence for the equaliser. They very nearly got it in the 28th minute off the boot of midfielder Ernie Mabree; however, midfielder Jaxon Hennepin was called offside in a call that drew him a caution for dissent for his troubles. It drew the ire of Hanifer, who gave the fourth official an earful.

"Clayton [Wilson, midfielder and team captain] played the ball a second before Henny ran past the last defender," Hanifer said. "I looked at the video after the match and Henny didn't break past [centreback Jeremy] Ploy until Clayton began his follow-through." Hennepin would factor into the equaliser in the 49th minute as he made a surprise run up the right flank after winning the ball in midfield. He took on two Bollonichian defenders and slid the ball to Mabree, who slammed the ball past Sirigu for the equaliser. Both men waited for a beat until they saw the Liventian referee point toward the centre circle to begin a muted celebration. After all, a draw would only keep them level with Trolleborg for runner's up position in Group E, and they felt they needed the full three points for the victory.

The match-winning sequence began with Cambrio pressuring the Bollonichian defence and forcing a turnover just inside the midfield circle as she stripped the ball away from left back Bobby Burns. She faked a pass toward Mabree and fired a ball that she thought she'd put too much on the ball, but it was perfect for Campos's header. Following the goal, Hanifer substituted another defender for Mabree, this time hoping to secure the full three points and keep pace with Jeruselem, who won their opener against Hapilooper, the lowest ranked team in the group. They accomplished that as Sandt made a crucial stop of a Dennis Perry bid that he deflected just over the crossbar an out for a corner kick. Sandt caught the ensuing corner from Marshall and launched it deep into the night sky out of danger. From there, it was a matter of gaining possession and keeping it in the Bollonichian end to kill time rather than look for another goal.

When the final whistle blasted three times, Sarzonia earned its badly-needed three points and then learned Jeruselem finished with a draw against Trolleborg. That result combined with Sarzonia's victory drew Sarzonia level with Jeruselem and set the stage for another important match between the teams. Both Sarzonia and Jeruselem are essentially ancient powers in the sport and met in the final match of World Cup 85 qualifying at Dazza Dallas Stadium. Jeruselem defeated the Stars in that one, but Sarzonia had already wrapped up their return to the World Cup proper the match before and it turned the potential battle for the World Cup into a glorified friendly.

Hanifer said the team would use their bye to scout Jeruselem and prepare for "every aspect" of playing against them.

Including naked female broadcasters?

"I said 'every aspect,' didn't I," Hanifer countered.

by **Adab** » Sat Oct 16, 2021 2:10 pm

Friday, June 8, 2035 / 2 Rabi al-Thani 1457
Eraman 2-2 Adab
Adab scorers: Yargab (40’), Yissakar (85’)

A Dance with Football
Snapshots of the lives of the people involved in Adabian football and those associated with them
For a full list of chapters click here. To read all the chapters in one go click here
For an (incomplete) list of major/prominent characters in this story click here and scroll down to the ‘Football’ section

Chapter 40: Two People

June 10, 2035 / 4 Rabi’ al-Thani 1457
Alulim Sinmuballit’s house
Adab City

“So when are you flying out again?” Aida Kaykali cooed, opening her mouth wide in a yawn as she raised the blanket over her chest. Next to her lay Alulim Sinmuballit, one leg over the blanket, hugging a pillow and staring at the ceiling with half-closed eyes. It was a clear, starless 3 a.m. night.

“Tomorrrwww,” he smiled, slurring like the half-asleep man that he was. His eyes began to grow wide. “Thanks… for tonight. You’re great.”

“You too, Alu,” she said, also staring – with much clearer eyes – at the ceiling. Then she turned slightly on her right side, facing him somewhat. “Thanks for listening to my ramblings. I know you’re not a lawyer and I guess legal speak sometimes doesn’t make sense to you, but, uh-“

“Hey,” he said slowly, his eyes traveling down to the ceiling and a bit to his left, “don’t… worry about it. I’m here… if you need someone to talk to.”

“Thanks. Men are often good speakers but poor listeners. You’re an exception.”

“Many men are good listeners too,” Alu replied, his eyes taking in her face, looking back at him in such close proximity. “You know what? Let’s go public. I can’t keep on doing this double life thing. I know your father has been suspecting-“

She smiled, and shook her head a little. “No, don’t.” Her tender eyes penetrated his as she reached out to put a hand over his shoulder and on his back. “You love her, and you know it. Your heart lies there, and-“

“No,” he said, feeling the touch of her hand on his back. His voice was cold, detached, but she could sense a hint of regret. “I don’t… I can’t be with her. We’re… we don’t really have much in common. There’s no way we can make it work.”

You have to drop it with Emma. You’re far too different from each other.

“Opposites attract,” she ran her hand down and up his back, “and you want to make it work, you just don’t know how.”

“It will never work.”

“It can work, if you’d just try. And it’s your life, so fuck what everyone else says. And if you’re concerned about the religion thing, interfaith marriages are legal, so, you know, you can just do it.”

Different religions, different cultures, different everything.

“It’s not that,” Alu pulled his hand away from the pillow and over his back, holding her hand in place. “She’s… her lifestyle is just too different from me. I mean I’m fine with that, but… she’d grow bored with me. Besides I have you now.”

“Nah,” she said sweetly, still smiling, “you don’t have me and I don’t have you, and we both know that.”

“Then what are we?”

“We’re just, I don’t know… two lonely people, I guess, who just want to have someone to talk to, offload the pressure from our jobs. But you’re not lonely. You have her.”

“Don’t say that,” Alu said, holding her hand even tighter. “You’re my friend, you know that? You’re never lonely.”

“Thanks. But-“

“No, no, no but,” Alu smiled. “Let’s just… get some sleep, alright? It’s… what, 3 a.m.? You have to go to work in the morning.”

“Yeah… and don’t you have a date with her today?”

“Tonight, at her house. No, it’s not a date. It’s just… visiting a friend.”

“What?” AFA President Naram-Sin Araqasdah asked simply, setting aside the last of the papers that had been laid before him by the physio Hamza Ridha. Behind his seat Saad Kaykali leaned against the wall in dazed silence.

Across the table, Hamza Ridha shook his head again, staring down at the papers. “He can’t do this anymore. At the very least he must retire from the national team. After the end of the Cup at the latest.”

Naram-Sin sighed in disbelief, also shaking his head even though he did not realize it. Saad did not speak, his thousand-yard stare at the wall on the other end of the room all too obvious. “So, this is it for Marramzi?” the AFA President began, lowering his head, running one hand through the back of it. “We need… to give him a glorious send-off. Maybe one final appearance… one… final substitution in our final Cup of Harmony match?”

“With all due respect, sir,” Naram-Sin found his voice rising, taken aback by the President’s words, “this isn’t an old, declining player we’re talking about. Mohammed is ill. He doesn’t even know where his nose is and he struggles to speak clearly sometimes. What we need to do is take him to the hospital for further tests-“

“He doesn’t want it,” Saad shook his head. “Especially not now. All the rumors… it’ll just intensify them. And it’ll just bring even more unwanted attention to us, which is the very last thing that we need at this moment.”

“You need to tell Sinmuballit to choose between those two women right now,” Naram-Sin said, turning around in his seat to Saad. “It’ll be good for him, for your daughter, and for you, too.”

“Everyone involved in this affair has denied their involvement,” Saad replied simply.

“Well of course they denied it!” Naram-Sin said. “Who would want to admit to being involved in a love triangle, unless it’s an open relationship? And the tabloids have got these pictures of him in front of Arthur’s house, your daughter in front of his house, Arthur and Sinmuballit visiting some random café in-“

“They’re blurry and could have been of anyone,” Saad riposted. “Besides they’re friends. Is it now illegal to visit your friend?”

“Well no,” Naram-Sin replied, “but it’s all they’re talking about and asking us about. Is Sinmuballit a playboy, a cheater, an unmarried polygamist, or is this some sort of open arrangement? Is our best player immoral? Do their families even know about this?”

“I will not intervene in someone else’s private life. They’re adults and they can deal with it.”

“If you think that is private then you must have a loose definition of ‘private’. He’s a role model to many people, Saad, for God’s sake!”

“Well the people don’t seem very concerned about it. Certainly not of all them. They’re not rioting.”

“Not yet, because as far as they’re concerned it’s still just rumors up to this point. But once it’s splashed on the front pages, Allah help us, I don’t even want to hear what the conservatives have to say about this.”

“If that happens that we will deal with them in a mature, considerate, understanding way like the adults that we are,” Saad said, turning to face Hamza. “And Hamza, I think for his own sake – well, for the sake of all of us, really – Mohammed should still travel with us for now, even if he only warms the benches. And when this tournament ends, then we’ll persuade him to go to the hospital. But we have to keep him away from the media.”

Adab lineup for MD4 (MD3 is a bye)

Starting lineup: Chandrasekar, Altun, Enmerkar, Issou, Frangieh, Arthur (VC), Sinmuballit, Orlev, Akaptaha, Yissakar, Yargab (C)

Substitutes: Marramzi, al-Tikriti, Sharkalisharri, Akshak, Thomas, al-Muntar, Samanu, Emmita, Uhwan, Zambiya, al-Kufa, Barzani

by **Jeruselem** » Sat Oct 16, 2021 3:01 pm

Jeruselem Manager Pekora Dancer and Naked News Jeruselem's Aidra Nene after 0-0 draw with Trolleborg in ZwangZug

Pekora: Say, for a TV report you're getting a few signatures ... no one ever asks me to sign anything
Aidra: Oh that, I guess being an ex-porn star from Jeruselem does that.
Pekora: Oh yes, I forgot about that
Aidra: I mean everyone knows what I look like clothes or no clothes
Pekora: I'm far too self conscious
Aidra: I have to remind myself to actually get dressed sometimes

Pekora: Actually, I've met your brother ... I didn't realise he was your brother
Aidra: Oh that, different father. Which is why most people don't realise it.
Pekora: That's not unusual in Jeruselem
Aidra: I guess Jeruselem women don't really care who the Dad really is
Pekora: I can't even remember who got me pregnant
Aidra: Oh yes, you're a single mother

Pekora: Plenty of single mothers in Jeruselem
Aidra: Also plenty of irresponsible Dads in Jeruselem too
Pekora: Know who your Dad is
Aidra: Err, no. Mum was drunk.
Pekora: I was a bit wasted ...
Aidra: Perfectly good excuse! Not that I don't get wasted ...

Pekora: I only drink too much with a certain friend ...
Aidra: Oh that friend!
Pekora: I guess I wouldn't have much of social life without her
Aidra: Exactly, can't be boring all your life
Pekora: I guess, being a woman we're supposed to have kids
Aidra: For sure, can't ask men to do that ...

Pekora: I guess I need something to do when I retire
Aidra: Who is minding your kids?
Pekora: Princess Kate, Mum isn't well and doesn't have the energy
Aidra: How come Kate complains about it
Pekora: I think she complains for the sake of complaining, she actually likes being a babysitter.
Aidra: I don't have kids to park with her ... anyway, what we going to talk about in today's show? Hapilopper had the bye, we drew 0-0 with Trolleborg and Sarzonia beat Bollonich 2-1.

Pekora: I guess the draw wasn't unexpected but we wanted to win this one. Better than losing it I guess. Sarzonia are a good team.
Aidra: We have a bye to sit out so only two games, or 6 points left to get
Pekora: I guess the usual uncertainty with our review, as per normal with qualification.
Aidra: I guess it was good we won the first game then ...
Pekora: Losing any qualification game in Cup of Harmony game is bad
Aidra: I guess a draw isn't too bad but not ideal

Pekora: We do have to discuss having the bye the last game, so we must do our best in the next two games.
Aidra: A bit hard as we haven't even played them yet
Pekora: But we cannot assume we win the next two games, so we might rely on the results of the last game to get through
Aidra: I guess that's not what we want to happen
Pekora: It's best you decide your own fate than others
Aidra: Too much maths for my brain

Pekora: Just stick to pretending to be intelligent
Aidra: I'm really good at being loud and annoying
Pekora: With no clothes on ...
Aidra: Someone has to do it. Being a nympho helps ...
Pekora: I avoid getting drunk, but sometimes I get carried with things.
Aidra: Do it more, it's fun.

by **Yue Zhou** » Sat Oct 16, 2021 3:30 pm

THE JIANGDONG DAILY
DRAGONS, NYOWANI KITARA PLAY TO ILL-TEMPERED DRAW; FOUR SENT OFF
HU Zhouwen, SPORTS
NYK (4-4-2): Bigombe; Okombo (Obonyo HT), Grönberg, Hermansson (C) (goal 5', Okeyo 77', s/o 90+5'), Agutu; von Weber (s/o 58'), Owino, Abong'o, Westermark; Odede (Lundquist 60'), Angonga
YZH (4-2-3-1): Lu; Jiawei, Yuan, Zhu, Reeve (Li J.G. HT); Li (C) (s/o 57'), Wan (goal 90+6'); Luo (Wen 75'), Liu, Jiang (s/o 90+5'); Huang (Chen 59')

CLEOROUGH, SYLESTONE -- Yuezhou rescued a late point - their first of the Cup of Harmony - in controversial fashion against Nyowani Kitara, in a match marked by tension between the two warring countries that boiled over onto the pitch and into the stands. The 1-1 draw saw four players sent off and many more booked in a match that felt more like war than sport from the very beginning before Li Jing's late penalty canceled out Tage Hermansson's early header to send both teams home with a point.

Even before the match began, the tension between the two nations was palpable, with reports of fighting in Cleorough before the match kicked off. Many Yue fans were seen flying the banner of the KFF in the stands, while Ren Qiang's red-and-yellow flag was seen both from New Kitaran fans and Yue socialists. Opposing manager Liang Wei, formerly Yuan Zilai's assistant manager in the socialist era, encouraged his players to publicly disrepsect the Yue anthem, although Kang Guilin's eleven did not reciprocate. Still, though, it was clear that the ninety minutes ahead would be as brutal and gruelingly physical as was possible.

The match got off to an explosive start when Zhu Aiguo went flying into forward Owino Odede, who was about to be played through on goal by vice-captain Amittai Owino. Zhu's booking - which came after just three minutes - would be the first of many cards issued on the night. The Astograth-based defender's aggression would immediately come back to haunt his team, as Owino delivered a beautiful free-kick that the captain Hermansson headed home. After just five minutes, the Dragons found themselves down 1-0 to their bitter rivals, and with their advancement chances slipping away after an MD1 defeat to New Lusitania. The shaky start would continue as Yuezhou struggled to adjust to the constant pressure applied by Liang Wei's attack, and both Odede and Angonga would have shots parried away by Lu Qiang. Meanwhile, Nyowani Kitara's constant running forced the Dragons deeper and deeper to cope with the pressure, and both Li Jing and Diadora Reeve's tactical fouls earned a booking from Græntfjaller Oddfreyr Arnoddsson, who was perhaps more on edge after seeing what had happened before the game.

Eventually, though, Kang Guilin's side managed to adjust to the pressure and began to catch an expectedly porous New Kitaran side on the counterattack. While the opponents still managed a few chances, most notably Odede inexplicably firing wide from six yards out after being freed by Yuan Mingrong slipping into a challenge, the Dragons got the best of the end of the first half. The creativity of young captain Li Jing, playing with a particular fire due to the opposition, was especially instrumental as Yuezhou sought to exploit exposed space by playing longer than usual to the fleet-footed Huang, Liu, and Luo. However, it was the fourth of Yuezhou's attackers, young winger Jiang Jieren, who created the best chance of the first half, as after a heroic block by Wan Sheping, Jiang received the ball, tore his way up the right flank (humiliating Armoni Okombo in the process), and sent a perfect cross into the box that Huang Shedong headed wide. Jiang also managed to draw a fourth booking of the night from the unfortunate Okombo, who took Arnoddsson's card over letting the tricky Marcadia winger past again. Unfortunately, despite clear chances, Yuezhou were unable to convert, and went into the half trailing.

The halftime break saw both coaches make some tactical changes, with Kang swapping out Diadora Reeve for another center-back in Li Jianguo (pushing Zhu to his preferred fullback spot), while Liang Wei withdrew Okombo for the more experienced Adriel Obonyo. While both hoped that their changes would lead to a calmer second half instead of the end-to-end first, reality proved not quite as forgiving. However, the real fireworks began to fly at the fifty-fifth minute, when Li Jing, already on a booking, made a questionable tackle against Johannes von Weber, in the process of turning with the ball. Arnoddsson, possibly feeling that he'd overcompensated in the first half, elected to keep the cards in his pocket. von Weber and Li immediately went at it, exchanging heated remarks on the exploitation inherent to market economies and the concept of cultural hegemony before both were sent off. Jiang Jieren, Trophimus Agutu, and Vilgot Westermark also all earned bookings in the kerfuffle before play continued a full five minutes later.

Kang Guilin responded by bringing on Chen Xiwei for Huang Shedong, while Liang showed uncharacteristic restraint by substituting the forward Odede for another midfielder in Leonard Lundquist. However, the latter move proved a tactical misstep, as without Odede, Nyowani Kitara weren't able to generate the same level of pressure on the counterpress. This freed Li Jianguo, trained in a club known for their defenders' ball-playing ability, to spray long passes and mastermind counterattacks from the center of an ersatz back three (Zhu tending to tuck inside rather than play up the flanks like Jiawei on the left). One such chance fell to Luo Dan in the sixty-eighth minute, but while the winger was able to deftly cut past Hermansson (already on a booking) to open up space to shoot, his offer fell weakly into Bigombe's arms.

Starting to feel the pressure around the seventy-fifth minute, Kang opted to bring in controversial midfielder Wen Xiaohui for the more direct Luo, locking the team into a weird sort of 4-1-2-2 without any actual strikers, while Nyowani Kitara grew more and more comfortable with the game state. Seeing his captain already on a booking, Liang Wei opted to bring in the fresh legs of Ouma Okeyo, who would ultimately prove crucial to the final result. Yuezhou continued to enjoy the bulk of the chances against a tiring New Kitaran side, although they struggled to finish their chances, Wen most egregiously rolling a ball off the post from just a few yards out. However, on the other side, Angonga did almost kill the game off with a speculative long-range effort that nearly deflected off Li Jianguo and into the net, instead bouncing just wide of the post.

The sparks began to fly again as the game reached an end, Nyowani Kitara still improbably clinging to a 1-0 lead. As the two teams entered the first of Arnoddsson's seven minutes of stoppage time (owing to the earlier fight between Li Jing and Johannes von Weber), Jiang Jieren broke loose of the defense and latched onto a Wan Sheping pass before being brought down at the edge of the area by Ernst Grönberg. Oddfreyr Arnoddsson (correctly) judged the foul to have taken place outside the box, but ended up having to book Wen and Wan for dissent. Wen lined up to take the ensuing free-kick, and sent it curling into the box. The ball disappeared into a writhing mass of bodies before ending up harmlessly sailing out of bounds off someone's head - but Arnoddsson ruled that Wan Sheping had been brought down by the substitute Okeyo, awarding Yuezhou a shocking penalty. Nyowani Kitara reacted accordingly, several Yue players jumped in to taunt, and by the time the dust had settled, Okeyo and Jiang Jieren had both been sent off, with Chen, Bigombe, and manager Liang Wei earning bookings as well.

With all the usual penalty takers either substituted out or sent off, it fell to midfielder Wan Sheping to take the penalty. With the crowd rapidly descending into chaos around him, the Wirr Tsi starlet calmly sent Bigombe the wrong way and slotted the equalizer into the bottom-left corner in the ninety-sixth minute. While salvaging any points at all from the match were welcomed, the result does leave Yuezhou in a dire situation, with just one point after two matches and third-seed Sylestone still unplayed. A win over the hosts will likely be imperative to Yuezhou's hopes of advancing even to the playoff rounds, and they'll have to do so without the services of their most promising young attacker and team captain.

Lineup to play the remainder of the group stage (4-2-3-1): Lu; Jiawei, Yuan, Zhu, Reeve; Guo, Wan (C); Luo, Liu, Zheng; Huang
Fiskadaha's Zheng Yuanjun slots relatively neatly into Jiang Jieren's place, with the new winger's playmaking and runs an excellent addition to the attack. Meanwhile, with Li Jing out, Guo Xiawei offers a different sort of playmaking presence from the six, while Wan Sheping being made captain at such a young age can in no way lead to increased expectations and backfire.

by **Nyowani Kitara** » Sat Oct 16, 2021 4:24 pm

Nyowani Kitara manager Liang Wei, in the locker room before the match

There was a sharp knock on the door, from one of the CoH officials. "Nyowani Kitara!" The woman yelled in a high-pitched, Sylestone accent. "The game's set to begin. It's time for you to take the pitch." An assistant yelled 'thank you' from inside the locker room, as Liang Wei looked at his charges. This match was taking place in some of the most incredible of circumstances. The FA that was controlled by the illegitimate United Republics of Yuezhou had sent this national team, and would take the pitch. The same United Republics that were trying, simultenously, to take down both the governments of Nyowani Kitara and the remnants of Ren Qiang's government.

"Ok men- bring it on. Our time is now. And remember- remember what I told you." The players looked at each other, and said 'yes' to the manager. They broke on three, and of course, the manager led the substitutes to the bench, He looked out into the crowd, and back at the tunnel. The starting XIs for each team were in the tunnel, standing next to their mascots, ready to come out onto the field. As Liang Wei was on the bench, he looked down at his shirt. He was wearing what he normally wore- a track suit that had the KWFA logo on it, with the NYK flag.

He had wanted to wear his Ren Qiang shirt- but WCC rules were clear about political messaging on shirts. And those rules, as far as the KWFA could figure out, applied to managers as well. He had brought his shirt, and worn it in pre-game warmups, but before the game started, he had changed. While he was sitting on the bench, waiting for the game to begin, he saw an aide running out with his shirt. "What the hell-" started Liang Wei.

"Sir." Said the nameless aide. "You can wear the shirt."

"The WCC said I could?? Seriously? Holy shit." Liang Wei said.

"Not exactly." The aide said. "You've got approval from on high." IN layman's terms, of course, 'on high' meant the KWFA, or more likely, the authorities who controlled the KWFA- aka the KPWC, or the Kitara Progressive Worker's Coalition, the ruling communist party in Nyowani Kitara. "The KWFA said that they will 'take care' of any sort of sanction or fine or anything that you get from the WCC for political messaging."

"Holy shit, really?" Liang Wei said. "Hell yeah- let's fucking go." And so he took off his track suit jacket, and put on his sure. It was simply a polo shirt, in the red and yellow strips of Ren Qiang's flag, with the name Ren Qiang on the back of the shirt. He knew quite a few people would notice- but frankly, Liang Wei did not care. He was a committed socialist through and through, and the United Republics deserved to be resisted at every opportunity.

He walked out to the touchline just as the teams walked out onto the pitch. He wondered if anyone from the crowd could see him- but everybody was focused on the players. Considering the tensions in the buildup to the game, it was probably somewhat of a minor miracle that there were no fights in the tunnel, although that was probably because of the presence of the child mascots- you don't want to get into a fight right when the children would be collateral damage.

But the markers were laid out before the match. Liang Wei had told his players- the national anthem was a false national anthem. "Yuezhou's true national anthem was torn away by the United Republics government. Now they changed it to try and erase the vestiges of the glories of the previous regime. This Yuezhou team does not represent their nation- they are pawns of a false, capitalistic government. Nothing more!" He had told his players this the previous day in training. And so when the anthem started playing, the team's actions were coordinated.

As the anthem started playing, every single member of the starting XI sat down, and turned their back to the Yuezhou starting XI. They sat down, cross-legged- directly on the turf. In direct defiance of regulations for players during the national anthem. All 11 of them held up their right fist, dubbed the worker's fist, to signify their support for Ren Qiang. This, of course, riled up fans, who did the same thing, as by the end of the Yue national anthem, NYK fans were whistling and chanting Ren Qiang's name.

Liang Wei smiled. The KWFA, and the powers from on high, would indeed appreciate that. Oh, he was absolutely sure that organizing officials would not feel the same way. But resistance was required. And resistance was given.

OOC Note: While this blog is very factual, it is also biased, presenting information with a not-so-slight partisan lean towards the KPWC.

Nyowani Kitara Forever
A NYK national team Fan Community

Hello everyone! For those who haven't been here before, welcome to NYK Forever! This is simply a fan blog, an internet blog, about the Nyowani Kitara national team. We've had a fairly good WCC debut campaign. Got to the knockouts at the Baptism of Fire, and in our first ever World Cup Qualifying campaign, went 9-4-5, good enough to comfortably reach the Cup of Harmony.

And while we had a bye on Matchday 1, on MD2, we'd be set up against Yuezhou. But not the national team representing the famous fighter Ren Qiang, the man who has stood as wave after wave of capitalist hordes try to sweep him away. But those trying to sweep away Ren Qiang into the sea, and give Nafuna Akongo the same fate, so her traitorous brother, Malik Akongo, can rule unchecked as a fascist dictatorship within this country. And, of course, sell this country out to Graentfjaller and Yue corporations.

(And yes, I know that's not how you spell Graentfjall. I'll write them an apology as soon as they declare support for Nafuna Akongo's legitimate government.)

These tensions spilled all over the field in a wondrous way. Our players stood up for their country. NYK fans who had made the journey to Sylestone had the option of standing up for themselves, and their country. But I'm here to write not about the match, which we all watched. ALthough, what an absolutely shitty penalty given by Oddfreyr Arnoddsson. Of course he's from Graentfjall. Just in case you ever needed a reason to know that the only one of our immediate neighbors who you can trust, is Ren Qiang. My grandma is half-blind, and she would've known that wasn't a penalty. The powers that be continue to align themselves against seeing socialist success in sport.

Anyways.

So I don't get distracted. I want to talk about the fan experience. We've been here in Inner East Cleorough for the past three days. And as Yue fans poured in, holy shit. They've taken this wonderful host city, and torn it to absolute shit. How many bars have seen fights from NYK fans and Yue fans over the past couple of days? Fists flying. Bottles everywhere. All sorts of people being thrown into jail, even temporarily.

The day of the match, the local police had strict segregation procedures because of it. NYK fans could only enter from certain gates, Yue fans could only enter from other gates. The stands were a doozy. Local police had requested help from other areas, and I don't think I've ever seen such a huge police presence for a match in my life. Combing through the stadium, enforcing strict fan segregation rules, essentially strictly keeping fans of both teams in their areas only.

And even still. There was violence in the stands. I witnessed a Yue fan sucker punch a NYK fan on the way to the bathroom. Others may say that a NYK fan pushed him first, and then a second fan pushed him again, before fists went flying. But both fans were tackled by Sylestone police, and I didn't see what happened to them after that. Even though all that violence, it was nice to see the people stand for what's right.

Even at a football match, we cannot say what the UR is doing is not wrong. The United Republics are simply slaughtering people, and their fans must be met where they are. That's why I was so proud of our players at their national anthem protest, and happy that Liang Wei wore his Ren Qiang polo. Does this mean that we are going to feel the hurt from CoH and WCC officials? Most definitely.

I've heard there were around 250 arrests made by local police on gameday. And it makes sense. It was a game that we should've won, if it wasn't for some dodgy referee. No matter. A point earned against a Pot 1 side is a point earned, even a side as disgusting as Yuezhou. We've got plenty of time to earn more points. But more importantly- everybody on the pitch, and even in the stands, stood up for what's right. Stood up for their President. For their party. For their country. The demand for justice rings louder than any other demand.

by **Saint Eleanor** » Sat Oct 16, 2021 5:17 pm

OOC: Very heavily inspired by a dream I had around this time last year. This is how I explained it to Kandorith (with some edits made for clarity):

...I was still at school and met an old schoolfriend at a trivia contest who was actually representing some other school. This was in the modern day and the friend in question had this thing where she could ask a question on the mobile phone and the answer would be transmitted to that other school's big rivals (not my school)...

Obligatory Cassadaigua-style "the contents of the below conversation are not ICly public knowledge" copout goes here.

Gift of the Gab
Episode II: I Get Around

7:21pm - Friday 23rd August 1996

Some questions are so obvious that you don't even need to think about the answer. "Are you sure you didn't do this to give New Lizard an advantage?"

"Not really." French knew she'd did something wrong, but she was entirely convinced that she'd done so for the right reasons. Perhaps her dad needed a bit of convincing. "It's not like we finished higher than thirteenth, didn't we?"

Suddenly, another voice. "I'm... very disappointed."

"Don't worry, love, she wasn't trying to help her school. So, could you please tell your mum who you were trying to help, and why?"

"Grand Beach. As for why, it's a long story."

"Extremely long, I would have thought. Didn't you tell me a couple of minutes ago that Grand Beach actually won the competition?"

"So what we have here is that there are three schools in my local area - Williamstown, Grand Beach, and then there's us, the New Lizard, and Grand Beach is usually the worst-off and most... working-class, I'd call it, of the three."

"Why did you feel an overwhelming urge to help one of those other three schools?"

"I didn't. Basically, somebody from Grand Beach, pretty close to the teacher who was taking his school team there, offered me a custom DigiPac Micro cartridge."

"How does that work?"

"You get to write your own programs on it. This was basically a copy of the question-and-answer sheet that anybody can get and you have to memorise that, pretty much, before you can really take part. This is a technological way of saying "look, type the question number here and you can get your answer." Not only legal and above board, but the original cartridge is literally available to buy at the shops."

"So how did you share that answer with the Grand Beach teacher? Clearly you weren't just talking to him; that's forbidden."

"I said this was a custom cartridge. So basically, you could share the question number and the answer with another person who had that cartridge running and they'd be able to mimic what it said when answering the question. Somebody had pretty much found it lying about somewhere important and brought it to his school without telling anybody other than me. Really, whoever runs the security at the Schools Trivia Challenge foundation HQ really needs to step up."

"And that building is..."

"In Whitehammer. Suburban Central district, except not really."

"Aren't you aware that's an hour's walk one way?"

"As I've said, he has connections. I don't know what they are, only that he told me he has them. I can't even tell you if he got the cartridge from Whitehammer or not."

"Why didn't you ask about them?"

"I didn't see the point, Dad."

"So when you got the cartridge, presumably from that teacher at Grand Beach..."

"I did. There was another copy. I know this because the Grand Beach team was consistently selecting the right answers - most of the time."

"And why Grand Beach? Why you?"

"Judging from what he was saying to me, he really wanted Grand Beach to do well. But we actually agreed on some sort of deal where, basically, we'd keep out of the maths and science and then jump right in for the humanities subjects and what have you."

"The hard subjects have never really been Grand Beach's strongest suit. Why wouldn't you deploy them there, Sarah? Why would you want to orchestrate a miracle comeback with this fellow who you've probably met once before?"

"The plan? Ron Bishop from Williamstown school knows the plan - get Grand Beach so far up the rankings that an investigation is launched, tell nobody about the DigiPacs, Williamstown and New Lizard get no punishment whatsoever despite the fact we all know we did it. And then just like that, parents choose our schools, not theirs. Besides, it would look a bit dodgy if they looked like they were good at maths and stuff."

"The three schools around our area have been pretty friendly. The three districts as a whole, really. Why did you want to sabotage Grand Beach? And why would you want to give them a hand up?"

"Our rivalry hasn't been "friendly" since the Grand Beach class bully decided to get into a fight with my boyfriend - who just so happens to be the school council president."

"I have no idea why that motivated Williamstown to jump in on the attack, but that wasn't really my point. My actual point was how did you think you'd get away with it?"

"I'll happily show you a few pictures, dad. You can share these with whoever you like, just not the schools."

"Right, I'll grab your DigiPac." With that, he had a look at one of the screen captures... and another one... and another one... and yet another one. These were invariably correct. Surely these were also the answers that Grand Beach provided - if these weren't, they'd have finished around thirtieth.

"Now if you don't mind, I think I'll have another coffee."

"Sarah, it's half past seven in the evening - do you really need to do that?"

"Dad, it's Friday."

"Yes, the last Friday before you have to go to school again. Go to bed in the next four hours."

"Could you at least have a closer look at some more of these pictures I've taken? I know you still have the DigiPac in your hands, just don't delete anything."

"Fine... whatever you say. I might even tell other people that this has happened." Some answers are so obvious that you don't even need to think about the question.

by **Lathamford** » Sun Oct 17, 2021 4:11 am

Hundredstar considers Lathamford as an important investment and trading partner and the country's market is always open to any Lathamford company wishing to venture into business there. In a statement on Thursday, Hundredstar Chairman of the Hundredstar-Lathamford Trade Promotion Board (HLTPB), Alex Fairbright said cooperation between the two countries had also seen several fruitful developments apart from visits, discussions, agreements, and shared views, especially at the leader level. The statement was issued in conjunction with the first meeting of HLTPB which was held virtually, recently.

Meanwhile, the Lathamfordn Chairman of HLTPB, James Docksteen, described the move to deepen and develop economic ties between the two countries as a core business, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to gain access and explore new opportunities. “Therefore, we see the meeting held for the first time as a meaningful and welcome development, especially following the visit of Minister of Energies & Trade, Sebastian Cunningham to Hundredstar earlier this year and his meeting with his counterparts there.

HLTPB was established at the end of 2019 and serves as a platform for the private sector to promote and facilitate efforts to strengthen interaction among the business communities of both countries as well as enhance positive outcomes involving Lathamford-Hundredstar trade and investment.

Cup of Harmony 81: MD02
Huayramarca 2–1 Lathamford
Bryan Tello '28, '81 pen. ׀ Peter Ironstorm '50
@Simplex 3, 102d, Zwangzug

Lineup
Glowsnarl, Haymoore (Barrington), Wolfsong, Decker (C), Wymondham (Kaylock), du Graypelt, Hargreave, Colfield, Clawbrand, Ironstorm (Caskwoods), Farrowsteam

by **Flavovespia** » Sun Oct 17, 2021 6:19 am

Flavovespia vs Hispinas

Preview

Intro:
After a bye on MD2, Flavovespia play against Hispinas in MD3. Hispinas did what Flavovespia couldn’t, and took a point off Savigliane in a goalless draw. Geisenfried and Sharktail also played out a goalless draw in Group D, so MD2 was very much not a goal fest for the neutrals. Flavovespia are the only team pointless in the group now, so they’ll be keen to get points quickly now. Hispinas however will look at the fact they’ve got 2 draws already and a win against Flavovespia would give them a great chance of making the knockout stages. For fans of the “Unofficial World Cup”, this match will see Flavovespia try to take the belt from Hispinas. Revenge will be on the cards as well, which’ll be discussed later.

Flavovespia will be playing again at Carson Stadium, Cleorough. The 4th game Flavovespia will play at this stadium, with 2 wins and now a loss there. Flavovespia have based themselves close to Cleorough, and the team will hope to be more settled, spending time on their bye training at their camp nearby. Hispinas meanwhile travel here after 2 games out in the rest in Chamberley.

Qualifiers:
In their 3rd qualifying campaign, they were in Pot 6 and came 6th, so met some expectations. Whilst their record of 7-3-8 and a goal difference of -1 doesn’t look the most spectacular on paper, they had tough opponents in the shape of Turori, Sargossa and TJUN-ia in particular. Only twice were they defeated by more than 1 goal, so they’re a team who can play almost anyone close. A 6-3 win over Sargossa was a real upset, and the sort of result other teams in Group D must take note of.

Past meetings:
WCQ 87 wasn’t particularly one Flavovespia want to remember, but their home match against Hispinas was the big highlight. A crazy game saw Hispinas fall 3-0 behind, then a bad foul just inside the box saw a red card for Hispinas defender Chequil Puma, then 2 coaches in the fracas that broke out on the sidelines. 4-0 at half-time, Flavovespia made light work of their 10 man opponents in the second half, to win 8-1, their biggest ever win. The reverse fixture was something of a dead rubber by that point in qualifying, but Flavovespia did the double to win 0-3.

Tactical analysis:

It’s a 4-3-3 for Hispinas, much like the formation Savigliane used against Flavovespia. Another side who do like to attack, their play is more down the wings, with crosses into the box the goal, as opposed to Savigliane’s more fluid style of play. Hispinas are also more of a physical side, and won’t be afraid to back out of challenges, something Flavovespia must be wary of. Scenes of the 8-1 qualifier, which descended into a big row, will certainly come to mind.

Flavovespia’s defence will certainly have a different look to it in terms of personnel, with the news Tony Gardner is to be dropped for Alexander May. Alexander May will maybe need to provide the experience alongside Stuart Cookson, who is still quite green at this level. Both centre backs will need to be wary of the threat from crosses. High crosses in particular will be aimed at experienced striker Ozeano Amunategui, at 1.86m and 85kg, he’ll be a real aerial threat and strong against the defenders. Cool heads will also be needed, especially with May’s hot-headiness. Full backs David Lyons and David Blythe will know the key objective is to prevent the crosses coming in, keep the wingers out wide, and unable to be effective. Hispinas can attack well even against the best sides, only once in 18 games in the qualifiers did they not score.

One change in midfield sees Murad Ahmed replaced by Kishan Rees. A wing back officially, Rees does play as a left midfielder albeit in a 3-4-1-2 for Binclestead Wood. He’s in to try and provide support down Flavovespia’s left flank, and disrupt the crossing opportunities from there. Against a 4-3-3, the central midfield duo of Clarkson and Clark will need to have good concentration and ball winning skills, especially with the potential overloading in numbers. From defence to attack, Steven Hall and David Clark will be key to advancing the ball forward, either with dribbling or passing. If they can exploit the missed challenges, or any dead ball scenarios, chances could come.

Michael Cole and Scott Coleman in attack will know they’re coming up against a side who’s not afraid to get physical. For Cole, this could play in his favour if he can get off the shoulder of the defence. Draw a foul in that spot, and there’ll be yellow or even red cards. Coleman was a bit anonymous in the last game, and with Tony Gardner dropped, its clear Nick Cole won’t be afraid to drop some of the big names if they don’t deliver. On the bench, Adrian Jones could make a debut if matching the physicality of Hispinas is the goal. Anthony Hannigan is the alternative for a pacey forward off the bench, but he still needs to score a debut international goal.

by **PotatoFarmers** » Sun Oct 17, 2021 8:32 am

Poafmersia 0-0 Sargossa
Lineup: Suzanne Trengove; Mitchel Rosales, Hollis Stephenson, Simone Gori, Natalia Abbott; Nero Wood, Min Berg, Michael Jackson; Joel Haodao (c), Iulianus Innocenti, Monesty Erdos
Substitutes: Arnold Shwentin (Jackson 70'); Makana Tuft (Innocenti 77'); Whitney Rios (Erdos 84')

The Licentian Isles 1-1 Poafmersia
Goalscorer: Joel Haodao 58'
Lineup: Niocle Potts; Mitchel Rosales, Hollis Stephenson, Nasri Sanchez, Natalia Abbott; Arnold Shwentin, Min Berg, Michael Jackson; Joel Haodao (c), Aleka Dufour, Monesty Erdos
Substitutes: Ali Berger (Stephenson 70'); Kirsti Nieminen (Shwentin 83')

Note 1: Some of the scorers from the tail-end of the WCQ may not have been updated on my end, if you had RPed some scorers and they aren't reflected in a Poaf RP, please do let me know somehow so that I can properly record it.
Note 2: This Election Buildup reflects more of the current situation of things in the multiverse. More details on this particular issue may appear once again in a particular edition of a TGI RP.

2105 Election Buildup
Part 2: The Kitara conundrum

Fiskadaha - Poafmersia will likely have to see themselves getting involved in Nyowani Kitara, whether Pikashru Nisharian like it or not.

The outgoing President has always been pushing aside calls to make a statement about the events of Nyowani Kitara, as he and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs makes any sense of the happenings on the ground, where various nations have declared their support for one of three warring sides in the country. Nafuna Akongo, who is supported by Nephara, Hispinas and Eura; as well as Malik Akongo, who has been supported by Banija, Darmen, Juvencus, and the United Republics of Yuezhou. For the uninitiated, Nyowani Kitara is a communist nation in Rushmore, the same region as South Jeolerina (of The Gothanita Isles), and they have been thrown into civil war following the death of the supreme dictator of the country, Boaz Akongo.

Ordinary Poafmers have wanted the President to show he clearly meant what he said 4 years ago. An election promise to improve the country's clout and influence in the multiverse has largely came to nothing, apart from the country's increased influence in The Gothanita Isles. But with little to show when looking at relations with other nations around the multiverse, Nisharian is, of course, worried that this might be the Kibi Party's failure. Yes, the "Sports Diplomacy" idea may look like it is working, but the effects are surely coming off. Adnan Suliaha has started getting questions about the consistency of the national team, following the team's failure to make at least the playoffs of their qualification group. The subpar performances of the domestic clubs at the IFCF competitions have, the dwindling interest in the World Cup of Hockey, has caused some people to lose interest in the Kibi Party. Of course, it doesn't take a genius to realise that this Kitara issue would be a perfect platform for Poafmersia to stamp their mark on a country in chaos, but being behind quite a number of regional powers in terms of reaction...isn't going to make things easier for the people.

But...the split on the Kitara issue has definitely complicated matters. Rushmore giants Eura & Nephara has thrown their weight behind Nafuna Akongo, who is seen as the "rightful heir" to Boaz Akongo, but Banija has led a slew of countries in supporting Malik Akongo, who promises to provide democracy to the people. The Gothanitans have indicated some sort of alignment, but the Council of Four has been split in terms of their alignment, with North Handoria and South Jeolerina agreeing to support Nafuna, while Hallikshire and Otksarin believes that a regime change may be the better option. With no agreement, as well as other domestic issues that has been causing some political havoc in North Handoria and South Jeolerina (See: Stories about TGI, Chapter 1: North-South Divide), the Isles has decided to take a neutral stance on the issue. But they probably don't have much to gain from this. The impact on Poafmersia, however, might be a very different ball game.

With domestic pressure on the government to take a stance, Nisharian finally chose to issue a carefully worded statement, calling on "peaceful resolution" of the situation, and added that the country will be open to accepting 10,000 refugees and offer humanitarian aid to the people of Nyowani Kitara. The full statement could be found below:

"I still think that we have to back someone in this race. We may not be that strong to give military support in terms of providing troops, but at least, political support may very well be something we can exert on the new government in Kitara," said a senior diplomats, Chyba Howian. Howian has always been inclined for Poafmersia to support Malik and help the country develop its democratic ideals, and this is his infinite time trying to convince the President to do that. But Howian is a lone figure among the senior diplomats, and senior intelligence officers in Poafmersia. Most advocate backing Nafuna, saying that this could also be a good opportunity to strike good relations with Nephara and Eura and get on their good-books. They also argue that going against the original flow is likely to backfire, and some even question whether Malik intends to have the elections he said he wants to have. But Poafmersia, outside of the regions involved, has no reliable source of information, nor would they be able to ask anyone. The only way was to dangle a different carrot, and see which bloc is willing to bite. But then again, trying to get involved into what is "slowly evolving to be a proxy war" (from a Poafmer perspective) doesn't necessarily make sense. It only makes sense if it ends in a political win for Pikashru Nisharian domestically.

by **HUElavia** » Sun Oct 17, 2021 8:50 am

Delightful Debut!

HUElavia gains vengeance over Darmen in late-winner in the Cup of Harmony debut!

Darmen 1-2 HUElavia
(Svendsen 58' | Yamane 22', Nascimento 88')
(Wayr Stadium, Outrive, Zwangzug)

After a trying and challenging World Cup 89 Qualifiers campaign falling short, HUElavia was determined to give it their all in the Cup of Harmony, held in Sylestone and Zwangzug. Being one of the Pot 1 teams, HUElavia had the expectations to give it their all and give as deep of a run they can get. Thousands of fans had flocked to Zwangzug, looking to cheer on the Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos in this tournament, making it to Wayr Stadium in Outrive, taking up an entire endzone to drape the stands in Yellow, Blue and Green. Their first opponents were Darmen, the same team that eliminated them from the 79th Cup of Harmony in a 4-1 beatdown in the Round-of-32, a disappointing upset for HUElavia. Now, they had the chance to make things right and win against what should have been a beatable opponent. Both teams came out with their A-Team and wearing their respective Home Uniforms for the match in a sold out crowd in Outrive. The teams came out to great cheer and fanfare, the anthems were played, the coin was tossed and the ball rolled to kick off the final match of Matchday 1.

Despite attacks from Darmen and HUElavia from early shots, the opening goal came in the 22nd minute when Mendieta dispossessed Malle and sent a pass to Fonseca-Mantovani, who began giving a run through midfield. Being covered by Good, she passed it to her right, towards Sol, who began running on the sideline, being covered by Espinosa. He juked around the fullback and gave a cross into the box. A poor attempt at clearance by Abbey allowed the ball to fall at the feet of Yamane, who gave a blast a point-blank past Campo into the goal to make it 0-1. The HUElavian crowd erupted, jumping in joy with drinks spraying around the stands and onto the pitch, while Yamane was hugged and given high-fives by her teammates. Conavacio was seen hi-fiving the staff and bench with a smile on his face for the cheeky counter attack goal. Despite attacks by Darmen after the goal, the HUElavian defense suffocated the Darmeni offense to end the half at 0-1.

In the second half, Darmen kept on attacking and eventually got the chance they needed to put themselves back in the game. In the 58th minute, during a counter attack, Mitarte brought down St. John with a hard tackle that the referee called a free kick and gave the novice fullback a yellow card for her foul. With a wall set up, Svendsen was tasked with the free kick to decide whether to send a cross in or go for it. Svendsen ran up and gave a curving shot over the wall and Vannier got his fingertips to the shot, but it deflected to the crossbar and into the goal, making it 1-1. The Darmenis in the stadium jumped up with joy and cheer while Svendsen was mobbed by his teammates, with him yelling in cheer at the goal. The HUElavians were left frustrated and bitter at letting in the goal that was so close to being saved and kept out. Both team continued to attack, seeking to get another goal in order to possibly seal the game. In the 88th minute, Doisneau (in for Guilbert) won the ball from Tobias (in for Good) and gave a long pass to Kedar (in for Yamane) who was being covered by Di Stefano, where he gave a short pass to Nascimento, who got past three Darmeni players in the box, and sent Campo the wrong way, sliding the ball into the goal, making it 1-2. The crowd erupted once again, jumping with joy and passion to make the stadium rumble, while Nascimento ran to the corner flag and tried to do a dance, but was mobbed by his teammates and the bench for the late goal. Conavacio was seen with a big grin, giving hugs and hi-fives with the staff. At the end, HUElavia held out and got the three points needed to open up the tournament, gaining a taste of vengeance in the process.

With the rest on Matchday 2, HUElavia will be going in full force for the remaining Group Stage games. The next match will be against Atheara with the Home Uniform being worn once again at Wayr Stadium in Outrive. A mix of A-Team and B-Team players will be starting, with Marquez starting in goal for the match, Torrisi serving as the Captain, and an all-women's attack will start up front. The fans will be flocking to the stadium looking to cheer on the team in their hunt to get another victory and inch closer to the knockout stages of the Cup of Harmony. The team has been training well and has been enjoying the sights and local culture of the area. Here's to hoping the team plays very well and gets a favorable result against Atheara.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Mertagne** » Sun Oct 17, 2021 12:06 pm

The Cup of Harmony was always going to be a hard sell to the higher ups at the FMF, and as the tournament marched on, it had been no different. Mertagne had played 2 games now, all against familiar foes, and while the result against Savojarna was an expected end yet a close result, it was the game against Eshialand that had really picked up the spirits of the team. The ESF (no, not that one) had graced the presence of Mertagne just a short time ago, as part of Mertagne's post World Cup Qualifying friendly campaign. The campaign, which included six games in metronomic pattern of home and away matches, kicked off against Eshialand at home, and resulted in 2-4 loss against the more experienced team that was indicitave of the campaign at large. The goal of the friendlies of course was to be just that, friendly, and the matches had given the Mertagnian team a further chance to stress test the formation and cohesion of the team against more experienced foes in the Cup of Harmony. Highlights of those matches had included a hard-fought 3-2 win against current World Cup hosts Tikariot, and a draw against the Indie powerhouse of Omerica.

However, entering the Cup of Harmony had drawn Mertagne against the one thing they were trying to avoid - teams they'd met in last year's qualifiers. These thoughts weighed heavily on Tyrell Gulliver's mind as he was, once again, summoned to the FMF offices to present himself to Michelle Romanage.

"Take a seat, Tyrrel." she motioned, her killer smile beaming from behind the desk, which was highlighted by the window in the background that showcased the sprawling city of Dannin out to the horizon.

"So, congratulations on your recent victory in the Cup of Harmony. That's really admirable that you're bringing the team up to the high standard that's been prevalent in the international community for the last few cycles. Last year when we went through growth metrics after the qualifers, you know that both myself and the Board were really pleased with your work. To go from an unranked team to 125th in the official KPB rankings is no easy feat. Of course, it was disappointing that you didn't quite match the efforts of Polkopia, as I said at the time, but they've performed as expected so far in the World Cup proper."

Tyrrel blinked in the pleather bucket chair that he'd sat in. "... Great. Is that all you wanted me for? A quick pat on the back but with an added sort of backhanded compliment? I don't like trekking all the way to Anaia Tower for this, you know. You put the national team in Neorudo to train, you chuck the staff's offices there, and then all the admin is done halfway across the country here in Dannin."

"I'm sorry you feel that it's tough to travel here." Romanage replied, keeping her eyes on Gulliver. "I'll keep that in mind for our next meeting. Videoconferencing has a certain quality about it that I don't enjoy. I prefer to see people face to face."

Romanage paused to drink a glass of water before continuing.

"It's not supposed to be a backhanded compliment. You have genuinely done well. I'm just reminding you that there is room for improvement, which is true of all things. We've kept you on for this year, haven't we? You should be thankful, at least, because a lot of national team managers are being fired around now due to lackluster performances in tournament group stages."

"You know that I'm not really the type to do the whole 'I'm so grateful I have a job' thing, Ms. Romanage." Tyrrel said, shuffling around in the chair to the point it made a squeaking noise. "You've kept me on because I get results from my team, and I'm the best person for the job. I get Mertagne more than someone from abroad, and I've drilled myself into the team culture in a way that someone like Kylian Forsyth would be proud of. You need me, so if this is some kind of 'you must try harder' sort of meeting, I'm not for it. I've had enough to deal with in the last year, to the point where I've done half of your job for you at times."

"What are you talking about?" Romanage asked, furrowing an eyebrow.

"Well, towards the end of the last World Cup qualifiers, we were being grilled by the media for all sorts of asinine garbage. Pepole stories, like player pregancies, weird health stuff, and a whole lot of doubt in the team. I thought you'd at least have someone to cover that media angle for us, like your entire bloody comms department, instead of leaving it to me to help shield the team from these kinds of questions in press conferences." Gulliver sighed.

"Press integrity isn't what it used to be, certainly." rattled Romanage, with a disarming smirk.

"Neither's the FMF. Your ship is full of holes, you know. And while we're here, I thought it might be nice for you to know about them." Tyrrel rummaged around in a backpack and produced a fairly thick dossier, which he placed on the desk in an extravagant manner, twirling the document around in his hands and moving forward in a deep, sarcastic bow.

"Oh, bedtime reading for me, then?" Michelle opened the folder and scanned the contents with her eyes as she leaned back in her chair, a more wiry steel seat with wheels that let her glide across the black-tiled floor slightly. "So, let me get this right from what I've vaguely seen so far - you claim to have found some... discrepancies in the allegance of key members of the FMF?"

Tyrrel stood up. "It's bollocks that there are codified laws in the country that people are able, no, encouraged, to sell their stories to the highest bidder. I still think it's a holdover from the Insulation, and legal hush money. But that's ireelevant here, the point is, you've got people on your payroll that don't have the best interests of the FMF at heart, and are leaking information to the press. That's a weakness. And excising them is the cure."

Romanage tutted. "This is certainly an interesting dossier of evidence you've given me here, Mr. Gulliver. You fancy yourself some kind of spy? I'm sure the MIA would have a use for a man like you if they knew what you were up to. This isn't what I wanted to talk about with you today - really, I just wanted an update on our Cup of Harmony progress - but now I'm actually going to have to give this list some thought."

"What do you want to be done with the particularly incriminated employees I assume are presented therein?" Romanage asked, placing her elbows on the closed dossier and cupping her chin in her hands.

Gulliver turned to leave the office. "Again, not my job. Your job is to decide that. Do nothing for all I care, I've done my bit by informing you about this. Just know I won't be trusting those names any more as far as I can kick them."

As the thick wooden doors shut on Tyrrel exiting the office, his hand clasped around one and opened it a crack, sticking his head through.

"As for the Cup, we're probably not going to win it. We've got a bit of time off now, and then it's Vilita, who are on the warpath, and then it's Juvencus, who we're in with a shot of coming close to beating if we're on top form."

The door then closed with a soft thud.

Romanage scanned the main list of names that Tyrrel had embedded within his dossier/manifesto. Some of them she hadn't heard of, but one name stood out in particular.

Ben Holl?!* Surely not...

Ben Holl is the Assistant Manager of the Mertagne National U21 Team.

by **Valladares** » Sun Oct 17, 2021 12:54 pm

CUP OF HARMONY 81 | Uncreative Valladars doomed to uninspiring draw in Cup of Harmony opener

CHAM, ZWANGZUG (VAP) — The Valladar national football team were off to a lacklustre début in the 81st Cup of Harmony held in Zwangzug and Sylestone, as 85th-ranked side and Group H's fourth seed Le Choix held La Nacional to a goalless draw at Stabb Field in a match in which the Valladars did not have much defensive work to do but struggled to create dangerous chances to score in the rival goal. The team managed by Jessica Curran enjoyed the lion's share of ball possession but never figured out how to deal with the crowded midfield presented by its rival.

With everyone in Group H being unable to separate from each other after the opening day of the competition, as Lathamford and Le Choix had held the group's top seeds Independent Athletes of Quebec and Huayramarca, respectively, to draws whilst Valladares enjoyed their bye day, the Valladars were presented with a chance to take a big step towards the next round of the competition if they started their CoH campaign on the right foot by beating Les Élus. To counter Le Choix's 4-5-1 formation, Curran sent her predicted starting XI in her usual 3-5-2 formation, with Thiago Matheus commanding the veteran defense in his last tournament prior to retirement, Leandro Martelli becoming Christian O'Brien's partner in the defensive midfield, Durmisi, Betancourt and Benítez in charge of generating the team's offensive effort, and Aymeric Fortin and Thibault Benezet playing together up front.

The early minutes of the game saw a Valladar side trying to generate play through the flanks in order to avoid the middle of the field with Fabio Betancourt being the most active player, attempting to send crosses from his wing. The 10th minute of the match saw Valladares generate their first and best chance to score, in a play which involved Leandro Martelli and Betancourt, whose cross found Cristian Benítez's head but the ball ended up being deflected by Le Choix keeper Marie-Françoise Benett. However, the initial enthusiasm shown by the Valladar side gradually faded as Les Élus began to assert their superiority in the middle of the field by isolating Cristian Benítez as well as Fortin and Benezet from Betancourt and Durmisi. Seeing that Betancourt was being the most instrumental player for La Nacional, Le Choix opted to increase the pressure on him whenever he had the chance to touch the ball thus relieving themselves by some extent. Their offensive performance was an entirely different history, though, in part because playmaker Élie Rouzet was well referenced and neutralized by the Martelli-O'Brien pair and in part because the remaining Jaune et Noir players kept making poor choices with the ball. The only other realistic chance to score by Valladares occurred in the 34th minute, with Alexis Durmisi trying his luck in a setpiece in which the ball went wide, but other than that there was not much to highlight in the first half.

Given the situation, and trying to find alternatives to break through an organized Le Choix side, Valladares' Dagan gaffer Curran chose to replace Cristian Benítez with Marcelo Zamudio for the second half hoping that the Metropolis Alligators player could provide greater mobility on the field or even a breakthrough with his ability to score from mid-range. However, this decision eventually proved to be a wrong one given that Zamudio never looked comfortable on the pitch, and did not provide the much-needed mobility required to break the wall mounted by Les Élus and open the path towards the rival goal. In addition to this, Fabio Betancourt, who was the best Valladar player in the match, had to be substituted by Marcelo Escobar as he was booked in the 60th minute, and with Benítez gone both Fortin and Benezet were left further isolated at the front and exclusively depending on an eventual cross coming from either wing, which with Betancourt's absence became more scarce since Escobar tends to be less offensive-minded than his teammate. Le Choix could have even taken full advantage of Valladar confusion both on-field and at the bench as they had a great chance to score the opener in the 72nd minute, however, Lucien Chamoun's feline reflexes prevented Gwenaël Cazenave from giving his team the lead at a crucial time in the match. Fortunately for La Nacional's interests, the game did not have much more to offer in its remaining time and both teams ended up cancelling each other to the utter disapproval of the Valladar fanbase, who were annoyed by Jessica Curran's tactical moves (mainly the exits of Benítez and Betancourt) and jeered the Dagan manager as she made her way towards the locker rooms.

With this frustrating draw against Le Choix leaving Valladares in fourth place of the group with 1 point, La Nacional will have to focus on their next match against Lathamford, who are dead last with a single point but a negative GD following their defeat to Huayramarca. If victory in this upcoming game was crucial before the game against Le Choix, given the circumstances this has become imperative if La Nacional wants to maintain its chances of advancing to the knockout rounds. It should also be noted that Jessica Curran has her tenure on the Valladar bench at stake and a poor result against Lathamford will not help her chances at all, therefore the Valladars will have to get over their offensive troubles in order to deal this upcoming match in the way everyone wants.

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Valladares 0–0 Le Choix

Starting XI: Chamoun - Brown, Matheus, Fletcher - Martelli, O'Brien - Betancourt, Durmisi - Benítez - Fortin, Benezet
Yellow Cards: Betancourt 60', Martelli 77'
Subbed Out: Benítez 45', Betancourt 63', Fortin 79'
Subbed In: Zamudio 45', Escobar 63', Borja 79'
Unused Subs: Sánchez, Acosta, Arboleda, Núñez, Pico, Martins, Balboa, Petrasso
Manager: Jessica Curran (CDG)

Stadium: Stabb Field, Cham, Zwangzug

by **Geisenfried** » Sun Oct 17, 2021 1:25 pm

Die Steinadler in Review

Since returning to the international stage in AOCAF LXIV, manager Geri Brückner has been outspoken on his desire to build consistency within the team, keeping the same squad from AOCAF to World Cup qualifying and now into the Cup of Harmony. And he's stuck to his word, leaving his starting XI mostly unchanged throughout much of the process. As we move into the Cup of Harmony group stage, a look back through the past few competitions to see how the Geisen squad has been performing...

Keeper -
GK: Loewen Juergensen - 10 clean sheets

Few people were surprised when Darnesmark's Loewen Juergensen got the call for the national team, having been the top keeper in the Geisen Bundesliga for the past few years. And he's shown up for the national team, breaking into the double digits with clean sheets with the team's opening match against Sharktail in the Cup of Harmony, his 22nd for the national team. While Geisenfried's defensive success has been much more about tactical philosophy and team effort as it has been any individual performance, it all falls apart without solid showings from the one manning the net. And Juergensen has been that bedrock for the Golden Eagles. Outside of a single performance in Sueji over in Huelavia where he let through four, the Geisen keeper has kept opposing offenses to two goals or fewer in every single game. Even including that Huelavia game, the number of times Juergensen has surrendered multiple goals can still be counted on one hand. With performances like these, it always feels like Geisenfried is still in the game, and that is an incredibly strong position to be in. While much has been made of upcoming VfS keeper Niko Sauber, Juergensen has given the team no reason not to put the utmost faith in him.

Defenders -
RWB: Dierk Messer
LWB: Kaspar Eberhardt - 1 goal
RCB: Dominik Schroeder - 1 goal
LCB: Bastian Thälmann

There were questions in the beginning, if there was not too much being put on the promising Kaspar Eberhardt. Yes, he'd earned promotion to league-leading Königs' first squad, after having torn it up with their reserve squad Königs II. Prinzen. But was the wunderkind wing-back ready to face the international stage? By all indications, the answer appears to be yes - in addition to being a solid performer on the Geisen back line, his ability to push the ball forward in developing attacks has been noticeable for the national team, and a simple look at the goal numbers shows the asymmetry between the potency of the left and right sides of the field. Much of the credit of that must go to Eberhardt. This doesn't necessarily mean that Messer has been bad - he's always been a more defensively-oriented player and feels more comfortable as a full-back than wing-back - but Eberhardt's contributions to both sides of the ball must be noted. Meanwhile in the center, Schroeder and Thälmann have been stalwart defenders, the heart of Geisenfried's strong defense, helping to shut down a lot of the strong offensive attacks the Golden Eagles have faced since returning to international football. Interestingly, both defender's goals came against the same team - Schroeder used his tall body to put a corner into the net the first time Geisenfried played Garifunya, while Eberhardt got his first international goal pouncing on a failed clearance the second time the Golden Eagles faced Garifunya.

Midfielders -
DMF: Seth Dreschner - 1 goal
RWM: Raffaele Grüneberg - 3 goals
RCM: Josef Voight - 3 goals
LCM: Ferdinand Roessler - 4 goals
LWM: Djibril Kayode - 5 goals

If you were to ask most Geisen fans to when the team felt like they were back, they'd point to the upset over Banija. Sure, they'd already been eliminated and Banija had already gotten through, but it was the Kanuen River Derby and they were the best team in the region - and they'd go on to win the entire tournament - and one of the best teams in the world. And not only did Geisenfried hang on, but Geisenfried won. Though the shine might be a little less with Banija's recent struggles in this current World Cup cycle, the hero of that game was Djibril Kayode, getting a goal through the Kadongo Kamu and leading the Steinadler to victory. But little did people expect that it would be just the beginning of the blossoming of Kayode, who while a strong player at Rödis, was not expecting to be one of the team's stars. Yet here he is, putting up the second most goals of any player on the team and having built a strong synergy with Eberhardt and Christensen - and built up a large speculation that Königs, who employ the other two, will try and complete the trifecta and recreate their success at the domestic level. But Rödis has held out so far. Ferdinand Roessler, who was expected to be one of the big players on the team as the budding star of Königs' rival VfS has still been solid, coming up number three, while the right half of the squad share fourth with 3 goals apiece. In the back, Dreschner's doing his job well as the primary holding midfielder, breaking up attacks and being a key part of the sturdy Geisen defense.

Striker -
CF: Mikkel Christensen - 6 goals

It's been a mixed bag for the target man of the Geisen offense. While he's still leading the team in goals, the domestic league's leading scorer and Königs' main man feels like he could be producing more - that his goal total could be 8, 9, 10, maybe even a dozen at this point. But while his efforts have sometimes still caused goals - the Golden Eagles have put a handful in the back off a rebound from a strong initial challenge that Christensen put in - it feels like Mikkel could be finishing better. It feels unlikely at this point that Brückner will go elsewhere at this point, especially with how well he's been working with Kayode, but it also feels like the big struggle with the Geisen offense is that the team is always just a bit away, and it's always Christensen that's at the heart of these "close but not close enough" shows. If he can finally breakthrough internationally like he has domestically, the Golden Eagles have all the necessary ingredients to be a team that goes somewhere, but when will he finally start to show the stuff that fans of the club sport in Geisenfried know he has?

Geisenfried 0 - 0 Sharktail

by **Trolleborg** » Sun Oct 17, 2021 1:32 pm

Greetings, compatriots!
It’s TTV from Sylestone, where our national football team played second game of the group stage at the Cup of Harmony. This time Trolleborg players was opposed by the Jeruselem national team, which has been playing on the international stage since time immemorial. The history of this team is not much shorter than that of our entire football league, and there were bright victories in it. True, in recent years their efforts has not been accompanied by luck, vital to anything you did in the international sport; in the last twenty years, Jerusalem has only twice got to the world championships.

Recently, this country became very famous due to a TV program with an unusual presentation format, "Naked News", which has become extremely popular. It must be noted, that Jeruselem has been famous for its talents in sports entertainment since ancient times. It was his team that won the first (and only) world cheerleading championship. Moreover, at the first stage, while only barely managing to catch hold of the eight teams that continued the struggle, Jeruselem masters of entertainment won the second stage, bypassing on the flag the team that had take first place at the preliminary stage!

The entire armada of Trolleborg national team fans reacted to the presence of the famous "Naked News" journalists with thunderous applause and cheers. To the credit of our compatriots, they did not allow themselves anything superfluous and obscene and did not create problems for celebrities. They reacted precisely like to the famous Baker Park cheerleaders five years ago: admiration for female beauty and athleticism did not turn into harassment, offensive to the dignity of ladies. It must be noted, that T-friends discussed a draft petition to invite someone from the staff of "Naked News" to the domestic television, at least for a while. Let's see how events will develop.

On the field, things developed in such a way that talking about around-football news is much more interesting than about the game itself. It seemed to us in the studio that the lads from Trolleborg were a little more polite and softer than usual when faced with the female team. Suspicions have arisen that some of the footballers who have not yet started families are seriously eyeing and accessing the footballers from Jeruselem. Of course, many remember now-distant episode with the participation of our defender Aien Troger and the football player from Abanhfleft Elene Liner. Nevertheless, the softness in handling and the experimental lineup did not prevent our team from defending their goal. However, we managed to create just a couple of chances at the other end of the field. We must state with regret that while our players of the attacking line from those who are younger have not fully learned how to cope with opponents from the first teams of the world. Only when Limburn entered the field in the middle of the second half did something finally begin to work out, but we must admit that our lads did not play good enough to win. The draw 0:0, and in the remaining two games our lads will have to work hard if they want to upset the ill-wishers.

These ill-wishers themselves have already somewhat upset us, since they all left the world championship and will no longer suffer defeats in it. Those in the Cup of Harmony also fared not too well. TTV once again emphasizes its reluctance to discuss and deepen this topic and does it only because the people at the moment wish this.

by **Vilita** » Sun Oct 17, 2021 1:36 pm

Jungle Cats Still Can't Defeat Savojarna

Stelladome, Spensen, Zwangzug :: The Vilitan National Team got a nice boost with a victory over Juvencus at the Janaki Gardens on the opening matchday of the 81st Cup of Harmony as the Jungle Cats Quest to be the first team in history to win the Same Edition of the Cup of Harmony That they had previously won of the World Cup (81). The only problem for the Jungle Cats, however, was that after their victory over Juvencus they would be forced to face off against three teams who they had struggled to defeat during World Cup 89 Qualifying and World Cup 88 Qualifying.

Over the previous ten cycles the Vilitans had played Savojarna 11 times with each winning an equal share of the matches over that time period despite the Jungle Cats being the highest ranked nation in each and every one of those matchups. The unfortunate trend would continue on matchday two of the Cup of Harmony as Savojarna ran out with a comfortable 3-1 win over Vilita knocking the Jungle Cats down and outside the Top 2 spaces where they needed to stay if they had any hope of picking up that rare World Cup - Cup of Harmony Numerical Double.

After helping lead the Jungle Cats to victory on the opening matchday, the coaching staff decided to let the young Eastal Lunar FC netminder Zelkki Milake Jr. the opportunity to start for the second consecutive game even though the quality of the opponent had increased from the opener. There was a fairly strong lineup in front of Milake including heavyweight teammates Limu Katarakhna and Nii'arala Milaaso. The first half at the Stelladome was an expose on everything that was wrong with the Vilitan game as they were wholly out played in the area between the defense and the attacking midfield, losing the battles on the wing and unable to slow the midfield down in possession. The Jungle Cats were already down 2-0 at the break and even changing out Enzoril Alabonni for the more attack minded Clarana Refiami at the half time interval wasn't enough to change the momentum as Savojarna would find a third goal shortly after the restart.

While marching on their way to another heavy defeat to Savojarna - the Vilitan national Team did get a moment of individual brilliance from Nii'arala Milaaso in order to help save some of the embarassment pulling a goal back even if it was nothing more than a trivial party favor handed out as a thank you for providing the Savojar Nation yet another signature victory in the exponentially growing rivalry between the two nations. While not as heavy a defeat as the 0-4 result at the start of the World Cup 89 Qualifying cycle, the top seeded Jungle Cats were now on their heels with just two games to play in the Group Stage and knowing they would need to win each of the two matches to have a chance at ensuring their place in the knockout rounds.

While there was little positive to come in defeat to Savojarna, there was at least one minorly historic moment in the second half when Takaara Milanzi became the first Vilitan player to make their National Team debut at the Cup of Harmony in over 30 cycles. Milanzi, who broke into the first team at the Yeaddin Owls during their Vilitan League 66 Vilitan Cup championship run, would come on to the field in the 72nd minute to replace Limu Katarakhna as the Vilitans looked to provide an attacking presence that Savojarna had never faced before in an attempt to shake things up and get the Jungle Cats back into the game.

While the inexperienced Milanzi was unable to break through and provide a goal or assist for Vilita after coming on, they also did their part in the two way game coming back to support the defense where needed and the youngster appeared likely to receive further caps with the national team later in the tournament. The Vilitan National Team are in a difficult situation in Group F of Cup of Harmony action as they will play four consecutive games with a bye on the final matchday meaning they will need to be 3 points clear of the rest of the group heading into the Final Matchday in order to secure their spot in the knockout rounds. Anything less than that and the Jungle Cats could be looking at an early elimination without even having the opportunity to control their fate on the field. To make the situation even more difficult, instead of being up by three points the Jungle Cats are currently trailing 3 points short of the top of the group meaning in order to be in position to advance to the Round of 16 they will need to make up 6 points of differential while only having 6 points left to play for over the final two games of Group Play.

 Vilita [1] - [3] Savojarna
				
	GOALS:	Vilita 	:: 60' Nii'arala Milaaso              		
	STATS:	Vilita 	:: Possession: 46%:: Shots: 3:: Corners: 6	Savojarna 	:: Possession: 54%:: Shots: 5:: Corners: 7
	Lineup:	[GK] Zelkki Milake Jr., [D.] Rojara Tiones, [D.] Inteali Koranjo, [D.] Narri Sebapilo, [ML]  Trezisi Rokopolis, [MC]  Limu Katarakhna, [MC] Intikko Kuhilana, [MR]  Kudii Davasarii, [FC]  Enzoril Alabonni, [FC] Nii'arala Milaaso, [FC] Tenziki Kulakao			
	Bench:	[FC] Clarana Refiami, [FC] Fishtii Blikala, [M] Lentali Purama, [M] Riku Kasslin, [U ] Takaara Milanzi, [D] Jirak Trikala, [GK] Striitca Virahat

Aquacorp Rumored to be Recruiting for Deep-Sea City Project

Tropicorp's scientist, engineers and researchers have reportedly tossed aside the Jungle-Clearing Machete's and traded them in for some scuba equipment and underwater submersibles as the quasi-governmental entity is reportedly taking on their biggest project since working with the Cocoabo Preservation Society to establish Cocoabo Park and the Cocoabo Forest as a permanent home for Free-Range Cocoabo and an associated educational resort where visitors and researchers alike could get up close and personal with Turori's most famous winged creatures.

Shortly after the Foxchester Event the Tropania Base set up two distinct research branches - The Tropania Initiative Team (TIT) and the Tropania Anomaly Team (TAT). Initially the TIT and TAT were competing tit for tat to secure funding and support to make their project the primary focus of Tropania base. The Initiative was focused on taking advantage of the unique geology surrounding Tropania based - particularly the extra deep trenches of the Aye-Aye Abyss which were unlike anything found in the Vilitan Cove region. The Initiative quickly established a shallow water base on an oversized Oil-Platform on the edge of the Aye-Aye Abyss and began laying the ground work for a permanent expansion deep into the abyss. The Anomaly Team was focused on an entirely different phenomenon - the extra-temporal and/or extra-spacial forces that not only may have caused the Foxchester Event but that also lingered through the presence of the two primary portals allowing passage of Biological (Cocoabo Forest) and Physical (Tropania) material between either side of the presence.

Ultimately the decision was made that both Teams would get funding, with the Anomaly Team becoming the primary focus of the activity at the Tropania Base while the Initiative would be split into a subsidiary organization that could focus on all things under-water. To date the exact charter of the Tropania Initiative Team was unclear other than the general charter of research efforts in the Aye-Aye Abyss. Recent recruiting by this new "Aquacorp" Subsidiary could lead some clues as to what activities might be ongoing deep within the Ocean of Ayes.

Among a plethora of positions reported to be sought by Aquacorp included the following:

X-Ray Technician
Under Water Welding Expert
Laser Technician
Swordfighting Expert with Underwater Swording experience
Shark-lingual communicator (Multiple Species)
Cotton Candy Concotionary
Self contained external gill apparatus tester

While detailed plans were not publicly available it seems that these are just a subset of the specialties sought in thie second wave of hiring by the Aquacorp after an initial period of baseline construction of a potential Under-water city on the edge of the Aye-Aye Abyss.

by **Savojarna** » Sun Oct 17, 2021 2:07 pm

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
New Guard advertises itself - to new coaching staff?

By Jaukka Halanen

Yet another match against Vilita - the fifth in the last four years - marked yesterday’s halfway point of the Cup of Harmony Group Stage for Savojarna. In a few days, the Northlights will face a much different game against Juvencus, a formerly bitter foe that the Savojar team has not faced in over twenty years, leading to cooled heads (presumably). However, one constant will be the rejuvenation of the side, forced as Daniella Strauss deliberately rotated her squad, stating that “something needs to happen after the results of the qualifier, and this may well include significant changes to the team”. She has followed that goal with bringing on a young squad against Vilita, replacing yet another veteran as Flemming Skov started the match on the bench, with Viipuri on the right side and the leftback position filled by CASK fullback Ansgar Klaey. Assisted by the defensive Finn Östberg, Klaey did his job fine but not outstandingly; however, others have clearly announced themselves as future mainstays of the team.

Most notable, of course, is Partisan Sjoedrhavn striker Lars Alvesen at age 19. The versatile, physical striker links up exceptionally with the also still very young, but more established Sven Ehlers, resulting in three goals in the tournament for Savojarna’s number 9. Finn Östberg himself, stuck behind the eternal duo of Voynov and Aarsoy, has also been an outstanding addition to the side, adding defensive stability against Vilita that had been missing in the match against Mertagne, where he was substituted for the offensive Rajala after a minor muscular issue arising during warmup. Perhaps the biggest one, however, is Lok Jarnstad’s Adrian Klaebo. Not starting in either game, he has only taken the field in place of Victoria Maersk in the second half twice, but he has assured the Savojar fans that they don’t need to fear the time after this tournament when the now 36 year old Captain and pioneer (among others, the first Savojar to play in Nephara’s Premiership) will hang up her Northlights jersey for good. Klaebo has taken the field in commanding fashion, spraying passes up field with a personal confidence that is almost out of place for a player with little to no national team experience - then again, at 24 years of age and SFS A as well as IFCF experience, he is no rookie in the broader scope of international club football.

Misha Jashkin remains a fixed point on the right flank as the Euraleague winger is an example in work ethic and teamplay, often sacrificing himself to shore up the wild charges of Flemming Skov against Mertagne and threatening the goal with his laserlike passes, including an assist against Vilita. However, there is also pressure coming down onto him as Kaisa Gyldenström’s final 25 minutes against Vilita were a truly inspired performance, with the 23 year old Corvistone winger showing speed that genuinely troubled Vilita’s back line in the late stages of the game. Her failure to get her name onto the board is more due to luck and a lack of selfishness, perhaps emphasised best when she looked for the pass back to Lundell in the end of the match rather than aiming for a shot from the side; however, if her development continues like this, the future on Savojarna’s right wing indeed looks bright.

However, the bigger theme in this tournament is off the pitch. While the SFFB still has not openly made a statement regarding the question of Daniella Strauss’ contract extension, stating the ongoing tournament as a reason to not disturb the team with speculation, this has been widely interpreted as a sign of the Association’s displeasure with the Nepharan coach. Rumours on twii.tur have touted Patrik Alexandersson, two-times SFS A champion with Partisan Sjoedrhavn, as well as Admiral’s Gylfi Haukason. The latter’s rumours soared after a proclamation that Admiral signed the Quebecois Hwang Joon-Ho; with Haukason achieving consistent results in the past seasons (although no title), online journalist Jacob Svensson was first to point out replacing Haukason makes little sense unless the Ejanan coach moved on to other challenges. Torpedo’s Dmitri Lijushkin has also been mentioned after he surprisingly led the Pawlograders to two IFCF berths in a row, but the offensive nature of his play seems like a poor fit to the Savojar national team - unless the SFFB look for a new identity to draw a proper clean slate, that is.

In any case, speculation on the national team’s direction is entertaining despite the Association’s insistence that no decisions are made. Whomever takes (or keeps) the helm of the Savojar National Football Team, they will inherit a team with multiple interesting options, particularly with young players showing up at the Cup of Harmony.

by **Schima Bas** » Sun Oct 17, 2021 6:07 pm

Kamara’s cannon secures first Golden Crescent win

Match Reports

Matchday 1: Geektopia (4-2) Schima Bas

‘19 Ringwald
‘30 Swenty
‘39 Kamara
‘46 Swenty
‘58 Nazar
‘78 Swenty

Matchday 2: Schima Bas (2-1) Siovanjia and Teusland

‘59 Nazar
‘70 Hielscher-Zendagorta
‘87 Kamara

In a great showing for the Golden Crescent, the basians were able to come away with three points in a match that had many on the edge of their seats. The early part of the game featured many great chances from Siovanjia and Teusland, and a save by Hatem Cairo was the only thing keeping the basians level when a fault of Rabi Bagheri allowed Hielscher-Zendagorta space for a rocketing shot from just inside the 18-yard-box in the 30th minute. When countering, the Golden Crescent played wonderfully down the sides, with exceptional play from Moghaddam and Sergeant on the wings. Bisma Shehadeh provided a physical and unwavering presence in the midfield, and intercepted four passes from the opposition, including one interception that directly lead to a goal in the 87th minute, when Shehadeh assisted youngster Antwaun Kamara with the match-winner.

All three players have developed in their playmaking ability together on the national team, and the nation looks expectantly to see Moghaddam and Shehadeh play alongside one another at Alquierdi Crown, the Emir-funded club that expects to finish near the top of the table in the Crown Premier League’s inaugural season, starting shortly after the conclusion of the Cup of Harmony.

Granada finally featured in the squad, but was largely ineffective, subbed on in the 80th minute. His form seemed a little unlike his qualifying performance, and it was evident that the attacker was out of his element. He replaced Nazar on the left, after the first goalscorer of the night took a knock and had to be taken off. It’s unsure if Nazar will feature in the next matchday, although Tio said that he was expected to recover quickly from what appears to be a minor injury.

The team seems to be adjusting well to to competition faced, and the crowd back home will be looking for more points in the following match days, which will be crucial if the Golden Crescent hope to advance against all odds. Though improbable, the team’s victory in this match should give them the motivation to defeat bigger teams in the group.

Back home, a footballing culture is just getting started. Barracelio FC, the only team in the soon-to-premiere Basian National League structure to have a youth system, is soon to be joined by other top clubs, though Hatem Phoenix’s owners seem to be hesitant of the idea, promising fans the privilege of seeing the best talent in the league, hoping to make big moves in the transfer market instead of investing in a local youth system. It’s unclear how sustainable this plan is, considering the league’s novelty and the yet unknown quality of many players. International football experts have called the move unsustainable, and some at the club have taken to protesting the move, as they see local development as a key focus of any serious football club.

Phoenix have picked up Cairo Hatem, the national team’s starting goalkeeper, and Jan Moustafa, backup forward. It’s unclear if the club will pick up any more transfers before the season begins. Most national team starters are already deep in contract negotiations with different clubs, with some, like Lucas Lefebvre of Basian First Division side Automotive Club Franciar already locked in to contracts.

Lefebvre, who signed with the lower-league side over offers from L’embac Ourelasia and Ourelasia Hearts FC, said that he would rather be with the side than any club currently in the upper leagues.

“This club understands that local community is essential to building a footballing culture organically. I think the best approach is to utilize and develop local talent to play for their home clubs. I think that’s an element of football that can be easily forgot... Nothing is as important as our local communities, and that's why I have decided to stay with this club in this city."

by **Banija** » Sun Oct 17, 2021 6:51 pm

@KadongoKamu The national team will look for three points for the first time at this Cup of Harmony, as we prepare to take on Eraman on Matchday 3 of this tournament here in Sylestone. #GoBanijaGo

@AllBanijaSportsMagazine Pressure is the word of the day in regards to the Kadongo Kamu. The Cup of Harmony campaign has been outright disastrous so far- just 1 goal scored across 180 minutes, two disappointing draws where the team came out terribly flat and look unmotivated. Can Pam Scott turn that around for Matchday 3?

@IstriaTimes How deep is the rot for the national team? It is unlike modern times to see a fall this quick and this stunning. World Cup 88 Semifinal. AOCAF champions. Not only do we miss the next World Cup- but we could be KO'd in the group stages of this CoH? The Qualification is no longer a blip in the radar- could be the start of a long-term downward trend. How the team performs over the next two days will be tellign to see if she really does need to scrap this whole roster and start over.

@RBSA Fun fact of the day- on Matchday 2, Gereh Kama became the first Banijan to score at a Cup of Harmony in 10 cycles, as he scored the opening goal of Banija's 1-1 draw against Saltstead.

@BusogaIslandsNationalTeam Having a little trouble there in Sylestone, @KadongoKamu? Ad they made fun of us... At least we could get to the knockout stages of the Cup of Harmony! #BusogaForever

@AllBanijaSportsMagazine RBSA Executive Chairman Robel Ezera taking heat for the national team's struggles here at the Cup of Harmony, with many saying the 'lack of youth development' responsible for this growing debacle. For context, Banija hasn't participated in the last five U21 World Cups, and the last 6 U18 World Cups.

by **Zwangzug** » Sun Oct 17, 2021 6:55 pm

C is for cease! Cutoff commences currently.

Group A
Sylestone 1–2 Nyowani Kitara
Sendhang 0–2 New Lusitania

* Group A                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 New Lusitania            3   2  1  0    5   2  +3    7
2 Nyowani Kitara           2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
3 Sylestone                3   1  1  1    3   3   0    4
4 Yuezhou                  2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1
5 Sendhang                 2   0  0  2    0   3  −3    0

Group B
Poafmersia 1–0 Ottoman Syldavia
Sargossa 0–0 The Licentian Isles

* Group B                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Poafmersia               3   1  2  0    2   1  +1    5
2 Chartistan               2   1  1  0    2   1  +1    4
3 Sargossa                 2   0  2  0    0   0   0    2
4 The Licentian Isles      3   0  2  1    1   2  −1    2
5 Ottoman Syldavia         2   0  1  1    1   2  −1    1

Group C
Banija 2–3 Eraman
Saint Eleanor 3–2 Saltstead

* Group C                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Eraman                   2   1  1  0    5   4  +1    4
  Saint Eleanor            2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
3 Saltstead                3   1  1  1    8   8   0    4
4 Banija                   3   0  2  1    3   4  −1    2
5 Adab                     2   0  1  1    6   7  −1    1

Group D
Savigliane 4–1 Geisenfried
Flavovespia 3–3 Hispinas

* Group D                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Savigliane               3   2  1  0    7   2  +5    7
2 Hispinas                 3   0  3  0    6   6   0    3
3 Sharktail                2   0  2  0    3   3   0    2
4 Flavovespia              2   0  1  1    4   6  −2    1
5 Geisenfried              2   0  1  1    1   4  −3    1

Group E
Jeruselem 4–2 Bollonich
Hapilopper 2–2 Trolleborg

* Group E                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Jeruselem                3   2  1  0    9   4  +5    7
2 Sarzonia                 2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
3 Trolleborg               3   0  3  0    3   3   0    3
4 Hapilopper               2   0  1  1    4   7  −3    1
5 Bollonich                2   0  0  2    3   6  −3    0

The 81st Cup of Harmony: Sylestone and Zwangzug (Everything)

Gift of the Gab - Episode II

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