Hudsonian Football International Challenge - EVERYTHING

by **Patricana** » Thu Jan 18, 2018 2:51 pm

Banija 14–6 Patricana

Major Disappointment For The St. Patrick's

BOTLEY- Certainly the appetite for Hudsonian Football in Patricana is not especially voracious. We get to see it on TV every once in a while, and when Siobhan studied abroad in Dover she came back talking about it like it was the greatest sport, but let's face it, few Patrick children grow up wanting to be, uh, Leo Whosit the kicking guy, or whoever the stars are of Hudsonian Football. Yet, because of our geographic proximity to Hudson Islands, the Patricana national team had to have been considered the favourite at the Hudsonian Football International Challenge....up until opening kickoff of our match with Banija.

Simply put, our beautiful boys with harps on their shirts were second class. Period. The team from Banija, made up of rugby union players, were bigger, faster, better at kicking and just generally more adroit than the Patrick side. Aside from the final whistle the only real highlight was a 43 metre Malachy O'Dowd run that ended in him downing the ball and converting his field goal in the second quarter. John McLennan got a pair of goals, both well after the match was out of hand, although one did come from a drop kick in open play. Rory Kelly may have also provided the crowd a brief moment of joy when he delivered a particularly hard tackle to Freydoun Rahnema...a player who will be giving any local fans (or Patrick-Hudsonian diaspora fans) nightmares for a while.

Of course, the question now turns to how many of those fans will there be? There were worries among the organisers of the event that ticket sales would be poor, and for the Patricana match at least...they were. About 12,000 fans attended, seemingly evenly split between rooting for Patricana and rooting against. Hudsonian Football clearly wants to develop the sport abroad, as part of their constant need to develop soft power and lord it over the rest of Placid Ocean. Certainly it may be our patriotic duty to support the Patricana national Hudsonian Football team, but maybe the more patriotic thing to do would be to ignore it, to not let those Hudsonian bastards control us!

by **Banija** » Thu Jan 18, 2018 5:28 pm

Banijans fly high with 14-6 blowout victory over

Banijan Full-Back Freydoun Rahnema lines the ball up to take a place kick early in the 1st half

BOTLEY, HUDSON ISLANDS- What kind of expectations did the Banijans have for a tournament like this? They couldn't have been too high. This was a sport that we had, as a people, never played before. The same was true, of course, for the rest of the field- except for their day 1 opponents. Patricana is right next to the country, which means that they are very heavily influenced by the Hudson Islands in terms of culture. As much as one could be named for this tournament, they were the tournament favorites going into the match. They have quite a few Hudsonian Football players of their own, which gives them an inherent advantage. What did the Banijans have? They had grit, they had skill, and most importantly, they had power. Big bruisers from the islands, where rugby union, rather than association, is the #1 sport of this sports-crazed nation.

All that showed, and plenty more, in this 14 goal shellacking of Patricana by Banija. What happened? It is extremely interesting to try and figure out how this happened. But it was clear- the final score was no joke. The Banijans simply outclassed their opponents, and considering Patricana's early status as tournament favorites, made an early statement. The Banijans from the Busoga Islands, as poor of a country as Banija is, were not here for sightseeing. They were here for one reason, and one reason only- to show off their talents at sport, especially at this sport. This squad, who is player coached by Quarter-Back Iraj Azari, wanted to show that they were capable of coming in here and dominating this tournament, and while we must caution- it's only been one game- they have made just about as loud as a statement as they possibly could have made, especially against an opponent like Patricana.

This game was over before it ever really got going. While Banija opened the scoring with an Azari field goal from 17 yards, but Patricana quickly responded after that. Patricana scored on a brilliant drop kick from 27 yards, which showed their talent in the game. But that was when Banija started to dominate. They closed the first half by scoring 8 goals in a row, each one unanswered by Patricana. Banija simply dominated the flow of play from that point. In this game, you have 5 tackles to try and advance the ball the length of the field- 140 meters, which is no short jog around the track. This is a tough feat, but the Banijan defense simply took over the game, especially the front line.

Even though forwards are all about scoring in this sport, it was the Banijan forwards who were leading the front line. What was the key to this game, the key to Banija scoring 8 unanswered goals? The front line of forwards being fast and ferocious, and making tackles early. This team was simply bigger and faster than Patricana- Banija's opponents were not breaking tackles, they were not shedding tackles, and as they were trying to pass the ball towards the edge, Banijan players were able to get there and prevent them from advancing the ball. They were able to limit the long runs of their opponents.

On offense, the Banijan combination was unstoppable. They were able to shed tackles, and good blocking allowed the Banijans to have some long runs. Freydoun Rahnema was five for five on field goals in the first half, but the highlight of the half was a desperation, 35 meter drop kick from Mostafa Mashayekhi. As he was about to be tackled, as Banija had four tackles already for that possesion, he was able to get a big boot behind the ball, and kick it all the way through the goalposts. It was just the kind of day Banija was having. They ended the half poorly- allowing a 43 meter run by Malachy O'Dowd so he could convert an easy field goal. Banija, taking a 9-2 lead into halftime, was able to let the pedal off of the gas in the second half.

The starters started in the 3rd quarter, and there was a particular big hit on Freydoun Rahnema. The star field goal kicker was running with the ball, and Rory Kelly, out of a blind spot for the fullback, blasted through Rahnema, and knocked him out of the game. While Banijan Olympic officials confirmed that Rahnema was 'fine' and would be back for the second game in the group stage, the starters were quickly taken out after that hit. That is a hit that several Banijan players criticized after the game, so if these two teams meet in the Final, it is something that is sure to be on the minds of Banijans.

Regardless, the event was lauded as a success. Banija won this game handily, and will next face the squad from Ethane. After Banija's performance in their first game, they will be expected to be favored. But this will be a test of the mental strength of this team. Now they have the weight of expectation on their shoulders- can they handle the pressure? We'll find out in a couple of games if this was just one brilliant performance, or if Banija can actually win this tournament.

Banijan goal statistics
QB- Freydoun Rahnema: 5 goals(5/5 field goals)
QB- Bahman Azadeh: 2 goals(1/3 field goals, 1 drop kick)
C- Mostafa Mashayekhi: 1 goal(drop kick)
F- Hadi Shariati: 1 goal(drop kick)
F- Amir Hossein Frootan: 1 goal(drop kick)
F- Ramin Hosseini: 1 goal(drop kick)
F- Ahmad Razavian: 1 goal(drop kick)
F- Mehdi Azadeh: 1 goal(drop kick)
F- Mehran Noori: 1 goal(drop kick)

by **Northwest Kalactin** » Thu Jan 18, 2018 8:19 pm

Ahh I like wins like this you know beating other teams by very few goals that is fun so shall we do a recap of this game Tyler Kelley made a nice kick into the uprights the ball was a great kick i must say a kick right down the middle our next point was scored by Rory McCullough who was about to get tackled and there were 4 tackles on him so far and kicked it at the last second before the bjorniyans tackled him then bjorniyans struck back with one of their forwards making it through the uprights the northwest kalactanians almost made it as left wing mark Rodgers having the kick it down field then the bjorniyans scored again with a long kick on the next play Carl reed made it far until he did a lateral pass to quarterback David brooks who kicked it before he got tackled 3-2 Northwest Kalactin the Northwest kalactanians struck again with max smith scoring a point for the kalactanians but the bjorniyans wanted to prove that the game wasn’t out of reach and scored a goal to make it 4-3 Northwest Kalactin then the bjorniyans scored twice before the end of the second quarter could the bjorniyans win it it was 6-5 bjornia islands but half back Kevin Flores didn’t want them to win so Kevin the next quarter scored for Northwest Kalactin.

Kevin was on fire he took the ball and kicked it in to the uprights a perfect kick! This one was even better than Tyler’s kick this one was a long distance and he still kicked it right through the uprights 7-6 Northwest Kalactin the rest of the game went very well the defense was playing very well and they only scored 1 point on us and we scored 3

goal recap for Northwest Kalactin 
Tyler Kelley3 goals

Kevin Flores 2 goals

Mark Rodgers 1 goal

Max smith 1 goal

Rory McCullough 1 goal

David brooks 1 goal

by **Drawkland** » Fri Jan 19, 2018 10:15 pm

HUDSONIAN FOOTBALL CHALLENGE
Written By: Scott Kleeberg and Branden Ridley

FIXTURES
GROUP A:
Northwest Kalactin
Drawkland
South Covello
Bjørnøya Republic

MATCHES:
Drawkland v South Covello
Northwest Kalactin v Drawkland
Drawkland v Bjørnøya Republic
All @ Placid Airways Park, Botley, Hudson Islands

Hey fellas! Scott and Branden here with another article on miscellaneous sports stuff! This time we're covering a rather underground sport. Well, no, it's above ground, not like that one mine racing tournament. That was weird. Anyway, this one is an international tournament. The sport in question? Hudsonian Football. Drawkland even sent a trial team in. Let's see how this goes, shall we?

WHAT IS HUDSONIAN FOOTBALL?
Hudsonian Football is the national sport of the Hudson Islands. You probably could've guessed that already, but we're here to tell you all we can gather about the sport. Essentially, it's like rugby league (the code not practiced much in Drawkland), but instead of going for tries, your only objective is to kick goals. Almost like Australian football, a bit. Honestly all these kinds of football are essentially the same with different rules. Oh wait, that's why they call them different codes of the same sport. Okay, back on track.

It's got your standard 11 players, and 4 quarters. Each quarter is 20 minutes, pretty long for you Gridiron fans, although the clock runs down more like a soccer clock so it's probably not too noticeable. The field is as wide as your standard rugby field, but much longer, measuring in at 140 meters, which is a little more than 1.5 gridiron fields in length. To score, you gotta kick the ball through the uprights, like a field goal. They're the only method of scoring, and are worth 1 point each. If it's during open play then you have to drop kick it, while after a penalty or the ball being downed it's a place kick off a tee.

Other than that, it's pretty similar to rugby. The team gets 5 tackles to advance the ball down the field. After the 4th tackle they'll either kick to score or punt it away, like 4th down in gridiron. You of course have the lateral and forward running at your advantage, but there are no forward passes. Standard, except for knock-ons. Basically if the ballcarrier fumbles the ball forward it's okay, but he's the only one on his team who can recover it (and of course the whole opposing team as well). Remember that the only way to score is a kick, so if a player has broken away towards the goal, they'll likely kick it straight away or down it a fair distance away for a clean kick. Obviously you don't want to get too close or else it creates angles nearly impossible to kick from. Downing the ball is kind of like completing a try in rugby, putting the ball on the ground with both hands. This stops play and allows for a free place kick.

Finally, there's punting. You can punt the ball at any time to gain field position. Your team's players are perfectly allowed to recover a punt, but they have to cleanly do it themselves. If the ball hits the ground or is recovered by the defense it's a turnover. Also, if you kick it through the uprights, it doesn't count as a point, and the other team is given the ball at the spot of the kick. Interesting stuff, really. So who from Drawkland is competing in all this?

"HUDSON CORPS" ROSTER

Manager
Shaun McCoy, Style +4

Position  Name              Sport     Position
Forward   Tatton Taylor     Rugby     Forward
Forward   Niko Boyd         Gridiron  Offensive Line
Forward   Leo Cross         Gridiron  Defensive Line
Forward   Irving Marino     Rugby     Forward
Forward   Jeffrey Greco     Rugby     Forward
Forward   Adair Van Canne   Gridiron  Linebacker
Forward   Hayden Daniels    Rugby     Forward

Center    Gunne Viggo       Gridiron  Fullback
Center    Finley Henderson  Rugby     Center

Winger    Daniel Madison    Gridiron  Wide Receiver
Winger    Craig Houston     Rugby     Winger
Winger    Bobby Bennett     Gridiron  Tight End

Q-Back    Ben Moss          Rugby     Backer
Q-Back    Sammy Wilkins     Gridiron  Running Back
H-Back    Vander Levy       Gridiron  Punter
H-Back    Joele Jeannes     Rugby     Backer
F-Back    Raleigh Stig      Gridiron  Kicker
F-Back    Elias Omar        Rugby     Fullback

DISC, when deciding to send a team, sent a few Grid Corps (national gridiron team) and Try Corps (national rugby team) "outsiders" to do this one, with a few exceptions, both as publicity for them and for the sport they're playing. When you hear a familiar name involved with a team, it makes you curious. Makes you want to watch. That's what DISC (Drawkian International Sporting Council) was looking for. And of course, considering the amount of athleticism and skill professional (especially national-team caliber) athletes from Drawkland possess, they're definitely surefire choices. Let's just hope they remember how to play the game.

The roster to your right shows every player on the team, their position on the aptly named Hudson Corps (as this matches the naming of every other Drawkian national team), as well as what they play for their normal sport, in which they are a professional. They're listed like a depth chart, so the players closer to the top of their position list are most likely to get the most playing time. So basically the bottom 1 or 2 players for each position are bench players. Simple.

First off, the manager, Shaun McCoy. A legendary coach of rugby in Drawkland who retired a few seasons ago after amassing a huge trophy cabinet in the union. We dunno how, but DISC managed to coerce him into managing this fledgling squad. Maybe he's liking the challenge it's bringing to strategize for a new environment. Maybe they offered him a fat stack of cash. Perhaps he just wanted to get away for awhile. Why not the Hudson Islands! I hear they're great this time of year. I think.

Then we have the forwards. These are the bigger dudes on the team, mainly doing the blocking on offense and tackling on defense. Despite the fact that most Hudsonian Football squads now substitute players in for offense and defense, McCoy has decided to have players do both sides of the ball, both for player and fan enjoyment (as well as maximize playing time for most). Who are these fierce manhandlers up front? Leading the charge we have Tatton Taylor, undeniably the best forward in Drawkian Union right now. His skills and leadership are incredible, and he'll likely be captaining the team due to his experience and moxy. Irving Marino, Jeffrey Greco, and Hayden Daniels are also all-star forwards for the Drawkian Rugby NT (which hasn't competed in any tournaments yet, surprisingly), and they'll all be seeing plenty of playing time. However, you also have Niko Boyd, a fantastic blocker and offensive lineman, and Leo Cross, undoubtedly the fastest and deadliest defensive end in the game for Drawkland. With them tag-teaming offensive and defensive drives, you can count of them being big playmakers, despite not playing their "home sport" so to speak. The last forward is Adair Van Canne, who normally plays outside linebacker on the Grid Corps. His endurance is unmatched and his tackling skills are excellent.

Next on the list are our centers. There's just one on the field at a time (we have 2 for sub reasons), but they're the largest of all of the backs (listed later), and good at both running, pitching the ball out, and tackling as well. Heading this is Gunne Viggo, the taciturn and multi-talented fullback who plays on the Grid Corps. He played rugby in high school and college before deciding on gridiron, and apparently is very excited to learn a new sport. Behind him is Finley Henderson, the reserve center on the Try Corps. He plays center for a living. He's a solid player.

Wingers are next up. Apparently McCoy hasn't divided them on sides of the field as they apparently should all be able to play either side. Heading this group is ... wait. Daniel Madison? Greatest Wide Receiver of all time? Incredible athlete? Tall, strong, nigh-unstoppable? Probably secretly a demigod sent to destroy grass and turf pitches across the multiverse? Damn. Apparently he was interested in trying out this new sport. A new challenge, or something. Why is he playing winger? Well, for one, he's one of the best in the business at returning and fielding kicks, which is a big part of the Winger job. In addition, he's actually quite decent at kicking (and like everything else ever), and thus is able to fill out that part of the winger resume. Next to him is starting NT rugby winger Craig Houston, who's also used to kicking as he did it a bit before becoming a professional Union winger, and together, backed up by reserve NT Tight End Bobby Bennett, they will be a fearsome force on the sides of the pitch.

Then we have all the backs. Two of each, the Quarterback, Fullback, and Halfback, listed in descending order of intended speed and running ability and in ascending order of kicking ability. The QBs, who will not be throwing any forward passes (ahaha), are the quickest of the bunch. Ben Moss, the fastest rugby player in Drawkland right now, is the starter there, and Sammy Wilkins, NT halfback famous for having the third-fastest 40 yard dash in GLD Combine history, will be backing him up whenever he gets tired.

At halfback we have Vander Levy, the second Grid Corps punter. Wait a minute, you said punter, right? Those guys are wimps, right? Not Levy. He's one of the toughest punters and is known for running fake punts for big yardage. He's also an avid drop-kicker, despite his usual job, and that's why he's playing at halfback, the position required for some of the best kicking. Joele Jeannes is a Union player who normally plays halfback. He's good at his job, since it's his usual getup, and thus will be splitting most of the playing time.

Finally, we have the Fullbacks, small, fast, and good at kicking. Raleigh Stig, kickoff specialist of the Grid Corps? He checks all those boxes. Expect to see him downing the ball 25 yards from the goalline and kicking flawless free kicks all tournament long. Like Levy, he's tougher than your average gridiron ball kicker, and thus will be seeing a lot of offensive action. Elias Omar is one of the best defensive last-stand players in the Union business, and will be taking most of the defensive action. Don't expect to see them exclusively sticking to one side of the ball though. These guys are talented.

PROJECTIONS
Ultimately, we expect the Hudson Corps to play some great ball down in Botley. Apparently, if some of these guys are good enough, they may even be signed contracts to Hudsonian teams! For some of them, that could be a big pay raise. We'll just have to see how it all works out. Will we win the tournament? Well, we have a 12.5% chance by default, and that's not counting the actual incredible talent this team has. We could win it, or maybe just get blown out a bunch. It'll just come down to how the guys gel to the sport compared to the other national teams.

Speaking of other teams, we've been drawn in Group A. This includes the newly-named South Covello, the interesting and grammatically innovative Northwest Kalactin, and the rather no-show Bjørnøya Republic. At the time of the writing of this article, the Hudson Corps actually obtained their first victory, a 9-3 win over South Covello! Stig had 4 points, Levy 2, Madison 1, Houston 1, and Jeannes 1. The team played well and we're hoping they can get the better of the Kalactinians in their next match, who also won with 9 points ... but allowed 7. An offensive showing could put us ahead for sure.

Ultimately, all the teams enter the quarterfinals, so this group stage is just for experience before said knockouts. But that's only 3 rounds including the championship so we can surely get some silverware! Or at least play well as a team. That's all we have today for you guys, and so we're signing off.

No matter the sport, no matter the score, we say ... On Corps!

by **Hudson Islands** » Sat Jan 20, 2018 7:45 am

CUTOFF TIME!

Apologies it's a little early, but here we are.

Group A
Bjørnøya Republic 3–9 South Covello
Northwest Kalactin 3–10 Drawkland

Code: Select all: Group A Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts 1 Drawkland 2 2 0 0 19 6 +13 4 2 South Covello 2 1 0 1 12 12 0 2 3 Northwest Kalactin 2 1 0 1 12 17 −5 2 4 Bjørnøya Republic 2 0 0 2 10 18 −8 0

Group B
Quantilia 1–17 Patricana
Ethane 3–15 Banija

Code: Select all: Group B Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts 1 Banija 2 2 0 0 29 9 +20 4 2 Patricana 2 1 0 1 23 15 +8 2 3 Quantilia 2 1 0 1 13 20 −7 2 4 Ethane 2 0 0 2 6 27 −21 0

by **Quantilia** » Sun Jan 21, 2018 8:38 am

Quantilia is proud to announce it has entered in the first-ever Hudsonian Football International Challenge, only its second tournament ever! They sent mostly rugby players, with a few up-and-coming football players to compete there. Quantilia is a proud 1-1 so far. The Falcons defeated Ethane 12-3 for our first win in international sports ever. The next week, Patricana, a puppet of the host Hudson Islands, crushed the team 17-1. Our third match, and possibly last, will be against Banija. They are undefeated at 2-0, and outscore their opponents 29-9. Let's see if the Green-and-Navy can upset Banija. Our rosters for the tournament are posted below.

Roster for Hudsonian International Football Challenge:
Key: number, name, position, club
Clubs are rugby clubs unless otherwise noted
#2 Hildred Pocock, forward, Willrex United
#5 Christie O'Briain, halfback, Tourose City
#9 Avon MacDaniel, quarterback, Quantilia City Cavaliers (american football)
#12 David Jeffrey, forward, Moncton City
#14 Cefin Walker, forward, Willrex United
#15 Tiarnan Vernon, fullback, Quazarton
#16 Lamar Moloney, forward, Saville Grizzlies
#17 Joe MacDaibheid, center, Potomisle United
#20 Vic Rowntree, right wing, Quazarton
#21 Winston Sempers, left wing, Quazarton Rovers
#77 Jonty Welch, forward, Xavier Sabres (american football)
Reserves:
#18 Logan Albinson
#19 Trevor Harlan
#29 Keegan Holmes
#31 Pryderi Sangster
#32 Gwallter Kelly
#57 Prosper Stanley
#58 Westley MacGrory
#86 Paderau Keegan
#89 Laverne Beverley
#91 Joshua Norris
#94 Leolin North
#99 Tyrone McManus

by **Patricana** » Sun Jan 21, 2018 4:16 pm

Patricana 17-1 Quantilia

BOTLEY- Well, that's more like it I guess.

The Beautiful Boys With Harps On Their Shirts had a much better time in their second matchday of the Hudsonian Football International Challenge, beating up on Quantilia 17-1. The match was an absolute demolition, the Quantilia side seemed almost totally incapable of gaining field position and in the odd occasion they kicked for goal they struggled there as well. Meanwhile, our boys scored on almost half their possessions- they got fantastic running from Fionntán Mac Ceallach and Malachy O'Dowd, who each ran more than 200 metres.

The substitutes played most of the second half, as Patrick had a 9-0 lead at halftime. Mick Quigley specifically acquitted himself well, catching three separate kick passes and scoring two goals as a result. Poor Quantilia forward Cefin Walker will rue the day he faced Patricana, getting run over more than once by various Beautiful Boys- he had a very poor defensive performance, missing 10 tackles.

Matchday three will see Patricana face off with Ethane, who got similarly demolished by Banija in matchday two. The quarterfinals look likely to hold either Northwest Kalactin or South Covello, so our boys will need to learn some directions.

by **Banija** » Sun Jan 21, 2018 4:59 pm

Dominating 15-3 victory puts Banija in pole position for #1 overall seed for the knockout stages

Banijan Forward Ehsan Zamani runs with the ball

BOTLEY, HUDSON ISLANDS- Banijans turned their head towards the Hudson Islands for the first time, when they had a surprising victory over Patricana in the opening game of the Hudsonian Football International Challenge. A sport shown to show off the local sport, many nations have sent a combination of rugby union, rugby league, and gridiron football players, down to the Hudson Islands to play this sport. Patricana, as a nation that is geographically within great proximity of the Hudson Islands, was thought to have a slight advantage in terms of talent due to that cultural and geographical closeness. While they do, they are not shoe-ins for the tournament, as Banija came out swinging in their first game on the way to a 14-6 victory.

Now, of course, for their second group stage match. This time, of course, they met Ethane. Still, not much opportunity to scout here, as they've only played one Hudsonian Football game together. Banija's only scout for the tournament has only just arrived in the Hudson Islands, and while it is not confirmed, they are thought to be sending him to the Drawkland game on Matchday 3, as they are shaping up to the best team in Group A. Banija shouldn't get ahead of themselves though, with their record in sporting competitions. Having hosted competitions from the WLCs to the World Bowl to everything in between, we've never won a true international competition in any sport. If it wasn't for Loyola-Istria, we wouldn't have won any trophies at all.

So it is a big tournament for Banija, to be the first time a Banijan national team has won an international competition. And while this wouldn't count as a major tournament(as it's not an official championship, per say) it would still be a major victory for Banija. We'll see if this team can keep it up when the pressure is on, as each and every Banijan national team has failed to do. Maybe we should train at the facilities of Loyola-Istria?

Regardless, back to the match. Banija won its second game of this tournament, a 15-3 walloping of Ethane, which allowed for the whole roster to be used, as a dominant first half once again led to the substitutes being used at halftime. A 10-0 lead at halftime, with 5 goals scored in each of the first 3 quarters, is something that the Banijans must be proud of. The Banijan front forward line was stellar. Not letting Ethanians advance the ball from the point of attack, and early tackles and interceptions to make sure that they wouldn't get into field goal range in the first half. Kooroush Aslani especially was active on that front, ensuring that the Banijans would be able to control this game.

The Banijan backs came, ready to play, and were putting the pedal to the medal. Freydoun Rahnema was once again perfect from field goals, going four for four. Of course, this is an aggressive sport with potential for injuries, so they wanted to give other backs a chance. Ultimately, Banija was 7/8 from field goals in the first half. Rahnema hit his four, while Kaveh Razavian was 2/2 and Iraj Azari was 1/2, hitting the post. They had the same strategy- get the ball out to the wings, and let them take it down to the field goal area. Mostafa Mashayekhi is one of Banija's most talented players in this respect.

Running a 4.35 40 yard dash, he runs with great speed and power, making him hard to catch with good blocking. He, alongside forwards on his side like Ramin Hosseini, are able to consistently down the ball inside of 20 yards, where the Banijan backs are ready to start placekicking. His sprint speed makes him slippery, and honestly, he does quite a bit well for this Banijan offense. And now, of course, Banija has an interesting matchup upcoming against Quantilla in their third match.

Quantilla got it handed to them in their second game, but remember, they did win their first game against Ethane. They are a decent team with a decent roster, also built with a cross-section of rugby union players from across their country. They are fresh faces on the scene, and this is apparently their first ever international sporting competition. So congratulations to these players, of course, for being here- it is unique to be the first players to ever represent your country in the world of international sports. And a competition like this, of course, they are capable of winning. Remember Banija's first ever tournament, their miracle run through the WLCs?

Banija will be a slight favorite, but we cannot overlook the Green and Navy. We expect a close battle, which will be good for this team. If they want to truly have a chance, they need to know how to win a game late, when they are tired and the tension is high. We expect a 13-9 win for Banija, but we'll see what happens in our last group game before the knockout stages begin here in Botley.

by **Hudson Islands** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 6:22 am

MATCHDAY 3

Group A
Drawkland 14–2 Bjørnøya Republic
South Covello 3–4 Northwest Kalactin

Code: Select all: Group A Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts 1 Drawkland 3 3 0 0 33 8 +25 6 2 Northwest Kalactin 3 2 0 1 16 20 −4 4 3 South Covello 3 1 0 2 15 16 −1 2 4 Bjørnøya Republic 3 0 0 3 12 32 −20 0

Group B
Banija 10–0 Quantilia
Patricana 17–1 Ethane

Code: Select all: Group B Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts 1 Banija 3 3 0 0 39 9 +30 6 2 Patricana 3 2 0 1 40 16 +24 4 3 Quantilia 3 1 0 2 13 30 −17 2 4 Ethane 3 0 0 3 7 44 −37 0

Quarterfinals
BRACKET 1
Drawkland vs. Ethane
Patricana vs. South Covello

BRACKET 2
Banija vs. Bjørnøya Republic
Nortwhest Kalactin vs. Quantilia

by **Quantilia** » Tue Jan 23, 2018 5:55 am

Banija was ready for an upset, but unfortunately for the Falcons they shut us out 10-0. After a third-place finish in the group stage, we were saved by the fact every nation enters the quarterfinals. We now face Northwest Kalactin, familiar foe from the Rugby World Cup 26. The Green-and-Navy need to watch out for Tyler Kelley and the Northwest Kalactinian team as a whole, since their only loss was to the great Drawkland. They better be on upset alert, though. Quantilia's gonna bring a fight. Go Falcons!

by **Hudson Islands** » Wed Jan 24, 2018 7:25 am

IT'S QUARTERFINAL TIME!

Quarterfinals
Drawkland 10–3 Ethane
Patricana 16–1 South Covello
Banija 18–3 Bjørnøya Republic
Northwest Kalactin 6–10 Quantilia

SEMI-FINALS

Drawkland vs. Patricana
Banija vs. Quantilia

Thank you to Northwest Kalactin, Bjørnøya Republic, South Covello and Ethane for participating!

by **Quantilia** » Wed Jan 24, 2018 3:24 pm

In a lucky twist of fate, Quantilia upset the Northwest Kalactinians 10-6 in the quarterfinals. We had a great defensive effort, and we held the great Tyler Keeley to just one goal. Our loss in the Rugby World Cup 26 has been avenged, and we look to redeem ourselves against Banija when we play for the second time in the semis. The Falcons again have a good chance, although the Banijans will likely pull away with this one. If we win this one, we will either play Drawkland or Patricana in the grand final, yet that's too far ahead right now. We just need to focus on putting away Banija.

by **Banija** » Wed Jan 24, 2018 4:04 pm

Pair of big wins put Banija in sniffing distance of HFIC final; but past failures of other teams loom heavily over this squad

Banijans swarm Bjørnøya Republic players in the quarterfinals

BOTLEY, HUDSON ISLANDS- The newly formed Banijan Hudsonian Football squad has been on complete cruise control here at the Hudsonian Football International Challenge. Of course, it is the first time any of these countries, save Patricana, have actually played this sport, but the Banijans are making the most of this opportunity. They are playing fast, they are strong, they are quick- they are doing everything necessary to show that they are most deserved favorites to even win this whole thing.

In Banija's final group stage match, they played Quantilla. They won the match by a score of 10-0. Quantilla is a scrappy team, capable of pulling off an upset, but Banija was able to hold them off. The Hudsonian Football Lions were too strong, too fast, and too confident for this squad. It was Banija's first upset victory of the tournament, and, it turns out, the only match of this tournament so far where one team was shut out. Why so? The Banijan forward line was dominant against Quantilla's backs. Players like Amir Hossein Frootan and Ehsan Zamani were everywhere, and Quantilla did not attempt a single field goal. They had some drop kicks from distance, but pressure from Banija's forwards forced them well wide.

Then, of course, Banija went to the quarterfinals. They were to play the 4th place squad from Group A, Bjørnøya Republic. This is a squad that went 0-3 in the group stages, so Banija's big 18-3 win in the quarterfinal did not come as a surprise to those who have been watching and following this tournament. The Banijans were the better team, and that was clear from the word go. Physically, the Bjørnøya Republic could not keep up with Banija. Once again, the forward line was wreaking havoc everywhere against the Bjørnøya Republic, and all three pf their points occured in the 4th quarter.

In the semifinal, Banija has a rematch against Quantilla. Now I know what you're thinking- there's no way Banija loses to a team that it just smacked 10-0 two games ago, right? On the contrary, that is exactly why we can lose it. Banija's national teams have a history of getting oh so close to winning tournaments, but not being able to make the right plays at the biggest moments in time in international competition. Save for Herzegovina City FC in AOCL play and Loyola-Istria in the NSCF, Banijan teams are not known for their clutch factor.

It is always tough to beat the same team twice in the same tournament. They know your strategies, they've seen what you like to do. Quantilla just launched a huge upset over Northwest Kalactin. Now, you see, is where things get interesting. The pressure is on Banija. They've been utterly dominant in this tournament so far- every single game long decided when it reaches the fourth quarter. Quantilla just had a confidence boosting upset, yet they have no pressure.

Nobody expects Quantilla to win, because of the last matchup. That is why Banija must be weary. Even quarterback Iraj Azari said so himself. "We have to forget about what happened the last time we played Quantilla." Azari told reporters. "That game is officially meaningless. It doesn't matter what happened then- we are both in the same place, the semifinals, and no matter what has happened, it's do or die. They are going to approach this game differently than the last- the stakes are considerably higher, and their previous strategies did not work. They are thinking of new ways to attack us, and this game is a 50/50 coin flip. We have to work on our fundamentals, and make sure we are ready to react. We will throw wrinkles into our playbook as well, and the better team will reach the FInal."

The other semifinal is Patricana vs. Drawkland. Drawkland has been just as dominant as Banija has, but Patricana has completely changed their game since they lost to Banija in the opening match, now winners of three in a row. It is sure to be an interesting climax to this tournament.

by **Hudson Islands** » Thu Jan 25, 2018 11:01 am

The Modest Success of The International Challenge
Blowouts, Modest Crowds and Banija, Oh My!

BOTLEY- Realistically, what would make the Hudsonian Football International Challenge a success? You'd likely get a different answer from each footy fan, stuffed shirt or foreign tourist, but by almost every metric the result has been...so-so.

Let's start at the bottom line. Whilst Placid Airways Park has yet to sell out, it has not been empty either, averaging 13,000 fans per match (buoyed by near-sellouts for both Banija and Patricana's quarter-final matches). Television viewership on channel 5 has held steady at levels around that of preseason Botley FC matches- obviously not excellent but it shows that the audience for these games is "hardcore fans of the game of footy". There had been months of speculation that viewership may have been closer to Grand Final levels, with just as many naysayers saying it'd be nearly zero, as few footy fans would want to see badly played footy by teams they have no relationship to. The tournament also may have been inspirational for launching the first ever partnership between a club and a non-Placid Ocean business, the Regional Transit Corporation of Banija, the new sponsors of Wellington Sharks.

As for the footy itself...it's likely we may see a very exciting final. The field of 8 teams seemed to be roughly evenly split between sides who were just making up the numbers and sides who look like they may have a few HFC caliber players. Freydoun Rahnema of Banija in particular seems to be catching the eye of many scouts- representatives from all nine teams are scheduled to attend Banija's semi-final with Quantilia. The tournament thusfar has been rife with blowouts and with teams who are clearly getting a hang of the rules. The majority of the players sent came from codes of rugby, so many of the baseline concepts are similar, but rules regarding what is and is not a live football in particular have been troubling for many- most notably Patricana winger Michael O'Casey, who, suspecting he would be called for a knock-on after fumbling a pass, simply stopped playing in their match against South Covello, which led to South Covello's only goal.

The organizers of the event have savvily seemingly bailed on advertising the semi-finals and gone straight to aiming for a good crowd both in person and of telespectators for the final, which has the potential to be the best match of the tournament considering the last four teams remaining all seem to be the most capable of playing competent footy. Banija in particular appears to also be drumming up the most interest back home, so there may be potential for some travelling fans to come to Botley. As almost everything in the last year or so that's taken place in Hudson Islands has been an effort to respond to rising multiversism- and while it is going to take some time, getting any foreign interest into our sport is a good thing.

by **Hudson Islands** » Fri Jan 26, 2018 10:46 am

SEMI FINAL TIME!

Drawkland 9–7 Patricana

Banija 11–1 Quantilia

THE GRAND FINAL, THIS SUNDAY
Banija vs. Drawkland

by **Banija** » Sat Jan 27, 2018 12:56 pm

Banija in the HFIC final

Banijan half-back Kaveh Razavian runs with the ball in the 1st quarter

BOTLEY, HUDSON ISLANDS- The Banijan Hudsonian Football squad had yet another dominating win within the Hudson Islands, able to score 11 goals to rout Quantilla by 10 goals for a second time, this time failing to clinch a shutout but winning big by a score of 11-1. Banija was utterly dominant, though Freydoun Rahnema, who at this point is playing for a contract in the Hudsonian Football Championship, showed his fallibility by missing his field goal attempt of the entire tournament. Early in the second quarter, with the team already up by a score of 4-0, he had a 10 yard field goal, but he slipped on the run up and the ball clanked hard against the post, before it fell harmlessly in front of the ground for the opponents to take possession. Still, he has had a stunning tournament, and is likely to win the player of the tournament award.

Banija had a solid win in this semifinal matchup, and now, it is time for the tournament final. They are playing another undefeated side, in Drawkland. While Banija has thoroughly dominated all of their opponents up to this point, Drawkland has arguably done the same. Both teams are undefeated, and in the group stages, Drawkland actually had a better defense via their forward line, as they only allowed 8 goals while Banija simply piled on the points by scoring a whopping 39 goals in their first three games (though Patricana outscored them thanks to back-to-back utterly dominant 17-1 victories after they played Banija). While Banija's side of the bracket played out extremely wel for Banija, cruising to a pair of easy victories before the final, the same cannot be said for the other half of the bracket.

Patricana changed things up, and came prepared. They wanted to prove a point after being thoroughly beaten by the Banijans, and they certainly made an impression. With two 17-1 victories and a 16-1 victory, in the three matches following the opener between Banija and Patricana, the Patricana side won all three matches, scoring 50 goals in the process and only allowing 3- one in each game. They turned into a dominant, fearsome side, a team with a bone to pick and much to play for. They didn't want to simply win- they wanted to prove that they belonged to be talked about as the best non-Hudsonian side in this sport. But then, they ran up against Drawkland. Also a largely dominant side, they were the only other team, besides Banija, who hasn't lost yet. And Drawkland earned a close, exciting, 9-7 victory over a red-hot Patricana, showing that this might be where Banija meets its match.

But that's not even talking about the pressure surrounding this team. Now, you might say, what pressure? How many Banijans are following the sport? While the sport isn't even being followed at all on the mainland, as all the players are from the Busoga Islands, the region of Banija where gridiron is essentially non-existent and rugby is king. The Final will be the first match that is live televised, and due to time differences, it will be shown at Noon local time on the Islands. Many of these players are feeling the pressure of a region smarting, after the rugby squad dropped their first two at the Rugby Union World Cup and were quickly eliminated from the tournament.

Talk about the pressure, however. Can a Banijan national team, even one composed entirely of Busogans, win a title? It is a well-known fact within Banija that a Banijan national team has never won an international tournament. Banija hosted the United Valhaven Regional Football Championships once, and got 3rd in soccer. Famously, Banija lost in the semifinals of World Bowl 29, World Bowl 30, and World Bowl 31. Three straight semifinal losses in that tournament did some serious damage to the Banijan psyche. There are semifinal losses in WLC 22 and WLC 25 to Abanhlfeft, and in the 28th WLC, on home soil no less, they dominated the group stages, earning the #1 overall seed for the knockouts, but then were promptly upset by an upstart Juvencus side, who was the last team to qualify for the knockouts.

The worst part about all of these close calls, is that, until now, our best opportunity to win a tournament was our first opportunity. The 21st World Lacrosse Championships- Banija's first ever major international tournament, in any sport. We threw a team together, and had a miracle run to the Final, upsetting lacrosse powerhouses like Nassau-Hessen and New West Guiana, and defeating the host nation in the Final. They ended up falling to the defending champions, Cosuamar, in the final, and while expectations for Banija's national teams have been high ever since, that was the only time we've made a tournament final. All of the big game success, of course, belongs to Loyola-Istria, who in 3 seasons in the NSCF has never lost a postseason and have 2 NSCF titles.

Now, of course, the test if the curse is real is upcoming. Both teams are undefeated, but due to how Banija has won, they are the early betting favorites against Drawkland. If Drawkland, however, can defeat the Banijans and lift the trophy, the shadow over Banija's national teams will just grow longer. But if we win- is the curse lifted? Is this a major international tournament? Is it the major championship for this sport, or an invitational of a new sport that is not the equivalent of a Hudsonian Football world cup? That will be long debated in Banija if the team can win, but that's what we want to do- win. Make the Ministry of Culture & Sports have to actually buy a trophy cabinet.

by **Quantilia** » Sun Jan 28, 2018 5:52 am

After a long tournament, Quantilia showed its many flaws against Banija in the semis. Freydoun Rahnema thoroughly crushed us, despite his first missed goal of the year. The 11-1 blowout will be certainly one we remember. The Green-and-Navy did well, though, and will always be proud of its entry. The semis are still a hard place to get to. We will definitely be back next year!

by **Hudson Islands** » Sun Jan 28, 2018 6:10 am

THE GRAND FINAL

Hudsonian Football International Challenge - EVERYTHING

Hudsonian Football Challenge

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