World Cup 94 [roleplays]

by **Graintfjall** » Fri Aug 04, 2023 4:21 pm

Græntfjall – 2 (1)
Ásólfur; Hermione, Anarr, Asbjørn (84’ Eyvar ), Harmony (53’) (63’ París ); Valtter (45’ Hrútur ), Kæja (c), Danny (73’ Danny ); Amandara (45’ Benjamín (71’)), Járngrímur, Sara V (9’)

Delte – 1 (0)
Lightman (77’)

Match report

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(edited January 2024)

World Cup 81/82/83/84

(OOC--cleaning up!)
Barnard post-match--"we've gotten their attention again"
Scott McCrae
The Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer

Will Barnard was sanguine in the post-match media call in the wake of the 1-0 defeat at the hands of the co-hosts Græntfjall in the Round of 16 in Altendalur that brought the Baker National Team's World Cup 94 campaign to a close.

The first time international manager rued the missed opportunities that could've changed the complexion of the match in the favor of the visitors, but emphasized that the overall objective of the cycle had been met and that the final result was more consequential than detrimental to direction of the future development of the Baker Park National Team.

“Well done to Græntfjall who showed their all-around class tonight. I think we've gotten the attention of the top nations again as the cycle has progressed and we have a core playing squad that we'll build upon to sustain the momentum we established here.”

Despite outshooting the Snow Wolves 12-3 BP couldn't break through to overcome the 7th minute strike by Harmony Serpentmane which proved to be the winning margin.
“They certainly didn't give us the defensive look we expected by playing Ser (Serena McDavid) tightly. I'm sure they took note of the way the first match went (in the group stage against Huayramarca) in how they set up for us.”

In the near term he'd like to see a a balancing out of the level of competition in the suad, as most of the forwards and defenders currently play abroad while the midfield has remained National League based. “Their (Græntfjall's) individual talent showed as the match wore on. We were good enough to get to this point but the experience level prevailed tonight.”

Asked about his overall personal feelings about returning to the nation he worked in for a decade Barnard now that the journey was over, the manager showed off a bit of his language skills as he began the answer in the native tongue.
“{It's been a an honor to manage my nation's side in my adopted home, in both terms of maintaining our tradition and returning to a place that means a lot to me. Thank you to all of the people who said hello, wished me luck and generally remembered me in a positive light.} (laugh)
We've considered ourselves fortunate to have been able to come here for a second World Cup, no disrespect to Kelssek intended. Coming in to World Cup 91 we were in the top 10 in the multiverse and we'll leave here in the top 15-ish. So it's been a bit of a redemption tour. Our supporters, the Gold & Black Army, thanks for coming out to back us in full force once again, and to the folks here in Græntfjall, thank you for hospitality, even if the weather was a bit inhospitable (laughs). {So long!}”

by **Banija** » Sun Aug 06, 2023 8:19 am

Pam Scott, the Banijan NT manager, in the 62nd minute

The Tumbran referee blew his whistle- he was decisive about this decision. "Penalty!" He yelled, pointing to the spot. Pam Scott was not beside herself- it was, even on a live look, almost clearly the correct call. Bbale Luboobi had been late on the tackle, earning his first yellow of the tournament, and it was definitely in the box. It was a slide tackle, in a game this tight, so much of it played in the midfield, that he probably needed to make. The list of teams to successfully make a second half comeback against the Ko-oren NT was small, near non-existent.

That's how good they were defensively over the years. And that's the success it has brought them. They were not going to break down the Banijans- but the Kadongo Kamu knew that the Dragonflies were going to specialize on the counter. Try to slow the game down, be comfortable with it in possesion, and when they saw an opportunity, seize it. The Banijans had done a pretty good job, up to that point, of preventing that. They really, before this point, had only had one real great counter-attacking opportunity. A 30th minute counter-attack had seen Rex Archer beat the Banijan goalkeeper with a looping header, but a scrambling, sliding goal line clearance by Opio Ssambwa in the back had kept it at nil-nil.

This opportunity right here, where Luboobi had committed the foul, was a similar sequence. An interception in the center of the park- and Dragonflies players were flying down the pitch. A through ball to Aurin Aomelirea, who had then been taken down by a late challenge from Luboobi. The referee, after some thought, had given them only a yellow card- although a number of Dragonflies players thought he should have gone for a red. Pam Scott was then looking at her bench- how did she break down a team that was about to go up 1-0, the best team in the mulitverse at holding any advantage?

She turned around, and looked at her bench. "Sarafina- come here!" The Banijan legend jogged up to her. Too old to be starting, but too clutch and too important of a locker room presence to truly let go, Sarafina Ikpeazu jogged up. "Ok Sarafina- if this penalty goes in, I want you to go into the game for Lolong." Pam Scott then looked at her bench again. "And then... Hey Wassa! Wassa Kah!" He also jogged up to the manager. "You'll go into the match for Achuka. We've got to get a change of pace if they score- and this is it."

The three watched on, as Aurin Aomelirea stepped up to take the penalty that he had earned. Aomelirea took a deep breath, and placed the ball down. Hebron Rao had just taken a sip of her water- she had kept her penalty notes taped to the underside of that water bottle. The Jinja City goalkeeper knew that she had to do whatever it took to save this penalty. The referee blew the whistle. Aurin Aomelirea started his run up... and...

"HELL YEAH- SAVE!" Pam Scott leaped up into the air. It wasn't the best taken penalty- but the Banijans did not care. Keeper's left, Rao was all over it, palming it out of play for a corner. The referee looked at the touchline for the substitution. "Sarafina, stay back- I'm not sure we'll use you yet. Wassa, go onto the pitch." Had to be more concerned with the counter-attack if it was 0-0, Sarafina Ikpeazu's ability to get back on defense was obviously diminishing with age. Wassa Kah entered the game for Achuka, and the Banijans stood, like they had their life redeemed- nil-nil. Could they still win this?

81st minute, Banijan TV Commentators

Color Commentator: "It's one of those tight, spectacular games- absolutely worthy of this stage, a World Cup Quarterfinal. Anaia v. AO, Banija v. Ko-oren, it was always going to be a spectacular matchup, and it has absolutely turned into one. And with a spot in the World Cup Semifinals at stake, there is no shortage of knowledge of what these teams are playing for. A lost of Ko-orenite post-football on display- lots of sideways passes, the Banijans are struggling to break down Ko-oren. The Dragonflies really had two chances on the counter- but some desperate defending on one, alongside a massive penalty save by Hebron Rao on the other, has kept this game at nil-nil."

Play-By-Play Commentator: "Yes- and look, the Banijans are looking for another substitution. As the ball has gone out of play, it looks like Pam Scott is going for a double substitution- her second and third. Lolong Bokate, such a crucial member of this team, and the hero of our Round of 16 match against Chromatika, looks to be coming off- and instead of Ikpeazu entering the field of play, it's the young winger, Odongo Kagenda. Ikpeazu will surely come into the match if it's extra time, we imagine. And the second sub... A defensive one. The Montreal City CB, Kutaaka Muteesa, is going in for Luboobi- which makes sense. Luboobi's already on a yellow.

Ko-oren looks to throw the ball in.."

Color Commentator: You can see as they pass it around, minds are already thinking about extra time. You see Sarafina Ikpeazu warming up on the bench- we imagine that she'll be an immediate sub if they go past 90. We've already played a full 120 once- not that we can't two games in a row, but of course, you've got to try and stay your freshest in those situations... Far easier said than done.

Oh wait... Look at that!"

(A Ko-orenite midfielder is dispossesed in the midfield by the substitute from earlier, Wassa Kah, and the Banijans absolutely look to start breaking.)

Play-By-Play Commentator: Wassa Kah's got the ball, and look- Ko-oren has numbers back, yet the Banijans seem to be throwing numbers forward! What do we see here... The ball is passed to Sergius Atieno, who passes it to the sideline to Odongo Kagenda... Who dribbles past a man and has opened up some space! Kagenda, who just came on the pitch, whips in a cross to Wassa Kah... WHO'S GOT A CHANCE TO HEAD IT!"

Color Commentator: "OH MY, HE'S HIT THE CROSSBAR!"

Play-By-Play Commentator: "Wassa Kah's header has hit the bar! But it's still bouncing around... The clearance was poor... It lands right at the chest of Sergius Atieno at the 18! He fakes the shot, getting one Dragonflies defender to commit to sliding in. Atieno passes the ball to Wesoloski-Okafor... WHO HITS IT FIRST TIME, WITH HIS LEFT FOOT, INTO THE FAR CORNER! WHAT A GOAL- HE LOOKS AT THE ASSISTANT REFEREE, WHO'S FLAG STAYS DOWN. GOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL TO THE KADONGO KAMU! WHAT A MOMENT!"

(The team sprints to the corner with their superstar #9, as they all leap on his back.)

Color Commentator: Oh my, what a goal, what a goal!! From about 10 yards out- he hits it across the face of goal, with his left foot! Standing in a great position, the defenders could not step in front of it, yet were screening their keeper from being able to properly see it- absolutely no shot. Dang, that has changed the entire outlook of this one, hasn't it?? Come on boys! 10 minutes seperate us from the World Cup Semifinals.

It's 1 versus 2 at the Eagle's Club as Banija prepares for 'the most hostile of environments' in the Semifinal against the White Winter Queendom

AIGSVINGER, GRAENTFJALL- Playing against the host nation in a World Cup is never easy. But, once again, Banija has been granted the toughest of paths, and the toughest of opponents, in this World Cup 94. Coming out of the group of death well, we have played a Round of 16 match against Chromatika- a rematch of last cycle's World Cup Final. Then, we played a Quarterfinal against Ko-oren- a team that you don't ever want to face at any stage of the tournament, especially in the knockouts, when you consider how well they can defend and control a contest. And now, we have a 1v2 matchup in the World Cup Semifinal, played on the home soil of the host nation, Græntfjall.

After Wesoloski-Okafor's dramatic 81st minute winner against Ko-oren, Pam Scott has encouraged the team to keep their mind on the task at hand. "Yes, it's a big game- but it's always a big game when you are at these late stages of the World Cup." She told reporters. "And obviously, we know what's going on with all the noise- 2 of the last three World Cup champions, 1 and 2 in the standings, Græntfjall playing on home soil, a place where they tend to spectacularly well at... We have our work cut out in front of us. But no matter- this is obviously a game where we've going to have to dig deep, and win."

Lolong Bokate spoke about how the Shango-Fogoa Premier League has prepared a lot of players for this. "Playing away games in Farfadillis... Some of the toughest environments you can experience in club football." He told reporters. "I've lived half my life in Rulandea... The derbies are insanely intense affairs. Most of this team has played in the S-FPL, either currently or formerly, and has experienced those away environments. I imagine, playing the #2 team in the world in a semifinal on home soil for them, we're going to face a similar kind of environment. High-octane, high-energy, the blood-curtling passion... We will be ready. We cannot let Græntfjall feed off of it- or else we're going to be in trouble."

The captain, Adin Wasawo, spoke about how the weather would impact them. "It's going to be ugly out there- we got rain, we got wind, we got dark clouds. We can't always play in nice, summer weather. But that's going to be make this even that much more fun, as a player. When the conditions are disastrous, such as these... it's so much mroe about trying to keep things simple, and realistically, about grit. We've shown, over the past few years, that this group can win in all conditions, against all sorts of opponents- open games, conservative games, good weather, bad weather, rain, sleet, snow. I don't expect it to impact us. We're extremely excited for what is a titanic clash, and will desperately leave it all on the field in search for a path back to the World Cup."

Banija. Græntfjall. 1 v 2. Winner goes back to the World Cup Final. Loser goes back to the World Cup Semifinals. Does it get any better than this? Godspeed to the Banijans who will brave the White Winter Queendom for this road match- be loud and be proud. As always, go Banija!

by **Valanora** » Sun Aug 06, 2023 9:49 am

Nephara, few other teams command the sort of respect that the Rushmori giants do when it comes to the modern game, particularly when it comes to the domestic scene. Respect is given where it is earned and when it is turned around and given in turn, commands an even greater amount of respect than that which was initially given. Nepharim have made a home in the Premiership for years over now, the biggest and smallest clubs in the top flight have found plenty of them to fill their rosters or to fill vacant managerial spots, teams like United having been home to their national team talent. And when the decision was made in Nephara to change the name of their top flight to the Zenith away from the Premiership, it was seen as a small amount of respect and nod to the Vanorian league, who has been operating under that moniker since before even the UICA existed as a concept. The respect shared between these two nations and leagues at the domestic league also crosses into the national team level, though matches between the two squads are few and far between, thanks in large part to being in different regional confederations and having seemingly both have had highs while the other was having lows.

The clash in Kelssek was an opportunity for both, to announce proudly and firmly that their ills were over and that they were once more back among the elite of the game and ready to contend for a title now and in the immediate future as well. Eliminating a fellow contender for the title and taking yourself just two steps away from being able to lift the trophy is indeed quite the statement and both sides would have come into the match believing that the time was now for each of them. The Marauders perhaps would have come in with a bit more of a chip on their shoulder with being personally disappointed with themselves and their overall performances on the cycle, but knowing that the journey was still ongoing and could end in a way that while not erasing the disappointment, the joy of success overwhelming it in that stead if a few results could be strung together. And on paper, they were slight favorites against the side from Rushmore, although the two previous times in the Finals that was the case they had both ended up coming to draws that left the fans and teams a little frustrated. Any margin of error like those matches would see the team returning back to the Empire and not afforded a second chance.

As a former champion and a giant in the game, Nephara are not a team who are going to fold over or be awed by the presence of the Marauders and our own illustrious history. Their four-four-two formation looked to put pressure on the Vanorian defense, hoping to have enough possession or able to hit on the counter against the Marauders five man midfield and three at the back. It was a see-saw battle to see whose tactics would win the day and Nephara was on the better end of if for the first twenty minutes or so, converting their advantage into an early lead with Felixe Vetiver converting an opportunity in the seventeenth minute. Lothas Ludwig gave a scare to the Rushmori giants a few minutes later, but Medusa Strand pushed the shot around the post with a stellar reflex save. Hawk would bring the Marauders back into the match in the twenty-sixth, with one of his trademark freekick goals just outside the box. Yet Nephara are a strong team and Vetiver was able to get in behind the defense again in the thirty-seventh minute and restore the Rushmori lead. A lead that they thought would be good until the half, yet with the last kick of the first half Heike Schoß lasered a shot from thirty yards out that somehow beat Strand to the far post.

Level at two and carrying the momentum from the late goal in the first half, the Marauders came out of the break looking to press the advantage and hard against their Rushmori foes. Heike Schoß would turn provider and slide Ludwig in behind the defense with a clever through ball and the striker would make no mistake with a second chance at nabbing a goal in the fifty-first. Seven minutes later it was a two goal lead as Maximilian Edvardsen used his sturdy frame to get good position in the box to get an inch perfect header off an inswinging ball from a Hawk free kick that Strand could do nothing for in net. Games at this level are swings and roundabouts, with the Marauders now a two goal lead after trailing twice, yet once against Nephara would press their talent and grittiness against the Vanorian will. It would buckle slightly, as Winter played a pass short towards Holt that Madita Brewer intercepted and used their skill to get Obermaier to commit early and leave their goal exposed, which Brewer calmly put away with fourteen minutes left in the second half. Pressing for that equalizer though would leave gaps at that back and in a cutting counter, two subs in the form of Barrientos and Vääräniemi would connect, the Dí Maozöxê striker using fresh legs and blistering pace to evade the Nepharim defense and nutmeg Strand, reestablishing the two goal lead with three minutes left. And with that the Marauders would have the edge in the eight goal encounter and move on to the semifinals.

The penultimate stage of the competition will have a very strong Atlantian Oceania flavor, with three of the four squads coming from region, all hailing from the southwestern corner of the region and all former champions including the current holders. Joining the Marauders from the region is Banija, the current holders, as well as Farfadillis, a team that the Marauders have had many different high profile and intense matches with over the last ten cycles or so. The fourth team in the Semifinals is also another former champion and cohost, Græntfjall, who have perhaps the best player and manager currently going in the world, though Pam Scott heading the Banija squad might have a few qualms with that. Stade Outineau in Kelssek will play host to yet another edition of the "Southwestern Showdown" as the rivalry match with the Farves has been called, a match that usually goes one of two ways. Either the Marauders find a way to handle the high flying, high octane offense that the Farves are famous for and win in a low scoring affair, or the Farves find gaps in the Vanorian defense and showcase their offensive prowess. Mayhap we are in for another of these typical encounter or mayhap something new. With the Marauders so close to one of those goals they have been striving so hard for for decades, I would not wish to be the obstacle in their path right now.

by **Graintfjall** » Sun Aug 06, 2023 1:46 pm

Selection of articles from Græntfjaller news media.

Snow Wolves head to semifinal to face Banijan monster

Also in SOCCER: Petition to ban all Atlantian Oceanian nations from World Cup, award trophy to “whichever non-AO nation is left in the competition” gathers 100,000 signatures

Kaija Michaelsdóttir returned as Prime Minister after forming center-left government coalition

Also in ELECTIONS: First Buddhist wins election to MT but academic fails in bid to become first trans representative

Left-slate after SDP exit: on verge of collapse, or fired by spirit of renewal?

Also in POLITICS: SDP given two ministries in coalition agreement, Reform 30-30 get five, as Progressive Liberals sweeten the deal

More election news. Details of the coalition agreement, incorporating suspiciously few elements of either the Reform or SDP manifestos despite the largesse shown in handing out cabinet ministries. More football news. Græntfjall’s team were fully fit, and the decision to throw in 20 year old Hrútur Melkíorsson as a starter was purely tactical. Princess Jessika flicked through the pages of the newspaper. Kraken sightings. Climate activists gluing themselves to things. Letters to the editor from gammony types with bulging forehead veins suggesting climate protestors should be left glued to things so krakens could eat them. Cats stuck in tree. Her mother, Queen Júlíana, declining an invitation to join… was it some kind of knitting circle? Jessika rubbed her thumb over the page, but the ink on that one seemed to be disappearing fast. She turned over. More football news. A double page spread on Kæja Finnvarðsdóttir’s hair.

And more football, and more celebrity gossip, and more election news – barely more edifying than the celebrity gossip – and more football, football, football… but nothing on Farfadillis.

It was a confusing situation, to be sure. And “confusion in Farfadillis” would not ordinarily be enough to make news headlines. In fact Jessika thought onlyb “non-confusing event happens in Farfadillis, makes perfect sense” would require breaking news coverage. But the addition of the possible field use of a nuclear warhead seemed spicy enough to be worthy of comment. Finally, deep in the Economic Telegraph, in a completely unrelated article about how Græntfjall’s government had signed an agreement recognizing Yuezhou’s mineral extraction rights in western Pavola in exchange for a deal on rare earths, there was passing mention of the two nations being close and referencing that they were on the same side, fighting for Rülândéá against Farolera. Of course, Jessika muttered, Græntfjall had always been at war with Farolera…

by **Farfadillis** » Sun Aug 06, 2023 1:58 pm

Ever since stabilizing just enough to be able to field a(n at the start) national team for cycle 60, la Vherderoja (how we will refer to the Farfadillis 'national' team from now on, since it avoids the inherent inaccuracies of the usual descriptor), has managed to field some of the most star-studded teams the World Cup has seen. It took only a few years for Farfadillis to go from a disorganized mess trying the waters of international football to a disorganized mess taunting the waters of international football, telling them "Come, try me." The list of undeniably world-class players Farfadillis had fielded over the last sixty-eight years is rivaled only by select few nations, all of them immensely successful; considerably more so than Farfadillis, in pretty much every case. Yurpá Mêndêlöíndçêl, Friekder Dandalleion, Ichi Tuzzio, Risko Kâí, Mâás Fôx, Alex Terán (let's not get into that just yet), Fôrté Wínrôuge, Drê Röènôùjýâ, Calogero Metz, Täjó Çíânflöné, Sürgân t'Öéséné, Xíxì Êns, Oskar Holsteiner, Lázár Eleonóra, Lüí Wçêíl, Kósa Bajnok, Faragó rue Cazade, Ígnîgo Çí Xôrí, Edmün Çídh, Tôsgo Alxíkí... that's twenty players who were undeniably among the best in the world at the peak of their powers. This list does not include players who left their mark in both domestic and international football by being great and arguably world-class. It would become considerably longer.

In short, it's safe to say that at any point in time between, say, World Cups 67 and 89, Farfadillis always had one of the most fearsome squads purely on paper. Almost invariably, for a multitude of reasons, the whole ended up far worse than the sum of parts. A focus on attacking talent, severe tactical mishaps, mental blocks, downright bad luck... you name it, it was there at every turn for every single one of Farfadillis' best squads. The World Cup 78 squad, which to this day is generally considered the best ever on paper, exited in the round of sixteen on penalties against the World Cup hosts, Cosumar (a similarly star-studded squad that had even worse luck converting their talent into silverware). Throughout history, la Vherderoja has been simultaneously starkly overachieving (you go figure out football infrastructure in the conditions Farfadillis has always been in) and starkly underachieving. This is a team that once scored six goals in a World Cup semifinal only to concede seven.

The Farves more obsessed with the national team's history, or indeed the old geezers who remember most of it, will tell you that the one squad that won the biggest trophy of them all—the World Cup 84 squad—was arguably the worst Farf squad going into a World Cup in about two decades. Some intangibles, however, played out to their favor. What they lacked in overall talent (relative to past squads), they made up in other areas: they had Xíxì Êns pulling off a World Cup campaign that no Farf is ever likely to be able to scratch, guiding the team at every turn, they had a clutch shithousing goalscorer in Oskar Holsteiner, an okay goalkeeper who put on the Kajaxo Imaslavii gloves for the World Cup final, one of the best managers in the world in Ichi Tuzzio, and luck. Luck can get you a long way. Finally winning the World Cup was an exhilarating feeling for every Farf, but it was also very much a strange one: what had gone so wrong before that this squad, instead of any of the ones that had come before them, had gone all the way? Farfadillis quickly reverted to being a quality team with glaring weaknesses and, to this day, things have remained mostly the same, except for one thing: talent appears to have started drying for la Vherderoja. The whatever you represent can only be so unimaginably unstable before youth football starts to suffer.

A spell of mediocrity has followed Farf football since World Cup 87: fewer world-class players and a squad that's overall good but nowhere good enough to make up for its usual inefficiencies. In turn, the team has adapted by shoring up those inefficiencies: the team is no longer as astonishingly leaky as it used to be, given the team's quality, and their mentality is decidedly much stronger than before going 0-5 in quarterfinals and, subsequently, 0-4 in semifinals.

Now let's take a look at the present: it's been twenty years since Farfadillis' last World Cup win, and it's been sixteen years since Farfadillis last made a semifinal. A couple of close calls here and there, but also some very ignominious group stage exits, have been the norm ever since. With each passing cycle, it seems the Farf squad is on paper worse than last time. So... well, with la Vherderoja in the semifinals once again, what has gone right this time?

Some idiots might point at the situation back home: Farfadillis arguably played its best football during the first Rulandese revolution, the subsequent descent into anarchy, and the early years of post-anarchy, when everything was still horrible. This, is obviously, just superstitious thinking: these events have no bearing on a football team's results, and if anything they distract the players on the pitch or... well, leave them malnourished in their childhoods and whatnot. There's just no plausible way that, say, the ongoing war in Farfadillis could be giving the heavily divided la Vherderoja any type of advantage on the pitch.

So, we move on to a similarly superstitious explanation: the team's not that good, Yuan Zilai—much like anyone else—is not good enough to figure out a tactical set-up that can reliably squeeze a World Cup semifinal (or more) out of this squad, dressing room harmony is extremely bad, and there's really only three players putting in worthy performances game after game—Lêyêló Jáánsêlà, Jôs Sürréo and Dénes Robineau, who are likely to join the aforementioned list of twenty names. Only one explanation is left: luck. Just... sheer luck.

The draw against a top team like Zwangzug? Anyone who watched it and knows enough about football to know the ball is roughly round will tell you we come out with a point from that game one time out of five. The win against Elmyia? They're up-and-coming, sure, but to be up-and-coming you have to... well, the starting point can't exactly be high, can it? The draw against Cassadaigua? A total crapshoot, both teams could've easily scored three each, and even with the out-of-form Cassadagans deflated by their need to win by two to advance, Farfadillis genuinely looked in danger of crashing out for large stretches of the match. The round of sixteen win against Flavovespia? An even game in which Farfadillis was unlucky in how clinical the Flavovespians were but also... the less said about the ref, the better. Getting bailed out by the ref is lucky. Winning on penalties doubly so, as strangely calm and clinical the Farf takers were on the day. The win against Pemecutan? An even game against a team with even fewer big names, decided by the finest of margins: two lucky deflections going Farfadillis' way.

To wit, the game went roughly as follows: fifteen minutes in, Jáánsêlà bombarded the box only to back pass to a Dénes Robineau who'd spotted empty space by the edge of the box. The Szoirsian struck the ball lethally: force and precision seem to have become a specialty of his. Fifteen minutes after that, a long shot from Jáánsêlà bounced off a Pemecutanian defender and fell right into Sürréo's lap. An inch onside if that, the Rulandese striker used his immaculate technique to control the ball, then calmly slot it past the helpless goalkeeper. Obviously, however, a two-nil lead just couldn't hold: just five minutes later a swift counterattack ended with Agus Kusumawijaya one-on-one with Defigueroa, with the Pemecutanian even sending Defigueroa the wrong way with a brilliant feint. Another five minutes later, Farfadillis conceded from a corner kick. Yahya Kusuma headed the ball, unmarked, in the small box. Amateur mistake, two-two going into halftime. The second half was a back-and-forth game that could've gone any which way: Pemecutan hit the post twice, Marajis missed a very clear-cut chance, and the clock kept ticking. The eighty-fifth minute comes, Farfadillis gets a corner kick, it is taken, a kerfuffle ensues inside the box, Farfadillis gets no less than four shots off from close-range amidst the chaos, the first three get intercepted by... two Pemecutanians and one Farf, in that order, and the last one hits star striker Dénes Robineau straight in the stomach, full force. He immediately curls into the floor in... celebration? As the ball bounces to his left, hits the post and goes in. A VAR review later, the entire play was miraculously within the laws of the game. Farfadillis held on after that, and... well, just like that Farfadillis were in the semifinals again!

... by just lucking out at every turn, first in the group stage and then in the easiest quadrant of the knock-out stage. What beckons now? A Vanorian team that is better and has fully demonstrated it. What will Farfadillis do? What they always do against Valanora: turn the game into as much of a chaotic affair as possible, then hope the Marauders can't navigate through it, somehow. The prospect is not good. What comes after if they do win? The strongest team in the Multiverse, on account of having just beaten who will then be the second-best team in the Multiverse. How would Farfadillis approach that? Sheer luck seems the only real option. Can it happen? Well, the team has gotten this far...

Ӿ Ӿ Ӿ Ӿ Ӿ Ӿ

The negotiating table was entirely figurative: as a show of power, the Banijan delegation had been forced into accepting the peace talks taking place in Rulandese headquarters, and whether places would have tables was a bit of an unfair coinflip. In this case, there were only chairs. One monobloc for every person present, even Alex Terán. The room was unwelcoming. The Banijan delegation consisted of Solomon Kayozi, Banijan Minister of Defense, Lucille Nyong'o, Deputy Katikkiro and Ruperto Fôx, a Banijan, son of Farf immigrants, for whom Farolera's flourishing had been a political pet-project, but his presence here held little weight: for all everyone present knew he could be about to live out the rest of his days in some far-flung Banijan town, herding sheep or whatever and, finally, Alex Terán... strangely not looking any less menacing now that he'd lost all his power.

The other side of the aisle featured Tuskoles Yagaras, leader of Lithico™, leading negotiations. He was being joined by the current leader of the RRÂ, Hängírí Dü Löís, and a Szoirsian diplomat, Françoise Mészáros. Despite having been vital in turning the tide of the war, neither Marco's Slaves nor the Yue army had been invited, much less the potentially much savvier Græntfjaller representatives. This would be a show of force from Farves across the aisle, except Alex Terán, and that would be it. The Banijans, as well as the other foreign forces, would have to sit back whether they liked it or not.

The very hard stance the Farves were going to hold throughout the talks became apparent as soon as Solomon Kayozi dared open his mouth.

"I know neither of us want any pleasantries, so let me go straight to the point: we seek peace for Farolera, and feel extremely aggrieved that you have broken so many war conventions, going so far as to nuke our forces. We still have a far more capable military than anything you could muster, so we are interested in hearing out why we should entertain a peace deal with inhabitants of this island, forsaken by God, that does not heavily benefit us."

"Uno con menos calle no tenían? Si este sigue así nos los vamos a comer crudos." Hängírí Dü Löís said to Alex Terán and Ruperto Fôx in perfect Faroleran.

"We will speak in Olusanke, as was previously agreed." Lucille Nyong'o stated calmly and matter-of-factly. In response, Hängírí gave her the middle finger. Lucille turned to Ruperto. He hadn't been given permission to talk, but they didn't exactly want to bank on Alex Terán handling things for them.

"Mirá, ya se decidió que ellos dos van a negociar todo. Está fuera de mis manos. A los dos les falta calle, pero es cierto que esto podría terminar con otra invasión, mucho peor que lo que pasó estos últimos años." Ruperto responded, unfazed.

Tuskoles raised his hand, the other stroking his beardless chin in thought. "Permiso. Me parece que si lográs hacerlos recapacitar un poco, podemos llegar a un acuerdo que los deje medianamente conformes. Tanto vos como yo sabemos que si nos atacan va a pasar lo mismo que en la costa de Mar del Fuego." Hängírí violently nodded in agreement.

"Recapacitar? Qué tenés en mente?" Ruperto replied, trying to hide his puzzlement.

"Yo busco que Lithico™ florezca. No quiero derramar más sangre si no me da más guita. Convencelos de limpiar los krakens de nuestras costas, deciles de buscar acuerdos muy favorecedores para Lithico™ como compañía, y permití que Farolera sea liderada por algún títere nuestro. Esas condiciones alcanzan y sobran. No van a conseguir mejores."

"Por qué no te vas un poco a la re concha de tu madre?" Alex Terán swore from across the room. "Imberbe hijo de puta, no sabés con quién te estás metiendo."

"Vos, Alex, deberías estar chocho con estos términos. Tus amigos acá te pueden llevar sano y salvo con ellos... si es que quieren."

"Me cago en tus muertos." Alex replied, defiant.

"Son muchos menos que los tuyos." Tuskoles quickly retorted. "Ruperto, explicá la situación a tus compas acá así muere menos gente, me hacés el favor?"

Ruperto nodded. Lucille and Solomon were staring at him, their eyes like daggers piercing through him. "Can you two trust me on this one?" He hesitantly asked.

"Sure has worked wonders so far." Solomon sarcastically answered.

Ruperto sighed. "They are very much willing to give us... let's say... agreeable terms. Not agreeable to you now, perhaps, but the harsh reality is you keep underestimating them, and they're very keen for you to continue doing that."

"Nonsense," Solomon replied, arms now crossed.

"Did you expect to have to be at this negotiating... non-table? Trying to salvage, what, seventy-odd thousand Banijan lives? There's more coming if you don't stop thinking every Farf is inherently inferior to you." He replied, nonchalantly. Tuskoles nodded.

"I don't like the Lithico™ guy nodding when you say that. Let it continue and you could very well be on your way to a trial for treason, Ruperto." Lucille noted.

"If I may, madame." Tuskoles once again raised his hand. "Your Farf companion here is clearly much more attuned to the situation than you seem to be. You haven't even tried listening to our terms, and you appear to be under the impression that we don't know we could wipe out your remaining forces and, let's face it, your political coalition along with it. You've not come here to strongarm us. You've come here for damage control, and we're all smart enough to figure that out. So let's negotiate on amicable terms, shall we? I'd rather turn a profit selling Lithium to your country than selling your forces' leftover organs on the black market, for one. I'm sure you'd prefer that too. So, how about we start from the top, and we stop pretending you have any bargaining power here?"

Lucille and Solomon looked at each other. Solomon was doing his best to stay composed, but he was absolutely livid. The more level-headed Lucille was ahead of her colleague—it was fully dawning on her that, yes, Tuskoles Yagaras was fully right. This negotiation would not go the way they wanted.

by **Kelssek** » Sun Aug 06, 2023 2:01 pm

RP cutoff

by **Graintfjall** » Mon Aug 07, 2023 1:30 pm

Græntfjall – 1 (1 a.e.t.)
Ásólfur; Hermione (70’ Alyssia ), Anarr, Asbjørn, París; Hrútur (85’ Valtter ); Danny (81’ Lotte ), Kæja (c), Sara V (85’ Harmony ); Benjamín (105’ Amandara ), Járngrímur (81’ Joel )

Banija – 1 (2 a.e.t.)
Goals etc. left up to Ban [[which probably means a 120th minute screamer]]

“Græntfjall lost.”

Kaija turned the page over, just to confirm there was nothing else written there.

The Prime Minister was beginning her third term of office facing difficult political calculations at home and abroad. She faced a divided Thing and had as many enemies within her own party as among the opposition. Though the economy was still strong, rumblings of discontent on social issues persisted. Corruption was endemic, which reminded her, she needed to make sure she’d paid her monthly bribe to the anti-corruption czar to overlook her illegal wire transactions. The status of the HAMSTERS she’d deployed to Puerto FarolerO was unknown. GANAX were reporting they’d picked up a nuclear detonation. She’d thrown in with war criminals. And somewhere, in the all that mess, still, she hoped, was Tinni Grímólfursson and the man she’d sent to find him, Jason Þórhallursson. With whom she… talk about complicated.

So given all that, she’d decided to take the Newmanistani version of the match report for her morning reading. At least that, she knew, could guarantee pith.

by **Farfadillis** » Mon Aug 07, 2023 1:59 pm

Lucille and Solomon stared at each other for a few more seconds. Just as the Minister of Defense was about to let his temper get the better of him, Lucille calmly put a word in. "Wait," she said. "Sit this one out for a few minutes, Solomon. They've gotten a rise out of you and you need to think everything you say through tenfold. Remember that, based on the intel we have, Tuskoles is a good negotiator."

Tuskoles looked a little surprised at that. He certainly didn't consider himself anything beyond a humble working man thrust into the realities of war.

"Go on," Solomon replied, teeth clenched, unconvinced and frustrated at the lack of a table to slam his fists on.

"He will pick us apart if we let our emotions get the best of us and I have a feeling we'll regret it. A lot." She turned to Tuskoles. "But you are a good negotiator, which means you can think of an agreement which best benefits every part in this deal."

"Very much so," Tuskoles agreed. "I hesitate to think you will realize it's the best you can do in your situation, but I am nonetheless willing to offer what I believe to be very fair terms. I've even handled negotiations with the other Farf nations, and, though we have some details to hammer out among ourselves, we do have a proposal for a treaty which does not end in unimaginable disaster for Banija, which I think is very beneficial for you."

Lucille turned to Ruperto. "Ruperto, you heard his terms earlier. What should I brace myself for?"

Ruperto shrugged. "An outburst from our dear Solomon over here." The Minister of Defense stared at the Banijan-born Farf with killing intent. Ruperto knew he was very much screwed. Fucked. No point in mincing words anymore. "Honest opinion, no politician scheming bullshit, since all three of us know my political career is dead now?" He stared at his two compatriots. He had their attention. "Take the deal. Don't ask any questions. I get the feeling the more you engage with Tuskoles, the deeper a hole you're digging for yourselves."

Lucille stopped Solomon before he could get a word in. "Fine, let's hear the terms."

"Farolera becomes a puppet state, details to be hammered out among Szoirsia, Rülândéá and Lithico™ exclusively. You carry out your nifty Kraken-extermination services for our coasts, not Farolera's. Exclusively our coasts. You let Lithico™, the company, gain a sizeable foothold in the Banijan market via... whatever kind of treaty we eventually come up with. Ma Ailun can negotiate that; I'll probably be present as his right-hand man. Your forces get to retreat unaided, but also unimpeded. You can even send your navy to the coast of Puerto FarolerO—" Tuskoles coughed. "Sorry for that, I've been talking with the Græntfjallers over the last few days and their accent must've subconsciously stuck." He recomposed himself. "Anyway, we don't bomb you or anything, and you can leave Farfadillis with just a huge political disaster in your hands."

"You little shit, you think you can—" Solomon started complaining before Hängírí quickly interrupted him. "Shut up! I don't know if Tuskoles told any of you, but I am certainly not past just killing all of you and waiting for a new delegation. We can drag this out. We're used to tragedy, you're not. Wisen up already."

Solomon and Lucille recoiled at the death threat. Ruperto was not surprised in the slightest.

Hängírí continued. "If this dude doesn't shut up from now on, I'm personally executing all three of you. Good? He also doesn't get a vote. He's just too stupid, it's not in your best interests."

Lucille stared in fear. Ruperto did not. "So that means it's all down to Lucille. Since I was not supposed to get a say in this anyway."

Lucille nodded, trembling. "Ok, can I have a few minutes to think here?" She pleaded.

Tuskoles was quick to reply. "You're our guest. Take as long as you feel is fitting."

Ruperto had given them a lot of intel on Farf culture over the years. Lucille knew Hängírí's death threat was one hundred percent real. So did Solomon, apparently and thankfully. He also knew the Farves would always try to press any advantage they had... or even advantages they didn't have, but thought they had. And that they had a very straightforward negotiating style: first offer on the table is, more or less, about as good as it gets. It had played out exactly like that, and they had almost blundered away Tuskoles' deal as a result. It was true, she realized. They could afford to let many more men die: tragedy was normal in Farfadillis. The Banijan soldiers in Puerto Farolero could not die. It would become a national remembrance holiday, a political scandal the party would dissolve over and an enormous stain in the country's history. Tuskoles was giving them an out, and she couldn't not take it. Farolera was as good as dead. Handing it over to them, realistically speaking, was always going to be a part of the deal. Kraken-killing? That could be arranged. Humiliating, but not particularly expensive, and it would keep the Farf nations dependent on them until they figured out some other way to pull off international trade.

Finally... the Lithico™ thing. Tuskoles might've manipulated the others into accepting something that would benefit the company. The best she could do was accept, gambling on that.

"If I may ask to negotiate just one term?" Lucille asked timidly.

Hängírí and Françoise rolled their eyes. Tuskoles answered. "Of course."

"Grant our forces safe passage through Farfadillis. Helped by your army, so that the deathly terrain doesn't make things even harder for us. The rest of the deal can stand."

Hängírí and Françoise were outraged at the proposal, but Tuskoles was quick to react. "They're our guests, Hän, Fran. It's a natural thing to ask, and it's also natural for us to accept. You don't have to send a single man for this. It's all on me. We have a deal then?" He turned towards Lucille.

"We do." She nodded solemnly.

by **Kelssek** » Mon Aug 07, 2023 2:05 pm

RP cutoff for the third-place playoff

by **Kelssek** » Mon Aug 07, 2023 3:59 pm

Days after bowing out against Valanora in the second round, it’s become clear that something of a era in Kelssek football has come to an end. It’s a moment for the passing of the torch as Colm Ó Tuathail and Loïc Maçon-Petrault, two stars who have been fixtures of the national team most of their careers, have both announced their decisions to retire from international play. Today they were joined by manager François Saint-Louis, himself a playing legend of the previous era, who has decided to retire full stop.

Although this will obviously be a big decision that will face whomever Kelssek’s new manager will be, pundits have Ingrid Lambert favoured to take up the armband, with Nacuémiró Buené seen as the main alternative. Buené has been club captain at Burnaby SC but has stunned fans by also announcing plans to seek a new challenge elsewhere next season.

This generation can take pride in having set a new high-water mark for Kelssek's world ranking, having started this cycle ranked 7th above the previous high of 10th. They lost to Valanora again, but these things happen.

KELSSEK 1 – Maçon-Petrault (9’)
Terlock, Buené, Lambert, Bream, Earrach, dí Völará, Lafrenière (Breault 64’), Ó Tuathail (de Landa 81’), Maçon-Petrault (Goh-Lemaire 81’), Maradrogba (Hartpoach 64’), Ahmad
VALANORA 2 – Ludwig (59’), Winter (78’)
Stade Outineau (attendance 80,045)

by **HUElavia** » Mon Aug 07, 2023 4:50 pm

HUElavia 0-1 Flavovespia
(Cole 63')
Millenium Park, Redswyth, Kelssek

End of the Journay.

HUElavia lose a tight game against Flavovespia that results in the team being eliminated without a point.

HUElavia has gone out of the Group Stage for the 4th time in 4 appearances. Entering Matchday 3, there were options for HUElavia to advance, should things go their way. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The lone goal came in the 63rd minute, when Bagshaw got past Gounelle, and sent a cross into the box, where Cole chested the ball down and gave a shot past Mok into the goal, making it 0-1. HUElavia attacked and attacked, but it was enough as HUElavia ended up being eliminated while Favovespia won Group G, along with Nephara advancing in 2nd Place, with Turori being eliminated at the expense of goal difference.

With the elimination, HUElavia went home back to Curumba, with a sizeable crowd welcoming them back after their time in Kelssek. After the group stage had ended, HUElavia finished 30th out of 32, which is the team's worst finish, but there is relief that the team was not the worst team of the tournament. O'Reagan was quoted as saying "It's a disappointing finish to the tournament for us, but I'm proud of this team for their hard work and for fighting to the very end. We hope to do well in the next few tournaments and hopefully make it to World Cup 95 in four years time."

For now, the nation awaits IAC 18 to take place, along with possibly the Women's World Cup, and hopefully there can be better games for Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos in the future. Hopefully this nation can make it to another World Cup in the next cycle.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Banija** » Tue Aug 08, 2023 11:07 am

Abel Wesoloski-Okafor, standing at the penalty spot, 25th minute

The foul, itself, was pretty clear and obvious. A handball, in the area, in the midst of a World Cup Semifinal. Not really much to contest there- Dembo Savaneh had been trying to whip a cross across the box, and it went right into the outstretched arm of Anarr Ebergsson. Absolutely unintentional, of course- but the handball was clear, no need to go get the video assistant referee. A yellow card was issued- it was clearly unintentional, and it wasn't so egregious that it needed a red or anything- but, anytime you are giving away a penalty kick in a match of this magnitude, especially against a striker who is so precise and talented as Abel Wesoloski-Okafor, you know that things aren't going quite so well for you.

Wesoloski-Okafor stepped up to the plate to take the PK. A couple of words from some Græntfjall players, here at the Eagle's Club, but AWO has a way of keeping himself entirely focused in moments like these. The Cassadagan referee blew her whistle. AWO stood there, staring straight at the goalkeeper. What was he going to do? He started doing his long runup, and then thought to himself- why not use the left foot? On a stage like this, routine is your best friend- but penalties can be a series of mind games. Try to fool the keeper. Give them something they've never seen.

The keeper wasn't ready. Keeper went right just a wee bit early- enough for a soft, Panenka-style chip straight down the middle from AWO. With his weak foot, as well. Whenever it works, it looks brilliant, and boy, did it work there. One-nil lead for the Kadongo Kamu- he ran to the corner, with only Græntfjall fans in front of him. "Shhhhh" he celebrated by lifting his first finger to his lips, shushing the Græntfjaller fans in front of him. The Banijan players celebrated around him too. So much game left- but was Banija well on its way to the World Cup Final?

Pam Scott, Banija's manager, in the first minute of second half stoppage time

The fourth referee raised her board- 6 minutes of added time. And the teams were getting ready for a Græntfjall corner kick- as Bbale Luboobi had just executed a clearance of a cross.

The Panenka style penalty, from AWO's weak foot, had been the only goal in the game so far. Banija 1, Græntfjall nil. She was doing what she could to try and get the team over the line- only four minutes left, plus stoppage. Kutaaka Muteesa had come off the bench just a few minutes prior, with Dembo Savaneh exiting the pitch- adding on an extra center back and taking off an attacker. One of Banija's better counter-attackers, at that. It was clear- that was the point where Banija would basically give up hope at trying to find that second goal, and dig in to defend their one-nil lead.

It was a slim lead, up to that point- but even the slimmest of leads in a World Cup knockout stage game is still a lead. The Banijans were organized, compact- and defending with their lives. "Keep on your men!" Pam Scott yelled from the sideline. "Close the spaces- don't let them get a full head of steam!" It was tough to defend against a team as talented and as deep as the Snow Wolves, but they were managing to do so. The Snow Wolves had come close to scoring a few times- Joel Wolfgangsson had forced a diving save out of Hebron Rao on his very first touch.

Pam Scott saw the goalkeeper, Ásólfur, jog up for Græntfjall. "Hey- watch out for the keeper!" She yelled. The keeper was picked up- just a lone defender back for Græntfjall, nobody preparing for any kind of counter on the Banijan side. Hermione Hui jogged into the corner, prepared to take it for the Snow Wolves. She raised her hand in the air, and started her run up. Asbjørn Vilbjörnsson is a powerful dude- just brushed aside Lolong Bokate (Pam Scott's internal thought process- why the hell was a winger man-marking this massive mountain of a man??) and Asbjørn Vilbjörnsson rose up, Pam Scott's eyes got wide.

"Oh FUCK!" She yelled, all the way from the touch line, heard by absolutely nobody. Every fan in the building seemed to rise with Asbjørn Vilbjörnsson- who headed powerfully into the back of the net. A diving Hebron Rao didn't have a chance in hell, and it was like the (non-existent) roof was lifted off of the Eagle's Club. The slam of noise, joy, celebration... What a time, and a place, for an equalizer. It was 1-1, and while Scott had previously thought they had a few minutes to hunker down- suddenly it seemed as if extra time was on the horizon.

Banijan Radio Commenators, 90+6' (audio RP)

Banijan TV Commentators, 109th minute

A cross is lifted into the air, by Sarafina Ikpeazu, trying to find the head of Banija's star man up front, Abel Wesoloski-Okafor. As the cross is in the air, he goes down in a tangle of bodies- and a penalty is awarded.

Color Commentator: "Oh my, oh my- what a gutsy call! It seemed as if 5 bodies went down there at once- París is shown the yellow card, although the main referee is jogging to the sideline to talk to the sideline assistant referee."

Play-By-Play Commentator: "But, oh my- look, the Snow Wolves are pissed. The first penalty in this game- fairly clear and obvious, not much arguing. But this second penalty? Oh my. París Vilgeirsdóttir and AWO both had their arms locked around each other, and they all seemed to tangle up with Hermione Hui, Asbjørn Vilbjörnsson, and Aquila Hongo. How the referee picked out a foul by Paris, I do not know..."

Color Commentator: "Look- we'll take it! It's the World Cup SF- if AWO doesn't go down there, there's a good chance he's wheeling away in celebration, anyways.

Play-By-Play Commentator: "Oh my- and look, while the boobirds are out for the referee, it's Hrútur Melkíorsson who's been shown a yellow card of his own for dissent. He's incessantly arguing with the referee over this call. After showing the yellow... The referee has decided that she'll go to VAR!"

(The referee goes to VAR for what seems like an eternity, even if it was only 40-45 seconds. Nothing really conclusive in any direction- it seemed like a pile of bodies all got tangled up. But she stayed with the call made on the field- penalty.)

Color Commentator: "Wow, we're gonna have it! Who's gonna take the penalty for us now? AWO again? His first penalty was so cheeky..."

Play-By-Play Commentator: "Well, it looks like Sarafina Ikpeazu is stepping up to take the penalty! Pam Scott's known to be a fan of not having the same player take multiple penalties over the course of 90 minutes- or this case, 120 minutes. So we've got the veteran, the heart and soul of this team, a certified legend, in potentially one of her last ever matches playing for this team, given the chance to come off the bench and nail this penalty."

Color Commentator: "I don't know about this decision- AWO is a machine from the spot! But who am I to question Pam Scott. She's won so much with this team, she can do whatever she wants... Sarafina's one of those rare people who has won an AOCAF, an IFCF Champions League, and a World Cup in her career- she's done it all, seen it all. Should be ice flowing through her veins.."

(Sarafina Ikpeazu sets the ball down, as the arguing dies down. Hrútur Melkíorsson gets one last lick in, verbally- he's still incensed about the penalty. Both managers are pacing on the touchline. Ásólfur Nilsson gives Ikpeazu a dead stare- he's never fazed, nothing scares him. Ikpeazu, too, looks unfazed. The referee's whistle is blown, Ikpeazu takes a few steps forward and blasts hard and low, to the keeper's right...

Play-By-Play Commentator: "SAVE! SAVE! OH MY, THE PENALTY IS SAVED!"

(The crowd roars, as Nilsson holds onto the ball. He's mobbed by teammates- the Snow Wolves remain alive.)

Color Commentator: "Oh my word, what a disappointment. That's gotta be heartbreaking for the veteran winger- having her penalty saved, in that situation, in this match, with these stakes? If we go on to lose...

Adin Wasawo, Banijan CB and captain, 119th minute

The Banijans had the ball, about 30 yards from goal. Adin Wasawo, hanging back at the halfway line, starting to sneak up. He signalled to his CB partner, Kutaaka Muteesa, that he was moving up. And as the Banijans passed the ball around, the ball ended up at the feet of Adin Wasawo. Nobody really stepped up or stepped out to really guard him - he was not exactly a well-known threat to cut through a defense with a wicked ball or something. An elite, world-class defender- of course. But he wasn't gonna whip one from way out there.

But as he continued to take a few touches forward, he heard Aquila Hongo yell for the ball. "ADIN!" The central midfielder yelled. "RIGHT HERE- I'M OPEN!" Adin was going to swing it- but the path was closed off. Then, he thought about it- why not? Have a hit? Even the gaffer, Pam Scott, was yelling- pass the ball. But the passing lanes were not there- so he shot it. Nilsson was clearly surprised- but the excellent keeper that he is, he was able to step across and making a diving save, pushing the ball away for a corner.

Wasawo grinned as he jogged towards the box, to set up for the corner. "When's the last time you shot the ball from out there, Adin? What were you thinking?" Sarafina asked him as they crossed paths. Sarafina Ikpeazu was jogging to the corner, to actually whip in the ball. The Banijans had a few tricks up their sleeves for high leverage corner kicks such as this one. They numbered the plays they had. As Ikpeazu was jogging, four of the Banijans lined up in a bunch, on the 18.

Ikpeazu raised her hands- both hands. Then, she stuck one fist in the air- play zero. Wasawo knew what he was supposed to do. As she started her run up, AWO ran in a diagonal line, straight towards the near post. A true testament to his own skill and reputation- all sorts of heads turned as he cut across the back line. Just needed one defender to be drawn out of position, and they were- but could not catch up with AWO. They cut off the angle for AWO to head the ball towards goal, but he didn't even try to do that. Wesoloski-Okafor simply flicked the ball onwards, to Wasawo- who was wide open, at the back post, completely unmarked.

The 3 yard header into an empty net might have been the easiest goal of his life. But still- the winning goal in the dying minutes of a World Cup Semifinal- spectacular. "LET'S FUCKING GGOOOOOOOOO!" Wasawo bellowed into the sky, as he sprinted into the corner and slid on his knees. Wasawo, the defender. El capitán. Had just put Banija into their third consecutive World Cup Final.

by **Valanora** » Tue Aug 08, 2023 11:40 am

Thirty-three. Sixty-six. Eight. Six.

It has been thirty-three cycles since the last time the Marauders of the Eternal Empire have been in a World Cup Final, when they won their record tying fifth title to join Starblaydia in that illustrious club as the only two nations to do it at that time. Since then both The Holy Empire and Vilita have joined the very exclusive club with five titles to their name, what was once an insurmountable goal for all challengers toppled not once but twice. All four sides that have accomplished collecting all five points of the star in collecting the five stars that adorn their crests to represent each World Cup title won entered into their first World Cup prior to the thirtieth edition of the event, perhaps more a testament to longevity more than anything else, although only the Marauders have not had a period of hiatus since entering their first tournament unlike the other three members of the group. The Marauders of the Eternal Empire are a testament to perseverance and endurance through all hardships that come before you, even the mighty and unstoppable force known as time itself. While the players on wearing the crossed saber kit of the national team might change, the kit endures and is seen in every World Cup since their first entry in the twenty-ninth edition.

Sixty-six years (or therabouts) has passed since the Marauders lifted their fifth title and thought that many more were going to be coming in the years and editions to come after that triumph. Perhaps it is a touch of hubris that the last victory at the pinnacle of the sport will also have been the last time that the team has made it to the apex and a chance to win a championship. Superstars have come and gone in the six and a half decades since the Marauders last lifted the trophy, with the only constant being the legendary captain at attacking midfielder spot whose name is spoken constantly among the discussions of the greatest to ever play the game. Laborious Hawk is the only member of the Marauders to have played in every single appearance that the team has had in the Finals and being the last elf still playing in the national team, is the only one who was there for the last occasion. While many on the team were two generations removed from being born yet, Hawk was there in the Marauders kit with the captains armband as the team went out and captured their last title, a triumph that had been well earned in the tournament and editions leading up to it.

When one plays against Farfadillis, you can expect one thing for certain, they are going to come at you with reckless abandon and look to pressure your midfield and defense into making mistake after mistake that their ridiculously talented attacking players get the most opportunities to utilize their plethora of skills at their disposal. Past success against the Farves have typically seen the Marauders simply suffocate their southwestern rivals out of the game, dominating the game through possession that prevents those elite attackers from getting the touches and looks on net to show off their dazzling skills in the attack. There was no such luck this match as the Farfadillis team was on their A-game and looking to press every advantage, with an opening goal from Vâásk Çêwé, an equalizing goal shortly before the halftime whistle by Jôs Sürréo, and then local talent Mâát Trlimándã Wôl putting the side ahead a few minutes shy of the hour mark. The Marauders though, they were up for the bout and equalized shortly after the opener through Heike Schoß, went ahead three minutes later via Lothas Ludwig, and then tied things up near the death from Taina Vääräniemi. An extra time frame saw two tired teams try to get the knockout blow but neither keeper would give an inch, meaning penalties were on the cards. Ludwig and Winter would score the first two for the Marauders, but Barrientos effort hit the wrong side of the post and went out, yet Obermaier had saved two penalties, meaning Hawk could secure the victory if he converted. There was never any doubt.

That converted penalty is sending the Marauders to the World Cup Final for an eighth time, where their record in the championship game at an impressive five wins and two losses. One of those losses came at the hands of the aforementioned Starblaydia, during World Cup 47 that was being hosted between the Eternal Empire and Kura Pelland, the Final itself at the Battleground in Raynor City. It was a tie then for the Marauders to tie Starblaydia at four titles atop the heap, instead the rivals would escape narrow winners and be the first to claim the fifth title. The other loss in the Final would come some four short cycle later when the Marauders were trying to dethrone the Dagans at the height of their power, but the side was not quite ready to do so. That experience though spilled over into the sort of confidence and experience a side needs to fill that hunger and drive them forward with purpose, as they would capture their fourth title in the following cycle against regional rivals and growing power of the game Sorthern Northland. In trip number eight to the pinnacle, the Marauders look to the past to perhaps held them in the future, having been humbled last cycle and now have come back with an even more stern purpose to the team.

Six. The dream of the sixth title has been there for over half a century and so many players have come and gone, managers hired for that purpose only to come up short of attaining the goal that has been the only real priority of the fans since the fifth title was won. What would it mean to at long last be able to break that curse of the elusive sixth and bring it back to the Hatire Memorial alongside the other five? Words cannot express the sort of jubilation and relief that the team, the fans, and the entire federation would feel at being able to lift up that trophy and be able to say that the goal was achieved, that the dream of the sixth title has finally been made into reality. There is one last obstacle in the way of that dream being made manifest into reality, a hurdle that will the most difficult to clear if six is to be achieved. Perhaps fittingly it is Banija, a side who has been in the shadow of the Marauders thanks to location for some time before eventually establishing themselves as their own power not to mettled with in this sport. The current number one team in the rankings and the holders of the title, and the team who some might say the Empire nurtured into the side it is today through the amount of players who made the short trip to the Empire to hone their game. Banija will be looking to join the ranks of those who have been able to retain the crown and earn their third title in doing so, while one word is all that encompasses the Marauders drive in this game. SIX.

World 94 Final
Lineup: Günter Obermaier; Pierre Wisniewski, Louise Løvoll, Ralph Winter; Julia Holt, Maximilian Edvardsen, Heike Schoß, Andreas Bjerk; Laborious Hawk; Lothas Ludwig, Hadi Lundström

by **Banija** » Tue Aug 08, 2023 11:53 am

A matchup worthy of the stage- Banija v. Valanora rivalry reaches its Zenith as the two face off in the World Cup Final

NEORVINS, KELSSEK- It's the World Cup 94 Final. Put it in perspective just how insane this is. Banija- under Pam Scott, the Kadongo Kamu have reached our peak form. Never have we had a run like this in this sport- and it is unlikely we'll ever see a run like this ever again. Smile while we have it, enjoy it, appreciate it- because it is spectacular in so many ways. Think about it- our fifth major Final in our last three cycles (two AOCAF Finals in addition to three straight World Cup Finals). Obviously, our third straight World Cup Final. A chance to go back-to-back- trying to become one of just a handful of nations who have ever successfully defended their title at this time- trying to become the first to do so since Vilita did it at World Cups 81 & 82.

Pam Scott talks about the magnitude. "Look, we're here- an incredible achievement that we have done. To go to three World Cup Finals in a row... You know how hard that is? How much competition there is in this sport? And to have a chance to win it for a second time in a row... Truly blessed to be here. But here we are- we are going to do our damndest to make the most of this opportunity." After a dramatic, last minute win over Græntfjall, in Græntfjall, in the semifinal, with our captain, Adin Wasawo, scoring from point blank range in the 119th minute, we find ourselves here. In an all-AO World Cup Final. And more importantly- with the Farf win in the 3PPO, Atlantian Oceania will take all three podium positions at this World Cup.

Fun fact.

Now, let's get to the matchup. Banija v. Valanora. If you can find the two nations on a map, you can tell how the geographic proximity informs this matchup. And then, of course, we must go beyond that- history. Pre-WC 73, before we were doing this whole World Cup thing ourselves, Banijans were still part of a sports-mad, football(soccer!) mad culture. Who were we rooting for in those World Cups? Two nations, largely. One- Quebec, of course. It's Quebec. The other? The 5-time World champions, Valanora. Giants of the sport and the game. It's the Quebecois for sure who introduced this game to Banija- but if you want to talk about the start of Banija and Vanaorian football relations, you start there. That's why, you walk into senior homes all across Banija and you ask them who their favorite player is- they'll almost invariably say Laborious Hawk.

And of course, once we started punching at (and then above) our weight in this sport, those ties only deepened. Banijan after Banijan started playing in Valanora. Most importantly, Kuma Bultum- taking a 20 million+ fee, as a defender, to play for Raynor City United. He, of course, was an anchor on the World Cup 86 title team. Vanorians started playing in Banija. Migrant groups to Valanora. Business ties- the Busembe Timberwolves are owned by an alumnus of their national team. And then... You've got to consider the recent history between these sides. At major tournaments.

Recent Banija v. Valanora AOCAF KO Stage Matchups
AOCAF LXIV Final- Banija 2–2 Valanora (3–3 AET) (5–4 pen.)
AOCAF LXVII Quarterfinals- Valanora 2–2 Banija (2–3 AET)
AOCAF LXVIII Final- Valanora 2–2(3–2 AET) Banija

Recent Banija v. Valanora World Cup KO Stage Matchups
World Cup 92 Semifinal- Banija 1–1 Valanora (2–2 AET) (4–2 pen.)

Of course, it's not exactly the most massive sample- but there are frequent enough samples, almost all with big-time stakes (either regional or world titles on the line), that really enhance this rivalry. And to think. Imagine 20 cycles ago saying Banija would be able to be worthy to call itself a rival of the 5-time world champions. But that is where we find ourselves. With this World Cup Final matchup, can this be the rivalry that overtakes EQS as our biggest rivalry? With Equestria no longer a factor in big-time world football, some say it already has.

"It feels like, at this point, whenever we go deep into a major tournament- especially the World Cup- Valanora is always there." Said one of our veteran wingers, Sarafina Ikpeazu. "And look- as they should be. One of the greatest nations to ever do it. One of the greatest in the history of the sport. They are trying to truly stand alone among all nations in this sport- they find themselves 90 minutes away from what would be a successful chase for 6." And a long chase it has been too. Valanora has truly ridden the ups and downs of international football- and they find themselves 90 minutes away from being at the pinnacle of the sport.

It is hard to reach the pinnacle. It is harder to stay on top. They have gone through it- it's been 33 cycles since the last time they reached a World Cup Final. Pam Scott spoke about that. "They've been coming, desperately, for this moment for a long time. We've seen them building towards it the last few cycles... Success on the regional level turned into success on a World Cup level, starting to make deeper and deeper runs.. It is no surprise that they have reached this stage. It's where they belong. It is on us to do whatever it takes to stop them from getting number 6."

And what a game it will be. Titanic clash between neighbors. Winner takes all. Loser goes home. All the drama, everything we love about sport, about football- will be packed into this singular game.

And as always... Go Banija!

by **Saint Eleanor** » Tue Aug 08, 2023 12:05 pm

World Cup 94 - Group D, third game
Saint Eleanor 1 (Jessica Martin goal 62'. Grazie, Jessica!)
Commonwealth of Baker Park 0

The 2005 episode of "Thirty Years of Eleanorians" will be issued in full in the WC95 thread. Sorry for the holdup!

by **Kelssek** » Tue Aug 08, 2023 2:06 pm

This is it, the final cutoff. Thank you everyone for your participation!

by **Banija** » Thu Sep 07, 2023 1:22 pm

OOC Note: The parts that go against Valanora's RP permissions have been approved by her directly via Discord DMs...

Pam Scott, the Banijan NT manager, pacing the sideline early on in the game

All the energy and pageantry of a World Cup Final. The pregame ceremony, the concert, the excitement from fans on both sides- with Banija in their third straight World Cup Final, she finally had a true grasp on how it all worked. But you could not replace the jitters and excitement of competing in one of these- the most important 90 minutes (or more) in all of sport. And the opening game had that excitement- both teams, surprisingly for a final, playing loose and really getting after it. Laborious Hawk had a 5th minute header that had forced a diving save from the Banijan Keeper- an incredible effort by Hebron Rao, a hell of a way to keep her head, and her instincts, on a swivel. Somehow, someway, it was still 0-0.

But it was clear that both teams were trying to take their opportunities. The Banijans had an early opportunity as well, with Lolong Bokate getting in behind the Vanorian defense. But he had way too much excitement- blasting his one on one opportunity into the fifth row. It had been an entertaining opening quarter of an hour for the match, especially if you were a neutral. Both teams wanted to go out and win this one- grab this World Cup by the horns. Valanora, trying to complete that chase for 6. And Banija, trying to put itself in that conversation for greatest teams of all status with a second consecutive World Cup title.

In the 18th minute, Aquila Hongo, playing in a midfield role, saw Abel Wesoloski-Okafor, making a deep, diagonal run. As the ball was released, he was flying down the pitch- behind the defense, and crucially, from an onside position. The Valanora defenders- in particular, Louise Løvoll- were giving chase. But AWO's got that combination of pace, strength, etc... That makes him the best striker in the world. "Come on, Abel!" Pam Scott yelled. And as he gathered the ball and crossed the 18, nobody in front of him, ready to shoot, Louise Løvoll made a desperate, last second sliding challenge- but unfortunately for her, got it all wrong.

"PENALTY!" The entire Banijan bench leapt up to its feet, mad as hell. And the referee calmly pointed to the spot.

"Give her a red!" One assistant yelled.

"The card is in your pocket!" Another bench player yelled- Pam Scott couldn't quite make out who it was- too much pandemonium from the crowd, from the players, from everything. It was quite the moment- the referee jogged over to his assistant referee on the sideline. Then, he jogged back to Løvoll- and he showed the Marauders defender a straight red card. The Banijans were ecstatic- and on the opposite bench, Valanora was incensed. It was borderline, for sure. Could go either way. Some referees would err on the side of caution in a World Cup Final. But not this one. Marauders fan were booing. Valanora players were arguing with the referee.

The referee ended up conferring with the video assistant referee, and took a look at it on video. A foul, and a penalty, it surely was- but a red card? While the ref was looking at that, Pam started talking to her penalty taker. "Abel, I need you to stay calm and collected."

"Of course, Pam, I got this." He told his manager.

"Look, remember your tape?" He nodded as she talked. "Go top right. Don't worry about any trickery in the run up- go for power and placement. It's a fucking World Cup Final, the nerves couldn't be higher- gotta keep calm and strike the ball on this penalty like you mean it." The referee came out from looking at the video review, and kept his call on the field. Valanora, down to 10 men, just 18 minutes into the match. The Kadongo Kamu having a fantastic opportunity, from the spot, to take a 1-0 lead. Wesoloski-Okafor was in the zone. He grabbed the ball and placed it down- completely ignoring all the noise around him. Opponents, teammates, fans- the way he was moving, you'd think he was by himself, on the training ground.

The referee blew his whistle. Wesoloski-Okafor kept his head down- and followed his manager's advice. Top right. Blasted with power. Perfect penalty. Keeper guessed correctly, but there was nothing they could do about that one. "GOAL!" Pam yelled, as the Banijan bench, and fans, exploded. "LET"S GO!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, as she hugged the other members of her coaching staff. The bench flew down the sideline to join Wesoloski-Okafor sliding into the corner, who was pounding his chest in front of the Marauders faithful. 1-0 up, and 1 man up- was a World Cup title on the horizon?

Random fan, sitting in the front row of the Banijan supporters section, 39th minute

The Kadongo Kamu were cruising along, 1-0 up. Valanora, after such a promising start, seemed shell-shocked. It's hard to defend when you're a man down, especially when you are also a goal down as a result of the same play. Serious double jeopardy- it's hard, and Valanora was on the back foot ever since they had conceded that goal. The green and orange were singing in the crowd, and this particular fan was enjoying himself. The team he was supporting was having the better of the possesion, as Valanora looked to be desperately searching for a way to get into halftime down just 1-0.

It was then when Sergius Atieno made an absolutely wicked pass- 30 yards, on the ground, absolute weaver through three defenders. It needed to be placed absolutely perfectly, and it was. Wesoloski-Okafor was on the other side, cutting through the man-down defense like a Swiss Army knife- and as he received the ball, he knew he was in on goal. "Oh, come on!" The fan yelled. Everybody took a gasp- Wesoloski-Okafor took one touch, and then chipped the ball over the goalkeeper with his weak foot. An absolutely sensational finish, as the crowd reaction reflected.

"LET'S FUCKING GO!!!!!" The fan yelled.

"WE"RE GONNA WIN THE MOTHER FUCKING WORLD CUP COME ON!!!!" Said another fan. THey were yelling and hugging, and the fan section was absolutely and complete pandemonium. Fans were hugging, leaping over each other, on top of each other- the reactions to what sure looked like a World Cup winning goal, considering the match situation and how both teams were playing at the time. And look- surely, the Kadongo Kamu were well on their way at this point, right? Back to back?

A bar in Raynor CIty, 6 Banijan migrants sitting at a table surrounded by 100 or so Valanora fans at this bar, 58th minute

"Hey man, you wanna place a bet on the World Cup Final?" Said George Lotobo, a 42 year old Banijan soccer fan who lived in Raynor City, two days before the game.

"Of course!" Said the Valanora fan- who happened to be his boss. "Loser pays for the next team happy hour?"

"Hell yeah!" Lotobo had told him. And now, had come matchday. He had gathered 5 of his friends, and made his way to a Raynor City bar. He had moved to Valanora as a young child- a great place for him to express himself. An avowed athiest, most people at home would consider him batshit crazy, to put it kindly- or outright discriminate against him due to his own athiestic beliefs, which obviously would be a disaster on many levels. So Valanora was a great place for him- he knew he wanted to live here his entire life.

But sporting allegiances, in tournaments like the World Cup, were always weird for migrants. The small Banijan community in Raynor City were mostly split in their rooting allegiances- but generally, those who were born in Banija would root for Banija when the two nations played each other. And Lotobo was no exception. There were a lot of things he didn't like about him- but the football wasn't one of them. And currently, with his friends at this bar, things were going absolutely swimmingly. The energy in the bar was electric- they had to get to the place 5.5 hours early to grab the last table. Valanora's first World Cup Final in like 30 cycles, and a regional rivalry match at that- energy was absolutely through the roof.

Hell, it was a World Cup Final. Energy would always be through the roof, regardless of matchup. But the matchup certainly helped. And the bar had been wild. Valanora fans were passionate, and yet good natured- they knew they wouldn't be in any real danger of brawling or anything. Especially from a culture that doesnt' really like smack talk or anything like that. They had certainly gotten their fair share of comments from fans- but from the 18th minute on, the bar was pretty damn quiet. Except for these 6.

"Another round?" The waitress asked them. Said yes. They were drinking a local beer- why not?

The Banijans, in this half, were mostly sitting back. It was clear Pam Scott was happy being 2-0 up while being up a man- the odds were heavily stacked against Valanora at this point. "Man, I can't believe we're about to win this thing. Another World Cup! Pam Scott- the woman, the myth, the legend, the GOAT."

"Well, don't count your chickens before they hatch." Said another friend. "You know how these games go. One moment and..."

"Don't be nervous!" Lotobo said. "You know that we-" And then, he stopped. The moment everybody was worried about. A ball, popped straight up to the chest of Laborious Hawk. Hawk then controlled it, turned, and hit it with his left foot straight out of the air- nearly 30 yards from goal.

"You have GOT to be absolutely-" What Lotobo's friend was going to say, was never heard, as the bar exploded into delirium. It was a wonder goal. The Valanora commentator was screaming how this was potentially the goal of the tournament, and honestly, who could disagree. A half-volley in a World Cup Final to bring your team back to life? What was looking like a march for Banija was suddenly a game again- and everybody in the bar was energized. Laborious Hawk was playing like a madman- the passion was clear for everyone to see. He seemed as if he was two players at once, evening the numbers- everywhere and anywhere, and of course he would get this goal.

As Lothas Ludwig was digging the ball out of the net, they were imploring their fans to get louder, get more energized. Was a comeback starting for the 5 time world champions? Could they ever say die?

Banijan television commentators, 71st minute

Color Commmentator: Wow, oh wow! The drama of this World Cup Final. Banija seemed to be looking dead set at getting this trophy- our third ever World Cup title- but probably the nation that defines the very concept of winning in this tournament, Valanora, is back in it, and with a vengeance. Laborious Hawk's volley has put Valanora only down 1, and even while playing with only 10 players, they seem to be in pretty damn good shape.

Play-By-Play Commentator: Right now, the Banijans are completing a substitution- just to try and see things off in this match. Sarafina Ikpeazu, playing in her last ever match for this national team, has been brought into the game for Dembo Savaneh, the dangerous Banijan winger. Savaneh's had a pretty damn good game so far, of course, but Ikpeazu was always going to play a key role. Her ability to come through in a game, has been proven time and time again. A goal in the World Cup 92 Final, and a hat trick of assists in the World Cup 93 Final- can she help Banija see this out?

Color Commmentator: And as the game gets back to it, the question remains. Can a 10 man Valanora complete the comeback? They always say a 2-0 lead is the most dangerous one in football... Can the Vanorians prove that true, once again?

Play-By-Play Commentator: Subsitution is over, and the Banijans throw it in. They try to advance the ball- and Atieno is intercepted by Ralph Winter, one of the Valanora center backs- a former Kitara AA player- and IFCF Champions League winner with that same club. Trying to join that exclusive club, of people who have won both the World Cup and the Champions League in their careers...

Color Commmentator: Oh shit, look at that Ludwig run...

Play-By-Play Commentator: And Winter plays it over the top... AND LUDWIG IS RUNNING FREE! HE'S IN, BEHIND THE DEFENSE! Oh I can't believe it! He's got Bbale Luboobi on his back, but he's going in on goal! Can he make it 2-2... AND THE BALL IS CHIPPED OVER THE KEEPER! Keeper, Ludwig, and Luboobi all down- as the two Banijans were both sliding! The ball is slowly rolling towards the now empty goal... There's a sprint to get to it first, Wasawo for Banija and Hadi Lundström for Valanora... They get there at the same time, about 4 yards in front of the goal, sliding... And it's popped up over the top of the goal, for a corner kick!

It is, indeed, a stunning scene. The commentators give a moment of silence, to allow the viewers to take in the scenes. You've got Wasawo and Lundström in a heap, both having slid at the same time, both of them ending up in the back of the net- but the ball not joining them there. There's another pile of players, with Hebron Rao, Lothas Ludwig, and Luboobi all in their own pile. Ludwig looks like he can't believe it- how did he not score on the chip? But it's Hadi Lundström where all eyes are. His eyes are wide- he looks absolutely stunned that he didn't score the equalizing goal there. In fact, he looks near tears. Directly next to him, Wasawo is sitting up, pounding his chest, and screaming - surely having just saved what would have been the equalizing goal here in the World Cup Final.

Play-By-Play Commentator: Everyone's getting up, and Valanora is going to whip in a corner kick. How is this game not 2-2? Impossible. Valanora not getting any breaks today....

83rd minute, Layvin Son-Saka, future Banijan NT star and current St. John's Arsenal star, sitting in the RBSA Suite

Layvin Son-Saka was pacing. He had thought he had done enough to earn his spot on this team, on this roster, with St. John's Arsenal- and honestly, the dual-national probably had. But it's hard to tell your World Cup 93 winning captain, who had just performed so well in the World Cup, to step down before she was ready- and Son-Saka respected that. He remembered the conversation that he had with Pam Scott about it when it happened.

"Look, I understand it's going to be painful to not be a part of this World Cup team." She had told him shortly before the FInals had started. "You are going to be a superstar wearing this jersey for a long, long time. But Sarafina Ikpeazu has earned her place, and considering her accomplishments, it would be a dereliction of my duty to my players if I were to cut her loose. You know how locker room dynamics- it's not a move that would work." Many of the NT locker room felt bad about her club situation in Nephara, and were big supporters of hers. It would have really rocked the boat- even when Pam Scott has garnered so much respect in Banijan circles.

Son-Saka had understood. He had briefly considered changing his NT allegiance to Quebec, to try and play for his country of residence- but after long conversations with his parents, he decided to keep his focus on the club game. It had worked, BTW- he had performed at levels previously unseen by a teenager, and had won St. John's Arsenal their first Q-League title in almost 3 decades. He knew that this World Cup Final would be the last time he would be up here, in a suite, watching the national team- rather than on the ground, being in the match.

It had taken a lot for the young player to get over this- it's not easy, being left off the national team when you have talent like his. But he pulled through. He had barely watched Banija's Qualifiers because he had been mad about that- but by the time the Finals came around, he had figured it out. And so now, he was watching, pacing- sitting with all these VIPs. The Government suite was the next one over (yes, seperate government and RBSA suites, crazy). So he was watching, as a fan, for the last time.

And he saw Laborious Hawk loop in a cross- one that was headed away by Adin Wasawo. "Come on, guys." He said. A typical header away- except it went to the chest of Abel Wesoloski-Okafor. And when he played the ball right, to Sarafina Ikpeazu... She was off to the races, up the sideline. "Oh my- GO GO, SARAFINA!" Son-Saka was yelling from his suite. She flew up the pitch, with a massive touch, and suddenly the Banijans had numbers. Kadongo Kamu flying forward, and a very, very tired Valanora team trying desperately to get back. She brought the ball into the back, and crossed it on the ground to a wide open Odongo Kagenda- who had just come into the match for Lolong Bokate moments prior.

Kagenda hit the ball first time- and perfectly. Low, hard, and to the corner. Valanora's keeper didnt' stand a chance. "GOAL!!!!!" Son-Saka yelled, as half the stadium exploded- and the suite went crazy. "ODONGO, LET'S GO!" Odongo Kagenda and Layvin Son-Saka were the wing pair of the future- the very near future. Kagenda, while being mobbed on the sideline, pointed up to Son-Saka- dedicating his goal to the St. John's Arsenal star. It was now 3-1, a beautifully executed counter-attack to really take the wind out of those Valanora sails, 83 minutes on. Banija were surely on the brink, right?

Namakula Kawesa, Capitol City FC manager, at home in the first minute of stoppage time, with seven minutes given

Kawesa had decided to not travel to Kelssek for this World Cup Final- she needed to focus on preparing for the upcoming season with her wealthy club, Capitol City FC. She was the first woman to ever put on the green shirt for the Banijans- and many considered her the greatest to ever do so. But just because she couldn't spend 4 days in Kelssek for the Final, doesn't mean she wasn't watching at home. She was not much of a partyer, anyways. She had, at her house- her husband, her three young children, and her parents.

"What a way to watch a World Cup Final, right?" She said, grinning. She, of course, was a starter on the World Cup 86 team that won Banija's first ever World Cup Final. So she was always a massive supporter of this NT- and was ecstatic that the team was balling out. So when Wesoloski-Okafor was fouled, on the edge of the box, right as stoppage time was about to begin, she knew the countdown was on.

"Who's gonna take it- Sarafina?" Her husband asked.

"Yeah, it's gotta be her." Namakula said. So many Banijans were in the back, they didn't need a ton of people up here for this free kick. Both Sarafina Ikpeazu and Wesoloski-Okafor were standing over the ball. "Who else would it be?" They both stood over it, whispering to each other. The Valanora players set up their wall. The clock was ticking- 6 minutes, if Banija held on, until Banija were crowned World Cup champions.

Sarafina Ikpeazu stepped up, and took the free kick- an absolutely brilliant, and beautiful, bending free kick. "GOAL!" One of Kawesa's young sons yelled, as he jumped up and down in his Dad's arms, before falling flat on the ground. "MAMA, ARE WE CHAMPIONS??" Asked another one of her sons.

"Yes, we are!" Namakula Kawesa said. She listened to the color commentator.

"And that goal, Banija's 4th of the match, assuredly seals the deal now! We're just going to wait out the last 6 minutes until Banija are crowned back-to-back World Cup champions- an absolutely stellar performance, at the tail end of a stellar run by the Kadongo Kamu. And what a storybook way to end your NT career if you are Sarafina Ikpeazu. Who is more of a big game player than her? She's played in the World Cup Final on three seperate occasions- and she's combined for two goals, and four assists, in those three matches. Say what you want- but is there a better big game player than Sarafina Ikpeazu herself? Is she the greatest woman to ever play for the Banijans?"

Namakula Kawesa knew that the two women had different roles in the history of the NT. Namakula was the trend setter, the glass breaker- and Ikpeazu, a beneficiary of that, was a monster. So Kawesa tweeted. "What a way to put a feather on the cap of the great Sarafina Ikpeazu! Even I will say it- this country has not produced a female athlete that equates Sarafina Ikpeazu. Two-time world champ!"

While others certainly had arguments, in the moment, nobody could dispute Kawesa.

How people celebrated Banija's third World Cup title

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- "This. Is. Insanity." A simple, three word sentence from Pam Scott, to fans in a post match interview, describing the manager's feelings upon Banija winning their third World Cup title. A 4-1 win over a 10 man Valanora, in a match that was far closer than the final scoreline indiciates- although Banija did exhibit decisiveness at the end, after teetering on the edge of catastrophe for the lion's share of the second half. Today, we're going to go through quick descriptions on how people celebrated- players, VIPs, fans, etc...

Sarafina Ikpeazu

The former captain maybe had the most touching celebration. With her now official retirement from the NT, she gave her jersey to Layvin Son-Saka, Banija's next superstar, at her position. She told reporters that it was symbolic, it was her passing the torch, and that he would 'retire as one of the greatest to ever put on this shirt'. Heavy words for a teenager- but who can deny that she's right?

Hebron Rao

A fantastic celebration from the Banijan keeper. She dedicated the trophy to the former longtime Banijan #1, Wanda Kouyate- sayign the former Testiculos Lifetime Achievement Winner, and the sport's only three-level world champion, deserves to be called a world champion for a second time.

Robel Ezera, WCC Vice President & Executive Chairman of the RBSA

The powerful sporting executive was seen lifting his kids in the air, and running around with them. He told a reporter after the match that he was going to go to a beach, and simply 'lay down for 24 hours'.

The Kabaka

Of course, he's creeping from his lower to his mid-90s now. His celebration, was special. He brought some Blood Sea water- in memory of his late son, and grandson, the two who would take over the throne next in his death. The Kabaka dumped Blood Sea water over the trophy, christening it, saying that it was 'his way' of connecting his late son and grandson to this tremendous Banijan achievement.

Fan Submissions (Each line is a different submission!)

"When the final whistle blew, I simply started crying! Insane. I cant believe I have seen Banija do this. I thought, a few cycles, when we missed World Cup 89 entirely, that it was over- and yet, instead, we worked some of that even year magic. Let's threepeat??"

"I spent it getting engaged! In a sense. After Kagenda's goal, I leapt so hard at the bar, where I was planning to propose to my GF, that my ring went flying out of my pocket- and I could not find it anymore! Still can't. Thank the Lord I got it insured. Bending down on one knee was awkward when I suddenly had lost that ring..."

"I had to watch on tape delay because I had work. It was tragic! But when I got home, I watched the whole thing... So I got the police called to my house for a noise complaint at 3:30 AM, because I was jumping up and down celebrating the goals. Once I explained to the cop what was going on, instead of writing me a ticket, he actually sat on my couch, grabbed a beer, and watched the second half with me! Brilliant!"

"This was the first football match I had ever seen. So confusing! What's offsides? I know, a Banijan who doesn't watch sports? I can probbaly count the number of people who that applies to in this country on two hands. Anyways, it was pretty fun. Are World Cups always like this? Why didn't anyone tell me? What a badass time!"

by **Lamoni** » Sat Oct 14, 2023 8:36 pm

Thread locked at request of OP.

World Cup 94 [roleplays]

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