Di Bradini Cup 29/U21WC50 RP/Roster/Results Thread

[Mytannion]

The Big Game.

A series of programmes by sports journalist Maxym Illicevic cataloging some of the most famous Mytanar football games, from National Cup triumphs from yesteryear to fights between title contenders more recently. In this episode, Illicevic looks at the 2001 National Cup Final.

The year was 2001, democracy was blooming in Mytannion, President Pamic had made some extremely popular health reforms and everything was going rather swimmingly. Atletik Thessia had roared to their eighth Top League title through the season and had looked as if they would go through the season and win the National Cup as well, completing the double, they didn't manage that because they were knocked out of the Cup by Liria Prizren in the semi finals. A 24 year old centre forward who had built quite a reputation for himself at the club was the talisman and had scored the winner over Atletik Thessia in the semis, that man is now the manager of die Schwarzgelben, following a journeyman career.

Danek Badjkev had been at the club for eight years, since the age of 16 and had made 178 appearances over that period scoring 87 goals. He would face his most important game when he walked out of the tunnel for Liria Prizren at Radnika in front of 60,000 baying fans. Tekstilshchik Ibon were the opposition - and a future club of Badjkev's - they had faced a tough season and had just about managed to stay safe of relegation from the Top League, they had negotiated some tough ties to get to this stage in the National Cup as well, beating teams like Pretia Prizren, Dtykiga, CDSA Decraa and Energia-Yaderny Miago on their way to the Final. Ibon had their own talisman on the pitch in the form of a young Swen Kislasson. He was going to be one of the men tasked to try and shutdown Danek Badjkev.

Liria Prizren manager Radoslav Drobny was a story in himself. He was a man of fifty nine years of age, a former hardman central defender who had made a name for himself in the time before the professional leagues. The amateur leagues that were the height of football in the times when Anatoliy Tolik reigned the country. He had always been as fit as a flea, ready for anything and still regularly went on solo runs before a day of training with the team. But in 1996, at the age of 54 he had been diagnosed with cancer of the liver. Drobny had never been a heavy drinker and hadn't ever partaken in any of the things which are said to increase the risk of contraction of liver cancer. He was given treatment, supported by the club and was described as in remission by the doctors towards the end of the 96/97 season.

Of course, being in remission doesn't mean that the cancer cannot come back. That is of course, exactly what happened and Drobny was given the devastating news that he would once again have to go through the aggressive treatment that would leave him weak and unable to manage his side through the 2000/2001 season. Drobny didn't pay attention to the doctors this time around though and whilst he underwent the treatment for the second time, he managed his side throughout the season - he was ever present on the sideline despite his visibly declining health and led his side expertly to a strong 4th placed finish in the Mytanar Top League and also to the final of the National Cup. The doctors advised him not to put himself through the stress of managing a football team - but he fought on through and managing die Schwarzgelben seemed to actually give him that something to fight for, to keep going for.

He surprised everybody and his story was almost as big as Liria Prizren reaching their first major final in the professional era, but could he manage to lead the side all the way to the trophy that was still at this time considered to be the most important one in Mytanar football? Tekstilshchik Ibon were hoping he couldn't despite the story that that would set-up for the likes of me to review in the future. They had their own story though, not as moving and not as noteworthy. They had money troubles and with the National Cup still retaining the importance that means that it is the longest running competition in Mytanar football (why do we not have records predating professionalism? I wish we did, damn Tolikists, surely there are some who can remember what happened...), the money involved in winning it would put them worries to bed once and for all.

Ibon had always been in the shadow of their rivals from down the river, Atletik Thessia, this was a chance for them to kickstart their very own history of winning. Every team in Mytannion has a strong history, strong traditions, but there are only a few that have the culture of winning trophies with any regularity. Tekstilshchik Ibon are one of them. Their fans are top quality and that has always been the case, but they haven't necessarily been rewarded for that support. This was their chance and also an opportunity for Swen Kislasson to display his talent to the world. At this time, the National Cup Final was the only football shown to Rushmore, the only Mytanar football seen abroad. It would be a chance for Kislasson to let the world see his quality.

The game itself started, it was a fairly slow start to the game, with both teams seemingly trying to grow into the game. Liria Prizren had the first big chance of the game, with Eskin moving out to the right wing from his attacking midfield position and delivering an excellent ball in. Danek Badjkev flicked it on, towards the back post and his strike partner Jarik Bily attempted to poke it home but the Tekstilshchik Ibon goalkeeper smothered the close range attempt. This led to a period of pressure from Liria, Bily going close again, hitting the post and then Enver Eskin working the goalkeeper with a long range effort from around 30 yards. This pressure was good and Drobny was pleased with his players on the sideline, despite them not being as incisive as he would have hoped.

By the 20th minute, Liria Prizren had had six shots on goal with four being on target and had also registered over 60% of the possession. But their pressure would come to nothing as after a couple of minutes of being camped around the Tekstilshchik Ibon area and a few corner kicks, they got caught out, Kislasson intercepted a pass and then dribbled out of defence at speed, advancing past the halfway line and towards the Liria Prizren area, he chipped a cross into the area and Ibon forward Petr Sturmov headed it past the stranded Liria goalkeeper and it was 1-0 to Tekstilshchik Ibon, their fans began their trademark bounce in their half of Radnika and flares and smokebombs were set off - as is customary with most goals in Mytanar football. 1-0 after 26 minutes, completely against the run of play. This led to another period of sustained pressure from Liria Prizren, but Ibon managed to hold them off for a long time...

...Right up until five mad minutes towards the end of the second half, the 79th minute was the moment for Liria Prizren to manage a reply. Eskin played the ball out to the marauding right back Radek Ehrenberger, he delivered a low cross and Danek Badjkev was the man who got to it first, smashing the ball at the Tekstilshchik Ibon goal. The ball was on target and had it not been for an impressive diving save from the Ibon goalkeeper it would have been an excellent goal for Badjkev. The save wasn't good enough, the ball was simply parried straight into the path of Jarik Bily who simply turned the ball over the goalkeeper who was prone on the pitch and it was 1-1. Bily and Badjkev celebrated together and the fans went mental behind the goal, the celebrations were wild and they were expecting a second to be netted within minutes. That was what came.

84th minute. Ehrenberger with the ball roaming down the right wing. A pinpoint cross towards the penalty spot. Danek Badjkev rising highest, the 24 year old nodding the ball towards the goal. A dive, an outstretched arm. The ball evades them all and crosses the line. 2-1. A complete turnaround. Badjkev tore away from the penalty box towards the corner where a particularly rowdy group of fans (the Gelbmauer group of ultras), were taking the roof off the stadium. He slid on his knees and was mobbed by his team mates. Liria Prizren were headed towards their first trophy in the professional era and Badjkev was the cause. He had cemented his position as a Liria legend and would be forever welcome at the club - hence him getting the manager's job all them years later.

Drobny is a legend too. His aptitude for coming through the challenge of the cancer unscathed and doing so well as manager of the club as well - guiding them to glory says a lot about the man. He would come through this bout of cancer absolutely fine but it sadly returned a third time fifteen years later, this time it would result in his death. He is a Liria Prizren legend and flags depicting his image and tifo displays are a regular occurrence in the Westfalenstadion. He's remembered forever.

Danek Badjkev went on to play for Tekstilshchik Ibon, Lok. Cassia, Fk Arsika and then hopped over to Iturributa to play for Sporting Iturributa and then across the border to Urbizania Wanderers. He retired at the age of 36 and jumped straight into the manager's role at Liria Prizren.

Dedicated to the memory of Radoslav Drobny.

[Blouman Empire]

THE EMPIRE TIMES

Comeback Win For Eaglets

A game of ups and downs as the Eaglets took the lead then lost it then took it again meant the Eaglets could win their second game in the Di Bradini Cup. Brad Hunter’s opening goal was cancelled out just before half-time by Blanco Chubbs, they then continued their run by taking the lead early in the second half. Paul Credab levelled the game in the 60th minute with Hunter restoring the lead with 10 minutes to go before Hames Tinkery’s injury-time strike took away any doubt of the winner.

It was the perfect comeback for a team that is determined to show that they are a top contender for the cup and was described by Eaglets Captain Jason Potts as “a strong performance by all involved”. Yet in early stages of this match it was Nassau Hessen who looked the most likely to score, with the lively and experienced striker Chubbs causing problems for the Blouman defence. The Eaglets did their best to counter this placing David Parson as his main marker whom used his pace to block the threat that Chubbs posed. However, the striker was able to find space in the 6th minute and square the ball to Longo Tolk who mishit and sent his shot well over the crossbar when only six yards from goal. Instead it was the Eaglets who managed broke the deadlock in the 16th minute Ty Freltron used his pace to charge at the Nassau defence and won a free-kick just outside of the box, which allowed Hunter to drive low and wide of the keeper. From then on the Eaglets looked dominant, with Credab having a shot tipped over the bar after good build up play by Max Fox and Freltron. However, against the run of play, Nassau managed to summon a goal from seemingly nothing. A long clearance over the top saw Chubbs and Pason racing alongside each other. At the crucial moment Parson slipped, leaving Chubbs clear on goal and with a simple finish past Henry Polinoir.

Nassau Hessen again looked the livelier of the two teams at the start of the second half and should have gone in front within a minute of whistle if not only for Tolk to again repeat his first-half attempt firing over the bar, and into the stands when it looked impossible not to score. Their disappointment was short-lived as, just three minutes later, as Tolk crossed the ball onto Chubbs, who had an easy shot to putting Nassau in front. The Eaglets were anything but gone and started to fight back. With just hour gone, a move which started with recently subbed on George Laner down the right saw a cross flicked on by Fox to Credab, and fired the ball into the goals only 10 yards out. The Eaglets continued their relentless push which was rewarded with a goal in the 80th minute from an almost similar move to the last goal, however, this time it was Hunter in the box to take it home. Now up by a goal and only a few minutes to go one would think that the team would be content and hold up the game but newly subbed Tinkery had other ideas as the bench screamed to him to “take it to the corner” as he collected a long pass he swiftly moved passed the motionless defence and fired into the bottom left hand corner securing the victory for the team.

Manager Lewis Helstrom said he was pleased with the performance of the team and happy that despite “going down early in the second half they fought back”. The win keeps the team on top of the ladder four points clear of second place after Northern Sunrise Island and Dutzenderland. The team will be facing Northern Sunrise Islands at Elements Stadium with the Eaglets looking to secure a progession past the group stage and NSI wanting to keep the hopes alive the game is sure to be just as thrilling as the last.

[Polar Islandstates]

"You only ever get one debut, kid."

Ole van Jendrisen had said the words almost as a throwaway statement, as if he hadn't really even noticed he'd been saying anything that anyone would take to their hearts and cling to. Had he known, maybe he would have made more of a spectacle over the sentence. Said it slowly, or in a slightly deeper voice, or whilst striking a pose and staring into the middle-distance. At the very least, he would presumably have made more eye-contact for a start. Had he known.

But he didn't know, and he didn't do any of those things. As a result, when Mikko Gravesen would call upon the sage advice later in his career, he would have only the back of the assistant manager's head to call to mind as the pictures that accompanied a phrase that changed his outlook on the game.

For the last six years of his life, Gravesen had had greatness instilled inside him. First of all, he was the great hope of his parents. Then of his school. Then of the youth teams that he played for. Then for Resolute Storm, his home-town club and love of his life. And now it was the turn of the national side to be looking at Gravesen and focusing on what he could offer them. The answer of course is a winning mentality, insane ball control, and a level of stamina that had people mentioning him in the same sentences as Jorgen Hauge. But then, that had happened all his life.

His playing career, if indeed it could be called a career at only eighteen years of age, had consisted entirely of looking to the next target.

Hey, Mikko, can you do this? How about this? And this? What about this? Yes? Okay. Next!

It was always about what he could offer. Why was he doing this? The joy was gone, and he was starting to feel like a performing monkey. Just, one that was good at doing an incredibly well paid and popular job.

Until he got the call-up from van der Riise, that is. And until he heard that sentence from Ole van Jendrisen.

You only ever get one debut. There are debuts for different things, of course. The main senior team in particular being another significant debut that Gravesen would yet have to experience. But this would be the first time he'd ever pulled on the jersey of the famous Terns. The Chicks in this instance, technically, but it was the same shirt. It would be a proud moment, no doubt, but the thing that van Jendrisen's comment inspired in him the most was the desire to get something out of the game for himself again. You only ever get one debut. The implication being you should enjoy it. Remember it. Make it one worth remembering, and enjoy doing that. Work hard, and the rewards will come. Football is a sport, but like any sport it originates with a game. And games are fun. Or meant to be, anyway.

For too long, even at the tender age of eighteen, Gravesen had felt like he was toiling at a well publicised coal face for little sense of enjoyment of worthiness. Now, that all changed.

In the eightieth minute, he was called from his warm-ups by van der Riise, and had his studs checked by the fourth official. He was to come on for the goalscorer, Bjorn Konigstein of Franz Josef City, who certainly looked like he'd enjoyed himself out there.

Mikko Gravesen took a deep breath of the air as he ran onto the pitch to make his debut. It tasted like victory. Like a re-birth. Like the rest of his life still lay ahead of him. Like the start of a new chapter to a new outlook on life. To a world in which he could have fun.

You only get one career, kid. Make it a good one.

[Welsh Cowboy]

The Sports Register

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Welsh Cowboy U-21 Keeper Calls Manager "Obnoxious"

The backup goalkeeper for the Welsh Cowboy national under-21 football team has created quite a stir with comments made last night after the Junior Dragons' loss to Tynewear.

Sheldon Bannock, an 18-year old goalkeeper for FC Humdeia, was sitting at his locker in the Welsh Cowboy dressing room following the squad's 2-1 defeat at the hands of newcomers Tynewear when reporter Lucas McElvery from The Humdeia Courier decided to interview the teenager, who has not appeared in the tournament, for a piece he is crafting on FC Humdeia players at the DBC.

The reporter, along with a cameraman, asked Bannock several questions, including Bannock's opinion of Junior Dragon manager Adam Thompson. Bannock's short, terse answer has set the blogosphere and social media in Welsh Cowboy ablaze:

Well, to be honest, I can't stand the man. He's obnoxious. Again, I can't stand him.

The video of the entire interview, of which this three-sentence comment is but a small component on the Courier's website has been viewed over 200,000 times already. The answer appeared to be isolated from the rest, as in most of the rest of the 8-minute video, Bannock seems jovial and upbeat about his squad and the opportunity to play for his country at such a young age. In fact, McElvery seemed to miss the comment, immediately moving onto his next question about his favorite thing he'd eaten thus far in Equestrian States.

Whatever the context of the comment, it has set off a firestorm of debate, with mostly widespread criticism. One online commenter noted the following:

This sounds like he's upset with not starting. Is a manager truly 'obnoxious' because he doesn't want to start you? No. Look, Sheldon, you're just not good enough. That's not the manager's fault... Please. Just improve, and you'll love him in no time. It's that simple.

Manager Thompson has not yet had a media availability, but a team source told The Sports Register earlier today that he was "hurt, but not mortally". Rumors are flying that Bannock was called to Thompson's hotel room this morning, although this could not be confirmed by any of The Sports Register's sources.

The comment could potentially become the first major controversy in Welsh Cowboy's footballing history; on the senior team, very few disagreements have been aired publicly, except perhaps Matthew Guval's insistence on playing ping pong at the training facility instead of Geoff Bagen's preferred card games.

There is still much to be learned about this situation. But with the team recovering from a surprise loss to Tynewear, it has provided unwanted publicity for a backup goalkeeper who most likely has little chance of ever seeing the field.

Although if the Junior Dragons lose again, maybe he will.

[Dutzenderland]

Dutzenderlandisch Sportnews - Di Bradini Cup XIX Matchday 2
October 30, 2013 at at Sky-High Coliseum in Cloudsdale, Equestrian States - Once again, the team has tied, even against a great nation of footballing. Dutzenderland will not play at Matchday 3, and Blouman Empire and Sangti will face Dutzenderland in Matchdays 4 and 5.
Score: Northern Sunrise Islands 3–3 Dutzenderland
Goalscorers
Northern Sunrise Islands: Cervantes, Manny von Davidson (2)
Dutzenderland: Tomokazu Nishimura (2), Keisuke Higashibayashi
Current Goalscorer Statistics
Tomokazu Nishimura - 2
Keisuke Higashibayashi - 1

[Felix]

Special Report: Rule Theriault and the "Free" Republics
By: Steven Smith

You, the reader, may very well know I was imprisoned in the Free Republics during the CoH for saying "lies" to the public and apparently defaming Mr. Theriault and Miss Hellstrom in my editorials for the coverage of the matches. I was in a crummy jail cell for 33 days surrounded by the most xenophobic, idiotic, and dumbest prisoners I have ever got the displeasure to know. They would say very ugly comments about me, my wife Lorena, my children and our country, Felix. Some nights I would wake up to a fist on my face as I was repeatedly beaten up by these bullies. It seemed as if Rule himself hired thugs to do this to me and the guards just witnessed it and laughed.

Because of my terrible experience I have decided that the nation of the Free Republics is a nation of basic people. I have had it with this xenophobic and racist nation that defames every nation that isn't part of their joke of a nation. I have tried to understand them, I have tried to forgive them for the damages they have caused and the things they said but enough is enough. Our people and the multiverse as a whole can't waste time with these degenerate people and they should be barred from competing in any tourney and should never host any event that involves other nation. I personally have never been this angry a one nation but this county has seemed to break my limits for tolerance.

One major reason why I hate the "Free" Republics is their dickhead of a national "coach", Rule Theriault. He is a incompetent coach with no understanding of football and is a basic man with a lack logical thinking. He is also a racist, a sexist, and bigot. He has no respect for any other nation in the world, he mistreats women and he trashes churches, just like all the men of the "Free" Republics. He probably abused Miss Hellstrom too by the way. Anyways, his comments about other nations infuriates me to the nth degree because he has no class. He trashes the host of the tournament and he calls us trolls. Something I find so frustratingly angry. I mean, does he not know that the Equestrian States is not a nation of talking horses? I mean it says right here on the travel guide on the nation for Gods sakes!

I am just surprised that people of such a low IQ can be a coach of a national team. Guess it only happens in the Free Republics. That's all I got today for the report on this, I hope this is the last of it, but I doubt it as Sporting World will probably give Rule a chance to make his response. Oh and I have a new book that I will release soon to the marketplace and it is called, Living in Hell: My Time In A Unjust Country. Hope you folks buy it and enjoy it. Until next time, ciao.

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U-21 World Cup: Big Win Against Åsløtten-Bëðerbørg så Česky
By: Liselotte Moser

Felix won today against ÅBČ today in a high scoring and tight 4-3 game. The match itself had numerous ups and downs as the Felixians opened up with a quick lead only to lose it and then later regain it at the last second with some well placed shots by certain players. Luca Esser was a crucial part of the Felixian win and the whole match seemed to be dedicated to his mother, that was brutally murdered by robbers two weeks ago. Anyways, Felix now has 3 points in Group B with another Esportivan nation gears up to face us, The Licentian Isles. But before we talk about the next match and how crucial it is for Felix in the group stage, lets recap on today's win over ÅBČ.

The first half started hot for Felix as Luca Esser opened up the match with a quick shot into the net with a curling shot in the 5th minute. After a surprising attack by the opponents was repelled the Felixians had the fast break and made a counter attack, soon enough it was three against two as the Felixians passed it to each other. Eventually, the forward pass made by Hanna Martell made it a one on one situation between Esser and the goalkeeper as he shot it into the net with the aforementioned curling shot into the right corner of the net. It was a fantastic goal and Esser calmly walked towards the crowd and took off his shirt showing a white under shirt with the words, "Ti amo mamma." paying homage to his recently deceased mother. He got a yellow card but it was all worth it as the crowd and players on both sides applauded him.

After that emotional moment the match moved on and the opposing team tied the game up with a shot by their forward in the 19th minute after a corner kick was taken. Soon enough things started to head down hill for the Felixian team as another goal was scored by the opposing team in the 33rd with a free kick. 2-1. As if things couldn't get any worse the team with the lead scores another goal with a mistake on the defense as the ÅBČ team made a goal. 3-1 at the 45th minute and it was halftime with the ÅBČ team over the Felixian team. The second half though, would be a change of fortune for the Felixian team.

The second half like the first half, started with a quick goal from Luca Esser as the young man from Gallo, Felix scored his second goal in the 47th minute with a well placed cheeky shot into the net after getting into a one on one situation against the ÅBČ goalkeeper. It was 2-3 and it looked Felix could get back into the game and if worst came to worst just salvage a point. Better getting something rather than nothing. Soon enough in the 59th minute a goal was scored by Sabrina Köhler assisted by a wonderful crossing pass by Nickolaus Dürr. Köhler simply headed the ball in and the crowd went crazy in a loud and proud uproar. Köhler quickly did a slide and pumped her fist in the air in celebration. The game was tied, 3-3 and the dramatics just began.

It was the 85th minute and it seemed like the game will end in a high scoring draw, but a change by the head coach switched out Luca for Haruto Takahashi of Altomare B in the Felixian Football League. A little bit of info on Takahashi, he was born in Gamba, Felix a small Japanese speaking town in the Italian speaking southern coast. He was recruited by Altomare to join their team at the age of 18 and he has been in their practice squad until the Altomare team got a farm team, Altomare B, he was quickly put in there as the main forward of the new team. Since then things have been great, he has scored a lot of goals and caught the attention of FFA where he was hand picked by the head coach to join the team. He quickly accepted.

Now back to the game, Takahashi is in and Esser is out. It's Felix's ball in the opponent's half and Warner is up to throw. She does and it's to Álvarez, she then crosses it to Anselm and he then forward passes it to Dürr. Now he is running dodging players and making them fall with his athletic and skillful moves. He the stops, crosses it into the box, Köhler heads it. Blocked! Martell kicks it. Hits the post! Defender has the ball and he is just about to kick it when Takahashi comes out of no where and steals the ball, he does a short but fast stride towards the net dodging defenders and eventually the goalkeeper himself. He simply taps it in and its a goal. The Felixian crowd goes wild lighting up red and blue flares and shouting on the top of their lungs. Takahashi scored the game winning goal in the 90+ (3) minute and he ran to the crowd and waved. He was soon tackled by his team and he was dog pilled.

Soon after that the referee blew the whistle and Felix won today, 4-3. The first game of the tournament for Felix turned out to be a exciting match for the team and the fans hope that more games like this happen with Felix on the winning side of course. Now Felix moves on after that match with three points and facing group leaders The Licentian Isles in a crucial match for first place. The winner here will be in great position to take control of things in a Group B with a lot of tough teams. So it is in Felix's best interests to win this match. Felix will be sending, for the most part, the same team but with a few tweaks made for this game especially. Here is the lineup for the next match.

U-21 Felixian National Team Starting XI
GK: Arthur Schultheis {Age: 20} [CO- C] (Sieberg )
DEF: Victoria Ramos {Age: 20} (Lyon )
DEF: Felipe Garcia {Age: 18} (Sporting Volker B )
DEF: Rosalinda Zappa {Age: 21} (Trieste )
MID: Chloe Álvarez {Age: 21} (Lyon )
MID: Nickolaus Dürr {Age: 21} (Sieberg )
MID: Arin Warner {Age: 20} (The Officers XI [Ark])
MID: Iseul Jong Kim {Age: 18} (Athlético Vigo )
FWD: Sabrina Köhler {Age: 20} [C] (Trieste )
FWD: Noé Fierro {Age: 19} (Sieberg )
FWD: Haruto Takahashi {Age: 21} (Altomare B )

I personally love this lineup here, the shooting midfielder Iseul Jong Kim seems to be the perfect fit for this attacking styled team as he is good with the pass and even better with the shot. The accurate strong man named Noé Fierro is also a nice fit here, he has the speed and shooting ability to replace Luca Esser, who asked his coach to sit out the next game due to private issues. Moving on, I like Takahashi a lot as a player but I feel like him starting there isn't the right spot for him but we will see how he goes in the game, hopefully I am proven wrong. Defensively, I like the change they made with Felipe Garcia, he is a stud in Sporting Volker B and he has the strength and ability to stick it out against any forward and his skills and value can only go up. Now that we are done with Felix here is the expected lineup from our regional rivals, The Licentian Isles.

U-21 Licentian National Team Starting XI
GK: Finn Muir {Age: 21} (Houghton Rangers ()
DEF: Jack Ferguson {Age: 19} (Gaelic Club )
DEF: Roderick White {Age: 20} (Abingdon Celtic )
DEF: Ken Burns {Age: 21} (Montfort University )
DEF: Bobby Sutherland {Age: 18} (St Bart's )
MID: Jamie Cunningham {Age: 21} (Colesham Athletic )
MID: Stephen Kennedy {Age: 21} (SC Montfort )
MID: Joe Watt {Age: 20} (Gaelic Club ()
FWD: Aran Millar {Age: 20} [C] (FC Ararat Severyan )
FWD: Ruben Munro {Age: 17} (Metropolis Alligators [Valladares])

From the looks of it this team is pretty good although a bit more defensive than I would usually like, I won't complain. This is a solid team. While we don't expect high scoring matches from this squad these men and women can hold their ground and wear your team out and cause some holes to open up and be vulnerable to counteroffensives. Two players I like a lot is Midfielder Stephen Kennedy of SC Montfort and Forwards Aran Millar of Mytannion's FC Ararat Severyan and Valladares's Metropolis Alligators. These three seem to be the dangerous three and the Felixian defense needs to watch out for them as they could cause some damage if left unchecked.

Well that is all from this edition of The National, I hope you enjoyed this week of football as much as editors and I did. Remember to support the Felixian team all they way by seeing the games live or watching it on Channel 7 Sports at 8:00 PM local time. This has been Liselotte Moser reporting from the Equestrian States. Go Felix! And goodbye.

STATS
Most Goals
Luca Esser (2)
Sabrina Köhler (1)
Haruto Takahashi (1)

Most Assists
Hanna Martell (1)
Nickolaus Dürr (1)

Most Yellow Cards
Luca Esser (1)

Most Red Cards
N/A

Injuries
N/A

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Backstory
Entry #1

Luca Esser's Journal

Two days ago we won and I feel pretty fucking well about it. The two goals I made were for you mum, I miss you so much, God I wish you were here to watch me play... Uh, anyways, I was kinda pissed about getting that yellow card, don't understand why. I was just showing my love for my mother. I mean, I probably wouldn't be here because of her. Ugh, stupid rules. Oh, my girlfriend was happy for me. She hugged me tight and kissed me a lot. Felt great. Really great.

I also just asked the coach if I could sit out of the next game, I didn't feel like playing, I felt empty and despite the words from coach, GF, and teammates I just said no. I feel kinda empty even though I scored those two goals and got love and praise. I just guess I will never be full since my mum is dead. Ahh, so fucking sad. I am so sad. I really wish I could play, maybe I could tell the coach, that I can... Or maybe I shouldn't... I dunno.

Well this writing for therapy thing so far is proving to be useless as I am still sad and depressed and shit. But now that I think about it, this just shows how much my GF cares about me... I mean, she has been with me through my ups and now my downs. I guess she is all I have left and I really hope she doesn't leave me. I love her... And I haven't shown it, gah, I need to do something special for her. To say thank you. Yeah, that's it! Send her out to a date. That will be great.

Well, I got something to plan now. Better stop writing.

[Equestrian States]

Match Day 3 Results

Group A

Patistan 3–0 The Royal Kingdom of Quebec
at Royal Equestria Stadium in Canterlot

Farfadillis 2–0 San José Guayabal
at Star Stadium in Canterlot

  Group A                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  Farfadillis             2   2  0  0    6   3  +3    6
2  Equestrian States       2   2  0  0    8   2  +6    6
3  Patistan                3   2  0  1    8   4  +4    6
4  Quebec                  2   0  0  2    0   6  -6    0
5  San José Guayabal       3   0  0  3    2   9  -7    0

Group B

The Licentian Isles 1–1 Felix
at Derby Field in Manehattan

Starblaydia 5–3 Filopines
at Manehattan Industrial Park in Manehattan

  Group B                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  The Licentian Isles            3   1  2  0    3   2  +1    5
2  Starblaydia                    2   1  1  0    6   4  +2    4
3  Felix                          2   1  1  0    5   4  +1    4
4  Filopines                      3   1  0  2    6   8  -2    3
5  Åsløtten-Bëðerbørg så Česky    2   0  0  2    5   7  -2    0

Group C

Blouman Empire 2–3 Northern Sunrise Islands
at Elements Stadium in Ponyville

Sangti 0–0 Nassau Hessen
at Sky-High Coliseum in Cloudsdale

  Group C                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  Blouman Empire              3   2  0  1   10   7  +3    6
2  Northern Sunrise Islands    2   1  1  0    6   5  +1    4
3  Dutzenderland               2   0  2  0    3   3   0    2
4  Nassau Hessen               3   0  2  1    2   4  -2    2
5  Sangti                      2   0  1  1    2   4  -2    1

Group D

Thatius 0–1 Ko-oren
at Diamond Park in Stalliongrad

Mizuyuki 1–0 Eura
at the Maple Bowl in Trottawa

  Group D                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  Mizuyuki                2   2  0  0    4   1  +3    6
2  Ko-oren                 2   2  0  0    2   0  +2    6
3  New Sideburn            2   1  0  1    1   1   0    3
4  Eura                    3   0  1  2    1   3  -2    1
5  Thatius                 3   0  1  2    2   5  -3    1

Group E

Tynewear 1–0 Bloodbath Generation
at Wild Grounds in Everfree

Wight 2–1 Welsh Cowboy
at Shady Grove in Whitetail

  Group E                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  Wight                   2   2  0  0    5   3  +2    6
2  Tynewear                3   2  0  1    5   4  +1    6
3  Welsh Cowboy            3   1  0  2    7   7   0    3
4  Free Republics          2   1  0  1    7   7   0    3
5  Bloodbath Generation    2   0  0  2    2   5  -3    0

Group F

Albaie 1–2 Polar Islandstates
at HarmonyLink Field in Seaddle

Furellum 0–0 German American States
at Pony Lands Park in Manechester

  Group F                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  Polar Islandstates        2   2  0  0    3   1  +2    6
2  Furellum                  2   1  1  0    3   1  +2    4
3  Saugeais                  2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
4  Albaie                    3   1  0  2    4   6  -2    3
5  German American States    3   0  1  2    3   5  -2    1

Group G

Bears Armed 4–2 Darmen
at Salt Lick Stadium in Salt Lick City

Taeshan 1–1 Nouvel Ecosse
at Estadio Poco Caballo in Maredrid

  Group G                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  95X                     2   2  0  0    4   1  +3    6
2  Taeshan                 2   1  1  0    6   4  +2    4
3  Nouvel Ecosse           3   1  1  1    2   3  -1    4
4  Bears Armed             3   1  0  2    7   8  -1    3
5  Darmen                  2   0  0  2    3   6  -3    0

Group H

Sicoutimont 2–2 Uitbregen
at Thunder Palace in Oatlahoma City

Iseteskog 0–2 Mytannion
at Point Stadium in Hoofston

  Group H                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  Mytannion                   3   2  0  1    3   1  +2    6
2  Uitbregen                   2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
3  Sicoutimont                 3   1  1  1    4   4   0    4
4  The Inevitable Syndicate    2   1  0  1    1   1   0    3
5  Iseteskog                   2   0  0  2    1   4  -3    0

Clinched Group
Clinched Advancement
Cannot Win Group
Cannot Advance; Eliminated

[95X]

And here's the MD3 cutoff.

Xi Foureleven looks over the shoulder of the RL 95X, seeing the notice.
"Cut-offs, never worn them, never will," she mocks, despite the fact she almost always wears athletic shorts.
"Uh, 'leven," 95X gives her an odd look somewhere between 'huh?' and 'TMI,' "wrong sort of cut-off. It means what I'm writing isn't supposed to count. It's never stopped me, though, and besides, according to the schedule it's a bye day for a tournament you're not even a part of."
Foureleven stares as blankly as she can, gives 95X her usual evil eye, and walks off.

After the opener, the 95Xers knew they had the talent. Could they work together to win? Their 2-1 win over Darmen proved so.

Darmen came out in front early on, scoring the match's first goal in the 22nd minute, as Abe Adams connected with the back of the net.

"I can't believe I missed that," Sabrina Fessenden muttered to herself.

"It's okay," a more confident Floyd Commando reassured his teammates, "we can do this!"

Commando found himself in a golden scoring opportunity in a three-on-two soon after. Salvatore West, who plays domestically for Linkin Beach U19, ground passed to Commando, who purposely kicked it a bit high and long, past Darmeni Goalkeeper Mark Claudeau. 1-1 all at halftime.

Both teams regrouped at the half, with Darmen hitting hard and heavy. This time, Fessenden stopped all six shots on goal in the latter half.

The third and final goal of the game was the classic midfielder brings it up the pitch, finds a forward, who shoots and scores. West got the lucky goal that put 95X ahead, and it was enough to win.

95X 2, Darmen 1
(95X: Commando :38; West :57. Darmen: Adams :22)

[Furellum]

"This place is weird." Levi Kolar was out in the streets of Seaddle with some of the younger players. They were having a hard time getting used to the citizens of the Equestrian States. "I mean, horses I get yeah," he continued, stepping around a bright pink pony, "but these guys are wondering around on all fours. It's like they can't work out if they want to be sentient or not, and just went for something in between."
"Maybe they're some sort of throwback." replied Jericho Plesac. "Hey Thor," he said, nudging the player beside him, "say hello to your cousins!"
Thor groaned. The equine defender had been getting a ribbing from his teammates ever since they'd landed. It wasn't his fault he was the only horse on the team. He bet this would never have happened to his idol, Fyodor Iosef. But then, most of the players on the national team were more mature. These guys were just kids, like Thor himself. Best to just ignore them, he thought. So he just grunted, and let the conversation continue.
"Maybe its got something to do with magic?" suggested Daijel Kasun.
"Well, duh, of course its got to do with magic." replied Levi, rubbing his head where his first pair of antlers were beginning to grow. "We're talking animals because of magic. Adam, you tell him."
Adam had been walking behind the rest of the group. He was currently studying at the Guldisall University, which specialised in magic. As such, he was often asked questions on the subject by his teammates. "Uh, yeah, well," he muttered, trying to remember his studies, "We haven't really got to that yet. Oh, and no one really knows what happened anyway. Only that talking animals exist in Furellum due to the presence of background ether. I'm not detecting any ether here though."
Jericho looked at him wide-eyed. "You have a thaumometer?" The devices could detect trace amounts of used ether, but were very expensive and not the sort of thing the average person owned.
Adam blinked. "Er, no. Just a crystal with an accelerator funnel and a harmonising amplifier. A fairly basic arrangement. I thought I might make some field studies..."
"You should be focusing on football." said Thor, glaring at him.
"Who made you coach?" Asked Levi.
Thor sighed. "Sleipnir give me strength." he muttered under his breath. Then, to Levi he said, "Polar Islandstates are tomorrow. You think your good because you made it to the fianl of a junior World Cup twice? These guys have done that in the proper World Cup. I'm not even going to mention their World Ranking."
"Hey man, lighten up. We've got a break from training, enjoy it." said Jericho.
"Maybe if you guys would leave me alone, I could do that!" replied Thor, striding off and leaving them on the footpath, staring after him.


OOC: There won't be an RP from me tomorrow, due to RL commitments.

[Tynewear]

---

Match Report: Tynewear 1-0 Bloodbath Generation
55' Carroll
By Simon Clark, David Walsh

It wasn't pretty, but all wins count the same. That may be a cliche that is often utilized a bit too much for anyone's liking, but the fact is that Tynewear had to win this game, and win it they did. Following the victory against Welsh Cowboy, the nation was gripped by football fever. Everywhere I went, you had people from all the age groups talking about football, wearing jerseys, singing and cheering, and waving flags. It's really just a surreal experience, and one that never in my wildest dreams I could imagine happening. You could try and tone everything down by saying this is what in essence is our full national squad playing a bunch of U-21 teams. But no, try as hard as you can, and you won't be able to change anything. This country has gone through its share of hard luck and challenges, and it's about time that something, and in this case sports, unite the various states together as one.

Anyhow, back to the football. Alex Valrey made five changes to the side that beat Welsh Cowboy, with the decision probably influenced by two factors; the opposition, Bloodbath Generation, whom, with all due respect, have generally been accepted as Group E's whipping boys, and also in an attempt to rest several key players for the following encounter against Free Republics, a game that will be covered further in greater detail in our article to be posted later today. James Downing was reinstated at left-back after being swapped for William Fry against Welsh Cowboy, although Fry kept his place in the side, playing in his preferred central midfield position as the runner of the side. Another eye-catching change was Tynesider Ethan Spence making a start, replacing Josh Oliver as the deep-lying playmaker, to the rejoice of many Geordies around Tynewear. The front three were all changed by Valrey, with Danny Herbert, Jacob Fairman and Joel Hunt replaced by Adam Carroll, George Henderson and James Taylor respectively.

Alfie Whitehead won the coin-toss, and opted to start the game. The opening 5 minutes saw possession monopolized by the Tynewearers, but they were unable to do much with it. Spence, perhaps a little too eager to prove himself, played a few overhit balls that probably would have resulted in some very good chances had the power not been so high. James Taylor probably should have scored after receiving a through ball from Spence which beat Bloodbath's keeper, but the Tynesider's poor touch took the ball away from goal, and his eventual shot was blocked by Bloodbath's right-back who had tracked back. As an aside, I have no idea who played for Bloodbath. They're jerseys featured no names, and the roster I was promised by their FA for 'journalistic' reasons never eventuated. Ah well. Names are too mainstream I suppose.

Tynewear were playing the better game, and James Downing in particular looked dangerous, playing in several crosses and lookng confident throughout. The second James on the other hand, James Taylor, was having an awful game. Although one couldn't look down on his effort, he failed to make the most of his opportunities, including a sitter from 20 yards that really really should have at least tested the keeper. Instead, he skied it, and the ball landed on the roof, never to return. Although he was constantly beating his markers in the physical battle, Taylor eventually lost it as halftime approached, making several late challenges and getting involved in a war of words with several Bloodbath players that initially warranted a few warnings from the Krytenian referee, and finally eventuated in a yellow card. The Sabres were given a big wakeup call, however, when a seemingly harmless clearance saw Bloodbath's number 9 make a run at goal, with Ben Leston unable to keep up with the pace of the striker. Jack Hawthorn was quick off his line and the men in white were breathing huge sighs of relief as they saw the ball go out for a throw-in.

The game slowed down as half-time approached, with Bloodbath taking the opportunity to try and take it to Tynewear. Jack Hawthorn was called into action thrice in a minute, as Tynewear's defenders seemingly forgot how to bloody clear the ball, allowing Bloodbath to steal possession with ease. There was a penalty shout as the half entered stoppage time, when Harry Bridger knocked down a winger as he tried to trick his way by. Upon further reflection, the penalty probably should have been given, with Bridger tripping the young man before making contact with the ball. However, both the referee and linesman failed to spot this, and play continued with a clearance from Hawthorn. The last moments of the game weren't exactly very good adverts for the game, with both sides opting to hoof the ball as far up the field as possible, much to the chagrin of Valrey, Jamie Downtree and Aaron Maxley. The whistle blew to end what was eventually an anti-climatic half.

As the first half progressed, Valrey probably had the urge to introduce some drastic changes during the 15 minute break. Surprisingly though, the 11 men that had started the game, restarted it. On closer inspection though, the squad were no longer playing a 4-3-3, with something more akin to a 4-2-3-1 being utilized, with Adam Carroll slotting inside the hole between James Taylor, and puzzlingly enough, Ethan Spence shifting to the left wing, allowing William Fry and Alfie Whitehead to play a very defensive double pivot. These changes in tactics and more are discussed further in the section below. As for the football on the pitch, things quickly looked bright for Tynewear. Although they departed the pitch with their heads down, they had clearly been given a boost by Aaron Maxley, and quickly fought to regain possession as Bloodbath kicked off the second half.

Carroll reveled in his 'new' role, and was spraying through balls to whomever he could find. James Downing was keeping the width and was spending increasingly more time stationed in the Bloodbath half of the field. Against Wight, this was a problem. Against Bloodbath however, this was more than helpful, with Tynewear's opposition rarely venturing into the white half of the pitch, Downing was free to spend as much time as he wanted providing support. The alarm bells were set off quickly, with George Henderson latching onto a ball from Carroll, the eventual shot hitting the crossbar. Carroll was next to have a go at goal after Taylor won a freekick. The Darlington native's effort was well saved by the goalkeeper, but he wouldn't make the same mistake when 5 minutes later, Taylor again won a free kick in a similar position. The resulting shot from Carroll took a slight deflection off a defender, but it was enough to wrong-foot the goalkeeper, who stared helplessly as the ball entered the back of the net. 1-0 Tynewear.

Unfortunately, if you had tuned in hoping for an exciting and fast-paced half, you were to be disappointed. Things quickly changed as Bloodbath restarted proceedings, opting to pass around the ball as long as they could before hoofing the ball forward to avoid an onrushing Tynewear player. The Sabres themselves seemed content with just moving the ball around, and with Bloodbath doing very little to regain possession, it made for an awfully boring 30 minutes or so of football. Alex Valrey was clearly displeased, and was seen shouting frantically to his players, demanding that they bomb forward more. They complied, but found themselves up against a Bloodbath defence determined to keep the scoreline as low as possible. Adam Carroll was by far the most dangerous player on the side, drifting left and right as he saw fit and rifling a few thunderbolts that were just about reached by the goalkeeper. James Taylor however had no change of luck, and still found himself unable to score. He was understandably subbed off for Rory Mansell, given another chance after the shambles that was his performance against Wight.

Apart from some substitutions from both sides; Ethan Spence coming off for Matt Smith and George Henderson for Tommy Duke, the rest of the game was very uneventful, with only 2 shots on target coming from each of the sides in the last 20 minutes. There were times where both players and fans looked extremely frustrated, particularly when Bloodbath were overloading the centre of midfield and pressing ferociously. One wonders what could have happened had Bloodbath showed this type of play from the beginning. However, we shan't dwell into that thought too much. Let's just be happy we managed to get away with an all important win. SC

Tactical Analysis: Proper Use of Carroll Allows 'Plan B' Option

Adam Carroll began the game playing on the left side as an inside forward, and while he did show some very good signs here, the moment he really came to life was when Alex Valrey changed things during the break, opting to bring Carroll inside and shuttle Spence out wide. Playing in the hole behind James Taylor, Carroll displayed unmatched creativity, never afraid to play a pass and often times pulling it off. His dribbling skills were also displayed more often, and he terrorized the Bloodbath backline with some neat footwork. I think the biggest plus that can be taken is that Valrey hopefully realizes what he has on his hands. While he CAN play out wide, Carroll is certainly at his best in the centre, and while Valrey is likely to stick to his preferred tactics with the 4-3-3 and DRP midfield, Carroll's emergence here gives him the option of switching things if the game isn't going his way.

Having just mentioned Ethan Spence, I thought it'd be suitable to talk about his overall contribution. His inclusion in the starting lineup actually gave me a smile. This is not a knock on Josh Oliver, who has performed admirably in his playmaker role so far. But Spence has always been the more natural player, and coupled with the fact that he was seemingly out of favour with the management, there was always a feeling that he'd be doing his best to make an impression. His play throughout the first half was impressive, completing 96% of his passes and contributing defensively with 3 interceptions and 2 tackles. When he was shifted out wide to accommodate Adam Carroll's move further inside, Tynesiders everywhere grunted. To them it was proof of Alex Valrey's unfair 'dislike' of the Hadrian United midfielder, but I'd rather not talk of any possible bias (leave that to Simon). Let's talk about how he actually did as a winger.

Spence is not a winger, and he didn't play like a typical winger or inside forward. Instead, the lanky fella from Wallsend used the time and space allowed to him by Bloodbath to play several incisive passes into the box. His other frequent move was to cut inside before pulling back for an onrushing James Downing. Given the circumstances, Spence improvised very well, but his deficiencies were exposed on several occasions, and against a better opponent, would have been exploited with disastrous consequences. All in all though, we should really be only focusing on his displays when in the middle three, and if we judge him based on that, then I think the message is loud and clear. He should start, if this really is a system based on meritocracy.

I'll leave it here with a comparison between our play with a 4-3-3 as opposed to a 4-2-3-1. In my eyes, there was very little need for the tactical change. Tynewear were indeed slowing down towards the end of the first half, but I don't think this slowdown was enough to warrant a total change of ideas. A kick up the backside was needed, for sure, but there was very little that changed apart from Adam Carroll's swift upturn in output, which, you could argue won us the game. The 4-3-3 as usual revolved around the effectiveness of the 'DRP' middle three, although, with very little in terms of Bloodbath attacking play, Alfie Whitehead found himself playing further forward, acting almost as a second runner alongside William Fry. Spence reveled in his opportunity, dictating the tempo and playing some very neat balls from deep inside his own half. George Henderson was daring, determined to beat his man, but he overdid sometimes, and was generally lazy to run back, although thankfully he wasn't punished.

The 4-2-3-1 saw play revolve around Carroll in the number 10 role behind the striker. The pace of the game was initially very fast, owing much to the fact that Carroll was quick to go on a run once he got the ball. Neat one-twos between Carroll and one of either Henderson or Spence ensured that Tynewear's moves remained fluid, and Bloodbath struggled to deal with this initially. James Taylor was slightly more effective with more direct support behind him, and really should have notched up at least a single goal after being setup several times by the on fire Carroll. The double pivot was technically average, but physically up to the challenge in terms of running and stamina. Again, however, they were rarely tested. The final takeaway here would be that this team today would go down in flames against someone like Free Republics, whom we face next. Don't be surprised if the players who started against Welsh Cowboy retake their places in the all-important match in Whitetail tomorrow. All in all, good auditions from Carroll and Spence for a place in the first team. DW

[Mizuyuki]

---

When Spear meets Shield
Sturdy Mizuyuki prevail against scratchy Eura

---

Wang Jiangshu, sports correspondent

That didn't go as badly as we'd expected, did it?

One would normally expect us to have our backs to the wall, metaphorically speaking, when we had to play the U21 team of the freshly crowned World Cup champions, them Euran buggers. I'll concede that they aren't exactly of the same fine vintage as the WC crop, but seriously? I have to say, that performance against us was one of the most abject I've ever seen during my career as a sports journalist, and trust me when I say I've seen a lot. But then again, Kamioka teams are ruthless teams, and they'll press their advantage to the hilt against rather more inferior teams, as we've seen time and time again. Milking points from powerless opponents seems to be a favourite with him, at least. Not that many would complain, except our vanquished opponents.

A fiercely contested match was set to be on the cards when Kamioka, with all his usual understated, yet sparkling flamboyance, announced the surprising recall of Miyazaki Misaki and Akechi Madoka from the reserve pool, seemingly confident that he could rotate all his assets and yet manage to extricate maximum points from the grasp of a cold, dead Eura stiffening from rigor mortis. His confidence certainly is immeasurable, and turned out to be right on the money, but many doubted that Kamioka had got his tactics just right against what was expected to be yet another offensive team, especially deciding to play the much-barracked Miyazaki, well-known for her lack of defensive workrate, instead of either the promising Zhao Jinlin or the consistently brilliant Kurugaya Miki, who was just coming off a vintage performance against Thatius.

Initially, Kamioka's somewhat peculiar team selections seemed to misfire badly, as Eura rapidly blitzed the Aurorae with a series of well-coordinated attacks that were only thwarted by some sterling defensive work by the backline in the opening quarter. However, well-coordinated does not implicitly mean well-finished, and many a time the ball was booted safely out of danger with some ease by a covering defender or fizzed well wide of goal by the enterprising Eurans. In particular, Natsume showed an outstanding work ethic to track back time and time again from advanced positions to help out her fellow defenders - managing to record a commendable 3 interceptions and 2 tackles in the first 15 minutes. The same could not be said for the returning Rin, who looked somewhat lacklustre and short of fitness following her recovery from a concussion. She lost the ball carelessly in dangerous positions, she couldn't react quickly enough to stem the tide of attack, and in the end, she wasn't capable of playing her usual role of wingback to perfection. In other words, Rin became a liability to the team; it was clear that something had to be done, and soon.

Despite the excellent defending on show, we were being taken to the cleaners in terms of possession, and we clearly couldn't afford to let ourselves suffer from the prolonged periods of Euran pressure. Indeed, a superior team would have been able to exploit the flaws in this Aurorae side and punish them mercilessly, but luckily Eura appeared not to possess a sliver of the class of their seniors, and were initially content to pass the ball around in the centre of the park without threatening much, apart from a few ambitious long-range shots that troubled the stands. Again, as we've seen with Thatius, Kamioka's team soaked up pressure like a sponge, but unfortunately, this time around they weren't able to provide an attacking impetus to their play due to Rin's lack of form, which was further compounded by Tsukuyomi's inability to return to full fitness as well as the relative isolation of Miyazaki, who spent most of the half lingering in the opposition pitch, starved of decent service from midfield.

Kamioka had to pull some tricks out of his sleeve to counter the team's apparent inability to get their cogs grinding and the bus out of the penalty area, and he duly pulled several magic rabbits, in a manner of speaking, out of his hat against the Eurans. All without making a single substitution. Credit to him, for his tweaks changed the entire outlook of the game and rendered Eura completely helpless against a revitalised Mizuyuki.

On the stroke of the half-hour, Kamioka decided that it was time to act. In what can only be described as a tactical masterstroke, as indeeed it was trumpeted as such in several newspapers, the enigmatic coach tinkered with his formation, sending the defensively-minded and physical Kuramochi into defence, while pulling Rin into central midfield to complement the attacking talents of Kuramochi. At the same time, Young was delegated the task of patrolling Rin's vacated right flank, while Miyazaki dropped deeper, so much so that her heat map showed that she was playing almost as deep as Park initially was, as an orthodox central midfielder. This change had the salutary effect of allowing Miyazaki to link up with her teammates more effectively as well as allow Rin to perform her usual bombing runs, this time down the centre, without the need to track back as much; as she had Kuramochi as a partner in the midfield double pivot, effectively alternating their attacking duties.

In a single stroke, Mizuyuki's problems were eradicated. The likes of Park, Mu and Shibue were just as capable of marshalling the defence against an ineffective Euran attack, while the troubled Rin found a new lease of life in her new position, being able to conserve her stamina, and as a result able to provide a much-needed thrust in midfield to complement the scheming talents of Kuramochi. Indeed, it was some intricate link-up play between Kuramochi, Rin and Miyazaki that found the diminutive Ikeda in some space down the left, which led to Mizuyuki registering their first shot on goal in the 34th minute. Ikeda curled a fine effort towards the top left corner of goal, and was only denied by fractions through the efforts of Tony Grant. who managed to get his fingertips to the ball and tip it out for a corner.

Shortly after, a botched Eura clearance fell kindly for Miyazaki some 25 yards from goal. As fans were howling for her to pull the trigger, Miyazaki tried to dummy her marker, Gareth Blackthorn, but was tripped in full flight by the player. Protests ensued, and Blackthorn as well as Shibue were carded for their troubles, the former for the cynical foul, and the latter for dissent against the referee's decision. From the resulting free-kick, Rin played a short pass square for Kuramochi, who spotted Natsume's powerful run down the left and swung the ball in her direction. Natsume skipped past the challenge of Joe Caffin and evaded Rogers, going on a magnificent solo dribble into the box, before slamming the ball with some degree of power. The ball slipped past the flailing arms of Grant, who had reacted just a fraction too late, and looked to be heading into goal before being cleared into row Z by the alert Gilbert. Moans echoed around the Maple Bowl as Mizuyuki's fans lamented Gilbert's excellent positional sense and tenacity, while Euran fans cheered wildly, such was their ecstasy at not falling behind.

The Maple Bowl was soon to be silenced, awed by a moment of superlative talent by Mizuyuki.

With 74 minutes on the clock, and the game seemingly headed for a scoreless draw, Kuramochi produced a spark of magic to turn the flow of the game and propel the Aurorae into a well-deserved lead. Winning the ball off Mallard in his own half, Kuramoch instigated a free-flowing passing move that involved nine of the Mizuyuki-jin players on the pitch, with only 'keeper Haruto and defender Shibue playing no part in the team move. Flashes of Shirakiin's dazzling passing play, which she had produced with the senior team, surfaced in my mind's eye as I watched the players ping the ball about as if it were a computer game, with such ease, elegance and grace born of their coaching at Shirakiin's hands during her tenure as U21 manager. Kuramochi played a superb cross-field pass which found the rampaging Park down the right flank. With all the agility one would not have expected from a towering defensive midfielder, Park nutmegged Watson and left him trailing in her wake, and followed her good work up by running at Gilbert. Although she wasn't able to escape Gilbert's attentions, Mizuyuki and Park, in particular, weren't going to give up. Park played the ball back into midfield, where practically every Mizuyuki-jin player got a touch on the ball, such was their mastery in possession and control in these late stages.

It seemed inevitable, as inevitable as death and taxes, to be precise; that Mizuyuki were going to score. They were running rings around the befuddled Eurans, and not even angry ejaculations from Euran coach Louis Watson and desperate pleas from Grant for his defence to 'keep the shape' were able to draw the Eurans out of the swamp that they found themselves in. In the end, a splendid low cross from Natsume ended up glued to the boot of Miyazaki, who almost took the back off the net with a crashing shot that left Grant with absolutely no chance.

Two games gone, four goals scored, one conceded. Most importantly, we have secured maximum points. Will Kamioka end up being the Shirakiin of the U21's? Only time will tell, and I suspect the upcoming tense battle against the famously defensive Ko-oren will provide the best litmus test for his managerial skills. If he can overcome this hurdle, I suspect we might just be in with a chance of seeing the lads and lasses holding the DBC trophy aloft, together with Kamioka, once this cycle's edition draw to a close.

A shiny trophy next to the Market Cup in our trophy cabinet would be the perfect tonic for all of us. After all, one can dream, right?

[The Inevitable Syndicate]

Stories of SHOCK & AWE
Part One: Atomia

The Forum was slowly losing it's mind. It had been for a while now, behind closed doors, and the prevalence of this virus hadn't helped it at all. Andrew Browne, now 46 years old and in his last term as Administrator, was trying to keep a cool head about things. The news reports weren't helping.

Andrew was in his office, an imposing room located in the top tower of the Forum. In there with him was his crack team of advisors, who were all engrossed in their EyeGlasses, searching for something that could prove useful.

"Have you decided on an overall plan of action yet?" asked Harriet Williams, the Syndicatian Army's commander-in-chief. She'd seen far too much action in the past few years, with the War in Ahlenfi having only recently finished, due to a peace treaty constructed between Syndicatian operatives and the men of the now deceased Erdun Molothai. "I've sent strike teams down to every major city in riot gear to incapacitate those infected. If there's a cure, I don't want anyone dying because of us."

"That's good, very good." said Browne, still struggling to comprehend exactly how this had happened. "How long has the news been reporting all of this?"

"About three hours." piped up Stephen Jones, Head Moderator and Browne's right-hand man. "They've got helicopters in the skies tracking the hordes."

"And is there anything we've done to research a cure?"

"There's a team up in Pinehearth that are unaffected, and have some of the serum left over from the All Fool's Influenza. They're looking into modifying it for a widespread cure."

Andrew sighed again. "And how will we go about distributing it?"

Williams butted in. "Gas. We've got the bomb squads stationed in Westonbirt, and there's Atomia in the Webster Crater... If we ship some of this cure over to them, get them to replace the warheads..."

Jones grabbed a nearby telephone. "I'll give SHOCK&AWE a ring."

"Who?" asked Norell, Foreign Relations Moderator, who threw his EyeGlass to the floor in a fit of anger. He'd scoured social media for any sign of an organised attack against the infected, but the general public were reporting nothing but chaos.

"SHOCK&AWE. The Syndicate High Order for Control Keeping & Anti-War Establishment." said Jones.

"I didn't even know we had one of those."

"Not many people do..." said Browne, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Get them on the phone. See if they'd be interested in taking a delivery of this modified All Fool's Influenza cure."

---

The phone rang just as Jim had finished his seventh cup of tea. He'd been watching the news unfold all day, from the comfort and safety of the underground bunker at Atomia. Dr. Riley had suggested they just stay there and wait for the whole thing to blow over, and really hadn't expected any outside contact. So when the phone rang, he sprinted to the handset and picked it up in a flash.

"Hello, Atomia Engineering Systems, how can we help?" Riley said, in a tone that sounded far too pleased for the severity of what was going on.

"I don't have time for the protocols, just let me speak to SHOCK&AWE!" rattled the voice on the other end, obfuscated by the sound of shouting and arguments.

Dr. Riley smiled. "Well, one of the two remaining members, speaking." He took a look at Jim, who was watching scenes of infected tearing up the Flynn Arena.

"There are two of you?" said the voice, in complete suprise.

"That's correct. Everyone else took the day off. I'm here with my apprentice, Jim. Who is this, by the way?"

"Stephen Jones." said Stephen Jones.

Dr. Riley's smile faded, and he waltzed over to Monitor 64. "Ah. I guess you'll be wanting us to aim the missiles at all major cities, and then to a co-ordinated strike on this facility, a la Sorthern Northland..." Riley began tapping at his keyboard, phone balanced on his shoulder.

Riley heard a clatter that sounded similar to a breaking vase."No, oh lord no not at all! Stop whatever you're doing now!" shouted Jones. "We need you to take a delivery. We're sending a plane of what we hope to be curing gas stuffed into some warheads. We want you to change the nuclear warheads for these ones. How many missiles do you have?"

"I'm not at liberty to say. But it's a lot. Enough to cripple two or three really big nations, just in case. You've got to be prepared when you've got Kryties on the border, right?" laughed Riley. He brought up a diagnostics page on a quarter of the larger screen. It showed that Drones 1A - 14M were all operational. "And besides, you're lucky we've got the machinery in place to change the warheads - only problem is, it could take all night..."

Riley heard a whispering followed by the sound of flesh hitting wood, before Jones spoke again. "We don't have all night. Wait for the delivery and further instructions."

The phone clicked with a sharp tone, and the line went dead.

Jim walked over to Dr. Riley. "Who was that?"

"Government. We've got a job to do - sit and wait for something to happen."

"Shouldn't be too hard, then..."

[Free Republics]

OOC: I want to make it very clear, if this isn't obvious, that nothing in this RP should be interpreted as having any OOC significance whatsoever.

Sporting World

Et tu, Sanctusterra
by: Rule Theriault

The vast conspiracy against the Greatest Nation in the Multiverse by the WCC knows no bounds. It seems that even the Sanctii have now aligned themselves with the conspiracy. Not content to stack the odds against us with rigged draws, this all-encompassing Conspiracy also forces us to go to wretched "nations" such as a country comprised of farm animals, where my assistant Mr. Abdullahi, is heroically trying to defend our Di Bradini Cup championship.

However, this most recent scandal only proves that the Conspiracy knows no bounds and will stop at nothing to deny us our proper place as World Cup champions. As you have heard, the nation of Legalese, which cheated us out of our Baptism of Fire championship with a corrupt format known as the Casaran. This Casaran format was a total scandal when it was last trotted out at BoF 52. I remember it well because I coached in that BoF. Not only were we dragged all over the multiverse by country change after country change, but we also faced a schedule that was deliberately rigged to our detriment. While Aels and the Trolls got an easy ride to the finals, we were robbed. After being forced to face the most difficult schedule out of anybody in the tournament, we finished in 17th place, a mere point back of qualification. That was a remarkable accomplishment, considering the corrupt format.

Now, Legalese is doing it again and this time, the Sanctii are their willing accomplices. If this bid is chosen, we can assuredly look forward to ridiculously biased schedules, matches at neutral sites somewhere in that abyss known as the Rejected Realms and corrupt officials engaged in a conspiracy to unjustly deny us our rightful spot in the World Cup field. While the Sanctii were the one nation whom we thought we could trust to make fair decisions, now we know that we have no friends in this world.

I will say it once again. This country's moronic electorate made a mistake by not electing Mr. Izmailov last year. If he was Consul, he would just threaten to send a delivery to Saintland and this farce of a World Cup bid would be withdrawn immediately. It is obvious that the Sanctii are bitter about their inability to send paperwork on time to the WCC offices. I find it astounding that the alcoholic buffoon known as King Paulus XV actually has the gall to blame us for his utter incompetence, an incompetence that led to the wrong Cup of Harmony bid being submitted and to our Federation winning the Cup of Harmony hosting rights with the wrong nation.

We are currently on the eve of the UWCFA Gold Cup and, thus far, the Sanctii have yet to announce a format. I will say right now that, if the Sanctii use the Casaran, I will not hesitate to tell the Sanctii, in their own country, what a bunch of total a** h**** they are. It is simply an embarrassment that the WCC has yet to ban the Casaran format, as they would if they even remotely resembled a competent organization. Remember, these are the same idiots who sent out the wrong schedules for World Cup qualifying for 2 of the last 3 World Cups! The WCC is a grossly incompetent organization and all of its leadership needs to be impeached. I think we'd have a much more competent WCC if the Committee consisted of myself, Mr. Abdullahi, Nova Hellstrom, Kyle Bolton and Mr. Izmailov. We certainly wouldn't be making all these stupid decisions or permitting talking animals to compete in the World Cup.

I am, unfortunately, once again forced to feed the Trolls. As you know, the Troll reporter is back home nowadays and is now going around making ridiculous claims. He writes that "[I am] a incompetent coach with no understanding of football and is a basic man with a lack logical thinking. He is also a racist, a sexist, and bigot. He has no respect for any other nation in the world, he mistreats women and he trashes churches, just like all the men of the "Free" Republics. He probably abused Miss Hellstrom too by the way." While the things he has said in the past may be borderline libel, this is blatant libel in probably every nation in the world. If I am an incompetent coach, why did the team I coach win last year's Di Bradini Cup? He says I "mistreat" women. My wife would disagree strongly with that and I'm sure I give her more pleasure in a single night than Mr. Smith's wife has experienced in her entire life. Men who would say untruthful things like he has tend to be awful in bed. I also think it is ridiculous to say that I "trash" Churches, considering the fact that I have not set foot inside a Church since I was a curious little boy who wanted to spend some time with his friends. The allegations that I abused Nova Hellstrom and the slandering of all men in the FFR are just flat-out despicable.

I once again implore the National to fire this disgrace of a reporter. I also implore his publisher to cancel his book deal for "Living in Hell: My Time In A Unjust Country," a book which undoubtedly spreads lies about the freest nation in the multiverse. I have to say that Liselotte Moser seems to be a capable reporter, but her credibility is damaged by permitting a Troll to work at the same newspaper. If Felix wishes to be taken seriously as a nation, they will permit me to sue Mr. Smith for libel and will insist that Mr. Smith be fired and denied employment at every newspaper in their little Esportivan s***-h*** of a country.

I wish to conclude today's column by discussing the U-21s. So far, they have won a match and lost another in the current DBC. This is not acceptable. Today is the all-important match with Tynewear. Tynewear looks very tough and I have to say I am very impressed with them. Yes, Mr. Smith, I do have respect for other nations. If we can beat Tynewear, we will have to face Wight, a country currently in the midst of some sort of catastrophe. I hope Mr. Abdullahi can pick up those victories and prove that the Federation will not be denied.

Rule Theriault is the manager for the FFR's National Soccer Team. He was the manager of Petrograd United. After a disappointing end to his tenure there, he entered a team in the 27th Di Bradini Cup on behalf of the Federation of Free Republics. His mostly unheralded team finished 2nd in that competition, losing to the Equestrian States in the final. He led his Republican National Soccer Team to a 17th place finish in the 52nd Baptism of Fire and a 6th place finish in Group 20 during World Cup 65 qualifying. In the Cup of Harmony, the National Soccer Team overcame having to play in the Equestrian States and came back to win their final 2 matches, including a shocking victory over Jeru FC, one of the true powers of international soccer. In the 28th Di Bradini Cup, he led the FFR right back to the finals, this time finishing on the right note. The Free Republics finished 3rd in their second World Cup qualifying attempt, again falling short of qualification. On home turf for the Cup of Harmony, Theriault's team advanced out of the group stage for the first time ever in a WCC event before falling to the Licentian Isles. Now, Theriault is preparing to lead the Free Republics B team in the UWCFA Gold Cup, while his Assistant Manager will be leading the U-21s, featuring most of the team's best players, in the Di Bradini Cup, where they will seek to become the first repeat champion since Cafundeu in DBC 17 and 18.

[Ko-oren]

Thatius cannot get past 11 defenders, Litegreens go 2-0-0

Parking the bus seems to be a valid tactic during this Cup. While in the World Cup, defending has been a losing strategy for a while, in the sense that most new teams jump on the attacking bandwagon and most already successful teams have already jumped on the bandwagon. Taeshan and Ko-oren are two of the remaining defensive strongholds, and hopefully inspirations for the batches of new nations playing in the World Cup, Di Bradini Cup, or any of the regional tournaments (or even one of the many unofficial tournaments). Meanwhile, the strategy can only maintain itself in the football culture of a country if not just the current players are defending, but they teach it to their young'uns as well. And that the young players agree that defending is the way to go. And if they pass it on to the next group of players, and so on. And here we are, the Liteblues are unbeaten - actually, they've only won so far - parking the bus.

Thatius is the second victim in the game of 'pretend like the other team can win this, and then counter the hell out of them after 80 minutes'. Lulled to sleep by 11 sly tacticians. Then mercilessly preyed. Aumark crossed the ball right in the middle of a huddle of Thatius defenders, and Sisribun was there to profit from the miscommunication. Poor Tijomolović could not even react to the shot from close by, and Bregović and Parker were left to argue with each other about whose fault it was. Meanwhile, Jørgensen hit the post after 84 minutes, and Christensen missed a 87' penalty. Especially the last moment showed how easily the Thatius players were enraged by the little antics of the Litegreens: in his frustration, Christensen stepped up, and immediately sent the ball over the bar.

At first, the Ko-oren U-21 team was afraid of their opponents. They obviously looked at the way New Sideburn lost, and decided that that was not going to happen to them. An explosive start, Thatians everywhere around Byrne's goal, seven shots on goal in the first 15 minutes only. They even did not concede any counterattacks, and forced even Zhukov and Sisribun to help defend. This changed after the first burst of energy went away, and Ko-oren got a little bit of breathing space after 24 minutes. Here they played the ball between themselves a little bit, running down the clock. Without any idea how to make it to the 90th minute without conceding a goal. Before the second half the possession statistic showed that Thatius was in power with 79% and 21 shots on the Ko-orenite goal. But we all know what happened in the end.

The next round has Ko-oren - Mizuyuki and New Sideburn - Thatius. The first game decides which team should qualify as the group winner, the second decides if New Sideburn catches on with Mizuyuki or Ko-oren to go into a direct fight for second place. The last round of games is Mizuyuki - New Sideburn and Eura - Ko-oren. Remember that Eura and Thatius are already out of the competition, and by this point, Mizuyuki plays New Sideburn, which is going to be a crucial game regardless of the MD4 results. If Mizuyuki wins, they have to beat New Sideburn as well to avoid any other team (read: us) to catch up, and if Mizuyuki loses against the Liteblues, they will have to do their best against New Sideburn to avoid getting knocked out.

And that summarizes the Ko-orenite tactics: score after 80 minutes, pretend like the opponent is in charge, and leave the pressure to Mizuyuki. Good luck on defending the glory of that Market Cup you have! And try to not be intimidated by the number behind our nation's name in the 'GA' column in the standings.

[New Sideburn]

After ten minutes of silence, Violet Clarion offered up some solace to the packed dressing room.
"Was a fluke, guv. We deserved t' win."
"No," snapped Boyden, the manager's first words since the players had returned to the dressing room. "If we can't finish, if none of you idiots know how to put a shot into the bloody net from ten fucking yards out, Georgia, ten fucking yards, then I don't think we deserved the fucking win, do you?"
There were grumblings of begrudging agreement.
"Good," said the gaffer, darkly. "Now head back to the hotel. I got some thinkin' to do ahead of the next game..."

Two weeks and a lot of coffee later, and it was close to time for the next match. Boyden lit another pensive cigarette in the snooker room, which had more or less been adopted without argument as his personal strategy chamber.
There was a knocking at the door. Clearly nervy, but also clearly trying to sound confident. Probably Bywater, figured Boyden.
"Come on!" he said.
Ramsey's whip was, in fact, who emerged. "Mind if I join you for a smoke?" she asked, almost apologetically. "The lads are watching bad horror films."
"How bad?"
"How does 'Revenge of the Chainsaurs' sound to you?"
"Pretty bloody tempting, right about now." Boyden jerked his head at the scattered sheets of paper. "What d'you think Ramsey would do about this, eh?"
Bywater shrugged. "Probably drop half the team."
"Fuckin' 'xactly. Linen's back, I guess I'll give Flynn a shot, Connacht's-"
"Rutger Connacht! You're bringing someone who plays for a second-division team into the mix!"
"Worked for Dant- Well, look, it's worth a shot, alright? I'm working with limited resources here. Connacht wants the start, he wants the glory, and..."
Boyden paused, leant back against the wall and sighed. "And that's what I need right now. Real desire. How does Ramsey do it? Put that kind of spirit in the lads, I mean. A team that only plays fifteen-odd games a year..."
Auburn shrugged. "Fear, mostly. But, I mean... he's had a long time to get his thing going. You've... well, you've been manager for two games for half these players, six at most. And, well, they're kids. From a smattering of often fairly shit teams. Nobody's expecting miracles of you, Darryl."
"Yeah? Well, I'd like one or two to come my way for once..."

LINEUP vs. THATIUS

[Farfadillis]

The Early Bird Gets the Three Worms

The rest seems to have done the players some good, as they went from winning against Patistan in an exceedingly exciting match to winning against San José Guayabal somewhat comfortably. The strikers seemed to be a bit better this time around, and Lastá seems to have regained the confidence I hope he had in the first place. The Guayabalenses were not extremely easy to beat, however.

I thank Fuego's early goal. Had he not scored that, we may not have won. It was a good way of shocking the opposing team and messing up the tactics of the manager. Truth is a goal in the tenth minute can change the whole plan of the opposing team.

Kâí got the ball from Haedo. He then saw Fuego running down the flank. The Rulandese then connected a quick through pass to the Faroleran, who managed to sneak through Moreira's back and reach the ball at a fascinating speed. He then dribbled Buaas and shot to the right. The goalkeeper couldn't react on time, as the shot was rather powerful, and so the Greenflies were winning. It all happened to fast, maybe, so that menat double shock. Double shock means the effects I mentioned are doubled. Or halved. I'm not sure.

Fuego while celebrating his early goal. Look at that weird
position in which he is. He should take up gymnastics.

It did seem to hit them. The Farves continued to dominate the Guayabalenses, and the first half was filled with chances for us. That's not to say San José Guayabal did not get any chances. Castro even managed to hit the post once after dribbling Cervántez inside the box. Dragãozý almost scored another one for us, but the crossbar denied him his own goal in this competition. Terán also got pretty close form afar, but he only found Laguna in one of his brightest days.

For the second half, Rossizzo shuffled things around. David Alejandro replaced Tobías Cervántez, while Iván Cervántez, Tobías' twin, replaced Armando Elevado. Armando was not playing badly, however. I guess Rossizzo just did not want to risk him getting sent out or something. Maybe he wanted him to rest?

Farfadillis continued showing they were superior, though not to insane extents. Fôx and Kâí caused nightmares on the flanks, while Terán proved too much for the Guayabalense defense. Fuego and Dragãozý, while not as good, were always there and couldn't be left unattended. Santic and Cervántez were controlling the midfield, while Alejandro and Alaminos joined the attack occasionally, with the latter often tearing apart the opposing defense when doing so.

The second goal took some time to arrive, however. It was Fôx who would score, again. Terán got the ball from Kâí. Being at the edge of the box, he sent a through pass to Fôx, who managed to get to the ball before Salume. The latter had had to turn around, which probably gave the left winger an advantage. He then softly touched the ball with his right foot and, before Buaas could get to him with a sliding challenge, shot to the lower-right corner. The shot was very precise, albeit not powerful. Even then, it was just so precise the goalkeeper couldn't dive to get it despite diving on time.

That was the final nail in San José Guayabal's coffin, just like the 'San José Guayabal Tribune' had vaticinated. Farfadillis would go on to comfortably win the game, almost sealing their place in the next round and eliminating San José Guayabal. An entertaining match, and I still can't believe we kept a clean sheet.

[Northern Sunrise Islands]

60 minutes in, only 30 minutes left, both sides tied. Blouman Empire's red shirts and the light-yellow shirts of the Sunrise mixed over the green field, mostly centered on the midfield as Café ran with the ball on his grasp, followed by John Miller, rushing to stop the daft Sunrisian midfielder of maybe reaching the net. Café already scored once, the first goal of the match, after a counter-attack that started with the ball stolen from the feet of Cupstran, something done by the talented Raíssa Capetinha.

As Miller tackled, he managed to take the ball out from the feet of Café, but couldn't avoid contact, as the Sunrisian fell over him. The ball ended on the feet of Marticrant, who only looked up to see the upcoming defense, with a huge grin on her face, as she already could see how to go over them. As she ran, George Laner tried to tackle the ball out of her feet, much like Miller did; only to witness the black-haired young player jump over him.

Continuing, now David Parson was the one to try and take the ball from her, as he used one of his feet to try and take the ball, he could only witness Leena doing a simple panna through his feet, taking the ball as he could only watch the ball going between his legs. It only left goalie Polinoir as the sole mean of defense, something that Marticrant had no difficulty to do, as she kicked the ball the left, while the goalie was still on the right side of the goal, being beaten by a couple of milimeters.

Hugged by Cervantes, the other scorer of the match, celebrating the goal together with him as the team was finally scoring their first win of the tournament, over some serious competition. The Empire nailed two other teams with small problems, but now had to win their match against "that" team, the one that got a draw against the Sunrise and had a bye at the Third Matchday. But for now, all that the Sunrise has in mind is taking Nassau and Sangti down for a spot.

After the match, the team was pretty much happy in general for their win, with Kylx obviously trying to put that the win was only possible because of his skills as a coach, saying that the other teams on their way should fear the BEST MANAGER EVER IN THE BUSINESS, while the Byrd Jr., the one deserving the credit kept giving too little of a damn to the crazy Slembanan. On the other hand, Panther was too busy to say anything, as he was trying to watch Mizuyuki's match against Eura.

"Still haven't got over that, Jim?" asked Martin, his teammate from the last edition.

"I said, Level 5 Hotness." answered Panther, giving a good laugh while watching the match thanks to a conveniently positioned television.

GOALS
NSI - Café 13', Cervantes 38', Marticrant 62'
BLO - Credab 20', 33'

[Blouman Empire]

THE EMPIRE TIMES

Performance Forces Apology

Despite the scoreline it was a match to forget for the Eaglets whom were defeated by Northern Sunrise Islands in the Di Bradini Cup. A match that had Captain Jason Potts front the media and publicly apologise for the poor display put on by the team. This was the first defeat in 10 games for the Eaglets (including the games from DBC26) said "To all the fans that came all this way to watch us I am deeply sorry for disappointing you today, you deserve a better performance from your team. I am deeply disappointed and angry in myself and the team and we didn't deserve to win that game". The team's performance was so terrible that Manager Lewis Helstrom later admitted that he had seriously contemplated making all three subs before the first half but didn't in the hope that the team would turn it around he also expressed bafflement at the team's performance during the match "I don't know what the issue was today, not one player was in the right frame of mind for today, we were lucky to be 2-2 at half time".

The match did indeed look one sided as the Northern Sunrise Team seemed to walk through over the Eaglets putting pressure on the midfield whom seemed unorganized and the defence whom just couldn't keep control of their marks. Cafe was the first to score in the 13th minute after making a a few attempts already. An effective counter attack allowed Cafe to collect the ball and place in the bottom right hand corner while Cervantes had a shot blocked this NSI were firmly in control and nearly doubled their advantage if not for Polinoir tipping the ball with a strong header from Marticrant. The Eaglets were so ineffective that Helstrom made a change in the 18th minute putting on Liam Peach in place of Ty Freltron. The change seemed to make a difference with the new starter weaving through two NSI defenders and sending a low cross to Paul Credab whom scored for the team's first shot on goal equalizing the match. This sparked a revival in the Eaglets whom almost appeared to be taking back control. Brad Hunter charged down the center and took a shot from 30 yards out only for it to hit the crossbar. NSI quickly regrouped and while the Eaglets appeared more aggressive then they had been so far the opportunity to shoot dwindled. The Eaglets managed to take the lead in the 33rd minute with a penalty taken by Credab thanks to Hunter being pulled down by Didi during a corner kick. Didi was shown a yellow card and Credab took the penalty sending NSI keeper Filipe to the left as he sent the ball to the right. Despite now in the lead the revival of the Eaglets fortunes had diminished as NSI once again controlled the game as the Eaglets returned to their early game rabble. It didn't take long for NSI to score the equaliser with Cervantes curling the ball from the edge of the area into the top left corner. The first half finished 2-2 with the Eaglets lucky to be in the game

Helstrom made his final two changes at half time taking off the hapless Potts for George Laner and Max Fox for Jack Distar. The changes made little difference as NSI started the second half as they finished the first putting early pressure on the Blouman defence with Cafe, Cervantes and Marticrant all having a number of shots whether it was by luck or poor shooting they all failed to materalise into goals. At the other end of the field the any chance of the Eaglets scoring were quickly snuffed out by the NSI defence whom managed to shut down any attempt to attack before it started. Indeed the Eaglets only managed one shot on goal in the entire second half with an optimistic long range shot by Hunter that landed comfortably in the hands of Filipe. NSI scored their third goal in the 68th minute with an effective counter attack and saw Marticrant move through two Blouman defenders she shot the ball past Polinoir whom couldn't stretch himself enough to block it. NSI continued their domination but failed to score further goals with the game ending and the final score 3-2.

The Eagles still remain top of the table despite the loss but now only 2 points in front of NSI. With only one game left for the Eaglets to play they will be wanting to ensure they secure the win against Dutzenderland to ensure they progress past the group stage, if they lose and results go against them the Eaglets could find themselves coming home much sooner then they imagined.

[Equestrian States]

Little Ponies Rout Quebecois; Golden Glove Claims First Clean Sheet
by Steve McNotapony

Equestrian States 3-0 The Royal Kingdom of Quebec
at Star Stadium in Canterlot, Equestrian States
Attendance: 61,886
Scoring:
Krystal '22 (Stardust)
Pristina Shine '54 (Krystal)
Rosewing '71 (Krystal)

CANTERLOT - After opening their Di Bradini Cup campaign with a decisive victory over San José Guayabal, the Equestrian States U-21s made the short trek to Star Stadium, where they faced the Royal Kingdom of Quebec last night. Though the Little Ponies offense wasn't quite as dominant as it was several nights earlier, the Equestrians were hardly challenged by the Quebecois at all in their match yesterday.

It didn't take long for the Little Ponies to establish their superiority after the first whistle. Krystal, Stardust, Apple Cobbler, Rosewing, and Pristina Shine ran circles around their much slower and less agile opponents, dominating the midfield and attacking third of the pitch. To the local supporters, it seemed just a matter of time until the scoreboard reflected the Equestrians' control of the match; and indeed, in the 22nd minute, Krystal broke the stalemate with a masterful strike to the upper corner of the net.

The score would remain locked at 1-0 until the second half, when Pristina Shine scored her fourth goal of the tournament on a cross from Krystal. Then, with just under 20 minutes remaining, Rosewing tapped the ball over the Quebecois keeper to seal the Little Ponies' win. Golden Glove held out against the visitors' last-ditch attempts to deny her a clean sheet, blocking each shot with perfect grace, the last Quebecois attack faltering just seconds before the referee put them out of their misery.

After the match, Head Coach Pearly White praised the entire team for their performance: "We did an excellent job out there tonight, there's no doubt about that. Solid play all around, especially in the midfield, stopped our opponents cold and kept them away from Golden Glove for much of the match. I have no doubt that each of my players could one day play for the national team, and some already do."

  Group A                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  Equestrian States       2   2  0  0    8   2  +6    6
2  Farfadillis             1   1  0  0    4   3  +1    3
3  Patistan                2   1  0  1    5   4  +1    3
4  Quebec                  1   0  0  1    0   3  -3    0
5  San José Guayabal       2   0  0  2    2   7  -5    0

The Equestrians will head into their off-day looking to rest up a bit and prepare for what lies ahead. After the break the Little Ponies will face Patistan, who will likely need at least a draw to have any hope of advancing to the second round, having already lost once to the Farfadillis U-21s, who had their bye last night. But the match everyone is looking forward to is the Little Ponies' clash with the Greenflies, where two of the better teams in the Di Bradini Cup's recent history will face each other for only the second time.

Equestrian Player of the Match

MF - #12 - Krystal
3 shots | 2 on target | 1 goal | 2 assists
Species: Unicorn | Gender: Female | Age: 21
Club: Crystopolis City (United League)

If there's one player who is to be thanked for the recent successes of Crystopolis City, it's Krystal. Throughout the Knights' UICA campaign, the unicorn was nigh unstoppable on the attack, scoring 11 of the club's goals in the Globe Cup, and lending a helping-hoof to another 7 of them. Krystal played a role in each of the Little Ponies' goals last night, her knack for making precision strikes at the goal or at the hooves of her teammates on full display. In what will be her final tournament with the U-21s, Krystal has proven herself more than worthy of the captain's band she inherited from Rainbow Blitz when the Little Ponies' former superstar midfielder turned 22 after the last Di Bradini Cup.

---

Match Report :: Match Day 2

EQUESTRIAN STATES 3-0 THE ROYAL KINGDOM OF QUEBEC
Star Stadium (cap. 59,250) in Canterlot, Equestrian States

Scoring:
 Krystal '22 (Stardust)
 Pristina Shine '54 (Krystal)
 Rosewing '71 (Krystal)

Starting XI:
GK - Golden Glove
DF - Rainboom Flyer
DF - Krysia Bailey
DF - Sunlight
MF - Krystal
MF - Stardust
MF - Apple Cobbler
MF - Nightwing
FW - Pristina Shine
FW - Farsight
FW - Rosewing

Substitutions:
 Rosie Tyler in for Apple Cobbler '45

---

OOC: As one might guess, this RP would have been written the day after the match ICly, and thus not take into account the MD3 results.

[Equestrian States]

Match Day 4 Results

Group A

The Royal Kingdom of Quebec 2–4 Farfadillis
at Royal Equestria Stadium in Canterlot

Equestrian States 5-1 Patistan
at Star Stadium in Canterlot

  Group A                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  Equestrian States       3   3  0  0   13   3 +10    9
2  Farfadillis             3   3  0  0   10   5  +5    9
3  Patistan                4   2  0  2    9   9   0    6
4  San José Guayabal       3   0  0  3    2   9  -7    0
5  Quebec                  3   0  0  3    2  10  -8    0

Group B

Felix 0–1 Starblaydia
at Derby Field in Manehattan

Åsløtten-Bëðerbørg så Česky 0–0 The Licentian Isles
at Manehattan Industrial Park in Manehattan

  Group B                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  Starblaydia                    3   2  1  0    7   4  +2    7
2  The Licentian Isles            4   1  3  0    3   2  +1    6
3  Felix                          3   1  1  1    5   5   0    4
4  Filopines                      3   1  0  2    6   8  -2    3
5  Åsløtten-Bëðerbørg så Česky    3   0  1  2    5   7  -2    1

Group C

Northern Sunrise Islands 2–0 Sangti
at Elements Stadium in Ponyville

Dutzenderland 0–2 Blouman Empire
at Sky-High Coliseum in Cloudsdale

  Group C                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  Blouman Empire              4   3  0  1   12   7  +5    9
2  Northern Sunrise Islands    3   2  1  0    8   5  +3    7
3  Dutzenderland               3   0  2  1    3   5  -2    2
4  Nassau Hessen               3   0  2  1    2   4  -2    2
5  Sangti                      3   0  1  2    2   6  -4    1

Group D

Ko-oren 0–2 Mizuyuki
at Diamond Park in Stalliongrad

New Sideburn 0–0 Thatius
at the Maple Bowl in Trottawa

  Group D                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  Mizuyuki                3   3  0  0    6   1  +3    9
2  Ko-oren                 3   2  0  1    2   2  +2    6
3  New Sideburn            3   1  1  1    1   1   0    4
4  Thatius                 4   0  2  2    2   5  -3    2
5  Eura                    3   0  1  2    1   3  -2    1

Group E

Bloodbath Generation 4–3 Wight
at Wild Grounds in Everfree

Free Republics 1–1 Tynewear
at Shady Grove in Whitetail

  Group E                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  Tynewear                4   2  1  1    6   5  +1    7
2  Wight                   3   2  0  1    8   7  +1    6
3  Free Republics          3   1  1  1    8   8   0    4
4  Welsh Cowboy            3   1  0  2    7   7   0    3
5  Bloodbath Generation    3   1  0  2    6   8  -3    3

Group F

Polar Islandstates 3–2 Furellum
at HarmonyLink Field in Seaddle

Saugeais 0–0 Albaie
at Pony Lands Park in Manechester

  Group F                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  Polar Islandstates        3   3  0  0    6   3  +3    9
2  Furellum                  3   1  1  1    5   4  +1    4
3  Saugeais                  3   1  1  1    3   3   0    4
4  Albaie                    4   1  1  2    4   6  -2    4
5  German American States    3   0  1  2    3   5  -2    1

Group G

Darmen 0–2 Taeshan
at Salt Lick Stadium in Salt Lick City

95X 5–3 Bears Armed
at Estadio Poco Caballo in Maredrid

  Group G                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  95X                     3   3  0  0    9   4  +5    9
2  Taeshan                 3   2  1  0    8   4  +4    7
3  Nouvel Ecosse           3   1  1  1    2   3  -1    4
4  Bears Armed             4   1  0  3   10  13  -3    3
5  Darmen                  3   0  0  3    3   8  -5    0

Group H

Uitbregen 3–0 Iseteskog
at Thunder Palace in Oatlahoma City

The Inevitable Syndicate 3–0 Sicoutimont
at Point Stadium in Hoofston

  Group H                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1  Uitbregen                   3   2  1  0    6   2  +4    7
2  The Inevitable Syndicate    3   2  0  1    4   1  +3    6
3  Mytannion                   3   2  0  1    3   1  +2    6
4  Sicoutimont                 4   1  1  2    4   7  -3    4
5  Iseteskog                   3   0  0  3    1   7  -6    0

Clinched Group
Clinched Advancement
Cannot Win Group
Cannot Advance; Eliminated

[Nouvel Ecosse]

HANNIBAL STANDARD
ESCAMILLA SNATCHES DRAW FOR UNDER-PERFORMING ECOSSE

---

NOUVEL ECOSSE 1 - 1 Taeshan
Anton Escamilla 76' | Tyler Benjamin 27'

---

A goal from Anton Escamilla in the 76th minute snatched a draw from the far-superior Taeshan in what was a weak but lucky performance for young side. James Morrisoni was the shining light for the side after replacing Chase Maupin, who was left on the subs bench after picking up a minor injury.

The two sides met at the Estadio Poco Caballo in Maredrid in what would prove to be at times a rather dull encounter. It was the first time the two sides had met in any encounter, and both sides would eventually leave disappointed, more so Taeshan than the Ecossians. It was Taeshan who had much of the early chances, Adam Bradley and Tyler Benjamin both looking deadly up front. Headers from both Bradley and Benjamin were narrowly diverted away from goal, one thanks to a world-class save from Olen Alger and the other thanks to the outstretched boot of Doran Milosevici, all that stood between the ball and the back of the net. At the other end, Vito Giacherrini came close from twenty yards, but it was more speculation and hope than an outright chance.

It was Taeshan's Tyler Benjamin who would open the scoring in the twenty-seventh minute, cutting in from the right-wing to meet a cross-pitch ball from Alex Guggenheim, before rounding Richard Fast and striking home past the onrushing Alger. Fast struggled with the pace and skill of Benjamin for much of the game, so it came as no real surprise when he was subbed for the 'more-experienced' Edward Tozier.

After Benjamin's goal, the first half almost stuttered to a standstill, with both teams threatening but not quite threatening. There was a sluggishness to the game which ruined much of the spectacle, passes and crosses going astray, shots firing well-wide. It was a relief for the fans as much as the players when half-time finally came.

The Second Half was much more lively than the first half finish. Jorge Sanchez received a deserved yellow card for a crunching tackle on Cody Brahms, which clearly left the centre-back a little dazed. Blair Hereida, on for the under-performing striker Cristopher Montoya at the break, came close for the Ecossians, threatening Myung Wook Yu with a volley from a controversial corner.

It was James Morrisoni however that lead the Nouvel Ecosse semi-comeback, bombing down the left-side with speed and precision. Vito Giacherrini was unlucky not to meet a cross head on which would have surely leveled the score, narrowly missing the ball by a literal hair's breadth.

Anton Escamilla would be the one to finish for the Ecossians, a cheeky back-heel wrong-footing the unsuspecting Wook Yu in the Taeshan goal. Although the goal was perhaps lucky, the build-up certainly wasn't; starting with Milosevici, a stalwart in defense, it went through eight players and twenty-three passes before Escamilla's finish, predominantly revolving around the ever-present Morrisoni and LaFleur.

The game would finish 1-1, although Taeshan should and will feel like they deserved more from the match. Nouvel Ecosse know that if they have any chance of qualification they will have to defeat Darmen in their final match.

First Team
Pos Name                  Rating 
GK  Olen Alger            8
CB  Doran Milosevici      8
CB  Lando Giacherrini     8
CB  Richard Fast          6  Sub for Tozier 51'
RM  Anton Escamilla       8
DM  Daren Espinoza        7  
AM  Jorge Sanchez         6       
AM  Curt LaFleur          6   
LM  James Morrisoni       8  Alhambra Man of the Match
CF  Cristopher Montoya    5  Sub for Hereida  45'
CF  Vito Giacherrini      6

Substitutes
GK  Karl Jaegar           X
LB  Leif Overstreet       X
RB  Edward Tozier         5  Sub for Fast 51'
CM  Josef Reiter          X  
LM  Chase Maupin          X
CF  Luther Maldonado      X 
ST  Blair Hereida         4  Sub for Montoya  45'

[Free Republics]

Whitetail, Equestrian States

The Free Republics had just drawn Tynewear, staying alive in the Di Bradini Cup. However, they were now facing a must-win against Wight on the final day of the group stage. Massimiliano Abdullahi left immediately after the match, leaving the team at the stadium. With their coach gone to drink some more alcohol, the team now had an opportunity to speak amongst themselves and, as usual, they weren't exactly interested in talking about soccer.

Kyle Bolton - Who's up for watching the pay per view on Sanctustube?

Bernard Lukic - I am. The Forsaker's gonna take back what is his. There's no way that Quadruple C is going to cheat his way to another win.

Koby Theodore - I'm more interested in seeing what Nova will do. 4-Cs is just going to steal it again.

Kyle Bolton - Koby, you're a little too cynical for 17.

Koby Theodore - I'm not cynical Kyle. You should know that.

Zrina Martinovic - Why do you guys watch that stuff? What's so appealing about 2 guys rolling around on the ground?

Roberta Villalobos - Actually Zrina, that sounds interesting.

Connie Chase - Guys, aren't we supposed to be a soccer team?

Kyle Bolton - There's no need to focus on soccer. We're better than all these teams and everybody knows we're just going to repeat anyway.

Marius Christofferson - Kyle's right. Connie, I don't think you should be speaking to us like that. You really shouldn't be here to begin with since you aren't capable of contributing anything to this team on the pitch.

Jens Koch - Come on Marius. Be nice to the girl.

Kyle Bolton - Jens, please don't white-knight.

Marius Christofferson - Bros before hos, Jen. Bros before hos.

Connie Chase - I've used hoes before. Its hard work.

Ayub Sandstrom - Well look, we've got the farmer's daughter on our team and we have to protect her.

Kyle Bolton - I'll talk with Coach Rule when we get home. She should be home with her family, concentrating on her schoolwork. She certainly shouldn't be in this country filled with talking horses.

Faredin Pozenel - Speaking of horses, I'm so hungry I could eat a horse. Why isn't there anything fit to eat in this country?

Kyle Bolton - Maybe we should go out to eat and order horse meat.

Miroslav Bozek - Kyle, I don't think that's a good idea. We don't need to be unnecessarily antagonizing the animals.

Kyle Bolton - I don't care. I'll tell a dragon to his face that this rotten country shouldn't be hosting international sports events or even competing in them, with the exception of those annual horse races in Saintland.

Arnou Labrecque - As they say, a horse's place is on the racetrack being ridden by a jockey. It should be no different for those stupid talking horses. They need to learn their place.

Joseph Poole - Too bad we didn't bring some hay. From what I've heard, the locals here eat that stuff.

Kyle Bolton - Yes, they do.

Levai Imre - I looked forward to going to the Di Bradini Cup to pick up some hot foreign chicks. Why did they have to send us to a country that isn't even populated by humans?

Kyle Bolton - I have seen quite a few human tourists.

Levai Imre - Why? Who in their right mind would want to visit a country with a bunch of talking animals?

Kyle Bolton - That's a good question, Levai. Its too bad that we haven't had the opportunity to experience exotic pleasures, but maybe we'll end up in Legalese for the World Cup and get that opportunity.

Volodymyr Vernekar - Kyle, why are you so certain that we're going to qualify. Remember, the Casaran is a plot against us.

Kyle Bolton - You're right, Volo. There might be another World Cup bid, so who knows where we'd be going, but I know we're going to qualify. If the Sanctii could qualify in their 3rd try, so can we.

Levai Imre - How about we leave the stadium and walk the streets of this city singing the national anthem?

Kyle Bolton - Good idea, Levai.

The Republican National Team left the stadium and began singing Republica, the Gem of the Oceans over and over again as they walked down the street, hoping to annoy some of the locals. Despite the critical importance of their match against Wight, it was the last thing on their mind at this point in time.

[The Inevitable Syndicate]

Stories of SHOCK & AWE
Part One: Atomia
Part Two: Mods
They came in the dead of night. Over the mountains, the whirr of helicopters and the clatter of hooves on cobblestone poured into the country as millions of Syndicatians slept in fear. They were relentless, shooting and killing anyone who exhibited signs of infection on sight. By morning, the invaders had left the country as quickly as they arrived, and the nation woke up to a mass of dead infected, with nothing but a note sent by telegram to the Fligsive Technology Museum.

To Whom It May Concern:
He at the Ibex Foreign Ministry have heard news of your state of infection.
To prevent the infection from ravaging our borders, tactical elimination squads have been sent to your nation to quell the zombie threat.
We apologise for the inconvenience.
Please spread the message to the proper authorities.

Andrew Browne woke up with a start in his office, which was under guard day and night against the infected. Around him were the sleeping members of his cabinet, who decided to stay in the top of the Forum overnight to organise the cure effort. Unfortunately, the power went out in the early hours of the morning, so they gave up and went to sleep. His computer whirred to life as the power clicked back in, and he noticed a pertinent email from the Technology Museum.

He received the telegram and tipped his now cold coffee into the soil of his Hodoran Peace Lily.

"The fools! We've been working on a cure! Speaking of which, Jones, did that delivery make it's way to Atomia? I bloody hope it has, as I'm in the right mind to sign some firing waivers. Do you know how many are dead? The count is apparently over five hundred thousand! And that was just in the first night! What if they come again?"

---

It came in the dead of night. Over the hill past the complex, the rumble of several different trucks and the beep of palm on horn pored into Atomia as thousands of warheads were changed by the machines. Dr Riley was at the centre of it all, overseeing the switchover, as Jim slept in his chair, with nothing but a coat for cover. By morning, approximately 40% of the warheads had been changed, and it was enough to begin the cure effort. But there was just one problem - the missiles were designed for long range, and wouldn't be able to fire into the country without leaving deadly debris.

"...I know, and this is what I keep telling you!" Dr. Riley explained on the phone, to an angry Forum. "We can only fire at other nations, and while the cure is rather rudimentary, we can save lives. We'll just have to hope that someone contacts us and proposes they hit us with the cure.

Jim woke, remembering where he was, and he bolted to the nearest monitor and turned on the news. The screens showed the true horrors of the event - piles of dead in city centres, riddled with bullets, some in riot gear, but far too many looking like innocent people.

"Bloody hell, what's been going on there?" Jim covered his mouth with his hand in shock.

Jim's question wouldn't go unanswered for long, as he listened in on Dr. Riley's conversation.

The Doctor was holding the phone in one hand, and was searching for a pen and paper with the other. Jim pointed at his EyeGlass, which was perched on his head, but Riley simply drew his finger across his neck. Finding the paper, Jim tossed him a pen, and he scribbled things down at a mile a minute while blabbering at he same speed.

"Okay, so our code is 4411765489, yes... The Starblaydi? That's a good idea, they'll have something.... Falcanians? Oh boy, that's certainly an option, some more radiation wouldn't hurt 'em... Osarius? Yes, our friends across the pond would be in range, and vice versa... The VOIA, they're probably listening now... Yes please... But they're not in the region, that's as far as we can stretch... Longer range you say? Well, we'll take it... Yes, them too..."

Riley took down the last of his notes, then hung up the phone and slumped into his chair. "Right. We've got work to do. It's early in the morning, but the people we need will be awake. I need you to do one thing for me. And you'll be here." Riley pointed up to the main monitor - Monitor 000 - high up above the rest, overlooking the main control room. "I've written these codes here, you need to use them to tune into other nations emergency broadcasts. At the same time, I'll be broadcasting an emergency signal, and hopefully the two can match up and we can find a friend to give directions on who to cure. I'm assuming it'll be them, and I don't even know if this will work... The cure seems quite weak, as I don't see us distributing it locally..."

"Right. You want me to phone up the weapons programs of other nations. How do you get these numbers, anyway?" Jim asked. He was so out of his depth.

"There's a bloke at the Forum that has 'em, just in case we need to blow up another nation and need some help." Riley said, with a sigh. "Now, do you know how to use Monitor 000?"

Jim looked at him with a face that spoke volumes.

"I guess not. Right, let's take a walk up there and I'll show you..."

[New Sideburn]

Darryl Boyden woke up displeased and hungover after a night which had been marinaded in alcohol and regrets. Yesterday, New Sideburn had ground out a draw - any result with a clean sheet with this team was good enough for Boyden - and now stood one good result from qualification (though the result was no longer in their own hands). Camden had been sent off, fairly justifiably at that (Boyden was one of the few Sideburnese to quietly accept that two two-footed sliding tackles in one game was likely to lead to a sending off) so the one certainty in his mind was that nobody could criticise the result.
Auburn Bywater quietly opened the door and sashayed in. "Ah, figured you'd be up, guv," she said. "Was kind of a heavy session for a lot of the lads, but you're a man who can hold his jaegerbombs."
"You're holding a newspaper. I don't like it when you hold newspapers."
"Yeah, well..." Bywater shrugged apologetically, and threw him the Herald.

THE BRINEMOUTH HERALD
SLUGGISH HATCHLINGS GRIND OUT CONTROVERSIAL DRAW
by Cliff Hardtmann

New Sideburn U-21s: 0
Thatius U-21s: 0


A large man shows his displeasure with the refereeing decisions after the match

"God fucking damn it."

Fortunately for Boyden, ire only fuelled his determination to succeed, and within hours he had come across The Perfect Plan to defeat the upstart Mizuyukans. As in, many large men would await them.

At the end of the day, he still believed in Kite's ability, but it would be her six foot one frame that proved her most endearing attribute at the moment. Stubbs was on - Camden was suspended, so it wasn't like he had much choice with that. Connacht, too, had proven to have exactly the desire and bottle Boyden had credited him for - also, he was a pretty big guy, which would help. Flynn stayed by virtue of having an inch on Green, and Ballard... by now, was more or less essential.

The plan was fairly straightforward - if Mizuyuki liked to tiki their takas (and be absurdly young), they would be countered by the Sideburnese advantages - size, strength, experience and bloody-mindedness. Long balls into the box would unlock their stubborn defence, and ... well, at the end of the day, their striker was a fourteen-year old girl, and if Flynn and Monroe couldn't handle that, then what the fuck was wrong with them?

LINEUP vs. MIZUYUKI

[Ko-oren]

The defense, it does nothing!

Mizuyuki is the first to ignore the script and just improvise their way through the play. The stage was set for the Liteblues to pick up their third win, move to the next round, where they would go on to win the Cup. On the other hand, there was the possibility that we simply misread the script where it said 'and the Litegreens will lose the first two games to finish last or second-to-last in the group, and this will forever be the fate of the team'. Actually, we are pretty sure that it said that last DBC we were in. With a young team, obviously, whereas Ko-orenite football relies on older players, slyly cunning (which is a verb now) their way to pretty much the second round of the World Cup by now. So there is our problem. We want old players in our team, while the entire idea of the Di Bradini Cup is that young players are center-stage.

Anyhow, suppose there was a script. Imagine what it would say. That is, after the two victories over New Sideburn and Thatius. "Beat Mizuyuki, and make your way into the second part of the tournament while no one actually understands how the hell you have done it". Or "Lose against Mizuyuki, pretend like they are better, and offensive football is really the way to go, and then catenaccio into the second part." Or, if we would take note of the earlier Ko-orenite attempts at the DBC, "Lose, lose, lose and draw. Finish terribly, but still sign up for the next DBC". So apparently the second script is right. New Sideburn could have been alongside Ko-oren if they had beaten Thatius, which only makes our job easier in the last game against Eura. A rematch of the World Cup's Round of 16, but then a younger version. Not that we would like the last game to happen again. New Sideburn, though, if they lose or draw, eliminate themselves. If we win or draw, we should be in the next round regardless of New Sideburn's result (depending on the tiebreaker). Still, with minimal effort, we could find ourselves with the top 16 for a change. Because that is the heart of Ko-orenite football. Some play offensively, with a lot of energy and possession. Others favor the attack, but in short bursts and quick and agile players. Others want to approach the game with a bit more caution, some possession, but no 'offense over defense' or 'defense over offense' stance. Then there are those that like to concede only a small amount of goals, with good defending but considerable attack. Often they do not want to be in possession for a long time, and their players are slow, but bulky and powerful, while fouling their way to the 90th minute. And then there is the other defense: running down the clock, staying in possession while doing nothing in particular. Without exceptionally big players, but still managing to keep their goal clean from time to time. Just by enraging the opponent, putting the pressure on them, and just basically doing everything to avoid a defeat while not overtly cheating. That's the Greenblues as we know them. And they need to get in touch with their lackluster, result-oriented side to advance to the knock-out phase, where defensive teams are finally rid of the annoying goal difference thing, where teams that score a lot are favored.

But Mizuyuki decided it was not having any of that. Two goals, not far into the game, scored before the Litegreens could react. Zhao and Zhou. One header, one accurate finish. 0-2. And the fact that Ko-oren could still be eliminated faintly dawning on the youngsters. Like in DBC 27, when only a draw against the team that already finished in third place saved us from ending on 0 points. Or DBC 26, where... we ended on one point as well. Against, ehm... the team that would later end in third place. Needless to say, we were last. Or glorious DBC 25, where the Liteblues tied TWO games to end in third place! But this all was dwarfed by DBC 24, where the team won one game and was eliminated with 3 points! And then there was DBC 22, where the Litegreens won two, but was eliminated by Thatius (who thankfully are not playing on the last day in this DBC) who in the end won three (out of a possible four, so that DBC was comparable to this one) and this was actually also our first ever DBC. So no matter how you look at it, the first was the best and it all went downhill from there. Until now! Let's break with more than one tradition by reaching the second round (and Mizuyuki help us, you at least play New Sideburn on day five)!