Di Bradini Cup 31/U21WC52 RP/Roster/Scores Thread

by **Schiavonia** » Thu May 22, 2014 3:33 pm

"I'm Jenny Jones..."

"...and I'm Kevin Smith..."

"...and this is the Sound of the Young Sloths!"

"You join us... er..."

"It's Schiavonia's off day, isn't it, Kev?"

"Oh yes! You join us on the Sloths' off day at the DBC. The won in their opening game, though."

"They did! A thriller against Zenic, which was decided by a man-of-the-match performance by John Blige, who scored a hat trick in the second-half of the four-three win for Schiavonia."

"It was a bit good, wasn't it?"

"It was, actually, brilliant! And he hit the winner with a break that saw him take on two Zenic defenders and rifle the ball into the net! All of that experience from playing in the senior team definitely paid off."

"So Schiavonia are through to the next round!"

"Kev..."

"What?"

"Kev, they're not through."

"They're not?"

"No. They need to get at least a point against Silver Rainbow Fumes, after Zenic won today."

"Can fumes play football?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"In the multiverse, all kinds of things can play football."

"True."

"Just like all kinds of things, sentient or otherwose, can visit Craw, for its miles of sun-drenched beaches and friendly people make it a paradise in the ordinary realm."

"Is this the sponsor's message again?"

"Yes. So, people of the multiverse, Visit Schiavonia! You'll love us, the Bright Star of Atlantian Oceania!"

"Oh. Well, it is nice."

"It is. So come visit if you find a bit of time. And, hopefully, we'll see you in the final forty!"

"Come on Young Sloths!"

"Bye!"

by **Starblaydia** » Sun May 25, 2014 8:49 pm

Qualifying Day 3 Scores

Remember, the 10 Group Winners (denoted in Purple) and 3 best Runner-ups (Listed in Cyan) also qualify. No Play-offs are necessary this time!

Qualifying Group 1
Patistan 1-1 Vanersholm

Qualifying Group 1           P  W  D  L  GF  GA  GD Pts
Jeckland                     2  1  1  0   3   2   1  4
Vanersholm                   2  0  2  0   3   3   0  2
Patistan                     2  0  1  1   1   2  -1  1

Qualifying Group 2
Mizuyuki 2-1 Gregoryisnotgodistan

Qualifying Group 2           P  W  D  L  GF  GA  GD Pts
Mizuyuki                     2  2  0  0   4   1   3  6
Hutt River                   2  1  0  1   3   2   1  3
Gregoryisnotgodistan         2  0  0  2   1   5  -4  0

Qualifying Group 3
Sicoutimont 2-1 Caek of the Wolfen

Qualifying Group 3           P  W  D  L  GF  GA  GD Pts
Blouman Empire               2  2  0  0   4   1   3  6
Sicoutimont                  2  1  0  1   3   3   0  3
Caek of the Wolfen           2  0  0  2   1   4  -4  0

Qualifying Group 4
The Sarian 0-1 The Kytler Peninsulae

Qualifying Group 4           P  W  D  L  GF  GA  GD Pts
The Kytler Peninsulae        2  1  1  0   3   2   1  4
The Sarian                   2  1  0  1   3   3   0  3
Buyan                        2  0  1  1   4   5  -1  1

Qualifying Group 5
The Royal Kingdom of Quebec 3-1 Flammable American States 2

Qualifying Group 5           P  W  D  L  GF  GA  GD Pts
The Royal Kingdom of Quebec  2  1  1  0   4   2   2  4
Jecatria                     2  0  2  0   2   2   0  2
Flammable American States 2  2  0  1  1   2   4  -2  1

Qualifying Group 6
Silver Rainbow Fumes 0-4 Schiavonia

Qualifying Group 6           P  W  D  L  GF  GA  GD Pts
Schiavonia                   2  2  0  0   8   3   5  6
Zenic                        2  1  0  1   4   4   0  3
Silver Rainbow Fumes         2  0  0  2   0   5  -5  0

Qualifying Group 7
Filopines 2-4 Kernansquillec

Qualifying Group 7           P  W  D  L  GF  GA  GD Pts
Kernansquillec               2  1  0  1   6   5   1  3
Darvale                      2  1  0  1   5   5   0  3
Filopines                    2  1  0  1   5   6  -1  3

Qualifying Group 8
Nee-chan Nyan-nyan 0-3 Audioslavia

Qualifying Group 8           P  W  D  L  GF  GA  GD Pts
Audioslavia                  2  2  0  0   6   0   6  6
Bobobobobo Bobobobo          2  0  1  1   0   3  -3  1
Nee-chan Nyan-nyan           2  0  1  1   0   3  -3  1

Qualifying Group 9
Nouvel Ecosse 2-2 Lymantatia

Qualifying Group 9           P  W  D  L  GF  GA  GD Pts
Nouvel Ecosse                2  1  1  0   3   2   1  4
Lymantatia                   2  0  2  0   2   2   0  2
Alparia                      2  0  1  1   0   1  -1  1

Qualifying Group 10
Estenia 1-4 Furellum

Qualifying Group 10          P  W  D  L  GF  GA  GD Pts
Furellum                     2  2  0  0   5   1   4  6
Albaie                       2  1  0  1   1   1   0  3
Estenia                      2  0  0  2   1   5  -4  0

Of course, Hutt River have the only positive Goal Difference of a 2nd-Placed team, while Darvale and Zenic have 5 and 4 goals scored, respectively, higher than any other 2nd-placed team with 3 points and a GD of 0.

The Groups for DBC Finals will be edited in here later today, as well as the OP.

by **Furellum** » Tue May 27, 2014 8:57 am

The train that rolled into the station was an ordinary steam engine. Like the platform it was the same size as the team. There were no passenger cars, just five or six flatbeds, the coal tender, and a guard carriage. From the signal house, the chicken guard blew his whistle and emerged with his flags tucked under his arms. "All aboard!" he shouted. Levi looked at the train, then selected the carriage closest to the engine. Gavrilovic hauled himself up, then helped the others. As he was helping Stepjan up, Moisey glanced over his shoulder. "Look!" he called, pointing. He was pointing at the elevator they'd come down on. It was descending again, but this time it was loaded with boxes. As soon as it touched the ground, a group of chickens came running forward with wheeled carts and pushed the boxes onto them. Then the workers ran towards the train. "They must be loading the train." Said Lievin. So they proceeded to do, but if the Furelese had hoped for any answers they were sadly disappointed. The chickens pointedly ignored them. Once the train was loaded the workers disappeared as swiftly as they'd come, the guard jumped aboard his carriage, waved his green flag, and the train pulled out of the station.

As the landscape flashed by, Adam thought he was getting an idea of his surroundings. The train line was running along the ring shaped table they'd seen from the shelf, and now Adam could tell it was multi-tiered. Above and below he caught flashes of game boards set up with pieces as big as he was, as if waiting for a giant player to move them. The track they were running along flashed past different lines, each with the name of a sport, and Adam guessed they must be spur tracks from the main ring route around the table. As he suspected, they eventually got to a line marked "Association football" and went down this new track. They went into a tunnel, and the team could see nothing. Adam guessed they were now inside the table itself. Occasionally a station would fly past, a brief flash of light, but they didn't stop. He did note one station was marked "World Cup" and saw that although the station had been abandoned, someone had already changed the sign to "69". The train stopped at a station marked "AOCAF", and a group of chicken workers unloaded one of the boxes and took it away. Then they were off again, but hadn't travelled very far before they slowed down again outside a station marked "Under-21 World Cup". Over the top of that sign someone had pasted a sticker that said "Di Bradini Cup". The number "31" was stuck on beside it.

Again the chicken workers appeared, but they stopped when they saw the team on the flatbed. One of them stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Ahem, er, what are you doing here?"
Moisey answered politely "We're here for the Di Bradini Cup. I believe this is our stop. If you would be so kind as to direct us."
"But you should be in your box. And didn't you already arrive? I don't know! You'll have to go and see the boss."
"Ah, excellent." said Moisey. To Levi, he added, "Finally, someone in charge. Hopefully they'll be more forthcoming."
Turning back to the workers, Moisey smiled and said "Lead on, my good man."
He climbed down from the train and followed the worker, the rest of the team falling in behind. They were led up to another elevator which carried them up into brilliant light.

"No way!" The exclamation poured from Stepjan's lips as he stared at the scene before him. The team were standing beside a game board that was the exact replica of the stadium in Starblaydia where they were to play their first match. On the field were 22 playing pieces. 11 were human figurines painted in yellow and red, but the others…
"That's us!" cried Thor. He was right. Plastic and unmoving, each figure in green and white was an exact replica of the Furellum team. As the players watched, the pieces began to move around the field, gliding along the green board. A small white marble rolled around between them. Adam turned to their guide "What magic is this?" he asked the chicken. "Who moves the pieces?" For answer the chicken pointed upwards.

Later, no one in the team would be able to agree on what they had seen. Adam saw a beautiful woman with radiant black hair, while Ragnar swore she was blonde. Thor said she was old and wizened, while Mladen described her as young and unblemished. Domen would not speak of her at all, saying the face gave him nightmares, while Mordecai had nothing but praise. Moisey said she had the face of a monster, while Ezra thought her an angel. Whatever her appearance, they all agreed on one thing. She was most definitely a woman, and she was a giant. She stood in the middle of the ring table, and she seemed to be playing a hundred different games at once. But while she seemed to be intent on every game, she never seemed to touch the pieces as they moved.
Levi asked their guide, "Is this the boss?" The chicken nodded, and said "Wait till the game is over. She'll notice you then, if only for a moment."
Levi nodded, and watched the game. It was certainly an odd experience, watching his own playing piece move around the board. The other team he guessed to be Albaie, which could only mean this was their qualifying match. Somewhere then, in their own dimension, a copy of him was playing football. That was a scary thought. There was another him out there. What would that mean when they got back?

The Ezra piece knocked the ball into the goal, and the team couldn't help but congratulate him. After all, that's what they'd come to Starblaydia to do, before all this madness kicked off. It wasn't long after that the final whistle blew, and the giant head of the woman snapped into view. "What's this?" she said, and to the team her voice was variously grating or musical. "Spectators? How wonderful!" She clapped her hands, and instantly the giant was gone, replaced by a woman the size of the team, standing next to them. "Ah, I see." she said, looking at them. "You're those players. Did Fate put you up to this?"
"Sliepnir sent us." spoke up Thor. "We are on a quest of utmost importance."
"I do not know Sliepnir. But this is a game Fate would play. He does so like to tease me."
Mordecai asked., "Lady, who are you?"
The woman laughed, "I am known by many names, but the denizens of your reality call me Margaret."

by **Jeckland** » Wed May 28, 2014 3:02 am

Jeckland 2-2 Vanersholm
The Jeckish U21 earned a 2-2 draw against Vanersholm, coming from two goals behind in the second half. Vanersholm had us on the back foot from the start, with George having to make two saves early on. They soon took the lead on 15 minutes from a corner, with their centre back rising highest to head down into the bottom right corner. Vanersholm would continue to be a threat from set pieces as Jeckland struggled to hold them at bay. Eventually, Lane conceded a free kick 25 yards out on 40 minutes, and the Vanersholm skipper struck a curler into the top corner. 2-0 down at half time, and Garner was not happy.

Jeckland came out for the second half fighting. Carr had a shot saved from 12 yards out and Poole shot wide from the edge of the area. On 57 minutes the breakthrough came, as Sam Roper beat his man then floated in an inch perfect cross for Kay to head in. 2-1. Vanersholm began defending doggedly, blocking three shots in the next fifteen minutes. On 83 minutes, their centre mid beat a couple of Jeckish players and fired a shot into the post. Vanersholm were cursing their luck when the ball bounced out to Gould. He played it down the line for Roper, who cut inside and fired a rocket shot with his favoured left foot. The goalkeeper made a stunning save, but Lane was following up and sidefooted home with the keeper still on the ground. 2-2, and that's the way it stayed until the final whistle

Jeckland 1-0 Patitstan
It looked like it would be one of those games. The first half produced little excitement, with both teams favouring a cautious approach. Jeckland were slightly on top, but only produced long shots from Poole and Nicholls, which were both saved easily. In the second half, things started the same wap, but soon Jeckland turned to all out attack and completely dominated. Roper fed Carr, Glover crossed for Kay, and Poole shot from distance, but nothing could get past the Patitstani keeper. Until on 74 minutes, Kay was fouled inside the area. Roper stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way, and instantly the tide turned. Jeckland were defending for their lives, and Patitstan were all surging forward. George made a save low to his left, and Blake and Randall made a block each to ensure Jeckland won, and also qualified for the Di Bradini Cup

by **Mizuyuki** » Wed May 28, 2014 3:36 am

The Celestial Empire of Mizuyuki
Official Roster for the 31^st Di Bradini Cup

Official kits of the Mizuyuki national team, courtesy of Kirola Sports

Style Modifier - -1.33
Formation - 4-2-3-1

Squad

The Celestial Empire of Mizuyuki - Starting XI

Squad

All statistics are accurate as of DBC 31
Note - Family names/surnames listed first, given names listed last

Number Playing Pos. Squad Pos. Name Age Gender Height (cm) Weight (kg) Preferred Foot
1 GK Starting XI Kashiwagi Chiyo 13 Female 169 45.31 Left
14 LB Starting XI Iseya Gin 12 Female 145 42.63 Right
21 LCB Starting XI Ryūsaki Risa 13 Female 165 47.44 Right
16 RCB Starting XI Tachibana Mashiro 13 Female 172 50.11 Right
25 RB Starting XI Kasugano Yuiko 14 Female 151 41.40 Left
8 LDM Starting XI Yamamoto Shiori 13 Female 170 42.63 Right
18 RDM Starting XI Miyashiro Tsubaki (C) 14 Female 162 40.10 Right
92 LW Starting XI Uryū Kaori 13 Female 154 38.63 Right
10 CAM Starting XI Kihara Sumire 13 Female 153 39.53 Right
7 RW Starting XI Steiner Kirara 13 Female 149 40.23 Right
9 FW Starting XI Shirane Luna 13 Female 156 42.94 Left
80 GK Substitute Hagiwara Maiya 14 Female 175 49.21 Right
12 LB Substitute Mitsuzawa Yukino 12 Female 142 37.43 Left
20 RB Substitute Kurusu Aya 13 Female 150 37.94 Right
22 CDM Substitute Kamazuki Komari 13 Female 165 41.70 Right
4 CDM Substitute Nakamura Chika 12 Female 139 37.21 Left
19 CAM Substitute Sasaki Suzuno 14 Female 158 44.65 Left
30 FW Substitute Kurugaya Miki 15 Female 174 48.31 Left
33 GK Reserve Kanesaka Eriko 11 Female 158 42.62 Left
39 LB Reserve Uesugi Sawako 11 Female 144 35.46 Right
40 CM Reserve Sasaki Suzuno 14 Female 153 42.04 Left
45 CB Reserve Iwasawa Mako 11 Female 157 43.52 Right
52 CM Reserve Asakusa Kuroko 11 Female 140 35.72 Left
55 LW Reserve Tamura Megumi 11 Female 139 38.22 Right
70 RW Reserve Shintani Miku 11 Female 152 43.67 Right
72 LW Reserve Tsukishima Asuna 13 Female 152 39.07 Right
90 FW Reserve Ashiya Asuka 13 Female 149 43.96 Left
74 CB Reserve Hosoi Yui 11 Female 161 42.75 Right
80 FW Reserve Miyazaki Misaki 15 Female 172 49.82 Right
88 LW Reserve Itsuka Reika 13 Female 167 45.23 Right

Staff
Position Name Age Gender
Manager Shirazaka Kaede + Kiriyama Fuu 18/18 Female/Female
Assistant Manager Mizukawa Yuuna 21 Female
1st Team Coach Kokubunji Sakura 25 Female
1st Team Coach Tsuga Mariko 27 Female
1st Team Coach Ichikawa Hayao 21 Male
Goalkeeping Coach Mayuzumi Yukiyo 25 Female
Tactical Coach Shiba Jun 29 Male
Fitness Coach Mitsuzaka Midori 22 Female
Head Physio Narato Yuri 39 Female
Physio Fuchida Rina 19 Female
Physio Naganohara Yumeha 18 Female

Roleplay Info
Player
Left Corner Taker Uryū Kaori
Right Corner Taker Steiner Kirara
Penalty Taker Shirane Luna
Direct FK Taker Kihara Sumire
Indirect FK Taker Miyashiro Tsubaki
Most likely to foul/be booked Yamamoto Shiori
Most likely to shoot Steiner Kirara
Most likely to score from close range Steiner Kirara
Most likely to score from long-range Miyashiro Tsubaki
Most likely to be fouled Uryū Kaori
Most likely to attempt the spectacular Uryū Kaori

Roleplay Permissions
I give my opponents permission to do absolutely anything, with the exception of the infliction of career-ending injury/death on my players.

by **Mizuyuki** » Wed May 28, 2014 4:50 am

Mizuyuki 2-0 Hutt River
Dream debut for youthful managerial duo Kiriyama and Shirazaka

Newly appointed U21 managerial combo Kiriyama Fuu and Shirazaka Kaede got their collective tenures off to a flying start yesterday as the Little Novas breezed past an average Hutt River side, with dynamic winger Uryuu Kaori scoring a sumptuous brace to cap off a wonderful team effort.

Before the game, Shirazaka - fulfilling her prematch media duties, was cautiously optimistic in her assessment of Mizuyuki's chances against Hutt River.

We're gonna go out there and play a game of football, as simple as that. Take from that what you will; our job is to coach the team and make sure they're well prepared to fight for victory. It has always been the point of managing, and that is what we, as managers, are ultimately committed to. A win against Hutt River is, of course, our main priority going into the match, and after spending some time with the lasses I'm confident that they have enough in the tank to go out there and do a good job of it.'

When quizzed as to her priorities going into the game, however, she was more than happy to discuss the team's approach to this prestigious footballing tournament -

'We are, of course, always keen to secure the three points rather than settling for draws or defeats. We will approach this match in much the same manner. Whether our opponents be World Cup winners or minnows, we'll go into the game trying, with all our might, to win. As long as both myself and Kiriyama remain as managers of this team, rest assured that there will be no compromise on our part. The ultimate objective is to bring the Di Bradini Cup home to Mizuyuki for the first time ever, and I personally will consider this tournament an abject failure on our part if we do not manage to do so.'

The match started at a slow pace as both sides played cautiously in the opening minutes, with Mizuyuki in particular prioritising ball retention and straightforward, functional play rather than starting adventurous attacking moves reminiscent of the senior Mizuyuki team. It was evident from the first peep of the referee's whistle that Shirazaka and Kiriyama had set their team up to play functional, 'boring' football, which was a far cry from what Mizuyukian fans were accustomed to. Instead of seeing their team push forward in the irresistible waves so characteristic of Mizuyuki's usual play, they had to settle for a bland defensive performance as the whole team did their best to frustrate and hit their opponents on the break.

Mizuyuki's first presentable chance arrived from just such an opportunistic counter. In the seventh minute, Shirane, getting stuck in in the middle of the pitch, dispossessed the Hutt River midfielder Sol Dickens with a clattering slide tackle. In the ensuing chaos, Shirane managed to stretch out a leg and poke the loose ball towards teammate Kihara, who was left with a free run on goal with pacy support on both sides from the overlapping duo of Uryuu and Steiner. The ball was sprayed out to the left where it was pounced upon by Uryuu - and the left winger cut inside sharply on her stronger right foot, befuddling Hutt River defender Sam Clough with her intricate footwork, before connecting with the ball with the outside of her boot. The ball took a wicked deflection off teenaged center back Callum Reed and rebounded into the path of the onrushing Kihara, who failed to connect cleanly and shanked the shot wildly over the bar from twenty yards out.

Not to be deterred, the attacking streak in the Mizuyukians soon began to assert themselves on the game. On the instructions of manager Kiriyama, barrage after barrage of free-flowing attack soon began to descend upon the embattled Hutt River team - the managerial combo clearly smelled blood in the water and were willing to alter their footballing philosophy to snatch an early goal. The frenetic pace of the attacking play resulted in the opposition defence being wholly unable to cope - Bourgeois receiving a caution from the referee as he took out the flying Steiner with a badly mistimed tackle, while Kihara and Vogel were both booked after getting involved in an ugly altercation over a dubious offside call that would have left Shirane clean through on goal.

The players were combining remarkably well for such a youthful team - the oldest player in the starting XI, Miyashiro Tsubaki, being a clear seven years shy of twenty-one - and combined on several occasions to produce sparks of pure magic, as evidenced when fullback Iseya Gin produced a stunning dribble deep into opposition territory before unleashing an absolute corker of a shot that required a top-drawer save from 'keeper Leon Burkhart, who was kept busy throughout the ninety minutes.

It was not all smooth sailing for the Little Novas, however, as the Hutt River team fought back valiantly and almost managed to score a breakaway goal of their own through marauding striker Carl Lawlor, who was his long range effort whistle past Mizuyuki's left-hand post with Kashiwagi rooted to the spot. Hutt River had their moments, albeit few and far between - they came agonisingly close to securing a slender lead going into half time as Benson danced past the entire Mizuyuki defence before striking the ball sweetly with the instep, only to see Kashiwagi produce a trademark acrobatic save, tipping the ball onto the post, before it was put well out of harm's way into row Z by a hefty swing of Tachibana Mashiro's outstretched foot.

Up against the physically stronger Hutt River team, Shirazaka and Kiriyama quickly realised that their similarly physical and functional defensive approach would not get them any joy, especially when there was such a clear disparity in terms of upper body strength and height. Thus, when Mizuyuki appeared for the second half, there was no sign of the deep midfield pivot, not even a hint that there was going to be a repeat of the first half's less than effective defensive strategy. With the significantly more technically accomplished Kurugaya Miki off the bench in place of the limited anchor man Yamamoto Shiori, Kihara slotted into the midfield while Shirane dropped deeper to fulfill the trequartista role, a combination that had worked to devastating effect during friendly matches against Mizuyukian domestic clubs.

There was now a distinctly attacking vibe coming from the Mizuyuki XI on the pitch, and the switch was clearly an effective one as Hutt River were pinned deep within their own half with an energetic pressing game. Mizuyuki's trademark high pressing gameplan was executed to perfection by the youngsters, and Kurugaya Miki in particular got a lot of joy in the centre of the park as she utilised her technical skill-set, beating her markers several times with delicate sidesteps and stepovers. It was through one such move that the breakthrough eventually came, on the stroke of the hour.

Kurugaya, having received the long ball from defence, held the ball up well under overbearing pressure from Eric Vogel, and just before she was brought down illegally by the defensive midfielder, managed to slip the ball to the supporting Steiner. Steiner immediately embarking on a bombing run down the right flank, and her peach of a cross was firmly met by a textbook diving header from teammate Uryuu Kaori.

As the ball rocketed into the back of the net past Burkhart's desperate dive, as Uryuu wheeled away in celebration, as the Mizuyukian players piled on top of their goalscorer in sheer jubilation; there was an aura of confidence emanating from the team - an aura that was the surest sign yet that they were going to secure the win, come hell or high water.

The setback arrived at a crucial time for Hutt River - manager Rolf Klaus having used up all his available substitutes in an attempt to influence the evenly-poised match in his team's favour. Finding himself now behind, Klaus had little option other than to push his team further forward, looking for the equaliser - which created more space for Mizuyuki's pacy forward line to exploit.

The Mizuyukians, being now ahead - albeit by a slender margin - were left with acres of space down the flanks as a result of Klaus's adventurous tactical manoeuvre. Attack after attack squeezed past the defence - Jamie Steel in particular badly off the pace in his personal tussle with Kurugaya - and another goal for Mizuyuki looked inevitable. And so it proved in the 88th minute, as Uryuu added further gloss to the scoreline with a late, late rocket from fully 30 yards out which crept under Burkhart and nestled in the back of the net.

It capped a flawless individual performance, and it made sure of the valuable points. Mizuyuki will now be looking forward to their matchup against Gregoryisnotgodistan, a nation new to the international footballing scene, and they will again be hoping to pick up the win which would secure their passage into the Di Bradini Cup proper.

by **Chiata** » Wed May 28, 2014 1:00 pm

OOC: A fashionably late roster.

Chiata Thunderstorm
Ice Pitch, Nor' Del (50,000)

Head Coach: John Hughes
Assistant Coach(forwards): Donald Ebert
Assistant Coach(midfielders): Jeremy Brazael
Assistant Coach(defenders): William Weeler
Assistant Coach(goal keepers): Diana Berry
Formation: 3-3-4
Style: -2

Roster:
Bold denotes starter
(position: name - age - number)
Left Forward: Charles Talley - 19 - 14
Center Forward: John Meeks - 19 - 32
Right Forward: Howard Roberts - 20 - 9
Forward: Lawrence Candelrio - 20 - 15
Forward: Robert Weller - 18 - 16
*Forward: Florine Sorrano - 20 - 17
*Left Midfielder: Carol Cherry - 20 - 29
Center Midfielder (C): John Thomas - 20 - 27
Right Midfielder: Thomas Rooney - 20 - 39
Midfielder: James Peirce - 20 - 41
Midfielder: Willie Maynard - 19 - 18
*Midfielder: Leanna Sims - 20 - 19
*Left Defender: Leana Ottoro - 19 - 20
Left Center Defender: Chriss Stamps - 20 -30
Right Center Defender: Curtis Smith - 19 - 3
*Right Defender: Erica West - 19 - 21
Defender: Michael Lane - 19 - 22
*Defender: Charlotte Ridinger - 20 - 23
*Defender: Flossie Burg - 17 - 24
*Defender: Theodora Hall - 19 - 25
Goal Keeper: Daniel Spooner - 19 - 10
Goal Keeper: Robert Anderson - 20 - 26
Goal Keeper: Lawrence Douglas - 19 - 28
*female

by **Starblaydia** » Wed May 28, 2014 10:01 pm

Group Draw

Is now in the OP. Matches begin Saturday, then every 48 hours!

Finally.

by **HopNation** » Thu May 29, 2014 1:30 pm

Greetings from the multiverse and welcome to my first adventure in sports writing. I’m excited to get started and hopefully you all will enjoy what transpires along the way. For my first series I’ll be covering HopNations U21 team as they head into the Di Bradini Cup. Lets do this!

Our Little Hoppers are now ready to get things started in Starblaydia and see how they fair this time around in the Di Bradini Cup. Last cycle our young squad made it out of group play with three wins and a draw to our names. We even made it to the quarter finals by edging out Equestrian States 2-1, but we then fell to eventual champion Farfadillis. That game went to extra time as both teams were deadlocked at 3s, Farfadillis scored in overtime to advance as they sent us packing. It was great experience for many of our players, some of them senior team members getting their legs ready for other matches while some were looking to secure spots with other clubs or even peak the interest of the senior team coach. Overall we played well but came up a few rounds short of our ultimate goal.

So what can we expect this time around you might be asking? Well for one thing we’ve already seen a completely different set up; after all there were something like 57 nations competing this time ‘round. Which lead us, 30 of the teams, to endure some qualifying matches in order to even set the field. Luckily we were granted a pass and didn’t need any of those qualifying games. We’ll see if that will benefit us or not soon enough. Looking around we see some familiar nations in our group and with the exception of perhaps Starblaydia we’ve faced off with each nation with one of our sports teams along the way. It also looks like no one from our group had to partake in the qualifying games, which should see all of us having plenty of stamina for the upcoming games. That is if we have all prepared well enough before now. The format after the qualification matches appears to be the same or similar to last time, where the top two teams will be making it into the playoffs. I’m sure the Little Hoppers are expecting one of those spots, but expectations should be kept in check because, even though we’ve seen competition from the other nations in Group A before, it’s never been at this level. With that I’m not sure I have two Nations I feel would make it out of this group, but for the sake of your reading pleasure I’ll give it my best. Chiata and Ko-oren, there you go those two will advance leaving the others to contemplate their efforts and failures until next time. Nonetheless, this will be a tight group with many close games with no one going home before winning at least one game along the way. I could see one of them going undefeated during group play, but if they do it will be extremely tough.

Well enough rambling for me today. Good luck to all teams in the Di Bradini Cup, to Group A, and especially to our Little Hoppers!

Your newly found blogger!
Sullivan Van Silver
Group A
Plc  | Flag | Nation      | Team Nickname(s)                   | (W-D-L)
-    |   | Starblaydia |                                    | (0-0-0)
-    |   | HopNation   | Little Hoppers                     | (0-0-0)
-    |   | Ko-oren     | Litegreens, Liteblues, Butterflies | (0-0-0)
-    |   | Cassadaigua | Fillies                            | (0-0-0)
-    |   | Chiata      | Thunderstorm                       | (0-0-0)
Schedule
Day | Opponent	  | Venue				 | Home/Away
MD1 | Ko-oren	  | Ectar Traxx Stadium, Foxchester	 | Home
MD2 | Bye
MD3 | Starblaydia | Ectar Traxx Stadium, Foxchester	 | Away
MD4 | Chiata	  | Montepool Bayside Stadium, Montepool | Home
MD5 | Cassadaigua | Montepool Bayside Stadium, Montepool | Away 
Win|draw|Loss
Comment:



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by **San Jose Guayabal** » Thu May 29, 2014 3:51 pm

San José Guayabal (SJG) National Team

And here's the San José Guayabal national team, ready to rock in this tournament and do an awesome performance, and let's go "Little Hurricanes"

Kits:

Kits provided by Kirola Sportswear (Audioslavia), the best.

About SJG National Team

After a shamefully participation in the last Di Bradini Cup played here in Starblaydia too, this generation of players rised in a good way and got a place to the Round of Sixteen for the first time in their history, then a good number of this players moved to abroad nations and started a better career, then they tasted success in the WC Qualifiers, finishing second in a tough group, led by Árbol Saucedo and Sebastián Núñez the team achieved victory in the two playoffs and won the right to play in the WC Finals and they finished third in their group after a tie of 3-3 against the eventual runner up, the Free Republics, now the players have more experience and they hope to go far in this tournament, youth spirit and experience are a good mix into this squad who seems to be a bit more smarter than the first time.

Nickname: "Selecta SJG", "La Marea Azul" (Blue Wave) "Little Hurricanes" "Azulita" (Little Blue-ones)

All-time record: 7-3-6 (After DBC 30)

Roster

Tactical system: 3-1-2-4 (AKA: La Marea Azul "The Blue Wave" Balance in the midfield, with 
trends to be offensive)


Bold means caps with Senior National Team
                                       Starting XI

GK: Javier Quintanilla   (18 years)    Balompie Mogya (The Royal Barangay)
DF: James Moreira        (19 years)    Nhorton vo Mirrun (Paradystopia)               
DF: Daniel Côçô          (20 years)    SK Nasjonale Hauker (Polar Islandstates)
DF: Meyson Salume        (18 years)    Truro (Greater Maritime Union)
MF: Marcial Pâlazýüs     (21 years)    Alianza El Roblar
MF: Sebastián Núñez      (20 years)    SK Nasjonale Hauker (Polar Islandstates)
MF: Oscar Pantoja        (18 years)    Nacional (Valladares) 
FW: Pekka Kalehmainen    (20 years)    AC Sibirskaya Gavan
FW: Leónidas Brêgoô      (20 years)    Athletic Club Rumiatzi (Astograth)
FW: Nicolás Jarvís       (18 years)    Avenida Decepción (Farfadillis)
FW: Árbol Saucedo        (21 years)    Avenida Leal (Farfadillis)    

BENCH 
GK: Ruslan Molodetsov    (21 years)    Sunrice United (NSI)
GK: Abraham Terrazas     (17 years)    Alianza El Roblar
MF: Martín Mô            (21 years)    Crystal Mertagne (The Inevitable Syndicate)  
DF: Édgar Dârgâneý       (20 years)    Club Deportivo El Nacional
DF: Alan Álej            (20 years)    Licentian Isles FC         
DF: Antonio Rosado       (20 years)    Magnaeus City (The Inevitable Syndicate)
MF: Oliver Ábrego        (19 years)    1830 Cathair (Audioslavia).
MF: Marcos Haedo         (18 years)    CD Barrio El Niño
FW: Marcos Ródâs         (19 years)    Rogglebo TU (Earent)
MF: Lorenzo Quiñónez     (21 years)    Tropicorp FC (Vilita)

Coach Staff

Head coach: Alfonso Maradiaga
Assistant coach: Carlos Saavedra
Goalkepping coach: Leonel Valladares
Coach: Vladimir Kuznetsov
Trainer: Nelson Longaniza
Doctor: Carlos Arrazabal
Nutritionist: Ruslan Shirokov
Orthopedist: Juancho Pérez
Logistics Manager: Marta Ruiseñor
Doctor Assistant: Miguel Ruiz

Game style: The game who SJG does, is essentially technical, based on the agility of movement of players, using his intelligence for the game for single passes very accurate soil to accumulate players when attacking or using the surprise factor which is use the speed of the players to perform counterattacks that can hurt any team.

In the defense area, they tend to use more physical to play aggressively without damaging the rivals, except that the defenses are of medium height stands that are agile in the aerial game, so it is very difficult to beat thereby, expect always a fair game from this team.

Players like try long-distance shots to beat the goalkeeper, but SJG can have more surprises because it is a team that does not give up that easy.

Specialities: Free kick.

I Give To My Opponent Permission To:
=================================
Choose My Goalscorers:        Y 
Godmod Goalscoring Events:    N
Injure Players:               Y (Please TG or contact me in IRC. Length and severity will be determined by me). 
Godmod Injury Events:         Y (Be creative but realistic, just write things that can happen normally).
Red Card Players:             Y (Just one player).
Yellow Card Players:          Y (Maximum six players).
Godmod Other Events:          Y (Please TG or contact me in IRC about that, but please be creative and jocular).

Any idea? plase shoot me a TG or contact me on IRC.
=================================

Let's go SJG!

by **Taeshan** » Thu May 29, 2014 9:21 pm

http://chirb.it/5FsAJ3

by **New Sideburn** » Thu May 29, 2014 11:58 pm

THE STORY OF PROJECT +90 NEW SIDEBURN - Part One

Kurt Pallister is a weathered, humble man of 39. He still nurses a significant limp, a memento of the agricultural challenge that snapped his leg, ending his career at 30. "Ah, I'm not too bitter about it," the sturdy Crisisblessman says magnanimously. "I'd had a good innings."
Pallister could be said to have had more than 'a good innings' - he was a stalwart at leftback during the pre-UICA years, and his injury came just before them. But his viewpoint is consistent with the rest of his philosophies. After all, it hadn't been a young player whose career had ended early.
"So we gave the injury two months, the season ended and yeah, wasn't getting better. So I got down to business, got my coaching badges, and figured I'd do my part for the country's youth. And not to put too fine a point on it?" Pallister spat into the ground. "The attitudes I found were prehistoric."
Pallister was appointed Brinemouth's Under-18 manager, after having played there for his last eight years, and was promoted to U-21 manager the next year. But it was a frustrating time for him, he says. "I was constantly telling the managers to give my lads a shot. But no - in New Sideburn a player is worthless in the top flight until 23. Teenagers who needed to be blooded in the top flight were loaned out, and constantly my youth team was saddled with older players who were out of form, not fully fit, or just couldn't cut it in the senior team. It cheapened the U-21 league as a competition. But I'll accept that aspect of it's a necessary evil. The alternative is to have B clubs playing in the pyramid, which is a disgraceful policy - you're one club, you get one share of the pyramid, that's the way it goes."
Frustrated, Pallister said it almost came as a relief to be laid off. "When Larissa Garrotte came in, she wanted her own staff, and more power to her, she's done a fantastic job. Anyway - it cleared the way for my job here."
When the NSFA gave clearance to Project +90 to set up in Treason - a surprise decision to most - the unemployed Pallister was elated. "I thought it was an enormous step forward. For one, it took rare humility - we don't like foreigners telling us how to play the game," he chuckles. "And second, well, it was just an enormous success. But what they didn't have at the time was a manager, and they got very few takers. I was stunned when they took me."
Pallister admits it's been rough at times. "The higher-ups wanted a possession-based, patient approach, and that's what the initial squad was trained in. I knew from the start that wouldn't stick. Try that in the Conference and you'd get clattered out of the bloody league. But I got the lads playing attractive, attacking football, and given we were promoted in our first seasons, and won the P+90 Cup? I'd say it worked out."

by **Gloriax** » Fri May 30, 2014 10:55 am

Di Bradini Cup 31
Group G Preview

And, welcome to the 31st Di Bradini Cup!
Let's see a group preview of Group G, shall we?

Vettrera
World ranking at no. 113, Vettrera have always been a strong side, in the U21 World Cups, and in the snior version too. With an attack-heavy side, Vettrera is expected to attack heavily with their 4-3-3 fromation and their 3 spearheads are not that less known in the world that Gloriaxian newbie newspapers won't know about them. Stars like Bankhead and Yankton adorn their team, and there is no room for error for the Gloriaxians.
Expected rank: 5th

Super-Llamaland
29th in the world nowadays, Super-Llamaland has been a dominating nation for a fairly long time. The Llamanean Royals, with a tentative 4-5-1 strategy will be a bit threatening for the Gloraxians, firstly due to their much lower rank, and secondly, to thei 4-3-1-2 formation, which relies heavily on wingers and counterattacks, which can be blocked by the heavy midfield the Llamaneans have put forward. It will surely be an interesting contest.
Expacted rank: 3rd

Mizuyuki
And, the world no. 37s... What to say about them, from their dashing kits to their great formation. Everything is fascinating for a football fan. 4-2-3-1 and still slightly defensive, all up-and-coming managers of the multiverse will be keen to watch this epic football combination. Eith their star striker Uryū Kaori and other star performers, this Mizuyuki U-21 side is bound to leave everyone stunned.
Expected rank: 2nd

Polar Islandstates
Take a bow, ladies and gentlemen, take a bow. Please welcome, the no. 1 side in the multiverse... Polar Islandstates. The Chicks have really upped the tension in Group G until it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. Whoo! With their innovative 3-3-2-2 formation and the tad bit aggressive style of play, the Polar Islandstates will be the star team in this group. Rest assured, that side is going to win some, kill some, stun some, and go into the knockouts as if skating on butter. No worries!
Expected rank: 1st

Gloriax
Yay! The team which the locals at Titania (the Gloriaxian capital) had been waiting for. After a good show at the WC68, the whole of the senior squad is sent to the DBC! Yes! The senior squad. They already have experience under their belt, but how much can the make it count against sides like Polar Islandstates? Let's wait and watch.
Expected rank: 4th

by **Northern Sunrise Islands** » Fri May 30, 2014 5:34 pm

"We're not scared." said Ruby. "We never were scared before the groups were even sorted and we still aren't."

It was a bit rough for the Edenian to say We. Spending some months as another proud to murder kid at South Edenia, she was no longer a Emperor Amyxiriny follower. She now represented not only the old South Edenia, the towns of Hellbernian, Whirlpool, Fangleader, Deafermline... all of those were now just a blink on the Sunrisian "Empire". The one that expanded through two regions, the one who made its' center Esportiva and its' lesser core at the Emirates of Futurnia. But of course, you can take a South Edenian away from her land, but you can't take South Edenian attitude from someone raised there.

"When I look at the other four teams of this group, I see plain fear. Four teams that are certain that they'll be just a footnote on my own impressive skills." continued Ruby, rather heavily on her beliefs. Nagai, being the rather fair pacifist stopped her from progressing even further. "We'll try to do our best against the opposition. They're rough, but we're a storied side when it comes to Youth Leagues. So we'll try to confirm our favoritism against Zenic tomorrow."

"And what do you plan to do regarding the rumors that the Guayabalians are looking to make an statement against you the following matchday?" Hannah unfolded her cat ears and looked at the reporter rather calm. "Do you believe on everything you hear on the news?" She would continue until Ruby stopped her, picking up the microphone. "They wouldn't dare to do a damn! They know who we are and they know who they are, we're on top, they're not." She then received a soft kick on the knee from someone she couldn't see until NSIFC officials took her to her room on regards of "order misconduct".

"So, what the hell was that?"

"What the hell was what?" asked Ruby, laying on her bed.

"You know what I'm talking about." June said, with a worried look at her friend. "I know you're like that most of the time, but I doubt the folks at Ragaman let you do that all the time." Ruby risen from her bed, angry. "What the hell did you expect me to do? Have you ever heard how these idiots act? Have you never seen Radio Esportiva?" June shrugged, smiling. "Enough to know they should give Hodori more air time." Ruby facepalmed, sighing and then resuming her explanation. "They're idiots. Fair and simple. And me, as a South Edenian, shouldn't have to tolerate that kind of crap."

"You know... we should really get that videogame up and talk a bit about your problems. What do you say about World Cup 68?" asked June. Not too long later, the two were playing that good ol' game on June's Titan console.

LOADING - LOADING - LOADING - LOADING - LOADING -
TEAM ONE
Free Republics - Felix - Apox - Yttribia

TEAM TWO
Valanora - Audioslavia - Northern Sunrise - Nexxus Drako

STAGE - Esvorpita

"Free Republics against Valanora as an opener?" asked Ruby, looking at her friend. "Why would you even pick Nexxus and Northern Sunrise?" June only smiled, looking at the game as it finally loaded.

Free Republics: All right, dip shits. Here's the deal. Don't mess up and I'll win it for us, got it?
Felix: ...
Apox: ...
Yttribia: ...Why are we even paired off with you.

"You really haven't played this game on a while, huh?" asked Ruby, laughing. "Shut your mouth." said June, looking at her.

Valanora: ...now, let's review it. I'm here for the trophy, you're here for the money.
Audioslavia: Oh, totally. *rolls eyes*
Nexxus Drako: Do you think we'll have to fight? I don't want to hurt anyone.
Northern Sunrise Islands: Maybe. This is a fighting tournament after all.
Nexxus Drako: ...Eh? Wait!

The fight started and, surprisingly, Ruby, the player One was having an easier time, already forcing June to change both champions out, staying on the fight with the easier to dodge with Nexxus Drako. "So, would you mind saying it truly now?" asked June. "Well, it's just... I still feel like an Edenian. I've been raised to be a warrior 'til all that was stopped. Now, I feel like I should go for the kill on someone and... well, that's impossible bar on the field and without killing." June shrugged, continuing to fight on the videogame. "Oh, Ruby... try to calm down. We already have grown out of it and you shouldn't act like that. We're Sunrisians now, the pinnacle of Fair Play." Ruby smiled, calming herself. "Yeah, sure."

Northern Sunrise Islands: VICTORY ROAD COMBO!
Northern Sunrise Islands suddenly unleashed an unblockable combo with dozens of wrestling finisher moves, ranging from the Twist of Fate to the Go To Sleep to the F5 to the Walls of Jericho. Somehow, the whole combo finished with The Worm, blasting Free Republics far away.

Narrator: And your winners... TEAM TWO!

A screen showed some rather happy pictures of the other three members of the team, while Northern Sunrise Islands danced alone on the front of it, rather joyful.

Northern Sunrise Islands: Don't they know, the speaker is about to explode?
Don't they know, this building is about to blow?
This building is about to

Blow, oh oh oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh
Oh, oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

"You b-" Ruby almost completed, before being stopped by a sign of "shush" by June. "I never forgot that loss last year. So there you go."

by **Vettrera** » Fri May 30, 2014 7:07 pm

"And who was that boy? And who was that boy?"

"I....I..."

"WHO WAS THAT BOY! WHAT DID YOU SEE?"

"I..."

"Did you or did you not witness Peter Decotis murder Gregory Lang inside the Juliet Casino."

"I...."

"Your honor, please tell him to answer the question."

"Mr. Potter, you must answer the question."

"Yes. Yes. I saw him take a beer bottle and throw it at Gregory's hand. And then he took out a knife and stabbed Greg in the chest seven times".

To argue that Vettrera is the merging of two different worlds would not be much of an overstatement. Western Vettrera has a history for being a collection of liberal provinces where respect and regard for the law is often ignored no matter how hefty the fines are. Progressive beliefs find their central support inside this region, as reverence for history and tradition is often thrown outside the window. And an understaffed police force fails to combat the high amounts of gang-related violence, terror attacks, and riots that are easily sparked inside the urban areas. Eastern Vettrera then bases itself on conservative tradition still deeply rooted in Christian values. And though this allows for a more stable structure, those that do not fit the societal mold are ostracized and mistreated. The people fear change, and fear outsiders. This time, we venture out west to hear the tale of Jason Potter. After sneaking into the Juliet Casino for a fun October Friday Night with friends, the Titan's Peak High School junior gets into a world that he did not bargain for. He learns about the gang that one of his closest friends is involved with, experiences a life-shattering event, and then gets involved with a trial that has the potential to end his life.

Marco: Well how are we going to get in?

Greg: It's fucking Juliet, they'll let a fucking baby into that place. It's not like anyone will care. Damn.

Jason: But we have like no money, what are we going to do inside there?

Greg: Don't worry about it. I have it covered.

Jason: Umm...ok. I guess. But I have soccer practice tonight too so --

Greg: Don't be a fucking killjoy. Just go

Marco: I'll be there

Carter: So will I.

by **Zenic** » Sat May 31, 2014 6:46 am

“Northern Sunrise Islands as our first opponents? Well damn,” Assendorp commented.

“Yes, that’s correct. You’ll be playing them at the Nemyan National Stadium,” replied Sports Minister Zimmel III. Zimmel had flown in from Zenic to view the nation’s first U21 tournament. At the moment, he was in his hotel room with manager Assendorp sharing a drink as they went over the plans for the group stage matches. The team had been dealt a tough group with the likes of Darmen, Northern Sunrise Islands, San Jose Guayabal and Blouman Empire. “Do you realistically think we have a shot at winning enough games in this group to advance?”

Assendorp contemplated the question while chucking his drink and slamming the glass on the table when he finished. “Hell yes, I do! We may have barely advanced from qualifying but we’re here for a reason: because we are a damn good team. I don’t give a damn what anyone else thinks: I chose a team of winners and I expect wins.” Zimmel smiled, tossing a file at Assendorp, who barely managed to catch it. “Well then, you better continue to do your research and strategizing. The game is in the morning.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just pass me the pen and some paper,” Assendorp grumbled as he prepared for the game.

by **Polar Islandstates** » Sat May 31, 2014 7:36 am

"Hej, Grandpa!"

"Hej, Finn, how's it going!"

"Oh, you know, okay I guess." Finn Kirkkegaard smiled a weary smile after day of training hard with the national u-21s.

"Ha," said his grandfather, former manager of the Terns and co-president of the WCC Sol Kirkkegaard, "so old Ole's working you hard then, is he?" Even through the crackly image of the trans-regional video call, he could see the tiredness written all over his grandson's face.

"Just a bit, yeah. Back in the hotel room now after being out there all day."

"Good!" chuckled Sol warmly, "Glad to hear it! He always was a hard trainer, even when I called him up to the Terns. Have you rang your parents?"

"Yeah, yeah. Spoke to them just before I called you. Just to give you all an update, you know."

"Good, good. So, what's on the agenda?"

"Some kind of cultural show tonight from the hosts, then an easy day tomorrow before the match against Vettrera the day after."

"Fair enough, so, what ki-... Finn, what was that?" said Sol, his words catching in his throat as he saw his grandson's roommate walk past the camera.

"What was what?" asked Finn, swinging around to see what his grandfather meant, "oh, Amyr?"

"Yes, Amyr. What on earth was he wearing?!"

"Aha," laughed Finn whilst his roommate Amyr Rosenmeyer could be heard laughing in the background, "well, currently, he's sporting a blonde pigtailed wig, rosy red circles of lipstick on his cheek, dotted freckles in pencil and shiny pink lipgloss, with a pleated school skirt around his waist, whilst he sucks on a large red lollipop and holds a yellow balloon."

"Finn," said Sol slowly, "I don't mind what you get up to in private, you know that, but don't you think this kind of thing is best saved until after the tournament?"

The laughter in the background got louder.

"No, Grandpa, no!" laughed Finn, "It's not like that. It's a training technique!"

"It's a what?"

"A training technique! About toughening us up."

"By dressing you up as schoolgirls?"

"Yeah. You know Mizuyuki?"

"I do."

"Well, they've brought a load of girls on their squad."

"So?"

"Like, actual girls. Eleven, twelve, thirteen years old."

"Thor's Beard..."

"And Ole-"

"Mr van Jendrisen."

"-yeah, right, the Boss was worried that when we play them we'll be too scared of tackling eleven year old girls. So today we've been taking it in turns to, you know, dress up, whilst the rest took turns to flatten us with heavy tackles."

"Ha! Did the press see?"

"Closed session so unlikely. I bet they find out, though."

"Aye, probably. Be prepared for that!" laughed Sol, "So, get flattened yourself?"

"Several times," replied Finn with a smile, "but I'd best be off now. Things to get ready for and all that."

"Ha, yeah. Speak to you later. Ha det!"

"Ha det!"

by **Farfadillis** » Sat May 31, 2014 8:28 am

Manager
Gonzalo Mordáz

Assistant Manager
Ñó Minduruguatzel

Nickname
La Vherderoja
The nickname is a reference to the colour of the kits, though the nickname itself is in Farf.

Style Modifier
5.0
Farfadillis will attack, and whenever they find themselves needing to park the bus, they will attack more.

KITS

So Rossizzo, who will be leaving after the AOCAF Cup (he should've left after the Cup of Harmony, but the FFFF is low when it comes to bureaucracy, so he will have fully resigned after that... we guarantee that!), has decided to no longer manage the Di Bradini Cup team. Instead, who used to be his assistant, Gonzalo Mordáz, will. His assistant, in turn, will be the once-starter for the national team Ñó Minduruguatzel (now that's a blast from the past!).

GOALKEEPERS
#1 - GK - Ascensión Ekvinter - Age 20 - Avenida Victoria
#12 - GK - Ãtrêý Vírîvá - Age 20 - Foraé
#13 - GK - Mib Audellené - Age 19 - Ferdullaele

DEFENDERS
#4 - LB - Salomón Cayfú - Age 20 - La Nueva Avenida
#3 - CB - Aarón Croce - Age 21 - Avenida Victoria
#2 - RB - Rüliçö Tûy - Age 18 - Mâ Âlâmëómë
#5 - LB - Drê Röènôùjýâ - Age 16 - Neuville Scythers (Northern Sunrise Islands)
#18 - CB - Vâzîsrä Ìma - Age 19 - Avenida Victoria
#19 - RB - Eugenio Farro - Age 19 - Avenida Victoria

MIDFIELDERS
#6 - DM - Oslovan Dargabinn - Age 20 - Foraé
#8 - LM - Rübéãn Tôr - Age 17 - Dí Maozöxê
#21 - RM - Mâás Fôx- Age 21 - Directus (Eura) [C]
#10 - OM - Tzukân Fîrá - Age 19 - Foraé
#11 - OM - Itxaso Zuazubiskar - Age 21 - Antiguoko (Astograth)
#15 - DM - Omar Delacrúz - Age 20 - Avenida Victoria
#14 - LM - Hans Kratochvíl - Age 20 - Flying Jellyfish
#16 - RM - Björg Spiro - Age 20 - Avenida Leal
#17 - OM - Nitenseí Perspicatxa - Age 19 - Dor Frío
#22 - OM - Anástomo Monjón - Age 21 - Avenida Principal

STRIKERS
#7 - ST - Carlos Abrigo - Age 20 - Flamagua
#9 - ST - Ruv Warkaiser - Age 19 - Dor Frío
#20 - ST - Ravyk Krausen - Age 19 - Dor Frío
#23 - ST - Tomás Delacarrera - Age 19 - Avenida Azulada

FORMATION

-       Ekvinter        

Tûy      Croce     Cayfú

       Dargabinn        
Fôx                  Tôr
    Fîrá      Itxaso    

Abrigo         Warkaiser

by **Pasarga** » Sat May 31, 2014 5:29 pm

"So it seems that the Young Wanderers were drawn into one of the many "Groups of Death" as seems to be the catch phrase this Di Bradini Cup." Tito Hernandez said, ruffling the pages of the Torgos Tribune, looking at the headline in the Sports section.

"What do you mean, many groups of death, I thought by its definition, they can be only one of those in any given tournament?" His fourteen year old son, Davôs, asked with a quizzical look to his father, still decked out in his Santos Leuga kit after getting home from a pick up match.

"Well, you see, that seems to be the thing, there traditionally is only ever one "Group of Death" but it seems to be on the lips and in the ink of ever media outlet for this tournament. Everyone sees nothing but doom and gloom in their group and fails to really look at anyone elses. Like our Wanderers, in a group with the two principal partners of LigAnaia, Svengarda, and Nouvel Ecosse, that is a really difficult group you know? Audioslavia being who they are, those Syndicate fellows being all sorts of tough, and then our own team, who has won the DBC before and our senior side just came off a run into the World Cup Semis for crying out loud!" It perturbed Tito that no one seemed to be giving any thought to the difficulty of Group H except the participants in the group. Three big sides and two decent ones were in the group and somehow the group was just an afterthought, it seemed completely ludicrous to him.

"Well, I suppose that is only natural, people tend to focus on what is in front of them and what effects them the most instead of a grand picture. We all like to boost ourselves up and make ourselves seem more important than we really are. We learned that in philosophy class last fall, very interesting."

Tito frowned at his sun, advanced for his age and taking high level classes seemed like a blessing, but when his own son seemed more intelligent than him at such a young age, well it made him feel old and stupid. "Perhaps, yet there seems to be quite an abundance of that going around, at least with the media, when it used not to. It is a very sudden shift, one that I hope reverses trend when the World Cup Qualifiers rolls around." A way to things used to be seemed inviting to Tito, but that also meant not progress.

"Perhaps you should not get so caught up on what other people think then, dad."

"Alright, that's it, go both your mother with your homework." But his son was right, too much concern over what the foreign media was doing would not help the Young Wanderers advance, though his opinion didn't matter. The team just needed to focus on the task at hand and play the way the senior team had in the World Cup and they would find their way. Audioslavia was going to be more than tough but they could beat them and all the rest of the squads to, this was after all the time for Pasarga to shine more brightly than it had ever done so before. The senior team and CAP had shown that the previous two years!

by **Equestrian States** » Sat May 31, 2014 10:21 pm

Pristina Shine to join Red Star Severny for $30 million
by Steve McNotapony

SEVERNY, Polar Islandstates - After nearly a month of rumors and speculation, we finally have the answer to where Pristina Shine will be playing next season. Red Star Severny, a Globe Cup-competing club from the highly respectable Polarian Divisjon One, confirmed just a few hours ago that they would be signing one of the Equestrian States' brightest rising stars in Pristina Shine for a whopping $30 million (NSD) from Iturributan giants Iturributa United. The transfer immediately becomes the most expensive ever to involve an Equestrian player and an international club, with the first $25 million to be paid up front followed by an additional $5 million over the course of the next season.

Pristina Shine's transfer saga began shortly after the Futbol Astograthiko Federazioa announced the forceful integration of Iturributan clubs into its pyramid, with titans Iturributa United assigned to compete in the fourth tier of its league pyramid. The integration of the Iturributan clubs came as a part of the recent annexation of that nation by Astograth, an act of blatant aggression which was widely condemned in the Equestrian media and was quickly denounced as illegitimate by the Equestrian government. Although Pristina Shine stated her willingness to remain with her relegated club despite the expected exodus of players from Iturributa's top two teams, she also expressed a strong interest in playing for a club that would be competing for UICA places sooner than three seasons from now. As such, the rumor mill began to spin, with numerous clubs around the multiverse reported by the media to be seeking the signature of the 22 year-old Equestrian striker.

The first rumored bid to actually be confirmed came from Yttribia's AC Zevella for an estimated fee of $30 million, a price that would set the bar for other interested clubs. Although not from a highly-ranked league, AC Zevella kicked off the chase for Pristina Shine in the hopes that signing a top striker with a growing reputation around the multiverse for excellence would attract further international talent to the club and give them the upper hand in their pursuit of a league title and Yttribia's coveted Champions' Cup berth. However, as was to be expected, Pristina Shine's agent was quick to publicly express her client's disinterest in playing for AC Zevella despite a leaked salary offer that would make the young striker one of the best-paid Equestrian professional hoofballers.

Shortly after Pristina Shine was linked to a possible transfer to Yttribia, the V-League's Turoki Tide joined the hunt for the rising Equestrian star. With the Vilitan season halfway finished (thanks to delays caused by the Vilitans' successful World Cup campaign), the Turoki Tide were widely-expected to make a move for a top striker to try and solve their scoring woes. The Turoki bid also seemed to be part of an attempt by the struggling club to replicate the successes of other V-League clubs with Equestrian players, such as Rainbow Blitz and Thunderlane at Makosile United and Apple Cobbler at Jungle Strike FC. With AC Zevella the only other club confirmed to be after Pristina Shine, the Tide easily became the expected front runners in the race to land the Equestrian striker, though a number of other clubs were still believed to be interested in her services.

Next to place a bid for Pristina Shine were Felix's top two clubs: Real Santa Maria and Sporting Volker. However, both bids were largely looked upon with scorn by the Equestrian media as severely-underrating Pristina Shine's value and talent, and the two teams were considered long shots to sign the Equestrian States' rising superstar. Neither promised much in the way of wages or stardom, something the 22 year-old was accustomed to with Iturributa United, further decreasing the likelihood of Pristina Shine going to either Felixian club. Thus, Turoki Tide remained the most likely destination for the striker and some Equestrian fans of the Vilitan club were already buying unofficial custom-made Pristina Shine shirts in anticipation of a deal. That is until two more clubs joined the fight for her signature in the span of a couple hours and restarted the stalling rumor mill.

The first club to really challenge the Turoki Tide in the chase for Pristina Shine would be none other than the Equestrian States' most successful club, Ponyville United, who looked to blast their rivals out of the water with a $35 million bid. Although Pristina Shine had played for the youth squad of Ponyville's historic rivals, the Canterlot Royals, the bid immediately received praise from supporters as it would potentially unite the past of the Equestrian national team with its future. Although not in the top-tier league that Pristina Shine was interested in, with Ponyville United the unicorn striker would be close to home and in a position to go head-to-head with the Cloudsdale Flyers' Osarian superstar Ezio Grassi for the United League's golden boot in front of a crowd that could be expected to support her every time. But before Pristina Shine or her agent could even react, another huge bid came in to challenge the two front-runners.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Polar Islandstates' Red Star Severny joined the hunt for Pristina Shine with a $30 million bid of their own, offering a key role at a competitive club in a top league to the Equestrian striker. Just hours earlier, Pristina Shine had seemed a certain signing for the Turoki Tide, but now was atop the wishlist of another couple of clubs with the money and prestige to capture the signature of the young star. Though ranked lower by the UICA than Pristina Shine's other suitors, Red Star could also boast of being a club on the rise, having exceeded expectations last season by finishing in sixth to claim a coveted Globe Cup berth. At the very least, the club could provide an excellent stepping stone for the rising Equestrian superstar en route back to one of the multiverse's top clubs. And to top it all off, Red Star Severny was being tipped as the likely destination of Polarian-born Iturributa United manager Petter Bielsen, who Pristina Shine was not afraid to credit for her personal accolades at the club level.

That was a just a week ago. Today we received confirmation of the inevitable: Pristina Shine has joined her manager in making the trip from Old City Stadium to Carravale in Severny, Polar Islandstates. In doing so, the 22 year-old becomes the second Equestrian to join a Polarian club this off-season, the other being national team star defender Flitter, who recently signed with the Jan Mayen Islanders from Ponyville United.

Although Ponyville United supporters, and United League fans in general, may be somewhat disappointed to miss out on Pristina Shine, the move makes a lot of sense for the rising young Equestrian striker as well as for her new club. Like the Canterlot Stars here in the Equestrian States, Red Star Severny has long been a "selling" club, seeing its brightest young players shipped off to the bigger clubs with more money and prestige. However, with the sale of Victor Larsen to Euran champions Spartangrad, Red Star finally have the access to the money needed to assemble a strong team that can stay competitive with the best, and Pristina Shine's familiarity with the coaching style of new manager Petter Bielsen makes her an ideal purchase. Come kickoff on opening day, you can bet that a lot of Equestrians will be tuning in to see their rising star in action against one of the best league's in the multiverse.

OOC: Although Pristina Shine no longer plays for the Equestrian States U21s, her status as a long time player for the Little Ponies and recent transfer between two large clubs makes for a good story and I figured this thread was as good as any for an RP on the subject.

by **Starblaydia** » Sun Jun 01, 2014 7:13 am

Matchday One
Scores

Group A
Starblaydia 0-2 Cassadaigua
HopNation 2-1 Ko-oren

Group B
Hutt River 3-1 Felix
Taeshan 1-1 Darvale

Group C
Farfadillis 2-1 The Royal Barangay
Furellum 2-1 Gregoryisgodistan

Group D
Nassau-Hessen 0-3 The Kytler Peninsulae
Eura 2-3 Yttribia

Group E
Ceni 1-1 New Sideburn
Kernansquillec 1-3 Equestrian States

Group F
Zenic 2-2 Northern Sunrise Islands
Darmen 1-2 Blouman Empire

Group G
Vettrera 1-1 Polar Islandstates
Super-Llamaland 2-0 Mizuyuki

Group H
Pasarga 2-1 Nouvel Ecosse
Svengarda 0-1 The Inevitable Syndicate

by **Nassau-Hessen** » Sun Jun 01, 2014 11:07 am

Nassau National Under 20 Football Roster

Why Is It U20 And Not U21? During the first competition, the Eagles did not get the memo that it would be a U21 tournament, so they sent out a roster of U20. The team had much chemistry, and not wanting to break those bonds, the coaches kept it that way. To this day, even though some bonds were broken, the squad remains U20.

Why The Names?: Football is a very sacred sport to the Hessen. The best players come from a very specific part of the county down in the southern plain near Arima. The people that inhabit these lands maintain a very strict tradition. The tradition covers everything from clothing to naming. It's as if this race was bred for football, which is also included in their tradition. These guys are so focused on raising new generations this way, that they are almost completely isolated from the outside world.

***Denotes Rookie

FORWARDS:

Left: Longo Tolk
6'0 / 18 Years Old / 155 Pounds / #82
Longo, after being relegated to bench for the last Di Brandini tournament, has proved the coaches wrong through maintaining physical shape dramatically improving in skill. He needs to cheer up poor Lightfoot by becoming his new Chubbs, which is a hard job to follow up.

Center: Theobald Lightfoot
5'8 / 18 Years Old / 125 Pounds / #19
Despite the awful tournament last time round, Theobald turned out to be a trusty Forward. He made many connections with Chubbs, who has moved to the national squad. Lightfoot is truly distraught from the fact he will have to cope with new teammates, but at least he has proven himself time and again through his flawless passing.

Right: Quirnus Robble
6'1 / 19 Years Old / 154 Pounds / #35
The coaches decided not to give a chance to a rookie this year. This is largely due to the returning and upcoming player Quinius Robble. He definitely has the capability to be in a starting spot, but he will begin with feeding the other Forwards, expect more to come from him.

MIDFIELDERS:

Left: Olo Burrows
6'1 / 18 Years Old / 136 Pounds / #59
Olo has become a Nassauite sensation. He scores and blocks with ease, seemingly always making a commotion at games. He is a jack of all trades and will do almost anything and everything for his nation, as he has fierce loyalty. He can rarely become disoriented, but he makes that sole weakness up by his immense willpower.

Center: Heruld Barch***
5'7 / 16 Years Old / 127 Pounds / #76
An energetic newbie, Haruld's special talent is lobbing and footplay. At a very young age of 16, Mr Barch seems to be a positive influence on the rest of the team. He can and will turnover a ball in our favor any time. He makes up for any weak spot the squad has. This may be his only chance however, so he must make a move.

Right: Dorric Baygood
5'11 / 17 Years Old / 142 Pounds / #92
Dorric is an addition to the diversity of the Midfielders. He is most likely the weakest, but he is defensively strong. He can run to the aid of Roper in a moments notice and block what are seemingly unavoidable own goals. He has some bad days, but makes up for them with days that he helps out the team in huge ways.

DEFENSEMEN:

Left: Bartholomew Riverhook
5'10 / 17 Years Old / 126 Pounds / #72
After getting a massive boost in weight and height, Bartholomew is ready to hit the field as a starter for the first time. He specializes in tactical passes and keeping the ball out of the box at all times. The Eagles staff took a leap of faith in him, so he best not disappoint.

Left Center: Powell Berg
6'0 / 19 Years Old / 124 Pounds / #67
After selecting Powell Berg as a starter, the team staff hoped to learn more about him in what was then the next upcoming tournament. He remained very mysterious, his strength was still not exposed. He played skillfully enough to maintain his spot on the team, but his odd nature may cause the coaches to release him.

Right Center: Merima Rumble
5'8 / 19 Years Old / 119 Pounds / #51
The story of Merima Rumble is an inspirational one. Last tournament, he was expected to just be released from the team, but he surprised the nation by contributing tremendously to the team through blocking an array of would be goals. He will most likely move on to the national squad the incoming year.

Right: Rojo Chesterfield***
5'10 / 16 Years Old / 126 Pounds / #59
This man has a tough position to fill. He has to become the number one confidant of Sandy Roper. The player before him failed his position, and the Eagles had no choice but to put this rookie in. He has a knack for being a good defensemen, but he must be very consistent at his spot or else the whole team may suffer.

GOALTENDER:

Goalie: Sandy Roper
5'6 / 19 Years Old / 122 Pounds / #90
Returning for his third and final year, the Eagles cannot express enough the gratitude they have for Sandy. Despite having tough times, Sandy always avoided them from being much worse. He is godlike in between the pipes, and if it were not for his mediocre team, he may be considered the best goalie in the U21 division. It is heartbreaking that all good things must come to an end.

Reserves:

FORWARDS

Halen Borsch***
5'9 / 17 Years Old / 111 Pounds / #32

Harroc Bayfish***
6'0 / 16 Years Old / 143 Pounds / #33

Barius Fairgood***
5'11 / 18 Years Old

MIDFIELDERS

Elvstan Fairbarn
5'10 / 18 Years Old / 120 Pounds / #41

Geruntius Bunce
5'11 / 19 Years Old / 152 Pounds / # 22

Martin Furrows***
5'8 / 16 Years Old / 129 Pounds / #36

DEFENSEMEN

Holdfast Goodtock
5'9 / 18 Years Old / 117 Pounds / #48

Perron Singlefellow***
5'11 / 17 Years Old / 134 Pounds / #07

Wilber Harrow
6'2 / 18 Years Old / 122 Pounds / #05

Frodo Raincatcher***
5'11 / 19 Years Old / 128 Pounds / #54

Wilbert Oakfield
5'7 / 17 Years Old / 116 Pounds / #27

GOALTENDER

Harold Brookings
5'11 / 18 Years Old / 131 Pounds / #49

RP Rights:

Choose My Goal Scorers: Yes
God Mod Scoring Events: Yes
RP Injuries: Yes, Maximum One Per Game, Will Not Permit Usage If Overdone
RP Injuries: Yes
Hand Out Yellow Cards: Yes, Three Per Game Maximum, Same Rule Applies
Red Cards: Yes, Maximum One Per Game, As The Two Above, The Same Rule Applies
God Mod Other Events: Yes

Style Factor : -1
The teams staff (and basically all teams of Nassau) always have a mindset on being balanced with a slight edge on defense. They see the importance of playing conservative and intelligently, preferring strategize counter attacks over aggressive attacks.

by **Felix** » Sun Jun 01, 2014 3:11 pm

Di Bradini Cup 31/Under 21 World Cup 52: Aureliano Sanna Fired
By: Steven Smith

Well it's official Aureliano Sanna has been fired from his job as the U-21 Felixian National Team head coach after a disastrous 3-1 loss against Hutt River. The new FFA headed by Lorenzo Del Rio, a Nationalist supporter, stated in a press conference regarding the sacking, "If we want to show the world the new Felix our boys and girls would need to play magnificently in this tournament, something Mr. Sanna has failed to do for this talented U-21 side. So it is for that reason I am pleased to announce Antonio Leggièri as the new coach for the U-21 team. Leggièri has been hired as the new Altomare head but that doesn't mean he can coach for at least one U-21 WC. He is currently on route to Starblaydia to meet up with his team and hopefully by then Felix can start to show their true colors."

So there you have Sanna out, Antonio Leggièri, in. Kind of surprising that he got the job but let's not forget Antonio Leggièri's public bid to become the next Felixian National Team head coach back when Cardona was fired and the seat was vacant, now he finally got his dream job. Let's hope he can turn the ship around after a quite frankly horrid start for the future of Felixian football. Antonio gave out his response, "I am honoured that I was picked as the next U-21 coach. I hope I can turn around a lacklustre programme into a winning one. I look forward to the challenges ahead." Classy huh? Anyways that's all we got this week! Until next time everyone and good luck to Mr. Antonio Leggièri.

---

Santa Maria, Felix

Two Hours Before Nationalist Forces Take Over The Presidential Residence

"Ok honey pack up your things." A recently woken up Alexandra Van Der Ven, the president's daughter and defender for Sieberg, yawned and asked, "Why?" Tamara Van Der Ven, the first female president was panicking inside but showed off a cool and calm exterior as she explained what was going on, "There has been a shooting in the Legislative house. I fear it is those Nationalists." Alexandra looked puzzled, "Nationalists? Wait, wait. What is going on?" Tamara paused, "A coup. That's what's going on. A coup. I tried to contact the general of the army but I got no response." Tamara takes a quick look around, "Alright, hurry up and pack your things." Alexandra at this point was fully awake and began to pack up the basics, underwear, socks, clothes, a jacket, anything that was needed. When Alexandra was done she got here favorite football but Tamara shook her head, "No, take what you need to survive. Food, clothing, water. No accessories." the younger Van Der Ven nodded, "Sorry..."

Outside the Presidential Palace stood the 1st Felixian Army marching down the street towards the palace ready to take over the residence, they were being led by none other than the President of the Nationalist Party, Lazzaro Passerini. He was smiling ear to ear, he knew this was the big moment. He killed off the Senators and Representatives and now he is going to the take the biggest piece in the Felixian Political Cake, the Presidency. He encouraged the troops there with some words, "And now we take it all! Power to the Nationalists!" The solders replied with a hurrah. The Presidential Guards near the Palace were starting to get worried, that was an army and they knew they didn't have enough firepower to successfully resist those traitors. The leader of the guards, Jack Winston phoned in the President, "I think we might surrender here there is too many of them!"

Back inside the mother and daughter were having their final talk before Alexandra had to leave for the secret helicopter located at the top of the palace. "Alright, remember, we are sending you to Temuco. From there I want you to head to the Northern Sunrise Islands. We have allies there and they will treat you well." At this point Tamara was holding back the tears, "Ok... I'll miss you. Now go!" Go before it's too late!" Alexandra nodded she wasn't crying but you could tell she was filled with sorrow and regret as she has to leave her mum behind, maybe, she thinks, she'll never ever see her alive again. She shakes her head at the though and hugs her mother for the last time, "Good bye." She runs off towards the secret staircase which leads to the helicopter. The pilot Miiko Jacobsen, was waiting. He nodded when he saw her, "Ready to go?" Alexandra nods, "Yes. Let's go." The helicopter begins to go and the rotor begins to spin the aides look at the helicopter and wave as the helicopter first goes up through a elevator like system and then reaches the outdoors after the doors open. There, the helicopter goes up in the air and flies off. Destination, Temuco.

By the time the helicopter leaves the Nationalist forces arrive at the palace. A crestfallen Tamara Van Der Ven looks at the window and sees Passerini grinning and with a loudspeaker. It turns on, "Mrs. Van Der Ven!" The leader speaks, "I ask for your surrender as the First Army of Felix surrounds the palace. You are out numbered and out gunned. Please. Prevent the risk of more unnecessary bloodshed!" Tamara was boiling mad, she knew that bastard ordered the murders of Senators and Representatives but she had to keep calm she had about 100 lives in her hands right now and she knew one wrong response and they will all be causalities from Passerini's blind power grab. She opened the window and responded, "Yes, we surrender. Men. Put down the guns and give it to the army men." Passerini was sort of surprised but he accepted it, "Thank you for your cooperation." He smiled. Tamara knew what would happen next, she would be jailed and sent to a prisoner camp. At best.

To Be Continued

by **Mizuyuki** » Sun Jun 01, 2014 4:42 pm

The sweltering, intense heat of summer was relentless.

A haze of heat shimmered above the rugged valleys and rolling hills; a piece of bluest sky reflected on the surface of the boiling tarmac.

In the quiet, rustic village of Akabe, the usual serene atmosphere was rudely disrupted by the presence of a discoloured Miracle A5 camper van. Etched with streaks of brown rust, looking for all the world like a glorified rust bucket - and not at all road-worthy - it trundled down the narrow road at a snail's pace, swerving unsteadily from side to side and discontentedly belching thick, evil-looking exhaust fumes from its rear end like a coal furnace.

The little camper van travelled a fair distance along the bumpy village road, managing to startle several placid cows and scare a brood of hens shitless before juddering to an abrupt halt on a patch of yellowing grass, accompanied by the agonising squeal of brakes as the driver stomped on the brake pedal.

Inside the stuffy van, Kaede nonchalantly repositioned her favourite Little Busters baseball cap on her head and squinted intently through the cracked, grimy windscreen, trying to make out the lettering on the faded signboard ten metres in front of the van.

"Erm ... it says Serihama is this way. I think."

Leaning forward in her seat, she reached for the map of Achiga stashed inside the glove compartment and smoothed it out on her lap, marking their current location with a pencil stub. Five hours and a half of driving behind them; just over two more to go before they hit the white sands and azure waters of Serihama.

If only this had been a pleasure trip. They'd have spent hours frolicking on the beach, tasting the sharp tang of sea salt in the air; playing smash-the-watermelon with a great big stick and a great big watermelon; building enormous sandcastles complete with breathtaking moats, drawbridges and towers; or just while away the hours, lazing beneath the cool shade of a parasol.

But no; they had business to attend to. Business always came first; pleasure would have to wait. Kaede smiled wryly. It was a secondary priority, as it were. You didn't skip official business to indulge in sunbathing on the beach, that was for sure; not when your business was with one of the many arms of government of your country.

A week ago, when uni had let out for summer, a crumpled envelope had been shoved through the Shirazaka mailbox. The memory remained vividly fresh in Kaede's mind; she had sleepwalked down the driveway to retrieve the family's post along with the morning paper, and released the catch on the mailbox to see the embossed golden phoenix - the insignia of the Imperial Ministry - gleaming dully in the darkness.

Kaede had sorted out the other junk mail before dealing with the gleaming phoenix. Circulars for the new TCp-X1 ball? Binned, right in the green municipal rubbish bin conveniently located on the pavement. An advertisement for cosplay costumes with a male model – spiky green hair and all – modelling a frilly maid uniform? Drop-kicked into the same bin with vigour. A random cultist flyer advising the Shirazakas to 'follow the Enlightened Path of Corvax and Corvidae'? Sent careening into the garbage truck as it rumbled to a halt to pick up next door's refuse.

Finally, after all the various pieces of mail were either disposed of or sorted into piles by recipient, Kaede extracted the cream-coloured envelope from the depths of the mailbox and carefully scrutinised it, transfixed by the intricacy of the golden phoenix insignia. At first she'd thought the letter was intended for one of her parents; her dad worked in a company manufacturing sporting equipment, and her mom was a tactical coach in the employ of Mikan Starbright, Kaede's local football team. Perhaps the Minister was looking to make a discreet purchase of sporting equipment for a national team holed up in the shiny new sporting complex on the outskirts of Sakurada, or perhaps one of their more astute HR managers was trying to headhunt her mom for a desk job in Kirayuki.

But when she flipped the envelope over and glanced at the name of the addressee, Kaede almost did a double take.

The letter was addressed to her. Not dad Sorata, not mom Miya, not even her ten-year-old baby sister Haruka, but Kaede.

She rubbed her eyes vigorously, blinked several times, and opened them. The addressee still read 'Shirazaka Kaede'. She raised her hands to her cheeks and pulled at them, so much so that her face was stretched wildly out of proportion like some fiendish ghoul from a Samejima horror fic. She gently pinched herself, just to make sure that she wasn't dreaming. But she felt her cheek hurt, and had realised, in an instant, that the letter she grasped in her palm was the real McCoy.

You could almost hear the gears whirring in her head as thoughts raced through her mind at blinding speed.

Now, letters from an Imperial Ministry were serious shit. The government didn't make a habit of wasting taxpayer aurorae by sending inane letters around to every single goram citizen in the land. And from the Imperial Ministry of Sports to boot - Kaede had submitted an application for a public uni scholarship a couple of weeks ago. The convoluted, bureaucratic division of labour within the Mizuyukian government meant that notifications to successful scholarship applicants were routed through the relevant Ministries, who would then append their set terms and conditions, tailored for every unique application. She'd been after a Sports Science scholarship, which meant that this letter, from the Sports people, could be -

Suppressing an irrational urge to scream in exhilaration, Kaede kept her bubbling excitement on a leash, grabbed the letter and made for the house, the assorted mail and tradesman's bills sitting abandoned on the pavement.

Five minutes later, the usually placid Kaede was to be found inside her room, flinging stationery out of the way, scrabbling about in drawers, dashing around like a madman in her frantic search for a letter opener. She didn't want to risk damaging the letter by ripping it open with her bare hands; not when it contained a potential lifeline that would save her from having to fall back on working ungodly part-time hours just to keep afloat.

"I really should make a habit of picking up after myself," Kaede muttered impatiently as she rapidly sifted through piles of her personal belongings, looking for any implement that could possibly help her open the envelope without damaging its contents. She couldn't wait to read that letter; find out whether she had been awarded that danged scholarship or not after days of feverish anticipation. Even the sobering thought that the letter's opening paragraph might begin with the standard rejection spiel - 'it is with great regret that ...' - did not deter her from wanting to get the damn thing open, and soon.

Beside Kaede, her childhood friend Fuu stretched and yawned, pawing at the air with soft strokes. It struck Kaede that Fuu looked just like her cat taking its afternoon nap. Instinctively, she stretched out a hand and gently patted Fuu on the head; her touch was rewarded with a pleasantly sleepy purr.

"You lazy cat." She gently poked Fuu's cheek, a faint, indulgent smile playing on her lips. A vague mumble passed Fuu's lips before she abruptly turned in her sleep, facing the other side of the van.

Not that Kaede begrudged Fuu her rest. She'd been driving for three consecutive hours, and had changed with Kaede for the last leg of the journey when they stopped to refuel near Karijuku. That had been two hours ago. Fuu tired easily – Kaede knew that much from their years spent together. Oh, she could be energetic and pushy - but when her energy levels tanked, she was prone to grinding to a halt like a clockwork toy. Nothing would be able to restore her save a good long nap, or a generous helping of sweet confections.

"I could really use a navigator right now, though." Kaede silently cursed herself for not taking her dad's GPS along with her on the trip. Desperately scanning a crumpled map of Achiga for landmarks wasn't exactly her idea of fun. They'd made good time on the highway, but once they trundled off the beaten path in search of their destination, Kaede had been, in her own words, 'as good as being smack dab in the middle of Sarian Occupied Jeckland'.

She clenched her teeth and wiped the sweat trickling down her neck.

"I suppose that's what you get for vans at a 'special knockdown price', huh?"

She'd had enough of driving for a while now. Peering at rust-encrusted signboards and braking sharply to avoid the odd yamapikaryaa darting across the road really took a lot out of her. Not to mention the frankly terrible condition of the roads in this part of the country. Dratted Transport and Infrastructure officials sleeping on the job again, no doubt.

"Potholes, potholes everywhere. It's a miracle the suspension hasn't fallen to pieces yet."

Clambering into the back of the van, Kaede delved into the mass of luggage and assorted stuff that Fuu had insisted on bringing along with them. Digging amongst the debris of their boxed lunches, she retrieved a six-pack of isotonic sports drinks from Fuu's icebox and tussled with the plastic wrapping, before finally managing to extract three chilled cans - one for herself, one for Fuu, and one for her baby sister Haruka, who, Kaede suspected, had somehow managed to perfect the dark art of napping on the go during her morning commutes to school. How Haruka could sleep for five hours straight while being jostled and bumped in the back of the Miracle A5 along with all the luggage was beyond her.

"Here, have a drink. You must be thirsty, yeah?" With a casual backhand, Kaede tossed the can of Isoplus to her childhood friend, who – still only half-awake from her nap – managed to fumble the can and drop it on the gearbox.

"Aww, look what you made me do, Kaede ... " Fuu pouted as she bent over and retrieved the can. Raising it to eye level, she peered at the blue can, checking it for scratches.

Kaede's response was to offer a wry smile. "I wouldn't open that can now if I were you, Fuu ... "

Kaede's frenetic search finally yielded one of her dad's razor blades; she vaguely remembered borrowing one from his workshop when she'd broken her last pair of scissors.

With bated breath, she held the blade up to the envelope and braced herself.

"Guess this is when I find out whether I'll be going back to work at that seedy ramen place again ... "

In one deft motion, Kaede slid the sharp blade under the flap of the envelope and slit it open, drawing out the piece of paper contained within.

Imperial Ministry of Sports
Recipient
Shirazaka Kaede
Subject
Scholarship Application

Salutations from the Imperial Ministry of Sports.

We have received your scholarship application dated 16 May 2014, and have taken the aforementioned application under active consideration.

A thorough review of your curriculum vitae and relevant personal information supplied together with said application was executed by an impartial panel of five, and we regret to inform you ...

Kaede's heart sunk as she came across that dreaded phrase, 'regret to inform you', that harbinger of ill news. However, a certain morbid curiosity compelled her to continue reading, to find out the reason for the rejection of her application.

... that we are, at this moment in time, unable to offer you a standard government scholarship for your projected four-year course in Sports Science (BA) at the University of Ishiihara in accordance with the scholarship guidelines for Mizuyukian citizens as stipulated by the Imperial Ministry of Education.

However, we are delighted to offer you an alternative avenue in lieu of a bond with the government for a minimum period of two years effective immediately, contingent upon your acceptance of the following offer -
Shirazaka Kaede accepts the position of Mizuyuki U21 manager on a 2 (two) year contract.
Base monthly salary of MZ¥ 150,000, with a maximum salary ceiling of MZ¥ 450,000 for the duration of the contract.
A fixed yearly bonus of MZ¥ 600,000, equivalent to four months' base salary, for the duration of the contract.
Assorted performance incentives and salary increments shall be awarded on a yearly basis contingent on performance.
Assumption of responsibilities alongside a second candidate selected by the Imperial Ministry.
Should you elect to accept this offer, you will enjoy a full waiver of your tuition fees at the University of Ishiihara for the duration of your contract, as well as an additional monthly allowance for miscellaneous expenses incurred in the course of your work. In addition, your employment with the Imperial Ministry will also grant you academic credit amounting to 2 (two) semesters' worth of credit.

As you will have no doubt noticed, your position as joint manager of the Mizuyuki U21 team is to be shared with a second candidate of the Imperial Ministry's choosing. That candidate is Kiriyama Fuu, whom the Imperial Ministry understands is a close personal friend. Your brief will be to boost the flagging international performance of the Mizuyuki U21 team and reach the knockout stages of the upcoming Di Bradini Cup.

Please communicate your plans and/or intentions to the Imperial Ministry at personnelmanagement@ims.com.mzy at your earliest convenience. Thank you.
This is a computer-generated message. No signature is required.

Kaede could only gasp soundlessly like a fish out of water as her eyes flew across the letter, scanning it from top to bottom to make sure this was not some sort of horribly twisted prank, not a perfect forgery that could fool the eyes of even the most experienced civil servant. Well, not that she could differentiate a forgery from the real thing, anyway. But she still felt an urgent need to check, to confirm that she was indeed the recipient of such insanely good luck.

And the one person who could corroborate that letter was Fuu herself.

Whipping around, she fished her phone out of the mound of her belongings and texted Kiriyama Fuu, her childhood friend, fellow student at the University of Ishiihara and - perhaps, just perhaps - her managerial colleague for the next two years to come.

Can of Isoplus in hand, Kaede left her baby sister's can next to her straw mat, where she was - even now, sleeping soundly, a contented half-smile on her face. Clambering into the front seat and buckling in, Kaede shifted into gear and grimaced at the horrendous sound of mashing gears coming from the engine. Bloody unreliable piece of shit. She gripped the steering wheel tightly and maneuvered the van back onto the dusty road.

Two hours before they arrived. Two hours before Kiriyama Fuu and Shirazaka Kaede would officially take up the position of Mizuyuki U21 managers.

Kaede couldn't wait.

by **Super-Llamaland** » Sun Jun 01, 2014 7:41 pm

Vettrera 1-1 Polar Islandstates
Super-Llamaland 2-0 Mizuyuki

Royals Start Strong with Win Against Mizuyuki
The Purple King Courier

It was a beautiful day to be a Royals fan as the Llamaneans started strong, beating Mizuyuki easily by a margin of two to nothing. The Celestial Empire seemed to be represented entirely by those between 11 and 14 years and entirely female. Many of the coaches, in fact, are under twenty-one, calling into question whether the team uses the same squad for the U-15 World Cup, although it's entirely possible that they could use a different team or even younger players.

Mizuyuki stole the ball quickly after a Royals kickoff and began a difficult drive, with early shots by Kihara Sumire and Shirane Luna barely missing their mark. With their exciting passing play, the 4-2-3-1, spread-out opponents clashed with the bulky midfield of the Royals' 4-5-1. However, after Mizuyuki surged by the midfield and ripped apart the defense early on, the tides turned after Jared Finch made a beautiful deflection off a deft Luna attack.

The midfield expanded quickly, with especially good passing and possession from Player, Westbrook, and Guzmán; and the Royals quickly got their first real opportunity, a kick by McKenzie that clanged its way off the crossbar. Westbrook nearly got a header the line on a deftly played rebound, but Chiyo quickly grabbed it before anything else could happen and the Royal momentum dissipated. Things were tumultous with a few transition runs for the next twenty minutes, but at the forty-second minute, Anthony Player made a run up the left wing, faked his way past Yuiko, and chopped a pass to Tim Cartwright, who got off a kick which spiraled over the goalie's head, off the crossbar, off the ready knee of Michael McKenzie, and back into the right side of the goal.

McKenzie 43' (1-0 Royals)

After a nonexistent stoppage time, McKenzie somehow injured himself eating a grape. That's correct, he in fact choked the entire halftime break away on a single grape seed and was eventually taken away to nearby medical facilities, where he currently rests in the Intensive Care Unit. This meant that Aidan Ferguson would take McKenzie's place in the second half.

And take his place he did. Ferguson played dynamically and was the perfect fitting piece between the attacking left of Player and the playmaking right of Valdevic at his attacking right back spot around midfield. It didn't take long for him to take a pass from Player and power it into the goal.

Ferguson 52' (2-0 Royals) [Player assist]

And after that, there wasn't much left to do. A few subs were made to clamp down on defense, Mizuyuki made a few more runs, and everybody went home happy. Besides Mizuyuki. Or Michael McKenzie, who is still day-to-day with grape choking.

Number	Playing Pos.	Squad Pos.	Name	Age	Gender	Height (cm)	Weight (kg)	Preferred Foot
1	GK	Starting XI	Kashiwagi Chiyo	13	Female	169	45.31	Left
14	LB	Starting XI	Iseya Gin	12	Female	145	42.63	Right
21	LCB	Starting XI	Ryūsaki Risa	13	Female	165	47.44	Right
16	RCB	Starting XI	Tachibana Mashiro	13	Female	172	50.11	Right
25	RB	Starting XI	Kasugano Yuiko	14	Female	151	41.40	Left
8	LDM	Starting XI	Yamamoto Shiori	13	Female	170	42.63	Right
18	RDM	Starting XI	Miyashiro Tsubaki (C)	14	Female	162	40.10	Right
92	LW	Starting XI	Uryū Kaori	13	Female	154	38.63	Right
10	CAM	Starting XI	Kihara Sumire	13	Female	153	39.53	Right
7	RW	Starting XI	Steiner Kirara	13	Female	149	40.23	Right
9	FW	Starting XI	Shirane Luna	13	Female	156	42.94	Left
80	GK	Substitute	Hagiwara Maiya	14	Female	175	49.21	Right
12	LB	Substitute	Mitsuzawa Yukino	12	Female	142	37.43	Left
20	RB	Substitute	Kurusu Aya	13	Female	150	37.94	Right
22	CDM	Substitute	Kamazuki Komari	13	Female	165	41.70	Right
4	CDM	Substitute	Nakamura Chika	12	Female	139	37.21	Left
19	CAM	Substitute	Sasaki Suzuno	14	Female	158	44.65	Left
30	FW	Substitute	Kurugaya Miki	15	Female	174	48.31	Left
33	GK	Reserve	Kanesaka Eriko	11	Female	158	42.62	Left
39	LB	Reserve	Uesugi Sawako	11	Female	144	35.46	Right
40	CM	Reserve	Sasaki Suzuno	14	Female	153	42.04	Left
45	CB	Reserve	Iwasawa Mako	11	Female	157	43.52	Right
52	CM	Reserve	Asakusa Kuroko	11	Female	140	35.72	Left
55	LW	Reserve	Tamura Megumi	11	Female	139	38.22	Right
70	RW	Reserve	Shintani Miku	11	Female	152	43.67	Right
72	LW	Reserve	Tsukishima Asuna	13	Female	152	39.07	Right
90	FW	Reserve	Ashiya Asuka	13	Female	149	43.96	Left
74	CB	Reserve	Hosoi Yui	11	Female	161	42.75	Right
80	FW	Reserve	Miyazaki Misaki	15	Female	172	49.82	Right
88	LW	Reserve	Itsuka Reika	13	Female	167	45.23	Right

Position	Name	Age	Gender
Manager	Shirazaka Kaede + Kiriyama Fuu	18/18	Female/Female
Assistant Manager	Mizukawa Yuuna	21	Female
1st Team Coach	Kokubunji Sakura	25	Female
1st Team Coach	Tsuga Mariko	27	Female
1st Team Coach	Ichikawa Hayao	21	Male
Goalkeeping Coach	Mayuzumi Yukiyo	25	Female
Tactical Coach	Shiba Jun	29	Male
Fitness Coach	Mitsuzaka Midori	22	Female
Head Physio	Narato Yuri	39	Female
Physio	Fuchida Rina	19	Female
Physio	Naganohara Yumeha	18	Female

	Player
Left Corner Taker	Uryū Kaori
Right Corner Taker	Steiner Kirara
Penalty Taker	Shirane Luna
Direct FK Taker	Kihara Sumire
Indirect FK Taker	Miyashiro Tsubaki
Most likely to foul/be booked	Yamamoto Shiori
Most likely to shoot	Steiner Kirara
Most likely to score from close range	Steiner Kirara
Most likely to score from long-range	Miyashiro Tsubaki
Most likely to be fouled	Uryū Kaori
Most likely to attempt the spectacular	Uryū Kaori

Di Bradini Cup 31/U21WC52 RP/Roster/Scores Thread

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