Baptism of Fire 57 - Everything Thread

[Sumaltheria]

Angela and Anthony appeared downstairs, and marched to the reception, waving their keys about.
"You gave us the same key!" Angela shouted, slamming them om the desk in front of the secretary, who looked scared to death.

"Names?" she whimpered, then quickly inputed their answers onto the computer. After what seemed like hours of typing and clicking, she turned back to them.

"Yes, you are meant to share a room," she nodded, "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Yes, I'm not sharing with this-"

"Angela, shush. Yes, we would like separate rooms. Could that be arranged?"

The secretary sighed, and shook her head.
"All the rooms are booked, all across town. The Baptism of Fire sure boosts business."

Angela growled.

"Angela, you can have the bedroom, and I'll sleep on the couch in the front room. I won't go near you!" Anthony quickly tried to stop her from exploding. She nodded reluctantly.

"I suppose we have to. But wait, who put us together?"
The secretary quickly checked the computer.

"It was booked by Millie-" she started, before being rudely interrupted.
"So it was Millie, the manager!"

"But a Damien Powell changed it on her request, or that's what it says."

"Never heard of him." Anthony rolled his eyes, then convinced Angela to drop it, and go to bed.
"We need to check out the opposition tomorrow."

[Tumbra]

So. In order to make us prepare for our upcoming matches, Jordan Fletcher bought 24 tickets at the Stade St. Croix and made us sit down there the entire day, observing both day and night matches, while he took notes. Jesus, it was cold in the stadium, even with all the floodlights and the fact that it was one of the more warmer months in the Quebecois calendar.

The 2-2 draw with Garifunya and a weird nation called HAUAHUHAU was rather exciting, but the Garifunyans' defensive mistakes left a lot to be desired. They seemed to use exclusively black players - not a problem with me, but it did strike me as rather odd.

After which was the Gylian national team's 1-0 loss against Atrua, who from first glance irked me. I had read some of their interviews in the news, and it really irritated me, how religious their nation was. Sure I'm as Catholic as the next Tumbran, but when someone takes religious enthusiasm too far, even wanting to change the Baptism of Fire's name to Water, would count as overzealousness to me.

Our match against the aforementioned Garifunya would take place tomorrow. More training was needed.


OOC: Starting XI for match against Garifunya: Classic. First standard XI.

[Atrua]

"Coach Howard! What are your thoughts on Atrua’s 1-0 win over Gylias in our nation’s first ever international match?” reporter #1 asked excitedly before Coach Howard even sat down.

“It is proof that our involvement here in the Baptism of Fire and later the world cup has been blessed by the Lord in that the result today proved to be the most perfect score possible for us. One goal should be all that you need to win and that is what happened here today. None of that pagan high scoring shootouts that Tynelia gloated and fawned over. It also shows our quest to rename this tournament if we win is also favorable in His eyes.”

“Some claim that we shouldn’t have scored at all and accept the draw.” Reporter #2 added unhelpfully.

“Draws are fine in our own leagues of course to prevent ill will between the supporters of both teams. But in the world beyond our shores sometimes more is required. This is a good result and no one should complain about ‘The Hammer’s ‘ goal in minute 63 or the nice pass from John James that put him in position to score. “

“But Gandalf was great in net today wasn;t he?” toadying reporter #3 chimed in.

“Yes Hans was all hands today despite a spirited attack from the Gylias squad, especially in the second half once they got behind and needed to find an equalizer from someone. I thought that shot by Enns that went off the crossbar near the end of the match was going to tie it up for them but the bounce went our way. Speaking of the Gylian team, I approve their approach to the match, that it’s not about the wins and losses but having a good match. A very clean game with no yellow cards, flops or other cheap ploys people have seen watching some other nations play to try and get an edge. I hope we can play again at some point and wish them the best of luck the rest of the tournament.”

“what about the next match against HAUAHUHAU, they seem to have a strong offense?” reporter #4 jumped in trying to ask a useful question.

“They will be gunning for us I’m sure given that Atrua is leading the group. They can’t afford to lose to us and drop 5 points back with only 2 matches to go.” Coach answered “We will have to study the film of their match. They didn’t send a press release out like the rest of the group did so they must have some secret plan they don’t want anyone else learning about. It should be a hard fought match anyway. All we can do is stick to our own game plan and trust in the Lord to see us through.”

“But what if we lose? Does this mean God has abandoned us?” reporter #1 asked to the gasp of his fellow reporters.

“Nothing is supposed to be easy. If it were then it would not be valued. If we do lose then no doubt this would be a sign that we need to try harder and better ourselves as best we can to prove ourselves worthy of a win. Even in league play sometimes a team would lose and that didn’t mean the losing side was condemned did it?”

“No it didn’t” the first reporter admitted.

“There you have it. Now I must leave now. It’s time for the team post match prayers and I need to be with them.” Coach Howard said getting up from his seat as the reporters tried to ask more questions to no avail.

[The Oaklands]

Here is the Starting XI for The Oaklands first game of the Baptism of Fire, against Pays d'en Haut:
Thomas Callum
Charlie Larple
Peter Burns
Dale Into
Luke Ramp
Adrian Fife
Luke Thompson
David Goodge
George Cannock
Paul Serpent

The formation is 4-4-2, or 2,2;2,2;2.

[Abanhfleft]

CRESCENT NEWS NETWORK
SPORTS CHANNEL - OFFICIAL WEBSITE

ABANHFLEFT VS. PAYS D'EN HAUT: AS IT HAPPENED
By Malik Qazizadah

SETTER, THE SARIAN - Welcome, welcome, all, to the 57th edition of the Baptism of Fire! Where the dreams of all up-and-coming football associations and national teams are both realized and crushed at the same time. Today, we're at Oakhurst Arena at Setter in Isle Oakhurst, where we will be watching the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft go up against its first opponent in the tournament, the country of Pays d'en Haut. Wait. I'm sure there's a grammatical error in there somewhere. Anyway, here are the players from both countries, marching out into the field. Pays d'en Haut is wearing their light blue kit, and therefore the Fleftics are wearing their so-called "Communist kit," red with yellow trim. Here are the starting lineups.

PAYS D'EN HAUT - STARTING LINEUP
GK: Simon Gauthier
LB: Sébastien Lavoie
LCB: Jean-Christophe Gallant (captain)
RCB: Pierre-Luc Durand
RB: Jean-François Groulx
CDM: Kévin Bédard
LW: Nicolas Lapointe
RW: Sylvain Charbonneau
LAM: Charles-André St-Onge
RAM: Jean-Luc Tremblay
ST: Vincent Turcotte
Formation: 4-5-1

ABANHFLEFT - STARTING LINEUP
GK: James Tarragona
LB: Jefferson Samonte
LCB: Nestor Mikkelsen
RCB: Luke Edwards (captain)
RB: Charles Amoroso
CDM: Abdullah Musa
LW: Adelaide Singh
RW: Lillian Prescott
CAM: Allison Torres
LS: Alexandra Rousseau
RS: Chelsea Stuart
Formation: 4-3-1-2

Here come the captains now. They're shaking hands, even though the Pays d'en Haut captain is looking a little bit jarred about how the others are not speaking French, which I hear is a capital crime in their country. Anyway, the coin has been tossed, and we have won it. Luke Edwards is looking to choose the goal nearest to the Fleftic fans' section. I would, too, in his place.

00:00 - And Abanhfleft's first game in the Baptism of Fire has officially begun! Abanhfleft will begin this game with a Chelsea Stuart kickoffi straight to Sonny Torres.

3 minutes: I love how Abanhfleft's players seems to find their way to the opponents' half as quickly and easily as this. Addie Singh with the ball. She crosses into the box. The ball finds Sonny Torres's head! Oh! Very nice save from Gauthier, the Habitant keeper.

7 minutes: Abanhfleft on the attack once again. Now it's Abdullah Musa with the cross. Once again, it finds a Fleftic player's head. Alex Rousseau with the header! Oh! Yet another save from Gauthier!

11 minutes: I don't think the ball has left the Habitant half for the entirety of this game up to this time. It's certainly a weird thing. Here's another attack from our boys and girls. Ooh, Chelsea Stuart's getting fancy. No look pass to Alex Rousseau, who looks in prime position for a sweaty goal! Ooh! Gauthier taps the ball over the crossbar.

15 minutes: God, Abanhfleft is just relentless. Abdullah Musa leading the attack this time. He finds his way blocked by two defenders. He passes to Lilly Prescott. No one else is truly open! Lilly will go for goal! Oh, that's more properly called a cross. Durand knocks it out of bounds, and it's a corner kick for Abanhfleft.

16 minutes: Addie Singh will take the corner for Abanhfleft. She will kick. She finds Abdullah Musa in space! Musa will head it in! Oh, once again, Gauthier tips it over the crossbar! Now that's a goal kick for Pays d'en Haut.

22 minutes: Finally, Pays d'en Haut has finally put the ball into the Fleftics' half. And about time, too. Jimmy Tarragona was starting to look lonely back there. Oh, Sylvain Charbonneau looks to be in prime position to score. Ooh, he's stripped of the ball by Nestor Mikkelsen.

29 minutes: Abanhfleft on the attack, once again. Musa lobs it over five defenders and right to Chelsea, who has a clear path to goal! Gauthier moves to intercept her... she sidesteps the keeper! It's an easy shot for Chelsea, with no keeper in the way! GOAL!!! PAYS D'EN HAUT 0-1 ABANHFLEFT

30 minutes: Pays d'en Haut will restart play.

35 minutes: Pays d'en Haut finally on the attack, again. This is quite possibly only the second time in this game that they've managed to do that. Charbonneau has the ball, once again. He seeks out Tremblay deep within the Fleftic defense. Somehow Tremblay manages to keep it! Here's a chance for a sweaty goal! Tremblay chips it over to Turcotte! Ah, Jimmy Tarragona's saved it.

41 minutes: Abanhfleft on its hundredth attack of the day. Lots of passing play for this attack. Lilly Prescott passes to Sonny Torres, outside the box. She kicks! Ooh! Just that teensy bit wide. So close.

45 minutes: The ref will give us two minutes of added time.

45 minutes + 2: And that's the end of the first half! Abanhfleft leads Pays d'en Haut, 1-0.

45:01 - The second half is about to begin, and as the players return to the field, we can see that both teams have not made any changes to their lineups coming into this second half.

52 minutes: Abanhfleft on the attack for the thousandth time. This time it's Addie Singh leading the attack. She looks for somebody, anybody, who's open. Oh, Sonny Torres is open! Sonny goes for goal! Groulx blocks it! Corner kick for Abanhfleft. But not before Pays d'en Haut takes the opportunity to make its first substitution. SUBSTITUTION (PAYS D'EN HAUT): JEAN-FRANÇOIS GROULX OUT, LOÏC LAMONTAGNE IN

53 minutes: Addie Singh will take the corner kick once again. She will kick. Once again, the ball finds the head of a Fleftic player. Alex Rousseau's head, to be exact. And Simon Gauthier has been beaten for the second time! GOAL!!! PAYS D'EN HAUT 0-2 ABANHFLEFT

54 minutes: Pays d'en Haut will restart play.

59 minutes: Free kick for Abanhfleft. Chelsea Stuart will take this one all by her lonesome. And it's in a very good position, too; 31 yards to the right of the goal box. She will kick with her right foot. Oh! Over the crossbar.

61 minutes: All right, Kasper Molak has decided that it's time to rest his best striker for the rest of the game. SUBSTITUTION (ABANHFLEFT): CHELSEA STUART OUT, RANDY FLOYD IN

64 minutes: Another free kick for Abanhfleft. This time, Alex, Sonny, and Randy are surrounding the ball. Alex Rousseau... is a fake. Sonny Torres... is also a fake. Randy Floyd kicks! Ooh, the ball hit Lamontagne in the shoulder before going out of bounds. Corner kick for Abanhfleft.

65 minutes: While Addie prepares the ball in the corner, Pays d'en Haut uses its second substitution for some fresh legs in the back four. SUBSTITUTION (PAYS D'EN HAUT): JEAN-CHRISTOPHE GALLANT OUT, FRÉDÉRIC HOULE IN Gallant will hand over the captain's armband to VIncent Turcotte before heading back to the bench. Addie Singh sends the ball right into the penalty box once again. Oh, somehow there's no Fleftic player in the spot where she sent the ball! Houle the substitute clears the ball out of the danger zone.

71 minutes: Pays d'en Haut finally mounting an attack. What is it, just their third? Kévin Bédard with the ball, commanding this attack of theirs. Jean-Luc Tremblay is in space. Bédard obliges Tremblay. Tremblay kicks! Saved by Tarragona.

76 minutes: Yet another free kick for Abanhfleft. Kasper Molak will substitute Alex with another, fresher striker. SUBSTITUTION (ABANHFLEFT): ALEXANDRA ROUSSEAU OUT, GUSTAVO POTTER IN It's a Randy Floyd show at just 27 yards from the goal. Randy will kick. Gauthier tips it just that little bit wide!

83 minutes: First corner kick for Pays d'en Haut. Took them long enough. Charles-André St-Onge will take this one. Oh, that's a shitty kick, if you ask me. But apparently the Habitants think it's good enough, as they're striving to jump higher than the Fleftic defenders. Nope, they are denied by Luke Edwards, who clears it out of the penalty box, and then Nestor Mikkelsen will clear it farther afield.

88 minutes: Pays d'en Haut will use up their final substitution to bring some fresh legs up front. SUBSTITUTION (PAYS D'EN HAUT): JEAN-LUC TREMBLAY OUT, NICOLAS BRETON IN

90 minutes: 4 minutes of added time.

90 minutes + 2: Ooh. It's the first time that Pays d'en Haut has gone on the counterattack. Sébastien Lavoie leading the attack. He lobs the ball to Vincent Turcotte. The Fleftic defenders have been caught with their pants down! Turcotte goes for the pearoller! Jimmy Tarragona can't reach it in time! GOAL!!! PAYS D'EN HAUT 1-2 ABANHFLEFT Oh, and what a consolation goal it was! Now that's certainly deflated some Fleftic egos.

90 minutes + 4: And the game is over! Abanhfleft wins, but not with a clean sheet. A victory's a victory, but of course denying the opponent a goal is better.

FINAL SCORE

            PAYS D'EN HAUT 1 - 2 ABANHFLEFT
VINCENT TURCOTTE (90' + 2)       CHELSEA STUART (29')
                                 ALEXANDRA ROUSSEAU (53')

SUBSTITUTIONS
PAYS D'EN HAUT
Jean-François Groulx, Loïc Lamontagne (52')
Jean-Christophe Gallant, Frédéric Houle (65')
Jean-Luc Tremblay, Nicolas Breton (88')

ABANHFLEFT
Chelsea Stuart, Randy Floyd (61')
Alexandra Rousseau, Gustavo Potter (76')

[Gregory Llama Land]

Llamachief Debate Transcript, Part I

Moderator: Hello, and welcome to the Llamachief Debate for the Election. I am your moderator, Jim Lerner of the Llama Broadcasting Service. In accordance with Gregllamese law, all candidates on the ballot for Llamachief were invited to participate in this debate, and all have chosen to attend. Let's meet the candidates, who are seated on the stage in an order chosen by random draw half an hour ago.

Moderator: In seat number 1, from the Llama Love Party, Foofoo Llama. In seat number 2, an independent candidate, Shiny Llama. In seat number 3, from the Liberty for All Party, Mary Burns. In seat number 4, from the Animal Rights Party, Franky Johnson. In seat number 5, from the Green Leaf Party, Bojo Rodriguez. In seat number 6, from the Shiny Teeth Party, Brett Thomas. In seat number 7, independent candidate Supreme Vernon. In seat number 8, from the Expose the NWO Party, Alexi Jones. In seat number 9, from the Rent is Too Damn High But You're Not High Enough Party, Jimmy McDomas. In seat number 10, from the Human Rights Party, George Tuner. In seat number 11, from the White Power Party, Whitey White. And last but not least, in seat number 12, from the Anarchy Party, Chris Todd. We will now begin with opening statements, going from left to right, starting with Foofoo Llama. Each candidate will have one minute. When your time is up, you will hear this sound. *Ding*

Foofoo Llama: Thank you Mr. Lerner. My name is Foofoo Llama and I am seeking to become the first llama to serve as llamachief. Gregory Llama Land has a long history of llama love and recently the humans discovered llamas were sapient. It was a shock for us llamas too. We never believed humans were sapient. We figured their homes and cars were like the shell of a tortoise. Yes, they build things, but beavers build dams. But that's the past now. What we need is reconciliation and liberty for all. *Ding*

Moderator: We will continue with Shiny Llama.

Shiny Llama: I too am seeking to become the first llama to be elected llamachief. Now that we know llamas are sapient, we need to guarantee equal rights for all animals. I ask my colleague Foofoo Llama - how do you know beavers aren't sapient? You thought humans weren't sapient and you were wrong. They were wrong about us. It's nobody's fault, but we were just wrong. That's over. But we can't make that mistake again now that we know better. Killing animals for any reason must be banned. We must have compulsory veganism. We cannot unnecessarily kill animals that might be sapient. *ding*

Moderator: We will continue with Ms. Burns.

Mary Burns: Currently, Bob Burgundy is serving life without parole for a crime he committed when he was just 19 years old. That means he will spend the next 70 years or so of his life, in prison, until he dies. Yes, Mr. Burgundy's crimes were horrific, but he was young. He still is young. Someday he might change. That's why we need to eliminate harsh sentences like life without parole and have a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. If elected llamachief, I would push for such legislation, and in the meantime communte any sentences longer than 20 years, including Bob Burgundy's. Yes, these people's crimes may have been horrific, but they deserve a second chance. *ding*

Moderator: Mr. Johnson, you're up.

Franky Johnson: Shiny Llama brings up some interesting points. Certainly some rights need to be extended to all animals. But what rights? Should it be OK for me to swat a mosquito? I think most people would agree it is, and I certainly do as well. However, the Animal Rights Party line has supported at least some rights for animals for the last 25 years, long before humans and llamas knew the other was sapient. Animals should have the right to be free. Owning an animal, or enslaving one, should be a crime. However, there are some needs to kill animals, such as for food or, say, swatting a bug that's in your face. But animals are not the same as humans and llamas. *dng*

Moderator: Mr. Rodriguez is up next.

Bojo Rodriguez: Animal rights are OK, but let's not forget the issues that make this country free for all. This is one of the few countries in the multiverse where all drugs are legal. But they're only legal for adults. We need to make all drugs available for everyone. If a five-year old wants to shoot up heroin, how is that any different than a 19 year-old smoking pot? The five year-old has a right to liberty too. And liberty means freedom of choice. Speaking of freedom of choice, why can't I drive after I smoke pot or drink booze? That should be legal too. Yes, it endangers me, but that's my choice to make. Legalize all of it for everyone, anytime! *ding*

Moderator: Mr. Thomas is up next.

Brett Thomas: You're all ignoring the important issue - clean teeth. Everyone must have clean teeth. It's essential. That's why if elected, I will give everyone in Gregory Llama Land a free toothbrush and toothpaste. They will be required to brush their teeth 18 times a day. We will know. I will know if you don't because your teeth won't be shiny and you will be fined 15,000 lamadolas. Don't know how to brush your teeth? Our teachers will teach you. Because there is nothing more important than shiny teeth!

Moderator: You still have 15 seconds. Do you want to use it?

Brett Thomas: No, I'm done.

Moderator: Ok, Mr. Vernon is up next.

Supreme Vernon: Toothbrushes are nice, but who doesn't want a pony? Hasn't every child ever said "I want a pony?" Well vote for me and I'll give you everything your little heart desires as long as all your heart desires is a pony. Every man, woman and child will get a free pony because ponies are what everyone wants. I love ponies. Do you love ponies? I know you do because you asked Santa for one for Christmas. But Santa didn't give you a pony, did he? Well I'll give you a pony. All you have to do is vote for me. That's why I'm wearing a wizard's hat. Because wizards bring ponies. *ding*

Moderator: Mr. Jones is up next.

Alexi Jones: You're all agents of the New World Order. Every one of you. Lord Almighty Gregory and I are the only sane ones. Bob Burgundy was a patsy. All terrorist attacks ever were inside jobs by the New World Order in conjunction with every world government. Well, all but one. Only Gregoryisgodistan has the guts to stand up to the New World Order. That is why they are so reviled based on made-up human rights allegations. Ocean City was struck by Hurricane Eli last year, destroying a lot of it. Ever wonder why that happened? It's the New World Order's weather control devices. We must expose the New World Order and stop joining forces with them to destroy everything. Take a lesson from Gregoryisgodistan. *ding*

Moderator: Next up is Mr. McDomas

Jimmy McDomas: I represent the Rent is Too Damn High But You're Not High Enough Party. Many people can't afford to rent a home. They are living on the street because they can't afford to pay rent. And they don't have access to quality marijuana either. Why? BECAUSE THE RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH! I will make everyone lower the rent so you can afford pot brownies for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And if you still can't afford it, I'll give it to you myself. Why? BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT HIGH ENOUGH. And THE RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH. You get higher, rent get lower. Vote for me, Jimmy McDomas and I'll use my skills as a karate expert to make sure you get pot brownies for breakfast, lunch and dinner. *Ding*

Moderator: Next up is Mr. Tuner.

George Tuner: Is it any coincidence that the first two speakers here, other than you, esteemed moderator, were llamas? No. The llamas are taking over this great country that was once run by humans. Llamas need to be exterminated or enslaved. Human rights are for humans only. The llamas can go to hell, except they can't because they have no souls, so they just die. The Holy Bible says only humans have rights, and only humans go to heaven or hell. When llamas die, they just die. They're forever gone, never to be eternally rewarded or punished depending on their behavior. And that makes the two on this stage quite lucky, because they are very bad llamas for impersonating humans. Keep human rights human! *Ding*

Moderator: Now we have Mr. White.

Whitey White: I agree with George. But he doesn't take things far enough. Those damn black people and immigrants shouldn't have rights either. Neither should the Jews, or the Muslims, or anyone who doesn't believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to exterminate everyone who isn't pure, and that includes llamas, blacks, gays, and non-Christians. And especially those damn immigrants. Don't let any more in and kill those already here or kick them out. Whichever's easier. Just don't keep them here anymore. They take jobs away from white, Christian, heterosexual, human, heroes. Believe in the Bible, people. If you're not white, you ain't right. If you don't believe in Christ, you ain't right. If you're gay, you'll pay. Exterminate the impure! *ding*

Moderator: The last opening statement will be by Mr. Todd.

Chris Todd: If elected, I will disband the government. Government is evil. Government is tyranny. The right to choose your leader does not make you any more free. Unless you choose me in which case there will be no more government because I will dissolve it. Then you will all be free. Free to do whatever you want, even murder each other. But the competing private police forces will make sure you don't do that. Instead, they'll murder each other. For instance, say you murder me. My private police murder you. Your private police murder my private police. My private police's private police murders your private police. And so on forever and ever. Isn't anarchy wonderful? Vote for me and this can be fun. *Ding*

Moderator: That concludes opening statements. Your first question will be coming up after this. As a reminder, if you want to ask a question to our candidates during this debate, log on to LlamachiefDebate2014.gl and we will ask some of the best questions live on the air. You can ask one candidate, more than one candidate, or all the candidates. It's really up to you. (OOC: If anyone has a question they want to see asked to the candidates in a future RP, TG this account and/or Gregoryisgodistan, which is my main.)

To be continued....

[New Drakonika (Ancient)]

The Allied Right was the media name for the coalition of right wing parties in New Drakonika, consisting of the Libertarian, Democrat, Republican and Moderate parties. The four parties were different in views across a broad spectrum, but were still to the right of the Green-Socialist Bloc, thus were allied as a minority coalition.

There was an emergency session occuring in the House of Representatives, after some members of the Socialist Party joined in with the Allied Right in attempting to call an early election. 55 more votes in favour were needed to call the election. The voting had just taken place.

The hall was quiet as the results were tallied. A pen dropped from a backbencher's pocket, causing a loud echoing clacking sound. The tension was so thick, the suspense so paralysing, that all the ministers could do was sit and wait with bated breath.

Finally, the speaker of the house, a blue dracon named Mrtn Hrt recieved the results from the tally room.

"The results of the vote to dissolve the House of Representatives and call an immediate election campaign have been tallied and are as follows. Two hundred and eighty-eight in favour, with three hundred and twelve opposed. The parliament shall resume as normal."

The room erupted into cheers and collective sighs. The threat of an early election had been defeated, for now. Stv Rk wore a look of extreme relief on his face, but deep down, he knew the saga wasn't complete. There was a long road ahead, especially seeing as some members of his coalition were deserting.

---

Jmz Blyv stood on the edge of the penalty area. The score was tied at two apiece, with 13 minutes remaining on the clock. The air in Warrah Park was cold, as rain poured down onto the already muddy pitch.

Jmz motioned to his teammates to get into position, and he began to run up to the ball. Inching closer and closer with every step, he looked set to kick it with some verve. However, disaster struck.

Jmz hit the waterlogged pitch too hard and too fast with his boots, and began to slide. He hit the ball and kept sliding, eventually landing awkwardly back, with his head whipping into the ground hard.

Jmz attempted three times to stand up, but the mud on his boots kept him from staying up for very long. There were no signs of injury however, and Jmz soldiered on. The free kick was wasted, and North Britonisea attacked once more.

It wasn't until the 87th minute that New Drakonika got into their attacking third again. This time, it was Nthn Smnr who attacked after recieving a calculated pass from Olvr Frsf. Nthn went forward towards goal, being careful not not slip in the heavily waterlogged pitch. Eventually, he got one on one with the North Britonisean keeper.

With Jmz Blyv just behind, Nthn decided to play a little game with the keeper. He did a fake shot, and the keeper dived, and then Nthn waited until the keeper got up again. When that happened he made another fake shot in the other direction, and the keeper dived once more.

Eventually, the keeper ran towards Nthn, who backheeled the ball to Jmz, who was marked, but onside. Jmz run towards the pass and shot at the open goal. The next few seconds felt like an eternity to Jmz, but after 5 seconds, the ball was bouncing off the back of the net. The clock read 89:13, and the referee declared 1 minute of stoppage time after the goal. Nothing eventful happened during the next 2 minutes, and the match end was signified with a shrill whistle by the referee. The final score was New Drakonika 3-2 over North Britonisea.

[Gylias]

(OOC: This section is written using a more "standard" way of reporting a match; not what an official Gylian match recap would look like.)

Match statistics: Atrua-Gylias

Goals scored
Gylias
None

Atrua
Gordon "The Hammer" Toren (63:00)

Fouls
None

Starting lineup
Nar Enylesh (goalkeeper)
Navan Dzíorny
Dietmar Enns
Panagiotakis Xanthopoulos
Arevik Moushian
Rubinho Rodrigues
Arda Shanrek
Xadje Korxal
Adna Acsir
Tzane Leuthej
Nels Langenberg

Substitutions
Arevik Moushian > Bhaksa Terneshyk (45:00)
Panagiotakis Xanthopoulos > Mared Terneshyk (45:00)

Possession
Gylias 47%
Atrua 53%

Game summary
First half
02:02 - Xadje Korxal seizes possession of the ball after a stray Atruan pass misses its target.
03:33 - David Green intercepts an aerial long pass meant for Adna Acsir.
05:24 - Scramble occurs in centre field; results in John James holding the ball. He passes to Gordon "The Hammer" Toren, who runs ahead of the Gylian defense.

"Hey, Gordon Toren!", Nels Langenberg called out jokingly when they both happened to be next to each other.

Gordon Toren glanced at him while still moving ahead with the ball.

"Hey, if you're The Hammer, then who's The Sickle?", Nels asked, grinning broadly.

07:37 - Toren shoots, but Nar Enylesh defends. However, he does so by punching the ball to his right, and it ends up rolling past the goal line. A corner is awarded to Atrua.

"Hey, everybody?", Nels shouted as he ran back towards most of his team. "I already made the obvious joke, it's all cool! I managed to get that out of the way!"

Arevik Moushian smiled slyly. "Well, phew.", she teased him playfully. "I don't know how we could've ever completed the match if one of us hadn't made that joke~"

"I know, right?", Nels replied cheerfully.

13:07 - Corner shot is intercepted by Panagiotakis Xanthopoulos, who quickly passes to Rubinho Rodrigues. The Gylians steady their hold on the ball and advance towards the Atruan side of the field.
16:26 - Ken Drake slide-tackles the ball away from Rodrigues; Rodrigues jumps safely overhead but loses control of the ball. Drake passes to Lionel Martin until Toren can get into position.
17:37 - Martin shoots wide of the net, missing the Gylian goal entirely.
23:06 - Tzane Leuthej shoots, Hans Mitterand defends. Ball is picked up by Corey Hadeson, who shoots a long pass towards the centre.
29:46 - Arda Shanrek pries the ball away from Joel Manuel in the goal area. Manuel attempts to dive and regain control of it, but instead kicks it over the goal line.
32:33 - Nar Enylesh makes a short pass to Arda Shanrek. She begins a chain of short passes towards centre field.
37:20 - Navan Dzíorny narrowly takes the ball before it goes over the touchline, and prepares to shoot, but is intercepted by Andrew Wallis.
39:31 - Dietmar Enns takes the ball from Alex Shelvay very close to the touchline, but accidentally loses it over the touchline. Free throw granted to Atrua.
45:00 - Rubinho Rodrigues shoots, but Hans Mitterand defends.
45:00 - Half-time break is called before Mitterand's overhead pass touches the ground.

Second half
49:52 - Joel Manuel tries and fails to pry the ball from Adna Acsir.
53:06 - Adna Acsir makes an overhead pass to Bhaksa Terneshyk in the goal area. Hans Mitterand defends against Terneshyk's shot.
58:16 - Mitterand's pass fails to connect, stray ball in centre field.
60:09 - John James takes possession of the ball, makes a long pass to Gordon Toren near the Gylian goal area.
63:00 - Gordon Toren dribbles past the Gylian defense and deceives Nar Enylesh by setting up a strong kick but delivering a weaker one. Ball enters the goal through the centre as Enylesh dives to the right.
64:19 - Enylesh makes a short pass to Xadje Korxal. The Gylians steadily move into the Atruan side of the field.
70:52 - Mared Terneshyk shoots. Hans Mitterand defends, but punches the ball past the goal line in the process. Corner awarded to Gylias.
75:15 - Nels Langenberg takes the corner shot. Tzane Leuthej redirects the ball upwards with their chest, and then kicks it towards the Atruan goal before it can touch the ground. Mitterand dives and defends, but punches the ball past the goal line again. Corner awarded to Gylias.
79:54 - Nels Langenberg passes to Mared Terneshyk, who performs a flawless scissor kick. Mitterand pushes the ball away, but it rolls over the goal line. Another corner awarded to Gylias.
84:06 - David Green steps in front of Navan Dzíorny and intercepts ball before Langenberg's pass can connect.
84:27 - Green dribbles past the Gylian defense, but is slowed down.
85:54 - Green attempts to pass, but Arda Shanrek slides in front and takes the ball. She passes to Dietmar Enns.
86:46 - Enns manoeuvres past the Atruan defenders and takes a shot. The ball hits the crossbar, and bounces back into the field, slightly behind the goal line. Mitterand takes it in his hands, and throws a long pass. Scrimmage ensues in the Atruan field for control over the ball.
88:30 - Attempted Atruan intercept results in another corner for Gylias.
89:19 - Bhaksa Terneshyk receives a pass from Mared Terneshyk, and takes a shot. Hans Mitterand punches the ball upwards and left. Kyle Ortan knees the ball as it falls, taking control of it before it crosses the goal line, and makes a long pass.
90:00 - Full time is called.

---

Gylian locker room, after the match

"Brilliant playing from all of you, that was a wonderful match!", Sarna announced. "It's always sweet to see you all having such a good time together."

The players replied by cheering enthusiastically and giving Sarna a group hug.

"Oof, wait, wait a bit.", Sarna said, waving her hand to signal a slight pause. "We have to do this right if you're all going to be on it at once." She pointed towards Nels Langenberg. "Nels?"

"Yeah?"

"You, Mared, Bhaksa and Navan move over here...", Sarna said, gesturing towards a particular position on the floor. "If it's all of us and one of me trying to occupy the same space, that never works, so we need to try increasing the amount of space available."

The four started to position themselves as indicated.

"Lovely playing, by the way. I loved the way you kept racking up corners in the second half.", she added with a giggle.

"Aw, thanks Sarna!", Bhaksa replied cheerfully, laughing at the end.

"Mhm, that's great!", Sarna said, rubbing her chin with one hand, after she saw the four in position. "Now, we'll try to do this like a crowd surf, okay? You mind if you can, like, hoist me upwards in a slightly diagonal position?"

"Sure thing!", Mared replied, giving the OK sign.

"Okay, good... Nar, Dietmar, Pana, Arda, Adna, you move over and stand to the left of Nels, Mared, Bhaksa and Navan. Are, Ruby, Arda, Xadje, on the right side, and Tzane up front. Have to make sure we achieve full body coverage for the group hug, haha!"

The players and Sarna all moved into position.

"Okay! 3... 2... 1... and, go!"

Sarna and her team managed to successfully achieve an organised group hug.

[New Bordial]

Kretikos's thoughts on Match Day I in Group I

Recently we spoke to Kretikos on his thoughts on the match ups on Matchday I for Group I and his perception of the our next match.

"Beauce should definitely feel like a warmup game" said Kretikos, "They still don't have a public roster or team and were defeated by Pine Island 4-1. However, we can't let our guard down. We need to win every game possible." Republic of Guadalajara and Aestate also played to a 1-1 draw yesterday. New Bordial and their national team need to be prepared for what any team throws at them. "We're a young team, but have lots of heart" said Nick Callum, "We can, and will go deep. These people are some of the best players I've played with."

[Pays den haut]

Paul-André, clan Bergeron appointed on the Council of the 13 ruling clan leaders!

Ruling clan leader Raymond, clan Martin as been found dead on his property in Sainte-Sophie, Pays d'en haut. His wife Monique found his dead body just outside the barn, he has been beheaded. Meanwhile, clan leader Paul-André, clan Bergeron arrived at the National Council in the capital city of Saint-Jérôme carrying Raymond, clan Martin's head, claiming he killed him. The leaders present at the assembly congratulated Paul-André, clan Bergeron and he has been automatically appointed on the Council of the 13 ruling clan leaders. Celebrations for the appointment of Paul-André, clan Bergeron to the Council of the 13 ruling clan leaders will take place this evening, october 31 in his hometown of Saint-Eustache, Pays d'en haut. State funerals of ex-ruling clan leader Raymond, clan Martin will be held at the Cathédrale de Saint-Jérôme on november 2nd. Raymond, clan Martin is leaving to mourn his wife Monique, his sons Simon, Sébastien and Steve and his daughter Sophie. Simon, clan Martin has been appointed as the new clan leader of the clan Martin.

Up to date list of the Council of the 13 clan leaders

Leader's name	               Age      clan  Council   Hometown
Jacques, clan Bélanger	        46	1992	2011	Saint-Jérôme
Paul-André, clan Bergeron	31	1997	2014	Saint-Eustache
Jean, clan Bouchard	        48	1983	2006	Bois-des-Fillion
Gilles, clan Boucher	        53	1979	1997	Terrebonne
Jean-Pierre, clan Côté	        58	1977	1992	Rawdon
Mario, clan Gauthier	        37	1995	2011	Blainville
Claude, clan Labelle	        41	1990	2001	Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts
Daniel, clan Lévesque	        39	1994	2009	Sainte-Thérèse
Pierre, clan Morin	        49	1987	1999	Saint-Jérôme
Michel, clan Pelletier     	44	1996	2013	Terrebonne
Gilles, clan Thibault	        54	1974	1991	Sainte-Thérèse
Robert "Bob", clan Tremblay	52	1987	1995	Saint-Lin
Jean-Claude, clan Turcotte	47	1989	2003	Repentigny

clan = date appointed as clan leader
council = date appointed on the Council of the 13 ruling clan leaders

[Pine Island]

Pine Island vs Beauce

(OOC : Sorry for my short RP, my opponent has no info )

Shane Starks had to be the happiest man in the locker room, Thursday night. He led Pine Island to it's first international competitive match; a 4-1 victory over the pretty much unknown Beauce. The game was filled with many good things every football fan loves to see - crisp passing, excellent playmaking, and of course; the goals. On the other hand was an injury, and 4 yellow cards to Pine Islands' dismay. Overall, the match was a good one to watch despite the outcome, you'd think you were watching a final.

Pine Islander center forward Cleo Sotton suffered a severe blow to the knee 26 minutes into the match. He had to be carted off the field, and driven to a hospital where he was later ruled out for Pine Islands' next 3 matches. Shortly after this incident, a full out brawl occured between the two sides, which resulted in 4 yellow cards to Pine Island, and a nose bleed, or two. With three points, Pine Island sits in first place, followed by Aestate, and Guadalajara with one apiece. Lastly sits Beauce; awaiting New Bordial's debut tomorrow.

Events/Stats
POSSESSION
Pine Island : 61%
Beauce : 39%

SHOTS (TOTAL)
Pine Island : 19
Beauce : 11

SCORERS
Pine Island : Anthony Jackson '52, '67, '77 | Bradley Pierce '90+1
Beauce : Player #10 '33

BOOKINGS
Pine Island : Malcom Banks, Jacob Gardner, Walton Underhill
Beauce : Player #4

[Khalifa Arabia]

"So this is it?"

"This is it."

It was only after landing in Roade, Isle Saria in The Sarian that captain Sad Khatib and close friends Safwaan Sultana and Amaan Ozer (or "Oz" as his name became more known among Khalifa Arabian camps) asked and answered each other.

"We're in a place called 'Roade'," asked seemingly geography expert Oz, "yet I have no idea where it is on this map of The Sarian!"

Yes this seemingly existing city had confused even the pilot for the Khalifa Arabia squad, who knew they had a bye for the first round before their match against the seemingly unknown nation of RPGers to open their campaign.

The players currently remain i limbo until further notice, without notice of when or where their match against RPGers or even Somstratzka where (or will) take place.

[Polaaskan]

Montreal, ROYAL KINGDOM OF QUEBEC - Polaaskan got off to a good start in their Baptism of Fire campaign with a deserved 2-1 victory over the mysterious Leadan. At the Stade Olympia in Montreal, Polaaskan kicked off with Ulrik Leonardsen employing a 4-1-2-1-2 formation against the Leadani.

Attacking midfielder and one of the star players, Iiro Mihaylov, started to cause all sorts of problems for the Leadani defence, setting up Heiko Blonqvist who shot just wide on three minutes. He was also supplying good passes to Lukas Karlstrom and Mikke Leonardsen on the wings; to cross into Timo Heinckel and Heiko Blonqvist lurking in the box. For the majority of the first half the Leadani defence looked sloppy, and Polaaskan took advantage of this on 19 minutes. A darting run by left-back Vasili Semshov saw him receive the ball from Frans Laurensen, before taking on the opposition right-back and crossing it into Timo Heinckel who just had to nudge the ball home. It certainly caught the opposition out, and shocked them quite a bit. However, they did not rest on their laurels with Timo Heinckel and Mikke Leonardsen having their attempts saved by the Leadani goalkeeper. Polaaskan had a second goal disallowed on thirty-seven minutes. Frans Laurensen headed home from Jonathan van Leonardsen's corner but Christian Hogg was spotted tugging on a defender's shirt. There were two more opportunities after the break, but the Leadani keeper managed to save them all.

No substitutes were made at the start of the second half, with Leonardsen being clearly impressed by the team's play. It wasn't until 54 minutes until the first change was made, Johan Pekarik coming on for Mikke Leonardsen on the right-hand side of midfield. He made a good impact, as the speedy winger drifted in numerous crosses but the Leadani goalkeeper was on top form. Despite the strong attacking play, there was a slight flaw in the Polaa defence as their striker took advantage of a Christian Hogg slip-up and rounded Teemu Petersen and slotted it home into the empty net on 61 minutes. Polaa reinforcements arrived, with a double substitution being made two minutes after. Exciting prodigy Jon van Axelsen came on for Iiro Mihaylov who had worked his socks off, and Patrik Ael came on for Heiko Blonqvist. Tactical-wise, Karlstrom and Pekarik moved out to more wide positions, and Semshov and van Leonardsen moved into more defensive positions. On 75 minutes, Polaaskan went 2-1 up thanks to all three substitutes. Jon van Axelsen manoeuvred past two Leadani midfielders before floating it to Johan Pekarik who subsequently crossed it to Patrik Ael, who headed the ball home. Polaaskan kept pressing for a third until the end, but were constantly denied by the Leadani goalkeeper who seemed to be their best player. As the whistle blew, the stadium erupted and as did the whole of Polaaskan, who made a good start to their campaign. The next Polaaskan match will be against Joshulia at the Stade Olympia again.

Polaaskan (4-1-2-1-2): - Teemu Petersen; Vasili Semshov, Sol Arke (c), Christian Hogg (vc), Jonathan van Leonardsen; Frans Laurensen; Lukas Karlstrom, Mikke Leonardsen (Johan Pekarik 54); Iiro Mihaylov (Jon van Axelsen 63); Timo Heinckel, Heiko Blonqvist (Patrik Ael 63)

Player ratings:

GK - Teemu PETERSEN - Teemu had little to do throughout the game. Thanks to the solid defence, he made little saves. His most notable ones were palming away a Leadani free kick on 34 minutes and tipping away a 73rd minute shot. He could not stop the goal scored by Leadan however. 6/10.
LB - Vasili SEMSHOV - Vasili made promising runs and excellent crosses. He fulfilled the role of left wing-back perfectly, showing good defensive play too. Was quite a challenge for the Leadani right-hand side, being a maruading left-back. Caused lots of grief in total. 8/10.
CB - Sol ARKE - Provided a brilliant captain's performance and some excellent defending. Lead the team to a good victory. 8/10
CB - Christian HOGG - Was a bit over-the-top, and was cautioned for a challenge on a Leadani player. Decent defending though. 6/10
RB - Jonathan VAN LEONARDSEN - Didn't get in the game as much as he would have wanted to, but made some good crosses and passes and quality defending. 7/10
DM - Frans LAURENSEN - Was the perfect anchor in the Polaa midfield. His solid defending and great passing made him look like he was playing in a World Cup final. 9/10
LW - Lukas KARLSTROM - One of the predicted stars of the Polaaskan team definitely proved that. Caused lots of nightmares for the Leadani defence and his mazy runs left his opponents reeling. 9/10
AM - Iiro MIHAYLOV - Despite not playing the full game, he had an excellent match. His passing and movement off the ball lead to him being one of Polaaskan's star players throughout. 8/10
RW - Mikke LEONARDSEN - One of the stars of the trials, unfortunately he did not play to his potential. He didn't make as many crosses as he would have liked to, and may have taken a slight knock in the second half. 6/10
ST - Timo HEINCKEL - Polaaskan's top scorer continued his record scoring Polaaskan's first goal of the tournament. He kept both the defence and the goalkeeper busy and put in a great performance. 8/10
ST - Heiko BLONQVIST - Usually supplied chances to Heinckel rather than taking them himself. Almost scored a cracker that could have been one of the goals of the tournament if it was not miraculously saved by the Leadani goalkeeper. 7/10
Substitutes
RW - Johan PEKARIK - Was much better than Leonardsen and provided the assist to Patrik Ael's winner. 8/10
AM - Jon VAN AXELSEN - The 17 year old looked fantastic and composed in the attacking midfield role. 8/10
ST - Patrik AEL - Scored the winner and gave the Leadani back line some trouble too. 7/10

Pre-BoF Friendly
Polaaskan 4 - 0 Polaaskan B
Pre-BoF Friendly
Semarland B 2-0 Polaaskan
Pre-BoF Friendly
Polaaskan 1-1 Dutch Semarland
Pre-BoF Friendly
San José Guayabal 4-0 Polaaskan
Pre-BoF Friendly
Polaaskan 2 - 0 Pine Island
BoF MD1
Leadan 1 - 2 Polaaskan
BoF MD2
Polaaskan v Joshulia
BoF MD3
Valnara v Polaaskan
BoF MD4
Bye
BoF MD5
Polaaskan v Gregory Llama Land

[Alastonia-]

RONAN, THE SARIAN- In Alastonia's long history, never before had it faced off against another nation in the sport of football. Until Thursday. Alastonia took to the field against foreign opposition for the first time, as the Owls began group play in the Baptism of Fire against Etelkoz.

"We were a little nervous at first. Even I was, to be honest," said Alastonia's manager Anthony Matthews. "But I think we settled in pretty quick. Once we got going we were able to focus on what we had to do."

Alastonia and Etelkoz played each other fairly even in the first half, and went into the locker room scoreless 45 minutes in.

"I told the guys that now that we got the jitters out of our system, we needed to get aggressive in the second half" said Matthews.

And get aggressive they did. Alastonia came out of the break hot, playing noticeably more aggressive. That aggressive style would pay off, as Elias Harrison found the top-right corner of the net at the 52 minute mark, giving Alastonia a 1-0 lead.

"It felt really good coming off my foot. I wouldn't say I knew it was in, but I felt confident as soon as I hit it," said Harrison.

Alastonia would deliver the dagger in the 83rd minute, as Lee Burton took advantage of Etelkoz's keeper being out of position to make the score 2-0, which would go on to be the final.

"It feels good to get the win. They guys came out and earned it. I'm happy with our performance today," said Anthony Matthews.

Alastonian president Michael Rogers telephoned coach Matthews and the team to congratulate them following the win. Alastonia's next game will be Sunday against Bandwagon, televised live on A-Sport.

MATCH SUMMARY
Alastonia 2-0 Etelkoz

Goals:
Harrison (Alastonia)- 52'
Burton (Alastonia)- 83'

Yellow cards: None
Red cards: None

Shots: Alastonia 17, Etelkoz 19
Shots on goal: Alastonia 4, Etelkoz 4
Corners: Alastonia 3, Etelkoz 2
Offsides: Alastonia 4, Etelkoz 2
Fouls: Alastonia 20, Etelkoz 22

[Somstratzka]

Somstratzka had brought disgrace. The team had been overconfident.
Brad Tollernae swore under his breath as they went through the tunnel. He had let the winnng goal in for Wolfbenz. it wasn't looking good for Somstratzka. He would train twice as hard for the next match. They now had to see how ths could be turned. If they lost their next match they could be ruled out.

We wll win. We have to. What other choice do we have.

[Isula ge Ru]

The gun hadn't done much, to be quite frank. It was safely stowed now in his luggage, where it had gone on the plane without the extensive security checks that were becoming commonplace in the nation. Now, in the Sarian, the pistol sat at the bottom of his bag, wrapped in the same extensive layers of cloth that hid his cigarettes and Polarian liquor. He had developed quite the taste for Grogg after his time in the Federation for the Copa Rushmori. Now, however, Mitu Maria Albu Saida could not be drinking, or even thinking about drinking. It was occasionally difficult to remember that he was indeed a part of the National Football team, the young star and leader of both his club and his nation, and not simply an addition to the roster, a footnote who took a shot instead of putting on a coat.

The double life was getting to him. This could be seen in the lines that were beggining to be traced onto his youthful nineteen-year-old face, just small, faint, thin lines, like the ones that are visible in white relief after your face relaxes from laughing. These were no laughter lines, though. These were the lines that can only be seen on teenagers who have had two nations resting on their shoulders for months on end. They can only be seen on those who bring a handgun to a world-class competition for fear of their own terrorist attacks. There was, of course, no outlet for him, no place in which he might hide these lines excepting on the football field. To say that he was looking forward to the opener against RPGers would be a tad bit of an understatement. Moreso, it was a chance for him to release everything that had been building inside him since Zenic had eliminated the team from the Copa Rushmori. The strain of keeping the secret of his double life coupled most unfavorably with the excruciating lack of instructions from his superiors, the only clear-cut order he had received in the past month had been a reminder not do lose the gun. How could he possibly lose the gun?

He moved out of the hotel into the street, slipping through the patches of light thrown by the orange lamplights. To put any of the substances he had brought inside his mouth now would be akin to suicide. Fighting the urge to commit that career suicide, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked along. To cement his position with the team, to alleviate suspicion and grow into his childhood dream, he would have to perform so magnificently in this tournament, nearly impossibly magnificently. That was, of course, going to be very hard to do. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and kept walking.

---

Thunk.

The knife smashed into the target, the jagged blade biting into the side of the soft foam. Anneka shook her head angrily. The target was full of vicious bites like the one she had just delivered, but they were all around the sides of the cushy foam. The middle, as yet, was safe. She shook her head again, and drew another long silver knife from the sheath at her belt.

Thunk.

The blade sliced the paper covering, and bit and held on the foam. A bit closer to the center this time, though the bit was so marginal Anneka took little solace from it. Launching knives had been her idea, and she thought it to be a very good idea. A sheath in her jacket, and any police who tried to confront her would get a knife in their throat.

Thunk.

That throw hadn't gone to the throat. That throw at least would have made a breeze that rustled their hair.

Thunk.

Closer. A bit closer.

Thunk.

This was necessary. A throwing knife in her palm, the ability to use it, and she couldn't be stopped.

Thunk.

Absolutely, positively required. If she was to live her life on the run with the Football team, she needed defense.

Thunk.

There.
The knife had bitten the center of the target.
Right in the throat.

[Estenia]

Time to shock the World

Chapter 5: After match

Next morning after the training was over, everyone was resting and remembering last night's match. Nazarenkov and Maksimov were readier than ever, Maksimov had Sarianna on his side, Nazarenkov knew stuff and still in form Eenpalu was supporting him, this couldn't get any better, that was on their minds all the time. Nazarenkov, while drinking water said to Maksimov

"You followed my advice and you succeed."

"Yes." said Maksimov

"So do you want to thank me now?"

"Yeah, thanks, you just gave me some useful advice about her, do I owe you something?"

"Nope, I owed you something since the match with Semarland when you heled me with money."

"Alright, yet again thanks, so where's Eenpalu?"

"Eenpalu is talking to his wife and children, he'll be there in a few."

"Ok, bye my good friend, see ya later."

said Maksimov and walked to Eenpalu who finished his call and asked

"So, Eenpalu, how you doin?"

"Fine, thanks for asking." he said

"So are you in for some ice-cream?"

"Well, Halloween is better with sweets, a small bar of chocolate wouldn't mind me now."

"Me neither, elt's go to the market and se what they have."

"Ok."

then they walked tot he market taken a bar of chocolate and went to the hotel, where they watched Sarianese TV which is a bit too foreign for their likes, but on TV they heard about a war on Estenia. Maksimov quickly wanted to go on the war but it was too late, hye had to play for the national football team. So he said

"I want to go in that war so bad."

"Me too, this war might be dangerous for my family back in Rannin."

"Most of my life lives in a small town near it, if they invade, we have lost."

"Not actually, we will defend till the end those nazis won't beat us."

"Really?"

"Yes, we have defeated some form of fascism in the great war, back on 2002. Well back then I was fighting there when we left I was dissapointed, I was really sad but yet again decided to begin my second dream and it became true now. A bit late but true."

"So you want to fight?"

"Yes."

"After the qualifiers I think there will be spots, I'll join your Marin Korps, I am actually a corporal."

"Corporal?"

"Yes, in that war it was me when we reached Salem back in Aronia."

"Wow, there's sure a big history."

"Yes, 2 years later you know the story."

"Yup."

"So let's post our support."

"Yes."

then they posted their support on facebook, twitter, instagram, jesina, reddit, blowit and many associated global and Estenian stuff. They also said that they were about to join the war which made them have lots more fans. All the posts were written that way

'Hello fans back in Estenia, we show full support in the war and we're about to join when we return from the qualifiers and the Baptism of Fire. So don't quit, we're coming. #DeadKaifongBetterKaifong'

[The Sarian]

And the cutoff for Matchday Two in The Sarian is here!

[New Bordial]

Lineup for New Bordial vs. Beauce

ST: Munir Al'Rashin (24) (Bordial F.C.)
ST: Richard M'Boli (31) (Vasenshir)
LM: Samuel Nereun (23) (East Myrian)
RM: Sergio DiRama (25) (Vasenshir)
CAM: Alec Trite (19) (Bordial F.C.)
CDM: Henry Javi (29) (Bordial F.C.)
LB: Park JoonHae (28) (East Myrian)
RB: John Allen (31) (Tribeca)
CB: Evan Kil-Ho (24) (Silverback F.C.)
CB: Rodney Lin (27) (Frogolem)
GK: James Novem (30) (Silverback F.C.)

Subs:
ST: Kris Jaegar (16) (Jasenwolves)
ST: Joesph RiDean (26) (Silverback F.C.)
LM: Graham Uke (32) (Frogolem)
CDM: Lee Seung-Gi (22) (Havenport)
RB: Crystal (22) (Silverback F.C.)
CB: Ambre Oyne (26) (Sadhampton)
GK: Nick Callum (37) (Shell Cove)






Kretikos has decided to go with his standard formation in this opening match. "It hasn't failed me in the past." Kretikos remarked, "I want to continue with what worked." Notable members of the bench are Kris Jaegar, Lee Seung-Gi, and Crystal, all under the age of 23. Kretikos wants to give the youth a chance to show him what them can do. "I'm really excited I might get the opportunity to play." said Kris Jaegar, "Being a member of the national team is a dream come true."

[The Sarian]

Matchday Two Results - The Sarian

Group A
 Bandwagon 0–1 Etelkoz   @ Spirit of Legacy Arena, Legacy, Isle Kensingtea
 Paymina 0–1 Masseau   @ Mason Stadium, New Oslo, Henrikson Island  

  Group A                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Alastonia                     1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
2 Bandwagon                     2   1  0  1    1   1   0    3
3 Masseau                       2   1  0  1    1   1   0    3
4 Etelkoz                       2   1  0  1    1   2  −1    3
5 Paymina                       1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Group B
 Isula ĝe Ru 2–0 Somstratzka   @ Stadium of Ackland, Ronan, Isle Ackland 
 Khalifa Arabia 5–0 RPGers   @ Community Centre, Roade, Isle Saria 

  Group B                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Isula ĝe Ru                   2   2  0  0    3   0  +3    6
2 Khalifa Arabia                1   1  0  0    5   0  +5    3
3 Wolfbenz                      1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
4 Somstratzka                   2   0  0  2    1   4  −3    0
5 RPGers                        2   0  0  2    0   6  −6    0

Group C
 Seltik 2–0 Kingston-Atlantis   @ Fynamore Road, Lavington, Isle Regis
 French Louisana 2–2 United States of Devonta   @ The Matterhorn, Lavington, Isle Regis

  Group C                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Seltik                        2   1  1  0    4   2  +2    4
2 Estenia                       1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
3 United States of Devonta      2   0  2  0    4   4   0    2
4 French Louisana               1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
5 Kingston-Atlantis             2   0  0  2    0   4  −4    0

Group D
 Abanhfleft 1–0 New Drakonika   @ Fredrik Elwing Stadium, Marlborough, Isle Regis 
 The Oaklands 1–0 Pays d'en Haut   @ Oakhurst Arena, Setter, Isle Oakhurst

  Group D                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                    2   2  0  0    3   1  +2    6
2 The Oaklands                  1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 New Drakonika                 2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
4 North Britonisea              1   0  0  1    2   3  −1    0
5 Pays d'en Haut                2   0  0  2    1   3  −2    0

[Polaaskan]

Ulrik Leonardsen sat down in the press conference room at the Stade Olympia. Amidst the flashing of cameras and the murmur of journalists, he cleared his throat. He than motioned towards a bespectacled journalist in the far corner.

"Yes, you."

"Sven Oklen, Natunol Post, do you have any confirmation on Mikke Leonardsen's injury?"

"Yes, yes I do. Unfortunately, the physio has ruled out Mikke for our next game against Joshulia. He has said it is a slight knock to the thigh. We do not know how long he'll be out for, only that he will miss the next match. We're going to hope it will not be out for too long."

"With Johan Pekarik putting an excellent performance in the 2-1 win, will you start him instead?"

"Most likely. Johan has showed well in training. He can link up well with Jonathan van Leonardsen behind him and is capable of playing slightly wider than Mikke, which could come to quite a bonus in future games, depending on the opposition's formation. I don't know for certain yet, but he will be a likely choice. Yep, you?"

"Hi, Filip Janssen, Stagnov Journal, who do you think shone the most in the game?"

"Well, I'm not going to single out anyone, whether it be positive or negative. I think everyone played well in the game. We attacked well and looked comfortable defending. Yes, you?"

"Sven Kirkkegaard, Krossnov Observer, are you going to stick to your guns and employ the 4-1-2-1-2 all throughout the tournament? Or are you going to change it regularly?"

"Like I said before, I know nothing for certain regarding future matches. It depends on the team's performance. The team's performance affects the team's tactics. If I notice a flaw or a bug in the formation, I won't use it. Same goes for any other tactic I may use. I will be quick to change it as soon as I can, even if it is in the match. But we are going to be striving to win, and I do not want to let a formation that is bad affect that. Yes, you?"

"Sergei Ablahm of the Slazhnov Telegraph, how do you feel about Semshov and van Leonardsen operating as wing-backs?"

"I think they played very well. Semshov and van Leonardsen link up with Karlstrom and Pekarik respectively very well. If I sense that we need to go more defensive, I'll move the former two into more defensive positions in the back four, and the latter two out wide more. Otherwise, Semshov and van Leonardsen will be out pretty wide and although Karlstrom and Pekarik, or Leonardsen will be out wide as wingers, they'll be a slight more central than the wing-backs. You?"

"Hello, Tomas Kirkkin here from the Martinsberg Reporter, do you feel there is any pressure on the young van Axelsen or he is pressured at all?"

"Absolutely not. He seems very composed for his age and is not big-headed or full of himself in the slightest. None of the team is. I can safely say all 23 of them are the most level headed people I've ever met. Except for Christian Hogg sometimes, haha. No, but seriously none are big headed. Which is a good thing because if you get too cocky, that can cost you a match. You there? Last question now."

"Timo Mann, Northbrook Guardian, do you think everyone in the 23 man squad will get a game?"

"I'm not going to promise anything. It all depends on their form in the training sessions. I'll try my best to ensure everyone gets at least some time on the field, but if they're showing a poor form and a poor mentality then it's going to be unlikely I'll pick them?"

"Last thing, will everyone from that squad travel to the World Cup?"

"Again, nope, not ensuring anything at all. Myself and Jakob have been keeping an eye on the domestic games too, and abroad. So if any Polaa player is showing some immense talent domestically, we could potentially pick them. Thank you for your time, everybody."

GK - Teemu PETERSEN
LB - Vasili SEMSHOV
CB - Sol ARKE (c)
CB - Christian HOGG (vc)
RB - Jonathan VAN LEONARDSEN
DM - Frans LAURENSEN
LW - Lukas KARLSTROM
AM - Iiro MIHAYLOV
RW - Johan PEKARIK
ST - Timo HEINCKEL
ST - Patrik AEL

Pre-BoF Friendly
Polaaskan 4 - 0 Polaaskan B
Pre-BoF Friendly
Semarland B 2-0 Polaaskan
Pre-BoF Friendly
Polaaskan 1-1 Dutch Semarland
Pre-BoF Friendly
San José Guayabal 4-0 Polaaskan
Pre-BoF Friendly
Polaaskan 2 - 0 Pine Island
BoF MD1
Leadan 1 - 2 Polaaskan
BoF MD2
Polaaskan v Joshulia
BoF MD3
Valnara v Polaaskan
BoF MD4
Bye
BoF MD5
Polaaskan v Gregory Llama Land

[Paymina]

The Payminan Sports Board like to present to you the

Paymina National Football Team

Kits

The main 13

Manager-Wasol Hernandez,41 years old
Notes: Was the most credible choice for manager of the national team. Has 3 years experience with Patistani side Pak-Jariri F.C, has now moved to Payminian club Lulai Sharks.

Assistant Manager-Rarefa Leonidas,31 Years old
Notes: Has recently been bough by Patistanian 2nd division league club ROFL F.C to guide them through the Series B Championship.

Goalkeeper-Abdullah Mehtab, 23 Years old, 6 Caps
Notes: Played 6 of the 10 friendlies which were scheduled before the BOF, has been signed by Payminian club Gerdafa Hammerheads. Started playing football when he was 7 years old and threw a party when he heard about the Payminian League which is called "كرة القدم Liga" to be started.

Right Back-Junaid Fardala, 19 Years old, 9 Caps, 1 goal
Notes: Played 8 out of the 10 friendlies, is a master at slide tackling. Scored a crucial goal which made the scoreline 2-2 when Paymina faced their colonists San Jose Guaybayal.

Left Back-Hanana Rasool, 23 Years old, 10 Caps
Notes: Hannana is one of the 2 players who has played in all of the 10 international matches. He has come close to scoring against Jeckland and Patistan. He is also the Vice-Captain of the team.

Central Back-Edgar House, 25 years old, 5 Caps, 2 goals
Notes: Edgar plays for Fargudah Jellyfishes. He has scored against San Jose Guayabyal in a 3-1 loss and against Pine Island in a 2-1 win. This defender likes to come forward.

Right wing-Elahi Edhi, 29 years old, 7 Caps
Notes: Even though Elahi hasnt scored a goal in the 7 matches he has played in, he has been responsible for the majority of them. He has assisted 6 of the 10 goals that the Payminian team has scored. He is also the oldest player in the squad.

Left Wing-Edana Wassem, 17 years old, 3 Caps,2 goals
Notes: Edana's inclusion in the squad was controversial. With him only playing 3 matches due to injuries but having scored 2 put the selectors in a tough spot. They soon decided that he would be in the team.

Central Midfield-Leonidas Rafeal, 23 Years old, 8 caps, 1 goal.
Notes: Leonidas was born in Fuerte Buenaventura. He is pure Guyablense and decided to give a trial and play in Paymina rather then San Jose Guayabyal. He has scored against Patistan which resulted for a 1-0 win for Paymina.

Midfield-Resh Zeman, 25 years old, 10 caps, 2 goals
Notes: During the trial matches and the international matches its was a fact that Resh could play anywhere in the midfield. With him scoring one goal against Pine Island in the Left wing and one goal against San Jose Guyabyal in the right wing, and assisting a goal in central midfield...it was decided that would be given a free position in the midfield, and with that also the captaincy of the team.

Striker-Qasi Wali, 21 Years old, 9 caps, 1 goal
Notes: Qasi was clearly the most aggressive player in the squad and was not in any way suitable for the defense. He proved to be very good in his dribbling skills and vision but his passing and accuracy was what was lacking. The selectors decided to take a risk and put him in the team.

Striker-Rashid Haffiz, 18 years old,5 caps
Notes: Many say that Rashid doesn't deserve a spot in the team and that he is a very solo player that can't shoot. Well Wali Hernandez thinks otherwise, he personally took the name of Rashid to be included in the squad as he can be very valuable to their BOF chances,

Striker-Shazaid Khan,9 Caps, 1 goal
Notes: Shazaid by far is the most exciting player in the squad. He can easily bypass anyone with his tricks and plays with the goalkeeper a little before passing to someone or shooting himself. He is ranked as Payminas most colored player but can he prove it in the The Sarian?

The other team

GK: Rawila Khan
CB: Danish Saad
RB: Saad Ali
LB: Haider Ali
MF: Faliz Khan
MF: Hernandez Sar
MF: Leonidas Cech
MF: Raganisk Khan
ST: Qwali Goyato
ST: Fiteey Moo
ST: Kanjar Khana

Style Mod: +4

I Give To My Opponent The Permission To:

Choose My Goalscorers: Y
Godmod Goalscoring Events: N
Injure Players: Y,only 1 in 1 match
Godmod Injury Events: N
Red Card Players: N
Yellow Card Players: Y
Godmod Other Events: Y, but please keep it realistic.

[Wolfbenz]

OOC Note: I had a match report written up, but my computer shut down right when I was nearly done, so please excuse the late(ish) RP.

The Kolbenz Times

Interview with Klaus Nezfurger, backup goalkeeper of the Dire Wolves

Today, the good people here at the Kolbenz Times have managed to land an interview with Klaus Nezfurger, the backup goalkeeper for the Wolfish National Team and the oldest player on the roster, at the age of 37. Nezfurger also plays second string for his club, FC Kolbenz, and most people have criticized manger Klaus Zoller for picking him rather than Soren Biermann, Nezfurger's teammate with FC Kolbenz.

But enough about his background information, let's get to the interview!

Markus Lager (Interviewer): Hello, Mr. Nezfurger!

Klaus Nezfurger: Hello there, Mr. Lager! You don't need to call me Mr. Nezfurger, just call me Klaus, please.

Markus: Oh, okay then. How are you today?

Klaus: Feeling pretty well, thanks. The first team is at training today, so it's quieter in here than it usually is.

Markus: Huh. That's good. How is it usually like in your room?

Klaus: Really loud. I am sharing rooms with Espen Pavlov and Vladimir Gusev, and sadly for my ears, they both like playing
heavy metal music really loudly. We even got some complaints from our teammates next door.

Markus: Who were the complainers?

Klaus: It was actually from Benjamin Zoller, who is the manager's son, and apparently he threatened to tell on us, and then we
just laughed at him, mainly because he sounded like a six year old rather than a twenty-six year old.

Markus: Oh yeah, then what happened?

Klaus: Mr. Zoller couldn't have cared less.

Markus: Hahahahahahaha!
So Klaus, how did you feel about the Dire Wolves' last game?

Klaus: We played well, after Somstratzka scored the opening goal of the game, we started attacking and getting forward more often, then Espen scored a great goal just before halftime. Afterwards, when Arseniy Konstantinov scored that second goal, the bench was ecstatic. The manager just got up from his seat and started dancing, and pretty much all of us on the bench started laughing.

Markus: So is Klaus Zoller usually one of those cool and collected managers, or is he one of those very animated managers?

Klaus: He's defiantly one of the animated ones. One time when the Somstratzkans had a great opportunity because our defense was out of shape, he nearly kicked my water bottle when they almost scored on us.

Markus: Alright Klaus, I've got two more questions for you.

Klaus: Okay.


Markus: Number one: Although this won't happen for awhile, who do you believe will be nominated for the all star team for Wolfbenz, if anyone.

Klaus: Hmm... I have a few candidates in my mind, such as Espen Pavlov, Tihomir Freud, Arseniy Konstantinov, and Goran Samedov. I would also maybe think Ruslan Salic would be a candidate, but there are about 50 teams in the competition and only one goalkeeper spot...

Markus: Okay then, your final question. What are you planning to do after you retire?

Klaus: I've narrowed it down to becoming a teacher, or coaching a youth club team.

Markus: Okay then, thanks for your time Klaus. Hope to see you on the field sometime soon!

Klaus: Thanks Markus! See you soon!

Comments

Bobbeh a few seconds ago

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It's a shame Klaus is so old now and the Dire Wolves are just starting their journey of international competitions.

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648 up 205 down

CommieNazi666 10 minutes ago

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WHO IS THIS KLAUS GUY!?

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97 up 103 down

PhatBoi32 20 minutes ago

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This user has been deleted.

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2 up 72091231 down

MrSensible 45 minutes ago

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Klaus Nezfurger seems like a nice guy, but I'm going with the opinion of the general public here. Biermann should have been chosen as our backup keeper. Hopefully he'll be in the roster for World Cup Qualifying.
Oh yeah, and Benjamin Zoller can stay in The Sarian after the competition is over for all I care. I mean, the only reason Klaus Zoller chose him was because he's his son and Ben needs constant supervision.

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2001 up 52 down

[United States of Devonta]

The spell continues on...
^{Are we under a draw spell?}

United States of Devonta 2-2 French Louisana

United States of Devonta (4-4-2 Diamond): Cooper, Brooks, Benton, Kindred, Liam, Russell, Abdullah, Edwards, Owens, Johansen, Adams

Quick Stats:
56% Possessions, 15 Shots, 10 on goal
51% Possessions, 13 Shots, 9 on goal

Scores: Adams (11'), Abdullah (67')

CAUTIONED: Edwards (22') ,Benton (89')
EJECTED: --NONE--

Schedule:
MD1: United States of Devonta 2-2 Seltik
MD2: United States of Devonta 2-2. French Louisana
MD3: Bye
MD4: United States of Devonta Vs. Kingston-Atlantis
MD5: United States of Devonta Vs. Estenia

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WIP

[Tumbra]

The teamsheet was out. I was on the bench. We were playing our default 4-2-3-1, with everything being normal, no changes whatsoever.

As I lay on my bed that night, I couldn't get to sleep. I kept thinking about what happened during the Huntswood Stadium disaster. Sure I was six at the time, but back then, it was harrowing. Not to mention I was there, on the opposite stand from where it happened, just seeing all those poor people get crushed...

Jordan Fletcher running over to help...

In the end, a total of seventy-four people died due to the crush. Stepped on, crushed. The youngest was just four years old.

Four. That was even younger than me back then.

And of course, there were the tabloids (yes, the tabloids were as irritating back then as they were now). They reported inflammatory stuff. They angered the people of the city of Pickford so much that for years they banned any newsstands from carrying that tabloid. That tabloid was the same one that reports inflammatory stories even now.

This is why I hate the media so much.

What if a similar thing happened tomorrow?

Focus on the match, Will. Focus. FOCUS!

I simply couldn't. Hallucinating about it...

I got up for a walk.