World Cup 70 - RP Thread

[Greater Watford]

88BU-81BU

Football took off relatively slowly for the next few years. The major side to be formed at the time was the third largest city, St Albans City FC. They adopted blue shirts, to contrast the red and yellow of Hemel Hempstead and Watford. The original shirts were of a royal blue colour, as described in their historical records, with white shorts and socks. Today they are noted for their navy and gold colour combination. Kit changes have occurred a fair few times, something that will be discussed later.

The 3 major sides agreed to participate in the Tri-series from 85BU onwards. This began as an event to be played twice a year, with home and away matches. All 3 sides seemed eager, and it was the first real tournament in Greater Watford. The very first Tri series was won by Watford FC, winning all 4 games, with Hemel winning 2 games against St Albans. The tournament saw a large surge of support. To accommodate this, Hemel Hempstead built a stadium at Highland Road with a capacity of 45’000. To this day, although all stands have been renovated, it still remains the home of the Reds, the longest running stadium in all of Greater Watford.

It’s not just the 3 major cities that were beginning to take up football. Many small towns, and industrial towns looked to organise teams to represent them. Some of the earlier examples included Harpenden Harps, Garston Greenwell Factories, Cassio Association, and Chenies Industry. All of these teams would eventually fold, but the sport was gaining appeal across the nation, if organisation was haphazard.

To try and standardise football in the nation, the 3 major sides agreed to adopt a set of rules based off international football that they had seen. Among them was the decision to make goalkeepers wear a different coloured top, which initially was white, the use of yellow and red cards and clarification of offside and penalties rules. These rules were widely adopted by smaller sides, although there were still issues to be ironed out, such as kit clashes, a lack of kit numbers, and dimensions of the pitch and ball.

By the end of the decade, around 35 teams existed with a match attendance of at least 500. No official competition yet existed for all teams to compete against each other, an innovation that the next decade would see.

[Schottia]

All Covered Up

Part Two

No fixed ontological reading.

Gary took several hours to get into a frame of mind where he could even begin to get over the conversation he had had with Abbey. He had cried down the phone to his agent, he had tried to phone his parents, he had sat sobbing on the bathroom floor for longer than any man would like to admit. This, like everything else in his life, had just become an overwhelming drama. Not finding a new club had been a drama. Not having the right offer had been a drama. Having to leave Schottia had been a drama. Not being able to leave Schottia had been a drama. Arriving in New Edom had been a drama. And now, being in New Edom had become a drama. Well the next drama would be unfolding shortly as he would be returning to Schottia soon, the world cup qualifiers were about to lurch into his life, like the grotesquely deformed creature that they were.

An opening game against Saintland of all teams. If keeping Prince Andreas quiet wasn't bad enough, Gary would be lucky to leave the game with his ankles intact. The top ranking team in Schottia's group seemed to share the Edomite's devotion to religion. How did he, a staunch atheist, end up in a place like this.

At least he would be able to see Abbey again, face to face, where she couldn't hang up on him this time. Gary didn't do well over the phone or the internet; this was drowned in irony considering the latter was where he spent the majority of his free time, conversing on medieval history forums.

Gary wondered if there was any way he could go back to Schottia without having to visit his parent's or his sister. Was there a chance they might not know the qualifiers were starting? No, that was certainly a long shot, all they needed to do was pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV. Given then, that his father's preferred state of being was sat in his armchair hunched over the newspaper occasionally glancing up at the TV, the chances were slim to none.

There wasn't a lot to be happy about, not really, when he thought about it. The socialist issues which had dominated his life back on the tiny islands if Schottia seemed a world away in New Edom. He felt that being here somehow made them all seem trivial in some way, and this had shaken him.

On top of the challenges to his belief system he had to toil with the fact that he lived in one of the most volatile regions on the planet. The neo-medieval style politics of Cornellia meant that the loose, fragile relationships, which held the nations together were on a constant knife edge. They region was perpetually on the verge of open warfare. It seemed, that like Gary's father, Cornellia had its own habitual reality.

On the topic of preferred states of being, Gary for the time being at least, had found his. He had assembled a list of objects, no one on its own was capable of improving his mood, however together that was a different story.

This list was as follows:

Bottle of beer
Book on Belisarian history
A scale model of ROS Claíomh Solais
Dried apricots
Natural yogurt
His garden chair
His garden
Dean Cooper Mp3 track
The Edomite weather
The smell of the evening air in foreign city
A comfortable posture
A snuggley jumper
A vestige of positivity

As Gary sat back letting the cool of the evening air brush against his leg he noticed something toward the bottom of his garden that previously had escaped his attention. Removing the headphones from his ears he vacated his garden chair and headed towards the structure, as structure was all anyone could call it. It was made of stones, stones loosely cemented together into a tapering form, perhaps eight foot in height. On closer inspection the structure revealed itself to be an old stone pizza oven. Strange how it hadn't been on the houses' inventory. Stranger still that he hadn't noticed it until now.

Returning to his house Gary collected a box of matches and some sheets of printer paper. With all due diligence he then set about kindling a fire in the oven. As the flames began to take hold the young man fed in larger and larger sticks. He had to keep widening his search to find fuel for the growing fire, on occasion he was forced to use the light from the screen of his Mp3 player to find suitable firewood in the semi-darkness.

At length Gary succeeded in achieving a raging furnace. The heat from the open door of the oven was intense and sweat ran down his face as he stood transfixed in front it. Was there something in man's nature that drew him to fire? Was it some innate instinct, the kernel of a former way of life. An ancient way of life. What was Abigail up to now? Was she tacked up in her bed or was she out partying?

One burning brand in particular had Gary's attention. It was glowing orange: somehow object yet somehow fire. The fire seemed to have become one with the brand, to the extent that there may have been dispute as to whether it was a burning stick, or a stick shaped flame. At present no fixed ontological reading could be made. The brand was about four centimetres in diameter, about the width of a broom handle.

A handle. That was it. It was a handle. Gary knew that if he could only grab onto this brand, he could get a grip on his life. This was what it had come down to. In a way this was it. To take control of his life would require a leap of faith, the brand had shown him the answer.

[Albundania]

"Final score of 3-0 as the whistle blows, Albundania's first defeat of what seems like it could be many." The crowd of 80,000 or more were dead silent at the display they had seen. People had believed Simpson was merely downplaying the team for their coming opposition, no one had seriously believed the manager when he had said it would be a tough road ahead. It seemed like just yesterday that qualification was guaranteed, and no title was out of reach for the Blues. Now though, San José Guayabal, a nation that hadn't even existed at the peak of Albundanian footballing prowess, had taught Albundania exactly how real football was played. Jonathan Faña had been the definition of "terrifying" all game long, slicing up a defense that looked hopelessly confused against the quality of football being played. Albundanians has truly believed that their friendly victories over the United States of Devonta and Super-Llamaland had proved them to be at the same quality of old, but now the world cup hosts had proven that feeling so very, very wrong.

The Albundanian football team played a weird role in pop culture, it being the only thing all the regions of Albundania could get behind and watch. No matter how many times the English Westerners and the German Southerners clashed in a bloody civil war over some artificial border or another, they could all get behind the football squad when they were on national TV. So, collectively, the whole nation groaned when Jonathan Faña's first minute shot deflected off the crossbar and fell not to an Albundanian defender, but straight into the path of Sean Fraser, who simply tapped it in past a hapless Albundanian defense. One minute in, and it appeared that Albundania's footballing dreams were crashing down before qualifiers had even begun. So it was at the end of the game that people were surprised that SJG had managed to only score three, especially given Alberghi's viscous red-card in the 52nd minute that brought Albundania down to ten men. One reporter aptly summed it up how bad these qualifiers could get when he said "Oh god, we have to play Valladares."

Valladares, despite any indications, are not a team to be taken lightly. They are ranked sixth in the world, and while that may not necessarily mean much, they seem to be good enough to justify the high rankings. They have yet to announce any kind of roster, which makes us think they have a trick up their sleeves as yet. Perhaps they have found a way to immortalize Martin Simpson at his peak form, and plan to play him against us in a kind of cruel irony that only the Catholic church could appreciate? Maybe they've acquired a clone army of Di Bradinis, each of which jogging about the field with picture perfect hair? All we know is that we had better pray someone up there is listening to our pleas if we want to get anything out of the match, even if it is at home. At any rate, it should be an exciting match-up even if just to see elven players get their first competitive cap in the blue kits of Albundania.

[Apox]

The University of Dwile is one of the most prestigious institutions in all of Esportiva, having recently celebrated it's 550th anniversary, making it the oldest centre for tertiary education in the country by a long shot. It's well known for it's STEM subjects - Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths for the uninitiated, but in addition to that a wide range of subjects can be sat at the back.

One such subject is football studies, one laughed at by many of the people taking part in more "prestigious" pursuits, and yet, still the best place to study football in the entirety of the country. In the Department of Maths, Professor Karl Edwards, formerly a player with Gwinevra Barbarians back in the 550's, was giving a lecture on the history of football with respect to Apox - going through it all. As he turned to write on the whiteboard he heard the creaking of the door opening. This was not usual - the students were often late, however, it did surprise him a little as the lecture was about to end.

In fact he was just drawing up his final conclusions on Dravid Scott, his importance to the modern game, his legacy etc. He turned around, just in time to see the very man his lecture had been on sit down at the back row of the lecture theatre. His face was a picture of shock, but before he could say anything Dravid Scott had raised a finger to his lips and motioned for him to keep his identity a secret. Karl turned back to his class;

"Right everyone, that'll do for today. Remember, that essay needs to be in by Tuesday." There was a general rush of papers being put away, and the scramble of students to get out and go drink, sleep or whatever else it was that they spent their time doing. Suddenly Dravid Scott, the great Dravid Scott was standing besides him.

"Hello Professor Edwards," he said, extending his hand, "I wondered if we might be able to have a chat." Karl accepted his hand, shaking it firmly,

"But of course. Please call me Karl," he said, motioning to a side door, which led to the hall way to his office. Once inside, and seated, he turned to Dravid, with a relaxed and surprised look on his face.

"So Mr. Scott, what can I do for you?"

"Well, first off, you might as well call me Dravid if we're going with first names. Now, I have, something of an interesting proposal for you, if you'd like to hear it."

"Well, of course, I'd be delighted."

"Well, as I'm sure you'll have noticed, Apoxian international football isn't in the greatest health right now. Sure, we're respectably ranked and all that, which isn't something to be sniffed at, but we haven't really kicked on in about 10 years, despite our talent being arguably better now and our domestic league going from strength to strength. We need to find a way of fixing this."

"Hmm, I'm listening."

"Well, I've recently been tasked with creating a commission, as such, to see how this can be turned around, and, I need a proven expert in the field to help with this. There are few as knowledgeable as you in the field, and none so readily available. Would you be up joining me in this endeavour?"

"I can't say it doesn't sound promising, but I have my teaching to do, I'm not sure I can fully commit."

"Don't worry, we'll ensure that your normal life will be disrupted as little as possible. Trust me, that was the main agreement for me signing up to this as well," said Dravid, studying Karl's face intently.

"Hmmm, well, I suppose I can do it. Yes, I'm in." Dravid beamed back, flashing him one of his brilliant smiles.

"Thanks very much, I'll be in touch soon," he said, shaking Karl's hand and seeing himself out, leaving a mildly bemused Karl behind to ponder everything.

[Buyan]

21 o’clock.

When Henrik had finally found the liberating line in that newspaper he found on the early bus to the recycling centre, he almost betrayed his enthusiasm with a loud gasp. Exactly after his late shift, the opening match of the qualifiers would go underway. Mentally, he lay aside one Mint and fifty pence from the gunny sack, which should have been enough for two small ciders in the Five Oaks - which might not have been the nearest pub, but it had the largest television screen, the cheapest drinks and the most lax policy on “consume or get the f’ out”. Even with the poor quality of the beers down there, it was a feast in his mind, a sprinkling source of joy. The big screen, the tense encounter in, well, some stadium in Paym...

Then Henrik read the whole thing.

21 o’clock Paymina time - 19h Buyanese time

Oh for f’s sake...

---

“What you’re so pissed about?”

Stefans minor lisp annoyed Henrik more than ever, along with the smug look on the face of that oaf. In the background, only sounds of metal on metal were heard, loud enough that the two had to yell at one another despite standing at both ends of a long metal train rail.

“Cause it’s a long day?”

Couldn’t he just keep his mouthhole shut for once? Just for one bloody evening shift? The bastard knew well enough why Henrik wasn’t in the mood for banter now.

“Something with the old man?”
“He’s fine, shut up,” Henrik growled, and continued with a slightly more abrupt, “Up!”

The default idiot expression of Stefan had by now formed into a wide grin.

“Let me guess here,” he spoke unrelenting, “ladies? Nah, you don’t have much activity on that front. Your apartment? Hmm... The weather has finally been a tad better than before.”

Henrik detested that he lacked the strength to carry those goddamned rails alone.

“Then...” Stefan paused, “it wouldn’t be the game, would it.”

Henrik halted so abruptly that his colleague almost stumbled and fell.

“Listen up, shitface, between now and the moment the horn indicates we can finally get out of here, I don’t want to hear a single word escape your mouth. Am I clear?”
“There, there, such profanities...” Stefan laughed and whilst dodging a fist he winked, “especially against the lad who has a little present for you tonight.”

Just before Henrik thought about attempting to smack him a second time, he stopped mid-air.

“A little present?”

---

It was an old piece from the scrapyard and Henrik didn’t want or need to know how on earth Stefan had been able to lay his hands on it, let alone get it into the company. And even if the colour scheme was off and some buttons were missing, it was a genuine radio and in between the cracks and ploings, Henrik could hear the voice of the commentator, giving the preview. Near Ilka - as they had named the machine that spitted out rails by the dozen after the porn star whose poster was glued to the side of it - no one but them and the other duo passed and Albrecht and Leif appeared to be in the complot.

“I admit,” Stefan said with a wee smile, “we’ll only be able to hear it a second or ten each minute, but I guess it’s better than nothing.”
“You’re a genious, Stefan,” Henrik beamed, “amazing.”

And whilst they walked on with the next rail, Stefan realised this must have been the first time someone ever said that to him.

---

”Fifteen minutes and the possession is for the Hedgehogs, but it seems that Wasol Hernandez has got his guys on the right spot for now, they are able to...”

As Stefan and Henrik carried another rail to the cart, the whispers of the radio got overwhelmed by the clanking and clinking from the machines around them.

“It ain’t looking too good,” Henrik grumbled, “they should manage to get around them.”
“Stay calm, Devold will break through it,” Stefan kept his faith in his idol, “you’ll see.”

”... Devold behind the ball, some twenty-five yards it s...”

“I told you, he’ll...”
“Shut up and listen!”

”... there’s the free kick, in the pack, there’s Mehtab with a glove but he doesn’t get further than Zermin, on the chest and oh! There it is! Nil to one!”

The rail in his hands prevented Henrik from dancing, but never before they had crossed the distance to the cart that quick.

---

”...and that’s the start of the second half here in Paymina, our Blue Hedgehogs dominated the first one and got rewarded with a goal by Quinten Zermin, but the white-and-green remain dangerous on counters as evidenced by a sharp shot from Rashid Haffiz...”

“Still a close call, especially with our awful goalscoring,” Stefan remained careful, but for Henrik it was as if the three points were already shipped and transported to the nearest Buyanese port.
“Starting with a victory, how magnificent!”

Again and again, they sped up to get their rail to the cart as quick and possible, just like Leif and Albrecht who brought the other half of the material out. Secretly, Henrik wondered whether it didn’t caught the attention that they were sprinting back, but he wouldn’t want to spoil the fun for anything in the world.

”... Devold to Knutsen, he sends it deep, Rettinger is stronger than Fardala and oh! Andrey Rettinger! He shoots at once and scores, Mehtab leaves behind on the ground whilst Rettinger celebrates with the few fans who made the trip to...”

“And up!” Henrik yelled with enthusiasm, “it’s in the bag!”
“Rettinger, Rettinger... That Garbarnia ever let go of him, I’ll never understand.”
“He just became so much better in Goodfeather, that’s what. They finally got him to work hard and you see,” Henrik laughed whilst they placed the rail on the card, “it pays off.”

Another sprint to the radio, hoping to catch something of the commented replay.

---

By now, Henrik was quite possibly more exhausted than any of the players over there, but that couldn’t stop him. Whilst Stefan was wheezing and huffing, Henrik continuously augmented the pace.

”... Espen Knutsen shakes his fist, he scores with a magnificent volley and Paymina really against the canvas now, a great doublepass between Knutsen and Devold and it’s the Crisisbless midfielder who scores, splendid job...”

“Ow, we missed the third one,” Henrik complained mockingly, whilst Stefan was attempting to get some breath, but it didn’t halt either to cheer loudly. It had been quite a miracle that they hadn’t aroused suspicion this far, but this quite possibly was the drop. It was unclear where he had come from, but their superior - Gerhard, a lanky man for whom live had no love and as such, he radiated only a cold antipathy to any living creature - walked up to Ilka. It was Henrik who noted him first.

“Shit, Gerhard. He’ll hear!”

The company was quite strict on these kind of ‘disciplinary infringements’ and neither could afford to lose this gig.

“What do we do now,” Henrik panicked.

Stefan didn’t respond, but dropped the rail which collided with the ground with a loud bang, whilst screaming himself as if he just had been blown to smithereens by a mine. Gerhard, so far firmly walking towards Ilka stopped about a yard of ten away from the machine and then turned to Stefan.

“Wh’t, y’ve d’ne now, y’ imbec’l!” Gerhard fulminated, as live had been as short on vowels as love for him.
“Dropped it, sir, right on my foot,” Stefan cried with the saddest face possible to men.
“F’r f’cks sake, g’t y’r ass up ‘nd sw’t ‘t out, y' cryb'by!” Gerhard shouted - his only known manner of speech and walked off towards the carts. Henrik was still watching to the crawling Stefan with eyes like soup plates. It wasn’t but when Gerhard was out of earshot, that he escaped paralyse.

“Holy f’ck, you’re all right, mate?”
“Of course,” he grinned whilst standing up after carefully checking if Gerhard was around the corner.
“But... But... The rail... That’s almost eighty kilos, man!”
“You think I dropped it on my foot?” Stefan asked.
“Well...”
“I’m not an idiot, you know,” he grinned and walked away, leaving a baffled Henrik behind.

---

“And that’s the final whistle, the counter ends with a seven for Buyan and nil for the home squad. Paymina resisted bravely till the third goal and then their moral collapsed, it seemed, courageous lads but their system might cost them well against other teams as well... Although, it seems that there have been quite some upsets in the other games of the group. Estope received a cold shower at home against Thatius, nil to one. Even more surprisingly, World Cup quarterfinalists Turori spoiled points in U... What? That’s a nations name? That’s ridi... Oh, I mean, in Unitedwestandonetwothree, the score was one each there. Greater Watford, in the end, won with the tightest margin against Masseau and joins the lead along with Thatius and of course, Buyan.”

All four were assembled around Ilka now, high-fiving one another over the splendid result.

“That promises for the next one,” Stefan winked, “do I leave the radio here for that match?”
“Stefan...” Henrik smiled, “you’re a bloody genius.”

Line-up for MD2 Buyan - Estope

Ulle Seber
Ignas Smetona * Rafal Giertych * Sigurd Tufte * Kazimieras Zemaitis
Quinten Zermin
Espen Knutsen * Dimitri Plovnarov
Sverre Devold
Andrey Rettinger * Damian Balnerii

Never change a winning team, the golden rule says - but even Reinhart Shale couldn’t go around Damian Balnerii who managed to score twice against Paymina despite playing only twenty minutes - a number in sharp contrast to the nil placed against the net by the man who was subbed off for the brand-new St George’s Creek forward, Duco Dalmshelf. As such, Dalmshelf on the bench and Balnerii and Rettinger as new golden duo, they both scored twice after all. Smetona, Zermin and Knutsen added one to their counter - in the assists there was quite a contribution for Sverre Devold with three determining passes although his extra-time replacement Kluszak added one himself. Either way, despite the unorthodox 1-0-9 of Estope, the Blue Hedgehogs enter the Nine in their usual tactical scheme.

“One o nine? Those are just numbers,” Shale commented on that, “it’s just a way of saying that any lad on that team can come into the box and score. Not easy to defend, but everyone does his tasks, we can make it.”

[Sandwich Territories]

The Sandwichians waited in their dressing room once again. This time, the room was alive and full of excitement for the start of this qualifying campaign.

"Nothing like a home match to start our run...", noted Tim Hermann.

The consensus was mutual in the room. Knut Ré added on by saying, "Yeah, you said it. Only a 20 minute walk from here to the stadium for me...I had an extra hour to sleep in this morning."

"You got that, and a better wage on transfer. Lucky bastard."

"Yep, I feel pretty good today if I so so myself, Tim."

The coaching staff had finished with their planning, and had called everyone over to discuss tonight's tactics.

"Alright gentlemen, our first game on the long road of qualifiers starts tonight at home. The fans are ready to go, might I add. Tickets to the match were sold out within two hours."

The team was very pleased to hear that.

"The stadium would be sold out due to the fact that Atrua is coming to play us."

Some chuckling interrupted Blaise's speech, but with Laurance, most of what he had to preach was serious business.

"On that note, we've never even played them before, and you and I all know that if we let our guards down, things can go crashing down very quickly. That goes for even the best of national squads, clubs, and even players."

Laurance was always a kind-hearted person, and even at 70 years of age, he is one of the nicest people around in the town of Chelmsford. He is a well known man down at the local country store, and the diner nearby always had a warm welcome for him. After 50 years of being involved in football, he's gotten some recognition from the town for his achievements. The local pitch is named in his namesake, and the Rookie of the Year trophy for the Sandwichian Junior League is named after him; the Blaise Award. He has taught at every level of Sandwichian football from Sunday League to the national squad, and if there is one thing he hates, it is when a player (or a group of players) give up on trying. To him, this was tantamount to treason; treason to him, treason to the rest of the staff, treason to the squad, treason to the fans, treason to the club, and most importantly, treason to the game. He held all of his players to good standards; he is a reasonable coach after all; one someone could talk to. He has always been a player's-coach; a man who knew of the struggles one could face on the field and in the clubhouse. He is deemed by many to be a responsible leader of men, and what he could do with managing tactics he could do at managing players with the same skill. But god damn it, if you didn't try, you weren't worthy of participating in the game with him or anyone else involved with the club. Skill only went as far as will took it. This is why you can see his face on the Blaise Award: He is a coach that truly solidifies the values that should not only be integrated into the careers of young footballers, but into the lives of everyone. If only society as a whole would act with more respect to one another and themselves...

"We have work to do out there, so let's make sure we let everyone else out there in Group 13 know that we mean business. On another note, I'd like to discuss what the rest of the coaching staff and I have concluded about. This Atruan squad is filled with a bunch of young talent. They are a speedy group, and we while I think that our much more prevalent experience in the squad could be of much use, we need young players that can keep up with these guys to really dominate the physical aspect of the game. Therefore, I'd like to announce some changes to the line-up for tonight."

Some players began to pace around the room as the changes were being stated. Others just silently hoped for things to work out.

"Alright, MacIntyre, I am still playing you for this game. Sorry Knut, but I want him to start so he can really get ready for tougher opposition, as he is our starting keeper by default."

"No offense taken coach, I wouldn't have been offended anyways but today has been too good for me to get upset over that."

"Good to hear the money has served you well."

A good amount of the players snickered or chuckled again, but the room suddenly got quiet again as Laurance began to speak once more.

"Here's where the real changes will be made. I am starting Capello, van Haanrade, and van Camme tonight. Reise and Guarneri are arguably the two most influential leaders here, but I want them to get some rest and allow the others to get some more playing time so that they too can be in match fitness."

Both men were fine with the decision, as they were veterans and, as Blaise stated, mature team leaders, but Guarneri was visibly a bit disappointed at not being able to wear the captain's armband for the first home match during these qualifiers. This was made even more so due to the sold out crowd.

"I doubt the fans will be thrilled to hear it, but it is the right course of action at this time."

Only a short amount of time passed before Laurance felt the need to interject a small side statement.

"Don't get too worked up over it Brennus, you are this squad's undeniable leader. I understand that you fear that your time is coming to a close on this national squad, but I know you have plenty of time left to continue your career here on this side, regardless of what any insignificant blogger has to say about that."

The dressing room had a board specifically for any content that shows any negative content towards the national side. Whether it is trash-talk, disrespect, or even just doubts from "specialists", anything that went after the Royals was put on the board. One notable piece up there was an article from a Mizuyuki-jin analyst/enthusiast, who noted the "very few players of note" and the their doubt over the veteran defense; Guarneri and Reise in particular, to keep up with Mizuyuki's high paced offense. Both players were too experienced to be moved by the opinions of one person in a land far away, but some (Adam Sergeant in particular) were not too pleased with the comments.

This then, was their response. If all worked out with this line-up, than this is what Mizuyuki could expect from the Sandwichians; a younger, rougher, and quicker line-up. In a way, Laurance hoped that he could start the veteran defense and win, just to let anyone and everyone else know that this starting backfield was not one to doubt. Also, their experience was vital to beating talented competition, and removing them would take that away. He figured that van Haanrade and van Camme also had good experience though, so getting them into shape to start in the most important of qualifying match-ups would be vital. Either way, Laurance would have to decide if he wanted either youth or age; both had their pros and cons. This was a balance that he needed to get straight, and quickly. So was the drawback of keeping the same squad as the last World Cup.

"In the midfield, Varley, Wegener, Sergeant, and De Santiago will be starting. Slezak, I want to make sure you get good rest with that knee of yours acting up recently, and Mateus, don't take it too hard, we will get you out on the pitch soon. We plan on possibly putting you in as a sub just to compare you and Lucas (De Santiago). Don't worry about that, the both of you, we are simply seeing how we want to use you guys tactically some more; you have both proven yourselves to be worthy of playing time."

Wenzel stepped in and gave a small lecture of his own.

"I've spoken to this midfield already, so I want to just re-illiterate what I have already discussed with this group with everyone else. I want this group being very physical. Lucas and Reggie, if any or both of you feel confident with crosses, then feel free to show us what you can do. The captain's armband goes to Wegener for tonight."

The squad all began to clap, and some began to cheer. It was a large honor for Abraham to get the armband for a sold-out home game, during the World Cup qualifiers none-the-less. Guarneri had a smile on his face now; if there was anyone he wanted to see with the armband other than Reise and Wolff (both old veterans by now), it was Wegener. He liked everyone on the squad (the squad had very good chemistry due to it's lack of any change over time and therefore experience with each other; a counter-raction to the setback stated earlier), but Abe really deserved it the most. Wegener had been really showing plenty of effort over the years, and his ambition was noticeable to Brennus. Guarneri saw him as the mentor of this team for the future.

"Thanks everyone, it's an honor."

"Go out there and lead this squad with dignity and pride, Abe."

Laurance stepped back in and brought the clapping to a slow halt and finished his statements.

"And finally, out on the attacking front, I want Kjeldsen, Wilbur, and Pavia."

Hermann and Wolff nodded solemnly. They both needed a rest regardless, and Wilbur was in excellent forum recently.

"Alright lads it's only a few minutes before kickoff. I want no mercy on this Atruan squad. Lets get out there and get a high quality win tonight."

Everyone was all set to go to the hallway to wait to walkout onto the pitch, but before they left, Wolff had one last thing to state.

"Daoine an Chomhlathais..."

"Aontú!", replied the locker room.

As the snow fell onto the surface at the Parc na Saiorse in Port Tradail, the fans were desperately waiting for the match to start, and so were the Royals as they began the next chapter in Sandwichan football tonight.

Nobody felt more obligated to be the main author for that match than #6, Abraham Wegener.

----------------------------------------------------

Starting line-up (TL;DR Edition...):

GK: Elian MacIntyre - #1
CB: Diarmuid Capello - #2
CB: Zdravko Van Haanrade - #13
SW: Émilien Van Canne - #15
RM: Lachlan Varley - #16
CM: Abraham Wegener - #6 [CAPTAIN]
CM: Adam Sergeant - #7
LM: Lucas De Santiago - #19
RW: Barukh Kjeldsen - #9
ST: Derry Wilbur - #21
LW: Finnán Pavia -#11

Subs to be Used:

LM: Reggie Mateus - #8
CM: Edward Sauvage - #18
LW: Flamur Eason - #22

Edit: One sentence in particular was confusing and it bothered me enough to change it.

[Jeckland]

JECKLAND UNIMPRESSIVE IN BORE DRAW

The first match of World Cup 70 Qualifying, and what a cracker it promised to be. Jeckland, fresh from a surprise third placed finish at the Opener Trophy and seemingly finally clicking into gear under Habib Kouli, were to face none less than Isula ge Ru, off the back of winning the Baptism of Fire with their impenetrable defence. The Jeckland National Sports Stadium was a sell out, as per usual, but the noise that greeted the players as they came onto the pitch was electrifying, a testament to the support the Jeckish fans have for their team.

A similar roar greeted the team at the kick off, and they looked to get on the front foot in the opening stages of the game. The Isula ge Ru side, as underdogs and a side known for their defence, seemed happy to let their opponents dictate possession as long as they couldn't create chances. This was successful for the first 15 minutes, with the only chance being when Hoonas shot over from long range.

But Kouli's Jeckland were innovative. Roper played a delightful through ball for Parry, but he scuffed his shot straight at the keeper. Long turned past Lara in the box, but his shot was charged down by fellow centre back Ciaba. But the Isulans continued to defend valiantly, and on the half hour they reminded everyone that they were a dangerous attacking unit too, with a mazy run from Gea resulting in a low shot, which Thompson saved comfortably.

The Spuds spent the rest of the half trying, and failing, to create opportunities to break the deadlock. To the Isulans credit, they were not parking the bus per se, although they were in no rush to move the ball forward when they had it.

So half time came, with the general consensus being that Jeckland had dominated, but should have scored. The Isulans were not seeing enough of the ball to put their passing game into effect, so all Jeckland needed to do was turn this advantage into goals.

No changes were made at the start of the second half, and Jeckland came out with more urgency in the second half. Henriques was threaded through by Cole, but his effort was matched by a fantastic diving save from Sinha, with Barker heading the resulting corner over. These two chances within the first five minutes shook the Isulans, but they recovered over the next ten, having the majority of possession and not allowing Jeckland to win it back easily.

Jeckland's fans were beginning to get frustrated. Esto came on for Maria for Isula ge Ru, and at the hour mark there came a golden chance. A rare misplaced pass was picked up by Cole and shifted forward to Parry, who honed in on goal one on one. However, he appeared to overthink his shot slightly and sidefooted it straight into Sinha's arms. It summed up a poor game for the Mortsey striker and he was quickly replaced by Whitehouse.

The next ten odd minutes saw a more open passage of play, with both sides creating chances. Long was marginally offside running onto a Murray ball, and Cole almost nodded home an Henriques cross, but it went wide. At the other end, Saidosaquera was causing problems for Jeckland, with one shot saved by Thompson and another skimming the crossbar on its way over.

Bowen came on for a quiet Roper. As the minutes left fell below 20, the game went a bit flat, with both sides lacking that creative edge. The last twenty minutes aren't even worth writing about. 0-0.

To conclude, this new dawn of Jeckish football doesn't look that new at all. Like the teams of the past, it was promising in places, woeful in others, and they never seemed to stay consistent enough to secure the result. New manger, new players, same old story.

Elsewhere in group 14, Taeshan got an expected 2-0 victory over New Ecopia at home, Nova Anglicana stunned visitors Kinitaria with a 2-1 win, and Friskney Eaudyke beat Western Borderlands at home, leaving the early table looking as follows:

Group 14 Table           Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Friskney Eaudyke        1    1   0   0     2    0   +2     3
  Taeshan                 1    1   0   0     2    0   +2     3
3 Nova Anglicana          1    1   0   0     2    1   +1     3
4 Isula ge Ru             1    0   1   0     0    0    0     1
  Jeckland                1    0   1   0     0    0    0     1
6 Kinitaria               1    0   0   1     1    2   −1     0
7 New Ecopia              1    0   0   1     0    2   −2     0
  Western Borderlands     1    0   0   1     0    2   −2     0

---

EURA VS. JECKLAND - MATCH PREVIEW

Introduction
Eura, the top seed in this group, enter the fray. It's a home game, against the fifth seed, off the back of a nice friendly win. Oh, and said fifth seed drew against lower ranked opposition last time out. Easy right? Think again. This isn't any old fifth seed. This is Jeckland

How are we doing?
We looked so comfortable going into the qualifying campaign, claiming third place in the Opener Trophy. However, it was a case of same old Jeckland against Isula ge Ru, as the Spuds toiled to a 0-0 draw, and now they've got a real tough run of games ahead of them.

How are they doing?
These past couple of cycles have seen Eura fall from the heights they were once known for, but they are still a force to be reckoned with. After a warm up game against Jecatria ended in a 4-2 win, the top seeds will be confident going into this one

What does this mean?
It's still early days, and this is on paper the toughest match Jeckland will face. But in light of the dropped points last time, they'll be looking for something here, as a tough run of games means they may fall behind too early. Eura had a bye last time, so will just want a winning start to keep themselves near the top

Prediciton
Jeckland will come back fighting after that poor game last time, but Eura are just a class above them. EURA 2-0 JECKLAND

[Hicana]

Antonio Sandoval carefully chose his words as he began to write to Reino Kulseth. The newly-elected leader of the Hicañan Conservative Party, the politician opened a private browser window and began to type.

The hunt for Silvio Rivera's killer hadn't taken very long - the assassin he'd dispatched to the former presidential candidate had been quickly tracked down, aided by some anonymous tips from a payphone very near Sandoval's office. He couldn't risk a single other soul who knew of the plot - he had acted entirely alone after the meeting with the Christian State a few days prior...

Sandoval's missive was quick and efficient. In minutes he was done, typing:

To: Consul Reino Kulseth, Holy Republican Empire
From: Opposition Leader Antonio Sandoval, Hicañan Conservative Party

Dear Consul Kulseth,

Our mutual friends at the CSES were pleased to give me your contact information. My name is Antonio Sandoval, and I am one of three major presidential candidates to succeed Adam Watson to become the head of state and head of government of the Federal Republic of Hicaña.

I believe it would be in our best interests if this election were to be corrupted by Republican voting software and if the victor were to closely align himself with the Holy Republican Empire.

Best regards,
A. Sandoval

With a contented sigh, Antonio walked to the bathroom, lay his computer gently in the bathtub, and turned on the tap. He could toss it out the window tomorrow.

Things were certainly looking up.

[Jecatria]

RISE UP, JECATRIANS!

Hello! If you are reading this then congratulations! You are pissing of the tyrannical bastards who pretend they are a government, lead by that heartless oaf, Jack Holmes.

When we became independent, we were promised a strong, united country where we could all grow. The only thing strong about this country is it's laws and we are only "united" because those who are not, are shot.

Yesterday our group held a rally outside that Holmes' doorstep. So naturally the bastard has our group all shot. Dead. Apart from a few who escaped. He is a tyrant, a murderous scumbag propped up by a "police force" of clod headed goons, who only follow his orders as they know no better, and they know they will be killed if they don't.

So to the people of Jecatria, the time to rise is now! We have had enough of this man, treating us like machines, disposing of us if we become defective! You can join us, join our voice, join the Speakers!

And Holmes, I know you'r reading this, in your snug little office, and you're going to try to have us shot. But you don't know who we are, or where we are. You will never catch the Speakers, especially not me, the head Speaker. We are the Speakers - speaking for Jecatria, not for you, Jack Holmes

[Cosumar]

Cosumar Qualifying campaign begins with dramatic defeat in Super-Llamaland

NEW LLAMA CITY, SUPER-LLAMALAND - Eden Powell's goal in the 84th minute was a dagger, plunging deep into Cosumarite hearts. The Llamanean winger's goal capped off an enormous late comeback in a high-octane 4-3 loss to Super-Llamaland on the first game of World Cup qualifying.

The heartbreaking loss is the second in a row for a Cosumar side that lost a friendly to Equestrian States 1-0 earlier in the week. Cosumar and Super-Llamaland seem destined to tussle 'til the end for that 2nd place spot in Group 15, but this result gives Bogdan Antonescu's squad the early upper hand.

Three Cosumar first half goals appeared to have the visitors in command for good, but a late surge of three goals in 23 minutes ensured Super-Llamaland the full three points.

Dragons star forward Sur Arora became just the second player in the history of the National Team to score 80 or more international goals with his 13th-minute strike, but a fatigued Cosumarite defense in the second half ensured the milestone goal would be for naught.

Knowing that Antonescu had opted for a younger and, therefore, less experienced starting lineup, the Dragons came out of the gates firing. A long ball from Anders Engström pinpointed Arora inside the box. While the OAS Royal FC man's initial shot was blocked by Jared Finch, first-time starter Ace Newman was there to clean it up. The 23-year-old drilled it home inside the far post from a tough angle in the 10th minute for the 1-0 advantage.

The early scoring was just getting started. Three minutes later, Arora volleyed one in on a terrific run into the box for what will surely be one of the early highlight-reel goals of Qualifying. The aerial cross was late and behind him, but he acrobatically managed to contort his body and redirect the ball with his shin. It blasted into the top of the net past a helpless Finch for a 2-0 Cosumar lead.

But the Llamas roped one back shortly thereafter, with Kristopher Nilssen's diving header on a perfectly placed Derrick Nelson cross, halving the Dragons’ early advantage in the 24th minute.

The show of scoring in the first half came to a spectacular end when, after several close calls on both ends, young defender Jukka Lindroos got in on the party off a set piece. The 23-year-old drilled a free-kick from 25 yards out for his first World Cup goal. The shot never reached the net, deflecting straight down after grazing the crossbar. Finch hastily grabbed the ball and sent it away, but Goal Line Technology showed that it did, in fact, cross over the line for a goal.

Things were looking sunny for the Dragons as they walked off the pitch for the half time break. The perpetually stoic Farris Crowley was even caught with a half-smile (or was it a grimace?) as he jogged towards the locker-rooms. With a 3-1 lead in hand against a higher-ranked country, it's hard to blame him for being happy with his team's performance.

On the other side of the half, though, Super-Llamaland gave their home crowd something to cheer for. Eden Powell's corner kick went straight onto the stampeding head of Ryan Reagan, and the Sabrefell Athletic veteran made no error, heading home in the 61st minute to cut the Cosumar lead to 3-2.

With Cosumar's defense looking more and more vulnerable by the minute, Super-Llamaland began to dominate the ball and produce great chances in quick succession. Finally, in the 69th minute, they had their well-deserved equalizer. Reagan was free for a header, and substitute striker Peter Masters tapped it into the back of the net from close range, leveling the match with an easy finish.

The young and aggressive Llamanean lineup had clearly taken a toll on the Dragons, with several players appearing uncharacteristically fatigued. But with Crowell bellowing encouragements from the sidelines, they continued to claw tooth and nail to protect the draw. The game appeared destined for split points as the 90th minute drew nearer and nearer. But Eden Powell was not satisfied with this, and took advantage when Dragons center back Jon-Perohlin Nodtveit got caught horribly out of position. The Inter Binar used a spectacular technical run and classy finish to slot past Tomi Koskinen for the go-ahead goal in the 84th minute.

The Llamanean supporters roared in jubilee, singing their appreciation to the 30-year-old hero as the Cosumarite players looked on in disbelief. Midfielder Paaron Petrov had one last chance to equalize at the beginning of stoppage time when he created some space with a nifty move past Reagan. His desperate shot was on target, but tipped over the top of the crossbar by a leaping Jared Finch. But alas, 4-3 would be the final scoreline.

Cosumar - 3
10' (Newman)
13' (Arora)
40' (Lindroos)
Super-Llamaland - 4
24' (Nilssen)
61' (Reagan)
69' (Masters)
84' (Powell)

It is still early, but there can be no understating just how important this loss is for Cosumar. The race for second place between Super-Llamaland and Cosumar could come down to just a few points, making meetings between the two sides crucial battlegrounds to swing points. For now, the Llamas are three points ahead of Cosumar and own the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Elsewhere in Group 15, The Greater Vakolicci Haven got off to a fast start with a 3-1 thrashing of "The Kumquat Terrors" of Ancharmunn. In a battle of World Cup first-timers, Peruvian Highlands scored the only goal of the match to defeat lowly Zips Nation. HorusLand was out with a bye and will play their WC opener against Zips Nation on MD2.

Farris Crowley's Dragons will have to wait until their home debut in MD3 against Dracum to secure their first points, as they will be sitting out with an early bye on MD2. Dracum lost to Osarius 3-0 in their opener, but put together a respectable performance considering they were an unranked side going up against the world #2. But a well-rested Cosumarite squad should be able to get the result they need at Leviathan Arena.

Thank you for reading The Cosumarite Courier's exclusive World Cup 70 Coverage. Follow us on Twitter @TheCourier or subscribe to our website (TheCourier.cos) to receive daily updates and analysis of Cosumar's progress in the tournament.


Wally Vanderjagt
Staff Writer

---

Cosumar's World Cup 69 Journey
Pre-Qual Friendly: Star United States 0-0 Cosumar
Pre-Qual Friendly: Cosumar 2-1 San Jose Guayabal
Pre-Qual Friendly: Equestrian States 1-0 Cosumar
Matchday 1: Super-Llamaland 4-3 Cosumar
Matchday 2: Bye
Matchday 3: Cosumar vs. Dracum (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic, Cosumar)
Matchday 4: Ancharmunn vs. Cosumar
Matchday 5: Cosumar vs. Peruvian Highlands (@ Fire River Arena, Ramusok, Cosumar)
Matchday 6: HorusLand vs. Cosumar
Matchday 7: Cosumar vs. Zips Nation (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic, Cosumar)
Matchday 8: The Greater Vakolicci Haven vs. Cosumar
Matchday 9: Cosumar vs. Osarius (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic, Cosumar)
Mid-Qual Friendlies: TBD
Matchday 10: Cosumar vs. Super-Llamaland (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic, Cosumar)
Matchday 11: Bye
Matchday 12: Dracum vs. Cosumar
Matchday 13: Cosumar vs. Ancharmunn (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic, Cosumar)
Matchday 14: Peruvian Highlands vs. Cosumar
Matchday 15: Cosumar vs. HorusLand (@ Fire River Arena, Ramusok, Cosumar)
Matchday 16: Zips Nation vs. Cosumar
Matchday 17: Cosumar vs. The Greater Vakolicci Haven (@ Leviathan Arena, Kaldukosic, Cosumar)
Matchday 18: Osarius vs. Cosumar
Blue: Draw
Green: Victory
Red: Defeat

Cosumar's Goal-Scorers Tally (3 GF)
Ace Newman (1)
Sur Arora (1)
Jukka Lindroos (1)

[Super-Llamaland]

in the eye of the storm - part i

John May Llamanean Research Base - The Esportivan South Pole, San José Guayabal - 2:47 PM - June 1, 2011

The South Pole in winter was an unpleasant place. Temperatures of well under thirty-five below. Winds topping one hundred miles per hour. Regular storms that would make the Licentian Tsunami seem like a gale-two. Constant night from March to September due to such a southern location. Improper cellular reception. At times, Richard Jamison had no idea why he was there.

Of course it would snap back within the second. Richard studied astrophysics, and he was wintering over the half-year night to keep the station running. And in such a long night, the base's titanic telescope's observations would be all the better.

But today, it wasn't coming back to him. Foggily Richard called for the reason - but it did not come. He had no idea why he was there, and blinking ice thickly from his eyelashes, he wondered why.

A jolt of pain shot up his arm, but he seemed to not notice. And he continued to lie out in the snow in the midst of the storm, life freezing away in the cold.

---

slightly earlier

"The storm's caught us off guard!" Watson protested to me. "There's no telling what it'll do to the instruments! Do you know how much those cost?"

"More than your life, I presume, if you're so bent on keeping them out." was my dry response.

Watson groaned, but I knew I had won before the argument started. I gripped his arm and lead him inside. We met up with some of the technicians, who were scrambling to, like Watson, save their precious experiments. That was understandable - we'd all been working hard since the sun went down in March - but with our lives on the line (or so I thought), I regretfully disagreed.

After a few minutes, everything that could be packed up was thoroughly stored, and we made our way to the basement to wait out the storm.

As expected, the wind came roaring first - then the pulsing wave of snow. So rare in the Antarctican desert, yet we were getting a lot of it for some reason. The window outside turned white, then began to bend inwards from the force of the driving flakes of what we quickly realized was ice.

"Where's Jamison?" someone asked.

"I don't know," another person replied. But we all knew in that moment that he was dead.

Something stabbed through my heart, but it was anxiety instead of grief. The storm had already taken one of us, and I wasn't sure if Jamison would be the only one.

The staccato maelstrom of ice began to intensify from short staccatos to thick driving thuds.

"Hail?" somebody, probably Alex, said.

"In the Esportivan South Pole? There's no hail!"

The thuds grew steadily larger, and we saw a crack appear, with a discordant accompaniment, in the window.

"Hail," I said. The room grew silent, the hail steadily larger until the short cracks became the loud booms of a bass drum. The lights suddenly went off at once, casting the room into utter darkness.

"Now what? We wait?"

The window cracked horribly and bent inwards, the wind breaking off bits of glass. I saw a large crack spiderweb in two ways, almost as if it were in slow motion, across the pane that kept Antarctica out of the research station, and I gasped as it reached both sides of the pane. We sat stunned for a short while, realizing what was to happen next...

And then the window exploded, sending shards of glass flying in all directions and bringing the furious scorn of the South Pole into our basement. Someone next to me cried out as the windowpane was blown into their face, and the room began to slowly but surely fill with snow.

"Somebody fix the window!" I heard the shriek faintly over the pounding storm. But it was too late - there would be no way anyone would try to brave the climb upstairs.

I looked frantically for an escape and found one. I would have to go upstairs. Beckoning to a few others, I quickly ascended the staircase and opened the door to be greeted with a second blast. The door had been left ajar, and an enormous snowdrift had piled up. I shut the door and sat dejectedly on the top step.

After a few hours, I was joined by the others. The snow still blew furiously in through the shattered windowpane, and above, the crack between the door and the ground turned white in an instant. We lay shivering on the top stair, and after two hours all were asleep despite the prospect of imminent death.

We had a safe haven for now. But with no supplies and four months until the sun even rose, what would happen next?

---

Cosumar - 3
10' (Newman)
13' (Arora)
40' (Lindroos)
Super-Llamaland - 4
24' (Nilssen)
61' (Reagan)
69' (Masters)
84' (Powell)

Lineup to play Dracum on the road

[i]Bogdan continues to experiment, after watching his experienced lineup barely get by Cosumar with a late comeback. This time, he'll test out his offense, going for the early blitz against Dracum with an interesting set of attackers.

(formation: Llamanean offensive

GK- Jared Finch
LB- Nick Gray
CB- Ryan Reagan
RB- Derrick Nelson (C)
LM- Kyle Sturgeon
CM- Anthony Player
RM- Tobias Dickenson
LW- Aidan Ferguson
RW- Peter Masters
ST- Alex Cartwright
ST- Kristopher Nilssen
)

[Star United States]

The Rise and Fall of the Starian Governments

Part I: The Rising
Part II: The Rising Cont.
Part III: Chaos In Golden City and Blu
Part IV: The Alarmed Nation
Part V: The Crumbling Federal Government
Part VI: A Little Too Quiet... or Not.
Part VII: A Nation Falling Into Pieces
Part VIII: Western Star United States
Part IX: The Speech

Please note that a brief summary has been added into the context of this part.

Part X
The Northern Rebellion

Star United States. This name used to be a name that announced peace, love, and harmony, and safety for everyone. This has changed recently. With the Federal Republic of Star United States having lost Starian Western (western side of the country), to the, now and apparently recognized sovereign city-states, since the government has failed to say otherwise.

Star United States, of course, was not the prefect place but, it was a decent and nice one at least. Until everything changed. It seems that the country was never able to heal itself from the storm that hit. Sadly enough, some places don’t want to be part of the Federal Republic, such as the City-States of Manu, Blu, Darkstone, and Hiahropy.Just to add onto the queerness, the government has done nothing to stop them until recently.

The Federal Government has stationed Starian troops along the implied border of the Starian Western. They have had encounters with the opposing rebels, such as the Clash Battle, Battle of Hiahropy, and the Northern Battle. The Clash Battle begun this bloody encounter between brothers and sisters, as the country slow starts to enter a civil war but, an undeclared civil war. As rebel troops headed to the City of Star, the Starian capital, they were stopped, and weren't allowed to progress any further. The same was done at the Northern Battle. The rebels won the Battle of Hiahropy, as Star United States attempted to regain to lost area.

After President Chris Cross’s death, Vice-President, Barren Walt, came into office a day later. To add more problems onto the tray of Star United States - President Chris Cross was assassinated when he plane interacted with missiles coming from an unknown location in the Republic. Someone was out to get him, and he, or she, adroitly completed his, or her, task.

President Barren has already made his first mistake that has outraged the people of the Federal Republic. He has only been in office for a few days. As soon as the conclusion of the Northern Battle and the rebel army retreated, he ordered the return of the troops stationed at the site. This was his mistake. As soon as the rebels gain the knowledge of President’s order, they went for it. They took it and ran with it. The rebel army of the Manu City-State quickly gained lots of territory They gained all the land from Candean to their previous border. President Walts was slow to act and do not order anything until he had received word that they had reached and conquered Candean, a city of the Starian Eastern. Candean, a port city on the northeastern coast of the country. They also pushed for less known towns and cities to rebel, therefore creating the Northern Rebellion.

The Federal Republic of Star United States is in great danger of completely collapsing. President Walt has no idea of what to do. The Northern Rebellion was the least expected. Why? Well, because those sectors of the most loyal to the Federal Republic. It has also done unexpected changes.

After, the fall of the Starian Western, the Federal Government believed that they had contained the rebellion. However, after president's poor decision to order the isolation of the northern areas from Starian troops. The rebels, obviously, took advantage of the major error committed by the head of the state. The rebels marched towards the eastern coast of the country, conquering every place in their way and annihilating anyone who opposed their authority.

Reports predict thousands of deaths of civilizations just in the northern area of Star United States. A mass massacre like this is unknown to the borders of Star United States. Many Starians are shocked, not at the fact that massacres happen around the world but that it's actually happening in their homeland. It is also believed that as Manu forces expanded eastward, they diffusion along to the people who they didn't terminate, hatred towards the central Federal Government.

They managed to reach the Starian Eastern without having to encounter the forces of the Federal Government. The hesitation of the President gave the Manun Forces to reach Candean. After he received notifications informing him of what had happened, he ordered to contain the expansion of Manu. Therefore, Starian troops were placed along the southern border of the Northern Rebellion, meaning the rebellion could not any more South.

This event angered even more the people protesting in front of Congress Hall in City of Star. They claim Barren to quit, or for him to be impeached. Never in the history of our county have requests for impeachment been made. President Barren has yet to say anything on this matter. He had not been presented in public since he was sworn into office. He hasn't been see by the people since his rather useless and unhelpful speech. No one knows where he is at.

Part X -World Cup Swirl

As we all are aware the qualifiers for the 70th World Cup have begun, and Star United States too a six to zero victory over Kingston-Atlantis at the Star Stadium. An amazing start for the Stars. However, Starian citizens, and probably others as well, have started to be concerned over the safety of the country to host international matches. The Sports Federation of Star United States has released a letter concerning the concern presented above:

Federal Republic of Star United States
National Sports Federation

---

Official Correspondence

---

To: Whom It May Concern
Subject: Safety

---

To whom it may concern:

I am aware of the concern over the safety of our stadiums to host such honorable events. However, I can assure you that these locations are safe. The stadiums chosen (Star Stadium, Estadio del Oceano, Five-Point Stadium, Sunrise Stadium, and Golden Stadium) are mostly located in the Starian Eastern,while some are located in Starian Centre.

We have a strict procedure that is followed always, and our host cities are surrounded by stationed troops just in case if any rebel army were to attempt to attack, which is highly doubted. We have the new and updated security systems in all our selected stadium. All of stadiums are also equipped for any emergency, even war. They are safe.

However, we reserve the right to change any venues in the matter that if something were to happen. I want to put clear that being safe doesn't mean anything could and can happen.

If you have any questions, just call the Sports Federation Headquarters and we'll be glad to answer any questions, comments, and/or concerns.

Thank you, and God bless,

Santiago Peres
Director of the National Sports Federation of Star United States

---

World Cup 70 Qualifiers
November 20, 2014
Star United States 6 : 0 Kingston-Atlantis
World Cup 70 - Qualifiers
Star Stadium, City of Star

Scorers: 
Star United States - 6
6'         Soarison
14', 83'   Gasteiz
45+2'      Gonzalez
68'        Horas
90+1'      Garrison

Kingston-Atlantis - 0

[Kernansquillec]

FIRST POINT FOR INDIGNU COMES WITH 0-0 DRAW

Kers hold Kandorith
As the World Cup Qualifying campaign kicked off Kernansquillec opened up their affairs with a home tie against the group's third seeds, Kandorith. The Red Dragons are ranked 40 places above the Kers but on the field both sides were fairly well matched with the Green and Whites looking the part. A sell-out National Stadium cheered them on to a first point but in the end most fans will have left slightly disappointed since not a single goal was scored, a rare occurrence when Kernansquillec play. Kandorese fans will be leaving fairly downhearted; after such a long trip to reach Kernansquillec a goalless draw against a team they were expecting to beat is never nice.

But even without goals the game was a good one according to Indignu who pointed out many positives: "I'm pleased with what I saw today. We've taken on a bigger team than ourselves head on and come out with a point. At home you always have to take the initiative and we certainly did so today. The only downside was that we weren't potent enough up top and the lack of scoring is always a downside. But defensively we were very good against a quality side. (...) Andrewson did really well for her first cap. Whatever she did she was always accurate and efficient. From a center back I can't ask for more. (...) Keys only got a short spell at the end of the game because Lilac was tiring a bit after giving a lot during the opening stages. She's played pretty well for a first international game against a defense of Kandorith's quality. I know that she'll be a feeling a bit disappointed that she didn't score, as will Lilac, but her time will come. Confidence is vital for our forwards and that will only really come one they start hitting the back of the net. I would expect that to start happening against APG."

APG trip awaits
Kernansquillec now travel to the Baldese region of Absurdly Polite Gentlemen. It will be a long trip for players and fans alike, but on paper at least, it should be a Kernansquillecan win. APG are ranked 155th in the World, making them the group's 6th seeds. This will be the time of match the Kers will need to win if they are to even begin hoping a threatening to grab a few tickets for the World Cup. Very little is known about the opposition, however team captain Adélaïde Noupen believes that APG will prove themselves to be a capable team: "APG are far from being a bunch of amateurs and the worst thing we could do is to get complacent and underestimate them. They have a couple of quick players who can be devastating on the counter and you can be sure that they won't give our front line much breathing space."

Indignu isn't anticipated to change anything for the game with the starting XI expected to be as follows: Ellysa (gk.); Winter, Andrewson, Dubois, Jegos; Käufer, Zorm; Iris, Noupen (c.), Poutre; Lilac.

[Saintland]

To: Opposition Leader Antonio Sandoval, Hicañan Conservative Party
From: Sister Maria Polus, St. Hermione's Convent, Acedonia

Mr. Sandoval, I wish to send my condolences regarding the tragic death of Mr. Rivera. It is most unfortunate. I am responding to your recent message to Consul Kulseth, on his behalf. I can confirm that the technology you requested is on its way to assist with your campaign. Should you prevail in your upcoming election, I can personally confirm to you that Consul Kulseth will be willing to work with you, toward the mutual interest of all Godly nations.

- Maria

Sister Polus's Thoughts

Hello, I am Sister Polus and I am joining you today on Sanctustube to discuss a number of recent events. I wish to begin, however, by congratulating the nation of Nephara on their recent victory in the Strongnesse Trophy match. The failure of the Sanctii eleven to retain the Strongnesse Trophy, however, is a reflection of God's Judgment against the Heretic currently on the throne in St. Petrus. I wish to, once again, urge King Petrus to repent of his sins and seek God's forgiveness, for unless he does so, misfortune will continue to befall his Kingdom. Make no mistake about it, all of the misfortune that has befallen the Kingdom of Saintland over the past year has been a consequence of the sins of many in that land, including the King.

However, God is also passing judgment upon the Holy Republican National Soccer Team at the moment, for their blatant display of hypocrisy. While a large number of Republicans have repented of late, especially since the Miracle that led to the election of the righteous Consul Kulseth, I have no doubt that there are still many, many Republicans who are wicked. If any of my viewers doubt this, all you have to do is look at the opinion polls. While I have no doubt that these polls are deliberately skewed against the Holy Party, let me be perfectly clear: There is absolutely no acceptable reason why any half-decent human being would oppose the upcoming Referendum to grant all the rights of Personhood to the unborn. Those who oppose Consul Kulseth's referendum are complicit in the mass murder of the unborn and are little better, in terms of their morals, than the so-called Lord Almighty Gregory, that wicked man who preposterously claims to be God.

Speaking of the nation that calls itself Gregoryisgodistan, I wish to condemn in the strongest possible terms the atrocities that they are currently committing against a Righteous government in Coconutstan and express my belief that Coconutstan will prevail in the ongoing war. Recently, that wicked man once again repeated his false claims that I was assassinated by his assassins. In fact, the wave of assassinations that claimed the lives of both King Paulus the Great and Consul Piazza was caused by the, thankfully now-defunct, terrorist organization Feministvs Sanctvsterra! That group was so awful that even King Petrus the Heretic won't release their terrorists from their prison cells, where they will be punished for the rest of their temporal lives in preparation for the even more severe punishments that await them in Infernus and make no mistake about it, every member of the former Feministvs Sanctvsterra and every enabler of that terrorist organization will spend eternity in the fires of Infernus.

In other news, the Anchor Press published an absolutely atrocious article casting aspersions on the War for Religious Liberty against the evil government of Ciqi and viciously defaming the True Church. They claim that, and I quote, the Holy Republicans "are ruled by a cadre of religious figures whose only intent is to deprive their citizens of liberties, replace all independent thought with the unyielding dogma of their strict brand of fundamentalism, and enrich themselves and their cronies." Absolutely nothing could be further from the truth. Consul Kulseth is a profoundly decent man whose sole desire, in this life, is to serve others and help free them from the bondage of sin. In fact, the ones who seek to deprive the people of the multiverse of their freedom and impose an unyielding dogma upon them are the scoundrels who call themselves "liberals," "progressives," "socialists," "libertarians," "secularists" or any other of a number of names for the numerous false materialistic ideologies spread by that lying, conniving snake Satanas. True freedom only comes from accepting Iesus Christus into your life and serving Him. Those who are selling a "freedom" that contradicts the teachings of Iesus Christus and His True Church are selling snake oil in order to corrupt your soul and doom you to spend eternity in Infernus. Just look at the many young ladies who fell for the lies of Feministvs Sanctvsterra and committed atrocities in the name of their false goddess. Where did that get them? Now, they're going to spend the rest of eternity paying for their sins, because they betrayed their families and their Church in search of a phony "freedom" and a false "equality" that contradicts their own nature. If you seek happiness and contentment, in this life and the next, you will only find it in the One True Church founded by St. Petrus on behalf of His Lord and Savior Iesus Christus.

Now, the Anchor Press falsely claims that the purpose of Consul Kulseth's War for Religious Liberty against the evil regime in Ciqi is to impose the True Faith upon the people of Ciqi. However, this is nothing more than a malicious falsehood. The True Church does not engage in forced conversions, for the only conversion that is acceptable to God is a sincere conversion to His Truth. In addition, the Anchor Press condemns the True Church for campaigning against so-called contraception and so-called abortion, both of which are nothing more than euphemisms for the taking of unborn life. In fact, all forms of so-called "birth control" are clearly intended to prevent the reproductive act from resulting in reproduction and therefore are obviously malum in se. I am horrified that there are actually people in this multiverse who advocate the murder of unborn children. Make no mistake about it, the Anchor Press is a publication that advocates the mass murder of the unborn. I think it is very clear that their purported support of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" is completely fabricated. Otherwise, why would they oppose the lives of the unborn? Why would they be so intent on keeping untold trillions of souls enslaved to sin? Why would they be so hostile to the Faith that offers True Happiness to those who sincerely believe in it and follow its teachings? If the Anchor Press, this media outlet from Ceni, actually supported life, liberty or happiness, they would be encouraging their readers to join the True Church. I am Sister Maria Polus and I thank you for watching.

[Electrum]

Centralis Herald - Sports Section - Jane McNamara

E-League Development tracking ahead

Billed as Rushmore's 13th richest nation by GDP per capita, Electrum is finally getting prepared to getting started its new football league which promises 'big money, big players, big fun,' and is part of the restructuring of the national football team itself. For those not in the know, there has been a drastic shift in the national team, with over half of the team culled. The rationale that Electrum Football have provided is that they have used the same team for two cycles now and the new recruits have just finished their development programs.

To some extent, this was going to be expected - all amateur players signed contracts at the beginning of the 55th Baptism of Fire which had a clause which stated that the management has the express right to rip up contracts in two cycles time when the team would transition to an amateur team to a professional team. It's going to be a fantastic cycle this time round as the new players step it up and the old guard moves out of the way. Of course, some members of the old team remain - including the captain and vice captain and a few others, but now the youngins' are moving up and are now finding themselves with some more time.

This would be their first tournament together, after the old team managed to play exceptionally well for an amateurish team, making it to the second round of the last Copa Rushmori, but alas things must come to an end. It's a new era for Electrum Football and we're going to be excited. Chief Executive Officer of Electrum Football, Mitch Blain said that the new league would feature innovations such as rivalry round, which will traditionally be the first round of every season and will feature a relegation/promotion format. The league will consist of two tiers, before being upgraded to three to more tiers if need arises.

Currently, each club will be based in a major city, with each province getting at least one team. Large cities such as Centralis and Prescott will be permitted to have two or more teams in the E-League, if they wish. Squads shall consist of a maximum of 24 members, with a minimum of 15, of which ten can come from international teams. There will also be a salary cap of an unknown amount to keep it a level playing field for all, and to make the league as competitive as possible. Other leagues have suffered the pains of having a dominant bunch of teams with no prospects for those lower down to make a reach to the finals. These regulations are designed to prevent the total dominance of just one/a few teams. Also, exceptions will be made for rookie players, who's salary calculations are worth half, and international marquee players (one per team) who's salary calculations are worth 75%.

Already known franchise names include: Kale Island Livers, Agri Agricultural Livery Guild FC, Centralis Storm and Prescott Wolves. These teams would be joined by 12 others to make up the foundation year of the E-League. Expressions of interest in coaching, players and other ancillary staff are expected to open at the conclusion of the World Cup, and the E-League expects to submit teams to the Champions Cup and other associated competitions.

[Mizuyuki]

It was a balmy day on the outskirts of the sleepy, isolated little village on the coast. Cool, sanguine autumn had already taken over from the sweltering heat of summer; the calm waves of the Straits of Shana lapping on the rocky beaches forming a picture of wild, almost desolate beauty with the surroundings.

With my favourite black cap on my forehead and my luxuriant hair tied up into a practical ponytail, I jogged along the well-worn path from the staff lodgings to the campus, with my friend panting just over fifty yards behind as she tried desperately to keep up with the brisk pace I was setting. The crisp, clear morning air brushed against my face as I maintained a steady rhythm, sneakers pounding on the brown-leafed path and stirring up a flurry of leaves.

It had been too long since I last went on a jog in the woods. My time had been at a premium in recent weeks. Between jetting off to the Equestrian States for the Di Bradini Cup, handling double training sessions every other day and arranging friendly matches for our charges, I was almost always left exhausted by eight in the evening and would inevitably be nodding off at supper - which earned me several good-humoured jabs from the players and staff alike.

Yesterday, however, was the second of three days of a much-needed holiday I had managed to wangle from the bureaucrats at the FA. Three days of rest and relaxation was most welcome after my exertions for the past month. Three days of absolute bliss - despite the fact that I was compelled to remain near the camp in Kinokomura for the duration, the short rest was a good opportunity to recharge my spent batteries, reenergise myself for the rigours that remained ahead.

Feeling refreshed after a quick workout in the gym at six in the morning, I had decided - on the spur of the moment, it has to be said - to pay a visit to the camp and see how things were going on in my absence. Fuu, for her part, had remained on duty for the three days I took for myself; although I had to admit that she wasn't what I'd classify as a 'reliable' coach. I only hoped that she, along with the rest of the staff, had not managed to wreck things in the short time I'd been away. Naturally I had had all the reassurances I could possibly need from the girl herself, but knowing her ... I sure wasn't about to take her word on it!

Before too long, I could see the facade of the camp HQ looming in front of me. Thanks to our spectacular, and certainly most unexpected, success in the recently-concluded edition of the Di Bradini Cup, I had had enough leverage with the FA and Shirakiin to put in a request for a new, modern training complex. It hadn't been easy, but in the end I, bolstered by the team's success, had been able to wangle almost fifteen million aurorae from the authorities - more than enough to cover all our expenses and then some. Bringing my childhood friend along had certainly been a masterstroke; Fuu's speaking abilities, coupled with her dreamy, charming personality, proved to be conclusive in securing such a sweet deal.

Once I reached the double doors of the administrative wing entrance, I paused for a second, catching my breath, before stepping into the practically decorated wing. Usually, I would have opted to enter via the main wing, which was where all our training work was carried out, but after a two day absence I felt it incumbent upon me to check up on things in the admin wing. After all, Fuu had told me to do so at my earliest convenience, all the while banging on about some surprise or the other. In the end I had gotten her to shut up by pressing some strawberry jelly into her hands, but I had to admit; my curiosity was piqued by her odd insistence. Yes, she had certainly had previous in getting worked up for no obvious reason, but my instincts told me that she was really hiding something substantial from me.

Nodding by way of greeting to the receptionist manning the front desk, I stepped into the main admin office, where we handled most of our paperwork and administrative work. A large whiteboard hanging lopsidedly on one side of the glass-walled office listed all the camp's activities, commitments and projects for the time being, and I lost no time in running my finger down the hefty list, searching for a clue as to Fuu's mysterious 'surprise'.

"Let's see ... let's start with looking for a date. A couple of days either side of today should do the trick."

With that criterion in mind, I quickly scanned the hasty, almost illegible squiggles on the whiteboard, carefully passing my eyes over each and every entry. Before too long, I had made my mind up to get a computerised system put into place for the camp.

"Ah, there's one here, and another way down on the list ..."

It took me the better part of ten minutes, but I had finally spotted two likely candidates. The first of these entries, written in a careful, precise hand, was no doubt entered by the clerk on duty - it indicated that today marked the start of a fitness training programme for the U15 group. The second was far more difficult to decipher; the penmanship was decidedly confused, a mass of squirming squiggles. Squinting, I could just about make out a letter or two; there was the faintest hint of a capital J, and another J shortly after that. Was that an I or a T? I couldn't tell.

"I give up." I heaved a sigh and retraced my steps to the reception, where I quizzed the receptionist as to the mystery of the illegible squiggle. Being as it was so far down the list, it was likely to have been a fairly recent addition to our schedule, and the receptionist would, in all likelihood, have some recollection as to its origin and author.

The young, clean-shaven receptionist cast his eyes skyward as the cogs began to grind in his mind.

"The camp's scheduled activities for today, you say ... any specific age group in mind, Shirazaka-san?"

I merely shook my head by way of response.

"Well, if that's the case, that excludes the U15 training programme. Let's see ... it can't have been the community outreach activity, nor the media - those are marked down for Tuesday week. Can't be the new equipment either; the delivery people called and informed us of a mix-up - those will be here next week."

Just as I was beginning to tap my foot in impatience, the receptionist hit pay dirt.

"Ah, I remember now. If memory serves, Shirazaka-san, there's a party of Jeckish players coming in. Apparently they're here by invitation - Kiriyama-san, I believe, was the 'instigator', as she so adroitly put it."

At that moment, the only thought running through my mind was -

"Kirigiri damn it, Fuu."

[Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk gorod]

OOC: IC views only, also the newspaper is highly sensationalist.

POBEDA GAZETA

11/20/2014

C$0.50 Corona

Editorial: Sakhalin vs Starblaydia - Are we screwed already?

Written by: Evdokiya Filipov - Category: Sports Editorial Thoughts.

After the first rest day of the national team of incompetent Sakhalin, it's now turn to prepare for the debut of this tie, in front will have a rival rather historical importance and you certainly want to return to the top global positions, I speak of the nation of trolls and elves, Starblaydia.

Although it sounds incredible that a nation out of a fairy tale may have gone on to win five world titles. It seems absurd because personally I doubt the ability of those magical "beings" that may not be actual product and only product generated holograms and manipulate the ball with a chip or something absurd, extraterrestrial intelligence will be coming to invade. .. I hope just being sensationalist and unrealistic in this case.

Great players like himself, while legendary iconic Simeone Di Bradini or colloquially called SDB played and won world titles or where Valrauncion was brilliant scoring an inordinate amount of goals in his career, being an elf. This is the national team that aspires to reach the land of Manure and Ponies that are butchered to end up in meat ready to enter our digestive system either hamburger or steak (Equestrian States) and Banana Republic (SJG) and I hope you do everything possible to defend home court in our favor and try to avoid a screwing situation.

[Friskney Eaudyke]

"Pressure grows on the Conservative government today as more protests were held in front of parliament demanding a response to the explosion at a Sentox plant near Over Hulton and the resultant chemical spillage last week that killed 4 people and left several hundred people out of their homes. There is currently no further information on what may have caused the accident, but there have been many unconfirmed reports that Republican Terrorist group, AFER, may have been involved. With Prime Minister Andreas Bennett avoiding questions about the disaster, calls for him to resign have been growing in number. Opposition leader Jane Monroe is the latest to call for the PMs head:

The way he has dealt with this tragedy is an utter disgrace and I totally agree with the calls for his resignation. The people of Over Hulton need answers, the public needs answers, and we aren't getting them from him or his government."

Meanwhile the first government member has visited the site of spillage. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Prunty arrived at the site earlier today and said that he was deeply shocked at the extent of the damage and demanding an answer from Sentox on what caused the spillage. When asked what he thinks of PM's apparent inaction, he replied that he supported the Prime Minister all the way and that the government will announce an investigation within the next two days."

---

"For God's sake Andreas, you really need to do something about this."
"About what?"

Deputy PM Richard Prunty sighed to himself. Bennett was a nice guy but he could be totally oblivious at times. Sometimes he wondered how a man like Bennett even got into politics in the first place, let alone be Prime Minister. Then Prunty remembered that it was his charisma that probably won them the last election.

"You know, the protests and all that."
"Oh, those. I've already told you already, I'm working on it."
"You've been working on it for the past week. People are very impatient, you know Andreas. You'll need to take action soon or they'll be demanding you be hung for treason the way this is going."
"Relax, Ricky." Prunty visibly twitched when he called him that. He hated nicknames.
"It's quite hard to relax when you're the one who getting everyone shouting at him. These people have lost their homes, livelihoods and some of them have even lost family. People died in that explosion, you can't just let that go." There was an audible level of anger in his voice that made Bennett a bit scared. Prunty was normally a calm bloke, which was why he'd installed him as Deputy PM, so to hear him angry over something meant he cared a great deal. Pausing for a few moments, he searched in his mind for a way to get out of the situation.
"Listen. I'll try... no I will get something sorted out with these lot. Compensation or that stuff, okay? And I'll try and make it substantial. That okay with you."
"Yes. Fine" Prunty said reluctantly.
"Okay. I'm heading into a tunnel so I'm going to have to hang up."

Prunty sighed as the phone went dead. He had no choice but to agree with him really. Bennett still wanted to push ahead with the meeting with Sentox despite the explosion. Luckily the press hadn't found out before hand, he would've really been gone then. But now he's gone, and it's up to him to defend the what the public saw as indefensible. He would have to take all the flak, the anger. The really annoying thing to Prunty was that he was the only one who had advised the PM not to go, so this entire thing could've been avoided. He could've made a speech, forced some decent compensation money out of Sentox, and do all the PR stuff and this would've blown over.

He tried not to think about it for the moment. He did have to prepare for a press conference later. This would inevitably come up. Oh joy.

[The Saint James Islands]

The Road to Remorse

MD10: vs Yttribia
MD11: @ Oaklands
MD12: vs Arvenia
MD13: @ Nephara
MD14: vs Estenia
MD15: @ Pays d’en Haut
MD16: vs Filopines
MD17: @ Equestrian States
MD18: @ Quebec

MD1: @ Yttribia
MD2: vs Oaklands
MD3: @ Arvenia
MD4: vs Nephara
MD5: @ Estenia
MD6: vs Pays d’en Haut
MD7: @ Filopines
MD8: vs San José Guayabal
MD9: vs Quebec

An entire nation had resigned themselves to defeat. There was no question that they were going to lose their first game. Away against Yttribia? Incredible that the draw would start them off with a game where they stood no chance. No chance on God’s green earth that would end well for a minnow team like Les Oiseaux. The real question on everyone’s minds was how bad it could be.

A harsh, manly voice bellowed over the tannoy in Sempton International Airport: IslandAir Flight 117 to Telino now boarding.

Time to go lose, Theodoridis thought. No question in his mind it was going to happen. "Hold up a moment, I’m going to call Sessions."

It didn't take long for the voice of Marvin Sessions to peer through to Theodoridis: "Hello?"

"You’re late, Marvin."

"I know I’m late for practice, Thomas."

"No. You’re not late for practice. You’re late for the flight."

"What?!"

"The flight is boarding. There’s no way you’re going to get through security in time to get on the plane. We’re leaving without you."

"You can’t do that!"

"We have to. Should’ve thought about that when you overslept this morning."

The other end of the phone went dead. "Gah... Marvin hung up on me..."

---

The atmosphere in the changing rooms was dour. No one dared think about the monstrosity they were to face in less than an hour. And with Sessions still at home, how on earth would they have any hope of not losing this game?

"Okay," pierced a fierce Archambault. "Let’s get to business."

Silence. No one dared look their manager in the eye.

"Listen. Our goal is to go out there and not embarrass ourselves. The Yttribian press have sung praises about us and we’re not about to make them eat their words."

"Sir," Theodoridis piped up. "We haven’t a chance. Why even bother?"

"You’re out of the starting eleven, Thomas," Archambault fired back.

The jaws of the players metaphorically dropped as Archambault took one of their key defenders off the pitch.

"Why?" Theodoridis yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Because I don’t need negativity weighing down our side of the pitch," Archambault retorted. "We’re going uphill as it is and negativity is only going to make that climb steeper. Uira, you’re in for Theodoridis. Wilmer, you’re in for Sessions. Now let’s do this."

---

Archambault left the tunnel with optimism. And for twenty-nine minutes, he’d every right to feel justified about it.

Then Bruno Arce opened the scoring.

1-0? If that’s the margin, we can’t leave ashamed.

Thirty-nine minutes in, Michel di Mercurio scored.

2-0? We still have time to recover.

As the first half drew to a close, Archambault wasn’t worried. The second half was just another forty-five minutes to make a comeback. Then the second half came.

The forty-ninth minutes saw Arce score again. Now Archambault was getting nervous.

Then the seventy-first saw Raúl Monti score. 4-0 was the final score.

As Archambault came face to face with his squad the first time after the whistle blew, all he could mutter was "crap."

This would be a long road...

[Mizuyuki]

Private Communiqué - the Empire of Mizuyuki

---

---

From the desk of the Imperial Minister of Culture and Heritage
Kihara Tsumiki

---

Recipient

Hashimoto Tsubaki, Ambassador of the Republic of Gylias to the Empire of Mizuyuki

Subject

RE - Invitation to Festival of Ghostly Lights

---

Salutations from the Empire.

In your official capacity as an Ambassador to the Empire, you will no doubt be aware of the fact that the Kisekidō Festival of Ghostly Lights, a festival celebrated by millions of Mizuyukian subjects, is shortly approaching. With a view to maintaining and preserving Miraian cultural heritage throughout the Empire, the incumbent administration has unanimously agreed to sanction an official parade and festival, to be held in the city of Kagiya in order to mark this auspicious day.

With that in mind, it is my great pleasure to inform you that I have been authorised to extend an invitation to the Gylian embassy for their participation in the festivities on the 30th inst., in accordance with the set date. In addition, taking into account the various similarities between the Kisekidō and Concordian belief systems, we are pleased to invite the Republic to include an exhibition in a planned Pavilion of Religion, which will also feature a number of other exhibits representing religions around the globe.

According to standard operating procedure, it is my duty to respond to any questions that you may wish to pose in light of the aforementioned invitation; as such, please do not hesitate to contact the Imperial Ministry through the usual official channels or reach me personally via kiharatsumiki@imch.gov.mzy.

Irrespective of your decision, I look forward with great enthusiasm to the continued co-operation we will no doubt enjoy in the future. Thank you in advance, and we hope to welcome a Gylian delegation to Kagiya on the occasion of the Festival of Ghostly Lights.

I remain, yours sincerely,

Kihara Tsumiki
Imperial Minister of Culture and Heritage
Empire of Mizuyuki

---

[Eura]

A mile long conglomeration of human beings stretched out before Louis as he looked out of the large pane glass window. The Bastion Arena's west side has this rather impressive office space around the back, built into the curvature of the building with magnificent coloured glass panels wrapped around it. He realised that he, the new manager of the Euran national team, was now the face of the stadium. You couldn't see it from inside, but from outside you could see his face and shoulders with prominent players standing either side of him in full red home kit. Oslograd, Spartan, Sinclair, Gilbert, Ashtree, Waller. As the thousands of Euran fans walked up to the stadium, he was acutely aware that they were all being reminded of the new man in charge, a man who everybody in the country was vaguely familiar with already. But never before had he been the headline story. He had always been the man in the backroom, working in the shadows. Even now in the pouring rain his image was blurred. In the grand scheme of things though, he was the main man now, and he would get all the credit he deserved.

However, he was not feeling optimistic. When you're in the spotlight you might get more credit for what you get right, but you get more criticism for what you get wrong. Or rather, for what goes wrong, whether or not you were responsible for it. Louis had always felt that this was Kelly Sporadic's downfall. Sure he'd got complacent with selection sometimes, and maybe he was getting on a bit, but the players had taken no responsibility. Now Louis had to gain the trust of this team from scratch after his surprise appointment instead of a bigger name like Sharp, Thompson, Belgrave, Benedict or even Randall. They had all been sort of uncomfortable with Kallstrom taking over as temporary boss for the Copa Rushmori, but it had started well. They never got out of gear after the Stvoto Latoli game, but the Sameba match was possibly one of the best moments for Euran football in the last few years. Eura were pretty dominant and scored three quality goals, sending the fans packed into that small little Polarian stadium wild. It prompted complete chaos of course. Rioting ensued, people were injured, the Polarians were very annoyed, and Watson had to attend two different hearings after punching an angry Sameban fan. It seemed like seriously injuring someone, albeit in self defence, had not made a whole lot of difference to the Euran FA in the end. He was their man.

Or was he? He could just be the fall guy for a poisoned chalice of a job, taking the stick for a short time so someone else could come in and have a fresh start. Whatever the answers were, he didn't have them. What he did have was butterflies in his stomach as he was called over by one of the stadium officials. The conference room was completely empty, and he needed some space to get away from things for a few minutes as kick off was only an hour away. Now his time was up. 'Mr Watson? The team are heading back to the dressing room, your assistant wants to see you after you've done your press brief.'
'Are Jeckland here yet?'
'Yes, they're warming up. Quick word of warning sir, the undersoil heating is still playing up and we've run out of time to drain the pitch. Its going to be pretty awful tonight.' Watson swore under his breath. Eura had always been a physically impressive but nevertheless very technical team, and the rain and wind would not help their play style; especially not against a Jeckland team who were certain to be playing quite defensively. He would have to make some changes.

------

As the rain pounded down on the roof of the plastic extension to the tunnel, Louis looked down at his phone. He'd been trying to phone his son for ten minutes before he had to go out, but he was out of time. It wasn't the signal in Bastion, it was the signal at Mode Creek, a small town on the edge of the DMZ with Sameba. There his son was working as a radio operator for the military, and had been expecting a call. He was a minor celebrity on base but that didn't mean he wouldn't want a private conversation with his Dad once in a while. That certainly wasn't going to happen now. The volume had increased exponentially as the players began to head out; it was Eura's first qualifier, and Watson's third in charge after friendly victories over the Holy Republican Empire - not so long ago, the Free Republics who did so well so controversially at the World Cup - and the smaller brother nation of today's opponents Jeckland, Jecatria. They had been modest but nevertheless confidence boosting wins which had the squad and fans in a relatively content mood ahead of today. Jeckland's result at home on the first day of qualifying had been poor, a 0-0 draw with Isula Ge Ru, in a game they had to win.

Despite this, Watson wasn't taking any chances. Jeckland were a lot better than their fifth seeding suggested, and after Eura's chaotic qualifying campaign last time, he was determined not to let the supposedly "easy" opponents trip Eura up again. This group was far tougher on paper than the one last time, and they had needed the playoffs to make the last World Cup. They had to beat Jeckland and two or three other dangerous teams home and away to be sure that they would qualify, insured against messing up elsewhere. As he exited the tunnel, he was greeted by an unexpected and welcoming roar. Despite the horrendous rain pouring into the stadium, he was warmed up inside by the reassuring cheer and singing of his name as he waved to the fans and looked at his lineup. Waller in goal, a back four of Churchilli, Rogers, Gilbert and Watson, Blackthorn playing behind a midfield four of Spartan, Anderson, Sinclair and Adams, and Oslograd up front at the increasingly perilous age of 34. Eura were not messing about with their lineup now that every team had an extra matchday of experience over them. Watson put his worries aside and went into the dugout, bathing in the home support's noise drowning out the smaller yellow away section. Even in this horrid weather, you certainly couldn't fault the Euran's for their support. He only hoped they would show the same commitment on the pitch.

[Gylias]

Dear Minister of Culture and Heritage Tsumiki Kihara,

Thank you for your very kind letter regarding the Kisekidō Festival of Ghostly Lights. The reminder about such an important date of the year and its significance is always appreciated, and I am very much glad to hear about your administration's kind offer for our participation in the event as well.

We will, of course, take up your kind offer to attend, as you have elegantly pointed out the similarities between the Kisekidō and Concordian belief systems. Such an opportunity to advance and strengthen the good ties and harmony between our two nations is always welcome, and we are happy to assist and take part in any event that cultivates the relationship between the peoples of the Empire and the Republic.

I will, of course, personally attend along with a few of my colleagues, and we will complement your organisation by inviting several shrinekeepers from the local Gylian community to answer whatever questions may be asked and provide additional information.

Please find attached to this letter some additional literature which we hope will be useful for you in your preparation of the event. If we have anything further to request, we will certainly contact you for help.

Yours sincerely,

Tsubaki Hashimoto

Ambassador of the Republic of Gylias to the Empire of Mizuyuki

[The Sarian]

Yep, this was rushed and its 2 am... Quite possibly my worst ever RP, but 0.01 bonus is still better than 0

Democratic States of Fenbar 0–3 The Sarian
'4 J. Yap
'23 T. Janssen 
'31 C. Roberts

The Sarian opened their World Cup Qualifying campaign with a win against bottom seeds, Fenbar in a match that was over within thirty one minutes.

The Sarian, playing for the first time since their Campionato Esportiva loss against Nephara chose a noticeably more experienced side than would be expected against an unranked side, with Yap, Peters and Janssen all making the cut in a risky move by Bustards' boss, Daniel Bauer.

Peters, at just twenty three took the captains band ahead of rested Jarrett Firmin, in a move rumoured to be permanent after the defender captained both the Olympic and Di Bradini Cup sides.

The Sarian began the game with intensity not seen by the side since the short lived reign of Jack Parker, with Horacio Lopez unlucky not to score within the first seconds of the match.

Methuselah Meeuwesen also come close in a jam packed first five minutes before Jacobo Yap slipped past the Fenbar defence to dispatch a Louie Nittenpepper pass into the bottom left hand corner.

The Bustards continued the attacking buildup, Reis came close with a long range shot before Janssen missed a close range header, following a cross from Nittenpepper.

Janssen would continue to push forward, unluckily hitting the post before having a shot tipped wide by an athletic save from the Fenbar goalkeeper. However, he continued to terrorise the Fenbar defence, and was rewarded with his weak shot somehow finding its way into the net to double The Sarians lead.

Cody Roberts scored a rare goal to seal the victory on thirty one minutes to give the Bustard their first step on route to San Jose Guayabal and the Equestrian States.

[Pays den haut]

We're getting scores faster!

Due to a lack of technology, l'écho du nord received scores via morse code and they were published in the newspaper with a 2-3 day delay during the baptism of fire. For the world cup 70 we have resolved the problem. we are receiving scores almost instantly and they will be published the next morning. How it works? Simple, we have build a brand new technology center with computers equipped with a dial up internet connection. We have captured geeks and instead of executing them for being geeks like we usually do, we have forced them to work in the new technology center. They receive the scores and match reports from geeks who are travelling with the team and watching the games live and then these match reports and scores are sent to l'écho du nord, your favorite newspaper.

Pays d'en Haut wins!

Les Ours played their first game of the world cup 70 on the road, in Arvenia and we won 1-0. Both goalies played very well, Arvenia outshooted Pays d'en Haut 14-11 but in the end, Pays d'en Haut won 1-0. The only goal of the game came at the 2nd minute when Vincent, clan Turcotte scored on a cross by Nicolas, clan Lapointe. Pierre-Luc, clan Durand, and Kévin, clan Bédard got yellow cards for les Habitants. A player got a red card for Arvenia and won't play the next game against Filopines. The next game for les Ours will be today at home against Nephara at Parc Blainville, Blainville, Pays d'en Haut. We expect a sell out crowd of 2 000 spectators.

[Chiata]

Chiata Times
Here's to 100 Games

A sold out crowd packed into Gulf Stadium with 80,000 tickets being sold. It was also a very special game for the Chiata Suns. It was their 100th WCC game on record. The previous 99 had brought a full mix of emotions ranging from stunned grief to jubilant rejoicing. Some highlights include beating the Sylvanaes Queendom 3-2 on an away game back in the qualifiers of 68, winning against Felix 3-1 in last cycles qualifying, and the largely accepted as 'the best game for Chiata': 1-0 win over Valanora. The 100th game, compared to 99th, which was in the round of 16, was much less disappointing. After all, it is hard to get worse after a 5-2 loss.

The usual starters were on the pitch for Chiata, except for now retired Roy Huburt. They dressed in their home kits, proudly displaying the blue and yellow of Chiata. As for the opposition, they failed to even bring a roster to give to the announcers for the game. Consequently, fake names were made up for Beauce's team. Not to worry, these names are not offensive, unlike certain other newsletters. *Cough* Gregoryisgodistan *Cough*. The national anthems were played and Chiata's Captain, Center Back George Chriss shook hand with Bob Forward.

In stark contrast to the 99th game, the game against Beauce was more or less a friendly. Beauce came out in a confusion formation. Eventually, our experts agreed it was a 4-4-2, as that was the usual standard. However, Beace employed many 'moving' positions that were probably meant to shift around. Probably. In no less than seven minutes Rodney Midfielder tackled Sammy Swade in a rough manner and was given a yellow card. Wanting to shake things up, Bob Coach of Beauce decided to take out George Midfielder and put in Ben Midfielder. This did little and Chiata continued to dominate the possession game. Swade had a chance but Gary Goal Keeper tipped it out. Finally, on the resulting corner kick, Chiata struck. Joe Ringer-Toso took the corner and launched beauty into the box. Logan Britt escaped his defender and jumped up. In a perfect play, Britt hit the ball with his head, dirrecting it towards the goal. Gary Goal Keeper dove but it was out of reach. The 37 minute and Chiata was up by 1.

The game continued on, Chiata practically having the ball the entire time. The only incident was Ram Willis being awarded a yellow card, but play continued. Just before the half, on the 44th minute, Milton Midfielder harshly tackled Lee Robertson, hitting all leg and no ball. The Chiatan team erupted with protest and Milton Midfielder was handed a Yellow, despite the urging for a Red. Robertson limped off the field and was out the rest of the game. Rod Fermer was substituted in to replace Robertson and hardly anything happened in the last minute of the half.

The second half started and Chiata picked up where they left off. Time began to melt away like butter, but the cards continued to pile on. Buck Miles was given a card at '48 and Dan Defender at '54. In a desperate attempt to score an equalizer, Bob Coach made two more substitutions. The clock turned to the 80th minute and time was running out for Beauce. They took matters into their own hands and started making unplanned and unorganized attacks. This led their backfield wide open. Chriss cleared the danger and tapped it to Fermer. Fermer let off an amazing well timed pass and seeded the ball to Rickers. Only one more defender to beat. Seemingly without effort, Rickers tripped up David Defender and moved into the box. Gary Goal Keeper moved forward, the window was closing. Calmly, and with ease, Rickers let off a slow, well timed ground ball that hit the net in the corner. Chiata 2-0 Beauce FINAL.