World Cup 73 - RPing Thread

[Free Republics]

The results of the second round of the Consul election were now in and the pollsters had been wrong yet again. Kaleb O'Reilly, the outspoken businessman who had allegedly been falling in the polls, had won an absolute majority of the vote against Younes Danielsson and Sibylla Croteau. Now, he stepped onto the podium to deliver his victory speech. An excerpt follows:

Tonight, I won and Republica became Great Again! I want to congratulate myself on my victory and I want to announce that I am, effective immediately, closing all Republican embassies with the inferior nations from the rest of the multiverse and imposing a total embargo on all imports and exports. Furthermore, I request that Republicans refrain from traveling outside of the Federation for any reason whatsoever. Just to be clear, this includes international sports competition, so I urge Mr. Theriault to disband his National Soccer Team following his final match with Ceni and I urge everybody within our Great Federation to refrain from ever having any contact with foreigners again. It is time for us to turn inward and to perfect ourselves without worrying about what those stupid foreigners think any longer. It is time for us to be Great Again like we used to be before we got ourselves entangled in all of this foreign bullshit. It is time for us to embrace a return to isolationism and purge wicked foreign influences from our land!

[Saintland]

Elections Result in Hung Parliament

(SP) The first ever election to the Sanctii Parliament resulted in a Hung Parliament last night as Futurum finished first with 223 of the 505 seats. The moderate pro-reform party claimed victory but lacked the votes to form a government. If they wish to do that, they will have to enter coalition talks with either Feministvs Sanctvsterra, who won 161 seats or the anti-reform Veritas who won just 97. The remaining 24 seats were won by candidates who were unaffiliated with any party. A majority of 253 votes are required to elect a Prime Minister. "I can confirm that we have begun discussions with the other parties regarding possible coalitions and/or confidence and supply agreements. We are willing to negotiate but we believe that our policies have been endorsed by a plurality of voters and we intend to implement the wishes of the people. I'm not going to demand that we implement everything we ran on because we don't control a majority of the Parliament but I do want to implement the lion's share of our ideas. I'm also open to implementing some of the ideas of the other parties and am willing to hand over several cabinet positions to a possible coalition partner. I want to make representative government work in our Kingdom and I am willing to give a little bit to make that happen." - Andreas Tuccius

While Feministvs Sanctvsterra and Veritas technically control enough seats between them to form a coalition, such a coalition is likely impossible given the diametrically opposed views of the two parties. Feministvs Sanctvsterra soccer players recently won their second World Cup match against Semarland to clinch a spot in the Round of 16. However, several of their players were elected to Parliament, bringing into question whether they would continue to participate in future editions of the World Cup. Virginia Seius, star goalkeeper of the team, refused the SP's requests for an interview but stated that she is "focusing on this World Cup and is not interested in talking about the future at this point in time." Indeed, it is hard to blame the captain of the Feministvs Sanctvsterra Soccer Team for maintaining her laser-eyed focus on the current World Cup and on her team's upcoming match against The Holy Empire.

The Holy Empire have built quite a reputation for themselves since their debut at World Cup 1 and have been one of the longest lasting and most successful national teams in the history of the World Cup. While they are coming off of a scoreless draw against Barunia, they are still favored coming into this match and are clearly the best team that Feministvs Sanctvsterra has faced in this cycle. They will be hoping that they can prove all of the experts wrong one more time and potentially avoid what would be a difficult Round of 16 match against Audioslavia.

Veritas, on the other hand, had a rather disappointing night as the hard-liners finished third, losing not only to Futurum but also to Feministvs Sanctvsterra. This illustrates the lack of support for the self-proclaimed "traditionalists" within our Kingdom and their deep unpopularity. Veritas likely blundered by choosing the disgraced usurper Andreas Usurpus as their party leader and the public face of their organization. The former Sanctii soccer captain and current Royal Army ditch digger had an especially poor debate performance and suffered the indignity of not even being able to win a seat in Parliament. He announced his resignation as Party leader as the results came in. "With deep regret, I must resign as the leader of my party. Veritas is the one party that stands for Truth but I let my anger at my heretical brother blind me and lead me astray. For that, I apologize to everybody within my party and I apologize to everybody throughout this Kingdom who still believes in the unadulterated teachings of the True Church of Iesus Christus, not this modernist heresy that the current Anti-Patriarch of St. Petrus is peddling. I should have done a better job of leading our party but now it is my duty to withdraw from public life and accept the Cross that I must bear for the glory of our Lord and Savior." - Andreas Usurpus

The election results were definitely unexpected, but what was even more unexpected were the results of the popular vote. Futurum won 43.5 percent of the vote across the Kingdom while Feministvs Sanctvsterra won a shocking 43.3 percent of the popular vote. Veritas finished with just 9.8 percent. Following the announcement of the election results, Feministvs Sanctvsterra leader Censorina Polus called for boundary reform. "With all due respect to our King and to the officials who drew up these district boundaries, I think it is ridiculous that Veritas managed to secure so many seats with such a small percentage of the vote. I am willing to enter into a coalition with Mr. Tuccius and Futurum, but only if he agrees to endorse boundary reform. The people of our Kingdom have spoken and they have spoken clearly in favor of reform. If we form a grand coalition with the other pro-reform party, I want to do so as equal partners and help to push forward the values of the overwhelming majority of the people of our Kingdom. The outdated ideas of Veritas were repudiated by the electorate and I think it would be an outrage if this party run by a traitor were to become part of His Majesty's Government. At Feministvs Sanctvsterra, we are willing to budge a little to ensure that such a thing does not happen but we will not budge on boundary reform or on our core belief that women ought to be included in the public life of our Kingdom." - Censorina Polus

The results of the election are definitely interesting and we will keep you up to date on events as they occur.

Editors Note: Starting tomorrow, we will be running a new retrospective series in celebration of Saintland's 10 cycles of excellence in the World Cup. We urge everybody from around the multiverse to write to us and tell us what your favorite memories of Sanctii soccer are.

[Vilita]

World Cup 73 Finals: Group G

With the first edition of Sokiti Amakra's Fun With Flags for World Cup 73, we take a look at Vilita's opposition in Group G: Nephara, the Unified Sunrise Islands and Kernansquillec.

We've already seen some of the Nepharim in the past and barely been able to form an opinion on the Unified Sunrise Islands, so there is still plenty of work to do there. Kernansquillec we'll be taking a look at for the first time here at Fun With Flags, and it will be interesting to put a new banner into the fray.

NEPHARA

Best Feature: The left-most dark triangle

Worst Feature: The top-most dark triangle

Most Notable Feature: Green Cross design

One Change To Make: If we're keeping the base design I'd experiment with adding something of national identity to overlay the field in one of the 4 triangular quadrants.

Could Also Pass As the Flag of... Wight

In Summary: Simplicity is always good, and the flag stands out, if for nothing else, its simplicity and lack of contrast. Nothing has to change, but one thing is clear, the only way to go here is in the direction of more detail.

Amakra's Tweaks:

The existing simplicity, the existing tone, and the existing design would ultimate make the Nephara flag one of the most difficult to truly 'tweak' without just taking a blank canvas and starting anew.

Originally looking to see something of national importance added to the spaces within the triangles, I quickly realized that just wasn't going to work. There just isn't enough real estate inside the triangles to do anything of significance. I settled on introducing the avian feature - a Cormorant in the midst of flight - to the upper left portion of the flag, spanning two triangular quarters and keeping with the deep theme with its subtle coloration.

UNIFIED SUNRISE ISLANDS

Best Feature: Yellow Object behind the focal shield

Worst Feature: Lack of "Unified flavor"

Most Notable Feature: Blue/Yellow contrast

One Change To Make: Focus in on the head of the frilly aquatic creature in the off-tone shield.

Could Also Pass As the Flag of... Electrum

In Summary: Blue and yellow make a nice contrast. There is some nice detail in the striping to the left with a brick-like cross stitching. However, it gets lost from distance.

Amakra's Tweaks:

The most obvious, straight forward way to fix this flag is to actually make it a flag of the Unified Sunrise Islands. There are just so many of them, and they all have vastly different flags. Well, It seems like there are a lot of them, but when you inspect further, there aren't quite as many Sunrise Islands as you think there are.

Using coordinates, we can quiltify the flags of each of the Sunrise Islands and stitch them together into one, uber, Unified flag. Naturally, the flag of the Central Sunrise Islands is in the center. Then we work around from there. There are Northwestern Sunrise Islands, then North by Northwestern. Then everyone's favorite, the Northern Sunrise Islands right at the top. Next to them, the North by Northeastern Sunrise Islands and the Northeastern Sunrise Islands. Then we hit the end of the field and have to continue downwards to the East by Northeastern Sunrise Islands, the Eastern Sunrise Islands and the East by South Eastern Sunrise Islands.

Its at that point that the trail ends. There are no South by Southeastern Sunrise Islands. No Southern Sunrise Islands, No Western Sunrise Islands. At least not at the moment. But perhaps they will "Re-emerge" some day to take up their place on this "Quilt of Sunrise Islands Unification". Until then, the grim representation of the Lower Sunrise Islands occupies the lower portion of the flag.

KERNANSQUILLEC

Best Feature: The simplicity in the pallette. The pure white pops boldly on the field of forest green allowing the detail to shine through

Worst Feature: The constellation in the upper left, it seems unbalanced and out of place

Most Notable Feature: The Super-size "K" in the right half

One Change To Make: More modern flavor, less 8-bit effect

Could Also Pass As the Flag of... The Kytler Peninsulae

In Summary: The flag stands out nicely, but is in itself a bit dated. With some work, it could still stand out with the same palette, but feel a bit more modern.

Amakra's Tweaks:

The green field is strong, so naturally that was the easiest thing to keep. Since these are just tweaks, and not alternate-universe changes, we kept the basic layout here as well. We still have the "K" and we still have what appears to be some kind of constellation of stars in the upper left.

Where we do see changes is in the presentation. The K is now much bolder, and a bit smoother. We've enlarged the constellation to bring it more to the forefront and a bit more of a ration in the upper half of the left side of the flag. Where we surprise ourselves is by adding a third tone: Black. There was some fear of the bolder look on the "K" taking over the green field, but the black boarder deepens the overall look at separates the bolder white from the green field.

[Kernansquillec]

THE INTERVIEW

Justine Herring

Personal information

Full name       Justine Léa Herring
Date of birth   13th June 2044 (21 years old)
Place of birth  Kernansquillec City
                Capitol, Kernansquillec
Sex             Female
Height          1m79
Position        Defender
Nationality      Kernansquillecan

Club information

Currant team     Bayern Phoenix (Taeshan)
Number          3

Youth career

2052 - 2055     NW Kids
2055 - 2064     St Markus Youth Academy

Senior career

2064 - now      Bayern Phoenix

National team

2064            Kernansquillec U21
2064 - now      Kernansquillec

Justine Herring, welcome to the Interview!

Thank you, I'm so glad to be here!

It's a pleasure. It's not often we receive players who have just won a World Cup group game!

Haha! Yeah, it must be quite a rare thing, but we're doing our best to change that.

It was certainly a special game against USI. How did it feel to be on the pitch?

It was quite an experience. The Kernansquillecan fans who had made the trip were just fantastic, they helped us a lot. And as a team we performed all so well! It's a shame we couldn't do as well against Nephara who were simply a class above us. But we still have a chance of qualifying going into the final match day and that's something that is of great encouragement for the whole team. We have something to play for and something to aim for when we face Vilita and we'll give it absolutely everything.

And for yourself this must be quite an experience as well. Just last year you received your first call up to the under 21s. Now, in your first World Cup year as a senior team member you're playing at the World Cup. It must feel like a dream!

It does a bit. I had already linked up the National squad for the Copa Rushmori last year, but this has been so amazing! To be part of a team to qualify for the World Cup is really a dream come true. But I'm still very young, I've got quite a few playing years ahead of me, and I certainly hope that this won't be the one and only World Cup appearance I make. I want Kernansquillec to become a regular feature here.

Reaching the World Cup has long been the aim of the KERFA, but now you're in a position in the last sixteen is actually a tangible possibility. Can you push on and achieve what many believed was impossible?

It's going to be difficult. Both Vilita and Nephara are teams that are expecting to be challenging for the World Cup itself, so to get anything against them is quite a result. But that's the beauty of football. If we were to beat Vilita we would make the last sixteen. It's not likely according to the bookies, but it's just one match. It only takes one moment of brilliance and ninety minutes of disciple and we would be there.

Vilita of course have yet to secure qualification themselves and could face an early exit should they lose against the Kers. With them set to field their strongest eleven, do Kernansquillec have much of a chance?

We will always have some chance. They might be one of the best teams in the World at the moment, but we're a very strong unit. We can be very tough to break down and as I said, all takes is one moment of brilliance. We may well need a bit of luck to help us along our way, but nothing is impossible at the World Cup.

At just twenty-one years of age, you're the youngest player in the squad. Does that bring you added pressure or does it make things easier?

A bit of both I think. It can be hard having the spotlight of the National team on you at such a young age, but I'm used to it now. And I get to gain so much experience and wisdom from the players around me who have experienced so much more senior football than me. So I definitely don't regret this one little bit.

Justine, thank you very much for coming over and talking to us. Good luck with the match against Vilita. We'll be hoping it won't be your last of this World Cup!

I'll certainly be hoping so too! Thanks!

Kernansquillec 3 - 2 Unified Sunrise Islands
(Varano 45'+2', De Luca 72', Lilac 87' / Rolandinho Juliano 31', Alcouin 58')
The TrojArena, Trojanajara

Nephara 3 - 0 Kernansquillec
(Kellard 58', 69', Belfast 72' )
Pavel Wilson Stadium, Kingston

[Kernansquillec]

WORLD CUP 73, GROUP G - A STUDY

Alexander Iving of Kernansquillec City University's centre of sporting studies, research and analysis has been studying the behaviour of football teams during the latter stages of World Cup tournaments and has given his opinion of the crunch game between kernansquillec and Vilita, as well as the tie between Nephara and the Unified Sunrise Islands, to the Daily Kernansquillecan.

The beauty of football is that anyone can win - at least it would seem so. Upsets are a regular feature of football and are what make it one of the best sports in the World. However, upsets aren't all that likely. In the case of a World class team facing a bunch of amateurs, the chance of success can range from the infinitesimally small to at maximum a few percent for those new international teams that, while lacking in any sort of structure, coaching or general knowledge about football, possess a certain amount of natural talent.

In group G, there won't be any such mismatched. While there is a certain golf between the top two seeds - Nephara and Vilita - and the two underdogs - Unified Sunrise Islands and Kernansquillec - the odds of an upset in this group are far from negligible, especially given the configuration we have on this final matchday.

Let's start with the plain simple facts that all football fans know. Any two of these four teams could still qualify for the last sixteen. Victory for any side in their game seals their place in that ultimate club. Victory for Vilita would seal first place for themselves, while it could be clinched by Nephara should they win and Vilita fail to match them. Kernansquillec could also take first place should they beat Vilita and Unitied Sunrise Islands take points off of Nephara. Unitied Sunrise Islands however are the only team in the group who simply cannot win the group due to the fact one of Kernansquillec or Vilita is obliged to finish above them. But it is still a possibility for the two underdogs to qualify ahead of the World's number 4 and 7 seeds.

The odds of this are rather slim. According to my calculations, based on computer simulations that factored in a vast quantity of information concerning each team's style of play, strengths, weaknesses and past performances have allowed me to estimate the odds of either Kernansquillec or Unified Sunrise Islands gaining victory over their opponents at between 5 and 15%. As such, the odds of a "double upset" are situated somewhere between 0.0025 and 0.0225%. These numbers may seem small, but a chance of 0.03% of seeing two major teams dumped out of a World Cup by minnows is quite a remarkable one and few sports other than football give such good odds for the underdogs.

Both Kernansquillec and the Unified Sunrise Islands can take comfort in the fact that their own individual odds of qualification are even more significant. Should they manage to outperform themselves while facing a bellow-part opposition, they could just squeeze thought. But they is no doubting that the odds favour the favourites. Neither Vilita, nor Nephara is expected to drop a single point, let alone draw against the likes of the Kers and USI, so defeat for either side is a long shot. But as we have seen time and again in football, long shots do come off every now and then.

But of course, if I was to bet on it, my money would certainly be on Vilita and Nephara.

# Group G                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vilita                           2   1  1  0    3   1  +2    4
2 Nephara                          2   1  0  1    3   2  +1    3
3 Kernansquillec                   2   1  0  1    3   5  −2    3
4 Unified Sunrise Islands          2   0  1  1    3   4  −1    1

Possible outcomes
1. Vilita qualify:                   a) if they win or draw against Kernansquillec
                                     b) if they lose and Nephara draw against Unified Sunrise Islands
                                     c) if they lose and Nephara lose against Unified Sunrise Islands, as long as they remain ahead of USI on goal difference/goals scored

2. Nephara qualify:                  a) if they win against Unified Sunrise Islands
                                     b) if they draw against Unified Sunrise Islands and Kernansquillec fail to win against Vilita

3. Kernansquillec qualify:           a) if they win against Vilita
                                     b) if they draw against Vilita and Nephara are defeated by Unified Sunrise Islands

4. Unified Sunrise Islands qualify:  a) if they win against Nephara and Vilita defeat Kernansquillec
                                     b) if they win against Nephara and Kernansquillec defeat Vilita and manage to surpass Vilita either on goal difference, or goals scored


5. Vilita win the group:             a) if they win against Kernansquillec
                                     b) if they draw against Kernansquillec and Nephara drop points against Unified Sunrise Islands

6. Nephara win the group:            a) if they win against Unified Sunrise Islands and Vilita drop points against Kernansquillec

7. Kernansquillec win the group:     a) if they win against VIlita and Nephara drop points against Unified Sunrise Islands



Notes:
a) In the case of Vilita (L) and Unified Sunrise Islands (W) being tied for second place on four points, there would need to be a three goal swing in favour of USI for them to qualify. In the case of a one goal swing, Vilita would qualify. In the case of a two goal swing and both sides being level on points, USI would qualify due to their superior number of goals scored, unless Vilita were involved in a high-scoring defeat. Should both teams remain level on both goal difference and goals scored, they would have a single game playoff for qualification.

b) Unified Sunrise Islands were not added to the possibilities of group winning as they cannot win the group.

c) The possibilities of the ending of the World, disqualification or poorly qualified point counting officials were not taken into account in these possibilities.

[Starblaydia]

He kicked the ball. That was the essence of the game, after all. He kicked it - not too hard, because placement was just as important as power when it came to a penalty and these ratios had to be fairly balanced. No point in unleashing an unstoppable rocket if the trajectory takes it into row Z. It was, for most players, an acceptable penalty kick. It was heading for, as he saw it, the top left corner, making Juan Garcia dive to his right. The moment it left his boot, he knew everything was going to be fine. Then he looked up.

For the previous two hours, Simeone Di Bradini had been a tireless and integral part of the Multiverse XI, playing against a special Krytenian side to celebrate their one thousandth match in international competition. The thought had crossed his mind more than once about how many matches Starblaydia had played, reckoning that it was probably more - but left that sort of thing to the SFA to worry about. If they hadn't wanted to celebrate any milestones (Starblaydi leaders celebrating things with sports tournaments had a spotted history, at best) then he wasn't going to bother himself with it either.

Playing for the Multiverse against an all-time Krytenian side was, however, an experience he was rather enjoying. He so rarely took the field for The Holy Empire any more; he was rather missing the experience. Playing alongside Vanessa Carpenter, for instance, was one of his dreams come true, as he'd been an admirer of the Bedistani for more than two centuries. Despite being the representative for Krytenia's 'old enemy' of Starblaydia in the Multiverse side, Simeone had only ever played against Krytenia once way, way back in 1990. For most people's perception of 'back in the day', this certainly qualified considering his mundy watch was telling him it was currently the year 2206. That game had been a World Cup Qualifier that Starblaydia had won 2-0 at home with goals from left winger Jose Tirado and the little young striker Jakkinho. Simeone himself had been a thirty-five year old substitute in the match, wearing the number 23 shirt and somehow making it important for the first time. Generations of Starblaydi strikers, young and old, had coveted the final squad number since he worse it in World Cups 19 and 20, for some reason that he couldn't quite fathom.

His mind didn't let him calculate that he was, technically, two-hundred and fifty-one years old, nor would it allow him to chuckle at the irony of being 251 and having the Under-21 World Cup named after him. He knew that important things were going on in the world and that he'd eventually get to play a role in the, which comforted him. He'd done so much in what he considered to be the second part of his life that he knew important things would keep cropping up: wars, time travel, adventures into parallel dimensions, saving the multiverse. It was only a matter of time before something like that happened again.

He kicked the ball. Then he looked up.

Juan Garcia was in a picture perfect dive, high to his right as the ball sailed on a lazy arc towards the top corner, with just a little spin on it to help take it away from his outstretched hand. Not enough spin, too lazy an arc, to take it fully away from his grasp. Strong fingers parried the ball away from its goal-bound trajectory and, even before he hit the ground, Garcia was cheering.

Simeone's short run came to a halt and he put his hands on his hips, throwing his head back and looking up to the sky with what commentators would say was a rueful smile. He'd been the player who had to be in the team, because Starblaydia had to be represented and he had to be the avatar of Starblaydia itself. And he had to be the only player to miss in the penalty shootout, because that was, of course, how things hadto happen.

His smile was actually one of relief, because right then and there he knew that his destiny was not the centre of the multiverse; it was not all about Simeone Di Bradini. For so much of his life it had seemed that way as everything revolved around him, orbiting around his axis. But this match and this result was actually about Krytenia, their celebration, their commemoration and their victory. Simeone was pleased to be a part of it, even if given the role of a first-name-on-the-teamsheet striker contributing no assists, no goals and missing the only penalty of the shootout in a scoreline that would read "2-2 (AET, FT 2-2) Krytenia wins 5-4 on penalties".

Simeone looked across at An Egg, sitting quietly on the touchline behind the goal. He could see the shell, undulating with pressure from within as small cracks appeared on this smooth, shiny surface. As the tiny red dragon - tiny for dragons, at least - pushed its nose out into the air and snorted out a little puff of dark grey smoke, Simeone knew that everything happened for a reason.

You just never knew the reason at the time.

[Northern Sunrise Islands]

Hype had been around town for a while now. While the Unified Sunrisian team hadn't been doing well at the latest World Cups beyond qualifying, the Sunrisians had one thing that nobody else did. Gaming. Turns out years and years with this as one of your main markets granted any Sunrisian game company a boost when making games. They were now known for their Fighting game version of the World Cup, a game released once a year that was now more about finesse than new looks, the newest version coming out to acceptance and calmness over the big blast the last World Cup game had done. Now, it was time to expand even more on the World Cup license.

And thus, there was, suddenly, a video uploaded on the Internet. The video started with a ball slowly rolling through a pitch made of concrete. The ball would, after a couple of seconds finally find a foot to rest, only for the camera zoom out, revealing that the ball was under control of Sunrisian captain Hannah Alcouin on a rather unique style, mostly common to Pokémon Trainer shonen, a common thing on the Sunrise. Behind her were what could be assumed to be Felipe Maniche, Rolandinho Juliano, Apollinaris Tretyakova and Joan Marcel. Alcouin had a brief smirk on her face, slapping her right leg twice, as if to take off any dust from her pants. "You know what they say... the Sunrise always comes next day." noted Alcouin, smiling afterwards.

She then rolled the ball forward to the other side of the field, where it eventually stopped at a rather rough hand. The camera zoomed out once again to reveal it was actually Nephara's center-back Hadrian Belfast sitting down on the concrete floor, again not too different from what the Unified Sunrisian team had been shown as. He then got up, crossing arms as Elaine Ashdown, Tanya Bottlegreen, Tanith Rainsford and Diandra Ballard watched, not too fazed. "Yeah, about that..." provoked Belfast, "...you chaps still have to beat us once. And we're not really interested on this being that one opportunity. Do you catch it, Sunshine?". Both sides then prepared for what was to be a street football match, only with Alcouin answering still with a large smile on her face, "Yeah. Good thing nobody asked your choice, did we?"

The camera once again zoomed out to show up that the area was, in fact, a representation of the post Calanian War region divided by Quebec and Western Sunrise, the city of Vila Nova. The area itself was a typical concrete field with walls around it, though said walls were notoriously short. The area around the pitch was meant to be the notorious Parc des Amis/Parque dos Amigos, a park that happens to be divided by the frontier between the Quebecóis area of Terra Henrius and the Western Sunrisean region known as Calânia, something made a bit more noticeable on the video thanks to the people watching on the small seating around the pitch being divided rather correctly of pretty calm Western Sunrisian fans to trully weird Quebecóis fans doing some pretty unusual stuff. A text displayed on screen stating "Group G, Matchday 3 - USI x Nephara" on a rather gritty font. An upbeat track started to play as the game opened up, only to show the Sunrisians as the video started to cut to Sunrisian dribbling with ease the Nepharim before Alcouin netted a goal using an appropriately represented Water Pump to reach a high ball. The screen froze, focusing on Alcouin and thus showing a text under her image saying "Tricksters". Alcouin then got close to Belfast, laughing all the way before provoking him. "Say, what was that about... CHAP!?" yelled Alcouin. Belfast shrugged, simply stating "Aye, time to show you what's what.". The music switched to a darker tune as the video now focused on the moments where the Nepharim overpowered their way through the Sunrisian squad, mostly using brash force with some skill involved. Those series of clips ended with Bottlegreen hitting a hard shot at the back of Joan Marcel's net. The image then froze with Belfast on focus, walking near a downed Rolandinho as text popped up, stating "Hammers" before returning to normal. Belfast patted Alcouin on the back, stating "And that's what."

It was then that the DJ area behind the crowd saw a funny-looking character arrive. Kitsunia from Radio Esportiva acting as the DJ. Text popped up on the screen stating "SnoGa characters as cameos bringing your soundtrack under five radios!". The ball was now back in the middle of the field. Alcouin once again smirked, kicking the ball up and just as Rolandinho would kick the ball towards the Nepharim part of the field, the screen blacked out, only showing the new cover and the words "Coming Soon to your Avalanche!".

The race to SnoGa's newest series was officially on. Though maybe not in the right date.

[Vilita]

Vilita Held at The Samseongoloondongjang

Jungle Cats Still Need a Result to Advance

MONTREAL, ROYAL KINGDOM OF QUEBEC :: After a humbly chilling start to the World Cup 73 Finals at the City of Attawapiskat Stadium, the Vilita National Team relocated to Montreal - the largest city of the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, for their second group stage matchup.

Given the result they were able to achieve, perhaps there wasn't any real desire to depart from Attawapiskat, however, the comfort and warmth of the big city were certainly attractive to the Jungle Cats players. As for the venue, it would likely be a very different scene when Vilita and the Unified Sunrise Islands took the pitch for their Matchday 2 clash than were it on the opening matchday when The Samseongoloondongjang played hosts to the hosts as the home side, the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, opened up their campaign against a re-invigorated Vilitan neighbor and old foe, Krytenia.

In fact, there was a very local flavor to all the matches taking place at The Samseongoloondongjang as once the Jungle Cats depart on MD2, their locker room will be turned around for occupation by colonial neighbors The Island Emirate of Turori who will be preparing for their very difficult clash with defending World Cup Champion Pasarga.

So, perhaps in a sense, the matchup between a 2nd and 3rd seed in Group G; Vilita ranked 7th and the Unified Sunrise Islands ranked 25th, while perhaps the most important on the cards as far as the standings go, may be the lesser of the three scheduled group stage clashes in the eyes of the local fans in Montreal.

Nevertheless, the game had to be played.

The loudest cheers during player introductions of course were for Rolando and Rolandinho Juliano, the two central midfielders for the Unified Sunrise Islands who play their club football right in the host city for the Royal Kingdom of Quebec's Montreal Koreana. On the other side of the ball, the Vilitan National Team had made a tactical change from their opening match against Nephara, switching to a more attack minded 3-4-3 formation, adding Berali Tzufarei in attack.

Perhaps the more notable switch, however, was in defense. With just three at the back, the absence of Marine Coast United defensive stalwart Endur Rotropii was glaringly obvious. Young Turoki Isle defender Linkat Cjinder had huge shoes to fill with Rotropii not even making the bench in what would be a surprise omission of one of the Jungle Cats star players for reasons not announced by the head coach Ritopa Simafela, or his assistant Ricata Amakra.

Nonetheless, the Jungle Cats would put their attacking presence to good use, getting on the board quickly. Working from the midfield, Serabi Chamya unleashed Nili Ylimaiina who showed, even at his age, he still had the pace to take a touch on the much younger Sunrisian defenders and find space to put the ball in the back of the net.

The goalkeeper for the Unified Sunrise Islands, Joan Marcel, wasn't actually from a Sunrise Island; but instead from Son Vasco, a colony that as of yet has not earned itself proper Sunrisian Nomenclature. Marcel was one of two players in the starting lineup; the Attacking Midfielder "Ruby" from South Edenia being the other, who held a colonized passport.

Vilita took their 1-0 lead into the half and, if the results held, would be looking pretty to go through in Group G.

Unfortunately, things would change in the second half, and it would be a player that the Vilitan's were familiar with that did the damage.

in the 67th minute, less than 90 seconds after coming on as a substitute, The centerback of Northern Sunrise heritage, Matt O'Haile, rose above his inexperienced opposing number Linkat Cjinder and headed past Zelkki Milake to knot the scores. O'Haile, a career player in the Vilitan Stellar Division, whirled around with his arms out in an airplane fashion to celebrate the goal.

Vilita had changes to make in reaction, bringing on Kwuimekii Henteti to replace Cjinder; who received support from assistant coach Ricata Amakra on the sideline, and Perran Adlani who came in up top to support the attack, replacing Berali Tzufarei who had been relatively ineffective for much of the match.

Despite the changes, there would be no other moments of magic as the critical Group G matchup would play out in a 1-1 draw. For Vilita, while the result was not the desired one, it was acceptable enough to leave destiny within their own hands heading into the final matchday. For the Unified Sunrise Islands players, they returned to the locker room knowing they had a tough task ahead of them, with World #4 Nephara standing in their way.

The draw signifies a downward trend in results, after a rare opening matchday victory for Vilita, and it will be necessary for the coaching staff to motivate the players to reverse the micro-form by Matchday 3 to avoid early departure and a short trip home.

The fans filed out having enjoyed their experience at The Samseongoloondongjang. Having already presided over a flavor very local to the Vilitan Cove throughout the Group Stage, fans of both Vilita and Turori will hope to be seeing a lot more of The Samseongoloondongjang in Montreal. The venue is also set to host a Group G v. Group H Round of 16 Knockout Round match, in addition to the World Cup Final itself.

Vilita [1] - [1] Unified Sunrise Islands

:: Vilita Goalscorers :: :: 13' Nili Ylimaiina

:: Vilita Statistics :: :: Best Player: Serabi Chamya :: Worst Player: Berali Tzufarei :: Possession: 51% :: Shots on Target: 7 :: Corner Kicks: 1

:: Unified Sunrise Islands Statistics :: :: Possession: 49% :: Shots on Target: 4 :: Corner Kicks: 4

---

Vilita Jungle Cats Lineup v. Unified Sunrise Islands ::
[GK] Zelkki Milake, [D.] Tlikao Muratai, [D.] Linkat Cjinder, [D.]Jirijii Januaa, [ML] Tripate Falcon, [MC] Serabi Chamya, [MC] Westii Yahaya, [MR] Purapal Eskiiy, [FC] Berali Tzufarei, [FC] Nili Ylimaiina, [FC] Kiliko Riazen
BENCH::
[FC] Kaivel Illatara, [FC] Perran Adlani, [M] Lopaki Kilpter, [M] Altimo Ueboa, [u ] Lboaisa Akarelm, [D] Kwuimekii Hentetii, [GK] Viliaka O'Connor

---

The post Matchday 3 Qualification scenarios for World Cup 73: Group G do not necessarily favor any one nation. However, for three of the four nations competing in Group G; the formula is really quite simple: Win and you are In.

Vilita, Nephara and Kenansquillec are all in a situation knowing that they will advance simply by recording 3 points against their opposition. Only the Unified Sunrise Islands require help (In addition to a victory) in order to advance to the knockout rounds.

For the Jungle Cats, however, the picture is even simpler than that. Avoid defeat, and advance. A point of any kind will be sufficient for the Vilita National Team to secure its place in the Round of 16 knockout phase and they can only be eliminated straight up should they suffer defeat to Kernansquillec and Nephara were to defeat the United Sunrise Islands.

Each nation has multiple paths to the Round of 16, and there is no "Single Set of Results" required to give any nation a path through. With the exception of the Unified Sunrise Islands, each nation has a path to the knockout rounds; utilizing help, with either a Win or Draw result. The Unified Sunrise Islands are the only nation that can not win the group. However, with the prospect of facing a nation that has advanced from Group H as a reward for finishing in the top 2, its not clear how much placement would really matter at that point.

Editor's Update

Vilita's Matchday 2 opponent, the Unified Sunrise Islands, was previously featured on a recent episode of Sokiti Amakra's hit series "Fun with Flags". Unfortunately, Amakra was provided incomplete source information for their segment. More specifically, due to the seemingly unending multiplication of Sunrise Islands, Amakra decided to get some help and allow an intern to assist in the research duties for the segment.The Intern was able to successfully find a number of Sunrise Islands and put together the information in a multi-page portfolio for Amakra to review ahead of the World Cup 73: Group G special segment. The Unfortunate situation occurred when the printing machine being utilized by the intern to create the portfolio ran out of printing material. As a result, the portfolio, as printed and delivered to Amakra, was only half as thick as it should have been. When questioned, the intern admitted to not reviewing the printed portfolio prior to delivering it to Amakra.

When informed of the blunder, Amakra reportedly said "Blimey, I knew there were more Sunrise Islands out there, but I really wanted to believe that their weren't". Amakra then headed back into the studio and produced a revised segment to be spliced into future reproductions of the World Cup 73: Group G edition of Fun with Flags.

UNIFIED SUNRISE ISLANDS

Best Feature: Firework-like roundel on opposite side of the central shield

Worst Feature: Faceless being in the center of the shield

Most Notable Feature: Field of White

One Change To Make: It would be nice to see something on the flag that represented each of the Sunrise Islands

Could Also Pass As the Flag of... East by Northeastern Sunrise Islands

In Summary: So it seems the Unified Sunrise Islands have a flag after all, but it all exists in a desk drawer somewhere in a tower. Its unclear who the faceless creature in the center of the shield is, but perhaps they are the one who has been stuck keeping track of the vast number of Sunrise Islands, to make sure they don't disappear or something!

Amakra's Tweaks:

The most obvious, straight forward way to fix this flag is to actually make it a flag of the Unified Sunrise Islands. There are just so many of them, and they all have vastly different flags. Well, It seems like there are a lot of them, but when you inspect further, there aren't quite as many Sunrise Islands as you think there are.

Using coordinates, we can quilify the flags of each of the Sunrise Islands and stitch them together into one, uber, Unified flag. Naturally, the flag of the Central Sunrise Islands is in the center. Then we work around from there. There are Northwestern Sunrise Islands, then North by Northwestern. Then everyones favorite, the Northern Sunrise Islands right at the top. Next to them, the North by Northeastern Sunrise Islands and the Northeastern Sunrise Islands. Then we hit the end of the field and have to continue downwards to the East by Northeastern Sunrise Islands, the Eastern Sunrise Islands and the East by South Eastern Sunrise Islands.

This "Quilt of Sunrise Islands Unification" is completed all the way around using cardinal directions and their subset. Additionally, the Upper and Lower Sunrise Islands find their place along the central strip on either side of the Central Sunrise Islands, without encroaching on the coordinate-driven ring around the edge of the Quilt. The rumored flag of the Unified Sunrise Islands is still represented by the Firework like feature occupying the negative space. The lower portion of this flag remains fairly grim, with the Lower Sunrise Islands transitioning into the deep hues of the Southern Sunrise Islands, then Westerly to the equally grim South by Southeastern Sunrise Islands. The quilt flag is balanced, however, by the introduction of the Upper Sunrise Islands, likely the best stand-alone flag of all the Sunrise Islands, which brings a natural brightness and warm feeling along with it.

We didn't have the heart to tell Amakra about the vast number of Colonies of the Unified Sunrise Islands at this time.

[Nephara]

'The new generation'.
Yeah, that's what all the talk was all about. Just as Diandra Ballard's generation had, once, been the new generation. The golden generation, in fact. But at 31 she knew she faced a battle to still be here come the next World Cup, and, well, she had to enjoy it while it lasted, right?
As it stood, there was nothing better in the world than putting that number 1 shirt on. She was Nephara's best goalkeeper. It was that simple. And the longer she was Nephara's best goalkeeper, the better. Hadn't always been an easy ride, of course, but recently her country form had finally raised to match her club form.
And yet, things could still go wrong. Vilita went wrong. Wasn't much she could've done about that, and suddenly they were on track to meet Pasarga next round. Fuck.
But it was no use crying, right? Riether had laid it down plainly to them - their plan was still to beat everyone. Best to get that defeat out of the way early on, right? Right now, they were something to be afraid of. And if they bounced back to properly stick the boot in Kernansquillec and the Sunrise Islands, well... that would be a nice little reminder, wouldn't it?
It was important for her, of course. The last two times, she'd thought about 'next time'. 1-0 to Felix? They'd do better next time. 4-0 to Osarius? There was always next time. 3-1 to Pasarga? Next time.
And today she was 31 years old. Stocki was 29, too, and with Griffiths emerging it might be her last as well. A whole host of the rest would be 30 next time, too. And Belfast, 34, was internationally retiring after this Cup.
Time really gave you perspective.
But there was a time for navel-gazing, and it wasn't when Marie Iris hit an annoyingly perfect cross across the defence, Varano hurling herself forward at it and Ballard committed, getting as far down to her post as possible and clawing the ball clear. But Iris was there on the follow-up, getting past Christener and scuffing a shot at goal, but Ballard couldn't get to it-
No crowd reaction. Ballard glanced behind her, and Catheline Stockinger was sprawled across goal, having hooked the ball well upfield. Rainsford had stolen the ball out from under Spijker's feet, and was just keeping possession for the time being, letting the pressure subside from a suddenly stretched defence.
The Endeavour goalkeeper pulled the slight leftback up, clapping her solidly on the back. The old generation wasn't done yet. "Nice work! Let's keep it up, yeah?"
Stockinger nodded. "Right!"

Finally, things started to turn around. Kernansquillec were playing their nice, technical football, and the Cormorants matched them for that with the addition of a direct, very physical edge. It was only a matter of time until it paid off.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man - Kellard was more labourer than artist, but took a ball past Snijder and bulldozed past her before smashing the ball past Ferly. Easy.
From that point, the Rushmoris had to commit to attack. Christener and Stockinger found themselves forced back under the pressure along the wings, but Nephara found joy down the centre despite being undermanned. Covenant tested Ferly seriously before Bottlegreen controlled the ball seamlessly past Gashotov with the slightest of touches before rifling the ball inches wide. Noupen made some space but promptly squandered it by shooting straight at Ballard, and it was perhaps unsurprising that Ballard quickly played the ball into the midfield to start another attack. Ashdown took the ball, turned and fired out wide to Andrea Cawdor who hit a great early cross, Kellard got ahead of a disoriented defence to flick a wonderful header past Ferly. Their opponents were in disarray, and the Cormorants pressed on - Covenant barely missing with a snapshot just outside the box, Rainsford tantalisingly close to playing Kellard through but a great covering tackle by Snijder stopping it, Ferly saving well from Bottlegreen. That gave the Cormorants a corner and, as the hulking presences of Kellard, Belfast and now the fresh legs of veteran holding midfielder Logan Murdoch lumbered into view, Ferly would have been forgiven for getting a certain sinking feeling...
... and so it proved. Ashdown flicked in a ball hard into the mixer, and nobody dealt with it as Ferly flapped before it came to Belfast. In what could, in a worst-case scenario, be his penultimate national team game, he leapt powerfully, never took his eye off the ball, ignored Bloxam's presence and subtly inclined his head goalwards, flicking the ball into the net over Herring at the far post.
The perfect occasion for goal number 11. The old generation was still going strong.

The side were in high spirits coming back to the dressing room. That had been an appropriately convincing victory against a pretty good Kernansquillec side who had been, frankly, unlucky to draw a strong group. And, of course, it was in Nepharim interests to hope they hamstrung Vilita in the last match, so it was unsurprising how warm the handshakes and shirt-swaps were at fulltime. But at the end of the day, it was a good platform. They'd played brilliantly from up front to in goal, and if they played like this for the rest of the tournament? Well, the United Sunrise Islands had something to be wary about...

[Turori]

Almost Rivals: A brief history of Turori & Starblaydia

The histories of Turori and Starblaydia have always been loosely coupled. Occasionally, their histories would pass through adjunct relationships, such as through Turori's former colonial adjudicator, the Tropics of Vilita, or through Nova Brittania. But it all started in one place.

World Cup 15 proved be the first introduction the multiverse had to two great sporting powers, and one footnote.

The Island Emirate of Turori started out on top. Before they had ever even played a single World Cup Qualifying match, they were crowned champions of a WCC Sanctioned event. It was an event called the "Baptism of Fire". It was the first continuous running of an event that would be held prior to every World Cup from that point forward. There were only 8 nations in that particular Baptism of Fire, and none of the rest of them really amounted to anything, except, perhaps, a red-kitted nation that would grow to become a cyan-colored thorn in the side of another great, ancient nation - Audioslavia.

One nation that was not involved in that Baptism of Fire kickoff, however, was Starblaydia. Just East of where the Turorians had planted their flag, the Starblaydi had come from the lands of Calania, along the shores of Lake Bekk. Two pieces of geographical nomenclature that, at that point in time, meant absolutely nothing to absolutely anybody. But that would soon change.

Starblaydia's first ever senior international match would be against none other than the Tropics of Vilita. Jonathon Baledrokadroka scored the first ever international goal against the purple peril, while the legendary Callum Banda sealed the deal to ensure that Starblaydia's first ever World Cup Qualifying match would end in defeat.

Perhaps it was a case of motivating the sleeping giant to rise out of its shell and into promenance.

The Starblaydia side would come back swinging, downing in the return leg a Vilita side that was destined for its first ever World Cup Finals berth. As they say, the rest is history. As the Island Emirate of Turori struggled to climb out from beyond the shadow of its succesful neighbor, Vilita, Starblaydia was able to rise to prominence and soon, the center of the footballing world was Lake Bekk.

As Starblaydia were knocking out World Cup championship trophies left and right, The Island Emirate of Turori were racking up World Cup Quarter-Final defeats. In fact, Turori would advance to, then exit from the World Cup Quarter-Final stage more times than any other nation in history that had never advanced beyond the Quarter-Finals.

As Starblaydia were winning World Cup titles, Turori found themselves sometimes relegated to the Cup of Harmony - which they would win, when they had the chance, continuing to add to their impressive haul of World Cup Committee sanctioned event trophies. But Just because the World Cup Committee sanctioned it, doesn't mean it was the World Cup.

Looking back at the paths the two nations traversed; starting from the same cycle in World Cup 15, both winning their fair share of international competitions - the question lingers - Would Turorian fans trade all of their successes, Baptisms of Fire, Cups of Harmony, Eagle's Cups - would they trade it all in for just one appearance in the World Cup Semi-Finals? Just one appearance in a World Cup Final? Just one, one of the measely little World Cup champions trophies that their long-time rivals had accrued?

---

[Alasdair I Frosticus]

Fashion
F-F-F-F-F-Fashion
F-Fashion
S-S-Style
War
L-L-L-Look look look

I'm the edge
I'm the chic
I'm the taste
I'm a larger than life with just a hint of lace
I'm avant-garde, I'm the heir, I'm the Vogue
I'm the she she ohh hee hee
I'm the man a la mode

Hello.

I'm Jorge Armanes, and... well... you just can't rid of me, no matter how much you want to. Wherever fashion goes, I follow, and last night's match between the Holy Empire and Barunia brought me one of the most exciting fashion revelations I've had in many a subjective year.

Let me make it clear that I'm certainly not talking about last night's football match with Barunia. Absolutely not. I might not know much about football, but even I know that a match where neither side manages a single desultory shot on target until the 76th minute is duller than a Barunian home kit at a party for dull people on the dullest day of the dullest week of the dullest month of the dullest year in living memory.

Did I mention that the Barunian home kit is dull. Or maybe dull doesn't begin to do justice to the sheer rampant boredom of a pastel-coloured piece of anti-fashion that only an emotionless automaton could love. Play in that sort of kit, and it's no wonder that a team's playing style will end up reflecting the sheer mind-numbing dullness of what they've been forced to wear.

I can only assume that when God was handing out an instinct for fashion, Barunia did something to offend Him.

Or that's what I used to think.

Because while I was chatting to a stray Barunian, I discovered their great national secret. Once upon a time, Barunian fashion wasn't dull; it was exciting, adventurous, and surely at the vanguard of Mundy design.

Because Barunia used to wear these kits:



Aren't they simply amaze-balls?

How to describe them? Like a sun spread out across the whole canvas of the sky, patches of burning yellow flying in all directions, mad splotches of colour applied like a blind artist dropping acid - and all with a totally incongruous burgundy numbering scheme to further liven things up.

They render me speechless.

I look at those kits in awe, safe in the knowledge that here, at least, I have found the nirvana of avant-garde fashion of which legends speak, but which few are ever privileged enough to witness.

Glory to whomever designed these kits; glory to you good sir, or madam, or miscellaneous other entity, because here fashion reached its apotheosis.

So what happened Barunia? How could you discard these monuments to fashion in favour of your current dull, DULL, DULL home kits and your offensively unfashionable current away kits? Think of the football you could have played when inspired by these kits you've now set aside; no excruciating 0-0 draws there, I'm sure - only the finest of forward-thinking fashion-inspired Frosty Football while wearing those, I'm sure.

Still, whatever the current indisputable flaws of your current tedious home kit, at least you know better than to wear rugby hoops.

That's you I'm looking at, Saintland - but more on that tomorrow.

Today, let's focus on the glory of what could have been if someone in Barunia had had the courage to stick with their fashion principles. Alas, we shall likely never know now....

[Audioslavia]

25 minutes til kickoff
Beers in the icebucket? In the fridge? In the freezer on emergency cool-down because you put off going to the supermarket til the last minute and they'd run out of cold ones? Already drunk? Are you watching this while curled up on the floor unable to open your eyes? To be fair, most people will be doing that sober, too. This is a match no-one wants to lose.

20 minutes to kickoff
Naturally, the big talking point in the run-up to this game has been the epic rivalry between Jeremy Jaffacake and Ramises Niblick the Turd. Both remarkable journalists in their own right, and with remarkable records as national team manager in their own very different ways. Jaffacake is rumoured to have 'engineered' Imaslavii's temporary absense in order to put himself in the position to end Rami's football career for good. Why? Who knows. How? Who knows. Will it be fun to watch? You betcha!

TEAM NEWS: AUDIOSLAVIA
PATTERICK - DALLARA, CACERES, GOICOECHEA, VARISCO - VENGOCHEA, OMAEXEVARRIA, HUFSCHMIED, ETXEZUNIYIGA - CASZELY, KRYZNJAK. Bulls playing in their traditional claret and green stripes, or rather, the snazzy take on it Kirola dreamed up for them this cycle. Jeremy Jaffacake is wearing a pair of claret and green trousers and an off-yellow shirt which may well have used to be white. He's also wearing a coat. I'm sure you'll never guess which one. He's carrying a sheet of paper, an oculus rift, two mars bars and a swivel chair. I can't imagine what for. We're going to refer to that last one as 'Chekhov's Swivel Chair' just in case.

TEAM NEWS: KRYTENIA
HEATON - BARCALI, XOUSA, J.DAVIS, DEMETRIUS - ALINAS, ANGELO, ORTEGA, LARSSON - SAMPSON, VAN RIJN

JUST KIDDING
Sampson isn't on the team sheet. It's Valrauncion up front. Made you look.

Rami Niblick has decided to wear a charcoal suit and a cyan tie. Sounds reasonable, you might think? Not quite. The shirt he's opted to go for is bright red with... are those flames?

10 minutes til kickoff
Teams out. Jezza and Rami share the slightest of glances. I wonder who thinks who just looked at whose pint?

KRYTENIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM
I'd tell you how it's going but naturally I have my fingers pressed firmly into my ears. Rami is finally stood to attention, eyes respectfully closed. He'd spent the first twenty seconds of the anthem with his eyes darting about the stadium, as if he expected the anthem to change any second from O Celesta to something ridiculous like The Macarena or I Knew Him so Well or, heaven forbid, Land of the People (ask your Granddad). He has no such misfortune. I bet Jeremy's kicking himself at not pulling that particular prank.

"Nation beneath the stars" is the first line of the final stanza. Are there any nations that aren't under the stars? What do they suppose that enormous incandescant yellow orb in the sky is?

Maybe, in some roundabout celestialogical pseudo-scientific way, Audioslavia's national isn't under the stars quite as much as Krytenia. You know what is under stars though?

Our crest.

AUDIOSLAVIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM
Krytenia recovers from this writer's previous epic burn in time to hear To the Barricades! in full. Altogether now:
"HAY QUE DERROCAAAAAR A LA REEEEEEEAAAAAAAACIIOOOOOOOOON"

Or 'Haiku Derek a Hilary Action!" if you're not one of our few million Spanglophiles.

Jeremy is belting this one out with one fist in the air and the other on his heart. He looks like some kind of Nazi Jule Andrews.

2 minutes til kickoff
THAT WAS DEFINITELY A GLANCE between Jeremy and Rami. And they follow it up with... is this going to be a handshake? Is Jeremy going to pull away at the last minute and put his thumb on his nose? Hmm.. no... Jeremy checking for some kind of hand-buzzer, because apparently life is a 1930s vaudeville clown. Speaking of which, Jason Davis is on the bench for Krytenia.

1 minute til kickoff
Jeremy and Rami shake hands like normal people. How boring. Not a flower-water-pistol in sight. Looks like we'll have to rely on football for our simulated drama once again.

AND WE'RE GO for the fifth ever meeting between the tw...
GOAL: VENGOCHEA, 1min
Right-footed, eighteen yards out, low to the keeper's left.

GOOD LORD what a start! Audioslavia kick off and burst forward on the right, it's passed out to Imanol Vengochea on the right, he spends a few seconds trying to work out whether to cross it or not and, instead, cuts inside and curls a beauty of a shot with the outside of his right boot. Heaton is swearing loudly at Michel Demetrius, who seemed comfortable with allowing to the Vengoboy to cut onto his left foot. No such luck. One-nil. Bring it on, Krytenia!

2 mins gone, Krytenia holding possession.. barely. The side are clearly rattled. Niblick is standing in his technical area with a brow so furrowed you could possibly plant corn in it if you were quick and had some kind of death wish and the ability to put corn in humans. Okay that sentence got away from me. Timing on that opening goal: Twenty-seven seconds. Extraordinary.

4 mins
Krytenia have lost possession and are being pinned back into their own half. Demetrius is marshalling the defence, trying to atone for his earlier error. He hasn't quite gone as far as apologising to the goalie David Heaton, though I imagine the Wexax United stopper may have been a little impolite in his tirade.

6 mins
This is, of course, the fifth match between the two teams. If the score remains the same over the coming eighty-four minutes then we'll have the exact scoreline from that World Cup 27 second-round match. The scorer in that game? An own goal from Krytenian striker Jerome Jaffacake-Phillips. Any relation? Oh you betcha. Son of Jeremy, Son-in-law of Niblick. You couldn't make it up. Well, maybe you could if you had a sick sense of humour.

7 mins: YELLOW CARD
Barcali goes into the book for hoiking down Etxezuniyiga at the by-line. To be fair, Etchy did look like he might have been about to launch another dangerous cross into the box.

9 mins gona and it is all Audioslavia. The old cyan peril are looking decidedly worse for wear with barely a tenth of the match gone.

11 mins: OOOOOOH SO CLOSE to two-nothing! Vengochea there again, inside to Omaexevarria who scoops the ball over the defence. Caszely is first to react and gets a toe on the end of it as the ball drops on around the penalty spot. Heaton is hopelessly out of position and can only watch the ball loop past him. It's to the right of the post by an inch. Krytenians are lucky.

14 mins
With hosts Quebec having gained a point at Zenic, it's clear that Krytenia will be OUT of the World Cup with a defeat. The dream Jaffacake situation? Possibly, but only if it involves a bird shitting on Rami's suit at the same time.

17 mins: OOOOOUUUGGHFFFF HOW DID THAT NOT GO IN?
Vengochea cross, Kryznjak header, Heaton beaten all ends up, the ball cannons off the bottom of the crossbar. Scott is there to scoop the ball away but it only gets as far as Vann Dallara, arriving from full-back, who launches the ball back goalwards at quite a lick. Heaton still nowhere, the ball rebounds off the inside of the post and flirts with the goal-line before rolling to safety.

19 mins: Action on the bench, but not in the substitute kind of way. Jaffacake has handed a small metal collander to the assistant referee and pointed to Rami, seeming to mouth 'give this to him, he'll need it'. I'm not entirely sure what point Jezza is trying to make.

20 mins: OOOOOOHHH and again! Kryznjak with another majestic leap, the ball headed downwards at pace, Heaton has only gone and flung himself in the general direction of the ball and sent it wide with a flail of his arm. Great reflexes, though naturally I'm compelled to remark upon how fluky that save is.

21 mins:
Dallara has put that corner straight onto the head of Omaexevarria, but the thirty-three year-old midfielder heads over the bar from twelve yards. It is all Audioslavia. Krytenia defending like their lives depend on it. Their lives might well not be worth living if they leave empty handed. Niblick has been known to hold grudges.

23 mins:
Niblick's responses to the inevitable questions about the 'Jaffacake Factor' in pre-match interviews naturally swayed more towards the idea that, Jezza or no Jezza, it wouldn't change his gameplan and, really, wouldn't be any more horrifying than if Krytenia were knocked out of the World Cup by an Audioslavia without Jeremy Jaffacake. I wonder how true that is?

25 mins:
"Knocked out of the World Cup by Audioslavia again" is, of course, how I should have worded that sentence. We mentioned World Cup 27, but there was also the little matter of the World Cup 29 semi-final, played in the Issington Stadium in Krytenia, which Audioslavia won in extra-time. We won't talk about what we did in the final. We all know how Audioslavian history works.

28 mins:
Krytenia have settled down a bit. The game's being played more in the middle of the park and, with Landhuis currently out of action and Llagostera somehow not even made part of the squad, Audioslavia are still seriously lacking in efficient passers of the ball. The short ones are wayward and the long, hollywood types are being intercepted. Audioslavia are thoroughly deserving of their one-goal lead, but will they rue those missed chances.

30 mins: FFFFFFFFFFFFT that was a close one. Valrauncion just reminded everyone that he's playing, and why some of the world's greatest clubs, and Telecontare, would happily pay almost a hundred million dollars for his services. Xousa with the long pass, Van Rijn with the knockdown, Valrauncion with the control and a quick shimmy of the hips. His lashed shot from twenty-five yards has Patterick sprawling, yet flashes wide.

32 mins: Krytenia have forced a corner. Bulls not panicking just yet, but it's suddenly occurred to everyone wearing claret and green that a 1-0 lead after one minute does not a victory make.

34 mins: CLOSE. Ortega at the back post, controls the ball with his chest and flicks it back to Alinas who scuffs a shot across goal. Van Rijn lunges at the loose ball and connects with it before Caceres can react, but Patterick is in the right place to gather it up.

37 mins:
What we don't talk about, of course, is Krytenia's 3-1 win over Audioslavia at the Isserton Stadium way back in the qualifying period of World Cup 64. Audioslavia's first loss since an away encounter with Polar Islandstates the previous cycle. We'd become joint world and AO champions at the same time and had decided to take both trophies to Isserton to show them off before their 'inevitable' win over lowly Krytenia. We were stuffed. The Hubris was strong on that day.

39 mins: Things getting a bit heated in midfield.
Omaexevarria keeps hold of Ortega's shirt as the Krytenian tries to barrel forward. An arm swings back towards Omaexevarria's shoulder as the ref blows for the foul, and Omaexevarria sells it like he's been elbowed in the face by a particularly sharp-elbowed heavyweight boxer. No bookings given by the ref, but both players are given a stern talking to.

41 mins:
Speaking of 'stern', Ronda Judit Styrn, formerly of 1830 Cathair and Audioslavia, currently of Red Star Severny, has been spotted in the crowd with what appears to be her boyfriend and a beer in one the stadium's plastic bottles. Ronda never played against Krytenia, but would probably have loved to.

43 minsL: OMAEXEVARRIA involved again. It's him with the header from a Zuniyiga corner, but once again he can't divert his attempt on target. The ball's now at the other end as Krytenia counter..

44 mins: Valrauncion's shot is defelected wide. Corner to Krytenia

44 mins: GOA....OFFSIDE
Phew! Pandemonium in the Audioslavia box as Larsson's corner pings between various heads, shoulders and knees before Sam Alinas fires through the crowd. It's off target, but Ronnie Van Rijn is there to turn it in at the far post. He is.... probably not offside as the ball is played. Dallara is a little too slow to sprint off his post and is playing Van Rijn on right when Alinas takes his shot. Drama.

45 mins:
We'll have just two minutes of injury time, apparently, and it looks like it's going to be played in Audioslavia's half..

45+1 mins: Krytenia with two corners in a row. Audioslavia's defenses are creaking a little here...

45+2 mins:
The Bulls hold out. The ref blows his whistle for half time and, immediately, Niblick sets off down the tunnel. This is his time to shine. Krytenia looked overmatched over the first twenty minutes, but it really could go either way right now. Game of two halves and all that. Can Jaffacake gee his troops up for the final push?

HALF TIME: For those of you not currently pouring whisky down your throats to settle the nerves, and are therefore still lucid enough to read this, here's some stats for you: Audioslavia have never lost to Krytenia outside of Krytenia. Granted, that's going on four previous matches, but maybe it's still relevant?

That fourth match was a routine two-nothing win for Audioslavia in the 1927 Stadium in Kjeligsted; the return match of the WC64 qualifying phase.

It won't surprise you to learn that we don't count that tragic Krytenia vs Audioblaydia match as an Audioslavia match. We were poorly let down by the purple peril and their clueless players.

45 mins: GAME ON Audioslavia unchanged at the break. Krytenia have replaced Liam Larsson with Adrian Anuzzi in a straight swap on the left. Anuzzi, who has a suspiciously Starblaydi sounding name, is the former captain of the under 21 team.

47 mins: Quiet so far in the second half. Even in the dugout, Niblick is sat chatting to his colleague, despite the fact that, if things stay the same, this will be his second-to-last game in charge of the national side.

49 mins: Jaffacake, on the other hand, is trying to stand majestically in his long trenchcoat, trying to put himself in a position so that it catches the wind and sort of swooshes around a bit. This place appears to be right on the edge of the technical area. The fourth official is eyeing him, warily.

50 mins: OH FU... GOAL. 1-1
Valrauncion, left-footed volley. Assist from Anuzzi.

Krytenia hit back, and how. Anuzzi gets the better of Dallara and hooks the ball into the near post where Valrauncion is arriving. A flick of the left leg is all it takes to divert the cross past Patterick and into the roof of the net, and we're level in the Blue Point Stadium.

52 mins: Jaffacake's coat has been thrown into the dugout and he is animatedly remonstrating with both the officials and his players. No, Jeremy, it wasn't offside. Yes, Krytenia scored. No, you can't get it disallowed because you 'know people'. Krytenia go forward again. Things are looking hairier than a barbershop floor in Bears Armed.

53 mins: CLOSE.
Van Rijn is there in the box on the end of a crisp five-pass move. He can dig the ball out of his feet, but can't hit it with enough power as Patterick saves.

55 mins: GOAL. 1-2. Van Rijn. Oh balls

Audioslavia cannot keep the Kryties at bay, and Van Rijn takes advantage as he chests down a cross from Anuzzi and rifles a shot into the bottom corner from sixteen yards. Jaffacake is seething

57 mins:
To be honest, Jeremy Jaffacake looks more confused than anything. He's standing in his technical area chewing what appears to be chewing gum but, let's face it, it's Jeremy, it could be anything. Niblick, by contrast, has not left his dugout. He met Van Rijn's goal with a simple nod of approval.

59 mins:
Let's not forget: Audioslavia's don't need a win. A defeat would mean the must-win game would be against hosts Royal Quebec. An Audioslavia equalizer would mean next week's Quebec/Slavia match would send both teams through if it ended in a draw. Anschluss match, anyone? Let's get the equalizer here first. Wait a second... hello...

60 mins: PENALTY TO AUDIOSLAVIA. RED CARD: MICHEL DEMETRIUS.
Now this came from nowhere. Krytenia go for goal number three but Ortega is disposessed on the edge of the box and Vengochea - who has been kept very quiet so far this half - is away down the right. A one-two with Caszely lets him through into the box. He gets the ball ahead of the 'outstretched' leg of Michel Demetrius and tumbles to the floor theatrically. The linesman does nothing. The Krytenian fans groan in disgust, even Vengochea looks sheepish as he gets to his feet, and yet the referee gives the penalty. Demetrius, already on a yellow, is sent from the field for denying a goalscoring opportunity. This is a massive travesty of justice hilarious
[/u]

61 mins: MISSED PENALTY
Oh you are kidding me. Caszely figures he'll equalize with a Panenka and, instead, dinks the ball languidly over the crossbar. Looking for a Panenka? Looking like a plonker. Still 1-2. Hmm.. what's going on down there?

62 mins: RED CARD: JEREMY JAFFACAKE
Audioslavia may need to hire a caretaker caretaker manager for the next half an hour, as Jaffacake is sent down the tunnel for throwing Chekhov's Swivel Chair onto the field in a fit of anger. Two red cards in two minutes, but it's hardly tit for tat. Indeed, Audioslavia may even be better off as assistant manager Marco Stuart appears to take the reigns. Jaffacake is being lead down the tunnel by security. The swivel chair is also being taken for questioning. Niblick isn't taking any joy from the situation, though. Krytenia are down to ten men.

65 mins gone and, unsurprisingly, Audioslavia are on the offensive. We have players warming up on the touchlines...

66 mins: SUBSTITUTIONS
Krytenia
OFF: 8. Angelo. ON: 4. Scott

Audioslavia
OFF: 10. Caszely. ON: 9. Rodriguez-Torrejon
OFF: 3. Varisco. ON: 19. Jovellanos

Rodriguez-Torrejon for Caszely is a straight swap - the instructions for which may have been shouted down the tunnel by Jeremy as he was being taken away - while Jovellanos could feasibly play anywhere. Looks like left-back for now, but I wouldn't be surprised if he started to get forward.

Krytenia make a defensive substitution. They cannot afford to lose. Even a draw would make things almost impossible, as only a big win over Zenic on the final day could possibly put Krytenia through - and that's if the Aud/Que Anschluss doesn't happen. Not on the cards right now though.

68 mins: OOOH. MISSED CHANCE.
Although that could have been it. Kryznjak reminds everyone that yes, he's still there, as he powers a header past Heaton. Joel Scott proves his worth with a clearance off the line.

69 mins: GARGH
It's Krytenia's chance to surprise on the counter-attack. Ortega latches onto a throughball and sells Goicoechea a dummy so embarassing that even a toddler would refuse to be seen with it. Ortega lays the ball off for Valrauncion, who waits for Van Rijn's arrival before playing the final ball. Van Rijn has time and space to shoot, fourteen yards from goal, but Patterick is out and spreads himself well. Audioslavia are very fortunate.

71 mins:
Krytenia are almost away again but a momentary lapse in concentration from Valrauncion means Caceres can reach Ortega's through-ball before the famous elf. Valrauncion is furious with himself. And with the air, it seems. He's making hand gestures like he's swatting an imaginary fly out of the air. Our HD cameras can indeed attest that there is something small and grey buzzing next to him.

73 mins:
Time running out for the Bulls. Kryznjak forces a corner and sprints into the box. Audioslavia may well be relying on their big forward to grab them a much needed equali..

74 mins:GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!!!! Kryznjak. 2-2. GET IN THERE
It is indeed a header from Kryznjak, but Heaton saves with a flailing hand. The ball bounces nicely for Kryznjak to have a second attempt, and the big 'slav shins it into the goal before anyone can get to it. 2-2 in Quebec. Surely only one team can win it now?

76 mins: Krytenia readying another substitution. Alec Sampson might be coming on after all. With Krytenia currently emplying a 5-2-2 formation and on their way out of the World Cup, Niblick must surely be considering throwing him on up front and going for broke with some kind of 2-5-3, with the full-backs acting as advanced wingers. Krytenia know enough about the average Audioslavian and very average Quebecois to know that, if it was an option, an anschluss draw in matchday three would be fine for both sets o...

78 mins: RED CARD: VALRAUNCION
Unbelievable. Valrauncion has aimed a slap at the face of Gaizka Omaexevarria, and the big Audioslavian has gone down like the proverbial Audioslavian footballer. The referee has wasted no time in sending off the offending party. Valrauncion is furious. Krytenian players surround the referee. Niblick is on his feet, but notably he's checking the nearest TV. The HD feed does show that Valrauncion isn't even looking at Gaizka when he raises his hand. He looked more like he was absent mindedly swatting a fly.

79 mins: GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALL!!!! KRYZNJAK. 3-2.

As one Kry closes, another Kry opens, as Dragan Kryznjak gets on the end of the free kick that resulted from Valrauncion's red card and finishes past Heaton with an outstretched right foot. 3-2. Audioslavia back in the ascendancy. What else will this crazy game bring?

80 mins: Manager watch:
Jeremy Jaffacake has celebrated Audioslavia's goal by running back out of the tunnel and into Krytenia's penalty area. Right now, he is standing in front of Rami Niblick with his arms in the air in celebration. I believe the young ones call this 'The Broony'.

81 mins: GOAL. 3-3. Balls
Unbelievable. Just unbelievable. I don't know if the Audioslavian defence were busy watching Jeremy or not, but Armando Ortega has just waltzed past three of them and scored a wonderful goal. I'm not even angry, that was brilliant.

Down at the touchline, Jeremy is still in the 'Broony' pose, but his facial expression is rather different. Niblick is meeting his gaze with a raised eyebrow. Jezza's arms slowly lower towards the ground. His chest isn't puffed out nearly as much as it was sixty seconds ago.

82 mins played and, annoyingly, Krytenia haven't given up hope yet. Ortega has come to life, Van Rijn is dragging his old legs around the field, trying to get in position, while vice-captain Sam Alinas is directing play. 10-man-Krytenia on the offensive. Eight minutes plus injury-time to go.

83 mins.
Rami Niblick has pulled something from the inside pocket of Jeremy's shirt. It appears to be a small, grey, metal wasp. Jaffacake is shrugging his shoulders and appears to be saying 'but how did that get in there?'

84 mins.
SUBSTITUIONS:
KRYTENIA: 18. SAMPSON for 5. XOUSA

AUDIOSLAVIA: 17. APEXARENA for 16. OMAEXEVARRIA

Last throw of the dice for both managers, and attacking players are entering the field for defensive ones. Both teams going for broke here.

85 mins:
Jaffacake finally leaves the field for a second time, lead away this time by the police.

86 mins Four minutes left, the score still three-each. This could go either way still. Krytenia still battling, Audioslavia trying to make their two-man advantage count. It's 3-3-2 vs 4-3-3. The 4-3-3 is having the better of it, if only just.

87 mins: OOOOOOOH so close for Audioslavia! Apexarena's first touch is a woeful attempt at a pass, but the ball is deflected towards Janos Hufshmied, who unleashes a thunderous effort from fully twenty-five yards. Heaton is more than equal to it.

89 mins:
There will be four minutes of injury time. It's do or die time, boys..

90 mins
Krytenia counter-attack! Audioslavia are somehow caught short at the back and Ortega sprints in behind full-back Vann Dallara. He cuts inside, turns Goicoechea inside out for the umpteenth time today, the short... saved by Patterick. Caceres clears...

91 mins:
...and finds Hufschmied. The midfielder can turn and send Weverton through. Weverton to Kryznjak, a deflected shot...

92 mins: CORNER TO AUDIOSLAVIA
Patterick has a quick look towards caretaker caretaker Marco Stuart, but Stuart understandably shakes his head; Audioslavia's goalie will not be joining the attack. Most Audioslavians are up there, though

93 mins
One minute to go of injury time, and Krytenia can only clear the corner by forcing another, and then a third in a row as an exhausted Sam Barcali bundles the ball over the goal-line. This has to be the last kick of the...

94 mins: GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL 4-3 JOVELLANOS JOVELLANOS JOVELLANOS JOVELLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHSSSSSS

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[Valanora]

It was an honor, truly it was, to be included among the multiverse's best eleven and to participate in the ceremonial match for the Aces of Krytenia. There had been a lot of commotion around the match, with it being the one thousand match in the history of Krytenia. It made Laborious wonder just how many matches Valanora had played and just how many of those matches that he had been a part of. Vanorian culture did not hold on to such statistics as it was not truly valued in the same way that other nations valued them, though he imagined that both of those numbers were likely around a thousand itself with Valanora having entered international football in the 29th cycle of the World Cup. Surely the accumulated stats would be staggering, such was the longevity and success that both he and the Marauders had more or less since they entered the real of international football, outside the original regional competitions that had spurred such interest in the first place. Even those backwater competitions had seen the early inception of the Marauders to be a talented side, before even the concept of Valanora had been born.

It was a nice distraction though, that ceremonial match, than what was going on with the national team, even if they were going alright. With four points through the first two games in the group stage, they were still in full control of their own destiny and were topping the group to boot. So it was not as if the side was in a poor position, especially considering the strength of the group, or rather the lack thereof, yet that was exactly why the distraction was needed. The draw with Flardania had definitely felt more like a loss than a draw and while it mattered little now after finding a way to beat Apox, it still bothered him that they had not been fully prepared for that match. It was hardly the manager's fault, she had done everything expected of her to get the team ready to begin the group stage, the team had just come out and been... completely and utterly flat to begin the game. The lambasting from the manager during the halftime talk had definitely been warranted, though it had not quite gotten the reaction from the team that she had hoped, nor had Hawk hoped. That he and the manager were both having a hard team getting the team focused was troubling.

The match with Electrum though, it could be just the salve that the team was needing, as long as they went in there with their heads on straight. They were five time World Champions, they were twice AOCAF champions, they had a standard they had to meet as it had been set since the inception of the Marauders all those decades ago. There were a few on the team that definitely flourished under those conditions, the media had coined them the hero quartet, yet there were others who were definitely floundering and needed a boost in morale and steam before the knockouts. Hawk was completely confident that they were going to make it through to the next round, even if it came by but a draw against Electrum and not a win. What they did after though, that was the question, for if they failed to win the group, the match that would come with Eura was not a pleasing thought at all for the Marauder captain.

Perhaps it was time that the evaluation of the players for the national team was to change, for the same selection criteria could not continued to be used if it was bringing up players that could not handle the pressure of wearing the Marauder kit. For as long as he had been on the squad, it had not been about the group of players that were the best team, it was about the group of players that was the best players at their position, the ideas of chemistry secondary. For a long time that had worked to, the Marauder mechanical machine some in the press used to call it, the way that good to great players were called in and let go and the results just continued to follow, with some even going so far as to say that the manager really was doing nothing for the squad. The difficult times of the last fifteen or so cycles had burst that thought bubble though, yet that same selection criteria seemed to remain.

Time was left still to change the captain's mind though, as he sat on bus that was taking them towards the stadium, time enough for all of those outside the hero quartet to prove to him that they were up to handling that pressure and maintaining the standards he and those that came before them had built. If they managed to win this game and then gave a good run through the knockouts, then perhaps he would keep his concerns quiet from the manager. However if they continued to flounder under these conditions, then there would be little choice in the matter, the Marauders had to maintain their standard and the World Cup itself was better when Valanora was a challenger to the title, he believed that dearly. Out to win the game, that's what they had to do, perform and win, give a good show, be like the Marauders of old.

[Pasarga]

Jullian was glad to see that his squad had responded to his pleas to just go out there and play the game instead of letting all the weight of expectation weigh them down. They had played free and loose and were able to play Valladares hard, defeating their regional rivals pretty handily by the time the final whistle had blew. With a final score of three to one over Valladares, the Wanderers had been able to complete stage one of their reestablishment of who they were as a footballing power. It was drilling into the squad just how little they needed to listen to all the analysts and experts and keeping them from reading the headlines that was going to be a problem he knew. For he was certain it was reading all that hot smoke and then vitrol that came that had put all those doubts and fears into his side, truly they should have been able to handle all the struggles that they had had the previous two years without as much trouble as they had.

At least they had overcome the frailty from the Starblaydia match and the captain going out and doing a job while basically playing on one leg was a testament to the dedication that he had to this squad. Everyone knew that Mór was probably going to be relegated to the bench if he was called up at all for the next cycle. It was unfortunate but he was on the wrong side of thirty now and there were players coming through the pipeline that needed their chance. However, that was still a year away, right now the captain was still able to perform his task and get the job done, inspiring the rest of the squad the way he was with how he played even through crunching tackles and injuries that would have kept lesser athletes from even dressing for a match.

Step two though, step two was going to take a lot more than what they had given previously, even if they had shown a lot of signs for hope during the Valladares match. Turori was looking to spring one over on them and restore their national identity, whatever that meant, while they had to get at least a draw to secure their advancement. This was supposed to be easy, this should be automatic, they were the reigning world champions after all and had been tipped as the favorites before the tournament to take the title again, to do what only a handful of teams before them had and retained it. However with the way the side had performed and the way their body language had gone this cycle, if he went into the dressing room and told them that they just needed to grab a draw to advance, they probably would have slipped back into the mindset of playing not to lose instead of playing to actually win the game.

"Vigfúsdóttir, you're starting with Oszlár today, Mór you are on the bench. You've done all that you can to will this squad towards progressing but we are going to need you to be healthy for the next round, so you sit. Málfríður has shown well in the time she has been given and had an excellent season with Hellinic, we will be okay." The captain did not like the decision Jullian could tell, but he accepted it, giving the manager a nod and taking a seat, while the two midfielders that were getting the start looked at each other and tried to quickly figure out who was going to be the more offensive of the two. It was going to be Málfríður of course, Oszlár was more of a ball winning and holding midfielder than one to get up in the attack.

"Listen, Turori is going to come at you hard, they are scrappy and looking to secure their passage to the next round. They have been there in the past and are looking to reestablish themselves as one of the best teams in the world, one of the teams that go into tournament thinking that they have a good chance of winning the tournament. However, they are not there yet, but we are. Let us show them why Osarius was fortunate in winning their title four years ago, let us show them why Eura, Apox, and the Polarians all want our youngsters in their domestic sides. We have an identity, we persevere, we always have from the moment that the pariis left our homeland and all through the national team's history. They want to reclaim an identity but they forgot that the team that they are going up against has fought tooth and nail to get atop the mountain top and we are not so easily displaced from there. The captain has lead us here to the precipice of victory, let us now take him the rest of the way there."

[Apox]

World Cup Finals Group Stage MD3

Everyone's hoping their team doesn't let them down today.

Apologies for the cut-off confusion, turns out I had time at 8pm after all!

[Osarius]

Azarai Robinson's Firebirds have passed the first hurdle of these World Cup finals. "Now the fun begins." The Osarius boss said, in the aftermath of his side's two-nil win over Kandorith. Again, the Firebirds were able to control the game by creating mismatches in midfield. While the damage came down the flanks against Abanhfleft, this time it was through the middle. With the threat of Samuels and Monroe on the outside, the Kandorese midfielders Keilang and Shan were pulled wide to track the runs of the Trothwands duo. Unfortunately, this meant that Taiji was overrun in the middle of the park, dealing with both the powerful runs of Kayode Afolayan, and Fabio Mancini. Ximin Chosi attempted to drop off in support, but Daniele Gentile showed exactly why he was the star player at the Rabastor Unity Trophy last summer, by shackling the Kandorese playmaker.

"Daniele was immense today," Azarai Robinson raved. "especially in the second half when we switched things up." The switch-up he is referring to is the alteration from the usual 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3 variation. At half-time, Osarius led 1-0 through a Kayode Afolayan free kick, but were struggling to break down a well organised Kandorese defence. Noticing the lack of penetration in wide areas from Kandorith, but the need for additional bodies on the attack, Robinson took a bit of a gamble, shunting India Turner into a central defensive role and moving Will Simpson into midfield, where he could support Fabio Mancini. The principle worked just fine, but Simpson's lack of midfield experience was clear, and attacks continued to break down. Seeing the need to bring in a more rounded midfield player, Robinson withdrew Simpson, sending on the dynamic Gavin Mitchell as a replacement.

Having three runners in midfield meant Osarius could completely control the middle of the park, and chances began to flow. The flipside of course was that Robinson's gambit meant effectively leaving the entire team defense against counterattacks in the hands of the relatively inexperienced Daniele Gentile. The Hastmead man did not disappoint, and was a clear winner of the man of the match award come full time. "It was a big task, but the manager believed I could do it." Gentile revealed after the game. "He told me before the game that I would need to be focused and keep an eye on Ximin. Then at half time, he told me about the plan to change tactics, he just said 'Daniele, you can handle this. Just keep doing what you're doing', I didn't doubt him."

The win sees Osarius secure qualification to the knockout stages of the World Cup, which goes some way toward righting the ills of the last campaign and easing the fears of many. "We're aiming for the quarter finals as the bare minimum, but we absolutely believe we can reach the final again. There's no reason we can't win this tournament." Assistant manager Reiss Ryerson told us. "Look around the rest of the groups and you can see big teams stumbling. Everyone was talking about us dropping two games in qualifying, but what really matters is what happens in the finals. We have two wins from two games, and haven't conceded yet. Things are looking good so far."

While Ryerson is openly confident, the manager takes a slightly more subdued approach. "Looking at our potential second round opponents, it's going to be tough no matter what. But before that, the final group match with Equestrian States will be a test, and we'll still be going out to win, make no mistake." Said Robinson. It seems likely that, if Osarius top the group as expected, they will face the winner of the Polar Islandstates-Farfadillis game. Neither is a side the Firebirds have a particularly strong record against, a fact not lost on the manager. "It's going to be interesting either way, we were outdone by Farfadillis last summer in the AOCAF Cup, but this is a more experienced lineup. As for the Terns... well... we all know the trend there." Of course, the other possibility is that Osarius face San Jose Guayabal. The Guayabalense are perhaps the most dangerous opponent, according to Robinson. "They're unpredictable. It's hard to prepare for them because they have so many different ways to set up. I think we have the strength to overcome them, of course, but it would be tougher to prepare the way we normally do." When asked which of the three he'd rather face in the second round, Robinson grinned and said "whichever one wants to face us the least."

Before he can start preparing for the second round, however, Robinson's side need to play one more group match, against old foes Equestrian States. It's likely that Robinson will field a slightly weakened side, in order to rest key players for the second round, but will still expect his team to go all out for the win. This means that Bartolo Monteforte could be in with a chance to start, while Gentile and Mitchell -- who has featured from the bench thus far -- will both be hoping for starts. Elsewhere, while Esteban Crespo (and to a lesser extent, Marco Puntoriero) will be hoping otherwise, Salvatore Laccona looks set to keep his place in the team against Equestrian States, after filling in for Puntoriero -- who is nursing a minor injury sustained against Abanhfleft -- for the Kandorith game. The big man is finally making his mark as a striker for the national team, emerging from the shadow of Ezio Grassi and now Marco Puntoriero. "The gaffer likes to change things up, and I'm different to Marco, so I get more chances now I think." Laccona notes, realising that his frame is not typical of Osarian strikers -- particularly not the ones most frequently used in the "Osarian 4-3-3" -- and that he needs to leverage the advantages it grants him as much as possible. "I'm a different kind of forward, so I just need to show that I can be effective. Otherwise we have guys like Esteban [Crespo] and Riccardo [Carbone] waiting to break through, I might not get many more chances."

Another player hoping to reclaim his place in the starting lineup is Ryan Watson. The latest "golden boy" of Osarian football was left out against Kandorith, after struggling with the dual duty of attack and defence against Abanhfleft. While the teenager is capable of playing both fullback and winger, he seems to struggle to reconcile the two roles when necessary, a problem his rival for a starting berth -- Trothwands winger Jerome Monroe -- does not have. "I understand why Jerome started ahead of me, but I'd be lying if I said I was okay with it." Watson admitted. "I have nothing against Jerome, we get along just fine, but I want to play. It's what we're here for."

[Schottia]

'Never mind guys.' Said Jane Gullie mournfully as she stood with her hands on her hips and bottom lip protruding. 'Just wasn't to be that one.' Beating the Polar Islandstates was always going to be a tall order, especially when they were fighting for their for their lives in this tournament. They had let themselves down defensively and Gullie knew it. There was no way that you could concede four goals in a game, and hope to come out of it with any points. She knew that the Terns were going to come out of the blocks quickly, part of the reason for putting Gareth Souter in there was to try and match their forwards. In reflection, no matter how good the Sporting Cenial player was, at twenty-one, she had perhaps asked too much of him.

This was going to have to be addressed in the next match, perhaps going for a central midfield three. She had resisted the temptation to throw Addison into the mix, only due to how little football she had played over the last year, however now might be the right time to gamble.

'We've done great up until now though, and we can't let our heads go down, especially when we have S.J.G still to play!' There was nothing authoritarian about Gullie's leadership style, there was never any occasion you felt she was going to kick the door of its hinges, or bring the out the hairdryer. Yet somehow she had a way getting the entire team playing together. She never raised her voice, never gave any criticism, which was not constructive, and she still commanded an air of respect. 'There were a whole bunch of positives we can take from that though! And we need to look at how to build on them, in a way that helps us prepare for the next game.'

'Remember, we're not out of it yet!' Said John Murray, Gullies trusty assistant. 'A good win over Guayabalese and we have every chance of making it through.' Murray was a dour faced man, who wasn't much of a motivator. He generally handled the training-pitch side of things, and left tactics and general philosophy to his superior. Whenever he did speak it was always delivered in a mater of fact way, and with a sobering monotony.

'John makes a very good point people!' Said Gullie raising a finger in the air. 'We would have bitten someone's hand off to be in this position before the tournament so we need to go out of this dressing room with a positive mental attitude. I'm not saying that anyone enjoys losing, be we need to get tonight's game out of our heads quickly, because the nature of these competitions is that the matches come thick and fast.'

It was certainly true that Schottia had played worse and won games before. Bringing Alfred Seggerson back into the midfield possibly wasn't the best decision in all honesty. Gullie and Murray had hummed and hawed, deciding that Jon Fotan sat far too deep, and that the Handon United man would be the best replacement. By the time they realised their mistake it was half time and the score was two nil to the Rushmori side. The management team made a double change at half time, with Nik Konstidios coming on for Gaston Avelione, and Gary Corsie replacing Seggerson. Although Corsie and Konstidios worked hard there was little they could do to prevent the Schottic side suffering a four two defeat.

Avelione was looking tired, you just had to watch him on the park to work that out. It was a shame for the man who had been the nations only world-class player for the best part of a decade. The irony of playing his guts out of the team for five cycles, then only making it to the world stage when he was starting to show the first signs of decline. What Gullie would have done for the Avelione of three years ago now.

There were a couple of good performances to note, and it would come as a surprise to no one, that Kingsgrove's Eoin Killanen scored the first of Schottia's goals. The former Lammerton and FC Zürich man has already been singled out for praise in some quarters of the international media, and was named man of the match after the Farfadillis game. At only twenty-two he is probably going to have his best years ahead of him, and we'll no doubt see him at this level again in the future. Thio Crillin, once again was rock solid in the midfield, and youngsters Chloe Rudden and Kim Coultan continue to grow in maturity as they also equipped themselves well.

Schottia made the score line look much more respectable with three minutes to go, when Darren Hanlon headed home substitute Boris Hunt's freekick, to become his side's fourth scorer at these games. Had the goal come a little earlier, it might have made a difference, but as it was the match ended with a comfortable win for the Terns.

'Right!' Said Gullie clapping her hands together like she meant business. 'When we get back to the hotel get some rest, clear your heads, and I want you all to be fresh tomorrow morning. I'm going to be finalising the team for the Guayabalese match based on what I see in training tomorrow morning, so there is plenty of scope for you all to impress me. Believe in yourselves, I know we can do it.

---

Line up for final group game: D'Araby - Watt, O'Brian, Hanlon, Okywä - Addison, Fotan, Crillin - Coultan, Rudden, Killanen

[Kandorith]

---

Expected Defeat, Kandorith Fails to Draw


Kandorith 0–2 Osarius

-                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Osarius                 2    2   0   0     4    0   +4     6
2 Kandorith               2    1   0   1     4    4    0     3
3 Equestrian States       2    0   1   1     5    7   −2     1
4 Abanhfleft              2    0   1   1     3    5   −2     1

With the recent amazing performance Kandorith has been giving, the fans were hoping for a draw against Osarius, only to be slightly disappointed. And the word slightly is the biggest word of the defeat against Osarius, where fans expected Kandorith to lose with a larger margin; the Red Dragons held themselves together for quite long against such a strong team. With the fans not minding the recent defeat, Kandorith is looking towards their next match and advancing trough the group stage of the World Cup. Huangzhou's legacy is growing larger and larger, while the team is getting all the play-time and tournament time they do deserve. The best Kandorese team in over ten years is looking towards a very bright future in the World Cup


Kandorith has so far overcome every team they have faced, they have even overcome Equestrian States on a revenge win for the Kandorese Dragons. For Kandorith the game against Abanhfleft remains, a rather new team in the World Cup who up till now still seem amazed they even made it to the group stage. Abanhfleft, ranked forty-seventh should not be disregarded though said Huangzhou. "Every team who has made it to the group stage should be considered a reasonable opponent, no matter what their ranking is" he said. "It means they have the willpower and discipline to reach the finals and they will meet us on equal grounds. I have no doubt the Red Dragons will prevail here, but we should be very careful not to give away any goals or even opportunities. I was hoping for a draw against Osarius, but they just outplayed us greatly. And because they did we have learned a lot from Osarius in play style and holes we might have in our midfield and defense. Furthermore I want to congratulate Osarius with their well-deserved victory." A smiling Huangzhou said to the press.


Kandorith is going towards their follow up match against Abanhfleft, two sides who also have never met before. It is looking to become an interesting match, as Kandorith will have to play 'away' And thus they will be somewhat in a lesser position. Analysts however all agree, Abanhfleft should be no problem for the Kandorese team, if they manage to play down on complacency. A stunner of a Kandorese World Cup campaign is in the future; and the fans are all ready to see Kandorith reel in the second place in the group stage.

---

(Away)Kandorith vs Abanhfleft(Home)

---

Substitutes
GK - N^o 24: SEIJI Sakabara
GK - N^o 25: KEIXÍAN Han
LB - N^o 6: SUYING Shin
CD - N^o 8: HUÁN Jun
CD - N^o 14: MING-HUA Te
RB - N^o 16: SHANYUAN Lee
CDM - N^o 11: MURAKAMI Mitsuhare
LM - N^o 13: OKHA Eiichi
RM - N^o 20: XIN Zihao
CAM - N^o 21: QÍNG Weimin
ST - N^o 22: MADATO Xien-kan
ST - N^o 23: MÉNG Zeijí

Starting eleven
GK - N^o 1: JIANJIN Tuan
LB - N^o 3: XIAN Shilin
CD - N^o 5: XIEXIE Tian
CD - N^o 7: LUNG Mara
RB - N^o 9: MAO Zhénsheng
CDM - N^o 4: TAIJI Moto
LM - N^o 12: KEILÁNG Xie
RM - N^o 15: SHAN Xiaobo
CAM -N^o 10: XÍMÍN Chosi
ST - N^o 19: QEILAN Zhu
ST - N^o 17:MINGZHENG Shéng

---

[Farfadillis]

As I threw myself to the floor, desperate to recover the ball, I heard the referee whistle. Then again. Then one last time. The match had ended. I punched the floor and profaned in Rulandese. The World Cup dream was slipping from my fingers for the eighth time. I knew I'd have trouble containing my frustration in front of my teammates.

Shut out. We had been shut out. Easily the most humiliating thing in football. Just like how the defense had had to take the blame for screwing up massively in the game against Schottia, now we the attacking players had to take the blame as well. The most frustrating part is I had played terribly. The Guayabalenses hadn't as much shut me out of the game as I had myself.

As furious as I was, though, I just didn't have it in my heart to reprimand Yurpá for his mistake, at least not if not trying to cheer him up. He bled laser red and laser green just as much as me, if not more. His mistake in the dying minutes could and probably would end up costing us, and it was his last tournament. Just like last time, it looked like one of the nation's most influential footballer's international career would not end on a high note. Nothing could top Dandalleion's missed penalty for sheer heartbreaking-ness, but this one could definitely wind up coming close.

He was a few metres away from me, lying on the floor, hands on his face. He and Dandalleion never quite got along, as professional as they were, but this image of him painted him as the same person.

"Yurpá. Get up already." I said while extending my hand. I then pulled him up. "I would've never expected this defeatism from you. This is not over." He eyed me disinterested, without speaking a word. I wrapped my arm around him.

"Look. Both of us know you made us lose this one." I could see him bite his lip in irritation. "And I know this is your last World Cup, and you don't want it to finish like this."

I paused for a few seconds. He wasn't even looking at me. I wasn't sure he was listening, actually.

"But I don't give a fuck. We're facing the Polarians next and I want you giving your one hundred and twenty percent. If you want to end this on a high note, you're gonna have to work your ass off more than you have so far." He finally turned towards me.

"Fine by me. But you'll have to do the same. You were extremely poor today." He replied. I couldn't help but smile. He was right.

"Deal." I responded firmly as we naturally broke off. Except I had one last thing to say. "Oh, by the way. I really hope you don't plan to retire in Apox after this." He didn't open his mouth, but I could see a smirk form in his face. Apart from laser red and laser green, that man bled green and black too.

I then made my way to the dressing room, suddenly a lot more vivid, with a smirk painted across my face too.

[Ceni]

A torch burns brightly in the night
Illuminating all those creatures of darkness,
those dark dwellers,
Showing them the wonders of the light,
Showing them the reign of the darkness has ended,
For light has arrived to free the people
From their iron chains,
Light has arrived to free the people
From their smothering embrace of
the darkness!

But wait! O, hark! the forces
of darkness have heard of the arrival
of the light, and have mustered their troops
to defend their land zealously!
O, hark! The evil prince of darkness arrives
to lead his forces to victory!
O, hark! Run away and save your souls!
O, hark! Run away from that evil prince of the night!
Run away! Do not let him or his evil minions
capture you and your soul!
Do not let his ravenous maw suck your soul
from your spine and send it to a place
from where it will never return!
Save your soul! Run! Run from the darkness!

No, I will not run!
No, I will not hide!
No, I will not cower before the Prince of the Night!

Then abandon all hope, any who dares challenge
that evil Prince of the Night,
that embodiment of all forces of evil,
wrapped up in one ugly package
with the sharp teeth of a crocodile,
with the sharp claws of a jaguar,
with the hunting prowess of a wolf,
with the fire-breathing ability to
inspire awe and fear of a dragon,
Abandon all hope!
Who might dare to stand before his might?

I dare! I dare to challenge
that evil prince of the night,
for I know that my torch
of light - which spreads the light
far and wide to all places
where the sun's light reaches,
I know that my torch of light can
overcome all challenges,
can overcome all obstacles,
can overcome all odds,
no matter how low!
I dare! I dare to challenge
that evil prince of the night,
for I know that hope has not
fled on fleet wings -
I know that hope can take me
anywhere I want!

A torch burns brightly in the night -
the evil Prince of the Night leads his forces
to confront the torch to no avail,
for the forces of light have
that torch on their side - they have
that torch to spread the light,
they have that torch
to spread hope, to spread
fortitude, to spread courage and strength
And their torch will overcome that
evil Prince of the Night,
the evil Prince of the Night cannot
overcome that torch
with the power to inspire
fear in the eyes of the forces of the night,
for they know they cannot win against
something of its power!

Hark! The Evil Prince of the Night
has been defeated! Hark!
The iron embrace of the night has ended!
Hark! The torch has done what no man before
has done! Hark!
The torch burns brightly in the night!

[Electrum]

Centralis Herald

In SHORT: The latest headlines in a small, easy to consume format so that those running SHORT on time can pretend to be well-read on the news without actually having to read articles. Impress your friends!

Examinations end for students across the nation

There were many sighs to be made when the last examination, Musical Studies finally finished. In a gruelling three week marathon for students across the nation, with over a hundred different subjects over different study areas, students underwent examinations for six different subjects which lasted for at least two hours. There were 185,000 students participating in their provincial-wide examinations. The Electrum Standards Authority then takes these provincial exam results, and aligns them along a common scale across the nation to spit out a ranking, from 99.95 all the way down to 0.05 percentile. Reports from the ESA have shown that there were forty-four instances of students cheating throughout this year, and cautions to hundreds of students. Students grades had the potential to be dropped by at least one grade, and whole examinations cancelled for cheating.

New kits announced for the Electrum team

Halfway through the group stage in the World Cup Proper, and the Electrumite Bolts (the Electrum national football team) have received new kits. This comes after the retirement of the old kits, designed way back in Electrum's first cycle by Ruentenbach, formerly known as GAS. Now, the Electrumites have teamed up with Meski Sport from Red Blackiland to produce a new colour scheme, and will be used at either the next Copa Rushmori, or if time permitting, the knock-out stages of the World Cup.




On top is the home kit, a blue kit complemented with a golden chevron on both the socks and shirt. The gold symbolises Electrum's national colour, gold, because as we all know, Electrum is an alloy of gold and silver. Also present are gold trimmings, the crest of the Electrum flag and of course, Meski Sport's logo. The away kit contains the same golden motif, but this time on a white shirt, and one large golden stripe down the middle of the shirt instead of a chevron. These distinctive colours and refreshed colours symbolises the renewal of the team.

World Cup Progress
After a loss against Apox, coming up next for the Electrumite team were the Flardanians. The Kitsunes, who managed to gain a draw off the Marauders worried the Electrumites, and certainly those at the Centralis Herald, as they drew one of the top teams of the multiverse, that they might repeat that performance today. Luckily for the Electrumites, they managed to beat Flardania 2-0 at River Exe Ground in Exton. The Electrum contingent was only ~6,000 strong in the 32,000 seater crowd, but as they all seated on the eastern stand, they made their voices heard loud and clear.

The first win for Electrum started in the first five minutes after kickoff, with the Electrum team already making advances into the Kitsune's half. Jess Fielding tried hard by herself to move the ball down the left hand side of the pitch, but a costly error from defender Nguyen as she intervened at the wrong angle and the ball flew outside the pitch. That resulted in a corner kick by Ramirez, who allowed Ingram to connect with Ingram for one goal. The next goal came from... predictably, from Krane just five minutes after, exploiting the skittish defense of the Kitsunes. A pass from Lynn-Peters was all that was needed for Krane to convert, making it 2-0 in the first fifteen minutes of play. The tides would then turn with the Kutsunes coming on the offense, trying to claw back those goals -- there were successive corners and penalties, but Fenech, drawing from his athleticism and flexibility stopped the ball each time.

[Nephara]

THE BRINEMOUTH HERALD
FUCK
by Karin Rietveld

[Eura]

Many great Euran players have adapted their game to various environments abroad over the years. Various clubs around the world had Euran's playing on their turf, and the national team was a familiar sight. Yet few of them, none of them actually, were as well known or well traveled as Lee Sharp. He had played for clubs in Erathore, Civil Citizenry, Cafundeu, Polar Islandstates and of course Directus in his homeland. He had been all over the world as a player in many editions of the World Cup, Cup of Harmony, Copa Rushmori and a number of friendly tournaments, not to mention the Baptism of Fire where Eura made their WCC debut. He'd been a manager to, taking Audioslavia to a World Cup final, only to lose at the final hurdle like had done as a player. In his travels, he had paid a couple of visits to the Dreamed Realm of the Holy Empire and the Archregimancy, the location of one of the more odd venues he'd ever had to grace as a player. It was there in an almost silent stadium where Eura had laid the bedrock for their first World Cup qualification, leading to their miraculous and memorable run to the final where the same Holy Empire denied them the greatest title win of all time. Now, for the first time in quite a few years, he was back, back in the same country and at the same stadium. The venue would be the "Imperial Hippodrome", which despite its name is actually a rather impressive ground with a 150,000 capacity for spectators.

Lee had never been too sure of how this world worked, but he had been warned by the organisers of this "Multiverse" game that he was so delighted to be involved in that he would feel some changes when he got there. Those changes had taken effect, and it was the most bizarre feeling in the world. It was like someone had sent him back in time, to the good old days when he had burning pace in his thighs when he ran, rather than sore muscles. Back when he bagged goals, and not a 20th anniversary present for the wife at some swanky Suttonville shop. It couldn't last of course, but how ever it was that this odd country was performing miracles on him, he didn't care; one opportunity to play like he used to would be enough to satiate his footballing soul until he could get another management job. He lined up in an illustrious team for sure, full of international legends, and he was proud to represent himself and his country in this prestigious game. For the first time in many years, he felt that tingling sensation in the pit of his stomach. 'Nerves!' he muttered to himself with some degree of amazement, with the game about to start. 'Since when do I get nerves?' Lee only ceased his little solo pep talk as he lined up on the pitch when the referee blew the whistle to start. Krytenia were a decent team, maybe not quite on the level of the current generation of top sides - including Sharp's compatriots, and former employers Audioslavia who were playing Krytenia at the World Cup. Nevertheless, they still had a lot of ability in their side and Lee found himself being worked hard in the right sided role of a front three of strikers.

The game had started well enough with a bit of back and forth between the sides, but not too fiercely. It was actually pretty friendly (not surprising given that the game was a friendly technically), albeit with a competitive edge and some very competitive people on the pitch. Lee was no exception and he felt slightly aggrieved not to have got much of the ball on early on. In fact he was starting to wonder if he wasn't really 'dreaming the Dreamed Realm' as it were, seeing as nobody on his side seemed to have noticed him since a couple of nice touches in the opening minutes. Lee was always a bit jealous off the ball, but suddenly he was presented with a chance to show his worth. There was a foul, once again on the left, which led to an indirect free kick by Ní hÓgáin. Lee waited at the back post, hoping to poach a header - it had been pointed out in the pre-match plan that he was the shortest of the forwards by some distance, but was nevertheless adept with his head when he could reach it. The cross came in and Nakatsuru headed it on for someone to have a go from a position far from goal, and time seemed to freeze. Before the Krytenia back line had really cottoned on, Lee had already made his decision and was executing it. He took one step onto his left foot, then another to his right running forward, and leaped to reach the ball that seemed to be going wide and out. From the edge of the six yard box he just about connected on the ball which had dipped low enough for him. The intention had been to catch out the keeper at the near post. It didn't come off, but the ball sat up perfectly for Carpenter to prod it over the line. The team wheeled away to celebrate, and Carpenter gave Sharp an enthusiastic high five. Lee knew this would be a fleeting feeling, but it had to be said; it was just like the good old days.

[Abanhfleft]

The Saga of All-Inclusive Haranguer F.C., Part Thirteen

It was yet another big game for Haranguer this Wednesday as they entered the third round of the Kopa ng Liga, a cup competition that was contested by the 92 teams in the top four tiers of the Fleftic football league system. As members of Unang Liga, Haranguer started the tournament right in the first round, where they were drawn against Duhblakk Rovers, a team that had history within the Liga ng Abanhfleft but had fallen down to the National Conference League (the fifth tier of football) in recent years, and only managed to return back to the Liga ng Abanhfleft last season. Goals from Nick Farnaby and Deborah McManaman ensured Haranguer's progress to the second round of the Kopa ng Liga, where they were subsequently drawn away to Rosenpfelblatz North End, another recently promoted team (this time from Liga Ikalawa to Unang Liga) and the team that managed to keep Haranguer to a nil-all draw in the league.

The second round cup game between Haranguer and Rosenpfelblatz North End was anything but boring this time around. There were few words to describe the match, a goal-filled affair in which both the momentum and the lead seesawed between the teams for the ninety minutes that they initially played. Rory Edwards' clever sidefooted goal gave Haranguer the lead just eleven minutes into the game, but Rosen North was almost immediately back into it when their forward slammed home the shot past Callisto Parra. Rosen North then took the lead just before half-time with a header from a corner. Entering the second half, Sam Gonza scored to put Haranguer back on level terms with Rosen North, and then Samantha Leroux poked home Haranguer's third goal of the game, but the Rosen North that went into this game simply refused to roll over and equalized once again at the death. Extra time it was, then.

The period of extra time for both Haranguer and Rosenpfelblatz North End was the exact opposite of regulation time, which had been exciting, thrilling and exhilarating. Extra time was nothing if not boring, just like the first league encounter between the two teams this season. Yet the savior of Haranguer's cup campaign would turn out to be Roman Garley, the Penguinish left back purchased from Witty Penguins' F.C. Unitia just a week or so ago. Garley was just in the right place at the right time for Haranguer as the Rosen North keeper pushed away Farnaby's shot only to see it fly right to the waiting feet of Garley, whose composure was like no other as he sent the ball into the roof of the net and seal victory for Haranguer.

With the third round of the Kopa ng Liga fast approaching, people watched as the draw was made. Once everything was over, the draw revealed that All-Inclusive Haranguer would be facing off against recently-promoted Premier League side Athletic Dorfdifving. Dorfdifving had managed to knock out fellow Premier League promotees Marinos Thimpodopoulos in the Kopa ng Liga second round, and now they were looking to advance at Haranguer's expense.

It was Wednesday night. Both teams were sending out their first teams for the Kopa ng Liga tie, as this was one of the few chances that the likes of their teams had of winning some silverware. The most notable personnel on Dorfdifving's lineup were goalkeeper Louis Simpson and striker Charlie King, both former transfer targets of Haranguer before Dorfdifving managed to lure them away with the promise of Premier League football. The players from the Fairview Islands had been performing decently in the Premier League, with Simpson producing some great moments of quality goalkeeping and King scoring some goals that were just out of this world. Because of these performances from these two players, their team was sitting in a comfortable mid-table position at twelfth place.

Haranguer knew that these two players were the best players of Dorfdifving, for the moment at least. If they could contain King, and find a way past Simpson, then victory for their team was assured, and some measure of revenge against the team that prevented their promotion to the Premier League would be gotten.

The game started with Haranguer having good ball control and possession, and while their defense had managed to neutralize Dorfdifving's offensive units, Louis Simpson was having the game of his life at goal. If he wasn't saving the shots Haranguer were sending his way then sometimes the Haranguer players were just not finishing their shots well enough. But then came a mistake from Dorfdifving, and Haranguer was quick to pounce. Dorfdifving's Jordan Rapaport had made an undercooked pass to King, and Sutalen Desoka, despite his big bulk, was the quickest to react, and he managed to edge the ball past Rapaport before making a run right at the middle of the field. As two Dorfdifving defenders closed down on him Desoka moved a little to the right and took the shot. The ball bounced on the defender's shin and flew towards goal. That little bounce on the shin was enough to get Simpson all mixed up and unprepared to dive for the ball. 1-0 to Haranguer in the Kopa ng Liga third round at the end of the first half.

In the second half, Dorfdifving was still surging, and Charlie King nearly put his team back level with Haranguer were it not for Callisto Parra's amazing reaction save. Dorfdifving continually peppered Haranguer's goal, and what shot Callisto weren't able to save would sail harmlessly over the bar or past the wrong side of the posts. Dorfdifving's other striker Isidro Palmeira came very, very close to scoring one for his team, and he was through on goal and had already poked the ball into the back of the net when the linesman raised up his flag to signal offside. The Dorfdifving fans in the NBS Stadium were less than pleased with the decision, that was for sure.

In the end, Dorfdifving just weren't able to finish things and keep themselves in the game. As the game went on and the players began to tire, the Dorfdifving attack slackened, allowing room for Haranguer to maneuver and engineer their own attacks. But Haranguer's next and ultimately game-winning goal came from a corner. Sam Gonza looped the ball high into Dorfdifving's penalty box, and as players from both teams scrambled to get a touch on the ball it flew high above their heads and landed somewhere to the right side of the box. Right back Vanessa Swimmer was there to punt the ball back in the box, but somehow her pass very nearly turned into a goal as the ball struck the crossbar and landed right in the middle of a cluster of players. The ball was lost from view in the mad scramble of legs to either poke it into the net or clear it out of the way, and then suddenly Gillian Lapointe, the young Kaboomlandian central midfielder was raising her arms and shouting at the sky. A look at the Dorfdifving goal showed keeper Louis Simpson on the ground with his legs split in a way that would make a gymnast proud, and the ball was tucked into the corner of the net. 2-0 to Haranguer, and with Dorfdifving unable to find even a consolation, All-Inclusive Haranguer was through to the fourth round of the Kopa ng Liga.

The draw for the fourth round contestants was made as soon as the final game was finished, and soon the ties were announced: Haranguer had been drawn against Miroz Old Boys, a fellow Unang Liga team and promotion contenders. Their name was a little bit misleading: while Miroz does have a reputation for sticking to its veteran players, currently the average age of their starting eleven was somewhere between 25 and 26, one of the youngest average starting elevens in Unang Liga, younger even than their "age rivals" Gyouza Young Lads. Miroz also had one of the most efficient attacks in the top four tiers of Fleftic football, and Haranguer's defense would have to be at their peak best and then some to stand up to Miroz.

---

CRESCENT NEWS NETWORK
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ABANHFLEFT • PRIDNESTROVIA • OONTAZ DERT LI NG • COPPER CUPRUM • TRENDSTART • FHULGHAMOUS PENINSULA

WORLD CUP 73: EQUESTRIAN STATES VS ABANHFLEFT
By Malik Qazizadah


Abanhfleft's Kareem Dagen celebrates with Gustavo Potter after the latter provided the assist for the former to equalize in a 3-3 draw against Equestrian States. (Courtesy of Crescent News Network Sports Channel/Andros Tasasa)

DWILE, APOX - Eikborg Club's Kareem Dagen came off the bench for his first ever senior international appearance for Abanhfleft and capped it off with a magnificent goal to tie the game against Equestrian States 3-3 and keep Abanhfleft's hopes of progressing to the knockout stages of the World Cup alive.

While the Equestrians were noted for producing most of their chances in the second half of their games, they showed the reasons why they were part of the best football teams in the multiverse in the 12th minute when Pristina Shine made a clever dash through the Fleftic defense and headed in the cross from Krystal, Pristina Shine showing good ball control by managing to not burst the ball with her horn before pushing it past the despairing hands of Maksim Varamoninov.

Equestrian States doubled their lead at the half-hour mark when Rosie Tyler was put through on goal by Cloudchaser, and the Urbanista midfielder was composed as she slotted past Varamoninov, who looked decidedly overworked in this first half.

Kevin Kelvin came closest to pulling one back for Abanhfleft just before the end of the first half, but his strongly-struck shot barely troubled keeper Gentle Breeze as it sailed into the stands.

Coming into the second half, Abanhfleft manager Kasper Molak appeared to have shifted the team's formation from a 4-3-1-2 to a more conventional 4-3-3, with Rory Edwards moving up into a central forward position in an attempt to get some goals back for the Democratic Republic, and it actually worked.

On the counterattack at the 51st minute, Edwards was unselfish and passed to Gustavo Potter, who stroked the ball calmly into the back of the net, and he returned the favor just six minutes later as he put the younger Edwards through on goal and the attacking midfielder on loan to All-Inclusive Haranguer from Riuwiee United was on target to put Abanhfleft back on level terms.

But the Equestrians weren't done yet, and as always their attacks turned very fast and very clever as they tried to regain the lead that they had just lost, and only the renewed energy in the Abanhfleft team made sure they didn't concede more goals.

Apple Cobbler finally found the breakthrough as she took advantage of Jefferson Samonte's second-half sluggishness before cutting inside and hoofing, literally, the ball into the roof of the net.

As Abanhfleft struggled to keep up with the Equestrians' resilient speed, Molak turned to his bench to look for inspiration, and he subbed in Kareem Dagen for the 17-year-old's first ever senior international cap. It would prove to be a day to remember for the young forward.

Deep into second half stoppage time, Dagen was on point to bang in Potter's cross to put Abanhfleft on level terms with Equestrian States once again, but he also squandered a chance to give the Democratic Republic the win as he was called for offside just before smashing the ball past Gentle Breeze.


Abanhfleft manager Kasper Molak: Team showed great character in getting draw

Abanhfleft manager Kasper Molak: "The team showed great character and outstanding intensity to come back from 2-0 and 3-2 down and get the draw for the country.

"Equestrian States are good, I'll admit. Which is what makes this draw so much sweeter for all of us. We showed them that we really are not to be taken lightly, even though we're making our debut in the World Cup. Their speed and resilience is outstanding. I can only sing praises to them for that.

"We may be bottom of the table, but it's not the end of the world. There are a lot of things that need to happen for us to advance, chief among them winning against Kandorith, but we've got the players to do it. I'm cautiously optimistic about our chances."

Abanhfleft sit at the bottom of Group D and face off against Kandorith needing a win to even have a hope of qualifying. Osarius have already qualified, and an Osarian draw or victory against the Equestrian will be enough to send the winners of Abanhfleft v Kandorith through to the knockout stages.

   EQUESTRIAN STATES 3 - 3 ABANHFLEFT
PRISTINA SHINE (12')       POTTER (51')
         TYLER (30')       R. EDWARDS (57')
 APPLE COBBLER (79')       DAGEN (90+3')

ABANHFLEFT
GK: 01 Varamoninov
RB: 05 Amoroso
RCB: 04 L. Edwards (Emilianovski - 46')
LCB: 03 Mikkelsen (Cervantes - 63')
LB: 02 Samonte
RM: 08 Turpentine
CM: 19 Zolnerov
LM: 06 Musa
CAM: 20 R. Edwards
RS: 11 Kelvin (Dagen - 75')
LS: 10 Potter

EQUESTRIAN STATES
GK: 01 Gentle Breeze
RB: 08 Molovi
CB: 03 Flitter (Iburrusteta - 80')
LB: 12 Hamilton
RW: 05 Apple Cobbler
RM: 02 Cloudchaser
CM: 09 Rainbow Blitz
LM: 17 Tyler (Luminesce - 77')
LW: 11 Krystal
RS: 07 Thunderlane (Wither - 66')
LS: 10 Pristina Shine

MATCH STATISTICS
Possession
Equestrian States: 55%
Abanhfleft: 45%
Shots
Equestrian States: 10 (5 on target)
Abanhfleft: 9 (4 on target)
Corners
Equestrian States: 6
Abanhfleft: 4
Fouls
Equestrian States: 6
Abanhfleft: 7

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

World Cup Finals Group Stage MD3

Tonight looks good on you, Tonight looks good on us. Can you perhaps generate that into a win for your nation?