World Cup LXXV - AK75 - The RP Thread

[Chromatika]

Prelude, Book I

The Rainbow Revolution
Book I: The Sparks
Part I: The Mastermind

"Every Mastermind had mastered their own mind first, before becoming a Mastermind." – Din

"Report in, Blue Five Four Niner. What is the status on our query?" A dark, hooded figure stood in the middle of a windowless room, speaking urgently into his cell phone. The walls of the room were full of pictures of personnel, maps, notes, and the like of every important person in Chromatika, as well as some others that weren't as famous. His fingers tapped impatiently on his knee as he awaited for a reply.

"We were able to secure the query without much of a problem," came the reply at the other end, "We have successfully avoided detection and are carrying the query back home as we speak. Operation is a success, I repeat, Operation is a success."

"Good," stated the figure, "Make sure to not be detected entering back, and get the query here as soon as possible. Make sure you are not followed, understand?"

"Of course. Everything will be done per the usual procedure," answered the one who replied, "We will be there within the day. Blue Five Four Niner out." And that was that.

The figure turned around, headed to a board on one of the walls, and scratched off an item on a list. That had been a long time coming, involved so much planning and some delicate execution. But they had finally obtained their query - Miss Kerri Wyse, girlfriend of Luuk Aart, and Chemistry teacher in Notre Dame Catholic High School, Quebec City, Quebec. They had arrived just before the Chromatik agents had, but it seemed that they had been lucky enough to obtain her without being noticed by the Chromatik Secret Police.

Going to his computer, he turned on the encrypting device that would delete the email ten seconds after it would be read, and sent this to Luuk Aart:

"Mr. Aart. we were able to reach bluebird before the others were able to reach her. We were able to determine when they were going to try to grab bluebird, and get there first ourselves instead. Do not worry, bluebird will be safe with us, and when the time comes, so will you be safe with us. In a few days, we'll ask bluebird to contact you; please be patient until then."

-M

After pressing the "Send" button, Marco Ni - or "M" as he was known to many within his organization - took a moment to reflect back on the last four years. After joining the Chromatik Political Party at the tail end of his sister participating in World Baseball Classic, Marco had tried to find opportunities to change the Chromatik political culture from the inside. He had observed, he had interacted, and he had looked for opportunities to start questioning the beliefs that held his nation together. But it had all been for naught. Instead, he saw the injustices of his nation every day. Anyone who wasn't at least a Blue was treated like inferiors, all the way down to the Reds, who didn't dare look any of them in the eye, and did exactly as they were told. There were crude jokes every day made at the lower classes' expense, and anyone who didn't treat them as worse than dirt were called to be "too soft".

"They were born from parents who had inferior genes than us, Marco," his supervisor, Anita Anderson, DBz, would say, "If it's anyone's fault it's their parents' for bringing them into the world. Wait, we make them! That's right! Every Chromatik couple is encouraged to have two children! You know what that means, don't you?" She'd pause there always for dramatic effect, then, right before he had a chance to reply, she would exclaim, "Free labor! A group of citizens whose sole purpose in living is to do our every last bidding! Isn't it glorious?" Before he could say anything else, she'd add, "Whomever it was that created the color system in the beginning was a genius! With this system, everything is perfectly balanced in our society. Everyone has a place that they belong in, something that they were made to be, and they can concentrate being the best of what they were made to be, instead of wasting time trying to be something else! Unless you're a Blue or higher, of course."

After two months of being involved with the Chromatik Party's Institutional Division as a Light Bronze initiate, he had, against advice from his peers, quit. "Don't do that," his friend, Augustus Malta, had warned him, "They will watch every move that you make, they will tail you, you do one thing wrong and they'll take you in! You don't want that, do you?" He had to argue against his friend, tell him that there was no way that he. Marco Ni, could continue. So, Marco had left, and the Party had answered his decision with a very subtle message: Augustus's ring in a sealed envelope, one month after he had left to go hide and live in Eyrods in the jungle. The ring had been sent to his parents, who had conveyed the message to him.

That was when he knew what he had to do. Staging his death had taken a significant toll - he had to make sure his parents believed it, that his sister believed it, and in order to do that, he had his left arm amputated and placed in the wreck of the car that he was supposedly found in. It had actually made the first page of the Chromatik City Courier - and an official statement from the Government, saying that "It was such a shame for such a young and promising member to have died at such a young age." He wondered how Anita viewed the entire situation, who he was to the party at large. But that was of no concern, now.

He had found his hiding place, and placed a message from there to his flock on the internet. It had been on the web that he had found those who thought the way he did, and were smart enough to converse about it without being caught. He knew that the Police and the Institutional Division had been looking for a way to track those who participated in such writings, but they were too smart for them. The encryption used by the "Shadow Writers" as they were called was too advanced, and they did everything they could to stay one step ahead of the Police.

From there, he had been able to acquire funding and membership within his flock had multiplied substantially. Now, he was known as "M", and they, the "Shadow", were actually a pretty significant organization, having agents still in Chromatika, all around Atlantian Oceania, and even some in other regions like Rushmore and Esportiva. Their mission was to subtly expose what the Chromatik government was capable of, what they sought to do; well, for now, subtly, and in the future, maybe not. No, definitely not. He knew deep in his heart that when push came to shove the DG wouldn't go down without a fight.

He reminded himself to refer to her by her name. Heidi, it was, so he had found out. It made it so much real to refer to her by her name and not her Title. The Title was what he was fighting against, not actually the woman; in fact, if she was willing to be reasonable, he admitted, he would still give her a chance to live through the end of this. For he was sure about the ending of this endeavor even during these infant stages; the people would win, the Shadow would prevail, and Chromatika would be changed to a nation where color didn't matter, where everyone was able to do do whatever they wanted to do, not be limited by the parents that they were born from, nor the system that they were under.

His phone chirped. It was a message from Blue Five Four Niner, saying that they had left Quebecois airspace and were well on their way, with no tailing. He had known that Blue Five Four Niner was the right man for the job. He also knew that Kerri Wyse was such an important figure in Chromatika right now that they had to get her out of harms' way; her safety meant Luuk's safety, and Luuk's safety was very important. Luuk Demetriev Aart was the one who was planting a seed of doubt in every single working class Chromatik in the country; until the country stopped televising Anomalies matches, it would be that the nation would be reminded of what he had been subjected to every single time that he flashed across the screen.

Marco reminded himself that he was not using Luuk, but only the situation that the government had placed him under. Aart hadn't contacted him in any way, as was the right thing to do; instead, Luuk, with his photographic memory, had only followed every single instruction that Marco had sent him, from where to live, to what to say, to what was planned to happen next. It was great to have Luuk following instructions and not drawing any more attention to himself than he had been. They still had great need of him.

His plan was to have Kerri Wyse stay with them and use her Chemistry knowledge to help out. He had use of both of them. In the meantime, he looked at his schedule at the myriad of tasks it took to run an organization deep in the middle of the Atlantian Oceanian interior. Thankfully, the Chromatik Secret Police and the Institutional Division hadn't caught wind of him being outside of the country; sure, they were aware that the Shadow Writers had a de facto leader now, but they had no idea that it was Marco, nor that he was actually outside of the nation. By the time they caught wind of what he had planned, he hoped, it'd be far too late; for when the world saw the truth of what Chromatika was, it would be appalled, and it would respond.

One of his men came through the door, carrying a folder. "Sir, the latest from Dark Queen," he stated, giving Marco the envelope. He took it, breathed a word of thanks, and sat down at his desk, opening the folder.

For a free Chromatika, where all people could do what they want for no other reason than the fact that they wanted to do it.

For Chromatika. End Part I

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Carrol Liam made a definite impact in his first game as a starter for the Anomalies in an important match, playing the entire match and contributing the assist to Trenn Rien's goal in ethe Anomalies' one-nil victory over Nordeana in the Capitalizt Dome in Chromatik City.

In a gritty affair where the Nordean defense messed with the Chromatik counterattack at every turn, it was Liam's precise cross that gave Rien the chance to use an overhead kick to score the deciding goal in a match that the Anomalies simply had to win. It looked in the beginning of the match like the team was a bit shell shocked, especially Luuk Aart, who had tears coming down his face as he entered the stadium. The same tears were there at the end, supposedly of joy, possibly of the fact that he was still in exile. Luuk wasn't allowed to be reached for a comment.

Flardania, the Group's second seed, lost to top seed Ko-oren in a match of the top seeds; Flardania remains the Anomalies' next opponent. When asked about facing a team that just lost 2-0 with the squad that she fields, this was Franscesca Cortes's reply:

"Flardania will be coming out to try to erase the loss from their brains, and get the qualifying back under way the way they wish it to be. We had a gritty, tough win here today, but if we don't play more loose against them we won't have a chance. They are a quality side, and one of the sides to beat in the group. It will be a tough match, but I believe that we are up to the task at hand."

She declined to comment on Luuk's play, but did add that Liam "definitely showed why we gave him the start today".

The Anomalies will try to stage an upset before a very important game against Anglatia.

[Red Blackiland]

Red Blackiland Sports and Off-topic Chronicles

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Football and Literature : The Greatness from the Small

Rotschwarzland Berüchtigt Ultras in Rocesia - Rocesia 2-6 Red Blackiland

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Author : Mathias Gërdorffen
Football and Literature.Both, my passions, both football and literature are, in my humble understanding of things, expression of fields and human performance in the surprise, the random, the uniqueness of everything we see or we can do as a resurfaces particular brand of our action in the world. Thus, it is up to the writer, the poet, in the case of literature, for example, act in your writing from a look inaugurate new realities; from a targeted endless unpublished possibilities for the practice of human existence. Even if such innovative possibilities - this is the secret of all this - are likely to achieve only in the language universe, since life itself is limited. We do art, as the poet said, because living is not enough. Or in the words of another bard, "Just live, my dog ​​does this and very well."
Well. As for the football, he delights in precisely the same reason, I think. It is a game that involves and excites its practitioners and admirers not only the effects and practical results it produces (the victory of the team to score more goals in the opponent), but, and perhaps especially, the set of senses and meanings that communicates beyond its immediate objective and visuality. In other words, football, paradoxically, perhaps charmed more by what is not seen on the field when watching your show directly, even if this experience is in itself rewarding and pleasurable. Perhaps, repeat, football is even enchanted by what feels and try to live it as a full phenomenon of culture inside and outside the pitch.
Yes, because, interestingly, football is a game that goes beyond their own rules. Understood in a broad sense, it starts before the 90 minutes a game and goes beyond them; is a game that is not limited to few characters who practice directly on the lawns or flooded fields, and - even more significant - is a game that does not end in mere delimited space for your practice, making it, so therefore at least for us, Red Blackilandians, much more than a sports practice, "is the synthesis of complex Rotschwarzland culture is its meta-language", in the words of sociologist Leonard Peiper.
So, I think, I understood so you can see the clear and visceral connection of football with the practice of literature. Both are a kind of human game (one mediated by a ball, the other mediated by language) in which players perform on the field more or less the same thing: the revelation of surprise; the unexpected; the not yet seen as a latent potentiality director and pregnant with meaning. It's just "see" the feeling that we feel when we read a truly original poem and aesthetically well done; or a novel, a short story, a chronicle, in the case of literature. Or a beautiful and unexpected move effect (a confusing dribble or a home run) in the case of football.
I say this because just over two weeks that certainty was reinforced in me when I received a simple gift from a friend of mine and I was intrigued by one thing that this gesture of friendship stressed me: the notion that we should have the smallness and greatness of all things. Crazy about football as I, my friend presented me with one of those national clubs souvenir made to be pasted into the refrigerator and therefore to stay in our sight when we entered the kitchen to do something everyday household. Knowing me as I know, the friend knew that was not the club of my predilection, but also know that I have for sports college a unique admiration. The club such, you can already tell, was the Foster Valley, Doherty, considered and known in the football world as the worst club in the world. Perhaps precisely because of this, so this has disturbed me so much.
For I say that the unrest was such that I decided, from it, as I announced here, use it to move away on the football relationship with literature from a theme that this relationship suggested me, the notion we have of greatness and littleness of all things.
The idea of ​​background, rooted in all cultures, is that always orient ourselves in the reality of the data based on a providential sense of horizontality and especially of verticality, so to speak. That is, always consider that there are things higher - the noble gestures, heroic actions, for example - but also little things, lower, such as petty gestures, pusillanimous actions, in short, smaller attitudes or cowardice unclassifiable.
Bringing this discussion to the world of football, we always dealt with the habit of putting a higher level of our consideration and esteem so-called big clubs of national football, like the The Strip, Ferentásctvaros, Bluebehrry Cavaliers, Mulholland, Cruce Estrella, between others; and, as opposed to values ​​pushed to the shelf of insignificant junk said small clubs, like the Vaslui, Pennvastland, Pillgrim, Emerald Isle, Dukes, Las Colinas, and especially the biggest star of this constellation of smaller teams: Foster Valley, Doherty, who has this prominent position among small to be unanimously considered "the worst club in the world", a joke among its fans.
I've brought the Foster Valley to this our conversation now, because I understand that he (the glorious Foster Valley, the worst of all the teams on the planet) is a thrilling example of how arbitrary is our hierarchical way of looking at reality. To attest to this arbitrariness in judging the things of the world, we can say, for example, that something can be great just by behaving like a small thing; humble in his way of being, not ostentatious or proud of the virtues to them constituent short, simple in his greatness to be small.
The opposite can also be true, conjecture I, extending the example: something may be small just by insistently want to be great, you want to base its existence on a level beyond the limits of their own size, sporting a quantity which is nothing more than hidden face of his own smallness.
Here, my dear readers, that reponta the greatness of Foster Valley in the national football scene. Not bothering to want to be the best, the greatest, content is the Foster Valley in modesty to be the worst, and that's great. And his greatness, in fact, is enviable. Has anyone seen the Foster Valley losing sleep over being stuck in unpayable debts? For this is not the current case of The Strip, the Bluebehrry Cavaliers, the Ferentásctvaros and many other stamped figurines of national football, which survive only pushing the debts (and some leaders) with the belly? No, no one has ever seen such a problem with the Foster Valley. No one ever saw the Foster Valley crying or lamenting the constant losses falling to his shoulders. Founding a brilliant paradox, the losses are the greatest achievements of Foster Valley and this is the greatest example of his greatness.
No, the case of Foster Valley is another, my friends, the other because the Foster Valley is great. Great even in his infinite bounty. So are things in this world if we look good. The large may be just the small and little can be precisely great. Everything depends on how we look at the world and the world we all know, is nothing more than a ball: this object distinct from all others - no corners, edges, back or face, equal to itself in all directions surfaces - that rolls and bounces as if animated by an internal force, projectable and huggable like no other, in the words of the poet. And the poets are always right!

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Das SpielHaus presents...Montreal Noire and its storyline

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Montreal Noire Box - Buy your game now!

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So here we are to talk about Montreal Noire, the famous game launched by Das Spielhaus in the last night, millions of copies are being sold by competent, hard work gamers and probably you're one of them, and had to give a look here for testing the game's history and quality, you won't regret it!
All the cases are the main structure in Montreal Noire,and are divided by the type of them : traffic, homicide, vice, arson, burglary.In the game, generally, in a first time you are briefed by the captain, then a short cutscene after it and other showing the crime scene and where this took place, after it you (Siung Ko-han) and your partner head off to the crime scene and the body (in homicide cases) for clues.The essence of the game and its cases are interrogations, shootings, persecution and analysis, also, the course of the cases can change based on how you solve them and when you do well in the interrogations.
As we said in the past article, in Montreal Noire's storyline, your beginning in the Surete de Montreal (Montreal Police Department) is as a policeman from the Patrol Desk, which will be the first desk of Ko-han.

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Case/Mission #1 - After the thoughtful moment (Patrol)

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The first case begins as the narrator begins to speak : ''In the Royal Quebecois Navy Corps you can deal with the command and mistakes, you can deal with them without many problems.You know who is your enemy, what against you're fighting, and who are in the same team and have the equal objectives as you.But fighting against or dealing with corruption its other thing, sounds like you're chasing ghosts or shadows, you never know about who are talking with you, you never know his true objective, never know whether the guy you're talking to is on the pad or whether it's your partner or maybe even your leader or commander.So...who do you trust, Ko-han? I learned about that a long time ago...''.
Ko-han and his first patner, Gojim Lee-Sung, receives a call for their policecar, which Lee-Sung responds immediatelly, the dispatcher on the police radio informs a shooting at Industrial Street in one of Montreal neightbourhoods, with other car requesting for help for an evidence search, then Lee-Sung responds letting the dispatcher know they're coming and Ko-han begins to driving to the location.
Reaching in the crime scene, a body is in the Coroner's car, and then drives off.One man, calling himself as a dectetive from the Homicide Desk, approaches from Lee-Sung and Ko-han, his name is Chung Ji-Sang and the other man with him is Lee Chuyong (one of your future partners).Ji-Sang asks if Ko-han and Lee-Sung are their backup, then Ko responds and introduce himselves from the Surete de Montreal, so Ji-Sang tells them about the situation.The victim was a foreign called Juan Velásquez, who was shot down and is on way to the autopsy.A witness tells about a white guy shot the foreign victim in the head and chest, then tossed the weapon before running away from the place, then Ji-Sung leaves, putting the search for the gun up to Ko-han and Lee-Sung, feeling that Juan is a lowlife, and throws off the hard work for the patrolmen.
Searching in the alley near the street where the crime took place, you can see a newspaper (one of many others in this game) above a lot of crates, walking to the end of the alley, you'll find the first clue of the case and the game, a bloodstain in a door at the end of the alley.If you, walk a few from the left of the first clue, an open windows with the reflection of a gun, on the rooftop of the adjacent building, walk around of the corner, you'll find a pipe and then climbs into it to the roof, and then you'll find the gun.After returning from the pipe and the roof, Lee-Sung wants to bring the gun to the Police Station, but Ko-Han wants to find the gun's owner first in a gun store, he asks if have one nearby, and then Lee-Sung informs Ko-han that have one just a couple of blocks away.Now you'll set the destination to this gun store in your actionbook and will try to find the owner in the gun store.
Arriving at the gun store, the owner will tell you that the gun's model is a Magnum with nickel plating and pearl grips.Also, he tells you that the gun is only available from a special order, and with that, the storekeeper shows you the book of orders, you'll match the gun's model name in the book with the serial Q70435, and the owner is Hung Ko-seng,who lives in the 203 Kappys Street,this book is your third clue.Now drive to Ko-seng's apartment.
Reaching in the building, Ko-han checks and finds out the number of Ko-seng's apartment, and makes his way up, when you and your partner knocks on the door, Ko-seng responds opening the door with a bad attitude, so they ask if Ko-seng owns a .357 magnum with nickel plating and pearl grips, Ko-seng agrees. Ko-han informs him about Juan's murder, to which Ko-seng responds with an annoyed atmosphere of surprise, he checks to his gunlocker for verify that if the gun is there, but its missing, prompting Ko-han to arrest him, Ko-seng hits Lee-Sung in the face and begins to fight against Ko-han, Ko-han defeats Lee-Sung.
After Ko-han dealed with Ko-seng, investigate the apartment, with many useless things, you'll find a red book in the dresser, if you open the book, have a list of names, one of them is Ji-Sung, who Ko-han and Lee-Sung met earlier at the crime's place, Lee-Sung tells Ko-han to leave the book where he found it, and to leave, Ko-han agrees and put the book in the top of the dresser.End of the case.
Ko-seng is taken into custody after the case ends, but it is unknow what happened to him, whether he's actually guilty of murder, but after i've played the game, i thought about a possibility of Ji-Sung being a corrupt detective and had a participation in the murder.

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Case/Mission #2 - The danger from a weapon (Patrol)

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The case begins a narrator begins to speak : ''You had a bad history in the past Quebecois wars, Ko-han, and you were here to fight the good one, solving cases, helping people but, the police force is like politics, you have to choose one side, a envelope or a ticket to the middle of nowhere, a place where nobody lives, their is no middle-way here''.
This mission take as scenario a robbery at Hazel Bank in Montreal, that Ko-han and his partner, Lee-Sung, picked on the police radio.Then, Ko-han picks up a shotgun behind one of police cars and start a gunfight against the robbers.The best way to win the gunfight, that isn't too hard is, hitting the robbers inside through the glass from the windows, and then shot against the crooks outside, of course, picking cover many times you can.Get as closest you can without the robberies picking you as the main target, by the fact that the shotgun is close range weapon.One of the robberies are with a classic Thompson M1.

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Case/Mission #3 - The unnoticed escape

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Ko-han and Lee-Sung are patrolling in their policecar, until Lee-Sung see Kum Li-Wong, who jumped his parole after arrested by Lee-Sung, when Lee-Sung turns on the siren, Wong will start to run, then Ko-han get out of the car and begins to pursue Li-Wong.Li-Wong will try to escape going into an alley, Lee-Sung blocks the alley in the other side with the patrolcar, Li-Wong climbs up a emergency exit and the persecution continues on the rooftop.
After a prolonged chase, Ko-han finally catches him up, but Li-Wong is waiting for an attack, a fight begins after the cutscene, then you with Ko-han will defeat Li-Wong, whereafter he'll be taken into custody and jailed, but if the player (Ko-han) choose to fight against him near the roof border, or throw him against the edge, he'll fall from building, and die when collide with the ground.It's almost impossible to subdue Li-Wong in the chase.

The story continues....

[Bonesea]

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[Schiavonia]

Press conference with Tony Cueto & Benny Sanderson following San Jose Guayabal 5-3 Schiavonia

It had been a thrilling match. Though there was little doubt in the final outcome of the match at any time after Fito Zelaya's free kick had been floated into the top corner of the net in the opening quarter of an hour, there was an exciting end-to-end feel to the game. Though tension was lacking, excitement was high.

The questions fielded to Cueto and Sanderson reflected their sides attacking strengths (taking the game to the World Cup Finalists and scoring three goals in the process) and defensive frailties (“our strength and depth means that we can refresh our attack in a way we simply cannot with our defence,” according to Sanderson; "tactical naivety, and perhaps some incorrect team selections, on our part,” being the opinion of Cueto). Both of the team managers were complimentary to how the new contingent of players had settled into the squad, and Cueto insisted that while their first-choice team hadn’t changed much over the past four years - Chris Hogan being the only starter from this game who was’t regular first choice four years ago - there was not greater chance for squad rotation, and that a lot more of the squad would get their chance.

So defeat for the Sloths, but plenty of promise for the up-coming campaign. But then, Benny Sanderson decided to go a little off topic. And yet, it seemed totally relevant.

“I don’t know how many of you are aware,” he impassioned, “but during the course of the Guayabelense round of the fourteenth World Grand Prix Championship, my son Reni, a driver for the Audioslavian McPahan team, went missing. He has not been reported as being seen since the qualifying session on the Saturday, and it is reported that he took a large number of his possessions with him.”

The grouped reporters, who had been enjoying the relaxed nature of a Schiavone press conference until this point, could suddenly feel the tension and tenderness. Not a word was being uttered between them.

“The fact that Reni took his possessions makes us believe that he is alive out there somewhere in this country. If you are watching, Reni, or if anyone watching or listening to this has seen him, then please contact the local police on the emergency number 767. We believe that, whilst he may be alive, he could be in great danger out on his own, given some of the natural terrain in this beautiful country.

“And please, Reni, there are people out there who love you and care for you. A nation of people back on the island just want you to return. Your team at McPahan just want to know that you are OK. And, more than anything, your family miss you, and want you to come home. We can talk things over, and we will do everything we can to make you feel welcome. It’s what we Schiavones do.

“Come home, Reni. We love you.”

And with his colleague on the verge of tears, Tony put his arm around Benny's shoulder and hugged him.

“I know the Guayabalense people are a good people,” Tony uttered into the microphone, "so I know that if Reni is found, he will be OK. Thank you for listening.”

And with that, the duo left the scene.

[Tumbra]

Forty-Six
Prelude, Part Two: The Fall of James Kenny

If any readers are confused by the names, refer to here. There are spoilers though, so beware!

12 January 1977

Parliament had gone into recess for Christmas, but had reconvened on the tenth. John had rapidly adjusted to life as Shadow Leader, but there had been some bumps along the way. That was the view held by him and Leslie.

While all the members he invited to the Shadow Cabinet had accepted, Morgan Phillips had been left out - and was making a very big show of it.

"He won't let me into his Shadow Cabinet - he'll lose any upcoming election! I single-handedly won twenty seats for the Tories at the last election..." came the familiar voice in the Stranger's Bar - the bar where MPs and the people could meet and have a drink.

Obviously, this had a detrimental effect on the polls. He'd considered asking the Chief Whip - Michael Carver - to sort him out, but decided against it. Carver might have been the best Whip the party had ever saw; but he was retiring to the Senate at the next opportunity and wouldn't be as effective in keeping Phillips in check.

The polls had swung against the Tories too - Opinion Research Survey Number Forty had been received by the top brass, and it was depressing to say the least. Prior to John's election, the Tories were one percent behind the SDP - now they were five percent. The connotations were extremely obvious.

"If the swing goes like this next time around, James Kenny will have a majority in the House. John, you've got to hold off on pressuring James for the election - JK will have his own polls, and he'll agree with you!" Leslie whispered.

"We'll be able to make up five percent within an election campaign..."

"The last time that happened was in '56, and even then Thorpe managed to capitalise on Ed Chamberlain's stupid mistakes! James is a more careful campaigner - he won't slip up..."

"But based on our own ability?"

"If a snap election is held, we won't have enough time to formulate things, et cetera...We already know how rushed we were in '75, and we were lucky as beans to get that win."

"Questions to the Prime Minister!" A loud voice bellowed over the hubbub and soon the Members of Parliament soon settled down. It was Wednesday, at noon - and that meant it was time for Prime Minister's Questions.

PMQs. The single event which defined Tumbran politics. John made a cursory glance up at the Gallery, which amongst MPs were known as the Spectator's Stands. They were packed, as they were every Wednesday. PMQs were a spectator's sport, to say the least. Numerous political careers had started or ended at the box.
One infamous example was Lord John Clarence. After the torrid 1820 election, where the National Liberals won by one seat, Clarence - then a Conservative MP - dominated a PMQs and was subsequently appointed Prime Minister by the King soon after he sacked the Gouldson in power at the time.

What followed next was eight years of his leadership - detractors said it was a terrible time, supporters maintained it was a Golden Age. Whatever it was, Clarence's quasi-dictatorial reign came to an abrupt end in 1828 when his newly formed National Unity Party got booted out and Clarence became a ostracised figure in Tumbran politics.

"Number One, Mr. Speaker!" A nameless backbencher from the SDP would start the weekly ritual.

John personally saw PMQs as a gladiatorial sport. The incumbent PM would defend, while he would attack.

James Kenny, the Prime Minister, rose to the box in the middle of Parliament. "This morning I had I had ministerial meetings with my colleagues in addition to my duties to the House. I shall have further such meetings later today."

Boos were heard from the Tory side of the government. The backbencher rose again, while John directed his attention to the roof of the Chamber. The first question was normally an easy one to start the session off - normally some backbencher would prattle off some stats and state how good life was in his constituency while the PM agreed and prattled off some other stats on how to make life even better. It made boring viewing even for the cameras.

"...and that could not have been brought about by a Conservative government." Kenny finished and sat back down, eyeing John warily. He was a new opponent - a pretender in the jungle, the newest gladiator in this arena. How would he fare?

John rose, and the Tory benches cheered. Settling himself in front of the dispatch box, he began asking. Six questions, he was allowed.

"Will the Prime Minister explain why, contrary to his election platform, he has instead slashed benefits spending by over fifty percent in his Chancellor's Budget?"

John sat down again. Leslie whispered.

"Good call."

Several MPs from the SDP side frowned. How could it be? James Kenny, master of welfare and self-proclaimed successor of Houghton's Welfare State, slashing benefits for the unemployed?

The Tories jeered. While they were not normally known for their generosity when it came to benefits, those with a conscience also jeered.

James Kenny looked utterly beaten when he rose to the dispatch box again.

]-***-

"'John Williams' first PMQs ends in victory.' Well I don't think there could realistically be any other outcome, could there? I think we'll see an election in a few months." Leslie said in a deadpan tone of voice.

"Now, now. We can't get over-exuberant. The election might happen, yes, but to assume we'll win it is another matter altogether. According to this blasted research survey, we're still five points behind. And the next poll isn't due until next month," John brusquely mentioned.

"By which time Parliament could have been dissolved!"

"In all my time in the Foreign Office, Leslie, I've been observing James Kenny very carefully. He prefers to be cautious - though not to an extent that he errs on the side of it - but is still very prepared. What happened today was an anomaly and shouldn't be happening again. He will call an election within the year, yes, but not so soon. The polls haven't taken into consideration my performance today. For James to call an election so soon after this drubbing - not just by me, but by Matthew Pickering would be a moment of madness."

-***-
27 August 1977

But he did. The bastard did indeed call an election, after the summer recess. John had arrived back in Goldlion from the beaches of SJG to the news that James Kenny had called an election for 26 August.

That was in June. Throughout the election campaign, which was underfunded, understaffed, slow yet rushed and ineffectual, the Conservatives had always been on the back foot when compared to the SDP.

And now, after holding his seat with a vastly reduced majority, he was preparing to face the cameras yet again for an interview. What would he say? He'd just given the SDP their first majority this decade. There would be calls for his head. What would he say?

"I'll make a signal. When I point to the camera, it means you're on."

"And now we go to John Williams, the Conservative leader." A small voice came from his earpiece. It was Peter Handel, again the host of the election program.

John smiled. He didn't know whether it would come off as a grimace or as a smile.

"How are you feeling now, in the wake of a defeat by the SDP? Before the summer recess, when you were away in SJG enjoying the sun, there really wasn't any inclination that Kenny would call an election, would he?" Peter Handel's familiar voice came through the speakers.

"Well obviously we're all very disappointed, us here and in Headquarters. I do have to accept some of the blame of course, but I will go on as leader of the Conservative Party."

"Do you feel that you were caught unawares? During the summer recess the Tories were leading in the opinion polls, no?"

"Yes, we were, by about two points. The top brass thought it to be political suicide by Kenny if he decided to dissolve Parliament and hold an election."

He laughed.

"Well, he did, and I did the best I could, but we're here now."

"You will go on as Conservative leader?"

"Yes, I will. I did set a deadline of 1984 for the Conservative's re-entry into power, and I will stick to it."

"Don't you think, however, that there will be calls for your head after this defeat?"

"There undoubtedly will be. Even if I did somehow win this election, there would be calls for me not to ascend to 1 Parliament Street as PM. It's a natural part of the job, and always will be."

"Thank you, Mr. Williams."

-***-
5 September 1977

"...when we last left off the Honourable Leader of the Opposition was jeering at us, saying that a lead of five seats in the House of Commons was not enough. Well, I hope he likes the current composition of the House now."

The House roared in laughter at Kenny's comments. John squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. A majority of six. That was the result after all the electioneering that happened.

Michael Carver had previously mentioned that Kenny would never fight another election. Perhaps he was right.

-***-
12 December 1979

"And the news of the day is that Prime Minister James Kenny has resigned at the age of sixty-two. To replace him is Callum Harrison, the current Deputy Prime Minister, who is sixty-eight years old." came the blare from the television.

Michael Carver was right. Kenny had looked more tired lately.

"The time looks right for another challenge, John."

"Pfeh! Don't listen to him, John. What if the same thing happens?"

"He has to call another election soon."

"Then we wait for it! We bide our time, and we wait for it."

John, Leslie and Michael Carver were gathered around a television set.

"I'm not intending to dissolve parliament, whatever anybody says. I will serve out the remainder of Mr. Kenny's term and then let the people decide what they want." came the voice of the TV.

"God, he sounds like an old waffler already. To think he first entered government in the Houghton era! This must be his last job before retirement."

"I'll make it so."

Hughes, Paterson, Brooks, Collins, Nelson, Moore, Rhys-Stevens, Butler, Sanders, Alexander, Foster, Pandon

[Nephara]

THE BRINEMOUTH HERALD
THE HERALD GUIDE TO: NEPHARIM POLITICS
by Byron Osieck

As the Herald expands beyond being a national newspaper to enjoying its current region-wide status, there's more need than ever to help foreign audiences understand the many idiosyncracies of Nephara, ensuring that all the Herald's readers can engage with its content. The first such guide will take a look at Nepharim politics, and the current state of the Assembly.

Nephara is a representative democracy rather than a direct one, with the electorate voting on a preferential basis for their local representative, or Assembly Members. The government is generally formed by the party with a majority of AMs in the Assembly, the sole legislative house in Nephara's unicameral system - and that party's leader becomes the Margrave.

While Nephara is not known as a particularly traditional nation, the title of 'Margrave' for the Head of State is a hold-over from Nephara's past as a series of bickering city-states. The idea of the national leader as a strong, powerful figure capable of securing the frontiers has proven an appealing one that has lasted the test of time. The current Margravine is Kirsten Brookford, leader of the Progressive Democrats and currently serving her third and final three-year term in office.

The two major parties are the Progressive Democrats (often shortened to 'Pro Dems') and the Traditionalists, who between them have supplied the last sixty years of Margraves. That said, the minor parties are traditionally fairly influential, and the Pro Dems are currently in a coalition with Moving Forward in order to govern.


The current Nepharim Assembly.

The Progressive Democrats (terracotta) have historically been the most popular of Nephara. A firmly centre-left party in a left-leaning country, the Pro Dems have focused on equality, infrastructure and progressive social policies, as well as championing centralisation in the earlier days of the Grand Union in which all the states were more or less working at cross-purposes. The Progressive Democrats are content with Nephara's current links with other nations and has been keeping military spending fairly low. It considers itself very firmly the party of the working-class.

The Traditionalists (blue) currently make up the Opposition, and are regarded as a centrist Third Way party. Without any real social reform on the agenda to oppose - things have remained stable for a while - the Traditionalists aim to halt the economic centralisation process and occasionally privatise targeted organisations while reducing the tight regulation 'chokehold' on trade and business. They have recently taken a far more hawkish, interventionist stand to foreign policy, especially in light of former colony Pravenna's occupation by Sameban forces, and intend to secure tight partnerships with foreign powers. The Traditionalist base comes from the urban middle-class and from rural settlements.

Of the minor parties, Moving Forward (green) is in the ascendancy - further left than the Progressive Democrats and generally attracting affluent, well-educated urban voters, it focuses less on the workplace and more on social justice, environmental safety and the advance of (ethical) science. Once relevant but close to pointless now, the Libertarians (purple) hold out in a few rural outposts, the furthest right-wing economic party in the nation. It used to enjoy a fairly cosy relationship with the Traditionalists before the new, interventionist policies alienated them, but the party has been on the downswing since. While the Constitution expressly forbids openly fascist parties, the far-right Honour and Glory (orange) party enjoyed a worrying surge in popularity during the Corvidae era but has since returned to being a loathed irrelevance expected to lose their remaining seats in the following election, while small gains are anticipated for the left-libertarian Sex Party (yellow).

As the popular Kirsten Brookford cannot compete for next election (again - term limits) it will be contested between the charismatic and popular Traditionalist Alexa Mitroglou and an as-yet-unknown candidate from the Pro Dems. With tensions rising across the world and Nephara an increasingly vocal presence within it, the winner in two years' time could leave ripples far and wide.

[Brenecia]

THE ROZELLE OBSERVER
Unified Sunrise Islands 5-3 Brenecia: Early barrage too much for Patriots to overcome
Jack Barraclough
UNIFIED SUNRISE ISLANDS B Couch; A Hikari, Zezinho, M Flanningan (A Tretyakova 60'), Paranawe; Rolando Juliano, Y Sarracena, Chichan (Rolando 73'); T Nishidake; K Stabb (Allejo 80'), H Alcouin
Goals: Alcouin 8', 35', Rolando Juliano 22', Stabb 62', Allejo 82'
BRENECIA M Woodgate; S Given (C Szukala 45'), A Scrivener, B Duguid (vc), O Lovelock; C Blackslate (c, A Skorupska 71'), C Gryphon, C Purrington; S Trevelyan, U Rankin, R Carroll (N Thatcher 83')
Goal: Trevelyan 44', Rankin 49', Purrington 78'

The Patriots' glass jaw cost them dearly in a bloodbath against the Samba Kids, as the early flurry of goals simply proved too much to overcome in the end despite a spirited, if ultimately thwarted, comeback. Both sides brought full-strength sides to the match, but Sasha Bale might be forgiven for reassessing the status of some of those players on the evidence of a defensive performance such as this.

The Islanders enjoyed the bulk of the early possession and were more or less knocking the ball about for fun, but nobody expected a goal within ten minutes. And yet, when Nishidake slipped Alcouin past a flat-footed defence and allowed the Spatula City striker to slip the ball past Woodgate, that's exactly what happened. The Patriots were off-balance and off their game, a few disjointed attacks failing to hit their mark before eventually they were hit again, this time Rolando Juliano getting too much space on the edge of the box. A mistake - he placed a shot perfectly beyond Woodgate.

By the time Alcouin had gotten her second and the Islands' third with a well-timed chip over a stranded goalkeeper following a defensive error from Duguid, the Brenecian fans could be forgiven for having that sinking feeling again. But just before the break, Purrington casually turned and fired a no-look pass down the left wing. Carroll found it, nutmegged Anna Hikari and clipped a low cross in at the far post - Trevelyan, charging it down like a bull and outmuscling young Paranawe, got to it and smashed it past a helpless Couch.

Was there hope for the Patriots? Well, Ursula Rankin restored some soon after the break following the substitution of rightback Scout Given for the younger and more attack-minded Szukala. And it was Szukala whose overlapping run was found by Trevelyan, the Falkner United rightback hitting a low cross back into the centre of the box. Couch tried to come for it, couldn't get far enough and, as Ursula Rankin met it first-time on the volley with her left boot, was helpless to stop the Patriots pulling one back. Surely an equaliser was coming?

Not in the end - Kevin Stabb had failed to hit the target with his many first-half chances but scored with one of his first touches of the second half, sidefooting a beautifully-placed shot past Woodgate. Purrington pulled one back off an elegant free kick that again left Couch completely stranded, but the fallen star of Allejo scored just two minutes after coming on, a flicked header off Rolando's cross a reminder of the talents that once made him the most expensive player in the world.

Plenty of food for thought for Brenecia, though they can take consolation in the fact that that was their hardest fixture and there's plenty of time left to lick their wounds and come back later for more. Hosting group minnows Vyshehradska in the next match, the Patriots are expected to field an experimental lineup likely to hand debuts to the likes of Murcutt, Lynch, Fallon and Rosbank Town wunderkind Elsie Drover, who was an unused substitute against the Sunrise Islands. But no nation can be taken lightly in qualifying, and there'll be no room for complacency in the matches to come. Enough qualifying heartbreak will teach you that lesson.

[Electrum]

Centralis Herald - Comment - Carmichael Delahunty

Big shoes to fill

At the end of the UICA season, there are always metaphorically big shoes to fill. Big shoes like being the manager of the Centralis Heart, a team that surprisingly managed to sneak its way into the Champions Cup semifinals, losing eventually to the Champions Starling, and big shoes like filling the role of manager of Electrum's National Team. *ahem*. That's what I did. Naturally, it's a time for adjustments and changes. Some of you may not agree at first, but as managers, we need to leave our own imprint on the team, as well as make changes that we think are for the better of the team.

For instance, one such change made by Jeffery Clark, the new manager for the NT, and who I'm replacing at Centralis Heart is the fact that most of the older players were moved on. Of course, some of them retired voluntarily, but some of them Clark had to boot out of the team. These are extremely hard decisions, but it was for the good of the team. Some of those players stayed on since the beginning of Electrum's World Cup debut, which was the one held in the Free Republics and Legalese. Since then, the passage of time has caught up on those used-to-be-teenage players and now they just can't compete at the high levels that they used to.

I concede that they were playing very well last World Cup, letting in only two goals in the entire qualification phase, and being the best defensive team overall, but the wheels started to fall off after the Copa Rushmori -- it was clear that something needed to change. And there are other benefits too. Some of the youngin's can finally move up the development scale and get some important caps, after all, they need the experience they were denied by some of the older players. Again, this is a necessity and not something that we do lightly -- but if we all adjust appropriately, we should make it to the other side of the tunnel.

Yesterday's last match against Darmen gave me some hope too. Admittedly, the margin could have been march higher since we were playing a home, and the opposing side haven't played a match in ages, but a win's a win, and at least we kept a blank sheet. I'm not making excuses for my former leader, but he needs time to adjust to the new conditions. It is very different transitioning from club football to national football, and it's not a transition one does lightly. Indeed, Brunet, our old NT manager who managed Maximum City over in Nephara (and left amicably after deciding he wanted a new challenge) had a very shaky start, but slowly but surely built the team up to Pot 1 status today. We could never have gone that far without his support. Clark has quite a lot of pressure on him, and it's not for us to keep on piling on him for results.

Speaking of large shoes to fill, let us not forget the very players in all this discussion! Surprisingly, amidst all this talk about transition, we've forgotten about the players. Frances Lemona, living up to her predecessor's Fenech tradition of keeping the ball away from the goal by sweeping up. Coming from an offensively minded club (From Centralis Heart, again, I should stop advertising my own team...) she's used to having the defenders being out of sight, and having to make quick decisions based on that. With more support with a more defensive minded team on the National level, she will always be assisted, thus embiggening her chances of preventing a goal by the other side. Tyler Fernando is doing just fine as the new captain, of course he's a centre midfielder so he's going to get all of the attention, but it was his crucial and selfless call for Henry to kick the ball to Latham instead of himself gave the team that lone goal early in the second half to grab the lead.

Some may say that the Electrumites are known for playing boring football, but I feel like there's real change in the air. A new team, a new coach, who knows what might happen in this cycle? Gone are the times where we would defend the lead by passing it back and forth, running down the timer until we got those three points. The team took a few more risks than usual -- and although sometimes they were out of position, like when McGann who was a defender, went all the way up with his other teammates instead of defending his area, they always have the safety of Lemona protecting the goals. Perhaps one day we could see them play a bit more energetically instead of efficiently, and score more goals, which is of course what we as fans want. First however, Clark needs to be familiarised with the team before he can start making more radical changes. I look forward to see what he makes of the team in future years.

Carmichael Delahunty was the former deputy manager of the Centralis Heart, and was recently promoted to manager of the aforementioned club after a tough selection process. He worked under the tutelage of Jeffery Clark, who is now currently the Electrum National Team manager. Delahunty has worked as a butcher, before working his way up the Ministry of Sports, whilst simultaneously taking a sports training degree. Working his way up the ladder, he has finally reached the goal of managing a professional-level club.

[Mercedini]

Mercedini Sports Daily
Matchday 1: Aji No Moto vs. Mercedini
@ Aji No Moto Stadium - Joshuyo, Aji No Moto

Hello & Welcome to Aji No Moto, where Mercedini will play their first match in the qualification stage if the World Cup. I'm Dominic Garvin and I'll be your commentator for today as Mercedini will play Aji No Moto in the first match of Group 19. I'm sitting in the gantry of the Aji No Moto Stadium in Joshuyo and we have a packed crowd with great turnout's from the Mercedinian fans. They have filled their allocation with a noticeable sea of blue and black in the stands. Plenty of expectation for Mercedini to win this opening match due to Mercedini having a good run in the Baptism of Fire while ANM didn't do so well. The team buses have arrived and we are set for kick off. As I said before, Mercedini will be off the back off a performance which saw them reach the quarter-final stage of the Baptism of Fire, so plenty of expectation from the fans in the stadium at home. To have any chance of qualification, Mercedini would ideally do the double over Vyshehradska and Aji No Moto, although anything can happen in these qualification matches.
Enough about me, though, out come the teams for the national anthems, I'm sure that the bars and pubs across Mercedini will be packed in this historic moment for Mercedinian sport. Mercedini are moments away from kicking off one of their biggest ever competitive matches. It doesn't get any bigger than this folks. Mercedini will be kicking off from right to left in their signature blue and black kits, while ANM wait patiently in their yellow and purple kits. Both sets of fans are getting behind their teams, kick off starting now...

0' - The atmosphere in the stadium is immense as both sets of fans hope for their team to have a great start to their World Cup campaigns, plenty of Ajian fans waving their flags while the Mercedinian are singing their famous football chants to try and drown out the Ajians. It's interesting to see how this match plays out. Mercedini has kicked off, and we're under way!

2' - (ANM 0-0 MRC) - ANM on the offensive in the opening minutes of the game, it's definitely clear that the crowd is carrying them thus far, many flags still waving around the stadium from the Ajian fans, while Mercedini are blowing their horns. The atmosphere is still huge in the stadium, but nothing much happening so far. Still 0-0

14' - (ANM 0-0 MRC) - Plenty of good passing play from Mercedini to get the ball out of danger. Billic running up field but no one with him to continue the attack, very tentative from Mercedini so far, the play has broken down. First chance of an attack. 0-0

27' - (ANM 0-0 MRC) - The sun is shining over the stadium here in Joshuyo, not much attacking in this game so far, that one chance from Mercedini in the first quarter of an hour the only bright spot in a particularly drab game. Aji No Moto have the ball in the defence and are attempting to get the ball out of danger. Still goalless as we approach the half-hour mark.

33' - (ANM 0-0 MRC) - First big chance of the game and it's gone to Aji No Moto, the Mercedinian defence were all over the place as Kikkawa unleashed a fierce shot on the edge of the box, an accomplished save from Hosset, the defence cleared and now it's Mercedini who have possession in the midfield. This game is finally kicking into life!

42' - (ANM 0-0 MRC) - Free Kick from Mercedini goes just over the bar, however a promising piece of play from the Mercedinians, the black and blue portion of the crowd getting behind their boys. The pitch starting to open up as we approach half-time. However, it's still goalless

45+1' - (ANM 0-0 MRC) - Hosset kicks the goal up field, the referee blows his whistle for the end of the first half. Mercedini have had the lion's share of the possession, but the match has only awakened in the past 15 minutes. Pleanty of chances after a dull first thrity minutes. At the break it's Aji No Moto 0, Mercedini 0

HALF TIME: Aji No Moto 0 - 0 Mercedini

Will any team force the initiative in the second half? We have had plenty of chances from both teams in that first half, so let's see if any player can create a moment of magic and snatch the three points for their nation.

Here comes the teams for the second half, with our boys receiving choruses of cheers from the black and blue half of the crowd. Second Half starting soon, ANM will be kicking from right to left in their yellow kits, second half starting now...

51' - (ANM 0-0 MRC) - Not much happening here folks, have been passing it round the middle ever since they stole the ball of ANM from the kick-off, hopefully it will liven up a bit. 0-0

68' - (ANM 0-0 MRC) - ANM have just hit the cross bar, a stunning free kick from the right from Yutaka Hirase and a glancing header from Tadatomo Kawashima beat the diving glove of Hosset but couldn't beat the frame of the goal, a corner will come from it, a dangerous moment for Mercedini, they have to watch out for attacks like that.

76' - (ANM 0-0 MRC) - A fierce shot from Billic this time! This matching is really hotting up, a shot from inside of the box was saved by Kudara, a corner is the result, can Mercedini get the precious goal they need?

78' - (ANM 0-0 MRC) - The cross comes in from Crasic on the far side, and it's caught by Kudara! He quickly throws the ball out to Kikkawa who is speeding away with the ball, he is in acres of space. It looks as if Mercedini have put too man defenders up for the corner. Kikkawa into the box, 1-on-1 with the goalkeeper!! and he curls the ball into the net! Goal for Aji No Moto and heartbreak for Mercedini! The crowd goes wild as Kikkawa wheels away into the crowd to celebrate, is there enough time for Mercedini to mount a comeback? 1-0 Aji No Moto!

87' - (ANM 1-0 MRC) - Mercedini throwing all of their men forward as they try to grasp a point, Billic is in possession but the Ajian defence isn't letting them have any time on the ball, it looks like ANM have all their men behind the ball to block the goal with all they've got. I wonder if Mercedini can force a breakthrough, time is running out. Still 1-0

90+2' - (ANM 1-0 MRC) - Billic into the box! and fires over the bar. That will be the last action as the referee blows his whistle, signifying the end of the game. A very disappointing result from Mercedini. This was considered one of their easiest games to play and come away with the win, however, Aji No Moto have come away with the three points. Mercedini pushed them all the way, but a break-away goal in the last fifteen minutes was the only goal of the game. ANM played their tactics perfectly and have been rewarded for it, a shock in Mercedini's players. It's finished Aji No Moto 1, Mercedini 0.

FULL TIME: Aji No Moto 1 - 0 Mercedini
Kikkawa 78'

After that result, the Mercedinian Team + Management will fly back home to welcome the group favourites, Unified Sunrise Islands. A very tough task for the players to try and come away with a result. We will give you live coverage of the match which will be played at the Zoloroni Sports City Stadium, we hope to see you there, and have a good day.

[Abanhfleft]

Falling from Grace, Part Two

"I will admit that there were some things that could gone a bit differently. She should have just let her contract run out if she had plans of moving next season. After all, we only tied her down to a three-year contract. But she opted to sign the contract extension, and I saw that as a sign that she was going to stay, even if only for two more years. But then she made the decision to sell herself to Ross, and she even made the quote-unquote announcement just hours after the club had announced that she had signed a contract extension. That's probably why a lot of the fans are mad at her. But they have to understand that football is also a business, not just a sport. Even though it was not our intention, her signing that contract extension had elevated her price on the market, raised it enough for Ross to offer us both 10 million and another player just to get her. In the end, I had no choice but to accept the deal. I don't want a repeat of the incident with Mia Rojo. Once bitten, twice shy. Those events really affected the club's morale, and I can't have that happening again. Now that she's gone, I can only wish the best for her career and her relationship."
- Carlos Cuvimi, manager of Rosenpfelblatz City, speaking about Isa Tangemen's controversial transfer to Ross United, 2 July 2018

---

9970 Court Road
Liebermann, Rosenpfelblatz, Mezaladbyi, Abanhfleft
July 3, 2017

"Shotgun!" Blaze Chrzanowska shouted as she made her way to the front passenger seat of Matthew Cave's minivan. Cave and Ezra Blaha, the man representing Blaze, exchanged looks, and Blaha shrugged his shoulders at Matt, who could only shake his head as he got into the driver's seat.

"Seatbelts on, please," Matt said as he strapped himself in. He waited for Blaze to buckle up before he started the engine and brought the minivan out of the airport parking lot. As they drove down the highway that would take them from the airport to the Aeroflot Stadium, Matt turned to Blaze and asked, "So how do you pronounce your name anyway? Is it Chur-za-now-ska, or is it more like the Slavic pronunciation, Hra-nov-ska?"

When Blaze gave him a look that said that he should probably know better than to ask her that, Matt said, "Can I call you Blaze?"

"Yes, I think I'd prefer that you call me Blaze, Mr. Cave," Blaze replied.

"Ah, if we're going to be working together, then feel free to call me Matt," Matt said. "Mr. Cave makes me feel like I'm a grammar teacher."

"Okay, er, Matt," Blaze said. Matt noted her discomfort with the concept and said, "Hey, you don't have to force yourself if you don't want to. You can just call me Cave if you like. God knows the boys and girls at the academy call me that and much more. They think I don't know, but I'm just like a teacher; I know everything."

They finally arrived in front of the Aeroflot Stadium, a large and impressive football-only stadium with an official capacity of 47,055 people, but everyone knew that stadia in Abanhfleft were always filled to more than capacity. It was an open secret that the standing areas were the ones responsible to putting all the stadia over capacity. Matt drove his minivan on the road leading to the stadium, but instead of turning left, he turned the vehicle right, towards a row of apartment flats across the street from the stadium. "I'm going to be showing Blaze around her flat first," Matt said by way of explanation to Blaha, who looked like he was about to ask where Matt was headed. "We've got more than enough time in the day to sort out both the living arrangements and have the medical."

"Good morning, Evelyn," Matt said to the lady who was known as the "floor mother," as it was her job to clean and maintain the rooms on her assigned floor as well as check up on the tenants living there. Evelyn was the floor mother of the 12th floor, the topmost floor of this particular block of flats. "We've got a new arrival today," Matt continued. "Say hello to Evelyn, Blaze." Blaze waved hello at the floor mother, who waved back and said, "Welcome to the 12th floor, young lady. I hope you'll enjoy your stay here."

"And this is your room," Matt said as he led Blaze and Blaha to what, in a condominium or other fancier establishment, would be called a corner suite. "It's got all the basics," Matt said as he showed the two around the flat, demonstrating things as if he was a salesman. "Power, water, gas... everything's all here. And don't worry about how the utilities will cost; the club pays for everything. After all, they do own this block, and the nine other blocks that you saw."

"Is there anyone else on this floor?" Blaze asked. "I mean, am I alone here or do I have any, ah, floor-mates?"

"Oh, there are a lot of young players like you living in this block, and this floor as well," Matt answered. "Why, just a few hours ago, I introduced this place to another new signing. I don't know if you've heard of Oliver Ganson, but he's this young striker from Tumbra playing for a very lower-league team before we decided to take a gamble on him. He's your next-door neighbor, if I remember correctly, although he's not here right now because he's off with his folks on something or other, I imagine. Oh, and I think Isa Tangemen lives here as well." Matt added the last sentence as almost an afterthought. But the mention of Isa Tangemen made Blaze turn her head around.

"Isa's here?" Blaze asked. "You mean, Isa lives here, right in this floor?"

"Um, yeah, I think," Matt replied. "Why? What's Tangemen got to do with you?"

"OMG!" Blaze almost shouted. "I'm living in the same floor as Isa! Oh, my God! I'm so excited I could cry! Isa's, like, my hero! I look up to her and her way of goalkeeping!" Blaze said in response to Matt's questioning look. "Oh, my gosh, Mr. Cave, I'm so sorry! I must look like a crazy fangirl to you right now."

"Seeing as I've encountered my fair share of fangirls and fanboys, I think it's safe to say that you currently look like one to my eyes," Matt said, but there was something in his tone that seemed... off. It was like he disapproved of Blaze's behavior in something or other.

"What's the matter, Mr. Cave?" Blaze asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, you didn't," Matt remarked lightly. "Free will is a quality afforded to every human, after all. And to talking ponies, talking bears, talking broomsticks, talking coconuts, talking ferrets, and the like..." The multiverse was a strange place, after all; a place where anything and everything that could possibly be given thinking intelligence was indeed given the intelligence and mind to live their lives as they saw fit.

"Okay," Blaze said. "Can I ask you where Isa's room is?"

"Er, somewhere on the other corridor, or hallway, or whatever you call it, is," Matt replied. "Room 1223, I think. But she's not here right now," he added. "She's down at the training ground, well, training." Matt then cleared his throat and said, "That's the room sorted out, Blaze. Now what say you that we go down to the Aeroflot and have that medical?"

---

CRESCENT NEWS NETWORK
SPORTS CHANNEL - OFFICIAL WEBSITE
ABANHFLEFT • PRIDNESTROVIA • OONTAZ DERT LI NG • COPPER CUPRUM • TRENDSTART • FHULGHAMOUS PENINSULA

WORLD CUP 75 QUALIFIERS: NOVA ANGLICANA VS ABANHFLEFT
By Malik Qazizadah


Abanhfleft and Nova Anglicana players battle for the ball from the air. Goals from substitutes Tristan Lee and Tanaka Okamoto secured a shock victory for the Revolutionaries over the Lions. (Courtesy of Crescent News Network Sports Channel/Andros Tasasa)

NOVA ANGLICANA - Abanhfleft shocked Nova Anglicana by beating the group favorites 2-1 in the Lions' home turf.

Jake Rhodes scored an early goal to put the Lions in the driver's seat for the majority of the match, but Emmanuel Moga's red card offense against Kevin Kelvin changed the tone of the game for the last thirty minutes.

Substitutes Tristan Lee and Tanaka Okamoto took to the game and scored two goals to complete the Revolutionaries' shock victory against Nova Anglicana.

The home side went into the first quarter looking to establish their dominance over their visitors, who had struggled very hard in the last World Cup qualifying campaign, and the Lions capitalized on the fact that the Fleftic midfield was still taking time to gel together into a cohesive unit.

Nova Anglicana's pressure finally paid off as Rhodes leaped highest to header the cross from Chris Parker past Maksim Varamoninov, who stood rooted to the spot and could only watch the ball sail into his top right corner.

Despite that, it was the Sporting Ceneisis keeper who kept Abanhfleft in the match, making a series of saves against a blistering Nova Anglicana attack, and his three consecutive saves two minutes from the end of the half served to frustrate the Lions' attack.

The frustration in the Lions' part was most probably the cause of Emmanuel Moga's dismissal in the 55th minute for a kick at Kevin Kelvin's chin when the two players were contesting a high ball.

Moga's sending-off and the substitution of Kelvin for Admiral Porcusces striker Tristan Lee, who makes his first appearance in an Abanhfleft shirt after his historic 22-goal season proved to be the turning point of the match, as Lee provided both pace, ability, and tenacity in a side that seemed sorely lacking in those departments.

It was Lee's pace and his ability to get behind the opponents' defense that also allowed him to score his first ever Abanhfleft goal, a cheeky back-heeled effort from Valery Zolnerov's ground pass which he stroked past Thomas Barnett.

And it was another debutante, Tanaka Okamoto of Oontaz's Deportivo Mangudadatu, who sealed what was probably Abanhfleft's unlikeliest victory in this qualifying campaign with a magnificent shot from 28 yards which caught Barnett completely unawares.

Okamoto, whose inclusion into the national team by Ranulph Bustamante had raised more than a few eyebrows since the 21-year-old had only scored six goals in the whole of his professional career, and half of those goals came from a hat-trick which he scored in the last match day of the Oontaz National League against Sangley Point, showed the qualities which Bustamante had seen in him when he scored his first international goal, a long-range curling effort that bent just enough to slide in the gap between Barnett and the left post.


Abanhfleft manager Ranulph Bustamante: Okamoto and Lee impress in first showings for national team

Abanhfleft manager Ranulph Bustamante: "I'm pleased for the lads, absolutely pleased. Even though we knew we were outmatched and outgunned this game, we still fought and gave it as best as we could. And we got the win. It's an incredible feeling.

"Tristan [Lee] and Tanaka [Okamoto] really gave a good accounting of themselves for their first ever game in the white shirt. Sure, they may be in different ends of the age spectrum, but they're bringing something new to this team, a vitality which we haven't seen before, and it's going to take us places. Whether those places are Audioslavia or Krytenia, I guess we'll just have to find out after eleven more games."

NOVA ANGLICANA 1 - 2 ABANHFLEFT
  RHODES (23')       LEE (67')
  MOGA (█ 55')       OKAMOTO (83')

ABANHFLEFT
GK: 01 Varamoninov
RB: 02 Afolayan
RCB: 04 L. Edwards
LCB: 05 Owobowale
LB: 03 Riedewald
RM: 08 Turpentine
CM: 07 Zolnerov
LM: 06 Marilungo (Lovren - 68')
CAM: 10 R. Edwards (Okamoto - 79')
RS: 09 Kelvin (Lee - 57')
LS: 11 Potter

NOVA ANGLICANA
GK: 01 Barnett
RB: 04 Wells
RCB: 02 Bowman (Owens - 69')
LCB: 03 Bowen (Henry - 69')
LB: 05 Barrett
CDM: 08 Cook
RM: 06 Parker (Dawson - 80')
CM: 09 Chapin
LM: 07 Rhodes
CAM: 10 Moga █
ST: 11 Kelly

MATCH STATISTICS
Possession
Nova Anglicana: 54%
Abanhfleft: 46%
Shots
Nova Anglicana: 18 (8 on target)
Abanhfleft: 9 (4 on target)
Corners
Nova Anglicana: 6
Abanhfleft: 5
Fouls
Nova Anglicana: 12
Abanhfleft: 20

[Trans-Dniesters]

Italic speech means the speaker is speaking in Russian. But since it's mostly just Bisera speaking Russian, that shouldn't be too confusing.

Living With the Loggers, Part One

Somewhere in Hunsen, Valeria, Anglatia

Bisera Hristova Haralampieva was still recovering from all the culture shock that she had experienced upon arriving in Anglatia.

There was no denying that Anglatia was an entirely different place from Abanhfleft, just as Pridnestrovia was an entirely different place from Abanhfleft. Of course, there were a few similarities between the three places, but also a few telling differences: in Valeria, socialist and fascist flags could fly side by side, while in Pridnestrovia, there was a very distinct anti-fascist policy, and anyone found with anything with fascist symbolism was going to have a long chat with State Security, or so the idiom went. Not that Bisera was a fascist. In fact, she sometimes considered herself apolitical, if only for the fact that politics did not appeal to her at all.

And the football culture in Anglatia was certainly much more different from Abanhfleft. For one, rivalries were much, much fiercer here than in both Abanhfleft and Pridnestrovia. Football rivalries had turned into civil affairs in Abanhfleft, while both the politsiya and State Security were always around to make sure that none of the Pridnestrovian football rivals stepped too far from the line. But Anglatia in general, and Valeria and Hunsen in particular, was a different proposition altogether. Fan-player interactions should be at the end of the game, not the beginning, as it just wasted time.

And Bisera was still feeling quite euphoric from having made the free kick that had given Hunsen victory over their rivals Valeria IK. Bisera hadn't scored the winning goal; rather, it was one of her new teammates, Lily Cress, who had headed the ball into the net after Bisera had made the free kick. Now, she knew that free kicks weren't really her thing, and that there was no way that she was going to be like Bella Maynard when it came to free kicks... Bisera stopped herself mentally. Did she just compare herself to a Markovsky player? Sure, rivalries in Abanhfleft were much more civil than in Anglatia, but as a former Rosenpfelblatz City player, she found the thought of comparing herself to a Ludogorets Markovsky player... off-putting. Bella Maynard was a great player, Bisera was not going to deny that, but Maynard was Ludogorets, and Bisera was Rosenpfelblatz, even if not presently. The East Mezaladbyi derby was one of the truths in life that Rosenpfelblatz and Markovsky fans lived by.

Bisera was just changing out of her neon green Hunsen shirt when her smartphone rang. She looked at the phone, saw that it was Marfa Kirilenko, a fellow Fleftic-born Pridnestrovian international football player, and answered the phone. "Privyet, Marfa," Bisera said. "Chto proiskhodit? Pochemu vy zvonite?"

"Uh, Bisera? Why are you speaking in Russian?" Marfa asked. Like many Abanhfleft-born Pridnestrovians, both Bisera and Marfa could speak English and Russian equally fluently.

"Oh, there's no real reason for me to speak Russian," Bisera said, still in Russian. "It's just that I've introduced myself to my new teammates as being only able to understand English, not speak it, and even then, I act like I don't understand a lot of English."

"Why would you even do that?" Marfa asked.

"Call me paranoid, but I just want to know if my new team is somehow trying to sell me short. Of course, they're not gonna say anything if they know that I can understand and speak English fluently, but if they don't think I can understand them when I overhear things, then I could probably pick up something that they wouldn't normally say around someone who understands."

"Wow, you definitely are paranoid," Marfa said with a chuckle. "Anyway, enough about you. How's Hunsen? Is it like anywhere in Abanhfleft or is it different?"

"Oh, there's definitely a lot of things here that are different from how we do things in Abanhfleft," Bisera said, pausing briefly to receive the congratulations from her teammates for her free kick that had helped them win the game. "You can fly socialist and fascist flags openly here, for one thing. And the girl who picked me up is one of the craziest drivers that I've ever seen. I don't know how traffic laws are enforced here in Anglatia, but if Lily ever drove around in Pridnestrovia like the way she did here, then she's going to be seeing the other side of a politsiya cell at the very least. She's just as crazy as some of the worse Fleftic drivers!"

"Really? That bad? And what about the team? How are your teammates?"

"They're certainly a crazy bunch. Aside from Lily the reckless driver, my new team has some very crazy people. One of Hunsen's star players is a drug addict, and another one is basically a female version of Jack Wilshere. And literally anything could spark off a riot on the pitch here. They really, really hate their rivals here. I almost got into a fight, but the captain, some Nordic type named Nystrom or something like that, kept me away from the worst of the fight."

"Ah, that's probably a good thing. You were never any good at fights anyway."

"I know, right? Oh, I almost forgot about this. While my agent was negotiating terms with Hunsen, one of the club's staff called Pridnestrovia a Fleftic colony!"

"No!" Marfa said. "They did not do that!"

"Da, they did," Bisera said back. "Obviously, that didn't sit well with my agent, and the bastard began acting all butthurt and refusing to negotiate anymore with the club people unless they apologized for the gaff. It's only because I talked some sense into him--in Russian, of course--that we all finally agreed on terms, and why I'm here in this weird world."

"Well, I hope that you adjust well there, not unlike a certain someone in my club who looks like she's just waiting for the perfect opportunity to bounce," Marfa said. "Oh, and the international break's in four weeks, and Chernenko wants us all in Tiraspol as soon as the final whistle blows wherever we all are. How are you gonna get there from Hunsen? From what I know, there's no service between Pridnestrovia and Anglatia."

"Let me worry about that, Marfa Isayevna. There are some nearby cities here with service straight to Abanhfleft. I'll just go there and board another flight to Tiraspol."

"Might as well go straight to Rosen, Bisera Hristova. I'm going to be waiting for you at Rosenhorst," Marfa said, referring to Avigdor Rosenhorst International Airport, Rosenpfelblatz's main airport.

"I'll do that," Bisera said. "Proshchayte."

BIsera put her smartphone down and looked around her. How many more surprises are in store for her in Anglatia? she asked herself. She would find out soon enough.

---

ПРИДНЕСТРОВСКАЯ ЦЕНТРАЛЬНАЯ НОВОСТИ АГЕНЦИЯ
PRIDNESTROVSKAYA TSENTRALNAYA NOVOSTI AGENTSIYA
PRIDNESTROVIAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY

PRIDNESTROVIA TRIUMPHANT OVER THE LLAMAS 3-2 IN WORLD CUP 75 QUALIFIERS
By Gustav Tyumenov


Greta Hedervary of the Pridnestrovian national football team gets around James Costa of the Super-Llamaland national football team to score her first goal in the World Cup 75 qualifiers.

TIRASPOL, PRIDNESTROVIA - The Pridnestrovian women's national football team started off their World Cup qualifying campaign with a resounding and shocking 3-2 victory against the Llamas of Super-Llamaland in which they came back from two goals down to score three goals in the last minutes of the game and earn all three points against their more favored opponents.

Sheriff Stadium, home stadium of the Pridnestrovian national football team, was filled to capacity, with even President Field Marshal Stepan Stepanenko himself taking a break from his duties to the nation to watch the first World Cup qualifying match of the women's football team.

Both teams performed well, given that the Llamaleans were not used to the quality of the pitch in Sheriff Stadium, which can be delicately described as "decent". Nevertheless, the Llamas were able to exploit the Red Army's status as new arrivals to the multiverse football scene, and they got into gaps left behind by the very attacking tactics of Yakov Chernenko's side.

It looked as if Super-Llamaland were going to be the ones to open the scoring, and this indeed came to pass when Ansel Penbrooke received the ball, made his way past Yelena Shostakovich and Petra Shevchenko, and then slotted the ball between Marfa Kirilenko's legs to open both his and the Llamas' scoring account for the World Cup 75 qualifiers.

And President Field Marshal Stepan Stepanenko must have thought that he had wasted his time coming down to Sheriff Stadium to watch the national team when Penbrooke made almost the same move from which he scored his first goal, but this time, he made his way past Bogdana Feltzer, who was left behind in a sliding and tackling heap while Penbrooke rifled in another shot at the top left corner, which Kirilenko was too short to save.

Manager Yakov Chernenko made his players well aware of the fact that President Field Marshal Stepan Stepanenko was watching them, and while this is just one factor of the Red Army's second-half resurgence, knowing that the great and benevolent leader of the nation was watching them play one of the most crucial games of their lives must have kick-started the winning drive within the women, for they came out of the tunnel at the start of the second half looking for blood.

Irina Pavlyuchenko, as always, used her skills in both the physical and mental aspects of the game to create space in the Llamalean lines, creating confusion between the Llama defenders, defensive midfielders, and goalkeeper, and it was this strategy that allowed Pridnestrovia to score their first goal of the qualifying campaign. Pavlyuchenko laid off a forward pass for Greta Hedervary, and the Hungarian-Pridnestrovian winger from Sheriff Tiraspol's women's side nudged the ball past James Costa before scoring into an empty net.

Hedervary's goal revitalized the Red Army, and even though they knew that they were going against massive odds, the Pridnestrovians continued going on the attack, and their efforts were rewarded when the first goalscorer turned provider for her captain, and for someone of Pavlyuchenko's status and skill, scoring from 9 yards away was as easy as breathing for her, and the Pridnestrovian comeback was well and truly on.

Bisera Haralampieva, who is currently on the back of a good campaign for Anglatia's Hunsen Loggers, would become the hero of the Red Army by scoring the winning goal, and it could be said that Haralampieva's goal was the one that should not have happened as she scored from a very tight angle and between at least two defenders and the keeper before nestling in the back of the net.

Penbrooke and Nemanja Vesely did their best to earn their side a point in this contest, but Pridnestrovia held firm and did not let their opponents sneak in a last-minute goal, and they finished the game with three goals and all three points.


Pridnestrovian women's national football team manager Yakov Chernenko: Victory against Llamaland unexpected but welcome

Pridnestrovian women's national football team manager Yakov Chernenko: "The victory against the Llamas was certainly unexpected, but it is nevertheless a welcome surprise to the people of Pridnestrovia. We were honestly expecting nothing from this match, but instead we got everything, namely three vital points in the group.

"Everyone in the team has impressed me, and I am sure that they have impressed the President Field Marshal as well. It is not always that you come back from two goals down to win three goals to two. We have shown hat we fight against the odds and can come out victorious. That is the spirit of Pridnestrovia."

     PRIDNESTROVIA 3 - 2 SUPER-LLAMALAND
   HEDERVARY (60')       PENBROOKE (20', 37')
PAVLYUCHENKO (72')
HARALAMPIEVA (84')

SUPER-LLAMALAND
GK: 01 Costa
RB: 26 Sorenson
RCB: 02 Kane (Zhou - 61')
LCB: 06 Ynoa
LB: 28 Lindberg
RCM: 08 Vesely (Raburn - 75')
LCM: 05 Candelario
RW: 09 Adrian
CAM: 29 Rasmussen
LW: 11 Vorobyov (Velasquez - 82')
ST: 10 Penbrooke

PRIDNESTROVIA
GK: 01 Kirilenko
RB: 02 Shevchenko (Utkina - 79')
RCB: 03 Gevorgian
LCB: 04 Tymoshenko
LB: 05 Artyomova (Kartal - 63')
RDM: 06 Shostakovich (Falk - 79')
LDM: 07 Feltzer
RW: 08 Hedervary
CAM: 10 Poroshenko
LW: 23 Haralampieva
CF: 09 Pavlyuchenko

MATCH STATS
Possession
Pridnestrovia: 45%
Super-Llamaland: 55%
Shots
Pridnestrovia: 10 (5 on target)
Super-Llamaland: 20 (12 on target)
Corners
Pridnestrovia: 6
Super-Llamaland: 7
Fouls
Pridnestrovia: 19
Super-Llamaland: 13

[Confederate Islands Of Paputu]

PAPUTIAN SPORTS GAZETTE

PAPUTU-QUAKMYBUSH ENDS IN A BORING 0-0
For the first time in his short history the paputian team fails to score in a match. The 0-0 against Quakmybush has showed a progress since the BoF, in particular in the defensive line. The paputians managed to defend their Goalkeeper, in order to achieve a precious point against a stronger and more experienced team. On the other side Quakmybush seemed not too much in a good shape, failing to create dangerous situations for Edmonton. Infact, the paputian goalkeeper had just to make "routine saves".
Paputu had a good counterattack strategy, but some technical errors and a good defending by the opponents made them dangerous just one time, when a headbutt of Bartlow went out for one centimetre after a precious cross of Filler. This was the 56'. In the end the result was the correct one, but some remorse for the two teams still remains.

"It's a shame that I didn't score" said Bartlow after the match. A more optimistic view has been given by the expert Matthew Rigg "I think that gaining a point in our debut is still a great thing. We have to understand that before hoping to qualify to the WC we will need to gain experience during this tournament, and then for the next World Cup we will point to an higher result."

Delusion is the most used word by the Quakmybush players, that surely expected to win against the weakest paputian team.

LINE UP: Edmonton, Rigg, Matten, Potoremara, Kali, Jones (64' Nay-Liter), Watersen, Kawaturupuro, Bartlow (79' Lidgerwood), McKortney, Filler.
Yellow Cards: Matten 53', Nay-Liter 89', Rigg 90'+1'

[Amazonesta]

The Amazononian Observer

Amazonesta falls 2-0 to Quebec in Quebec City in their opening match of the World Cup 75 Qualifying Campaign


Amazonestan starting striker Omar Falcone reacts to a miss in the first half against the Royal Kingdom of Quebec

QUEBEC CITY- In their first World Cup Qualifier, it was always going to be a tall order for Amazonesta to win this game. This is the #6 team in the entire world- a team with far more experience in World Cup Qualifiers, and indeed in actual World Cups, than Amazonesta. Amazonesta is a team with lots of talent, but it is nothing compared to the Royal Kingdom of Quebec. They would be extremely lucky to get points against their Quebecois counterparts, especially in the first World Cup Qualifier, and especially when you consider the fact that this match was played away from home.

There were no surprises in the Amazonestan starting lineup for this game, as they went ahead with the same starting 11 that they played with in their 2-0 victory over Lons. Which means Damian Gallegos started between the sticks, the back line had Marcelo Braga and Cássio Cardoso playing in the two center back positions with Enzo Capistran and Luciano Leitão playing in the fullback spots. Julio Leal made his first competitive start for Amazonesta, and he played alongside team veteran Bernando Nuno. Of course, in front of them, you had Luciano Rodrigues also make his first competitive start for the team at the central attacking midfielder position, with team captain Federico Paiz and youngster Nicolas Boaventura as the wingers, with Omar Falcone as the lone striker.

This game, considering the quality of Quebec, was a pretty evenly matched game. While Quebec was expected to blow their opponents out of Quebec City, Amazonesta played suprisingly well for a team 79 places below their opponents in the world rankings, especially in an away game. The first half saw Damian Gallegos make a number of saves to keep his side in it, of course, but the best chance of the half came from Omar Falcone and Luciano Rodrigues in the 31st minute. He was able to beat two defenders on the dribble on the way to the box, and he laid off a back pass to Luciano Rodrigues, who fired a shot where the goalkeeper had no chance to make the save, but it fired off the crossbar and went up and out.

In the 2nd half, the Quebecois were simply able to wear their opponents down. In the 57th minute, they were finally able to open the game's scoring. Xavier Hertel, after dribbling through the Amazonestan defense, was fouled by Enzo Capistran, who was given a yellow card. Of course, at that point, striker and the Quebecois #10 Hazel Van Robben stepped up to take the free kick from 22 yards. One bending ball into the upper corner later, and the Quebecois were up 1-0 on their Amazonestan visitors. Hye Min Jeong scored on a header from a corner kick in the 86th minute to seal the deal.

While he was not pleased with the result, the manager Orlando Juarez said that there were positives to take from this game. "We go into every game trying to take all 3 points- that is the mentality of this team, and that has to be the mentality of a team that has an uphill climb, in an extremely tough group, that wants to get out of this group. Unfortunately, we did not end up with any points. However, that speaks to the quality of our opponents. Quebec is ranked as the #6 team in the world, the highest ranked opponent that this team has ever played, and we held our own here in Quebec City. In the run of play, we were evenly matched on the scoreboard as both of their goals came from set pieces, so that is something we can hold our heads high about."

"Of course, there are things we need to improve on. We had some scares from corner kicks, before Hye Min Jeong was able to put a header past Damian in the 86th. Poor defending in general on set pieces is what lost us the game, and where the true quality of this Quebec team came out. If we continuously give up goals like that on set pieces, then that will put us at a serious disadvantage throughout the entirety of the World Cup Qualifying campaign. On the training pitch, we will make sure to prepare for those. The nature of World Cup Qualifying is that it is a marathon, with tough game after tough game, and we will host a very talented Equestrian States team in our next game. We are already behind, and we want to go for 3 points, and we need to make sure that they do not kill us on set pieces on our own home field."

[Schottia]

OOC: This story follows on from these posts during the U15 WC, in case some context is required.

---

CMB

Part One

The Kirk Preston area of New Belfast wasn't exactly the sort of place you went on a day out. Half a dozen bars, two small tea-rooms, and a large Govmart Supermarket just off the main road: Suffice to say, there wasn't much of a pull for visitors. Like most of the Southern Schottic coast, it lacked the rolling sand dunes, and white beaches of the north and west, and instead, the houses were bordered by slimy seaweed, stones, and rock pools. Kirk Preston's residents would have protested most ardently that their town was not part of New Belfast - and while fifty years ago that was indeed true - the fact that they were now engulfed by the city said otherwise.

One of the last bastions of Prestonian pride was their local football team, Kirk Preston United. And while most young people had abandoned the side in favour of the New Belfast Warriors, they still commanded gates of some three thousand a week. None of their players were what you could call stars, it wasn't a brand of football which spoke to the neutrals, but to their loyal band of followers, they were the best players in the country. For decades they had been buffeted around the second and third tier of Schottic football; yo-yoing up and down, seeing any half decent player they produced picked up by bigger sides, having to field teams of kids and players who should have been retired. This was, of course, until six years ago...

'Right! For the newcomers who don't know how we do things around here I'll make this very bloody simple.' Ross Killanen paced back and forward before his players, on the first meeting since they had returned to training after the summer break. He hadn't expected them to come back in tiptop condition, but judging by the state of some of them, they hadn't been far from the pub during their six weeks off. 'You do what your told. You give 100%. You battle like your life depended on it for 90 minutes.' He paused taking the chance to look a couple of them in the eye. 'Most importantly you try harder than the opposition. I cannot f***ing stress that last part enough. If I think for one f***ing second that you c****s have given up before the final f***ing whistle, I'll drag you from this f***ing stadium by the eyelids and staple your end of employment form to your f***ing foreheads myself.'

Killanen stood there red faced, having worked himself up with his own words. He took a deep, juddering breath to calm himself. 'Now that the pleasantries are out of the way - welcome to Kirk Preston United.'

The tall, broad shouldered Ossorían smiled, but was the kind of smile that was hard to read. Whatever his expression meant, most of the player probably ruled out joy pretty quickly. There was absolutely nothing conventional about the man's style of management, but one thing was for sure, he certainly had the team punching above their weight. After a couple of good cup runs, and some decent showings, in the second tier, he had finally secured the side promotion last season, delivering SPL football for the first time in twenty-five years. His methods might not have been pretty, but for some reason they seemed to work.

'Lets all remember something shall we.' Killanen look was deadly serious. 'Every f***ing one of you is here because no other f***er wanted you. You're all rejects, duds, spoilt goods. You're here because it was this of join the dole queue. Step out of line once, just once, and that's exactly where you're headed. There are no reputations, no egos here; we leave all of that crap at the door. This is about winning games, keeping attendances up, bringing money in to pay our wages.'

Killanen broke stride and walked back over to the edge of the training field, which was situated behind the local high school. 'You might be wondering why I've invited all these extra people to our get-together, why I do this every year.' He pointed towards two-dozen staff members, who were lined up along the touchline. 'I bring everyone along just to remind you all that your actions have consequences. It's not just you you're playing for, it is everyone involved with this club.'

Killanen stopped beside a small grey-haired woman, placing a shovel like hand on her shoulder. 'How was the surgery on your knees Jean?' He asked looking down at her with a face of warmth and understanding.

'It went well Ross.' She replied, but with mournful tone. 'I'll need to go back in next month, but for the time being at least I can still get about.' She held a walking stick aloft, to illustrate her point.

'And...' Killanen went on. 'If attendances were to drop because of poor performances, and we had to go down to having only one secretary, if we had to let you go, how would that affect you? Your son? Your granddaughter?' Killanen gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze.

'I couldn't even begin to describe it Ross.' Jane shook her head, as her face contorted with grief. 'I mean at my age...' She looked on the verge of tears, as Killanen continued to comfort her. '...I guess I'd never work again.'

With one final pat on the back Killanen left her sobbing and walked over towards a stooped, elderly gentleman with a tweed bonnet, and think Schottic-Health-Service glasses. 'And how are you Davy?' He said, addressing the man like an old friend. 'How many years is it since you went to your first Kirk Preston game now?'

'Oh, must be... aboot seventy-five years now.' He answered with a lispy whistle, hinting to the fact that his dentures were perhaps the wrong size. 'Give or take a few months Ross.'

'Davy here, missed his own daughter's christening to be at a game once.' Killanen looked back at the players. 'That's how much this club means to him, its more important to him than family. We are his family.' He turned back to the old man. 'Go on Davy, tell us what it means to you. What would it mean to you - for example - if this lot got us relegated, if the fans abandoned us and we had to dissolved the club? How would you feel if that happened?'

Davy shook his head slowly, seemingly unable to even process such a thing. 'I don't know Ross, I'd... I'd... well I don't have anything else to live for these days. I'd probably just end up...'

'Let me stop you there.' Killanen cut across him, he didn't want to take things too far. 'But you all see!' He walked hack towards his players, while gesturing back at the group behind him. 'Every one of these guys has their own story! I could walk down the High street this afternoon and find another hundred f***ers who would have stories too. And I would encourage all of you to do that. Walk down Kirk Preston High street, speak to the people you are going to be playing for, speak to the poor folk who pay your wages - who put food on your table...'

Killanen trailed off. He had just noticed someone over by the fence; a ghost from the past and it had caused him to tune out. 'Okay... Eh Okay! Right! Lets wrap up for today, its an international break week anyway, and I just wanted to touch base.' Killanen was distracted now, he had lost his place and it made him uncomfortable. 'That's what I want you to do. Have a walk round the town, then go back home and get rested up, because we are going to have a f***er of a morning tomorrow. NINE A.M. SHARP!' He added as the players began to amble off.

Killanen shook his head in disbelief as he walked up to the young girl with her elbows leaning on the wire link fence that surrounded the school grounds. 'I though I said if I ever saw you back in Kirk Preston again I'd kill you.' He said as he moved to within earshot. The girl, who was slim, but of a solid build, was wearing faded jeans, scuffed black trainers, and a shapeless white vest-top which looked like it had been washed once too many. A grey baseball cap covered most of her raven hair, the rest of which was tied up in a short ponytail.

'Aye, but you also said that the open invitation to dinner still stood. So surely you can understand why I was getting mixed messages.' She leaned on the fence with all her weight, letting it bend down before springing back onto her feet. 'Anyway I've got to offer you some sort of congratulations winning promotion, no?'

'Well Ye've done, it. Now bugger off, I meant what I said.' Killanen thrust his hands inside the pockets of his tracksuit trousers and walked past her heading straight for his car.

'Did they believe the wee stories this time?' The girl shouted, breaking into a jog to keep up with the manager's long strides. 'Jane been in for her hip operation? Or what is it, her shoulder this time?' She looked up at him smiling slyly, but Killanen took no notice. 'And wee Davy... poor wee Davy...' She shook her head pretending to be sincere for a second. 'Noo that ma wife's no' with us, this club is aw ah've goat.' She added mocking imitating the old man's accent.

Corinne Martel-Burns hadn't believed it two years ago when she was in the same position, but of course she had played along. Glancing back at the new recruits looking lost and scared, she guessed they'd all taken it, hook, line, and sinker.

'That's some way to talk about a man whose just lost his bloody wife. You... you... ye ghoul.' Corinne had succeeded in getting the reaction she had wanted from her former boss. Killanen looked at her out of the corner of one eye, then shook his head. 'Was it that bloody obvious by the way?'

'Hmmm, nope. Not obvious to stupid people.' She cocked her head and smiled. 'Luckily for you, or unluckily I suppose, the only players you can generally afford are... well... pretty goddamn stupid.'

Killanen had forgotten how much he hated that mashed up Newfoundland/Schottic accent, and its spiteful ridiculing comments. In some ways Connie was the most frustrating player he had even met, but for one reason or another he couldn't shake a feeling of fatherly loyalty to the 16-year-old. Maybe it had been way those jumped up big-shots at Handon United had sacked the girl, maybe it was the because he had been the only man willing to take a shot on her, or maybe it was the fact that she'd had to live in this dump of a town. He had taken here, he was responsible.

'You know I would have stayed, right?' She stopped all of a sudden, realising they were nearing Killanen's car. 'I would have rejected that contract offer with St Johns Arsenal if you'd asked me to; I'd have, like, repaid the club for what yous did for me.' Killanen stopped but he didn't turn round.

'Don't f***ing mention it.' He started to walk on, but with a little less purpose in his stride.

'We would have done it you know?' She shouted after him. 'We would have gotten promoted, I would have went on and won you the SPL title.' Corinne's temper was getting the better of her again, and like always, she didn't know where it was coming from. She clenched her fists, digging her fingernails deep into her palms as her knuckles turned white.

'I've no doubt you would have.' Killanen waited until he was at his car door before he replied. 'But we got promoted anyway, no big deal...'

'Look I'm fuc... I'm trying to say thank you alright!' Connie was in danger of snapping now. She had never worked with a coach who had the measure of her like Killanen did; who could frustrate her like this. Killanen, and her previous manager at Handon United had both made her want to punch holes in things, but there was a big difference. Whereas Sorensen had made her want to punch holes in his face, Killanen made her want to punch holes in the opposition. It was nuts, but even now she still wondered if he was watching her games when she was playing in the LigAnia North. When it came to the mind games he was something else - you got the impression that every single thing Killanen did was a carefully measured act.

'I remember you thanking me at the time.' He opened his car the remote key. 'I told you at the time there was no need, now you're just embarrassing yourself.'

'Look, just take this alright.' Corinne, ran up to him and thrust a piece of paper into his hand before turning to walk away, striding angrily through the car park.

'What in god's name is this?' Killanen walked towards her brandishing the bank cheque aloft. Corinne turned round, but walked backwards as she talked.

'It's my signing on fee, from Arsenal.' She snapped with her eyebrows furrowed. 'I want the club to have it. I want to invest it back.' She stopped when her back hit the fence suddenly, clutching it tightly with her finger tips.

'Who the f*** do you think you are hen?' Killanen waved the piece of paper angrily. 'Look at me, I'm playing in La Liga Loopy Lanna, or whatever its called. I can decent from on high to give these poor sods a token of my wealth.' Killanen mocked her as he ripped the cheque into pieces and threw it at her like confetti. 'Do you know what keeps this club going? It's me! Me, and my blood, sweat, and tears. It's not your pity! You come here on your millionaire's wage and laugh at my coaching methods, when I'm trying to run this whole club with less than you get paid in one week for six years. If it hadn't been for me you'd still be stuck in the scrapheap.'

Corinne knew this was the kind of situation where she would normally get angry, but as her heart pounded in her chest, she was feeling an entirely different emotion. For the first time in her life, she didn't feel at all in control.

'What did I tell you about getting too big for your boots? Eh?' Killanen was brandishing a finger like it was a weapon. 'Why do you think I only let you have "Burns" on the back of your shirt. You and your attitude, and your hyphenated names coming round these parts, people expect too much! Now you're back here with all this "Call me CMB" crap.' Killanen stopped suddenly; he could see that the usual fight had gone out of her. 'Just go....'

[Darmen]

Scott City Sentinel
Five Reasons to Care about the Football

-Olek Boyce

Reason One: Temple Fylan
This Temple Fylan guy is something special. He's the All Greens current leading scorer with two goals in five matches and definitely has the potential. Playing for the Republic of Chuckio in the Romanov Cup, he has lead his team on their way to scoring 14 goals in six matches. Despite only having eight points from those six matches, Chuckio have to be one of the early favorites to contend for the Romanov Cup. At 30 years of age however, his time with this new incarnation of the All Greens may be limited to just the current World Cup cycle. It's important to watch him while you still can.

Reason Two: Tor Tong Lee
Tor Tong Lee. It's a name that should be familiar to anyone over the age of twenty. Darmen's all-time leading goal scorer and number one in caps will now try his hand at leading the team from the sidelines. Based on his performance at the Copa Rushmori, there certainly is potential under his management for the All Greens to become great. It will take some time though, as Lee has reminded us himself, stating that he "expects to finish in the bottom half" of the qualifying group. It's also a possibility that we could see Lee take to the field himself if things are going really badly.

Reason Three: If you think the Romanov Cup is boring, give International Football a try
The Romanov Cup has not reached maturation yet, and as such the rivalry and tradition aspects of football that make the sport great haven't had time to redevelop in Darmen. Gone are the days of Eau Claire United playing Aris FC, or Scott City FC playing the Beat. And to be honest, those kind of rivalries might never form in the Romanov Cup. In addition, the semi-professional structure of the competition and lack of academy system will make it difficult to discover or create talented strikers and midfielders. Those are the sorts of players needed to make for some exciting Darmeni football.

Reason Four: The Summer and Fall TV schedules look boring
I don't know about TV in the other nations of the Confederation, but here in the Kingdom, the upcoming TV schedules look like a bore fest. With the National Society for the Restoration of Darmeni Football having just announced a TV deal with 2KEA Sports, all home qualifying matches will be broadcast live, normally in afternoon or evening time slots. With shows like Deadwood and Jim Morrison's Funny Hour canceled after decade long runs, and new shows like Animals in Paradise and Cliff Didcock's Amazing Adventures replacing them, we can be assured that prime time television will never be the same. For many TV viewers, the All Greens on TV may be the only thing entertaining, and the older viewers will be able to take a trip down memory lane.

Reason Five: National Unity?
So admittedly, this one is a bit of a stretch for me, and probably for a lot of you readers as well. But according to Tor Tong Lee, it is the most important reason to care about the Football. During his Pre-qualifying press conference Lee made his opinion very clear, stating, "The only thing Darmen, as a whole, has left in common, is an affinity for the old days, before the poor governance, before the economic colapse, before everything got turned upside down. And the biggest thing they rallied around in those days was the national football team, where no matter your home town, political party, socio-economic status, or anything else for that matter, you could simply be a fan of the All Greens for a couple of hours. It is our duty to recapture that, and to use it to repair the divides that have arisen in our once great nation."

Well, there you have, five reasons to care about the All Greens attempts to qualify for the 75th World Cup. It will certainly be an uphill battle, but despite our underdog status, you now have at least one reason to tune in at 7:00pm on Saturday, July 8th, as the All Greens take on Semarland. Or, better yet, spend the 20 dollars and head down to Thomas Stadium in our very own capital city and watch the match in person.

---

Stadium Information

Matchday Two: vs Semarland - Thomas Stadium, Scott City, Kingdom of Darmen (76,000)

Formerly home to Scott City FC, and currently home to the Romanov Cup team from the Kingdom of Darmen, Thomas Stadium once also played an important role as the home for a vast majority of Darmeni matches against international opponents. The stadium is getting old though, having been built in the 1970's, and is in need of either replacement of major TLC. 16,000 tickets will be made available for fans from Semarland, who will be seated in the north end.

Matchday Five: vs Tumbra - Brham Stadium, Brham, Republic of Brham (54,000)

Formerly home to Brham United and now home to the Republic of Brham team in the Romanov Cup, Brham Stadium will be the second smallest stadium used for this qualifying campaign. The stadium can also be used for baseball, but because Brham has never had a baseball team, has remained in its football layout since the day the stadium opened. 14,000 tickets will be made available for Tumbran fans, who will once again be seated in the north end.

Matchday Seven: vs Holy Philippine Empire - Kalenda Stadium, Rogerton, Republic of Kalenda (45,000)

The smallest stadium being used to host matches this cycle, Kalenda Stadium was once host to the Rogerton Whitecaps and some rather nasty matches against Darmen's southeastern neighbor, Valladares. Due to security concerns, only 5,000 tickets will be available for fans of the away team. They will be seated in the south end.

Matchday Eight: vs Electrum - Queens Stadium, Tempala, Holy Forden Republic (86,000)

The stadium with the highest capacity in use for the qualifiers, the Queens Stadium was called home by Forden, the lone club team from outside Darmen to call the Darmeni Premier League home. 26,000 tickets will be available to Electrumite fans, who will be split into two sections, with half in the north end, and the other half at midfield on the west side.

Matchday Ten: vs Garifunya - Colosus Romanopolis, Romanopolis, Empire of Romanopolis (65,000)

While never having hosted a high level club team, the Colosus Romanopolis did host several important national team matches, and a Eura vs. Sameba match in the 20th Copa Rushmori that had local security on high alert. 8,000 tickets will be made available for Garifunyan fans, who will be seated in the west end.

Matchday Thirteen: vs The Sarian - Stadio Rushmore, Johnho, Republic of Johnho (70,000)

Home to Johnho FC before the end of club football in Darmen, the Stadio Rushmore also hosted the final of the 9th Copa Rushmori, won by Western Cuba over Weatherdon. 20,000 tickets will be available for Sarian fans, who will be seated mainly in the east end, with several hundred also seated along the south side in the upper tier.

[The Sarian]

Full text of Albert Peters Speech at the Launch of the One Nation Manifesto

Thank you! Thank you! It’s great to be here in New Oslo to launch the programme on which the next government will act! Four years ago, I stood in Port Salvador and held our last manifesto in my hand and pledged that every single word of it would be enacted. They said it couldn’t be done! They said we would have to compromise on our ideals, compromise on our principals. Yet here I stand four years later, and I renew that pledge. I renew that pledge in the knowledge that I kept it last time, and I’ll keep it this time. For an honest, transparent government, for a government you can trust there is only one choice on election day!

I’m proud of every manifesto this party has released. Every single one. But combing through the pages of this one, I am especially proud. Enshrined in it is our commitment to be the true party of working people. The party that enables those who go out and work hard to prosper. Take our tax proposals for example. In government we have lowered taxes for millions of hardworking people, this manifesto sets out how we will continue to do so in the next Parliament. It is firmly our view that those who work hard should keep more of the money they earn and that is why we will be taking those who work thirty hours on minimum wage out of tax altogether!

In the last Parliament we reduced the amount hardworking people had to pay in death dues. For me, as a father, it is astonishing that we have to pay death dues at all. For me, my most important job in life, much more important than being the Chief Executive, is to provide a better life for my loved ones. Yet when I die, the government will take some of that away. That is why we will completely abolish death duties in our first budget! It is an unfair, immoral and illegitimate form of taxation. Friends, in four years time I cannot wait to stand here and tell you that it WAS an unfair, immoral and illegitimate form of taxation!

This manifesto also shows us to be the party of compassion. For too long we have spent too much on over-inflated armed forces and too little on helping those in the world who are much less fortunate than ourselves. And I must confess, that is probably the biggest shame of my time as Chief Executive. Well, no more. Codified in the pages of this manifesto is a commitment to double our foreign aid budget, to really make a difference to the lives of those who struggle with poverty and squalor across Esportiva, and indeed, across the multiverse.

Thank you, thank you. The cynics on the other side claim that our best days are behind us. Claim that this country is no longer great. Well let me tell you something. Let me tell you something and I want you all to listen - this country is great. And part of that greatness comes from working closer with our friends and allies. Throughout my time as Chief Executive we have built great friendships, great relationships, thanks in part to our wonderful team at the Foreign Office. You deserve all the praise in the world. We will continue to foster those relationships, we will reduce barriers to trade, we will make it so the tradesman in Dehaye can trade globally. We will help the fisherman from Port Highthorpe access a global market. We will have lamb from Race Point the choice of meat lovers across Esportiva! That is how you create prosperity, that is how you make this country great. Not through rude words and boiled up rhetoric but through real plans that will benefit people's lives. And if the Florican Party want to stop us, they better learn that fast.

That is what this party offers. Real solutions. A real plan. A real chance to make the people of this country better off. I’ve done that for the past seven years as your leader and as this country's Chief Executive, this party has done that for the past twelve. We have won the last three elections, but we still have a long way to go. Only a vote for us can guarantee your family's long term future, only a vote for us continue ensure continued prosperity, only a vote for us can keep this country on track. We have less than fifty days to go, let's make each and every one of them count. Let’s finish what we have begun. Thank you!

[Valladares]

The National Kickoff
The Online Home of Valladar Football!

Celebrating 50 Years of Valladar Domestic Football

Part I: The Origins (Seasons 1-3)

Welcome to another entry of your favourite sporting blog in Valladares, The National Kickoff! With the Valladar Liga-1 having ended recently its forty-ninth edition by crowning Deportivo Junín as the new monarchs of Valladar domestic football and a new World Cup cycle kicking off, everything is set for a new era of success after our decent showing at the most recent finals, in which the Valladar NT returned to the quarterfinals playing on home soil.

However, this time we've got another thing to talk about...As the arrival of the 50th Valladar Liga-1 season looms large on the horizon, we're going to do a recap of the previous 49 seasons of Valladar domestic football, in which we'll talk about the happy moments, the sad ones, the surprises, disappointments, the players, teams, and coaches that have left their mark on the Liga-1 history books, and more, so without any further ado, here's the first chapter of this collection:

The Birth of the Valladar Super League

1994. World Cup 47 was about to come and Valladar football was still amateur and unknown to the multiverse. There had been some timid attempts from the main footballing authorities to professionalize the sport and open Valladar football to the multiverse, but none of them had been successful due to the excessive power held by the respective Football Associations of each Valladar state, who had already held many editions of their respective football competitions, which had had lots of success and popularity. As a result, no truly "national" FA existed in Valladares, and none of the SFAs seemed too keen to establish one. However, with signups for World Cup 47 being opened, most of them understood that it was the perfect opportunity to take the "big step" and professionalize the sport. So, after a meeting in Metropolis, the chairmen of the respective SFAs agreed to the establishment of the Valladar Football Association, submitted a signup for World Cup 47 (and its respective Baptism of Fire, which would be the very first competition for the newly created Valladar national football team), and created a national league: the Valladar Super League.

With the help of State-owned company EnergyValladares, the VFA tried its best in making the Hydro Super League (as it was known during its first seasons) competitive by luring the best clubs from every Valladar state, with the ultimate aim to replace the State Championships as the most important football competition in Valladares. Eventually, 16 clubs from around the nation accepted the invitation (and were also able to pay the fee) to compete in the very first Super League, extended by the VFA:

• From the District of Metropolis: Metropolis Alligators and Marinos Metropolis
• From the Mountbatten state: Tannenberg FC and AC Tallin
• Representing the Eterna state: Eterna Stars and Slateport Bulls
• Four clubs from the Chiquito state: SC Caimanes, Chiquito FC, Pumas Maldonado, and Universitario de Maldonado
• The Foix state had four clubs: AS Bezieres, Fontvielle Impact, Olympique de Fontvielle, and RC Belfort
• Lastly, the Antioquia state banner was taken by two clubs: Cardenales FC and Hamanos Athletic Club

Notable absentees included Nacional and Bohemians Metropolis, who were both experiencing financial hardships after finding themselves competing inch by inch with Metropolis Alligators and Marinos Metropolis in the Campeonato Distrital and enjoying relative success in that competition and did not join the new national league system until some years later, Pradera FC from the Antioquian capital and Canalave Dragons from the port city-state of Canalave, who did not pay enough money for a Super League license and had to settle for a license in the B-League (the equally new second tier), and Étoile Verte from Bezieres, who preferred to stay in the Foixien state league and became an amateur club as a result.

Anyways, with the kickoff of the match between Fontvielle Impact and Pumas Maldonado at the Stade de l'Amitié in Fontvielle, a new era in Valladar football also kicked off: a true Valladar national league, with another special incentive: qualification to international club tournaments such as the Champions' Cup and the Globe Cup. For the first season, it was expected that the three financially strongest clubs, namely Metropolis Alligators, Tannenberg FC, and Eterna Stars were going to fight for the championship, creating a "Big 3" without much outsider contention, however, whilst the Alligators responded to the expectations by leading the league for virtually the entire season, Citizens and Stars found more trouble and stiff competition in the form of Slateport Bulls, Marinos Metropolis, Fontvielle Impact, and SC Caimanes. With 19 matches won, 7 draws, and only 4 losses, Metropolis Alligators became the first Super League champions with one game to spare, also qualifying for the CC preliminaries, leaving Slateport Bulls and Marinos Metropolis to contend for second place and the last remaining spot into the CC, which ended going to the Bulls as they edged the other Metropolis side by just 1 point.

Meanwhile, Eterna Stars, Tannenberg FC, Fontvielle Impact, and SC Caimanes were in an interesting fight for the last 2 spots into the top 5, which were also being rewarded with international competition (Globe Cup) for the following season. With 52 points, the Stars were in the driver's seat, and looked to clinch GC qualification in Fontvielle against none other than...l'Impact, who were sitting in sixth place with 49 points (and until then out of international football) and also going for a win that would allow them to leapfrog either of the remaining "Big 3" members. TFC, fifth with 49 points, were also looking to seal qualification with a win over AS Bezieres, whilst Caimanes, who still held a glimpse of hope with 47 points in seventh place, had to beat bottom-placed Cardenales in order to keep dreaming of playing an international game next season. And the final day of the season ended with a 3-1 win for Fontvielle Impact against the Stars, result which added to TFC's win left all 3 sides tied in 52 points, and the Stars as losers of the 3-way tie thanks to head-to-head record against their rivals, and thus missing out on the Globe Cup. This event would spark a rivalry between Stars and Bleus, mostly perceived as one-sided though.

On the other hand, almost the whole lower half of the table was involved in the relegation struggle, but only Olympique de Fontvielle, Universitario de Maldonado, and Cardenales FC were to become the unfortunate first relegated clubs to the B-League after collecting no more than 27, 26, and 25 points in 30 games, respectively.

Redemption and Consolidation

Everyone at the VFA (especially the clubs) was content at the success of the first Super League, as their expectations regarding fan attention and revenue were not matched but exceeded by far: attendances to stadiums skyrocketed, TV ratings increased by 300%, club memorabilia sales reached an all-time high, and obviously the clubs and the VFA earned more money. Therefore, the second VSL season was greatly awaited by everyone. 13 out of the 16 "founders" were going to compete, with the 3 relegated outfits last season being replaced by B-League champions AS Montreux, runners-up Pradera FC, and third-placed AS Vaud.

This season saw the "Big" triumvirate of Metropolis Alligators, Tannenberg FC, and Eterna Stars dominating the league from start to end, although AS Montreux, one of the newly promoted sides, dared to challenge that status quo at the beginning of the season, even getting the chance to lead the league for some games until they returned to their natural place (sort of). Then, with Les Hérons finally out of the equation, Alligators, Citizens, and Stars went on to exchange positions in the top 3 until the last moment, with Eterna Stars getting their redemption from last season's events by winning the league by a single point, with TFC finishing second and the defending champions in third. As for the remaining Globe Cup berths, those went to Marinos Metropolis and Slateport Bulls, who finished fourth and fifth, respectively, whilst Caimanes (once again) and Fontvielle Impact were left at the doors of qualification.

Meanwhile, Hamanos Athletic Club, AC Tallin, and RC Belfort finished in the bottom 3 places this season, however, they weren't punished with relegation as the VFA announced that in light of the Super League's huge success, the league was to be expanded to 20 teams, with Olympique de Fontvielle, Cardenales FC, and Universitario de Maldonado returning to the top tier plus AD Cerro from the outskirts of the city of Metropolis, who were to make their Super League début in the upcoming season.

The Apertura/Clausura Era Begins

The expansion from 16 to 20 teams was not the only news announced prior to the third season, with the VFA also announcing the switch to the Apertura/Clausura tournament system: 2 tournaments per season, with 2 winners which would face each other in a one-off match at neutral ground to decide the season champion. This system also included playoffs in each tournament, where the top 8 teams at the end of the regular season of both the Apertura and Clausura would play in 2 groups of four teams each, and then the top teams from each group would play to decide that qualifier to the season "final". To make matters even more confusing, Globe Cup qualification and relegation would be decided by a big table encompassing all the games in the whole season. God...

Anyways, in the first Apertura tournament we once again saw our "Big 3" exchanging blow after blow at the summit of the table, and securing qualification to the playoffs with 3 games to spare. However, the excitement was placed at the border between the qualification and elimination zones, where we had Fontvielle Impact, Pumas Maldonado, Chiquito FC, AS Bezieres, and newbies AD Cerro fighting for the last 2 spots in the next round, issue that took until the last round to be solved in favor of l'Impact and (surprisingly) Cerro. The Celestes surprised all and sundry with their playing style which took them closer to title contention in just their first tournament, when everyone expected them to be trying to avoid the drop. The playoffs started with TFC and Eterna Stars as the main favourites to reach the final, and both sides as seeded in Group A (the former) and B (the latter), but Tannenberg were unable to prove their strength and capitulated to Slateport Bulls in the group, which also included Marinos Metropolis and surprise package Cerro. Meanwhile in Group B, the Stars and Metropolis Alligators found themselves (along with Fontvielle Impact and SC Caimanes) fighting for the last spot in the final, which only went to the Stars after a decisive 2-1 home win over the Alligators on MD6 that helped them leapfrog their rivals by a single point. That said, the Apertura final was an Eterna SuperClásico affair between Bulls and Stars, but the team from Slateport was no match for Eterna Stars, who clinched the first Valladar CC berth with an easy 6-2 win on aggregate score.

In the Clausura, things wouldn't be so different during the first stage: now it was Metropolis Alligators and TFC the ones who topped the standings and secured seed status for the playoffs, whilst the other qualifiers were mostly unchanged except for Cerro, who were replaced by Pumas Maldonado but were already content enough with being able to secure top-flight membership for next season. Cardenales FC tried to emulate Cerro's feat but the Cougars managed to cling on to the eighth place, denying the Antioquians from qualifying to the playoffs in the process. In the playoffs, both Alligators and Citizens redeemed themselves from their failures in the Apertura and qualified for the final, but not without getting rid of Impact, Slateport, and Marinos (MA), and Apertura champions Eterna Stars, Pumas, and Caimanes (TFC) first...now, in the final series, TFC started dealing the first blow at Carloburgo's Olympic Stadium, but the Alligators turned that 1-0 deficit around with a 3-1 win of their own at the National Stadium, thus winning 3-2 on aggregate score and getting the chance to play the Stars for the title of Valladar champion.

And that was how the Canalave Crown was born, Canalave was selected as the venue for the final game of this season but kept being considered as such for several years...and the port city started this tradition by witnessing MA's second victory lap after defeating the Stars by 4-3 in a thrilling game that went to extra time. In other news, despite topping the standings in the first rounds of both the Apertura and Clausura and not winning any, Tannenberg were rewarded with GC qualification, as were Slateport Bulls and Fontvielle Impact on virtue of having the best placements in the Overall Standings among non CC-qualified teams, while Olympique de Fontvielle, AC Tallin and RC Belfort finished 18th, 19th, and 20th in the same table and sealed their relegation to the B-League as a result.

And so, the Valladar Super League started its history with 3 teams already perceived to be the strongest ones, but that state of affairs would not last for long...

[West Angola]

NAMIBE CHRONICLE

WEST ANGOLA OPENS WITH 0-0 DRAW AT HERENDON

HERENDON- West Angola’s first qualifying campaign since the restoration of the Exile government got off to a rather uninspiring start yesterday, as the national side failed to score in a draw against Herendon. In the 15th minute, a hard challenge from midfielder Glenn Santos provoked a strong reaction from the Herendon fans and earned Santos a yellow card, but outside of that the first forty-five minutes proceeded without incident. Despite several promising chances for Captain Peter Simmons in the first thirty minutes, some excellent defense and inspired goalkeeping from the home side held the match even through the first half. In an interview with EPSN reporter John Brennan, Manager Jan Pawel expressed confidence about his side’s chances in the second half, saying: “We need to focus on converting the chances we get into goals, certainly, but our defense has been solid and we’ve kept the pressure up on them throughout the match so far. If we keep pounding away at their defense we’ll break through.”

In the second half, however, it was Heredon’s turn to bring the pressure, as they controlled the ball in West Angola’s zone for nearly all of the first thirty-five minutes of the half. At one point sixty-four minutes in, the Herendon striker appeared to have slipped one by an exhausted Jeremy Thomas, but the linesman flagged for offsides and West Angola escaped by the skin of its teeth. The near miss seemed to awaken the West Angolan attack, as they finally managed to bring the ball across midfield and set up Paul Ramirez at the top of the box with a chance to break the tie. The shot was deflected wide, however, and Herendon seized possession on the ensuing corner and cleared the danger. The final twenty-five minutes were almost completely evenly matched as the two sides hammered away at each other. At ninety minutes, the referee signaled for three minutes added on, and West Angola received a golden opportunity just moments later when Nathan Gonzalez was fouled in the box. Once again, however, spectacular goalkeeping saved the home side as the keeper’s outstretched fingers barely managed to tip the ball up over the bar to preserve the tie. The final whistle sounded two minutes later and a hard-fought defensive match came to an end.

Speaking once again to John Brennan after the match, Pawel tried to put the result in perspective, “It’s always good to get any points, [Herendon] played excellent football on both ends, and their keeper made an excellent save on the penalty kick. We need to work hard over the next two weeks to make sure we’re getting the most out of our chances on offense, you can’t afford to waste scoring opportunities the way we did today. When we host Osarius there won’t be any margin for error, so we definitely have to play better than we did today. All things considered though our defense was solid and Jeremy did an excellent job under a lot of pressure, so I like where we stand going forward.” West Angola will face Osarius in Warren Memorial Stadium in two weeks, the first match played in that stadium in twenty years, for tickets contact the Sporting Ministry Ticket Office at 22-81-1995 or go online at http://www.football.wa/national/tickets.

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Chronicle writers Christopher Lauren and Paul Wilson contributed to this report.

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The framing device for these stories doesn’t really allow for the level of detail I’ve included, but I’m calling creative license on the inclusion of things that wouldn’t make it into a permanent record recovered after the fact.

Cmdr. Gregory Thomas, WASABI (KIA), 2011-2062

Emily leaned into the microphone, “Fifteen years ago, the Exile community on Farreth Island committed to toppling the oppressive Augustine government. We knew at the time that it would take nothing less than the full measure of our collective soul to secure freedom for our nation, but we forged ahead. The price was indeed high, and I know many of you here today have good reason to question whether it was all worth it. I know because I asked myself that same question countless times over the last fifteen years. We have all lost friends, family members, loved ones, but what we have gained, my friends, is freedom. If those we have lost were here today, I know that they would ask us to respect and honor their sacrifice, but at the same time take pride in what we have accomplished. The price of freedom, as I’ve said, is high, but it is always worth paying.”

Reaching into the podium, Emily pulled out a stack small notebooks filled with messy scrawl which, thankfully, she had memorized from typed versions. “I want to share with you all a series of personal accounts from those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom. The first is WASABI Commander Gregory Thomas, who along with his subordinates was directly responsible for securing the Jan III for our arsenal, and gave his life in the process.

Fifteen Years Earlier
Part Two: Gathering Thunderheads
Half a century earlier, the Jan III had been the pride of the West Angolan Navy. The hulking aircraft carrier had served as the flagship in campaigns against Korea and New Heatheria, but time and military science had left the vessel far behind. It had been reduced to a museum piece by the time of the Augustine coup, but with 85% of the total tonnage left under the control of the mainland government, including the majority of the transports and all three carriers, it represented a rich prize to the Exiles. While a more modern vessel would have been preferable, the carrier would be far easier to steal, especially given the severe personnel disparity WASABI on Farreth was experiencing relative to its previous size.

Overseeing the operation was the new head of WASABI-F, Gregory Thomas. The intelligence officer’s pedigree was impressive, serving as a member of Colonel Nichols’ unit in Cabinda, where he assassinated President Michael Raven to plunge the nation into a civil war, and kidnapping John Blevit to ensure it stayed there. The second mission took place only a few weeks before the fall of Namibe, and won Thomas a promotion to a staff position. As a result, he was the ranking officer among those who defected to join the Exiles, and found himself thrust into a leadership position he didn’t feel particularly suited for. That was why he’d jumped at the opportunity to return to the field and structured Operation: Regicide so that he could do just that.

Thomas and his two operatives were inserted under cover of darkness fifteen kilometers north of Namibe where the coastal railway began a steep incline. The timing of the Namibe-Luanda train hadn’t changed with the regime, and the three were able to climb onto the outside as it slowed to being its ascent to the city. Upon arrival, they carefully dismounted and made their way, unseen, to the National Museum of Naval History, whose “flagship” exhibit was moored out in the harbor. In years past, the streets of Namibe would have been packed even at night with commuters and events, but curfews imposed by August and the economic downturn had stifled the nightlife and left the city dark after 9PM. By sticking to the shadows, Thomas’ crew were able to avoid the patrols of their WASABI counterparts and reach the museum without being spotted.

After scaling the wall of the museum, Thomas pulled off his backpack and produced a small EMP generator which, when activated, would neutralize any alarms inside and outside the building. With the possibility of a noisy alert taken care of, one of the other agents used a box cutter to remove a skylight, and the men rappelled down to the floor. After subduing the only two security guards left in the building post-budget cuts, their first stop was the storage warehouse, where they availed themselves of three empty steel drums and some hoses. They then crept out the back door to where the museum’s fleet of semi-trucks sat idle in the parking lot and siphoned diesel fuel into the drums. The agents repeated the process three more times, and with only about an hour and a half remaining until dawn rolled the nine barrels down to the dock to the museum’s other featured attraction: a functional military tugboat.

The vessel, the first of the Colonel Gravel-class tugboats, was notable for being able to pull a Monarch-class carrier by itself, which was precisely what Thomas needed it to do tonight. The tugboat had only been retired from active duty for a month, and while it normally required a crew of twenty-four, could conceivably be run by the three of them if they didn’t run into trouble. The chances of that, unfortunately, were extremely high due to the attention stealing an aircraft carrier tended to attract, but with WASABI stretched so thin there was no other option than to hope and pray that they somehow could slip away.

Quietly (although it seemed louder than a full orchestral set to the intelligence agents), the tug glided through the calm waters out to where the carrier sat moored. Under Queen Anna the museum had sent ferries out every two hours for tour groups, but now that August sat on the throne all tours had been suspended and the vessel now sat abandoned. Speculation abounded as to why August had closed off the carrier but hadn’t ordered it scrapped, and the private consensus was that he was unwilling to shine a spotlight on the accomplishments of King Luke, his bitter rival, but was also reluctant to destroy a carrier named in honor of his grandfather. Whatever the reason, the circumstances were favorable to the Exiles, as they ensured that the carrier was vulnerable to theft, but hadn’t been left long enough to become unseaworthy.

It was the work of nearly half an hour to transfer the moorings from the harbor buoys to the tugboat, and the sky was brightening over the city as Thomas piloted the tugboat west and began pulling the Jan III towards Farreth Island. Almost immediately, the shortwave radio the agents had brought began picking up frantic chatter from the mainland, and soon afterwards the sound of jet engines was approaching rapidly from behind them. With no conventional weapons to speak of besides their sidearms, it appeared that Thomas’ crew could do nothing but keep the engines going full power and hope for a miracle. However, they did still have one unconventional weapon—the EMP device. With no other option, Thomas radioed their coordinates to Farreth Island and specified what he was about to do to ensure none of the Exiles would fall victim as well.

The four fighter jets from the mainland were just coming into view when Thomas activated the EMP and increased its range to the maximum setting. None of the pilots knew what hit them, their controls suddenly shutting down and their engines failing as the pulse went to work on the delicate computer systems. The planes dropped like rocks, falling out of the sky and barely missing the carrier before striking the water in a series of spectacular explosions, peppering the agents in the tug with shrapnel. All three suffered several cuts and scrapes, but Thomas was hit by a shard of flaming debris that pierced his eye and exited out the back of his skull, killing him instantly.

With the electromagnetic field preventing more planes from coming after them but also shorting out their communications, the two surviving WASABI agents were safe but alone. They waited for six hours for a rescue team from Farreth Island to reach them, and each minute was agonizing as they wondered which group would come for them first. Utilizing third-generation vessels that could be run without computers, the Exiles reached the tug first and were able to tow it triumphantly to Farreth, adding a critical vessel to their navy, even if it would need extensive work before it could be turned on the mainland.
---
Emily set down the notebook, “Commander Thomas was the first casualty of the Great Crusade, but he certainly would not be the last. He believed, as do we all, that there was no sacrifice too great for the causes of justice and liberty, and he was willing to give his life in the name of those causes.” She turned her gaze to the sky, and knew many in the crowd were also doing so, “Commander Gregory Thomas, we honor you today as a martyr in the cause of freedom.”

[Valanora]

Valanora Times
Marauders Start Campaign Right

It is no secret by now that most in Valanora find the test of Qualifiers a bit tedious and a chore, such is to be expected when you have been in the competition for over ninety years. Such repetition over such a prolonged period of time does breed a certain level of contempt for the minutia that is the qualifying process, though as professionals the squad is expected to overcome any such feelings that they might have and continue to do the best to represent the shirt and nation. Perhaps that is why the VSC opted to get a Polarian manager during the last Qualifying process and added a Cosumarite assistant shortly before the AOCAF, to give the squad a new perspective and get them over those ideas of the Qualifiers being nothing but a chore. Taking the Qualifiers for granted is part of the reason that the Marauders no longer have their qualified streak that dated back all the way back to World Cup 33.

That added edge and new perspective seems to have somewhat taken in, with the Marauders opening up their campaign in Capri last weekend with a win over The Royal Barangay by the score of two to one. While I am sure that the fans and players would have preferred a larger margin of victory, the braintrust is clearly happy at getting the three points to start off the campaign, especially given that the side will have a bye on the third matchday in the schedule. Having three points already in the pocket certainly makes that bye day seem like it will be more about preparation rather than course correction, so long as the Marauders do not capitulate tonight when they travel to Rushmore to take on Polaaskan in their first tough test of the campaign.

You could easily see the rust from the side that tends to be with them at the start of one of these campaigns, as they were suspect to turnovers and poor passes throughout most of the first half hour of the match. Though as one can expect from our side, as the game continued to move on, you got to see how they began to come into their own, with Tathtauré scoring the opening goal in the forty-third minute and relieving some of the pressure in the game just before the half. OAS Royal FC is hoping that Tathtauré can put on that sort of finishing with consistency as the striker moved to Cosumar from Ceni during this summer after a season in which he scored goals by the bucketload with Myrmidon as they raced to the title.

The second half started the same way the first ended, with the Vanorian midfield dominating the game and creating multiple scoring chances that were either saved or blocked. Hawk would not let his second chance of the half go begging though, as he sent home a shot on the half volley past the keeper in the fifty-sixth minute and had the Marauders cruising towards a victory. Things became tense when The Royal Barangay hit the Marauders on a counter in the seventy-third minute, making the the last quarter hour one that felt like it was on a knife's edge. Both sides were up and down the pitch, creating chances and trying to suffocate the other squad out of the match. Galadirdren stood tall in those last fifteen minutes though, saving all three shots that managed to go on target and the Marauders secured their victory.

For the next match, they will be visiting Polaaskan who will be opening up their own campaign, after they had their bye on the opening weekend and now get to take on the entirety of the group without a bye until the halfway point. They will be testy in the midfield and try to stop the Marauder's build up play out of the midfield, though that battle may be a step too far for the Polaaskan team given the amount of talent that the Marauders are able to put into the middle. Another three points is required if the side wants to feel comfortable in their bye day, as mentioned earlier, and be ready for the more difficult challenge of Kandorith that will await them on the other side of the Bye week. It is the first step on a long road to the Northeast but it is a step that is needed and one that makes this a good start for the Marauders campaign towards another Finals appearance.

[Alasdair I Frosticus]

NEWSLETTER OF THE IMPERIAL WOMEN'S INSTITUTE
Palace Branch

Letters

Dear Fellow Ladies,

No doubt, like me, you were utterly shocked at the final outcome of yesterday's competitive endeavour against Afrikaners and Boers.

Never, in the long history of our organisation, have total outsiders from Ordinary Reality won our weekly crumpet bake-off.

Mrs Betty Seersucker came third with her effort, which the judges thought was just slightly too singed around the edges.



Mrs Harriet Herringbone came second with a crumpet that had some lovely texture, but which perhaps lacked definition.



But the rank outsiders from Afrikaners and Boers won the crumpet bake with their unconventional 'bunny ears' effort.




This should be a challenge to all of our members. Yes, those awful people from Afrikaners and Boers were terribly rude, ungroomed, and mysteriously obsessed with 'keeping the blecks in their place' (whatever a 'bleck' is, I wouldn't want to be one in their country). True, the unpleasantness over the result of that unexpected football match that Mr Tzimisces and Mr Di Bradini insisted we play before the crumpet bake is likely best forgotten. And no, and I don't know where Mr Tzimisces and Mr Di Bradini came from, or why they were insisting we play this 'footy-ball'.

But all those factors aside, we should consider why we lost the crumpet bake, and what steps we can take to make sure we never lose another crumpet bake. Remember, the honor of the Imperial Women's Institute depends on your magnificent crumpets, and the known superiority of our crumpets over mundy crumpets. I urge you to practice your crumpet recipes before the next crumpet bake against some obscure mundy nation called 'Cruenatia'.

I understand that the Imperial Secretariat of the Purple Inkwell is insisting that we take Mr Tzimisces and Mr Di Bradini with us to Cruenatia. I cannot understand why, and urge the Branch Secretary to clarify why they are currently shadowing us so closely.

Yours,

Ruby Tussar-Silk

[Farfadillis]

*click*

"Tíbürçìó, Tíbürçìó! I'm Gonzalo from Channel 4. Are the rumours true? Is Meier going to be excluded from the bench following her meltdown yesterday?"

"Why, indeed. I had all of the game planned out, and I was planning for her to replace Rübéãn at some point in the second half to ease her into the squad, but that little incident has forced my hand."

"How did she react when you told her your decision?"

"She was very professional about it. It was obvious she was trying very hard to hold back her emotions, but she managed to keep a straight face and promise me she'll do her best to earn a place in the team."

"Does this mean you're thinking of calling her up again for future matches?"

"Well, uh, yes. I'd be sending mixed signals if I stopped calling her up after this."

"How, exactly? Most would find that decision to be very consistent."

"You see, opinions are opinions. I don't really understand different opinions, like the ones of Most - whoever he is - but I can tell you one thing: I believe in my opinions. If one day she's in the starting line-up, then the other she's not called up, what message am I sending? That I'm an unstable, unpredictable, erratic, fickle, inconsistent, possibly also reiterative and also repetitive, manager? That may be me, yes, yes, indeed that is me, but it's not the message I want to send anyway."

"Uh, I understand, Tíbürçìó. But did you just mention Meier will actually be-"

"I mention a lot of things."

"... yes, you do. Is Scheherazade going to-"

"Have to face the consequences of her actions?"

"Is she?"

"Well, I'd say that is life. You do good things, you get good things that are a consequence of those good things you did. If you do bad things, the same principle applies."

"So she's not gonna be in the matchday squad after all?"

"Didn't you listen to what I just said?"

"I did, but I need a straight answer. Have you excluded her from the squad?"

"What? No; I'm not sexist."

"So she will be in the squad after all?"

"You know, for a journalist, you're not very good at listening to people. Yes, she will be in the squad."

"Will she be starting? Even after what happened yesterday?"

"What do you mean when you say 'even after'? We need our players to show passion, and passion's what she showed with that uppercut. My job as manager of the national team is to win, and to win you need players who want to win. You don't need Farves, you don't need men. You need players. Players with passion. And I'll be damned if she's not a passionate woman. She's starting because of yesterday's incident. I thought she deserved a reward. Rübéãn's alright with that. He knows his starting spot is not really in peril, anyway."

"Do you fear you could be antagonizing the public by doing this?"

"The public can hate me as much as they want, so long as the men and woman in the dressing room have more faith in me than in their God... Can you let me get in my car now?"

"Uh, yes, yes. Thank you for your time, mister."

*click*

[New Dukaine]

(OOC: Tas Didn't post a roster, so I am gonna makeup names as I go.)

PORT CITY LEADER



New Dukaine Ties 1-1 with T.I.F.K.A.T

New Dukaine had an amazing debut against the last place team in their group, T.I.F.K.A.T. T.I.F.K.A.T was actually very tough on the defense, and New Dukaine was too, both only letting in one goal at the beginning. After those 2 goals that took place at the first 20 minutes. It was just bobbling the ball back and forth and hitting the crossbars for both teams. Even the Commentator next to me fell asleep. I had to wake him up because it was suspenseful at the end at extra-time. When Extra-time ran out, everyone was in a weird mood because of a draw.

There were some penalties that happened in the game too. One of the T.I.F.K.A.T forwards was red carded for giving Abidemi Wasswa a concussion. He was recently known to be in mental health, so we at the booth were wondering why he was even on the team. Then a brawl started and 2 more T.I.F.K.A.T players were yellow carded and 3 New Dukainian players were yellow carded also

Other than that, That was pretty much it.

[Kandorith]

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Kandorith 2–0 Stacoco

Group   7                                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Kandorith                                1    1   0   0     2    0   +2     3
2 Valanora                                 1    1   0   0     2    1   +1     3
3 Jeckland                                 1    0   1   0     0    0    0     1
  Sarrbia                                  1    0   1   0     0    0    0     1
5 The Royal Barangay                       1    0   0   1     1    2   −1     0
6 Stacoco                                  1    0   0   1     0    2   −2     0

With the new World Cup qualifiers starting, the Kandorese team is of course a factor in the play again. As the fans are preparing to cheer for their team and support them to the fullest, the Red Dragons will travel from place to place to meet the other teams in the group to get to that beautiful qualification spot. Kandorith being in a good spot in group 7, the Kandorese are looking forward to a good season with already a good start.

The team will have multiple old faces again known from the Kandorese team as long time players. But of course the new faces are making a name for themselves too. The last World Cup wasn't the best for the Kandorese team and they couldn't get into the fighting spirit on time, making the Kandorese team a rather shameful display. This time the Kandorese team is prepared in the format they want and they are ready to show their dedication.

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Kandorith Next Match Expected Starting 11

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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 18: OKHA Eiichi
RM - N^o 12: KEILÁNG Xie
CAM - N^o 4: Taiji Moto
ST - N^o 19: QEILAN Zhu
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 20: XIN Zihao
RM - N^o 15: SHAN Xiaobo
LM -N^o 10: XÍMÍN Chosi
ST - N^o 21: QÍNG Weimin
CF - N^o 13: MADATO Xien-kan
ST - N^o 17:MINGZHENG Shéng

---

[Vilita]

Jungle Cats on the right track, earn draw with Ferrets

Tivali Ring Stadium, Alikki-Corra, Vilita :: The Vilita Jungle Cats got off to the perfect start to the historic World Cup 75 campaign by dropping just two points to the Ferret Civilization - a nation ranked a full 4 pots behind the world's 8th ranked side according to the KPB ranking metrics.

With a long and storied history of losing on the opening matchday of qualifying, the draw was inevitably the best outcome that Vilitan faithful could have held out for. It has been ages since the Jungle Cats have played a meaningful match against a qualification-rivaling opponent to start off a World Cup Qualifying campaign and World Cup 75 Qualifying was no different as the short path to Audioslavia and Krytenia was kicked off with a predictably slow trod from Vilita who are in the midst of some uncertainty behind the bench after failing to reach the World Cup Semi-Finals during World Cup 74 for the first time in three campaigns.

The prospect of a World Cup co-hosted in Audioslavia and Krytenia is certainly lick-lipping for many Vilitan pundits who have already began comparing the eventual Audioslavia-Krytenia World Cup to that of Staryblaydia and Druida in World Cup 20 - an event won by the Jungle Cats.

Now, the pundits feel, the Jungle Cats have set themselves on course, not being distracted by an early, out of character and confidence building victory, Vilita have given themselves something to work for and will look to turn things around on Matchday 2.

The Jungle Cats may be looking to rely more on young midfielder Poloax Torerun. Torerun moved to Tropicorp as a youngster and could be considered the first major product of the Tropicorp Sporting system. Torerun returned to his childhood home of Turoki City to join up with the Turoki Tide after playing a few seasons in the Declasse with Tropicorp FC, and promptly led the Tide to their first Stellar Division title in nearly 15 seasons.

Torerun has earned his place in the selection for World Cup 75 Qualifying but will certainly be on review from the coaching staff as the matches grow more contested to see if he yet has the experience in him to be a difference maker in Audioslavia and Krytenia.

[Ceni]

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ETHNIC FOOD

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Monday: Family Restaurant Brings Taste of Savalen
BABUSHKINA'S Savalenian | $$ | the Ethnic Districts| babushkinas.cen

Babushkina's is a long way from the corridors of power in Ceni - but it's worth the trip. When you get there, though, you might not recognize it as a restaurant. A sign that's seen better days proclaims it as "B b kin s", noticeably missing several letters. When I got inside, though, the atmosphere was warm and comfortable, just the feeling you get when you go to your grandmother's house. The feeling is intentional, considering that babushkina means grandmother in Savalenian. This restaurant has been in the Orlov family for three generations - the current owner and chef, Maxim, is the grandson of the founder, Angelina Orlova, and they maintain the family atmosphere throughout the restaurant, decorating it with old photos of the family and wallpaper from Savalen. The food has been passed down from their family back in Savalen as well - all of their menu is from old family recipes.

What a menu it is. Starting out with copious amounts of homemade bread, which is warm and with just the right mixture of crust and bread, it goes extremely well with their warm soups, and I dipped with delight into rich solyanka, which has a thick, pungent soup made out of either fish or meat broth. It's extremely piquant to the senses - making my eyes water - but boy, does it have a lot of flavor. The main dish comes with the excellent dough of the Orlov family as they surround their savory pelmeni, which is made of minced meat, with their classic dough, and it's hard to resist another order of pelmeni. Finally, desert comes, and it again involves bread: this time syrniki, which is a fried curd cheese known as quark, topped with the family's proprietary sauce made out of berries. Portions were immense, and the food was rich - meaning I had leftovers. Overall, Babushkina's had good prices, great service - the owner himself came out to greet me - and even better food. It's worthwhile to make the trip.

Tuesday: Food Truck Supplies Quebecois-Cenian Fusion
KORYO FOOD TRUCK Fish/Korean | $$ | University City | koryofoodtruck.enceyeclopedia.cen

Being a food truck, I thought the Koryo Food Truck would be hard to find, but I was wrong when I saw a long line stretching around a park in University City. Apparently, the local students had found this gem before I had, and they were already crowding around for a taste of Quebecois-Cenian fusion: their specialty is the kimchi fish tacos. It mixes the savory, fishy taste of locally caught Cenian sea bass with the spicy, pungent taste of the Korean national dish: kimchi, or, to the uninitiated, pickled cabbage, imbued with lots of spice. The tacos certainly have crunch - not only from the lettuce and taco, but from the kimchi as well. Surprisingly, the kimchi doesn't overpower the fish; instead, it complements it, with the spices bringing out the flavors in the fish, while the fish tones down the kimchi a bit. The fish, too, has the perfect golden-brown batter on it to put the whole package together.

The owner, Sung-Min Cho, was born in Montreal, in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, but moved to Ceni at a young age. He studied at the University of Cenial, in entrepreneurship, and quickly seized on this opportunity to combine his duel heritage, from Quebec and Ceni, into a business that's been very successful, at least from the looks of the line that's stretching out the door. He buys his kimchi from a local Korean company which makes it in mild, medium, and hot, and buys his fish from vendors along the ocean, keeping it fresh every day. He then assembles it himself. The food truck itself moves around University City for most of the day, frequenting areas around the student centers of the three main universities in the area. It's always a long wait for Cho's delicious bites, but it's worth it to get some of the best fish tacos in Cenial.

Wednesday: Ethiopia is Never Far From Home Here
WHITE NILE Ethiopian | $$ | Ethnic Districts | whitenile.cen

Be prepared to get messy here, as White Nile will take you on a trip to the land of Ethiopia - where the custom is to eat food with your fingers. It's no surprise, then, that White Nile chooses to stick with that custom. As soon as you arrive in the restaurant, which is decorated with images of the churches of Lalibela, the White Nile, and Axum, Ethiopia's ancient civilization, waiters serve your table with heaps of injera, which is a type of spongy bread that acts as your "fork" and "plate", all rolled in one. Then you can order a variety of stews, called wat, and entrees ranging from pork and beef to more vegetarian options such as greens, lentils, and cottage cheese. I chose some dishes that also ranged the spectrum of spices, from mild to heavy with spices.

When I went there, White Nile was hosting a lively Ethiopian music festival, and they frequently invite bands to play traditional Ethiopian tunes and dance. Although the place was a little dark, the ambient lighting made it an enjoyable experience, and it was certainly a bit romantic; I certainly enjoyed the experience, not only of eating with my fingers, but of sitting on the low stools and couches that they had there. The food was good, too, and their spongy injera either complemented the meats or the wat or toned down the spices. Overall, if you enjoy the culinary adventure of eating with your fingers, then this place is for you, although the variety of dishes to be served with the injera means that there's something for every kind of taste.

Thursday: Street-Corner Classic Serves Up Delights
EPHESUS CAFÉ Mediterranean | $$ | Montague | ephesuscafe.cen

The Ephesus Cafe is always busy - but you can still get your food fast here. Throughout the restaurant, you can hear hubbub of Arabic and English and Greek conversation, but that doesn't disturb the chefs and servers here as they carry on their work in silence. Their counter service means your meal is fast and efficient - and the small menu means there isn't much to decide over. They have two types of shawarma and two types of giro - chicken and lamb. When you choose one, the servers will quickly chop some off the rack and efficiently (and wordlessly) prepare your wrap and send you on their way, ready for the next customer. It maybe isn't the best customer service, but it's quick, and the food is delicious - the house made tzatziki sauce and hummus supplement the juicy and melts-in-your mouth meat quite well. The atmosphere here is casual and relaxed - in addition to the constant hubbub, there are men smoking hookah and playing chess and backgammon. Telling from the languages you hear here as well, this really isn't one type of ethnic cuisine - it's a mixture of the various cuisines of the Mediterranean, Lebanese and Turkish and Greek alike.

Back in the kitchen, chefs are busy at work roasting the next day's spits, wordlessly as in the front. The owner, Mustafa al-Andalus, plans to expand to another location, probably in University City or Hawkesbury, and his customers are clamoring for it. They enjoy the atmosphere and the quick service and the wonderfully and perfectly roasted meat. But, al-Andalus says, those plans will probably have to wait, as he's too busy running the current location, named after one of the Seven Wonders of the World. There's meat to buy, spits to roast, and giros and shawarma to serve, after all. While this restaurant might not be the most welcoming off the top, it's a place to have a great meal and share some time with your friends.

Friday: Pupusas the Order of the Day
EL REY PUPUSERÍA San Lleran/Guayabalense | $ | Lower North Side | elrey.cen

Who knew there could be so many types of pupusas? Cheese, refried beans, jalapeno, avocado, chicharron (ground pork), and ground beef. And the El Rey Pupseria serves both Guayabalense and San Lleran types of pupusas - doubling the amount of pupusas to choose from. But all of them are good - so there shouldn't be too much indecision. The El Rey Pupuseria is located in a small storefront in the Lower North Side, so the kitchen is in full view of the counter, meaning you can see your lunch being made before your eyes. There is a small patio available for patrons, but the restaurant serves mostly carry-out. On a nice day, residents of the Lower North Side like to camp out in a park only one block away from the pupuserias, which are always steaming hot and fresh out of the oven when they are delivered. The pupusas are heavenly, no matter which one you choose, and they have a wonderful consistency, both the San Lleran and Guayabalense kinds, which differ in the fillings and the consistency of the bread.

In addition to the pupusas, the pupuseria also has its own take on the traditional sides. Besides salsa, they also serve curtido, the traditional accompaniment of pupusas, which are lightly fermented cabbage slaw with red chilies and vinegar. But El Rey ferments it a little longer than normal and adds more red chilies - making it more zestful and flavorful, excellent to go on your pupusas. The two flavors mesh nicely, with the spicy and the savory contrasting excellently to create a great flavor. This Lower North Side favorite often hosts workers taking pupusas to go, so make sure you avoid shift change times before trying to eat here.

Saturday: Home Cooking From Red Blackiland
CESTARA KAFFEE Red Blackilandish | $$ | Upper North Side | cestarakaffee.cen

The smell of apfelstrudel wafts through the small bakery of the Cestara Kaffee - which is almost as big as the café portion of the restaurant itself. For many, Cestara Kaffee's desserts are more famous than their actual meals - although their dinner is still delicious. There are so many dishes on the menu from Red Blackiland, and it's hard to decide between their homemade and home-pounded wiener schniztel, their home-marinated sauerbraten, which sits for several days in the cafe's proprietary sauce, which acts to make it nice and tender, and their famous bratwurst. The portions are large and the meal is filling, and most of their dishes come with large portions of red cabbage, sauerkraut, spatzle (a special type of egg flour noodle), or potato dumplings, but I had to save room for dessert, too. With their dessert, the restaurant aims to do the entire thing in their bakery - you can even sit in the back of the restaurant on a patio where the apple trees that supply the apple filling for the apfelstrudel.

When I sat down to take a bite of the apfelstrudel, a band from Red Blackiland started playing in the background, serenading me as I enjoyed the warm strudel, with the hand-picked apples and thin layers of dough, all wrapped together in one gooey, yummy package. The bakery, as the rest of the restaurant, is decorated in a style reminiscent of the Red Blackilandish capital, Cestara, with the traditional awning and pictures of Cestara around the small-ish restaurant, which is a bit dark but lit by candles and graced by flowers on each table. This restaurant, then, feels very homely and authentic, which, of course, it is. Overall, Cestara Kaffee was an extremely enjoyable experience, capped off with an excellent dessert. Make sure to save room for it.

Sunday: A New Flair on Asian Classics
SVADA Asian | $$$ | SoCa | svada.cen

There are only so many ways that you can prepare a chow mein dish, right? Actually, this new restaurant, Svada (which means taste in Nepalese), is attempting to push the boundaries of traditional Asian classics by adding tastes and spices from other cultures to create one of the best new restaurants in town. In addition to their famous chow mein with peanut sauce and water buffalo meat, a combination of Thai and Nepalese styles of doing it, they also add copious vegetables to create a new dish of their own. In addition, the restaurant's shave noodle dish features Indian spices combined with Mongolian khorkog (a special way of preparing lamb meat), creating a zesty new flavor and fusion between the different ideas in the dish. And then there's the chicken katsu bento box, a Hawaiian dish served in the Japanese style. This restaurant definitely knows a way to change up what we think of as Asian food and give it a new twist.

The idea is courtesy of the young restauranteur Aylva Corandel, who just graduated from cooking school. She always felt connected to Asian cuisine, as her grandmother was from a region of Ceni known for its Asian cuisine, and she would cook the family some of the dishes she sampled in her travels as a worldwide businesswoman. It was a mouth-watering experience for Corandel, who decided to start this restaurant of her own to combine that passion with her own flair for the unique and for traveling. Her wide travels have shown her many types of cuisine, which led to the taste combinations of this restaurant. But the design of the restaurant remains modern, with clean, modernist designs and simple tables. Although the prices are a little extravagant here, the food is definitely worth the cost.