NAMIBE CHRONICLE
WEST ANGOLA DOWNS FALATULU IN HIGH-SCORING MATCHPeter Simmons celebrates his second goal in the 88th minute TOAKAMEAU- West Angola won its second match of qualifying last night, grabbing a 5-3 win over Rule Theriault’s side in front of a hostile crowd. Falatulu, which broke away from Free Republics recently, late in the reign of August II, poached their parent nation’s manager as well as its entire national side, meaning that West Angola would be facing a familiar opponent under a different name. The last match between West Angola and Free Republics came in the quarterfinals of the 59th Cup of Harmony, a match West Angola won on penalties en route to a fourth-place finish, but since that time Free Republics went on to host World Cup 68 (falling to Vilita in the final), finish third in World Cup 73, and win the 66th edition of the Cup of Harmony. Coming off these strong results, the same side playing for Falatulu was expected to easily handle the lower seeds in group thirteen and challenge Osarius for the top spot, but instead has disappointed thus far, falling to Legalese 7-3 after an opening win against Tobiasia, and last night taking a second loss at the hands of West Angola.
In contrast, West Angola’s fourth-place Cup of Harmony finish was the beginning of a decline for the national side, as soon afterwards came the Augustine coup. While the Exiles did field a side for a few years, they perpetually underperformed and finally faded away. Now attempting a comeback on the international stage, West Angola bounced back from a disappointing 0-0 draw against Herendon to open the campaign with a stunning 2-0 upset of Osarius last month, and then followed that up with a jubilant road victory over Falatulu to give them victories over both of group thirteen’s top two seeds and keep them in first place in the group through three matches. Coming into the match, the small contingent of West Angolan fans who made the trip were as optimistic as the team, which was summed up by manager Jan Pawel: “The win over Osarius was huge, for morale and as a statement that we can play world-class football. We need to bring that same intensity here tonight and try to get three more points.”
The match went back-and-forth for the first ten minutes with no clear advantage to either side, although EPSN announcer Alan Harrison did comment that West Angola was playing with a level of intensity reminiscent of their win over Osarius, and that holding Falatulu in check was an accomplishment in and of itself. Thirteen minutes in Paul Ramirez managed to get behind Arnou Labrecque on a long pass from Elsa Scott and fired the ball past a diving Levai Imre to put West Angola in front early. Falatulu responded well to the early deficit, however, and the home side increased the pressure against the visitors. Eight minutes after Ramirez’s goal Captain Kyle Bolton crossed over William Craig and scored the equalizer, and seven minutes later Connie Chase put the favorites in front with a spectacular header off of Bernard Lukic’s corner.
West Angola refused to yield to the pressure and managed to hold Falatulu out of the goal for the remainder of the first half. Jeremy Thomas pulled off an amazing save in the 41st minute to stop a shot by Bolton from putting his side in a 3-1 hole, and Peter Simmons advanced into the opposing zone off the clearance and found Nathan Gonzalez all alone on the wing. The 21-year old Youngstown midfielder wasted no time firing a shot on goal that Imre managed to save, but as he crashed to the ground the Falatulu keeper lost control of the ball and it rolled directly to Abraham Taylor in a golden opportunity, and the promising young player equalized on what was essentially an empty net. Even at the halftime whistle, Jan Pawel spoke glowingly of his team’s performance: “We’re playing very well and it’s showing. I like where we are going into the second half as long as we keep up the intensity and don’t let our guard down.”
In the second half, West Angola seized the initiative out of the gate, hammering away at Falatulu’s defense as they sought to move back in front. In the 57th minute they finally succeeded as Sophia Valdez, who has weathered accusations of dirty play following a controversial foul against Osarius curled in a free kick from twenty yards out to give her side the lead 3-2. With a chance for their side to carry away three points, the visiting fans grew louder and louder as the match went on and West Angola continued to deny Falatulu the equalizer. The home side broke through at last in the 80th minute, but Faredin Pozenel’s shot was tipped over the bar by Jeremy Thomas. Kyle Bolton seized the ball off the corner and scored his second goal of the match to knot the score at three and causing the gathered home fans to breathe a massive collective sigh of relief.
Unfortunately for Falatulu, there was still football to be played. West Angola played aggressively rather than protecting the draw, and in the 85th minute Patrick Werfel was booked in the box for excessive contact with Peter Simmons, drawing a deafening chorus of boos directed at the referee and Werfel. Simmons took the ensuing penalty coolly, fooling Imre and putting his team back in front with just five minutes and stoppage time left to play. Any hope the home fans had for a miracle was doused three minutes later when Peter Simmons scored his second goal of the match off a cross from Nathan Gonzalez to seal the win for the underdogs. After the match, Jan Pawel was exultant about his team’s chances going forward, “We showed today that we can play with the best the multiverse has to offer. We’re very excited to face Tobiasia, Legalese, Frenline Delpha, and all the others in the second leg, and as long as we keep playing like we have so far we’ll be able to find more success going forward.”
With the win, West Angola holds onto first place in group thirteen, one point ahead of unbeaten, untied Frenline Delpha, who has only played two matches so far. The national team next takes on Tobiasia in Namibe next week, tickets will be made available through the Sporting Ministry Ticket Office, which can be reached by phone at 22-81-1995 or online at
http://www.football.wa/national/tickets.
West Angola (#120) at Falatulu (#23)
West Angola Falatulu
13' Paul Ramirez 1-0
1-1 21' Kyle Bolton
1-2 28' Connie Chase
42' Abraham Taylor 2-2
57' Sophia Valdez 3-2
3-3 81' Kyle Bolton
85' Peter Simmons* 4-3
88' Peter Simmons 5-3
Yellow: Santos 37' 85' Patrick Werfel
Taylor 76'
Red: None
Group 13 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 West Angola 2 1 1 0 2 0 +2 4
2 Osarius 2 1 0 1 3 2 +1 3
3 Frenline Delpha 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 3
Legalese 2 1 0 1 7 6 +1 3
5 Falatulu 2 1 0 1 6 9 −3 3
6 Herendon 2 0 1 1 0 1 −1 1
7 Tobiasia 1 0 0 1 2 3 −1 0
Chronicle writers Christopher Lauren and Paul Wilson contributed to this report.
Continued from I-DayPart One|
Part Two|
Part ThreePart Four: StarsThe canopy of his fighter had automatically dimming glass that kept the sun from blinding him, but Gavin was still glad to get it out of his eyes as the eight aircraft reached their turnaround point and swung back towards Benguela. Even now, the invasion fleet would be landing on the beach near the installation, and with any luck the defenders would not have been able to call for help from Luanda or Namibe. On their first run, Gavin and his wingman, Lt. Winslow, had taken down the facility's primary radar tower and downed one hostile fighter apiece. This time their primary targets would be the massive artillery emplacements that guarded the beach against ground assault. While they were too large and too slow to use against aircraft, they represented a formidable threat to infantry units trying to push inland. Even allowing them the opportunity to target the landing craft had been considered a dangerous risk, but the turrets were very well camouflaged for their size, and the time it would take to find them before they could begin firing would make the fighters vulnerable to anti-air defenses. As a result, it had been decided that the guns would be left to the second wave, when their active status would make them far more visible targets.
It didn't take long before Benguela came back into view, but the sounds of battle reached Gavin's ears well before then. Captain Thomas came over the radio, "Looks like our friends have arrived. Those deep thuds you hear are our targets. Intelligence indicates there are twelve, all arrayed in a line about ten miles behind the city, so we should be coming into range very soon. Split by flights and each take a half dozen. Seven leads two flight, take Eight, Ten, and Eleven."
Gavin acknowledged, "Yes sir," then switched over to the flight frequency that had been used to issue orders by Five before her death, "Keep the same wing pairs. We're taking the right six, so I want Ten and Eleven to hit the three closest to the far edge while Eight and I get the middle ones, got it?"
Ten and Eleven confirmed as the Exile fighters broke into two groups of four and approached the artillery in a flat line. Gavin watched the distance to range count down on his HUD, and centered his targeting reticle on the first gun as he counted down under his breath, "Three...two...one...locking on...now!" He squeezed the trigger and watched the missile streak away, "Falcon Seven, three away!" A moment later, Winslow's shot flew past his canopy, and not long after that both impacted their respective targets. Once again, Gavin whooped, "Direct hit! Just one to go, Eight!"
"Acknowle- whoa!" Winslow's characteristic reply was cut off as a surface-to-air missile blasted past his wing and detonated uncomfortably close. The mainland ground defenses opened up on the Exiles, SAM batteries and older outdated artillery pieces from the previous century filling the area. The first volley produced several near misses, but no hits, and the Exiles were able to eliminate half of the massive guns on their initial run. Gavin and Winslow flew over the smoldering remains left by their shots, then swung around to finish the last one in their group, "Eight, tuck in behind me. I'll shoot first and if I miss you take it out." Once again, Winslow delivered his one-word acknowledgement, but as they banked into the turn another attack from the ground forced them apart, Gavin diving and his wingman going high. The maneuver proved fatal for Winslow, as another SAM came in from his blind side and impacted just behind the cockpit. Twisting into a graceful, but macabre, dive, the burning plane broke apart and fell out of the sky.
Already trying to avoid fire from the ground, Gavin now also had to react quickly to avoid being swatted out of the sky by the wreckage. He was very nearly successful, but a missile detonated right next to his cockpit and the resulting shockwave sent him spiraling out of control. Locked into what was ultimately a straight line as he fought for control, the plane was all too easy for the ground batteries to track. A second SAM, then a third, slammed into Gavin's engines, mashing his face against the instrument panel, breaking his helmet and his nose, and sending what remained of his craft into a steep dive. Pressed back into his seat by the force of gravity and barely able to see from the trauma his face had sustained, Gavin groped blindly for the ejection lever and yanked it. Ripped from the cockpit as it disintegrated around him, he pulled his parachute ripcord and put his body through one last shock as the sudden stop nearly dislocated his shoulders. Nearly blacking out from the pain, he steeled his nerves and concentrated on staying awake by trying to take stock of the battle.
As best he could tell, five of his squadron mates were still in the air and three of the artillery emplacements were still active, but as he descended the mainland defenses managed to down another of his friends and one of the aircraft (probably Captain Thompson) wreck a gun with a well-placed shot. The Exiles' lack of experience was showing, only a handful of the squadron's pilots had flown in real combat before today, and even with total air superiority they were still taking heavy casualties. As he drifted down, the blood began to drain from Gavin's head and he was able to think more clearly. With a start, he realized the ground was rushing towards him rapidly, and he barely had time to bend his knees before he landed. As he hit, he rolled forward and unbuckled his parachute to avoid getting tangled, a certain death sentence at this point. Grounded and alone in hostile territory with precious little to work with, the prospects for survival were dim enough as it was.
No one was shooting at him, and he appeared to have escaped attention for the time being, so Gavin cautiously got to his feet and discarded his ruined flight helmet. A quick touch of his nose confirmed that it was indeed broken, but he had managed to avoid injuring his ankles in the landing, so he should still be able move if he needed to. To defend himself, he had only his sidearm (with precious little ammunition), a knife, and a pair of grenades, so it would be prudent to avoid a fight as he tried to slip back to his own people. A shout from nearby sent him diving back into the dirt, grateful for his flight suit sharing a color with the ground, and he crawled towards a ditch as three men in mainland uniforms came to search for him, "The parachute is right over there, he can't have gotten far. Spread out and be careful, we don't know what kind of condition he's in."
Moving slowly in his hiding place, Gavin slowly drew the pistol and aimed as well as he could for the leader, then thought better of it and drew the knife as well. A new plan was taking shape in his mind, and drawing their attention now would ruin it. Gavin lay still and silent in the ditch as one of the soldiers approached, trying to make his breathing as soft as possible, until the man was only a step away from noticing him. Exploding upwards, he kicked the handgun away from the mainlander and twisted the arm holding the knife around his throat, immobilizing him and putting him between Gavin and the other two. Unwillingness to shoot their comrade caused each one to hesitate, which gave Gavin all the time he needed to shoot them both. With the knife still pressed against the man's jugular, Gavin hissed in his ear, "What's the password at your camp?" Scared and shocked at the sudden turn of events, the soldier stammered out, "B...bo...bovine. The password is bovine. Please don't kill me."
Gavin didn't answer, instead he returned his gun to its holster and used the now-free hand to break his captive's neck. As he released the now-lifeless body of the man whose identity he would assume, the enormity of what he'd just done hit him. These three were the first he'd ever killed face-to-face, and as the adrenaline and training-induced action wore off, he suddenly felt sick and stumbled a few steps away to throw up. One of the things his instructors had drilled into him was that surviving on the ground as a pilot required nerves of steel, and right now his nerves more resembled frayed yarn than any kind of metal. He fell to his hands and knees as his stomach voided its contents, and it was several seconds before he finally managed to regain control of his body and stand again.
Once he was back on his feet, he returned to the body of the broken-necked soldier and quickly stripped off his flight suit. The dead man’s uniform was a tight fit, especially for someone used to baggy clothing, but Gavin managed to squeeze into it without major difficulty, and along with what he scrounged from the other two was able to add several more grenades and an automatic rifle to his arsenal. He had some reservations about robbing the dead, but the necessity of it overrode any moral concerns. Now convincingly disguised and far better armed, he made his way towards where the artillery emplacement was still raining fire down on his countrymen.
As expected, he was stopped near the gun by a sentry, “Halt! Password.” It was a demand, not a query, and Gavin was quick to respond, “Bovine.” The gun barrel didn’t move, “Where are the other members of your patrol?”
Gavin swallowed, “Dead. The pilot we were looking for killed them both before I could finish him. He was waiting to ambush us and he got both Billing and Watson (the names he had taken from their uniforms) before they knew he was there. I managed to dodge his first shot and sprayed down the area until he stopped screaming.”
The sentry nodded approvingly, “Better than the bastard deserved. I’ll pass the word along that we need to collect the bodies, you’d best go report in.”
Gavin held his breath as he passed, he could barely believe it had worked! He had no idea where he was supposed to go to report in, but since he had no intention of doing so that didn’t matter so long as he looked as though he did. As soon as he was out of sight of the sentry post he turned and made a beeline for the gun, trying to find the medium between speed and nonchalance as he navigated the camp. Once he was within throwing range of the gun, he slid behind the corner of the ammunition storage building and fished the grenades from his belt. Working quickly while keeping a sharp lookout, Gavin took off his belt and looped it through the hand grips. Even set off all at once, seven handheld grenades wouldn’t be nearly powerful enough to damage the gun, but if he could start a chain reaction with the stored ammunition, it would wreck the artillery and a lot more besides.
Since the gun was in service, the door was unlocked, and Gavin was about to push it open when a hand roughly grabbed his shoulder. Turning around, he saw one of the loaders, “What the hell are you doing?”
Gavin gave him a big grin, “Not a damn thing.” Then he knocked him down with a punch to the jaw and slammed the door open. With one fluid motion, he ripped the pins out of the grenades and flung the belt into the building. He only had a few seconds before everything blew up, and he sprinted away as the loader he’d coldcocked pointed and shouted, “Sabotage! Kill him!”
He heard the grenades go off behind him and knew he had only moments before the ammunition started going up as well and threw himself flat. The explosion picked him up all the same before hurling him roughly to the ground, breaking his leg and peppering his body with shrapnel. His ears ringing (and bleeding), Gavin was only dimly aware of the world as he pulled himself forward, knowing that he had to keep going. At last, having reached the end of his strength after only a few feet, he collapsed in the dirt at the feet of a mainland soldier who had responded to the shouts and had seen the Exile pilot go flying. With a contemptuous sneer, he pointed his pistol at Gavin’s head. The pilot knew his time had run out,
I never stopped fighting, Dad. I never-Emily closed the second notebook, “Lieutenant Commander Gavin Hodges, we honor you today as a martyr to the cause of freedom.”