World Cup 77 - Roleplay Thread

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

This is the beginning, the intro to all the fun for next while. Are you ready?

Matchday One Cutoff

[Northern Sunrise Islands]

Sunrise looked at the St. Futurnian train station one last time before the locomotive started to move.
For a couple of seconds, he could remember leaving the town with some of his relatives on the station, waving him good bye.
He closed his eyes, re-opening only to see again the proper station as it was.
Kitsunia held his arm, smiling.
"You remember that day, right?"
"Yeah. Feels completely different when you think about it."
"I say it was still a good day, all things considered."
"We're lucky fate went our way."
"Yeah. We did work hard for it to happen though..."
"It is a whole lot better than what the family had planned for me, remember that."
"They would never succeed. The Sunrise I know would never become that."
"Sunrise?"
The figure covered by a robe stood between the benches of the train, staring at the couple.
"...Yeah, that's my name."
She threw away her robe, revealing a proud-looking, blue-haired warrior, decked in a silver, very detailed armor, most likely a teenager. She quickly pointed her fine-looking sword in Sunrise's direction.
"Sunrise of the Arceusian Order of the Sun!"
"AH! I'M NOT WITH THEM ANYMORE!"
She grabbed hold of his shirt, lifting him up, almost against the top of the train.
"DO NOT LIE! I know your Order is planning something and I, Kirisaki of the Shining Moon will not allow it to happen!"
"HELP!"
"Formation Alpha Zeta Omega!"
Kitsunia threw Qasden against the sword-bearing girl.
The little girl's head (covered by a little pink helmet, after all) managed to hit Kirisaki's stomach, dazing her a bit and causing her to drop the sword and Sunrise.
Chrom swiftly picked up the sword, pointing at her direction.
"Grrr..."
"STOP!"
Sunrise stumbled up, shaking his head.
He walked up to Chrom, staring at the girl.
"Do your worst, but the Order of the Shining Moon will prevail at the end!"
"Yeah, I'm not killing you."
"...What?"
"I said I wasn't with them anymore because I really ain't with them anymore."
"But... But you're supposed to be their leader to the Armageddon!"
"Well, deal with it. I'm not."
"But then... How can the Shining Moon win?"
"Uh... what's Shining Moon?"
"It's a story I'd gladly tell but first."
He lowered a bit, staring at Kirisaki.
"I'll need help to tell this. I promise no backstabbing as long as you promise not to attack either me, my fiancée or my family."
Kirisaki did a double take, looking at Sunrise and Kitsunia.
"...Does she know your past?"
"Shining Moon aside."
"He could end the world!"
"Doubt it. He likes Pokémon battling too much to do that."
"Mean lady can't understand it!"
"He won't. The Sunrise I love would never fulfill his mother's sick thoughts."
"I swear."
"...How can you guarantee this isn't a trick?"
"He won the two last World Cups, he doesn't wish at all to blow the world up, he left his home and lived with me and my brother for at least thirteen years..."
"And the Church of the Arceusian Order is crumbling on its' own."
"So..."
"The rivalry doesn't have reasons to exist anymore."

"So... The Rivalry?"
"Well..."
He stared at the sword user, who remained tied down.
"I believe you're all familiar with Sir Sunrise."
"His ancestor, yeah."
"As a child, he was promised on marrying the Princess of a far away land. Her name was Mikoto."
"That name sounds familiar."
"And for good reason. He bolted out of his homeland protesting the unfairness of such decision, joined the Esportivan Kingdom and signed up to be a knight, using his talents to surpass his lack of wealth."
"But Princess Mikoto found a way to follow him."
"She relinquished her title, moved to the Esportivan Kingdom as well and then proceeded to win the position of Empress."
"That explains."
"Sir Sunrise's cowardice to respect such agreement did make Mikoto a powerful Empress, earning the position after the Kingdom managed to swallow up the Astyrian lands."
"However, she couldn't manage the forces very well, being a foreigner to such position. The Lions themselves weren't all under agreement with the style of the Empress."
"She would never forgive Sir Sunrise and eventually sent a good chunk of her forces after him."
"Sir Sunrise took his party and hid in a rather distant island, which he managed to turn into a stronghold to protect himself from her fury. There, he formed the Order of the Arceusian Sun to help all manner of souls that needed help."
"Mikoto was certain she'd be able to eliminate him right there."
"However, she always treated most of her forces poorly and at that point, she was at her extreme. His stronghold would turn into a village of people disgruntled with Mikoto's reign."
"Eventually, Mikoto was forced to give away her position, fleeing with her retainers."
"In all fairness, pressure had amounted on her head by that point and she still wished for vengeance against him."
"And then rumours of his marriage appeared. She was furious, but had little way to obtain vengeance."
"She never truly passed on, her soul remaining with the retainers she kept as they formed the Order of the Shining Moon."
"Their job would be to end the Arceusian Sun and everything Sir Sunrise stood for."
"...So they were evil?"
"..."
"Not quite. Our goal was to end the Arceusian Sun."
"...And people like Madam DuBeaux once led the Arceusian Sun as well, right?"
"Yes. That's why I rather let it die."
"But my mission..."
"...It's the only thing you know how to do?"
"..."

Kirisaki looked down to the floor of Sunrise's flat.
In a way, she seemed disappointed that her mission was pretty much worthless now.
"It was... It was my claim to..."
She remained sitting alone on the couch, looking to her sword.
Sunrise coughed, handing her a plate with dinner. Rice, beans, lettuce and chicken.
Seemed pretty tasty as well.
"T-thank you."
"Eh, it's OK."
"I... I don't know."
"What?"
"I don't know what to do with my life. Our goal is more or less done, I'm almost the sole one from the Shining Moon still around."
Kitsunia looked at the depressed girl, thinking.
"So... You're a warrior, right?"
"Shining Moon's finest... although that doesn't mean much now."
"I have an idea."

Kitsunia walked across the forest, accompanied by a girl. She was using some of Kitsunia's old clothes for the time being and had a Pokéball Sunrise loaned to her.
"I... I still don't know how I can thank you and..."
"Sunrise. We're both fine about it. In a way, consider this some sort of apology from us both for what Sir Sunrise did."
A Ralts appeared.
"That's a Ralts?"
"Yes. Why don't you try it out?"
"O-OK! Pikachu... Go!"
She threw the Pokéball on the ground, releasing a smiling, female Pikachu as it could be seen from her heart-shaped tail.
The battle was short, helps that the Pikachu was one of Sunrise's former favorite Pokémon, and so they were rather well trained.
"Now what?"
"Catch the Ralts."
"...?"
"With a free Pokéball."
Kirisaki used Pokéball!
...
...
...
Success! Ralts was caught!
"Congratulations."
She leaped, celebrating with the Pokéball.
"I caught my first Pokémon!"
"Indeed."
"Let's get more!"
"Don't worry, we have all the time we need."
"Really?"
"Yeah. And then once we're done here, Sunrise is cooking us dinner."
She blinked, looking at the grass.
"C'mon, let's go!"
"...OK!"

Handy character guide because of the whole color thing not always being very easy on that sort of job.

[Rebuild the Wall]

The Wall Stands Tall in World Cup Debut
3 Stoneman Saves Key Draw

Wooden Palisade was the location of Rebuild the Wall’s World Cup debut yesterday against 68th ranked Boring Paradise. Based on the official KPB rankings Boring Paradise are the 4th best team in Group 8. For fans of offense, boring would be an apt description for yesterday’s match.

The unusual formation of Rebuild the Wall constantly frustrated any attempts by Boring Paradise to establish an offensive rhythm. As they only forced keeper John Stoneman to make 3 saves, none of which were particularly difficult. While most of the match was played in our defensive half, Boring Paradise could never seem to find a way to break down the defense.

In fact, the best chance of the match belonged to Rebuild the Wall. Simon Swift broke away on a counterattack in the 71st minute. His shot from the wing trickled through the hands of the Boring Paradise keeper, but rolled just past the far post for a corner kick, which was easily cleared by a regrouped Boring Paradise.

After the match Manager Martin Stone said, “I’m pleased with how well we acquitted ourselves in our World Cup debut…especially in front of our home fans. Boring Paradise is a solid side and could contend for a spot in the top 2 in our group.”

The capacity crowd of 5,000 went home fairly pleased with the result, though obviously they would have much preferred to see the home side come away with all 3 points.

Rebuild the Wall 0, Boring Paradise 0

YC: none
RC: none

[Schottia]

The Art of Sneaking

Part two.

The Man

Gary's taxi dropped him of at the end of a single-track road close to the brow of the hill, over which lay his valley below. After training he was always in a rush to get back to his hut, change out of his training gear, and scrub away the outside world. It was autumn now, and Chatswood's season was already shaping up to be another sore one. They were peddling backwards in terms of league finishes, and there was no way to get around the fact that he was part of the problem. It was impossible to paint a favourable gloss on this, he could undoubtedly play better than he had been, but he simply didn't care enough. That was going to be his epitaph:

Gary Corsie 1994 - 2065
"He didn't care"

There was a strong breeze coming off the hills, and it swept the hair from his face as he stood by his mailbox to check for letters. He placed the palm of his hand against the curved metal container and waited for it to stop resonating, as the wind seemed to be catching it just right. There was never normally much in it, but since he refused to own a telephone, he needed some way of being contacted. He didn't check it every day, in actual fact he found checking it very stressful. Other than his taxi journey to Westcroft, it was his only link to the outside world, a portal, which in reality could bring him nothing but misery. It was like a mystery box only containing bad news.

He reached inside and pulled out a small bundle of paper: incredibly there was even a flyer for a pizza takeaway service, there was another advertising an organic beer tasting night, and... fuck! no! a letter addressed to him. Upon seeing the postage mark Gary fell to his knees and began sobbing uncontrollably. How could this even be possible? It was from the SFA, the Schottic Football Association, he knew by the weight of it, exactly what it would contain. This was the worst of both worlds, he was apparently playing well enough to receive a call up to the squad, yet there was no way in hell he was going to set a foot on the pitch. Schottia named a pool of thirty-four players at the start of every set of World Cup qualifiers, but only twenty-three would make the match squad for any one fixture. He would be unlikely to ever make the twenty-three, yet he would be required come along and train with the rest of them, then he would be left hanging there like an odd sock on the drying line. He'd have to endure Chloe's worried looks, his ex girlfriend who had replaced the love she felt for him with pity. He would have to be given a once-over by Claire, the physio whom he slept with, then told lies about to get her sacked. So many fucking ghosts there, so many people he had offended, creeped out, or just generally rubbed up the wrong way. Christ, even walking into the building would feel like being on trial.

Some days Gary ran down the hill to his hut, the wind blowing in his hair, and he felt like a child as he bounded over the grass and shrubs to where he could make himself a herbal tea and put his feet up. Today however, it was a long slow drudge, with every step feeling almost painful, like he was to his knees in snow. He was in two minds as to whether or not he should accept the call-up. There was nothing he was dreading more than a trip back to Schottia, but the last thing he wanted was to make the headlines back home. Either way, something had entered his life, and now the time he had set aside for digging potatoes and doing a teaching himself how to knit was going to be taken up with needless fretting.

Gary threw his kit bag into the far corner of his cabin, and went over to check the stove. It was starting to get cool outside, and he was pleased to see a few red embers through the sooty glass pane. An old metal pale stood to one side of the stove, in it normally sat a few sticks and logs, which he used to keep the fire going. It was almost empty however - and given that he wanted to sit here for the rest of the day in a state of lamentation - he would need to do something about it. With a hefty sigh, he wiped and remaining tears from his eyes, chucked the last stick into the fire to give it a boost, and headed out into the valley in search of firewood.

When he got back he would open the letter, he promised himself, it might not be as bad as he thought. He would feel better with some soup on the stove and a camomile infusion in his hands. It had been a rough day, and there was no sign of being out of the woods yet.

Gary headed down to the northernmost part of the valley, which the sun never touched that often. In the northern hemisphere, and given the way the hills lay, it meant that the ground there could often remain wet and boggy long after the rest of the valley had dried out. Despite there being a substantial thicket of birch trees down that end, the dampness problem meant that it wasn't always the best place for collecting firewood. It had been dry for a couple of days though, and it had the added advantage of being the furthest most point from the newcomers, meaning Gary could be sure off utter solitude. There was something about being in the birch wood that reminded Gary of his childhood, and it gave him that almost rising sense of nostalgia, which started in his stomach and ended with a tingle on the end of his nose. He must have walked through somewhere like this before, maybe in a dream, but somehow it felt more real than that. He liked the way the small leaves lay in a tight little patchwork of pixels on the ground, with the wild garlic and other weeds pocking up through them. He liked the way the canopy of leaves above felt satisfyingly thin, like a layer of yellow and green slowly changing with the season.

The same stream which ran through the valley also intersected the birch wood, although the vast majority of it was on Gary's side. The stream was also much narrower, slower, and deeper here, and there was a pool about half way along where Gary had once caught a small fish. His initial idea had been to cook it and eat it over a campfire - he had been drawn to the idea of trying to live entirely within his own eco system, never taking out more than he put back. However, when he saw the little thing on the end of his hook he had been moved to sympathy, and forced to release it again. This had been before the newcomers had arrived, back when he was the only sole in this place.

Gary reached the spot where he had caught the fish, and looked down into the still pool of water at his own reflection. Fuck, he was thin. He wasn't trying to lose weight, but this near vegan diet and the daily training sessions were taking their toll on his long built up fat reserves. It crippled him now - thinking about the crap he'd put though his body - all the caffeine, alcohol, additives in his processed food. Even the bloody shampoo and soap. Christ, he'd not used a bar of soap in over a year and he'd never felt cleaner; it was obvious to see people were being conned. It hardly felt real, any of this, but Gary had felt that way for a while now. Even Chloe, he sometimes lay awake at night wondering whether he had made her up - he just couldn't be entirely sure. People told him he was crazy, at least with their sideways glances.

'Heh!' Gary leapt back, almost stumbling as he saw his reflection move on it's own, or at least thought he did. His heart was pounding as he stared over to the other side of the river at a tall, lanky figure, stood with his hands buried deep in his pockets. He was what his mother would have called lofty, easily as tall as Gary, with thinning grey hair, which was thinker at the back and sides. He almost resembled a deckchair, in the way his clothes seemed to hang off him with his elbows and knees protruding. He didn't look healthy, he looked thin through lack of nutrition, rather than a good diet. He almost reminded Gary of the homeless people that stood down near the old church next to his parents' house. Yet, the man wasn't dirty or anything, he just looked unloved.

'You startled me.' Gary said matter-of-factly, placing his own hands in his pockets as he faced him square on.

'I'm sorry, I didna mean to.' The man answered in a north Handon accent, which again reminded Gary of growing up. He had lost his own burr years ago, maybe even deliberately eradicating it.

'That's alright, I was just in a bit of a dream that's all.'

'I noticed.'

'Are you staying over at the settlement?'

'Aye'

'You'll forgive me, but you don't exactly look like the kind of person, who normally comes here?'

'Are ye tellin me you do?'

Gary paused for a second to consider this response, before both of them shared in a laugh. It was the most he had laughed in weeks, months even, and it felt good. His cheeks felt flushed with blood again, and he used muscles in his jaw and forehead that he hadn't used in a long time. His shoulder's even dropped a little, as his spine melted into more of a relaxed posture.

'Just got this.' Gary held the letter he had received from the SFA, branding it like a referee would a yellow card. He had been carrying it the whole time, physical contact was the only way these days that Gary could differentiate between real and unreal.

'I can see ye've no' opened it.'

Gary nodded. 'I know exactly what it's going to say. Same thing it says every two years.' Gary laughed under his breath. 'For some reason they're under the impression that I can play football.'

'Aye, I ken whey ye are.' The man hadn't adjusted his posture since the conversation started. Stick thin, and in his long, light-tan coloured jacket, he could have passed as one of the birch trees swaying gently in the wind. 'I think ye're going to go back though.'

'I've not decided,' Gary pursed his lips and exhaled hard through his nostrils. 'I can't decide, it's just all getting too much, you know?'

'I ken.' The man replied, his eyes still fixed on Gary. 'But I reckon ye should, ye're no' dong yerself any favours stayin here. Even if it's just to prove to yersel that ye still can.' The man angled his clean shaven chin, it was jutting and angular with the protruding jaw line.

Gary nodded again. 'I've been thinking that myself. Maybe if I consider it a break rather than a thing I need to do. You know,' Gary had to work hard to keep from laughing at himself, 'prove I'm still normal maybe, even.'

'Neither of us are normal.' The man didn't smile, but nor his expression ridicule Gary for his outburst. Instead it was a face of understanding. 'I ken ye've got to face people, we all do, but ye'll manage.'

[Kosovakia]

KOSOVAKIA, A DRAW WAS AN OPTION..

The match against Anthor or -Anthor-.. Don't know what i can use for that, But never mind... After all the match against Anthor was an very good one, Both teams where playing for world preformance. Kosovakia was able to take control in the match, The 3-2 loss against Anthor was not what we has expected, says the Kosovakian coach: 'We didn't know that we take control over Anthor, An 3-2 loss give us a little better feeling for the next matches. The result against Anthor is not good, What if we play 3-3? A draw was good... But yaah after all we didn't get an change to score the 3-3. Tomorrow we will continue with our story. We need points now. Also against top 150 teams. Don't expect that Kosovakia is not an dangerous team. We wants to tell the world that also Kosovakia is an very top playing team' Nice words from the coach So this was it for today, Live from my School Oh and don't forget to support us, In our journey to qualify. #TeamKosovakia

[Tomikosan]

\Sport-Mitei\ ~ Reported by true sports fans, EVERY WEEK!

First Game, Terrible Loss

It seems Tomikosan wasn't strong enough when they go up against new team Mriin, who scored just one goal. Despite how strong we attack, they did it. One player scored.........in the first 5 minutes! What the hell happened here? Did our defence just give up or was it too much to handle here? Either way, they can't defend against (admittely) a creative play for Mriin's strikers. Shocking, eh?

Meanwhile, our strikers tried to score at least one goal from an eqauliser, but to no avail. The closest shot one player had attempted was Megurine, who made a nice chip shot in the penalty box. However Zilia Hawsorn, the goalkeeper, saved it! He was lucky to react in time before he finished the goal. It was also lucky for him when all of the defenders are at his side!

It is our first game in the second world cup campaign. It felt like a disappointment because we are up against a new team that made their debut in the Baptism of Fire 64. The good news is, though, our players have plenty of more matches coming right up. Tomikosan have to start winning these games, or they are going to be eliminated by the time it ends. I hope it ends well. I hope.

[Spaam]

Part 1

Mela Lunaan, archaeologist with the University of Paatukar, was sitting on a fold-up chair with her thermos in hand. She watched as a group of workmen dressed in garish fluoro orange vests and hard hats worked on clearing a rockfall in the tunnel she sat in. Deep inside a mountain in the ranges they called the Nebula Mountains, anticipation was high as they were close to opening up the entry to a cavern. A cavern that, for some reason, the queen herself had thrown obscene amounts of money towards reaching.

Around her, she saw the bright work lights casting shadows of different depths around the tunnel. Her boss, Professor Torbanise, was consulting with the foreman near the rockfall as they watched the work with excited mannerisms. The older man was slightly stooped, hair mostly grey, and carried an exquisitely carved antique cane, yet the animation he shows belied his apparent age. Back up the tunnel, a group of workers sat around on crates, but their attention wasn’t on the work in front of them. Rather, a digital radio was playing the commentary of a football match, and the workers were listening eagerly.

“...and we have maybe a minute left in injury time as Veldgouwen striker Masschelin tries to pierce the Spaamanian defense and OH NO! Penalty! That was an ambitious tackle by young Urimar and she’s given away a penalty kick right in front of goal! This is a tragedy… the Spaamanian defense has been amazing all game and has taken everything that the Veldgouwens have thrown their way, and it could all be done away with a silly penalty in the last minute. Everyone is getting into position… this is going to be the last play of the game, with the scores still locked at nil-all here at Paatukar Stadium. Masschelin is readying himself… Can Inasys stop this? He runs up… and… SAVE! AND THERE’S THE WHISTLE! Spaam has taken the point with an amazing display of defense and Inasys is surely player of the match! Well the Veldgouwens will be wondering what happened in…”

The workers were still patting each other on the back as the professor walked up to Mela.

“Exciting times, my dear! See how happy they are?” said the older man, bubbling with energy.

His young friend shook her head. “I don’t get it, it’s just a game, surely?”

“Oh no, it’s more than just a game, as I keep on trying to convince you. Their happiness should be proof enough! That was just a draw, I believe? Imagine if we had won! Think of the collective joy, the bringing together of an entire nation as our chosen representatives demonstrate our superiority!”

“Superiority?” Mela snorted. “We’re minnows in a giant ocean when it comes to football; it will never happen.”

The professor grinned, “but it has happened! We were once one of the greatest!”

“Hundreds of years ago, as you said, Professor,” said Mela as she stood up. “These are different times and we are a different nation.”

“Ahhh… but not so different. And that is why we are here!” The professor gestured around him. “We will reach back to the past and bring back something that will make us great again!”

“Here?” exclaimed the young archaeologist. “How can some old relic, some ruin, have anything to do with improving our skills at football?”

“Remember the carvings we saw back up the tunnel, Mela,” chided the old archaeologist, his eyes sparkling with excitement, “‘jelges juf thukes al vaalkuth’.”

“‘With words our feet are made great’, I know, but that is a very tentative link to football, isn’t it?”

“I believe we are just about to see, my dear!”

There was a loud crash as the last of the rocks fell away and a gust of old, stale air rushed up through the tunnel past the team of explorers. Workers rushed to brace the entry to a dark cavern, while others carried some of the bright work lights to illuminate whatever was inside. Professor Torbanise led Mela through the loud hubbub of people running around, an electricity in the air as the months of work was coming to fruition. With the rockfall gone, they could sense a large cavern past the end of the tunnel, and as more work lights were moved to the entry, it started to become illuminated.

The two archaeologists finally got to the front of the crows and silently, dumbly, took in the sight in front of them. Stone stairs led down into a vast cavern, ringed by statues and carvings and other debris spread around the periphery. But in the middle was giant conglomeration of stone, marble and metal, which caught Mela’s eyes as it reflected the light, no sign of rust on its surface.

“What in Zhogu is this?” she breathed.

Part 3

[Juvencus]

Juvencus compromises with a goalless draw


A Juven player battling it out with a Hybernian player

Great Caledonia and Hybernia XI:
GK:Jennifer O'Byrne
CB:Tearlach MacEachthighearna
CB:Brittany Winchester
RB:Elizabeth McQueen
LB:Maggie Johnstone
CDM:Melanie Kirk
RM:Saundra Dunlop
LM:Callum McGivern
CAM:Cristiano Fernando
CAM:Anton
CF:Kevin O'Maoilsheachlainn

Juvencus XI:
GK:Naldo Zappa
CB:Dudu Madeiros
CB:Artur Bernat
CB:Valerio Scarpa
CDM:Nino Russo
CDM:Filipe Rodrigues
RM:Julio Ramires
LM:Angelino Alberighi
LF:Cesare Ajello
RF:Oriol Vives
CF:Jaumet Albert

A tie against Great Caledonia and Hybernia yesterday might've been a great push, but it has already put the Juven campaign in jeopardy. The match ended in a goalless draw in a match which involved 2 squads that might've been conquered by pressure, this was obvious as both Juvencus' Ajello and O'Maoilsheachlainn issed pretty easy matches that could've changed the trajectory of the game.

During the first half, Juvencus had a bit more possession than Hybernia during the first half, a dull first half which was mostly possessive from both sides, as they were unable to get both defences, which were for some reason at their best on this game. Despite that, 2 of the 3 chances of the first half were made by Hybernia, both by O'Maolsheachlainn who missed both. One was saved miraculously by Zappa, the other went wide. The only Juven chance of the half came from Jaumet Albert, after an incredible through ball by Julio Ramires through the Hybernian defence, but Jaumet missed his chance on the one on one situation with the keeper sending the ball to the post and then out. Hybernia almost went on for one last chance at the end of the first half but Anton's chance to dribble through the defence was abruptly cut by Madeiros who saw the Hybernian plans for offense first hand.

At the second half, both sides supposedly went full on offense, but many of their chances were being cut greatly by both defences. In particular, Madeiros from Juvencus and Johnstone from Hybernia were on top form, being able to cover these world class strikers from both sides. At the 78th minute, Juvencus was given an easy chance to break the ice, Vives found Ajello uncovered so he passed it to him but he sent the ball really wide which reduced his side's morale and let Hybernia dominate possessively during the last 12 minutes of the game, without any other imporant chances being made. A goalless tie means both teams are in a quite of a jeopardy already here. With Juvencus going home to host Anglatia in a very vital game, as Anglatia seeks on improving their winning streak and Juvencus is searching for the first magical win on this journey to the world cup.

Match mistakes:
Both sides made a lot of mistakes on the offensive matter which resulted in a 0-0 draw. However some of them were too obvious to dismiss, on this paragraph of the article, we'll be discussing the offensive errors of both sides.
Juvencus:Juvencus had the advantadge of being more possessive throughout most of the game, what most players did wrong was to pick wrong times to make the throughball, despite a higher accuracy rating than usual, Juvencus was unable fullfill its offensive potential, Toset's mistake was tossing a formless Alberighi in, despite his high speed, whenever he had a chance to make a good pass through opposing defences, he usually went on to finish the chances himself, which made Juvencus lose possession quite a few times.
Great Caledonia and Hybernia:The Hybernian side's mistakes were also on the offence. The team had less possession of the ball but managed to create a few more chances during the first half. The same goes here, Hybernia didn't manage to fullfill its offensive potential on Juvencus, but this wasn't the wrong timing of the passess, rather a lucky Juvencus side.

[Ceni]

We start today's tour on University Green (left) - one of Cenial's many parks and green spaces. Located just across the street from the main library of the University of Ceni (right), the Green is a world of contrasts from the University of Ceni. The green is a wide open space, with students enjoying the wide open spaces for weekend fun and games, while the University of Ceni is a dense complex of futuristic and modernist buildings. University Green offers the city a break from the hustle and bustle of city life, and especially the demanding studies of the University of Ceni, one of the premier educational institutions within Rushmore. The Green itself offers mostly just a wide open space to exercise the mind and the body, as well as a statue of the female figure of Knowledge in the center of the green, which is apt considering its proximity to the library. Also within the Green are several cupolas representing liberty to pursue science and reason. The library across from the Green was designed by modernist architect Tadia Zythor; the alternating black and white colors of the library represent the black colors of the city and the white colors of the books and reference materials within it, respectively. The library is often known as a gateway of knowledge, and the opening to the left of the building symbolizes that. The building seems ultra-modernist, and that's because it is; it was only designed about 20 years ago, when a large bequest of funds came in for a new library to accompany the modernist design of the remainder of the University complex. Within the library there is a large collection of books and reference materials, including one of the largest collections of early Cenian literature and newspapers.

We now proceed past the main entrance into the University itself, where we see the main university quad, yet another green space in the midst of the city. On our left we see the main building for the political science and sociology faculty (left); on the right we see the main buildings for psychology, history, and economics. But that isn't all to the University, as we shall soon see; the University is actually quite renowned for literature and creative writing. The University of Ceni's modernist design comes from architect Jeho Dohin, who designed the complex around the quad in a period of 20 years when the University was just getting its first batch of major funding and was really getting onto its feet. The trustees felt that the modern design of the university would reflect the modernity of the city in which it is located. We next proceed to the University of Cenial, the other major university located within University Corridor. Along the way, we pass several modern restaurants, bars, and nightclubs to serve the vibrant student population, but we also pass many bookstores and novelty shops along the Corridor, also to serve the student population. At the University of Cenial, which sits along the shores of Lake Cenial, we first enter past the main library, and then head through the university quad to the Fel College of the Sciences, which is the main attraction of the University itself. A main architectural component of the Fel College is the Biotechnology building (right), which is notable for the cylindrical tower along its right side. We now proceed throughout the complex of the Fel College to the chemistry and physics complexes, which contain numerous laboratories for research and teaching.

We now proceed to Nivix Hall (left), which is located in a row of dormitories along Lake Cenial. The University has really made an effort to design the lake into their campus, and the proximity of the dormitories to the lake allows the students to use the lake within their studies. In particular, the design of Nivix Hall really evokes the colors and the sentiments of the lake, with the big glass window in the center allowing the dormitory a brilliant view of the lake and the sunrises and sunsets over the lake. The Thion Hall is next on the path from the dormitories (right); newly renovated, it hosts the facilities of the ecology, environmental studies, and marine ecology faculty. In particular, the Fel College is particularly renowned for this program at Thion Hall, and it uses the living classroom of the lake to provide an extension of its work outside the classroom. The architecture of the hall evokes the shape of a whale or a dolphin or another sea animal, while the blue glass throughout again offers a great view of the lake, and the Hall offers ample classroom and laboratory space to make progress on studies of environmental issues. We now move into a space both within Lake Cenial Park and the University of Cenial: the Lake Cenial Zoo, which is the largest within Cenial, and even Ceni itself, which hosts the requisite animals from all around the world, as well as a well-regarded reptile house and bird hatchery on the premises of the zoo; the aviary is particularly popular with families and children, and the exhibits on endangered species are the highlight of the zoo. Some of the exhibits allow the animals to roam free, using the space set aside for the park to do so. The zoo itself is co-managed by the University and the Cenian government to provide enjoyment for the public as well as to provide an excellent location to perform research and conservation by the University.

Finishing the tour of the University of Cenial, we now exit through the campus into Lake Cenial Park (right), which stretches around the entire circumference of the lake. Lake Cenial Park is the largest green space within Ceni, and it offers a great opportunity for recreation of all types for city dwellers and tourists alike. From paddle boating and walking to picnicking and enjoying the manifold gardens throughout the park. From the park, one can rent paddleboats to go out in the lake and enjoy the breeze, or simply walk around the park and take in the sights and smells of the city. It's a beautiful sanctuary within the city. In the spring, the city draws millions of visitors for its Cherry Blossom festival to see the cherry trees (left), which line the lake near the University of Cenial. They are quite a beautiful sight to see in full bloom, and the whole ambience of the park at the time is splendid because of the sight of the cherry trees and the coolish temperatures of the city. A particular attraction of the park is the Promenade alongside the lake, with the cherry trees blooming in spring, and oaks and other trees lining the path outside from the section with the cherry trees. It's simply beautiful to walk around the lake, especially in fall with the resplendent colors of the trees. But it's still beautiful even in the summer, and quite a relaxing experience no matter what time it is.

But the Cherry Blossom Festival isn't the only attraction within Lake Cenial Park. Heading a little bit inland from the shore of the lake and the famous lakeside walk with the cherry blossoms, we come across Logoth Gardens and Conservatory (left), named after Ceni's most famous author and playwright, Arak Logoth, who wrote numerous books and plays that have delighted Rushmori audiences. The gardens offer a nice peaceful spot to read and relax, and indeed, the park has a rule requiring silence and quiet within the Gardens themselves, which are a popular spot for wedding photos, as well as an excellent locale for budding writers and poets to hone their craft in the solitude and quietness. The conservatory itself hosts a wide variety of plants from all corners of the globe, including a world-renowned collection of orchids and tropical plants. Also within the conservatory is a display over Logoth's works and a famout butterfly garden, which hosts hundreds of varieties. Right outside the conservatory, there is a manicured lawn perfect for picnics that continues into the Gardens. We continue along the Promenade to the statue of Trent Rethera, who was the first President of Ceni and a drafter of the Constitution of Ceni, riding on horseback in a pose purportedly captured in a sketch when he was attempting to rouse the various and disparate groups to become the nation of Ceni. We then move along to the Tess Senesca fountain, which memorializes Ceni's first female president and her efforts for women's rights and feminism within Ceni. It is truly almost a regal experience, with lions ringing the outside of the fountain, which is made of pure white marble; the fountain is truly a majestic capstone to the Lake Cenial Park experience. Also within the park is the Lake Cenial sports complex, which hosts the Cenial Masters tennis tournament each year, as well as Lake Cenial Stadium and Lake Cenial Ministadium, the home of Sporting Cenial and Lake Cenial Chimeras respectively. The tennis courts are open to the public when tournaments are not in session, and Ceni's tennis-hungry populace always takes advantage of the opportunity to go out and play. You can also find multiple soccer pitches, baseball diamonds, playgrounds, and water features to keep the kids, and even adults, busy and excited for the day, making Lake Cenial Park a popular place for Cenians to enjoy.

Note for the hosts: I accidentally forgot my style modifier, could you please set it to +3? Thanks.

[Anglatia]

Hustlers United

Chapter Two: Step By Step

It was game time in Red Valley, part of the Midvale province of the Redvale. The Castle Hornets, the college team representing the Castle University system, had just moved into the new Red Valley campus this season, and the fans had been packing the new arena for every single game, men’s or women’s. It was just that kind of city, one where there was always a basketball game going on, no matter what time of the year it was or how good or bad the college and professional teams were. Of course, the move hadn’t been without controversy. The Hornets had previously represented the Fjordham campus, only a few minutes away from Castle. Now, as a favor to the billionaire owner of the ‘Valle Rojas’ campus to convince him to bring his university into the CU system, the Hornets would be playing more than three hours away from their original home. CU-Fjordham students were pissed that their sports teams had packed up and left them for a shiny new location in the school’s system; Red Valley State fans were pissed that their school had local competition from a better conference.

But regardless of the controversy, the people of Red Valley came out in droves to support the Hornets, and one of the people who was there to see them as they took on the Janford State Matadors in the last game of the season was Stefan Rakocic, the agent of the team’s star player, Ash Volland. He hadn’t come alone. Today was the day when he was set to attempt to impress two of the most promising clients he’d come across in a long time, Allie Vacek and Hakki Ojala of Anglatia. Vacek had been his original target, but she’d put him into contact with Ojala, and now he had a chance to recruit the two biggest wonderkids in the Empire to his agency. It was a tall task for someone like him, who hated planning too far ahead and preferred to do things last minute. Today was another day where he had something important to settle last minute. The plan was to let Allie and Hakki tag along with the client that he already represented, Ash, when she and the rest of the team went out after the game, but that plan had been constructed late and now Stefan was desperate to make it a reality before too much time passed.

Stefan was lucky enough to have all access tickets, because of his work as Volland’s agent, and as the warmups for the Hornets were almost done, he found himself rushing down the baseline to try to get the attention of his client, who didn’t have her phone with her at the moment. “Hey! Hey Ash!” he shouted, as the seven feet and two inches tall center practiced taking three point shots from the corner. For a seven footer, her three point shooting was ridiculous. It was her ability to stretch the floor along with the other forwards that made the Hornets every other team’s worst nightmare to defend. “I need to ask you for a favor!”

“Ash, I think your agent wants to talk to you,” said Castle coach Ned Fulton, a former assistant for the men’s team who had recently moved up to coach the dominant women’s team. He tapped the taller center on the arm, getting her to pull her headphones back and turn to Stefan, who would have to speak loudly to be heard over the music that was blasting through the sound system of the arena.

“Yeah, I have something to ask of you,” Stefan said, as Ash moved towards the sideline and bent down to listen to him. “It’s about the agency. I have a pair of big name prospects that are thinking of signing on with me. One of them is Allie Vacek, the Anglatian girl that went to Abanhfleft to play pro, and the other one is Hakki Ojala, her teammate on the national team who signed for Real Azuris during the last transfer window. They both have other agents lining up to represent them, but I sold em on the family thing and now they’re both giving me a chance to take them out to town and impress them-”

“So what are you asking for?” asked Ash, knowing that Stefan could be long winded. There were only a few minutes left in the warmups, and Ash was clearly waiting to get back to her teammates, who were finishing up and getting ready to head to the locker room for the final pregame prep.

“I’m asking that you change up whatever plans you and the others have, and take my two prospects out partying with you,” Stefan replied quickly, flashing a charismatic smile. “Nobody parties like Castle parties, right? I think we can close the deal with them by tomorrow, if we impress them with a night in the city-”

“Yeah, well, first of all, we aren’t in Castle. We’re in Red Valley now,” Ash said. “And second, you know I’m usually up to help you, but you also know that I’m going through some shit right now. I wasn’t planning on going out to party tonight, it’s not a good time for that-”

“Can you do it as a favor then?” asked Stefan, speaking quickly again and cutting her off. He put on a pleading face, making puppy eyes and clasping his hands together. “I know things are rough. Just think of this as a chance to feel better through hanging out with some friends. We can’t keep running this business off of your sponsorship cash alone, and this is a good chance to get a few clients that are high profile and that are already making good money. And aside from that, I think you’ll enjoy their company.”

Ash paused, sighed, and looked to the others before looking back to Stefan. “If you insist, I’ll do it,” she said. “Who else is coming to town with us? Just your clients or what?”

Stefan shrugged. “I don’t know, you can choose the rest of the group. There’s Allie and Hakki, but Allie brought her uncle and her cousin with her so that brings the group to four. Is Maren up to come? She’s… Er, a good recruiter. I’m sure her presence would have a good effect on Hakki. Or if the rumors are true, maybe on Allie also.”

“You want me to bring a teammate just to flirt with someone that might sign for you?” asked Ash, rolling her eyes briefly. “Though, knowing Maren, I’m sure she’d enjoy the task.”

That was when Maren Murphy herself walked up to Ash and Stefan. The six foot seven swingwoman played shooting guard, small forward, and power forward, and while Ash was taller, Maren was far more muscular and athletic. She was known for being the balanced member of the Hornets starting lineup, while Ash was the specialist that protected the interior and stretched the floor when she was on offense. If that was her job, Maren’s was to do everything that she didn’t from shooting the ball from mid range to playing perimeter defense to controlling the tempo and making plays. In addition to being known for that, she was famous for being Ash’s best friend on the team, and for being fiercely defensive of her teammates when she was on the court. “And what task would that be?”

“Hanging out with a few footballers after the game so Stefan can seal the deal with them about becoming his clients. He wants to show them that they’re not just buying into an agent, but into a family, I suppose,” explained Ash. “I wasn’t going to go out tonight, but… I owe some favors to Stefan, and I guess it won’t be too bad if you and Klara are coming. There’s a guy that you might be interested in that’s coming, Hakki Ojala. The one that plays for Azuris-”

“Say no more,” chuckled Maren. “It sounds like a fun time. And maybe you’ll actually enjoy yourself and feel a bit better. I can’t keep carrying this team down the stretch because you’re too busy moping, after all,” she added, and while there was a smile on her face as she said that, there was a certain sharpness to that statement that everyone picked up on. “Oh, and Stefan… I’m glad you’re finally getting some big clients. You’ve certainly put more work into this than most agents.”

=====

It had been a busy past year for Hakki Ojala. He’d went from being a Rastaka youth standout, someone who led his team to second place in the youth league in Anglatia, where they finished behind Allie Vacek’s Lane team, to one of the top youth prospects in the Real Azuris youth system, in Cosumar. Along with his countryman Hector Grier, Hakki had been there when Azuris made their run at the Champions Cup, taking the title of champions after a hard fought battle in the final with Bastion. In addition to being on that team, Hakki was becoming one of the rising stars of his own country for his performances in the U-18 level, the one that Anglatia had a championship winning team at, and at the senior level. He was one of the players who was putting pressure on the older starters to either step their game up or lose their spot, and he found himself going up against some of the players that he’d watched as a kid in Rastaka.

Somehow, though, the success didn’t seem as good from his perspective as it did from the perspectives of others. If someone said that he was homesick, that would be a semi-accurate assessment. For someone who had grown up in the windswept mountains of Rastaka, the northeastern coastal region of Upper Valeria, Azuris was a big change of scenery. And not necessarily a good one. Upper Valera, and to an extent, Lower Valeria also, was a place that was hard to adapt from when moving somewhere else. The languages were unique, there was a culture that wasn’t reflected in a lot of other places, and people from that region often had a hard time going to other places. Especially when the person moving was a footballer who had high expectations resting on their shoulders. Sometimes, Hakki caught himself wondering if it was even worth it.

“Allie, do you ever regret signing for Ceneisis instead of Lane United?” he asked, as the ten minute countdown clock to the beginning of the game started ticking. Stefan had left to talk to Ash and Allie’s uncle and cousin hadn’t arrived yet, leaving the two footballers alone. While Stefan could have gotten them box seats, they instead were sitting a few sections above the band behind the northern basket, because Allie liked the atmosphere. It was a rare moment when they weren’t famous, and they weren’t putting on an act for anyone else who expected something from them. Now, they were just regular fans, sitting in some of the cheaper seats in the arena and keeping a low profile.

“Do I regret not pushing for a contract from Underfell? Yeah. Do I regret not signing for Lane United? No. There’s only one Imperial club I care about, and that’s Underfell,” said Allie. “If it came down to Underfell versus Ceneisis I would have taken a big pay cut to stay home, but apparently the front office thought I was a bit too high risk to give a contract to. I know the manager over there, and he was ready to sign me, but it got blocked by the board before they made an official offer.”

“But do you think you made the right move going abroad, or do you think you should have stayed home and played for an Imperial team? How long did you feel homesick after you went to Ceneisis? And did you have a hard time making friends there?”

Allie chuckled, staring at him for a few moments before answering. “Why do you ask? You having regrets about heading to Cosumar? You’re in a pretty good situation there. You have another Anglatian star with you, you aren’t playing in a country that’s in a cold war with your homeland, and you were on a team that won the Champions Cup. I’d be shocked if you had any complaints about that.”

“It’s not as good as it looks from the outside. I left my hometown, and my home country too, and turned down more money from domestic teams and chances to play with more players from my own country. Why? Just so I can have a Champions Cup ring from a team that barely even used me,” sighed Hakki, running a hand through his blonde hair. “I didn’t realize how much I would miss Rastaka until I left. Matthew tried to tell me, but I didn’t believe him. Now, I know why he said it might be better for me to stay home.”

“Weren’t they open with you about how you would start off in the reserves? I remember you told me that before you signed with them, when you were trying to decide on a team. It’s hard to start right away in such a successful team. Hell, I didn’t even start for Lane right away when I was playing at the youth level. Give it time,” said Allie. “You keep putting on good performances with the national team and the club success will follow. I practically earned my contract with just my games with the U-18s, after all.”

“That’s easy for you to say, when you’re a starter. You forget that I’m coming off the bench with the Explorers, too. Jenna Santana is in my spot, and I highly doubt that she’s slipping up enough this time that I replace her. And how am I supposed to prove that I should start for the national team if I’m not starting for my club?”

There were a few moments of quiet between them, and then Hakki looked forward towards the court. “Sorry for bothering you. I thought you might have some advice, but I think our situations are too similar for that. It’s not like you’re the star of your club team either. Whether we like it or not, we’re in the same boat right now.”

“Yeah, but to be honest, there’s not much either of us can do without making a big mess of everything,” shrugged Allie. “You want to know the truth? The real truth? My time in Ceneisis has been nothing like my time in Lane. It’s been rough. I don’t have many friends on the squad, the playing time is shaky, I knock heads with the coaching staff over a bunch of things, and the only way I know how to deal with it is by drinking vodka and smoking Nordskanian grass. I don’t have anywhere to turn, anywhere else to go. My dad and I don’t talk, I’m a terrible role model for my half siblings, my mother offed herself because of me, and I can barely talk to my two best friends now because they both love me and I know that somebody’s heart is going to get broken. My home country is at war, and instead of being able to fully support their efforts, I’m stuck playing in a country aligned with the one that they’re fighting. But you don’t see me complaining, because it’s not like I can change most of these things. Sometimes, you just have to keep moving forward, step by step, and remembering that as bad as things are, they could always be worse.”

“I never knew you were dealing with that much,” Hakki stated. “My problems seem trivial when you put it like that. My family still loves me, I’ve got friends, and I don’t have any problems with my teammates even if it’s been a bit harder to adjust than I expected. Like I said, I’m sorry for bothering you about them. You can always talk to me if you need someone to vent about it to. We’re in different time zones, but I’m always up anyway.”

Allie nodded, and that was when the other two members of their group, Veli and Kesha Grice, showed up. When she was younger, Veli had been the relative that was the closest to her, and Kesha had been like a sister to her. She had lost contact with them when she went to Lane, partly because of her mother, Ava, separating herself from the rest of her family, but shortly after Allie went to Ceneisis, they had gotten back into contact. She felt like now was the time when she needed them the most. “You guys have no idea how good it is to see you again,” she said with a grin. “You’re finally letting me repay you for all the times you guys took me out to West Underfell.”

“No repayment needed, Allie,” said Veli. “But we still weren’t going to turn down a free trip to what’s supposed to be a good party city. This new agent of yours has some good connections, it seems-”

“Damn right, I do,” said Stefan, returning from the sidelines to the spot where Allie’s group was sitting. “And I just worked something out with Ash and her teammate. We’re going partying in Red Valley afterwards. You guys are going to love it. Red Valley might not be the original hometown of the Castle Hornets, but believe me when I say that Castle brings the wildest parties with them no matter where they play. The men’s teams are more known for that, but in this case, it’s the end of the season for the women and so it’s kind of a special occasion. You said you wanted to see what I could do for you outside the negotiating room… Well, tonight is the night when I’m going to show you all the places I can get you into.”

[Revolutionary Nordskania]

OOC: This is probably going to be a shorter series that's going to go on break now and come back for the second half of qualifying. I'll still have RPs with Nordskania though, from the viewpoint of my assistant manager during our qualifying campaign.

Guns of Winter

Chapter Two: The Fiergrad Push

Piotr Vlasenko had moved on. The speedy center forward had dedicated himself to making it as a star for Alliance Turbayov, the football club of his dreams that had been a living nightmare for him at times. Despite his hardheadedness, his perceived immaturity, and his fiery temper, Piotr had made it. He was the leader of the Northern Nordskanian national team, and the big name forward that anchored the attack of his club. Everyone knew his name, because he didn’t just score plenty of goals, but he scored them with flash and style. He was the type of player that fans of the club loved, and fans of rival clubs loved to hate. But even with all of his success after the Baptism of Fire introduced him to the world stage, there was still something missing.

Something that he’d had in the past and lost, and never found again. At first, the pain of the loss was hard to get through. It had affected his play, caused him to lose focus and lose his head and even to nearly skip one of the national team’s most important matches because he was too upset and he couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d lost. After time went by, he started to get over it. It had happened years ago, after all, and he managed to heal and keep his head up and act like he didn’t care anymore. Now, he was focused on his career, and on bringing the title of champion back to the south side of Turbayov.

That career, though, might take an unexpected turn. As the national team held a training camp during the offseason between the summer and winter seasons, the talk amongst the players was that the federation might move the team’s home games abroad for the upcoming World Cup qualifying cycle because of the war that was raging to the south. For the foreign born players, that wasn’t a big deal. Many of the native Nordskanians, however, were incensed by the decision if it was indeed true. There was also talk that the RFL could be suspended indefinitely until the war was over, and that was what had the players even angrier. “It’s fucking bullshit,” said Vlasenko, talking with assistant manager Julius Shvets after training. “The RFL was founded during the revolution, it can handle the war that’s going on southwards. And the national team? We were still playing when Ryakova burned. Now we’re supposed to just run, because of some invasion that hasn’t been able to get past the Red Strip anyway?”

“Not our decision,” Julius said. “The staff weren’t consulted, I’m sure that if it were up to Karl, we’d still be playing our home matches in Turbayov. The federation went off and did this by themselves, us coaches didn’t even get word of the news until we heard it from the same rumor mills that you found it from. We talked to them after that and they aren’t even sure of the location. I’ve heard that we might be playing in Ross, Anglatia, but I’ve also heard North Karakosa being thrown around as a potential place because their stadium is only used by one tenant. And of course, we weren’t told anything about the RFL. We still don’t know the state of the winter season, even after talking to the federation.”

“And they wonder why we aren’t a good team,” muttered Piotr. “Moving the home stadium abroad and suspending the league without warning or talking to any of the players or coaches is something a tinpot backwater country would do, not a championship caliber one. Winning starts at the top, you know. I say we don’t accept this, and that we tell the staff up in the Turbayov offices that we aren’t playing till they meet with us and come to a solution over this. It’s our livelihoods that are getting fucked up if they suspend the RFL, after all. Yours too, since you’re coaching in the second division.”

“They might have handled it badly, but the move has merit,” Julius sighed. “You can’t deny that the war is creeping closer to home, and even though the border is secure because of the buffer states between us and the Pridnestrovian occupied lands, there’s still a war going on in the seas and skies that’s going to make Turbayov a bad site to hold our matches. We want publicity for our nation, but the last thing we want is for that publicity to turn bad because something happened in Turbayov while the whole world is watching.”

“Than maybe the federation should have told us that and gotten us to agree to a move, and let us pick the location that we’re moving too, instead of doing it all as a surprise and leaving the actual players to figure out what happened by reading the news,” Piotr said, throwing his arms up in frustration. “You’ve got to admit, they fucked this one up bad. No one in the top positions over there are getting reelected if they give the players a vote. You don’t do things like this without getting approval from the players first.”

“Like I said, you’ll have to take up your complaints with the federation offices. None of us had any say in it,” shrugged Julius. “At least camp is still in Kurovo for now, though I’ve heard that it may be moving to North Karakosa along with the home matches. Karakosa IF, the local club around there, is looking for some publicity and extra money, and they think that they’d be a better host for the national team than Ross is. The big stadium in Ross is already being used by both Ross United and the Imperial national team, as well as the Ross Blue Wings. If we moved in with KIF, on the other hand, we would be the second tenants and not the fourth.”

“It’s bullshit,” Piotr muttered again, pulling his jersey off and walking towards the tunnel that connected the training ground to the locker room and the FK National offices. It was in that tunnel that he saw someone standing in a familiar posture, a young woman with a black hood pulled over her head and a black scarf wrapped around much of her face. He did a bit of a double take, before dismissing the sight as an unfamiliar member of the staff. It couldn’t be the person that he was thinking of, after all. But as he kept walking, the girl followed him and placed a hand on his shoulder before he got to the locker room.

“You didn’t recognize me?” she asked, sounding slightly disappointed. “I came from Orelgrad to lay low for a little bit before I take off for down south again. But to be fair, it has been a long time since we’ve seen each other. I believe the last time was when you went to Ryakova after I left the north and returned there. You’ve forgiven me for that, haven’t you?”

“Darya…” muttered Piotr, almost in shock at seeing her again. She hadn’t taken the scarf off of her face, but he could recognize her voice instantly. And she still had that same body language as before, that swagger that projected confidence to everyone around her. Piotr had known that she was planning on laying low and returning to politics later, but he didn’t expect her to run back to him. Not after so much time had passed since she left him to chase a political career years ago. “What the hell are you doing, coming back after all this time? Didn’t you say it was over between us? And I begged you to come back and I even went to see you in Ryakova, and you brushed me off? What happened to that?”

Darya shrugged. “Things didn’t work in Orelgrad. I chose to hand over control instead of being a puppet to the Maslev Cartel and the Crows, and now that Ryakova isn’t what it used to be, I found myself without a home. Look, I just want to lay low with you for a bit and pretend like it’s old times, while I figure out what my future is and see what I can do to kick these fucking communists off of our island. I thought you would be happy to see me again, judging by how you reacted when I left-”

“You left years ago. I’ve moved on by now,” Piotr said, folding his arms. “When you met me, I was playing for the academy. Now, I’m the face of the national team and Alliance’s biggest star. I’m past being sad over what happened between us. I don’t want to get back together just so you can run off to the south again and make me go through the same thing again.”

“Have you really moved on?” asked Darya, pressing against him as he leaned against the wall. “Because you still don’t have a girlfriend. You still sulk all the time. I’ve watched your matches, and you sure don’t look happy, for someone that’s the face of the biggest club in the country. You don’t look like someone that’s moved on.”

It was at that time that Ces Yoshida, the tall Heiwa Wizards striker, entered the tunnel and saw the two. “Hey, you’re the one that Piotr’s told me so much about,” she remarked, much to Piotr’s annoyance. “You decided to give up the Red Strip to come home, eh? I’m glad you two are back together again.”

“We’re not together,” Piotr said, although it looked that way because of how Darya was pressed against him. “Not yet, anyway. She’s just stopping by for a bit until she goes back south,” he added, though he didn’t sound too confident in his own statement.

“Yeah, whatever you say, Vlasenko,” Ces chuckled, with a smirk spreading across her face as she continued towards the locker room. “You don’t have to worry about telling me, I’m not going to spread the news around. Just know that I’m happy for you.”

When she left and entered the locker room, Piotr looked back to Darya and pushed her away slightly. “So maybe I haven’t moved on as much as I said, but the point stands. Why would I want you in my life again if you’re planning to leave again and leave me behind? I don’t… I don’t want a repeat of what happened before. How long are you even planning to stay?”

“Don’t know, depends on how things fall overseas. I probably won’t leave forever this time, though. Just long enough to do my job as a counterrevolutionary, and remove Pridnestrovia from our lands,” Darya replied. “The eastern front is secure and the northern front is mostly fine, too, but the middle front is a shitshow right now and I plan on helping out around there. I’ve got to gather a team first, so I’ll be here for at least a couple of weeks. I can stay with you during that time, right?”

There was silence between them, and then Piotr did something that he hadn’t done for a very long time, and leaned forward and kissed her. “You know I have a hard time saying no to you,” he said. “Let’s do it and see how this turns out. I have a feeling it’s either going to end very good or very bad for me, but… You’re right. I haven’t moved on. Not at all.”

=====

In the mountains that separated Sopova from the Pridnestrovian line near Fiergrad and the other lands that had formerly been held by the Vestanian Protection Forces, the northern offensive was continuing. The Northern Army and their allies had completely solidified their aerial control over the area with a combination of anti air weaponry and planes of their own, and now that the skies were theirs, they could fully focus on the ground. The result was a push to the south that surprised Pridnestrovia completely with its speed and efficiency. Leading that push was the First Battalion of the Second Regiment, a major part of the Imperial Third Army, the one that typically spearheaded invasions. Today, they were doing the opposite, and countering an invasion.

The Fourth Company was close to the front line, while the armor was behind them and air support was on the way above them. Moving at a fast pace, the Third Army had succeeded in its first goal of pushing the enemy line backwards past the mountains. Now, they were keying in on their second goal; rolling into the enemy camp to finish their main goal of smashing the organized front in the Sopova region. “Spread out and let the tanks take the lead,” ordered Captain Riley Stokes, as his men made room for the three tanks that were with them to move to the front of the formation as they continued down the dirt road that the camp was located at the end of.

There were a pair of watch towers at the gate of the camp, but it wasn’t hard for the armor to clear those using the machine guns, because the soldiers stationed at them only had rifles. As the soldiers followed behind them, using them for cover, the tanks then rolled straight through the fence, the machine gun fire still going and providing suppression for the infantry that was rushing out from behind them. “Forward!” shouted Riley, using hand signals to wave the company further up as they tried to establish their own line. The attack had caught Pridnestrovia off guard, because they didn’t expect it to come so soon, and now the Anglatians and the Nordskanians had the advantage of surprise in addition to the better equipment.

There was more infantry entering the camp, as well as more armored units, these ones IFVs. The new units traveled through the gaps in the fence created by the tanks, who were now rolling over tents and taking up strategic position. A Pridnestrovian tank emerged from a garage, but as soon as it came into range, one of the Imperial tanks took a shot at it with its main gun that caused the turret to burst into flames. Someone pulled out an anti tank rocket launcher, but with lack of proper cover, the enemy soldier was quickly gunned down by someone from the Fourth Company. Under the orders of Captain Stokes, Sven Briggs reached into his bag and found a smoke grenade, pulling the pin and lobbing it as far as he could towards the area of camp where the enemy was storing their vehicles and equipment in a few garages. That was to signal where the incoming air strike was supposed to be. “The smoke’s down,” Sven said, as the Pridnestrovians pulled back and the Anglatian armor pushed forward slightly.

“Okay everyone, hold back until the air strike,” ordered Stokes, and the focus shifted from taking more turf to holding the part of camp that had already been captured. It was oddly silent for the middle of a battle, as soldiers on both sides milled around and waited for the other side to come into range. Pridnestrovia knew that an attack was coming and didn’t want to step into it, while the Imperial side was simply waiting for their support to come before they made a final push. It wouldn’t take long for that support to arrive, when the group of Imperial jets arrived and quickly dropped their payloads on the garages and on the Pridnestrovian soldiers around them. “Forward!” Stokes shouted again, as the tanks lurched forward and the infantry began using them as cover again.

By now, the Northern Army was arriving from the east by means of helicopter, as the anti air defenses had been taken out by the air strike. There was machine gun fire raining down from the skies as the cannon attached to the transport helicopter fired away, and the doors of the helicopter were already open as the Nordskanian soldiers waited inside for the landing. When they did land, they immediately rushed out and made a flanking move on the inhabitants of the camp. Jane Grubisic, of the Fourth Company, set up her own light machine gun and provided cover fire as the soldiers cleared out of the helicopter and engaged with the group that they were flanking. Outnumbered and under heavy fire, the Pridnestrovians didn’t have any choice but to start pulling back towards the edge of the camp, where they would begin their retreat.

The battle hardly could have gone better for the Northern Army and the Imperial side, and now, there were already yells and shouts of celebration coming from the Imperial forces as their enemies began to rout. The enemy camp was theirs; soon, Fiergrad would be theirs, and after that, the counter push would begin as they forced Pridnestrovia back and switched the tables to place their enemy on the defensive. It was amazing how quickly war could change, Riley Stokes thought to himself. Now, it was up to the Imperial military to keep the tides of change from shifting back away from their favor.

[Sulsuland]

SuLSu wAs in FielD wiTh lotS of FloatIng piES. SulSu trIed to eaT piE thAt smEll liKe fiSh bUt It ruN awAy. SuLsu acciDentalLy kiCk balL inTo fiSh neT anD peOplE StarT yeLliNg.

OH yEaH. OnE of PieS alSo eAt BilL friEnD, sO sulSU wiLl rePlaCe bIlL frIenD wiTh SULSU. SuLSu trIed TO finD fiSH piE bUT sulSu nO fiND aNd pEoplE sAy SulSu loSe. SulsU nO kNOw whAT hE loSe thOugH.

[Abanhfleft]

Lex Talionis, Part Thirty-three

Somewhere in Hunsen
Hunsen, Valeria, Anglatia

A blast of cold water finally took Audra Jaakola away from the vast blackness surrounding her.

The last thing that she remembered was that she was surrounded by people speaking in Fleftic, and that something was going on outside the Crows safehouse which she had used in an attempt to get Britt Hanokssen back into her life and hopefully run away with her now that even the Crows had been too shit for Audra’s liking. But that wasn’t what had happened, she remembered. She remembered being held at gunpoint by Britt, but that person wasn’t actually Britt, just someone who really, really looked like Britt. And somehow the Huesca Cartel had managed to breach the defenses of the safehouse, and now she knew that she was a captive of the Huescas. She had been in the presence of the leader of the Huescas, Amelia Pena, before, and Audra felt sure that this time she and her people wouldn’t be so forgiving of her.

As she blinked away the water from her eyes, Audra saw that she was in a room very similar to the one where she had held Shae Victoria while waiting for Bisera Haralampieva to bring Britt to her. But unlike that place, this room was filled with a lot of people, some of whom she recognized but a whole lot of whom she didn’t. But there were three people whom she really recognized: Amy Pena, Bisera Haralampieva, and Britt Hanokssen. Of course, because of everything that had happened to her, Audra could no longer trust her own eyes, and she was not absolutely sure that that was really Britt Hanokssen with the Huescas.

“Wakey-wakey, little Crow,” a man whom Audra recognized from the shootout in Otavice which had started this whole thing said to her. A plastic pail was in his hand, dripping from the water it had once contained. “Not so tough now, aren’t you?” he sneered. “Take a Crow away from its nest and you’ve got nothing but a wounded bird. Hey, Amy, she’s ready.”

Amy Pena strolled into view, all in her scarfaced glory. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the one and only Audra Jaakola,” she said as she looked down on Audra. “Slobo Vulovic’s girlfriend.”

“How do you know--?” Audra asked.

“The Huesca Cartel knows everything, Ms. Jaakola. You should know that by now. You may have fooled us when we first met, but now you can’t do that. We know that you think that the Crows are the only people who really understand you, and that’s why you joined them. You tried to fool Britt and Erin into thinking that you’re just another captive like they were but your tattoos was too much of a giveaway. And I know that you used to be friends with Bisera and that she doesn’t want me to kill you, but your boyfriend killed a friend of mine over in Otavice when they couldn’t handle the heat over in Riuwiee, and we’ve been looking for a fat and juicy Crow to settle the score.

“What you boyfriend Slobo doesn’t realize,” Amy continued, “is that, while he and his biker friends may have retreated from Riuwiee and gone back to their hometown HQ and eliminated our local affiliates, things like Otavice being an impenetrable fortress and the Crows going back to their paramilitary roots doesn’t affect us worth a damn. We can’t attack you right at your heart like you did to us, sure, but we’ll damn make sure that we can make you Crows hurt where it will affect you all the most. Oh, and another thing: your boyfriend really shouldn’t have ordered his biker friends to kill one of my friends because that’ll just result in a cycle of violence and revenge. Frankly, I don’t think the biker that my biker friends got and that Crow who was helping them out with their stuff was enough to avenge poor Maricel’s death. But you, you’re Slobo Vulovic’s girlfriend. If that isn’t a personal blow to the asshole then I don’t know what is.”

“Then that means that you are the one who doesn’t know what you got yourself into,” Audra replied, feeling some sort of defiance flooding back into her body. “You see, Slobo doesn’t care if I die, and just for the record, so do I. I’m a holy warrior. The Crows are holy warriors. We were formed to fight the Muslim invaders, and we’re going to fight every other enemy who tries to come into our homeland. So go ahead, kill me, crucify me, send my body to Otavice in a box. I ain’t afraid to die.”

But instead of doubt, a grin actually crept into Amy’s scarred face. “Oh, I’m sure that you’re not afraid to die by my hand, or the hand of a Huesca or a Hun,” she said as she leaned closer to Audra’s face. “But what if the person who’s supposed to kill you is the one person whom you really, really want in this life?” Amy looked up and nodded at someone behind Audra, and the Crow felt the ropes tying her hands and arms to the chair being loosened. She made to stand up, but she then felt big hands holding her down on the chair. “Not just yet, kaibigan,” Pena said. “You’ll stand up when you have permission to stand up.”

“What are you--?” Audra asked once again, but Pena put a finger to her lips to shush her. “Britt, come on over here,” she called out, and the woman whom Audra thought was Britt stepped forward. This time Audra was absolutely sure that she was Britt, because this Britt didn’t have the hardened look of either her Pridnestrovian doppelganger or the girl whom Bisera and the Huescas used to lure Audra into their own trap. This was the real Britt Hanokssen, Audra was sure of that now.

Pena moved Britt so that she was standing right in front of Audra, and then Pena handed Britt a gun, Britt’s own gun, both of them realized with a start. Then Pena walked over to Audra and threw Audra’s own pistol onto her lap. “Now you can stand up,” she said, and the hands on Audra’s shoulders vanished and she was finally free to stand up.

“What do you want us to do?” Audra asked, a hint of fear beginning to creep into her mind and voice with the situation unfolding as it was.

“Haven’t you realized it yet?” Pena asked in reply. “We’re not going to kill you. We’re leaving your fate in the hands of the one person whom you really want the most. It’s kill or be killed. The only way you’re getting out of this place is if you kill Britt, or if Britt kills you. There’s no other way around it. Oh, and before you get any cute ideas on using your gun on us, just remember that it’s only got one round loaded in it, so don’t waste it. Use your bullet wisely. I’ll leave you two alone to settle your differences.” Pena and the rest of the Huescas then went out of the room, leaving only Britt and Audra alone, facing each other with guns with just one round each in their hands.

“So this is how it ends, huh?” Britt asked with the fakest laugh that she had ever mustered. “Just like Harry Potter and Voldemort. One of us has to kill the other to get out of this mess.”

“But does it really have to end with that?” Audra asked. “These people are crazy. You should have seen that already. No person in their right mind would put two girls in a room and force one of them to kill the other. Not even the Crows are that crazy!”

“Yeah, the Crows,” Britt mused. “About that… What the hell are you doing with those guys anyway? And what’s Amy talking about you being the girlfriend of this Slobo guy? Isn’t he, like, the leader of the Crows?”

“Yeah, you’re right about that,” Audra admitted. “I am, or was, Slobo’s girlfriend, but it’s just like those relationship statuses on Facebook, you know. ‘It’s complicated’ is putting it lightly. Sure, I’m his girlfriend, but I also formed attachments with other people, you and Bisera just being some of those people. I became attached to you when you first gave me your lunch, and then when we became friends, my attachment for you just went deeper, and even when I began going out with Slobo, you were really the only person to whom I was really, really close. Then you began hanging out with Erin, and then you said you needed some space, and I just couldn’t take it. I tried to OD on Molly but it didn’t take so Slobo helped me out, but I didn’t get attached to him like the way I did to you. Then I went hanging out with Bisera in the hopes that you’d get jealous now that I was hanging out with a mature and independent girl like her, but then I formed another attachment to her, but after this shit with the Crows went down, she doesn’t trust me anymore. But you, Britt, you’re the one who stuck with me through thick and thin, and you’re the one who’s stuck with me through thick and thin as well. You’re the only thing that’s kept me going through all the shit I’ve been through, and I have been through some substantial shit.

“Look, my point is that you and I are really meant to be,” Audra continued, setting aside her pistol. “If we weren’t meant to be together then why the hell would I still be attached to you after all these years and things that have happened to us? Do you expect Erin to stick with you like I have when shit really hits the fan, when your Huesca friends are no longer there to let her keep up her addiction and her career? Last I’ve heard, you two played for a team in the seventh level of Abanhfleft’s football! The seventh level, Britt! Is that what you really want for the rest of your life? Playing around in a level not suited for you? You always wanted to be one of Anglatia’s best, or at the very least, one of its most famous players! But look where you are now! You’re a nobody playing for a nobody team in a nobody league.”

“What if I don’t care that I’m a nobody in a nobody league?” Britt retorted. “I’ve never felt too comfortable playing for Hunsen anyway, even if it was my dad’s team. It may sound like a cliché, but I think I’ve found my level with United of Riuwiee and the Capital Islands Premier Division. The guys playing in that level all play for the love of the game. Never mind that Erin is way out of their league and keeps dumping on all of them every game we play. She enjoys it, and so do I.”

“What about the things we used to do, Britt?” Audra asked. “The days when we went out jacking cars and setting fire to the Socialist Party’s headquarters back home? Don’t you miss that as well?”

“Maybe you do, but I don’t,” Britt replied. “And maybe that’s why we drifted apart. You love doing crime too much, and, while it took me some time to realize this, I don’t. I don’t know when I realized it, but maybe it’s when I grew up. I saw that only immature people like you can find any thrill in doing the things we did before. And that’s why I can’t go with you, if that’s the point of your little speech.”

“Fuck that!” Audra shouted. “Fuck that and everything else you’ve ever heard! I’m better than Erin, way better than her! What’s she ever done for you? Smoke pot and get high right in front of your face? Just come with me, Britt, and I promise that you’ll live a better life than whatever it is you’re living through right now!”

“You just don’t get it, do you?” Britt shouted back. “There’s no way that both of us are going to make it out of this place alive! Either I kill you or you kill me! The Huescas won’t let the both of us out of here alive!”

“Goddamn it, Brittany, will you just try to cooperate with me for a second instead of contradicting everything I say!?” Audra demanded, bringing up her pistol and aiming it right at Britt. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out and echoed throughout the room and both Britt and Audra looked in shock at each other as both of their minds registered the fact that one of them had fired at the other. Eventually, the shock of the moment passed over them, and then Audra felt a pain radiating from her abdomen. She looked down and both saw and felt blood pouring out of a gaping wound on her side. “Oh, my God!” Britt shouted when she realized what she had done.

“You shot me,” Audra muttered weakly. “You fucking shot me, Brittany,” she said as she slumped down to the ground.

“Oh, my God, oh, my God, Audra, I’m so sorry!” Britt shouted as she threw away her now-empty pistol and ran over to where Audra now lay. One bullet shouldn’t be able to do this much damage on a human being, and yet here was live and bleeding evidence to the contrary. Britt knelt down beside Audra’s bleeding form and cradled her in her arms. “I didn’t mean to shoot you, Audra, believe me! But you shouldn’t have pointed your gun on me as well! Now look at the both of us! We’re now playing a blame game when we’re not the ones actually to blame! This wouldn’t have happened if the both of us just hadn’t got involved with these gangs!”

“Well, at least I died in my best friend’s arms,” Audra said in barely a whisper. The blood pouring out of the wound on her stomach flowed in rhythm with her fluttering and rapidly weakening heart, and keeping her eyes open was becoming more and more of a painful effort.

“Audra, look at me! Look at me!” Britt shouted. “Don’t you dare close your eyes! Don’t go to the light! I’m here, I’m right here, I’ll stay with you.”

“Really, Brittany? Will you do that for me?” Audra asked. Every word that came out of her lips now seemed to drive white-hot daggers into the spot where Britt had shot her.

“Yes, Audra, of course I’ll do that for you. We’re friends, right? Friends stick together until the end. And I know that this is probably too late, but I love you too, Audra. I may be going out with Erin now, but I still love you. As a friend, as a lover, whatever. I love you, Audra Jaakola, and that’s the truth.”

“Thank you, Brittany, for everything.” Audra took one more thin breath, and then she let that breath out and breathed no more. “Audra, no, no!” Britt shouted, and then the tears finally began flowing in full force from her eyes. Girls like her and Audra had no business getting involved in this kind of thing, but that was the way the world turned for the two of them, and Audra had been left behind to be claimed by the all-encompassing grip of death.

Britt barely felt the presence of Amy Pena and her associates return to the room as soon as Audra had collapsed, but she fought hard against the hands trying to pry her away from Audra’s bloody body. “No use crying over her now, Britt,” Pena said to her ear. “Your friend made the wrong choice in friends and she’s paid the price. You’ve served your purpose. Now it’s time for Audra to serve hers.”

---

CRESCENT NEWS NETWORK
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WORLD CUP 77 QUALIFIERS: NORDERNIOUS VS ABANHFLEFT
By Malik Qazizadah


Abanhfleft's Kevin Kelvin celebrates his late penalty against Nordernious with Tristan Lee. (Courtesy of Crescent News Network Sports Channel/Andros Tasasa)

NORDERNIOUS - A late penalty from Kevin Kelvin was more than enough to seal all three points for the Revolutionaries against a resolute Nordernious side to start off Abanhfleft's campaign in the qualifiers of the 77th World Cup.

Abanhfleft had the lion's share of possession and shots attempted, but this all appeared to be part of Nordernious coach Rule Theriault's plan as the hosts were more than content to sit back and absorb the pressure from the higher-ranked Revolutionaries, with home keeper Jürgen Wolf not being tested until after half an hour of play.

Abanhfleft's best chances came in the second half with Daisuke Ogigayatsu heading wide from an Andrea Marilungo corner and when Rory Edwards' scorpion kick attempt bounced resoundingly off the crossbar. At the other end, Nordernian striker Philipp Schweitzer saw his scuffed shot trickle just wide of the far post after he had managed to beat both Luke Edwards and Maksim Varamoninov on a rare Nordernian break.

The defining moment of the match came with only five minutes left in regulation when during a Fleftic free kick, Dirk Schultheiss apparently kicked at Luke Edwards' head as the latter was diving for the ball which had entered a dip in its trajectory. The penalty also wasn't awarded immediately, and only after a brief consultation with the linesman did referee Police Officer UCHEUD89XX of Gregoryisgodistan point to the spot in favor of the Fleftics.

And when Kevin Kelvin stepped up to the spot to take the penalty, the result was never in doubt even through the opposing keeper's best efforts to keep the ball out of the back of the net.


Abanhfleft manager Ranulph Bustamante: Sometimes, teams "must make their own luck"

Abanhfleft manager Ranulph Bustamante: "The old adages and cliches are true sometimes, you know. Sometimes teams really have to make their own luck to get something out of a game. Sometimes, good teams like ours turn in an ordinary performance and have to rely on small moments to edge out the contest and be among the best."

"Was it a penalty? My heart says it is, but my mind tells me that people are going to analyze and over-analyze that particular moment and say that so-and-so didn't deserve the penalty; so-and-so was offside; so-and-so should have just been carded and not been given the penalty, but the thing's already happened, and you can't take it back."

"I have to give [Rule] Theriault and his team credit, though. He gave them a system, made them train in it, and they stuck to it come hell or high water. A draw's probably a fair result for them based on the way both teams played, but in the end we won, and that's what's important in the end."

Abanhfleft will host Revolutionary Nordskania at the May 26 Revolution Memorial Stadium in Riuwiee for the next qualifying match.

NORDERNIOUS 0 - 1 ABANHFLEFT
                  KELVIN (86' pen)

ABANHFLEFT
GK: 1 Varamoninov
RB: 2 Afolayan
RCB: 4 L. Edwards
LCB: 5 Owobowale
LB: 3 Ogigayatsu
RM: 8 Vincelot
CM: 7 Zolnerov
LM: 6 Marilungo
CAM: 10 R. Edwards (El Salah █ - 80')
RS: 9 Kelvin
LS: 11 Dagen (Lee - 65')

NORDERNIOUS
GK: 1 Wolf
RB: 2 Freytag (Ackerman - 65')
RCB: 3 Hartmann
CB: 4 Eichmann
CB: 5 Schultheiss █
LCB: 6 Hoch (Eberhardt - 77')
LB: 7 Hofmann
RM: 8 Abendroth
CM: 9 Klein
LM: 10 Scherer
ST: 11 Schweitzer (Neustadt - 77')

MATCH STATISTICS
Possession
Nordernious: 30%
Abanhfleft: 70%
Shots
Nordernious: 9 (3 on target)
Abanhfleft: 11 (4 on target)
Corners
Nordernious: 3
Abanhfleft: 7
Fouls
Nordernious: 13
Abanhfleft: 16

[Tumbra]

"...undoubtedly, the option of going to war against Zambanana is an option that cannot be ignored, despite the Right Honourable Member's opposition opposite me. I am sure that many Honourable Members on the opposite benches will want to help our former colonies in their time of need. How else will we truly fulfill the Treaty of Goldlion, which we signed so many years ago?" Michael Sheppard shouted.

"Hear, hear," the Conservative benches echoed.

"Order. The Right Honourable Anne Palmer," the Speaker continued.

"Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister is suggesting is a full-out military operation against a country that has no shared beliefs, no shared values with our nation, and has been led by a despotic leader for the past thirty-six years. To do an unprovoked military operation on this nation would simply be --"

Cries of "Traitor!" and "Unpatriotic!" filled the room. It was eleven-thirty pm. MPs wanted to get out of the Chamber and head home.

A vote in the House of Commons would be all that was needed to go to war against Zambanana. The Senate could only stand and watch.

"Mr. Speaker, if I may --" Palmer tried to continue.

"Shut up, you bitch!" A shout echoed from the Conservative benches.

"Will the member who uttered those four words withdraw and apologise or leave," the Speaker said drily. "This is no place for public school insults, be what may."

A lone Conservative MP rose and left, to general booing and heckling from the opposition benches.

"Mr. Speaker, the costs of this operation would be immesurable - not to mention the fact that the costs of setting up a military administration in Zambanana if and when we topple the Mbukane regime would be extraordinary. The Zambananans use the Guayabalense Corona, as a deliberate insult to us; they burn Tumbran flags in the street; they chant anti-Tumbran slogans and demonstrate anti-Tumbran, anti-white sentiments - it is clear we will not be welcomed in Zambanana, so why should we go?" Palmer shouted above the general din.

"But, Mr. Speaker, that is exactly why we require a military intervention. To get rid of a despot and restore democracy to the Zambananans. For too long --"

"Mr. Speaker! If we respond to every crisis our former colonies have, then where and when do we stop responding? Certainly there must be a line drawn, where the difference between a conflict to be resolved between two nations and a conflict requiring our intervention! I will remind Honourable Members that when James Earle of the old SDP dragged this nation into a war, against the country's will, and with the support of the Prime Minister, no less --"

Multiple boos were heard.

"No less, we ended up with a conflict that set off many ripples and is partly the reason why we have even more conflicts today. Your predecessor, Prime Minister, would not have intervened. You served as Foreign Secretary - surely you know diplomacy always comes before war."

[Migli]

LaGazzetaSporta.ddm
Great debut Fiorenti not great for Mar de la Plata
match summary

17' Goal by Mongolfiera (Fiorenti)
38' Goal by Mongolfiera (Tamari)

57' Goal by Player X1 (Player X2)

63'Aslixi

83' Goal by Fiorenti (Palmieri)

press conference Fiorenti

Diulio, you had an amazing performance today, how do you feel?
I feel great, I had a good start with one assist on Mongolfiera and some great passes but I decided that it would be the best idea to work a little bit less. Than around the seventy fifth minute or so I decided that I would give full throttle again and that brought me a beautiful goal.

are you worried about the next match against Kirisaki?
Yes, I am quite worried about the next match because we're up against a better team with more experience than us. Their players are also really good at creating chances very quickly and they're horribly fast. I doubt if we can win the next match.

your contract is expiring this summer, what are you planning to do?
I am very happy at D. Lavezzola but I don't think I will stay there for the next season. I just want to go to another league, perhaps even in another region. I think I can be a nice addition to many teams.

we have rumors that both Fontamelia and FC Histona want to buy you, what do you think?
Well, I will reject any offers from Fontamelia because I don't think I will fit in the first team properly and I really don't like the manager, Dario Acevedo. However, a deal to FC Histona would be very great because I have great relations with some players in the team, besides that, I also like their style of football and their attitude towards young prospects. However, I have no contact with the club at this moment.

What do you think of your contract right now?
I do think my buy-out clause of NS$1,200,000 is a little bit high for Miglian standards, but further I am very happy with my contract.

thank you for your time

more news about tomorrow's match online

[Port Christopher]

Shortly after the Equestrian States match, The Republic of Port Christopher

It wasn't the worst of starts, but it certainly could have been better. When Port Christopher first set out on their Wold Cup journey over a decade ago, a draw with the Ponies of the Equestiran States would have been heralded as an excellent result. However, given the nation's subsequent sporting decline, Jim Reid's side found themselves in the strange possession of being ranked higher than the former world-stage stars. On the face of it, a draw will be a little disappointing for the players given that they had chances in the second half, but taking the other group games into account, they are by no means out of the running after just one game.

At the post match press conference, Jim Reid could almost see the mainland Christopheran journalists liking their lips. This was the poor performance, and result, they had been waiting for: their chance to pounce. Angus Smith, of the Sporting Times - Niki Del Lito, from the Morning News - They were both Kolbeck's lackeys, and while their respective journals did a good impression of being independent from one and other, Jim knew they were one single entity.

This would be dressed up as the campaign being in tatters already, they would try to make it seem like Jim and his players had been found out, as if to detract from all their achievements to date. While they weren't directly involved, it was from their newspapers' offices that the lies about Jim had been printed, they were up to their necks in this, make no mistake.

Jim was sat in the middle of three, with James Del Vertio to his left, and Tim Maitfield to his right. While Diego Bandos was the technically the team captain, his leader generally ended the moment they set foot off the pitch, and the veteran midfielder wasn't exactly renowned for his way with words. The atmosphere in the pressroom felt more like a standoff than a post match interview; almost as if both sides could start slinging pistols at any second. Maitfield and Del Vertio were Jim's seconds, his trusty lieutenants, and they were both ready to intercept any bullets, be they in literal form or any other.

The press could hardly criticise his tactics; Jim didn't even have the personnel to try anything different. Yet, they would try it all the same: Why had he saw fit to start a 39-year-old in centre midfield? Why was Aredhel Neil sitting on the bench? Why had he left it until 57th minute to make any changes? Did this result prove that the qualification two cycles ago had been a fluke?

Perhaps it was time to deviate from his tried and tested tactics. It had worked a treat on the road to Ceni and Electrum, but maybe now they had been found out. The Equestrian States hadn't been in any rush to take the game to Port Christopher, nor had they underestimated them. They hadn't left Jim's players with the same gaping holes to exploit, meaning Tim Maitfield and Rachel Del Arro had simply found themselves outnumbered in the attack

Jim needed more players of quality in this side; his search for eligible personnel over the summer had yielded very little, barely replacing the ones that had moved out of the age bracket. If he wanted to add any more, then he had two options, and neither of which were particularly palatable. There was the option of approaching a few foreign born players, who had lived on the island for the last five years; thus undermining his own argument - or he could of course approach some of the players who had walked out on him before. He had momentum on his side now, but there were no two ways about it, bringing these players back into the fold would be admitting defeat. Tomas Nazario-Silva was the elephant in the room whenever this conversation came up. The giant Willox Street Pirates defender was difficult to manage at the best of times, so trying to bring him into the side, in a way that would allow everyone involved to save face, was going to be tricky. That said, on a good day he was one of the best players in the territory, home-grown, and he was versatile too.

That debate was going to have to wait for another day however, as the last couple of reporters had now filed into the pressroom, and were awaiting Jim's statement. With any luck, Silva's inclusion wouldn't come up. It was something Jim would like to keep on the back burner, and it wouldn't be doing if it looked like his hand were forced.

The low murmur of noise that engulfed the room came to a sudden halt as Jim cleared his throat. He wanted to get through this as quickly as possible, so he could get back on the campaign trail.

[Darmen]

Darmeni Football Association releases list of Host Stadia for World Cup Qualifiers

MD Opponent         Rank Match Location Stadium & Capacity
 2 Barunia            16 Scott City     Thomas Stadium (76,000)
 4 Garifunya          62 Brham          Brham Stadium (54,000)
 6 Drawkland         156 Liverpool      Wolves Park (29,500)
 9 Bonesea            22 Johnho         Stadio Rushmore (70,000)
10 Quakmybush         72 Darmen City    Tyger Stadium (39,000)
12 Willinois         264 Vogler City    Rhinos Park (26,000)
14 Whovian Tardisia  231 Chuckio        Olympic Stadium (28,000)
16 Jeruselem          39 Romanopolis    Colosus Romanopolis (65,000)
17 Witty Penguins     UR Tilden         El Mutiny Stadium (25,000)

SCOTT CITY - The Darmeni Football Association released the list of stadiums located throughout Darmen that will each play host to a single World Cup Qualifying match. Included on the list is Darmen's traditional home stadium, Thomas Stadium, in Scott City. Many feared that Thomas Stadium, having been neglected by local authorities over the past several years since the demise of the Romanov Cup, would not be included among the host stadiums unless upgrades took place. Thomas Stadium will play host to the top ranked team in Group 2 of the World Cup Qualifiers, Barunia. In only Darmen's second match since returning to international football following a hiatus of almost six years, it will be a tough task for the All Greens.

Brham Stadium will play host to Garifunya, the only nation in the All Greens current qualifying group that Darmen has played in recent years. In Garifunya's last match in Darmen, during qualification for the 75th World Cup, the two teams met in Romanopolis. The match ended in a 4-2 victory for Darmen.

Wolves Park, located in Liverpool will play host to Drawkland, who recently finished their Baptism of Fire campaign by placing third. It will be Liverpool's first time ever hosting a World Cup Qualifier, and the second largest city in Darmen is sure to be abuzz prior to and immediately following the match.

Johnho, and the 70,000 seat Stadio Rushmore, will play host to 22nd ranked Bonesea, who played co-host to the latest Baptism of Fire, now in its 64th edition. The stadium was the site of the final of the 9th edition of the Copa Rushmori, won 2-1 by Western Cuba over Weatherdon.

72nd ranked Quakmybush will travel to Darmen City, only recently liberated from the oppressive dictatorship of Alfredo Albaladejo. The 39,000 seat Tyger Stadium will likely be only about half full as the local economy has been hit hard since the fall of Albaladejo, but the fans who do attend the game will likely be very creative with their chants and tifos, freedom of expression having been reintroduced only recently and all.

Lower ranked Willinois and Whovian Tardisia will play in Vogler City and Chuckio respectively. Rhinos Park in Vogler City and Olympic Stadium in Chuckio fall just short of having a capacity of 30,000, but with their opponents being relatively unknowns to the average All Greens fan, many of those seats may go unfilled.

39th ranked Jeruselem will pay against the All Greens at the Colosus Romanopolis in Romanopolis. Having hosted Copa Rushmori matches in both the 9th and 20th editions of the regional championship, plus several other large sporting events, the 65,000 seat stadium, while in need of some minor upgrades will certainly be up to the task of hosting the "The Princesses".

And finally, El Mutiny Stadium on the northern island of Tilden will play host to the lone unranked opponent on the All Greens' schedule, Witty Penguins. The weather for the match may very well end up being windy and rainy, although with the match over a year and a half away, its hard to say.

The DFA has announced that 10% of seats will be reserved for away fans, with tickets for away fans ranging between $25 and $40 dollars. Home fans will be paying between $20 and $75 dollars depending on the location of the match and demand for tickets.

[Kitsunia-Deesse]

Maybe one of the biggest changes during the days the Kitsunians weren't around has to be the leap the Sunrisians took in status.
The former plucky side of Esportiva went on to become a fair name on the grand stage of things, beating out major contenders until winning the World Cup and then repeating their efforts to pull a double.
Sunrisians, often connected to other nations via the eternal Vulpine system of teams, some reserve sides from the Northern Sunrisian main clubs, Project +90 franchises and the usual "-inhos" playing on an ex-pat tea a la Crisisbless Ermac were also a feature at Kitsunia-Déesse.
And unsurprisingly, they made a mark there. Even before they did a bigger mark on multiverse itself.

Si Serebii redescend
Nous allons les aider à revenir en arrière
Si Serebii retombe,
Nous allons les repousser encore une fois

The LMF-K might be pretty much the tale of Serebii Arceus.
Serebii was a small side during the Ligue 1 days but found itself promoted to the top after, in about four hours, explaining the advantages of pushing the Sunrisian-Kitsunian team.
They answered by showing up to all games, they answered by playing their heart out, they answered by signing Sunrisian talent that hadn't been scouted by teams from Sunrise itself.
Up forward, they had Farahal Tahid, a Patistani player that ended up becoming one of the teams' greatest hits, partnering with Lucas Monteiro up front.
Tara Marshall was the sheriff, holding the team's back with the traditional Nepharim grip.
And most of the Kitsunians that ever played at Serebii were good. Names like Domitille Carole, Michél Petit, Claire Boneaux all played in grey and gold at some point, after all.
Their main legacy, the five titles they earned, almost in a row, proved how deadly the Arceusians really were.
This was, funnily enough, accomplished a year before the Sunrisians won the World Cup.

Rôdeurs, Rôdeurs
La plus grande équipe de la ville
Rôdeurs, Rôdeurs
La meilleure équipe pour la famille

The Matthew Rangers are one of the biggest Sunrisian teams to this day.
A team managed by former national team manager Lynette Bourbon, famous for their forward line of Vasco de la Fuente and Eric Spearowhead with talented Raul Capablanca working their offense while Ruth Anderton tried to keep the Rangers cooled.
The city of Fortune is one of the biggest markets in Kitsunia-Déesse, host of the finest Kitsunian companies.
Unsurprisingly, it was named after one of the former Déesses, this one being more focused on economical wealth instead of the actual shenanigans other Déesses did.
The proposal of a Matthew Rangers-backed team at Fortune was interesting at first, the Kitsunian league would have the somewhat dubious honor of being one of those leagues with a farm team playing at their top tier but still, the Rangers' presence would boost interest and whatnot.
Sadly, no one told the Fortunians that the Rôdeurs were, after all, a farm team.
Players of all sorts from all sorts of nations played for the Rôdeurs, most of them really young and the team found itself on the Deuxieme Division while hometown rivals Métropolites remained alive on top.
Fair enough, a season down at the second tier, it happens.
But they didn't return to the top the following season, missing it for a couple of goals under Cápitale Nationalet.
They didn't return the season following that. They almost bottomed out the season after that one.
Maybe their biggest surprise was not getting relegated to the second season of the Troisième Division, surviving over fellow Deuxieme side Catavelles La Velle and lesser sides Montblanc Sling and Montagnard Novabern.
Then they earned a side partner.
Fortune Bonheur, an ice hockey team decided to provide help to the Rôdeurs, working towards a quality staff that could promote and keep the team up top.
While the team didn't quite managed to get promoted back to the top, they were able to improve their form to some extent, faltering a bit.
Maybe the biggest moment was when four teams from the Fortune area made the Deuxieme Division as the Rôdeurs and the Métropoles managed to meet the promoted En Avant Fortune, a name from the past and certainly more Futurnian than the two and the sadly relegated Racing Sud-Fortune.
As a farm team, the Rôdeurs are full of air, but now that the Sunrisian teams are being slightly suggested to loan their foreign talent around, the Rôdeurs could have an upswing in the future.

Temps pour aller à Uglenort
Regardez les Sénateurs jouer
Le domaine des garçons kitsuniens
Un vrai spectacle à voir

The Matthew Senators were more humble about starting a farm team at Kitsunia-Déesse.
They were already used to the idea of a farm team, backing Felixian team Unión Temuco and still doing so to this day, although the biggest name to come out of it, Veríssimo Garcia, being not as good as later players such as Mashiro Tachibana and Bo Foureleven to justify the experience.
Still, there was a bit of charm on having a farm team to face their hometown rivals in the football field.
Uglenort was an odd choice at first, until people truly realized what the Senators had pulled.
While the town did have a team originally, the plucky Uglenort side wasn't really good enough for the top leagues, the fans knew that.
The Senateurs noticed the issue and smiled, offering a hand at making Uglenort competent enough to figure there.
Whichever good Kitsunian players appeared for the team would be allowed to remain at the Kitsunian team, only moving to the Sunrisian side if there was real interest of the players themselves.
A democratic touch that made the farm team a clear sign of respect for the small but alive culture of the town, earning them quite the fandom.
Keeping the good Kitsunian players helped the Senateurs remain competitive.
The team never promoted to the Premiere Division, but Uglenort as a town didn't mind being in the second division.
A town that loves its' team, come high or low.
Now they too are faced with the possibility of importing Sunrisian talent, something that made Serebii Arceus a beast of a team.
Will they do it? Maybe, maybe not.
The crowd will tell.

[Red Blackiland]

Red Blackiland Sports and Off-topic Chronicles

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The alone man

RB Ultras and fans celebrating the winning over Taeshan by 3-1 out of home.

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Author : Mathias Gërdorffen

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Near the newsstand, he distracted himself with the horn of a car. He turned his head to look to the right, did not see the pole right in front of him. The shock was inevitable. The fall, too.
And it was a fall from those of cinema, from comedy to slapstick. First, the "aarrghh" well sore head against the cement. Then the curling of the legs into a thitherto unimaginable knot. And finally, the shameful trip to the dirt, ugly and gray ground: a hitherto unknown enemy.
But that was a small defeat near what followed. The debacle began with the man in the dark suit who bought the newspaper on the bench. He started it all, when, instead of reaching for change, he pointed to the body that whirled and crumbled on the ground. It was enough for everyone to look at that broken package that once resembled a man.
The coup de grace came from the street vendor beside the bench. No, it was not an ordinary laugh he gave when the ragged pile tried to rise. It was another squeaky, sibylline, interrupted by an asthmatic panting, a call that was enveloping everyone on that corner that morning.
Suddenly everyone was laughing loudly, wide-eyed, shamelessly.
And they laughed until the drunkard got up and hugged the post as if it were an old mate. Several minutes passed then until he stumbled to the newsstand and asked the boy in the box, who was fingering a serious expression:
"Sorry, but do you have fire?" I think I lost my lighter ...
Hands cupped, showed ability to light the cigarette with a single toothpick - and sold! - and it went, very slowly, oscillating like a ship in a sea of ​​storm, towards the hubbub of the landscape.
Then he disappeared.

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The Justified Means - Storyline and Guide

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The Justified Means - Be a little warrior fighting against a titan!

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Synopsis

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Federico Dallavera, the protagonist, has just arrived in the independent island-nation of Dakersh, in Paymina. Federico working for the KGB Albos (Guayabalense Intelligence Agency) has to infiltrate various factions and groups, and cause disturbance to help the rebels to throw out the dictator Emir Taamir al-Mahdi. He has taken over control of the place from his dead father Asghar al-Mahdi, who by what was told by KGB Albos was killed in an outrage by his own son. Although Dakersh have strong Payminian and Arabic accents, he's influenced by Guayabalense elements, many government buildings have Guayabalense architeture style.

View of Dakersh

He rules Dakersh in a rude and violent way, with torture, punishments to those who opposes and even fight against the current country's politics. Colonels el-Hares and Al-Mafhouz are his right-arms and close ''friends''. After Taamir al-Mahdi took the power, he started stripping down local Dakershian rights and giving them to the foreigners, a true playground for international tourists, celebrities and security important figures. He built airstrips for private jets, small beach clubs, casinos, and another couple of luxurious things the Dakersh people can't afford with.
The government frequently arrests people for questioning the government. This grows during the revolution. The political prisoners are tortured for information and usually killed. Arrested people can be seen at all military-run road checkpoints. Many of the arrested are probably not guilty of anything. In Dakersh's earlier history, the Khawaja people were once rulers of the land, that's why they wished more social and political rights and power, when Taamir al-Mahdi took the power, he saw that group as a threat so he began stripping their rights just like any other local civilian. Except that the Khawaja rights were diminished so much that they were even below any other local civilian.
When Taamir's father lost the power, his justice and governmental system went with him. So, Taamir set up a more brutal justice system. Anyone who makes a minor infraction is usually arrested and beaten. Many are innocent. Some are arrested for life, or killed. Taamir says he has killed and tortured dozens of criminals in one hour. During the revolution, most are tortured and then killed. Also during the revolution, Taamir declared a day to all currently arrested citizens to be killed, due to clean the full jail cells.
In the military, he used the oil and natural gas resources to start a massive military build-up, people complained saying that "this couldn't possibly be more important than ending starvation on Dakersh, but they were quickly silenced. This including making all harbors and airports strictly for military use, creating many new military bases making an entire local military heavy communications network and putting heavy military presence in civilian areas. He also built some of it for himself, like a personal fortress and even military vehicles, like ships and an giant nuclear-atomic submarine, called D-01. A spacial program was also created, more for military satelites than scientific researches. he created a ring of high command military colonels, and he pays them an enormous salary to give the military more power. The reason for this was because of his major ego and thrive for power, but it was probably mostly to protect Dakersh Oil and Gas from threaths.

Get inside at one of Dakersh military bases

He uses propaganda trailers, statues, banners, outdoors, to influence the citizens of Dakersh that they are to be respected. You can destroy them for money and respect points. The Broadcast Government Company only ever broadcasts government propaganda. Usually to cover-up reports of anti-government violence. When Taamir reached in the government, he needed more space to territory and housing, then two projects were started, the construction of slums in the capital, which where buildings were torn down and replaced with compact condos. Half of the new settlements, mostly in barren territories, are so small that they barely rank to town status. These settlements also meant to improve the infrastructure and to hopefully improve the economy. Also he started to advance into Paymina-disputed lands to double the size of Dakersh territory.
This is when Federico and the KGB Albos appears, his function is to kill Taamir and put a Guayabalense/Paymina friendly leader. Also, he is searching for his old friend, Manuel Sanchez, Federico's former commanding officer, friend and mentor. The game is open-world, with all missions and storyline being optional, except the two introduction missions. There are very few interiors, but the territory is diverse and varied.

[Anglatia]

TheInsiders.an
An inside view of sports in the Empire of Greater Anglatia

The Faceless Player: Part Five
Article by the Faceless Player

The Arrival

When we landed in Bathgate again for the home match against Tobiasia to begin the qualifying cycle, the message was clear: our backs were against the wall. A loss, and the fans would be calling for our heads. A draw, and the anxiety and pressure would only build and carry over to the next match. From the moment we landed, there were plenty of cameras in our face, reminding us of how big of a stage that this was, and the fans were ready to remind us of that pressure, too. As soon as we stepped out of the airport, we were reminded of the pressure by a massive banner across the street from the place, showing a bunch of players that are regarded as the faces of the national team, and reading ‘DEFEND BATHGATE’. The purpose of the banner was to sell tickets for the upcoming match, but there was a double message to it, one telling us that anything other than a win in what was supposed to be our new fortress of a home stadium was unacceptable.

The pressure wasn’t just on everyone else, but on me, personally. I’m gaining more and more infamy with the fanbase and the press for my reports. My agent received at least a dozen requests for interviews in the last week, but I declined all of them because I’m doing these articles as part of an exclusive deal for Insiders. And no, before you ask, I don’t make any money from these. I write them because I think the fans deserve to know what’s going on behind the scenes, and I think I can inspire some change up top if I show what things are like at the bottom of the pyramid. When we first arrived in Bathgate, Yanick Martins brought us all into a conference room in the hotel that we were staying at. He showed us one of my articles on his laptop, and then asked which one of us was leaking information. For a moment, I was worried that one of the players who knows my identity would sell me out under pressure, but they all kept their mouths shut and so did I. Yanick then said that none of us would receive our game checks unless I turn myself in, but my friends stayed loyal to me and didn’t say a word. This team has a number of tight knit circles, and we don’t believe in selling each other out for cash.

Because of the threat, though, the atmosphere at training camp was strange. Everyone was paying extra attention to each other, as they tried to find hints about which one of us could be writing the articles. I thought that they were going to pick up on the subtle things that I do and say and realize that it’s me, but fortunately, we had some distractions that took everyone’s mind off of the leaks and off of the pressure of the upcoming match. The main distraction, though, isn’t necessarily a good one. This story hasn’t been reported at all by the press, but I can promise you that it’s one hundred percent true and that the Underfell newspapers will pick it up in about forty eight hours after this article was posted. I know it’s hard to believe, and it’s surprising, but I’m just going to say it straight up.

Blaze Chrzanowska is pregnant. She was sick for most of the flight from training camp in Ross to Bathgate, but most of us chalked it up to normal illness and figured that she had just eaten something bad or caught a virus. We assumed that it would go away by game time and that all she needed to do was rest for a day or two and sleep it off, but when we landed in Bathgate and we began our training for the first match, she was still sick and she wasn’t showing any signs of getting better. Because it wasn’t getting better, she didn’t train with the team and instead went in to see Andres Yevtushenko, our head physio, for a checkup to see what was actually wrong. He was unsure about what the exact problem was at first, but a few unusual symptoms, dehydration and weight loss, made Yevtushenko curious about something that most doctors wouldn’t have considered.

He had Blaze take a pregnancy test, which confirmed immediately that she had been pregnant for at least the last five or six weeks without noticing. She wouldn’t say who the father was, or under what circumstances she had gotten pregnant, but she knew then that she definitely was. The news was supposed to stay under wraps for now, but that lasted less than a day because Blaze told Zahara Santana, who told her teammate Ake Gustafsson, who told Darren Harbin, who told his friends Allie Vacek, Remy Ladipo, and Hakki Ojala, and from there, the news spread to the entire team. We all felt terrible for Blaze, because she’s only nineteen and we all knew she had no intention of getting pregnant, but most of us avoided her for the rest of that day because we didn’t know what to say to make her feel better. She didn’t say much, either. She sat on the bench with the staff while we trained, and I know she made some calls explaining her situation to her club.

Because of that, Costin Anghelescu is our starting keeper again. The same Costin Anghelescu that’s unbeatable at his best and terrible at his worst, the one that lets his game ride on his emotions and the the one that isn’t afraid to stand up to other players, the staff, the media, or anyone else in his way. So help us, God, because we’re stuck with him for the rest of the cycle unless Blaze finds a way to play while pregnant, or someone else steps up. This could be Isa Tangemen’s time to shine again, but her time in Ross hasn’t been the greatest so far. Or Mauricio Jaco could enter the squad again, but he’s an even bigger risk than Anghelescu. For the sake of everyone, I hope the good Costin shows up and not the bad one.

Anglatia 2-1 Tobiasia

There’s a certain adrenaline rush that comes from running out of the tunnel at the Steelworks, onto the gargantuan pitch that’s lit up by rows and rows of floodlights, to the sound of one hundred and two thousand fans who have come here to see you win. There’s always an adrenaline rush for me when I run out onto the pitch, but especially in this stadium. It’s bigger than every other one in this country, and the feel of it is just… Cavernous. Massive. Huge. I’m running out of words to describe it because there really isn’t a good way to describe a place like this. You won’t know the feeling unless you go there yourself, but if you’ve ever been inside the walls of the Steelworks, you know what I’m talking about.

But when we stepped onto the pitch, we were also reminded of the expectations. Behind the northern goal were the Purple Bloc, a group uniting the more right wing and monarchist elements of our national team support, and when we entered, they raised a massive set of banners displaying an Imperial knight holding a cross as a weapon and directing it at a blue demon like creature. The demon was, of course, representing Brenecia, the main group stage opponent for our team and the one that the fans have dubbed the Blue Demon for crushing our dreams on more than one occasion. In the middle of the display, a set of letters rose from the rigging to form one word: “VICTORIA”. It was another clear message that nothing but a win was acceptable.

When the match kicked off, Yanick Martins went with an attacking lineup. The starters were unchanged from our normal lineup with the exception of Costin stepping in for Blaze, but Leonne Warner and Joao Francis Inciarte stayed back instead of pushing forward and playing heavily in transition like they sometimes had done. Joao wanted to attack, but Yanick ordered him to do his defensive duties first and foremost to try to cut down on the bad goals that we concede. Marco Saint Paul dropped deep to form a double defensive midfielder pairing with Darren Harbin, who retained his role as a libero in the defensive midfield, and in case you guys didn’t notice from watching the match, Hector Grier didn’t come out as a ball playing defender and instead stayed deep as a ball stopper.

With only Andros Diasakos in the attacking midfield, we received the bulk of our attacking firepower from the wings, with Allie Vacek playing out wide on the right side and Zahara Santana playing as more of an inverted winger to the left, with Nessa Chryst being prepared to chase down through balls and force mistakes from defenders in the middle of the pitch. The new setup was more defensively sound, with Chryst and Santana indirectly aiding the defense by pressuring the Tobiaisan defenders whenever they had the ball in their own third.

Early in the match, Fraser Phillips got off two good shots on goal that were knocked wide by Costin, and Yanick waved Draren Harbin back and told him to spend the entire match man marking Phillips, which effectively took the best Tobiasian player out of the match early. Yanick’s plan was to force Tobiasia to beat us with their other players and not just their star, but the rest of our defense held up and made up for Darren closely shadowing Phillips no matter where he went on the pitch. That’s why Darren is best suited to the libero role; when he has the freedom to defend where he wants, he can mark and take on anyone. The first twenty minutes were largely defensive for both teams, as our squads felt each other out and tried to find which weak point would be the best one to attack.

But the Explorers drew first blood, fortunately. It turns out that Zahara Santana is brilliant as an inside winger because of her skill on the ball and her ability to use the ball to beat the player marking her, and she knocked the ball past Abraham Peters and forced Frank Woods and Paul Goldsmith to close down on her at the same time before she could get in on goal. The immediate double team allowed her to turn and shield the ball with her body before kicking a pass outside to Allie Vacek, who cut to the edge of the box before passing the ball back to Marco Saint Paul, who pushed upwards despite Yanick’s instructions and was there beyond the box to put Allie’s pass into the back of the net as a longshot from twenty eight yards back. MSP has always has the range to punish defenders for not closing down on him, but that goal was quite special even for him. Bathgate is his hometown, and he got a goal for his home crowd to take the pressure off of us a bit.

He’s been feeling the pressure too, after moving to a team that would let him become a major star, Castle United. I feel like that goal let some of the pressure off of him, and he celebrated it by turning to the Purple Bloc and making a hammers gesture with his hands, referring to his past as a Bathgate City player. When play got going again, we put even more pressure on Tobiasia and moved the defensive line upwards so that we were mostly keeping the ball in their half of the pitch. Yanick wanted to go for another goal to put the match on ice while it was still only half an hour in, and so Hector and Lukas Aukland played above Leonne and Joao and focused on keeping possession in our opponent’s area.

We nearly broke through when Andros held up the ball for the forwards and then booted it forward in the fortieth minute, but Zahara Santana was beat to the ball by Frank Woods and despite her claims of being fouled, the referee waved it off when she fell down. Woods would then try to clear the ball from his own box, but Allie would leap to try to use her head to knock the ball down, colliding with him in the process. That nearly sparked something bad between the two teams, and Allie received a yellow card for dangerous play. The break in play while everyone checked to see if Allie was injured slowed down our momentum, however, and that was when Tobiasia struck us back.

Arthur Slim rocketed the ball downfield with a long volley three minutes later, near the end of the half. The half was nearly over and the Tobiasians were resorting to long balls to see if they could get anything from the few minutes that were left, and Joao completely fucked up our chance of catching them offside when he ran deep instead of coming up high to allow Leonne to form the offside line with Hector. The ball landed in the middle of all four defenders, and Matthew Card managed to gain control of it and slip a through ball past Lukas as Fraser Phillips made an overlapping run behind the defense. He wouldn’t be offside either, and it would be a footrace to the goal between him and Darren Harbin. Costin ran out when he shouldn’t have, to try to form a mismatch of numbers, but Fraser chipped the ball over him and it rolled into goal with less than a minute left in the half.

Dan Drysdale, our tactics coach, yelled at us at halftime for that. Yanick stayed calm, but he was on edge too, and so were the fans. The last sequence seemed to unravel our good play from earlier and it planted doubts in the minds of everyone. Zahara was the most outraged of anyone. She stood in front of all of us and screamed at us more than Yanick ever had, telling us not to let our play slip again. She was particularly hard on Joao Francis Inciarte, shoving him and forcing Hector to separate the two of them. Her message wasn’t complicated, but she was still very demanding about it: she wanted us to run harder, act with quicker instincts, and tackle like our lives depend on it. She said that if we tackled, we wouldn’t be tied instead of up.

We went out in the second half applying those points, and it worked well to an extent. The high line was gone, replaced by the tactic that we had started the match with, and we spent the initial minutes of the half sitting back very deep and absorbing pressure. The fans were at our backs for it, but we weren’t about to concede another counter attacking goal because we wanted to chase the winner. But in the sixty third minute, something happened that shook up the game plan entirely. Nessa Chryst was by far our fastest player, and she managed to hit twenty one and a half miles per hour while chasing down a through ball from Andros Diasakos, and she had a very nasty collision with Abraham Peters, who attempted and made a sliding tackle. Nessa’s forward momentum caused her to flip into the air and land badly on her shoulder, which the doctors say is torn now. She also suffered damage to her foot from the studs up sliding tackle, for which Peters didn’t receive a card.

As our enforcer, Zahara Santana was ready to fight after the tackle, but Nessa told her to stay back and managed to stand up under her own strength and walk to the sideline. Yanick was faced with a big choice, the choice of who to bring in to replace her, and he opted to bring on Hakki Ojala outside of his usual position. Hakki typically plays on the wing with the national team and in the midfield for his club, but this time, Yanick lined him up as a center fielder playing deep behind Zahara and Allie, and Zahara played more inside to compensate for the space Hakki was leaving. The gamble turned out well.

Hakki dominated the space between the midfield and the other forwards and created two chances within his first five minutes of being on the pitch. He also set up the game winning goal. It was the eighty first minute and the crowd was demanding a goal, and Hakki caught Abraham Peters coming too high and won a aerial duel against him before quickly booting the ball behind him to see if Zahara or Allie could get to it. Zahara stood back and waved Allie forward, and from there, Allie’s goalscoring instincts took over. She approached much faster than the keeper was expecting, and he misjudged his run off of his line and made a failed attempt at a diving save, which Allie stepped around before blasting the ball into the back of the net from a few yards out.

Let me tell you something about this place… It goes fucking nuts when we score, but somehow, Allie stayed calm after that. She imitated a classic celebration, spreading her arms wide and holding them up like a royal awaiting praise from her subjects. Those grey eyes of her were totally calm and unemotional, as Zahara and Hakki grabbed her and brought her into a group hug. And all of the pressure of earlier, it was gone. We had survived, for now. The match would end after Costin made one more double save near the end to deny the opposition the chance for a draw, and we would walk off of that massive pitch to the sound of a crowd that was finally adoring.

At the end of the match, we all ran over to the Purple Bloc and linked arms and swayed with them as they belted out one of their songs, which I think was in a Nordic language. I know the song was about Anglatia and Nordskania at least, as our fans had always shown support for northern Nordskania during their revolution turned war with Pridnestrovia. For the first time since the last World Cup cycle, those fans were completely supportive and behind us. They cheered us when we left the pitch instead of jeering us. For the first time in forever, we’d met their expectations.

Now, the challenge was to use the good momentum to turn things around.

[Ethane]

Last Gasp - Part 4
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

14th July 2018 - 3PM

It was that time of day again. Mr. Holmes break. He put down the policy document he was working through for an interview he had later that evening, which he felt like he was making good progress on, and put the lid of his laptop down. 30 minutes away from that wretched document. It was his least favourite part of being the leader of Ethane. He had to know so much stuff, so much party policy and state of the country, and remember so many facts and figures his head felt like it was about to explode. He sighed, standing up and walking out of his office, down the corridor and to the lift, where he pressed the button. Within 30 seconds, the lift doors were opening in front of him. He stepped in and pressed the button for the first floor, the lift doing as ordered.

Mr. Holmes really hoped Mr. Aberson would be there today. He wasn't at the stall yesterday, and that worried him deeply as he was there, without fail, everyday except for the odd weekend when he was on holiday or the ocassional week-long holiday, but these sort of things were always told to him before he actually went. This is the first time Mr. Aberson had not been there without telling him, and Mr. Holmes had a feeling that something wasn't right. It just felt a little darker than your normal day.

He stepped out the lift, walked through the lobby of the political offices and out into the street. The sky was dark and gray, ominous, thick clouds lurking on the horizon, slowly blowing in like an invading army. A storm was coming tonight, that he was sure about. The harsh wind was blowing in the storm off the sea; uncommon for this time of year, but not impossible. Most likely a cold front was sweeping in. Mr. Holmes ran over to the stall, where Mr. Aberson, to Mr. Holmes' delight, was standing, shouting out the goods and prices he had for sale in one of those atrociously annoying farmer's market bartering voices, with it seeming like the main aim was not to sell goods, but to out-shout the market seller who was selling a similar set of goods to you at the other side of the market square. He seen quietened down when Mr. Holmes arrived though, greeting him with a cheery, but hesitant, handshake.

'Good day to you sir.' he said, not looking into the political leader's eyes. It was almost like he was hiding something, but Mr. Holmes couldn't tell. 'What can I do for you today sir?'. The farmer swept his hand over the top of his selection of fruit and vegetables, generously offering a discounted rate on most of the things he could see for the leader of Ethane.

'I'll have an orange I think today, and I'll take a few home for my family as well.' Mr. Holmes fetched some money out of his bag and held it out for Mr. Aberson, while he put the requested oranges into a plastic, see-through bag, similar to the ones found at supermarkets for the loose fruit and vegetables, but of a larger size. Once he had finished putting the oranges in the bag, they swapped; Mr. Aberson taking the money while Mr. Holmes took the bag of oranges.

'Thankyou.' Mr. Holmes said, before beginning to talk about his interview this afternoon. Mr. Aberson listened, ocassionally speaking out with his thoughts when he was asked for advice. They stood there, talking for going on half-an-hour, both distracted by the team with no customers to keep them wary because of the unusual chill in the air for the time of the year and the rain that was expected soon. It was in fact a large drop of rain hitting Mr. Holmes on the head that reminded him of where he was, and that he needed to get back to work on the policy document for his interview at 6pm. He checked his watch. 3:28pm. He wasn't late yet, but he would need to be quick at getting back.

'I have to run. It's the end of my break.' Mr. Holmes apologised, thanking Mr. Aberson for the lovely chat. He began to walk away and back towards the offices slowly when he was called back by Mr. Aberson.

'Do you want to come round for dinner tonight with my family?' he said quietly, almost too quiet to be heard with the wind blowing like a gale in the square, with some of the stalls almost lifting off the ground.

'I'll have to check with my wife.' Mr. Holmes shouted back, having just about heard Mr. Aberson. 'If I can, I'll either call or text you later. I have your mobile phone number after all.' He briskly walked away, rushing to get back to his office and to the policy document and out of the increasingly strong storm.

- - - - -

14th July 2018 - 5:45PM

Mr. Holmes, sat down outside the office of the journalist who would be interviewing him live on television, pulled his phone out of his pocket. His phone had a red shell and an orange case (to emphasise his patriotism). He unlocked it using his fingerprint. The technology of the day enabled this, despite these phones not even really existing 15 years beforehand. It was crazy how much technology had evolved, not only in everyday, ordinary activities, but in extraordinary activities as well. He opened up the text messaging app on his phone and typed in Mr. Aberson's number in. The text read as follows:

I am free tonight. I have asked my wife, and she has said it is fine. What time will you want me round?

He put his phone back in his pocket and relaxed, mentally preparing himself for the interview. Within 30 seconds, the sound of a message arriving on your phone played - the little dingle that everyone finds so annoying it drives some to insanity. The message read as follows:

Cool. 7pm okay? You've been given our address before?

He tapped in his response:

Yeah, that's fine. I have you address. See you then.

---

Match Review

---

The Red Kites of Ethane have started off their World Cup Qualifying campaign as they mean to go on with a narrow win against Korizland.

Korizland, who are ranked 132nd in the world, and 6th seed team in the group which Ethane resides in, were expected to be a relatively easy team to beat, and one to ease the Red Kites team into the World Cup campaign, hence why the best starting lineup wasn't played. However, the team was able to provide some significant defensive opposition, which drastically reduced the scoreline to the narrow victory for Ethane that is recorded.

The Red Kites started off on the wrong foot from the kickoff, with Korizland able to build up an attack and keep the momentum on their side and the pressure on the Red Kites, helped by the fact they were the home team in the game so controlled possession of the ball from the kick-off. They were able to maintain significant momentum for the first 15-20 minutes of the first half, where they prevented the Ethanese team from gaining any real traction, before their momentum and pressure began to die down, leaving the team from Ethane ripe to pick up the pace in the nil-nil game.

The Red Kites did just that, and once they had regained possession of the ball, they applied pressure strongly with most of their team behind them. They hammered and wore down the Korizland defence, but despite all their efforts, the defensive structure was held together, preventing any goals from the Ethanese players. This led the game into half-time at a nil-nil draw, with both teams vying for the three points to fulfil their desire of reaching the World Cup finals.

Ethane were back on the pitch in the right mindset, fresh from a short break to recuperate their energy and reevaluate the plan, and went straight in hammering the team from Korizland with no mercy. They played extra-agressive and full-pitch press, applying lots of pressure to the defence from Korizland, hoping it would buckle under pressure. However, the defence from Korizland remained stubborn, refusing to concede a goal to the Red Kites.

The breakthrough for the Ethanese team came in the 70th minute, when Kevyn Stidolph managed to dribble it right up the left-wing, avoiding a few defenders along the way. Stidolph was able to get good lift on the cross, sending it right into the path of Hayden Watts - proving his credibility and need to be on this team. Watts connected with the ball perfectly, sending the ball past the Korizland goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

Korizland did try to come back from this and started playing ultra-agressive for the very short amount of time left in the game, but the Red Kites were able to rest on their defensive laurels and practically build a wall around their goal, stopping Korizland from scoring the equaliser needed.

The game marks two relatively easy games for the Red Kites to ease them into the tournament - against Korizland and then Rebuild the Wall - before the team from Ethane will have to face up against the best team in the group - and one of the two threats to Ethane's World Cup Qualification ambitions - in Electrum. This, and the final game against Damukuni, will be two of the most significant games of these group stages in deciding who will qualify for this World Cup, so it is vital that the team ready to play is at its best, hence why the two easier games are a great way to start the tournament for Ethane.

Subs:
'64: Branden Veresoto
'71: Samuel Mitchell
'86: Jonathan Harris

---

Lineup vs Rebuild the Wall

---

GK: Brody Church
LB: Bruce Washington
CB: Darien Fear
CB: John Campbell
RB: Archie Holmes
CDM: Merlin Midgley
LM: Kevyn Stidolph
RM: Branden Veresoto
ST: Dewayne Boivin
LF: Thomas Peone
RF: Samuel Mitchell

---

Schedule and Stats

---

---

Note: statistics do include friendlies.

---

Pre-WCQ Friendly: Qasden 1-0 Ethane @ Royal T.V. Stadium, T.V. City
MD1: Korizland 0-1 Ethane @ Korizland
MD2: Ethane vs Rebuild the Wall @ King Edward IV Stadium, New Sarum
MD3: Electrum vs Ethane @ Centralis Arena
MD4: Ethane vs Cetheque @ King Edward IV Stadium, New Sarum
MD5: The Andromeda Archipelago vs Ethane @ The Andromeda Archipelago
MD6: Ethane vs Tinhampton @ King Edward IV Stadium, New Sarum
MD7: Boring Paradise vs Ethane @ Boring Paradise
MD8: New Gazi vs Ethane @ New Gazi
MD9: Ethane vs Damukuni @ King Edward IV Stadium, New Sarum
Mid-WCQ Friendly TBC
MD10: Ethane vs Korizland @ King Edward IV Stadium, New Sarum
MD11: Rebuild the Wall vs Ethane @ Wooden Palisade
MD12: Ethane vs Electrum @ King Edward IV Stadium, New Sarum
MD13: Cetheque vs Ethane @ Cetheque
MD14: Ethane vs The Andromeda Archipelago @ King Edward Stadium, New Sarum
MD15: Tinhampton vs Ethane @ Tinhampton
MD16: Ethane vs Boring Paradise @ King Edward Stadium, New Sarum
MD17: Ethane vs New Gazi @ King Edward Stadium, New Sarum
MD18: Damukuni vs Ethane @ TBC
Post-WCQ Friendly: TBC

Stats
Goals
Julian Harrington - 1
Assists
Branden Veresoto - 1
Sub Appearances
Samuel Mitchell - 2
Christian Ali - 1
Caleb Powell - 1
Branden Veresoto - 1
Jonathan Harris - 1

[Veldgouwen]

Beautiful poems could be written about the renaissance of Spaam, a nation that slumbered in the more shadowy corners of the multiverse. In colorful words, one should paint a picture of a reborn generation materialized in a seemingly scruffy goalkeeper as Inasys, who turned into a hero overnight. However, unfortunately, this is not how a fiercely nationalistic press reacts to an event which brings a tear in the eye of the most hardened veteran amongst the nations – at least, when it happens at the expense of their own flag.

Generations of carpenters and nail makers could be employed with the crucifying done by the sharpest sports pens of the nation. Goalie Oberink had done quite splendid, getting his glove against an Elzeros shot at a crucial point, and got spared. But the remainder of the squad, previously dubbed De Zilvervloot after reaching an unexpected final in the Independents Cup, suddenly seemed ready for the scrapheap. The center backs were static, those on the wing were inapt and technically poor, Troch had been invisible, Decubber considered a headless chicken and Gert Stalhof a head without chicken.

But whatever adjectives are being rediscovered, one needs a scapegoat and for that, there was a toss-up. Striker Piet Masschelin came on to the pitch with sharp ambitions and the knowledge that a few million citizens kept their eyes peeled on him to make the difference. The man himself, for whom confidence was a compliment and not an insult, believed that version as well. Well, it must be said, until he met Farlinar Reyen, a previously faceless central defender who honored his shirt and brassard and dueled heroically with the brand-new Skiveness striker. Of course he had not been as poor as commentators tried to tell their listeners as the towering attacker did his utter best to bring the leather home but time and time again, Reyen kept hold of the leash, whatever moves the hungry dog tried to dodge. Those few times he had to allow Masschelin with the ball in the box, his goalkeeper did what he had to do.

At the other side of the coin, gaffer Valkeniers received his part of the burden. Stubbornly, the man with the long coat kept hanging on to the eleven between the lines. If the net would have trembled, he would once more be touted as the best thing since sliced bread but his strategy backfired when Oridul Inasys crowned himself to man of the match. Keeping his substitutes unused, Johan Valkeniers was suddenly labeled as too stubborn for such a delicate job and the more tabloidy of papers claimed that he had one foot out of the door. Valkeniers has a hard head but knew that sacrifices had to be made and as such, the atmosphere ahead of the first home against Nagore was far below zero as regular players such as Meganck, Breydels, Deferme and, not too surprisingly, Piet Masschelin found themselves locked to the bench.

”Too conclude, boys, all I need is dedication. Keep ourselves focused and the space will open up. I want speed in counterattack and then we’ll have this in the bag.”

Trying to show his best side at his debut, Yassin Tarki chanted enthusiastically but quickly discovered that the sentiment wasn’t shared amongst him teammates.

”All right,” Decubber spoke as Valkeniers left the room, taking up his unofficial position as leader, ”let’s get this job done. We know what we’re capable off, let’s show it.”

It was mildly less inspired than otherwise, in tune with the general sentiment. Nonetheless, they stepped out with three cheers and tried to put on their game face – which in most cases just meant they tried to stop looking as if they had been part of a funeral. Somehow, it seemed only Tarki felt genuinely upbeat about taking the pitch. Well, until.

”You f’ing mole are going to tune it down a little in kissing the butt of the coach or you’re going to get a firm kick in the rear,” Dirk Breydels whispered between his teeth.

When the camera walked past the starting eleven, all made a well-advised choice between flashing a smile, looking incredibly focused or a praying glance to the skies. Only Tarki looked as if he had been part of a funeral. And that on his debut.

[Prusy Krolewskie]

Prusy Krolewskie loses against Savalen

The Reprezentacja Pruski recieved Savalen at home in Stadion Miejski Malbork. Hours before the game starts, the Armed Forces were deployed around the stadium with the fear that protesters could disturb the game, but with Prince Zygmunt VIII announcing that he abdicates, the Armed Forces left the place before the game started. However some fans were reluctant to attend the game and a crowd of only over 22,000 fans was announced. Savalen attacked first, at the 14th minute, when Player #10 passed to Player #8 who dribbled and made a cross to Player #9 who shoots but Zofia Kwietniewska makes the save! Savalen attacked again at the 29th minute when Player #7 dribbles and passes to Player #11 who makes a header pass to Player #8 who kicks the ball and it's in the net, 1-0 Savalen. Savalen had a strong 1st half and Prusy Krolewskie had a hard time trying to pass Savalen's defence. At the 33rd minute, Sascha Welzmüller passed to Pawel Wawrzynkiewicz who dribbles and makes a pass to Amelia Zalwowska who passses to Zbigniew Zajaczkowski. Zbigniew Zajaczkowski shoots but Goalkeeper #1 stops the ball. Savaln were leading 1-0 at the halftime.

Savalen increased their lead at the 52nd minute when Player #11 passed to Player #10 who passes to Player #8 who shoots. The ball hits the post and Krzysztof Januszkiewicz clears the ball. Player #5 intercepts the ball and shoots from 60 meters and the ball is in. 2-0 Savalen. Savalen attacked again at the 55th minute when Player #7 made a cross to Player #9 who shoots. The ball touches Zofia Kwietniewska and goes out of bounds, it's a corner kick. Player #6 kicks the ball and Player #10 heads it right into the net. Savalen scored two goals in 3 minutes and are now leading 3-0. Savalen started defending rather than attacking and at the 67th minute, Yannick Ksiezniakiewicz passed the ball to Amelia Zalwowska who passed to Sarah Schroffenegger who dribbles and makes a cross to Zbigniew Zajaczkowski. Zbigniew Zajaczkowski shoots and he scores, Savalen is now leading 3-1. Prusy Krolewskie attacked again at the 74th minute when Pawel Wawrzynkiewicz tries to pass to Zbigniew Zajaczkowski but Player #2 intercepts the pass. Player #5 takes the ball and counter attacks, he dribbles with the ball and passes to Player #10 who dribbles and passes to Player #8. Player #8 shoots but Zofia Kwietniewska stops the ball! At the 81st minute, Sascha Welzmüller passed to Yannick Ksiezniakiewicz who passed back to Sascha Welzmüller. Sascha Welzmüller dribbles and passes to Jean-François Kleineheismann who dribbles. Player #4 trips Jean-François Kleineheismann whitin the penalty area and he gets a yellow card, Prusy Krolewskie gets a penalty kick! Zbigniew Zajaczkowski takes the penalty, he shoots and he scores! Savalen's lead is cut to 3-2 and it's the final score.

Prusy Krolewskie lost the first game against Savalen and, on matchday 2, they wil play on the road against Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland.

BOXSCORE
29th minute: Player #8 assisted by Player #11
52nd minute: Player #7 (unnassisted)
55th minute: Player #10 (unnassisted)
67th minute: Zbigniew Zajaczkowski assisted by Sarah Schroffenegger
82nd minute: Zbigniew Zajaczkowski (penalty)

Yellow Cards
Player #4
Przemyslaw Zawistowski and Pawel Wawrzynkiewicz

Red Cards
None
None

[Alasdair I Frosticus]

Freyhill 0–5 The Holy Empire

A long time ago, in a place far, far away, there was a mystical land called Freyhill.

It was a magical land that could only be reached by the Wood Between the Worlds, and where strange, ancient rites and rules governed the lives of ordinary folk.

Under these rules, once a year eleven stout-hearted citizens of Freyhill were chosen by lot to play a local sport called 'Phuutbawl' against passing challengers who found their way there by the magic of the Wood Between the Worlds.

It was said that any teams of challengers who managed to defeat the stout-hearted folk of Freyhill would be granted a mighty boon, and that said boon could aid in the completion of any quest. In 5000 years of Phuutbawl, not one challenger had defeated the good people of Freyhill, who were known across the pools of the Wood Between the Worlds to be strong, and worthy, and brave.

And so it came to pass on the one day of the year when the Phuutbawl challenges were accepted, a mighty man clad in red and yellow appeared on the Freyhill field of play and said in thunderous speech 'I am the Tzimisces, and I set forth my challenge; let eleven stout-hearted citizens of Freyhill come forth and match themselves against my Phuutbawl team.

And a wondrous team this was indeed. In goal was a yellow and black bouncy beast, lithe and agile, filled with confidence that he could stop any shot. The three defenders were bipedal bears, one wearing a hat most scarlet, another clutching a useful pot to put things into, and the third draped in a checked scarf of gold. On the wings pranced two men of wizardly complexion, though one worked magic with a wand, the other with sweetmeats and assorted treats (this one came with a bizarre cadre of orange-skinned servants who sang strange songs and followed him everywhere). Towards the centre of the pitch was a great wolf of terrible gaze, and a short man - a halfling, one might say - who went barefoot. In the front were two men of piratical bent and swashbuckling charisma, one with a hook for a hand, the other with a wooden leg. And at the centre of it all was a mighty lion who spoke with a voice that some called holy, but whom all accepted as having an unmistakable presence that awed all around them.

'This is my team' said he who called himself the Tzimisces. 'Match yourself against them if you dare'.

The players of Freyhill, though stout of heart were sore afraid, for never had a team like this one been seen on the field of Phuutbawl. Strange walking beasts that spoke, pirates with missing limbs, and wonderworking magicians were not typical fare for the good people of Freyhill; for though they were, as we have seen, strong, and worthy, and brave, they were at heart simple folk who had not been exposed to the full flower of the wonders of the multiverse.

And so it came to pass that the team of the Tzimisces did gain a great victory, brushing aside the people of Freyhill. Yet it was clear that there was no malice on the part of the Tzimisces in the victory known always thereafter as the 'five-nil thrashing by those Holy Empire weirdos'.

When it came time for the stout-hearted folk of Freyhill to grant the Tzimisces his boon, he looked upon them with a kindly aspect and said 'fair people of Freyhill, you have already granted us our boon, for we have now gained three points towards our quest of World Cup qualification!'. And though the men and women of Freyhill were unsure of what this meant, they were glad indeed that they would not be forced to grant the various boons that they had prepared just in case, and that their comely daughters could return to their abodes with their virtue intact, unslain in strange nameless rites by ancient cults that gibbered in the service of the Great Old Ones.

And if your humble narrator is unsure at this point whether he's reading a children's bed time story or some hideous Lovecraftian tale, perhaps it's as good a time as any for us to go sleepy bo-bos and dream sweet dreams of ancient Cyclopean horrors.

[Mercedini]

World Cup MD1: Kitsunia-Deesse vs. Mercedini LIVE
@ Stade de la Déesse - Capitale, Kitsunia-Deesse

Hello and welcome to the start of qualification for the 77th World Cup, Mercedini are back in action once again with many of the same faces as last time and the time before that. We have been given a very favourable group which could work for us when it gets down to crunch time. We are here in Stade de la Déesse for the start of Mercedini's qualification campaign against Kitsunia-Deesse, a rather primitive nation which is unranked at this World Cup, but David Bjarnasson has already stated that there are no easy games at this tournament, so his men will be giving their all in order to get their first three points on the board to get the ball rolling. A rather standard starting XI for Mercedini with Ross Presic being the only change from the last World Cup, he will take Carlton Pujanic's position at Right-Mid. Mercedini have had plenty of practice at other tournaments and here is where they put all of that to work and see it come to fruition. The fans of both nations have packed out the rather rickety and wooden 30,000-seater stadium, which will make for a tremendous atmosphere when kick of finally comes around. The teams appear from the tunnel in their familiar colours, they line up and we are ready for the kick-off.

---

0' - We've just witnessed two tremendous renditions of two national anthems in the Stade de la Déesse here in Capitale, someone has obviously turned up the atmosphere to eleven in the stadium, this is where it all begins for these two nations. The teams shake hands and the captains exchange gifts. The pleasantries have ended and now it's time for these teams to duel for the first time. Kitsunia have just kicked off in their familiar green kits, they will kick towards the Mercedinian fans for the first half. The Mercedinians are in their familiar black and blue kits who are now defending the opening attack from Kitsunia.

6' - (KDE 0-0 MRC) - We're about five or so minutes into the match and Mercedini are currently on top in this match. They have maintained their possession well in this match and have created a number of opportunities to procure their first goal of their campaign. Presic found some space on the far side and dribbled past Dominuque at right-back, he ran out of room and let out a cross while he was running, Billic was approaching in the box but he didn't get a clean contact on the ball with his head and it went high and wide for a goal kick. 0-0 but Mercedini are threatening.

10' - (KDE 0-0 MRC) - We have now reached doubles figures in this match and it's safe to say that both teams are fairly even thus far, after their early onslaught that they had to withstand, 'Les Guerriers' are finally getting a foothold in this match, they have made some space down the centre bt have only been limited to half chances thus far in the match. Still 0-0, who knows when a goal will come.

16' - (KDE 0-0 MRC) - Mercedini have a penalty and to say that it came against the run of play is an understatement. Kitsunia were having a dangerous spell in front of the Mercedinian goal but Hosset collected the ball, threw it and as quick as a flash Mercedini were on a break. Crasic took the ball and belted down the field with Chillotov in support. Crasic came into the box and was hauled to the ground by Zdenek Guernon. He received a yellow card for his troubles and has given Mercedini the chance to go one-nil up. The Kitsunians are protesting, it may take some time to clear the players.

18' - (KDE 0-0 MRC) - Billic steps up... scores! Was it ever in any doubt? He slotted the ball down the centre while the goalkeeper dived to his right, the Mercedinians embrace as the Kitsunian players and fans express their displeasure at the referee, Mercedini are a goal to the good and have somewhat dodged the bullet after KD's dangerous spell but the they have the opening goal. 1-0 Mercedini

25' - (KDE 0-1 MRC) - It looks as it Kitsunia Deesse have woken up after that opening goal, they are giving Mercedini a real good go with plenty of vibrant play coming from the wingers and strikers. Bjarnasson looks wary of his opponents who seem to be on the up in this match. One chance of note since the goal, Fantina Zirome dribbled into the box but a tame shot was easily gobbled up by Hosset. Kitsunia are pressing and pressing but Mercedini are still in the ascendancy as it stands.

32' - (KDE 0-1 MRC) - A very intriguing match of push and pull from both teams as the ball goes back and forward between the teams. Both sets of fans are getting more and more involved in the game and the noise is reaching deafening levels. The Mercedinians are willing their team to hold on and to potentially nick a second goal while the home fans want their team to get an equaliser. It may raise the roof if they do! Still 1-0 to Mercedini.

40' - (KDE 0-1 MRC) - The corner comes in from Traffikant and a goal!! Kitsunia have got the equaliser and the stadium erupts in a wall of noise. It's Zdenek Guernon with the headed goal and he's healing away towards the fans who are going mental at the moment. No one covered Guernon in the centre of the box and his clean contact thumped the ball into the net to give Kitsunia-Deesse a well deserved equaliser. It's one-all with about five minutes left in the first half.

44' - (KDE 1-1 MRC) - This frantic first half is coming to an end and both teams are obviously slowing down as we approach stoppage time. Simple passes from both teams are rounding off the half in a subdued final few minutes. We have had plenty of action in this half and I think the players deserve a break after all of that. It's 1-1 going into stoppage time.

45+2' - (KDE 1-1 MRC) - The referee blows his whistle for the end of the half and surprisingly the teams are fairly even and that's how they've ended the half. Mercedini looked to be cruising to an easy victory in the opening ten minutes as they dominated the play and then earned themselves a penalty after a counter attack. Kitsunia-Deesse then rallied and their efforts were rewarded thanks to a headed goal from Guernon who gave away the earlier penalty. At the end of the first half, it's Kitsunia-Deesse 1, Mercedini 1.

HALF TIME
Kitsunia-Deesse 1 - 1 Mercedini
Guernon 40' | Billic 18' (P)

The teams are back out for the second half, there isn't that much to say apart from that. Both teams seem up for the challenge of the second half. Either team can get the win in this match so it's up to both teams to forge their destiny and take control of the game that is so crucial to the campaigns of both nations. We have kicked off and are already underway for the second half of World Cup Qualification MD1 featuring Mercedini and Kitsunia-Deesse!

49' - (KDE 1-1 MRC) - The teams have come out fighting in this second half, both teams making an impact on the pitch with both sets of fans waving their flags and chanting their favourite football chants. Mercedini seem to be on top at this moment with the fitness of the Golden Eagles coming into play. I don't know how long KD can hold on for, but it will be interesting to see how the match develops from here. 1-1.

56' - (KDE 1-1 MRC) - GOAL!! and Mercedini regain the lead with a goal from Tim Crasic coming from yet another counter attack. It came from a KD corner with three Mercedinians bounding forward against two Kitsunian defenders, Nymark and Chillotov were up with Crasic as they took on and beat the final two defenders Chillotov came forward with the ball and unselfishly passed back to Crasic who slotted the ball into the empty net. 2-1 Mercedini, it's a crusher for the Kitsunian fans.

64' - (KDE 1-2 MRC) - Mercedini are beginning to ramp up the pressure in this match and I'm not too sure if the Kitsunians can take it. Chillotov and Presic are combining very well on the right hand side of the pitch (are we seeing the start of a dominant partnership for the national team?), Presic let out another cross into a dangerous area but Chilltov couldn't make any contact with the ball whatsoever. Bjarnarsson looks calm on the touchline as he is letting his players express themselves on the pitch. 2-1 to Mercedini and the Kitsunians are running out of ideas.

70' - (KDE 1-2 MRC) - About twenty minutes left in the match and it looks as if Mercedini are going to get the next goal in this match which will alost certainly kill it off. Billic is holding the ball up well and letting the younger players loose, Kitsunia-Deesse have their own tactics for this game and that's to catch Mercedini on the counter, something which seems to be proving somewhat effective at this moment in time.

76' - (KDE 1-2 MRC) - With about 15 minutes of the game left Mercedini have bagged their third of the game thanks to another goal from Sgt. Sam Billic. Another well worked goal from the team with Nymark threading the ball through to Billic who passed to Crasic on the wing, he gave an early low diagonal cross to Billic whose original shot was saved by the Kitsunian goalkeeper. The ball was parried back into open play and Billic's second attempts went in off the bar for his second and Mercedini's third of the game. the Kitsunian fans look deflated but it is what it is. 3-1.

85' - (KDE 1-3 MRC) - An almost instant reply from Kitsunia-Deesse as they get a goal back with plenty of time still left in the game. The goal came from another corner but this time is was defended by Mercedini who headed the ball out of danger, Traffikant then blasted the ball back into the box, the ball took a deflection, wrong-footed the goalkeeper and ended up in the net. Traffikant will claim it, it's making for an interesting final few minutes.

89' - (KDE 2-3 MRC) - The fans are on edge for the final couple of minutes, I don't think I could type anymore because I'm so bored excited! The Kitsunians are getting nervous, so are the Mercedinians. Kitsunia are pushing Mercedini hard and both teams deserve at least something for their efforts, but I think KD deserve a participation medal rather than a goal but others think differently. Still 3-2.

90+2' - (KDE 2-3 MRC) - That's it, it's over, it's finally over. Mercedini celebrate as they have opened their account with a hard fought win over the Kitsunians. With a goal from Crasic and two from the main-man Billic. It's not the heights of last cycle but it's three points on the board and that's always a good way to start any campaign. It's finished Kitsunia-Deesse 2, Mercedini 3.

FULL TIME
Kitsunia-Deesse 2 - 3 Mercedini
Guernon 40', Traffikant 85' | Billic 18' (P), 76', Crasic 56'

After that very tight affair at the Stade de la Déesse here in Capitale. Mercedini now fly back home to Zoloroni to welcome Savalen for their second group game. There is plenty at stake for these two teams at they are both fighting for a spot at the World Cup, a win for Mercedini would certainly state their case for a place at the World Cup while Savalen would continue their good record at qualification with a victory over their hosts. We will obviously give you all of the action live from the Zoloroni Sports City Stadium in Mercedini's capital. It's been a successful start for the Golden Eagles so far, we will see if they can continue that good run tomorrow. From Capitale in Kitsunia-Deesse, bon voyage!