Power to the People: BoF 66 Everything Thread

[Darkmania]

Garijo Ales Struna

"Take a deep breath. We will start soon our debut".
The entire darkmanian squad is nervous. They are soon to start their first football-match against _____. They have never played international football before. And frankly, they feel like they probably gonna.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Group E match: Darkmania vs _____ is about to start in 15 minutes. Lets the comrades warm up while we play some music for you." The speaker tells the full-packed stadium. There is a lot of darkmanian who has come all over them to see their best football players put their mark on darkmanian sporting history by playing their first international match

"OK boys! Let kick their ass! Lets us go to the field."...

The darkmanian team moves to the field. Either to kick the foes ass, or the foe to kick darkmanias ass. Nobody will know what will happen.

[Mattijana]

Time for some Football in Mattijana. This is your Matchday 1 Cut-off.
----------------------------------------------------

Group E
Darkmania 1–0 Rotztotzka
ASMRLAND 6–2 Lambdasia

  Group E                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 ASMRLAND                       1   1  0  0    6   2  +4    3
2 Darkmania                      1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Rotztotzka                     1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
4 Lambdasia                      1   0  0  1    2   6  −4    0

Group F
Reuss-Lippe 1–0 Adab
South Toronto 0–0 Liberated American Provinces

  Group F                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Reuss-Lippe                    1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
2 Liberated American Provinces   1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
  South Toronto                  1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
4 Adab                           1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Group G
Amerland Island 2–2 U-62
Maryloupe 1–0 Kebec

  Group G                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Maryloupe                      1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
2 Amerland Island                1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
  U-62                           1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
4 Kebec                          1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Group H
Bojikstan 2–1 Jabok
Al-Qurija 2–2 Empire of Donner Land

  Group H                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bojikstan                      1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
2 Al-Qurija                      1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
  Empire of Donner Land          1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
4 Jabok                          1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0

A full fixture list by stadium is now available for group stage Mattijanan matches.

[South Toronto]

Today South Toronto drew with the Liberated American Provinces as an international debut for Paul Makanjoko was promising for the 17-year-old.

Firstly the Liberated American Provinces had a chance to take the lead in the 11th minute as a longshot from Chris Pullastick was saved by Antonio Cilimintaro.A marvellous long ball by Paul Makanjoko split the defence as Helder Bastos took a touch, rainbow flicked it over a defender but was taken down by Gonzalo Ramos. The referee awarded a penalty to South Toronto in the 43rd minute as Kingsley Middleton went to take the penalty.Somehow, Middleton lost balance and blazed it over the bar, as Toronton fans jeered at him viscously.

At the 56th minute, the Liberated American Provinces had a fairly simple chance to go up 1-0. as Proudman split Toronton defences open with a through ball to Yacoub de Andre as he finessed his shot too wide, hitting the post and going out for a goal kick.In the 70th minute substitute, Ni-Ling Son volleyed the ball into the top bins inside the box as Toronton fans lept in joy. However, it was not meant to be as the linesman marked the goal as offside, inducing boos and angry chants from Toronton fans as team captain Owen Wright protested to the referee to plead.
Pechre Mackay was booked for diving when Cameron Jefferson supposedly fouled him.Overall South Toronto lacked character and ambition as they sit third in the group after a 0-0 draw

Player ratings :
Antonio Cilimintaro 6.0
Anders Killerich 6.4
Prince Abou Diaby 6.6
Paul Makanjoko 7.2
Kingsley Middleton 5.9
Owen Wright 6.2
Michal Bergman 6.3
Aaron Dagnall 6.5
Pechre Mackay 5.8
Helder Bastos 7.4
Subs: Ni-Ling Son 6.1
Jonathan Jahn 6.3

[Liberated American Provinces]

Chaos in Petrovijanka

Today's Group F match between the LAP and South Toronto required additional security following controversial statements by American head coach Dennis W. Wallace. Fans from both sides (and neutral) awaited the team bus as it arrived at the stadium. As the players and staff exited the bus, the crowd began shouting and throwing bottles and other small items at them.

Yesterday evening, Wallace had said that he was dissatisfied with the choice of hosts due to "obvious reasons," but promised that he would not let the politics get in the way of his nation's first competitive campaign. Many suspect that his discontent arises from the fact that both hosts are socialist which lead to the chaos before the match. He has declined further questions on the situation, simply stating, "I am here to help my team win a trophy, not to run a government."

Just as the run-up to the match was filled with excitement, the match itself was no boring affair despite finishing 0-0. Middleton's missed penalty for South Toronto as well as their disallowed goal were the highlights of the match. Overall, it was a fairly even event with both sides creating several wonderful opportunities to score. The American youngster Pullastick and his Toronton counterpart, Makanjoko, had arguably the best performances, but there was no absolute standout.

LAP coach Wallace stated after the game, "I think this a good result for us. It was not what we were completely looking for, but we gained an all important point." He criticized the referees for their decision to give a penalty after Bastos seemingly slipped in the box, but also stressed the need for his team to tidy up in the back. "The South Toronto players were on banana peels in the box. They fell even when no one was around," he went on to say.

The Rattlers will be headed to Revinka for the second group match against Adab, who will be looking to bounce back after their opening 1-0 defeat to group leaders Reuss-Lippe.

[The Steel Coast]

Filindostan 0–1 The Steel Coast (Farias 36')

Farias Scores Lone Goal in Steel Tusks' Debut

An easy tap-in by Harrison Farias off a well-placed lob from Sol Barela just past the half-hour mark was just enough to secure the Steel Tusks their first win in as many international matches.

"We had a plan, we executed that plan, and we came away with a win," head coach Owen Miles, formerly of Dreadnought, told the press. "I think it's safe to say we were the better-prepared side on the day."

Indeed, fellow debutantes Filindostan looked disheveled and disorganized on the pitch, racking up a massive six yellow cards and leaving the Tusks open for a few more chances which went begging later in the match.

"In the future, I'd like to see us punish mistakes with more severity," Miles said when asked about Long Squires's missed chance at an open goal in the second half. "The boys played well today, but teams in qualifying aren't going to give us so many chances."

Much has still been made of Miles's squad selection, which is seen as uncharacteristically orthodox for man widely believed to have been sacked from Dreadnought for his refusal to follow convention in choosing matchday sides. The lone Dreadnought player on the roster, eighteen year-old goalkeeper Forest Wertz, was left off in favor of Victorsburg captain Thaddeus Archie, as were Charlie Brumfield and Lindsay Lester, the two players from the Bellows in the twenty-three-man roster. As head coach and technical director at Dreadnought, Miles faced accusations of favoring Bellowsmen over players from the other cantons in the youth program.

The Tusks currently lead Group C after Traffia and St Wilhelm played to a scoreless draw.

Owen Miles hated the city of Aciaria and all it stood for. It was a gleaming capital of steel and glass constructed, in his view at least, on the backs of Bellowsmen like him while their home languished in poverty just an hour’s drive north. He hadn’t had it bad growing up—his father was a bookie in his off-hours, which put you level with a priest in the Bellows—but bitterness and hostility ran to his core.

The monorail delivered him to an empty station overlooking the SCFA headquarters. You wouldn’t peg the brutalist three-story as the seat of football in an industrialized nation, but it had the association’s seal stamped in brass into the poured concrete wall. It was seven A.M. when Miles crossed the street to the entrance; the drones were still at home, but he had no doubt that Jenna Mikkelson would be at her desk on the top floor, in her executive suite shielded by her groggy teenaged receptionist.

“Ms. Mikkelson?” said the girl’s bright downcoast accent into the intercom. “Coach Miles here to see you.”

“Send him in.” Miles couldn’t gather anything from Mikkelson’s tone, nor could he ever. As the only Bellowsman in fifty years to make it big in football, Miles had never hurt for company; women were no mystery to him, except for Mikkelson. Her bright blue eyes never seemed to blink and though she was scarcely as old as he was, she spoke as though she had the experience of centuries at her back.

“Owen,” she said as he approached. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Just wanted to discuss the squad with you is all,” said Miles. “So there’s no surprises for either of us come decision time.”

Miles had been permitted to call up forty players for the initial training camp before the Baptism; a bit generous, he’d thought, but he’d used every slot all the same. He’d set the first Friday of camp as the cut date, rather than wait for somebody to tell him. That wasn’t for two days yet, but he’d chosen his final roster, and he wanted to tell someone so that it wouldn’t get roasted alone for his choices. His experience at Dreadnought taught him the folly of keeping the bosses in the dark.

“About that,” Mikkelson said, opening her top drawer and pawing around. As she looked, she spoke into her intercom. “Jess,” she said sweetly. “Will you bring me the team sheet?”

“Right away, Ms. Mikkelson.”

Miles could scarcely believe it as he held it in his hands. He’d thought the bastards at Dreadnought draconian, but for a bureaucrat like Mikkelson to dictate his roster showed a complete absence of trust, and a willingness to sacrifice integrity for political gain. He shouldn’t be surprised, he knew, but he still couldn’t keep his mouth from gaping.

[Fampakania]

FAMPAKANIA BEAT MIXONISTAN IN FIRST BAPTISM OF FIRE MATCH

The Fampakanian national team's debut football match went well, with a 2-1 victory over Mixonistan in Group A. The match begun with a second minute goal from 26 year old Wyyta Frierig, and another 7 minutes later from Retej vie Wattara. They kept their 2 goal lead until the beginning of the second half, when a corner caused an unexpected goal, Ynez Gafruet failing to reach what he should've easily. Mixonistan had another several chances to equalise, the most significant of which coming in the 86th minute, but the Fampakanian captain managed to clear it. The whistle blew, Fampakania had secured the victory. It puts them second in their group, behind Petroslovania, who made an impressive comeback against Somecoldwetislands to win 3-2.

[Reuss-Lippe]

The Reuss-Lippe National Football Team

---

Ranking: Unranked
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Home ground: Westerholt City Stadium, Capacity 54,074
Nickname: Black Eagles
Manager: Matthias Schultz
Squad

No    Name            Pos.       Age.
1   Jens Kappel       GK         23
2   Eduard Licheli    RB         20
3   Patrick Jaeger    CB         28
4   Simon Kipiani     CB         21
5   Torsten Unger     LB         22
6   Lukas Freitag     DM         21
7   Felix Nadel       DM         31
8   Jonas Gerste      RW         26
9   Anzor Jalagonia   AM         25
10  Eli Kiknadze      LW         22
11  Marcel Schuster   ST         25

Subs/Reserves

No    Name            Pos.       Age.
12   Avet Charkviani   GK        23
13   Rudi Morich       RB        29
14   August Hinz       CB        20
15   Andreas Lawal     CB        21
16   Adam Herb         LB        19
17   Paul Crantz       DM        27
18   Eckhardt Bonath   RW        26
19   Frank Keup        AM        25
20  Jonas Essig        LW        21
21  Eli Balavadze      ST        22

---

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes, dont go overboard
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes
Godmod other events: No

[Maryloupe]

The Maryloupe Soccernews
A Soccer Miracle

Maryloupe has to rejoice because the team won over Kebec, earning the three points which resulted in becoming the first place in Group G. The 23-year old Nicholas Marjura, assisted by MJJ, did a header scored the only goal in the 89th minute.
" I have to say that Marjura did a great job scoring that goal," Cinga Munrich, Maryloupe's soccer team manager told us. "We almost had no hope of winning this match if it weren't for him."
The first half was nothing interesting, except for the save by Queenston when a Kebec striker kicked the ball towards the net.
In the 61st minute, a Kebec midfielder slide-tackled Larson, who got injured. The midfielder got a yellow card. Now, the moment you've been waiting for. At the 88th minute, the Kebec goalkeeper took a goal kick. And Colin Lilian got the ball. He tackled the defenders before passing it to MJJ who passed it to Marjura. Marjura wasn't good at headers, but he sorta put in effort and 'headed' the ball. The ball went to the back of the net.
GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The fans celebrated as the Kebec manager delibrately tried to punch Mr Munrich.
And Maryloupe won, feeling glorious and happy(except Larson, cuz he got injured)

Let's hope that every freaking slide-tacklers learnt a lesson

[West Violence]

West Violént football team 'Not quite mierda', Coach proclaims

---

MEMORIAL STADIUM, EDWARDTON - Following a somewhat acceptable performance at the Baptism of Fire's opening match, assistant coach Gauthier Gaume has largely suspended his previous doubts about Les Cafards' potential, reluctantly declaring the team "Not quite mierda". Further comments were [REDACTED] as the language involved was foul enough to cause heart attacks in the prudish elderly.

The first half of the match was universally described as "disappointing", as Les Cafards' unfortunately lacking defence was routinely beaten into the dirt by Indussean striker Rajkumar - a young firebrand who somehow managed to sneak in a pair of cheeky goals by the 20th minute of the match. The Party advises the more brutish citizens to lay down their cricket bats and super-kazoos, as the foreign insurrectionist will be dealt with peacefully and with minimal bullet wastage. The thirtieth minute saw an injury on the field, as young West Violént defender Valentino Montenegro suffered an unfortunate concussion at the hands of a particularly well-thrown vuvuzela. He was taken off the field and replaced with the somewhat more experienced and significantly more loutish Géant Tosseur.

By the second half, however, the West Violént team seems to have adapted - the midfielders were seen adjusting their strategy to be more defensive to compensate for the Indusseans' superior offensive capabilities, while the defenders stopped snorting pixie dust in the penalty box and started actually doing their job. A surprising 70th minute goal by star player Uhaitz Olachu saw morale rebound, and a stunning last-minute kick by foreign midfielder Gordon Mulberry all but assured a 2-2 draw and a slightly less disappointed crowd.

[Barunia]

Here we go, here we go, here we go again!

Group A
Somecoldwetislands 0–0 Mixonistan
Petroslovania 2–1 Fampakania

# Group A              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Petroslovania          2   2  0  0    5   3  +2    6
2 Fampakania             2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
3 Somecoldwetislands     2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1
4 Mixonistan             2   0  1  1    1   2  −1    1

Group B
Indusse 1–0 New Doltania
West Violence 1–1 Romaian

# Group B              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Romaian                2   1  1  0    6   2  +4    4
2 Indusse                2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
3 West Violence          2   0  2  0    3   3   0    2
4 New Doltania           2   0  0  2    1   6  −5    0

Group C
The Steel Coast 3–1 St Wilhelm
Filindostan 2–0 Traffia

# Group C              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 The Steel Coast        2   2  0  0    4   1  +3    6
2 Filindostan            2   1  0  1    2   1  +1    3
3 St Wilhelm             2   0  1  1    1   3  −2    1
4 Traffia                2   0  1  1    0   2  −2    1

Group D
Northwest kalactin 1–0 Nekodemus
Gangnam 0–3 Isula Reale

# Group D              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Isula Reale            2   2  0  0    5   1  +4    6
2 Northwest kalactin     2   2  0  0    3   1  +2    6
3 Nekodemus              2   0  0  2    1   3  −2    0
4 Gangnam                2   0  0  2    1   5  −4    0

[Darkmania]

"Well lads, we kick their ass and got our first win" the familiar sounding voice from the manager fills the team bus on their way to Sadijo Nasinal for their next round.
"And kudos to you, Tÿrn. Your goal at the 78 minute was just one of the most amazing I have seen in my whole 20-year-old manager-career.

Now, our next foe is ______. Their team looks like they may beat us down our boots. But rememder what i told you guys at the half-time break. "You can do better that you think, so go out and kick their ass! Let's give them hell!""


"ONE TWO THREE. DARRRRRRRRRMAAAAAAAAAANIAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

[Isula Reale]

3 Things We Learned From Isula Reale 3-0 Gangnam

1.) There were some concerns about the health and safety of the Isula Reale players going into this match after viewing Gangnam's previous matches with the Equestrian States all the way back in World Cup 62. Very little was known about this team, although much of the safety concerns were also linked to visiting Gangnam, and this match was thankfully in safe Barunia. Although there were shadowy figures all about the stadium, stadium security staff did an excellent job keeping them separated from Isula Reale supporters. Overall there were no reported incidents!

2.) It is a natural impulse to underrate your own abilities as a defense mechanism when faced with a large challenge. With no history in international football, many across the country assumed we were dead in the water, even in a competition against other nations in our same situation. Two matches is still a very small sample, but this is proving to be fairly demonstrably false- we've already clinched our way into the next round, and with a victory or a draw over a youthful Northwest Kalactin side we will go through top of the group.

NOW, let's not overcorrect towards the other direction. Despite the clean sheet, defensive positioning and communication was still, frankly, poor. It is still far too early to form concrete conclusions, but in training it'd behoove Enejo Romanacce to encourage his back line to keep a lower line and not be so eager to step forward to win balls. Two matches in, almost every dangerous opportunity Isula Reale has conceded has been a result of overeagerness to go after long balls leading to wide open space. This puts a lot of pressure on the goalkeeper (Simone Eleazaro), who deserves a lot of credit for getting Il azzuroj out of jams.

3.) Last time in this column we praised Nicolo Sulpicio for his motor and his ball winning and recovery. He started on the right side of the midfield today and put in another excellent performance, though he did not cover as much ground. This also rewarded Adamo Villanueva with a start up top and he delivered, scoring his second goal of the tournament. Everything clicked offensively for Isula Reale today and it's hard to recommend any specific changes, but making Villanueva the focal point up top going forward seems like a savvy idea.

[Bojikstan]

The Rookies

Part Twelve. Where Rain gets dragged back into the real world.

Months had passed since that fateful night in Blackmont. Rain Delacruz and the rest of her friends had mostly split up by now. Niko Komarov stayed away from Artem Delacruz because of their friendship that had merged into a rivalry, with Niko moving on to make a name in Valladares and Artem managing to top him by becoming one of the top scorers in the Gallian Union. Mara Mandaric hadn’t talked to Rain since the last night in Blackmont, where the Crown Day celebration had turned into something new for both of them. In fact, more than a dozen of her calls and texts had been left unanswered, and as much as she tried to reassure Rain, the other girl wasn’t having any of it.

Lucas Alberg was still focused on keeping his career at Odena going well, and for once, he was learning to stay out of the papers for the wrong reasons. Meanwhile, the Andrade sisters both departed for Terranea, with Livia keeping in frequent contact with Niko but not actually seeing him. She was signing for Tir Snake Strike to become one of their hottest prospects, while Catia was following her to the same country but signing for a different club, Polaris. And Polaris was a fitting choice, for the reputation that Cat had. It would have fit either sister, really. The one that talked to voices in her head, or the one that had a reputation for getting into fist fights with teammates and for polarizing dressing rooms.

And Rain couldn’t help feel like she had ruined everything, even as she left for her own new club, AFC Corvistone. The hated Nepharim outfit had picked her up cheaply and were looking to make a run at the top division, and they did seem like a good fit for her. Both the club and herself had chips on their shoulders, and Rain had always played with the tenacity and fight that would make someone a hero in a country like Nephara, that valued blue collared players who could remind the fans of themselves. But she just couldn’t get her head in the game, no matter what she did. At her new club, she felt so alone, isolated from her friends and not making much contact with anyone outside of her brother, either in person or otherwise.

Another night was going by when there wasn’t any club activities for her to attend, so she was just sitting around her apartment and watching the TV, as she drank from a small bottle of liquor and ate take out. That was the reason why she was having a hard time staying at playing weight, or at least a large part of the reason. Ever since backing away from the amateur MMA scene in the Gallian Union, because of being unmasked, her weight had went up about twenty pounds. Those underground fight clubs had been the last place where she could be herself with no judgement, and the end of her career as a part time masked fighter affected her in other ways. Not having to stick to a strict diet wasn’t helping her.

She didn’t know why she was so attached to that previous career. She didn’t know what it was about punching people in the face and attacking them on the ground that was so appealing to her, and she didn’t know why the adrenaline was like a drug. But she had somewhat of an idea. That was the last place where she was free. She hadn’t been Rain Delacruz, she had been the Huntress, and she didn’t have to worry about anything. Not her family and their stupid expectations. Not her football career and everything that came with it. Not what her friends thought of her, or what anyone else thought of her. When she was at those underground fight clubs, the only thing that mattered was victory. And she wanted it that way.

Her future opponent had ruined that for her by removing the mask, and because of that, she’d likely cost herself a fight with the big ticket fighter of the organization. Rain was probably walking away from that sport now that she’d lost the best thing about it, and she knew her coaches in her main sport wouldn’t be fully satisfied with anything else. She didn’t know why she had thought it was a good idea to try to focus on two sports at the same time, and in hindsight, it couldn’t have ended in any other way. That just made the situation more depressing.

She took another long sip from the bottle, but she set it down quickly when her phone rang. She did a double take at the name that was calling, because it was one that she hadn’t spoken to in a good while. Ricardo Hale, national team midfielder and the one who almost became her boyfriend, back during the Independents Cup. Her main memory of him was nearly kissing him, before being interrupted by circumstances. That was before Mara had complicated things, and it was a better time for her, one where her life was a bit simpler and definitely more pleasant than it was now. She swiped to take the call. “Hello?”

“Rain, it’s Ricky. Ricky Hale. I know we haven’t talked in months, but it’s time to get the boys back together. And I mean the entire group. You, Artem, Lucas, Niko, the Andrade sisters, Mara, and myself. I know we’re all playing in different countries at this point. Well, everyone except for me and Lucas. But I’ve talked to Artem about you, and he agrees that this current path that you’re on… It’s not helping anyone, yourself included. He says it’s time to get our friend group back together. He even came up with a name, and everything,” the voice on the other end of the line says, quickly. “You in?”

“I don’t know. I have duties with my club that are more important. That’s why we haven’t seen each other in so long in the first place,” Rain sighed. “When are we talking about meeting up again? In the offseason? That would be fine-”

“No, I’m talking about right now. We’ll get together when it’s midweek and there’s no club stuff to handle. James Almeda has that place in Blackmont, we can go there again-”

“I’m not going back to Blackmont. Too many demons from there that remain unresolved. I’m sorry,” Rain replied, and she took another long sip from the bottle.

“Alright, fine, Blackmont is out. What about Strasburg? Or Odena? Or any other location in Bojikstan? Just name it, and I’ll get back to James about heading there. James has land in a lot of places, so we have some options. The most important thing is that you get out of that little apartment and get back into the world, you know. You can’t run from Mara forever, and you can’t run from the rest of your friends forever, either. We’ll always be here for you, Rain. I know I will. Even if it’s not in the way I thought I would be here for you before.”

Rain paused, rolling her eyes but allowing herself to smile. And then the smile quickly faded from her face. “You’re sweet, Ricky. But how the fuck do you know about anything that’s going on with me and Mara? Who fucking told you? Because I don’t recall saying a word to you about that-”

“Yeah, well, it was obvious what was happening in Blackmont. At least for someone that knows as much about you as I do. I haven’t said anything to anyone, though. Your secrets are safe with me. Now, are you in? Or am I going to have to fly to Corvistone and drag you out of your apartment to get you to talk to the others again? Hell, we’ll come to Nephara if that’s what it takes to get the group back together. We already have the others in on this. We just need you.”

There was a long silence, before Rain took one more drink and set the bottle down. “Against my better judgement, yes.”

[Mattijana]

Group E
Rotztotzka 2–2 Lambdasia
Darkmania 1–0 ASMRLAND

  Group E                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Darkmania                      2   2  0  0    2   0  +2    6
2 ASMRLAND                       2   1  0  1    6   3  +3    3
3 Rotztotzka                     2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1
4 Lambdasia                      2   0  1  1    4   8  −4    1

Group F
Adab 0–3 Liberated American Provinces
Reuss-Lippe 1–1 South Toronto

  Group F                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Liberated American Provinces   2   1  1  0    3   0  +3    4
2 Reuss-Lippe                    2   1  1  0    2   1  +1    4
3 South Toronto                  2   0  2  0    1   1   0    2
4 Adab                           2   0  0  2    0   4  −4    0

Group G
U-62 1–1 Kebec
Amerland Island 3–4 Maryloupe

  Group G                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Maryloupe                      2   2  0  0    5   3  +2    6
2 U-62                           2   0  2  0    3   3   0    2
3 Amerland Island                2   0  1  1    5   6  −1    1
  Kebec                          2   0  1  1    1   2  −1    1

Group H
Jabok 0–0 Empire of Donner Land
Bojikstan 2–1 Al-Qurija

  Group H                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bojikstan                      2   2  0  0    4   2  +2    6
2 Empire of Donner Land          2   0  2  0    2   2   0    2
3 Al-Qurija                      2   0  1  1    3   4  −1    1
  Jabok                          2   0  1  1    1   2  −1    1

[South Toronto]

Today a match between South Toronto and Ruess-Lippe ended in a draw.
South Toronto was positive following their previous draw with the Liberate American Provinces as a win would've moved them up to second place.

In the first half, a wonderful shot from Michal Bergman was saved by the goalkeeper in the 17th minute.Bastos took the corner which led a counter attack for Ruess Lippe as Lukas Freitag chipped Cilimintaro to make it 1-0.Ruess-Lippe had another chance to go 2-0 up as a defensive error from Dominic Rose left Eli Kiknadze with a shot on goal but he blazed it over the crossbar keeping it at 1-0. In the 76 minute, Owen Wright had a marvellous long-shot attempt saved by the goalkeeper as it curled around all the defenders but not the keeper.
Michal Bergman was arguably the best player attacking wise on the pitch as he made 37 passes in the final third and assisted DeAndre Kiese-Theline in the 86th minute as a cross from him saw Kiese-Theline volleyed it into the right bottom corner as he made it 1-1 as cheers from South Toronto where heard outside the stadium as the match ended 1-1

After the game manager, Axel Salzer Lenzi questioned his side's ambition as he claimed a lot of decisions were made against the Torontons "Right now I'm questioning my team's ambitions and passion to represent our glorious nation. I know they worked really hard to get to the Baptism of Fire but we must step up to have a shot of reaching the next round. Our next match is against Adab so hopefully, we can get a victory and hope the LAP lose against Ruess-Lippe to have a chance of progressing."
South Toronto currently sits in 3rd place as a win over Adab and a winner between LAP or Ruess-Lippe would see them narrowly go through on 5 points.Michal Bergman had a sensational game, however, Mackay was injured in the draw.He will miss the next match against Adab.
Player Ratings:

Antonio Cilimintaro 6.3
Dominic Rose 5.7
Prince Abou Diaby 6.0
Taha El-Hindi 6.7
Aymeric Lacoste 6.9
John Bakayoko 6.2
Owen Wright 6.6
Michal Bergman 8.1
DeAndre Kiese-Thelin 8.3
Pechre Mackay 7.3
Helder Bastos 6.7
SUBS: Peter Lewis 5.9
Paul Makanjoko 6.6
Justice Mamoeapa 6.1

[Filindostan]

FSNA BERITA FILINDO
Filindostan State News Agency - fsna.fid

NATIONAL
Twenty people arrested in Mallaka Avenue for staging prayer rally without permission

SAN MARCO - Twenty people were arrested yesterday when they caused heavy traffic around Mallaka Avenue. The arrested people were staging a prayer rally without permission from the City Government of San Marco, Chief Inspector Bethanel Go said yesterday. Among the arrested is Akbar Hajim Assad, one of the leaders of Ultras Filindostan, the only ultras supporting the national sports teams of Filindostan.

A concerned citizen called the Filindostani National Police (FNP) via their 8-7000 citizen hotline after experiencing severely heavy traffic around Mallaka Avenue, which is very unusual as it was weekend and there are few cars plying the road. The concerned citizen, whose identity was withheld and was called "Leona", then noticed some black smoke, thinking that a car accident has occurred causing the heavy traffic in the area.

When Beth Go, who is also a footballer for Kapulisan sa Kabanalan, arrived at the scene, she saw no cars damaged in the road, but there was a group of people wearing different Filindostani football shirts blocking the road, with a growing blaze of fire in front of them. When asked, Beth Go summarized the weird events that unfolded.

When I approached these group of people to apprehend them, I noticed someone familiar. Two or three of them. I saw them in our visits to Stadium Jargana. They were chanting something.

Margaret, bless our football team,
They are in deep trouble,
We need them to win their next matches,
To advance in the Baptism of Fire.

Margaret, have mercy.
Margaret, have mercy,
Margaret, bless our football team,
Margaret, bless us as well.

They started getting something from a big plastic bag they brought with them. It looked like a dead chicken, but it really did not appear like it. It's like... hundreds or thousands of rubber chickens. They started burning them, then chanted again.

Margaret, bless our football team,
They are in deep trouble,
We need them to win their next matches,
To advance in the Baptism of Fire.

Margaret, have mercy.
Margaret, have mercy,
Margaret, here are our rubber chickens,
Margaret, so bless our football team.

By this time, I had to do something. I approached the leader of the rally, and asked for a permit. He was not able to show any, and we did what we had to do.

The arrested rallyists served the night in the police station, and was ordered to clean up the road as a form of community service before being released. The chief inspector also warned Hajim to get permission first from the city government before staging a prayer rally.

We were able to get Hajim's side of the story.

We did not intend to cause traffic at that avenue. We just only wanted to support our national team after they lost to The Steel Coast in their opening match.
We bought rubber chickens from a toy shop and burned them to be offered to Margaret, the goddess of sporting randomness for her to bless the team in their coming matches. We forgot though to secure a permit from the city government, in which we are sorry for.

We'll keep supporting the team and keep doing this ritual as needed. We'll secure permits first though. Ha. Ha. Ha.

Filindostan now face St Wilhelm after Bienvenido scored his first two goals for Filindostan in their previous match. Their last match saw a few changes - Yish came on for Bochog, and Edna started instead of Domo. The latter though replaced her at the 79th minute, as well as Buknoy making an appearance for Alex Jampang and Mohd Safri replacing Onyok at the last minute. The Pula Garuda is in second place, three points behind The Steel Coast who beat St Wilhelm 3-1.

[Liberated American Provinces]

Jimmy Moore sat in the corner of his local sports bar waiting for his friends. It was an hour before kick off, but he always liked being early. The bar was relatively empty with only a few patrons trickling in and out from time to time. He ordered an appetizer and waited.

Today's game was against Adab. They had lost their first game 1-0. Could this be the time for Liberated American Provinces' first ever competitive victory? Jimmy got bored, stood up, and began wandering the bar. He contemplated what the starting line up would be for the match. Probably the same? Maybe not? Just at that moment, the sports analysts on the TV at the corner of the bar began to discuss the upcoming match. The line ups had been announced. Two changes for the US, Fellini moved to the lone striker with Forester dropped to attacking mid, and Nagleberry swapped for the youngster Pfannkuchen. Wilfred Pfannkuchen was an exciting young talent. He had only made his debut for the LAP in the first group game against South Toronto. A sub in 86th minute, he hadn't really had the opportunity to show what he could do, but now he definitely would.

Jimmy's friends arrived at the bar. Forty-five minutes to go. They engaged in the traditional shaking of hands and greetings before heading to the table that JImmy reserved. The mozzarella sticks were ready and waiting; the guys dug in. His friend Ricardo spoke up, "Surely the boys will win tonight. Did you see how Adab played the first match? Pitiful." The others agreed. Spirits were high.

The group ordered their food, and made small talk while they waited for it to be ready. Fifteen minutes before kickoff, the bar started to get a bit crowded. Soccer was a growing sport in the LAP. The crowds would only continue to get larger. The atmosphere in the stadium on TV could be felt in the bar. All eyes were glued to the TV in anticipation for the opening whistle.

The referee blows his whistle indicating kickoff.

Just as the crowd in the stadium burst into cheers, the bar burst into cheers. It was game on.

It was a grueling first forty-five minutes. Both teams started slow and the half ended 0-0, only one shot on target a piece. It seemed as if both teams were afraid to attack. The stalemate needed to be broken, and immediately as the second half started, it was. LAP had the kickoff. After a short pass back, Proudman lobbed it diagonally across the field to the oncoming Fabianson. The left back took a touch, then another before slicing it across the box. Sliding in at the back post to turn the ball home was Fellini. The bar erupted in jubilation. Jimmy and his friends watched on as the American players piled on top of Fellini who had scored the LAP's first ever competitive goal.

The Rattlers, just as their fans, were on fire now. They had shaken off the nerves of the first half and just six minutes later, in the 51st minute, Fellini slotted home once again. This time it was a curling shot from the top of the box to the top right corner of the goal. Beer flew in the air across the bar as people jumped up and chanted. The Liberated American Provinces looked on their way to secure their first competitive win.

Adab tried to get back into the game, but nothing seemed to work. A few shots sliced off target filled the next twenty or so minutes. With twenty-six minutes left, Adab was piling numbers forward in search for a possible tournament saving goal. An attempted pass down the line was intercepted by Fabianson who crossed the ball to midfield where it was received by Fellini. He took the ball down line, the break was on. Proudman and Pfannkuchen rushed down the middle of the field to get into the box, while Pullastick waited at the top of the box. When the ball seemed as if it would roll out, Fellini cut it back across the ground. It fell into the path of the onrushing Pfannkuchen who slapped it against the post. It rebounded into Fellini who placed it behind the keeper into the back of the net. Hat-trick! Game over!

There was no stopping the LAP at this point. They continued to possess the ball, but nearly allowed Adab to get a consolation goal in the 87th minute. A blunder on the goal kick sent the ball straight to the Adab forward whose effort went just wide. A few minutes later the final whistle blew. The celebrations could officially begin. However, they could not go on forever, the LAP faced second-placed Reuss-Lippe in their final game. It was set to be a cracker. A draw would be enough secure first position in the group and a place in the Round of 16. Jimmy and his friends would just have to wait and see how his nation would do.

[Barunia]

Due to other commitments, cut-off for the Barunian half will be an hour earlier than normal.

[Petroslovania]

Head Coach and Manager, Tatianna McCaig rode back to their Barunian Hotel and smiled to herself. She just won the second match of her first international tournament as Minister of Sport. The high point of her coaching career. She had just led her team to win against their hardest competitor in the group stage. She walked down the bus to talk to her captain, "Matteo," she said in her mild Petroslovanian accent. "That was a beautiful game you played out there, two assists, nice job." She continued to walk down the aisle of the bus congratulating each player as she passed. Especially praising Jywant Korrapati for two goals and an amazing bicycle kick. She continued down the line until she got to Berhanu Minami, the goalkeeper in the place of Brambilla. "You have a serious attitude issue," She scolded him,"Why would hit a player then fight the referee over the yellow. You're lucky you weren't given a red card." Minami scowled at her and under his breath grunted, "Fügla you satkäring." McCaig immediately turned around and glared at him, and under her breath growled, "If I could, I would send you home right now. What makes you think I can't speak Swedinglish? You know I'm Norrstad."

[Barunia]

As stated above, cut-off is an hour earlier tonight.

This is it - everything is on the line - whose going home, and whose going through? Time to find out.

Group A
Fampakania 1–2 Somecoldwetislands
Mixonistan 0–2 Petroslovania

# Group A              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Petroslovania          3   3  0  0    7   3  +4    9 Qualified
2 Somecoldwetislands     3   1  1  1    4   4   0    4 Qualified
3 Fampakania             3   1  0  2    4   5  −1    3
4 Mixonistan             3   0  1  2    1   4  −3    1

Group B
Romaian 3–2 Indusse
New Doltania 1–4 West Violence

# Group B              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Romaian                3   2  1  0    9   4  +5    7 Qualified
2 West Violence          3   1  2  0    7   4  +3    5 Qualified
3 Indusse                3   1  1  1    5   5   0    4
4 New Doltania           3   0  0  3    2  10  −8    0

Group C
Traffia 1–2 The Steel Coast
St Wilhelm 0–3 Filindostan

# Group C              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 The Steel Coast        3   3  0  0    6   2  +4    9 Qualified
2 Filindostan            3   2  0  1    5   1  +4    6 Qualified
3 Traffia                3   0  1  2    1   4  −3    1
4 St Wilhelm             3   0  1  2    1   6  −5    1

Group D
Isula Reale 5–1 Northwest kalactin
Nekodemus 0–2 Gangnam

# Group D              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Isula Reale            3   3  0  0   10   2  +8    9 Qualified
2 Northwest kalactin     3   2  0  1    4   6  −2    6 Qualified
3 Gangnam                3   1  0  2    3   5  −2    3
4 Nekodemus              3   0  0  3    1   5  −4    0

Round of Sixteen Fixtures will be posted soon.

[The Steel Coast]

(Farias 15', Barela 44', Squires 76') The Steel Coast 3–1 St Wilhelm

Traffia 1–2 The Steel Coast (Wren 11', Squires 88')

Tusks Complete Rout of Group C, Advance to Round of 16

As the Steel Tusks cruise to the knockout stages of the Baptism of Fire with a perfect nine points from three matches, the question on many fans' minds is when it will be acceptable to start dreaming.

Not yet, says Head Coach Owen Miles. "It's true that this team, this country, has exceeded every challenge that's been put in front of us to date," Miles told the press following the win over second-placed St Wilhelm. "But as I've said, the Baptism is only the beginning. I am optimistic about this team in the knockout stage of the Baptism, but it is all uphill from here."

Whether Miles's caution is a reflection of Bellows pessimism or sage football wisdom remains to be seen as the Tusks prepare to face Northwest Kalactin in the round of sixteen. Whatever the case, the Tusks enter the knockout stages in better form than anyone anticipated, having defeated all three opponents in their group and finishing with a goal difference of +4.

Harrison Farias, the talismanic striker for Monkton Athletic, has lived up to his hype, burying two goals for the Tusks and menacing centerbacks for ninety minutes each game. A more surprising addition to the scoring column is Rathsberg United winger Long Squires, who has looked uncharacteristically dangerous in the box, finally netting one against St Wilhelm after several missed opportunities in the first two matches.
Young Thaddeus Archie of Victorsburg, at twenty-four the eldest of the three keepers that the Tusks brought to Mattijania, has appeared composed between the sticks.

"What-what’s all this, then?” Head coach Owen Miles stood dumbly in front of Jenna Mikkelsen, chairwoman of the SCFA, gripping a computer printout of the team he’d just been informed he would be taking to Mattijania for the Baptism of Fire. He’d expected meddling, but nothing on this scale.

“Your team, Mr. Miles. Do you object?” Mikkelson’s voice was perfectly even in pitch and cadence.

“Well—er, yes, I do. Why in the hell are a bunch of brittle—is the board making tactical decisions on my behalf?” He’d wanted to say “brittlebones”, but that kind of talk would do him no favors.

The corners of Mikkelson’s lips twisted into a half-smile. “We realize this isn’t ideal,” she said, then before he could react: “I won’t lie to you; choices were made on political merit. We allowed you to choose your best forty players, and then the boarded chose based on our ends.”

Miles felt his temper brewing. Bellowsmen were supposed to be coarse and impulsive, and any outburst would go a long way to confirming that stereotype, but he could scarcely contain himself.

“Ma’am, you hired me to win,” he seethed.

“Wrong,” Mikkelson replied, “We hired you to get this team off the ground. We are willing to lose matches, especially in the Baptism, if it means the long-term survival of this program.”

Miles understood, if it was possible to understand such lunacy. The Confederacy had outlived expectations by adopting an approach to governance which preferred consensus over progress; it was clear the Association meant to approach football the same way. The team sheet in his hand represented each canton equally and included a few fan favorites whom Miles would not have given a second look.

He inched closer. “You don’t build a program by losing,” he said quietly. “Why hire me if you don’t expect to win?”

“Because you want to win, Mr. Miles.” Mikkelson’s beady blue eyes stayed fixed on him, gauging his reaction.

“And what coach doesn’t?”

Mikkelson drew her lips together. “Tell me this,” she said, “As a Bellowsman, is it safe to say you distrust the other cantons equally?”

“Absolutely.”

“So when you create your eleven, you will do so to win, not satisfy any political end?”

“Absolutely.”

“So that’s why. Another coach might use the position as a platform and undermine our work. You, Mr. Miles, we trust to stay focused on football. Can we do that?”

“Absolutely.”

“Outstanding.” She smiled fully this time, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “One more thing.”

“Yes?”

“I would advise you against disclosing this conversation to anyone, least of all the press.”

He bit. “Why’s that?”

“You underwent a thorough vetting before we hired you, Mr. Miles, and naturally something came up that is better left obscured. We are satisfied, impressed even, with your father’s discretion, but imagine the consequences should it come to light that a bookie’s son is coaching the national team.”

[Somecoldwetislands]

"Good Afternoon, the time is 4pm and you are listening to Islander Radio 7. Coming up at five, how to ensure your sheep stay dry this autumn on the keeping things nice and dry broadcast. Coming up now we have a very special guest on Soothing Jennifer's Memory Hour.

*The Theme Tune plays*

"Good afternoon and welcome to memory hour, the most relaxing thing on the big island since they stopped spiking the communal well with Valium. Today I have with me a very special guest, one of the original inhabitants of the island and a key player in Island football for the last 20 years, Daddy Dave. Welcome to the show Daddy Dave."

"Ta vary mooch for havin me on me babber."

"Quite. Now, you've been at the heart of island football for twenty years, and you're now pretty old. So old we can now in fact mildly patronise you on air."

"Oh aye"

"Given your age, I was wondering, do you remember, remember your first match for Somecoldwetislands?"

"I do beleeeve I do thar Jennifer, it were back yonder, when me kiddiwinks war still pretty small. It were 1987 and we war playin in the Baptism of Fire."

"This was obviously before travel from the islands was as easy as it is today, how did you make your way there?"

"Arr, we had to row in a boat. Every single one o' us from the islands wents thar. We rowed night an' day an' a little bit of night again. And then a bit more through the day. And then we be arriving in a land theys call 'Barunia'."

"And how did you find Barunia?"

"I were a bit flummoxed I was you see. I had never seen so many people about before. We hant even enough number what we remember to describe 'em back then. Tha war before we had all the numbers you see."

"How many do you think there were?"

"Oh a least 30 I'd say, it were bustling it were. An we had a look we did, round this place they called 'Porthaven', it were much bigger than village back home. They had all sorts of modern thingymajigs. They even had a museum. I couldn't 'av been belivin me eyes I couldn't, they had so much stuff they ha' a big buildin' to jus' keep a load of it spare! Mad."

"So the first game? How did that one go?"

"Ar, that be the game against Petroslovania. That were a tough one. We hant ever been playing football before, not properly. It were a challenge, but wes played quite well we did. I made a cross, near tha beginning, into me boy Diddy, an he won a penalty and put us ahead 'e did. Our fans went wild, all 9 o' them. Then, good ole Crinkles, god rest 'is soul, put in another for us. But, glory it weren't ta' be. They came back."

"Indeed, I remember they scored a late goal to bring it back?"

"Aye, right at tha end they did, I were being very sad after ta tha. But good old Friar John cheered us up after, we still 'ad our 'eads 'eld 'igh."

"After that it was the legendary game against Mixonistan was it not?"

"AYE! I be remembering tha', we jus' stood us all in tha goal for the 'ole thing. Haha, the fans war a bit confused by the 'ole exercise, pparently it weren't good 'sporesmanship' or sommat nonsensey like tha. Bu' the las game o' tha group be the one I be remembering."

"The fixture against Fampakania?"

"Wes were 1-1, which would 'av been meaning theys would 'av gone thru and wes would have been rowing back 'ome. So with not all tha long left, I thoughts me arms be tired babbers, I would not like to be goin' bahck yet. So I got tha ball and I be runnin' with it. I tooks it down tha field and I slides it over to Herman. I rans to the box an hes loops it to me and I kicks it I does. An suddenly the ball war in the net! An theys shouts tha it were Daddy Dave to the rescue!"

"How did you feel in that moment Daddy Dave?"

"I was as happy as a Larry whos has jus had a really good day an is havin a very nice dinner with 'is wife and it were a friday and 'e were a pretty happy Larry as was."

[Reuss-Lippe]

---

Yesterday's result was not what everyone had wanted. A win against South Toronto would have kept the Lippean team on top, securing a spot into further rounds. Sadly that wasn't the case, with the match ending in a draw. The draw, combined with the Liberated American Provinces win, had knocked the team down into second place within their group.

Yesterday's match against South Toronto resulted in a 1-1 draw. The Lippean defense played a great game, managing to fend off against attacks from the opposing team, with Kappel only having to save a few shots. The same could also be said about our attacking players, with Freitag managing to get a goal early-to-mid game via a chip shot raising the score to 1-0. The score had remained that way until a finishing game shot from Kiese-Theline balanced the score to a even 1-1, resulting in many cheers.

Today at Stadijo Dinamov, the Lippean national team will be playing against Liberated American Provinces, who currently leads the group. To progress into the next round, the Lippeans will have to hope for a win. Many are optimistic within the Lippean fanbase, though few are expressive their doubts over a win.

"The team will have to give it their all tomorrow, but it's not an impossible task. The Rattlers hold many surprises, but i think a victory can still be achieved." said one supporter, who flew in to Petrovijanka for the game.

The country of Reuss-Lippe now wait in anticipation, as they wonder if their team will pass to the next round.

[Mattijana]

Who will stay and who will get a Na Svidenia (that's a goodbye to you and me). It's matchday 3 cutoff time.

Group E
ASMRLAND 0–1 Rotztotzka
Lambdasia 0–2 Darkmania

  Group E                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Darkmania                      3   3  0  0    4   0  +4    9
2 Rotztotzka                     3   1  1  1    3   3   0    4
3 ASMRLAND                       3   1  0  2    6   4  +2    3
4 Lambdasia                      3   0  1  2    4  10  −6    1

Group F
South Toronto 4–0 Adab
Liberated American Provinces 2–2 Reuss-Lippe

  Group F                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 South Toronto                  3   1  2  0    5   1  +4    5
2 Liberated American Provinces   3   1  2  0    5   2  +3    5
3 Reuss-Lippe                    3   1  2  0    4   3  +1    5
4 Adab                           3   0  0  3    0   8  −8    0

Group G
Maryloupe 3–0 U-62
Kebec 1–0 Amerland Island

  Group G                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Maryloupe                      3   3  0  0    8   3  +5    9
2 Kebec                          3   1  1  1    2   2   0    4
3 U-62                           3   0  2  1    3   6  −3    2
4 Amerland Island                3   0  1  2    5   7  −2    1

Group H
Al-Qurija 2–0 Jabok
Empire of Donner Land 1–1 Bojikstan

  Group H                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bojikstan                      3   2  1  0    5   3  +2    7
2 Al-Qurija                      3   1  1  1    5   4  +1    4
3 Empire of Donner Land          3   0  3  0    3   3   0    3
4 Jabok                          3   0  1  2    1   4  −3    1

[South Toronto]

Today marked a day to remember as South Toronton fans rejoice over a 4-0 thrashing of Adab.South Toronto needed a win to have a chance of qualifying the round of 16, and either Ruess-Lippe or LAP to win to guarantee a place in the round of 16.A double from Michal Bergman and efforts from Kiese-Thelin and Ni Ling Son helped South Toronto reach the round of 16.After the game, the Toronton players celebrated coming top of their group.
Team sheet:



Firstly, a chance from Oliver White in the 17th was denied by the keeper as he stretched and saved it, though it was inches away from being the first goal.A header from an Adab defender led a counter attack against Toronto as through ball to the striker was interrupted as Dominic Rose brought the attacker down in the box to give away a penalty.The penalty was taken as keeper Casseti used a strong palm away to keep the score at 0-0.
Various other chances and attempts were unsuccessful from both teams, however, in the 41st minute, Oliver White feinted and did mesmerising skills to beat his man, drilling it across to Kiese Theline as he tapped it in to make it 1-0.Paul Makanjoko was booked for arguing against the referee following an offside opportunity
Right after kick-off, a mistake from Michal Bergman gave Adab an excellent chance to equalise as the shot was blocked by Alechandre Paquiez. A defensive header from Owen Wright away from goal allowed Ni Ling Son to utilise his pace fully, as he lobbed the bewildered keeper from 49 yards out to score for Toronton fans.

A challenge by the Adab defender in the 67th minute brought substitute Peter Lewis down 26 yards from the goal.Michal Bergman steps up to take it.The whole stadium falls quiet as a ball is curled around the wall, striking the crossbar before going into the net.Toronton fans erupted in joy as they celebrated a possible win over Adab.Fans set off fireworks in the stadium, which South Toronto was fined £6300 later on. Then finally, in the 87th minute a through ball to Michal Bergman ended in the 4th goal as he took a touch, turned his men and finished it to make it 4-0.In added time an Adab attempt to console themselves was denied as the referee blew the whistle to send Toronto the Round Of 16.

After the match, Axel Salzer Lenzi had some comments to make"I'm immensely proud of the lads, I really am. They stepped up to deliver and represent our country.They absolutely smashed Adab and now we're looking for a possible win against our next opponent".
The Round of 16 fixture list is still being decided on as of now, however, South Toronto wish a victory over their next opponent to further cement their place on the international stage.Michal Bergman was the man of the match scoring a brace.Kiese-Thelin has scored in two of his previous games.


Player ratings:

Andrea Casseti 7.3
Paul Makanjoko 7.8
Alechandre Paquiez 7.4
Taha El-Hindi 7.0
Dominic Rose 7.7
Ni-Ling Son 8.3
Michal Bergman 9.4
Owen Wright 8.2
DeAndre Kiese-Thelin 8.1
Helder Bastos 7.6
Oliver White 8.8
Subs
Peter Lewis 6.9
Kingsley Middleton 6.4
John Bakayoko 6.7