World Cup 79 • CREDRAWK • RP Thread

by **St Saratoga** » Sun Nov 26, 2017 8:12 pm

Rogerbei Times - International
"The most reliable news source in Saratoga."
Saints drop first match of the Tournament against Barunia

Cost: K$ 1.50

World Cup 79 -- The (136) Saratoga "Saints" drop their first world cup match in a 0-1 lose to (37) Barunia.

The 136th ranked Saints dropped their first of World Cup 79 to #37 ranked Barunia who ran a 4-2-3-1 formation against the Saratogans. The Suns played a defensive style of football that took advantage of mistakes made by the more aggressive Saints style of offense. The Suns had multiple major scoring chances throughout the game but with some shocking athleticism & a little bit of luck by 21 year old Goalie Lennard Gesele the Saints walked way only allowing one goal. Offense continues to be a major struggle for the Saints who failed to get even 5 shots on goal leaving the Suns defense basically freshly rested for their next match.

"This match served as a wakeup call to all of us. These are the level of teams we competing with, we need to get more serious about the tournament otherwise we will continue to repeat the mistakes we've made in pervious world cups. I take full responsibility for this lose, clearly it was my fault for focusing too much on the physical preparation and not enough on the mental." Manager Christian Reinhardt stated in a post-match press conference. Captain & Midfielder Max Klaus basically added on to his Managers statements by saying, "There are always some positives to take away from these kind of matchups, we learned that our defense and goalie are ready for this tournament, the Suns has plenty of chances to score but we only kept it to one which was good. We also learned that our offensive needs some tweaking off the field and support on the field, next matchup we will do better."

The Saints come into the World Cup ranked #136. They have yet to move past the qualifying stage under the leadership of Manager Christian Reinhardt which according to some sources saying that this tournament is make or break for his employment with the national team. The Saints current record is 13-3-25 (W-T-L) in World Cup play, Manager Reinhardt's pre-world cup goal is to qualify for the World Cup and also walk way from the tournament with a .650 record.

Jim Halpert
Senior Sports Reporter
Athlead

by **Darmen** » Sun Nov 26, 2017 8:25 pm

Darmen off to good start with two-all draw in Jeruselem

vs. Jeruselem, D 2-2
------Lucanus-------Norton------
-Ó Cuilinn-Benbow-Butler-Gordon-
----------Goldschmidt-----------
---Messer--Haenraets--Porsche---
-----------Ahenobarbus----------
ON         OFF       Minute
Armbruster Ó Cuilinn 65'
Spalding   Porsche   72'
Blackwood  Norton    72'

Goals
Lucanus 45'+2
Blackwood 79'

Darmen's opening match of Qualifying for the 79th World Cup ended in a 2-2 draw against 43rd ranked Jeruselem. Felix Lucanus scored his 33rd goal with the national team in stoppage time just before the halftime whistle, while substitute and future star Craig Blackwood scored just seven minutes after coming onto the field to secure for Darmen a single point. Jeruselem's goals came in the 36th and 55th minutes, both following brilliant build up play along the top of the 18 yard box.

While the offense looks certain to be in top goal scoring form for the rest of qualifying, questions have arisen about the clearly aging back line and its ability to make Marcellus Ahenobarbus' job easier. 32 year old center-back and captain Randell Haenraets looked sluggish in contesting the piercing runs of the Princesses. It was surprising when Haenraets remained on the field while 29 year old right-back Ritchie Porsche made way for the much younger Cyrus Spalding. Spalding, making only his second appearance for the All Greens, was almost required to pull double duty for the final twenty minutes of the match, not only having to cover all of the opposition's attacks along the wings but also those in the center of the field.

Manager Godefroy Abascal will have plenty to think about in selecting the lineup for Darmen's first home match against unranked Pays den Haut. The match, to be held on the island of Tilden in the 25,000 seat El Mutiny Stadium, will likely see experimentation in the lineup. Codie Armbruster did not fare particularly well in his 25 minutes of play, and will likely have one final chance to regain his position as the main substitute left-midfielder from Riley MacPharlain. Abascal has made it clear that the first round of cuts from the 40 man roster will occur following the match against Super-Llamaland on Matchday 3. The number of cuts will likely be limited to just 2 or 3, but as the campaign progresses and the final 23 man roster is selected for either the World Cup or Cup of Harmony, some big names are sure to fall to the wayside.

Lineup for match against Pays den Haut announced

Starting XI
--------Firmin-------Norton--------
-Armbruster-Benbow-Butler-Stafford-
------------Goldschmidt------------
----Messer-----Abbey----Porsche----
------------Ahenobarbus------------

Bench
GK  Hyman Campo
CB  Randell Haenraets
RB  Klopas Maddox
DM  Kerr Ramírez
LCM Marcellinus Winton
RM  Aquila Freud
LF  Felix Lucanus

by **Banija** » Sun Nov 26, 2017 8:58 pm

The Kadongo Kamu begin World Cup 79 Qualification at home against 60th ranked Boring Paradise

AISSA- Due to the constraints on stadia with the World Lacrosse Championships finishing at the same time, the Royal Banijan Soccer Association is trying a different approach for their home qualifiers. This is also an effort to improve Banija's home field advantage, by giving more parts of the country a better chance to see the Kadongo Kamu play a competitive match. The first five home qualifiers will be held at 5 different stadiums, and the last 4 will be at the Stadium of the Restoration. This stadia tour starts with, of course, none other than the Hangaza Unified Stadium, the beautiful facility in Aissa, Hangaza.

It is the largest stadium that has a club tenant in all of Banija, with 55,000 people ready to pack the stands. The city itself is a great tourist attraction, with great weather, and a great place for Banijan soccer to get back onto the map. With UICA play finishing and the national team getting back into the swing of things, Randolf Cherry will be able to get directly into the swing of things. Randolf Cherry, the Drawkian manager, if fans remember, was controversially hired in Banija over presumed first choice Samantha Owens, who was not allowed to be hired after the alleged RBSA attempt to change Banijan law regarding professional co-ed sports failed drastically.

With all of that in the background, Randolf Cherry won his debut match, a 1-0 victory in extra time over Aggrey-Fynn Land at the Eagle's Club, a warmup tournament for World Cup Qualifiers that got his team some very good experience. And he has a talented array of players at his disposal for this tournament. Isaac Georgiadis, who is probably his best individual talent, plays in Abanhfleft, in the Fleftic Premier League. Chibuzo Afolayan just moved out to Nephara from Askatasuna FC, to AFC Corvistone, which barely missed out on promotion on the last day of the season in Nephara to their top flight. Yet still, the strength of the Nepharim First Division and their ability to get to the top flight will help his own skill.

Of course, the player to watch out for on this team has to be Kiggwe Mavuto. He stars in the Abaja Premier League, joining a number of other Banijans to star in that league, including starting striker Toyuwa Okafor and Kadongo Kamu captain George Wangolo. A few Abajans ply their trade in the Banijan Soccer League as well. Only 22 years of age, he is going to mature into an excellent midfielder and an excellent player, and he is leading the attack. He is both the present and the future of soccer in Banija, so while a lot of pressure is on his young shoulders, there is a lot of excitement alongside it.

Of course, there are a number of things Banija need to worry about. Boring Paradise has not released their lineup yet, but they are not 60 overall for nothing. But first, can they deal with the distractions? There is a review into the role of Royal Banijan Soccer Association Executive Chairman Adama Sowe from the Lukiiko itself, from the All-Party Sports Committee. Nothing has come out so far, but if he ends up being disposed, this organization will be leaderless. And while Randolf Cherry himself was not a controversial hire, he has to keep this team focused on the prize.

His man management skills will absolutely be up to the test. He has Equestrian Marcus Waters with him, and they will have to keep their team focused on the task at hand. There are plans from Banijan fans to have a "Fire Sowe" Banner up at the game- though we have no idea if that will actually happen. Assuming Banija can stay focused on the game, they would love nothing more than to open Qualifying with a victory. But can they? They will be calling upon Delbin Kasekende to step up big for the Banijans between the sticks. Georgiadis will have to dominate the middle of the field, and Banija will likely be called upon to counter.

Ultimately, Banija is in an interesting position. We expect a 1-1 draw, with Boring Paradise opening the scoring, Okafor equalizing, and Kasekende making a number of key saves. For a team that is 76 spots above them, that would be a great home result for Banija, before they visit Bostopia. When they go to Bostopia, of course, Kabaka Albert III, who will be experiencing his first campaign as Monarch, will be there, visiting the Bostopian Emperor and watching the match with him. The team will be happy with a point to kickstart the qualifying campaign, and hope to build some momentum to start the long, grinding, qualification campaign.

by **-Anthor-** » Sun Nov 26, 2017 9:16 pm

Warriors Draw in Pre-WC Friendly, Not the Start they wanted
As Darby tries to lead his team to forgetting the last bad try in the prior Cup, they stumble through a 2-2 friendly

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Gnaeus Tanicius Vopiscus (@Gnaeus Tanicius Vopiscus)(TH)
^{Rielat 67, 602AE 8:00 AM | Vaumort, Anthor}

A shot from Qasden, where the pre-WC friendly between the Qasden and Anthor NT's was held TH photo

Vaumort, Anthor(Herald) — Last night officially kicked of the beginning of Adrien Darby's sixth campaign to qualify, having led the Warriors since they debuted into the World Cup back in WC 74, however all these years later, speculation has given to rise that the AFC commissioners are beginning to lose faith after six years of being no closer to qualification, the central goal all this time. The best campaign was arguably in World Cup 77 when the Warriors managed to place fourth in their qualification group, which is the highest they've ever managed; a fun fact, in all six Cups, the Warriors have yet to achieve having more wins then losses.

Despite the setbacks and list of failures, Darby has made it clear that he is seeking to move past all of it, primarily the terrible performance in the last World Cup, and has made a number of changes to the squad, much larger then anything he's previously done. Prior stalwarts of Anthony Black, Patrick Javier and Tate are all either dropped or sitting on the bench as a reservist, while the defense has been completely remodeled. The whole tactics have been changed as well, as Darby has abandoned his very traditionalist 4-2-4 and instead developed a modified 5-3-2, officially calling it a 3-2-3-1-1, and the team has spent the entire summer window training hard at the new training facility that was recently opened just outside of the national stadium in Vaumort. New selections to the starting lineup include national team debutante Ellar Sampson, who had a tremendous season with an average match rating of 8.1 which was the highest of any defender in the entire top tier league and has reportedly been incredibly eager to translate his success onto the international stage.

Darby got his first chance to test this new squad against Qasden in a pre-World Cup one-off friendly that was held in Qasden's national stadium, and unfortunately the Warriors instead of walking in and then coming home with vindication in the form of a win were forced to walk away with a draw, as fulltime saw a 2-2 split between the Qasden and Anthor sides. This match had a few significant notes leading up to it; it was the first time Jason Rigsby returned to the squad in more then a year, as he missed the last three matches of the last World Cup with a bruised knee and he re-injured it again in Preston's final match and was forced to spend a long time in recovery, and even then his performance this past season was lukewarm compared to what we've come to expect from the star, so many were anxious over his appearance in the match and his middling play will do little to calm the tension; he scored no goals or assists, had a mere two shots and made a good run a few times but other then that looked very much rusty and he'll need to shake that rust off quickly. McKenzie in the mean time who is coming closer to eclipsing Rigsby in terms of stardom after she won Player of the Year and Golden Boot, and she even managed to score a goal in the draw. Something many are hoping leads to some success is the inclusion of more Evesham United players; Dolan, Hawkins and Wardell are all selected as reserves but in interviews Darby stated he's going to be much more flexible in rotational play with the squad, something he's avoided in the past, so it's possible you'll see at one point the entire front field of the Warriors as Evesham players.

Their first match will come tomorrow, against Azadeshia who is entering the World Cup for the first time and with such an easy start, Darby is hoping to send a strong message that his new tactics, new attitude and reformed squad will help lead Anthor deeper in this campaign then it has ever traveled before, pundits doubt qualification is a possibility with Nephara, a former World Cup Champion, Electrum who is just one Cup removed from a Championship win and Flardania, a Top 20 nation. With three Top 20 nations in the group, Anthor is hoping to compete with those three for one of the qualification spots, but only time will reveal if they can pull it off.

Gnaeus Tanicus Vopiscus contributed to this article.

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OHenenson · 1 minute ago
Hoping here Darby can pull it off; six years and Rigsby is only getting older, they really need to move forward this Cup.
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RorytonFanatic · 8 minutes ago
He should retire and go back to Preston, Lords know they need him back
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Dickey56 · 4 hours ago
All I want to see is some competitive football, some Rigsby + McKenzie action and, if they happen to qualify, I'll buy them all a round
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by **Volaworand** » Sun Nov 26, 2017 9:18 pm

Amid controversy and tension 'SPIT: the Joy of Unity' dropped, 'SPIT: the Joy of Peace' moved up

OUT! 'SPIT: the Joy of Unity'

After striking a home run with "SPIT: the Joy of Dance" commercial, it appears the planned follow up World Cup commercial has struck out before it even aired.

VWP, Inc the maker of Volaworandian SPIT has shelved its planned "SPIT: The Joy of Unity" commercial after Anti-Aumeltopian protests have swept parts of the company's home nation of Volaworand and corresponding protests in Aumeltopia.

The spot was to feature social media star Kendall Jenner stepping away from a modelling shoot to join a crowd of young, diverse protesters. The protesters cheer after she hands a can of SPIT to a police officer, who takes a sip and smiles at his colleague. The planned advert was widely criticised as trivializing demonstrations aimed at tackling social justice causes, suggesting that protestors and police would get along better if the former were kinder and being insensitive with regard to the 'Volaworand First' movement.

A release by the company said: "VWP was trying to project a global a message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly, we missed the mark, and we apologize. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position. We have ceased production of this advertisement and are moving up to the next one in our Joy campaign."

IN! 'SPIT: the Joy of Peace'

In light of rising global tension, the company instead has accelerated production of the retro "SPIT: The Joy of Peace" commercial featuring a diverse group of all shapes, colors and ethnicities, as they sing from a hilltop the infectious jingle, “I’d like to buy the world a SPIT.”

"We see a bottle of SPIT as more than a drink that refreshes millions of people a day across Pacifica. We see the familiar words, ‘Let’s have a SPIT,’ as more than an invitation to pause for refreshment. They were actually a subtle way of saying, ‘Let’s keep each other company for a little while.’ And we knew they were being said all over the world. So that is the basic idea: to see SPIT not as it was originally designed to be — a liquid refresher — but as a tiny bit of commonality between all peoples, a universally liked formula that would help to keep them company for a few minutes."

"The lyrics, although not overtly anti-war, deliver a message of peace and camaraderie that we believe will resonate with customers in all nations."

It remains to be seen if one commercial can avert a widening regional dispute, given the recent declaration of war by Techganet onMartigues in the South Pacific. In an effort to reduce tensions, the Government of Volaworand has been pressuring the company to expand selection to both Volaworandian SPIT and Aumeltopian SPIT® (under the name SPIT Classic) in all KFP locations, and is negotiating SPaRTA, a multilateral regional trade pact concerning the SPIT trade.

Exclusive commemorative bottles of SPIT are available at all Kentucky Fried Penguin (KFP) locations.

A mock up concept video of the new commercial is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VM2eLhvsSM

by **Yesopalitha** » Sun Nov 26, 2017 10:42 pm

The Sacred Heart
Freedom's Altar, Yesopalitha

It had been a fantastic match by the Yesopalithans. Taking the new system to heart, Park had picked up any defensive lapses caused by Eribon, Vickers, Nott, and Finn. Jack-Bentley did a nice job pushing the ball up, Hunt had an assist, and Jenniven Yersau's forays into the Tanhampton midfield set up the goals scored by Roswell and Dostoevich apiece.

However, the air around the Yesopalithan locker room wasn't one of celebration. Thrift's post-game speech pointed out the things they had done well, but she also had a list of things for each player to improve upon. "Remember," she had stated to them, "Tinhampton isn't the toughest team in the group by far. Kaboomlandia will be a tougher test, even if at home. Turori and Valanora will be the toughest tests, but they don't come till much later. We'll have plenty of time to work things out by then and be in the best form."

Although the players were a bit less than excited for the way that the new Manager was handling the victory, they were professionals. If Thrift wanted to aim higher, they would follow suit.

As the players filed out one by one, Nadya Dostoevich, the team's captain and star player, stayed behind.

"Yes?" asked Thrift, looking over Kaboomlandia's first match report with Kernovi, a three-nil result.

"I've been told by Jane to let you know how I'm doing with my... diet," said the Vampire shyly, "I just picked up another gallon and should be okay for eight days or so. It's when we go on the road that we have to be a little more careful. Don't think foreign governments want to donate blood."

Thrift was a bit taken aback, but tried to not show it. "Why was it that Ms. Vander Rox asked you to tell me that? Just curious, not that I mind."

"She doesn't want anything to surprise you," replied the Vampire in kind.

"I... Thank you for telling me, Nadya. I know I don't know the society very well, but I will learn. Just give me some time," responded the Manager in kind.

The Vampire nodded, gave her a wry smile, and then went out of the room.

Thrift sighed and put her head in her hands. This was a hell of a team to manage. Sure, Dostoevich's speed was a bit unnatural and she never got tired, but was that really due to how she was a Vampire?

Thrift put aside her match report from Kaboomlandia's match and picked up a book that Vander Rox had given to her on Yesopalithan species. What good was strategy if she didn't know what she was playing with? Even Yesopalithan humans were a little different, right?"

So, Yesopalitha's new manager, instead of celebrating her first victory, spent the rest of the night reading about Yesopalithan history and anatomy.

by **Mriin** » Sun Nov 26, 2017 10:51 pm

Don instinctively raised a clawed hand in front of his eyes as dozens as camera flashes went off in Haven's newly-dedicated Public Relations Conference Room, catching the who's-who of players seated at the front table. "This isn't how the press works in Vidial," he grumbled to Zilia on his left.

"Yeah," the keeper nodded, "because the sites own themselves here. They'll snap at anything, and you can't tell them what questions to ask."

"Then I'll just have to herd them the old fashioned way." He turned his raised hand and held up a claw, raising his voice. "That's enough, we'll be getting started now. Before we get to the questions, I'll get the big announcement over with: The eleven Mriinians who will be taking the field in Razenthuria will be the same eleven that toppled Osarius and held Bonesea in front of a host's crowd."

The crowd of reporters was trying to bubble over the spectator barrier the moment the word "same" left his lips, prompting the ushers/bouncers (and Uhlon, who joined for fun) to beat them back until one plucky young satyr managed to snatch the questions mike off the presenter's table with some sort of whip-like contraption. "Silvia Farth, Maal News Now. Does that mean you're stiffing all the players who played their hearts out in the MNL?"

Don cocked an eyebrow while motioning towards one of the ushers. "I'm impressed by that move, so I'll answer your question as you're being escorted out. No, I absolutely am not ignoring the plethora of talent that cropped up across the country now that the Mriin National League is functioning at the intended level. My previous statement only applied to those starting the match; at the end of this conference we'll be releasing the full Qualifying roster, and on it you will find many fresh faces making their international debuts. Following the opener, we'll be starting varied compositions against lower-ranked opponents--keeping the same playstyle, mind, just giving more players a chance to get their hooves wet. So keep an eye out for our third match, where we host Maryloupe, to see names like Rei, Tolsii, and Iarrow getting as many minutes as they can handle."

As Uhlon gently chucked Silvia out the door, Don surveyed the frothing mass in front of him and gestured to a reserved dryad sitting off in the corner, who didn't even notice until the mic was handed to her. "Oh! Uh, Keena'mojar, The Hearth. Will the team be entirely satyr again, or can we expect to see some dryad and dragon representation?"

"I don't think we'll be seeing any dragons on the pitch for a long while," chuckled the dragon, "there's just too many logistics issues preventing that. But I can confirm Talia'raia is on the roster, though considering how much talent we have at striker I can't promise significant playtime. Who knows, though--if we face a team that has Solara all figured out it she might be the difference we need."

Solara took that cue to chime in. "Don't get their hopes up for nothing, Don!"

As the room's chuckle died down, Don continued. "It's worth mentioning that we took Laneia into serious consideration, but deemed that playstyle was still too unfamiliar to us to absorb any of their players as of yet. That is definitely something on our shortlist moving forward; I know the dryad have been unjustly forgotten in many aspects of Mriinian life, especially outside of Westhold, and I'm not going to let the MNL make that mistake again."

"Speaking of Solara," interjected another satyr as he peeled the microphone out of Keena's hands--drawing irate glances from all the bouncers--"are there any concerns of her ability to play after gallivanting off in the Nepharim Premiership? It wouldn't do to have our 'star' getting overly cocky because they've won a bit of bronzeware in some brutish Rushmori backwater."

Don began to make the mouth motions as if he were going to respond, but the gears were clearly turning as he tried to process what he had just heard.

After a brief pause Solara leaned forward, folding her hands under her chin and glaring at the hack. "I hope you don't mind if I speak for myself here. I can assure you that my time abroad did not make me cocky, or soft or any of those bullshit buzzwords you use to move paper. That 'backwater' is home to the best league in the world, on the word of Paripana itself, and you don't stumble on that by fucking accident. I put everything I had into getting my play up to the level, just like I did when we took it to the Boneys and matched them on their own turf. Anyone who's got questions about my work ethic at this point can just stuff it."

A heavy silence hung over the room for a moment, until she cracked a sly smile. "Although if you find my friends so brutish, maybe I'll join Uhlon down there, and show you some proper Nepharim 'hospitality'."

The reporter had just been staring back defiantly, but his cocky facade broke at that, and he whipped around--directly into Uhlon's chest, knocking him on his ass. The press room emptied in short order.

by **Pasarga** » Sun Nov 26, 2017 11:37 pm

Torgos Tribune ~ Wanderers Begin Long Trek

The sting of three months ago when the Wanderers met Schottia in the World Cup knockouts is still being felt despite the Copa Rushmori and a Pre Qualifying Friendly Tour having happened in the time since, with a new manager being appointed and new pool of players to pick from. For his loss at the hands of Schottia, Tobias Möller was relieved of his post. It was a move that did not sit well with many Pasargans as the feats of the legendary striker during his playing days and his feats with Hellinic Rouge made him something of a cult hero among the populace. However that bit of resentment was given a bit of a smoothing over with the two individuals who were picked to replace the former brain trust, with the famous midfielder and all time leader in international appearances for Pasarga in Mór Császár was appointed manager after serving as a consultant for the U21 National Team. A former national team midfielder in the form of Mezei Orbán was appointed as his assistant and now the pair have the task of rebuilding the confidence and belief both of the national team as well as the supporters in the team.

That task got off to a spectacular start in the pair of international windows during August and September before the Qualifying campaign is set to begin next weekend, as the Wanderers went on a tour of four leading nations to get themselves in the form and mindset needed for the qualifiers ahead. First was a trip to fellow Rushmori nation Darmen at the aptly named Rushmore Stadium. It was a game where Császár decided to bleed in some of the younger players in the national team pool, with all three of the twenty year old Baskita players given a start. It was a good result as the entire team played well, with both Romano and Kárpáty got a brace and Gordana Stanic was able to keep a clean sheet in her chance to impress. Next on the docket was a trip to Kirishima, known as Flardania to some, and it was another experimental lineup put out by the manager with Jäntti given a chance at the leftback position, what looks to be the most troubled spot for the national team. Benkó was given the start on the right of the backline and Bazzi was put up top with Romano. With no Thor to lead the line and the lack of sheer talent of Kárpáty, the offense struggled to find their footing and the only goal of the game came by the way of a Jörg Feierabend freekick.

Then came the game that the Wanderers had most wanted to play and get a result from, a trip to the current number one team in all of the World and the team that knocked them out of the last World Cup, none other than Schottia themselves. Not wanting to mess around with this chance to get a small measure of revenge against Schottia, on top of a good challenge for what the World Cup will be like should the Wanderers progress through their group as many expect them to do, the manager went with his first choice eleven. It was a bitter and steely match, with the midfield dueling with the Schottia attack and keeping them at bay while pressuring on the Schottia backline. It would not be Thor who would score but he would play a hand in the goal, as he headed down an inswinger from Sigurjónsdóttir to the top of the box where Jurkovic met it with a half volley and sent the shot into the upper corner and past the keeper's hands. Shalhoub had to deny a shot from Curren in the ninety plus three to keep the victory in tact but the safe hands of the keeper smothered and controlled the shot before the ref whistled for the end of the game and the Wanderers getting a vital morale boosting victory.

Group 4
The Great Pi (118)
United States of Devonta (58)
Pasarga (16)
Moorish Land (UR)
Razenthuria (280)
Mriin (35)
Maryloupe (=192)
Port Christopher (30)
Darkmania (=192)
Kel Assuk (71)

The tests were not over as the Wanderers then went on to another top ten nation, as they traveled to Atlantian Oceania to combat against Chromatika. Thor would get a goal in the ninth minute to get the Wanderers out in front early and taking the Chromtika crowd out of the game, allowing the Wanderers to dominate possession and settle neatly into the game. The Wanderers continued to dominate the middle of the park but the Chromatik attack showed their teeth when they were unleashed on the counter, as Shalhoub was forced into three very difficult saves. However the keeper needed to make four saves and not three, as the Chromtik counter found a goal in the fifty-third minute as Keira Andisori was able to score off of an assist by Sandra Sybill, whose pass left the keeper flat footed and unable to get the stop. Arcuri nearly got a winner in the eighty-first minute after he came on for Thor, but his diving header ricocheted off the post and out of play from the Krause cross, leaving both sides taking a positive draw from the match and Császár with a good understanding of the top portion of his national pool.

Now onto the Qualifiers with their heads held high with that string of positive results, the Wanderers look at their group as one in which that they should be able to advance out of, though the fact that they got one of the strongest third pot teams in the group does make the qualifying process a bit more difficult than some would like to believe. With Port Christopher and Mriin, the Wanderers know that they will be facing off against a pair of teams who have every right to believe that they have the quality in their squads in order to advance into the Finals, and had Mriin been in another group, I likely would have backed them to. Pasargan players will be quite familiar with several of the Port Christopher side, having faced off against their impressive clubs in the UICA competitions and having to battle for every result earned against them. Devonta and Kel Assuk are the next tier of opponents and while they may be stumbling blocks, if the Wanderers are going to regain the threat of being title contenders, these are the games that they have to win regardless of how challenging they might be. The rest of the group should be six points for the Wanderers with the depth of skill in the pool, as this Pre Qualifying Tour has shown, but Mór Császár will have to play his tactics right and avoid the same fate as his predecessor.

by **Vilita** » Sun Nov 26, 2017 11:49 pm

Vilitan League Clubs Struggle to Sign Top Talent

International Transfer Window ends quietly for Vilitan and Turorian sides

Tivali-Ring Stadium, Alikki-Corra, Vilita :: As the Vilita National Team players reported for duty ahead of their first match of the World Cup 79 Qualifying campaign, all of the focus was on the recent International Transfer Window where Vilitan Clubs failed on multiple levels to attract top international talent to the Vilitan League.

Players were asked what their feelings were and the responses were mixed depending on the situation of the player involved. For some players, the lack of new players coming into the Vilitan League was a reprieve as they would have less competition for their place on the squad and wouldn't have to get used to playing with different teammates over the upcoming domestic season. For others, like 16 year old Eastal Lunar Jr. Academy product Nii'arala Milaaso, it meant an early promotion to the first team as the club decided to fill some of their gaps from within instead of reaching out to the international market.

There was one team, however, whose players seemed universally disappointed to have not brought in any new players during the International Transfer Window - and that was the Colonial Sile. After finishing second in the Vilitan League's 55th Stellar Division season, Colonial were looking to make a big splash during the transfer window with their sights set on attacking talents such as Brenecia's Griffin Riordan, Nepharim National Team player Estrella Hawke and talented Schottian midfielder Dilon Bánach.

There was even a purported leak of a memo from Colonial Sile's Director of Football Manolis Masi Jr. to Estrella Hawke's agent in what appeared to be an attempt to convince the Nepharim striker to consider Colonial Sile as a possible transfer destination.

While the rumors were rampant, however, none of the transfers ever seemed to materialize. As the window came and went, no big name international signings were packing their bags and heading for Colonial Field. In fact, the only high impact signing of the window for any Vilitan League club would be from Colonial Sile's rival for the role as challenger to the Turoki Tide's reign - Lonngeylin Coast who did add the Nepharim/Apoxian dual national striker Methuselah Tregajorran to their roster. Like Eastal Lunar, Colonial Sile will likely be looking to the academy to increase their attacking threat, with young talent like attacking midfielder Lati'ala Giaoka likely to see more playing time during Season 56.

Despite the hesitation from top international talent to join up with Vilitan League clubs during the Transfer Window, the Turoki Tide would end up winning the UICA Globe Cup and the UICA Super Cup while the Eelandii Academy would win the UICA Youth Cup ensuring that three of the five available UICA trophies during the 69th UICA cycle would be hoisted by Vilitan League clubs. This performance along with the 67th UICA Champions Cup victory by Mliona-Lpaka Turori AFC and the 64th Series 'B' Champions Cup victory by Cedniavella Turori ensures that the Vilitan League has won all five UICA trophies including two UICA Super Cup competitions over the past three seasons, the only league in the multiverse to be able to lay claim to such an accomplishment. Vilitan League clubs will likely be hoping that this increases their profile when looking to sign international talent in the future.

by **Flardania** » Sun Nov 26, 2017 11:56 pm

霧島面接直列！
A KBC exclusive of the Interview Series, Miguel Tamayo
Français|日本語|한국어|English
Discover the World| Kirishinan Broadcasting Corporation

Interview by Uyeda Tanosuke

Miguel Tamayo on left, Tanosuke Uyeda on right
Discover the World Intro Song

: Intro begins with a view from space as the world slowly turns below before cutting to a shooting star in the sky in the distance, in a field of cherry blossoms with the words Discover the World written in the night sky. Intro then proceeds to show Tanosuke all over the world eating local foods, interviewing people, attending concerts, football matches, etc. About a minute and a half later the intro ends and cuts to Tanosuke and Natayla sitting across from each other in a hotel lounge room. Tanosuke smiled and looked into the camera.

T: "Good evening, welcome to Discover the World on the KBC Network, I'm your host Uyeda Tanosuke. This show took my dreams of travel as well as my love of global understanding and allows me to share the world with our viewers in Kirishima, and the world. Tonight with World Cup qualifiers coming up, we have a special edition player special. I am here at The Utopia Hotelin Akihabara, Kirishima. My guest tonight is a former refugee of the Philippines turned citizen and who many feel was the difference maker in Kirishima's first Round of 16 World Cup experience. You should know him by now, Miguel Tamayo. "Tanosuke turned to face Miguel. Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this interview.

M:" No No No, your're way too kind. Everywhere I go people look at me as if I am such a savior." Miguel shook his head with a smile.

T: Tanosuke laughed "But aren't you the first year you were on the team, the Kitsunes made it to the round of 16 and that was while you came off of the bench."

M: Miguel continued to shake his head, "Nope, you are not going to like this answer but I am just one guy on the pitch. I can't do much on my own especially as a defender. Now if you want to saw I was the final piece in a strong defense....i'll accept it. But Miyamoto, Nguyen, Fujisaka all work hard in the back field and I just wanted to do my fair share." Miguel responded warmly.

T: Tanosuke nodded "So here we are in Akihabara which is home to the Electronics who won the title this past season. The first qualifying game in Akihabara isn't for quite sometime and you both live and play for Anegaoka. I guess my question is why are we here in Akihabara?" Tanosuke said with a chuckle

M: "I wanted a waifu......" Miguel stated with a serious nodded before chuckling. "My older sister lives here with our parents since I have little to no chance to see them during the season I decided I wanted to spend some time with them before Qualifiers begin.....and because I wanted a waifu" Miguel added with a laugh

T: Tanosuke smiled “Ah yes your sister, that would be Ariela Tamayoright?”

M: Miguel nodded. "Yes, she always was in love with both Kirishima culture and pop culture so she was dead set on moving here to be a cosplay model. Only she didn't realize she needed a full time job as well and wouldn't be allowed in. Lucky for her before it went out of business Punch opened up a HQ in Akihabara and she was transferred over here. So it was easy for her to get refugee status when the war happened.

T: "Ah yes, the war between the Philippines and a few IFC and SACTO states? How did you manage to get out of there. Normally I would guess your sister but communications were down and we weren't taking anyone in at the time?" Tanosuke asked.

M: "That is literally where football saved my life. The Bayan never really had a well known football scene but a few scouts were checking out the talent of Filipinos. Apparently the scout for Anegaoka was in town to offer me a contract when sh*t hit the fan. I was just lucky and blessed to have the opportunity to leave...I was able to get my parents over not to long ago but I do miss my friends and peers. I honestly don't know if they are alive or not since communications are still pretty bad. But it does fuel me, it does motivate me. Those who attacked my home thought that it would break us. Now I will be better than anyone in any of their nations and while I am at it I seek to be the best in Kirishima!" Miguel responded with drive

T: "I wish you luck but with that said at the end of the KPL season you failed to make team of the season or the fan team of the season. What are your thoughts?"

M: Miguel smirked "Well for one I definitely still belong on the National team. My club didn't do to hot this time around but the staff of the national team feel that I have things to bring and I will prove it. Being on the national team again means more experience I can bring back with me for the next season. I am still very young, I know I can be a threat for years to come.

T: Tanosuke nodded solemnly. “That make sense, and that is certainly the right attitude. I wish you all the luck in your future endeavors.” He said with a smile.

M: "Thank you and thanks for having me on the program, it was great." Miguel smiled.

Tanosuke turns to face the camera. "This has been Discover the World on the KBC Network from Akihabara. What will I do next and where I go are the questions to which I have no answer, tune in next time to find out. Stay tuned as Newsroom Tonight is up next. If you missed the travel portion of this program a tape version will re-air after Newsroom Tonight and again tomorrow at 9. Once again I'm Uyeda Tanosuke and this as been Discover the World: change your perceptions.....change the world." Tanosuke said the motto as the Space Ambient Credit theme plays as the camera pans out. The credits begin running down the screen as Tanosuke can be seen shaking hands with Tamayo.

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by **Drawkland** » Mon Nov 27, 2017 12:09 am

Second half of MD1 - here's your late cutoff! Don't expect them this late again.

by **Nephara** » Mon Nov 27, 2017 4:01 am

Thibaea 0-1 Nephara
(4-2-3-1) 1 - Tsattalios; 2 - Rafford, 22 - Tarrasch, 6 - Scharner (c), 19 - Vicelich; 4 - Misidjan (23 - Aschenbach 71'), 15 - Klein; 13 - Coffey, 21 - Gosforth (14 - Vikmanis 63'), 11 - Strongbow (16 - Aspenwood 80'); 10 - Cathar
Goal: Cathar 7'

Roxana Coffey
Latin form of Ρωξανη (Roxane), the Greek form of the Persian or Bactrian name روشنک (Roshanak) which meant "bright" or "dawn".

In her dreams, Roxana Coffey soared down the wing in a green shirt, the wind at her back.
She dreamed a lot, as a kid. There wasn't much else to do in her classes, and her teachers had despaired of her. It was transparent that all she ever really wanted to do was get out there into the frail Nepharim sun and punt a ball about, running rings around her peers on the asphalt.
The dream died for one afternoon, when her maths teacher, Mr. Faerber, lost it at her in the middle of class, told her she'd never amount to anything if all she was interested in was kicking a ball around. Fortunately, her father had been a receptive ear to her issues, and rumours still went around that schools playground of the day that Mr. Coffey, the tired-looking accountant, rammed the maths teacher into a locker and slammed it shut.
Anyway, that was the end of any troubles at school. Coffey wasn't the brightest, she'd admit it freely, but she knew what she wanted.

Right now, Coffey was sprawled along her bed, checking her social media. Hearing her friends spur her on, live vicariously through her, was all she needed right now to calm her racing nerves. "Hey, Mala."
Malachite Scharner glanced across. "Mala? Don't call me Mala."
"Ah. Then, uh, what should I call you?"
"Well, Malachite's my name. Not Mal, not 'Scharnsey', not... just Malachite, alright?"
"Right." Coffey took a breath. Scharner was intense to talk to. And she was a hell of a lot less sharp to her than to tall poppies like Klein...
"What did you want?" Scharner asked.
"Oh, ah, I'd just been wondering... how did you get back in the squad?"
Scharner turned another page of her book. "Got called up, same as anyone else. I accepted."
"What, just like that?"
"Gaffer and I cleared the air."
"Then why isn't Amokachi here too?"
Scharner drew in a sharp breath. "... She did not clear the air with the gaffer."
"Oh. That's a shame."
"Yeah. It is. But that was always the difference between us - she's stubborn as anything. Me, I only ever wanted the best for Nephara. I didn't think the boss did, didn't think I could work with him. Now I do."
"Huh."
They sat in silence for a while. Technically, Misidjan was there too, but the young Northwesterner was trancing out, listening to slow, pulsing vapourwave.
"Roxana?" Scharner said, eventually.
"Mm?"
"You looking forward to tomorrow?"
"More than anything in the world! If... if I get on the pitch, I mean. But even if not, uh..."
"You're a good kid, Roxana. And the good news is, it's never gonna get old. It never stops being an honour. And no matter what happens tomorrow, you'll remember it for the rest of your life."

And the next day, Roxana Coffey soared down the wing in a green shirt, and dropped a low cross along the face of goal for Nevaeh Cathar to tap home.

by **Sargossa** » Mon Nov 27, 2017 4:39 am

A Wednesday morning was not exactly prime excitement time in the city of Dunas, the resort city tended to wake-up in the late evening, but today was different. Today there was an energy in the air earlier than usual. And that energy was not, for a change, centred on the garish waterfront district, where holiday makers lay on the beaches and slept off the excesses of the wee hours or made their bleary way back to their hotels after the night’s revelry. Instead, away from the beaches and bars and the neon haze, deeper into the old town a buzz was beginning to fill the streets. The Sargossan national team were in town.

As the populace went about their daily business they reminisced about the match of four days earlier, when Sargossa went to the world champions and battled their way to a point. They talked of Vega’s saves and Victorino’s tirelessly running, of Vecino’s probing in midfield and Miguel Marí’s twenty-yard effort that smacked against the foot of the post and sent a million pulses racing. Most of all they talked of a precious point won.

Nestled in the normally sleepy old town final preparations were underway at the Estadio Del Sol ahead of the evening’s World Cup qualifier. Out on the pitch the Corsairs were being put through their paces. Defence coach Guillermo Lucena was bodily moving players around the penalty area as the side went through some set piece drills, defence versus attack. His offensive counterpart Alejandro Tapia barked out instructions to the forwards while assistant head coach Carlos Ramos watched on. Jokes and light-hearted insults were fired off by both sides, a relaxed atmosphere that has become a trademark of Rafael Barrios’ tenure in charge.

The coach himself was being ushered to the side of the pitch by one of the national team’s media department, where a reporter and camera crew waited. Sargossa’s twenty-four-hour sports media needed constant fuel for its fire, a national coach’s media commitments were part and parcel of the modern game.

“Rafa, thanks for joining us. First up we have to speak about Electrum, a point at the world champions, you must be delighted with that?”

“Oh, absolutely. It’s always exciting to be drawn with the reigning champions but, I confess, I was delighted that game was the first fixture. It’s definitely a good one to get out of the way early. To go to Centralis and get both a point and a clean sheet, I mean, had you offered me that prior to the match I would have snapped your hand off.”

“And so close to a winner?”

“These are the margins. But that would have been harsh on Electrum, they had more chances than we did. They played very well and we defended just as well. I’ll take a point, quite happily.”

“You’ve kept faith with the players that performed so well two years ago, was there any temptation to bring in fresh blood considered the number of thirty-somethings in the squad?”

“I think you’re doing them something of a disservice. These are professional athletes, some of whom happen to be in their early thirties. Some would say that they’re at their peak. And I think the performance in Electrum shows they’ve still got what it takes. But, at the same time, this isn’t a closed shop and we have a whole national pool of talent to call upon if required.”

“First home game of the campaign, are you confident?”

“Of course. Obviously, it’s a different mindset today, being the favourites and all. But we know from experience exactly how dangerous a fifth seed can be. And Sulsuland looked in fine form in their opening match. They were very clinical in that win so that is something we’re going to have to be aware of. You can't underestimate anyone in this tournament or you will be punished.”

“Rafa, thank you. Sargossa against Sulsuland, live tonight on SargoSport 1, 21:00 Branta Time. See you there.”

by **Brenecia** » Mon Nov 27, 2017 5:12 am

Brenecia 3-1 Krytenia
(4-1-4-1) 1 - Woodgate; 2 - Carrack, 5 - Scrivener (vc), 6 - Szubanski, 3 - Quill (19 - Cattalock 76'); 4 - Gryphon (c, 23 - Alweather 76'), 16 - Drover (21 - Conroy 67'); 15 - Crowther, 11 - Balliol, 13 - Keohane; 9 - Riordan
Goals: Riordan 29', Balliol 41', Crowther 72'

Siri Cattalock
Short form of Sigrid. From the Old Norse name Sigríðr, which was derived from the elements sigr "victory" and fríðr "beautiful, fair".

Cattalock just wished people would be more understanding. Weirdly enough, the excuse of 'look, I'm just not good enough to play for Nephara' didn't tend to get much traction with her patriotic paternal relatives.
Just wait 'til they found out the Patriots' rank was higher these days. Oh, wait, they probably twigged to that once they got drawn into a group with Eura. Heh.
... Christ, what was she laughing about? She was Nepharim, wasn't she? An odd thought to have, as she sat here, on the Brenecian bench, hoping for her third cap for the old enemy...

Look, just walk a while in her shoes. That was the best way to get people to understand.
You've just spent the year with West Brinemouth. The club has been crushed into a fine paste by the rigours of the top flight, and you, their leftback, along with it. Trying to salvage your career, you clamber onto mediocre SuperLiga outfit Sardin United, looking over your shoulder as your hometown club crashes and burns before devoting your time to the kinds of seasons where Sardin both score and concede less than a goal a game.
You're a professional footballer. You're playing regularly, at a good standard. You're living the dream, sure, but only if you adjust your actual childhood dream's high expectations.
And then out of fucking nowhere you get called up to the national team of your maternal grandfather's birthplace.
Of course you say yes!
Yes for the chance to be here, hustling onto the pitch to replace breakthrough star Gethin Quill, for the chance to wear a navy blue kit with genuine history to it, the chance for a stadium to cheer your name. Yeah, you're Brenecia's distant third-choice leftback, you aren't going to light up the history books but, damn it, life's not about history books. Life's about experiences.
And this one, right here, would take some beating.

by **Schottia** » Mon Nov 27, 2017 6:11 am

Amanda Cunningham

Part Two.

Diplomacy.

It had indeed been a long time since Gary had crossed the river, so much so that it seemed very different. The path from the crossing was now well worn, and it wasn't until he rounded the copse of birch trees, that he noticed how much bigger the camp was from the other side. The place almost had a music festival feel to it - not that Gary knew what a music festival was like, but he guessed it wouldn't be dissimilar. There were semi permanent toilets, washrooms, and kitchen huts. The main area around the campfire was also caked with think mud, so much so, that sawdust had been put down in an effort to dry it out. The Newcomers' side of the river was slightly damper than Gary's. It got the sun less, and the rain seemed to drain down that way. They also hadn't had his luxury of a footballers salary while setting up - the twenty thousand Gary had spent on organic fertiliser and top-soil when he moved in, was now paying dividend.

'Evening Gary.' Said Joanna, the alpha female if you will. Their paths crossed as she was emerging from the kitchen hut, which had also had a bit of a facelift since his last visit. The structure was now twice as large, and looked far better shored up against the elements. 'To what do we owe the pleasure..?'

'Hi Joanna.' Gary was still stood in his Chatswood tracksuit, having thought it better to get the mission over with. In his left hand he was carrying a bunch of wild flowers he had picked from the top of the valley, in his right he had a bottle of the honey wine. Additionally, he had half a dozen fresh eggs (complete with a few feathers) in a bag tucked under his arm. 'I was actually looking for Amanda..?'

'You move quick!' She said with a smile, before placing a thin roll-up between her lips and lighting up. 'I think she's still in her tent, I've not seen her this afternoon.' Joanna could have been anything between thirty and forty, Gary really wouldn't have liked to say. It was quite possibly the case that she acted older than she actually was. When she had first arrived in the valley, she had very quickly asserted herself as an authority figure, and was somehow the mum of the Newcomers. She had a toughness about her, and wasn't afraid to call people out - this was probably why Gary avoided her like the plague; the last thing he needed was to be called-out.

'Oh! No-no-no!' Gary looked down at the flower, and then towards the wine. 'This isn't how it looks, let me assure you. These are from Stick. I'm only here in my capacity as an envoy.' Gary could already feel himself redden. This was why he never had conversations.

'Well good luck with that.' Gary wasn't sure whether the thinly veiled tone of her voice meant that he'd need all the luck he could get. 'Oh and if those are eggs, I wouldn't bother.'

'Oh?'

'Amanda is a vegan now.' Joanna said, in her usual quick tone. 'I'll take them off your hands though.' There was little use in protesting, as the small hessian bag was plucked from Gary's armpit and placed within the kitchen hut, no doubt now forming part of the camp's dinner menu.

'Could you be so kind as to point me in the right direction?' Gary asked Joanna, who had now lost interest, happy with acquisition. The wee, brown hired woman barely took any notice as she inspected the eggs for cracks. 'Joanna?'

'Sorry.' She looked up, coming out of an egg-themed dream. 'Amanda. She's up the top end, past the fort, round the big puddle, back past the wood-pile. If you come to boulder that looks like Gethin Ramsey, then you've gone too far.' She replied with a smile that said: Thanks for the eggs, now fuck off.

'Top end, fort, puddle, Gethin Ramsey.' Gary repeated as he headed towards what he could only assume was the top end, still clutching the flowers and wine resolutely. The flowers were looking a little worse for wear, and clearly in need of a drink. That kind of summed up his life: worse for wear and in need of a drink. Even down to the way the flowers were now flopping over his hand, it was a superb metaphor for his career. Was he a flop? Yes he was the epitome of a flop. He would have argued to the contrary, but of course he was. God! How the Chatswood fans must be cursing him right now. A big, soft, lazy foreign player, on a hefty wage, sitting in his hut sipping honey wine while they were crying into their beers. Punch bags bearing a picture of his face could do doubt be sold to half of Treason as stress relief right now. Everything Gary touched turned to shit. In a short decade he had sent them from UICA spot contenders, to relegation strugglers, to yo-yo team. Another five years and he'd have them in the third tier.

'Hello Gary.' The flop looked up to see Big Malcolm, the amateur brewer, sat atop a rock. Big Malcolm was a large, burley chap (hence the fact that 'big' had been incorporated into his name). He had board shoulders, bushy dark eyebrows, and a shiny dome of a head, which looked like it had been put through a buffer. When Big Malcolm had first arrived in the valley last year, he had been an instant hit, with his ability to produce marvellous concoctions from the mountains of bruised fruit lying around the settlement. Gary had been quite smitten in fact, and his burgeoning alcohol store was testament to how much he had gotten into to whole brewing hogwash. 'Is that a bottle of that honey mead we made last summer?'

Gary looked down at the bottle. 'Oh hey Malcolm. Yeah it is.' Gary just remembered the brewer probably hadn't yet tasted the creation. There was a tone in his voice that suggested he might like to be offered a sip, but Gary needed it to try and soften up Amanda, given the fact that a bunch of wilted flowers were unlikely to butter many parsnips.

'It looks a good colour.' Opined Big Malcolm, and Gary saw him licking his lips. 'Have you tried it yet, is it any good?'

'No it's far too sweet.' Gary answered quickly, and it wasn't a lie. 'Leaves a sickly aftertaste too.' Big Malcolm still didn't seem dissuaded. 'Tastes like piss.' He added in desperation.

'Huh?' Big Malcolm was genuinely affronted. 'Give me a try.' Gary opened his mouth in protest, but the older gentleman had the bottle from his hand in a flash, and popped the stopper. 'Smells enough like mead.' He said before removing a couple of glasses from a shoulder bag (as you do), and pouring them each large measure. 'Tastes nice to me.' He added puzzled, consuming it in one swoop of the head, before indicating that Gary should do the same. Malcolm quickly refilled their glasses.

After half an hour the bottle was gone, and Gary was feeling distinctly merry. 'Beautiful. Beautiful, deep - almost earthy - flavour.' He had changed his position entirely on mead, and was now singing its praises like a bird, hopping from foot to foot with excitement, as the heady mixture seemed to erode his cares and worries. The Chatswood fans should have been drinking this stuff, it might have improved their moods.

'Yeah, it's really... really...' Big Malcolm, half pissed, tried to find the right word. 'Good.' He managed, half slurred. 'Listen Gary, I'll go to my tent and bring over some of the elderflower and pinesap cider I made. I think it'll be right up your street buddy.'

Gary was nodding enthusiastically, before a glance at the flowers in his hand reminded him why he was there. 'Sorry Malcolm.' He shook his head, burping a little as he tried to speak. 'I'm a bit busy right now, maybe I can come over tomorrow?'

'Oh, no problem Gary.' Big Malcolm stopped dead in his tracks. 'Yeah tomorrow sounds grand.'

Gary spun on the spot, trying to get his bearings. 'Hang on Malcolm. One last thing. That rock you were sitting on? Do you reckon it looks like Gethin Ramsey?'

The inebriated old brewer tilted his head this way and that before issuing a chuckle. 'Know what Gary, it actually kind of does.'

'God damn it! Then I've gone too far.' He patted Malcolm on the shoulder before heading back towards the big puddle. 'Tomorrow. Elderflower. Pinesap. Cider. Can't wait.' And with a hand raised in farewell, the footballer left Big Malcolm drunk and confused, still trying to figure out the significance in the Ramsey boulder.

After several embarrassing attempts, Gary eventually found the right tent, thankful to have finally stuck his neck through the correct opening. The tent, which Gary would have described as more of a tipi, was larger than he had expected - but then again, she and Stick generally lived there all year round. A bundle of poles, some four metres tall, met in the middle, and were covered by heavy looking cream canvas. From various lengths of twine - zigzagging across the space - hang drying clothes, drapes, and sheets, which seemed to divide the tent up into smaller rooms. Gary looked down, becoming aware that he was standing on the coarse brown doormat; the shoes piled either side were an indicator that he should remove his. The rest of the floor was covered in rugs, blankets, cushions and pillows. It wasn't quite as homely as his hut, but it actually seemed reasonably comfortable.

'Hello?' Gary was alerted to a voice, and some movement from behind a Hostillian-style hanging drape. 'Stick... Oh, it's you Gary!' Amanda Cunningham seemed pleasantly surprised, and after getting over the momentary shock, the small blonde woman bounced across the room and gave him a friendly hug. If she were currently afflicted by the same trauma as Stick, then it certainly wasn't showing. 'What are you doing here? I've not seen you for aaaages!!'

'Hi Amanda.' Gary returned the hug, but was determined not to let it linger. Amanda had more redeeming features than you could count; in fact the only thing Gary didn't like about her was the fact that she was sickeningly attractive. Even if vegan hippies, who lived in a tent, and showered once a week weren't your thing, Amanda was the kind of person you might make an exception for. It was something about the warmth of her personality; the fact that she juggled a strength and a wisdom beyond her years, with a cheeriness that could light up the room. It was easy to see what Stick saw in her, as for the other way round however... well Gary was starting to think it might take more than a hair shirt to get her back. 'Yeah I've not been out much recently. Busy with... stuff, you know how it is?'

'Football?' She offered, pointing down at his training trousers, which he forgot he was still wearing.

'Exactly,' he answered. Although to say that he was busy with football was a blatant lie.

'Did you win today?' She asked with genuine interest. 'Score any goals?' She made the action, swinging her foot to back it up.

'Eh, no.' Gary answered. If only. 'We got relegated, so...' Gary half expected to see the pitchforks and burning torches coming into view over the lip of the valley at any minute. It was probably best that he didn't show his face in Treason for a while - or ever again.

'That sounds painful!' Amanda winced, patting Gary on the arm. 'Anything I can do to help?'

'Well, can you turn back time, pull on a Chatswood shirt, and score a goal?' Gary answered jokingly, but it really wasn't funny. Relegation was a disaster for the club, and there was very little chance he could survive this, even with his ability to spend long periods of time in the reserves without being emotionally affected.

'Sure,' Amanda shrugged her shoulders and smiled. 'I used to be quite the player back in my school days.'

'Oh yeah?'

'Yup.'

Jesus fucking Christ, was he flirting with her? Gary was starting to think he was a fool to have had that half bottle of wine with Malcolm. The wine! That was it! That was why he was here.

'I've come with a message from Stick.' Gary said, trying to get the conversation back on track. He had lost time already, and his dinner wasn't going to cook itself. He watched as Amanda's face dropped.

'Oh really...'

'Yeah, these are for you.' Gary handed over the now dead bunch of flowers, which Amanda immediately dumped into the corner of the tent, before disappearing behind one of the hanging drapes. 'Amanda I need to tell you how sorry he is.' Gary tried to follow her, but his height hindered his progress. 'He is truly devastated. Of that, you have my solemn word.' How on earth could he have lost her in a fucking tent, he thought as looked behind the various hanging sheets.

'Look I don't care what he's got to say.' Gary followed the voice and turned to see Amanda sat cross-legged on a yoga mat, eye closed, hands in front of her chest in prayer. 'If he is going to lie to me, and keep things from me, then... y'know what? I'm too old for that sort of crap Gary! Imagine you'd been with someone for three years and you only just find out that they're married.'

A twenty-six-year-old complaining about being too old.

'He's a great guy though Amanda!' Gary protested, but it didn't seem like it was getting him anywhere, as he watched Amanda's chest rise and fall with her deep breathing. She was trying to block him out. He needed to pull out the big guns. 'He's suffering, really, really suffering.'

'Do you not think I'm suffering?' Amanda said, looking up at him with a scowl. 'I'm the wronged party here Gary, remember that.'

'Yes but... but... He's been wearing a hair shirt, he's been sleeping on a pile of logs!' Gary was starting to realise how unconvincing his arguments were in the face of Amanda's very justified grievances, but it was all he had. 'His heart is breaking; and did I tell you he is suffering?'

'Well not nearly enough. He can suffer over there for as long as he likes, as far as I'm concerned.' She shook her head and went back to her breathing exercise. 'He's dead wood... pardon the pun.'

Gary bent down and bundled the flowers back together, before placing them inside an empty mug sat on the floor of the tent. 'I just hate to see him like that. I always thought you guys were a good couple.'

'Listen, Gary. I know you're just trying to be a good mate, you're a nice guy, but there's nothing more to be said here. I've been putting all the work into this relationship for a long time now.'

'Well... yes you have, but sometimes... sometimes you just need to put in a little more.' Gary grinned innocently, but Amanda wasn't buying it. 'There are so many great thing about Stick, especially when he's not lying on my logs.'

'He's not welcome back in this tent.' Amanda said apologetically. 'Can you please let him know that, he has as much right to be part of this community as I do, but I'm not taking him back.' She gave up on her yoga, which was clearly only ever a ruse to avoid conversation. 'Thank you for caring about him, and thank you for the flowers.' She nodded in the direction of the cup. 'I know that would have been your idea, Stick doesn’t have a thoughtful bone in his body.' She rose up onto her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

'Well can I at least tell him you'll think about it..?' Gary asked, now trying to see what he could salvage from the situation. As it stood, be hadn't been able to secure a single concession for his unwanted lodger. 'I need something positive to give him, so I can try and get him out of my log shed.'

'Well is it a problem that he's there? Can you not get at the logs...?' Amanda placed her hands in the pockets of her baggy yoga-trousers.

'Well no, he actually helps hand them to me, but it's not the point. I can't relax while he's there, he whimpers from time to time, and well...'

'Yeah he whimpers a lot.' Amanda rolled her eyes. 'You know what?' She added, the tone of her voice suggesting that she had had an idea. 'If he's bothering you, you're welcome to stay here.' Gary watched as she tilted her head to the side, barely noticing as she took a hold of his hands.

'Eh here?' Gary stammered, as the warning lights were going off. In Gary's brain, tiny men and women in hi-vis vests were running around frantically, preparing all systems for another Corsie-esque meltdown.

'Yeah, there's plenty of room.' Amanda laughed, as she led him towards mound of cushions. Oh no, Gary's bad back. What was wrong a bed, there must have been a bed here somewhere, he thought as he glanced at the cushions. If he lay on that for any length of time he was likely to be stiff all week. But the wine! That bloody overly sweet honey wine. It was just enough to cloud his judgement, and he still hadn't had his dinner yet.

Thoughts of hunger had to be cast to one side however, as Amanda's lips posed a more pressing dilemma. Was this really going to happen? Well it looked like Stick would be spending another cold evening atop the logs.

by **Buyan** » Mon Nov 27, 2017 6:21 am

WELCOME TO THE BIG LEAGUE, HEDGEHOGS
Chromatika’s Second String Calmly Stroll To Victory

“What can I say? We’re being weighted and I’m quite sure this tells us we’re too light at the moment.” Goalkeeper Pawlo Marciak sums it up nicely as the Buyanese eleven part from Capitalizt Dome with the knowledge that they currently can’t tell that they don’t know what a solid side looks like. Unfortunately, they’ve also discovered that they’re not one. When the eleven walked out, there were little surprises to spot for the neutral fan but that knowledge only hurts a bit more in hindsight now.

Chromatika lined up the kind of squad you put on the sheet when you feel a little sorry for the opposition. You sell it off as giving the blokes and lasses who usually grace the bench some time out but in the back of your head you’re already thinking about the next game. You know, one where it might go wrong instead of going into this sort of variation of a dead rubber. The Buyanese got a fair share of accolades for their admirable performances throughout the last cycle but that point comes when being fun or likeable no longer suffices.

In theory, there was some value to the line-up brought to the pitch by Teriouris who attempted to counter the dynamic 3-4-3 from Silian Parker with a back five, seeing Espen Raestad and Zytomir Grochala staying back to try and keep that nil on the board. Well, we all know how that ended. Only nine minutes in, Rachel Hellion does what she has done so often, ripping apart the opposition with a pass so sliced, we still think that Haukland is dealing with the cut wounds. Pawlo Marciak might still be the only thing still worldclass about our line-up, but he himself couldn’t stop and youngster Rowena Sierra scores her first one in the magnificent white shirt.

Up next to plan B and… Apparently that was trying to do the same but just ten yards higher up the pitch. Albeit patiently, the Hedgehogs failed to make any sort of dent in the opposing defence as the midfield looked utterly incapable to handle this level. Micaukis and Karlsson are applaudable water bearers, guys who make the miles so all of the others are allowed to work their magic. However, on a night like this one, they spend most their time off the ball, chasing the second string of Chromatika to the point it became borderline painful. It was evident that Teriouris had a whole alphabet of plans lined up around the idea to bring Valter Isaksson in possession but the Bengtsmark IF midfielder had all transport lines – aerial and ground – cut off. With the opening half coming to a close, Povilas Kaukenas comes into the box for the best Hedgehogs chance but he skies his shot with his characteristic all-or-nothing vigour. It was nothing.

Two minutes later, the opposition chose for their clear-cut passing, dismantling our side with training ground ease. A bakers dozen of passes - and of the Hedgehogs, tackles missing anything leather-y or shin-y – later, Xi Xe placed the ball behind a stunned Marciak. We can sum up the second half in… Let’s just not do it. It was poor, motionless football and if I had paid for a seat in the Capitalizt Dome, I would want my money back. Forty-five minutes between a superior side who couldn’t be bothered – note the seemingly random substitutions from Parker – and an eleven with little to no room to improvement. It must be said that not Gustloff, nor Nordin or Wallenberg made any sort of difference.

With this shabby bit behind us, it is time to look forth to the visit to Lambdasia. Much will be learned from what Steponas Teriouris will bring to the pitch this evening. Either the former Viztourzys goalie shows ambition and opts for an alternative, trying to find that small hole to crawl us through all the way to the World Cup. Or we just opt for more of the same, claiming that a decent string of results against the lower-ranked sides, hopefully sufficing for a Cup of Harmony ticket, is all we need. Your call, Teriouris.

by **Kyrjasmark** » Mon Nov 27, 2017 6:34 am

In breaking news, official sources from the Imperial Palace have announced that Queen Dagmar is expecting a baby. The Royal Skald, the Queen’s official spokesperson, said that the Queen is two months pregnant and in good health. The child will be the first for Queen Dagmar and King Vladimir, and will immediately become the first in line to the throne. After the announcement, hordes of well-wishers gathered outside the palace to celebrate.

First Minister Thor Thorsonn, on the campaign trail in Grafheimr, also offered his congratulations to the couple. “This is a great day for our monarchy and maintain the values that have kept this empire strong. I wish their Imperial majesties all the best.” Thorsonn’s Konservative Selksop (Conservative Party) are strong supporters of the monarchy.
Leader of the republican Frigi Kyrjasmark Selskop (Free Kyrjasmark Party), Heidi Odur, said that the child would “grow up to be better than anyone through no merit other than its birth. It’s time Borkyr woke up to this fact and got rid of the crown altogether.” Minister Odur is currently campaigning in Kjagg, a marginal seat that the FKS are hoping to pick up in the upcoming election. The FKS have promised the abolition of the monarchy within thirty days should they win the election; however, it is unclear how they attend to do that as it is unlikely Queen Dagmar will pass any law ending a monarchy that has existed continuously for almost 1300 years. It is likely an academic question though, as early polls have the FKS at just under 3%, while the Konservative Selskop (KON) are polling at 31%.

It is unclear if the news of a royal baby will affect voting, but it could swing the vote towards more monarchist parties in the wake of royal sentiment. That would potentially play in favour of KON, as the current opposition, Folkrselskop og Kyrjasmark (People’s Party of Kyrjasmark), are less supportive of the Queen as the government. FOK party leader Jann Rasmussonn was unavailable for comment, although Jordis Odinsdottir, a FOK Representative from Sagragard, was quick to offer her congratulations to the Queen and King. Right now, the entire empire is collectively holding their breath as they wait to see what the political future of the Kyrjasmark will be.

by **Cassadaigua** » Mon Nov 27, 2017 7:02 am

Underway the Right Way,
By Brittany Byers, Team Captain

Qualifying for World Cup 79 put us in the nation of Adab for the opener. We did not really know anything about this country, but when there are so many nations in this multiverse, it’s understandable to not know that. When we were told that we would have to go The Rejected Realms in order to play them, there was not much enthusiasm. It’s a strange group of countries in that part of the world. No, they are not all bad, but it’s not a beautiful place like Rushmore. Ok, Atlantian Oceania and Esportiva can be nice places as well, but we were certainly glad to get back home.

It was a fun plane ride home, because we won the game. Winning those matches always do make for a more enjoyable experience, but I have to say I like playing our first qualifying game on the road instead of at home. It gets the team together, away from their friendly confides of their hometowns and familiar stadiums, and right away sets the atmosphere that the tournament has begun. You have stay together as a team, you can’t all go your separate ways, so you hang out and talk about the games, or if nothing else, just learn to get closer as a team. Some teams will use friendlies for this, and that’s not a bad idea. But CASE always thinks about friendlies until its too late. It’s as if they are sitting there, knowing we signed up and are just waiting for the tournament to begin while other organizations are quickly assembling a schedule. Then, the tournament gets close, we realize that we should have probably done that too, but by then everyone has played there games. In the old days, Cassadaigua used to participate in the Pink Cup, with the nations of Jeruselem and Bears Armed. It was a friendly tournament between the female-dominated teams that always took place, so CASE could always prepare us for it. Occasionally a different nation joined in the Pink Cup as well, such as The Babbage Islands, as long as they were an active participant and boasted the same all-female, or pretty much all-female roster. CASE has mentioned to us that something could be in the works along those lines again. They also said something bigger may be, but no further details were provided.

As far as the game against Adab, chances are you watched the game already, or have watched highlight shows, so you already know what happened. But ya know, I like to give some details anyway, because my teammates like to get “blog creds” and all. So, let’s begin in the 4th minute, where Holly Rosen made an Adabian midfielder fall out of his shoes (no really, he did, watch the replay), with a shifty move before firing a shot past their keeper to get us on the board. Five minutes later, Hannah Ranucci made it 2-0 and the “HR”’s were flying out of the stadium for this lead. For a little while, things mellowed out, as we knew we were in good shape early and wanted to see how they would reply. They did not really impress us with their response, and we were able to handle what they threw at us. Even Chelsea Blake got in on the scoring, coming in the 40th minute, to make it 3-0 into the half. After a halftime talk that centered around just keep doing what we were doing, and being on the lookout for any adjustments the Adabians might make, we continued to control the game. Hannah Ranucci got her second of the game in 55th, with Taylor Campos scoring nine minutes later. From there, our focus was to make sure Kristen Speller would leave the game with a clean sheet, and that she did. At the end, a 5-0 victory is what we earned, but against an overmatched nation, not many are going to be that impressed.

Up next, is Valladares at home. This is where we make a statement now that our tune up is over. Valladares is an opponent that would seem like a natural rival for us if you pulled up a map of Rushmore. Citizens from their Westlands do not have very far travel to go to the match, but we don’t expect that there were many available tickets for them to purchase at Concord Heights Stadium. We’ve had some meeting on and off with them over the years, as they are a long-tenured nation in this tournament, but I don’t think you would ever call it much of a rivalry. That could start here, but both teams are focus on getting the three points. It would be huge for us, and would definitely send the message that things are different for us in this tournament then they were last time.

We want you to come out to this game, but we don’t want you to be acting like we are a big underdog in the match. There’s nothing they can do that we can’t.

by **Filindostan** » Mon Nov 27, 2017 8:03 am

OOC Note: I decided not to put the IC info for this postcard (Filindostan Overview), as it may have been already covered enough in my IC info post during the SWC4. I'll also port that one to my factbook in the future.

The postcards made by the players and coaches of the football team were submitted, one by one, to the staff of the team. Carlo "Carl" Pedricci, the team's secretary, was assigned to collect the postcards. Since he was the one to put the cards into the envelopes, he saw some of the players' messages in the cards, something that would make them irate if they found out that he was looking into them. One card caught his eyes, a map of Filindostan, below, which was made, surprisingly, by the team's manager, Willy himself.

Well, he seemed he wouldn't see much of the content Willy had written into the card, but what was written in the card can be seen below. At the back of the card, at the right hand side, an address pointing to the municipality of Bonjing in the island of Tanjung Pagi, the left hand side is the message.

Dear mi Familia,
Hello there. Hope that you are all doing well there. I'll be coming home during the mid-qualifying break, after our match with Red Blackiland. I just want to see how you are all doing.

Benita, how's our shop business? I heard you are expanding to a second store near Jakulta. I believe that's a good move, there are a lot of tourists there,
which may help us expand our business beyond the Island. Make sure however that you monitor your health, don't overwork yourself. Don't worry, I'm not flirting with other girls here. You are the first person to know that I'm serious with my job here - to take this group of lads and lasses to their inaugural World Cup Finals appearance, no matter how many years might it take me to do it. I've done well at the start of this mission, getting by the group stages of the Campionato and even bringing silverware on the cup of the newcomers. Despite the differences my team have, and the different backgrounds they may have, I believe they are talented enough to succeed at this level.

To my twins, Tamara and Tamina, you're now ten years old. Hope you are doing well in the Jakulta City academy. I heard you performed well on the Festival.I was there, watching your matches. I didn't call you both since I wanted you to focus on the matches at hand. If you both saw me, then good. I'm not that good on hiding. I was really planning to send you both to San Marco and their Fortunas Academy, but your mother prevented me from doing so. That club is ambitious though, and I believe they'll do everything to succeed.

See you around in eight months time. I'll also be around during the festivities.

Love lots,
Willy

Willy Gurnawan
Manager, Filindostan National Football Team

Born on 89958 in the municipality of Bonjing in Tanjung Pagi Island, Willy had been playing football since the age of seven. At a local team named Persebon, he tried out for the football team as a defender. However, the tryouts was a cruel reality for him. Out of five defenders that the team will pick up, he was sixth, and thus was not picked up. He was sorely impacted by this, with a dialogue with his mother going like this:

"Only twelve players were chosen by the football team, I was thirteenth." (proceeds to throw the ball)

"I've kept practicing and practicing. I even wore a uniform."

"Mommy, why???" (started to cry a lot)

He was given a hot, instant noodles by his mother. It was a chicken noodle soup. It was very delicious.

Since then, he practiced more and more, until he went to the Universiti Nasional Pilindostan, where they needed a lot of defenders. He was selected as one of the team's regulars, starting every match of the UCAAF for the team, and wearing the captain's armband on his final playing year for the Green Falcons. He was named the season MVP on his last year, and graduated with honors with a business degree.

It was there he was noticed by an upstart team in San Marco, the one they call the Spartans, Fortunas. He joined the team in the 89978 season, when they were just looking for fellow amateur teams to face and beat, in the outskirts of the Kabishawan Islandic Stadium. Sports was blacked out to the media then by the President, Elpidio Rameses. When the Filindostani leader realized the potential his constituents have in terms of sporting, started the Filindostan Football Festival on the year 89984. Willy and his Fortunas team were to set to the field to face the team he was rejected on, Persebon Bonjing, but an attack by then-General Dorigo Dutete. The civil war lasted a year and a half, and reconstruction was needed to restore the state, which was completely taken over by the general.

The Festival re-started anyway three years after the attack, and has become common every year since, with Willy and the team winning the majority of the Festivals, facing and beating Venividicci when opportunity arose. They only failed to beat the Knights during 89989, at the fourth Festival. Upon turning thirty-five, he had the best final of his career, with a 7-0 demolition of their hated rivals. He announced his retirement during that time, and joined the coaching staff. After the resignation of his longtime manager at the ninth Festival, the coaches unanimously nominated him to be the manager of the fan-controlled club. During his time as a playing coach, he discovered a young Dina Satyawan during a tour at Bandariyan, and signed her to the academy.

Dina was already playing for the first team at age 21, her first finals appearance against their rivals, with Willy as manager. On the pitch, the referee was obviously favoring the opponents, in which allegedly, the president himself ordered the match go to the Blue half of San Marco. Venividicci won on extra time, after a goal on a very obvious offside position was given, causing Willy to signal, "Let's go". After his team went back to the locker minutes before the second half of extra time ended, he approached the referee, and gave him stern words and said "Do not step into this field ever again. You're a disgrace to the football community."

The referee was found dead days after an inquest was opened investigating the finals fiasco. The court decided to clear the referee of any wrongdoing, which was already influenced by bribes. Willy decided to write a letter to the FNSC, who at that time, was organizing the festival.

"We will NOT participate on the next festival. You'll see this club not competing over my dead body."

Willy kept his word, not signing Fortunas up to the Festival, but a movement in the upper management, and a takeover by the Salumbides brothers, meant that Willy had to leave the team, jumping ship to coach Persebon, who are in a lot of debt following the departure of their important players. The next season, Persebon was dissolved into oblivion.

Willy wandered around, coaching different university teams, the last of which was Universiti Tanjung Pagi - Jakulta Campus (UTP-J). He apparently reconciled with the higher-ups at Fortunas and at the FNSC, and was given him two options - coach Fortunas, or spearhead the national team. Willy, with guidance from his wife Benita, who he met as a secretary at Fortunas, chose the latter.

Willy now leads the national team, initially on a two year contract, ending at this year's World Cup Qualifiers. However, his Baptism of Fire triumph extended his contract for a further three years to 90007, and established him as one of the best Filindostani managers for a while.

●●● Filindostan 3-1 Jabok ●●●
Hilura Bong Kanor Stadium, Bandaroon, Filindostan
Scorers: Yish (14', 61'), Mohd Safri (31'), Jabokian central midfielder (82')

A good performance by the Pula Garuda in front of a receptive crowd in Bandaroon. Event security did a splendid job limiting the rowdiness of the spectators, and no riots were reported. However, the overall performance of the team leaves room for improvement. Jerus did a nightmarish job at right midfield. MMM should have started the match instead of him. Abram's rating would be higher should he didn't concede the late goal after a chaotic exchange of possession at the penalty box. Poor marking by Buknoy, a very uncharacteristic mistake by him. Other than that, solid performance by the defense.

The player of the match should go to Mohd Safri, as he starts to prove that King will be an afterthought in this qualifiers. His goal and two assists to Yish provide the spark the Filindostanis needed after losing in friendlies against HUElavia, Mattijana, and Equestrian States.

The next match will be at Undarat. Red kits to be worn by the Pula Garudas, but white change strip will be brought too, as the kits the Undaratians will have is still a mystery up to now.

Squad to face Undarat (18-player team)
Tonyo, Wessel; Tobias, Dwi, Johnpaul, Buknoy, Graci, Zeke; Damaris, Farand, Manyakol, Deddy Lie, Onyok, Edna; Fizzy, Lazarus, Ina, Bienvenido.

by **Indusse** » Mon Nov 27, 2017 8:30 am

The first indussean world cup match in history has stated a loss to the team. Indusse on the match scored a nil against mercidini who scored 2 goals and defeated Indusse. The mercidini team had a good lineup and one of the indussean star players got injured in the 67' (67 min) of the game. The team coach said that the team may win the next match. Indusse had lost the chance of baptism of fire semis with a difference of a single point. May the luck be with Indusse.
The coach quoted:-
" The team having no world cup experience played well but they lost to mercidini who was having experience this makes indussean team not so sad"
...... . - De constantinean

by **Barunia** » Mon Nov 27, 2017 8:46 am

What to do with Matt Vine? That was the question facing Adam Johnson. The Barunian winger has been lobbying for a more attacking role in the team since the last World Cup. Vine plays for the Edwardton Eagles, who famously forego defence in favour of an all-out attack, an approach markedly different to Johnson's 6-man defence. Johnson admitted in an interview prior to the World Cup that he had considered dropping Vine into the central midfield. However he decided against it as that would basically see Vine warming the bench most games, with little chance of the current position holder, Suns captain Hannah Miller, being left out. With Talitha Montgomery, a winger from the Woodvale Wolves, entering the ranks of the sky-blues, someone needed to cover the reserve attacking midfield spot. In the end, it went to David Savage, with Johnson opting to keep Vine as starter, shunting him from the left to the right flank. That move leaves the left flank free for the left-footed Montogomery to slot into the starting position, the debutant preferred over Antonio Mendoza.

Although Johnson's starting line-up certainly raised some eyebrows, many expected him not to follow it strictly in the first match of the qualifying campaign, giving that the Suns' opponent, St Saratoga, is ranked 99 points below Barunia. However, Johnson chose to ignore convention and fielded his first-string line-up. After the match, he explained his thinking was two-fold: Firstly, he understood the importance of getting the first win under the belt, and wanted to make certain of it, and secondly, it was an oppurtunity for a number of players to make their debut. Goalkeeper Ben Williams and Montgomery both picked up their first international caps at the opening whistle, while centre-back Josiah Kennedy had to wait 74 minutes before making his debut. For a short time the crowd at Sam Garcia Field were treated to the somewhat confusing spectacle of seeing two sky-blue jerseys with the name J. Kennedy on them. The two players are unrelated, with the addition of the second letter of their respective first names being added to their shirt to avoid confusion. Jo. Kennedy had a mixed reception when he came on, some of the 24,000 strong crowd remembering a recent incident in the X-League, where Kennedy was involved in a controversial moment while playing for the Wanderers against the local Sea Lions.

Later in the match, the other Kennedy was substituted as Johnson sought to hold on the 1-0 lead by parking the bus. It could have been a day for all new players to debut, but Johnson chose to send in Adam Donaldson to shore up the defence, meaning Johnny Evans will need to wait to play his first game. While Evans was made to wait, Johnson's slections have been fairly spot on so far, with the only goal coming from none other than Matt Vine, as he slotted home a chipped through ball from Miller that made a mockery of the Togan defence. Despite the victory, the Barunians will be dissapointed with the lone goal, as they dominated the Togans in every way and had countless oppurtunities to score. Much of the credit must go to Togan keeper Lennard Gesele, who had a fantastic game, but the Suns also squandered many a chance. James Kennedy missed a sitter from ten yeards out, and Miller sent several over the bar. Against stronger opponents, the Suns will not get away with such a poor display, and the offence will need to improve dramatically if they are to qualify for the World Cup. It's a long road ahead though, and they've only just begun. The Suns next game is an away match against world number 65 Jeckland.

by **Tobiasia** » Mon Nov 27, 2017 9:44 am

Tobiasia 1-0 New Lusitania and the Algraves

Uzele gears up for the winning goal

GK-Percy Matthews
LCB-Rosalind Davos
RCB-Paul Goldsmith
DM-Hannah Yun
LM-Harry Lithgow
RM-Alexander West
CB-Frank Woods
CM-Flint Eastgate
ST-Fraser Philips
LW-Lee Ryans
RW-Rosa Uzele (Goal '42)

The Tigers have won their first match at home in the Ark of Tobiasia against a rather more inexperienced team, New Lusitania and the Algraves. The only goal came from a chip in the 42nd minute by striker Rosa Uzele to claim the winner. Uzele's strike was the nail in the coffin for hopes of Matthew Card returning as manager Liz Sheffield's first RW choice. However the team will be disapointed not to have scored more, yet the strong defense of their opponents meant it was hard for the team to (quite literally) get the ball rolling, and open up the fast play that often leads to goals by their team. Sheffield remarked "it was a good game, and we're glad to get 3 points, but hats off to the Lusitanians for an impressive performance".

by **Port Christopher** » Mon Nov 27, 2017 10:00 am

From humble beginnings...

Port Christopher's players were back in more familiar grounds as they trooped from the pitch. What a ninety minutes they had had to endure at the Stade de Torgos: a 90,000 seater stadium could feel like a lonely place indeed, when you only had six-hundred travelling fans. The weight of expectation was never something the Sea Lions had learned to deal with, but battling it out for a nil-nil draw, that was something they had down fine art. In matches like this, Port Christopher barely even pretended they were playing for anything other than a clean sheet. The odd long-punt up the pitch for Rachel Del Arrow or Caro Bensborg to chase was really as exciting as it got.

"A nil-nil away, and sneak a cheeky one-nil win at home, that's all wee need."
Jim Reid, Port Christopher Manager.

It was Reid's mantra, never fight your opponents where they are strong, and always hit them where they are weak. The Wanderers impressive and well deserved victory over Schottia in a recent friendly, had actually proven the perfect centrepiece for Reid's team talk - not that Rian Corrello had needed it.

The 24-year-old was young and hungry for action. Having not long since completed a move to the Willox Street Pirates, Rian was fresh from a good Globe Cup run, and was keen to show what she could do on the international scene. She wasn't tall, but she was solid-built; with a short side-shave haircut to show she meant business, just in case her permanent scowl didn't give it away. She was currently in the middle of a five-year plan, which involved picking up silverware and catching the eye at the Pirates, before winning a move to one of the top three associations. It was a plan she indented to see through, and qualifying for another World Cup was very much on it.

Rain punched the air as she got back into the dressing room, gritting her teeth, hard. It was a draw but it felt a win to her. Going up against an attacker like Thor was a good as it got for her. To think that she hadn't disgraced herself up against a world-class striker nearly twenty centimetres taller than her, showed her that she was en route to where she wanted to be. No doubt the Christopheran forwards had had a dull match; Rachel Del Arrow had spent more time defending than attacking, and Aurora Quiñones cut a pretty lonely figure up front at times. For Rian, however, it had been a ninety minute adrenalin rush. Sigurjónsdóttir, Jurkovic, all the Pasargan attackers presented their own unique threat, and she had ridden it out - she was learning with every game at this level.

It had all come from humble beginnings for Rian, starting out at Christopheran Porty. The Super-League minnows were a poor man's tribute act to their Schottian namesakes, having been set up by a group of ex-pat supporters thirty years ago. The team were fully professional, but only just. Asking one or two of the reserves to live on their wage was a bit of a joke. The club trained in a play-park, and some weeks barely even played in front of a thousand supporters - it wasn't easy by any means, but it was a first stepping-stone.

Rian had been taken under the wing of club veteran, Jack Cordoba, who was already in his forties when she made her debut. On the pitch he was calm and collected, but there was a passion burning behind those eyes that she could relate to. Watching Cordoba, and the way he conducted himself, and helped the young Rian rein in her aggression and channel it.

Her big break came with the club's run to the play-off final, presenting her with the chance she needed to catch some attention. The success was unfortunately the team's downfall though, and rather than a springboard it became the signal for a mass exodus, with players like Rian heading for the door.

There were no hard feeling though, least of all from her. Rian had served her time at the bottom, and now she was making the most of the coaching and the facilities at Willox Street, to advance her career and prepare her for the next step. It was going to come sooner rather than later.

by **Mercedini** » Mon Nov 27, 2017 10:13 am

Involvement in Gregoryisgodistan?
@ Foreign Office - Zoloroni, Mercedini

While the Golden Eagles have plenty of decisions to make during their World Cup Qualification campaign, one big decision will be made in the Mercedinian Foreign Office behind men where current Prime Minister Dimitry Larmèe and his cabinet will meet to discuss potential intervention in 'The Glorious and Holy Nation of Gregoryisgodistan' after their leader often referred to as 'Lord Almighty Gregory' was assassinated during an address to the nation regarding the nation's upcoming World Cup Qualification campaign.

This latest development throws the former authoritarian dictatorship into turmoil with multiple rebel groups vowing for supremacy to run their new version of the nation. It is unclear whether or not the incumbent government will be able to run the nation at this time, although other nations have been queuing up to support either the rebel groups on the government, which has prompted the question from senior politicians, parliament and the general public. Mercedini have always been reluctant to meddle in other nation's affairs, although the benefits may be lucrative if the Mercedinains get on the right side of the new government. There are plenty of options to go through which include but is not limited to financial backing, military action, hosting peace talks or even a combination of the methods listed. A press conference is scheduled within the coming week, which will include both the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary with the potential addition of Mercedinian Sporting Diplomats (such as Sgt. Sam Billic) to discuss their options and ramification of going down their preferred routes. The Gregoryisgodistani football team are already is action and have stated their intentions to participate under an neutral flag and anthem, although plans are still in their infancy as the team come to terms with a potential monumental constitutional change for their nation.

With Mercedini hoping to flex it's diplomatic muscles overseas, Larmèe and his team need to tread carefully with this topic, as politics and outside intervention are very volatile in a nation which has always gone their own way with their nationalist and isolationist policies. While Mercedini have avoided L.A.G.'s enemy list for now, it could work in the blue and black nation's favour, with not many Gregoryisgodistani citizens knowing that we exist. There will undoubtedly me further developments in this story as Mercedini attempts to step into the matter as a neutral observer, but allies such as Eshan have already expressed their interest in military action, which could enflame tension and ignite a full on war between the incumbent government and various rebel groups

World Cup 79 Qualification MD1
Indusse 0-2 Mercedini

Starting XI: Polasic • Aznelik - Ossun (Patenkov 82') - Dosic - Catessic (Park 63') • Crasic - Kraljic - Nymark - Presic • Billic (Dostalok 90') - Alotic
Goalscorers: Billic 11', Dosic 53'

Mercedini kicked off their qualification campaign with a comprehensive 2-0 win away at Indusse. It marks the perfect start for Cenian Elidyr Lyndainium's World Cup managerial career, as he wins his first official World Cup Qualification match even with the somewhat weakened squad he put out against the World Cup debutants. A decent Mercedinian contingency were present in New Hind City as Indusse looked to open their account with a shock victory against the Golden Eagles. However, their resolve was broken early on from a corner in the eleventh minute, as Billic rose highest to head home from just outside the six yard box to open the scoring for the Mercedinians and silence the Indusse crowd from the off. Lyndainium left many of Mercedini's big names on the bench, which included Dostalok, Chillotov and Hosset as he looked to keep them fresh for the frantic schedule which is ahead of them. Mercedini looked the more capable side throughout the match, but that doesn't mean that the hosts didn't have chances of their own, as Arundakumar Reddy stuck the outside the post in a scrappy exchange of play after an Indusse corner was cleared from the Golden Eagles' back line. It was a tense opening half as Indusse pressured the Mercedinian goal on multiple occasions, but the points were made safe less than ten minutes into the second half as Dosic headed in from another set piece to double Mercedini's lead. A foul on Alotic lead to a free-kick which was taken by Presic out on the far side, it was whipped in with pace and was flicked on by Dosic which had enough on it to beat the goalkeeper and trickle into the net. Mercedini's second goal kind of took the wind out of the match with the Golden Eagles now fully in control of the match. Substitutes were bought in to control the match and send out some fresh legs, most of them were defensive to give Mercedini it's first clean sheet in it's first match. Dostalok made a brief appearance in the dying embers of the match to give him a bit of match time, he will likely star in many of the big matches along with Chillotov. In the end, Mercedini ran out 2-0 winners in a less that testing match for the Pot 3 side, they will face tougher opposition in the future but it's these types of matches Mercedini will rely on to get points on the board. In New Hind City, it ended Indusse 2, Mercedini 0.

Up Next: Away at Bjornoya Islands

by **Gregoryisgodistan** » Mon Nov 27, 2017 10:32 am

Rebels Proclaim Interim Republic of South Covello

The rebel militia in the Gregoryisgodistan Revolution has unilaterally proclaimed the Interim Republic of South Covello. Speaking on behalf of all the rebels, spokesperson John Green, formerly known as Gardener JH8IKMK, said “We are here today to proclaim a free, democratic, secular government in South Covello. This government will be free of Gregist influence and free of the cruel and unusual punishment that is the death penalty. We will establish more details once the revolution is complete, but as our first act, we are hereby outlawing slavery and liberating all the slaves. Although we do not have the ability to actually implement this liberation yet, we will do so once the revolution has been won.

“Furthermore, we are eternally grateful for the assistance that Damukuni is providing, and call upon all other civilized nations in the Multiverse to join us as well. Together, we can be free, and we can bring this regime to justice.”

As John Green explained, the rebels are not in a position to actually liberate the slaves at this time, but this establishes ending slavery as an explicit goal of the Revolution. The hope is that this will encourage other nations to join South Covello in fighting for its freedom and fighting for justice.

The rebels suffered significant early losses, but are fighting back thanks to weapons, training, and military assistance from Damukuni. There are rumors that the Equestrian States and Eura will join the rebels as well. Right now the Gregist regime has no allies, and if they don’t get any soon, this Revolution could be over quickly. But one thing is for sure - the so-called Lord Almighty Gregory will not go quietly into the night. The Enemy Crusher Biggy McParis option looms large, and if the alleged deity is about to be captured, and his regime about to crumble, he will likely attempt to invoke it. The question is whether the military will still be loyal to him by then, or whether they will refuse his insane order to effectively destroy the Multiverse in a nuclear Holocaust.

With military assistance from foreign nations, he rebel militia is attempting to advance towards the capital, but it will be some time before they reach it. Once they do, the so-called Lord Almighty Gregory and his cronies are sure to put up massive resistance. The goal is to take them alive if possible and bring them to justice. The world needs to hear what these horrible, horrible people have done, and they need to be punished. But first, we need to win the war.

In related news, the national soccer team has requested they be referred to as the South Covello national team from here forward (OOC: see note in WCDT) although at this point it is up to opposing nations whether to honor that request. They also still request the map flag be flown in lieu of the flag containing the “Greg Is God” creed.

Global international sentiment has long been against the Gregist regime, and now the Multiverse has a chance to do something about it. Here’s hoping they do.

Statement from Gregoryisgodistan/South Covello national soccer team

“We applaud the efforts by the militia back home to overthrow the Gregist terrorist regime, and express our utmost gratitude to the United States of Damukuni for their assistance. We encourage all other nations considering assisting us to do so forthwith to aid us in ushering in a secular democracy and a new age of freedom.

“We also wish for other nations to refer to us as the South Covello national team. However, since the Soccer Federation is still under the control of Gregists, there can be no official name change at this time. We simply request you refer to us by our chosen name as a courtesy, rather ban the name of our oppressors.

“It is our goal to be ambassadors for this revolution, and we plan on traveling he World this cycle promoting freedom and democracy. However, the true heroes are those rebels back home fighting for our freedom.

“In times like these, May freedom ever be our watchword. Hail to the rebels, fighting for our liberty. May we prevail in justice, so all can be well.

“We will continue these statements on a daily basis or as events warrant.”

World Cup 79 • CREDRAWK • RP Thread

Intro + Matchday 1

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