Everything Thread - Cup of Harmony 71

[South Toronto]

5 Things We Learnt From A Narrow 3-2 Victory Against The United Sates of Devonta:

1: Black Magic Is Superior To Any Magic

Substitute Kevin Yahaya saved the day for the Iscantan Mereadas Zeradadas as he scored a brilliant volley which flew into the top right corner, beating keeper Bradley Kozak Cooper as he failed to show his 'ultra fast hand-eye coordination' and wasn't able to stop the thundering shot from Kevin as he secured a victory for South Toronto in the 89th minute. Throughout the game, Kevin fooled defenders with clever passes and dribbling, and got an assist as Tyrese Townsend did a ball roll and a rabona fake shot, which resulted in defender Johnson Alexander Brooks spraining his ankle as he was powerless as he watched Tyrese chip the keeper to equalise in the 67th minute. Scans later confirmed Alexander Brooks' ankles were just swollen and was not injured. A South Toronton fan commented " Kevin needs to start next game fam, he crossed defenders ankles like it was basketball. I ain't seen nothin' like it man. He murked 'em defenders!" Kevin came on for midfielder Owen Wright in the 55th minute as he was very fatigued, but Kevin took the opportunity to shine and definitely showed his worth.


2: They Need To Up That Marking Game

Ni Ling Son seems to be the only person in the midfield who actually marks anyone, as Owen on numerous occasions didn't mark his man which resulted in Tyrell LaMarcus Owens Jr. being allowed too much time on the ball, leading to clinical finisher Lamar Samuel Adams striking hit hard and low into the bottom left corner as Paul Makanjoko attempted to block the shot but was unsuccessful. It is also an issue for the defenders as they made a lot of defensive errors, most importantly the second goal when Gerald Van Johansen stole the ball off Bryan Penelope and finessed it into the net in the 43rd minute, making it 2-0 to the United States of Devonta at that point of the game. To be fair, strike partners Lamar Samuel Adams and Gerald Van Johansen terrorised the defense as a combination of speed and dribbling from Lamar and Gerald's ability to work under pressure outwitted defenders as the pair got a goal each. But this was still quite a poor defensive performance and Axel will be looking into that in the next game versus Bostopia who drew 1-1 versus Aggrey-Fynn Land.


3: Young Pace 'N Skills

Too many of the South Toronton are either really fast, or very skillful and that's a problem when teams are defending a counter-attack as players such as Tyrese Townsend, DeAndre Kiese-Thelin and Artjorm Petrov are the most unpredictable attackers you can face. This comically lead to Johnson Alexander Brooks spraining his ankle as Tyrese did him dirty and Iscantan Mereadas Zeradadas fans mocking him as he limped off the pitch. All these skills from various players made this a even more thrilling game for both fans. Thanks to this, South Toronto managed to make a convincing comeback.


4: Prince Was Played

The sub-heading sums up Prince Abou Diaby's game. It's was unlike him to argue with fellow defenders, tackle recklessly, commit fouls and play dirty. It may be unfair for us to focus specifically on Prince as he didn’t have a good game but he was far off the title of ‘best defender in South Toronto’ . Prince was given a red card in the 56th minute for a challenge on Mohamed Zari Abdullah, though if you analysed the tackle closely, Mohamed over exaggerated the contact Prince made. Prince will be regretting his actions as he won't be available for South Toronto's next game versus Bostopia.

5: Anything And Everything Can Happen

The United States Of Devonta were placed a pot higher than South Toronto, which should've ended in a victory for them. But anything can happen and the Iscantan Mereadas Zeradadas provided a comeback. South Toronto isn't the best when it comes to teams higher than it but they provided a cracking show.

The next game is versus Bostopia, and Axel Salzer Lenzi will be looking to improve and defensive skills, as Bostopia are a dangerous side when on the counter attack.

[Bostopia]

The Emperor, slightly in shock, stared at the hatch in the floor. He hadn’t noticed the footprints themselves in all the time he had spent in the room. He took a couple of steps toward the hatch in the floor, circling it, before crouching down and using his fingertips to prise the hatch open slightly further. With a click, it lifted just a notch, enough for flickering light to be seen coming from the room underneath. He was flabbergasted. This wasn’t on the maps, or plans or surveys or, or, nobody had told him about this. How could he not know? This was his home, his ancestral home, and he had no idea.

He lifted the hatch further, before it was finally open far enough for him to be able to fit through the hole in the floor. The Emperor looked down and was able to see that there was actually another floor there, rather than a bottomless chasm, and that the floor looked at least 8 or 10 feet down from where he was. Looking closer, he noted that there did seem to be some straw on the floor. Still crouched, the Emperor put his hands on either side of the hole and began to lower himself down. As he lowered himself in, he didn’t quite feel the floor with outstretched toes, but his arm strength was never his strongest point and he had no choice but to drop, leading him to land awkwardly on the side of his foot and yell out in pain.

Rubbing his foot, the Emperor looked up and saw a figure approaching him, visible only through the flaming torch being held in it’s right hand. It stopped and the Emperor saw it was a man stood in front of him, his skin was weathered and wrinkled like that of a 70 year old, though the Emperor suspected by his confident walking manner that he was early 60s as best. There was a white beard and some white hair, though not a lot, almost as if someone had cut a bowl, placed it over his head and cut the hair on top off, leaving only the receding edges left. The Emperor looked to his sides and couldn’t see a way out of this, as the man still approached, stopping a mere yard or two away from him.

‘There was a ladder’ he said, matter of factly, causing the Emperor to look behind him instinctively. Half-way through turning round, the Emperor realised what he’d done wrong, expecting to be clubbed at any moment, but carried the move through so as not to cause suspicion; there was, in fact, a ladder that the Emperor could have climbed down easily if he’d only looked on that side of the hole. ‘You wouldn’t have had to drop in and start yelling if you’d slowed down.’ he said, putting his left arm across him, toward a knife on the right-hand side of the belt wrapped around his waist.

‘Woah woah woah! No need for that!’ the Emperor said, stretching out one of his hands, the palm facing the old man. ‘Who are you? What’re you doing here?’
The man looked confused and angered ‘You entered – invaded - my home and you ask me who I am? Then chastise me for going to my own defence? Do you not have any respect?’ It was the Emperor’s turn for confusion. ‘Hang on a second! He said, gingerly getting to his feet ‘This is my Castle! My home! You’re living under the floors of my basement!’

‘Your Castle?’ The old man thundered ‘How- how dare you! This isn’t your-‘ He stopped and looked at the younger man in front of him, the dirt on his fingertips, his feet and the bottoms of the clothes covering his lower body. The neat whiteness of the fastened cloth covering the top half of his body, with the strange, stiffer fabric around his neck, yet the top two fastenings were not closed, unlike the rest of the fastens beneath it. ‘Tell me. How many years has Nature granted you?’
That stopped the Emperor in his tracks. He stopped for a moment, thinking about it. ‘I’m at least 200 years old. Probably somewhere around 229.’ ‘Everyone you’ve ever known or loved is dead?’ The man asked, with no emotion in his voice, only question. ‘Yeah...,’ the Emperor sighed ‘…mostly.’ The old man smiled, confusing the Emperor. ‘What is there to smile about?’ the Emperor thought.

‘Then you are Fireward!’ the old man said ‘As am I.’

The Emperor looked stunned. ‘Fireward? How? It’s a hereditary title, one assumed on the death of the Fireward before you! Even I know that!’ The Elder Fireward smiled. ‘Child, am I not alive?’ The Emperor pinched himself, before moving his hand toward the Elder Fireward, who slapped it away. ‘Ouch! Okay. Yes. You’re alive!’ the Emperor said. ‘But how are you still Fireward? Just who exactly are you anyway?’

The Elder Fireward looked off into the distance, the fire on his torch reflecting in his eyes, Emperor Boston was almost able to see the past as he looked into them. ‘In your calendar, I am one-thousand, four-hundred and eight years old.’ Emperor Boston stood aghast – ‘How’s that possible? You should be dead by now!’ The only response was laughter. ‘Child, so should you! Your calendar has you at two-hundred and thirty years old, am I right?’ ‘You’re correct’ the Emperor replied ‘but how is it possible that we have both lived so long?’

The Fireward looked away from the Emperor, staring into the distance. ‘A blessing, child, though not of Nature, because this blessing came with a curse. The curse is you.’

[South Toronto]

Some Information About Our Team:

Our Hate-List:

Now we know what you are thinking. "Hate list? What are you, a nine-year-old? How childish of ". But our hate-list (or rather rivalry) can be filled with multiple nations or just the one. The nation on our hate-list is Indusse, and the reason why this despicable, sorry excuse of a nation is on our list is because they REFUSED to pay respect to the murdered duo Antonio Cilimintaro and Anders Killerich during the World Cup 79 Qualifications. We later went on to draw 2-2 with Indusse, but they are now permanently on the list and we would not mind adding any nation to the list who are very disrespectful towards our fans or our team.

Our Fans:

Our fans are a special type of a fan. Away stands at other teams are often sold out within 3 days, although our fan's behaviour is very questionable when abroad. Expect our fans to mock your players when they slip, get skilled up or are red-carded but for many South Torontons, this is normal behaviour. Politicians claim South Toronto's youth are becoming 'ratchet' through rap music, inappropriate TV shows/ programs, and of all things, the internet. This combined with the fact that 78% of match ticket purchasers are younger than the age of 23 brews trouble in other nations. Our fans will sneak in alcoholic beverages and marijuana even in countries where they are forbidden as both of these things can be legally purchased and enjoyed anywhere in South Toronto. Please treat our fans with respect (and we will respect you as well) or they will commit crimes against your fans at anytime during the game, and to make things worse, our citizens are trained to use weapons like guns or knives as we never know when another country is looking to invade us. They will attack when provoked, so think of our fans like a dog, they are friendly but mischievous, but if you provoke them they will attack or potentially kill you.


Thank you for reading, and I hope you can have some useful information just in case you are playing us!

[Ethane]

Match Day Three Cutoff - Groups A-D
RP Prompt: A technological leap(This is only to give you ideas to RP and following or not following the prompt will not affect your RP Bonus in any way.)

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RESULTS

Group A
Yesopalitha 0–0 Soltsteed
Bojikistan 2–1 Omerica

Group A                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Soltsteed                     2   1  1  0    4   0  +4    4
2 Bojikistan                    2   1  1  0    4   3  +1    4
3 Omerica                       3   1  0  2    6   6   0    3
4 Anthor                        2   1  0  1    3   6  −3    3
5 Yesopalitha                   3   0  2  1    3   5  −2    2

Group B
United States of Devonta 0–0 Osarius
South Toronto 5–2 Bostopia

Group B                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 South Toronto                 2   2  0  0    8   4  +4    6
2 United States of Devonta      3   1  1  1    3   3   0    4
3 Aggrey-Fynn Land              2   0  2  0    2   2   0    2
4 Osarius                       2   0  2  0    1   1   0    2
5 Bostopia                      3   0  1  2    3   7  −4    1

Group C
YueZhou 0–1 Darmen
Lisander 2–1 Dunnes

Group C                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Buyan                         2   2  0  0    8   2  +6    6
2 YueZhou                       3   1  1  1    3   3   0    4
3 Darmen                        2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
  Lisander                      2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
5 Dunnes                        3   0  1  2    2   8  −6    1

Group D
Natanians and Nosts 1–1 Eastfield Lodge

Group D                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Natanians and Nosts           2   1  1  0    6   2  +4    4
2 Eastfield Lodge               2   1  1  0    5   3  +2    4
3 Taeshan                       1   0  0  1    2   4  −2    0
4 Amazonesta                    1   0  0  1    1   5  −4    0

[Taeshan]

It was a bad start to the 71st Cup of Harmony for the Purple Knights of Taeshan as they did not manage to start with a win, let alone did they manage to put much of a competitive game up as they lost 4-2 from a familiar opponent. The two nations once hosted the event together, and now the Purple Knights were rather annoyed by their opposition with a rather overwhelmed young defense letting in three goals in the first hour thanks mostly to the Eastfield Lodge talisman, the Doctor. The Knights would bounce back in the second half with a brace of their own goals, but a late Eastfield Lodge goal in the second half put the game out of reach.

The Knights for their part looked solid offensively if not on the defensive side of things. With Fuegahita and Snavely scoring as is usually the case those two were pushing hard in their element.

[Flardania]

Français|日本語|한국어|English
Sports in Review: State of the KFA | Kirishinan Broadcasting Corporation

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Takeru Saotome on Left, Himawari Pak on Right

News Intro

TS: Welcome to Sports in Review, I'm your host Saotome Takeru.

HP: And I am Pak Himawari, the Cup of Harmony continues to march forward and things are not looking good for the Association.

TS: Certainly the Kitsunes had high hopes for this World Cup and stated the Qualification campaign strong. After a few tough draws the team has not looked the same since then as they seemed to have there mind elsewhere.

HP: The team has definitely seemed lethargic and demoralized as of late something that you can be sure KFA chairwoman, Sakura Katsuragi is not pleased with. Reports from within the KFA have confirmed that Seong Mi-Soo is on the hot seat depending on her teams performance in the Cup of Harmony. Considering the first matchday bye and a draw to conclude matchday 2, the pressure to succeed is mounting.

TS: With good reason but let's not jump the gun on this one. Take a look at Baseball, the Niu Yue Bankees had a seasomn where the manager, Joe Bacardi was on the hot seat and what happened, they nearly made the National Series.

HP: But didn't he not stay on the team afterwards regardless?

TS: *laughs* I suppose so but that's not the point, Bacardi pulled of what he had to do when he was down and presumed out, Mi-Soo can do the same...but the 0-0 draw with Equestrian States does not help.

HP: Equestrian States are a historic powerhouse but right now things have been tough for them and if the Kitsunes want to avoid that fate, of crawling out of premature antiquity they need to act fast. What do you think as been the most pressing issue?

TS: Well the team has a serious case of demoralization and are lacking drive. This needs to be something that the team takes seriously, sure it's painful right now but if the team push past the lack of inspiration it may pay off in the long run because inspiration, even if late means nothing if you are knocked out.

HP: I agree, I guess all we can do at this point is sit back and see how Match Day 3 plays out huh?

TS: Yes, only then will all the storylines begin to fall into place. We will have more on the KFA state of affairs after the break, stay tuned....

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[Qasden]

MD3 CUTOFF - Qasdonian Side

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RP Prompt: Some say the best inspiration for RPs is the sound of music! So, with that being said, your prompt today is to incorporate the story of a hero your country needs. Think like old folklore or something of the like.(Following or Not Following the prompt won't cause the change in RP Bonus)

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Group E

Filindostan 3–2 Mercedini

Group E                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Filindostan                     2   1  1  0    4   3  +1    4
2 Juvencus                        1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3  
3 Northwest Kalactin              1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
4 Mercedini                       2   0  0  2    2   5  −3    0

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Group F

Banija 3–4 Flardania
Somecoldwetislands 3–0 Pridnestrovia

Group F                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Flardania                       2   1  1  0    4   3  +1    4
2 Pridnestrovia                   3   1  1  1    3   4  -1    4
3 Somecoldwetislands              2   1  0  1    3   1  +2    3
4 Banija                          3   1  0  2    4   6  −2    3
5 Equestrian States               2   0  2  0    1   1   0    2

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Group G

Mattijana 1–1 Apox
Platerdam 0–2 Vangaziland

Group G                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vangaziland                     3   2  0  1    4   2  +2    6
2 Apox                            2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
3 Mattijana                       3   1  1  1    3   2  +1    4 
4 Coldfield                       2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
5 Platerdam                       2   0  0  2    0   4  -4    0

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Group H

Ko-oren 2–3 New Gazi

Group H                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 New Gazi                        2   1  1  0    4   3  +1    4
2 Ko-oren                         2   1  0  1    5   3  +2    3
3 Savojarna                       1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
4 Liberated American Provinces    1   0  0  1    0   3  −3    0

[Buyan]

”I think at this point, you can say he’s the most brilliant attacker this nation has ever had. Well, I’m not entirely sure if I’m the right person to say so, but I know a thing or two about that department of the pitch, I feel.”

The whole panel laughed boisterously, a little bit forced possibly, as Edvald Mattisson looked into the camera with a wide grin. It was the kind of smile which at the same time made you wonder why he didn’t do too much in football these days – and explained it at once as well. In his heydays known as the Tower of Terror, his shoulders had collapsed a little and he had gone through rough weather once his star faded. Still, the Havssidan never hesitated to compare any new striker with the man whose name was once painted across their backs.

“And… How about Knut?” the commentator tried to direct the toe into the loose table post.
“Well… Dahle is… Dahle was the most talented one,” Mattisson managed to dig himself out of the hole with a simplicity and honesty unfound by most official analysts. “We will always remember him fondly, his skills, his promise. That he was taken away from us, the audience, by the regime will never be the fault of Emil. Dahle would probably have made an impact internationally – and it’s a shame he never will. But Eklund does it these days and it’s time we give him the praise he deserves.”

It was now the fifth time Emil Eklund watched the video again and he could not stop smiling. It wasn’t necessary the deliverer of the words of praise that made him so satisfied – although it gave extra weight that it was coming of a man who once graced the walls of his bedroom. No – it was at last winning the impossible fight.

There are a ton of ways to describe Knut Dahle. The greatest thing to come out of the sleepy town of Hellsborg. The most talented of them all. The martyr of the nation. He who was killed for our sins. It struck Emil that no one had added ‘the national trauma’ to his list of nicknames.

The official story – Dahle being killed getting chased after participating to one of those mass protests of which the population believed that it would help in the opening weeks of the Luberg Regime – was vague enough that discovering the actual details and circumstances had become a national pastime. In the process, a certain aura had been created around his name and performances. That he was a unique striker had already been uncontested during his playing days, combining powerful stats for team and nation with impressive game impact at a young age and a likeable persona. However, across the years it had been snowballed in something so big, it was blasphemy to rival.

In a way, it turned into a hagiography. An upcoming goalie would get compared to Marciak – but the realisation was there that even he would retire one day and so young blood was welcomed. For defenders, it was even easier as the best one we had, Zemaitis, was of such a special vine that any comparison made little sense. And obviously a young midfielder was measured next to Sverre Devold. But then again, as the player was revered, the man was human, in flesh and blood and his character, bordering modesty and shyness at times, made it possible. But when you’re held against a ghost and an angel…

You could say, well, don’t bother about it. But what is sport exactly, apart from one big pissing contest? It is exactly about comparing, measuring, weighing again and again before handing out medals… Which can be recalled the other day once someone has found a new ruler. And so, Emil had chased them as well, all those records and trivia. Top scorer, most goals in the Champions’ Cup, record holder for the national team, … All were tangible, held by mere mortals such as Dalmshelf, Mattisson or even Devold. Of course some seemed impossible for the outsider but the fact was that, due to their nature, they were primordially breakable. If only you stamp in that ball enough times, it’s all within arm’s reach.

But how do you compare to that which has no measure?

It sounded like some Buddhist mantra, for Emil Eklund had no answer himself. All he knew was that he was on a roll, scoring a hattrick in what had been an unexpected whipping of Dunnes – an upstart side with still some flaws, but definitely enough potential – and making a brace in a hard-fought clash with former Cup winner Darmen. And now the Blue Hedgehogs were lined up against the Red Dragons – an ambitious side managed by former Tiger Alex Cartwright. A draw would not suffice for them, so Buyan could expect the most attacking rendition of this side in their second consecutive Cup of Harmony. Teammates such as Okmiankas and Hermansen warned plenty enough for Fu Xi to not take them lightly but Emil knew that such a think would open up space as well. Space to slay the sacred cow and build, stone by stone, the statue for himself.

[Vangaziland]

Teri Chambersen Earns Second Shutout

The 126th ranked team stepped up with a strong defensive performance against closely ranked rival Platerdam. According to The International Post, a publication out of Apox in the heart of Esportiva, Platerdam wielded a weapon in the form of Paul Scorazzi. Scorazzi has been scouted as a pivot man and a shooter.

"Step one was trying to limit good looks", said CB Lukas Sundstrom. "But this was a wiley offense. They still managed to trouble Teri, in goal."

When called upon, Teri Chambersen met each goal with a well-timed response. She even chased shots which would go wide.

"You can't take any shots for granted", the Vann-blooded Scandinavian said in a pre-game interview. "I learned that in high school, when a goal snuck in from some hot shot's corner. I just... Didn't expect it. But after that, another goal hasn't snuck by like that. I try not to let any through."

This was the second shut out for a defensive unit which allowed 2 goals from Coldfield in game 1.

"We have to come out swinging", said CB Peter Dreson. "It's our job on defense to keep each game within reach. We can't give up big gaps. It's definitely a battle to try and keep that going."

Vangaziland will soon have to play Apox, the group's most polished opponent. Chambersen and the backs will certainly be tested.

The Vannish offense looked more steady, winning the battle of possession against Platerdam, but barely just. It was still better than the huge disadvantage the Vangazi put up against Mattijana. The team was lucky to draw a goal in a match where they were largely dominated on the ball.

The Vannish scored twice after movement across the wings. The team played a bit of keep away as players moved off screens in the center. Attacking balls were sent forwards. Twice, the Vannish got the ball through and came away with the shot.

Vannish freestyle is showing its influence in some of the technical ability which has seen the group's lowest ranked opponent surprise its group mates. Apox will put up a defense that will give Vangaziland its greatest test.

"The road to the World Cup will be a rough one", said Head Coach J. Fils. "If we're going to pass, there will be a lot of bumps. But if we can weather the storm, who knows how far we can go."

The Vannish currently sit at the top of their group, with 6 points after 3 games.

"We're doing well to pick up however many points we can. We have to keep doing more of the same", the coach added.

[Platerdam]

Dr. Patton or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned To Not Win The Cup Of Harmony

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CUP OF HARMONY
ETHANE
After Platerdam's shameful decay against Vangaziland, everybody is wondering: What is going on in the National Team?, but,
most importantly: Whose fault it is that Platerdam is going to rock-bottom? A lot of fingers point to Chris Patton, the new DT of National Team. But, is it really his fault? We checked out on the professional thoughts about this incident.

“Well, what's happening is: A disorganisation in Patton's strategies.” -said Marcus Hatcher, professional football analyst- “Patton's strategies work when there is coordination. But, unfortunately, Patton is very bad with coordination. He's an awesome DT, and his tactics are flawless, but, if he doesn't work in that little detail, then Platerdam will go down.”

“It's Bentley's fault.” -said Aaron Thomas, the legendary ex-captain of the National Team- “I trusted Bentley with our nation, and this is how he pays us? He needs to get his sh*t together.”

“I'm gonna say that we're just on a bad streak.” -said Michael Stefano, professional football analyst-“When people deviates the responsibility that they need to accomplish as a team to Patton, they forget everything that Patton has done for us in the past few months.” -Stefano continues- “Do you remember the creation of the Wonder-Kids? Do you remember our shocking participation at the Sporting World Cup? Do you remember how close we were to getting into the WC's final play-offs? I do. And I give my Thanks to Patton for all of this.”

Patton maybe the responsible of the team's performance in the pitch, but, at the end of the day, It's not his fault. Just like Mr. Hatcher said:
There is no coordination in the Platerdem squad. And Bentley, the captain is the one that should be creating a link of trust between his teammates.

A lot of people's fingers point to Patton, but, Patton has done more. He's even done things we don't deserve as a nation. So, instead of playing Guilty/Innocent with the National Team, they need to learn to scratch and dig deeper, so, they can actually see the problems.

[New Gazi]

New Gazi Slips Past Ko-oren 3-2

Competing in Group H, the African nation of New Gazi faced up against the Alantian Oceanic nation of Ko-oren. With the stout season rapidly drawing to its end phase, the matchup of the teams from pots one and three was set to be closely contested.

The battle of possession would be split just along the wire. There was no clear winner in that stat line, with the ball basically split evenly between the Cannoneers and Dragonflies. New Gazi's defense showed it's gap early and gave up two quick goals.

"Our defense has been a thorn in our side for years now", said striker Amare Contee. "I know that might ruffle feathers, but if you look at New Gazi's past, defense has stopped us from qualifying almost annually. It's something we work to even out. As a striker, I know I have to compensate. The pressure to pull off a high scoring offense is magnified."

Once again, Uffe Diya proved to be the engine of the offense. He had two assists, having a foot on almost every goal of the night. He failed to score, although having an attempt. He found himself 1 on 1 with the keeper and went for a lob, but it was sniffed out. The keeper made the save and left the winger scoreless.

The Striker found a goal on a brilliant penalty kick which seemed to cut just around a wall.

"I knew I caught it well by the way it felt", Amare Contee said after the game. "The shot just seemed to sail just right."

The defense had problems with communication, giving up the ball near the goal and drawing whistles on sloppy challenges.

Thao Yeboah, once considered a star, now looked slow and off pace. "I hope I'll give it one more go", the back said about his retirement. "This could easily be my last season though. If that's the case, we need to hold it together for one big Harmony run. It's possible. And I'm not the only one. A lot of players feel like this is our last push."

"We definitely have to see ourselves at the start of a new cycle", said Coach Oliver Hausta. "We've earned a fair bit of international ranking through consistency in the Cup of Harmony. Now that we find ourselves here as a 'pot one' team, there's a real pressure to chase the cup."

Speaking on his aging roster, he said, "I told our guys. Give the next squad one last gift on the way out. Chase the cup and grab a few points for the next squad."

New Gazi has 4 points after the close victory. They look to play the Liberated American Provinces on Match Day 4.

[Filindostan]

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FOOTBALL
Piala Pilindo regionals review - Part I (Kabishawan and Kabunuklan)

SAN MARCO - Four teams have escaped from the regional gauntlet into the first round of the Piala Pilindo.

Perokotyog from Yogyakulta, Buenavista SC 005, San Rafael City, and Peroramas from Massakar have all made it into the first round of the competition where they will host Perouno, Fortunas, Venividicci, and Perotapam respectively. Let's recap how these teams won their regionals, knocking out their respective opposition. We'll cover first how Buenavista and San Rafael City made it to the cup proper. We'll capture the journey of Perokotyog and Peroramas in the next part.

Kabishawan Regionals

Teams
Locomotiva (San Marco; semi-professional) - Interested party for FFL expansion
Buenavista SC 005 (Buenavista; semi-professional) - To enter the FFL in 90005
Bagtasan Hi-Land (Bagtasan; semi-professional) - Interested party for FFL expansion
UNP-Alumni (San Marco; local) - Alumni club of the San Marco campus of the Universiti Nasional Pilindostan
San Marco FC (San Marco; local) - Non-government organization; amateur club
Persesanmar Amatyur (San Marco; local) - Fan-owned football club; Sunday-league level
Red Guards (San Marco; local) - Team is made up of a security guard agency
Fipocor B (Kabanalan; local) - Team is made up of Fipocor employees and engineers

Based from the list of teams for the regionals for the capital region, the team to beat is Locomotiva. Due to enter the FFL in the future, the club is looking to bolster its profile outside of the region and affirm itself as a fully professional club by the end of the year. Other teams to watch out for are Buenavista and Bagtasan.

Quarterfinals - matches held at Kabanalan Sports Complex
Bagtasan Hi-Land 5–1 Persesanmar Amatyur
San Marco FC 1–1 Fipocor B (2–2 AET) (4–3 pen.)
Red Guards 0–5 Locomotiva
UNP-Alumni 0–7 Buenavista SC 005

Semifinals - matches held at Stadium Jargana
Bagtasan Hi-Land 1–1 Buenavista SC 005 (1–1 AET) (3–5 pen.)
Locomotiva 2–0 San Marco FC

Kabishawan Regional Final - Fortunas Stadium
Locomotiva 0–1 Buenavista SC 005

Lopsided results grace the first round of the regionals thanks to the semi-professional teams not drawn to each other. Bagtasan took care of Persesanmar Amatyur, 5-1 in the day's first game, while the lunchtime game between San Marco FC and Fipocor B ended on penalties under the scorching heat, with the former winning 4-3. The next game saw the guards decimated by Locomotiva, a bit respectable scoreline than the alumni of the UNP suffered at the hands of Buenavista in the nightcap match, a 7-0 demolition of sorts.

Buenavista needed a penalty shootout, contrary to their goalfest demolition last round, to put away the Highlanders, after the two teams were still level at 1-1. Locomotiva meanwhile dispatched San Marco FC, 2-0, to reach the final at Fortunas Stadium, where the two favorites met. It was the team outside the capital though that won the regionals, after a goal just before half-time secured the spot for the Zebras. Their reward? Hosting the tenants of the stadium they won the tournament with in the first round - Filindostani champions Fortunas.

Kabunuklan Regionals

Teams
SMAC (San Mameng; amateur) - Interested party for FFL expansion
San Rafael City (San Rafael; semi-professional) - Interested party for FFL expansion
Sinukambing (Sinukabang-Kambing; amateur) - Interested party for FFL expansion
Tapia (Tapia; amateur) - Interested party for FFL expansion
Birdinuguan (Birdinuguan; amateur) - Interested party for FFL expansion
SRU Heavy Fighters (San Rafael; local) - Alumni team of San Rafael University
SRRF (San Rafael; local) - Non-government organization; leisure club
SALOMECO (San Mameng; local) - Sports club of the employees' Cooperative of San Lomar Bus Lines

Five teams are currently interested in partaking in the upcoming seasons of the FFL. The favorites for the regional tournament are San Rafael City, SMAC, and Tapia.

Quarterfinals - matches held at San Mameng Muncipal Stadium
SALOMECO 0–0 San Rafael City (0–2 AET)
SRRF 0–6 Sinukambing
Birdinuguan 1–1 Tapia (2–1 AET)
SRU Heavy Fighters 0–4 SMAC

Semifinals - matches held at Kabunuklan Sports Complex
Birdinuguan 2–1 SMAC
Sinukambing 0–2 San Rafael City

Kabunuklan Regional Final - Kabunuklan Sports Complex
San Rafael City 1–0 Birdinuguan

In the Kabunuklan regionals, Birdinuguan, a team not on the radars of the big clubs awaiting them at the first round, beat two highly touted teams in Tapia and SMAC, though they needed extra time to dispatch the former, and a late goal to squeeze past the latter. Sinukambing threashed the Researchers, 6-0 in the first round, but they met San Rafael City, and were blanked themselves, 2-0. Despite a late scare from SALOMECO, which they also needed extra time to get rid of, the Cheetahs did not concede a single goal, and won the regionals after a 1-0 win over Birdinuguan. They will meet Venividicci in the first round.

SEE MORE NEWS

• Zero to Hero: King saves Filindostan from jaws of defeat as they eliminate Mercedini from Cup of Harmony
• FFF to prohibit King from attending Juvencus vs Northwest Kalactin, forced to watch from TV
• Non-FFL clubs plan to establish Filindostan Amateur League

Written by FSNA Staff.

---

Filindostan 1-1 Northwest Kalactin
Merellin Park, Taxson, Qasden
Yish 16' [Gerry sent off 36'] - Sednah 47' [Grebv sent off 74']
FID Lineup: Gerry (sent off 36'); Casimir, Dina Satyawan (cpt), Buknoy (Kartio 82'); Mila Khalifa, King (Siharto 75'), Mohd Safri, MMM; Yakob; Bochog (Abram 36'), Yish

Many Filindostani media and media-wannabes expected the Pula Garuda to brush aside the Kalactinians, given that they have already faced the team before and dispatched them in the quarterfinals of the Baptism of Fire at Barunia. One of them even predicted a double digit scoring for the Filindostani. Oh boy, they predicted the wrong scoreline, and oh, the wrong result too.

If the tension between King and Hue Grebv at the pre-match ceremonies were indications that this match will be sing a different tune compared at what happened at Sam Garcia Field, then you guessed it would anyway. Things were going as expected, as Yish gave the Baptism of Fire winners the lead, after dispatching a shot passed brilliantly by Mohd Safri, getting past Wendell Jakerein, much to Nathan Watson's disappointment. Twenty minutes later, it would be the team leading that would be down to ten men.

Gerry's handball outside the box were caught red handed by the referees, who judged that since the ball was goalwards, the action was to deny a clear goalscoring opportunity, and decided to flourish the card that would put Gerry to the shower room earlier than expected. Bochog would be the sacrificial lamb as he was subbed earlier by Willy and was replaced by Abram. Filindostan would then struggle to find a goal that will put daylight between them and the Kalactinians.

Two minutes into the second half, the opponents found a way to take their player advantage into their favor. Jared Sednah, who was open the whole time the Kalactinians were attacking, took the pass from a square ball, and lobbed the ball into the top corner, beyond Abram's reach. Kalactin's advantage would enable them to pepper shots at the Filindostani goal, though eighty percent of the time, the shots would hit outside the goal, or saved easily by Abram. By the time the 74th minute came, Filindostan found a way to counter the play back to their side. After a corner play, MMM, Filindostan's speedy winger, intercepted a poor corner by Will Sanders, with defender Hue Grebv rushing back to defense. When MMM passed the ball to King, the midfielder immediately passed the ball to an open Yish beating the offside trap, with Grebv behind and only Jakerein between her and the goal.

For Jakerein's defense, he did whatever he can to make himself big, rushing out of the box. However, Grebv committed to a slide tackle inside the box, completely missing the ball, and tripping Yish down. Penalty, and the referee didn't hesitate to brandish the red card to the offending defender. King took the penalty, but as he was too busy taunting Grebv after the latter was sent off got the best of him, blazing the shot wide into a goal... kick.

Disappointed, Willy pulled Siharto into the match, replacing the enigmatic midfielder. Kartio made a late appearance and saved the match from going Kalactin's way when she cleared a header at the goal line. Spoils were shared, and the Pula Garuda wasted their opportunity to lead Group E, especially when they witnessed an upset by Juvencus to the top seeds Mercedini. This put the Filindos in a must win situation - more loss of points and they're out of it.

Filindostan 3-2 Mercedini
Merellin Park, Taxson, Qasden
Bienvenido 4', Domo 78', King 90+1' - Chillotov 48', Dostalok 51'
FID Lineup: Abram; Mila Khalifa, Dina Satyawan (cpt), Alex Jampang (Siharto, 85'), Enzo; Damaris, Yakob, Mohd Safri (King 66'), Domo; Bienvenido (Yish 72'), Fizzy

King was lucky not to be punished by the FFF for his actions last game, but he was not lucky regardless as he was relegated to the bench for the all-important match against Mercedini, due to his lackluster performance. The top seeds have their duo of players who were involved in the 6-2 demolition of the Filindostani Under-18 team in the SWC4 semifinals - Di Sansev and Karlovic, though none of them were expected to be field for the match, which may bring big implications should either side fail to get points from this match.

Willy went to a 4-4-2, with Yakob taking King's place at central midfield, and Fizzy was given a rare start in place of Yish. This tactical change may have done wonders for Willy and the coaching staff - four minutes into the match, a relentless attack by the Mercedinians went horribly wrong as the counter-attack proved to be successful. Damaris and Yakob combined their passing abilities to Bienvenido to get open, dribbled the ball through the defense, and slot the ball low beyond the reach of Daniel Hosset, and the Pula Garuda drew first blood.

The general flow of the match though favored the top seeds, with their crisp ball retention and deadly attacking, and they were very unfortunate not to equalize in the 26th when a shot by Johannes Nymark blasted the bar, with Abram rooted to his spot. Another flurry of chances went the way of the Mercedinians, but Alex Jampang and Dina Satyawan were ready for their attacks.

Filindostan's resolve was finally broken at the start of the second half, as two goals in the space of three minutes turned the mood of the Filindostani fans from jovial to grim, as they were staring to an early elimination from the Cup of Harmony. Ben Chillotov leveled the match with a sleek low shot that went between Abram's legs, and three minutes later, Daniel Dostalok capitalized from a rare Mohd Safri mistake to enable himself to a one on one with the Venividicci keeper, which the former easily won.

With the Filindostanis out of ideas and options, Willy finally made his move - put King on the pitch, surprisingly, replacing his usual partner in crime, Mohd Safri. With him controlling the defensive part of their midfield, Yakob was allowed to roam just behind the forwards and disrupt the flow of play for Mercedini. They were duly rewarded after twelve minutes.

King's long ball pinpointed Yish, who just came on for Bienvenido, and her shot was parried by Hosset, luckily enough, Fizzy pounced on the rebound, but she hit the post, instigating a scramble at the goalmouth. The rebound went the way of Domo though, the ball rebounding back with her face, and beyond the goal line. Filindostan has leveled the match and made it an interesting last 12 minutes plus added time.

Willy made a last-gasp gamble to try to break the deadlock and win the match. He subbed out Alex Jampang for Siharto to pair up with King, stabilizing their midfield, while putting more pressure to the Empress and her two fullbacks. This gamble paid off, big time. When the first seconds of added time ticked, Yakob was fouled just outside the box, allowing the Pula Garuda to setup a direct free kick. The taker? King, whose right foot curled the ball into the top right corner, and beyond the reach of the hands of Hosset, and into the back of the net.

The match ended 3-2 in favor of the Pula Garuda, and effectively eliminated their opponents from the Cup of Harmony. Mathematically, even if they win their last match against the Kalactinians, they can only finish at most third place based on the remaining matches and points up for grabs. The Filindostanis will meet Juvencus for the last Group E match in Taxson, before watching the match between their opponents next matchday and Northwest Kalactin to determine their fate in the tournament. A point may be enough to advance, but knowing Willy, who proved to be a risk taker, they will go big or go broke.

[Ko-oren]

"Hey, Katherine! Over here!" Katanmak Juliasterinthen yelled over to his new assistant coach. He was sitting at a table, outside, that belonged to a Qasden hotel. At Katanmak's table were all the other assistants. She knew them well, they had all been part of the staff while she'd been a player. It still felt weird to say that "while she'd been", considering she'd only just finished her playing career after the end of the World Cup qualification. And even then, she wasn't entirely sure when exactly her playing career ended and her coaching career started. And if she didn't know, then surely nobody really knew for sure. Something simple that proves this is that Katherine was listed as both an assistant coach and as a player (a co-captain, even!) on the official Ko-orenite roster for the Cup of Harmony.

Now her eyes were used to the light outside, she was shocked to find out that she didn't know everyone around the table at all. It was Katanmak, the head coach she knew so well. Next to him were the other three assistant coaches, the goalkeeper coach, the strength and conditioning team, the video analysts, and the head of the medical staff. One face she expected wasn't there: Pet Rilasthaunden, long time head coach and current president of the Ko-orenite FA. All in all, she knew those 10 people. Then there were about five she didnt' know. Two middle aged men, one middle aged woman, a younger man and a younger woman. They weren't dressed in the 'official' kit that the coaches were decked out in (any green or blue polo shirt will do), but in any combination involving formal shirts and sweater vests.

One of the middle aged men stood up from his chair and greeted Katherine as she approached. "Delighted to meet you, Katherine. Sorry to pull you out of what you were doing for our meeting." Katherine looked around the table. Fizzy drinks and beer was on the table, which didn't suggest any formal kind of meeting. The serious looks on the faces around Katanmak suggested otherwise, though. The man continued, "I don't think I've ever introduced myself - or my team. I'm Alois Raycraft, head of the science department of the Ko-orenite FA. This is my direct colleague, Oliver Remmington, and maybe a face you recognise? This is Nahoko Yaguchi, she's been involved in the analytics with your club, Cirelbourne." The older woman waved. Come to think of it, Katherine did recognise her - but only vaguely. She pretended she recognised her anyway, and listened on. "And these two are, is, our research staff. Larissa Lakithundhen and Cedric Olinna." Every person, when named, raised their hand. "Now, I think we're just about wrapping up here outside. There's another, uh, person I'd like you to meet. Have you ever heard of LISA?"

"Lisa who?"

"Just LISA."

"Can't say I have. Or maybe I have. It's hard without a last name."

"It should get clear quickly enough, I'm sure."

At this point, Katanmak spoke up.

"Katherine, you've been wondering what has happened to our training regime. I wanted you to meet Alois, Oliver and Nahoko first, though talking to LISA will probably clear up most confusion. She's up on the third floor, I believe. Oliver, if you would like to join me and Katherine up there to see her?"

[Amazonesta]

The Amazonian Observer
Amazonia City's Largest Newspaper

Embarassment as Amazonesta open tournament by getting smoked by the Natanians & Nosts


Backup Center Back Eduardo Val De La Salles reacts to the final whistle

NEW SARAM, ETHANE- The expectations for this team from Amazonestan fans are always a notch higher than they probably should be. After winning the Baptism of Fire by winning all of their goals, they have consistently failed to meet the lofty expectations of Amazonestan sports fans. However, after years of getting humbled in World Cup Qualifying, sports fans expectations are generally far more realistic about this team. They need a few cycles to improve and seriously compete for a spot in the World Cup Finals. But first, of course, they are here, playing in the Cup of Harmony. Trying to shock their world, and make the knockout stages.

Of course, at this point, that's basically a forgotten pipe dream. That's almost an impossibility at this point, with the top two in the group having 4 points each, while Amazonesta has 0. A loss to Eastfield Lodge in their next match, of course, will eliminate them with one game left to play, so it's all or nothing for this group. But what are they thinking? This team went onto the pitch at Brannigan Stadium, filled to capacity with 50,000+ fans, many from both sides, yet only one side went home in a good mood. Amazonesta's fans went home angry, and, of course, in our true national fashion, it turns out 7 of our fans were arrested by Ethanian authorities for drunken actions after the game.

But good heavens, could you blame them? At this paper, we'd like to think that the authorities showed some mercy, telling them that they could go home because they had to endure what was possibly the worst 90 minutes of football from an Amazonestan team in our country's history. Amazonesta got dominated in every aspect of the game, and it was a pathetic effort to watch. Team captain Julio Leal is clearly no longer fit for international football- he was beaten to every single 50/50 ball. He couldnt' even slow down Lucas Lucius Vit, the attacking midfielders for Natanians & Nosts. Their strikers had their way with Amazonesta. There was nothing Amazonesta could do, and they deserved every bit of the 5-1 beating that they were on the receiving end of.

The idea that Jehan Blair would personally scout Eastfield Lodge and Taeshan? Not in a million years. He had too much to work on with this squad, and with two days off, he had plenty of time to try and fix the problems. Did that mean he would be able to fix the problems in time for their matchup with the group's top seed? A draw would mean that they would never be able to catch Eastfield Lodge, and that means that Amazonesta would be completely and 100% reliant on a Taeshan win to stay alive. A win would mean that, no matter what other results happened, Amazonesta would control its own destiny going into the final matchday.

Of course, is Amazonesta capable of achieving victory at this crucial juncture? I would not think so. A pathetic display in midfield that saw both Otávio Canto and Julio Leal get dominated means that Amazonesta is in trouble, as their backups are two ancients, a 32 year old central midfielder and a 38 year old central midfielder, who would almost certainly be slower than the pair the team have out on the field now. Amazonesta has had a number of ugly losses throughout this campaign, but they had a few good wins as well- primarily the win over then #9 San Jose Guabuyal, who ended up qualifying for the World Cup Finals.

They will have to play with desperation against Eastfield Lodge, for them, even a draw most likely seems them eliminated without Taeshan capturing not one, but all three points. Can Amazonesta do what it takes? The keys to the game are fixing the problems in the midfield. Natanians & Nosts dominated Amazonesta in the midfield, achieving 68% possesion in the ball game. That is unacceptable at this level of international football, and that will have to be changed. Amazonesta has always played a free-flowing, emotional, attacking style of football- that's in our DNA. But we absolutely cannot be a team that when it rains, it always pours. A loss to Natanians & Nosts is not the end of the world, but a 5-1 beating is fatal.

If Amazonesta wasn't already underdogs after their embarrassing show against Natanians & Nosts, they will have to deal with the group's highest ranked side. The odds are against them. The pundits are against them, including our own. Maybe they can use an "us against the world" mentality to go out and do what nobody, and when I say that, I mean absolutely nobody, expects them to do? We favor them to at least bring respect back to the national team, make a game of it, and get a draw, probably at 1-1, but we expect Natanians & Nosts to get at least a draw as well and completely knock our side out of the tournament with a game remaining, and giving Amazonestan players, once again, a longer than expected summer.

[Banija]

Kadongo Kamu have everything to play for on final matchday after losing heartbreaker to Flardania


Flardanian players celebrate game winner from Eizan Iwamoto(#4) against Banija

QASDEN- The Kadongo Kamu had a much better performance than expected against Flardania. However, it seems that they will be ruing the points that they left on the table against Pridnestrovia, as their second straight loss, this one 4-3 at the hands of the tournament's highest ranked side, seemed to all but confirm that the Kadongo Kamu, once again, will fail to qualify for the knockout stages for the Cup of Harmony, which will bring more years of questions about the quality of the team, the quality of the league, and the effect of the RBSA pyramid(or lack thereof) on the competitiveness of the national team.

That said, without Isaac Georgiadis on the pitch, it was always going to be tough sledding. It was going to be tough sledding regardless, but without their star man, the bar was simply raised that much higher. And, unfortunately, this team fought and clawed, and played their hearts out against Flardania, leaving the fans of a team that they could actually be proud of. However, the talent gap between two sides that are 69 spots apart in the rankings proved too deep for Banija to jump across, and ultimately, in the thrilling match, they came up empty handed, as Iwamoto seperated the sides in the most cruel of fashions.

The first half was thrilling, was back and forth, and everything that you'd want in a high stakes game in a major tournament. it was worthy of the stage that it was played on, and instead of a frustrating game like they had against Pridnestrovia, this was an open game that went back and forth, and had good finishing from both sides. Flardania scored the opener, with a 13th minute from Yabuta to give his side a 1-0 lead over the Kadongo Kamu. Our national team, however, was not going to go down without a fight- not with this much at stake.

Kiggwe Mavuto really stepped up this game. His possession of the ball attempted to protect Elijah Riga, and he was able to bring consistent pressure against their opponents, alongside Chibuzo Afolayan. Mavuto hit a cross in the 19th minute, that found the legs of Afolayan, who buried the ball into the back of the net to level the tie for Banija. Afolayan is continuing to play with a confidence that we havent' seen before. Maybe it's because he was found by AFC Corvistone- a club in one of the best club systems in the world, Nephara. Built from scratch to dominate, they are favored to receive their first ever promotion, and as the club of the nation's new capitol, they have an arrogant attitude that makes them the most hated side in Nephara, division be damned. Their fans talk smack, walk tall, walk proudly, and talk the talk, and Afolayan is gaining that kind of attitude, which we love to see.

It wouldn't take long, however, for Flardania to respond. Flardania had a corner kick in the 27th minute, and the ball was punched out by Kasekende. However, an absolutely stunning volley by Yabuta, who is a master at those kinds of hits, blasted the ball from 18 yards into the back of the net, where Kasekende did not have any chance of denying him his second goal of the game. However, Banija was able to level the tie in the 42nd minute, as Kiggwe Mavuto scored on a free kick to level the score at 2, where the game was at halftime. It was an entertaining matchup. Flardania had a bit more quality, but Banija was in there, matching the heavyweight and tournament favorite, punch for punch. The most shocking moments, however, were yet to come.

Banija would actually go ahead in the 2nd half. In the 52nd minute, Banija had a corner kick. With players looking around, Afolayan sent the corner kick into the middle of the field. Who else is there, but center back and team captain George Wangolo. It was a special moment for him, as the Banijans took a 3-2 lead, and the drums from the Banijan fan section got louder and louder. Vuvuzelas were buzzing, drums were being hit and the collective sound seemed like a clap of thunder. The stadium was exploding- there was dancing, the fans had lost it. It had seemed they had forgotten we had 38 minutes left in this match.

Of course, you cannot hold onto a lead against a team like Flardania forever. Eventually, they were going to break through. Even allowing Daniel Asres to play the final half hour in place of Tewedros could not help. Banija was simply getting outclassed in the midfield, and they were fighting for their own lives. Not a bad effort on the part of those who played centrally for Banija- but Izumi and Mizoguchi were simply younger and more athletic, and more talented. There's a reason why Flardania is the world #19, while Banija is the world #88. It was, however, a handball for Arendse in the box that woudl break Banijan spirits.

An 87th minute handball saw Josuke Ichikawa step up, and drill a penalty to tie the game at 3-3. And Flardania, of course, was not interested in settling for a draw. Could they really get a win? An 89th minute corner kick won by Flardania would prove that answer. Eizan Iwamoto, who had come on after the Ichikawa equalizer to help stabilize the draw, ended up scoring on a header to win the game for Flardania. Their fans went crazy, and this time it was the Banijan fans who would not be singing, but who would be completely and perfectly silent for the remainder of the match.

Now, Banija has one game left. Anything besides a win will see them knocked out of the Cup of Harmony. A draw will see them eliminated, and a loss will see them likely to finish bottom of the group. Can they beat the Equestrian States? The Equestrian States are currently bottom of the group, but they have two draws, and no wins or losses. With Georgiadis back, anything is possible. He will have to step up, to have a better central midfielder display from this side. Even if they win, the Kadongo Kamu still are longshots to qualify, but they have a chance. They will need help on matchday 5, but of course, anything is possible.

[Apox]

Apox 2-1 Coldfield Vladimirescu 15', Townsend 69', Sommerfeldt 85'
APX: Steele -- Fox, Raynerson, Jekyll, Redmond -- Menheniot, Townsend, Palmisano J. (c) (Llangolan 73') -- Oakstone-Sandoval (Ephraim-Garza 68'), Gandhi A., Vladimirescu
CLD: Miller -- Cockburn, Workman, Gerig -- Lankford (Rodgers 75') -- Hawking, Lewerenz (Montgomery 66'), Simmons (Sommerfeldt 79'), Tjelvarsson -- Murray, Balogh
A good start against the hardest opponents in the group for the national team, with St. Cleer's rampant attacking lessened a little in this game. Alpha Gandhi loked his usual threat early on, and nearly had a goal after five minutes, stopped only by an excellent save from James Miller. However, his shot later on could only be parried away, right into the path of the onrushing Vladimirescu who easily smashed the ball past the now out of position Miller. The rest of the half was more Apoxian possession fuelled dominance, with an excellent display by the Coldfieldian defenders. The second half started off very slowly indeed, both teams seeming to need a little while to warm into the half. However, the introduction of the energetic Clarissa Ephraim-Garza in the 68th minute provided the spark and her first touch was slotting the ball back for Imriel Townsend to score a bloody worldie of a goal. Edmund Meyer mixed things up a bit after that and the balance of play swung in the direction of the Coldfieldian's - although sub Rick Sommerfeldt's goal couldn't inspire a very late comeback.

Mattijana 1-1 Apox Weiss 30', Gandhi A. 57'
MTJ: Handanovic -- Illisević (Krychowiak 82'), Burnisevič (c), Crajasović, Neumann -- Struna, Jakupovic, Hojbjerg (Hoffman 65'), Bisrali -- Lekarisa (Alaba 68'), Weiss
APX: Steele -- Fox, Raynerson (Gandhi O. 48'), Jekyll, Redmond -- Dialogue, Townsend, Palmisano J. (c) -- Oakstone-Sandoval, Gandhi A., Vladimirescu (Arrowsmith 73')
The second group stage match was certainly a tough one against a strong Mattijana side. Despite being known for our fast and powerful starts, it was Mattijana who were the more pressing side in the early stages, testing Jadranka Steele in goal several times, especially Mathilde Lekarisa for Mattijana. Apox's best chance of the first half was a frustrated long range shot by Alpha Gandhi which Lucija Handanovic easily caught and actually lead to the Apoxian goal, with the goal kick taken quickly, catching the now back-tracking Apoxian defense off guard, with Andreas Weiss on hand to smash the ball past Steele in goal. The second half was a better effort from an Apoxian perspective, although Osmosis Gandhi replacing Eurwen Raynerson, who pulled up holding her side three minutes into the secodn half, will worry the Apoxian staff. Despite this, Miriam Oakstone-Sandoval's sliced shot fell favourably in the centre for Alpha Gandhi to pounce on - he doesn't miss from there. This puts him equal with Chris Maarsden as Apox's fourth highest scorer of all time on 32 goals.

[Osarius]

Osarius Roster for Cup of Harmony 71

Team: Osarius National Football Team (aka "The Firebirds")
Style modifier: +1.5 (it's really a counter attacking system, but old habits die hard, so a lot of players still press high)
Manager: Brent Steele
Assistant Manager: Adam McBride
Captain: Daniele Gentile
Vice-captain: Graciano Farina
((Note: There is also a wiki link in my sig which may prove useful, though not entirely up to date at the moment))

RP permissions are same as usual. Anything goes, just no killing without a check in, please.

Set piece preferences (in order):
Corner kick takers: Whichever wingers/wide forwards are on the pitch
Penalty takers: Watson first choice, then Johnson, then any other striker, then Gentile or any attacking midfielders, then whoever the hell you want.
Free kick takers: Watson first again (because he has powers and is significantly more likely than average to score), then whoever really
Long free kicks: Constantini, Farina or Will Simpson

All currently used Osarius kits.
From left to right: home kit, away kit, third kit, commemorative alternate kit.

Home Kits


Away Kits

No.  Pos. Player Name           Player Type               
#01  GK   Chelsea BYRNE         Shot-stopper
#02  RCB  Graciano FARINA       Complete defender
#03  LB   Will SIMPSON          Marauding fullback
#04  CM   Daniele GENTILE       Midfield general
#05  CB   Demetrio CONSTANTINI  Technical defender
#06  RCB  George SIMPSON        Cultured centre-back     
#07  RW   Ryan WATSON           Dead-ball specialist
#08  CM   Jorge ESTEVEZ         Complete midfielder
#09  ST   Aaliyah JOHNSON       Clinical finisher
#10  AM   Isaia URSO            Playmaker
#11  WNG  Kyron BARTLEY         Pace merchant
#12  GK   SHELLY-ANN Pearce     Shot-stopper
#14  ST   Koren UDOWU           Natural athlete
#15  CB   Sarah WARD            Ball-playing centre-back
#16  CM   Evelyn McINTOSH       Box-to-box midfielder
#17  RCB  Sebastian JOHNSON     Warrior
#18  LW   Raimondo MONTANARI    High volume crosser
#19  CM   Adrian ALEJANDRO      All-rounder
#20  CM   Luther BAILEY         Destroyer  
#21  FB   Luke ROBINSON         Ambidextrous fullback
#22  CM   Federico SERRA        Technician
#23  GK   Graziella PELLEGRINI  Sweeper keeper
#24  AM   Lloyd ALLEN           Fragile playmaker

Starting XI: Byrne; W. Simpson, Constantini, G. Simpson, Farina; Gentile, Estevez, Urso; Bartley, Johnson, Watson
(feel free to switch G. Simpson and Farina around)

Quick notes:

• Generally, the team plays on the counterattack, focusing on playing through the two pacy wingers Watson and Bartley.
• Aaliyah Johnson scores at will. She's basically a slightly taller, prettier Ezio Grassi at this point.
• Constantini doesn't often commit fouls, and almost never gets booked. He's also not as strong as you'd perhaps like a centre-back to be.
• Steele likes to change systems mid-match. The players aren't always entirely comfortable with this; run with it.
• Udowu misses a lot of relatively easy chances, but scores the ones you'd expect most forwards to miss. Expect him score late goals after coming off the bench
• Allen is a criminally underappreciated midfield genius, but injury prone. Feel free to injure him (to the point he's out for the tournament, if you like)
• Estevez is the complete midfielder, basically Arturo Vidal (also, his father is a former Osarius captain, incidentally)
• Try to include McIntosh a lot, please. She's supposed to be the next big thing, sort of.
• If you're stuck on how to account for an Osarian goal, just say Ryan Watson scored a free kick or Koren Udowu fluked something.

[Aggrey-Fynn Land]

INSANE GRAHAM'S BLOG
with Graham Carter

So my computer broke down at the height of the qualifying campaign. Luckily, there isn't much to report. Besides a shocking win against Valladares and some nice mid-qual form, it was the usual; we weren't able to advance to the big dance. I was surprised we were able to jump about ten spots in the rankings though. I guess Simmons is leading us in the right direction! However, our first two games in the Cup of Harmony did leave something to be desired. We drew with Bostopia, a Pot 5 team not even in the Top 100, after giving up an early goal. It took us almost the entirety of the game to get back level, with our goal coming in the 82nd minute. It was eerily reminiscent of the ineptitude displayed in those head-scratchingly bad 1-0 victories against inferior opposition, but worse; instead of taking home 3 points, we only took one.

Only taking a single point home against the worst team in the group was concerning, especially considering the next game was against Osarius, the best team in the group. Since it appears the boys aren't always entirely prepared for their opponent, some teams have really been able to take advantage. Osarius is one of them. They easily scored in the 23rd minute, with Evelyn McIntosh crossing to Aaliyah Johnson, who volleyed it smoothly into the net. The first half was entirely in the Firebirds hands; however, the second half was a different story. Brent Steele decided to change the tactics because of his team's lead, and the Firebirds reacted in a sluggish manner. The Wavy Ones' capitalized, and put in a goal in the 50th minute. The rest of the game appeared to be a struggle for both teams; Osarius attempting to regain the efficiency they had in the first half, and Aggrey-Fynn Land trying to use their momentum and get a second goal. Both of these goals were fruitless, and the game ended in deadlock. This seems like a moral win for Aggrey-Fynn Land, holding one of the better teams in the competition to one goal and gaining one point. However, getting two points from two games is still concerning.

[Ethane]

Match Day Four Cutoff - Groups A-D
RP Prompt: Someone gets something or someone they've been hoping for for a while. (This is only to give you ideas to RP and following or not following the prompt will not affect your RP Bonus in any way.)

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RESULTS

Group A
Soltsteed 2–0 Bojikistan
Anthor 4–1 Yesopalitha

Group A                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Soltsteed                     3   2  1  0    6   0  +6    7
2 Anthor                        3   2  0  1    7   7   0    6
3 Bojikistan                    3   1  1  1    4   5  −1    4
4 Omerica                       3   1  0  2    6   6   0    3
5 Yesopalitha                   4   0  2  2    4   9  −5    2

Group B
Osarius 1–0 South Toronto
Aggrey-Fynn Land 0–1 United States of Devonta

Group B                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 United States of Devonta      4   2  1  1    4   3  +1    7
2 South Toronto                 3   2  0  1    8   5  +3    6
3 Osarius                       3   1  2  0    2   1  +1    5
4 Aggrey-Fynn Land              3   0  2  1    2   3  −1    2
5 Bostopia                      3   0  1  2    3   7  −4    1

Group C
Darmen 2–2 Lisander
Buyan 1–0 YueZhou

Group C                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Buyan                         3   3  0  0    9   2  +7    9
2 Darmen                        3   1  1  1    5   5   0    4
  Lisander                      3   1  1  1    5   5   0    4
4 YueZhou                       4   1  1  2    3   4  −1    4
5 Dunnes                        3   0  1  2    2   8  −6    1

Group D
Eastfield Lodge 3–3 Amazonesta
Taeshan 0–1 Natanians and Nosts

Group D                       Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Natanians and Nosts           3   2  1  0    7   2  +5    7
2 Eastfield Lodge               3   1  2  0    8   6  +2    5
3 Amazonesta                    2   0  1  1    4   8  −4    1
4 Taeshan                       2   0  0  2    2   5  −3    0

[Natanians and Nosts]

Today Natanians and Nosts played Eastfield Lodge.The two nations have more in common that they would like to admit.
The game was quite equilibrated,but with a small advantage to Eastfield Lodge.Natanians and Nosts had its first scoring opportunity at the 12th minute with Gabriel Ápio Silva.But it was Eastfield Lodge who scored first with The Doctor at the 28th minute,and Tejo Carr-Ponce almost scored their secon two minutes later at a corner.Natan Nínnio Gonçalo had a good chance at the 37th minute,but Korbin Harvey deffended welly.After a deffence from Korbin,Ion Cáius Ademélsson scored,tying the game at the 40th minute.He had another good chance at the 42nd minute,but missed by a few centimetres.
The second period was calmer,with both teams having good chances at scoring,but failing by a few.The game was surprising by the low number of fouls commited by both sides,Natanians and Nosts made 3 and Estafield Lodge,2.Natanians and Nosts will next face Taeshan and seek for revenge hope for a win to advance to the play-offs,if God permits.

---

And we beat them.The game had both sides pressuring strongly,but Natanians and Nosts got a slight advantage when Natan Nínnio Gonçalo scored at the 30th minute of the first period,Gabriel Ápio Silva had a good opportunity at the 36th minute,but he missed by some forty centimetres.At the 23rd minute of the second period,Numa Nínno North almost scored,but missed.Natanians and Nosts now arrives at seven points and has finally beaten Taeshan,the place from where the teams that eliminates us at UICA competitions come from.

[Equestrian States]

Gentle Breeze's Heroics Earn Ponies Crucial Point
by Steve McNotapony

Flardania 0-0 Equestrian States
at Moriardi Square in Destiny, Qasden
Attendance: 75,500
Scoring:
No Scoring

DESTINY, Qasden - After being held to a draw in their opener against Pridnestrovia, the Equestrian States entered their match against top-seeded Flardania in the unenviable position of needing to get a result against a side that could easily end up winning the tournament. A loss would leave the Ponies with just one point heading into their bye day and likely off the pace needed to secure advancement to the knockout rounds, putting Pearly White's stated quarterfinal ambitions in serious jeopardy. As expected, the Ponies were on the defensive for much of the match against the relentless Kitsunes, but a heroic performance from the Equestrian States' beloved goalkeeper, Gentle Breeze, secured a scoreless draw and a crucial point for the Ponies in their quest for glory in the Cup of Harmony.

Just like in their first match, the Equestrians were slow out of the gate and the Flardanians were quick to besiege the Ponies' goal, forcing several typically acrobatic saves from Gentle Breeze within the opening ten minutes. Though the Equestrian States would recover from their poor start to establish a slightly more even flow of play, it was painfully obvious that the Kitsunes would be the ones dominating the match and that the Ponies would be hard-pressed to take a point from the match. Fortunately, Gentle Breeze and the vaunted Equestrian back four were up to the task of holding back the Flardanian attacks, proving their reputation as a top-class defensive unit well-founded. Before the end of the half, Gentle Breeze had eight saves to her credit, spared from double-digits only by the valiant efforts of the defenders in front of her.

The second half would see the Ponies finally succeed in breaking through the Flardanian midfield, creating a few scoring chances for themselves, though unfortunately none of them would result in an Equestrian goal and instead allowed the Kitsunes to unleash several quick-breaking counterattacks, forcing another set of saves from Gentle Breeze. As the match wound down, however, it was the Ponies who would have the better chances, with Pristina Shine narrowly missing a long-range effort that Miyoko Hōjō tipped onto the crossbar. When the final whistle blew, the score read 0-0, thanks largely to Gentle Breeze's 13 saves, earning herself an improbable clean sheet.

  Group F                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts        MD2 Results:
1  Pridnestrovia            2   1  1  0    3   1  +2    4         Pridnestrovia 2–0 Banija 
2  Banija                   2   1  0  1    1   2  −1    3        @ Stade de Solis in Fyre, QAS
3  Equestrian States        2   0  2  0    1   1   0    2         Flardania 0–0 Equestrian States 
4  Flardania                1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1        @ Moriardi Square in Destiny, QAS
5  Somecoldwetislands       1   0  0  1    0   1  -1    0        Bye:  Somecoldwetislands

Meanwhile, in Fyre, Pridnestrovia held out for a 2-0 win against Banija, continuing their surprising start to the tournament and giving them hope that they might be able to advance despite entering the Cup of Harmony as Group F's bottom seed. The next match day will see the Ponies have their bye, meaning that the Equestrians will have plenty of time to rest up before a crucial match against Banija, whom the Ponies actually beat 3-1 in a pre-tournament friendly scheduled before the groups had been drawn.

Having already proven they can beat Banija, the Equestrian States will be confident of their chances entering the match; however, the Kadongo Kamu will be relishing the opportunity to gain revenge on the Ponies after the Equestrians defeated them on their own soil. Manager Randolf Clery will also have a chance to adjust his tactics that so clearly failed to work in his first meeting with the Ponies, meaning that the team facing the Equestrians could take a very different approach to the match than anticipated. Regardless of how the third match day plays out, it is almost certain the Ponies will need to win both of their remaining fixtures to have any chance at progressing to the second round of the tournament. The Equestrian States will be favored in those matches, against both Banija and Somecoldwetislands, but as Ponies supporters will remember from past disappointments in the Cup of Harmony, that's hardly guarantees anything.

---

Match Reports :: Match Days 1-2

 EQUESTRIAN STATES 1–1 PRIDNESTROVIA 
Stade de Solis (cap. 80,240) in Fyre, Qasden

Scoring:
 Demyan Wasylyk '35 (Unassisted)
 Wither '62 (Pristina Shine)

Starting XI:
GK - Gentle Breeze
CB - Brix Hamilton
CB - Andrea Molovi
CB - Rumble
LM - Krystal
CM - Cloudchaser (C)
CM - Luminesce
RM - Stardust
AM - Rainbow Blitz
ST - Pristina Shine
ST - Wither

Substitutions:
 Apple Cobbler in for Luminesce '45
 Flitter in for Rumble '59
 Rosie Tyler in for Krystal '77

 FLARDANIA 0–0 EQUESTRIAN STATES 
Moriardi Square (cap. 75,500) in Destiny, Qasden

Scoring:
No Scoring

Starting XI:
GK - Gentle Breeze
LB - Brix Hamilton
CB - Flitter
CB - Andrea Molovi
RB - Krysia Bailey
CM - Cloudchaser (C)
CM - Apple Jack
LW - Krystal
AM - Rainbow Blitz
RW - Stardust
ST - Pristina Shine

Substitutions:
 Rosie Tyler in for Apple Jack '62
 Erauso Iburrusteta in for Andrea Molovi '71
 Sunlight in for Krysia Bailey '88

[Qasden]

MD4 CUTOFF - Qasdonian Side

---

RP Prompt: Gifts! Everyone loves them! Your prompt today is to incorporate someone receiving some form of desired gift. Here's an unrelated song. (Following or Not Following the prompt won't cause the change in RP Bonus)

---

Group E

Mercedini 2–2 Northwest Kalactin
Juvencus 3–1 Filindostan

Group E                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Juvencus                        2   2  0  0    5   1  +4    6
2 Filindostan                     3   1  1  1    5   6  -1    4  
3 Northwest Kalactin              2   0  2  0    3   3   0    2
4 Mercedini                       3   0  1  2    4   7  −3    1

---

Group F

Flardania 1–3 Somecoldwetislands
Equestrian States 2–0 Banija

Group F                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Somecoldwetislands              3   2  0  1    6   2  +4    6
2 Equestrian States               3   1  2  0    3   1  +2    5
3 Flardania                       3   1  1  1    5   6  -1    4
4 Pridnestrovia                   3   1  1  1    3   4  -1    4 
5 Banija                          4   1  0  3    4   8  −4    3

---

Group G

Apox 3–0 Platerdam
Coldfield 0–2 Mattijana

Group G                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Apox                            3   2  1  0    6   2  +4    7
3 Mattijana                       4   2  1  1    5   2  +3    7
3 Vangaziland                     3   2  0  1    4   2  +2    6
4 Coldfield                       3   1  0  2    3   5  -2    3
5 Platerdam                       3   0  0  3    0   7  -7    0

---

Group H

New Gazi 1–0 Liberated American Provinces
Savojarna 0–0 Ko-oren

Group H                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 New Gazi                        3   2  1  0    5   3  +2    7
2 Ko-oren                         3   1  1  1    5   3  +2    4
3 Savojarna                       2   0  2  0    1   1   0    2
4 Liberated American Provinces    2   0  0  2    0   4  −4    0

[Flardania]

Français|日本語|한국어|English
Sports in Review: Kitsunes lead Group but for how long | Kirishinan Broadcasting Corporation

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Takeru Saotome on Left, Himawari Pak on Right

News Intro

TS: Welcome to Sports in Review, I'm your host Saotome Takeru.

HP: And I am Pak Himawari, the Cup of Harmony has just completed Matchday 3 as our volatile Group F continues to fluctuate. None more apparent than the Kitsunes latest match against Banija.

TS: The Kitsunes entered the match in fourth and needed a favorable result against Banija to keep things interesting and the Kitsunes went out and claimed a much desired win. But with the score line reading 4-3, it was anything but a cakewalk.

HP: It was very close to being a tragic loss for the Kitsunes as they were down 4-2 going into the 87th minute. It literally took a handball, good composure by Ichikawa and late game heroics by the inconsistent Iwamoto in order to get the job done. Takeru, what does a win like this say about the state of Kirishinan football.

TS: Banija is a rising team that will be a threat sooner or later, but to be down 4-2 in the 87th minute when you are fighting for survival is not acceptable. The team is trying to transition from one happy to be competing to one with realistic medaling hopes. This is not the result of a team that can finish in the top 3. It is inconsistent the drive is lacking and the motivation and morale is low.

HP: That's true and with a near defeat like this, this win will not nearly be as much of a confidence booster as you would like.

TS: Exactly the Kitsunes are running out of time because if the Kitsunes want to have a legitimate chance in this tournament they need to play like it in preparation of a deeper run and not leave things up to chance. The Kitsunes may have taken the lead in the Group but they can easily lose that advantage.

HP: What would you say the Kitsunes need to improve?

TS: The team needs to do more in regards to hustle both on the offense and the defense, when I see three goals on Hojo, it means the defense was being caught out of position as if they were in some genjitsu. They need to get after the opposition more, the same goes for the offense. The Kitsunes need to take advantage of their chances. We saw what they could do in the first half of the World Cup qualifiers, they just need to rediscover that energy.

HP: Easier said then done but with the Kitsunes leading the Group, their fate lies solely in their hands. We will have more on the KFA state of affairs after the break, stay tuned....

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[Vangaziland]

Prince Fritz To Train With Jhalpharezi Special Forces



News of a real estate deal for Vangaziland's heir to the throne was released here: viewtopic.php?p=33204168#p33204168

More news from India comes out today about Prince Fritz. After purchasing a coastal resort with plans to turn it into a winter vacation home, the government reached out to the Vangazi. He placed a request allowing members of his reserve guard unit to officially accompany him complete with full military equipment.

The military said they would not only allow it, but they would help schedule training for the Prince. Soon after the end of the Indian Champion's League football tournament, Fritz will start a 2 week conditioning course hosted by trainers from the Jhal 'Sea Tigers' selection course.

The staff will be made up of his closest military comrades of his personal headquarters section. Many of these soldiers are friends from his 8 years of active military service that were requested or volunteered for his private guard. Formerly working his way up to Major running intelligence for an active duty infantry unit, Fritz now functions as battalion commander of his reserve battalion.

It's quite unconventional, allowing for events like this to be built into the Royal's personal time.

After the rigorous introduction course, The 25 man team of Vangazi will train with the Maritime Commando Force. The 'Sea Tigers' of Jhalpharezi will run the team through hand-to-hand combat, small boat operations, amphibious combat drills and close quarters combat among other training.

"We will give the Prince useful military training, allowing him to earn certifications from the War College of Jhalpharezi", said Master Chief Bhradwaj, a commando with the group. "We expect to push him and his team to their limits."

As regimentalized as the training may be, it will still be located on the site of a former bread and breakfast. The palace will be upgraded with more modest barracks for the 25 person headquarters section. The site will be located on the Bay of Bengal in Jhalpharezi.

Tall, wispy palm trees will flank the beaches of the training sites. Distinguished guests will walk the halls of the complex house while the Prince trains the day away.

"I'll be glad to get some military training out of my time in the region", Fritz said. "I'm constantly looking to develop my professional, soldier skills. This will be some of the most intense training of my career." The prince is a veteran of the conflict in Al-Khalifiya.

With the war in Yanjin, to the far east of Asia in the Pacific, the spot on the Bay is one step closer. The guard unit is rated as light infantry with a LRRP capacity. The unit utilizes G-wagen chassis 4x4 utility vehicles.

Most of the Reserve Guard unit will stay in Vangaziland, based around the Royal Lands north of Emeros. Some say the 25 person headquarters section is grooming the next generation of leaders for the Vannish military. Surely, they were to become generals with connections to Fritz.

Now the team would add limited tier 1 training to their resume. Fritjof's India trip will not be ending anytime soon.

[Juvencus]

NOTHIN' BUT NET! JUVENCUS IS THROUGH!


The joy was shown in the players' faces as they are through to the round of 16 of the Cup of Harmony

Juvencus XI:
GK:Taddeo Bulgari
CB:Nicolò Bassi
CB:Amaury Félix
CB:Dudu Madeiros
CDM:Filipe Rodrigues(Subbed to Gian Landi 67')
CDM:Nino Russo
RM:Julio Ramires(Assist 74')
LM:Aleix Costa(Subbed to Angelino Alberighi 81')
RF:Oriol Vives(Assist 42')
LF:Porfirio Araujo(Goal 42')(Assist 85')
CF:Santo Silvestri(Goals 74', 85')

Filindostan XI:
GK:Gerry Nafari 'Gerry' Nasution
CB:'Casimir' Likumahuwa
CB:Dina Nadya 'Dina' Satyawan (Subbed off to Weici 'Kartio' 78')
CB:Alexander 'Alex' Jampang
CM: His Excellency, 'King' Tisang
CM:Muhammad 'Mohd' Safri
RM:Dona Morielle 'Domo' Delos Santos-Strauss
LM:'Damaris' Cambo
CAM:Manny Jacob Lou 'Yakob' Rivas (Subbed off to 'Siharto', 60')
CF: 'Bienvenido' Arespacochaga
CF: Marish Luzanie 'Yish' Sta. Lucia (Goal 50')

Last night's match against Filindostan was nothing short of spectacular. Both sides delivered an amazing game which saw Juvencus come on top after a furious Silvestri scored a brace during the dying minutes of the game. Despite the 3-1 scoreline, no side was really dominant throught the game, since both sides managed to make a lot of chances and play with their style of play, as they would normally do.

The first have wasn't as enjoyable as the second half and it didn't start as offensively as either side would like, mostly because they were focusing on posession mostly. The Juven side was mostly pressured as they remembered the last time they faced the Baptism of Fire champions, which was a 2-0 defeat in Filindostani ground. Which they quickly forgot, as they were pressuring in the 27th minute with the veteran, Julio Ramires from the right side, despite his age, he was still a fast player so he managed to move forward really quickly before crossing it in for Silvestri to head it in, however Satyawan was there to head it out safely to save her team. In the 39th minute Filindostan went to the offensive, a Safri through ball saw Yish in a favourable position to shoot it in, however the ball was saved. The gli attaccanti quickly commenced the counter-attack, they were cut short for a bit in the Filindostani side of the field, however Oriol Vives managed to find some space and pass it to Araujo with the latter shooting a rocket to the Filindostani goal, leaving Gerry unable to react. The scoreline was 1-0 in favour of Juvencus in half-time.

The Pula Garuda was able to equalise quite early in the second half, with Yish alone surpassing Bassi before winning the one-on-one with Bulgari, making the score 1-1. The Filindostani quickly found their pace and started to attack from both sides, left and right, but to no avail. All their pace was wasted in the first few minutes of the second half.
The gli attaccanti quickly took advantadge of that in the latter stages of the game, when Gian Landi was subbed in. Despite not being immediately involved in any of the goals scored, Landi being put in was a good decision by Toset since he was standing like a rock against the Filindostanis but could also create chances for the team. 7 minutes after being subbed in, Landi found Ramires all alone in the right side, Ramires used all of his energy to push in, passing it to Silvestri, with him shooting the ball in, giving Juvencus the advantadge once again, as well as a stepping stone into Cup of Harmony qualification. A few minutes later, Landi found Araujo in an extremly advantadgeous position,
however he was unable to turn his back he back heeled the ball to the middle of the Filindostani defence and Silvestri was able to capitalise on it, making the scoreline 3-1.
A last chance by the Pula Garuda was made in the 88th minute, but Siharto's shot went wide. That match ended in a 3-1 scoreline in favor of Juvencus which meant the team's first qualification from the group stages of any tournament since the Baptism of Fire.

The Juven team, which has qualified is first with 6 points, second is Filindostan, with 4(they need a Juvencus win or tie against North Kalactin to qualify), third is Northwest Kalactin with 2(they need a win against Juvencus to qualify) and last is Mercedini which is eliminated, with 1 point. Last matchday is against Northwest Kalactin on what is the first matchup between the two teams in any competition, friendly or official.