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Of course, Qusmo will have the chance to bounce back against its next opponent: Vartugia. The nation is ranked last among all in Pot 11. They likely represent the only truly easy win that Qusmo has on its qualifying schedule. Their tactics are disjoined, their play is choppy, & all the players swarm around the ball like a pack of seven-year-olds. The team is so disorganized & undisciplined that it could very well be managed by a goat - &, in fact, the team is actually managed by A Goat. They were the only team from all forty-four which participated in Baptism of Fire 69 to neither win nor even draw any of their six matches - & there’s a good reason why. There’s nothing complicated about this: Qusmo needs to win both of their matches against Vartugia, & they ought to win by large margins; otherwise, the Qusmi’y are in trouble.
Next on the schedule for Qusmo will be Velestria. Many Qusmi’y know little of Velestria aside from the recent news that Qusma manager Vralx-Ucyxi Lec has left KF Poldanz, somewhat surprisingly after winning three Puky Zala in three years in Polan, for Velish club Old Birmingham City. Some might also know Velestria as the home of Diamond Gregory, KF Poldanz’s new N$3 million goalkeeper, who is one of five foreign-based players on the Velish twenty-three-player roster. However, as Poldanz fans might know, that isn’t the end of the Qusma-Velish connection. In fact, in Qusmo’s first Tour of the Multiverse, Velestria’s predecessor state was on the schedule: Razenthuria.
The turbulent nation has changed identities yet again, as powerful forces within the nation do battle in a culture war that surpasses the likes of what most of the rest of the Multiverse could imagine. Elsewhere, people squabble over small aspects of culture; in Velestria, it is possible to overhaul it entirely. Still, that complete overhaul has not necessarily extended to the country’s national team - & there is some history to analyze there. At Momoa, in the city then known at Tynedale, Xilit-Zaxac Yol was able to score a brace, but Qusmo still fell three-two.
That result could be interpreted as boding poorly for Qusmo today, despite its age. Velestria is a very defensively minded team, & Qusmo’s offense has been well-documented as just not quite seeming to have enough firepower to sustain it in international competition. Qusmo could struggle to break Velestria open. Further, if Velestria could score three over Qusmo, it seems as if though the home supporters at Mastad Tracama could be in for a long day. Christopher Tajo Mendez, the Devontan in charge of Velestria, might be able to finally enjoy success on the national team after having a tough stretch domestically that has put them on the hot seat.
However, that’s not entirely reflective of the state of the two sides now. Qusmo has gotten much better since that day, especially in the back; Velestria would be much more hard pressed to score three times again. Further, just a quick look at Qusmo’s team sheet should show that this was not a full strength side. Of the eleven on the pitch that day, just Xilit-Zaxac is in what is projected to be Avarn-Oxolt’s Starting XI, & only four made it to this cycle’s first half twenty-five-player roster. In fact, five of them were not even invited to the fifty-player national team training camp. The fact is that Qusmo has improved immensely, & its personnel will be of a much higher quality in Tracam & Southampshire. Qusmo has already proven that it can score a brace on the Velish with a reduced-quality side on the road; with a full-strength squad & a vastly improved defense, it should be able to put Velestria away twice.
Fuzpon Qusma has been rumoured to be trying to work out a deal with the World Cup Committee to play Velestria away on Matchday Six & in Tracam on Matchday Fifteen, instead of the other way around, or to play their next opponents away on Matchday Sixteen & in Qanz on Matchday Seven. Granted, it is only speculation, & we lack any proof that this actually happened or is happening, but it would at least make sense; after Velestria, Qusmo takes on fellow Esportivan nation Mattijana, though Fuzpon Qusma would not get to play their two away matches in Esportiva back-to-back as the schedule is arranged now. It wouldn’t take much to allow Qusma players to not have to travel as long or as hard before their away fixture in Mattijana; the World Cup Committee would merely have to reverse the dates of the fixtures.
This might seem silly, but perhaps Fuzpon Qusma ought to pursue every small advantage they can get against Mattijana, because Qusmo just doesn’t have a very good record in Esportiva. Qusmo has played Esportivan opponents twelve times so far; they have won three matches, drawn three matches, & lost six. Further, all three wins came in World Cup 80 Qualifying, with two against Wolves Clans - which, with seven points from eighteen matches, was the only team out of all hundred fifty which entered World Cup 80 Qualifying which did not earn at least ten points over the course of qualifying. Qusmo is currently skidding on a seven-match winless streak to Esportivan opponents, which includes that loss to Razenthuria, as well as a one-nil loss to Filindostan in Qusmo’s latest Tour of the Multiverse to prepare for this set of qualifiers.
Most painfully for Qusma fans to remember, however, is Qusmo’s experience with Polkopia; the two hundred twenty-third-ranked side in the Multiverse sent Qusmo tumbling down to fifth on Matchday Nine, when a win would have vaulted them into a tie for the group lead on points, which would have seen Qusmo in second on a head-to-head tiebreaker. Qusmo simply could not recover from that; had Qusmo won on Matchday Nine, they would have earned a spot in the World Cup 81 Qualifying Playoff, but Qusmo fell four points flat as it was. That is Qusmo’s most recent experience with an Esportivan team in a competitive fixture, & it ended poorly.
The gap for Qusmo is even larger when the team isn’t just playing Esportivans, but is actually playing in Esportiva. Qusmo actually has a decent record hosting teams from Esportiva, with two wins & two draws, including a famous one-nil win over then-twenty-fourth-ranked Tumbra at Mastad Qusma in World Cup 80 Qualifying, which was by far Qusmo’s most signature victory at the time. However, when actually playing in Esportiva, Qusmo has had just one win - against Wolves Clans, one hundred fiftieth of one hundred fifty teams in World Cup 80 Qualifying - along with one draw - against Damukuni in a friendly - & six losses. Perhaps it really is the travel, but Qusmo simply struggles whenever it has to play in Esportiva.
This is no ordinary Esportivan team, either. It is astonishing that they are only barely inside the top sixty-four in the Multiverse. Just look at the havoc they’ve wrought on Esportiva. In Campionato Esportiva 20, they won bronze. In Campionato Esportiva 21, they made the podium again. In Campionato Esportiva 22, they reached the final. & in the latest edition of their regional championship - Campionato Esportiva 23 - they emerged as champions, over current fifth-ranked Brenecia. They’ve more than due for a visit to the World Cup, & reports from the Mattijanan camp suggest that the team is playing with renewed belief & optimism as a result of proving their potential with a regional trophy. If Qusmo can shut down the high-flying Mattijanan attack, they might be able to nick a draw in Qanz; however, the ability of their adversaries, combined with a mighty Mattijanan mindset & a tough travel itinerary, means that they likely won’t be able to pick up points in Petrovijanka.
After visiting Esportiva, Qusmo will get to visit another famous region in the form of Atlantian Oceania, as they take on a team from Alluersia. It’s no surprise that Qusmo has history with the region - as does virtually every team to enter any World Cup Qualifying campaign in recent decades. What might be a bit more surprising is that Qusmo has played teams from Atlantian Oceania more than those from any other region in the Multiverse - including its own. Despite eight Copa Rushmori matches, played exclusively against Rushmori opponents, Qusmo has only played Rushmori opponents fourteen times, compared to twenty matches against teams from AO. Looking at Qusmo’s record against the storied region, it doesn’t look particularly eye-popping. Qusmo has only won four of their matches, alongside eight draws, & have lost eight times. However, things look more encouraging with a peer behind the numbers - revealing, of course, yet more numbers.
Simply put, Qusmo has consistently run against very tough opposition whenever they have played teams from Atlantian Oceania; they have never played an opponent from the region ranked lower than eighty-seventh - Krytenia, in the group stage of Cup of Harmony 73. When Qusmo has played a team from Atlantian Oceania in the past, its average rank has been forty-fourth. That’s a far cry from Alluersia, ranked just two hundred fiftieth. Things also look much better the more recent your statistics are. In fact, Qusmo is on a four-match unbeaten run against teams from AO, & has only lost one of its past seven against teams from the region. Adjusting for both opposition quality & recency produce a much smaller sample size, but much more encouraging results for Qusmi’y: of the two times Qusmo has played a team from Atlantian Oceania from outside the top thirty-two in a competitive fixture since Cup of Harmony 72, Qusmo has won both matches, earning a three-one win over then-sixty-sixth-ranked South Toronto in the group stage of Cup of Harmony 72 & a one-nil win over then-eighty-seventh-ranked Krytenia in the group stage of Cup of Harmony 73.
However, this is no ordinary team from Atlantian Oceania that Qusmo will be facing. Like Kavagrad, Alluersia is in a moment of political crisis; in fact, it represents the most pressing political emergency of all the teams in the group. Alluersia has long been a semi-autonomous province of West Guiana, but leadership in the country has just declared independence. Self-proclaimed president Adam Haggard has maintained that the declaration is on entirely legal grounds, but that will by no means guarantee a peaceful transition. There is a long history of tension & of violence between Alluersia & West Guiana, & it threatens to flare up again.
Alluersia has claimed that it had to declare independence due to oppression from West Guiana, but West Guiana claims that it had to clamp down on Alluersia because of a state-sponsored genocide against ethnic Guianans. There have also been recent clashes near the border, most prominently committed by Alluersian separatists. The government of West Guiana has claimed that, through this violence & their declaration of independence, Alluersia has declared war against West Guiana - & it seems as though West Guiana is readying itself to attempt to suppress the insurrection.
Most immediately pressing for Qusmo is the fact that West Guiana has threatened to impose a blockade on Alluersia if it does not renounce its independence, an ultimatum which seems astronomically unlikely to actually be accepted. This creates a logistical nightmare for Fuzpon Qusma, as they will have to find some way to get their players, coaches, trainers, & staff into Alluersia on Matchday Eight, lest they risk a forfeit that they simply cannot afford. Further, they will have to find a way to do so safely - & it seems as though that could be extremely difficult. That could impact travel, training, & results - both for Alluersia’s team & their opponents.
It also imposes a political headache for Qusmo’s own government, & that of all Alluersia’s Group 11 opponents, as they will be expected to weigh in on whether it deserves independence & ought to be internationally recognized as a state. This is one of the key reasons Alluersia’s government wanted to submit a national team to the Baptism of Fire & World Cup Qualifying, really; it exposes governments across the Multiverse to the Alluersian cause & has the potential to gain support for it across the Multiverse. In the grand scheme of things, whether Alluersia wins or loses is a matter far from the pitch. Still, Fuzpon Qusma will be focussed on whether it can pick up six points - &, if it can navigate a hopefully metaphorical minefield, it should be able to do just that.
Finally, Qusmo will close out its World Cup 82 Qualifying campaign with one of the most important matches of all the eighteen to be played. Qusmo is a Pot 3 team, but there are only two spots for Group 11 teams to be had in the World Cup. The World Cup Committee clearly has a love of drama, for they paired Qusmo with Pot 11’s Pot 2 team, & the team that Qusmo most likely has to beat in order to qualify for its first World Cup, on the very last matchday of qualifying, in an away match. That match will be played against, & in, Saltstead.
Qusma viewers might feel like Saltstead is vaguely familiar, but they might not quite be able to place from where they know the name. This might help: Soltsteed. Like Mytanija & Velestria, Saltstead has also had a recent change of name, but they’re very much the same place. &, like Razenthuria, Qusmo has history with Soltsteed. In Cup of Harmony 72, Qusmo played out a scoreless draw with Soltsteed in the Round of Sixteen; after neither side could score after two hours, the match went to penalty kicks, & Soltsteed advanced on a four-two margin. The fact that that match was technically a draw allows Qusmo to boast that it went unbeaten in its first nine matches in the Cup of Harmony, with seven wins & two draws. &, if the same result were to play out on Matchday Nine or Matchday Eighteen, the match would stop at ninety minutes & be declared a draw.
However, psychologically, the match feels like a loss to many Qusmi’y. After all, that is how Qusmo was bounced from the tournament. That could weigh on Qusmo when the team visits Ashwell. Further, the Stallions will be incredibly tough to break down, boasting an excellent defense, a constant press, & a five-player back line that acts like a brick wall. Players like vice captain Ann-Elisabeth Smid & Emmet le Duc will be matchup nightmares for the Qusma offense, with Le Duc particularly well-known for doing anything to secure an advantage for their team, including bending the rules a bit. This team thrives on scoreless draws & one-nil wins. It may not be the toughest test for Qusmo’s back line, but it will be a monumental challenge for Qusmo’s offense to get in gear against an opponent designed to do everything it can to break up their opponent's rhythm & minimize the quantity & quality of their chances.
Most of all, however, the fixtures between these two teams could be the decider for who goes to World Cup 82. These are the second- & third-highest-ranked sides of the group, after all, & the match at King William VII National Park has the potential to have an atmosphere unlike anything Qusmo has ever been a part of. Perhaps the knockout rounds of the Cup of Harmony could be an equivalent, but Saltstead has already proven it can handle Qusmo there. If Qusmo is in a position where it needs a win to qualify, it could be extremely difficult. Qusmo has never before still been in contention on the final matchday, whereas Saltstead has shown the nerve to qualify for a World Cup via the monumental stakes of a playoff just last cycle. Qusmo will need to put itself in a great position to qualify, or even guarantee it with a match in hand, if it wants to advance; Qusmo could draw Saltstead at Mastad Kolla, but we fear that the stakes could be too high on the return leg on the final matchday, & they could lose to this talented Saltsteadish team as a result.
So, where does that bring us? Here are our predictions:
MD Venue Opponent Result Points
1 Visitors Sajnur Win 3
2 Hosts Kavagrad Win 6
3 Visitors Mytanija Loss 6
4 Hosts Cosumar Loss 6
5 Visitors Vartugia Win 9
6 Hosts Velestria Win 12
7 Visitors Mattijana Loss 12
8 Visitors Alluersia Win 15
9 Hosts Saltstead Draw 16
10 Hosts Sajnur Win 19
11 Visitors Kavagrad Win 22
12 Hosts Mytanija Loss 22
13 Visitors Cosumar Loss 22
14 Hosts Vartugia Win 25
15 Visitors Velestria Win 28
16 Hosts Mattijana Draw 29
17 Hosts Alluersia Win 32
18 Visitors Saltstead Loss 32
We predict that Qusmo should be able to earn thirty-two points - but we’re doubtful on the Qusmi’y earning more. We don’t doubt that Qusmo is a good team, but so is virtually every other one in the group, which has been reported by Mytanar outfit Gazeta Sporta to be - contrary to Mattijanan publication MFO Sport - the most difficult of all fifteen qualifying groups this cycle. That might depress the point totals of all the top teams, but thirty-two points is simply not enough for Qusmo to advance to a World Cup. Qusmo will either need to overperform expectations or back its bags for another Cup of Harmony.
Group 11
Saltstead 1–0 Alluersia
Sajnur 0–1 Qusmo
Kavagrad 1–2 Mattijana
Mytanija 3–0 Velestria
Cosumar 6–0 VartugiaGroup 11 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Cosumar 1 1 0 0 6 0 +6 3
2 Mytanija 1 1 0 0 3 0 +3 3
3 Mattijana 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 3
4 Qusmo 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 3
Saltstead 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 3
6 Kavagrad 1 0 0 1 1 2 −1 0
7 Alluersia 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 0
Sajnur 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 0
9 Velestria 1 0 0 1 0 3 −3 0
10 Vartugia 1 0 0 1 0 6 −6 0
Qusmo opens WC82Q with solid win over Sajnur
Sajnur 0–1 Qusmo
National Stadium, Javoser, Sajnur (cap. 102 000)GK Xynat-Evela Cuf
CB Cunix-Betva Tla
CB Zenon-Gerol Kal
70’ Ozolx-Alfan Ixi
CB Yelto-Alfan Ono
DM Yunal-Julad Waz
78’ Gavax-Nenzi Abe
CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev
AM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi
65’ Jerat-Jonto Jan
LM Helek-Nenzi Ono
RM Forzu-Ralox Kal
SS Paliv-Xilit Max
ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol (57p)
Qusmo Starting XI - Matchday Two v. Kavagrad
GK Xynat-Evela Cuf; CB Cunix-Betva, CB Zenon-Gerol Kal, CB Yelto-Alfan Ono; DM Yunal-Julad Waz, CM Ilinx-Kepex Zev (C), AM Ilinx-Vulav Ixi, LM Helek-Nenzi Ono, RM Forzu Ralox Kal; SS Paliv-Xilit Max, ST Xilit-Zaxac Yol
It’s time for 
