Sporting World Cup 6 Everything Thread (Complete)

[Neo-Romanum]

Five-star Roman performance sets up date with the hosts
By Timotheus Victus

18 June 7526 AM/2018 AD

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Adão de Cilpes scored a hat-trick as Neo-Romanum pulled off a stunning upset over an out-of-sorts Juvencus to win the group and set up a round of 16 showdown with Hosts Free Republics.

Despite being underdogs and facing an uphill task in order to qualify for the last 16 the young Roman side showed no signs of nerves and got out of the blocks quickly, passing the ball about with zip and quality and almost scoring within the first minute, Gepping stinging the palms of Juvencus' Giacobbe Travere with a shot from the edge of the box. Five minutes later a massive chance went begging, as Teom Ben Moshe played a short corner to Abraam Debbane who whipped a very inviting cross across goal which was met by Ben-Barekbaal Rhodanus whose headed crashed against the post before being cleared with Travere left stranded.

After a very bright and dominant opening ten minutes Juvencus reminded the team why they were the favourites. A slick interpassing move involving Humbert Salmon and Roch Alessandri led to the former almost curling one inside the post but his impressive shot was matched by an equally impressive save by Ioseph Niçart who tipped it around the post by the fingertips. From the resulting corner Ermanno Africani headed just over. The Romans could be forgiven for having thought that their best chances of the match were already spurned.

But they did not let their heads drop, and the side's optimism and positive attacking play was rewarded just before the twenty minute mark. Dulcitius Zonoras' free-kick from the right was flicked on fantastically by Rhodanus and de Cilpes could hardly miss from two yards out. The Soccer Palace, dominated by Roman fans, erupted.

Juvencus heads appeared to be the ones dropping rather than Roman ones, the Sonnelian side looking shell-shocked at falling behind. Claudius Macricus, who was starting in place of the suspended Theodoros Karatzaina strode past two men before playing in Ben Moshe. The Roma midfielder threaded an inch-perfect pass through to de Cilpes sending him through on goal, delicately chipping the ball over the onrushing Travere and into the net.

Lucilio Pierre ensured that his side went into half-time still with a shout, curling home a low left-foot shot from the corner of the box.

The Romans doubled their lead soon after half-time. A clever free-kick routine allowed Ben Moshe to dink the ball to the back post to the unmarked Amastan Jabri who headed in off the post seven minutes after the break. It was 4-2 by the hour when de Cilpes broke from central midfield and waltzed past three players before toe-poking home from 18 yards to complete his hat-trick. The young Portuguese from Viroconium went off soon after to a standing ovation.

There was still time for Juvencus to restore some honour to their side when Matéo Zini turned in Pierre's cross from the byline but the fightback was not forthcoming. Macricus completed the rout ten minutes from time with a superb drive that sent Juvencus home packing.

Although they were missing star-man Theo Karatzaina who was serving a one-game ban for his second yellow of the tournament against Acronius, Neo-Romanum showed themselves to be more than just a one-man team with a stunning team performance to give them victory over the group favourites and all the players shone. Teom Ben Mosche and de Cilples in particularly put in some star-studded displays with four assists and a hat-trick respectively. There will be some wild parties in Constantinople and by the travelling contingent in Plymouth tonight after a brilliant effort has put the Empire into the second round and set up a mouth-watering tie with Group D runners-up and hosts, Free Republics.

Roman U18 boss Jerome Manambeys: "I just said to the boys before the game to not think about the other game as that was out of our hands now. All we could focus on was the match ahead, so we should just stop worrying and enjoy the match regardless of whether or not it would be our last. Of course we now know that it won't be and we have a very tough game against the hosts to come but we are very excited for it. We've surpassed all expectations so are now just looking forward to the next game and I hope the lads just play without any pressure or fear and give a good account of themselves to everyone back home who are very proud.

Claud's given me a bit of a headache now after than performance but it is a good headache, I am happy he played so well. Him, Teom and Theo have done so well this tournament and I wish I could let them all play. I made sure to get the ball for Adão and told him to keep it. These sort of things don't happen that often in your career so you need something to remember them by. These sorts of memories that we are making shall stay with him and our fans forever."

Group C final standings

	Team	PD	GD	Pts
1	Neo-Romanum*	3	3	6
2	Acronius*	3	5	6
3	Juvencus*	3	-1	6
4	Latman	3	-7	0

*Neo-Romanum first-placed thanks to a superior head-to-head record.

[Cassadaigua]

Back to Spacebook Chatter:

Brooke Sutter: Am I first again?

(Waits 2 minutes)

Brooke Sutter: Guess so.

Tiffany Nelson: I’m here, did I beat Brooke?

Brooke Sutter: No!

Tiffany Nelson: Dammit!

Brooke Sutter: Congrats on another clean sheet, Tiff!

Rachel Schanke: Hello teammates!

Tiffany Nelson: Thanks, and welcome aboard, captain!

Brooke Sutter: Hey Rachel!

Meghan Wolcott: Hi there, how is everyone today?

Rachel Schanke: Great, Meghan! So happy to get one in the net against the Ponies!

Brooke Sutter: It looked good, too! Meghan’s had a good Cup as well with setting you up.

Preston Newfeld: Hey everyone!

Meghan Wolcott: Preston!!!!

Tiffany Nelson: Hi!

Rachel Schanke: Hey there, Preston.

Meghan Wolcott: You know guys, I was thinking about that team of horses we just played. They shouldn’t be eligible.

Preston Newfeld: Exactly, but playing soccer against horses was interesting, to say the least.

Brooke Sutter: What’s wrong with it Meghan? There are all kinds of different species that play soccer.

Rachel Schanke: Also very generalized to just call them horses. There are different types of Ponies, Pegasus, Unicorns, Griffon, etc.

Meghan Wolcott: Yeah, you are right, but its easier to type just by calling them horses. They aren’t reading the chatroom.

Rachel Schanke: Fair enough.

Brooke Sutter: Not really the same thing, but it’s fine. No reason why the team should not be eligible.

Tiffany Nelson: You know I think I see where Meghan is gonna go with this, and she might, kind of, have a point.

Meghan Wolcott: Thank you. So anyway the life cycle of a horse is different then that of a human. They age quicker, so a 17-year old Unicorn is actually a lot more mature then a 17-year old human. The age restrictions on that team should be different to account for the difference in the aging cycles. Horses don’t live as long as humans. (OOC: I am aware this probably factually incorrect in regards to how Equestrian States RP’s his nation, so just write this comment off as teenage ignorance).

Preston Newfeld: My girl is smart!

Tiffany Nelson: Yep! That’s what I thought you were gonna say!

Rachel Schanke: That’s a good point, actually.

Brooke Sutter: Yeah, but then you set yourself up with having to make an arbitrary exception in regards to their nation. It’s just best to be consistent. We go by human years, so the 17-year old Unicorn and the rest of their team are eligible.

Preston Newfeld: I was afraid they might try to trample me or something. Especially that Pegasus.

Tiffany Nelson: It was interesting to try and get reads on their shooting angles. Not used to defending shots from another species.

Rachel Schanke: They’re a historically clean too. Remember my grandma had to play Bears Armed. That was something!

Preston Newfeld: Play against Bears? No thank you!

Rachel Schanke: They were a clean team, too.

Preston Newfeld: They might be clean but one of them is probably as strong as all of us in this room, combined.

Meghan Wolcott: Don’t be scared of the big bad bear, Preston.

Preston Newfeld: You, shush!

Brooke Sutter: The teams that play non-humans have to abide by the same rules. I enjoyed the challenge. We shut them out, so all is good. Thanks to our great keeper!

Rachel Schanke: Well it was a great knockout stage. Coach is preparing for the game against Krytak.

Brooke Sutter: I hate to be that person, but this should be a walkover for us. They weren’t good in the group stage but someone had to finish second in that group.

Tiffany Nelson: Can’t take ‘em lightly though.

Preston Newfeld: Agree.

Rachel Schanke: Coach just sent me a text, wants us all to meet in the lobby. So, I guess its time to go.

Meghan Wolcott: Ok.

Brooke Sutter: Alright, see you there.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

U18 the Team to beat in SWC 6

by Oliver Stanley
The Post Soccer Correspondent

Falkamore, Nejax--Time changes everything and the year that has elapsed since the last Sporting World Cup has been one of a massive change in the approach of the squad for this competition.

As plucky underdogs a year ago, Baker Park defied the odds to take the title--the first major hardware won by an FAC squad in history--with a performance that was the talk of the tournament.

This time around, the path to a place in the knockout rounds has proven to be a bit more difficult; an opening draw against Darmen and a loss to the Alpine Union left the Commonwealth side in a situation that would mean a win on the final day was the minimum result that would be a factor.
Lainey Wadsworth's goal against Maryloupe saw the junior Bees hold up their end of the bargain, but it was not until the result between Alpine Union and Darmen came through that the BP side knew they would advance to the final 16.

Togonistan will be the opponent here in the Round of 16 at the Olden Stadium, and the Commonwealth side have been put on notice that they will need an improved effort from their group stage performances if they want to have an opportunity to defend their crown.

Manager Zoe Montgomery made it clear that the mental approach of the squad would be a major factor in how far the BP team would be able to advance. "We have a strong core of players who were on the title winning team, and they have all shown their determination in the way they have lead the rest of the squad throughout the competition. Now we will need to see the technical display that we know we can produce if we don't want to be going home. It was the knockout matches that really highlighted our skill and tactics last time, and we are confident that we can reproduce that sort of excellence this time around as well."

[The Sherpa Empire]

----o-֎-o----

Paolai just wanted the trip to be over. She didn't talk much at breakfast or lunch, or during the couple of hours that they spent looking around downtown in the morning. She cringed every time Slick J touched her. Even if there wasn't anything inappropriate about where he put his hands, it still made her skin crawl just because it was him. She was still too embarrassed to tell the others what had happened, but they seemed to know that something was amiss. Haoshou asked if she was okay, and she just said, "Yeah."

"You just don't seem like yourself," Haoshou persisted.

"I'm not feeling that great," Paolai admitted, but then she went right back to trying to sweep everything under the rug: "I think I drank too much last night."

"Ah, that sucks. I hate hangovers," said Haoshou.

After lunch, they went to the stadium and Saron went down to the edge of the pitch to say hi to Kumar. The coach had decided to start Salman Chatterjee instead of Kumar, but he was taking it in stride. He expected to make it to the round of 16 either way, he was still there if the team needed him, and life was still good.

Paolai came up beside them and asked Kumar if he would tell Jagdish she was sorry she had been so hard on him for his shyness and his terrible dancing. She was really just looking for an excuse to spend the evening with someone other than Slick J, and making amends with Jagdish was a handy excuse.

After a few minutes, the coach broke up the conversation and asked Kumar, "Are those the people that kept you out so late last night?"

Kumar didn't need to say anything because the answer was written all over his face.

Saron, Haoshou, and the players on the national football team were delighted when the Sherpa Empire beat Oscioru 3-2, securing a spot at the top of group B and advancing to the round of 16. They cheered, and they laughed at Yulha Lu's zany victory dance. For Paolai, it was unspeakably awkward because the further the team went into the playoffs, the longer she would be stuck with Slick J. Slick J could have easily made up some excuse to return to the Sherpa Empire, regardless of how the football team was doing, but he didn't seem inclined to do so. Paolai worried that he was waiting for a chance to make another pass at her.

Jagdish's coach had some misgivings about letting him and Paolai go off by themselves, but Jagdish promised quite earnestly that he would not get drunk or stay out too late, and the coach let him go. He had no problem accepting Paolai's apology. As they talked over dinner at a little diner, he said, "I think everyone says things sometimes that they wish they could take back, and it can't be easy trying to have a normal life when your dad is Slick J Wrongbaba."

"Slick J's not my father!" Paolai blurted out without thinking about who Jagdish might talk to, and whether word might get back to her friends or her family. It was only after the words were out of her mouth that she realized Jagdish was likely to tell Kumar, and then word would get around.

Jagdish looked confused. "But last night you said he was."

"I know, but he's not," said Paolai. "I just found out. That's why everything has been so weird today. Please don't tell my friends. I don't want to tell them until we get back to Nanchang."

"I don't get it," said Jagdish. "How do you go jetting off halfway around the world with someone thinking he's your dad and then he's not?"

Paolai buried her face in her hands, struggling to fight back tears. "I was stupid, okay?"

"I still don't get how..."

"Oh, I don't want to talk about it!"

"Okay..." said Jagdish. "I'm just really confused."

As promised, they didn't stay out very late. After dinner, Paolai dropped Jagdish off at his hotel and went back to hers. She went to Haoshou and Saron's room, where she found Haoshou curled up in front of the TV snacking on tea and cookies. Slick J dropped in to ask Paolai for the keys to the car they'd rented. "But you're not supposed to drive!" Paolai protested. "You failed the driving test!"

"I know how to drive!" Slick J said angrily. "And I paid for the car, so give me the damn keys!"

Paolai reluctantly gave him the keys, and Slick J stormed off, still fuming.

"What's his problem?" said Haoshou.

"You don't want to know."

Saron came in a while later, and they stayed up for a while watching TV. Eventually they got tired and went to bed. Slick J had not come back yet, but they assumed that he was just out partying somewhere and they expected him to be back when they woke up the next morning.

----o-֎-o----

[Mercedini]

Sporting World Cup MD3
Mercedini vs. Abanhfleft
@ FreedomCola Stadium - Borotia, Free Republics

Good afternoon and welcome back to Mercedini Sports Daily's coverage of the Sporting World Cup. We have reached the conclusion of the group stage with the third match of three being played today in the FreedomCola Stadium. As the group is only hosted by one stadium, the matches can't be played at the same time meaning there will be teams anxiously waiting for the result of the second game to see where they stand for their game. Mercedini hold the advantage with a point enough to send them through to the round of sixteen top of the table, while Abanhfleft need to take all three points if they are to make sure of their advancement to the knockout rounds. After all that, eyes will be on the game featuring Cosumar and Nagore with the Wyrmlings in action to potentially steal a knockout spot at the death. A win for Cosumar could see them through if Abanhfleft drop points against Mercedini, but let's see how it all played out in the stadium for the Young Eaglets' third and final group game.

Sporting World Cup: Surprise Win Sees Perfect Run

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FINAL SCORE

SWC | MD3

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MERCEDINI 3
Estograd 17', Ishnegorvic 66' (P), Kalmaa 74'
ABANHFLEFT 2
Cranford 43', Bakayoko 58'

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Borotia, Free Republics

The crowd in Borotia were treated to a five goal thriller in the first match of match day three as Mercedini completed a surprise prefect run in the group of death following a frantic 3-2 win over last eidtion's runners up Abanhfleft. To effectively eliminate La Flefta from the competition for the first time ever. It could be the first time that Abanhfleft has lost to anyone other than the eventual champions, but have hedged their bets on two nations with both Mercedini and Cosumar available to continue the Abanhfleft legacy. It was a topsy-turvy match with the lead switching hands no less than three times in the match, but the Young Eaglets held on to complete another perfect run at the tournament.

Mercedini didn't take long to break down the Abanhfleft defence as national team debutant Jean-Luc Estograd converted from close range with just a little more than 15 minutes on the clock. Vacek was sent down the wing with him and a Fleftic defender chasing the ball. He managed to float in a cross which was headed back along the face of goal be Mocca who was arriving at the time, and Estograd was there to head home from a couple of yards out to score a fifth unanswered goal in three matches for the Young Eaglets, they have been in great form since they went out to Baker Park in the quarter finals of the previous edition. Now the Eagles were back in form.

The first half was a close fight between the two teams with the wide pitch continuing to stretch the defence and allowing another open match to take place in Borotia. Abanhfleft got their goal they were after in the game with Angeline Cranford scoring the first goal Mercedini have conceded at these finals. With a clinical low shot from the edge of the box which Vorsini in the Mercedinian goal saw late due to the number of bodies in the way. Vosini looked visably annoyed at his defenders for now shutting down the move earlier, but Abanhfleft had been close a number of times before then and looked good value for their goal and struck at the perfect time with the half-time whistle only a couple of minutes away. The teams were locked at 1-1 at the teams went in for their half-time team talk, with the result as a whole benefitting Mercedini with their point.

Second half now, and teams were now going at it hard as Mercedini chased a perfect run while Abanhfleft chased the win they desperately needed. They put themselves in front for the first time in the game when Karamoko Bakayoko sped past the Mercedinian defence with a hypnotising dribbling move, which ended up with the Uranium City youngster rounding the goalkeeper and poking home from close range, meaning Mercedini were now also behind for the first time at the tournament. It was a tournament of firsts which was entertaining the Borotia crowd in the first of two matches of the day.

Mercedini knew they had the quality in them to earn a result out of this game, although they would have t leave themselves open for a counter attack from a rather formidable attacking trio that the Fleftic team had. The Young Eaglets got a break in the match when Vacek Jr flicked the ball up to the hand of Queen Yarnall, for the referee to spot and award a penalty. It was very cheap tactics for the Anglatian-born Mercedinian striker but the referee bought it, with midfielder Daniel Ishnegorvic guiding the ball to his left to tie the game up at two goals a piece. The action wasn't finished there as Cosneoltan-born Erik Kalmaa headed home from a corner to turn the game on it's head once again to pretty much send Abanhfleft home in what would've been seen as a surprise before the tournament began. Mercedini managed to hold on to record another perfect start to the campaign, three wins in three and safely through to the knockout rounds for a fourth successive edition.

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There we have it. Mercedini have made the perfect start to their campaign for a second title, knocking out highly fancied Abanhfleft n the process, but with fifteen other teams still in the hunt for that title it will be hard to say whether Mercedini have a chance of winning from this point. They will face Razenthuria tomorrow in the Round of 16 which will be a difficult one to call given the oppositions varied run of form up to this point. We hope you have your fingers crossed for the team as they play their fourth match, but there will also be other matches to watch with Togonistan vs. Baker Park being one to wet the appetites of football fans with the defending champions going up against the debutants who have had a perfect run up until now. Best of luck to our lads out there, from Borotia, goodnight!

[Togonistan]

SWC6: Togonistan U18 to face the reigning champions
By: Apikaila Madena

Passion. Thrill. Surprises. These are just a few words to describe the current Sporting World Cup going on in Free Republics. With three victories under our belt, Togonistan U18 team has been having a perfect run in the tournament so far. With overall goal ratio of 5:0, Togonistan won all the matches in their group stage using defensive playstyle, beating big sporting nation Ethane in their way along with Irwil and North Prarie.

Moving on to round of 16, Togonistan's next opponent will be the Commonwealth of Baker Park, current reigning champions. Baker Park has shown a decent, but not perfect run so far, making their way to the Round of 16 by beating Maryloupe at the late game. ''Baker Park is definitely a force to be reckoned with. They are going to be a tough nut to crack, but I'm sure if we play our cards right, we have a decent chance against them,'' Togonistani head coach Mareku Asau said during the pre-match interview.

According to football analytic Ali Falatele, the match between Togonistan and Baker Park is probably going to be quite a ping-pong. ''Baker Park is going to have a hard time against Togonistan, that's for sure. Judging by the way how they've played so far, the Commonwealth will probably try to make one or two changes in their offensive tactics. Main thing they would need to focus on is getting these short passes between Togonistani defense lines working. The way I see the match being played out is Baker Park playing with their lines pushed high, trying to find that hole in Togonistani defense and pop that ball into the net. Meanwhile Togonistan is probably going to stick to their usual defensive playstyle with 8 players in or near the penalty box, playing it out on counter-attacks by using either Menetua or Siosifa as their target man.''

With the match being played at Olden Stadium located in Nejax, Togonistan has also played their group stage matches there, which has led to speculations if the latter is going to have some sort of an ''home advantage'' there. ''I don't think the stadium is going to make that big of a change here. Like, we have been enjoying our time in Nejax and it is cool to see some of the local contingent showing their support to us and waving our flags in the city, but still, what matters is the way we and our opponents are going to play,'' Aleki Siosifa, captain of the Togonistani U18 squad said.

The match between Togonistan and Baker Park will start at 4 pm Togonistani time. Tgsports.tn will be hosting a live broadcast of the match with commentary by Eli Todulo and Mike Ahorangi.

[Free Republics]

This is your Round of 16 Cutoff, brought to you by RT&T! RT&T: Landline, Cellular and Fiber-optic

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Results

Cassadaigua 0–1 Krytak
Free Republics 0–1 Neo-Romanum*
Mercedini 0–1 Razenthuria
Alpine Union 5–1 North Prarie
The Sherpa Empire 0–1 United States of Devonta
Ravsol 3–2 Acronius
Sharktail 1–0 Cosumar
Togonistan 0–2 Commonwealth of Baker Park

*Scorinated by North Prarie

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Quarterfinals

Krytak vs Neo-Romanum @ IslandDome, Toakameau, Falatulu, Free Republics
Razenthuria vs Alpine Union @ FreedomCola Stadium, Borotia, Iodara, Free Republics
United States of Devonta vs Ravsol @ Olden Stadium, Falkamore, Nejax, Free Republics
Sharktail vs Commonwealth of Baker Park @ MilaneseDome, Wortana, Keronama, Free Republics

[Neo-Romanum]

Shock upset as Romans knock out the hosts in Reco
By Timotheus Victus

20 June 7526 AM/2018 AD

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Neo-Romanum achieved one of the shocks of the tournament as a brave performance led to them dumping hosts Free Republics out of their own tournament.

The question of who would make way for the returning Theodoros Karatzaina dominated conversation amongst Roman pundits over the last couple of days. Would it be Teom Ben Moshe who lost his place despite having set up four of the goals in the previous game, or Claudius Marcricus, who had bossed the centre of the park against Juvencus and scored a stunning goal? To the shock of many the answer was neither, Le Aquile boss Jerome Manambeys instead opting for a 4-3-3 formation instead of the usual 4-4-2 the goalless Nicholas Gepping making way Karatzaina to return, allowing him to play in a midfield three with Ben Moshe and Macricus. Adão de Cilpes played as the lone striker with Amastan Jabri and Hassan ibn Bakr either side of him on the wings.

The Young Romans faced an incredibly hostile atmosphere at the AllMartDome, the 88,000 seater stadium dominated by locals from the Republic of Jolarus with just a small but vocal contingent of traveling fans behind one of the goals.

The Romans played a conservative game, sitting back and allowing the Free Republics to attack them before breaking with pace, relying on the talent of their midfield triumvirate to play in de Cilpes and their pacy wingers. Jabri got in behind the Republican defence on one occasion early on but shot wastefully into the side netting when de Cilpes was waiting, unmarked, for the ball to be centred. For the rest of the first half Free Republics were dominant, Iospeh Niçart needing to stay sharp to stop two Norman Casares efforts from range and was out like a shot to collect the ball from the feet of Kalervo Peltola.

The Free Republics kept their dominance up in the second-half, Tim Freeh scuffing a shot into the palms of Niçart despite being unmarked from a free-kick and only a last ditch Walter Tzetzes block stopped Love Holm blasting them into the lead.

But the Romans were not dead and buried, reminding Free Republics of the threat they posed when Karatzaina crashed a free-kick against the bar sixty minutes in. The hat-trick hero against Juvencus was the winner again for the Romans, stroking in the winner midway through the second-half from a pass by Karatzaina, who had led a blistering counter-attack.

Casares volleyed over from five yards and Niçart made a smart save at his near post from Denes Polak's shot and a excellent stop from a Peltola header late on as the hosts pushed desperately for a late equaliser but it just wasn't to be. There were scenes of elation on the away bench at the final whistle while the home team collapsed onto the deck with devastation.

Onwards and upwards for the Eagles, who move on to the island of Falatulu where they will meet Krytak at the IslandDome in Toakameau for a place in the semi-finals.

Roman U18 boss Jerome Manambeys: "I'll admit that I wasn't expecting that! It's a fantastic performance from us and we showed real spirit and character out there on the pitch. The atmosphere was electric and at times we were under some real pressure and did fantastic to hold on. The change [from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3] was something that I had been thinking on after the last game and how well Claud had done. He had played so well, but Theo was back too and Teom was doing well. It was such a hard choice I thought, why not let them all play and see what they can do."

[Union of Socialist Alpine Republics]

GAZETA
POMORSKA

The Alpine Union stuns North Prarie in the round of 16!

Toakameau, Falatulu, Free Republics - (NAP) On the final day of the group stage, the Alpines had to play against Darmen, who underperformed in this Sporting World Cup. The Bisons barely beat Darmen, thanks to goals from Wladyslaw Kaczorowski (2), Zvomimir Kordic and Grzegorz Wolsztynski. It's Wolsztynski's 2nd goal in the tournament, he also scored on MD 1 against Maryloupe. Sandrine Fontaine had two assists in the game and has now 1 goal and 3 assists in the tournament. The Reprezentacja Alpejski finished 2st in group G with 3 wins in 3 games, all of them by one point.

The Reprezentacja Alpejski had then to travel to the Falatulu islands, a popular destination for Alpine spring breakers, to play against North Prarie. We have some information from the Alpine Football Association (AFA) that the team imposed a curfew to prevent players from partying in Toakameau. Alpine players were instructed to come back at the hotel before 9 pm local time. Between 11pm and midnight, the coaches did a room tour and knocked on each door. Two players didn't respond and were immediately suspended by the team. They came back at the hotel in the mornning when the team was leaving to the training pitch and pretended they spent the full night in their room, but the coaches knew they were lying. These players are roommates Ryder Koniarczyk and A.J. Woszczynski and both players didn't dress for the game against North Prarie.

The alpines attacked at the 4th minute when Vjekoslav Krklec passed the ball to Sandrine Fontaine who passed on the side to Grzegorz Wolsztynski who dribbled with the ball and made a short pass to Zvonimir Kordic just outside the penalty area. Jon Rademacher pushes him and the Bisons gets a free kick. Sandrine Fontaine takes the free kick, she shoots past the wall and the ball is in, the Alpine Union is leading 1-0! The Alpine Union attacked again at the 28th minute when Ballou Béland-Hamel passed to Nico Windmüller who dribbled and passed to Sandrine Fontaine. Fontaine made a header pass to Zvonimir Kordic who heads the ball into the net, 2-0 Bisons! The play restart at the face off circle, Bradley Francis passes the ball to Noah Kohl who passes to Théo De Laurentine. Théo De Laurentine tries to pass to Casmir Colbert but Zvonimir Kordic steals the pass and passes to Wladyslaw Kaczorowski who dribbles and shoots. He scores and the Alpines are leading 3-0 at the halftime!

To start the 2nd half, Zvonimir Kordic subs out and he's replaced with Arkadiusz Krzykowski, a 16 years old central defender. The Alpines are using a 5-4-1 formation. North Prarie are attacking at the 62nd minute when Jezza Cowden passed the ball to Noah Kohl who dribbled with the ball and made a cross to Bradley Francis. Bradley Francis shoots but the ball goes over the net, it's a goal kick. Radoslaw Kazimierczak kicks the ball, Sandrine Fontaine and Kyler Kunkle both jumps. Finally the ball hits Fontaine's forehead and she headed the ball to Nico Windmüller who dribbles with the ball. He kicks it and the ball is in, 4-0 Reprezentacja Alpejski! North Prarie attacked again at the 77th minute when Coby Katsner passed the ball to Noah Kohl who passed back to Coby Katsner who dribbled with the ball and made a cross to Nathan Vollan, who subbed in at the 69th minute. Vollan shoots, Radoslaw Kazimierczak makes the save but doesn't controls the ball. Casmir Colbert comes in and kick the loose ball in an almost empty net. The Alpines are leading 4-1. North Prarie is attacking again at the 90 +1 minute when Jezza Cowden passed the ball to Casmir Colbert who dribbled with the ball but he's tackled by Kacper Pietrzkiewicz. It was a great defensive play by Kacper Pietrzkiewicz! Maoldònaich Ó Néill takes the loose ball and made a long pass to Sandrine Fontaine who dribbles and shoots from 40 meters in an empty net! Goalkeeper Kiaran Christensen wasn't in his goal as he was supporting the attack, and the score is 5-1 Alpine Union, this is the final score!

The Alpine Union stuns North Prarie 5-1 and will play against Razenthuria at the Unfreedom Cola Stadium in Borotia, Iodara, Free Republics. Razenthuria is a pretty good team that shouldn't be taken too lightly. They beat Mercedini, one of the favorites, 1-0 in the round of 16. Now all three teams from the group of death - Mercedini, Cosumar and Abanhfleft - are gone while the Alpine Union and the Commonwealth of Baker Park from group G are still alive. Neo-Romanum and the Commonwealth of Baker Park are now the favorites to play each other in the Sporting World Cup Final. Unless the Alpine Union can beat both Razenthuria and Neo-Romanum but it will be a hard task. Sources comfirms that Ryder Koniarczyk and A.J. Woszczynski are both suspended by the Alpine Football Association (AFA) for the remainder of the Sporting World Cup 6 for their bad behaviour in the Falatulu Islands. Wladyslaw Kaczorowski is now the leading goalscorer with 4 goals. Sandrine Fontaine has now 3 goals and 5 assists in the tournament.

BOXSCORE
4th minute: Sandrine Fontaine (free kick)
28th minute: Zvonimir Kordic assisted by Sandrine Fontaine
29th minute: Wladyslaw Kaczorowski assisted by Zvonimir Kordic
62nd minute: Nico Windmüller assisted by Sandrine Fontaine
77th minute: Casmir Colbert unassisted
90 +1 minute: Sandrine Fontaine assisted by Maoldònaich Ó Néill

YELLOW CARDS
Alpine Union: Maoldònaich Ó Néill
North Prarie: Coby Katsner

RED CARDS
Alpine Union: None
North Prarie: None

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Daily 2018
Emotions at the fore as BP advance
by Fiona Devlin
Staff Soccer Writer

The Commonwealth U18 National team took the opportunity at the Olden Stadium in Falkamore to show that they had the fire to defend their trophy here at the Sporting World Cup 6 in the Free Republics. Their 2-0 victory over Togonistan in the Round of 16 here was an exhibition that should be stashed away in a video vault; our descendants 50 years from now should be able to see what the FAC's vision of "total football" looked liked, as practiced by it's first full generation that has been schooled exclusively in the high tempo, technical style that was instituted 7 years ago.

Desmond Garvey and Lars Putnam scored the goals on each side of the halftime break to provide all of the offense that the Commonwealth would need on this evening, and Kelsey Vickers had a second straight clean sheet as the Bees looked for much of the match as though they were on a full speed training exercise.

Manager Zoe Montgomery couldn't contain her delight after the match, which saw BP outshoot Togonistan 11-2. "Can we just phone this result in for the rest of the matches? I'm still really not sure what I just watched. The scouting we had on them said they played very tight at the back. A lot of their defensive play was solid blocks, which is nothing we're not used to seeing. Even in the dressing room, we told our team to not push too hard, to play back and reset if there was nothing opening up. I guess the starters had some other idea of how to go about playing. (laughter)

U18 Co-captain Lainey Wadsworth--who assisted on both of the goals--explained about how the ideas the coaching staff had about the gameplan diverged from the players view. "Darf (D Darren Flowers, the other co-captain) and AW (D Alan Wiseman) tried to keep me from having a faceoff with the rest of the squad, and finally after about an hour and half they talked me down. But I said to them that Sam and Sami (the previous co-captains Sam Harrison and Samantha Bradley) would've taken this over right now."

Following the last training session prior to the match, Wadsworth and Flowers asked the coaching staff for 10 minutes for a players-only dressing room talk.

"I had to let D go first, because I knew I would just scare everyone with I wanted to say", Wadsworth continued the story with a smile. "He talked about how proud we (the returning players) were of everyone. But we were in a different place now. It would take everything to advance. AW went next. He was Sam's roommate last time and he's Darf's roommate now, and he could've been captain just as easily as any of us. He talked about concentration. Finally it was my turn, and of course I just started raving about everything. Playing for our shirt, having the pride of what last year's team and the team from the World Cup should mean. And how we were a Golden Generation. It was up to us to play and show our country and everyone else that we weren't a one hit wonder. That was about the time D jumped up and AW kind of grabbed me and sat me back down."

As to the match itself, it was both a clinical exercise and a cathartic release; the final stats showed that BP had 62% of possession, with 84% of their 579 passes successful. They dominated the match for large parts of both halves and one never really got a feeling that Togonistan was going to challenge.

Montgomery seemed to be a bit in awe of her starting XI. "At half I didn't even want to say anything, because it was like they were playing in some zone that I didn't have anything to do with. Even when I started talking with Darren (Kirby, assistant manager) about subs and changes he just looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. He said, if one them looks tired or a step slow, take them off. But not until then."

The team will move onto the quarterfinals for the second straight year, and will face Sharktail, who won Group F, at the MilaneseDome in Wortana. Montgomery didn't want to even be drawn on a comment. "I'm not even sure if we'll be having training when we get there. (laughter) We might just swim in the pool and show up at the stadium." (more laughter)

[Free Republics]

This is your Quarterfinals Cutoff, brought to you by FreedomCola. FreedomCola: Savor the Taste of Freedom!

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Results

Krytak 0–4 Neo-Romanum
Razenthuria 1–1 Alpine Union (2–1 AET)
United States of Devonta 2–2 Ravsol (2–2 AET) (3–4 pen.)
Sharktail 3–2 Commonwealth of Baker Park

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Semifinals

Neo-Romanum vs Razenthuria @ Olympic Stadium, Baseton, Amolotopia, Free Republics
Ravsol vs Sharktail @ Soccer Palace, Petrograd, Plymouth, Free Republics

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Baker Park knocked out in quarters at SWC 6

by Oliver Stanley
The Post Soccer Correspondent

Wortana, Keronama--At the final whistle, the pain and disappointment was evident on the faces of the Under 18 National Team's players who were on the pitch. A hard fought match was not enough to see the side through to the semi finals after Sharktail held on for a 3-2 victory here at the MilaneseDome.

Manager Zoe Montgomery would not allow herself to use any description of the team's performance that came across as negative. "I'm so proud of these guys and girls. They played with their emotions on their sleeves for the whole 90, and they were just beat by a better eleven tonight. I give full praise to the Sharktail side, they played excellent soccer and deserved the win. I appreciate that their coach made a point to speak to all of our players afterwards. We were the feel good story last time, and we understood that we would get the best performance of every side we faced. But I wouldn't characterize this as a failure at all, just as I don't think the staff from last year would've viewed an exit at the last 8 as a failure. People know who we are as a nation in this sport now, and you can sense the respect that other countries give us. Not deferential, or awe struck, but the knowledge that we aren't just showing up to make up numbers. We have a fantastic core of players coming through, and the 18 year olds here are going to be pushed through into bigger and better things. As a coach, I'm excited for the next 3 to 4 years for our national team set up."

[Sharktail]

The sharktalian News

Sharkil U-18 close to play in the final after defeat baker park 3-2 in quarter final. The player give their best performance and never give up until the match end.Sharkeil U-18 striker,Sumareh scored his 6th gaol in Sporting world cup.

"It was very amazing for us to face former champion.This match really hard but we believe we can do it and now we win.The person who make us success is captain,Badhri.He motivate us to play relaxed and play for our country".

Sharktail U-18 coach Carol was really proud with her player.

" My player listen and do what I want and they win.We never think to go this far and it was a bonuses for the team.About the title, it not my target and if my player reach the final,it was really amazing".

[Neo-Romanum]

England football fans arrested in Amsterdam after violent clashes
By Callinicus Zimisces

20 June 7526 AM/2018 AD

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More than 100 Roman football fans were arrested in Londinium in the early hours of Wednesday morning after violent clashes with the police.

A Londinium police force statement said the "drunken" fans, after watching the Rome's victory over Free Republics in the last 16 of the Sporting World Cup, had thrown bottles and chairs at officers and caused havoc on the streets.

Bar owners from all over the city had been in contact with the authorities during the match reporting incidents and many Roman fans were evicted from the premises and more than 20 were arrested.

After the match pubs closed quickly and the drunken football fans wandered onto the street. Enraged at the early closures of businesses supplying alcohol things became heated and some properties were vandalised. The police arrived soon after, corraling the fans away from bars and using water cannons. Fans responded by throwing chairs and bottles at the them. As of today 143 arrests have been made.

The police have announced stricter meeasures for Neo-Romanum's upcoming game againt Krytak.

[Free Republics]

This is your Semifinals Cutoff, brought to you by Trudeau Firearms Company! Trudeau: The Gun You Can Trust to Keep You Safe!

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Results

Neo-Romanum 0–1 Razenthuria
Ravsol 2–4 Sharktail

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Third Place Playoff (Scorinated in approximately 24 hours)

Neo-Romanum vs Ravsol @ AllMartDome, Reco, Jolarus, Free Republics

Final (Scorinated in approximately 48 hours)

Razenthuria vs Sharktail @ Gem of the Oceans Stadium, Republica, Free Republics

[Free Republics]

This is your 3rd Place Playoff Cutoff, brought to you by BearOil! BearOil: Fueling your life!

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Results

Neo-Romanum 0–0 Ravsol (1–0 AET)

The final will be scorinated in approximately 22-23 hours.

[Free Republics]

This is your Final Cutoff, brought to you by Olden Automobile Company! Olden Automobile Company: Our Cars Stand the Test of Time!

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Result

Razenthuria 1–0 Sharktail

Congrats to Razenthuria, commiserations to Sharktail and thanks to everybody who participated.

[Neo-Romanum]

Congrats to Razenthuria, anyone who can beat the mighty Romans is a worthy winner. Have been away over the past few days so just posting my match reports.

Romans demolish Krytak to stride into the semi-finals
By Timotheus Victus

20 June 7526 AM/2018 AD

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The Roman fairy tale goes on as Neo-Romanum thumps Krytak 4-0 to put them just one win away from the final in their Sporting World Cup debut.

The team flew back down south following their victory against the hosts in Reco in the central part of the Free Republics, basing themselves in a small village just outside of Falatulu and moving into the IslandDome for training.

The match practice on the stadium's pitch seemed to have been good preparation as the Romans seemed utterly comfortable on what can be a challenging surface to play on, looking far more at ease than their opponents from Osiris. The Romans took the lead just three minutes into the match when Amastan Jabri coolly finished from inside the area and never looked back.

This was a leaky defence and the Romans knew it. The Sherpa Empire had put five goals past Krytak during the group stages and sought to mimic their strategy, pressing Krytak's defence high up the pitch and putting their players under immense pressure at the back. This paid dividends twenty minutes in when Theodoros Karatzaina intercepted a lax backpass before rounding the goalkeeper and tapping Rome into a two-goal lead. It was 3-0 before half-time when Adão de Cilpes was tripped in the area and picked himself up to slam home the resulting penalty.

Kryak offering very little threat, Iospeh Niçart would have been better bringing a book to read than his gloves as he was hardly called upon, touching the ball and grand total of eight times. The Romans were very comfortable in possession, racking up a stunning 82% of the ball in the second half, passing it about the middle and keeping the ball seeking to not overexert themselves for a crucial semi-final up next.

Late on Kostas Kritikos completed the rout, sliding in Dulcitius Zonoras' inch-perfect cross to make it four goals to nil.

A pretty much perfect performance from the Young Eagles as they eased into the semi-finals where they will face Razenthuria at the Olympic Stadium in Baseton, Amolotopia. A strong challenge awaits them but this side looks full of confidence and right now the sky is the limit.

Roman U18 boss Jerome Manambeys: "Another performance where they just leave me so proud and so happy. The boys were expected to fall at the group stage and look where we are now. For us the semi-final is just another game, we are trying not to think about the stature of it. Whether we win or lose there will be another game, our tournament is not over. So we are just taking each game as they go and hoping for a good performance and a good result. See you in Baseton."