Di Bradini Cup 43/U21WC64 (Everything Thread)

by **The South Falls** » Wed Jul 04, 2018 8:53 am

South Fallsians 0, Savojarna, 3

By C.A. Verkov

Valanora
The South Falls played its second group stage match in the 43rd Di Bradini Cup today. Faced with a tried and tested Savojarn team, The South Falls collapsed once again, with a 3-0 loss. This makes two international losses in a row. With 0 points in the group, and thirteen goals behind, the South Falls are effectively eliminated from the DI Bradini Cup with this loss. For the entire game, it seemed like the Savojarn outplayed, outsmarted, and outmaneuvered the South Fallsians.

Starting from the beginning of the game, the South Fallsians abandoned their pre-game fall, and tried their very best to remain standing for the national anthem without anger over their last game performance. With Peterson of Savojarna stripping the ball from Bradi Deptona, the South Fallsian side moved upward, but had their efforts canceled by a pass to Jashkin. That pass resulted in Jashkin missing Velerk’s slide tackle. Ruriksson, of the Savojarn side then headed the ball in. The play was extremely disappointing, and The South Falls headed into halftime 1-0, “still hoping to pull through and score”, according to striker Dervish.

Out of the gate from the 45th minute, the Savojarn players became, frankly, cocky. They tried to move the ball in sloppier and sloppier ways. When Grouper McAllister outmaneuvered Loesth, and crossed the ball to Dervish, who was about 13 yards out. His kick was barely deflected by Eremenko sliding in, and that was the last goal shot for the South Fallsians.

The discipline of the team was again lacking, with Miakis holding Jacobsen back from the ball. He was awarded a yellow card, an Morten Poulsen kicked his penalty shot, the ball burying itself in the back of the net.

The third and final blow came late in the game, with Baldvinsson managing a shot to Jashkin, who curved the shot, so it was out of the hands of the South Fallsian goalie.

This South Fallsian team just might be the worst team ever to play for the South Falls. Combining weak defense with an offence that is almost incapable of putting the ball in the goalie’s box, not to mention actually scoring in a standard game. The goalie is much too short to properly play the position, and the midfielding is boring, tepid and unimaginative, with players seeming to just shuffle around in the place of running for the ball. The South Fallsian team needs to make changes to its lineup, and it's basic playing style, if they have any hope of succeeding in the next Di Bradini Cup.

The South Falls has been let down, and humiliated by its players. The South Falls can definitely do better in the world of soccer. The South Falls is not technically out, but they are out ‘de facto’, as they will have to win, with a 12 goal margin to be able to advance out of group stage. Let this loss be a lesson to all on the national team. These players cannot go onto the world cup stage, as they have not been able to prove themselves here.

The South Falls changes lineup, manager retires

By Dar’etz Markinski

Valanora
Following Tuesday’s humiliating loss to Savojarna, the South Falls has announced not only changes to it's roster, and formation, but the retirement of coach Varrbarrov. The new formation will be a permanent revert to the 4-5-1 defensive, and while the team’s offensive playing style may not allow this to be a smooth transition, it is required for anything to be done against offensive teams. Mapletish’s strategy has been extensively reviewed by the South Falls, according to the Grand Dame. Offensively, the South Fallsian team is trying to become more retreatist here, and focus more on stopping the Mapletish offense.

The new 4-5-1 formation is designed, according to Varrbarrov, to be one that combines defense with one striker that is able to kick, whenever they get a chance. They’re trying disallow the type of destruction that their defense took at the hands of Savojarna and Cassadaigua. The formation has not been used by any team at this tournament, and may be a shock to teams with more forwards. Criticism from fans, sports writers, and ordinary people that their 4-3-3 “total soccer” formation is outdated has almost mandated that they change. They’re also replacing F. Dan Orraliev with the already carded Barry Rios, because of his poor performance in the last two games.

The shoring up of the South Fallsian defense is required if they are to beat Mapletish by the 13-18 goals needed to advance from group stage. Their poor defense in prior games has been one of the main reasons for both of their quite humiliating defeats. Another substitution on the defensive end is Carrie Page, a former starting center-right back. She will be replacing Likerski Bi’n’oon’i in the massively important role.

More changes are to come at midfield. Paula Randzott is to replace the short Tanya Bennett, whos temper cost them a penalty kick against Cassadaigua. The offensive midfield is to remain the same, with Georges De Ramos and Bradi Deptona remaining as “forward midfielders”. Dervish is to remain as striker, even with his poor performance last game. The South Fallsian team is also trying to rein in the discipline, trying to stop the rampant punching, kicking, and other infractions that carded and ‘redded’ the South Fallsian team in the last two games.

In other news, manager Leon de Zaretsky, leading the team since January, has announcing his retirement. This most likely stems from the poor performance of his team. The team will then be solely managed by “The Grand Dame Larenni”. There are rumors that he was truly fired from the team, but he says once the cycle of these games are over, he will be retiring from the sport.

by **Filindostan** » Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:13 am

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FOOTBALL: DI BRADINI CUP 43
Who will make it to the Senior squad for the Campionato?

LONGVIEW, VALANORA - With Filindostani media propagating rumors that the coaching staff may experiment and bring a youthful squad to the 22nd Campionato Esportiva, the players in the Under-21 squad will take the current Di Bradini Cup tournament as means of an audition with their hopes of making it to the Pula Garudas squad going into the 22nd edition of Esportiva's premier regional tournament, which may be held in Damukuni and the Golden Lotus (provided they win the hosting rights for the tournament). The FSNA Berita Filindo will take a look on their chances of making it to the senior squad.

Goalkeepers - With the current crop of goalkeepers at Twilight Striker's side, every media outlet would say 'better luck next time' to any of the Under-21 goalkeepers Berna currently has. Jesy has not seen playing time at this tournament, despite being in the Under-21 team for this and the last editions of the tournament. With the depth of the goalkeepers in the senior squad, Jesy might accept the fact that she may not be up for inclusion in the squad selections, let alone be get capped. The same cannot be said for Cahya. with probably one more year for her to prove her worth (and already a cap to her name), she will look to dislodge either Abram or Tonyo in the pecking order once she proves that her move to Locomotiva San Marco will propel her to senior squad selection. For now, she is a lock to the qualifying squad, should four keepers will be taken consideration. Sriwidadi will have few more years to make his case, 17, and already a backup for Tonyo at Fortunas, it will look difficult where will he get playing time - rumors are he will be on loan to a FNL side to develop his game further.

Defenders - Right back is the most vulnerable position for the Pula Garudas, with Leomarie and Graci failing to convince pundits and fans alike that they are suitable heirs to the late Enzo. The problem is neither SG nor Dekker provided a future solution, as the latter showed in the 0-0 draw against Maryloupe. Maybe they can do is put Domo at right back, and let MMM, Edna, or even Juanda to take the right midfield position she had for the past tournaments. For left-back, it will be nigh impossible at the moment for Chanchan or even Tobias to dislodge the ever-energetic Casimir, and Mila Khalifa is still a serviceable left side player. Fans will get a feeling that Alex Jampang's days as a regular NT player are numbered, and is the most likely center-back to miss out of the squad selection. The reason? Not because of an Under-21 player maybe taking his place, but the Equestrian may only bring three natural centerbacks to the tournament, with Casimir having a possibility of starting at center of the defense along with Dina or Buknoy. But hey, Johnpaul played spectacularly, saving his team from complete disaster against Maryloupe.

Midfielders - We have a problem at right midfield. It's damn stacked. But with Domo maybe reaching the twilight of her international career already, MMM is set to take the reins at that spot, with either Edna or Juanda (Kartio's twin) taking the other spot, with the vice captain probably sliding to right back or may be cut altogether from the squad. Will the speedy Juanda, who already impressed the coaching staff in her two matches, may get the spot over Edna, who can play central midfield, and take one of the central midfield spots, but that may take taking one centerback or strikers spot from the squad because there is no way that Twilight Striker would drop any of the four CM's she selected in the Cup of Harmony where they reached the quarterfinal stage. At left midfield however, Zemira Zai may also lose her spot, with Hasna ready to reclaim the spot she last held at the 20th Campionato (as a reserve).

Forwards - Ina has already claimed a spot in the senior squad, dislodging Fizzy. However, she has not scored any goals this edition, and she must perform well against Razenthuria, to increase her chances of keeping a spot in the squad coming into the Campionato. Along with young, hungry strikers, The four are already set to be featuring in squad selections in the years to come. Shai may also hope to challenge, but it seems really less likely.

Most of the Under-21 players in this squad will not stand a chance of making it to the airplane going tentatively to Damukuni or The Golden Lotus, but time will tell whether they will be good enough once the holdvers hung up their boots and a squad spot opens up.

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Written by FSNA Staff.

by **Cassadaigua** » Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:56 am

“Brooke, I wish I could play more.” Rachel Schanke told her teammate, Brooke Sutter. “I have gotten in seventeen minutes of one game thus far. I’m bored.”

“Well, at least you were able to be on the field against Mapletish,” replied Sutter, who was not eligible to play against Mapletish due to the red card she had sustained against The South Falls, “but it was worth it. I think we all realize that.”

“Would it be wrong for me to have my grandma complain to Taylor Connolly (the president of CASE, and an ex-teammate of the elder Schanke)? It would seem to not be the right thing to do, because I want to earn my playing time. But I know I help this team more.” Rachel asked.

“I think if you did that, Grandma Jess will tell you that you have to earn it and refuse to talk to Taylor. You know that’s not the way to go about it.” Sutter answered, to Schanke’s reluctant agreement.

“Ashley (Dahlin) hardly talks to me. She’s done good and all, but I wonder if she sees my presence on the team as intimidating to her?” Schanke asked.

“Rachel, I can’t speak for Ashley, but she was awesome against The South Falls. Not as much against Mapletish, but she has earned her spot and then some. I think, and I know this all stems from the Sporting World Cup, that you are making too big a deal of your role on the team. I know players like Preston Newfeld were really hard on you, but remember, we really aren’t thinking about that. People just hang out with the people they know, after all look at me and you.” Brooke replied.

“Yeah, I guess. So what are you up too?” Rachel asked.

“Well, coach has banned us all from Spacebook, which sucks. So no Spacebook chats, which kinda stinks, but whatever. Our esteemed captain Jessica Robinson isn’t doing a player blog, and I kinda wanted to do that, but I guess I do not have much more exciting things to say.” Brooke replied.

“Oh, come on!” Rachel pleaded.

“Nah, look. This group is tough. Our groupmates are posting these enormous press releases while we struggle with writers block. I need something to write about!” Brooke replied.

“How about a story about an entitled nine-year old child who thinks she’s top shit, moreso because her parents, and especially her mother are extremely egotistical, but then the child meets a professional athlete at a sporting tournament and realizes that there are more important things out there then being rich.” Rachel suggested.

“Nah. Such a story would bore people who read this stuff so much that they’ll immediately pray the next thing they read is a match recap.” Brooke answered.

“True, true. Since we are banned from Spacebook, how about we post a pretend spacebook chat made up of fictional soccer players?” Rachel suggested.

“Interesting, but no.” Brooke declined.

“Ok how about this if someone wants soccer analysis. Who’s really better in soccer: Valanora or Pasarga? Good solid comparison between a couple of nations. Good contrast in playing styles, with the aging but never old Vanorian players against consistent Di Bradini powerhouse in Pasarga.” Rachel suggested.

“Pasarga, obviously. Good idea, but I don’t have time to sit down and write about it. I have to study game film. By the way, do you know a Savorjana news source said that we were the group favorites?” Brooke asked.

Rachel laughed, “Yeah, they must not have been watching last time!”

by **Kita-Hinode** » Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:44 pm

DI BRADINI CUP 43 / UNDER-21 WORLD CUP 64
Focus on the university league proves too much, Hinodejin fail to beat the Romans
Kagoname points to lack of focus and overloaded calendar, admits failure to take chances at the game

RAYNOR CITY - Having won the first game, the Hinodejin did have high spirits over a possibly better participation over last cycle's fourth-place finish. However, they didn't expect to find themselves on the lower end of a score, having been beaten by the surprising Neo Romanus side that now leads the group. In a performance that clearly missed the mark, the Speed-o-Sound Sonics failed to capitalize, especially after the Romans found themselves with a man down. Hinodejin players chose to point out that the refereeing was very uneven, as in their opponents were clearly able to get away with way more than they should just to serve as a counterpoint to an early red. Nohara was exceptionally angry over the entire game, calling them names and taking severe offence from one Trandafir, summing him up with "got away with hell all and an assist that was offside, give me ten minutes with the bastard and I'll send him in a body bag".

Kagoname, as the manager, chose to instead note that the team wasn't exactly in the greatest of shapes. "We're still worried over our own league. As soon as we're done here, we have playoffs to play and it's clear there's some sincere animosity between some of our players. If we fail to get through the group, while a shame for the sport as a whole, you can be certain that it's more on the needlessly rushed calendar we're having this year than our team's poor effort in this match." He additionally conceded that giving away his team for the match wasn't the brightest of moves, citing "it was a nice gesture that they took advantage on", noting that this won't happen again.

As is, the Empire still has a chance of going through, as long as they knock out Anthor next match. While a fair situation, the team as a whole still believes that they should've been able to win and guarantee a safe first place for the tournament's playoffs.

"The Cup is not to be won, but to be enjoyed", says scout

RAIMUNEJIMA - Anyone that ever visits the apartment of Ganryu Matsudaira smack dab in the middle of Jolteon Heights, a middle-class neighbourhood of Raimunejima is certain of one thing: the man is undeniably focused on football. Ganryu, age 47, spends his days either in his office, checking football matches of all levels, focused mostly on the Hinodejin realm and on Esportivan/Futurnian leagues and trips all across the realm. He happens to be one of the 500 Imperial Hinodejin Football Association registered scouts, hired in an effort to nurture possible stars and players that are performing pretty well yet don't get a shot with the big Hinodejin sides. When asked about his job, Ganryu shows a lot of humour, calling his job "at times, it's either the greatest thing in the world for someone with insomnia or the greatest job in the history of this sport".

Of course, as we run an interview, we did happen to catch Hinode's second game in the group round. Instead of anger, Ganryu seemed fairly focused, giving quips every once in a while. After the game, he simply summed up that "they lacked the effort" and "it's clear they're focused on that damned game at Banija to care about a Cup they can play at least two more times". At last, he did, however, deliver a final line: "The Cup is not to be won, but to be enjoyed". He noted that while pointing to a very upset Matsumono-Gide talking to reporters, commenting that "by history, we won this tournament twice, yet there's much more to be won in finding the stars than just finding one star to put above your crest". Fairly inspirational... except he then had to turn the television to a game between high schools, saying that "if I don't watch this one and prepare three scripts of it, they'll take my license".

by **Mercedini** » Wed Jul 04, 2018 2:51 pm

Di Bradini Cup MD2
North Prarie vs. Mercedini
@ The White Fortress - Gladerial, Valanora

Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Valanora for the second match of the 43rd Di Bradini Cup in association with the Starblaydia Football Association. The Eaglets have work to do in their final two game following their narrow defeat in their first game. They can start their bounce back in they can beat North Prarie here in Gladerial before they finish their group stage campaign against GVH before the Eagles know where they stand in the table. The top two qualify for the Round of 16 which means their destiny are firmly in their hands should they ignite their tournament with a win today. So, let's see whether the blue and black could overcome North Prarie to take their tournament to an all-important third group game.

Di Bradini Cup: GVH Awaits In Make-Or-Break Decider

FINAL SCORE
DBC | MD2
NORTH PRARIE 0
MERCEDINI 2
Markus 16', Di Sansev 44'
Gladerial, Valanora

Mercedini bounced back from their disappointing defeat in their opening game to record their first victory at this tournament with a comprehensive 2-0 victory over North Prarie to send the Eaglets up to second place with one game left to play. A spectacular performance from the Mercedinian U21s in the first half all but put the game out of sight for the Eaglets, before keeping the Prarie attack at bay for the second half to record not only a win, but a clean sheet as well, something which they can use as a base which they can propel their campaign on.

It was a cool evening at The White Fortress in Gladerial with the Mercedinian fans now becoming accustom to the city, the stadium and its surroundings as Gladerial hosts the second consecutive Mercedinian match. North Prarie were a dangerous unknown coming into the match with the team earning a point in their opening 0-0 draw in a match which was severely limited when showcasing what both teams had to offer. Mercedini went into the match knowing a win would almost certainly keep them in the race, overtaking North Prarie and potentially GVH if Pasarga beat them in the other match of the group. There was plenty to play for, and that was reflected in the strong line-ups that both teams were fielding.

The Eaglets came out of the blocks fast at the start of the first half, eager to kick start their campaign after their close duel with Pasarga in the previous match ended in defeat. Spartoni and Graszeszak led from the front and carved out chances for themselves and the arriving wingers who were providing plenty of support which varied from: holding the play up to feeding through dangerous balls for the front pairing to latch on to. Expectations were somewhat high for the team, especially given that the senior team went all the way in the previous Cup of Harmony.

The Eaglets got off to the perfect start to the match when tournament captain Johnny Markus netted from a well saved shot from the North Prarie goalkeeper. It was a counter attack which was originally held up by Nilevian as he allowed more teammates to get forward to continue the attack. Nilevian fed the ball through to Spartoni who was bounding in the box with him and a defender jostling for position with the ball. The Rosenpfelblatz North End striker managed to get a shot off was the defender was bringing him down, but the ball was well parried by Martin Bell in the opposition net. Unfortunately, the ball was parried into empty territory in the box with multiple players running towards the ball from many different angles. Markus was the first to arrive and lashed at the shot towards goal, it took a wicked deflection before bouncing awkwardly into the net to open the scoring just after the quarter hour mark. Mercedini had lift off, but just how far could they go with their recently acquired lead?

The answer to that question didn't take long to answer as the Eaglets went forward to find another goal to acquire a sizable cushion between themselves and their opponent in the game. Graeszeszak had been slightly isolated on the left hand side which allowed Spartoni and Nileivan to find a bond with each other down the wind, with Trevansek highlighting the right hand side of the North Prarie defence as the weak spot to target throughout the game, although the opposition were wising up to that tactic and opted to change around the defensive line-up on the pitch as time went on. However, the Eaglets were getting closer to the goal they wanted to all but see the game out in the first forty-five minutes.

Trevansek and his youngsters got their wish as youth starlet Thomas Di Sansev wrote another chapter in his already glittering career with a goal just before half-time which would all but wrap up the match in favour of the Mercedinians. It came from a corner which was whipped in by Nilevian who had been in the thick of it for most of the first half. It was punched to safety but the Eastern Stars winger collected the ball only to float in another cross which was met by Di Sansev who flicked the header before bouncing into the roof of the net, bouncing over the man on the post in the process. It was a great way to bookend the first half as Mercedini went in as 2-0 leaders.

After a short interval, the players were back on the pitch for the second half with the Eaglets in full control of the match, all they needed to do was to shot out their opposition and they were on their way to a three point haul. Trevansek switched tactics entirely for the second half as they parked the proverbial bus to see out the match. A freak goal would be allowed by the team as they would still hold onto the lead, but the team would try and limit the possibility of that happening to as close to zero as possible.

It was clear that Bradley Francis was the standout player on the North Prarie roster as he was faceting chances left, right and centre for his team as he tried to get them back within touching distance of their opposition, but the Mercedinian defence was holding firm as the balls flew into the Mercedinian box, the clock was ticking down and adding to the Mercedinian belief that they could take home the win and kick start their campaign. Chances were few and far between in the second half, so it was unsurprising when the final whistle was met with silent apathy as the Mercedinians celebrated their first points of the tournament and now take a big step into wrapping up second place in the group with Pasarga now far and away the group favourite. Mercedini leap into second with a 2-0 win in Gladerial

The group stages will draw to a close when Mercedini face Greater Vakolicci Haven in their final match, a win will certainly them see them through while a draw will mean the rely on Pasarga to see them through to the knockout rounds. A loss will mean the are knocked out of the tournament at the group stage for the second successive time, with fans hoping they avoid a shock defeat to see them through to the Round of 16. We hope you will be able to join us for that, but from a chilly Valanora, goodnight!

by **-Anthor-** » Wed Jul 04, 2018 5:41 pm

Solid Recovery, and a Dominant Victory
Hatheway helps Hightower guide the U21's to their first DBC shutout, 3 nil, against group mate Eshan

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Gnaeus Tanicius Vopiscus (@Gnaeus Tanicius Vopiscus)(TH)
^{Baltha 35, 602AE 11:00 AM | Vaumort, Anthor}

Scotty Hatheway celebrating his first of two assists for the night; he also managed a goal in his POM worthy performance

Vaumort, Anthor(Herald) — After a very upsetting, tight defeat in their opening match against the continual darkhouse Neo Romanum, who once again upset former two time DBC champion Kita Hinode this week, Vin Thurstan's gangs in the U21 starting squad wanted to get things off to a better beginning, and in a pre-match press conference Thurstan himself revealed just as much, saying that in all the practice and training leading up to the matchup against Eshan, which took place in a decently filled in Battleground last night, the focus had been on learning from their mistakes, implementing changes and then moving forward. Team captain Greg Hightower also confirmed as much, stating "You know, we knew that we didn't do well enough obviously last time out as we went down to the Romans, and Vin just gathered us up in the locker room and told us we needed to be better, and to do better. The focus on our training sessions and the pitch as been the same, show up in the form we know we can be tonight, and I think Scotty, Emmett, Bianca and all the others are just as on board as I am."

Despite some internet tacticians critiquing Vin Thurstan's potentially defensively weak formation, which placed most of the defensive work on the shoulders of the two fullbacks, his formation and starting selection remained the same for this match, with the under performing Kenneth Brenton and Anatole McFee retaining their places as the two fullbacks who got the brunt of the negativity in the press and social media, and indeed their form was a bit lacking but you could perhaps blame that on some rustiness. The two are the only two in the starting eleven that do not partake in the NIACP initiative, instead McFee plays for a fourth tier level team as their central defender and Brenton plays for a number of semi-professional clubs outside of the AFC's structured pyramid. Both were selected for what Thurstan called "uncommon tenacity and adaptability", which one would suppose was needed to go along with the libero role he has placed Greg Hightower in.

The match itself in Eshan went perhaps as well as Thurstan wished the match against the Romans had gone, if not better. The final score line of 3 nil stands as the first representative or testimonial to the solid play that came out of the back half of the Anthoran's pitch; particularly Brenton who showed some extreme aggression with running the ball down the left flank hard before flicking it towards an attacking Perreault, or even Seymour if the Eshani got lazy and had left them open, but he also played patient and recognized if the Eshani closed down the left flank early, he could putt the ball along towards McFee or a dropped back Hightower who could then push it up towards the forward half of the field and have a number of options open; Perreault, Seymour, Grey or even Hatheway himself if he was far enough back and on side. They did give up a few too many off sides in my own opinion trying to perhaps over aggressively switch into attack mode quickly once they gained the ball and tried to send it soaring forward on a lob cross that was typically to an off sides Hatheway or Seymour, but when they learned to play patient, and yet hard, it worked for them. Hatheway led the match in terms of performance, perhaps trailed only slightly by Hightower, contributing with a goal and then an assist on the Seymour goal that came just before the halfway break and then also on the Sonia Grey goal that came around the '76 mark. The trio of goals were enough to send Eshani packing as their defense and solid work from keeper Gale Ross gained the U21's their first victory as well as shutout of this Di Brandi Cup.

Moving forward, they will take on Kita Hinode in the upcoming match and this will perhaps prove their most pivotal, and the situation is ripe for the taking for Thurstan and his team. Kita will be coming off of an staggering upset, perhaps the upset of this DBC until we get to the knockout rounds, and if Hightower and the others can maintain their composure, and their form, and repeat the performance they put on here for us tonight, they could continue for a string of two victories and potential qualification to the later rounds. But consistency will be extremely important for them in the last few matches of the initial stage of the DBC.

Gnaeus Tanicus Vopiscus contributed to this article.

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by **Chromatika** » Wed Jul 04, 2018 7:20 pm

The Lone Rider approached the tiny village of Hopperlow. Numbering only thirty homesteads, a town hall, a small jail, and a church, Hopperlow was not the first place someone would go to when they were being followed and chased by The Remnant; that being said, The Lone Rider didn't have any options. Hopperlow was the only town within fifty miles of the High Mountains, and he needed some sustenance, some resupplying, and the acquisition of enough light to make the next leg of his journey be safe as possible.

A lone sentry raised up a hand as The Lone Rider approached, clad in the traditional black and silver armor of the Northern Lands.

"Hail!" shouted the sentry. "What is your business?" It wasn't too odd to be stopped at the gate, though the last time The Lone Rider had gone through Hopperlow, he hadn't been stopped. Perhaps the reach of The Remnant had been felt even this far up north, and the towns were starting to be more cautious about their borders. Not that that would do them any good - a small town like Hopperlow would be no match for a band of marauders or even a concentrated force of Remnant that could overcome the light that the town had.

"Just cycling through to resupply and buy a few things," replied the Lone Rider, eager to be on his way. The fewer questions he had to answer, the better things would be both for himself and this town. The town didn't deserve to suffer at his behest, which he knew would undoubtedly happen if he tarried too long. No, the bounty on his head for The Remnant as well as quite a few others in the world was quite large, and anyone that he came into proximity with had a tendency of getting hurt.

"Name?" asked the sentry, looking a bit bored. The Lone Rider hesitated - it was always an internal struggle to decide to lie when the opportunity with due cause presented itself. He didn't enjoy it, that was for certain, but this was for their benefit, not his.

"Sean Harper," he responded, using one of his less known aliases.

"Well, Mr. Harper. Know that we will be keeping an eye on you. The trade for light has gone up, so you might see that it's a bit more expensive to get it."

"Welcome to Hopperlow."

Breathing a sigh of relief, The Lone Rider entered the town...

World Cup 81/82/83/84

David Blake: "good evening, welcome to CBC Soccer Night as we prepare for the final matchday at the DiBradini Cup in Valanora, I'm David Blake and alongside I have Aiden Donnan and Gary Kostka. Guys, it is looking like a favorable situation for the Under 21 side as they prepare to take on Maryloupe. A win will definitely see them through to the knockout stages, but a draw might suffice depending upon what happens in the other group match where Razenthuria will face Filindostan. Let's start with you Aiden, your thoughts about this team through the first two matches?"

Aiden Donnan: "a work in progress. If they make the same jump in performance between the last match & tonight that they did between the first two games, they're going to be a tough matchup for whoever they face in the next round. I think Jen will go back to the original lineup, but with the positional adjustments she's made since the first match, with Nicki Stone behind the forwards and Westmoreland playing centrally and Sotolongo on left wing."

DB: "Gary?"

Gary Kostka: "yeah, that does seem like the way to go. Those three are all interchangeable in spite of the fact that none of them are naturally left footed, but their interplay has really come to life. I think we'll see another fast start tonight with a lot of tempo and early pressure."

DB: "Let's now go out and hear from our commentators on the scene, Mark Tolbert and Craig Snyder. Gentlemen..."

Mark Tolbert: "Thanks David and of course we always start with a word about the conditions, a bit cooler than the other match played here at the Turmondale Grounds, but a clear evening and the slightest breeze from the southwest, but it shouldn't play a factor. And so Craig, here we are again, another tournament, another chance to see Baker Park go through to the knockouts. What can you add to the thoughts of Aiden and Gary?"

Craig Snyder: "It's been interesting to see the differences in how Jennifer Prescott has handled this squad compared to the way Liam Sullivan did last time, or how Tony Weiss did at the SWC. She's kept things a bit more professional, a bit less emotion and levity. But I think with the people she has, it's been a good approach. A quick look at the lineups shows that Rey Guitierrez will come in for Scott Miller on right wing and Brian Sherkel will take up a spot on the right side of defense in place of Sam Harrison and Lindsey Thompson will come in for DeAngelo Simmons, partnering with Tim Blair up front. Otherwise, as Aiden guessed, pretty much a return to the first match lineup."

MT: "David, that's all for now, we'll see you in a few minutes, back to you."

DB: "thank guys. Aiden any other impressions now that you've heard the lineup?"

AD: "Guitierrez is a good change he can run for the whole 90 if need be. Sherkel is solid and giving Simmons a rest for this game is not a huge risk."

GK: "I like Thompson in, she's another player like Annabeth Westmoreland who has slipped between the cracks a bit with the mixed side concept so I think she'll have something to prove, like LeClair did the other night."

DB: "and that's where we'll leave it for the moment, and when we come back, we'll take a look at some of the tactical play and how it's evolved. See you after the break."

by **Qusmo** » Wed Jul 04, 2018 8:43 pm

Rilan-Jerat Nev heard all the talk.

They heard all the hype. All the glow. All the optimism. All the bold predictions.

& they could already hear what everyone would say if they didn’t score now.

It was the eighty-third minute. Qusmo were down 1-0, but it was nearly a lot worse. Qusmo’s strength was supposed to be in the midfield, but one look at the opponent roster sheet, featuring the likes of Junior Galacticos finalist Taka Masatoshi & Junior Galacticos runner-up Kai-Kai Mokumdarian, could reveal that it would be no walk in the park.

Well, in a way, it was for Nev. Their team fed them the ball so little that they could have walked off the pitch to take a bathroom break in the middle of play without affecting the match. They could count on their fingers & toes the number of touches they had had all match long.

Meanwhile, the other forwards on the pitch, who were supposed to be making runs to support them, had practically given up. The midfield was still trying to fight it out, but they arrived at largely the same result against Cosumar’s stars. & the best player for Qusmo’s back line was the post. Only a couple good saves by Brelk-Brelk Ixi & many more instances of luck kept Qusmo in it. But ugly as it was, Qusmo was still in it.

But Nev knew that this might be their last chance to keep in it. They were finally able to receive a pass in an advanced position. Now, they just had to get around Horatius Chaumancer. The Cosumarite captain had senior national team experience, but so did Nev - & Nev had emerged victorious in enough one-on-one duels at that level to have confidence in themself.

They sprinted forward & to the right, trying to get around the centre back. No dice. Nev saw that they would be giving themself a bad angle if they kept up, so they halted, & looked around on the ball. A pass to Ucyxi-Tylyr Fox was dangerous, & Upuln-Cralt Guv wasn’t even yet caught up to play. Just like against Chromatika, Nev would simply have to do this one themself.

Out of the corner of their eye, however, Nev spotted Bryan Estes. The right back came forward to try to pressure Nev & support their captain. Nev realized that they had to act quickly before Estes & Chaumancer could combine to push them off the ball, & they tried to get by the back line again. This time, it worked.

Nev’s feint got Chaumancer to put their weight on the wrong foot, & Nev was then able to take off, Chaumancer trailing at their side. Nev wouldn’t have an easy shot, but they did have an opportunity - one they knew they would convert. One they knew they had to convert. Nev looked up at Edith Tidesson in goal, found their target just inside the far post, & went for power to get by the goalkeeper.

The only problem was that the power was being applied to Nev, not by them.

Suddenly, as they were readying themself to bury the shot, they felt a body tumble into them. They tumbled, not expecting what was essentially an ice hockey body check. Their shot - if one could still call it that - rolled tamely into Tidesson’s outstretched arms.

Nev immediately looked up & around themself. Chaumancer was also sprawled on the turf, & the Darmeni referee already had their back turned, anticipating the flow of the ball to go the other way. Nev rushed up to them & gave them a piece of their mind. “Martin! Anso Martin! How was that not a penalty? What are you, a gridiron referee?”

But the referee had to leave Nev & keep on moving, because the ball was quickly making its way across the length of the pitch. Tidesson had fed Estes, who played a perfectly weighted pass to Cosumarite star Kai-Kai Mokumdarian, catching them in stride. Nev realized then that something serious was developing, & Mokumdarian made sure that the rest of the 36 000 fans at Miner’s Haven quickly realized it, too.

With phenomenal pace, the midfielder tore through the Qusma midfield & then seemed about to do the same to the back line. Nev watched Axelv-Xilit Ono go into emergency defending & commit to stopping Mokumdarian, but they realized that was precisely what the Cornellians player wanted, as Kletus Tosset was making another run, now unmarked. Mokumdarian played the through ball to Tosset, & from there, Brelk-Brelk had no chance to make the save. & Qusmo had no chance to save the match.

Rilan-Jerat Nev heard all the talk.

They heard all the hype. All the glow. All the optimism. All the bold predictions.

& they could already hear what everyone was saying now.

by **Equestrian States** » Wed Jul 04, 2018 8:57 pm

Little Ponies Clinch Second Round Berth with Rout of Kalactin
by Steve McNotapony

Northwest Kalactin 2-4 Equestrian States
at Aranfield Bridge in Everlin, Valanora
Attendance: 52,639

EVERLIN, Valanora - The Little Ponies secured their second round status last night with a comprehensive 4-2 win over Northwest Kalactin that was far more lopsided than the scoreline would suggest. From the first to final whistles, the Equestrians completely dominated their opponents, showing no mercy as they ripped through the Kalactanian defense, much to the delight of the Equestrian supporters who were in attendance, bolstered both by the Equestrian States' proximity to host nation Valanora and by having their first two matches of the tournament held in the same city.

Just as they had in the opening match against Benin-Togo, the Little Ponies wasted no time before going on the offensive, Midnight Strike plowing through the Kalactanian back line inside the first two minutes and whistling a shot just wide left when goalkeeper Patrick Bell rushed out in desperation. Midnight Strike atoned for his missed opportunity just a few minutes later, however, volleying a cross from Indigo Zap in the top right corner to give the Equestrians a 1-0 lead. Defending a one-goal lead, the Little Ponies shifted to a more methodical approach, dominating possession in the Kalactanian half, denied a second goal only by several diving saves from Bell and two strikes from Indigo Zap deflected off the top of the crossbar.

Seconds after the half-hour mark, the Equestrians doubled their lead when Josef Lawerenz scored a brilliant goal, cutting up the right flank after being turned loose by a pass from Ironhoof before rifling the ball past Bell into the back of the net. The Little Ponies would score one more time before the end of the half, Midnight Strike scoring his second of the match and third of the tournament off an injury time corner kick that the Kalactanians failed to clear several times, putting an exclamation point on what was a dreadful half from the ex-Atlantian Oceania side.

Unfortunately for the neutrals at Aranfield Bridge, most of the second half saw very little excitement as a visibly dispirited Kalactanian team tried in vain to find a way through the Equestrian midfield that seemed perfectly content to keep the ball from moving around too much. With just over ten minutes to go, Kalactanian striker Jackie Turner got her team on the scoreboard with a perfectly-taken long-range free kick that Cyan Skies had no chance of stopping. The Little Ponies got that goal right back, however, in the 82nd minute, Sunny Day scoring from the top of the penalty area to restore the Equestrians' commanding three-goal advantage and kill off what little hope remained for the Kalactanians of a miracle comeback.

Jackie Turner struck again in stoppage time, again off a free kick, but the result was already sealed at that point and the final whistle blew immediately after the Little Ponies restarted play. Though celebrations on the pitch were subdued, likely due to the disappointment of having just conceded a last-minute goal, the Equestrian fans in the stands were delighted, knowing that the result all but clinched them a spot in the second round. Manager Red Dwarf expressed some regret over having conceded two set piece goals in his post-match remarks, but was also quick to praise his team for a superb performance which, together with the excellent opener against Benin-Togo, has surely laid to rest any doubts among supporters and the higher-ups in the Hoofball Association about the direction of the under-21 national team.

  Group B                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts        MD2 Results:
1  Equestrian States        2   2  0  0    7   3  +4    6   Q     Qasden 3–4 Benin-Togo 
2  Northwest Kalactin       2   1  0  1    5   5   0    3        @ Castle de Mot in Wexax, VAL
3  Benin-Togo               2   1  0  1    5   6  −1    3         Northwest Kalactin 2–4 Equestrian States 
4  Qasden                   2   0  0  2    4   7  −3    0   E    @ Aranfield Bridge in Everlin, VAL
  Northwest Kalactin (0) ahead of Benin-Togo (−1) on  goal difference

Elsewhere in Group B, Benin-Togo edged out Qasden with a narrow 4-3 victory that clinched the Equestrian States a spot in the second round of the Di Bradini Cup for the 11th time in the Little Ponies' history. With Northwest Kalactin and Benin-Togo tied at three points apiece and set to face each other on the final day of group play, the Equestrians cannot be passed by both teams and eliminated regardless of the result in their own finale against Qasden, who - using the same logic - have been eliminated as they cannot leapfrog both Benin-Togo and Northwest Kalactin. As such, the Little Ponies' final game against the Qads will be a dead rubber match, the Equestrians likely resting some key players with an eye on the second round and beyond while the Qads will only be playing for pride. The finale between Benin-Togo and Northwest Kalactin will likely draw the attention of quite a few neutrals, however, with both sides vying for a spot in the round of sixteen and a slim chance at topping the group should the Equestrians lose to Qasden in their own match, though the Little Ponies' advantage in goal difference will be difficult to overcome even if they do fall.

by **Benin-Togo** » Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:23 pm

Two posts in one because I forgot to get the first one finished in time, oops.

Di Bradini Cup 43: Young Lions Lose 3-1 In Debut Match

Written by Bella Ngomo

Everlin, Valanora - With a 3-1 loss in their first match, it's now do or die for the Young Lions as they prepare to face off against Qasden.

The Little Ponies took control of the game right from the beginning, nearly scoring within the first minute. The Young Lions managed to take the offensive by the 16th minute, but an interception by Indigo Zap led to Little Ponies' Midnight Strike taking the first goal.

The Young Lions were cautious to strike deeper at the Little Ponies, with Kwadwo Roux making the first shot on goal for the team at 38th minute. Defensive play didn't bring the Benin-Togolese side much more luck, with Indigo Zap bringing the game to 2-0 for the Equestrians at the 51st minute.

The Young Lions pushed back against the Little Ponies at the 63rd minute, with Chikondi Sauvageau scoring after a pass from Jelani Germain. The Young Lions unfortunately couldn't equalise the game, with Equestrian goalkeeper Cyan Skies desperately stopping every shot at goal. Nightingale scored for the Little Ponies at the 75th minute, helped by a pass from Sunny Day. The match ended with a 3-1 victory handed to the Equestrian side.

In an earlier phone conversation with Benin-Togolese Coach Jean-Bidel Bommel, he had this to say about the match:
"I don't believe any fans will be shocked by our loss to the Equestrian States, we're a debuting team up against former champions. I'm proud of how our boys did, and everyone at home should be too. What matters now is that we really focus on what we did well, and what to improve on for our next game against Qasden."

Benin-Togo will face off against Qasden at Castle de Mot in Wexax, Valanora.

Di Bradini Cup 43: Young Lions Triumph Over Qasden in Goal-Filled Match

Written by Robert Mwamwe

Wexax, Valanora - The Young Lions have managed to take their first ever victory on the international stage, with a 3-4 victory over Qasden.

The Young Lions struck hard and fast, with Kwadwo Roux taking the first goal for Benin-Togo at the 12th minute. Qasden was quick to respond to the early aggression from the Young Lions, with their defence holding back any further advances and scoring at the 21st minute, bringing the game to an even 1-1.

Both sides proved strong in their defence, with neither side taking any goals until 30th minute where a clean pass from Ndidi St Pierre to Kwadwo Roux put the Young Lions up to 1-2. Once again the Qasden side was on the offensive, striking past Adegoke Bertrand to tie up the game at 2-2 for half-time.

As the second half of play began, both teams seemed to have learned the playing styles of the other, and no goals were scored until the 69th minute, with a smart pass from the Qasden midfield to the forward brought their team ahead for the first time in the match. The Young Lions intensified their attacks, and at the 79th minute Chikondi Sauvageau struck hard and fast at the Qasden goal, tying the game up yet again at 3-3.
With the posibility of playing overtime ever increasing, the Qasden team attempted a desperate attack to get ahead, but a sloppy pass to their forward lead to a brilliant interception by Victor Bonnaire, which lead to the final desicive goal being scored at the 88th minute by Kwadwo Roux, scoring himself a hat trick.

With this victory, Benin-Togo find themselves 3rd in Group B, with their final game against Northwest Kalactin set to be the decider. The Young Lions will have to be victorious over Northwest Kalactin to advance to the round of 16, and a large crowd is expected to flock to the stadium and their televisions in order to watch the game live.

by **Blaneu** » Thu Jul 05, 2018 7:15 am

The Blaneu Broadsheet

Changed Size Suffers Last Minute Defeat

Blaneu suffered a major set-back in their Di Bradini Cup campaign, as they slipped to a defeat with one minute of normal time remaining to Semarland. Going into the match Fitzpatrick had made 4 changes to the lineup that had beaten Starblaydia in the previous fixture, with these changes seeming to seriously undermine the quality of the team.

Coming off from the last match, Fitzpatrick made it known that he would be seeking to involve more of the squad through the remainder of the group fixtures. Considering that this is a youth tournament it seemed to make sense from a development perspective. However, this decision was somewhat undermined by the quality (or lack thereof) from the replacements.

Key changes came as Sketty made way for Bowen in central defense, Blackford made way for Delaney at wing-back, Dai Davies came on for Luke Evans as wing-forward and, finally, the teams lynch-pin DM, Caradog Gwent, was pushed aside for Hywel Stoker. The last of these changes seems to have been particularly responsible for blunting the impact of the side, where Gwent dictated play in the previous match, and was crucial in launching counter-attacks, Stoker was a lot more defensively minded, and seemed to be sluggish. Jessie Bowen also had a poor game, often getting skinned by opposition midfielders. The final upset in the changes was actually a lack of one, as the slow and stately John Pottinger remained as the side's only striker, with Gethin Powell sat, fidgeting, on the bench.

The game itself was a somewhat drab affair, Semarland knew they needed a result, but were keen to Blaneu's counter-attacking threat, leading to them pressing gently for most of the match. Blaneu's only spell of pressure came shortly after half-time, with a couple of counter attack by Apnest, and a free-kick from Delaney hitting the bar. The failure to convert chances can, in part, be put down to Pottinger; a couple of decent crosses came into to him, but his relative lack of pace and urgency made it is for Semarland's centre backs, Hockerstrom and Richards, to clear the ball from danger.

As the game progressed it became clear that Fitzpatrick's game plan wasn't working, with Blaneu pinned back in their own half for length period. Bringing Powell on in the 81^st minute seemed like a last role of the dice, and also came far too late in the game. This change made little impact as the midfield failed to provide any service for Powell. Eventually, Semarland's pressure told and Blaneu's defense was finally put to the sword. A free-kick from 40 yards was given away by a sloppy foul from Stoker, Shaheem Richard's free kick was subsequently put on the head of Romello Brandy, who headed his side ahead with one minute of normal time left. A half-hearted break from Blaneu late on wasn't enough to level the game as Powell splayed the shot wide, leading to Blaneu dropping to second in the group and needing a result against Abanhfleft to proceed onwards.

Blaneu		0 - 1		Semarland

Semarland

Cole
Northgate
Danquah 
Hockerstrom 
N. Richards
Kristoffersen
S. Richards
Moss - (Sunzu - 62')
Webster 
Sunde 
Makiese - (Brandy - 79')

Subs

Parsons
Colchester
Sunzu - (Moss - 62')
Masters
Brandy  (89') - (Makiese - 79')
Blaneu

Aled 
MacDermot 
Jones - (Sketty - 76')
Bowen █
Delaney 
Elron  
Stoker █
Fitzstephens - (Griffith - 59')
Apnest 
Davies 
Pottinger - (Powell - 81')  

Subs

Acton
Sketty
Powell 
Gwent 
Griffith

by **Valanora** » Sat Jul 07, 2018 12:58 am

Matchday 3

Group A
Ethane 0–1 Neo-Romanum
Kita-Hinode 4–3 Anthor

P Group A                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Neo-Romanum                  3   3  0  0    7   3  +4    9
2 Kita-Hinode                  3   2  0  1    7   5  +2    6
3 Anthor                       3   1  0  2    9   8  +1    3
4 Ethane                       3   0  0  3    0   7  −7    0

Group B
Equestrian States 1–0 Qasden
Benin-Togo 4–3 Northwest Kalactin

P Group B                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Equestrian States            3   3  0  0    8   3  +5    9
2 Benin-Togo                   3   2  0  1    9   9   0    6
3 Northwest Kalactin           3   1  0  2    8   9  −1    3
4 Qasden                       3   0  0  3    4   8  −4    0

Group C
The South Falls 1–2 Mapletish
Cassadaigua 3–3 Savojarna

P Group C                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Savojarna                    3   2  1  0    8   3  +5    7
2 Mapletish                    3   2  0  1    3   3   0    6
3 Cassadaigua                  3   1  1  1   10   6  +4    4
4 The South Falls              3   0  0  3    3  12  −9    0

Group D
Cosumar 2–1 Chromatika
Alpine Union 2–3 Qusmo

P Group D                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cosumar                      3   2  1  0    5   2  +3    7
2 Qusmo                        3   2  0  1    4   4   0    6
3 Chromatika                   3   1  0  2    2   3  −1    3
4 Alpine Union                 3   0  1  2    3   5  −2    1

Group E
Darmen 1–1 Routcher
Taeshan 0–0 Ceni

P Group E                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Taeshan                      3   1  2  0    6   3  +3    5
2 Routcher                     3   1  2  0    3   2  +1    5
3 Darmen                       3   1  1  1    7   8  −1    4
4 Ceni                         3   0  1  2    2   5  −3    1

Group F
Semarland 4–2 Starblaydia
Abanhfleft 0–0 Blaneu

P Group F                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Semarland                    3   2  0  1    6   4  +2    6
2 Abanhfleft                   3   1  2  0    2   1  +1    5
3 Blaneu                       3   1  1  1    4   3  +1    4
4 Starblaydia                  3   0  1  2    4   8  −4    1

Group G
Maryloupe 0–1 Baker Park
Razenthuria 1–1 Filindostan

P Group G                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Baker Park                   3   2  1  0    5   3  +2    7
2 Razenthuria                  3   1  1  1    5   5   0    4
3 Filindostan                  3   0  3  0    3   3   0    3
4 Maryloupe                    3   0  1  2    2   4  −2    1

Group H
Pasarga 3–2 North Prarie
Mercedini 1–0 Greater vakolicci haven

P Group H                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Pasarga                      3   3  0  0    8   2  +6    9
2 Mercedini                    3   2  0  1    3   1  +2    6
3 North Prarie                 3   0  1  2    2   5  −3    1
4 Greater vakolicci haven      3   0  1  2    0   5  −5    1

Round of Sixteen Fixtures
Neo-Romanum v Qusmo @ Rose Gardens, Kareen
Equestrian States v Mapletish @ Castle de Mot, Wexax
Savojarna v Benin-Togo @ The Tar Pit, Char Sara
Cosumar v Kita-Hinode @ Hatire Memorial, Capri
Taeshan v Mercedini @ Metropolis, Ibini
Semarland v Razenthuria @ Miner's Haven, Goldsan
Baker Park v Abanhfleft @ Lathal Ianisle,
Pasarga v Routcher @ Hellgate, Raynor City

by **Semarland** » Sat Jul 07, 2018 6:05 am

Rene Brown has been at the helm of Semarland's U21 team for almost 15 years now, and he's arguably played a huge part in nurturing some of the best talent in Semarland. The likes of Kwame Nelson, Amani Chimbonda, Djair Claro-Hunt, Tremaine Mukondo, Devane Marylebone and Marcel Thorbourne all went onto represent Semarland's senior team, whilst Saido Diallo became captain of Dutch Semarland after choosing to represent them instead. All of those names were part of his first Di Bradini squad (way back in the 36th edition of the tournament) and how time has flied. Obviously, the gap has prevented players from more "recent" squads from making as much of an impact on the national side. However this current bunch have turned things around from the poor defeat to Abanhfleft at the very start. A win against Blaneu, albeit a very narrow one, thanks to substitute Romello Brandy's late header gave the Semars hope and last night they put in an excellent performance against Starblaydia, coming out 4-2 winners to top Group F and face Razenthuria in the Round of 16 at the magnificient Miner's Haven stadium, located in Goldsan.

Intriguingly, Brown made several changes from the side that won against Blaneu - nine in fact. Only Nestor Richards and Tyrique Moss survived. It obviously paid dividends, despite most of the players not getting a chance to impress at all. In fairness, some of the players who previously had chances put in some average performances and will have to work their way back into Brown's plans for the Round of 16.

Starting XI v Starblaydia: Eriksson; Eastwell, Colchester, Richards, Monsberg; Moss, Sunzu; Masters, H Brandy, Akyeampong; R Brandy

Semarland took the lead eleven minutes in, a low cross from Omari Masters being poked home by Romello Brandy for his second goal of the tournament. It was a proud family moment as his brother Hakeem doubled the advantage with a superb, bending free kick just before half time that escaped the grasp of Starblaydia goalkeeper Amari Ollario. Starblaydia hit back after the break though, with Aaron Cole finishing a lovely run with a powerful finish past Jon Torsten Eriksson, who didn't have much to do in the first half.

Starblaydia brought on Giorgos Dimitriou for Viola Capadanno and Arkady Krakowski for Kota Sato. The 13 year old prodigy Krakowski is currently unattached and will surely have attracted the eye of a few Semar clubs indeed. A mazy run followed by a looping cross by the youngsters found the head of captain Cole who glanced it home to level the scores. Semarland switched to a 4-1-5-type formation, bringing on strikers Belgium Makiese, Javeon Barnes and Carl Sundstrom for Hakeem and Romello Brandy and Shadreck Sunzu, with Moss doing essentially all the midfield work. Of course, such a strange system had it flaws but the defence was rock solid and goals in the final ten minutes from Belgium Makiese and Javeon Barnes secured Semarland's place in the knockout stages. Now, they'll hope to keep this good run of form going on and hopefully go further on in the competition.

Starting XI v Razenthuria (3-2-3-2): Johan Cole; Johan Colchester, Jorgen Hockerstrom, Nestor Richards; Tyrique Moss, Steffan Sunde; Omari Masters, Hakeem Brandy, Shaheem Richards; Romello Brandy, Belgium Makiese.

by **Routcher** » Sat Jul 07, 2018 10:25 am

Routcher Ties With Darmen; Finishes Second
Valanora,
Routcher's National U-21 Football Team played its final match of the group stage of the 43rd Di Bradini Cup against Darmen on July 4th. The match ended in a nail-biting tie, as the winner of the match would determine who moved to the knockout stage of the tournament. As it turned out, the match ended in a tie, which brings Routcher's group stage record to 1 win, 0 loses, 2 ties. It started off poorly, as Darmen had managed to slip past the defense and score an early goal. However, just after halftime, Routcher evened the score and played an impressive, defense-heavy match for the remainder of the time.

with that out of the way, Routcher moves to the Round of 16, after barely making it out of the group stage. The opponent the national team faces next is Pasarga, a team which has yet to be defeated in the tournament. Coach Norris comments: "We are not going to make the mistake of underestimating our next opponent, for sure. Their record thusfar proves they are going to put up a tougher fight than any of our previous opponents. However, I'm getting the team to understand that we can't overestimate them either. These are still people just like us. Which means they make mistakes, and are possible to deceive. I'm optimistic that we will give Pasarga a good fight when we meet on the pitch."

In either case, fans all over the Empire are pouring out support for the team, seeing our entry to the Round of 16 in our first international tournament a reason to celebrate. With some luck, and a lot of hard work, perhaps football fans will have more to celebrate in the days to come.

-George Hardwood,
the Saint Mary Chronicle

(OOC- Sorry for brief rp this time around, busy day)

by **Taeshan** » Sat Jul 07, 2018 11:13 am

Two 0-0 ties is not how you expect to end the group stage after an impressive 6-3 victory to open the tournament. The Lil' Purple Knights managed that against Routcher and then Ceni. The first was a rather drab affair with both sides attempting to score, but nothing coming and the latter was a game in which it seemed like the Taeshan Under-21 side decided that knowing they just needed to not lose to advance, they played 11 behind the ball. Ceni for their part was the only side out of the running and didn't seem to want to do much of anything. Ultimately it was hard to say that either side earned the draw in the end as neither side did much of anything.

The tie with the failure of Darmen or Routcher to win the other game put the Knights in the next round of the tournament as the winners of their group and they will go on to face an interesting Mercedini side. The runners-up in Group H, have more points than the Knights, but thanks to an almost unbeatable Pasarga side also being in their group move on as a second place side. While the Knights have a more impressive goal tally, much of that is from a lone game, and the Mercedini defense has only once conceded, and the Knights have failed to score in two games in a row meaning this game could be decided by a lone goal.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

"and that's the headlines for this hour, I'm Benjamin Davis, National Radio News, and now back to Leslie Van Horn and Gary Sexton for the second hour of the Weekend Sports Show."

Gary Sexton: "thanks Ben, and now we move into the soccer portion of the show Les, as the Commonwealth have two teams in action, and we'll talk first about the under 21 team who have made their way through the group stage at the DiBradini Cup in Valanora for the second consecutive tournament."

Leslie Van Horn: "they have almost duplicated their performance from their first appearance, earning two wins and a draw to finish at the top of the group and now they will face Abanhfleft in the final 16, at the Lathal stadium in Ianisle. On the upside it won't be a long trip, as it is relatively close to their base in Sharala, but there are several players on the Fleftic side who will remember the last meeting between these teams, in the final of the SWC 5 in Abanhfleft."

GS: "Do you think the BP team have gained a lot of experience from the players who are new to the team for this tourney? Annabeth Westmoreland and Jessica LeClair have looked especially determined in their time on the pitch."

LVH: "I think that's a great point, Westmoreland has completely flipped the script on how people thought she would fit in, she's probably been the player with the best work rate, and she's lived up to her billing as a ball handler."

GS: "do you think the Fleftic gameplan will be to keep it tight and steal a goal?"

LVH: "I think based on their results so far, that seems likely. So I think you'll see Baker Park try and push the pace and speed of the game early, and force a lot of the play wide to spread the defense out."

GS: "Let's leave it there for a minute and we'll come back and talk about the other squad in action at the Atlantian Oceana regional championships after this break. This is National Radio Overnight."

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Sun Jul 08, 2018 7:42 am

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SPORTS CHANNEL - OFFICIAL WEBSITE
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DI BRADINI CUP 43: ABANHFLEFT VS BLANEU
By Malik Qazizadah

Abanhfleft's Guildenstern Cardew warms up during the pre-match build-up against Blaneu in the 43rd Di Bradini Cup. (Courtesy of Crescent News Network Sports Channel/Andros Tasasa)

MAR SARA, VALANORA - Abanhfleft and Blaneu played out yet another scoreless draw in the Di Bradini Cup, but the tie was enough for the Young Revolutionaries to punch their ticket into the next round of the DBC where they are set to play against the Commonwealth of Baker Park in the Round of 16.

Like the game against Starblaydia though, this game was not bereft of chances for both sides, although it is also safe to say that in this particular contest, it was both teams' defenses which shone brightest while both teams attacks, while not exactly faltering, failed to find a way through to bring their team to victory.

The Fleftic defense had been trained to expect Blaneu's John Pottinger to drift in and out of pockets of space in their lines as part of his penchant for poaching goals out of nowhere, and Hamad Ahmed Khaled and Christy Shepley did a particularly good job of practically marking Pottinger out of the game.

However, the same could be said for the Blaneu defense's role in neutralizing the threat of Kelly McGinnis, although the young Hoventon & Corlington Town striker did have a couple of good chances to open the scoring for the Young Revolutionaries before the three-center-back system of Blaneu inevitably put McGinnis in their collective pocket.

Abanhfleft also suffered a blow as Lauree McAteer was forced to come off due to a suspected hamstring injury, and while Wilton Kaba was a perfectly capable defender for Owen Bevan's team at just 17 years old, he simply didn't have the attacking ability that McAteer had brought to the team while she was playing for them, and Abanhfleft's attack noticeably suffered after that point.

For Blaneu though, the focus on Pottinger inevitably allowed their other players to have a few shots at goal themselves, and if it weren't for the Fleftic defenders putting their bodies on the line to block Blaneu shots as well as Guildenstern Cardew proving why he is definitely becoming one of the top goalkeepers in the history of Fleftic football with a string of incredible saves against Luke Evans and Euan Fitzstephens. Both Blaneu players would continue to be a nuisance at Cardew's goal for the rest of the match.

Not even the introduction of both Dario Frigo and Karamoko Bakayoko deep into the second half served to change things much between the two teams, although once again it was Bakayoko's sheer unpredictability that almost finally gave Abanhfleft the victory at the death with a curling shot just inside the box taken with the outside of his boot, but the ball smashed right into the post and out for a corner.

The corner that Abanhfleft had earned through Bakayoko's spectacular strike came to nothing and almost came close to costing the Young Revolutionaries both the game and the chance at qualifying for the next round of the Di Bradini Cup, as Blaneu goalkeeper Tudur Aled snatched the ball in mid-air and then rolled it out to initiate an immediate counterattack which ended with Euan Fitzstephens firing into the side netting.

Abanhfleft's scoreless draw against Blaneu puts them in second place in Group F behind Semarland, and the Young Revolutionaries' next opponent will be a familiar one in the Commonwealth of Baker Park. Fleftic and Commonwealth youth football sides had faced each other exactly once before, in the final of the 5th Under-18 World Cup held in Abanhfleft, which the home side lost 5-2. A fair few members of Baker Park's current DBC squad contain players from that title-winning squad while the same can be said for Abanhfleft, who has among its ranks players who played in that final, chief among them Kelly McGinnis.

Abanhfleft national under-21 manager Owen Bevan: "It wasn't the prettiest game, that was for sure. We had chances and we just couldn't convert them. At least we've made it through to the round of 16."

On Abanhfleft facing Baker Park in the Round of 16: "I don't want to talk about trying to avenge our loss in the final of the Under-18 World Cup. That's all in the past, and this is the present. That being said, it's motivating a lot of the players to give it their all in training, and I'm sure it's going to be on the forefront of their minds. But we can't let that distract us from the job of winning and making it through to the next round once again."

ABANHFLEFT 0 - 0 BLANEU
█

BLANEU
GK: 1 Aled
RB: 4 MacDermot
CB: 5 J. Jones (Bowen - 60')
LB: 6 Sketty
RWB: 2 Blackford
LWB: 3 Elron
DM: 8 Gwent (Stoker - 53')
AM: 10 Fitzstephens █
RW: 7 Apnest
CF: 9 Pottinger █ (Powell - 75')
LW: 11 Evans

ABANHFLEFT
GK: 1 Cardew █
RB: 2 Baum
RCB: 4 Khaled
LCB: 5 Shepley
LB: 3 McAteer (Kaba - 22')
RM: 6 Kleist (Frigo - 79')
LM: 8 Segovia
RW: 7 Magomedova █
CAM: 10 Pratt
LW: 11 Roos
ST: 9 McGinnis (Bakayoko - 75')

MATCH STATISTICS
Possession
Abanhfleft: 48%
Blaneu: 52%
Shots
Abanhfleft: 13 (4 on target)
Blaneu: 9 (4 on target)
Corners
Abanhfleft: 5
Blaneu: 5
Fouls
Abanhfleft: 10
Blaneu: 9

by **Neo-Romanum** » Sun Jul 08, 2018 12:40 pm

Neo-Romanum wraps up Group A with 100% record
By Timotheus Victus

03 July 7526 AM/2018 AD

A much-changed Neo-Romanum continued their impressive form at the Di Bradini cup with a comfortable victory over Ethane.

The Esportivan side, which had so far conceded six goals without reply and lost both of their games rarely looked threatening except for one one chance early on in the game, Knight getting down well to save at his near-post.

The Romans broke the deadlock just before half-time when Gelasius Ameziane fired in low from the edge of the box after a dominant opening 45 minutes.

Andrew Ewing wasted a golden chance to make it 2-0 on fifty minutes when he headed wide from Teom Ben Moshe's corner.

With the Romans' passage already secured and Ethane's exit already confirmed this was a match low on tension and urgency, Neo-Romanum dominant throughout but seldom lacked intensity as they prepared for their last 16 showdown against Group D runners-up Qusmo, who made it through after a thrilling 3-2 triumph over Alpine Union.

Roman U18 boss Jerome Manambeys: "Although we already knew that we were through and a lot of players were rested I tried to make the team aware that they should not allow their efforts to drop off. Momoentum is very important and we can go forward as a team now, knowing that a lot of players have put in some very good performances and I am spoiled for choice."
Lineup
Knight
Colona
Intzoglou
Stone
Tzetzes
Debbane
Karatzaina - Ben Moshe (45')
Ewing
Devetzi - Menez (80')
Ameziane
Dixon - Acropolita (45')

Scorers:
Ameziane - 43

Group C final standings

	Team	PLD	GD	Pts
1	Neo-Romanum	3	+4	9
2	Kita-Hinode	3	+2	6
3	Anthor	3	+1	3
4	Ethane	3	-7	0

by **Mercedini** » Sun Jul 08, 2018 1:01 pm

Di Bradini Cup MD3
Mercedini vs. Greater Vakolicci Haven
@ Duran Palace - Valanari, Valanora

Good afternoon and welcome to a rather sunny Valanari for the third and final set of group matches in the 64th U21 World Cup, where we will find out the final sixteen teams who will be involved in the knockout rounds, and those nations who will be heading home after three short matches here in Valanora. After an opening day loss to Pasarga in The White Fortress, the Eaglets are in prime position to earn the second of two qualification spots, after Pasarga wrapped up their knockout berth with a game to spare. Everything to play for in this final match as Mercedini face Greater Vakolicci Haven who only need to win in order to steal their knockout which the Eaglets currently hold. So let's see whether they could bounce back from their group stage exit in the previous tournament, and record what would certainly be a vital victory in their campaign.

Di Bradini Cup: Taeshan Stand Between Eaglets And History

FINAL SCORE
DBC | MD3
MERCEDINI 1
Graszeszak 83'
GREATER VAKOLICCI HAVEN 0
Valanari, Valanora

The Mercedinian U21 National Team could make history in their match against Taeshan tomorrow, with the team one victory away from their deepest run ever in the competition. The Eaglets have made it to the Round of 16 three time befre, but have always come up short in that round and never made it to a fifth game in Valanora before. It could be there biggest chance to get to a maiden DBC quarter-final with Taeshan their opponents in the Round of 16. That match-up was confirmed when a late Cody Graszeszak strike earned Mercedini all three points against GVH, in what was a tight affair between the two sides.

At the end of the group stages, it's Pasarga who unsurprisingly top the group ahead of the chasing pack with a perfect nine out of nine and a +6 goal difference over the three matches. They have far and away the biggest goal difference in the group thanks to their 4-0 win against Greater Vakolicci Haven on the second match day of the group stages, and while they have the best attack, it's our very own Eaglets who have not only the best defence in the group, but also the joint best defence in the tournament by only conceding a single goal on their way to second place in the group, matching Abanhfelft who themselves have conceded just a single goal on their way to second place in Group F.

All in all, the match was dramatically unspectacular with chances few and far between as Mercedini tried to see out the match in order to go through. The Eaglets had one eye on the opponent and one eye on the match which paralleled theirs, as they ideally wanted Pasarga to beat North Prarie if they wanted to remove any doubt from the equation. Ten minutes to go and Mercedini were pretty much in the clear as Pasarga had the lead against North Prarie in a high scoring affair, where the defending champions would ultimately come out as victors by three goals to two. That meant the team in blue and black only had one team to keep their eye on, and they were right in front of them in a tight and tense end to the match. A goal for either team would surely send them through, it was just a matter of who would take the bull by the horns and take the initiative in the match.

Time was ticking away, but in the end Mercedini got the goal that they needed to all but wrap up second place in the group as Cody Graseszak's superb individual move from a counter attack ultimately sealed the match and the knockout berth for his team, as the thousand or so travelling Mercedinian fans went wild in the stands, and a collective sigh of relief was heard all around the stadium. Mercedini just had to make their way through the final ten minutes of the match and make their way through they did, 1-0 the final score with the Eaglets through to play Taeshan for a place in the quarter-finals.

That's all from us here in Valanari as we give you a brief round-up of all the action around the grounds here in Valanora. The Di Bradini Cup is in full flow the numbers beginning to be whittled down faster and faster until one remain. It's sure to be a blockbuster match when Mercedini take on Taeshan in Ibini, where history could be made as we've mentioned before. We hope you will join us for that match and all the other sporting action we have on Mercedini Sports Daily. With the Independent's Cup and the World Cup of Hockey expected to start soon, it's sure to be a tremendous summer of sport capturing the imagination of million in Mercedini.

by **Qusmo** » Sun Jul 08, 2018 4:49 pm

SPONY LUQ TELEVISION

Hello, all. Welcome to Spony Luq Television, broadcasting from Qanz, Qusmo. After a remarkable comeback from 2-0 down, Qusmo snatched a 3-2 victory over the Alpine Union in the final moments to advance to the Round of Sixteen in the Di Bradini Cup. Now it’s time to look back on the group stage & look forward to what’s to come in the knockouts. First up, we have a question from a viewer in Qanz.

How’s that Qusma back three holding up?

Well, it has certainly been a mixed bag. For those unfamiliar, U21 manager Lucex-Kynda Uzo is employing the same formation they used at Juzun Trewa on the national team level. It is a 3-4-3, but features only one centre back & two full backs, rather than the three centre backs normally employed in a back three at the international stage. That’s what we’re referring to when we talk about a Qusma back three. There were a lot of answers about how the team would handle that in this tournament; we’re starting to get some answers, but there’s no definitive result yet.

The Qusma team pitched a shutout in its first group stage match, & the back three got credit for a good performance against a stout Chromatik attack. However, they then got picked apart by Cosumar, leading to a 2-0 defeat. Granted, Cosumar has a fantastic squad, & a clear loss in the battle of the midfield didn’t help matters, but there was a lot of concern. It is worth noting that, after substitutions, Qusmo finished both of those matches in a more traditional back four.

Qusmo seemed doomed by their defense against the Alpine Union, as their opponents quickly rushed out to a 2-0 lead. They conceded two goals on headers, first on a corner kick & then on a long free kick. Roksana Kolodziejczyk & Nico Olsen deserve a lot of credit for curling in beautiful balls, but Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa was the star of the show, with powerful headers that Brelk-Brelk Ixi had no chance against. The team had conceded two goals, but it was less of a thorough dismemberment than the match against Cosumar; their problem was with set pieces, not the back three.

It looked like Qusmo would be eliminated on the power of Cwierczakiewiczowa’s head, but Lucex-Kynda Uzo made some adjustments at halftime that seemed to turn the match on its head. A quick goal from Rilan-Jerat Nev to start the second half got Qusmo back in the match, & from then on, Qusmo got the Alpine Union on its back heels. Qusmo & the Alpine Union both knew that if Chromatika lost to Cosumar - which, eventually, they did by a 2-1 score - Qusmo would advance with a draw or win, while the Alpine Union would be through if they could just hold on for the victory. Unfortunately for the Alpines, however, the midfield set Rilan-Jerat up for a second goal to equalize in the seventy-first, setting the stage for a dramatic final twenty minutes. In the end, in stoppage time, a goal came - but from Rilan-Jerat, who netted a hat trick to see Qusmo through.

In that second half, the Qusma back three was able to do fairly well, but the defense still had to be rescued by Rilan-Jerat Nev - who has scored all four of the team’s goals so far. But the question is: Is that because the Qusma back three is vulnerable, or because the specific personnel Lucex-Kynda has to rely on isn’t up to snuff? In truth, it could be either - or both. Or, perhaps, the tactics & players are all playing remarkably well, & this small, three-match sample size is just covering it up. After all, lest we forget, Qusmo pitched a shutout against Chromatika - the only nation at the Di Bradini Cup with a top ten senior side - in the first match. Few were heralding the tactical incompetence of Lucex-Kynda then.

In short, we have three matches of evidence, but one has been stellar, one dreadful, & the other somewhere in the middle. The jury is still out on a Qusma back three. Thankfully, unless there’s a tactical shift before Qusmo’s Round of Sixteen clash against Neo-Romanum, we’ll have at least one knockout round match to study it more.

&, as our final question today, we’ll hear from a viewer in Ixtun.

Who’s going to advance far in this tournament? Will Qusmo be one of them?

That’s the question on the mind of every one of the sixteen teams left in the tournament - & bookies everywhere. Let’s look at each one of the matchups.

Neo-Romanum v. Qusmo
Rose Gardens, Kareen, Valanora
Neo-Romanum - 1st in Group A (9 points v. Kita-Hinode, Anthor, & Ethane; 7-3, +4) - Did not enter Di Bradini Cup 42 - Third in Sporting World Cup 6 - Did not enter World Cup 80 Qualifying - Unranked senior team
Qusmo - 2nd in Group D (6 points v. Cosumar, Chromatika, & Alpine Union; 4-4, ±0) - Did not enter Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Round of Sixteen in Cup of Harmony 72 - 83rd-ranked senior team
Neo-Romanum was a complete unknown before the just-completed Sporting World Cup in the Free Republics; however, their first foray into international sport was a wild success, as the newcomers took third. Even though the age cap is a bit higher for this tournament in Valanora, Neo-Romanum has not stopped yet, taking full points from a tough Group A highlighted by Di Bradini Cup 41 winners & Di Bradini Cup 42 semifinalists Kita-Hinode. Neo-Romanum has had deeply impressive performances thus far, & despite not having a household name, they will be true contenders in this tournament. After getting into the Round of Sixteen on a late comeback in the final matchday of the group stage, Qusmo will hate to have drawn this opponent. Qusmi’y Juzuna were labelled a “dark horse contender for a title,” but this will truly test their mettle - as Neo-Romanum should fancy their chances as dark horses, too.
Prediction: Neo-Romanum

Equestrian States v. Mapletish
Castle de Mot, Wexax, Valanora
Equestrian States - 1st in Group B (9 points v. Benin-Togo, Northwest Kalactin, & Qasden; 8-3, +5) - Did not enter Di Bradini Cup 42 - Group Stage in Sporting World Cup 6 - Quarterfinals in World Cup 80 - 17th-ranked senior team
Mapletish - 2nd in Group C (6 points v. Savojarna, Cassadaigua, & the South Falls; 3-3, ±0) - Did not enter Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Did not enter World Cup 80 Qualifying - Unranked senior team
The Equestrian States rode a home crowd all the way to the quarterfinals of the previous World Cup; of the sixteen nations left in Valanora, the Ponies have the best showing from World Cup 80. They topped their group, but it was a fairly straightforward one to win after Qasden performed surprisingly poorly. On the other side of the touchline, little-known Mapletish will be a genuine threat, having already eliminated Cassadaigua through the group stage. They rode their defense to get to the knockouts, but one wonders whether they have enough offensive firepower to get by the Equestrian States; that said, the match figures to be very good, & very tight.
Prediction: Equestrian States

Savojarna v. Benin-Togo
The Tar Pit, Char Sara, Valanora
Savojarna - 1st in Group C (7 points v. Mapletish, Cassadaigua, & the South Falls; 8-3, +5) - Group Stage in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Group Stage in World Cup 80 - 28th-ranked senior team
Benin-Togo - 2nd in Group B (6 points v. Equestrian States, Northwest Kalactin, & Qasden; 9-9, ±0) - Did not enter Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Did not enter World Cup 80 Qualifying - Unranked senior team
Savojarna got results in every one of its World Cup matches except against Brenecia, the eventual champions. Though they did exit as third in Group G in the Equestrian States, they have performed well here. Benin-Togo has been a good surprise so far, beating Northwest Kalactin & surprising Qasden, & introducing a fun, fresh, fierce style of attacking football that has seen them both score & concede nine in three group stage matches. However, despite the nice story, the newcomers may only be able to go so far against a team which is high up the ladder & still rising in the world of football.
Prediction: Savojarna

Cosumar v. Kita-Hinode
Hatire Memorial, Capri, Valanora
Cosumar - 1st in Group D (7 points v. Qusmo, Chromatika, & Alpine Union; 5-2, +3) - Round of Sixteen in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Group Stage in Sporting World Cup 6 - Round of Sixteen in World Cup 80 - 14th-ranked senior team
Kita-Hinode - 2nd in Group A (6 points v. Neo-Romanum, Anthor, & Ethane; 7-5, +2) - Semifinals in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Semifinals in Cup of Harmony 72 - 40th-ranked senior team
Any match featuring Cosumar & Kita-Hinode is sure to be a treat, & this figures to be no exception. The Di Bradini Cup 35 champions have topped what some have termed a Group of Death, but the Di Bradini Cup 29 & 41 champions have not done badly themselves, only dropping points to dark horse contenders Neo-Romanum. Cosumar looks to do better than their Round of Sixteen result in Di Bradini Cup 42, & has a fantastic team to do just that, but Kita-Hinode is eyeing gettting back into the semifinals - or even further. Whoever wins has a good shot at doing just that.
Prediction: Kita-Hinode

Taeshan v. Mercedini
Metropolis, Ibini, Valanora
Taeshan - 1st in Group E (5 points v. Routcher, Darmen, & Ceni; 6-3, +3) - Round of Sixteen in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Group Stage in Cup of Harmony - 60th-ranked senior team
Mercedini - 2nd in Group H (6 points v. Pasarga, North Prarie, & Greater Vakolicci Haven; 3-1, +2) - Group Stage in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Round of Sixteen in Sporting World Cup 6 - Champions of Cup of Harmony 72 - 26th-ranked senior team
Taeshan’s footballing tradition includes winning this tournament - in Di Bradini Cup 19. No player on Taeshan’s current roster were alive when that team lifted the trophy, & they’ll want to make memories of their own for future generations. Mercedini, however, will be looking to bounce them from the Di Bradini Cup Round of Sixteen again, & they look to be in a great position to do just that. Having allowed only a single goal so far, they have a share of a claim of the tournament’s best defense. They also have an inspiration in their senior team, which lifted the Cup of Harmony trophy in Vilita. It will be tough, but they will believe that they’ll be able to pull off a similar title run. But before they can do that, they need to discover: Is the fourth time really the charm for getting to the fourth-finals?
Prediction: Mercedini

Semarland v. Razenthuria
Miner's Haven, Goldsan, Valanora
Semarland - 1st in Group F (6 points v. Abanhfleft, Blaneu, & Starblaydia; 6-4, +2) - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Did not enter World Cup 80 Qualifying - 127th-ranked senior team
Razenthuria - 2nd in Group G (4 points v. Baker Park, Filindostan, & Maryloupe; 5-5, ±0) - Did not enter Di Bradini Cup 42 - Champions of Sporting World Cup 6 - Group Stage in Cup of Harmony 72 - 102nd-ranked senior team
Semarland is back on the international stage, having returned after six years away from the scene. They are starting their comeback tour in Valanora, & it kicked off by winning a very good group featuring Abanhfleft & Starblaydia, as well as impressive newcomers Blaneu. On the other end, Razenthuria benefitted from some weak play in Group G to scrape by as second on only four points. On the other end, Razenthuria benefitted from some weak play in Group G to scrape by as second on only four points. Razenthuria did just win the Sporting World Cup title, but those U18 players are, in large part, too young to make a big impact in this U21 tournament. The Razen senior team is ranked higher than the Semars, but Semarland should be heavy favourites here.
Prediction: Semarland

Baker Park v. Abanhfleft
Lathal, Ianisle, Valanora
Baker Park - 1st in Group G (7 points v. Razenthuria, Filindostan, & Maryloupe; 5-3, +2) - Quarterfinals in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Quarterfinals in Sporting World Cup 6 - Group Stage in World Cup 80 - 43rd-ranked senior team
Abanhfleft - 2nd in Group F (5 points v. Semarland, Blaneu, & Starblaydia; 2-1, +1) - Round of Sixteen in Di Bradini Cup 42 - Group Stage in Sporting World Cup 6 - Group Stage in World Cup 80 - 24th-ranked senior team
This may well be the juiciest Round of Sixteen matchup on offer in Valanora. These two teams are full of players hoping to be the missing pieces for success in the World Cup. Both these nations’ senior teams reached the World Cup in the last edition, & Abanhfleft has been there for two consecutive years, but each of their combined three World Cup campaigns resulted in two losses & a crash out in the group stage. These are talented youngsters, however, & they have potential to push their squads to the knockouts in future years. Just look at what they’ve done in previous knockout rounds; this is a rematch of the Sporting World Cup 5 final, where many of the players on these U21 teams were playing for their U18 sides. However, unlike that 5-2 result, this match is shaping up to be a close, defensive effort. Baker Park hasn’t been prolific like some other squads in this tournament, but they rode a tough defense to the top of Group G. Meanwhile, no team in the tournament has conceded fewer goals than Abanhfleft, but only two teams have scored less often, too. Whose offense will wake up & power through a stingy opponent? Will Abanhfleft avenge their crushing loss from a Sporting World Cup on home soil, or will Baker Park come through again? & which squad will announce themselves as what we’ve all quietly been thinking: a bona fide force to be reckoned with on the international stage? One thing’s for sure: This will be a fantastic match, & even the losers will be back, on an even bigger stage.
Prediction: Abanhfleft

Pasarga v. Routcher
Hellgate, Raynor City, Valanora
Pasarga - 1st in Group H (9 points v. Mercedini, North Prarie, & Greater Vakolicci Haven; 8-2, +6) - Champions of Di Bradini Cup 42 - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Round of Sixteen in World Cup 80 - 11th-ranked senior team
Routcher - 2nd in Group E (6 points v. Taeshan, Darmen, & Ceni; 3-2, +1) - Did not enter Sporting World Cup 6 - Did not enter World Cup 80 Qualifying - Unranked senior team
The stars of this show will undoubtedly be Pasarga, the defending & four-time Di Bradini Cup champions. However, the Pasargans will know well that no team has ever repeated as champion since their first trophy in Di Bradini Cup 22. Pasarga is the 42nd team to try to defend a Di Bradini Cup title & the 63rd team to try to defend a U21 World Cup championship, but only five have won consecutive U21 World Cups, including only three in the Di Bradini Cup era - & none since Cafundeu in Di Bradini Cups 17 & 18. Pasarga has been on fire, tying for the fourth-most prolific offense & third-stingiest defense in the group stage, being one of only three teams to take all nine points & the only to have an impressive +6 goal differential. However, Pasarga knows that it still has four more matches left before it can celebrate again. With a very tough potential quarterfinal against either Baker Park, Sporting World Cup 5 champions, or Abanhfleft, which took Pasarga to penalty kicks in Di Bradini Cup 43’s highly contentious & controversial Round of Sixteen, they may overlook this year’s Round of Sixteen opponents - as may the rest of the world. However, no one should count Routcher out yet. They, too, have one of the stingiest defenses in the tournament, & they should pose a challenge to the defending champions. Pasarga surely will still be favoured, but perhaps another set of penalty kicks are in the works - or, if everything plays just right, perhaps even an upset.
Prediction: Pasarga

Well, if all those predictions come true, where will we be? In the quarterfinals, Neo-Romanum would play the Equestrian States, Savojarna would take on Kita-Hinode, Mercedini would clash with Semarland, & Abanhfleft would take on Pasarga. In the first match, the newcomer Romans would take on the World Cup 80 co-hosts - but we think that Neo-Romanum has it in them to advance far & dispatch the Ponies in the quarterfinals, just as they were in their home World Cup. Next, there’s a tough clash between Savojarna & Kita-Hinode, but despite a tough challenge, Kita-Hinode seems the favourite to advance to the semifinals for the third consecutive year, dating back to their reemergence on the U21 scene with the Di Bradini 41 championship. After that, we have Mercedini & Semarland, as the Semars try to recreate the same story as Kita-Hinode two editions ago; unfortunately for them, however, we think Mercedini will get their first trip to the semifinals in the same edition as their first trip to the quarterfinals. But, once again, Abanhfleft’s knockout match would likely be the most-hyped of the round, as they take a long-standing blood feud with Pasarga to the quarterfinals. It will be a high-octane match, but we think that Abanhfleft will finally be able to triumph over their rivals.

At this point, it’s all mere speculation, of course, but we’ve come so far already, so why not look ahead to the semifinals? In this hypothetical, we see Neo-Romanum against Kita-Hinode & Mercedini taking on Abanhfleft. The Roman U18s got to the semifinals of Sporting World Cup 6 but got no further; meanwhile, Kita-Hinode advanced to the semifinals in Di Bradini Cup 63 & Cup of Harmony 72 but finished fourth both times. Neo-Romanum has already beaten Kita-Hinode 2-0 to finish as the class of Group A, & we think it’s no fluke; Neo-Romanum could well best their already-fantastic Sporting World Cup debut by reaching the Di Bradini Cup final. Meanwhile, in the other half of the bracket, we see two group runners-up clashing for a spot in the final. It’s a stark change from the last edition, where we saw only two group runners-up make it to the quarterfinals; Starblaydia & Ceni both advanced there on penalty kicks, but neither advanced to the semifinals. In our hypothetical, only one group winner made it to the final four. The group runner-up we think will make it to top two in the tournament is Abanhfleft. They have a stifling defense & did not lose a single game in a tough group.

In this third-place match, we would see Kita-Hinode & Mercedini. These are both good squads, but given the fact that Kita-Hinode has already finished fourth in the last Cup of Harmony & Di Bradini Cup, we’ll pencil them in for that spot again, giving the match to Mercedini. But the real prize is a contest between Neo-Romanum & Abanhfleft. Many players on this Abanhfleft U21 team got to the Sporting World Cup 5 final on home soil as part of the U18 team, but they were stunned by a newcomer competing in international football for only the second time & making their first appearance in that particular tournament. We think that these players will have to live through the same sort of disappointment, because we think Neo-Romanum can go all the way to the championship.

We’re practically ready to be pilloried. Here at Spony Luq Television, we’re not only predicting that our home team will be bounced out in the Round of Sixteen; we’re predicting a team making its first-ever Di Bradini Cup appearance winning it all. It will surely be a wild & exciting ride, with countless juicy matchups along the way. There are sure to be countless surprises, especially given the nature of this tournament, when many players are too young to be terribly well-known across the multiverse. It’s always tricky, & it’s always risky, to predict these sorts of things - but we do know that it’s going to be a great tournament, so get your popcorn, take your seats, & enjoy it!

World Cup 81/82/83/84

DBC down to do or die time; BP confident

Kristian Barnard
Daily Mail Soccer Writer

Reporting from Ianisle, Valanora:

Ahead of the match here at the Lathal stadium, the Commonwealth Under-21 National Team had a few hours to spend with their families who have made the trip, as well as approximately 2,000 fans from Sharala who have been the unofficial Baker Park fan club going back to the last tournament; the Vanorians arrived ahead of the team and set up an entire Fan Zone and hospitality area adjacent to the stadium--which seats 29,000--for both their own use and for any other BP fans who have traveled here for the game against Abanhfleft.

The supporters club of AS Sharala have gone to great lengths to provide a welcoming atmosphere for the traveling fans from the Commonwealth, many of whom chose to stay in the city along with team, as it provided easy access to the venues and the other parts of the Eternal Empire that could be visited on day trips in between matchdays. In fact, they obtained a special import license to bring beer and soft drinks into Valanora from Banija, where the BCEL Corporation have distribution rights.

As for the team news, U21 manager Jennifer Prescott said that Scott Miller and DeAngelo Simmons would return to the starting XI, and Caleb Brightwell would also reclaim his spot in central defense. There was an extra day of training after the final group matches, and the team spent that working on set pieces and, yes, taking penalties; it was starters against backups with the winning side getting an extra 2 hours before curfew. Several of the winning side were happy to report it was the backups who came out ahead, 5-3 and also said that the losers had to carry the winners off the training ground on their backs, which ended with much laughter and expressions of friendship and camaraderie among the squad.

Prescott also related that she had gotten a call from Tony Weiss, whom she assisted on the SWC winning squad, wishing her luck and encouragement. "We talked for about 25 minutes, I think. We shared some laughs, we talked about general things. It was great to just have some relaxed conversation, just like we did in Abanhfleft. He reminded me to take the time to appreciate the moment--which is what I told him when we got to the semis before--and to trust my instincts, which I also said to him then. It was reassuring to hear it from someone else."

by **Benin-Togo** » Sun Jul 08, 2018 9:42 pm

Di Bradini Cup 43: Young Lions to Compete in Knockout Round After 4-3 Victory

Written by Robert Mwamwe

Valanora - After yet another high-scoring game the Young Lions are set to contest their first Round of 16, after finishing second in Group B.

The final game against Northwest Kalactin drew in massive crowds, and did not disappoint. Action on the field was intense right from the first whistle, with the team from Northwest Kalactin taking the offensive right away. Even though this level of aggressive play was expected from their team, it still appeared to catch the Young Lions by surprise, resulting in a 7th minute strike by Bruce Nelson bringing the game to 0-1 in favour of Northwest Kalactin.

Further offensive maneuvers were less effective, with the Young Lions holding in their defense and managing to move the ball to the foward positions, the few shots at goal were diligently blocked by goalkeeper Patrick Bell, keeping Northwest Kalactin ahead for the time being. A smart pass by Alan Griffin to Jackie Turner resulted in another goal for Northwest Kalactin at the 26th minute, putting them comfortably ahead at 0-2. This comfortable lead was halved soon after, with great play by both Ndidi St Pierre and Chikondi Sauvageau resulting in Benin-Togo's first goal for the game at the 37th minute. With the score set at 1-2, the first half ended and both sides returned to their coaches to discuss strategy.

With the whistle blown on the second half of play, both sides appeared more determined than ever to get their team over the line and into the next stage. Northwest Kalactin's newfound aggression was halted by the Young Lions defence, with the few shots on goal being intercepted by Adegoke Bertrand in spectacular fashion. This focus on offense by Northwest Kalactin was ultimately detrimental, as weaker defence allowed Kwadwo Roux to bring the game to 2-2 at the 62nd minute followed again with another goal at the 69th minute, putting Benin-Togo ahead at 3-2.

The Northwest Kalactin squad began to strengthen their defence, blocking shots on goal from both Kwadwo Roux and Chikondi Sauvageau. This defence couldn't stop a 81st minute shot by Chikondi Sauvageau, who slotted the ball just past the hands of Patrick Bell, and cementing a two-point lead for Benin-Togo in the dying minutes of the game. A late 87th minute shot by Jackie Turner earned Northwest Kalactin their third goal, but the gap between the two teams couldn't be bridged and Benin-Togo emerged victorious with a 4-3 win. Celebrations erupted amongst Benin-Togolese fans both in the stadium and at home, as this is the first time Benin-Togo has made it to the knockout round of an international football competition.

The Young Lions now face Savojarna in the Round of 16 in what is expected to be a difficult game. Savojarna placed first in Group C, not losing a single match and only tying in one. The two teams will meet at The Tar Pit, Char Sara in a game which is expected to fill the 39,000 seat stadium.

by **Pasarga** » Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:41 pm

"... and the holders manage to win their last group stage game against North Prarie despite a rotated side, managing to complete a perfect group stage as they try to become part of an elite group of teams to retain their title in the Di Bradini Cup."

Tobias Möller listened to the delayed radio broadcast from Pasarga inside his apartment in Raynor City. Despite being in the host country, Tobias had elected not to go to any of the matches that the Young Wanderers had played despite the invitation from the PFA to all of the games. For Tobias, he still felt a huge amount of pain at having been sacked from his role as the Pasarga National Team Manager after their unexpected heavy defeat to Schottia five years ago, despite having managed to achieve a modicum of success with the Vanorian National Team as well as his time as the head of Hellinic Rouge. Where there was also a bit of rage, a sense of betrayal had never quite healed over the time between then and now.

Despite all of that, there was still a sense of pride from the former international, pride in seeing the next generation of potential wonder kids doing well while representing the country. The hurt and rage was never directed at them, these kids were just trying to play well and impress their friends, family, and coaches, to do the shirt proud and potentially get called up to the senior team. That was what was great about this team Tobias thought, not many huge egos with the lack of real stars on the team, just a solid group of hard working players that really were playing like a team, not just a group of eleven talented individuals. It reminded him of the first side that he had brought to Valanora in his tenure, a bunch of no name kids who mostly played in the SuperLiga, back when the domestic league was considered just an average league to play in. A lot of these kids would likely never have their kits sold in the millions or perhaps even tens of thousands, but they all seemed to have the spark needed to get the job done when called up.

His eyes darted to his desk, where a pair of tickets rested, having been delivered by a courier about two hours earlier, the seal of the PFA broken by the letter opener that Tobias had used to open the delivery. Still they persisted in trying to bring him back into the fold, to mend the bridges that had been broken those few years ago. Tobias had no desire to mend the bridges, the higher ups in the PFA had abandoned him and his project when they had had a single misstep. He wished no ill will towards Mór Császár, but his replacement by all accounts had had a much more difficult time in even coming close to replicating the success that he had had with the national teams. Still, these kids had nothing to with that and they had certainly earned his admiration by the way that they had been performing in this tournament. If he could help the team along by being in the stands, then maybe for an afternoon he could let the rage subside and go be a fan of a promising young national team looking to make a bit of history along the way.

by **Valanora** » Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:51 pm

Round of Sixteen

Neo-Romanum 2–2(2–4 AET) Qusmo
Equestrian States 3–4 Mapletish
Savojarna 2–1 Benin-Togo
Cosumar 0–3 Kita-Hinode
Taeshan 1–3 Mercedini
Semarland 0–0(3–0 AET) Razenthuria
Baker Park 1–2 Abanhfleft
Pasarga 3–2 Routcher

Quarterfinals
Qusmo v Mapletish @ Aranfield Bridge, Everlin
Savojarna v Kita-Hinode @ Donna Cathedral, Mar Sara
Mercedini v Semarland @ The Battleground, Raynor City
Abanhfleft v Pasarga @ Hatire Memorial, Capri

Di Bradini Cup 43/U21WC64 (Everything Thread)

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