Baptism of Fire 68

[Krenorus]

https://www.kbc.com.kr/sports/kren_win_rndof316

Krenorussian Broadcasting Company

Rex Roses, KBC SPORTS

Stadion Reyenoord, Eikborg - The Eagle-Eyed Fighters played against the South Libertopia's team today. It was a great match for the nation as Krenorussians are quite elated still after winning one to nil against the last team Our Boys faced. The match is noted for how the Krenorussians' aggressive attacks before a few mild defences were able to pay off, scoring two goals. In the post-match conference, Leonard Lionels said that Krenorus had 'was gonna' make it to the Finals'.

Change(s) on Krenorussian Team for this Match

Lord Ryland van Gaal < Carson Lee

Ace Richardson > Ret Orions
Ash Arrowson > Zack Maxons-Scott
Dash Phillips > Joseph Kilroy

Mid-game Changes

None
 
( > ) equals ( Replaced by Player on Reserve Team [ Until next table change ] )
( < ) equals ( Replaced by Player on Original Team [ Until next table change ] )

The match was amazing. Krenorus did a jolly good job. However, most Krenorussians expected Krenorus to score more considering that the Krenorussians were facing a scantily clothed, female team. Most Krenorussians refer to female football with a very rude word once used for female dogs along with the word 'ball'. At first, the game started off with South Libertopia controlling the ball. Lydia Morrison, aged 29, got the ball and tried to avoid the Krenorussians, but Zack Maxons-Scott swooped in and stole the ball... and the scene. Charging to the goal, he jumped over the ball to the left, causing the goalkeeper to swing in his direction. However, Ret Orions was following behind him and kicked the ball, causing it to go to the right while spinning to the left just enough to avoid Rebbeca Goddard and go straight. Lord van Gaal, our Cappy, had a smile on his face that Krenorus was able to score. The Krenorussians then tried to do it again, but the team they were facing was quite skilled. It took the Krenorussians a while before Thorn Jacobsen scored again, he was a Goaller. After that, the Krenorussians became defensive. The South Libertopians got close to scoring, but never actually scored. Our Goaller-Stopper really did his job! It was a good victory for the Krenorussians

Now, their going to the quarter-finals. Let's hope they can win this... Baptism of Fire before the World Cup. In my personal view, I think Krenorus will do worse in the World Cup from what I call... 'B.O.F. Fatigue', however, let us see how the Krenorussians will do. Maybe the Krenorussians will intentionally lose, so that they have enough time to rest before the World Cup.

*Cappy is Krenorussian slang for Captain. Most news sites do not use this, but some sports commentators write it into their posts.

About the Author: Rex Roses (b. 1952) is a Krenorussian Sports Commentator who was a footsoccer legend for New London FC (1970 - 1974) and Hawksons FSC (1974 - 1987). He was also the manager of Clovex Knights Assocer Club (2000 - 2005) and Hawksons FSC (2005 - 2015), bringing them both to the top spot in the Eminent's League.

Krenorus v. Dormill and Sturia | Results

Win . . . 2 - 0 

Scorers: 

Thorn Jacobsen, Krenorus; Ret Orions, Krenorus

[Krenorus]

M . H . K .
Sports

Footsoccer: Team Krenorus Heads for Quarter Finals; Heart of Nation Ignited
Some say this will help unite our divided nation

By Larry Fritjofson, Maximillian van Lee, and Adolf von Heinz

Semarland, - Krenorus' Team for Footsoccer has just won the match against South Libertopia, in the Round of Sixteen. Many hopes are being sent to the skies as Krenorus gets ready for the Quarter Finals. Thousands celebrated the win as most workers were in pubs all around the country. Marches were held after the match as there was plenty to celebrate. The phrase, 'Time for Krenorus to win this!' was shouted all over Krenorus. Many Krenorussians were moved by this game. Many hope that Krenorus will reach the Semi-Finals, maybe even win. If Krenorus does win, it will be a great victory in sports for the Krenorussian people.

The Krenorussian Team's Deputy Coach, Ouilliamme DeFranco, issued a statement today, "We are happy that we are going to the Quarter Finals and that we will be able to show the world Krenorus' glory! Anyway, I thank the team and the staff for what they have done. Goodbye."

In Other News:

1. Harold Godwins, R&B singer, arrested for cannabis drug use during Parade of Love
2. Two men dead after pro-separatist terrorist bomb store.
3. Indo-Kreno Murders intensify after police shoot victim by accident
4. Indo-Kreno Rights Protests shut down by riot police with rubber bullets
5. Homosexuals and Bisexuals (H&B) protest to legalize sodomy and having homosexual relationships shut down.
6. Police have a shootout with Jewish Mob in New London

[Squornshelan Remnant States]

Well-Rounded Performance Propels Black-and-Red to Last Eight
Puerto Farolero, FARFADILLIS For the first time, the Squornshelan Remnant States had an opportunity to wear their black and red striped jerseys, as they were designated the home side at La Gran Avenida against Unified Hispania in their sky blue away kit. Also for the first time, our team won a match while conceding a goal, two goals in fact. Istaro Munib's run of clean sheets ends at three, but he will have a chance to begin anew as the Confederacy advances to the quarterfinal round.

Before the match began, of course, the players and fans made the now familiar trek through the forest to reach the stadium. It must have looked quite interesting from the air, as long lines of blue, white, red, and black snaked through the verdant forest. Many supporter groups had brought extra water supplies, distributing it freely to those who had neglected to bring enough. The overall mood at kickoff was jovial and convivial, despite the sweltering heat and humidity.

Early on, the match proved somewhat indecisive, as both teams play with five across the back, and like to avoid overcommitting themselves. The crowd grew somewhat restless, as it took 18 minutes before there was an attempt to shoot, well wide off the right foot of Carlos Basurto. It did seem, however, that Espinoza was getting the better of Daror in the early stages of the managerial chess match, as Teobaldo Colón and Claudio Castillo were able to find some space in the gap left between the Confederate wingers and full backs. It was Colón who sparked the play which led to the match's first goal. He played a one-two with Rodrigo Sánchez down the flank, and as the defense realigned he threaded a pass inside to Cornélio Vilar. Vilar in turn played a one-touch ball through the defensive line which Basurto ran onto. Munib rushed out to cut down the angle but had no real chance to make the save. As the Hispanic players celebrated, an animated discussion ensued between Munib and the two center backs who Vilar's pass split on the play Dymek Raktsov and Tervi Oleb. Credit had to be given to their opponents for as pretty a passing play as one could ask for, but it was a surprising lapse for the defensive crew that had looked so strong shutting down the potent Kavagrader attack in the round of 32.

Following the goal, another period of indecisive play ensued. Unified Hispania seemed content to wait and gauge the Confederate reaction to conceding for the first time since their debut match, and the Black-and-Reds seemed, to be honest, a little taken aback at the development. In time they were able to begin to press forward in search of an equalizer, and began probing Eladio Salamanca with a few shots from outside the box. One particularly promising opportunity came when Arlo Damot's 31st minute shot took a glancing deflection off the thigh of Zoban Ajao. Somehow, though he appeared completely wrong-footed by the change in direction, Salamanca made a lightning quick adjustment and tipped the shot wide. The corner kick following that play was headed clear of the box by Roque Sánchez, but was gathered in by Vaarin Strepol. The Hispanic defense regained its shape well, but after a few more minutes of probing, the Confederates had earned another corner, this time when Salamanca tipped a screamer from Damot just over the bar. Damot's corner swung out, drawing Salamanca off his line, and Zemen Ystrad, freshly back from suspension, rose up to head it into the top of the net.

Unified Hispania surged forward following the goal, hoping to regain the lead in the five minutes and change before the halftime whistle. Their attacks were disrupted, however, by strong play in midfield from Strepol and Damot, who gave Rodrigo Sánchez and Daniel Noguera no space to work with, and effectively cut off service through the middle. The Hispanics tried a few crosses from the outside during stoppage time, but these proved more hopeful than accurate, and the two teams went to the dressing rooms even at one goal apiece.

Second Half
As the second half began, it appeared that Unified Hispania were going to pick up where they left off, probing careful for weaknesses along the flanks of the Confederate defense. The game turned around completely though, after less than ten minutes. A scuffed pass between Colón and Rodrigo Sánchez let Volad Ulcviecel seize the ball and play it quickly forward to Eyob Zonde; the counter was on. Zonde made as if to cut inside but instead played a backheel pass to Ulcviecel, who was flying by on an overlapping run. Finding himself a half step clear of Joel Fontana, he launched an aerial cross into the box. It proved too lofty even for Ajao and Roque Sánchez to reach, but fell perfectly for Jzeovak Vladcik on the far side of the area. Salamanca, who had to respect the possibility of a header on net from Ajao was unable to adjust in time, and the Confederacy led 2-1.

A few minutes later, Espinoza made the first change of the match, bringing off Noguera, who had not been able to find much space to work, in favor of Isaac Vargas. The immediate impact of this substitution on the Hispanic attack was difficult to judge though, as it was the Confederates who controlled the pace as play restarted. Three minutes later, they hit the back of the net once again. It was off yet another screamer of a long-range shot from Damot. This one eluded a diving Salamanca, but could not beat the goal frame, smashing into the junction between post and crossbar. The rebound hammered into the ground and sprang across the goalmouth, where Ajao was quickest to react, trapping the ball with his chest. His frantic swing didn't connect cleanly, but the ball took a strange angle off the side of his knee and had just enough momentum to elude the defenders and goalkeeper both. 3-1 Squornshelan Remnant States.

At this point, the Confederates began to sit back a bit, knowing that they only needed to keep the opponents from scoring more than one over the next half hour to be sure of advancement. Unified Hispania had most of the possession, but seemed a bit uncertain, particularly in their transition game. Espinoza, apparently hoping to shake off the funk that had descended on his midfield, brought off Rodrigo Sánchez, replacing him with Alonso Barros. Daror countered a few minutes later by bringing off Strepol for the more defensive-minded Shrike Hagaz. Clearly the battle for the remainder of the match was going to be fought in the midfield, and a battle it was. While Hagaz was certainly a disruptive presence, his rapid closing down and ready willingness to make tackles led to a free kick in a good position and a yellow card for the overeager Confederate, who had tried to go through Barros to get to the ball. With only a little more than ten minutes remaining until stoppage time, Basurto lined up over the ball, knowing he needed something special to pull his team within one goal; he delivered. His powerful shot cleared the leaping wall by a centimeter, and dipped just enough to enter the goal off the underside of the bar, leaving Munib standing.

With the lead cut to one, Daror made the decision to go all in on defense. He sent center midfielder Yideg Abhe on and removed Ajao from the field, leaving his team without a striker. Abhe slotted in beside Damot, and Hagaz slid back a bit to play as a center defensive midfielder, a task he mostly interpreted as shadowing Vilar wherever he went. Further Confederate attacks would be almost entirely dependent on the wingers, but the middle of the field was now well and truly clogged. Espinoza's final substitution attempted to address this issue, as he substituted attacking midfielder Agustín Castro for one of his center backs, Fontana. Daror, in keeping with his counterpunching ways, doubled down on defense once more, taking Vladcik off, moving Danin Geladi forward to midfield, and bringing on Djabgor Dzarkhin to play left back. No Confederate player so much as put a toe over the center line during stoppage time. Try as the Hispanic players might, there simply was not enough room to create anything more than shots from extreme distance.

The Confederacy's quarterfinal match will be played against Shofercia, possibly at La Fantás in Ferdullaele, but possibly somewhere else. Possibly it may not be played at all, who can tell with the FFFF? Shofercia have made headlines for earning the ire of the FFFF and its president Alex Terán for their support of the Rulandese minority in Farfadillis, and their matches have been subject to disruption on short notice. The Black-and-Reds, however, had their first match, which was also slated to be played at La Fantás, relocated, so for that to happen a second time shouldn't put our boys off their game too much. In any case, we will simply have to wait and see, since it is impossible to predict the decisions of our hosts.

Squornshelan Remnant States  3 - 2  Unified Hispania
Ystrad 39'                          Basurto 23', 78'
Vladcik 53'
Ajao 61'

Man of the Match: 

SRS: Munib; Geladi, Raktsov, Oleb, Ystrad, Ulcviecel; Zonde, Strepol (Hagaz 71'), Damot, Vladcik (Dzarkhin 88'); Ajao (Abhe 80')
UHA: Salamanca; Cólon, Fontana (Castro 85'), Roq. Sánchez, Toledo, Castillo; Rod. Sánchez (Barros 68'), Noguera (Vargas 58'); Vilar; Basurto, Puga

[Greater Carloso]

By Connor Hurtado from, Kolberg, Semarland, RTC NEWS
Published 18 August 2018, 15:50 (GMT)

Carloso victorious after defeating Blaneu 5-4 in penalties

The last thing Mercader and Los Tricolores had wanted was a punishing repeat of their Round of 32 game against Rannoria on Wednesday. Though they eventuallly triumped against Blaneu in penalities, it wasn't without having to be dragged through another arduous 120 minute game as both teams ended up with an equal number of goals by the end of the normal time and again at extra time. Carloso gave another brillant performance against a determined Blaneu side, finishing extra time with a score of 2-2. Whether by skill or sheer luck, Los Tricolores' managed to pull off a 5-4 victory in penalities, with team captain Ignacio Muraga this time landing the winning shot that would see them through to the quarter-finals. Questions were raised about Mercader's decision to put Diego Carriço in goal instead of Alex Fernán, where he performed poorly. The same could be said, however, for Blaneuan goalkeeper Robert O'Brian, who failed to intercept any of Carloso's penalties. Carloso is set to play against the formidable team from Krenorus next, this time at Stadion Metner in Krsthaven, Semarland. Elsewhere in Baptism of Fire 68, fellow Group J hopefuls Guriguay sent Rakivland out of the tournament with a score of 3–2. Cobrio dealt a heavy blow to Santa Rafa with a final score of 4–2.

The determination on both sides was clear from the start, though it would be Carloso who would score the first goal. In the 16th minute, Diego Santander zig-zagged past the Blaneuan back-line and lobbed the ball right into the net, putting Los Tricolores up 1-0. The Blaneuans tried to close the gap as quickly as possible, with Ojo Navarro almost suceeding at the 26th minute. The Carlosian mid-fielders and forwards kept their opponents at bay, applying enough pressure to keep the ball close to the Blaneuan goal for most of the first half. Tomás Fernán almost got another goal at the 32nd minute for Carloso when he struck the ball past Red Vernon with his left foot, only to hit the post and ricochet back to Santander. Blaneu remained unable to equalise for the rest of first half, as Carloso went on the defensive in order to maintain their lead. As the game moved into injury time, Elías Armstrong warded off a close attempt at a low strike by Leslie Driscoll just before the referee blew his whistle to signal that the first half was over.

Blaneu came out in fighting form in the second half, stepping up their game considerably against Carloso. Navarro compensated for his previous failed attempt in the 59th minute when he scored a stunning header against Carloso, equalising both 1-1. The Carlosian players didn't appear to be too pleased, having hoped for an easy victory against Blaneu. While the Carlosian back-line continued to hold up phenominally against the Blaneuan forwards, the trio of Santander, Tomás Fernán and Barton failed to break past the opposing defence. Midfielder Andrés de Obregón was sent off in the 70th minute due to exhaustion, and Mercader replaced him with Ivan Machado. Only five minutes later, he decided to send Jose Alemán off and replaced him with Madrigal United midfielder Santiago Beldad. The two fresh additions temporarily galvinised Carloso's resolve, with Machado almost scoring when he dribbled the ball past Vernon, only to be deflected by O'Brian. Unfortunately for both sides, neither succedded in scoring for the remainder of the second half, and the referee blew his whistle as the two teams prepared for another thirty minutes of gruelling play.

Mercader managed to galvanise Los Tricolores going into extra time, with the Carlosians applying great pressure on the Blaneuan defenders. It would pay-off when, Ignacio Muraga; who was probing the opposing back-line, passed the ball to Tomás Fernán in the 111th minute, allowing him to shoot the ball past O'Brian and put Carloso up 2-1. The clock ticked down and the first half of extra time came to an end, with the Blaneuan manager giving some serious words to his team before the game started up again. Blaneu rebounded speedily, with Owain Davis equalising 2-2 in the 121st minute. After this, Carloso's opponents went on the defensive, hoping to exhaust the Carlosians before the game went to penalities. Little else happened in the second half of extra time, and the referee eventually blew his whistle, much to the relief of two weary teams.

The referee handed the first shot to Blaneu, with Ojo Navarro taking the shot. Carriço failed to intercept, giving Blaneu its first penalty. Diego Santander; the star of Carloso's clash with Rannoria, followed up and sent the ball whizzing past O'Brian to equalise with ease. Leslie Driscoll took the Blaneuan's second shot, again hitting the mark. Sub Ivan Machado impressed with his own attempt, landing the ball into the side-netting of the goal. Lucas Sparks easily took the third shot for Blaneu as Carriço again fell short. Promising Carlosian forward Michael Barton took Los Tricolores' third penalty and triumphed. The poor performance from both goalies was telling. For Blaneu's fourth shot, Aaron Starkey dealt a masterful shot at Carriço, sending the Carlosian goalkeeper diving in the wrong direction. Not to be outdone, Tomás Fernán delivered a similiarly impressive blow and scored another penalty for Carloso. With both teams on 4-4, it would all come down to the fifth shot. Owain Davis appeared to be in a state of heavy contemplation as he lined up to take Blaneu's final penalty. He kicked the ball superably with his right foot, only to go spinning into the gloves of Carriço. The fans began chanting, cheering on Ignacio Muraga as he prepared to take the final penalty. Blessing himself, he lobbed the ball with his left foot into the top corner of the net, sending the stadium into a whirlwind of celebration. The Blaneuans walked off, defeated, if only narrowly.

Carloso 2-2 (a.e.t.) Blaneu
(5-4 p)

Goals
Diego Santander 16'
Tomás Fernán 111'

Penalties
Diego Santander 
Ivan Machado 
Michael Barton 
Tomás Fernán 
Ignacio Muraga 

Match preview: Carloso versus Krenorus

There is no doubt that Krenorus will be Los Tricolores' greatest challenge yet, comfortably beating South Libertopia 2-0 in Eikborg on Friday. Krenorus finished second in Group M with four points, just behind Sharktail. The two sides will play it out at Stadion Metner in Krsthaven, Semarland, in the same place where Carloso claimed their first BoF victory against Guriguay. Mercader's squad have so far remain undefeated in Baptism of Fire 68, winning all of their Group J games and drawing but winning through penalities in the Round of 32 and 16 respectively. With both teams showing a predeposition for a more aggressive style of play, Sunday's game should be an exciting one. On the Krenorussian side, players to watch out for will include Lord van Gaal, a nobleman who is the side's top scorer and impressed in their games against Nuadh-Alba and Sharktail. Ryan O'Brien is noticeable for his size, standing at six foot six, though the flightier Carlosians may well be able to outpace him. The talented Krenorussian goalkeeper, Henry Fireson, could also pose a challenge to the Carlosian forwards.

Knowing what is at stake in this game, Mercader has reverted to the line-up we saw against Guriguay in the opening game; a 3-3-1-3 formation, with superstar Diego Santander once again performing as striker, flanked by Tomás Fernán and Michael Barton. Alex Fernán will return as goalkeeper in this game, after Diego Carriço's dissapointing performance against Blaneu. After suffering from a sprained ankle in the Round of 32 game against Rannoria, it looks like Noah Reid will have to bow out for the remainder of the tournament. Los Tricolores will be praying for a clear victory in this game, hoping to avoid yet another penalty shootout in the knockout stage of Baptism of Fire. The fatique from two 120 minute games in a row may well prove detrimental to Carloso's performance tomorrow, though it remains to be seen. On the other hand, Los Tricolores might benefit from the confidence boost provided by winning two penalty shootouts in a row. Thousands of Carlosian fans are expected to turnout for the match tomorrow, with many more booking last minute tickets to fly to Semarland and witness a possible Carlosian victory in Baptism of Fire 68. Regardless of the result, live coverage of the game will be broadcast on RTC 1.

Top Stories

• National Intelligence Service uncover foreign propaganda network
• Carloso victorious after defeating Blaneu 5-4 in penalties
• Evidence surfaces of massacres in occupied Trauschland

Consult: http://iiwiki.com/wiki/Carloso_national ... rent_squad

[Guriguay]

The Guriguay Times

Guriguay are into the last eight of the 68th Baptism of Fire after beating Rakivland 3-2 in a thrilling second half.

Senator Louis Fernandez is accused of bribing fellow senators for vote gains, the Liberal Party member has been caught making secret transactions to Green Party members. Over a dozen LP and GP members have been arrested.

Petitions have been signed by over 590000 people to form a domestic football league, the petitions success prompted the GFF to begin funding for new stadiums across Guriguay.

[Krenorus]

https://www.kbc.com.kr/sports/kren_v_carloso

Krenorussian Broadcasting Company

KRENORUS V. CARLOSO : Battle of the Nations!

Phillipe Hernandes, KBC SPORTS

Stadion Metner, Krsthaven - This is the stadium where Krenorus' Eagle-Eyed Fighters will face Los Tricolores of the nation of Carloso. Los Tricolores will be the toughest team Krenorus will have to face, according to many analysts. Krenorus will also be the hardest team the Tricolours will also have to face. Lord Ryland van Gaal - of Lords Assocer Football Club - has given answers about how the Krenorussian team will deal with the Carlosians in the match tomorrow. There are reports saying that Sir Henry J.R.R. Jaeger - the Anglo-Krenorussian Party (Christian Conservative Coalition) Prime Minister of Krenorus - will be watching tomorrow's game. It is going to be an exciting game for which Krenorus is ready! Many Krenorussians know what is at stake. Millions of bets have been made for tomorrow's game, many of which are Illegal betting.

Either way, if Krenorus loses or wins, many will be broke. There is a rumour that Charlie Johnson, a bigshot investor, has bet all of his saving on this game for Krenorus to win with James Ruffians, another bigshot investor who has put all of his saving into this bet. Both own gangs of goons and will probably start street wars with each other. Riot police are to be stationed all over the cities of Krenorus tomorrow as riots will most probably happen. Some say that big shot men betting will pay off the Fighters to lose the game intentionally so they win big money. The Upperton Cavalry Constable Battalion has been stationed all over Queen Elizabeth's Island, named after Queen Elizabeth I of England. High Constable Geoffrey Killeybird said in a press statement that 'the Upperton Cavalry Constable Battalion were willing to shut down the city in case any riots happen.

Miltonne LaVilla - of the French Riders Regiment - said that the F.R.R. were being stationed in the countryside of Krenorus to watch over and protect the local populace. Jerrysonne Fritjof - known as Jerry Fritz - said that Jaeger Company, a private security and hunting company, has been commisioned by the government to protect the farmers of Krenorus as many of them were killed. So far, thirty men have been murdered after refusing to pay their bets. Only two murderers have been arrested.

Recognising this threat, Leonard Lionels, the coach of the Eagle-Eyed Fighters, said that Krenorus would be using a 4-4-2-1 formation with Lord van Gaal taking the lead and Richarson and Arrowson behind him. The Lords Assocer Football Club star said that the team had done a prayer to pray for victory. A social media hashtag - #prayforawin - was and is still trending on many Krenorussian social media sites. Churches over Krenorus have been full with many praying. The Krenorussite Hebrew Association, the oldest association for Jews in Krenorus, dating back to when the term Krenorussite was used instead of Krenorussian, said that there was a big chance that if Krenorus lost, attacks against synagogues would increase along with Jewish murders. A dozen Jews were killed after Krenorus drawed against Sharktail and another dozen were murdered after Krenorus lost against Routcher. It is also said that domestic violence increased during these games. So far, the cops have taken little to no action against this.

My T A K E

KRENORUS has a sizable chance of winning this match. I believe the fate of this nation, torn apart by politics, rests on these men. The divide between the Anglos and other types of Europeans, along with the native population of Krenos, the small African population, Latino, and Jewish population are at the brink of riots and killing from all races. Socialism is rapidly rising in the country as protests for from the few Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual - LGB - groups of Krenorus over the banning of all Bisexual and Homosexual activities along with the threat of race riots loom. The success of Krenorus in the BOF has united much of the nation. If Krenorus loses this match, it is suspected that the fallout will be devastating. However, Krenorus still has the World Cup to compete in, so I expect our boys to either intentionally loses so they can get a rest and not suffer from fatigue, or keep winning to win this BOF, where only new nations are playing.

Anyway, I'm sure we'll all stay sat for tomorrow's match! Good luck, Boys!

About the Author: Phillipe Roudregues Hernandes (b. 1965) is a Krenorussian Sports Analyst who was the President of the Dominion Gridiron Football Association (1990 - 1999) and the 'Député Président' of the Krenorussite Football Association ( 2005 - 2014 ) - which is the sports association for Krenorussite Football - along with being the Deputy Manager of the New London Gridiron Club ( 2015 - present ).

[Krenorus]

Happy with the Krenorussian victory, Gerald Barbs - the Manager of the Eagle-Eyed Fighters - organised a party all along a row of pubs with not only the original team and the replacements, but with the staffers as well. Beer, wine, ale, and cocktails were served with steaks and pork and other kinds of food. In fact, Krenorussian fans who had gone to Semarland to see the Fighters play were also present, with a massive party also happening outside the row of pubs, packing most of them full. In fact, many sat on outdoor chairs and tables. Many shook the hands of the players. Cars were parked everywhere as a traffic jam occurred. Krenorussian flags were flown both inside and outside the pubs. Nearly two hundred people were in attendance. On the second floor of one of the pubs, The Hound, the team ate dinner and drank alcohol.

Kieran Bowen gulped down a whole pint of beer in ten seconds as the other players cheered. Lord Ryland van Gaal let out a small smile at the incident, admiring how much some of the common folk, especially the Irish, could drink. William Krusen - with a cast on his arm since it was now broken - sat to the right of him while Joseph Kilroy sat to the left. While van Gaal drank his wine, Kilroy gave a look at him. "Mate," he said, "Do ya' think we canna' win the game tomorrow?" he said with a Mongrel accent, which was famous for mixing different accents. "One must believe in oneself to be able to stand a proportion of a chance to succeed in an action," van Gaal responded after contemplating the question. "Yeah mate," Kilroy said as he soon continued, "but wot' if we blokes get all wobbly' an' drunk?" ... Lord Ryland van Gaal looked at him, dumbfounded. "Excuse me?" just as he said this, a scream was heard. Dash Phillips had slipped and dropped beer all over himself. Soon, laughter came as he got back up. "Fockin' 'ell, mate," Kilroy said with a laugh.

Meanwhile, James and O'Brien continued to discuss the mob. The Kenneth Brothers participated in a game of '21', also known as Blackjack. However, whenever a person got '21', said person would have to gulp a pint of beer. Logically, this turned out terribly, with the Kenneth brothers lying on the table drunk. Carson Lee and Isaac Gun ate spaghetti and drank tea mixed with whiskey while this happened. Richardson and Arrowson drank two bottles of Jack Daniels Black Label and plenty of cocktails. In the end, nearly the whole team were drunk, with the exception of Abraham Holmes and Lord van Gaal, who was able to hold his drink. Niles vomited out half-digested meatballs after falling over the chair into a puddle of beer caused by Ret Orions falling asleep while holding a pint of beer. When Leonard Lionels came in, he immediately paused in shock at what he saw. "Get up! You f*cking slugabeds!" he shouted. But, by the tone of his voice... Lord Ryland van Gaal knew he was drunk. "Olde Man O'Shite!" O'Brien shouted to laughs, "Go fockin' aite' som' fockin' shite and drink som' piss!" He said as a massive brawl soon broke out. When the team nutritionist tried to tell everyone about how bad drinking too much alcohol was, O'Brien walked up to him and said, "Yeah, it is bad... For you 'ight now!" he said as he picked the nutritionist up and threw him through the window. Luckily, the nutritionist landed on one of the bodies of a fan who fell asleep on the floor. Neither the fan nor the nutritionist had any injuries.

The Staff were also drunk. In the end, they had to be taken into a lorry, one by one... and sent back to their hotel, where they slept on the floor, except Lord van Gaal and Abraham Holmes, who were still sober. The next morning, all the team players who were drunk had to drink a disgusting egg-mixture to cure their hangovers. How they would play in the game remained to be seen.

[Cobrio]

                   Cobrio   4–2   Santa Rafa
           Oro (o.g.) 12'         Martinez 18'
    Warrington (pen.) 44'         Borriega 74'
             Fontaine 72'                
               Lofuko 84'

         Player of the Game: Moses Lofuko (CBR) 

  Venue: Stadion Metner                    Att: 63,000
         Krsthaven, Semarland    
		 
Squad:
CBR [4-3-3] | Cruz; Cooper, Johnson, Armstrong, Spence; Picard, Fontaine, 
              Ekeh (Araya 71); Lofuko, Warrington (Emenanjo 71), Dupre

Moses Lofuko, making his first start for Cobrio, shone on the international stage last night. With Maurice Delfour sidelined as a precaution after taking a knock in Cobrio's last outing, Lieutenant Uwusu called on Lofuko to step up. The teenage Jraxville winger did not disappoint, having a hand in all four of his nation's goals against Santa Rafa, picking up player of the game honours for the first time in his international career.

The Rafano side lined up in a similar formation to the Cobrans, which promised to make it an interesting clash if nothing else. Cobrio drew first blood, when, after twelve minutes, Moses Lofuko's cross was nodded in at the near post by Diego Oro, who had mistimed his leap in an attempt to thwart a lurking Warrington behind him. It was perhaps cruel, as neither side had been particularly dangerous at such an early stage in the game, but, as Lt. Uwusu would remark later "the margins are fine at international level," adding that his team "must take caution to avoid errors most of all."

Not to be deterred, Santa Rafa struck back just six minutes later, with Sean Martinez finding a pocket of space behind the normally superb Sylvain Picard. He wasted no time picking out a gap and firing beyond Idowu Cruz, whose obscured view afforded him too short a window to react. After conceding for the first time in the tournament, Cobrio looked shaken. Armstrong earned the stripes on his left bicep by settling the team after the restart, cycling possession in the defensive third for a little while, making sure everyone was fully focused. The early back-and-forth settled down shortly after this deliberate tempo change, with both teams perhaps a little cautious of overplaying their hand, and the first half almost expired without further incident... Almost. It was Lofuko again making things happen, darting in behind Calvin Ayala, before the Santa Rafita fullback clumsily attempted to make amends. The referee pointed to the spot without hesitation, where -- of course -- Babtunde Warrington stepped up to put Cobrio back in front.

Taking such a blow just before half-time might have deterred a lesser team, but Santa Rafa emerged from the tunnel early, and were eager to get things going in the second half. Attacking directly from kickoff, Nunes and Martinez exchanged a quick sequence of passes to get into the final third, where Nunes put a shot just wide. The shock of the quick attack startled Lewis Armstrong in particular, the captain bellowing orders to the midfield in front of him, and ensuring everyone resumed their usual state of organisation.

Once again, Cobrio appeared to be content to play out the game in its then-state, calmly trying to maintain possession, cycling horizontally, but not finding many vertical seams to apply real pressure. Moses Lofuko's pace was a potent threat, and Santa Rafa had opted to drop their defensive line off to deny him space to run into. As the game wore on, the Rafano side started pressing a little better, cutting off lines of supply to Warrington, Lofuko and an uncharacteristically quiet Raymond Dupre. Sensing the shifting momentum and the need for a change, Lt. Uwusu withdrew Ekeh and Warrington, replacing them with the more direct Araya; whose dribbling had caused trouble in the previous round, and Emenanjo, respectively. The latter's hold up ability meant that Cobre attacks didn't need to be quite so swift anymore, and meant the Rafano defensive line could no longer sit too deep. It paid off almost immediately, with Lofuko playing an early pass from deep, up to Emenanjo, who was hovering at the edge of the Rafano penalty area, man marked by Alvarado. With Araya's movement occupying Oro, and the Rafano midfield still retreating, Emenanjo simply rolled the ball into the path of an on-rushing Didier Fontaine. The Jraxville man lashed a strike through the crowd of bodies to put Cobrio two goals up with less than twenty on the clock.

As if to ensure Cobrio couldn't once again slow the game's heartbeat to a crawl, Santa Rafa responded swiftly, forcing a reflex save out of Cruz, before Nunes headed just over the bar from the resulting corner. They would repeat the trick a few minutes later, with Nunes again heading just over the bar. Armstrong gesticulated wildly, and from the ensuing goal kick, Cruz attempted to play a short ball to Cooper. Too late, he noticed Borriega bearing down, and the Rafano winger stole in front of Cooper, firing across a stranded Cruz to halve the Cobre advantage. Game on.

In the end, it was that man Moses who had the final say, though. A nervy ten minutes had passed since the second Rafano strike, when Picard intercepted a ball meant for Martinez, and launched it forward for Lofuko. In their attempts to equalise, Santa Rafa had committed too many men forward, meaning Ayala wasn't remotely near enough to close the gap, and certainly not after Lofuko turned on the afterburners. Seeing the teenager bearing down on goal, Oro came across to stop him, but Lofuko was too quick, skipping over the challenge and drilling a left-footed strike across goal to put Cobrio two goals ahead again, with just six minutes plus stoppages to play.

"Moses was excellent," Lieutenant Uwusu told reporters after the game, flashing what is believed to be his best approximation of a smile. "I will have to think very carefully about the next game, because he has played an important role today." The Lieutenant confirmed that Delfour is in fact fit to play in the quarter final against Michine, while also expressing some frustration at his side's defensive lapses today. "I think maybe the players have lost a little focus today," he said, frowning slightly more than usual. "These are the errors we must not allow to permeate our play. We must work harder."

* * * * *

"Moseeees!" Didier Fontaine, who also played at Jraxville, was the first to congratulate the teenager in the dressing rooms after the game. "Finally you are showing your ability eh?"

"Ch!" Exclaimed Maurice Delfour, in mock irritation. "I cannot allow it. I cannot allow it oh! Maybe I will put glue in his boots na. Slow down these crazy legs!" The whole team laughed, a few mussed Moses' hair, slapped his back, a couple others playfully punching Delfour's arms.

"But serious thing na," Armstrong spoke up. As captain, he automatically carried a lot of weight, even though he wasn't the oldest player in the team. "The lieutenant will not be pleased with these defensive errors." A solemn silence descended rapidly on the room, and Armstrong carried on. "These mistakes are communal. We must all," he emphasised the word, slowly moving his gaze around the room, "take responsibility in future. We must always speak. When you see the opponent, tell your brother na. When your brother is in trouble, you help him na." Several players nodded silently.

"Captain Lewis, sir," Moses asked, to an eruption of laughter. "Why do they laugh, this is your rank, na?"

Armstrong chuckled. "Ah Moses, you have a lot to learn. We are not soldiers, you know."

"But I will be if we don't win this tournament, sir."

"You don't have to call me sir."

"Sorry, sir. Lewis?"

"That is my name you call na."

"Lewis." Moses settled himself. "I was going to make a request of you."

"Request it na."

"When the defence makes an error, does the lieutenant put the blame on you?"

A brief moment of hesitation, before Armstrong sighed. "Maybe in some ways," he said. "But only when I have failed in my duty. Like today."

"But one man cannot control another man, so why do you take blame on your head?"

"Because I am here to lead, Moses." Armstrong shrugged. "When soldiers are not disciplined, the fault is with the commander."

"You tell me before we are not soldiers na."

"It remains true," Armstrong chuckled. "But the wisdom applies in football also."

"Because football is war, Moses." Didier added. "We just try not to take it as seriously. Now change your clothes, eh."

The usual bustling noise of the dressing room resumed, while Moses thought quietly about what they had said. "And don't frown so hard," Didier called to him. "You will ruin your face and never find a good wife na."

[Greater Carloso]

---

BOOZED UP KRENORUSSIAN TEAM CAUGHT IN PRE-MATCH PUB SESSION

SMASHED: The drunken Krenorussian team and their fans turnt the street into a warzone

KRSTHAVEN, SEMARLAND - Downtown Krsthaven resembled a battlefield last night as a massive pub brawl between Krenorussian fans and players broke out. Manager Gerald Barbs had apparently organised the night out to celebrate their 2-0 victory over South Libertopia, but it quickly devolved into drunken violence as the team was joined by hundreds of fans. Footage uploaded on social media shows fans fighting and stamping on each other in the streets of Krsthaven. The Krenorussian team nutritionist was apparently thrown out a window onto the pavement below, but didn't suffer any injuries. An offical statement from the city police force confirmed that the team were safely evacuated from the city centre by lorry and returned to their hotel while the drunken fans were dealt with. It remains to be seen how this will impact Krenorus' performance against Carloso in their quarter-final match tonight. The Scandal was contacted by Carlosian football fan Thomas Fonseca and his girlfriend, who were in one of the pubs; 'The Huntsman', at the time and detailed their harrowing experience. The couple had just arrived by train from Kolberg and had left their things at the hotel, going to one the city's well-known pub rows before Carloso's game tomorrow. Thomas was almost hit by a flying barstool as the crowded pub broke into a huge brawl. Lighting fixtures were pulled from the ceiling and fell on a man's head, knocking him out. "People were getting sick everywhere. There was people lying on the ground inside and outside. It was awful altogether." Thomas said. The couple managed to leave safely with a few other people and made it back to their hotel before the police arrived on the scene.

Mercader; the Carlosian manager and a former Carlosian Army soldier, didn't organise any such celebrations for Los Tricolores' victory in penalties against Blaneu, though he has reportedly promised to take the lads out between the end of Baptism of Fire 68 and the start of the official start of the World Cup next month. Carloso will have needed the rest after two exhausting drawn games against Rannoria and Blaneu respectively, triumphing over them on both occassions with penalities after 120 minutes to torturous but exciting play. After news of the antics in Krsthaven last night, the odds for Krenorus to win plummetted with the bookies, while the chances of Carloso emerging victorious increased by a sizeable degree. Nevertheless, Krenorus are expected to pose themselves as one of greatest obstacles yet to Carloso's BoF dreams. Ahead of the match, manager Gerardo Mercader and captain Ignacio Muraga spoke confidently about Carloso's chances. Meanwhile, President Tobón and Estebán Santander have confirmed earlier that they will attend the final if Carloso is to make it. Join us here on The Scandal where we will be posting live updates as the quarter-final match between Los Tricolores and the Krenorussian Eagle-Eyed Fighters unfolds!

RELATED ARTICLES:

---

>CONFIDENT Carloso in fighting form for match against Krenorus
>CUTE Muraga nephew in adorable 'good luck' video
>HORROR Car crash on Zamora motorway kills two
>MYSTERIOUS 'Cane Flute Man' terrorising Toro village

---

---

xfernanfan49
wtf? drinking the night before the match? theres no way krenorus will win if theyre still in a shook state

yurt_machine1992
reminds me of the fights in Toro back in 2013 when Madrigal United lost to Haxton. i was lucky to get out alive

FatChineseGuy
now thats what i call a team effort

[Semarland]

Cutoff for those in the Semarland half ONLY.

[Semarland]

Quarter Final Results

Michine 0–2 Cobrio - at Natunolstadion, Jansberg, 19:00

Carloso 4–3 Krenorus - at Stadion Metner, Krsthaven, 19:00

[Shofercia]

President Alex Terán Screws Up, to the Delight of Shofercians - The Prankster Paper

We were planning one of the biggest pranks on Farfadillis' President Alex Terán, but we did not carry it out. In fact, he pranked himself. What was he thinking? A gaffe, of such epic proportitions brought much joy to the Shofercians, and lifted the team to a 5-2 victory over Soute. He moved the match to Naš Stadion. Cue the laugh track.

Naš Stadion means Our Stadium in Shofercian, a language influenced by Russian and Slovio, among several other languages. In both of those languages, Naš Stadion means Our Stadium. Far from being tired, the move energized the Shofercians, and the fans chanted:

"Naš Stadion!
Naša Komanda!
Naša Podeba!"

"Our stadium! Our Team! Our Victory!" The players were amused. Additionally, the coach sent out the second team to start the game. With such fanfare, the Shofercians could not lose. And the substitutes delivered goal, after goal, after goal. Of course they also missed a few, trailing a bit on defense, but a 5-2 result is phenomenal! And with that, we conclude our report,

May the Prank be with you!

Shofercians Shine at "Our Stadium" - the Sportsman

5-2! Oh baby, baby, 5-2! If we keep on winning 5-2, we will cite Britney Spears all day! Due to massive fan support, with Shofercians making up ninety percent of the stadium's attendance, Coach Bykov decided to change up the starting line up. He made only one change, at halftime, replacing GK Ovechak Shishkin with GK Alex Trikov of the Bratsk Boys, and thus ensuring that every Shofercian player played for at least 45 minutes, and every field player had 90 minutes of international experience.

GK - Ovechak Shishkin (Port City Storm)
LF - Josef Hes (Castle City Hounds)
DF - Terrance Hall (Zhatai Ballers)
DF - Richard Beckett (Bratsk Boys)
RF - Dmitry Orlov (Invetion Golazos)
LM - Salvatore Brady (Castle City Hounds)
CM - Massawa Luwam (River City Raptors)
RM - Willie Ball (Invention Golazos)
LA - Uwakwe Ugonnatubelum (Zhatai Ballers)
CA - Yuri Granat (Bratsk Boys)
RA - Zoich Bukov (Invention Golazos)

The match started with Zoich Bukov netting a nice goal in the fifth minute, off of a beautiful combinatiom of passes from Josef Hes and Willie Ball. The 17th minute gave the Shofercians quite a bit of trouble, as Josef Hes passed to Salvator Brady, who set up a beautiful header by Uwakwe Ugonnatubelum. Have fun chanting that last name! But Salvator Brady wasn't done. At half time, he made a beautiful tackle, and raced down the field, flying like Messi. Using just one move to trick out five players, he sent the ball into the near right hand corner of the net at the 44th minute. Shofercia 3-0.

And at this time the Shofercians thought the half was over. The defense scuttled, and the Shofericans received a well deserved goal on the 46th minute. We're not sure what Coach Bykov told his team at half time, but when our boys came out, the defense was solid, and attack after attack after attack followed.

Yuri Granat's shot hit the post repeatedly, until Massawa Luwam showed him how it's done, by netting a tight goal at the 65th minute. Terrance Hall and Dmitry Orlov assisted. The Shofercians continued to attack, but such an aggressive game had consequences, and the team was caught on a counter on the 75th minute. 4-2.

That goal gave the opponent a bit of breath, but a beautiful block pass by Dmitri Orlov to Richard Beckett, who made another gorgeous stretch pass to Yuri Granat sealed the deal, as Granat finally scored on the 85th minute. 5-2. A yelling Slava Bykov ensured that the Shofericans would not be slacking off, even though, both Ovechak Shishkin and Alex Trikov made great saves.

The next game will see the starting line up of Shofercians once again, at the team hopes for a Kingly Victory. If our boys win, the King is coming to Farfadillis, and knowing our King and Farfadillis' President Alex Terán, we can only hope for an explosive encounter, figuratively speaking. Let's go Shofercia!

[Michine]

MERDE ! MICHINE BOW OUT AS COBRIO TOO STRONG
par notre correspondant anglais, Alain Outkine, de Jansberg

Michine 0 Cobrio 2 (Warrington 21, 89)
Arbitrage: Eythor Hrafnkelson (nationalité inconnue) Spectateurs: 49,909

After what had been a thrilling and, in all honesty, unexpected ride, Michine's journey through the Baptism of Fire ended last night as the superior discipline and fitness of a strong Cobrio side told over what was ultimately an exhausting 90 minutes from both sides. Lining up in their usual kit once again, the Michiniens were put under pressure from the first minute of the game as Cobrio midfielders
Didier Fontaine and Sylvain Picard made their presence felt, and soon Michine were forced to retreat back to almost a trench warfare stance with seven or eight men forming a line in front of Denis Lapine's goal. This was desperate tactics from Victor Kovalevitch and Valentine Virasstchiouk, but it proved effective for a time; the Michiniens were able to retain possession inside their own penalty area at least, and long balls forward occasionally caused some mild panic in the Cobran ranks. Gradually, though, Cobrio were able to push further, and on 21 minutes the breakthrough came; Moses Lofuko, making only his second start after a match winning performance against Santa Rafa, outplayed and arguably outmuscled André Tchernikoff and sent a pass back across goal that Lapine could only palm to the chest of Babatunde Warrington, who had the easiest of finishes.
The early goal seemed to settle Cobrio somewhat; while the Michiniens were still rarely in possession outside of their own half, they were able to assert themselves slightly more and build up slightly more momentum, although for very little reward; Pierre Lavotchkine was unfortunate that his sliced shot after latching on to a long Lapine goal kick bobbled wide after a deflection from Garlan Spence, although nothing came for the aventuriers from the resulting corner. Kovalevitch rang the changes at half time, sending on Édouard Mirounoff and a patched up Stéphane Kossenko to try and make something happen, but Cobrio came out refreshed and were able to shut the Michinien game down. Kossenko's contribution in particular was mixed; the midfielder picked up a yellow card for a desperate lunge on Lofuko that left the teenager in tears of agony, before Kovalevitch was forced to take him off after a collision with Cobran substitute Lamont Dusang reopened his head wounds from the game against Sorrentopia. This reduced Michine to ten men with ten minutes to go, and though by this point the Cobrans were visibly tiring as well, there was very little scope for the Michiniens to work with; perhaps the last chance went begging when Mirounoff squirmed past his marker and found himself one on one with Idowu Cruz, only to mistime his shot which looped calmly into Cruz's palms. Soon after that, Cobrio's forward line found a way past the more loosely organised Michinien defence and Dusang was able to chip the onrushing Lapine; his shot was well wide of the mark, but out of nowhere Warrington found a burst of pace and ensured that that did not matter.
Despite the occasional needle during the match, Cobrio were polite and magnanimous in victory, and Kovalevitch returned the favour by «...wishing them the very best against Carloso here in a few days' time. We will leave the stadium clean for them and hopefully we have left a little bit of our luck behind for them!». While Michine have been left to rue their bad luck today, there may yet be better times on the horizon; this success has piqued the interest of the powers that be back home in the Michine system, as well as the loyal football fans (who seem to have doubled in number with every passing round); by the time the aventuriers get back home they may find a different world awaits them. It would seem that the success of the national team has led to a proposal for the Conseil de Quatorze to secure the renovation of the Stade des Pionniers in time to host the World Cup qualifiers, which - if any action can be taken - would provide a solid foundation for the upward progress of the UMF. For now, though, while this campaign will come in time to be remembered as a job well done, the adventure is over and in its place is only regret. Ce soir, dansent les ombres du monde.

[Freeport Isles]

The Freeport Free Press
Baptism of Fire 68: The Condottieri are Masters of Just-Good-Enough
by Dirty Rag

PUERTO FAROLERO, Farfadillis - Thus far in the Baptism of Fire, Freeport has played three matches in which anything other than a win would mean certain elimination from the tournament: the final group stage match against Miznan, the round of thirty-two fixture with the Busoga Islands, and most recently the round of sixteen game against Greater Libertania. All three of these matches have ended in the same result, a 3-2 victory for the Condottieri. The Freeporters have made it all the way to the quarterfinals of the Baptism of Fire, but only by the slimmest of margins.

Against the Miznanis, it took a desperate second-half rally to claim all three points, winger Sonar Amethyst and striker Torvald Royle playing crucial roles in the Condottieri's tournament-saving win. In the second round, Freeport and the Busoga Islands traded goals until Cerulean Blitz put the Condottieri ahead for good in the 86th minute, the teenage sensation scoring off the bench to send the Freeporter contingent at Ján Rülánd Dêrmáá wild with euphoria. Finally, in their last match against Greater Libertania, Freeport managed to build a lead of more than one goal for the first time since demolishing Schweiser in the group stage, going up 2-0 and then 3-1 before the Libertanians got one back to close the gap with 12 minutes left. The Condottieri held out against a ferocious Libertanian attack in the final ten minutes, with goalkeeper Kukiri making five absolutely vital stops to preserve the Freeporter advantage until the final whistle blew.

In the end, the Condottieri have done just barely enough to reach the Baptism of Fire quarterfinals, keeping their supporters constantly on the edge of their seats with narrow victory after narrow victory. Granted, this is somewhat to be expected; after all, the Freeporters have had a slew of formidable opponents along their path to this stage of the tournament. An exceptionally talented South Libertopian team rallied after falling behind early handed the Condottieri a humbling defeat in their opening match to put Freeport on the ropes after just one game, hardly an ideal position to be in given the limited opportunities for points in the group stage. The Miznanis looked utterly unstoppable after their 6-2 annihilation of Schweiser, but the Freeporters held the Pirates' lethal offense in check just enough for their own attack to provide the edge. The Busoga Islands entered the Baptism of Fire as one of the favorites to win the whole tournament behind their talented and experienced roster, totally dominating their group to reach the knockout rounds, but the Condottieri slew them as well.

More than a few key players have had the opportunity to play the role of hero in Freeport's run to the quarterfinals: goalkeeper Kukiri, defender Bloodblade, midfielder Thorn Bristle, wingers Puzzle Piece and Sonar Amethyst, and - of course - striker Torvald Royle. But, for me, the biggest heroes for the Condottieri thus far have to be the coaching staff. Manager Mad Dash and assistant Jon Merritt brought something to Freeport that is exceptionally rare for a side making its international debut: a track record of success. As an assistant for the Equestrian States and later as manager of Kazamatsuri's national team, Mad Dash helped create two teams that were consistently competitive at the highest levels of international hoofball. Meanwhile, Jon Merritt is certainly the most successful assistant manager at this Baptism of Fire, having guided Qasden's national team to two Cup of Harmony titles and qualification at World Cup 79 before being removed as manager when Qasden failed to qualify for the last World Cup. That the Freeport Hoofball Association managed to land both coaches and convince Merritt to take such a huge step down at this point in his career will always amaze me. If the Condottieri do somehow go all the way and win the Baptism of Fire, there's no question in my mind who fans should thank first.

But if Freeport wants win this tournament, they will first have to get past the team from Guriguay. The Guriguayans have also been just barely scraping by thus far, securing their knockout round spot on the final day of the group stage and pulling off upsets of Oscioru and Rakivland en route to the quarterfinals. The Condottieri will enter the match as favorites to reach the semifinals, but cannot afford to fall into complacency as the Guriguayans will surely be ready to exploit any openings they can find. Fortunately, if there's one thing we know to expect from Freeport at this point, it's that if the score is close late, this team will keep calm and perform to the best of their abilities under pressure just as they have in their last three matches.

[Farfadillis]

Cut-off.

[Farfadillis]

Quarterfinal Results

Shofercia 1–0 Squornshelan Remnant States (FFFF President Alex Terán has been called into question after being seen cheering on the Shofercian team from the stands)

Guriguay 0–5 Freeport (The match was moved to Naš Stadion because "it hadn't been used much")

[Krenorus]

https://www.kbc.com.kr/sports/tragedy_fsc_krenorus

WARNING TO ALL KRENORUSSIANS ; STAY INDOORS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE , CURFEWS HAVE BEEN DECLARED IN ALL CITIES IN VICTORIA ISLAND , THOSE WHO EXIT THEIR HOMES SHALL BE ARRESTED OR SHOT , GOD BLESS KRENORUS . . .

Krenorussian Broadcasting Company

TRAGEDY : Street Riots grip Krenorus after loss to Carloso, Car Crash and Assassination ... Bomb attacks all over Krenorus

Phillipe Hernandes, KBC SPORTS

Stadion Metner, Krsthaven - This was the stadium where Krenorus barely loss to Carloso four to three. The game started off with Carloso in the lead. By the time the second half started, Carloso was leading three to nothing! It was here that Krenorus made a splendid comeback with Lord Ryland van Gaal scoring the equalizer for the match. In the final minute. Carloso was barely able to score, winning the game. Krenorussians were shocked. The Krenorussian team went back to their hotels in shame. However, tragedy struck... While heading the airport for their flight, the two vans the Krenorussian team was in crashed right into a lorry. All the Soccermen in the team were rushed immediately to the city's hospital where most of them are in stable condition and have no serious injuries other than scratches. In a press conference given by the manager, Gerald Barbs, while talking about the team, a man shouted, 'God Bless the Separatists!' and stabbed Mister Barbs. When Leonard Lionels tried to stop the man, he sliced Lionel's throat, killing him. The man was arrested by police just a few minuted later after being restrained by staffers.

Many Krenorussians are broke while other are filthy stinking rich. Charlie Johnson, a bigshot investor, has committed suicide by jumping from his company's building after losing all his savings to James Ruffians. Johnson's gang of goons has started street wars with Ruffians' gang all over the country. Riot police have stationed all over the cities of Krenorus after riots gripped the nation. Rumour has spread that the Fighters intentionally lost the game. The Upperton Cavalry Constable Battalion has been stationed all over Queen Elizabeth's Island, named after Queen Elizabeth I of England. High Constable Geoffrey Killeybird said in a press statement that 'the Upperton Cavalry Constable Battalion had shut the city down after massive riots gripped Upperton.

Miltonne LaVilla - of the French Riders Regiment - said that the F.R.R. caught murderers trying to kill farmers after being stationed in the countryside of Krenorus to watch over and protect the local populace. Jerrysonne Fritjof - known as Jerry Fritz - said that Jaeger Company, a private security and hunting company, has been commisioned by the government to protect the farmers of Krenorus as many of them were killed. So far, over three hundred men have been murdered after refusing to pay their bets. Only twelve murderers have been arrested.

Murders against minorities and domestic violence has taken a massive increase. Krenorus is falling apart. Meanwhile, bomb attacks have happened all over Krenorus, with Separatists claiming responsibility. The separatist nation which succeeded from Krenorus, the Kreno Islands, has denied responsibility. Instead, it has been claimed by the Independent Krenorussian Legion, IKL. The military has been stationed in many cities. Krenorus is falling apart, but hopefully, the military can stop it.

About the Author: Phillipe Roudregues Hernandes (b. 1965) is a Krenorussian Sports Analyst who was the President of the Dominion Gridiron Football Association (1990 - 1999) and the 'Député Président' of the Krenorussite Football Association ( 2005 - 2014 ) - which is the sports association for Krenorussite Football - along with being the Deputy Manager of the New London Gridiron Club ( 2015 - present ).

[Greater Carloso]

By Connor Hurtado from, Kolberg, Semarland, RTC NEWS
Published 20 August 2018, 11:03 (GMT)

Carloso beat Krenorus 4-3 to secure place in semi-finals

There are few words that can accurately describe last nights' game between Carloso and Krenorus. Los Tricolores managed to avoid extra time, if only barely, thanks to an absolutely stunning second goal by Diego Santander. Carloso appeared to totally outclass Krenorus in the first half, running rings around them as Santander, Cosgrave and Fernán all managed to secure goals before half time. With a score of 3-0 to Carloso at the blow of the whistle, many Krenorussian fans had already begun to walk out of the packed Stadion Metner in Krsthaven, Semarland, expecting Krenorus to be absolutely obliterated after news of a night of heavy drinking hit the media. Shockingly, Krenorus came out in fighting form in the second half with several new substitutions, making an impressive comeback and steadily managing to equalise with Carloso and almost forcing Los Tricolores into extra time, for a third time in a row. Luckily for Mercader and his team, superstar Diego Santander would come to the rescue with a blistering goal in the dying minutes of the match, sending Carloso hurtling into the semi-finals against Cobrio and putting Krenorus out of the tournament for good. What should of been an easy victory for Carloso quickly devolved into a fight to the death.

From the very start of the first half, it was obvious the toll last night had had on the Krenorussian team. They were utterly incapable of matching up against Carloso, failing to maintain possession or even keep up with the Carlosian players. One notable exception was the famed topscore Ryland van Gaal, who seemed perplexed for much of the first half at the terrible performance of his team. Within five minutes, William Krusen has already conceded Carloso's first goal when Tomás Fernán belted the ball into the back of the net. Kieran Bowen couldn't stop Diego Santander from scoring another goal eleven minutes later, putting Carloso up 2-0 with only 16 minutes on the clock. Premature celebrations were already breaking out amongst the Carlosian fans in what looked already to be a resounding victory going into the semi-finals. As the 35th minute ticked by, Krenorus were again shocked when Shane Cosgrave belted up the centre of the pitch and dribbled the ball into the back of the net, with little challenge from the back-line. The first half finished as the referee blew his whistle, leaving Carloso with an unbelievable score of 3-0.

As the teams walked onto the pitch for the second half, a visibly angry Gerald Barbs made several subsitutions, hoping to freshen up the lethargic Krenorussian side. With a stronger midfield now, Thorn Jacobsen was able to zig-zag past Kiran Morterero and land the ball into the net at the 49th minute, handing Krenorus its first goal of the match. What was initially a momentary slip-up in the Carlosian defence snowballed as Krenorus' Abraham Holmes secured another goal in the 60th minute, putting the score at 3-2. Mercader looked more than a bit concerned on the sidelines. Cosgrave tried to one-up Krenorus once more with a daring attempt to snatch a goal and widen the gap, however the ball was saved by Krusen. The last thing Carloso wanted was a period of extra time, but it certainly looked like this was going to happen when Krenorussian superstar Ryland van Gaal shot the ball between Fernán's legs and equalised at 3-3 at the turn of the 74' minute. Muraga appeared taken back by the incredible comeback Krenorus had achieved, but Los Tricolores weren't prepared to roll over just yet. Just as it looked like the game would go to extra time, Santander ploughed through the Krenorussian back-line and shot the ball into the net. Both the fans and players broke out in celebration. Injury time ticked by and the referee blew the whistle, sending Carloso forward into the semi-finals against Cobrio.

This morning, news emerged that the vans carrying the Krenorussian football team to the airport to fly home crashed into a lorry, injuring several of the players. Shockingly, soon afterwards at a press conference held by manager Gerald Barbs, a man armed with a knife attacked, killing coach Leonard Lionels when he tried to protect Barbs. The attacker was restrained and arrested by Semar police. In addition, almost immediately after Carloso beat Krenorus, reports emerged of widespread violence, terrorism and attacks against ethnic and religious minorities in Krenorus. It is understood that authorities are struggling to maintain law and order and that the military forces of Krenorus have been deployed.

Carloso 4-3 Krenorus
FT
Goals
 Tomás Fernán 5'
 
49' Thorn Jacobsen 

 Diego Santander 16', 90'
 
60' Abraham Holmes 

 Shane Cosgrave 35'
 
74' Ryland van Gaal 

Match preview: Carloso versus Cobrio

So, what are Carloso's chances?
When Baptism of Fire 68 started out two weeks ago, there was a total of sixty four teams vying for the coveted prize. Fast forward to today and only four remain; Carloso, Cobrio, Freeport and Shofercia, four countries with novice international teams who have proven to be among the best in their league. At the start, rumours were abound that Gerardo Mercader didn't expect Los Tricolores to get very far. If its true, its safe to say that he was very wrong. Carloso is now guaranteed to finish in the top four, though they might have their work cut out if it is to triumph over Cobrio. They themselves are a very capable team, winning every game so far in the tournament and finishing top of Group F. Cobrio didn't concede a single goal in the group stage. They've performed equally well in the knockout stages, so-far only coceding two goals to Santa Rafa in the Round of 16. Getting past the Cobran back-line could pose a serious challenge to Santander and the other forwards. On the other hand, its clear Carloso have Lady Luck on their side. Their performance last night was awe-inspiring, even if Krenorus rebounded superably in the second half. After two penalty shootout victories and the success against the Eagle-Eyed Fighters, its safe to say that Carloso will be confident going into tomorrow's game. The forwards of Los Tricolores will have to be in top form tomorrow if Carloso is to see through to the final, so a great deal of pressure will be on Santander, Tomás Fernán Rivera and Barton.

And Cobrio?
Cobrio are a tough, potent force. They have ploughed through Baptism of Fire 68 without a single loss and have won every game quiet comfortably. Players Didier Fontaine and Moses Lofuko are of particular note, serving in midfield and up front respectively. Both performed very well in Cobrio's game against Santa Rafa and Zeleny Hrebenia. Idowu Cruz, the 24 year old goalkeeper from Hastmead Diamante, has proved to be a tremendous asset to the team and will certainly be a challenge for Carloso if it comes down to penalities. Cobrio's chances of winning are good; several bookmakers actually favour them to win over Carloso. If they maintain the level of performance we have seen previously in the tournament, they almost certainly have a good chance of progressing to the final. Regardless of who wins, both Cobrio and Carloso will haveto face off against either Freeport or Shoefercia on 23 August. The final will be played at La Fantás in Ferdullaele, Farfadillis while the third-place play-off will be held in Jansberg, Semarland at the Natunolstadion. Tomorrow's game will be played in the latter venue. It is expected that a minutes silence will be held for Krenorussian coach Leonard Lionels, who was killed yesterday when a man claiming to be from a separatist group tried to stab Krenorussian manager Gerald Barbs. In addition, the Krenorussian team was injured yesterday when their vans collided with a lorry. Hospital officials said they are stable and in a non-lifethreahtning condition. Rioting was reported across Krenorus after they lost out to Carloso in the quarter-final on Sunday. The game will be broadcast live tomorrow by RTC 1.

---

Top Stories

• Death toll from Carloso-Krenorus match fallout grows
• Carloso beat Krenorus 4-3 to secure place in semi-finals
• Police investigating disappearance of entire Toro village after arrival of 'cane flute man'

TBA

[Cobrio]

                  Michine   0–2   Cobrio    
                                  Warrington 12', 89'          
                                              
         Player of the Game: Lewis Armstrong (CBR)

  Venue: Natunolstadion                    Att: 49,909
         Jansberg, Semarland    
		 
Squad:
CBR [4-3-3] | Cruz; Cooper, Johnson, Armstrong (c), Spence; Picard, Munroe, 
              Ekeh (Dusang 63); Lofuko (Delfour 72), Warrington, Dupre

Cobrio returned to form with a professional 2-0 win over Michine last night, with Babatunde Warrington scoring both goals to fire Lieutenant Uwusu's side into the semi finals. Moses Lofuko, hero of the previous round, was rewarded with only his second start for the national team, but his night ended in tears as he was stretchered off with less than twenty minutes left in the game. "We do not yet know the extent of Moses injury," Lieutenant Uwusu revealed. "It is unfortunate. He was maturing in these times."

It is not known whether Lofuko will be able to take part in the semi final against Carloso, and the lieutenant was not going to be drawn on the matter. "We do not know," he asserted, when asked for the umpteenth time about the injury sustained by the teenage Jraxville winger. "I am not Nguso¹, so do not ask me the future. For me it is unknown except to Olugun."

The game started well for Cobrio, as both Fontaine and Picard were able to assert themselves in the opening minute, seemingly prompting the Michinien side to re-consider their planned advances. This defensive approach allowed Cobrio to apply forward pressure on Michine, with even Picard -- who typically prefers to sit back and protect the defensive line -- making forays into the opposing half. "We had a lot of space in the early stages," Picard explains. "So Didier told me I should come forward some more, compress the space." This kind of forward pressure was risky, however, and Michinien long balls out of defence -- where Cobrio had rarely threatened in the penalty area; despite Babtunde Warrington lurking, and the pace of Lofuko being a constant threat -- caused trouble for the Cobre back four. The fullbacks in particular, Spence and Cooper, looked nervous, and a short ball from Spence to Armstrong almost invited Aïvtchenko to steal in and open the scoring. Captain Armstrong could be seen gesticulating after clearing the danger, ostensibly displeased with the pass.

Cobre nerves would settle in the twenty-first minute, however, when Moses Lofuko showed that he is a lot more than just pace, bamboozling Tchernikoff and lashing something that looked half-cross, half-shot across goal. It looked like it might have been heading in, but it was unclear, forcing Lapine to make a decision. Unfortunately, the goalkeeper's palm could not push the ball clear of the predatory Warrington, who controlled the attempt on his chest and tapped in to give Cobrio the lead. The goal visibly calmed the nerves of a few, including Spence and Picard; the latter of whom had retreated back to his usual protective position, leaving Fontaine to work the midfield with Ekeh.

Despite their generally defensive proclivities, Michine were by no means passive. Though perhaps reluctant to commit too many bodies forward, they were able to build momentum at times, giving Armstrong in particular pause for thought. Their best chances mostly came through long passes up to Lavotchkine, whose sliced shot might have caught Cruz out if not for a fortunate deflection off Garlan Spence -- the fullback inadvertently making amends for his earlier error.

Half-time brought changes, as Kossenko -- a midfielder with battle scars, and a playing style in a similar mould to Fontaine, it could be said -- and Mirounoff entered the fray. Both would play pivotal roles in the second half, as Lieutenant Uwusu responded to the relentless pressing of Kossenko by replacing Ekeh with the steely Dusang a little over fifteen minutes into the second half. It was also Kossenko's clumsy challenge on Moses Lofuko that potentially ended the teenager's tournament. Lofuko's first touch from a Johnson pass took the ball away from his marker, and his first step increased the gap. Perhaps fearing the consequences of allowing the pacy winger to put any more space between them, Kossenko lunged at his charge, and caught his trailing leg before it was raised. "Moses had most of his weight forward, so I think he will be okay," suggested his replacement, Maurice Delfour. "It was just clumsy, I do not think there was any intent to harm him."

Kossenko picked up a yellow card -- much to the displeasure of a vocal contingent of Cobre fans, who presumably expected a red card; harsh though that would have been -- and some less-than-pleasant looks from a few Cobre players. Among those, Lamont Dusang, who in a refusal to be cowed, bodily challenged the Michinien for a loose ball in midfield shortly afterward, re-opening a head wound on the latter. To his credit, Dusang immediately put the ball out of play so Kossenko could receive attention, and was first to ensure his rival was okay. "I would be lying if I said the tackle on Moses was not in my mind at all," Dusang admitted. "But I did not mean to clash heads, I know my skull is tough like coconut so this does not go well for other people."

With Kossenko off, Cobrio would enjoy a one man advantage, which they almost squandered, as the substitute Mirounoff escaped Andre Johnson's attention to go one-on-one with Cruz. Perhaps due to shock at finding himself in space, perhaps out of tiredness, his attempted lob went wrong, and Cobrio wasted no time striking back. Cruz quickly rolled the ball out to Cooper, who found Dupre ahead of him, running in behind a thoroughly exhausted Poliakoff. The winger drilled a cross low into the middle, where Lamont Dusang was arriving late from midfield. Warrington branched left, and Dusang faked a shot, trying to force Lapine to commit, before trying to deftly lift the ball over him. The ball would have gone harmlessly past the left post, if not for Warrington arriving to poke it in and put the game to bed.

After the game, Lieutenant Uwusu remarked on the "integrity of [the Michinien team]," and downplayed any suggestion of "afters" between the two sides. "Sometimes players can perhaps put a little more into the game than they intended. It is the situation, it is difficult to control your passions in this arena." He said, with a hint of a frown.

* * * * *

Moses shifted across, toward the centre of the pitch, and saw Johnson glance up. He'd make the pass, Moses knew, and so he began backpedalling to create separation. The ball came to him, and he controlled it mid-turn, nudging it out from underneath him in the same smooth movement, heading toward the Michinien goal. 'YES!' he thought, preparing to break away. But it didn't happen. Instead, the ball was getting further away. He felt himself falling. Then the pain hit.

* * * * *

Moses let out a howl of pain. This was it. It was over. The pain was getting worse. A burning in his ankle, slowly spreading. It wasn't going to stop. He closed his eyes tightly. If he couldn't see what had happened, it wasn't real, right? His tears felt hot on his cheek. His ankle throbbed. He could feel the physio checking the injury, asking him something. Couldn't be sure what.

He shook his head. Furiously. As if he could deny reality itself. A few moments passed, and he felt them lift him on to a stretcher. The tears continued to burn his cheeks, he couldn't see. He could vaguely hear what sounded like applause, but it mattered not. He'd only just got started. Why was it ending now?

* * * * *

Moses sat in the team hotel, slumped in his seat, in the dark.

"Hey Moses," called Didier, his roommate. "How is the foot?"

Moses shrugged.

"You know it is not so bad na," Didier told him. "At least it is not broken."

Moses lifted his head and hit Didier with a look that would sour milk. Didier sighed. "This is the first time you are injured eh?"

Again, Moses shrugged.

"The first one is difficult," Didier said, softly. "But you can still help your brothers na."

Moses raised an eyebrow, scowling. "I am serious na," Didier insisted. "You think you can only help us on the pitch?" He barked a laugh. "Moses, so young. So pure." Didier's chuckles were clearly beginning to grate on the younger man, whose nostrils flared in anger, listening to him talk.

"I am not a child, Didier!" Moses shouted. "I am a man also! But now I cannot control my own fate."

"Why so dramatic, Moses? Do you also control all men?"

"Of course not! But at least if I could play I could-"

"You could what?" Didier cut him off. "Are you so caught up in the excitement that you cannot see your own flaws, Moses?"

He did not respond.

"You are talented," Didier sighed. "But you are still only one man. One man cannot win a war alone."

A moment of silence passed between the two men, and Moses fought back tears. War. He was doing his best to avoid that, wasn't he?

"Remember this, na," Didier placed a hand awkwardly on Moses' shoulder. "You cannot fight a war if you do not trust your brothers in arms. Trust us, I beg of you na."





¹ A sort of Cobre spiritual figure, said to possess otherworldly powers. See the common Cobre phrases and information factbook for more information.

[Semarland]

Cutoff for those in the Semarland half ONLY.

[Semarland]

Semi Final Result

Note: Would like to see a big well done to both RPers for getting so far! You've submitted some incredible RPs over the course of the tournament and it's unfortunately only one of you can go through. Congratulations to the winning team and the very best of luck in the final, and commiserations to the team that lost - hopefully the 3PPO will provide some consolation!

Cobrio 1–0 Carloso - at Natunolstadion, Jansberg, 19:00

[Shofercia]

The Deadliner - Victory at the Last Minute!

Wow! What a game! Roy Ostryi's smooth kick to the corner of the net on assists from Kutya Ignashevich and Smerch Bolshov sealed the deal, in the 90th minute. Thank you for the goal, Shofercians! And "thank you" for nearly giving everyone at the Deadliner a heart attack. Multiple times. You had to wait until the very last minute, didn't you? Didn't you?

The River City Raptor players proved why their team won the Shofercian Premier League. Konovalenko's saves were absolutely phenomenal, he was a true lock on the goal, and the real player of the game. But in the 15th minute, the shot passed Konovalenko, only to be saved by the head of a flying Kutya Ignashevich, and cleared by Smerch Bolshov. In the 31st minute there was another scare, but it was quickly ruled offside.

And on the 46th minute, we don't know how, we have no idea, but somehow, Vladislav Konovalenko saved a certain goal in a last ditch desperate effort with his foot. As you watched the first half, you could watch Coach Slava Bykov's head slowly turn gray, skipped quite a few of the 50 shades.

In the second half the Shofercians came out, looking shaken, but that was thankfully a ruse. Attack after attack after attack followed. During the first half our boys studied the opponents' tactics, searched their vulnerabilities, understood the faults. And in the second half, the Shofercians capitalized. But the valiant defense of the opposition would not be broken easily. Shot after shot was blocked, saved, or turned away. As the Shofercians grew frustrated, the opponents counterattacked, leading to a one on one situation and yet another absolutely remarkable save by Konovalenko.

Despite the pressure, the game was fast paced and incredibly clean. and so we approached the 88th. A shot. Konvalenko's save. He quickly played the ball to Ignashevitch who found an open Bolshov, waving his hands like he was cheerleading. And Roy Ostryi was off, looking for his magical spot. He wasn't running, he was flying, using every bit of the energy he had left. He knew that he'd need a sub in overtime if he failed; and that failure was not an option.

Daftly dribbling around several opponents, Ostryi approached his objective - his favorite shooting spot. And once he reached it, he tapped the ball, ever so slightly, to set it, as yet another defender attempted to tackle him. Ostryi was too fast. He jumped over the tackle, tapped the ball again, and made a perfect shot, perhaps the best of his life. The ball sailed into the net.

And then came extra time, and the Shofercian defense. The minute the Shofercians got the ball, or intercepted a pass, which happened quite often due to Shofercian discipline, it was cleared, frustrating the opposition to no end. They began to break down, and Shofercians began recieving free kick after free kick. Finally, the whistle blew. Shofercia was going to the semifinals. The players collapsed, kissing the field and praying. The fans were elated, with new shades of gray in their hair. And we, at the Deadliner, finally understood what we do to our readers every election cycle. We sincerely apologize. That said, Go Shofercians Go! To the Finals, and Beyond!

The Profiler - Roy Ostryi

Who is Roy Ostryi of the River City Raptors? He's the baller that scored every time Shofercia won, and scored a goal in 4 out of 5 games, and currently leads Shofercia in goals. If he can get to his spot, it's in more often than not. What made such a prolific scorer?

Roy was born to a Irish mother and a Shofercian father in a quaint farming community. His father taught English, and his mother - Algebra. He excelled in school athletics, with his hand eye coordination being second to none. He practiced football every spare moment that he could get. When he was in high school, he received a contract to play for the River City Raptors' development team. This was a dream come true.

His parents supported him, but could not abandon their duties to the farming community. Since teachers are quite well paid in Shofercia, they set Roy up with a nice apartment in River City, a bachelor pad at the age of 15, but visited him every weekend to make sure that he followed his sports passion, and not his other passions.

Roy would have none of it. Although he excelled in school, football was his one true love. He had no other life. Eventually his newfound friends, who enjoyed studying at his pad, made him visit the movies, so that he would be caught up with at least a part of modern culture. They tried finding girls for him, but once the girls figured that they would always be number two, they dumped Roy. He didn't care.

One day, Roy figured out that a teen in class was suicidal, and developed a program to prevent it. His teacher was so impressed, that he pulled a couple of strings, and got Roy tickets to see the River City Raptors up close, in the Shofercians Open Cup Final. The Raptors won that year, and Roy had the time of his life. The minute that he received his high school diploma, the Raptors' senior team signed him, and the rest is History.

The Royal Herald - the King is due to Arrive - Can You Find the King before the Game?

King Ilya Murometz proclaimed that he will be personally arriving to watch the semifinals. And that there will be two decoys. The Shofercian Delegation requested an embassy clearance for a group escorting the Minister of Foreign Affairs and four additional Shofercians. Since Shofercian Special Forces work in teams of three, could the fourth one be the King?

In other news, the Shofercians reserved a ground in the capital for parachuting, paying quite well for the reservation. Four Shofercians are to parachute in. Could one of them be the King? Lastly, quite a few Shofercian fans originally entered Farfadillis. Was the King among them, in disguise?

We, at the Royal Herald, tremble with anticipation at the reveal! Joking aside, we wish our football team the best of luck, May the Sport be with You!

Night Time talkshow in Shofercia:

Announcer: "Welcome to the talk show, Two Girls, one Bill, with Bill, Billie, and the Ringer!"
*Crowd cheers*
Bill: "Thank you. Welcome all! What would you call that diss against King Ilya Murometz by his own newspaper, the Royal Herald?"
Billie: "Reality. The King's hijinks happen every year. Sometimes several times a year. Like when he utilized a VDV company to arrive at the summit on military motorcycles parachuting from plane. At one point in time, a fellow monarch accused him of having a midlife crisis."
Ringer: "I know where the King will be - he'll be in Caitlin Damages' hotel room tonight!"
*Ba Dum Tish*

Bill: "That's why we call her the Ringer. What about President Alex Terán, first picking a fight with us because we were nice to the locals, we had to be to get those seats, then pranking himself, and then cheering for us?'
Billie: "It was his path to wisdom. His first act, going against us, unwise. His second act, pranking himself, showed wisdom and humility. His third act, cheering for us, the very definition of wisdom. And did you notice how quickly all of his embarrassing photos were scrapped from the web?"
Ringer: "Embarassing photos and Shofercian fans lead to wisdom, just ask President Alex Terán!"
*Ba Dum Tish*

[Freeport Isles]

The Freeport Free Press
Baptism of Fire 68: Condottieri Crush Guriguay, Advance to Semifinals
by Dirty Rag

Guriguay 0-5 Freeport
(Puzzle Piece '29, Torvald Royle '45+2, Bloodblade '55, Temptation '66, Meadow Evergreen '86)

KARUVIS, Farfadillis - Normally, you'd expect a quarterfinal match in a major international tournament to be a bit more competitive than that, right?

Well, when it came to the Guriguay-Freeport showdown in the Baptism of Fire, a match relocated to Naš Stadion in Karuvis by the reliably unreliable FFFF, that certainly wasn't the case. The Condottieri were the favorites, of course, the Guriguayans were honestly lucky to even make it this far, but few would've predicted the final scoreline, a 5-0 victory for Freeport. It might've been even worse if not for an excellent performance from goalkeeper Ruben Pinto, who made eight saves in the match as Freeport routinely brushed aside the Guriguayan defenders like flies.

For Freeport, the star of the show was once again Puzzle Piece, the winger notching the match's opening goal and tacking on three assists before the final whistle blew. The blowout also saw teenage sensations Temptation and Meadow Evergreen contribute off the bench in the second half to get on the score sheet and put the match well and truly out of reach. Freeport's defense had little to do for much of the game as Guriguay couldn't seem to get the ball past midfield, but the few times that the Guriguayans did look like they might have something going, their attacks were quickly snuffed out before they could trouble goalkeeper Kukiri.

Awaiting the Condottieri in the semifinals will be Shofercia, probably the best team that Freeport has faced since dispatching the Busoga Islands in the second round. Manager Mad Dash is expecting a hard-fought game, saying during his post-match press conference that "Shofercia has done extremely well to make it this far, given they've faced some interesting interference from the FFFF during the tournament, not to mention some talented sides like the Squornshelan Remnant States along the way. If we can shut down their attack, I like our chances."

[Farfadillis]

Cut-off.

[Farfadillis]

Semifinal Result

Freeport 1–2 Shofercia (Two Rulandese cartels entered a shoot-out after the end of the game, putting in danger many spectators)