Handball World Cup 21 - Everything Thread

[Mytanija]

Welcome to the 21st edition of the Handball World Cup in Mytanija. The RSM is honoured to be bringing the sport's most prestigious tournament to the country for the very first time and is looking forward to showcasing the nation to the rest of the world following an extremely difficult period in Mytanija's history.

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FORMAT

32 teams:

1st Group Stage: 8 groups of 4 in a single round-robin format, the top two from each group will progress to Group Stage 2, with pots for the 2nd Group Stage draw being based on performance in 1st Group Stage.
2nd Group Stage: 4 groups of 4 in a single round-robin format, the top two from each group will progress to the quarter finals.
Quarter Finals - QF1: 1st Group 2A vs 2nd Group 2B; QF2: 1st Group 2C vs 2nd Group 2D; QF3: 1st Group 2B vs 2nd Group 2A; QF4: 1st Group 2D vs 2nd Group 2C
Semi Finals - SF1: Winner QF1 vs Winner QF2; SF2: Winner QF3 vs Winner QF4
3rd/4th place play-off - Loser SF1 vs Loser SF2
Final - Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2

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SCHEDULE
27th November: 1st Group Stage MD1 - 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3
28th November: 1st Group Stage MD2 - 4 vs 3, 1 vs 2
29th November: 1st Group Stage MD3 - 2 vs 4, 3 vs 1
30th November: Rest day
1st December: 2nd Group Stage MD1 - 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3
2nd December: 2nd Group Stage MD2 - 4 vs 3, 1 vs 2
3rd December: 2nd Group Stage MD3 - 2 vs 4, 3 vs 1
4th December: Quarter Finals
5th December: Semi Finals
6th December: Final and 3rd/4th place play-off

Cut-off times will be between 23:30-02:00 GMT.

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Pots.
Pot 1: Savojarna (1), Abanhfleft (2), Banija (3), Northwest Kalactin (4), Juvencus (6) Free Republics (10), Saltstead (10), Filindostan (16)
Pot 2: Alpine Union (19), Lisander (19), Qasden (19), Royal Kingdom of Quebec (19), Aureumterra (29), Equestrian States (29), Newmanistan (UR), Mytanija (UR)
Pot 3: Sankt Konrad (UR), Lochario (UR), Monsa (UR), New Ecopia (UR), Myrkvifiord (UR), Third Asopia (UR), South Toronto (UR), Libonesia (UR)
Pot 4: Tanco Villum (UR), Pambudia (UR), Munnius (UR), Kowani (UR), Ilkra (UR), Qingland (UR), Antolania (UR), Surikatia (UR)

Based on the post-HWC20 rankings compiled by Free Republics.

Saltstead has inherited Soltsteed's ranking, given the fact it is the IC successor to that nation.

Group Draw.

Group 1A (all games at NacZat Arena, Esca)
Banija
Mytanija
Sankt Konrad
Qingland

Group 1B (all games at Atletik Arena, Thessia)
Juvencus
Equestrian States
New Ecopia
Surikatia

Group 1C (all games at Dinamo Arena, Esca)
Savojarna
Lisander
Myrkvifiord
Ilkra

Group 1D (all games at Wyan Arena, Esca)
Northwest Kalactin
Royal Kingdom of Quebec
South Toronto
Pambudia

Group 1E (all games at KA Kochenkov, Stratenberg)
Abanhfleft
Qasden
Lochario
Munnius

Group 1F (all games at Dvorana Prizren, Prizren)
Saltstead
Aureumterra
Libonesia
Kowani

Group 1G (all games at Arena Rauchnya, Severyan)
Filindostan
Alpine Union
Third Asopia
Antolania

Group 1H (all games at Arka Hall, Snezhnaya)
Free Republics
Newmanistan
Monsa
Tanco Villum

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As the Everything Thread this is the place to post your national team's roster and any role-plays you choose to do. In your roster post please include the ever useful RP permissions box to let your opponents know what you're okay with them doing in their post-match RPs:

RP PERMISSIONS
If my opponent role-plays first they may:
Choose my goalscorers: Y/N
Godmod scoring events: Y/N
RP injuries to my players: Y/N
Godmod injuries to my players: Y/N
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Y/N
Hand out red cards to my players: Y/N
Godmod other events: Y/N

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Useful links:
Wikipedia's Handball article
Handball World Cup 21 Sign-Up Thread
Handball World Cup Discussion Thread
NS Sports Handball Wiki page
Guide to Sports Roleplaying Thread

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The post following this shall include a short stadium guide for the tournament. All games will be played in Mytanija, something worth noting as there is no need to include a stadium in your roster.

You may begin posting rosters and role-plays!

[Mytanija]

For an in-depth guide on Mytanija, see here.

VENUES

NacZat Arena (Capacity: 12,500) - HOSTING GROUP 1A; GROUP 2A; QF1; 3PPO & FINAL
Tenants: Mytanija national team
Located in Esca, this is the brand new national indoor arena that is used for all team sports that are played indoors, obviously. The Mytanar national handball, basketball, ice hockey and volleyball teams all call this arena home and it is a facility built to accommodate them all. Has all the amenities you could want from a national stadium, easy access, great sight-lines and acoustics and it has the biggest capacity of any indoor arena in Mytanija.

Atletik Arena (Capacity: 10,000) - HOSTING GROUP 1B; GROUP 2B; QF2; SF1
Tenants: Atletik Thessia
The Atletik Arena is home to Atletik Thessia's indoor teams, none are quite as successful as their football team of course, but Atletik are the best known Mytanar sports team nonetheless - no matter which sport it is they're competing in. A modern arena, paid for by the club's successful football section, this is one of the more comfortable places national teams will visit over the course of the Handball World Cup. Thessia is the most populous city in Mytanija too, with a rich history that is worth learning about.

Dinamo Arena (Capacity: 10,000) - HOSTING GROUP 1C; GROUP 2C; QF3; SF2
Tenants: Dinamo Esca
The third arena located in the capital, the Dinamo Arena is the home arena of Dinamo Esca's indoor sports' teams. The stadium is located in the heart of the Votavova, a particularly deprived, working class area of Esca. It would take a brave tourist to walk around the Votavova by themselves at night, let's put it that way. The Dinamo Arena is a perfect venue for creating a noisy atmosphere in, with the home fans often intimidating opposing teams when they come to the stadium. If a national team has fans that can create similarly loud support, they could do the same to their opposition in this tournament.

Wyan Arena (Capacity: 7,500) - HOSTING GROUP 1D; GROUP 2D; QF4
Tenants: Litala ’93
A more old-fashioned arena in Esca, the home of 18 times national handball champions Litala '93, the Wyan Arena is a historic place within Mytanar handball. It may not be the most comfortable stadium ever, but that is made up for by the pure sense of history that is etched into the very walls of this arena. Playing at this stadium is an honour for any Mytanar handballer and now that Mytanija is hosting the World Cup, it is a chance for foreign players to write their name into the history of the Wyan Arena too.

KA Kochenkov (Capacity: 7,500) - HOSTING GROUP 1E
Tenants: GK Magevskaya
Located in Stratenberg on Mytanija's north-west island Magevskaya, the KA Kochenkov is home to all of the Magevskaya Sports Club's indoor teams: the handball team, obviously, but also the basketball, ice hockey and volleyball teams. It is multi-use and in need of some renovation, but it holds a certain charm that ageing sports facilities often do. Named after Grisha Kochenkov, a legendary athlete who was affiliated to the Magevskaya Sports Club throughout his career (their football/athletics stadium is also named after him).

Dvorana Prizren (Capacity: 5,000) - HOSTING GROUP 1F
Tenants: RK Prizren
Located in central Prizren, the Dvorana as it is known to locals is an impressive arena. Its a prime example of Prizren exceedingly ornate architecture. When you're in this arena it's not entirely certain whether you're in a sports arena or an art gallery, either, with enormous murals on the walls depicting parts of the city of Prizren's history. It's not the biggest arena involved in the Handball World Cup, but it's certainly one of the most interesting.

Arena Rauchnya (Capacity: 5,000) - HOSTING GROUP 1G
Tenants: RK Rauchnya
Located in Severyan, the second biggest city in Rauchnya, Mytanija's smallest region. It's located right on the seafront, with the waves being visible through the massive glass front of the arena. If you're sat on the opposite side you can see the game and you can see the sea. Quite an impressive stadium and one that has been built specifically for this tournament. It will be used by various Rauchik teams for different indoor sports following the tournament.

Arka Hall (Capacity: 5,000) - HOSTING GROUP 1H
Tenants: Arka
Located in Snezhnaya in the far north of the country, this is a really old-fashioned affair, with wooden benches and concrete stands it is about 60 years out of date. Nevertheless it is a well-loved arena in Mytanar handball. Arka don't really fund the handball section of their club as much as the football section and that is pretty visible in the state of this arena. It's likely international handball stars may feel the standard of this arena is a little below them, but it's something they shall have to deal with during this tournament.

[Free Republics]

Republican National Handball Team

Colors: Blue and White
Head Coach: Stephany Carter
Assistant Coach: Setsuko Yajima

Roster (age in parentheses)

Starting Lineup

GK: Rumi Kumagai (29)
RB: Adalgisa Nucci (28)
CB: Kristine Engen (19)
LB: Anna Watson (24)
RW: Lana Lindholm (26)
CF: Bibiana Piazza (28)
LW: Vanessa Gersten (20)

Reserves

GK: Lilly Myrvang (29)
RB: Parnella Duffet (22)
CB: Elise Burgess (24)
LB: Lilian Trefl (19)
RW: Elena Mackay (24)
CF: Alexandra Loginova (26)
LW: Gabriela Jasinska (24)

RP Permissions

I give my opponent permission to:
Choose my goalscorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
Give my players yellow cards: Y
Give my players red cards: Y
Give injuries to my players: Y
Godmod injuries to my players: Y (but check with me first before you kill or seriously injure any major Republican characters)
Godmod other events: Y

[Aureumterra]

All players are coming back! People in Aureumterra are wild about handball, being a Nordic nation (The country I live in IRL is probably the only one in the world that takes handball seriously too )
Handball Aureumterra (HA)


Coaches
Head Coach: Vīgnie Gaėr
Asst. Coach: Kalliė Crômen
Trainers: Lârr Swaydwėš & Erm Krones

Defense
Starting
GK: Velomėns ‘Vos’ Rodckè
FR: Kwek Lūm
FL: Jeėr Crômen
HL: Zadoch Gaėr
HR: Rowēr Nockæratô
BC: Fałâs Rōnecôń
BC: Wershârmaēr Ėōldish
Backup
FR: Wællaš Vronėį
HL: Deron Dekēmonitē
FC: Rœm Ćartōm
BC: Carve Dewol
GK: Norôtoræmâ Shriven

Offense
Starting
P: Corôl Wæshā
LW: Aurō Mancaž
RW: Reven Goav
LB: Rœwer Carham
RB: Covonėt Levėron
CB: Wonīta Erîm
Backup
LW: Cron Veter
RW: Shrėmoncaś Nolaī
CB: Romem Cæram
P: Vort Keb

Expected Formations
Defense 6-0
Offense 5-1
Defense 5-1

Star Players
Velomėns ‘Vos’ Rodckè and Zadoch Gaėr are both amazing, but undoubtedly the best player is the Pivot, Corôl Wæshā.

Kits

If my opponent RPs first, I give him permission to:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: No
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: No
Godmod other events: Yes

[Monsa]

Colors: Blue and Red
Head Coach: Joshua Jacobs
Assistant Coach: Alan Liem

Roster (age in parentheses)

Starting Lineup

GK: Alex Weis (21)
RB: Nick Kovic(23)
CB: Stephine Spiel (25)
LB: Bastian Weber (29)
RW: Olaf Sigurdson (24)
CF: Thomas Runar (19)
LW: John James (31)

Reserves

GK: Peter Schiller (18)
RB: Ross Damer (24)
CB: Eric Wilhelm (32)
LB: Calvin Nova (35)
RW:Walter Creme (33)
CF: Andre Jamerson (27)
LW: Felix Berg (28)

Uniforms:

RP Permissions

I give my opponent permission to:
Choose my goalscorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
Give my players yellow cards: Y
Give my players red cards: Y
Give injuries to my players: Y
Godmod injuries to my players: Y (but check with me first before you Kill or Serverly Injure any major players)
Godmod other events: Y

[Savojarna]

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
The Journalist's Guide to Savojar Handball

HANDBALL IN SAVOJARNA

Handball is a very popular sport among young Savojars, and a lot of people, both men and women, play it in school. However, a lot of them are hockey players looking for an alternative to their sport in the summer, therefore many talented handballers get lost around 15 years of age because they focus on hockey. Savojarna has a professional handball league with 16 teams, most of them concentrated in Vestrholmen and Ejana. In Ejana, handball is seen as the regional sport and the island takes great pride in its team of EHK Storevik. However, due to the island's smallness and relative remoteness, most NT players come from Vestrholmen. In Sumanen and Russica Savojar, handball is less traditionally popular and has to fight for resources against rugby, floorball and volleyball. Nevertheless, the regions produce a few very noteworthy players and those who make it out of these regions are often extra dedicated, leading to especially Russica having a reputation for extremely tough and well-trained players. Savojar teams are known for their unspectacular, pragmatic approach to handball, leading to a very tactically sound game dominated by the physical strength of most players sharpened through multiple seasons of ice hockey, handball, and formerly mining (even though that is not the case anymore since we professionalised the sport). The national team had always been a tough second-class contender in the old HWC, capable of beating most teams on a good day but usually losing out to the likes of Costa de Ouro or Red Blackiland. After the breakdown of the old HWC and the departure of some old heavyweights, the Northlights travelled to Abanhfleft as one of the favoured teams, and they remained unbeaten throughout the tournament to become the first Savojar team ever to bring home international silverware of any sport. In Mytanija, the Savojars come up with a team almost unchanged from two years ago, meaning that they are the big favourites to take the Cup once again.

STYLE: -0.75

STARTING 7

GK #1 Johan Bromstö (30, Thorsborg)
LW #2 Pyotr Khabarov (24, Savojagrad)
LB #6 Asgeir Jonsson (33, Kjefla) - Captain
CF #10 Fridtjof Lindback (29, Jarnstad)
CB #4 Alexander Pedersen (25, Sjoedrhavn)
RB #11 Mikkel Nielsen (28, Sjoedrhavn)
RW #7 Ville Jokarinen (29, Virkaja)

SUBSTITUTES

GK #30 Petter Jacobsson (22, Thorsborg)
GK #12 Harald Nyborg (30, Sjoedrhavn)
LW #8 Nils Jensen (21, Sandviken)
LB #5 Krister Bengtsson (29, Jarnstad)
LB #13 Eirik Baldersson (24, Storevik)
CF #9 Robin Ljungberg (27, Thorsborg)
CB #14 Mika Peltonen (30, Markka)
RB #16 Denis Bjarnsson (28, Jauska)
RW #19 Victor Gulbrandsson (24, Kjefla)



WHAT TO EXPECT:

Goalkeepers: The goalkeepers are relatively strong and should stop a fair share of shots. Bromstö is known for his great mental strength, while others may have more problems with this. Petter Jacobsson should definitely get some playtime, given that he has brilliant reflexes and is seen as the promise of future Savojar handball. Harald Nyborg is here mainly as a backup, he is not expected to play but may see some action in games where Savojarna are already qualified, but even in this case Jacobsson is a more likely starter.

Wings: Khabarov is one of the regular top scorers of the SHS and will be a constant threat on the left side. He is known for a very strong shot and speed. Watch out for this young guy on the side. His replacement is the youngest player of the team, Nils Jensen. He has shown a great ability to make good shots even when pressured heavily and possesses a lot of physical strength. On the right side, Ville Jokarinen will start. The Virkaja guy is very explosive and has a capability of breaking through any defense by brute force, and at 97 kg of pure muscle, he proved hard to stop for all but the most physical defensive teams of the Multiverse. His replacement, Victor Gulbrandsson, has become a household name in the domestic league for his skill and cleverness. He has a good overview and a dangerous arsenal of tricky shots that make up for a somewhat lacking physique even in the notoriously tough Savojar league.

Centers: Center forwards Fridtjof Lindback and Robin Ljungberg can be used almost interchangeably. Both are very strong men and hard to get out of balance, and both of them have a tendency to shoot from situations in which a good shot is unexpected, scoring many sneaky goals like that. Lindbäck had been one of the most underlooked players in Savojarna's HWC 20 title run with his relentless pestering of the opponent, leading to many frustrated attempts of opposing centres and drawing penalties from them in frustration. However, sometimes their attempts to score hinder the team's efficiency if they miss a better placed teammate. The backs Alexander Pedersen and Mika Peltonen are more different, with the younger starter Pedersen being more qualified in offense thanks to great overview. Peltonen, on the other side, is seen as the stronger defender, which will likely lead to some strategic substitutions shall the game require it.

Backs: Left back Asgeir Jonsson is easily the backbone of the team off the pitch. The captain is a natural leader, and a strong defender. This allows his counterpart in the starting 7, Mikkel Nielsen, to be more active and more offensive, which leads to many goals for Savojarna. His backups are Bengtsson and Baldersson, a pair of fast backs known for their overview and passing skills, which can be very valuable if additional offense is required. Mikkel Nielsen is especially dangerous in offense and leads the SHL in goals scored by backs, even though he also knows how to stop an opponent. His strong shot has scared many goaltenders, and gave him a unexpected crown of best scorer in his team in the past. Denis Bjarnsson, his replacement, will probably not play too much given Nielsen's importance, but could play an important support role in carrying a lead to the final whistle.

RP PERMISSIONS

If my opponent RPs first, I give him permission to:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes - nothing that has consequences for more than the rest of the tournament
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes - but TG me first
Godmod other events: No

[The Authoritarian Republic of Lochario]

LOCHARIAN NATIONAL HANDBALL TEAM

Coach :Eruk Marhan
Assistant Coach :Forin Usman


Squad :
GK Guyan Sotin
FR Dorun Ulamin
FL Okan Kashan
MR Guisyin Sakashi
ML Forkan Surik
BR Dashun Sukan
BL Uijan Dakir

Reserves:
GK Albiani Guty
FL Gusgus Hagit


“ Handball is a popular, but not so greatly spectated sport in Lochario. Our handball quality, however can be very good sometimes.“ - Eruk Marhan

[Lisander]

►OVERVIEW
Handball is an amateur sport in Lisander. No big business interest, so there is no professional league. The federation gets enough money just to maintain amateur tournaments, so the costs of a national team come out primarily from the pockets of the athletes themselves. And that's how Lisander went to the last Handball World Cup. And the team made a fairly decent campaign, with one win and two defeats. 18-27 against New Doltania in the debut, 24-29 against Banija and 30-25 against Maltta to finish the participation.

This time, to cover most of the travel expenses, the team got a sponsorship. In addition to paying part of the tickets and lodging, Lutz Textiles, the nation's largest producer of fabrics and clothing, produced uniforms for the team.

►A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR

Lutz Textiles story with the sport is centenary.

Juliano Lutz was a 25-year-old medical doctor, a recent graduate, sole heir of Hermínio Lutz, a textile industrialist. With the death of his father, in 1897, he was forced to take care of the finances of the company, that went through a phase somewhat troubled. With some investment in machinery and labour, the company was saved.

Club Sparta Logo

As a way to increase the productivity of his employees (120, an exorbitant number for the time), Lutz, a cardiologist and interested in the assets of physical activity, bought a farmhouse on the outskirts of Sirenia to serve as a clubhouse. During the week, the place was private for Lutz and his friends. On weekends, it was also open to company employees. Soon, the community around Juliano Lutz surpassed the social classes of Sirenia, in the name of sport.

A cultured man, dedicated to health and physical activity, Lutz worshipped the classical patterns of the Greek way. At a meeting to suggest the name of the club, they suggested the Olympia name, which was preferred, until they released "Sparta", which seemed a more "proud" name for the club. And so, on June 16, 1899, appeared Club Sparta, where people started to practice Swimming, Cricket, Field Hockey and of course, the most popular sport of the time, Rugby.

Today, Club Sparta is the biggest football national champion, with 18 national titles and 4 national ladies titles. The team also have a professional Basketball and Professional Ice Hockey Teams. Sparta Amateur Handball started in 1948 and was firstly national champion in the following year.

►UNIFORMS
As usual for Lisander National Teams, First choice is green one. Shorts match jerseys.

►ROSTER

No.	Pos	Name			Age	
1	GK	Henrique del Pozo	28	STARTER
2	RB	Filipe Orean		26	STARTER
26	CB	Bruno Carvalho		30	STARTER
6	LB	Julio Castan		24	STARTER
4	RW	Ricardo Kronel		31	STARTER (CAPTAIN)
9	P	Mário Pátroclo		25	STARTER
30	LW	Tiago Hipólito		26	STARTER
16	GK	Eder Martins		24	
14	RB	Caio Dias		27	
3	CB	Enzo Drummond		19	
22	CB	Amaro Miranda		33	
13	LB	João Salvaterra		28	
28	RW	Quintino Ponzi		24	
41	LW	Hélder Liziero		22	
7	P	Sergio Linas		25	
10	P	Rafael Hildebrand	27	
					
Coach: Giacomo Spalletti			
Assistant/Team Doctor: Lizia Moretz

►RP PERMISSIONS

If my opponent RPs first, I give him permission to:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but have in mind these guys are amateurs.
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes, you can make use of their inexperience and say they commit a lot of silly fouls.
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes, with a decent justification.
Godmod other events: No

[Sankt Konrad]

Sankt Konrad National Handball Team

Facts

Nation Name: The Protectorate of Sankt Konrad
Short Names: Sankt Konrad, Albmot (native name)
Demonyms: Albmoti, Sankt Konrader
Governing Body: GS (Giehtaspabba Searvi, ‘Handball Association’)
Colours: Maroon, navy, gold
Anthem: ‘Vai Suolu Favru’ (Oh Island Fair)
Highest Domestic League: Vuosttasdassi
Nicknames: The Gyrfalcons
Style Modifier: 1.25
Captain: Ruben Ville

Notes

Sankt Konrad is a small island most well-known for its cold temperatures and oil riches. The island, population 61,600, is mostly populated by the Albmoti people who have been its inhabitants for centuries. The island was once also, however, a possession of the Teus Empire and thus there is a significant population of Teus remaining on the island. The seas around the island are rich with oil deposits, which made the colony quite valuable and rich. After 1896, however, Sankt Konrad became its own independent nation. Handball has always been a very popular sport in the island, and along with football sees the most money poured into it. Clubs in the V-Dassi are usually quite rich and their players likewise, however, the two superclubs of the sport are Nomadik and Kolonial. One area to note with the roster are naming conventions on the island. Albmoti usually have one first name and a middle name, omitting the surname. They are generally referred to exclusively with the first name. Those who are listed with two names, for example Ruben Ville, likely grew up with other people of the same first name and thus also use the middle name for identification. In some cases, although there are no examples of this on this team, a person will also go by a certain nickname they have. Teus speaking players, however, use the usual first name-last name system.

Coaching Staff

Coach: Ola Gunnar

Ola Gunnar will serve as Sankt Konrad’s coach for the international debut at Handball World Cup 21. Gunnar has long been one of the most celebrated coaches in the sport in our country, having coached iconic club Nomadik to several league title in the V-Dassi. Gunnar has been praised for his man-management skills, and in addition his attention to detail in tactical decisions. The Gyrfalcons play a 6-0 defensive formation, and are a very technically sound team. On offense, the Gyrfalcons are quite fast, and break forward with intent.

Roster

Goalkeepers

GK -- Alfons Fittkau -- 26y/o -- Kolonial -- #1
GK -- Ilbmar -- 29y/o -- Divtasvuodno -- #8

Left Backcourt

LB -- Joel Elias -- 22y/o -- Nomadik -- #2
LB -- Roman Pilser -- 24y/o -- Kolonial -- #9

Centre Backcourt

CB -- Bede -- 19y/o -- Nomadik -- #3
CB -- Jeansa -- 22y/o -- Kolonial -- #10

Right Backcourt

RB -- Joseph Bohm -- 26y/o -- Kolonial -- #4
RB -- Joret -- 22y/o -- Nomadik -- #11

Left Wing

LW -- Ruben Ville -- 27y/o -- Nomadik -- #5
LW -- Artor -- 23y/o -- FJ Gaivuotna -- #12

Right Wing

RW -- Kasper Lerch -- 26y/o -- Kolonial -- #6
RW -- Darbmu -- 23y/o -- Varis Girona -- #13

Pivot

P -- Ville Iskku -- 26y/o -- Nomadik -- #7
P -- Ealja -- 21y/o -- Kolonial -- #14

Squad Notes

Sankt Konrad play a style that focuses on team play rather than individuality, making the team a very close unit. Despite rivalry on the domestic stage between players from Nomadik and Kolonial, who make up 11 of the 14 players in the squad, they are able to put this aside to represent the country on the international stage. Key players in the squad include Ruben Ville and Bede. Ruben Ville has always been one of the biggest stars of the game back home, and he is always able to perform under pressure when his team needs him most. Bede is a younger player, only 19 years old, but has been a dominant force on his Nomadik team. His control of the ball is superb, and his overall knowledge of the game and maturity is far beyond what you’d expect from his age. Of course, all these players are the best of the best from the V-Dassi and are thus quite skilled, however, Bede and Ruben Ville are the most likely to take over a game themselves.

Kits

Sankt Konrad’s home kit is divided into two halves, the left side coloured maroon and the right side coloured navy blue. The two sides are divided by a gold stripe down the middle, and numbering on the back is in gold. The away kit is fully white, with maroon numbering on the back. The coat of arms of Sankt Konrad, featuring a naval ship at sea with a midnight sun in the background, is featured on both.

RP Permissions

If my opponent RPs first, I give him permission to:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes, I determine length/severity
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes, but Sankt Konrad’s players usually play a very clean game
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes, see above
Godmod other events: No

Group and Schedule

For the first group stage of the 21st Handball World Cup, Sankt Konrad have been drawn into Group 1A:

Banija (3)
Mytanija (UR)
Sankt Konrad (UR)
Qingland (UR)

What to expect from this group? Banija are ranked third in the world handball rankings, and thus will clearly be the most difficult game for the Gyrfalcons. Mytanija, who are hosting the tournament, are also in the group, which will be a tricky match: both teams are unranked, but Mytanija will obviously have home advantage. The final group stage opponent here is Qingland, also an unranked side. It seems most likely that Banija will easily secure qualification here, and the fight for the final spot will be a battle between all three remaining teams. The two highest-ranked teams in Group 1A will qualify for the second group stage.

Sankt Konrad, our little island home, has now its first chance to show the world our sporting ambitions. The Davennasti Fierpmadat (North Star Broadcasting Corporation) will be your home for all updates from Mytanija and Handball World Cup 21!

[Tanco Villum]

History:

As a newly discovered sport in the nation, handball has quickly become one of the most popular athletic activities in the country. Because it is such a new sport, the nation has yet to create a national league, so all the players on the national team are drawn from the top high school and national teams in the country. The young team has decided to compete in the 21st Handball World Cup as a way of gaining international experience in their new favorite competition.

Colors: Black and Green
Head Coach: Carson Kimberly
Assistant Coach: Johnson Wittenburg

Roster:
Starters
GK: #1 Gus Winters (21)
RB: #9 Coleman Scott (22)
CB: #20 Orlando Frye (20)
LB: #2 Christian Fox (19)
RW: #12 Ivan Wagner (22)
P: #5 Henry Barrera (18)
LW: #11 Jordan Sampson (20)

Reserves
GK: #32 Trevor Olsen (18)
RB: #14 Todd Cherry (21)
CB: #6 Brody Callahan (18)
LB: #18 Carter Hudson (17)
RW: #22 Deandre Burton (20)
P: #7 Nelson Travis (22)
LW: #10 Eric Seidel (19)

Star Players: Henry Barrera is well-known to be the team's best player, though his backup, Nelson Travis, is also considered a strong attacker. Christian Fox and Gus Winters are also talented on the defensive side and Ivan Wagner is a great passer. Eric Seidel is the son of the nation's president, and it is widely believed that his inclusion on the team has something to do with that since he is clearly the least talented player in the squad.

RP Permissions
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes, though not anything life-threatening or likely to end the player's future career.
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes, these players are young and likely commit a number of fouls.
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes, but only if there is a good reason/the card is justified.
Godmod other events: No

[Union of Socialist Alpine Republics]

Alpine Union National Handball Team

Reprezentacja Alpejski w piłce ręcznej

Alpska Unija Nacionalna Rukomet Momcad

Selección de balonmano de Unión Alpina

Équipe d'Union Alpine de Handball

Alpischen Handball Nationalgemischtschaft

Sgioba Nàiseanta Ball Láimhe na Ailpeach Aonadh

Full nation name: Union of Socialist Alpine Republics
Short nation name: Alpine Union, U.S.A.R.
Trigramme: UAR
Demonym: Alpine
Nicknames: Bisons, Reprezentacja Alpejski, Green & white
Team Colors: Green and white

Coach: Boguslaw Suszczyk

Num     Pos     Player                  Age             Team                    Birthplace
Starters
16	GK	Przemyslaw Zjawinski	28		KPR Szczebrzeszyn	Kleszczewo, WP
5	LB	Grzegorz Pfaff	        30		Füchse Ueckermünde	Ueckermünde, AM
28	RB	Kamil Wdowczyk	        32		Pogon Miedzyzdroje	Juszczyna, WP
8	CB	Yannick  Roßbach	28		VfL Schloßböckelheim	Großschönau, AM
21	LW	Pawel Szukielowicz	32		MMTS Trzebiegoszcz	Trzebiegoszcz, WP
9	RW	Zelda Schatzschneider	27		VfL Schloßböckelheim	Waldböckelheim, AM
20	P	Radoslaw Kwasniewski	30		Gwardia Puck	        Krzyz Wielkopruski, WP
						
Substitutes
12	GK	Karolina Brzezina	31		Gornik Ozorkow	        Pszczyna, WP
6	LB	Anna Pakula	        34		Szczakowianka Ozorkow	Ozorkow, WP
3	RB	Fredericka Krüger	26		Füchse Ueckermünde	Schieder-Schwalenberg, AM
27	B	Wojciech Tkaczyk	27		Pogon Miedzyzdroje	Szprotawa, WP
25	CB	Agnieszka Paczkowska	30		Korona Malbork	        Koscierzyna, WP
11	LW	Ewelina Wozniak	        30		Korona Malbork	        Malbork, WP
29	RW	Tymoteusz Pawlikowski	30		KPR Szczebrzeszyn	Nieszczyce, WP
22	P	Urszula Ratajkowska	28		Szczakowianka Ozorkow	Krzeszowice, WP

AM: Alsace-Mecklenburg
WP: Wschodnioprusy (Prussia East)

If my opponent RPs first, I give him permission to:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes

[Mytanija]

MYTANIJA SQUAD FOR HANDBALL WORLD CUP 21

As expected, the Mytanar squad for the upcoming Handball World Cup is dominated by players from the all-conquering Litala '93 team. They have no fewer than 6 players in the contingent of 14 that will be competing on home soil in the tournament. The team is captained by Sava Tanackovic, the LB who is undoubtedly the team's star player. Coach Anja Popadic has picked a relatively young squad, with 11 of the squad aged 25 and under. This has been interpreted as a look towards future World Cups, with one eye on getting these talented young players some experience on the international scene and the other on making sure they give a good account of themselves in this home World Cup. Popadic was confident when she was interviewed following the squad announcement: "I'm pleased with the team that we have managed to put together and I feel a lot of the seeded sides will be pleased if they can avoid us as long as they can, if I'm honest, we have some talented players and having home advantage is of course a massive help."

##  Pos.  Name                  Age  M/F  HT.  Club           Notes
01  GK    Mika Kalinic          24   M    198  Litala ’93
02  LB    Sava Tanackovic       28   M    193  Litala ’93     Captain
03  CB    Zina Kazantseva       34   F    185  GK Magevskaya
04  RB    Matija Janketic       22   M    200  Litala ’93
05  LW    Roksana Pajic         24   F    174  Litala ’93
06  P     Adam Dosen            21   M    201  RK Prizren
07  RW    Kristina Georgijevic  26   F    169  Litala ’93
08  GK    Zinon Kapustov        25   M    202  GK Magevskaya
09  LB    Slavisa Teodosic      24   M    191  Dinamo
10  CB    Goran Pantelic        20   M    188  Litala ’93
11  RB    Iosif Vodyanov        23   M    185  GK Magevskaya
12  LW    Daria Usatova         19   F    167  GK Magevskaya
13  P     Sefik Mahmutovic      22   M    192  Atletik
14  RW    Andela Simic          20   F    181  Dinamo

Defensive formation: 6-0
Offensive formation: 5-1

Head Coach: Anja Popadic
Kit: Green and white hooped jersey and white shorts

RP PERMISSIONS
If my opponent role-plays first they may:
Choose my goalscorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y, I shall determine severity
Godmod injuries to my players: N
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Y
Hand out red cards to my players: Y, no more than one in a game though please
Godmod other events: Y

[South Toronto]

South Toronton Squad For The Handball World Cup 21

Handball in South Toronto

Handball has been a sport which has increasingly grown in popularity over the years. More young people are starting to get involved in other sports, and this is due to the fact that to be a professional footballer in South Toronto, you would need to be at least the Elite League quality to even have a chance. With the indoor football pitches that are all around South Toronto, young people have been playing handball recreationally. As a result of this, handball has received more funding than any other sport apart from rugby, but it is still undermined by the rest of the population. Although there is not a professional league, depending on how things go in this tournament, a handball association will finally be formed and there will be a league established where players can finally play professionally. However, South Toronto has never even played a game of handball as a national side, so most fans are prepared for South Toronto to destroyed by the other teams in our group, namely Northwest Kalactin, Royal Kingdom of Quebec and Pambudia.

Head Coach: Fritsha Hetiziones Callienti Vertoombs (Age 33)

Starting 7:

GK: Iaetus Linavaun (Age 33)
RB: Soushal Daggeone (Age 23
CB: Xyextcion Tenti (Age 20)
LB: Skyan Adidi Dexter (Age 17)
P: Alberugue Luis (Age 26)
RW: Yetnius Tizt (Age 22)
LW: Nizzarh Gerstuzalaymentouvada (Age 16)

Substitutes:

GK: Sillisha Bruss (Age 29)
RB: Thilmor Miyalleto (Age 19)
CB: Fuerollo Lopasefatal (Age 27)
LB: Mo'Tierni Abdulrossi(Age 22)
P: LeMontz Augurie(Age 26)
RW: Krat'hilm Hoditrasejroc(Age 24)
LW: Irani Jerance Ko'Teyachalis (Age 15)

Permissions:

Don't really care, just TG me about injuries and we're all good!

[Mytanija]

This is your MD1 cut-off!

Group 1A
Banija 36–23 Qingland
Mytanija 29–24 Sankt Konrad

  Group 1A                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Banija                       1   1  0  0   36  23 +13    3
2 Mytanija                     1   1  0  0   29  24  +5    3
3 Sankt Konrad                 1   0  0  1   24  29  −5    0
4 Qingland                     1   0  0  1   23  36 −13    0

Group 1B
Juvencus 23–22 Surikatia
Equestrian States 27–31 New Ecopia

  Group 1B                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 New Ecopia                   1   1  0  0   31  27  +4    3
2 Juvencus                     1   1  0  0   23  22  +1    3
3 Surikatia                    1   0  0  1   22  23  −1    0
4 Equestrian States            1   0  0  1   27  31  −4    0

Group 1C
Savojarna 31–23 Ilkra
Lisander 31–28 Myrkvifiord

  Group 1C                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Savojarna                    1   1  0  0   31  23  +8    3
2 Lisander                     1   1  0  0   31  28  +3    3
3 Myrkvifiord                  1   0  0  1   28  31  −3    0
4 Ilkra                        1   0  0  1   23  31  −8    0

Group 1D
Northwest Kalactin 32–22 Pambudia
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 20–25 South Toronto

  Group 1D                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Northwest Kalactin           1   1  0  0   32  22 +10    3
2 South Toronto                1   1  0  0   25  20  +5    3
3 Royal Kingdom of Quebec      1   0  0  1   20  25  −5    0
4 Pambudia                     1   0  0  1   22  32 −10    0

Group 1E
Abanhfleft 27–29 Munnius
Qasden 24–29 Lochario

  Group 1E                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Lochario                     1   1  0  0   29  24  +5    3
2 Munnius                      1   1  0  0   29  27  +2    3
3 Abanhfleft                   1   0  0  1   27  29  −2    0
4 Qasden                       1   0  0  1   24  29  −5    0

Group 1F
Saltstead 25–26 Kowani
Aureumterra 31–27 Libonesia

  Group 1F                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Aureumterra                  1   1  0  0   31  27  +4    3
2 Kowani                       1   1  0  0   26  25  +1    3
3 Saltstead                    1   0  0  1   25  26  −1    0
4 Libonesia                    1   0  0  1   27  31  −4    0

Group 1G
Filindostan 31–26 Antolania
Alpine Union 29–24 Third Asopia

  Group 1G                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Filindostan                  1   1  0  0   31  26  +5    3
2 Alpine Union                 1   1  0  0   29  24  +5    3
3 Antolania                    1   0  0  1   26  31  −5    0
4 Third Asopia                 1   0  0  1   24  29  −5    0

Group 1H
Free Republics 23–24 Tanco Villum
Newmanistan 23–32 Monsa

  Group 1H                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Monsa                        1   1  0  0   32  23  +9    3
2 Tanco Villum                 1   1  0  0   24  23  +1    3
3 Free Republics               1   0  0  1   23  24  −1    0
4 Newmanistan                  1   0  0  1   23  32  −9    0

[Lisander]

Great performance from Rafael Hildebrand guide Lisander Handball team to the first win!
Coming from bench, the 27 years-old Lisanderian Pivot scores nine goals on its debut for the national team!

LISANDER 31 - 28 Myrkvifiord

Hildebrand 9, Kronel 7, Pátroclo 5, Orean 4, Hipólito 4, Castan 2

Pivot rotation is very good for this year. Mário Patroclo, who at the age of just 24 had led Lisander to a decent result in the last World Cup, now found a teammate to fight for the position. Rafael Hildebrand, a physical education teacher outside the court, joined the national team this year and has already shown his potential. The victory against Myrkvifiord (31-28) was marked by a prominent performance of the Sorian newbie. There were nine goals of him tonight at Dinamo Arena, almost a third of the final number. The guy was on fire!

These nine goals in thirty-five minutes were enough to leave coach Spaletti with a doubt in the next formations. Using the 4-2 instead of the 5-1 seems like an alternative, which will allow giving a rest to the centre-back, Bruno Carvalho. But will the team be able to use a system like this against the group's favourite, Savojarna?

[Tanco Villum]

Tanco Villumian National Team Earns Shocking Result in Handball World Cup

by Killian Desjardins

In a somewhat shocking result, the upstart Tanco Villumian National Handball Team, participating in their first World Cup, defeated the more experienced Free Republics team at the 21st Handball World Cup at Arka Hall in Snezhnaya, Mytanija. Early on, the newcomers seemed right at home in the small arena, often criticized for its out-of-date facilities. However, it is possible that these more homey conditions allowed the team to feel at home and get the start they needed in this tournament.

The young Tanco Villumians came out of the gates firing, scoring 4 goals in the first five minutes of the game, two of which were attributed to star pivot Henry Barrera. The team from the Free Republics answered quickly, however, going on a 5 to 2 scoring run over the next eight minutes that cut the lead to 1. Goalie Rumi Kumagai came up big on a number of saves during the run, including saving a rocket from the dangerous Ivan Wagner. Tanco Villumian right-back Coleman Scott received a yellow card with 2 minutes left in the first period for a dangerous trip Republican winger Lana Lindholm, who was tended to by the training staff before being cleared to continue. At the break, Tanco Villum led the the match 15-11 after playing good defense to end the frame.

The Republican sqaud came out strong to start the second period as both Bibiana Piazza and Vanessa Gersten found the back of the net twice in the 3 minutes of the period during a time of chaos amongst the Tanco Villumian defense and tied the game at 15. Both teams then settled in defensively and played marvelously well until the halfway mark of the second period, when Tanco Villumian keeper Gus Winters collided with his own center-back Orlando Frye and left the game shaken up. He returned to the bench with five minutes left in the game but did not re-enter the playing area. As backup Trevor Olsen adjusted to the fast pace of play, the Republicans put in six goals to the Villumian four in the following eight minutes, giving them a 21-19 lead with just seven minutes to play. Here was when the young team showed their expertise. Tanco Villum outscored the Free Republics 5-2 over the final seven minutes as Trevor Olsen made 8 astounding saves that brought the crowd to their feet. Reserve winger Deandre Burton put in what turned out to be the winner for the Tanco Villumian squad with two minutes left and the defense held off a late barrage from the Republicans to give the rookie team the win in its first World Cup game, 24-23.

Next up for Tanco Villum is the team from Monsa, who defeated Newmanistan 32-23 in their first game of the tournament, while the delegation from the Free Republics will face that same Newmanistan squad.

[Abanhfleft]

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ABANHFLEFT
NATIONAL HANDBALL TEAM

This is the seventh time that Abanhfleft will be participating in an international handball tournament. Handball is quite an obscure sport in the Democratic Republic, with no professional league established, and the handball department in the Commission on Sports and Games is occupied only by two men working out of a plastic table. But no matter about its obscurity within the country itself. Handball has got a few lifelong and die-hard practitioners scattered throughout the country, and the Commission has managed to get hold of all fourteen of them, along with a handball coach to lead them, and they are now about to embark on a journey to claim some honor for both their sport and their country once again. Now that the Democratic Republic has been chosen to host the Handball World Cup, expectations are now high for the national team to win something.

BASIC INFORMATION
Name of nation: Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft
Demonym: Fleftic
Team colors: Blue, orange, and green
Style modifier (if applicable): +2.0
Head coach: Robson Juarez (53 y/o, Abanhfleft)

STARTERS
GK: Eugene Haak (33 y/o, male)
RB: Alfonso Imler (31 y/o, male)
CB: Myra Mathis (28 y/o, female)
LB: Tania Spoor (30 y/o, female)
RW: Lorraine Gregory (25 y/o, female)
CF: Janna McHale (31 y/o, female)
LW: Lamont Lamberti (29 y/o, male)

SUBSTITUTES
GW: Frances Dawson (29 y/o, male)
RB: Kathryn Moody (28 y/o, female)
CB: Rocco Lyford (32 y/o, male)
LB: Brock Spiva (32 y/o, male)
RW: Emma Saling (28 y/o, female)
CF: Farley Goretzka (27 y/o, male)
LW: Carmela Hetherington (30 y/o, female)

RP PERMISSIONS
Anything except killing is fair game, although if you've got something wild in mind, drop a TG to me first, and we'll talk about it.

[Savojarna]

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
A handball revolution in Savojarna?

Tannakull, EJ/Esca, MYT - Argentia Tannakull rarely receive much attention in Savojarna. The sports club from the silver mining town of Tannakull in Northern-Central Ejana has a small claim to fame as their football stadium is officially known as the northernmost outdoor stadium, and thus the coldest in the country. Argentia's football division, playing in the highest amateur tier of Savojar football, has capitalised on home advantage in the Cup multiple times as a consequence of that, but the name Tannakull is still mostly known in handball. There, the team sits solidly in the middle of the SHL B pack, having received some praise for its stance that Argentia is a team from its region, but still overwhelmingly overshadowed by at least four other Ejana clubs. As the small region features no less than five SHL A clubs following the promotion of EU Storevik, as well as two additional clubs in the second tier, Argentia Tannakull are mostly relying on innovation to contend with the rest of Ejana's top teams. Thus, it hardly surprises that the small club is at the forefront of a potentially revolutionary development: The opening of the Savojar Handball League towards the outside world. While the big shots in the SHL A are also heatedly debating this prospect, and Admiral Storevik are one of the biggest advocates for a systematic opening, Argentia try a new approach by focusing on the amateur players in the World Cup.

Tannakull's youth reserves are dwindling as more and more players move further south to one of the Storevik teams, or to BHK Kjefla, where they have better prospects to play for an SHL title. This leaves smaller Ejana teams with what JSK Grennvik coach Hjalmar Thorgansson angrily described as "a bunch of rejects", youth players that were not good enough to make it to the top team's academies. While many other teams have tried to solve this issue through importing players from Sumanen or Russica, where handball is somewhat less popular and the little talent there is often is jumping at the opportunity of playing professionally, Tannakull saw itself as a local selection for a long time and employed a very young team supplied by a few club legends whose allegiance to the side was stronger than their will to play for ESK, Cuprum or Admiral. However, now that even this is increasingly less successful, the creative minds of Argentia have looked abroad.

It is rumoured that the scouts of Argentia Tannakull had been employed by the federation to scout Savojarna's opponents had also steered some reports home to their club. One of the people that were often mentioned in this context was Lisander's Rafael Hildebrand. At already 27 years old, the amateur handballer is a bit of an odd choice, but he proved his value against Myrkvifiord by scoring nine goals in a narrow victory of the Lisanderian team. Asked about it, the team's coach did not deny the rumours, but only said that he would not speculate about a player that had participated in one World Cup match against a previously unknown nation. A denial sounds differently, but we don't know whether this team will truly be a frontrunner in hiring virtually unknown amateur players. Exploiting the leading position of the SHL as one of the very few professional leagues of the Multiverse could be good for the sport, as even some of the strongest teams in the World Cup such as vice champion Abanhfleft are complete amateur teams. Therefore, allowing other countries to have increasing professional structures and players with professional experience could spread handball across the globe and make the sport more competitive internationally.

Savojarna's first group stage match implies that this is a particularly pressing issue as the Northlights reached an easy eight-point victory over Ilkra, with Jokarinen and Nielsen dominating the first half. Mikkel Nielsen scored five goals himself and gave six assists, while Jokarinen topped him with six goals scored on the road to Savojarna's 18-7 lead at half time. The second half saw many changes to a team that was already quite sure in its path to victory, taking off Bromstö, Khabarov and Jokarinen entirely and mostly resting Mikkel Nielsen as well. Eirik Baldersson and Krister Bengtsson rotated throughout the match, leading to captain Ansgeir Jonsson seeing only 22 minutes of play, even one less than Baldersson. This somewhat contentious decision was taken to allow Jonsson, the oldest player in the team and returning from a playoff injury, a rest before the more important game against Lisander, but the coaching staff clarified that there was no immediate injury for Jonsson. With this rotated squad, the Savojars lost some of their lead in the second half, but carried home an impressive 31-23, with four second-half goals of replacement CF Robin Ljungberg and three by Nils Jensen on the left side. In the next match, we do expect the same starting team as today, but with a good shot for Ljungberg or Jensen to make an appearance later on again.

EDIT and OOC note: If you feel like sending some of your players to Savojarna, TG me. I don't do very player-based RPs for handball, so there aren't really full rosters for most teams; but some teams would never take on foreign players for different reasons. If you are interested, I can give advice.

[Monsa]

Monsa preforms well in it's first international Handball Match

By Julian Andrews

The Monsan National Football put up a good result against Newmanistan, 32-23. The +9 Goal Difference puts the team on the top of the group above Tanco Villum, The Free Republics and Newmanistan. The match was located in the somewhat outdated Arka Hall. Monsans filled up the 5,000 person capacity stadium. The young pivot Thomas Runar put a great game putting up 9 goals. Alex Weis was also praised for several great saves throughout the game.

Coach Joshua Jacobs said he was very proud in his team after the first game. Jacobs has said that he will adjust some aspects of the team for the upcoming matchup. This win certainly will increase attention in the Handball World Cup for Monsan sports fan.

The Monsan squad will take on Tanco Villum who surprisingly beat the #10 ranked Free Republics last game in a 24-23 close game. Meanwhile both Newmanistan and The Free Republics will seek a win in their game.

[Aureumterra]

Sports Aureumterra

First Handball Game A Victory, As Expected

Allis Kefládöttir

Tuesday In one of the most awaited Handball World Cups, the Aureumterrese team scored their first victory yesterday at Dvorana Prizren, Prizren, Mytanija. The game itself surprised no one, Aureumterra was expected to defeat Libonesia, a new and relatively inexperienced team. The score, 31-27 was in the margin of expectations for the match. The match started with and offense 5-1 formation, with the star player, Corôl Wæshā scoring 12 points, the most of any Aureumterrese player in the game. Other scorers were Rœwer Carham (8 pts), Covonėt Levėron (8 pts), and Aurō Mancaž (3 pts). The win against the inexperienced opponent was fast paced, “They put up a good fight, in the end however, we took the cake” says Corôl Wæshā, the highest scorer. “This match was our first one this world cup, we hope to keep this up, our boys did an amazing job zipping through Libonesia’s defense and securing a victory. We looked like we were about to slip up in the second half, however, it ended with a strong defense from us” Wæshā told Sports Aureumterra. Her Majesty Empress Lisette has commented on it, “Great win Aureumterra! Keep up the good work!” she stated in an official Imperial message.

The Handball team is nearly identical to the one last cup, with a few newcomers. The team is to play Kowani later today.

[Mytanija]

RSM HEAD HONCHO ANNOUNCES TOP LEAGUE GLASNOST IN ORDER TO ATTRACT INTERNATIONAL STARS.

by Tamara Brnetic

Today in a press conference ahead of the second match day of the Handball World Cup Sead Luketic - head of the Mytanar handball federation (RSM) - announced the opening of the Top League to foreign stars. The announcement was regarded as a thinly veiled challenge to Savojar teams following a SavojarSports.sj report that circulated the Mytanar media over the past couple of days. Luketic announced that Mytanar teams would be free to include anywhere up to four international players in their squads of eighteen players from next season. This will be the first time the Mytanar handball leagues have allowed this and many are interpreting this move as a way of trying to improve the league's international standing and to establish the Top League as the world's pre-eminent handball league.

"We feel that the standard of play in the Top League is generally world class anyway," Luketic said this morning, "But we feel that international stars can enhance this even further, they will add further quality to our domestic squads and that can only benefit the Top League in the long run, as well as help in developing our own players for the national team. If they're exposed to top level opposition domestically that can only serve to produce world level players for the national side which is an enormous plus point for us when we look towards the future."

Luketic was questioned on how accurate the claim was that the standard of play in the Top League is 'world class' when Litala '93 have been dominant domestically for over 25 years and when this Handball World Cup is the first time our domestic players have come up against international opposition, he responded: "We feel our players have been the best kept secret in world handball for a long time and our decision to host our first entry into the Handball World Cup is a display of our confidence in our abilities. Litala '93 have been highly successful domestically, but that doesn't mean the standard of the other teams is poor, it's just because they are very good."

Many feel that this move is a cynical attempt to elevate the position of the Mytanar domestic league globally without having the hard evidence necessary to actually back-up the claim that the standard of competition is 'world class', whilst others feel that it is entirely motivated by money. For years in Mytanija, the minor team sports leagues (handball, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball) have been trying to find ways to catch-up with football economically.

It is a near impossible challenge given the hegemonic position football occupies within society, with the football sections of sports clubs (and football clubs in their own right, not all are a part of wider sporting associations) being almost national institutions. Young kids can be found in the infamous inner city cages of every Mytanar city kicking a ball about every day and the other team sports are generally indoors and cost more for people to participate due to the costs of hiring or renting the facilities or their maintenance in the case of ice hockey in particular (basketball doesn't particularly have these issues but the historic mismanagement of the sport by the MKA has left it lagging behind the others across the board).

Handball is an enormously popular sport in terms of both participation and viewership on television. Plus, with both men and women playing the sport it is pretty much the only sport that is mixed at professional level in Mytanija. However, the RSM hasn't really used this to their advantage when marketing the sport and signing commercial deals. They have repeatedly fought against what they consider to be over-commercialisation of the sport - which is commendable in some ways - because they feel it is hugely grassroots with clubs only using players that are local to them and many not changing allegiance at all in their career and the fact that even clubs that have a lot of money and famed football sections still retain a community ethos. This has potentially harmed the sport in the long term though, with Litala '93 winning 19 of 26 league titles thus far and other teams finding it difficult to break their dominance. Their quality is visible in the Mytanar national team, with 6 of the 14 being Litala players domestically.

Whether the change is cynical or well intentioned, nobody can deny that Mytanar handball does need a bit of a rehaul when it comes to the domestic league. Litala '93's titles and success is well deserved but the lack of competition at the top-level is not a good thing for the sport. The introduction of some foreign stars to teams could help allay this issue. It remains to be seen how the Savojar press or handball federation will respond to Luketic's announcement.

OOC: A little bit of well-intentioned handball fun!

[Mytanija]

Little bit of a delay - work kept me longer than expected - but this is your MD2 cut-off.

Group 1A
Qingland 24–27 Sankt Konrad
Banija 30–24 Mytanija

  Group 1A                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Banija                       2   2  0  0   66  47 +19    6  Q
2 Mytanija                     2   1  0  1   53  54  −1    3
3 Sankt Konrad                 2   1  0  1   51  53  −2    3
4 Qingland                     2   0  0  2   47  63 −16    0  E

Group 1B
Surikatia 23–26 New Ecopia
Juvencus 31–24 Equestrian States

  Group 1B                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Juvencus                     2   2  0  0   54  46  +8    6  Q
2 New Ecopia                   2   2  0  0   57  50  +7    6  Q
3 Surikatia                    2   0  0  2   45  49  −4    0  E
4 Equestrian States            2   0  0  2   51  62 −11    0  E

Group 1C
Ilkra 27–27 Myrkvifiord
Savojarna 28–21 Lisander

  Group 1C                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Savojarna                    2   2  0  0   59  44 +15    6  Q
2 Lisander                     2   1  0  1   52  56  −4    3
3 Myrkvifiord                  2   0  1  1   55  58  −3    1
4 Ilkra                        2   0  1  1   50  58  −8    1

Group 1D
Pambudia 23–27 South Toronto
Northwest Kalactin 22–24 Royal Kingdom of Quebec

  Group 1D                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 South Toronto                2   2  0  0   52  43  +9    6  Q
2 Royal Kingdom of Quebec      2   1  0  1   44  47  −3    3
3 Northwest Kalactin           2   1  0  1   54  46  +8    3
4 Pambudia                     2   0  0  2   45  59 −14    0  E

Group 1E
Munnius 24–34 Lochario
Abanhfleft 24–27 Qasden

  Group 1E                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Lochario                     2   2  0  0   63  48 +15    6  Q
2 Qasden                       2   1  0  1   51  53  −2    3
3 Munnius                      2   1  0  1   53  61  −8    3
4 Abanhfleft                   2   0  0  2   51  56  −5    0  E

Group 1F
Kowani 25–27 Libonesia
Saltstead 29–26 Aureumterra

  Group 1F                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Saltstead                    2   1  0  1   54  52  +2    3
2 Aureumterra                  2   1  0  1   57  56  +1    3
3 Kowani                       2   1  0  1   51  52  −1    3
4 Libonesia                    2   1  0  1   54  56  −2    3

Group 1G
Antolania 23–25 Third Asopia
Filindostan 29–28 Alpine Union

  Group 1G                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Filindostan                  2   2  0  0   60  54  +6    6  Q
2 Alpine Union                 2   1  0  1   57  53  +4    3
3 Third Asopia                 2   1  0  1   49  52  −3    3
4 Antolania                    2   0  0  2   49  56  −7    0  E

Group 1H
Tanco Villum 31–28 Monsa
Free Republics 31–30 Newmanistan

  Group 1H                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Tanco Villum                 2   2  0  0   55  51  +4    6  Q
2 Monsa                        2   1  0  1   60  54  +6    3
3 Free Republics               2   1  0  1   54  54   0    3
4 Newmanistan                  2   0  0  2   53  63 −10    0  E

[Tanco Villum]

Handball Team Off to Roaring Start at World Cup

by Killian Desjardins

After a surprise victory over the Free Republics in the first match of group play, the Tanco Villumian national team continued its impressive performance at the 21st Handball World Cup with a 31-28 victory over Monsa. Monsa got off to a fast start, scoring 9 goals in the first fifteen minutes of the match and 16 total in the first period, 5 of which were attributed to Monsa's pivot, Thomas Runar, who has had an impressive tournament so far with a total of 17 goals in the tournament after scoring 9 in the match against Newmanistan and 8 against Tanco Villum. Tanco Villumian keeper Gus Winters did not start the game after being injured in the second half of the game against the Free Republics but was brought in after backup Trevor Olsen struggled in the first fifteen minutes. Despite the early burst by the Monsans, Tanco Villum was able to settle down and got two amazing goals from winger Jordan Sampson to give the Monsans just a 16-14 lead after the first half of the game.

In contrast to the first period, Tanco Villum was the team that started fast, scoring 5 quick goals to take a 19-16 lead. Some of this could be attributed to a minor injury sustained by Monsan center-back Stephine Spiel, who was forced off by an ankle injury early in the second period but returned to the game later, though he was clearly less than 100%. The game remained close throughout the period, with Tanco Villum leading 26-23 with ten minutes left. Reserve winger Deandre Burton was once again impressive late for the Tanco Villumian squad, scoring 4 goals in the final ten minutes to hold off the comeback bid from the Monsans.

With the win, Tanco Villum has guaranteed a spot in the second group stage, and head coach Carson Kimberly suggested that the team would mix it up a little in their third match against Newmanistan. "Deandre [Burton] has been really strong so far, so it's likely that he'll get the start at right wing and Trevor [Olsen] will probably start in goal again. I've been really impressed with our team so far, and I'd like to get some of the younger backups some experience so they can step up later in the tournament", Kimberly said.

Tanco Villum faces Newmanistan, a team that has struggled and lost their first two games, next. Monsa faces the Free Republics, the winner of that match will join Tanco Villum in advancing to the second group stage.

[Monsa]

Handball Team Slowed

by Julian Andrews

After a great opening start against Newmanistan, the Monsan national team los a match a game against Tanco Villum,31-28 . With the win Tanco Villim secured a spot in the second group stage. Monsa started off hot scoring 9 goals in the first fifteen minutes and 16 total in the first period, 5 of which were attributed to Monsa's rising star pivot, Thomas Runar. Runar who has had an great tournament so far with a total of 17 goals in the tournament after scoring 9 in the previous match against Newmanistan and 8 today against Tanco Villum. After struggling against the Monsan offense Tanco keeper Gus Olsen was pulled off in favor of Gus Winters who didn't start due to injury . Despite the early run by the Monsans, Tanco Villum was able to come back after two amazing goals from the winger Jordan Sampson to give the Twin Peaks just a 16-14 lead after the first half.

Tanco Villum came out of the gates fast, scoring 5 quick goals to take a 3 point lead. Some of this could be attributed to a minor injury sustained by Monsan CB Stephine Spiel, who was forced off by an ankle injury early in the second period but later returned to the game, though spiel was clearly less than 100%. The game remained close throughout the period, with Tanco Villum edging out a 26-23 lead with ten minutes left. Reserve winger Deandre Burton was once again looking good scoring 4 late goals in the final ten minutes to hold off the comeback from the Monsans.

Tanco Villum head coach Carson Kimberly suggested that the team would mix it up a little in their third match against Newmanistan. "Deandre [Burton] has been really strong so far, so it's likely that he'll get the start at right wing and Trevor [Olsen] will probably start in goal again. I've been really impressed with our team so far, and I'd like to get some of the younger backups some experience so they can step up later in the tournament", Kimberly said.

Monsan head coach Joshua Jacobs said he belived in his team to beat the #10 ranked free republics.

Monsa faces the Free Republics, the winner of that match will join Tanco Villum in advancing to the second group stage. Meanwhile Newmanistan will look to shape up for there match against Tanco VIllum.

[Mytanija]

Cut-off for MD3!

Group 1A
Mytanija 23–20 Qingland
Sankt Konrad 20–30 Banija

  Group 1A                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Banija                       3   3  0  0   96  67 +29    9  Q
2 Mytanija                     3   2  0  1   76  74  +2    6  Q
3 Sankt Konrad                 3   1  0  2   71  83 −12    3  E
4 Qingland                     3   0  0  3   67  86 −19    0  E

Group 1B
Equestrian States 29–27 Surikatia
New Ecopia 27–22 Juvencus

  Group 1B                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 New Ecopia                   3   3  0  0   84  72 +12    9  Q
2 Juvencus                     3   2  0  1   76  73  +3    6  Q
3 Equestrian States            3   1  0  2   80  89  −9    3  E
4 Surikatia                    3   0  0  3   72  78  −6    0  E

Group 1C
Lisander 24–25 Ilkra
Myrkvifiord 26–24 Savojarna

  Group 1C                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Savojarna                    3   2  0  1   83  70 +13    6  Q
2 Myrkvifiord                  3   1  1  1   81  82  −1    4  Q
3 Ilkra                        3   1  1  1   75  82  −7    4  E
4 Lisander                     3   1  0  2   76  81  −5    3  E

Myrkvifiord ahead of Ilkra on goal difference

Group 1D
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 23–22 Pambudia
South Toronto 22–22 Northwest Kalactin

  Group 1D                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 South Toronto                3   2  1  0   74  65  +9    7  Q
2 Royal Kingdom of Quebec      3   2  0  1   67  69  −2    6  Q
3 Northwest Kalactin           3   1  1  1   76  68  +8    4  E
4 Pambudia                     3   0  0  3   67  82 −15    0  E

Group 1E
Qasden 28–24 Munnius
Lochario 28–29 Abanhfleft

  Group 1E                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Lochario                     3   2  0  1   91  77 +14    6  Q
2 Qasden                       3   2  0  1   79  77  +2    6  Q
3 Munnius                      3   1  0  2   77  89 −12    3  E
4 Abanhfleft                   3   1  0  2   80  84  −4    3  E

Lochario ahead of Qasden due to head-to-head result

Group 1F
Aureumterra 27–23 Kowani
Libonesia 23–27 Saltstead

  Group 1F                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Saltstead                    3   2  0  1   81  75  +6    6  Q
2 Aureumterra                  3   2  0  1   84  79  +5    6  Q
3 Libonesia                    3   1  0  2   77  83  −6    3  E
4 Kowani                       3   1  0  2   74  79  −5    3  E

Saltstead ahead of Aureumterra due to head-to-head result

Group 1G
Alpine Union 23–20 Antolania
Third Asopia 32–33 Filindostan

  Group 1G                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Filindostan                  3   3  0  0   93  86  +7    9  Q
2 Alpine Union                 3   2  0  1   80  73  +7    6  Q
3 Third Asopia                 3   1  0  2   81  85  −4    3  E
4 Antolania                    3   0  0  3   69  79 −10    0  E


Group 1H
Newmanistan 24–27 Tanco Villum
Monsa 32–24 Free Republics

                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Tanco Villum                 3   3  0  0   82  75  +7    9  Q
2 Monsa                        3   2  0  1   92  78 +14    6  Q
3 Free Republics               3   1  0  2   78  86  −8    3  E
4 Newmanistan                  3   0  0  3   77  90 −13    0  E

Seeding for 2nd Group Stage.

#1: Banija (3-0-0, 9 pts, +29)
#2: New Ecopia (3-0-0, 9 pts, +12)
#3: Filindostan (3-0-0, 9 pts, +7, 93 GF)
#4: Tanco Villum (3-0-0, 9 pts, +7, 82 GF)
#5: South Toronto (2-1-0, 7 pts, +9)
#6: Monsa (2-0-1, 6 pts, +14, 92 GF)
#7: Lochario (2-0-1, 6 pts, +14, 91 GF)
#8: Savojarna (2-0-1, 6 pts, +13)
#9: Alpine Union (2-0-1, 6 pts, +7)
#10: Saltstead (2-0-1, 6 pts, +6)
#11: Aureumterra (2-0-1, 6 pts, +5)
#12: Juvencus (2-0-1, 6 pts, +3)
#13: Qasden (2-0-1, 6 pts, +2, 79 GF)
#14: Mytanija (2-0-1, 6 pts, +2, 76 GF)
#15: Royal Kingdom of Quebec (2-0-1, 6 pts, -2)
#16: Myrkvifiord (1-1-1, 4 pts, -1)

Pots.
Pot 1: Banija, New Ecopia, Filindostan, Tanco Villum
Pot 2: South Toronto, Monsa, Lochario, Savojarna
Pot 3: Alpine Union, Saltstead, Aureumterra, Juvencus
Pot 4: Qasden, Mytanija, Royal Kingdom of Quebec, Myrkvifiord

2nd Group Stage.

Group 2A (all games at NacZat Arena, Esca)
Tanco Villum
South Toronto
Saltstead
Myrkvifiord

Group 2B (all games at Atletik Arena, Thessia)
Banija
Savojarna
Aureumterra
Qasden

Group 2C (all games at Dinamo Arena, Esca)
Filindostan
Lochario
Juvencus
Royal Kingdom of Quebec

Group 2D (all games at Wyan Arena, Esca)
New Ecopia
Monsa
Alpine Union
Mytanija

Tomorrow is a rest day, after that the schedule is as follows:
1st December: 2nd Group Stage MD1 - 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3
2nd December: 2nd Group Stage MD2 - 4 vs 3, 1 vs 2
3rd December: 2nd Group Stage MD3 - 2 vs 4, 3 vs 1