Independents Cup 6 - Everything Thread

[Squornshelan Remnant States]

Donnell Devises Defensive Discipline in Debut

Squornshelan Remnant States  1 - 0  Abristan
Vladcik 63' (Jzvanic)

La Globa, Zoloroni, MRC (cap. 9000)

SRS: Munib; Dzarkin, Raktsov, Oleb, Ulcviecel (Delu 54'); Djanetic, Damot, Zonde; Vladcik, Jzvanic, Mikhulat (Strepol 84')

Bethany Donnell's competitive debut as manager of the Confederate national team was a successful, if unspectacular one. Her team faced off against 213th-ranked Abristan, who played respectably during qualifying for World Cup 80, earning a point per game, but did not participate in the most recent qualifying campaign, and clearly had some rust to shake off. In front of a capacity crowd of 9000 at the rather intimate setting of La Globa in Zoloroni, the Black-and-Reds looked largely in control for most of the match, despite what the close score would suggest. When asked after the match about her team's performance she seemed satisfied overall, noting the importance of getting three points from the first match of a group stage. "It was vital that we came away with full points this match, so we're definitely pleased with that result," she explained, "but I think we should do a bit more with the ball when we have these type of possession numbers." She also indicated she was pleased with team defense and workrate, crediting her predecessor with making her job easier along those lines. "I really owe Lopal a big "thank you" for creating such a culture of defensive responsibility here. Management transitions can be very jarring for a team when there's a big shift in philosophy, but it's really been quite seamless here, so I feel very lucky in that regard."

The Good:
Jzeovak Vladcik has taken no time at all to adjust to his new position, sliding forward from left midfield to left forward. He scored the lone goal of the match with a first touch shot after Demkjo Jzvanic's flick found him perfectly on a diagonal run into the box. "It's not so different from what I'm doing before," he said post-match. "Last year I'm dropping a little further back, I'm staying a bit wider, but still, no one ahead of me, just Demkjo or Zoban inside, like I said, not so different now." The young Lublova product continues to add to his impressive resume, and is no doubt drawing covetous eyes his way from clubs around the world.

The Bad:
The Black-and-Reds were downright wasteful of ample possession and scoring chances, dragging out what should have been a much more comfortable win and leaving the door open for Abristan to steal a point in the waning minutes. They might have gotten away with it against the 213th ranked teams in the world, and they might get away with it if they can't be more incisive in matchday two against unranked Paschenstein, but not going forward from there. Both chances and possession will be harder to come by against better teams, so making each attack count is vitally important for a team hoping for an upset or two.

The Ugly:
Jinkzta Ulcviecel left the match in the 54th minute after being taken down awkwardly while attempting a dribble down the flank. There didn't appear to be any intent from the Abristani midfielder, but Ulcviecel was clearly in considerable discomfort, and appeared to be favoring his left ankle on his way off. Though he was unable to return, fans of the Black-and-Reds, as well as of Jinja City can take encouragement from the fact that he left the field under his own power. Donnell declined to comment on his condition in any detail, but said that it would be a gametime decision between him and Janar Delu who filled in capably for the remainder of the second half today.

[Drawkland]

KICK CORPS IN TURMOIL!
Written By: Fox Lewis and Duchess Lewis

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Okay, honestly, what is actually happening?

I'll be honest, the failure to qualify to World Cup 82 was both completely expected and completely unexpected. I mean, the other shoe had to drop eventually, right? Right?? I just don't think anybody really expected it to happen when we had our best qualifying cycle. Like, we just needed a little bit of luck ... just a bit ... I had thought that Margaret's punishment of us in two straight IACs would be enough. Still not sure what stage of grief I'm in right now.

On to the present problem at hand, however. The sixth IAC is now upon us, and boy, it's already going badly. Let's just cut the lights and put the powerpoint of failure on now.

STARRE FIRED

I don't think anybody thought this day would really come. Michael Starre, longtime manager of the Kick Corps, was recently fired from his position by DISC (Drawkian International Sporting Council). And when we say recently fired, we mean, like, literally two weeks before this tournament. When I think of Drawkian authority, I generally don't think incompetent, but this was just a boneheaded move. According to some organizational rumors I overheard while conducting some interviews at DISC, they had been toying with the idea ever since that fateful second leg against Saltstead. I guess it was a really tough decision since it took half a cycle to figure out.

I really understand why it was a big dilemma too. Just look at Starre's record with the team - 76-29-35. A guy that won twice as often as he lost, which I imagine is a good ratio for a team that's still relatively new to the international stage, is nobody to scoff at. 4/5 qualifying, including a starting streak of 4 straight, a Baptism of Fire 3rd place finish, two regional cup final appearances. But while the losses may be numerically relatively few, the weight of those losses were likely the determining factor in the loss of his job. Sure you won plenty of games, but you also play plenty of cake teams. Who cares if you beat a dozen West Armpitistan squads if you'll lose any matchup to a really challenging team? Two straight IAC final appearances are cool, but two straight IAC final losses by a margin of 3-1 are not. A Baptism of Fire podium is finish is cool, but not if you're not atop the podium. 4 qualifications are nice, but not when you choke away your easiest path to qualification and never progress from the group stage anyway (even when you have home field advantage).

We all deserve to give Michael Starre a hearty and sincere thank you for how he built the Kick Corps program from the ground up and made a name for us on the international stage. I wish him all the best with the rest of his career at the Metropolon Lights and wherever else he goes, and you should too. He may have not been the best manager possible but he did what he needed to do, for the most part. There's no need to smear his name. What we all need to do now is look forward and hope we can achieve even greater things in the future.

HAYWOOD HIRED

DISC, after firing Starre, immediately Carol Haywood. Haywood is famous for being the manager of the Raikennax Charge. If you're not aware, the Charge are one of the hottest teams in the DLK right now. They have a good roster of talent, true, but not the best in the league by any means. Haywood has been a huge part of their success, and why they've been winning titles and wrecking playoffs for several consecutive seasons. Haywood is sorta the no-brainer choice to take up the Kick Corps reins. Really, ever since we lost that first IAC championship, dissenting fans have been grumbling her name.

As far as tactics are concerned, Haywood looks to be a decent fit. She is also a high-powered offensive mind. In the one press release she had after the hire, she stated she had studied film and watched "pretty much every" Kick Corps match since we first hit the international scene. She knows the Corps' identity, and while Starre was known to be a more go-for-broke offensive style, Haywood is also known for her defensive tactics and skill in managing. You don't go and rattle off dozen-game winning streaks by ignoring the defense, but anybody who watches their team play the Charge know their goalkeeper is still gonna be in for a long night. 4-1, 3-1, 3-0 scorelines are a standard for the Charge's scoreboard. The DLK season may be pretty long compared to other leagues, but their annual goal is to have over a +100 goal differential by season's end and they've hit it almost every season for the past decade.

So the hire may be right, but the timing sure as hell isn't. Who in their right mind hires a manager less than a month before the next tournament is about to start? Honestly, this is really set up to be a total disaster. I don't care if you hire Nostradamus as your manager, there's no way he'd be prepared in time. The gameplan is likely to be really rudimentary and the chemistry (which Starre spent years perfecting in the squad) is going to be off, no matter what. If Haywood manages to pull off another final run (I'm not gonna say a win, just a run), I'll honestly be really, really shocked. The DISC management will also be at fault. Wait until you hear this.

PERMITS EXPIRED

In addition to the horrendous handling of the management change, DISC also managed to totally fuck up the team's transportation situation. With the newest edition of the IAC being held in Mercedini (curses upon their names), a familiar atmosphere, the higher-ups elected to have the team show up only one week before the first matchday, rather than the two weeks they normally take. There was a huge fork in the works, however. According to Council sources, the transportation permits for the Kick Corps' team plane had actually expired 2 months prior. Nobody in the administration noticed this fact until the day they were meant to take off for Zoloroni. So just get those updated and posted ASAP, and just show up a few days late, right? Our first matchday is cake anyway.

This is when matters went from bad to worse. The office handling permits was closed on weekends, so they had to wait two days before the plane could be re-inspected and the permit re-upped. Did they look at getting a temporary rental plane or flying commercial? Of course they didn't. And, like the idiots they are, nobody in DISC notified the tournament officials or hotel personnel in Mercedini.

"I mean, the biggest name in the tournament, right? Of course they'll find out about this, no problem."

I'm sure that's what went through the mind of the dumbass intern who was supposed to send out the memos. Anyway, because the Corps didn't show up on the correct date and missed their reservation, the hotel they were meant to stay in Southeast Zoloroni actually let their reservation lapse and the rooms were sold to fans with late reservations. So the Corps finally got their plane back, got over to Mercedini, drive up to the hotel ... and discover they have no rooms. In fact, every single hotel in Zoloroni was heavily booked, so they had to search for miles until they found a town an hour away that had an opening of enough rooms to house the entire team and staff.

You thought this was bad, but it gets even worse. The morning of the first matchday, where Drawkland was scheduled to play Competitive Solitaire, the team got on their bus to travel down to the highway to Zoloroni ... only to find traffic was backed all the way up to the interchange. Two chemical trucks had collided further up on the highway, completely blocking traffic. And due to the nature of the material that was spilled in the crash, it was no simple traffic reroute and fix. Cleaning crews had to be dispatched, and they took hours to clean up the material, move the trucks, and get the traffic back moving again. Until then, the team bus was literally motionless on the asphalt for several hours, and that wasn't counting the 2 hour trip it would take to get to the stadium thanks to normal matchday traffic.

FANS INSPIRED

While all this was going down, news broke to fans who were already at the stadium. It was looking like the team may be too late to the match that they'd be forced to forfeit and lose the match. Of course, this is not the ideal way to start out a tournament, especially when you're desperately needing to prove to the world that you're still a legitimate side to be reckoned with. A large group of hardcore Drawkian fans had gathered in the concourse of Blue Strike Arena and were close to rioting when someone came up with a solution. A reporter on the scene recorded what went down.

"Hey. HEY. Hey everybody! Hi, my name is Jerry and, uh, I just had an idea. There was this movie I watched as a kid where, like, a football team got stuck at the airport due to weather, and they were gonna forfeit the game, but then a bunch of fans banded together and decided to play the match for them! I think they lost in the movie, but like, I think we should give it a shot! It's all we've got man! What do y'all think?!"

Some of the crowd grumbled, some were nodding, and there seemed to be agreement that they could totally give it a shot. They found the most athletic of the bunch, used their fan-purchased uniform replicas, and reported to the match officials near the locker rooms. It took some finagling, an ad-lib roster scribbled on a concession stand napkin, but this ragtag fan squad made it onto the pitch, and were set to face off to start the IAC.

You'd think a group of scrubs who pay money to watch people play sport would be wrecked by professional athletes ... but they weren't. They were, of course, playing Competitive Solitaire ... a nation full of people who play competitive solitaire. You think they have a huge well of soccer talent laying around? So the fan squad's tactic was simple. Don't lose the game. They rarely mounted an offensive move, but when they did, they failed miserably enough, mostly from off-target shots. But they were defensive stalwarts, stacking the box and keeping the Competitive Solitaireans from getting a sniff of the net. By the time the team arrived, in the 80th minute, the match was nearly wrapped up, and so the players cheered on the fans to keep the first match of the IAC a scoreless draw.

Now, hopefully this doesn't happen again, but we're still in this tournament, and more importantly, we still have unfinished business and some time to get ourselves together and breathe. I know not what the future brings ... but I do know who I'll be betting on. On Corps, everyone.

[Aaaaaa]

Tuesday, January 29th, 2019
PILA PEDALIS GN'YVASO SUES AAAAAA FOOTBALL ASSO. FOR DEFAMATION FOLLOWING DEBUT

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Written By Raele Yaro

Aaaaaa's first outerregional football match in history was a humble tie, but what shook the nation even more was Aaaaaa's second biggest team, Pila Pedalis Gn'Yvaso, suing the Pila Pedalis Aaaaaa-Hojfæld Conecgreatiase (PPAHC), Aaaaaa's national football association, for defamation up to two million dollars shortly after the game. The national kits of the squad, said to be modeled after the kits of Aaaaaa's two biggest teams (the other being MOELLE), are coloured in Aaaaaa's terrible, despised modern flag and the much more popular medieval flag. The away kit, modeled after Gn'Yvaso's team, is in the modern flag's colours of neon green and white, which Gn'Yvaso has claimed was deliberately done to embarrass the team to lose money, and inevitably fold so that the PPAHC can save on funds.

Pila Pedalis Gn'Yvaso has recently released a statement on the matter:
"Time and time again the PPAHC has consistently undermined and killed interest and funding for Pila Pedalis Gn'Yvaso, despite the notability and talent the organization has produced, perhaps even more than MOELLE, over the past sixty years. The coloring of the PP Gn'Yvaso inspired away kit of the National Aaaaaan Football Team is a blatant and disgusting attempt to mar the reputation of the team and bank on the idea that it will cause the team to dissolve."

The Pila Pedalis Aaaaaa-Hojfæld Conecgreatiase has not yet released a statement on the matter.

Saros Skalt shortly before scoring Aaaaaa's
only goal in todays draw against Blaneu.
Note the colouring of the kit.

Yaahor Lreflored playing for Pila Pedalis
Gn'Yvaso last year. See the similarities?

[Kriegiersien]

New nation emerged?

With Kriegersien a new nation has entered the world stage of soccer. This opens the question if they will be allowed to play the Baptism of Fire. But we think, that the whole thing is a scam.

"Ok, they look new, but have you watched their flag? Looks kinda the same as the Kriegiersien, just with a football on it. And the name is the same, beside an i missing. And I bet the beards of these 'Amateur players' are all fake", says a whistle blower of Hoofballleaks.
As Kriegiersien has participated in a Baptism of Fire and lost in the group stage a long time ago, it is unknown if they are thus trying to get back into the competition.

Another shady incident are the losses of the team, sometimes very high, without much media coverage against obscure teams.


Since the team has lost against New Lusitania and the Algarves, their ambitions to come far in this tournament (if even existing) may end soon anyway.

[Hot Skitty on Wailord Action]

Lilycove Soccer — Your source for everything soccer across HSOWA

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IAC⁶: Team HSOWA outclassed in competitive return against incorrigible Omerica

At the bridge between dimensions, when the star of the World Cup sets upon the planets, ye find one place: the Independent Associations Championship. And in from the aether came Hot Skitty on Wailord Action, whose national selection was revived by popular demand after a brief, failed experiment nearly two decades ago.

After the draw for the tournament was conducted, it was revealed that Team HSOWA would begin its comeback campaign against Omerica: another team who made their comeback in this competition. Around the time of Hot Skitty on Wailord Action Soccer’s failed World Cup experiment, Omerica briefly flirted with the prospect of establishing themselves as World Cup competitors, but were cut short by a burgeoning corruption scandal that would bring down their national soccer association, the Omerican Football Federation.

Omerica 1–0 HSOWA: Squads

(5–4–1) Hot Skitty on Wailord Action
Itsuki (GK)
Kyō (DF)
Siba (DF)
[c] Wataru (DF)
Kanna (DF)
45’ ▼ Kikuko (DF)
29’ ▼ Hayato (MF)
Katsura (MF)
77’ ▼ Tsukushi (MF)
Mikan (MF)
Karin (FW)
Substitutes
29’ ▲ Akane (MF)
45’ ▲ Matsuba (DF)
77’ ▲ Erika (MF)

Omerica (4–2–3–1 ▶ 3–2–3–2)
(GK) Frédérique Acardi
(DF) Julie Boulos
(DF) Aristide de Felice ▼ 29’
(DF) Jesús Cruz ▼ 45’
(DF) Fernand Michelakakis
(DM) John Soares
(DM) Elise Bianchi ⚽ 67’
(MF) Clemente Affini ▼ 45’
(AM) Red Bolton [c]
(MF) Maria Nelissen
(FW) Morgan Barzetti
Substitutes
(DF) Charity Kayode ▲ 29’
(MF) George Palmeiro ▲ 45’
(FW) Lucky Ashworth ▲ 45’

The last of the first round of group stage games, Omerica vs HSOWA was billed as a fight between the two most tactically conservative teams in the group and a near shoo-in for the so-called “Incorrigibles”. With the local press concerned about Kavagrad potentially running up the score against Team HSOWA in the final round of group matches, the Incorrigibles came into the match determined to run up the score harder themselves.

“There is a certain tactical nervousness in the opposition camp that could very well result in an on-field incontinence,” Team HSOWA coach Nejiki stated in his pre-match press conference. “The pressure that is being placed on the Omerican team to advance and the lack of expectation for us may work in our favor in terms of match performance, since we will be relieved of any perceived duty and freer to play our own game.”

Omerica head coach Anne-Sophie Groothuis poo-pooed the suggestion, though: “We aren’t concerned too much about the match. We’re treating Hot Skitty on Wailord Action the same as we would any opponent: as a serious contender. We are going 100% here.”

The first half would fail to reflect the true performances of the two sides: Itsuki would be called on three times to rescue Team HSOWA from disaster, receiving a reprieve for his one failure thanks to an offside called against Clemente Affini. With the left flank looking weak thanks to a middling performance by Affini and a slow start by Julie Boulos, Kyō and Hayato looked to pounce, but nearly cost the team a player when the latter took defender Aristide de Felice down to the ground with a brutal tackle. Lucky to escape without a card thanks to the machinations of soccer refereeing, Hayato was soon after taken off in favor of Akane, while de Felice, showing signs of a concussion, was swapped out for Charity Kayode. The rest of the first half continued uneventfully, save for a corner that went nowhere for Omerica.

Team HSOWA looked the poorer side, but was spared the embarrassment of losing their first match thus far, a status quo that would remain for 22 minutes in the second half. With Nejiki swapping in Matsuba for a visibly tired Kikuko and Groothuis using her side’s two remaining substitutions to replace Affini with George Palmeiro and put on an extra attacker in the form of Lucky Ashworth, it was clear that Team HSOWA was the more comfortable side and Omerica was looking to capture a lead their fans were getting disgruntled about not already having.

After a brief HSOWAn game of keepaway ended in the 60th minute via Tsukushi’s failed pass to Mikan, John Soares began pushing forward, passing off to Palmeiro, who then moved the ball forward to Omerican talisman Morgan Barzetti. Her shot was to be deflected by Itsuki and the rebound brought under control by Red Bolton. With some back-and-forth between Bolton, Barzetti and Ashworth, the two defensive midfielders came forward to assist in swarming the Hot Skitty back line. Elise Bianchi received the ball in the 67th minute, running around Kyō to get her chance at glory, which promptly ended in success.

With the lead achieved, Omerica continued to press for a second goal, but was held back by the defensive efforts of Team HSOWA, who substituted Erika in for Tsukushi in the 77th minute. Omerica would get three more credible chances during the match: Ashworth’s attempt went centimeters wide of the post, Bolton’s shot flew straight into the arms of Itsuki and Barzetti saw her effort deflected out wide for a corner that fizzled into nothing. Omerica may have played the better soccer game and got the win it had been looking for, the faces of the team after the whistle—looks of frustration and disappointment—were contrasted with the content looks from the Team HSOWA

Reflecting on the match, both sides would express disappointment: Team HSOWA that it lost, Omerica that it didn’t win by more. Nonetheless, both sides complimented each other’s efforts and looked toward the future.

“There are things we need to work on,” the Omerican coach said after the match, “but you expect a very defensively-oriented side like Hot Skitty on Wailord Action to play a physical game and it was effective in keeping the margin close. But Kavagrad will be coming off their brutal loss to the Free Republics and we’ll have the wind in our sails, so I’m cautiously optimistic.”

“This was by no means our best match,” Nejiki commented. “Omerica are not a terrible side, but they aren’t the best either. It hurts to lose, but we expected worse, so we’ll take the positive. We are not at the bottom of the standings.”

Free Republics vs HSOWA: Predicted starting squads

(5–4–1) Hot Skitty on Wailord Action
Itsuki (GK)
Anzu (DF)
Siba (DF)
[c] Wataru (DF)
Kanna (DF)
Kikuko (DF)
Akane (MF)
Katsura (MF)
Erika (MF)
Mikan (MF)
Karin (FW)

Free Republics (4–2–3–1 ▶ 3–2–3–2)
(GK) Taras Sergeyev
(DF) Ralf Schroder
(DF) Zak Josef
(DF) Vaclav Urbanek
(DM) Maxim Izmailov
(MF) Usman Eldarkhanov
(MF) Lecha Arsanukayev
(AM) Johnny Smith
(FW) Porbergur Lydsson
(FW) Love Holm
(FW) Kalervo Peltola

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Today’s Words of Wisdom:
Twenty-two enter.
Eleven leave with spoils.
And I’m not talking about field hockey.

Wait… were you expecting a haiku? Shit…

[Kavagrad]

The Kavagrad Sportsman
Kavagrad's Most Trusted Daily Sports Leaflet Since 1961



Diaby impresses in International Debut, despite 3-1 loss

The Kavagrad national side have now lost to Free Republics twice in a row. In the Independents Cup 5, Kavagrad would be drawn in the same group as Free Republics, and were cost a spot in the knockout stages after a 6-4 loss to them. Last night, in the opening game of the Independents Cup 6, the Redhearts would go down by the same margin once again, this time in a 3-1 loss.

The game would start out hot for Kavagrad, pressing the Republic's defence hard, with Louis-Henri Bonne hitting the woodwork on 3 occasions in the first 20 minutes, while goalkeeper Taras Sergeyev was forced to make a fingertip save when a free kick attempt from the debuting Moses Maxwell Diaby was otherwise set to curl into the top corner from 26 yards in the 16th minute. When the goal finally came, it would be even more spectacular. In the 25th minute, a corner from Kenneth Gordon-Cameron was punched clear by Sergeyev, sending the ball to Diaby, hovering outside of the box. Diaby hit the ball first time on the volley, catching it perfectly on the laces and sending it over the keeper's head and in off the crossbar. The Republican team, rather than being stunned by the goal, pulled one back immediately after kickoff, after a fantastic team play allowed Love Holm to slip a ball past the defensive line and into the path of Kalervo Peltola, who placed it past Edouard Calvin to level the game at 1-1. The Redhearts would attempt to hold on for the remainder of the first half, but a poor tackle from Kavagrader defender Eric Valenti on Love Holm would see the referee grant the Republicans a penalty, and send the protesting Valenti for an early bath with a red card. After Holm limped off of the pitch with an ankle injury to be replaced by Steven Bosters, Peltola would step up, sent Calvin the wrong way and score Free Republics' second of the night. The referee would immediately blow the whistle for half-time.

According to sources inside the Kavagrad camp, Ian Wissa's half-time team talk was somewhat of a shambles, as the Groddian manager, speaking English as a first language rather than Kavan-English, would accidentally tell the Redhearts to copulate with the opposition. After a clarification from captain Axel Anderson cleared things up, the team were, though a bit confused, set to go out for the second half and bring the fight to Free Republics. However, despite their best efforts they would continue to go unrewarded, and found themselves on the back foot several times in the second half, with multiple acrobatic saves from Calvin being the only thing between Kalervo Peltola and his hat-trick. Wissa's 70th-minute decision to substitute Moses Maxwell Diaby for a new right-back in Miles Keelie angered the fans even more, and would signal an end to Kavagrad's ability to launch a threatening attack. Any hope of a comeback was shattered late on, as a over-commitment to attack from the full-back allowed a long ball to reach Peltola and, now 3-on-2 with the Kavagrad defence, played it to Porbergur Lydsson who would chip Calvin to land the death blow, in the 87th minute.

Wissa would face the press after the game, expressing disappointment in Eric Valenti, who he said had let down both the manager and his own teammates. Wissa would also express regret for his decision to bring off Diaby, though seemed to imply that substituting anybody else would have caused trouble with the rest of the team. He praised Calvin for his many saves despite the 3 goals conceded, saying that with the pressure the team was under "no other keeper could've kept them at bay". Finally, he said that the team was ready to put their all into the Omerica game, regardless of the fact that the team would miss Valenti, and that it was a "must-win fixture if we are to advance past this stage". Indeed, with Kavagrad now at a -2 goal difference, and with Omerica having beaten Hot Skitty on Wailord Action, 4 points from the next 2 games may not be enough for the Redhearts to advance, unless Free Republic can smash Omerica on the final day. Will Kavagrad be stuck in the group stages once again? Only time will tell.

[Darkmania]

United Grounds, North Langtree, Mercedini
The end of the match had not been what the darkmanians home in Darkmania expected. Winning. There has become a tradition for the darkmanian national team to not win the opening match and to end their tournament at the GroupPlay Stage. This was something unexpected.

The locker room smelt like trash. It was as 11 human players had played football for three hours after all. Many were to take off their dirty shirts after a long fought match with Adad. The showers were turned on, ready to wash anyone. Locker-room talk filled the void with some on how to win against the next foe, Abanhfleft. "Lets beat the shit out of them. How hard can it be?". "It's gonna hopefully be easy".

The manager comes in.


"You boys truly makes my prediction wrong. I'm proud of you guys."

"Thank you, Mr.Rëspertner"

"Now. Let's focus on the next match. If I'm right, its Abahnfleft if the schedule is correct. And since they look strong, it looks like a strong match. I belive you can win. I trust you"

[Omerica]

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All the football news that's fit to print!

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Managing expectations: definitively ranking Omerica’s managers
By Rokus Sneyders

Described as a tougher job than the federal premiership, the title of Omerica national team manager is one that can daunt even the most hardy fool. Six brave souls have taken up the mantle and the results have been less than optimal: two have gone into retirement, two have left the country and one is dead. Some even fear that for Anne-Sophie Groothuis, her time will not last.

But how do these people stack up in the grand scheme of things?

Jean-Manuel de Rosas
Hometown: Santiago, New Vaucluse
Method of departure: mutual consent
Most memorable for: being kidnapped in Kalumba
Currently: retired in New Vaucluse

Does anyone really remember Jean-Manuel de Rosas? Seriously. That's not a rhetorical question, we are really asking.

For a time, Jean-Baptiste Archambault was not the most mythologised man in Omerican football. Rather, that honour went to his former boss Jean-Manuel de Rosas, who made fame by going missing in Kalumba. Archambault had to take over the rest of the Baptism of Fire campaign and took over the permanent job ahead of the qualifiers.

At least de Rosas didn't botch the job while he was doing it.

All-time ranking: 4th

Jean-Baptiste Archambault (1st term)
Hometown: Romainbourg
Method of departure: termination
Most memorable for: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Currently: [spoiler redacted]

This was the first dork era for Omerica, one that's easily forgiven. Most federations aren't like Drawkland, but usually take time to find their footing. Jean-Baptiste Archambault suffered from "wrong place, wrong time" syndrome.

An argument can be made that he held Omerica back by refusing to respond to evolving tactics and bring in necessary new blood, but his conservatism was the kind of influence Omerica needed and it greatly contrasted with his successor...

All-time ranking: 5th

James-Alexandre Christopherson
Hometown: New Cardiff, Free State
Method of departure: termination
Most memorable for: his potty mouth
Currently: living in self-imposed exile

They say you look for the opposite of the guy you're replacing. James-Alexandre Christopherson was Archambault's opposite in every way: vulgar as opposed to classy, tempestuous as opposed to level-headed. And Christopherson's attitude trickled down to the fan base, helping sculpt Omerica's reputation as a nation of toddlers who'd throw their toys out of the pram at the slightest provocation.

After a mid-qualifying meltdown, Christopherson threw all his toys out of the pram and the Federation had to throw the book at him before things got out of hand. Results didn't show up on the pitch in time, sending Christopherson to the unemployment line and—later—foreign jobs.

But things were about to get worse...

All-time ranking: 7th

Jean-Baptiste Archambault (2nd term)
Hometown: Romainbourg
Method of departure: death
Most memorable for: dying
Currently: dead

Let’s be honest, Archambault is only a legendary figure in Omerica because he had the audacity to die while being manager. A big motivation for the nation in the midst of its only successful qualification campaign, Archambault had really only been brought back because no one in the Federation had any better ideas, despite concerns about his declining health being a constant topic in the tabloids.

But for what it’s worth, his second reign isn’t really worth celebrating. Omerica’s controversial World Cup 73 qualifying campaign, the infamous walk-off in Burningham and the regrettable withdrawal from the subsequent Cup of Harmony all happened under his watch. Archambault is the reason for the alleged Curse of Kilkenny: that Omerica will never make it to another quarterfinal. If Archambault hadn’t died, we wouldn’t be admired at all, but he also wouldn’t have served as the motivator for Omerica’s successful World Cup 74 qualifying campaign and wouldn’t have set up the rise of Ryan Pritchard to the managerial post. And considering all the other crap we have to rank…

All-time ranking: 3rd

Ryan Pritchard (1st term)
Hometown: Bishopswood, Philibiscostal
Method of departure: resignation
Most memorable for: bringing Omerica to the Big Dance as interim manager

Who else could take first? Pritchard could have easily taken the easy route and stuck with what had been handed down to him, but Pritchard saw the interim managership as an audition for the permanent role and stamped his own unique mark on the pitch.

His tactics caused uproar among puritans of Omerican football, but it could not be denied that they worked. Beating out Nephara and Abanhfleft for an automatic qualification would be the breakthrough the nation was waiting for and it was nearly sweetened by advancing out of the group stage.

It wasn't meant to be, though. The OFF scandal broke and Pritchard called it quits in protest.

All-time ranking: 1st

Ryan Pritchard (2nd term)
Hometown: Bishopswood, Philibiscostal
Method of departure: resignation
Most memorable for: his long-gone glory days
Currently: lounging in a pool somewhere

Five years out of practice will make anyone rusty and Pritchard was no exception. Pritchard had to start from scratch and work with a brand new United Republican Soccer Federation, but his floundering start tarnished his image as a miracle worker.

The best things we can really say for his second reign: 1) he had the grave to give up while he was ahead and 2) the team actually exists now. We may not have had the Incorrigibles back if it weren't for him, so we'll go easy.

All-time ranking: 6th

Christine Salmond
Hometown: La Costa, Philibiscostal
Method of departure: termination
Most memorable for: her stench of failure
Currently: [redacted by order of the Metropolitan Sessions Court]

Rumour has it that Salmond has been put in a witness protection program. Some say she’s been whisked away by the Omerican Security Commission. Yet others say she’s a crisis actor brought in to act as a scapegoat. Whatever the truth is, we’re not giving you lot a map to her house, because you’d probably be there in bandanas, ski masks and whatnot lighting the structure on fire as a sacrifice to the goddamn fire god.

The URSF, who had hired Salmond to maintain continuity and avoid a lengthy fight for the position (what a joke), had egg on their face, as Salmond continued the mediocrity that had permeated through the second Pritchard era. Worse yet, the tabloid press had a field day with the constant drip of changing room drama: the hatred players had for her and the threats of key players to leave if she stayed on. After barely finishing above the bottom spot in World Cup 80 qualification, her position became untenable and, confirming suspicion that the URSF had a replacement already in the pipeline in case shit hit the fan, the manager of Club de 28 Mars took Salmond’s place for the Cup of Harmony campaign.

All-time ranking: 8th

Anne-Sophie Groothuis
Hometown: St-Christophe, New East Flanders
Method of departure: not yet
Most memorable for: not having a god-awful attacking line-up
Currently: managing Omerica

The nation had low expectations for Groothuis going in. The national team had been out of date for ages and were living up to their popular “Incorrigibles” nickname. Groothuis, however, defied the odds and challenged Omericans to believe again by taking the national team to the IAC knockouts, leading them to their most successful qualification campaign under the URSF and winning the nation its first international trophy.

Okay, maybe she hasn’t done that yet, but it seems more realistic that it could happen now than it ever has before. Groothuis has given Omerica—the team and the nation—hope. Despite disappointment at back-to-back Cups of Harmony, Omerica put up more credible fights than they had in a while, especially compared to their IAC record under her predecessors. And after leading Omerica to their best qualifying campaign in twelve years and their first ten-win campaign in fourteen, Groothuis firmly has the best points-per-game ratio of any Omerica manager and has been challenging Ryan Pritchard for the best win record. It appears that there’s nowhere for her—and the team—to go but up.

All-time ranking: 2nd ◇

---

Uniting Omerican sport fans across the United Republics — blogdefootball: a proud member of the Gryphon Pride network

[Mercedini]

---

CUTOFF
Group Stage MD2

Group A
Abristan 0–1 Mercedini
@ Zoloroni Sports City Stadium, Zoloroni Sports City
Squornshelan Remnant States 2–0 Paschenstein
@ La Globa, Zoloroni

. Group A                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Mercedini                      2   2  0  0    6   2  +4    6
2 Squornshelan Remnant States    2   2  0  0    3   0  +3    6
3 Abristan                       2   0  0  2    0   2  −2    0
4 Paschenstein                   2   0  0  2    2   7  −5    0

Group B
Blaneu 2–1 Tinhampton
@ Stadi Naturala, Zoloroni Park
Aaaaaa 3–2 Alpine Union
@ MetroStadi, Zoloroni

. Group B                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Aaaaaa                         2   1  1  0    4   3  +1    4
  Blaneu                         2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
3 Alpine Union                   2   1  0  1    5   4  +1    3
4 Tinhampton                     2   0  0  2    2   5  −3    0

Group C
Drawkland 4–0 The Heraion
@ Blue Strike Arena, Zoloroni
Competitive Solitaire 0–0 Sharktail
@ Olimpostadi, Zoloroni

.  Group C                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Drawkland                      2   1  1  0    4   0  +4    4
2 The Heraion                    2   1  0  1    4   6  −2    3
3 Competitive Solitaire          2   0  2  0    0   0   0    2
4 Sharktail                      2   0  1  1    2   4  −2    1

Group D
New Lusitania & the Algarves 4–1 Barunia
@ City of Zoloroni Stadium, Zoloroni
Kriegersien 3–1 Lisander
@ Centre of Excellence: Mercedinian Branch, Zoloroni

. Group D                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 New Lusitania & the Algarves   2   2  0  0    6   2  +4    6
2 Kriegersien                    2   1  0  1    4   3  +1    3
3 Lisander                       2   0  1  1    2   4  −2    1
4 Barunia                        2   0  1  1    2   5  −3    1

Group E
Lochario 3–1 Third Asopia
@ Central Park, Langtree
Baranil 2–1 Devonta
@ Langtree Metropolitan Stadium, Langtree

. Group E                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Lochario                       2   2  0  0    4   1  +3    6
2 Baranil                        2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
3 Devonta                        2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
4 Third Asopia                   2   0  0  2    1   4  −3    0

Group F
Adab 0–2 Sajnur
@ United Grounds, North Langtree Suburbs
Darkmania 2–4 Abanhfleft
@ FLR Stadium, Langtree

. Group F                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                     2   2  0  0    7   2  +5    6
2 Darkmania                      2   1  0  1    4   5  −1    3
  Sajnur                         2   1  0  1    2   3  −1    3
4 Adab                           2   0  0  2    1   4  −3    0

Group G
Juvencus 1–3 Beepee
@ Municipal Park, Langtree Borough of Ignavi
Hystaria 2–6 Space
@ LMU Stadium, Langtree Metropolitan University Campus

. Group G                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Beepee                         2   2  0  0    4   1  +3    6
2 Space                          2   1  0  1    6   3  +3    3
3 Juvencus                       2   0  1  1    2   4  −2    1
4 Hystaria                       2   0  1  1    3   7  −4    1

Group H
Free Republics 1–1 Hot Skitty on Wailord Action
@ Sebangchek Arena, Langtree
Kavagrad 3–0 Omerica
@ South Down Stadium, Langtree

. Group H                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Free Republics                 2   1  1  0    4   2  +2    4
2 Kavagrad                       2   1  0  1    4   3  +1    3
3 Omerica                        2   1  0  1    1   3  −2    3
4 Hot Skitty on Wailord Action   2   0  1  1    1   2  −1    1

[Union of Socialist Alpine Republics]

The Alpine Union wins Independents Cup 6's opening game but loses the next one

Zolorini, Mercedini - (NAP) While we're having a short break in the WCoH 37, the Independents Cup 6 keeps going on. The Alpine Union are in group B with Tinhampton, Blaneu and Aaaaaa. The Bisons won the opening game 3-1 against Tinhampton. The Alpine Union attacked at the 12th minute when Franciszek Niedzwiecki passed to Nick Warner who dribbled with the ball and made a cross to Anton. The Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch native shoots and he scores! 1-0 Alpine Union. 12 minutes later, Tinhampton's Player #8 passed to #10 who tries to pass to #11 but Momo intercepts the ball and made a long pass to Wlodzimierz Ryczkowski who dribbled with the ball and made a short pass to Elisenda Gafarot who shoots and it's a goal! 2-0 Alpine Union. At the 42nd minute, player #6 passed to Player #10 who dribbled and made a short pass to Player #9. Player #9 shoots but the ball is deflected out of bounds by Krzysztof Brzozowski and it's a corner kick. Player #7 takes the kick, he kicks the ball in the penalty area, both Kazimierz Wieszczycki and Player #10 jumps to get the ball but #10 jumps higher and heads the ball into the net and Alpines lead is cut to 2-1.

At the 77th minute, Przemyslaw Suszczewicz passed the ball to Winnifred Owens who dribbled with the ball and passed to Elisenda Gafarot in the penalty area but just when she's about to shoot she's tackled by Player #4. Gafarot is ok but Player #4 gets a yellow card and it's a penalty kick for the Reprezentacja Alpejski. Elisenda Gafarot shoots and it's a goal, the Alpine Union is now leading 3-1 and this is the final score.

After beating Tinhampton 3-1, the Alpine Union played against less known Aaaaaa and but we lost 3-2. Winnifred Owens and Elisenda Gafarot were the two goalscorers for the Alpine union. Let's forget this game because we lost. The Bisons will play next against Blaneu and the winner will make the playoffs.

[Kavagrad]

The Kavagrad Sportsman
Kavagrad's Most Trusted Daily Sports Leaflet Since 1961


Above: Louis-Henri Bonne (front) celebrates with (back, left to right) Benjamin Mumuni, Moses Maxwell Diaby, Kenneth Gordon-Cameron, and Kyle Keelie following Bonne's second goal of the game.

The Must-Win, We Won!

Kavagrad are now on the brink of qualifying for the Second Round of the Independent Associations Cup after continuing their unbeaten record against Omerica with a 3-0 victory at the South Down Stadium in Langtree. With what is predicted to be the easiest game of the group against Hot Skitty on Wailord Action (HSOWA) coming up, whilst Omerica must face the near-untouchable Free Republics, the Redhearts look set to maintain their hold on 2nd place in the group and improve on their performance from the last edition of the IAC.

The defensive structure of the Omerican team suited the attacking play of the Redhearts perfectly, as Kavagrad's midfield triangle allowed attacking midfielder Moses Maxwell Diaby to probe the defence with through balls and long-range efforts, whilst the midfield of Anthony Wordsmith and Kyle Keelie regained possession quickly whenever the opposition tried to break with a clearance. The high-pressure tactics employed by the Redhearts were designed almost specifically to break down and expose the weaknesses in these sorts of defensive structures, according to manager Ian Wissa in an interview before the game, and it wasn't long before a scuffed clearance from Julie Boulos put the ball directly between striker Louis-Henri Bonne and the Omerican goalkeeper, Frédérique Acardi. Bonne used his explosive pace to outrun his marker and reach the ball before Acardi, lobbing the ball over her head as she slid in to put the Redhearts ahead in the 18th minute of the game. The first half would see the Redhearts continue the pressure, with 11 shots on target in the first 45 minutes, 2 of which were audacious long-range attempts from attacking midfield playmaker Moses Maxwell Diaby, to Omerica's 1 from 4 shots overall. Kavagrad's first black footballer at the international level has been a controversial addition to the team, but Wissa's gamble truly paid off as Diaby ran the show throughout the 90 minutes.

The second half was far more even than the first, though it would be difficult to tell from the scoreline. On 4 occasions, Omerican striker Morgan Barzetti would find herself one-on-one with the Heartless Redheart, 37-year-old Edouard Calvin, but each time saw Calvin make increasing impressive saves, capped off when he swiped the ball off the line after being chipped near the edge of the area and sprinting back to the goal to make the save. Kavagrad's lead would be extended in the 68th minute in spectacular fashion as Moses Maxwell Diaby scored a goal even more impressive than his wonder-volley against Free Republics. When his free-kick attempt bounced off of the wall and into the air behind Diaby, most players would have retrieved it and played back to the midfield. Diaby, however threw himself into the air and launched an overhead kick from 26 yards. Acardi, failing to realise that the shot was on-target until too late, was unable to do more than halfheartedly shift herself to the right, as the ball rocketed off the post and into the back of the net. The final goal of the game came shortly after, as Diaby would beat defender Aristide de Felice, playing Louis-Henri Bonne onside as he sent him a through ball, which Bonne gladly placed into the bottom-left corner of the net from 9 yards for his brace.

Kavagrad now sit in a situation that may allow them to make it to the next round with only 4 points from 3 games. Omerica are not expected to defeat the 9th-ranked Free Republics, while the unranked Hot Skitty team, though managing to get a draw against the Republicans, have already lost to Omerica. While, as Ian Wissa pointed out in a post-match press conference, it would be unwise for the team to get complacent, it is now time to focus on seeing this preferable situation through and qualifying for the next round.

[New Lusitania and the Algarves]

STL|Serviços de Transmissão Lusitana
Sport | Football|
The IA Championships VI - Mercedini

OOC - Well this arrived late

GOOD FOOTBALL GETS A GOOD START
New Lusitania 2-1 Kriegersrien
City of Zoloroni, Zoloroni. (Att: 50,843)


New Lusitania flew to Mercedini on a tough time at the IDU Championships and a decent previous cycle. Last time they were in the competition, a group stage exit was the result. Looking to improve on the weakest period of Lusitanian football, the Selecção were hopeful. The draw had given them the best team in show, Barunia, as well as lusophones Lisander and the night's opponents, Kriegersrieg.
On the game's team sheet, António Lopes started this one in goal surprisingly, followed by Guerreiros, Cancela and Cédric Silva. The Central positions were taken by Nevais and Fernando as usual, along with Mário and Gama in the flanks. Breu started in the Attacking Midfield position, with the two strikers up front being Silveira and Hélder Carvalho.
New Lusitania got off to a good start but failed to get the ball in, until forty minutes of play. Gama crossed it in towards Silveira who headed the ball in. Halftime and they were in the lead.
Coming back in the second half, when the watch hit the hour mark, New Lusitania scored a second goal. Though the Kriegersrien defence managed to block Mário's shot, it rebounded and went towards Gama who was just outside the box, went in and scored. Later on, Fernando almost scored one of his classic goals, but was stopped by a goalkeeper's hand. Moreira came on for Mário, Breu passing to Left Midfield, as well as Vinagrete getting a chance.
In the end, Kriegersrieg managed to get their first goal on the international scene after a mistake by Cédric. António Lopes didn't stay well in the picture either. However, the three points were New Lusitania's for the taken. FULL TIME: 2-1.

Around the Grounds
At the Centre of Excellence, Barunia drew with Lisander 1-1, making New Lusitania top the group.
In Group A, hosts Mercedini got off to a great start, beating Paschenstein 5-2, whilst the Remnant States modestly beat Abristan 1-0 at La Globa.
In Group B, Tinhampton were shocked by the Alpine Union, losing 3-1. Aaaaaa has secured a point in their maiden voyage against Blaneu. Hellenics The Heraion beat Sharktail 2-4, whilst Drawkland and Competitive Solitaire saw out a comfortable draw 0-0.
In Langtree, Devonta beat Third Asopia and Lochario beat Baranil, 1-0, meaning that at the moment three points separate one half from the other. Abahnfleft beat Sanjur 3-0, comfortably, as Darkmania edged a victory with Adab by 2-1 in Group F.
In Group G, Beepee went top after a win against Space, whilst Juvencus and Hysteria remained level at 1-1. Finally in Group H, the Free Republics beat Kavagrad 3-1 at the Sebangchek, as Omerica beat "Hot Skitty".

POST-MATCH INTERVIEWS and REACTIONS
I: I'm here once more with National Coach, Victor Santa Cruz. Victor thoughts on how it all went down.
VSC: It was a good match for us, there were moments of more tension but there were also moments for free creativity, show what the lads are all about. Kriegersrien were challenging, and let's not forget that. They managed to show our weaknesses during the match, and they aren't pushovers, so there's a warning to the other teams.
I: Do you think the tournament will contribute to the choices for the World Cup?
VSC: Of course, every game, every session, every moment counts. A lot of countries have given International Football a secondary importance but if any player here isn't as invested here as he is at a club then he won't be welcome at the Selecção. All in all, of course, the boys are playing well and I hope we have a successful time in the Qualifiers.
I: Thanks Victor.
VSC: No problem.

RATINGS, AWARDS AND OPINIONS

LUS Ratings : Patríce 7.5 , Guerreiros 8 (Vinagrete 7), Cancela 7, Cédric Silva 6.5, Nevais 7 , Mário 8 (Moreira 6.5) , Fernando 8.5, Breu 7.5 , Gama 8.5, Silveira 8 , Jota 7.5 OVERALL : 8
KRE OVERALL 6.5

STATS (LUS/KRE)
Goals: 2/1
Shots: 12/7
Shots on Target: 9/5
Corners: 5/2
Fouls: 3/3
Cards - Yellow: 0/0
Cards - Red: 0/0
Posession %: 60/40


THE HUB
GOALS: Francisco Gama, André Silveira (1).
ASSISTS: Gama (1), Fernando (1).
CARDS: None to Report
INJURIES: None to Report


LATEST
World Cup Quals
Top Goalscorers: Silveira, Gama (11).
Assists: Fernando (9)
Cup of Harmony
Top Goalscorer: Silveira (2)
Assists: Fernando (3)
IDU Championships
Top Goalscorer: Gama (2)
Assists: Fernando (2)

----------------------------------
MATCH PROGRAMMING
(IA6) {All times are GMT}
Tue - 17h
A: Abristan Vs Mercedini STL Sport 2,
A: S.R.S. Vs Paschenstein STL Sport 3
B: Blaneu Vs Tinhampton STL 4
B: Aaaaaa Vs Alpine Union, STL Sport 1
Tue - 20h
C: Drawkland Vs The Heraion, STL Sport 1
C: Competitive Solitaire Vs Sharktail, STL Sport 2
D: NEW LUSITANIA Vs Barunia, STL 1
D: Lisander Vs Kriegersrieg, STL 4
Wed, 17h
E: Lochario Vs Third Asopia, STL Sport 2
E: Baranil Vs Devonta, STL Sport 1
F: Adab Vs Sanjur, STL Sport 3
F: Darkmania Vs Abahnfleft, STL 1
Wed, 20h
G: Juvencus Vs Beepee, STL 4
G: Hystaria Vs Space, STL Sport 2
H: Free Republics Vs Hot Skitty, STL Sport 3
H: Kavagrad Vs Omerica, STL Sport 1.
All of the IA - Live and Exclusive
-----------------------------------
Matchday: Internationals
coverage of the best
STL1 22:00 GMT
-----------------------------------
World Cup 81, Cup of Harmony 73 & The IDU Championships
The best of the action on STL, your National Broadcaster
New Lusitania in exclusive.
-----------------------------------
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MMXIX

[Beepee]

Juvencus 1–3 Beepee

Beepee scored a memorable three-one win at Municipal Park in Langtree. The win seemingly books Beepee's progression to the knockout stages of the Independents Cup.

Few Beepeean fans would have expected their team to beat Juvencus but a strong team performance surprised everyone.

Beepee made on change from the previous match with Mellon unavailable through suspension, Lafonte moved into the main team and St. Croix moved into the main subs list.

The change in set up didn't seem to bother the Beepeean team, who appeared well drilled and confident in their own ability.

Despite Juvencus starting off on the more positive note, Beepee absorbed the early pressure and worked their way into the game.

On 16 minutes Kadera put Beepee one goal to the good connecting with a corner and heading home. The goal pulled the pressure on Juvencus who knew they needed a result.

Twelve minus later, Patterson scored Beepee's second goal with a powerful shot from the edge of the box.

The second goal gave the Beepeean team breathing space and they relaxed as the match went on.

Shortly after the break Beepee effectively wrapped up the match as Earnhardt scored her second of the tournament with a carefully placed shot.

On the 77th minute Juvencus pulled a goal back, but the result was already beyond doubt.

Key Match Highlights
JUVENCUS 1 v 3 BEEPEE
16 min ⚽️ Kadera (Beepee)
28 min ⚽️ Patterson (Beepee)
46 min ⚽️ Earnhardt (Beepee)
77 min ⚽️ #10 (Juvencus)

Attendance: 16,144

Following the match Humphries, when asked about reaching the next round, declared "all the odds are in my favour".

[The Authoritarian Republic of Lochario]

Zuniti

LOCHARIAN NATIONAL TEAM GETS ANOTHER WIN AT IC 6

After beating Baranil 1-0 the Ginger Tigers got another win in Mercedini beating Third Asopia 3-1.This win ensured Lochario's place in the R. O. 16 as the team has 6 points and won both games in the group. The fans celebrated on the streets of Langtree.

Cinga Munrich says:” I've never expected us to be in the top 16, but the boys managed to do it. They've showed their character and strength. I have hope that we can win the 3rd game as well, but Devonta is a good opponent.”

The next game will be against Devonta. The Ginger Tigers are called the favorites once again.

[Kriegiersien]

And the news read:
Kriegersien Amateur team beats Lisander 3-1.

The underdog showed something that hadn't been seen before: They can play soccer. With that victory the team is suddenly in a spot to qualify for the play-offs, possibly even a draw could be enough.
There are rumors that the game could even be shown on Kriegiersien TV. At least parts of it.

***

A dark alley

A suspicious figure and two broad man approached the coach of the Krieg(i)ersien team.

“Vladislav, we had a deal.”
“I know, I know. But it is not my fault.”
“What happened?”
“Ambitions.”
The man blinked, looking at his thugs who shrugged.

“What?”
“The players suddenly thought they could win something and have joy in playing. So they decided to just trying to win the matches.”

The shady figure sighed.

“Look, I understand that, but we had a deal. Some special things had to happen in the game. But there was no red card, no penalty in the first half, no three corners in a row. And not losing, now that wasn’t really hard to fix.”
“I understand.”
“Good. But please do something now. See, accidents happen, airplanes crash. You know. We don’t want that to happen again.”
“No.”
“So, somehow convince your players to go back to the good old days. You can’t win in the end anyway. And now show me your hand.”
“Oh please..”
“Show me.”
The coach put out one hand and got a slap in the face. Then the other man adjusted the coaches cloth.

“Good boy. And now do the right thing, try hard so that the players don’t. Lose against Barunia, nobody will be surprised by that and don’t forget the injury and penalty in the second half. And then you all can go home. Alive.”

The man and his goons left.

[Drawkland]

HAYWOOD'S FIRST TEST SHOWS OUT
Written By: Fox Lewis and Duchess Lewis

---

Well so much for that whole "chaos and failure" narrative, amirite? Everyone, after that disaster they called our first matchday in the IAC, probably thought the team wouldn't be able to recover from the horrible charlie-foxtrot and we'd crash out of the group stage. Or something. Maybe that was just me. In any case, it's all back to business now for Drawkland's Kick Corps.

AFTERMATH OF COMPETITIVE SOLITAIRE
After a few organizational slaps on wrists were given (lucky the IAC offices are HQ'd in Drawkland now or else we'd probably have gotten worse), the team recovered and has seemed to have settled down nicely into the tournament routine in Mercedini. With the scheduling indicating we'll be playing all our matches at the Blue Strike Arena as well, we have the added bonus of getting really familiar with the stadium and having a sort of home-away-from-home. Carol Haywood and several players interviewed have specified that they're in a rhythm despite the circumstances and ready to win.

vs THE HERAION
This was the first test for Carol Haywood as Kick Corps manager. All the controversy, all the noise, all the hype, all the confusion, she just needed to tamper down and do what she's done for several decades: manage a soccer squad to victory. And that's exactly what she did. I hesitate to use this word since it's what literally every player and coach in our entire fucking country says during a pregame interview, but she went out there and made the team execute. And I mean in the figurative sense. They didn't literally go onto the field and publicly murder the opposing team. Okay, well they did in a way, because they won 4-0, but I meant in like a literal, chopping someone's head off in front of a bunch of people kind of execution. I'm starting to regret using this analogy now.

The Heraion squad was not looking too hot in the match. They did win their first match 4-2, but they were playing another unknown, unproven nation in Sharktail. It was probably a defenseless, error-prone goalscoring mess. To be honest, that sounds pretty entertaining (not as entertaining as fans dressing up and playing as ringers in the opening match of the tournament while the real team is stuck in traffic, but entertaining nonetheless), but I imagine it was pretty awkward for both sides. This time, The Heraion had to play a real team. No offense to them or the Sharktail squad, but there's pretty clear tiers of talent in this world, and they just aren't up there yet.

shut up this isn't a fourth wall break it's a meme

And so Drawkland went to work against The Heraion, and boy was the audience in for a treat. The whole squad was alight. Since it was the "opening" match for the Kick Corps, and they needed to ensure a win to make sure we progress out into the playoffs, the full-strength lineup was out on the field. It was an even night of scoring, 4 goals from 4 players. Rebecca Talla, nearing retirement, started off the scoring for the Corps with a lengthy arcing kick in the 17th minute. Ellzidan added one soon after in the 32nd, followed by a Katie Madison goal right after play resumed from halftime in the 47th minute. Finally, Cam Cross orchestrated the final goal of the match with a header in the 78th.

The match itself was rather uneventful, besides the whole "people in togas" thing. The defensive side of the ball for Drawkland was also prolific, Lana Harmony getting 3 saves and numerous deflections. The offensive futility of The Heraion was evident, but these are easy opponents. The real challenge won't come until the first or second round of the playoffs, if we get that far.

Also a sweet tidbit of information: this 4-0 win over Heraion was the 77th win in team history. Seventy Seventh. Seven.

CURRENT PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS
Upon further investigation of our group and the others, it appears our path to the championship is (relatively) easy. As far as the whole playoffs thing is concerned. Our group is tied up as far as playoffs are concerned - as long as we don't lose to Sharktail by 3 goals we'll make it to the playoffs since the first tiebreaker is Goal Differential (a win would tie us at 4 points). No matter who wins in The Heraion and Competitive Solitaire match, the loser will not have enough points to surpass us. In the event of a tie and us losing, where The Heraion would tie us in points, we would still advance due to the superior goal differential. So our job is to Not Lose By Three Or More Goals To Sharktail, which I imagine is a pretty simple task for a group of world-class athletes.

As far as the playoffs themselves, the most likely matchup I see is Kriegersien in the Round of 16, and then none other than Mercedini themselves in the QFs. That is our toughest matchup for sure, at least in our side of the bracket. We need revenge, but Mercedini will 100% have home-field advantage. And with this still kinda unproven team, I can't say how confident I am in our chances. However, we have beaten Mercedini before ... but who knows what the future will bring. If we manage to beat them, someone like the Alpine Union or New Lusitania will be waiting for us in the Semifinals, and let me tell you, if we can beat Mercedini, we can beat any of those scrubs.

As for the final, if we can even make it that far again, the competitors on the other side of the bracket likely to come out are Beepee, Abanhfleft, or Free Republics. Probably the latter, and I mean like seriously, it's gonna be Free Republics. Last time we played them in the final, 2 cycles ago, it was an even matchup, and they beat us 3-1. Now they're ranked 9th in the world while we're swimming in whatever trash heap we're sitting in after missing qualification. I'm not saying it'll be the third year in a row with a 3-1 loss in the final ... but I'm saying that's how it'll be.

We'll surely make it out of this group ... but can we really make it all the way again? All I can say is On Corps.

[Sajnur]

Sajnur's Football Stars Have All To Play For In Mercedini

It's two matches in to Sajnur's Independents Cup campaign, and we've won one, lost one. The campaign started with a disappointing 3-0 loss to Abanhfleft, with their womens team finessing their way past the Sajnur defence and keeping the ball well away from our midfielders, but our latest match has been a 2-0 victory over fellow newcomers Adab. This leaves a straight shot for second against group top seed Darkmania. While our fate is technically in our hands, Darkmania, being an established team, is the heavy favourite to win this match. Overall, our chances at progressing are not good.

The first match of Sajnur's competitive football history was a masterclass by the Abanhfleft women, their passing proving exquisite and Sajnur almost completely unable to dispossess them. Indeed, Abanhfleft had 73% possession, and left Sajnur floundering. Sajnur did create some chances on the counter, with Dario Tule displaying his blistering pace, but Stephanie Bryan was excellent between the sticks for Abanhfleft, and the back four in front of her blocked numerous attempts. Sajnur's passing also left much to be desired, with Abanhfleft frequently intercepting passes in the midfield. Sajnur's defence, despite conceding three goals, proved mostly effective at keeping Abanhfleft out of the penalty box, at least given Abanhfleft's possession figures, and Piotr Laghiev was himself great in goal, making ten saves.

The second match, realistically the only one we were likely to win, finished 2-0 to Sajnur, with Tule and Andre Naulo scoring goals. Jessica Siafik showed her creative prowess in assisting both goals and making numerous chances with her pinpoint passing. The defence was rock solid, preventing Adab from registering even a single shot at goal, and hardly even letting them enter the penalty box. Adab was similarly unable to get near the ball whenever Sajnur was in possession, which ended up being 68% of the time, with the midfield improving vastly from their display against Abanhfleft.

Sajnur has yet tofind its true footballing identity, but is finding promise in a counter-attacking style with Siafik as a creator of chances in possession. The coming match against Darkmania is one we will probably lose, but with Sajnur's footballers finding their feet, one can certainly hope for an upset.

[Omerica]

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All the football news that's fit to print!

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The Curse of Kilkenny for Dummies People Who Aren’t Omerican
By Pierre Chrétien

If you are a football fan, you may have noticed a lot of talk about the supposed “Curse of Kilkenny” in the wake of Omerica’s humiliating loss to Kavagrad. But if you’re not Omerican, you may not be familiar with the concept. So in honour of Omerica’s probably impending group stage elimination, we’re here to break the mystery about the Curse. And to understand what the Curse is, one needs to understand where it came from.

Where did the Curse of Kilkenny come from?
The Curse is named after the Bridget Kilkenny Stadium in Stvoto Latoli city of Teach Iarann. The stadium was selected as one of the venues for the 65th Cup of Harmony, which Stvoto Latoli co-hosted with San José Guayabal, and the local press admitted that it was “something of a minor miracle the TSLB … allow[ed] the city to host any Cup of Harmony matches at all.” Despite its relatively small capacity and the cheap materials used to build it, its jungle surroundings, ocean view and cliffside location made it one of the most impressive venues used at the tournament.

Omerica were drawn into Group H at that tournament, which ensured a match-up with the home team that was completely irrelevant to Omerica’s chances of advancing—the team had already secured its first Cup of Harmony knockout berth after defeating Witty Penguins 2–0 and Armeia 2–1. After despatching the hosts 2–1, the Omerican Football Federation made a stunning announcement: because of greivances over refereeing at a critical match against Osarius which eliminated Omerica from World Cup qualification, the national team were withdrawing from the Cup of Harmony. Omerica’s scheduled opponent Acronius advanced in a walkover and were able to successfully navigate their quarterfinal against Polkopia, but were unable to manage a result in either of their last two matches and finished the tournament in fourth place.

After the infamous snub, Omerica’s trajectory looked like it was upwards: a second-straight appearance in the knockout phase of the Campionato Esportiva and victory in their World Cup qualification group over Abanhfleft and eventual champions Nephara. In hindsight, this was a illusion; after boycotting the next Campionato, the Omerican Football Federation faced a pair of scandals that would ultimately be fatal.

So what is the Curse of Kilkenny, exactly?
Two versions of the Curse are quoted, one being that Omerica will never again advance out of the group stage at a World Cup Committee tournament and the other that Omerica will never again win a knockout match at a major international tournament—namely the World Cup, Cup of Harmony and Independent Associations Championship.

It may sound fatalistic, but it is an observation that has held up pretty well over the years. Under the latter definition, Omerica have only beaten the Curse once, namely the team’s victory over Yttribia at the 14th Campionato Esportiva—before the curse’s alleged came into being. The national team’s three other knockout stage appearances have all ended in immediate elimination: an extra time loss to Lons in their Baptism of Fire appearance, a 4–1 defeat at the hands of the Alpine Union in the last IAC (Omerica’s only knockout stage appearance since the start of the Curse) and the match that is alleged to have caused the curse to start with.

All the other tournaments have ended in some more-or-less humiliating fashion. Campionato Esportiva 15 ended on penalties to the so-called “Gregoryisgodistan” (now South Covello). IAC-3 saw Omerica eliminated on the last matchday against Tinhampton, despite winning their comeback opening match. Cup of Harmony 71 ended after a draw to eventual runners-up Saltstead. IAC-4 was over after a scoreless draw against Mareibat. Cup of Harmony 72 gave birth to the meme of Qusmo when they knocked Omerica out on the final matchday of the group stage. Cup of Harmony 73 saw Omerica choke out in the group stage, losing to a Geisenfried side they needed only draw against. And now IAC-6 has probably come to an end after Kavagrad’s 3–0 battering of the Incorrigibles.

Is the United Republican Soccer Federation planning to do anything about it?
The most commonly cited way to break the curse is to actually play the Round of 16 match that Omerica forfeited, but this runs into one not-insignificant problem: Stvoto Latoli no longer exists. There would appear to be no way to get Omerica and Acronius back to Teach Iarann to play that fated match at Bridget Kilkenny. Holding the match in a nearby Rushmori nation has been floated as a possible workaround, but some Kilkenny “purists” allege that it would do nothing to break the Curse and some even go so far as to claim it would backfire.

The URSF have steadfastly maintain that the results can be explained by consistent weakness and underpeformance. Despite this, the Federation have affirmed their support of manager Anne-Sophie Groothuis despite a minor social media movement to have her sacked; according to General Secretary Natalie van Rompaey, “Ms Groothuis has the full support of the Federation in her role as manager of the Omerica national team. We are committed to providing her staff and the players with the support necessary for Omerica to succeed.”

As for the Curse, neither the General Secretary nor any other members of the Executive Board have any comment. But even they are capable of confirming that one thing is certain: unless Omerica can beat the Free Republics, the Curse will certainly live on. ◇

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Uniting Omerican sport fans across the United Republics — blogdefootball: a proud member of the Gryphon Pride network

[Squornshelan Remnant States]

Black-and-Reds Clinch Advancement

Squornshelan Remnant States  2 - 0  Paschenstein
Vladcik (Damot) 30'
Mikhulat (Dzetker) 86'

La Globa, Zoloroni, MRC

SRS: Munib; Dzarkin, Raktsov, Oleb, Delu; Djanetic (Geladi 88'), Damot (Strepol 88'), Zonde; Vladcik, Jzvanic (Dzetker 74'), Mikhulat

Once again, fortunes at La Globa have been kind to the Black-and-Reds, as they posted another clean sheet victory which, combined with Mercedini's win against Abristan, clinched advancement to the second round. Mercedini hold the first position on the strength of their goal differential, which is one better than ours, despite their having conceded two goals in their first match. Only two other teams at the tournament have refused to concede through two matches: Drawkland and Competitive Solitaire, who are both in Group C. Our record in that regard will doubtless be put to a serious test in the coming match against our hosts, who must be considered one of the overall favorites in the tournament. While the only thing remaining in Group A is to sort out the group winner, most other groups are still very much undecided, as only New Lusitania and the Algarves in Group D and Beepee in Group G have clinched advancement, and only Tinhampton in Group B and Adab in Group F have been mathematically eliminated.

As for our prospects in the next round, apart from Tinhampton being eliminated, Group B is very much uncertain, as Aaaaaa and Blaneu currently sit even with four points each, with the Alpine Union just behind with three. Any combination of those three teams could easily advance. The simplest result would see the winner of Blaneu v The Alpine Union advance most likely along with Aaaaaa. However, a draw between the former two would see both advance, provided Aaaaaa lose to Tinhampton, since all three sides are currently even on goal differential. Blaneu could even advance in second place with a loss to The Alpine Union, as long as Aaaaaa lose to Tinhampton by more. Of our prospective opponents, it can be said that The Alpine Union are the highest class, but the worst current form, while Aaaaaa are the reverse, while Blaneu are somewhere in the middle. In short, almost anything could happen, and it seems impossible to even say which of these scenarios is most likely. Our own group is much simpler: any result other than a win will see us finish in second, while taking full points would have us top the group.

[Mercedini]

---

CUTOFF
Group Stage MD3

Group A
Mercedini 0–1 Squornshelan Remnant States
@ Zoloroni Sports City Stadium, Zoloroni Sports City
Paschenstein 2–1 Abristan
@ La Globa, Zoloroni

. Group A                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Squornshelan Remnant States    3   3  0  0    4   0  +4    9
2 Mercedini                      3   2  0  1    6   3  +3    6
3 Paschenstein                   3   1  0  2    4   8  −4    3
4 Abristan                       3   0  0  3    1   4  −3    0

Group B
Alpine Union 5–2 Blaneu
@ Stadi Naturala, Zoloroni Park
Tinhampton 0–2 Aaaaaa
@ MetroStadi, Zoloroni

. Group B                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Aaaaaa                         3   2  1  0    6   3  +3    7
2 Alpine Union                   3   2  0  1   10   6  +4    6
3 Blaneu                         3   1  1  1    5   7  −2    4
4 Tinhampton                     3   0  0  3    2   7  −5    0

Group C
Sharktail 0–5 Drawkland
@ Blue Strike Arena, Zoloroni
The Heraion 4–0 Competitive Solitaire
@ Olimpostadi, Zoloroni

. Group C                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Drawkland                      3   2  1  0    9   0  +9    7
2 The Heraion                    3   2  0  1    8   6  +2    6
3 Competitive Solitaire          3   0  2  1    0   4  −4    2
4 Sharktail                      3   0  1  2    2   9  −7    1

Group D
Barunia 0–2 Kriegersien
@ City of Zoloroni Stadium, Zoloroni
Lisander 0–3 New Lusitania & the Algarves
@ Centre of Excellence: Mercedinian Branch, Zoloroni

. Group D                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 New Lusitania & the Algarves   3   3  0  0    9   2  +7    9
2 Kriegersien                    3   2  0  1    6   3  +3    6
3 Barunia                        3   0  1  2    2   7  −5    1
  Lisander                       3   0  1  2    2   7  −5    1

Group E
Third Asopia 0–2 Baranil
@ Central Park, Langtree
Devonta 1–3 Lochario
@ Langtree Metropolitan Stadium, Langtree

. Group E                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Lochario                       3   3  0  0    7   2  +5    9
2 Baranil                        3   2  0  1    4   2  +2    6
3 Devonta                        3   1  0  2    3   5  −2    3
4 Third Asopia                   3   0  0  3    1   6  −5    0

Group F
Abanhfleft 1–1 Adab
@ United Grounds, North Langtree Suburbs
Sajnur 3–4 Darkmania
@ FLR Stadium, Langtree

. Group F                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                     3   2  1  0    8   3  +5    7
2 Darkmania                      3   2  0  1    8   8   0    6
3 Sajnur                         3   1  0  2    5   7  −2    3
4 Adab                           3   0  1  2    2   5  −3    1

Group G
Space 3–0 Juvencus
@ Municipal Park, Langtree Borough of Ignavi
Beepee 2–2 Hystaria
@ LMU Stadium, Langtree Metropolitan University Campus

. Group G                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Beepee                         3   2  1  0    6   3  +3    7
2 Space                          3   2  0  1    9   3  +6    6
3 Hystaria                       3   0  2  1    5   9  −4    2
4 Juvencus                       3   0  1  2    2   7  −5    1

Group H
Omerica 1-0 Free Republics
@ Sebangchek Arena, Langtree
Hot Skitty on Wailord Action 0–1 Kavagrad
@ South Down Stadium, Langtree

. Group H                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kavagrad                       3   2  0  1    5   3  +2    6
2 Omerica                        3   2  0  1    2   3  −1    6
3 Free Republics                 3   1  1  1    4   3  +1    4
4 Hot Skitty on Wailord Action   3   0  1  2    1   3  −2    1

---

Round of 16

Zoloroni Half

Squornshelan Remnant States vs. Alpine Union
@ MetroStadi, Zoloroni

Drawkland vs. Kriegiersien
@ City of Zoloroni Stadium, Zoloroni

Aaaaaa vs. Mercedini
@ Blue Strike Arena, Zoloroni

New Lusitania & the Algarves vs. The Heraion
@ Olimpostadi, Zoloroni

Langtree Half

Lochario vs. Darkmania
@ Langtree Metropolitan University Stadium, Langtree

Beepee vs. Omerica
@ FLR Stadium, Langtree

Abanhfleft vs. Baranil
@ South Down Stadium, Langtree

Kavagrad vs. Space
@ Municpal Park, Langtree

[New Lusitania and the Algarves]

STL|Serviços de Transmissão Lusitana
Sport | Football|
The IA Championships VI - Mercedini

OOC - The Matchday Three Report to be posted tomorrow.

NEW LUSITANIA SHOCK AS THEY BEAT BARUNIA
New Lusitania 4-1 Barunia
City of Zoloroni, Zoloroni. (Att: 53,622)


New Lusitania returned to the pitch in Zoloroni against their biggest threat of the moment - Barunia. In the buildup, Victor Santa Cruz made it very clear that they "would show the best in them. The game won't disappoint that's for sure". Was he right!
The lineups first though, Patríce in goal with Guerreiros, Cancela and Peralva in defence, that mistake against Kriegersrien costing Cédric his place. Nevais in Central Midfield with Fernando an inch ahead. On the flanks, Mário and Gama with Breu in the Attacking Midfield, whilst Silveira and Henrique Costa started up front, as Barunia played with the usual suspects.
Most of the first half was a midfield skirmish, however, on half hour of play, the Selecção managed to score from a Bruno Fernandes cross, Gama volleying it in. Just before halftime Barunia managed to put it level, a great switch of play managed to fool the Lusitanian defence.
Coming back in the second half, New Lusitania almost immediately scored, Mário passing to Bruno Fernando who shot the ball just in time before the defender got to him, it was 2-1. Barunia's team was affected by the goal, breaking down as a whole. A corner by Gama let Breu shoot, but on the rebound it was Silveira that scored.
Eustáquio got his first minutes in the squad, in Breu's position, as well as Vinagrete getting a chance to show his worth once more as well, after Guerreiros fouled a Barunia midfielder stupidly, recieved a yellow. The final goal came from Hélder Carvalho who received a great switch-the-play pass from Nevais. A great goal into the top left corner. The Lusitanian crowd going wild. FULL TIME: 4-1

Around the Grounds
New Lusitania remain top in Group D as Kriegersien pulled off a surprising victory against Lisander. Normal service in Group A as Mercedini and the SRS beat Abristan and Paschenstein 1-0 and 2-0, respectively. That means the third game is an irrelevance towards who goes through with only the group winner to decide. In Group B, the surprises didn't stop as Aaaaaa and Blaneu have 4 points, as Blaneu beat Tinhampton 2-1 and Aaaaaa overcame the U.S.A.R. 3-2 at the MetroStadi.
Drawkland thumped The Heraion 4-0 to become the isolated leaders. The Olimpostadi was home to a draw between Competitive Solitaire and Sharktail. Drawkland isn't qualified mathematically, but a defeat to last placed Sharktail is highly improbable.
In Central Park, Lochario beat Third Asopia 3-1 as Baranil pulled off a 2-1 victory against Barunia. Anyone except Third Asopia can still qualify in Group E. Sajnur kept themselves for at least another game as they beat Adab 2-0, Abahnfleft cruised past Darkmania after a 4-2 victory. In Langtree University, Space sent six past Hystaria though their opponents managed to score two as well, whilst Beepee beat Juvencus at the Municipal Park by 1-3. It's still anyone's group though Juvencus have their progression in jeopardy. Finally in Group H, the Free Republics remained top despite a draw to Hot Skitty, whilst Kavagrad beat Omerica 3-0 at South Downs. Still anyone's group.


POST-MATCH INTERVIEWS and REACTIONS
I: I'm here once more with National Coach, Victor Santa Cruz. Victor comment on today's game?
VSC: Errr... Wow. Just wow. We weren't the favourites for this match, far from it. To have won the way we did, it was great. I think Barunia were actually giving us a good game, but I think they pressed the self-destruct button at 2-1
I: Your next game is against Lisander. Thoughts?
VSC: Well, many are saying that we are halfway through but we're going to play to the best of our abilities, regardless. New Lusitania have a good set of players at their disposal, so I see no reason to try and get as far as possible.
I: Thank you very much Victor.


RATINGS, AWARDS AND OPINIONS

LUS Ratings : Patríce 8.5, Guerreiros 8 (Vinagrete 7.5), Cancela 7, Cédric Silva 6.5, Nevais 7 , Mário 8, Fernando 8.5, Breu 7.5 (Eustáquio 7) , Gama 9, Silveira 8 , H.Carvalho 8.5 OVERALL : 8
BAR OVERALL 6

STATS (LUS/BAR)
Goals: 4/1
Shots: 13/6
Shots on Target: 8/4
Corners: 4/2
Fouls: 3/6
Cards - Yellow: 1/2
Cards - Red: 0/0
Posession %: 45/55


THE HUB
GOALS: Francisco Gama, André Silveira (2), Bruno Fernando, Hélder Carvalho (1)
ASSISTS: Fernando (2), Gama (2), Mário (1), Nevais (1).
CARDS: Rafael Guerreiros (1Y)
INJURIES: None to Report


LATEST
World Cup Quals
Top Goalscorers: Silveira, Gama (11).
Assists: Fernando (9)
Cup of Harmony
Top Goalscorer: Silveira (2)
Assists: Fernando (3)
IDU Championships
Top Goalscorer: Gama (2)
Assists: Fernando (2)

----------------------------------
MATCH PROGRAMMING (IA6) {All times are GMT}
--Thu 17h--
A: SRS Vs Mercedini, STL 4
A: Paschenstein Vs Abrinstan, STL Sport 3
B: Tinhampton Vs Aaaaaa, STL Sport 2
B: USAR Vs Blaneu, STL Sport 1
--- Thu- 20h ---
C: Sharktail Vs Drawkland, STL Sport 2
C: The Heraion Vs Competitive Solitaire, STL Sport 1
D: NEW LUSITANIA Vs Lisander, STL 1
D: Barunia Vs Kriegersrieg, STL 4
--Fri 17h--
E: Third Asopia Vs Barunia STL Sport 2
E: Devonta Vs Lochario , STL 1
F: Adab Vs Abahnfleft, STL Sport 3
F: Darkmania Vs Sajnur, STL Sport 1
Fri, 20h
G: Space Vs Juvencus , STL Sport 2
G: Beepee Vs Hystaria, STL Sport 3
H: Kavagrad Vs Hot Skitty, STL Sport 1
H: Omerica Vs Free Republics, STL 1
All of the IA - Live and Exclusive
-----------------------------------
Matchday: Internationals
coverage of the best
STL1 22:00 GMT
-----------------------------------
World Cup 82, The IA Championships 6
The best of the action on STL, your National Broadcaster
New Lusitania in exclusive.
-----------------------------------
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MMXIX

[Kriegiersien]

Kriegiersien is in the Play-Offs of the Independence cup, earning back the i. Even though there is no I in Team.

With Drawkland now a giant obstacle awaits. That the coach disappeared under mysterious circumstances is another odd event happening around the amateur team. He was last seen entering a pizza place. Some players showed a bit compassion, before electing the reserve players and brothers Napoleon and Valentin Padovano as new coaches for the time being. Still there is a chance that the Adventure goes on (more down below).
The match against Drawkland will even be shown on Kriegiersien Pay-TV. Live.

[Kavagrad]

The Kavagrad Sportsman
Kavagrad's Most Trusted Daily Sports Leaflet Since 1961



Kavagrader journos run out of suggestive puns, oh god, this next round is a gold mine!

Kavagrad got the best of Hot (Skitty On Wailord) Action last night, in a sweaty and hard(-fought) 1-0 victory that saw only one side satisfied, but allowed the Redhearts to tightly fit into the Round of 16 in the Independent Associations Cup.

A thoroughly boring match that seemed out of place with the attacking style of manager Ian Wissa, it seemed that neither side's fans would be able to come. That is, with the match looking to end in a draw that could have seen both teams eliminated, neither set of travelling fans would have had seat allocations for the knockout stages. However, not one to deny the Kavagrad fans the excitement that they craved, attacking playmaker Moses Maxwell Diaby showed off his natural talents and would play a penetrating ball into the crack of the Hot Skitty defence for star striker Louis-Henri Bonne to greedily lap up, before composing himself and letting loose with a shot that hit Hot Skitty goalkeeper Itsuki in the face before ricocheting into the top of the net. It is only fortunate that Itsuki's eyes were closed. And indeed, that he was wearing a mask. Whether or not the mask was leather is as of yet unconfirmed. This would be the last kick of the game as, two minutes into injury time, the goal was enough for the referee to finish. The game, that is.

Outside of the game's tantalising climax, the game was a brutish affair. Rough, they may say, but that's just how we like it. The game saw 6 yellow cards, split evenly between the two sides. HSOWA would have Hayato, Kyō and Siba given a stern talking to by a domineering referee, whilst Eric Valenti, Anthony Wordsworth and Kenneth Gordon-Cameron were all punished like the naughty boys that they are.

Next up, the Redhearts will compete against Space for a place in the Quarter-Finals. We at the Kavagrad Sportsman apologise in advance.

[Drawkland]

DRAWKLAND IS PLAYOFF BOUND
Written By: Fox Lewis and Duchess Lewis

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After the failure that was the World Cup 81 qualifying cycle, after the clusterfuck that was the weeks preceding the IAC, after the strike of lightning lucky happening that was the first match, it was perhaps seen that Drawkland was on its way out. Returning to the vast nothingness, like so many other nations, to be irrelevant, eventually sink deep into the lower ranks of the World Cup, then quietly cease to exist from the sporting world.

But then Carol Haywood had her say in the matter. Coming out and winning 4-0 against The Heraion was a step in the right direction, sure, but it was The Heraion. Nice easy win, let's see if you can do it again before even thinking about going on to bigger things. Boy oh boy, did Haywood deliver.

vs SHARKTAIL
Now, The Heraion is a nation which has never seen the light of international sporting until this cup, so maybe it was a bit unfair to destroy them 4-0 in their second-ever match. They are a newbie team however, so it is to be expected. Sharktail, on the other hand, has had a little taste of what it's like to play with the bigger boys. They started in the last World Cup cycle, getting to the Baptism of Fire playoffs before fizzling out. They averaged about a point per game in qualifiers and ended the cycle ranked in the mid 140s. They aren't tough competition, but then again, there's generally only one good team per group in the IAC as it is.

While we weren't expecting the kind of blowout we inflicted on The Heraion prior, we certainly were expecting to come away with a solid win. In a shocking turn of events, not only did we do what we did against The Heraion, but we actually increased the damage on Sharktail. The poor fellas didn't know what hit them. Corrie Archer started the match with a pair of goals in the 22nd and soon after in the 30th minute. This was the only action in the first half. Ellzidan got a goal in the 55th, Stella Moore in the 69th, and Corynn Turati in the 81st.

The team was defensively even better than they were against The Heraion. The defenders were swift and clean, and were incredibly adept at snatching the ball away from Sharktail at every turn. Savannah Everett had the start for this game and delivered just as well as Lana did in the previous match. She was another big reason Drawkland scored the clean sheet again, with a handful of saves and staying unblinking through several tough spots early in the game.

In all, this really serves as a welcoming sign of things to come with Haywood at the helm. Of course, two cakewalk wins against cupcake teams isn't necessarily a huge thing to boast about, but like 80% of the teams in the IAC are of a similar caliber to the teams we smashed, so who knows what the future brings?

PLAYOFF PICTURE
Speaking of what the future brings, let's look at some serious stuff regarding the playoffs. A few bombshell upset matches happened this final matchday which could be hugely advantageous to us going forward. Firstly, and most importantly, we made the playoffs ourselves. At 2-1-0, it's tying the best performance we've had in an IAC group stage with 3 games. Yes, in IAC 5 we had a 3-1-0 record and 10 total points, but we had an extra game. Funnily enough, we still have yet to win out an IAC group stage. Maybe that's the key we're missing to win it all. If we win it all, it'll have to be a perfect 7-0 or 8-0. Hmmm ... things to consider.

Anyway, at 9 goals for and 0 goals against (+9 differential if you're challenged), this is absolutely our best performance scoring-wise in the IAC. Does anybody remember the first IAC, where we went 1-0-2, -4 differential, and somehow made the playoffs? We've definitely come far from being a new upstart nation with no World Cup experience to ... an experienced IAC nation who still hasn't won it all. Maybe a bit of real failure is what we need to realize what we need to break through, or something. Whatever, in any case, we won our group and go into the playoffs as one of the top seeds. Other high performing nations include the Squornshelan Remnant States (3 wins, +4), New Lusitania and the Algarves (3 wins, +7), and Lochario (3 wins, +5). I mean, whoever those guys are. Nobody had anything close to our superior goal differential, although Space and New Lusitania managed 9 goals and Alpine Union 10. Really if you think about it, we're better than those teams, since we scored 9 goals across two games, while they took three games to reach those numbers. Also, besides the Squornshelan Remnant States, we were the only team to keep a clean sheet across all 3 games.

Two major players in the IAC suffered big upsets on the final matchday. Firstly, and most delightfully, in Group A: Mercedini suffered a loss on home soil against the aforementioned high-powered Squorns. In a 0-1 losing effort, Mercedini were toppled from their top spot in the group and now have to play second fiddle, having the second seed from Group A. They'll be playing Aaaaaa in the Round of 16 (yes, that's real) who they will crush. That's not the important part of this arrangement. What this does is delay our potential playoff matchup with them until the semifinals, which gives us more time to prepare and become cohesive. Say what you will about this group stage, but Carol Haywood is still unproven, especially against real opponents. Anything can happen, and when it's us in soccer playoffs, "anything" is probably bad.

The other major players suffering a defeat were the Free Republics, but this one is of much heftier consequence. The Republicans were 1-1-0 going into MD3 against Omerica, fresh off a humiliating 1-1 Hot Skitty on Wailord Action draw. They needed a win against the 1-0-1 Omerica to make it to the promised land, especially with the 1-0-1 Kavagrad becoming 2-0-1 after dispatching HSoWA. And, like Mercedini, they simply whimpered and came up empty, 1-0. This was a much deadlier mistake for the Free Republics though, as this doomed them to third place in the group and no chance of reaching the playoffs. For us, this is huge news, as Free Republics (ranked 9th by the WCC) were the runaway favorites to win this tournament. With them out of the way, the Langtree side of the bracket is now full of many unproven nations. If we make the final, it's likely we'll be facing a subpar squad to lose 3-1 to.

Most importantly though, us! By gaining first place in Group C, we now get to face the second seed of Group D. This nation happens to be Kriegiesien, a nation with a hard-to-spell name. According to data we found on them, they've sent a more pedestrian squad to this tournament. The players were selected from their better amateur league teams, as their full-blown professionals are currently out playing in the Olympic Games. This was enough to dispatch the normally decent squads of Barunia and Lisander, but those nations have either been falling off or amateur in nature anyway the last few cycles. Of course, it's still too early to be able to guarantee a certain result, but if the last few matches have been anything to go by, Drawkland is due for a right smacking up of the Kriegiersiens.

Elsewhere in the Zoloroni half, we have a huge matchup between the Squornshelan Remnant States and the Alpine Union. If you recall, these nations are the only ones to allow as few goals as us and score more goals than us, respectively. Either way, a heavy contender is going to be ousted after that match. And hopefully, the other one will be losing in the next round, as we'll be the ones playing them. This match could go either way, so I have no real prediction. In the end it won't matter, as we should be beating the survivor in the next round anyhow. Next on the docket is Aaaaaa and Mercedini, the latter of which should win with ease. If Mercedini loses to Aaaaaa, then "aaaaaa" will be the noise coming out of my mouth because I'll be laughing so hard the only sound I can make is a choked, compressed exhale of utter jubilation. Finally, New Lusitania & The Algarves will be taking on our friends, The Heraion, who recovered from our drubbing of them to win their final match and go on to take the second spot in the group. New Lusitania is yet undefeated, and The Heraion failed pretty miserably against us, but New Lusitania is not as high level a squad as us. This is another that, in my mind, can go either way.

The Langtree half, with Free Republics nowhere to be seen, is now busted wide open with no runaway favorite. Abanhfleft might've been a favorite a few cycles ago, but now they're on the decline and not so sure in victory. The first matchup is Lochario vs Darkmania. Both of these squads are newer and rather unproven on the scene, but with how Lochario (3-0-0) has been playing in this cup, I think it's safe to say they have at least the slight advantage. The next matchup pits Beepee, former Baptism of Fire champions, against Omerica, a team with some history who has recently returned to half-decent play as of late. This one is hard to decide. Beepee has been playing well this cup, but Omerica has as well. It was Omerica, after all, who got the decisive victory to send Free Republics home early. It's too close to call in my mind, but in any case it'll be a great match. The next matchup is Abanhfleft against Baranil. Baranil, new to the scene, probably won't be able to take down Abanhfleft, declining in relevance that they are. A Fleftic victory is on the horizon. Finally, Kavagrad and Space face off to finish the Langtree half. Neither team has any considerable pedigree, but Kavagrad has been solid and the team active so far (hence why they won their group containing Free Republics). I give the advantage to Kavagrad for sure.

It's a bit early to predict potential final matchups, with so many teams still in it. After Drawkland takes care of the business in the Round of 16, we'll be back with more analysis and predictions. With 8 teams instead of 16 in, as well as the benefit of seeing every team performing in pressure, it becomes much easier to see who has a real shot at making it to - and possibly winning - the IAC final. Of course you know who we're rooting for ... are you? On Corps!

[Squornshelan Remnant States]

Allegorical Comedic Interlude!

It is the dark ages in Britannia Mercedini. We see King Arthur Dimitry Larmée riding through a dense forest, accompanied as always by his faithful servant Patsy Elidyr Lyndainium. As they ride along, the clashing of steel and loud shouting can be heard ringing through the forest. Dimitry and Elidyr emerge into a small clearing with a stream running along one edge, crossed by a small bridge, and the source of the noises becomes evident: two knight are engaged in savage combat. One they recognize: Sir Paschenstein, with whom they had fought an honorable duel and claimed victory. The other is a mysterious knight in black and red. He fights conservatively, but with supreme skill, interposing his shield to block every stroke Sir Paschenstein makes. Before long, Sir Paschenstein tires, and in one deft strike, the Black-and-Red knight lays him low with a stab through the eye slit. Without a word, he cleans his sword, and takes up position by the bridge, giving no further notice to his vanquished foe. With a glance at each other, Dimitry and Elidyr approach the the bridge. Before they can cross, however, the stranger speaks.

"None shall score."

"What?"

"None shall score."

"I have no quarrel with you good sir knight, but I must cross to the second round."

"I move for no man."

"So be it!"

Dimitry draws his sword, as does the Black-and-Red knight, and they clash. It appears an even fight, but before long, Dimitry is able to sidestep a strike and neatly removes his opponent's left arm. Wait a second, the Black-and-Red knight blocked it? Is that supposed to happen? I don't think that's in the script. Give me just a moment here, let me check. Let's see, Scene 24, no no, that's too far along, ah, here we are . . . . hmm, no he's definitely not supposed to block that. This is supposed to be King Dimitry's story, the hometown hero of legend and all that. Can we cut and reset the scene please? No, stop swinging that sword around you're going to hurt someone.

Well now look what you've done, you've knocked Dimitry into the stream and, is that blood? What the hell's wrong with you, you Black-and-Red asshole? You've completely spoiled King Dimitry's movie with this ad lib crap. Who are you anyway? Take that helmet off right now! I promise you'll never work in this town again! I know people you know, people who can take care of problems like you. Ok now wait just a second, there's no need for that. You can put the sword down, I was only joking. We can talk about this like adults, can't we? I was kidding, can't you take a joke, you're a great actor. Tell you what, we'll write up a new script, you're the star, with a trip to the Alps up next, all you have to do is just put down that sw-Aaarrrggghhh!