World Cup 83 - Roleplay Thread

[Port Ember]

Port Ember Times

The Tridents prepares to face off against Qusmo

Pre Match Analysis & Interview

By Erica Davies - Port Ember Times Sports Section

Port Ember will face off against Qusmo in their tenth match of the World Cup Qualifier run this Friday, to be played at Port Ember's homegroud - Waterstad International Stadium in the Waterstad International Stadium, Port Ember Megalopolis.

This match marks the second match in which these two teams meet, of which the previous match saw Qusmo defeat Port Ember with a final score of 2-0.

Team Stats Analysis

Qusmo:

This team has played 8 matches so far as part of the World Cup Qualifier Run, in which they have won seven and lost one match. They have scored a total of 20 goals and have allowed 7 goals to be scored against them. They are currently the group favourites and group leaders. This team is currently ranked as the 22nd best team in the world and posseses a long footballing history and impressive infrastructure.

Port Ember:

This team has played 9 matches so far as part of the World Cup Qualifier Run, in which they have won three, drawn three and lost three matches. They have scored a total of 21 goals, and allowed 20 goals to be scored against them.

The Tridents is currently ranked as the 186th best team in the world, ranking 164 spots below their opponents.

From a pure statistics point of view, the next match is bound to be yet another titanically challenging match for Port Ember, who is facing a very strong and historic team, ranked a whopping 164 places above them in world rankings, and are on much better current form. Qusmo has also beaten Port Ember when they last met.

Team Analysis - Port Ember

Offense: The technical offensive skills of the team is on suberb form. The chemistry between their starting striker duo and their midfield creates amazing attacking oppertunities. Also their signature 'Bait Ambush' tactic is still a highly effective tactic, proven to be effective at this level of football.

Midfield: Traditionally the strongest component of this team, under command of the amazing Reddington. The midfield has so far always been a dangerous element to its oponents, acting as an attacking defence and sets up the front line well with attacking oppertunities.

Defence: The backline has struggled in the last few matches and is showing some serious signs of 'falling apart'. Coach Baxer needs to make a desperate change here as it will continue to cost him matches if he cannot fix this serious problem.

Goalkeeping: Analysts have nothing but praise for Peter Smith the starting goalie. The young man is a legend in the making.

Substitutes: The team has a impressive line-up of substitutes, whom have received field time recently, adding possible depth to the team when needed. The extra attention they have received from the assistant coach is sure to play a important role as well.

Team Morale & Cohesion: The 4 year youth program is paying off dividends, as the team has excellent cohesion and on-the-field chemistry. The team is however having a tough season and might effect their morale. The facts that the next game will be on homeground, and their massive 5-1 previous win might help build morale.

Current Form: The previous massive 5-1 win has reversed their previous bad form and they were looking better than ever before.

Typical Gameplan: Their typical system of tiring out and frustrating their opponents in an attempt to pull their 'Bait Ambush' is a risky play which can easily go wrong and concede a goal. However when it works, it is highly effective, and so far this is still effective on this level so far.

Team Analysis - Qusmo

Offense: The Qusmo side is not very well known as an aggressive team, focusing their strength on their midfield and backline. As a defence orientated team, their soft focus on the offense might create the gap which Port Ember needs to slay this giant.

Midfield: This team has a impressive, skilled and multi layered midfield, serving as a dangerous defence/counter attack tool for the team. Analysts have predicted that if the experienced midfield can neautralise Port Ember's midfield - which is actually highly likely, Port Ember will most probaly lose the match.

Defence: Arguably the strongest element of this team. They have proven to possess one of the strongest backlines in the world and it will take something - or someone special to blast past them.

Goalkeeping: Once again, a component with talented and experienced players.

Substitutes: The team has a impressive line-up of substitutes, filled with some of the best and freshest talent hailing from Qusmo, adding possible depth to the team when needed.

Team Morale & Cohesion: The team has displayed that they are highly motivated and more than prepared to put the work in to finish the job. They also have the look of a unified, well oiled team.

Current Form: The team is on very good form, having won 7 matches and only lost 1. They are the group favourites and is most likely to take the top spot of the table at the end of the qualifiers.

Typical Gameplan: This team is a defender heavy team, focussing on a strong midfield and backline. The high octane offense of Port Ember will have a hard day trying to burst through this impressive setup.

Starting Line-Ups

Port Ember

Goalkeeper (GK)(#1): Peter Smith.

Center Back (CB)(#2): Josh Richards.

Center Back (CB)(#3): Jason Lee.

Full Back (LB)(#4): Alex Kuhn.

Full Back (RB)(#5): Russel Pierce.

Attacking Midfield (AM)(#18): Ray Reddington.

Defensive Midfield (DM)(#6): Steven Packard.

Wide Midfield (LM)(#8): Jason Chamberlain

Wide Midfield (RM)(#11): Steve Rogers.

Central Forward (CF)(#7): Leon Moult.

Central Forward (CF)(#22): Danny Nicovic.

Team Kit

Port Ember have announced that they will play with their primary kit in their upcoming match.

Pre Match Interview with Port Emberian Coach - Stuart Baxter

Erica Davies: Morning Coach. So after a struggling period, you seem to be back on form. Or as the media dubs it 'The best you have ever been'. Is this form here to stay?

Stuart Baxter: Morning Erica. I agree that our last match went excellently and we were indeed at our best. We have refound our rhythm and tweaked our gameplan. I believe indeed that this form is here to stay yes.

Erica Davies: Are you worried about the next game?

Stuart Baxter: Hell yes I am! Our opponents are an formiddable and ancient team, who is on absolute beast level form, and we lost to them in our previous encounter. Tomorow might be the day thay we can stop them in their tracks, slaughtering a giant. That would be the greatest upset yet!

Erica Davies: So for the next game, any changes in your gameplan, based on your opponents play?

Stuart Baxter: Indeed actually. It is not a large change, rather a few improvements to our play. And we will also hammer on a few weaknesses we have noticed from the opposition.

Erica Davies: Good awnser! Lastly, prediction for the upcoming match?

Stuart Baxter: I know our opponents are footballing giants, so we will be going out with guns blazing. Even if things needs to get physical, we are bringing our A Game! We dont have much games left, so even if we need to risk injuries or suspensions - so be it!

[Eastfield Lodge]

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Sport >>> Football

Seven goal thriller restores Eastfielder qualifying hopes

Eastfield Lodge line-up

GK: Jam’Aan Couch
CB: Wilfred Holding
CB: Renato Hargreaves
RB: Eskama Nagi
LB: Ulima Salam (<> Marya Gardner 74’)
DM: Hugh Ilyess (<> Sorel Qwivotic 74’)
AM: The Doctor
AM: Jennifer Farrow (Malenna von Kraus 79’)
RW: Raquel Accardi
LW: Crimson La Rosso
ST: Nya Murray

Baker Park line-up

GK: Caroline Gordon
CB: Derick Briggs
CB: Terence Stephens (<> Emily Arnold 68’)
CB: Tracey Vasillias
RWB: Nick Haller
DM: Annabeth Westmoreland
DM: Lorenzo Taborn (<> Pryna Rasanamira 68’)
LWB: Veronica Navarro
AM: Jamari Bozeman
ST: Alex Sandoval
ST: Sabrina Patton

World Cup 83 Qualifying - Group I Matchday 9
Eastfield Lodge 4-3 Baker Park
Murray (23’, 53’), The Doctor (73’), Accardi (87’); Sandoval (10’), Westmoreland (32’), Navarro (67’)

56% - Possession - 44%
18 - Shots - 12
11 - Shots on Target - 8
4 - Corners - 6
7 - Fouls - 12

Location: Lodger City Memorial Stadium, New Lodger City, Eastfield Lodge
Attendance: 148,548

The clash of the Commonwealths saw Raquel Accardi score a late winner to help Eastfield Lodge mount a brilliant comeback against Group I’s leaders and top seeds, Baker Park, in a match filled with goals as well as cards.

It was a must win match for the hosts, and manager Jane Williamson knew as much as she came into her pre-match press conference even more serious than usual - one could almost say her mood was sombre, knowing that her job depended very much on the results of the newt few weeks. A second win of the qualifying campaign against Libonesia did keep the Imperial Commonwealth somewhat in the race for the playoffs, being placed four points behind second placed Saltstead, but this would be the match that defined whether this World Cup would be seen as a good performance. Fitting, as it was this match in the first half of the tournament that started the rot, as the visitors had an excellent first half in Baker Park, only to fall apart in the second and not really recover for the next four matches.

Much like the previous match, this was a tight, contested affair in the first half, although both sides started the match at a much lower tempo this time around. The first real attempt of the game lead to the opening goal, as Sabrina Patton forced Couch to tip a lofted shot from the edge of the box over the bar - Couch misread the resulting corner kick, only getting half a fist onto the ball such that it fell into the waiting crowd, with Sandoval managing to poke it home after Patton’s shot was blocked on the line. It was a sloppy goal to concede, something that was evident on the face of a dejected Williamson in the Eastfielder dugout. The hosts did rally quite quickly, almost scoring within a minute of the restart as Hugh Ilyess’ incisive long ball found Raquel Accardi on the run, the AFC Treason winger forcing an excellent save from Caroline Gordon in the Bees net. Nya Murray almost levelled proceedings herself a few minutes later, dropping off the last defender to collect Accardi’s pullback, only to miscue the shot and spend the ball spinning wide of the far post.

She did make amends for that miss soon after however, as the first of many Baker Park mistakes came through - a poor backpass from Terence Stephens allowed Murray to beat Gordon to the ball, and she calmly rolled the ball into the net to tie the proceedings. The hosts should then have taken the lead before the half hour mark, as a poor first touch from Annabeth Westmoreland allowed the Doctor to steal the ball and run at the defence - his pass through to Crimson LaRosso was inch perfect, but the Royal Jam winger couldn’t sort her feet out in time, pulling the ball across the face of goal and well wide of the far post. A wasted opportunity made even more ruinous a few minutes later, when Westmoreland atoned for her error to head in a well placed free kick from the wing after being allowed to roam free at the back of the box. The visitors then spurned an excellent chance to add the sucker punch and extend the lead before the break, as Sandoval could only hit the outside of the post from the penalty spot after Haller’s excellent break on the wing to set him up with the cross.

The tables were very much turned in the second half, in much the opposite vein of the previous match between these two, as the hosts dominated proceedings. It didn’t take long for them to make their mark, as Murray completed her brace off yet another Baker Park mistake - this time captain Haller was caught wanting on the wing, his pocket picked by Ulima Salam who then advanced into the empty space behind him, cutting inside Derick Briggs before laying the ball off to Murray, who sweetly curled it beyond Gordon’s outstretched arm into the top corner. And she really should have scored her hat-trick later in the half, when Westmoreland again miscontrolled a pass, slipping on the ball and allowing Jennifer Farrow to take the ball and play it through to Murray, only for the striker to fire it straight down Gordon’s throat. That miss was made all the more tragic as Gordon immediately launched the ball forward, Bozeman beating Ilyess to the ball and heading it on to Veronica Navarro, who anticipated the flick on and beat the offside trap, and she managed to keep her cool enough to regain the lead for the visitors, slotting the ball beneath Couch.

That was a blip, and Eastfield Lodge quickly recovered, as just 6 minutes later, despite a pair of defensive substitutions by the Bees, it was another error that led to a goal - this time it was the goalscorer, Navarro, going from hero to zero as she was muscled too easily off the ball by Raquel Accardi on the edge of the box, and then retaliating poorly by taking Accardi’s legs out from underneath her. Yellow card awarded, Nya Murray stepped up to take the penalty to try and complete the hat-trick, but she missed again as she sent Gordon the wrong way, only for the ball to cannon straight back off the post - the Doctor was the quickest to react however, sweeping the ball home to level the game once more. The visitors were definitely struggling, despite being the fresher of the sides having had a bye week before this match, and they began to drop deeper and deeper, defencing valiantly but not offering anything more going forward.

Murray had another couple of half-chances to complete her hat-trick with shots from the edge of the box, the first forcing an excellent save from Gordon, and the second wrong-footing Gordon but going narrowly wide of the far post. Substitute Sorel Qwivotic almost grabbed the headlines himself, hitting the bar with a well taken free kick from 25 yards that also had Gordon beaten, whilst Farrow also came close with a bullet header from a corner cleared off the line by Gordon. Time went on, and the visitors looked like taking a rather undeserved point, but it was not to be. Just three minutes from stoppage time, it was another experienced player making a mistake in the Baker Park defence - this time, Tracey Vasillias was the culprit, as she misjudged a cross-field ball from the Doctor. Vasillias missed, but not Accardi, as she controlled the ball, went one-on-one with Gordon and slid the ball home underneath the onrushing keeper.

The seventh goal of the game, 4-3 to Eastfield Lodge against the group’s top seeds and leaders. The full time whistle blew shortly afterwards, and the relief was clearly etched on the faces of both the players, and the fans - none more relieved, however, than Jane Williamson. Coupled with the news that Saltstead only managed to draw at home to Benjamin Mark, that meant that Eastfield Lodge were only 2 points out of the playoffs, and 4 off topping the group qualifying automatically - more crucially, the results mean that Eastfield Lodge’s fate is entirely within their own hands provided they win all four of their remaining matches.

Group I

Saltstead 2–2 Benjamin Mark
San Félix 4–3 Libonesia
Eastfield Lodge 4–3 Baker Park

  Group I                          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Baker Park                         7    5   1   1    21   10  +11    16
2 Saltstead                          8    3   5   0    17   12   +5    14
3 Eastfield Lodge                    8    3   3   2    11   11    0    12
4 San Félix                          8    3   2   3    16   16    0    11
5 Libonesia                          8    3   0   5    10   15   −5     9
6 Benjamin Mark                      8    2   3   3    12   13   −1     9
7 Tulize                             7    0   2   5    10   20  −10     2

---

MD4: Eastfield Lodge 1-1 San Félix
Line-up (4-1-2-3): Couch - Holding, Hargreaves, Maury, Salam - Ilyess - The Doctor, Farrow (<> Lacroix 62') - Accardi (<> Glibin 68’), LaRosso, Safadão (<> Murray 68’)
Goals (Assists): LaRosso (78’ - Glibin)

MD5: Saltstead 1-0 Eastfield Lodge
Line-up (4-1-2-3): Couch - Carr-Ponce, Hargreaves, French, Salam - Ilyess - The Doctor, Farrow (<> Lacroix 65’) - Accardi (<> Parsa 65’), LaRosso, Murray (<> Safadão 73’)
Goals (Assists): N/A

MD6: Eastfield Lodge 1-1 Tulize
Line-up (4-1-2-3): Persson - Holding, Towers, Nagi, Garner - Qwivotic (<> Ilyess 70’) - The Doctor, Bevan (<> von Kraus 78’) - Glibin (<> Parsa 70’), Cousin, Safadão
Goals (Assists): Cousin (34’)

MD7: Benjamin Mark 1-1 Eastfield Lodge
Line-up (4-1-2-3): Persson - Holding, Carr-Ponce, Nagi, Garner (<> Siddique 71’) - Qwivotic - The Doctor, Bevan - Glibin, Cousin (<> Berretti 76’), Safadão (<> Murray 57’)
Goals (Assists): Murray (68’ - Qwivotic)

MD8: Libonesia 0-1 Eastfield Lodge
Line-up (4-1-2-3): Couch - Holding, Towers (<> Hargreaves 68’), Nagi, Salam - Ilyess - The Doctor, Bevan (<> Farrow 63’) - Accardi, LaRosso (<> Cousin 78’), Murray
Goals (Assists): Farrow (74’ - Hargreaves)

Line-up to play San Félix (4-1-2-3)
Couch - Holding, Hargreaves, Nagi, Salam - Qwivotic - The Doctor, Farrow - Accardi, LaRosso, Murray

[Terre Septentrionale]

Terre Septentrionale loses against The Macabees

The Macabees - After two straight wins to start the second leg, Terre Septentrionale had to traval away to The Macabees to play against the 46th ranked team. The game started well for the Nordiques. they attacked at the 17th minute when Yannick Ksiezniakiewicz dribbled with the ball and passed to Sarah Surprenant who gave the ball back to Ksiezniakiewicz who made a short pass to Amelia Zalwowska. She shoots and she scores, 1-0 Terre Septentionale! Terre Septentionale attacked again at the 26th minute when Pawel Wawrzynkiewicz passed to Zbigniew Zajaczkowski who shoots over the net. Its a goal kick for The Macabees. Líam Jer'Voos kicks the ball, Przemyslaw Zawistowski and Lena Oravi both jumps to get the ball. Orlavi jumps higher and passed to Damrek Yusen with her forehead. Yusen kicks the ball and it's a goal. It's a 1-1 tie. Seven minutes later The Macabees attacked again when Harako Vera passed to Goroga Kileno who passed back to Harako Vera. Vera passed to Jarus Menkalepken who shoots and scores and The Macabees takes a 2-1 lead. This is the score at the halftime.

Terre Septentrionale often collapse in the 2nd half after a good first half but it should be different now that a psychologist is travelling with the team. She was seen talking to the team in the locker room during the halftime.The Reprezentacja Nordycki attacked at the 54th minute when Sarah Surprenant passed to Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa who kicks the ball but it's deflected out of bounds by Líam Jer'Voos. It's a corner kick! Yannick Ksiezniakiewicz kicks the ball in the penalty area but Greger Hinsel clears the ball. Élisabeth Normandin intercepts the ball and makes a header pass to Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa who heads the ball right into the net. It's a 2-2 tie! The tie won't last long because The Macabees attacked at the 56th minute when Antonio Salazar passed to Lena Oravi who dribbled and made a cross to Jarus Menkalepken who shoots and scores. 3-2 the Golden Throne Empire. The Macabees attacked again at the 59th minute when Stan Kiro tried to pass to Jarus Menkalepken but Yannick Ksiezniakiewicz intercepted the pass and passed to Sarah Surprenant who made a cross to Zbigniew Zajaczkowski. Zbigniew Zajaczkowski shoots and he scores and the game is tied again! The Macabees attacked at the 78th minute when Goroga Kileno passed to Daro Garsden, who subbed in at the 66th minute. Garsden kicks the ball and it's deflected over the net by Zofia Kwietniewska. Goroga Kileno takes the corner kick. He (or she) kicks the ball and it goes directly into the net without touching anyone! The score is 4-3 The Macabees and this is the final score.

BOXSCORE
17th minute: Amelia Zalwowska assisted by Yannick Ksiezniakiewicz
26th minute: Damrek Yusen assisted by Lena Oravi
33rd minute: Jarus Menkalepken assisted by Harako Vera
54th minute: Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa assisted by Élisabeth Normandin
56th minute: Jarus Menkalepken assisted by Lena Oravi
59th minute: Zbigniew Zajaczkowski assisted by Sarah Surprenant
77th minute: Goroga Kileno (corner kick)

YELLOW CARDS
40th minute: Kintel Kintalo
66th minute: Jedrzej Kosciukiewicz

Group W

With this loss against The Macabees, they're distancing themselves with 20 points in 9 games while the Northmen has 15 points in 9 games. Turori is still in first place with 21 points, also in 9 games. It's not over, but our chances are slim while there's an interesting battle for the 1st place between The Macabees and Turori. On matchday 11, Terre Septentrionale will receive Darkmania at Stade NordAir in Ville Jacques-Cartier while Turori will receive Pratapgadh and The Macabees will play away in Amurbia. Two easy games for Turori and The Macabees while the Nordiques are facing a tough opposent in Darkmania. This game will likely decides who finishes in 3rd place.

Wlodzimierz Pietruszewski
Senior writer, La tribune septentrionale

[Kita-Hinode]

Lucas sat on a pink couch inside the Pokémon Center. Ann Marie was chatting something to the nurse (apparently, she was named Joy) and Lloyd himself was busy fiddling with his phone, apparently downloading the entirety of a Pokémon encyclopedia they could then use in the field. He didn't seem to be paying much attention while hearing the eventual thud that was a sign of his Tyrogue slamming a training doll against the floor in a nearby room. He didn't seem to be thinking about anything, but soon a noise woke him up.

In the other side of the room he was at, there was a television showing the news. The host, an old, grizzly man talked with a baritone that simply couldn't be matched.

Host: After all that, the boy was thankfully saved from the rogue flying Wingull-shaped balloon. In other news, Anglian football prospect Matt Monteiro was officially signed by Kensington following his brief release by Carnegie Helland.

Lucas jumped up from the couch, amazed when he saw the picture on the screen. It was his brother.

H: In a move that was deemed "unexpected" by many following his injury, the Kensington Football Club announced they signed him last night with a youth contract. His medical bills will be covered by the Top League side and he's expected to be sent to the capital for proper treatment. Despite worries that he might not even be able to walk anymore, Kensington's president Bi Han said he was looking forward to watching Matt Monteiro running on Stanley Bridge's pitch.

Lucas had a bit of a smile on his face, something Ann Marie soon noticed.

AM: I see your brother is getting a new job, eh?
LM: Yeah... At least one of us is going to be a footballer.
Nurse Joy: It's not late for you either... Lucas, isn't it?
LM: Oh, y-yes. That's me.
NJ: Your friend Ann told me your story. Pretty rare of someone to take in Pokémon Training just to help a friend get two tickets to a rock show.
AM: Well, considering who he was, it's only fair.
LM: I'm trying to redeem myself...
NJ: Yes. She told me that too. In any case, your friend Lloyd is already downloading our foolproof Encyclopedia, so I'm sure you'll have a fun time.

Lucas sighed, nodding.

LM: Anything to clear my name, I guess.
NJ: What a cute little man...
LM: U-Uh...
AM: Huh. I found him pretty insufferable most of the times, to be honest.
NJ: From what you said, yes.

He frowned, crossing his arms.

LM: What else did you tell her, Ann?

[Turori]

Hualtia helps Eels return to Basics in Amurbia

The Bye week couldn't have come at a better point in the schedule for Klaillal Tuirma's Turori National Team as they needed the break to separate themselves from the terrible performance they had put in against then-bottom dwellers in Groupw W, Pratapgadh. The stunning defeat in Pratapgadh wasn't just a shock because of the result but the scoreline as well as it wasn't even a scenario where the Turori Eels were pressing for an equalized oat the end of the match. Instead, the Eels were down and checked out ready for their brief vacation from the World Cup Qualifiers. Luckily it seemed to be just what the doctor had ordered as Tuirma got contributions from a number of players when the team returned to action against Terre Septentrionale.

Indelli Nura'amura and Kentu Umaka'a had early goals for the Eels but it was the veteran Mirana Gotuai who stole the show coming off the bench and scoring a pair of goals to extend beyond any doubt the result on the day for the Turorians. Having re-energized their momentum and re-taken the Top Spot in Group W it was once again time to move on packing their bags to head back on the road to Amurbia.

Head coach Klaillal Tuirma challenged his team to return to their roots while they were in Amurbia and gave them the perfect opportunity to do so against a team ranked just 327th in the multiverse. After a strong start to the World Cup 83 Qualifiers with an opening matchday 6-0 victory over an un-ranked side then a solid 1-0 victory over their main qualification rivals The Macabees on matchday two, The Eels had slipped up conceding six goals in the next three matches. Cedniavella's Wiyauw An'maude had started every single match for the Eels but that was going to change when the team got to Amurbia as Timaala Hualtia would get the nod between the sticks for the first time during this qualification campaign. Hualtia was the goalkeeper of choice for the Vilita and Turori Under 21 squad during their near perfect run in the Di Bradini Cup ultimately falling just short as runners-up having lost the competition final to Cosumar's Under 21 squad.

Hualtia certainly did their part on the day keeping a clean sheet while the veteran Meldi'ita Mungwaii of Jungle Strike FC put the Eels in the lead after just 8 minutes. It would end up being the winning goal but certainly not the last for Tuirma's side as 20 year old Yeaddin Owls AFC midfielder Lati'ala Giaoka scored just their second career internationstatal tally during first half stoppage time to double the Eels lead and really kill any slim hopes that the home side had of thinking they could get back into the match during the second half.

The scoring wouldn't stop their however as Mirana Gotuai, the 35 year old Starblaydi based seemingly ageless Iskara Daii striker continued their late-career resurgence with yet another World Cup Qualifying goal to lead all Turorian players on the campaign. Gotuai was also the surprise top scorer for the Eels during their World Cup 82 Finals run that ultimately saw Turori narrowly miss out on the World Cup Title after defeat by Vilita in the World Cup Final.

Now, having regained their momentum, Tuirma and the Eels could return their focus towards closing out their qualification run so they could once again shift their focus to the World Cup 83 Finals and improving just one more place on their finish from Valanora and Apox.

Turori [3] - [0] Amurbia

:: Turori Goalscorers :: :: 8' Meldi'ita Mungwaii :: 45' Lati'ala Giaoka :: 65' Mirana Gotuai

:: Turori Statistics :: :: Possession: 62% :: Shots on Target: 6 :: Corner Kicks: 5

:: Amurbia Statistics :: :: Possession: 38% :: Shots on Target: 2 :: Corner Kicks: 3

---

'Turori Eels Lineup v. Amurbia ::
[GK]Timaala Hualtia, [D.]Yitizo Mpala'a, [D.]Amakli Inuro'o, [D.]Tarek Edgeli, [D.] Biliki Rona'atu'i, [ML] Kentu Umaka'a, [MC]Lati'ala Giaoka, [MC] Saito Koshiki, [MR] Timi'sala Koarena, [FC]Meldi'ita Mungwaii, [FC]Nua'oma Aikiki
BENCH::
[FC]Wiztsana Iretziia, [FC]Mirana Gotuai, [M]Indelli Nura'amura, [M]Mbdiai Akarenaa, [U ]Moumouni Verre'elali, [D]Lulu Pumaziiri, [GK]Wiyauw An'maude

---

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

BP on the road as WCQ heats up
by Oliver Stanley
The Post Senior Soccer Correspondent

The Commonwealth will look to clear another hurdle on their way to advancement to World Cup 83 in Equestria & Banija when they face second place Saltstead at King William VII National Park in Ashwell.

Pam Scott will hope that the performance from her side is back to normal service following the last away match against Eastfield Lodge.
Scott was happier with the defense against San Felix, a 2-1 victory, than she was after the match in New Lodger City, after having made a rare back to back selection on the back line with Derrick Briggs and Tracy Vasillias starting, with Sarah Foreman reclaiming her spot at right back. Scott made clear after the San Felix match that Stephens will continue to get playing time. "Anyone can have a bad night. He wasn't the only one, and he knows we don't punish players for having an off night. The rest of the squad picked him up in training and to his credit, he realized the situation and has put it past him now."

The Stallions are just 2 points behind Baker Park, and have been on a good run of form lately; after their manager Tlanx-Nulzk Hal came under fire earlier in the campaign for the performance of the side, they have rebounded, thank in no little part to Tlanx-Nulzk's good humored acknowledgement of his situation.

In previous circumstances similar to where BP are now, Scott has in the past gone to her bag of party tricks and showed off a masterclass in tactical play several times. With a solid front 7 clicking on nearly all cylinders right now, this may not be the time for a change in the system, but no one should be shocked if it happens.

lineup vs Saltstead:
Gordon; Bartok, Rasanamira, Arnold; Haller (C), Westmoreland, Taborn, Navarro; Bozeman; Sandoval, Patton
subs: Gaines, Stephens, Monaghan, Callum, Voss, Hayes, Sotolongo Wadsworth, Wagner

[Brusseldorf]

Online article, 16.08.19

Brusseldorf has continued into the second leg of the Qualifiers in a fashion similar to their run in WC82, sitting hopeful in 3rd place. In order to advance to the Finals, Los Alrededores need at least a win to the good over ladder one-ups Tornado Queendom. Brusseldorf fans at home are shocked by the performance of the 300-something ranked team. The Herald spoke with Brusseldorf Manager Craig Foster for his thoughts on the matter.

“Look obviously we need to take second from them and with the way they’re projecting, that’s going to be a battle that is fought for a little longer. There’s really nothing I can do to prepare for a game against them, and that’s what makes them so dangerous. There’s no TV broadcasts or newspaper articles coming out of that country, and every team that verses them seems to have no recollection of ever playing them. Our match will finish and I’ll just get a single scoreline from [their] games. Not even the scorers, just the final scoreline. So yeah, bit of a mystery to deal with them. I think in order to take Brusseldorfen football up a notch, we really need to make it to the finals, so I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure we get there.”

Brusseldorf has had a slow start to the second leg, with two ties and two points. Brusseldorf play Audioslavia for the second time, hoping to come away slightly better off, after a 6-3 drubbing in the first match.


Brusseldorf have played a disappointing two matches, both reaping a draw.

Los Alrededores diehard Mario Sánchez was available for a single comment as he ran past The Herald’s offices grasping what we assume was an Audioslavia tifo.
“VIVA LOS ALREDEDORES!”

[Qasden]

A Good Day to be a Qad, or Whatever Match Day 10 was

---

By Zacien Z.

You know, I've been hearing a lot of raucous uproar coming from the pub by my apartment in TVC. Something about the Vans doing good all of the sudden or something, I didn't really know. All I knew was that neither me nor my cat could get any sleep, which is saying something if a cat couldn't sleep through it. Still, it intrigued me enough to check the score of the game, and I was met with a rather interesting score. 5-2, the Blue-Reds pulling off an entertaining win for once against a team who, by name alone, seemed like they could've been in the wrong sport. Yeah, a win against them could've been expected if their offense wasn't as crazy as it was.

So, if that game got us 3 points, then we should have a bit of a lead, right? Well, if a draw in point totals with Recuecn counts as a lead, then so be it. The Qads were doing well and doing well isn't exactly in our playbook, even with Bjarnasson as manager. Within the matter of the next few matches, things could go extremely awry, like an inescapable quagmire of unluckiness. So even with a confident amount of points, the Vans really needed to step up against the last-placed team in the group, Caras. While the team may seem lackluster on the scoreboard, we can't just assume easy targets, especially when we're playing over there in, uh, Silberburg? Let's go with that, yeah.

How did the match go exactly? Well...

---

33' Milkface
48' Darsten
56' Xandreas
89' Bostun

---

...you could say it was a tad overkill

A strong hold of possession throughout the game, combined with the epic goalkeeping from keepers, Brickwall Abbott & Kai Metre, ended with a result we haven't really seen in a hot minute. Well, apart from the other day against Starcom, but still! It's another 3 points to the standings which, combined with some results from others in the groups, gave us this chart.

Pas mal, Qasden. Pas mal.

While I can't exactly say we have a confident hold of 1st place, the 2-point edge over the Unicorns does put us at a slight advantage, given they're on break this time around, meaning we can snag some more points out of nowhere! Speaking of this whatchamacallits, the Vans are returning to the mountainous southwest for the second-to-last qualifier at home, facing off against familiar faces, Kernovi, at the Stade de Solis in Fyre. Despite a history of just falling short, the gold team has refused more than once during this cycle to be a pushover, winning 4 of their games and even drawing Qasden at their last encounter. For both squads, this match is a major decider in their fates, with a Qasdonian win more than guaranteeing them a spot in the Top 2, while a Kernovian victory would see them pursue Qasden & Recuecn in order to overtake them.

Is there anything else I'm missing here? Starblaydia became the first team to be confirmed for their group's top 2, while BoF champions Hapilopper are fending off the top of Group N for as long as possible. Kita-Hinode is making a startling comeback, all the while Tornado Queendom proceeds to be a thorn in Audioslavia's side. Think that'll do for now. Will Qasden be able to strike once more after 2 incredible games? Could Kernovi spoil the celebrations and climb the ladder? Is it even possible for the standings to change so the graphics guy can do more besides changing the numbers and adding hidden URLs? Something like that will answer 'em, so stay tuned, stay updated, and stay alert for a future QADANS report on a fictional website near you!

[Freeport Isles]

The Freeport Free Press
Cup of Harmony bid sends Freeport clubs scrambling to update stadiums
by Dirty Rag

It's a good time to be in the hoofball stadium renovation business.

With last week's announcement that Freeport and the Busoga Islands would be bidding to host this cycle's Cup of Harmony came a flurry of activity from the nation's leading hoofball clubs to modernize and/or expand their stadiums in an effort to land a spot on the venue list for the tournament should the currently unopposed bid be approved by the World Cup Committee.

Leading the charge is Condottiere, who were already in the process of constructing a new stadium ahead of their debut in the top flight of the United League next season, but have reportedly hired Equestrian-based construction company MagiBuild to accelerate the process and ensure the completion of their new 59,000-seat venue in time for the Cup of Harmony. Meanwhile, Coastal Corsairs and Archmagus are looking to expand their current stadiums to meet the Freeport Hoofball Association's capacity and quality requirements, and are also likely to hire unicorn construction companies to ensure that the renovations are finished on time.

[Mriin]

Maal Memoirs
Sports
MAA Announces ‘Pokéchallenge’ for Teens

Aya Teluun
Maal, Mriin

The Mrii Athletics Authority has a long-standing tradition of early youth engagement and has done a lot of good keeping the nation active and healthy. But recent studies have shown that as students develop into the later years of schooling average physical activity plummets, as funding constraints generally mean only prodigies of sport get continued support. As a response to said studies as well as general murmurings that more work needs to be done developing future football talent--especially with how the Reavers are floundering about right now--the MAA has pushed out a new initiative that provides common (read: cheaper to maintain) facilities aimed at getting a slightly older demographic out and playing.

The central conceit of the ‘Pokéchallenge’ takes cues from a popular series of games--loosely based on real stories from Kita-Hinode (neé the various Sunrise Islands), I believe--in the concept of youths journeying across a region proving themselves in a series of tests. Conveniently for this analogy, the proving grounds in those games were called ‘gyms,’ making it easy for MAA admins to throw a fresh coat of paint and a few equipment upgrades on existing athletic complexes to match. Many disciplines will be supported, from the ever-popular track events to the burgeoning football scene and even new fads like weightlifting and caber tossing. Each gym will have local staff representing each sport that roving athletes and teams can challenge, each victory earning an ornamental badge. Once each badge available on an island has been collected, they can proceed to that island’s castle for the ultimate test against an ‘Elite’ opponent. Scholarships and sponsorships are likely should someone topple an Elite, and one can only wonder the renown that will come for enterprising youngsters that manage to complete the entire circuit.

Partnerships have been established among various rail, ferry, and even hiking companies to provide subsidized travel for registered challengers to ease the effort of reaching each gym. Talk of volunteer tour services have been bandied about as well, to make sure that those making the effort to make the trek get as much value from it as possible. You can expect to see these PR posters for the initiative to start popping up shortly, wherein our islands are lovingly rendered in the style of the game’s maps, along with full details on how to register and participate. Better get stretching--there’s going to be a lot to do!

[Equestrian States]

WORLD CUP 83
EQUESTRIA & BANIJA

Qualifying - Match Day 11 Cutoff

Today's MLP cutoff is a personal favorite of mine, Lullaby for a Princess. The MLP fandom is well-known for its production of quality music and animation, and Lullaby for a Princess combines both of those, with the use of an original song by ponyphonic brought to life and animated by WarpOut.

And, of course, some obligatory alternate cutoff tunes.

Results

[Bliuji]

*Inside Bliuji's locker room 20 minutes before game time*

All players came into the locker room after pre game stretches

"Lets do this man" Roman Aksakov said to Sidor Alexandrov

"Tonights our night" Sidor responded

"All right boys take a seat!" Andriy yelled

Head coach Andriy Shevchenko was pacing back and forth with a white bord in his hands

*Fans chanting*

"You hear that boys? the fans are hyped up to see us play, don't disapoint em tonight" said Andriy

Assistant coach Coach Raúl Riancho walked in shortly after

"This is it boys we gotta get it done, I know we had conflict lass night in the hotel but we can move on from that. We know how much talent you guys have and this is a team you can beat" said Andriy

Captain Erik Belov stood up from his seat

"Lets go boys we got this one in the bag, we tied this team last game but this is our time to get it done on the field once and for all, we've gone over the vods from last game and we will fix our mistakes this time. Remember what all this practice is for."

*All players walked out onto the field*

The place was going crazy you could hear the excitement from all the fans.

In the 16th minute, captain Erik Belov passed it to Striker Daniel Lyskov; he then danced through Tornado Queendom's defense and found himself on a breakaway and put it in the back of the net in the 16th minute.

In the 27th minute, Tornado Queendom's striker crossed one into the box to his team mate only for Andriy Pyatov to make an amazing save.

In the 32nd minute, Bliuji's midfielder Sidor Alexandrov stole the ball from Tornado Queendom's midfielder. Sidor bolted up the field and passed it too Gabriel Kolesnikov. Gabriel took a shot but Tornado Queendom's goalkeeper made an amazing save.

Next half in the 88th minute Tornado Queendom's striker found himself on a breakaway and put it top left corner for the easy goal.

Yet again Bliuji has an unfortunate draw. They did everything right up until the 88th minute. Tornado Queendom gave Bliuji a hard time.

[Savojarna]

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
The Jurtanen Secret: Where does Savojarna's new offensive power come from?

Even in its most successful days of the Savojarna - Vilita rivalry and the World Cup 81, or during the successful Copa days, the Savojar national team was not necessarily known for its strong offensive prowess. Instead, Savojarna got many of their important victories by a solid defence and deadly attacks from it. This all changed under the new coach, the Sumani-Landsmarker Olaf Jurtanen. Jurtanen is a fascinating figure in his own right: At age 37 and without any experience in the Savojar top flight of club football, he has taken over the Savojar national team and, in his first move, abolished the traditional gender division of the country. Jurtanen bypassed almost a decade of federation politics by simply calling up seven members of the internationally highly successful women's national team into his side, nominally still the Savojarna Men's National Football Team. Not only has he revolutionised the way Savojars understand their national team, but he has also given the side a new, refreshing playing style. The new offensive football of the Northlights is based on Jurtanen's almost obsessive understanding of tactics, circling around two central concepts: the Rover and vertical fluidity. But he has also managed to create a new fire in his players, many of whom have a much more offensive play than previously. What are the secrets of the Savojar offensive revolution?

1. Vertical fluidity
Instead of the old 4-4-2, which was often restricting the creativity of young midfielders with its strict horizontal lines, the Jurtanen system allows and even encourages a lot of movement up and down the pitch. The most notable element in this is striker Perttu Karjanen (see below), but also the central midfielders Andersson and Hoyman show a lot of mobility. Hoyman often advances the ball on his feet or sets up one-twos with the wingers, in a way that has been rarely done under previous coaches. The best example is the 2-2 against Natanians and Nosts, a team against whose defensive setup Savojarna struggled in the first half. With all the options in the front tightly covered, it was the rapid advancement of Hoyman that led to a gap, thanks to the defensive setup of the opponent suddenly no longer holding, which Karjanen eventually used to score. On the other side, Andersson often moves backwards between the defenders in order to give Hoyman more space to orchestrate the game from behind and allow his teammate to take more risky passes, as a loss of the ball puts the opposition up against five defenders. Additionally, it allows for the wingers to advance down the pitch as Andersson's deeper position gives additional security at the back.

It is clear that this is a common point in Jurtanen's philosophy. He has already followed a similar idea during his coaching stints in the Savojarna U19 and in the SFS 2, but it seems like the increased technical and tactical ability of the national team's players allows the Jurtanen system to truly shine. The amount of movement is often enough to severely disorient weaker opposition, and even top teams like Mriin had to give up uncharacteristically many chances against the fluid and fast Savojar side. Jurtanen's meticulous preparation of games also often shows in particular patterns. A prime example is the first match against Petrisi, where a weakness on the right side was exploited not only by Jashkin drifting in (and thus opening a gap by pulling the Petrisi fullback inwards), but also by Nurkanen relentlessly driving down the right sideline and pushing into the gap opened by Jashkin. The result were two Sigurdsdottir goals off crosses by Nurkanen and a goal by Jashkin, who successfully used the gap he created by his advancing teammate to get chances for shots himself.

2. The Rover

The Rover is maybe the signature move of Olaf Jurtanen's football. The concept of it is to take a minority in some parts of the field to free up one player to create. Jurtanen claimed to have created the concept in the U19 to deal with the issues of setting up a fluid, creative system with young players who rarely play together. Instead of setting up his entire team to be fluid and move around in an elaborate way, he relied on a more individualistic way of achieving a similar effect. When asked to describe the idea of the Rover, Jurtanen answered: "The point of it is to have a spare player. In the Savojar national team, that means that the 4-2-2-2 is essentially a 4-2-2-1, as if we were playing with a red card. Those nine players form a solid construct, one that is primarily holding the opponent back and moves the ball around securely. Within it, the tenth field player is basically not given any instructions, but supposed to find his own space and orchestrate the game. He can play as a pouncing striker if the situation allows, but also play as a playmaker in some sort of 4-2-3-1, or even as an additional defensive player if that is required. The idea is that all three offensive parts of the system - pivot players, offensive midfield, strikers - work without the Rover, but he can assist and overload wherever it is needed. The only way of really dealing with a Rover without compromising your defensive structure is either a comprehensive zone defence covering the whole pitch, which few teams can do, or a man-marking, which opens space for the others".

Perttu Karjanen might just be the best incarnation of the Rover so far. The nominal striker always was more of a pouncer who lurked between the lines, in the space around twenty to twenty-five metres from the goal, and rushed into the box if there was an opportunity. Now that he is coupled with Sigurdsdottir, a classical box striker, this role even intensified. Dropping back against defensive opponents, aggressively moving forward on counters, and occasionally drifting wide, Karjanen wrecked havoc with the opposition's defence. Despite having fewer goals per game than in any previous World Cup campaign, observers agree that it is probably his best campaign ever. Karjanen's value in Jurtanen's system is to bind opposing defenders and create space for Voynov and Sigurdsdottir, a job he does absolutely brilliantly. Additionally, he has shown an affinity for switching his place spontaneously with Hoyman or a winger, leading to further holes and confusion in the back line if the opponent decides to use a man-mark against him. Shutting down Karjanen is probably the key to beating this Savojar side, as demonstrated by Eura in the Copa Rushmori quarter-final, but few other teams have so far managed what the Eurans achieved.

3. Simon Omark's ball handling
When talking about offensive prowess, it is easy to forget about the backs. Simon Omark, Savojarna's central back leader, is probably currently one of the best CB's of the world when it comes to orchestrating play and driving the ball forward. Omark's passes are not only extremely precise (he has over 90% of passing accuracy throughout the campaign!) but also often very creative and dangerous. He also has proven to have great risk assessment, carrying the ball when necessary and possible but rarely ever running into an opposing press. Linne Kjaer is a great partner to Omark, as she can support his creativity by providing both a solid defence if he advances (in which case Andersson often drops back to assist her) as well as helping to carry the constructive load. The pair of two centre-backs who are extremely good footballers helps the Savojar team to uphold pressure from the back and to withstand an opposing press. This proved important in matches against top teams, and will be an incredibly valuable asset in both the remaining qualifying games and an eventual World Cup.

Going forward
So, with that said, what are the odds that Jurtanen's offensive power actually leads Savojarna to a World Cup? In short, good. The next two games for the Savojars take them first to an away game against third-placed Natanians and Nosts, and then to the final home match against Mriin. Currently, the Savojars are three points ahead of Mriin and four ahead of N&N, but have the hardest leftover program. Following the home match against Mriin, they get a bye day, during which their chasers will have home games against weaker-rated opposition. Assuming that they will both win these games - a reasonable assumption - the following calculation arises: A victory against Mriin (who have a bye day coming up before their match in Sjoedrhavn) would secure qualification for the play-offs, as that would assure that the Northlights finish ahead of the group's top seed. A draw or loss, however, would put them into difficult territory as they would be relying on help from already eliminated groupmates. Logically, that also means that a victory against Mriin is a prerequisite to win the group and thus direct qualification.

In the comparison with Natanians and Nosts, things are a bit more difficult as the N&N's have a game in hand. Assuming six points out of the two remaining games against already eliminated teams for the Natanians and Nosts, that would mean that even a victory for Savojarna would only give them equal points if the Savojars lose to Mriin. In that case the Northlights would likely win on goal difference, meaning that a victory against N&N should be enough for them to secure playoffs independently of the Mriin game. However, a draw might be enough if the Savojars beat Mriin, in which case they would win the group. We displayed the options below, assuming that both Mriin and N&N maintain a perfect record in their leftover games:

Savojarna qualify directly if they:
Win against N&N and win against Mriin
Win against N&N and draw against Mriin
Draw against N&N and win against Mriin.

Savojarna qualify for play-offs if they:
Win against N&N and lose against Mriin
Draw against N&N and win against Mriin
Draw against N&N and draw against Mriin
Lose against N&N and win against Mriin
Lose against N&N and draw against Mriin.

Savojarna are out if they:
Draw against N&N and draw against Mriin, if Mriin win their last game with six or more goals difference
Lose against N&N and draw against Mriin, if the combined goal difference of Savojarna vs. N&N and Mriin vs. Zealandiana is six goals or more
Lose against N&N and lose against Mriin.

[Nephara]

No 2 - 3 Nephara
(4-4-2) 1 - Swoboda; 2 - Longship, 5 - Thorn, 22 - Brosch, 19 - Rouphos; 7 - Fanaiyan, 4 - Shone (15 - Rosenthal 72'), 8 - Klein (c), 11 - Strongbow (16 - Deventer 81'); 17 - Bastable, 10 - Metzger
Goals: Metzger 17', Fanaiyan 25', Bastable 66'

Hesterine Mercator was struggling, according to some commentators. She resented that. It was hard to look good under circumstances these, out on a turkey shoot in a qualifying run they'd pretty much cleared out, with a plan that relied on swarming defensive teams to death.
She'd had one genuinely kind of bad game. Should definitely have kept out something from Ethane. Most of the other times... well, there'd been a lot of getting gashed on the counter, while the team figured out the kinks in its defensive play. A phrasing which had gotten Mercator into trouble, once; turns out people didn't want to know about the kinks she had. Except Nike, inevitably.
Still, she knew the problem wasn't with her. She might not have had a particularly exceptional cycle thus far, but the real tests hadn't come yet. She'd be ready for them, when they did.

But she wasn't sure if Strauss was reading from the same hymn-sheet.
Some Nepharim managers of the recent past rotated in swathes, making wholesale changes for easier fixtures. Strauss wasn't like that. She made changes piece by piece, guy by guy, saw how an individual player worked with the team.
So Swoboda being back between the posts could've meant one of two things;
a) Strauss saw this as an opportunity to give Swoboda some game time, ensure he could click with the defenders, or;
b) Strauss was legitimately testing Swoboda as the recognised number 1.
Mercator hoped to God it was A. Though what could really be learned in a match like this?

Not that it was going terribly well. It would be easy to accuse the pitch of being a cow paddock, except that farmers tended to agree that cows didn't mix well with sand. The Cormorants were knocking it about without much success, trying desperately to stick to their principles on a pitch that hated them.
Unsurprisingly, they achieved better results just trying to lump it long, and that was ultimately what gave them the breakthrough. Cross from Rouphos, head of Metzger, goal. Cross from Strongbow, flick-on from Metzger, goal for Fanaiyan. Cross from Strongbow, head of Bastable... you get the idea.
Any attempt at anything more sophisticated tended to go badly, and it kind of set the tone of the game when at the beginning of the second half, a burly brute of a full-back hurled a throw-in into the mixer, it bounced once, awkwardly, and a canny poacher tucked home as Swoboda elbow-dropped marginally too late. This was not a game for screamers, though certainly Klein had tried a few that hadn't quite sat for her.

Still, at 3-1 up, all the Cormorants had to do was sit back and relax. They couldn't drop it now, five minutes left.
To their credit, the hosts didn't stop pressing. Two more goals would take a miracle, but what was the point in sitting back and waiting for death? Besides, maybe things would fall their way. Maybe their pressing would force ... well, at least encourage Nike Rouphos to pass back to the goalkeeper.
Maybe Rouphos would pass it back fairly firmly, to make sure it made the distance on this weird, shitty pitch.
Maybe the weird, shitty pitch would, indeed, throw up an awkward bobble as anticipated.
Maybe the awkward bobble would take the ball over the top of Swoboda's boot, and he stumbled, and watched on in horror as the same poacher as before sprinted on past him and tapped the ball the rest of the way into the net.
Mercator was lucky. Her resting bitch face was legendary. And no sign of the intense amusement she felt displayed for the cameras...

[Starblaydia]

Cruising to... Where, Exactly?
Second home defeat in a row frustrates fans

The plan following the Axuva match was to have wrapped up Qualification with two games to go, so the team could take their foot off the gas and coast into the World Cup Finals. The plan was most decidedly not, however, to fail to score for the second home game in a row and have the near 200,000 fans leave the Stadii Di Bradini having seen two dismal 1-0 losses on the bounce. Both of these results meant that the visiting teams got revenge over the five-times World Champions for four-goal defeats, by was of 4-0 and 7-4 respectively. First Tamgu and now Abanhfleft have headed back from Jhanna International Airport with a vital three points, and with one solitary home game remaining the average fan is wondering quite how close to the wire this is going to get. Slipping up on the road to Ancherion, the only team who took any points whatsoever off Starblaydia, could mean that it all, incredibly, would come down to the final Matchday. and a required result against Saciu. The mathematics is still there for Devonta to somehow beat the odds and top this group, and it's not something Ázëwyn Fëanáro is taking lightly.

"The truth is, neither of those home game performances were acceptable," the Starblaydi head coach said after the match, "and one blip turned into two, and that shows us there's still much more work to be done in both in terms of takign our opportunities, but also in how we close a game, and indeed a group, out. Both four and eight years ago in Qualifying it was tremendous records to close out the group that we relied on to get us into those top spots, and this time we've sorted out our opening form, but the tail end has suffered. We're going to take a long hard look over the next few days at both our team and our individual performances and decisions so we can get to where we want to be, and where we think we deserve to be."

Starblaydia's problems have mostly stemmed from their defence, conceding plenty of sloppy goals despite seemingly being able to score at-will in practically every other match. With just a back three and a single defensive midfielder - no matter how good Viola Capodanno is - any concerted opposition attack leaves the back door wide open to concerted pressure. What if, dare we say it, Starblaydia should switch things up and go back to a four-four-two? Unfortunately, this most classic of all Starblaydi formations means they'd be missing out on one of their most talented midfielders. Who would you drop when faced with Viola Capodanno, Kota Sato, Arkady Krakowskim Calindra Apelles and Kaori Yamaguchi? You're replacing one of those with an extra defender who's either unproven, in the case of young Falka Kaumolainen or Henri Apollo, or defenders who should really be better than they currently are like Arnold Navarro [No offence, Arnie, but you're twenty-seven and we don't even know how you've made it into the squad - Ed.].

This is a condundrum that is being talked about on sports shows, podcasts and in bars across the nation and beyond. Just how does Fëanáro fix this and get Starblaydia assured of their place in the Finals, and then having them make a deep run in the knockout stages to actually back up that 11th ranking? Thankfully, that's the reason she's paid the big bucks, and the rest of us have no responsibility over that task whatsoever.

  Group T                          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  Max
1 Starblaydia                       10    7   1   2    29   16  +13    22   28  *
2 Devonta                            9    4   3   2    17   12   +5    15   24
3 Ancherion                          9    3   3   3    17   17    0    12   21  ^
4 Saciu                             10    3   3   4    18   21   −3    12   18  ^
5 Abanhfleft                         9    3   2   4    16   20   −4    11   20  ^
6 Axuva                             10    3   1   6    14   20   −6    10   16  ^
7 Tamgu                              9    2   3   4    12   17   −5     9   18  ^

* Guaranteed at least a Playoff spot
^ Cannot win group

[Cassadaigua]

Sitting down with Zack Pierce,
by Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

At 25 years of age, Zack Pierce is entering his third World Cup as a starting midfielder. He sports the number nine proudly, and has been most effective along the right wing, letting Sierra Mattison or Shelby Martin take care of the dirty work in the middle of the field. Zack is not the first man to ever play for the Cassadagan World Cup soccer team, and he is not the first man to have considerable success playing a professional sport at the highest of levels. However, what he has become is a role model, and many young boys throughout Dagan Airways Stadium are seen wearing the #9 kit. It didn’t occur to me until very recently how much of an inspiration he has become until I had a discussion with a couple of my colleagues about who we thought the next retired kit number would be, if there ever would be one. For me, the quick answer was Hannah Ranucci. She has been such a goal scoring leader for this team, but when Pierce was mentioned as the top candidate it really struck me as being a great answer. We have not talked about this because he is only 25, and if his current form holds up, he should have two or three more World Cups in him.

Prior to Cassadaigua’s 5-2 at home against Abaja, a victory that increased their lead to six over that rival in the group, with a game in hand, and seven over Crystalline Caverns, of whom they are equal with in games played, I talked to Zack and asked him some questions about what it was like for him growing up, and what he feels about being such a role model now. It was an interview more with me allowing him to tell his story, rather then a conversational format. I began to ask him to tell me about what it was like for him growing up, and getting started.

“My parents enrolled in me all kinds of youth sports when I was growing up on the west side of Brattleboro. I enjoyed all of them, but by the time I was about nine, I really liked soccer the most. Lacrosse was another sport that I enjoyed and felt that I was good at, so they spent some money for me to attend more advanced soccer camps. These would be the first co-ed things that I would do, and playing against girls was something that I knew that I could do.” He went to tell me about the motivation from his father, “My dad played three sports in high school, and played soccer in college at Western Brattleboro College, and he played in the midfield. They were different teams, men and women, and it was in school where he ended up meeting my mother. Anyway, he told me that there would always be a hint of gender discrimination that I would face, but for the most part in Cassadaigua, opportunities for men are all out there, it’s just that men had to stop whining about the discrepancies that were prevalent, and capitalize on the opportunities that were there, because once enough men capitalized on those opportunities, the discrepancies would have no choice but to go away.”

Excellent words to live by. Zack then moved on tell me about his experiences in high school, continuing to play on segregated teams. “The youth soccer teams that I played for were mixed gender, and I had great coaches who did work hard to instruct me and teach me the all the details about the game. They could see that I was hungry to learn, and I really played very well there. All of the female players were very supportive of me too. As I got a little older, say around 13 or 14, that is when I really started to be my best, because I wanted to be a great player, but I always knew that a few of them were crushing over me, too. (Laughs).” Zack says that it was all business, though. “That was never a distraction to me. I may have not been a complete saint, but I was really enjoying that. Going into high school, it was a downer to have to play on segregated teams again, and it really wasn’t fun anymore.” I asked him why, and he replied, “I was so much better then everyone else. Yes, I was the leading goal scorer in the region for boy’s soccer, and that got me some attention but it was annoying hearing people in the press saying that I could be doing good playing soccer against girls, too. I already knew that, and that’s where I wanted to be, but that’s not the way that it was, and it was frustrating.”

Zack Pierce graduated high school as the highest goal scorer in the history of Brattleboro area boys soccer. It was an award that Pierce was presented with at a ceremony, but for him, it was like being congratulated for being a major league player beating up minor leaguers, but never getting the call up for the big time. It became all the more frustrating for him because all of the press were suggesting that he would have thrived against girls too, as if that was something that Pierce never thought about, or didn’t agree would happen. His coaches, as well as rival coaches all agreed with that overall sentiment. After graduation, Pierce accepted a full scholarship to play soccer, boys soccer, at the University of Concord Heights. He would have followed the lead of his parents by going to Western Brattleboro, but the chance to go to UCH on a full scholarship was something that he could not pass up. He got many other scholarships, including the closer Brattleboro Tech, but he told me that, “Tech school was not for me. At that point in my life, getting a good education was paramount. As a male athlete, you can’t depend on sports, although I always felt that I would be able to do something. Professional teams would put men on their roster if they were good enough, it just was not something that you saw at the college level. So, I did feel that if I played well at UCH I would get the opportunity to play soccer professionally, but if not, I would be getting a great education while I was there, and I would certainly be able to apply that.”

In college, Pierce was very successful as a freshman, being the leader of the team and immediately making a name for himself. Therefore, he got a couple of phone calls, one from the Cassadagan Association for Soccer Excellence, and their President, Taylor Connolly. “To get a phone call from Taylor was something in itself that was an honor, but that would be the first major break for me, in being named to the roster for the Di Bradini Cup 42 team. Not only would I be a part of the team, I would be part of the starting lineup. At that moment, I could only think of the advice that my father gave me. I never whined about the discrepancies and the discriminations that were out there, I just capitalized on the opportunities that were out there for me. In a sense, the timing was perfect for me, and I made the most of it.” The timing was perfect, because this paralleled the same time when Queen Cassie II ordered Cassadagan sports associations to make a greater effort to become more gender inclusive, something that at the time was nationally celebrated by MEN (Male Equality Now). Not that long after playing in the Di Bradini Cup, Pierce had another chance: the Baker Park Open Cup. “The Baker Park competition was something that I had never planned for, since it was a first time thing. It was another one of those opportunities, and while it was an all-men’s team, we knew that we would be playing against many team’s of women there. I was also honored to be named that captain of that team, and we really wanted to show that we could succeed in that. We were motivated so much more when we saw the people back home were really watching us. Not just men, but women too. They wanted to see us succeed in that tournament. When we won that title, it was a true honor, but the greatest trophy that I had ever won.”

The success in the Baker Park Open Cup led to Pierce, as well as others being named to the World Cup 81 roster. Pierce, however, would have the highest profile, and became part of the starting lineup. He now enters his third World Cup as a well known name in Cassadagan soccer, and an inspiration to young boys. In his downtime, Zack makes every effort to motivate these young kids, “I tell them what my father told me. There will never stop being some discrimination, but don’t let get in the way, because there will be opportunities. Those are opportunities are there, and when they come, capitalize on them.” Pierce goes on to say, “You don’t have to be a professional athlete to take that advice, in all walks of life, no matter what you do, overcome those who may not want you to succeed by doing your thing. In the long run, most people want you to succeed.”

Zack is still a young athlete himself. At 25, he is just entering the prime of his career, both at home and with the national team. Pierce also said that he never has considered playing soccer internationally because he believes it is very important for him to continue playing at home. I think we are all glad for that.


(Below for my record keeping):
Team goal scorers vs Bengaliana: Sierra Mattison (4) 21', Zack Pierce (4) 31', Chelsea Monroe (1) 62', Breanne Rothers (1) 75'

Team goal scorers vs Abaja: Hannah Ranucci (6) 7', Rachel Schanke (5) 12', Ranucci (7) 25', Caitlyn Mayer (3) 52', Mayer (4) 70'.

[The Sarian]

The Cappuccino Catch-up
in association with the committee for things that seemed like a good idea at the time

Who's who? The 43 candidates running for President in 100 words*:
*ish

Part Four of Four

Trevor Score (Get Money Out of Politics)
Trevor Score is an activist from Beaumont, running in the Presidential election under the ballot description 'Get Money Out of Politics'. As the name suggests, he is running with the sole aim of instituting public funding for political parties, arguing that the current system gives a 'disproportionate' advantage to the wealthiest donor class in society, and to trade unions. Refusing to take any corporate donations, Score's campaign is funded entirely by his backers. The financial viability of this campaign is questionable, however, as our poll tracker has him on just 0.2%.

Maximillian Scott (Taxation is Theft)
A self-described 'Radical Libertarian', Maximillian Scott is a political commentator for The Gazette and Herald and author of several books. Claiming to be head of a movement, he vows to half income tax across every bracket in his first day in office and work towards eliminating income tax altogether. He also promises to clash 'non-vital' public services saying that private business and charity is 'proven' to be more effective, and that the Union government had overstepped and placed itself in the middle of everyone's life. Despite his national profile, our poll tracker has him on 0.4%.

Isabella Shah (Radical Association)
It is perhaps a testament to the successes the Radical Association has had over recent years that much of their programme has been adopted by the National Liberal Coalition. Despite this, Isabella Shah remains upbeat stating in a recent interview that the Radical Association 'continues to provide radical liberal thinking that can change the Union for good'. In addition to their usual headline policies of Universal Basic Income and electoral reform, the party is also vowing tax cuts for the lowest paid and a relaxed immigration policy.

Annabelle Short (The Movement)
Anabelle Short leads The Movement, a split from 'The Popular Movement'. Ironically, she polls above her former Party by around 0.8% according to our poll tracker. A former Councillor for Unite!, Short describes her ideology as 'big idea leftism'. Her manifesto includes many pledges, such as to abolish GDP as a measure for economic growth, institute 'donut economics' where the government does not seek to grow the economy. Short has vowed to stand a full slate of candidates in next year's Union Convention elections.

Bradley Stokes (Ecology Party)
Bradley Stokes, the business leader of the Ecology Party in the Senate has been selected as their Presidential nominee. In keeping with the Ecology party's brand of social conservatism, economic centrism, environmentalism and - above all - NIMBYism, Stokes has taken a strong stance against building on the Green Belt and has put the issue front and centre of his campaign. He also vows to remove the ban of faith schools, enforce higher water-quality standards and invest heavily in youth sport. Our poll tracker has him on 1.2%, though his campaign expects second preferences to allow him to progress to the second round.

Muhammad Tukan (United Liberal Party)
Muhammad Tukan is the first ethnic minority candidate for the United Liberal Party, who impressively have managed to maintain a presence in Sari politics some forty years after the formation of the National Liberal Coalition. Like all ULP elected representatives, Tukan is a local councillor and has stated that he will take the lessons learned from his period in local government and apply them nationwide. His other key pledges are the building of new GAL Housing, an increase in the education budget and stronger legal protections for the trans* community.

Egbert Van Buren (Reform Alliance)
The Reform Alliance put forward a full slate of candidates at the last Union Convention and although caused a stir in the pre-election debates failed to make a splash when the actual results came in. The lead candidate from that election, Egbert Van Buren, returns to the national spotlight as the party's Presidential nominee. No doubt disappointed that there won't be debates, he nonetheless has used social media to great effect to drive home his key message of reforming the voting system Alternative Vote to First Past The Post and abolish the Senate.

Chris Wallington (Alliance for Green Socialism)
Perhaps the most exciting new entry in Union politics for many years, the Alliance for Green Socialism was formed from the Green Party collaborating with splitters from Unite! and The Communist Party to form 'a genuine alternative to the politics of old'. Attracting celebrity endorsements from the likes of the band Borderline and the actor Lucy Boyle, they are looking to become the major force on the left of Sari politics. Nominee Chris Wallington, a former Communist MLA, has said that he will 'radically' transform the economy and dismiss the anthropocentric view of tackling climate change.

Sarianne Williamson (Healing the Sari Soul)
Maybe the most out-of-the-box of all the 43 candidates running for President, Sarianne Williamson is a former spiritual guru who has pledged to institute 'not just a new plan, but a new way of thinking'. Light on policy proposals, Williamson has called herself a 'radical dreamer' and 'warrior of love'. Simultaneously running for WorldVision Committee, she is gaining an increased media profile across the multiverse with her unorthodox political statements being quoted across social media. Strenuously denying campaigning under the influence of Cannabis, Williamson may not win the Presidency but she has certainly been the most entertaining candidate thusfar.

Henry Wu (Immigrants Party)
Henry Wu stands as the candidate for the Immigrants Party, a stalwart of inner-city politics for over thirty years. Continuing the parties aim of fighting racism, xenophobia and ignorance of all forms, Wu himself is a second-generation immigrant from Electrum. Wu has said that he would institute an audit into discrepancies in racial sentencing in his first act as President, as well as fight to improve police relationships with immigrant and ethnic minority communities. He has also stated that he would like to see all Sari children leave school with the knowledge of at least one foreign language and go on at least one foreign trip during their schooling.

The Cappuccino Catch-up is a daily service run by The Union newspaper, a liberal leaning paper which distributes across The Sarian. Costing just one imperia a month, the Catch-up provides short form stories straight to your inbox every morning. With exclusive content across politics, business and sport, the Cappuccino Catch-up is a must read for working professionals across the nation.

Lineup vs Osarius (4-5-1 DM): O. Bernstein; B. Saxon-White, P. Fitzsimons, A. Grieg, K. Sinclair; E. Pointing; F. Hawking, F. Da Souza, I. Stanway, M. Jones; L. Pieterson

[Jeruselem]

Princess Kate at Dazza Dallas Stadium after Jeruselem drew with Saintland 1-1 ...

This is Princess Kate for Naked News Jeruselem, we're back home at Dazza Dallas Stadium. Saintland were the visitors and a draw here with the Princesses 1-1 meant both teams got eliminated. Well, it means only Vilita, Busoga Islands and Mattijana can still qualify from Group X. And it's far from settled! Mattijana beat Vartugia 3-1 in Vartugia and Busoga Islands beat last placed Asdia 3-0. Vilita who are the number 1 seed and the group leader are in fact, at risk of not making the finals if they don't keep out the opposition.

A look at the shows Vilita leading by goal difference, over Busoga Islands. But it's only like +17 vs +13, so those two on 20 points should stay there. Mattijana are on 18 points but their goal difference is +4. Mattijana need to win the last two games of their and hope the top 2 stumble. Given how close this group is, it's not impossible.

Jeruselem are eliminated, we were pretty much when we lost two games in 3 in the first three games of the 2nd half. We actually have been scoring more goals in the 2nd half of qualifying than we did in the 1st half, but we've been conceding more goals as well. Yes we're scoring goals but we're not keeping them out ... because I guess we're getting caught too far forward. I guess we can play with more freedom last two games because it doesn't matter what we do. Hopefully 2 wins ...

My mother Princess Cassie will be retiring from touring with the World Cup team after this one. I've been covering the home games, so guess who's taking over her job. If you can't figure that one out, you're an idiot. Not to worry about her disappearing! She's still doing finance and crypto reports because you don't need to go anywhere to do those.

We will keep on covering the World Cup, but the last qualifying game is a bye for us. We're not even going make playoffs so it doesn't matter what we do. The fight is for Vilita to keep away it's main rival and a potential bolter.

[Tamgu]

UBIRA LIGA STARTS WITH A BANG

Domestic football in Tamgu has restarted in the off day of the national team. The previous champions, Pritoria Igno have demolished the 1.Liga champions of last year, Kroinen FK, with an embarassing 7-0 score. The score could've been even worse but the keeper of Kroinen made an impressive 12 saves, and an unimpressive 7 goals conceded. The flames look better than last year and seem to be clear candidates for the title again. The disappointed Kroinen side thought they had the quality to maybe get a draw from the reigining champions, but they seem to be heavily unready to the season. They have a week to prepare for the next match, which will be relatively easier for them. PISK have Partizan Remeno, their bitter rivals next, a victory in that game would mean the world to both teams so early on the season. We can only wait and see what's going to happen.

Match Overview: Pritoria Igno VS Kroinen FK
Posession: 77-28
Shots: 22(19)-3(1)
Fouls(OS): 6(2)-11(5)
Passes: 733-242
Pass%: 95-81
Corners: 8-1

[South Covello]

Trial of Jacob Brackers, Part 4

Lucinda Pringle: Court is back in session at 9:02 AM. Ms. Scottson, are you ready to call your first witness?

Dalia Scottson: Yes, Your Honor. The people call Anna Brainerd.

The court officer escorts Brainerd to the witness stand

Lucinda Pringle: Ms. Brainerd, do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

Anna Brainerd: Yes.

Lucinda Pringle: Please proceed, Ms. Scottson.

Dalia Scottson: Thank you, Your Honor. Ms. Brainerd, can you start by stating your name for the recod?

Anna Brainerd: Anna, that's A-N-N-A, Brainerd, B-R-A-I-N-E-R-D.

Dalia Scottson: And what, if anything, is your current occupation?

Anna Brainerd: I am a professor of political scinece at Baycoast University.

Dalia Scottson: This is a copy of your CV. Your Honor, mark as Defense Exhibit 6.

Lucinda Pringle: So marked.

Dalia Scottson: Now, you have a PhD in political science from the Free Republics as well as many yeas as a professor there before coming here, correct?

Anna Brainerd: Yes, that is correct.

Dalia Scottson: And what, if anything, is your speciality field of study?

Anna Brainerd: I study the rise and fall of tyrants throughout history.

Dalia Scottson: Now, during your time in the Free Republics, did you experience any such tyrants?

Anna Brainerd: Yes, I was present for the rules of Consuls Reino Kulseth and Caleb O'Reilly, the latter being the man better known as Dumpy O'Rumpy.

Dalia Scottson: And what, if anything, did Kulseth and O'Reilly have in common with other tyrants?

Anna Brainerd: First of all, they're both very charismatic.

Dalia Scottson: But a lot of people are very charismatic and not tyrants, so surely this alone shouldn't be taken as a sign?

Anna Brainerd: No, of course not. But charisma allows them to convicne people of their evil.

Dalia Scottson: So, go on now, what are the other signs of a tyrant?

Anna Brainerd: Well both Kulseth and O'Reilly attempted with a good deal of success, at least temporarily, to subvert the democatic process in the Free Republics. They both made boisterous, empty promises to restore the Free Republics to glory.

Dalia Scottson: So sort of like Carter Redwin promised to "Make South Covello Great Again"?

Anna Brainerd: Exactly like that. In fact, he literally borrowed the phrase from O'Reily's promises to "Make Republica Great Again."

Dalia Scottson: Is there anything else they have in common?

Anna Brainerd: Yes, they all tend to find scapegoats. For Kulseth, that was non-Christians. For O'Reilly, that was anyone he viewed as not complying with his rather ridiculous rules, including political opponents like the Nicholls family. For Redwin, it's anyone who's not a straight, white, Christian male.

Dalia Scottson: And what do they do with these scapegoats?

Anna Brainerd: They demonize them, they threaten them, and once they take office, they persecute them, throw them in jail, or worse, kill them. There is no doubt in my mind that given enough time, Reino Kulseth would have launched a mass genocide of non-Christians. He was just waiting for the right moment.

Dalia Scottson: And what about Carter Redwin?

Anna Brainerd: You only need to look at his speech. He promised to abolish, arrest, and execute Congress and launch a mass genocide of all minorities as soon as he took office.

Dalia Scottson: Is there any doubt in your mind that he would have followed through given the opportunity?

Anna Brainerd: No, there is none.

Dalia Scottson: So it was necessary to stop him before he was given that opportunity?

Anna Brainerd: Yes, it was.

Dalia Scottson: In order to avert a destruction of democracy and mass genocide of all minorities?

Anna Brainerd: Yes, that is correct.

Anna Brainerd's testimony continued for another hour with some more history lessons on tyrants ranging from the Republican Consuls to Lord Almighty Gregory, and further information on the anti-Gregist Revolution and the fact that it too started with the Lord Almighty Gregory being shot and killed. Scottson concludes her direct examination at 11:30 or so and Judge Pringle breaks for lunch before Daxter McLean cross-examines her.

Lucinda Pringle: Court is back in session at 12:32. Mr. McLean, are you ready for cross?

Daxter McLean: Yes, Your Honor.

Lucinda Pringle: Proceed.

Daxter McLean: So, Ms. Brainerd, how exactly did attempts to overturn Consul Kulseth end?

Lucinda Pringle: Well, there was a war, but that was caused by Consul Kulseth himself threatening and attacking other countries. Eventually they invaded back and Kulseth committed suicide to avoid capture.

Daxter McLean: But there was a war, correct?

Lucinda Pringle: I think you're missing the point. Kulseth started the war himself.

Daxter McLean: Please answer the questions I ask.

Dalia Scottson: Your Honor, sounds to me like Professor Brainerd is answering the questions with the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth as required.

Lucinda Pringle: I agree. Mr. McLean, if you don't like the answer, don't ask the question.

Daxter McLean: If you're going to torpedo my cross, I have nothing further. I raise a formal objection, though.

Lucinda Pringle: Noted. Ms. Scottson, call your next witness.

The defense called other witnesses over the next few days, including other professors of political science, survivors of violence by Redwin supporters at the immigration brunch, mosque, synagogue, and black church, and from anti-Redwin protesters who testified about the violence they experienced thanks to Redwin. They opted not to call Jacob Brackers himself, believing their case to be solid enough and not wanting to subject him to cross-examination. Judge Pringle set closing statements for the next morning, at which point the jury would begin deliberations.

[The Macabees]

THE WITCH EMELIE, XII
Previous: I, II. III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI


Emelie Reverie's head was fully in her work when the detective and investigator walked into the main medical office. There were other staff members in the room, as well. Most were just as busy, but some rose their heads to see the security officers come in. Giving Emelie a look, they put down their tools and walked out. The others did so as well, as soon as they noticed. Finally, Emelie seemed to get a whiff of the change in the room's mood and she picked up her head. WHen she saw Ineke and Leender, her eyes narrowed. "Today is not a good day," she said.

"It's a better day for Frapto and Klasos," Ineke responded, "being dead and all."

"That's not fair," said Emelie.

Ineke shrugged and Leender spoke. "What is the nature of your relationship with Mr. Jerispo, the Director of the Association?"

"Strictly professional," replied Emelie, quickly ⁠— too quickly.

"Oh, is that right?" asked Leender. "What were you doing in his office earlier? Reviewing paperwork? Going over the latest research trends? Or, were you giving him a blowjob? Why are you bullshitting us, Emelie? You don't gain by lying to us, you know that. So, I'm going to ask you again. What is the nature of your relationship with Mr. Jerispo?"

This time, the doctor sighed. She answered, "We've been having an on-and-off-again affair for the past three years. You aren't going to say anything to anyone, are you? His wife would be devastated. His whole life would fall apart. You can't do that to him. You can't!"

"Were you thinking about his wife when you were on top of him?" cut Ineke.

Emelie gave her a villainous glare but said nothing. Leender said, "Nothing to say to that, huh? Anyways, did Mr. Jerispo know about your relationship with Frapto Nevara and Klasos Derag?"

She nodded. Leender continued, "I'm sure he didn't take too kindly to someone...infringing on his property. Isn't that right, Emelie?"

She nodded again.

Ineke jumped in. "Do you keep daily inventory accounts of the chemicals, compounds, and other sensitive resources that come into and leave the medical floor?"

"Yes, we do," said Emelie.

"We're going to need those," said the detective.

"Do you have a warrant?" asked the doctor.

Leender chuckled. "You can either make this easy for us, something we'll remember. Or, you can make it hard for us, something we'll remember. It's up to you. Which one will it be? Are we going to need to get that warrant, which you know we'll get? Or, are you just going to hand over the documents we're asking for? I'm assuming the accounting her is watertight, so I'm not sure what you'd be hiding anyways. It just seems more reasonable to make this entire process easy, doesn't it?" He stepped closer to her. "Why don't you go get those books?"

Relenting, finally, Emelie lifted herself from the stool she was sitting on and walked over to a cabinet by the far wall. Opening the door, she extracted a thick binder filled with paperwork. She threw it on the empty countertop in front of the investigator. "Here you go," she said. "Take it."

"Thank you," said Ineke. Turning to Leender, she added, "Let's go."

He looked at Emelie, then back to Ineke, and finally said, "Right behind you, boss."

[Timuria]

Draw Salvaged as Path Narrows

by Tufan Nursultan

95X 4–4 Timuria
Sydney Hardin (22, 38), Alix Ajax (35), Micah Morrison (54); Vatan Ercetin (44), Ertan Renda (58), Metin Aytacoglu (71), Mehmet Karaman (88)

The Red Wolves face an incredibly difficult path to the playoffs after a draw with 95X left the team officially eliminated from automatic qualification. As it stands the national team will need to win all of their remaining matches and hope that 95X fail to win any of their final two matches.

The early stages of the match was a tentative affair with both teams knowing that a defeat would leave them in a difficult position. The hosts struck first with Sydney Hardin making Ozbek Sarikaya look extremely sluggish on her way to placing a shot beyond the fingertips of Iskender Nur. The Red Wolves came close to an equaliser with Caner Turan's speculative effort stinging the palms of Lauren Hills as she tipped it over the bar.

Shortly after Caner Turan's effort, Alix Ajax found themselves in space and managed to produce a shot that was too hot for Iskender Nur to handle as despite him getting a hand to it, the ball managed to squirm into the back of the net leaving the national team 2 goals behind. Sydney Hardin once again made Ozbek Sarikaya look a step slow by simply outpacing him and fired past a sprawling Iskender who couldn't get any kind of break from his defence in the first half. Vatan Ercetin managed to provide a glimmer of hope for the national team who looked like they would be heading for elimination with a superb solo effort through the middle of the pitch resulting in a chip over Lauren Hills rolling into the net.

With the Red Wolves only 2 goals behind and having just grabbed a goal before the break, many would be forgiven for thinking they would come out firing in the second half, however, any positive momentum was stunted by Micah Morrison outmaneuvering Gokdeniz Dag so badly that Gokdeniz was brought off shortly after his goal. However the deficit would once again be cut back to two by an Ertan Renda free-kick whistling into the top corner. Despite this positive moment, Ertan would be a victim of the energy bug, pulling up as he chased the ball and being replaced by Metin Aytacoglu. This substitution would be somewhat fortuitous as Metin scored from a volley at the edge of the box.

With the match in its closing stages and the hosts one goal up, Iskender Nur produced one of the best saves of the qualification campaign clawing out Alix Ajax's excellent effort from long range. Disaster then struck again for the Red Wolves with Vatan Ercetin forced off due to an injury to his shoulder, which apparently will not keep him out of the next match. The two substitutes Metin Aytacoglu and Mehmet Karaman combined for the equalising goal which shocked the hosts and gave life to the national team's slim hopes of attaining a playoff berth.

Elsewhere in the group Valanora extended their almost insurmountable lead at the top of the group with a surprisingly narrow 1-0 victory over Kavagrad. While Balqia just had too much offensive firepower for sixth placed Kiryu-shi as they ran out 6-3 victors at home.

What they said after the match:

Bekir Altingunes: "Is this result ideal? No, but we still have a chance and that's all we need, so long as it's possible for us to succeed in getting a playoff berth you can bet that we're going to be trying our very hardest to get it. You have to credit 95X though, they came to play and we were fortunate to come out with the point, but now every game is a must win and that means we have to go out and deal with that pressure and we have to deal with it against some very good teams."

Player Ratings:

Iskender Nur 6/10 - He conceded 4 and was not entirely blameless in that fact, but he did show off some of his abilities.

Ozbek Sarikaya 5/10 - Struggled as he came up against a very accomplished player in Sydney Hardin.

Metin Boz 6/10 - Showed a lot of determination, but ultimately did not showcase himself in the best light.

Eyup Mustafa 6/10 - Struggled to make a substantial impact as the game wore on, looked unfit at times.

Gokdeniz Dag 5/10 - Had his share of struggles before he was substituted.

Atilla Acar 7/10 - Energetic as ever and really put pressure on the opposition with his pressing.

Yusuf Ihsanoglu 6/10 - Struggled in his defensive duties in what has become a recurring theme for him.

Caner Turan 6/10 - Was kept uncharacteristically quiet as the team struggled on the flanks

Ertan Renda 8/10 - Was on his way to one of his finest performances prior to being forced off the pitch.

Tayyar Ozel 6/10 - Another victim of the team's malaise on the wings.

Vatan Ercetin 7/10 - Got an important goal, but was otherwise inconsequential in build up play and wasteful in his finishing.

Substitutes:

Metin Aytcagolu 9/10 - Put in a performance that if extrapolated to 90 minutes might have seen the national team win.

Mehmet Karaman 8/10 - Showed he can be productive off the bench, he has developed a habit of scoring in big moments.

Beyhan Enver 6/10 - Came on to solidify the full back position and managed to provide some kind of certainty at the spot.

Man of the Match: Metin Aytacoglu - It would be an emotional and easy choice to give this to Mehmet Karaman, but Metin replaced arguably the most critical player on the team and exceeded his performance in his short time on the pitch.

Player of the game for 95X: Sydney Hardin - She always seems to come out and play well against Timuria and has put in two excellent performances against the Red Wolves. She faced an Ozbek Sarikaya who simply looked unable to match her and it showed.

Once again our editors have been made to look foolish by the national team, with their points total stubbornly staying at 10. With the way the team is performing it seems unlikely that they'll be able to gain many more points.

Schedule and editor's predictions with the results so far:
MD1: vs Kavagrad, Manat School Sports Centre, L 0-2, Result: D 1-1
MD2: @ Kiryu-shi, W 1-0, Result: W 4-3
MD3: Bye
MD4: vs 95X, Tim-Enerji Park, L 0-3, Result: L 2-3
MD5: @ Balqia D 2-2, Result: D 3-3
MD6: vs Valanora, Hisar School Field of Excellence, L 1-4, Result: L 3-5
MD7: @ Lavize D 1-1, Result W: 4-3
MD8: @ Kavagrad L 1-3, Result W 3-2
MD9: vs Kiryu-shi, Maden-Is Stadium W 2-0, Result W 3-1
MD10: Bye
MD11: @ 95X L 0-4, Result D 4-4
MD12: vs Balqia, Manat School Sports Centre D 1-1
MD13: @ Valanora L 0-4
MD14: vs Lavize, Belediye Park W 1-0

Total points won: 10

The next match: With every match now a must win match, the national team will be thankful that they are returning to home soil to face third placed Balqia who are eliminated from the competition. The previous meeting between the sides ended in a 3-3 draw in Balqia, with the national team unbeaten and playing very well in the second half of qualification expectations are that the national team will be able to get a victory even if their qualification prospects are out of their hands. With his experiments seemingly coming to an end, Bekir Altingunes signaled a return to his original starting XI for the critical match against Balqia.

[Squornshelan Remnant States]

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5


Change of Seasons, 6

To:
Office of Bethany Donnell
Manager, SRS National Team

Ms. Donnell,
I would like to begin this letter by praising the excellent work you have done in continuing the development of the Confederacy into a respected footballing nation. The past five years under your direction have seen our steady rise through the ranks, as well as the development of a considerable pool of talent. Association leadership has been pleased in particular with your attention to bringing along young talent, and ensuring that those players are given opportunities to develop their skills on the international stage. The outlook for this team is good with regard to continuity of talent, due in no small part to scouting and roster decisions made by you and your staff.

We have also been pleased overall with the team's performance in competitive play. While expectations have certainly been high, the team has lived up to its billing, finishing in almost every case above where it ought to have based on rank alone, and notching a number of impressive upsets against highly ranked opposition. The team has become a model of tactical defensive play, and one that upcoming nations looking to break into the top-50 will surely wish to emulate.

With all that said, it is my responsibility to notify you formally, that the performance of the team in the current qualifying effort has been a disappointment to myself, and to the members of the SCFA board. We are deeply concerned with the lack of scoring, and the inability to earn more than one point from the two most important matches of the campaign against Siovanija and Teusland. These problems, and the team's position four points out of the playoff spot for Group H have somewhat damaged the confidence of the SCFA in the current direction of the team.

To be perfectly clear, this is not an ultimatum. Mere failure to advance to the playoff groups will not result in your dismissal. Rather, we hope this communique will spur you and your team to greater efforts in the final three matches of qualifying. We expect a strong finish to the current effort, while also acknowledging that even a perfect effort may not prove enough to regain second place. We would also expect, however, that in the event that competition in a playoff group is not possible, that this team, which will surely be among the best not to qualify, will approach the Cup of Harmony (assuming of course that they warrant in invitation) as an opportunity for redemption. In the meantime, please rest assured that you will continue to enjoy the full public support and confidence of the SCFA.

Ailen Koirala
President, SCFA

- - - - - - - - - -

SRS Qualifying Schedule and Results:

MD1: Quakmybush 0-1 SRS
MD2: SRS 1-2 Siovanija & Teusland @ Radlov Arena (cap. 76,800), Brantisvogan, Megabrantis, SRS
MD3: Lashnakia 0-1 SRS
MD4: Bye
MD5: SRS 1-0 New North Carolina @ Eichlen Stadium (cap. 37,500), Rudlit, East Flania, SRS
MD6: Anollasia 1-5 SRS
MD7: SRS 0-2 The Holy Empire @ Bridger Lane (cap. 72,406), Damogran, Algolia, SRS
MD8: SRS 0-1 Quakmybush @ Pheldagrif Stadium (cap 45,620), Yassaca, Sivolvia, SRS
MD9: Siovanija & Teusland 2-2 SRS @ Olimpski-Stadion (cap. 60,000), Borograd, STL
MD10: SRS 2-0 Lashnakia @ Slavnarzeczpospolitastadion (cap. 61,230), Lublova, Molvania, SRS
MD11: Bye
MD12: New North Carolina v SRS
MD13: SRS v Anollasia @ Castle Street (cap. 57,300), Jaglan, Algolia, SRS
MD14: The Holy Empire v SRS @ Imperial Hippodrome

[Vilita]

Toys '4' All showcase Cross-Market Collectibles

Toys '4' All Design & Distribution Headquarters, Lopinka, Vilita :: Toys '4' All, The leading designer, distributor and retailer of Toys and Games in the Tropics has recently announced a new cross-market promotional concept series in their new line of toys to represent the National Teams and Mascots of those nations participating who will be participating in the World Cup 83 Finals in Equestria & Banija

In the past Toys '4' All has produced numerous World Cup related toys and collectibles going back to World Cup 80 when they first introduced their popular line of Toy Collectibles representing the mascots of each of the major National Team's qualified for the World Cup 80 Finals. Those toy mascots, considered to have a level 3 on the Squishiness scale, would give a child user an experience something between that of a traditional plush toy and a more rigid polyplastic figurine while still permitting the item to be used as a display collectible for the adult collector of World Cup merchandise.

Toys '4' All's most recent new venture however has been a new line of collectible diecast toy cars representing popular teams and drivers on the World Grand Prix Championship open wheel circuit and the NationStates Stock Car Racing Association. The Toys have been popular both with children and collectors since their initial release during the World Grand Prix Championship's 17th season and now the director of the Racing Collectibles product line, Ellyn Illinoi, has found a new way to leverage the success of her product line to tap into a new market, the largest market in the sporting multiverse: The World Cup.

Toys '4' All's popular EqueStar 80 version "Equestrian States" Mascot Toy and Concept World Cup 83 Die-Cast Stock Car Collectible

Racing Collectibles director Ellyn Illinoi was noncommittal as to whether or not the World Cup 83 Diecast Toy Collectibles would be produced for retail outlets having stated that her design team had only just finished the proof of concept development phase. Illinoi indicated that the final decision would be 'above her pay grade' as Toys '4' All looks to position itself as the Official Toy & Collectible partner for World Cup 83. If Toys '4' All secures the proper licensing, then it is possible that a new line of Die-cast Toy Collectible Stock Cars could be produced for all 32 nations competing in World Cup 83. For the concept product, Illinoi and the design team chose to utilize the Vilitan National Team as its subject as they already have the appropriate licenses from their existing relationship with the Football Association of Vilita. For the concept product, the car was designed with the theme of the Flag of Vilita and given the #1 to reflect the Vilita National Team's current ranking as the #1 Team in the World Cup Committee's official Rankings. It is likely that, if Toys '4' All is confirmed as the Official Toy & Collectible Partner for World Cup 83, the final product line would follow a similar pattern to that used for the Concept product.

Toys '4' All prides itself in providing a positive experience for children and adults alike when visiting its stores. Customers enjoy a wide selection of otherwise hard-to-find Toys and Games with Toys '4' All bringing to market toys from independent toy makers and innovators. The future of the Toys '4' All brand likely depends on being able to retain the market share from the independent toy makers using Toys '4' All as a storefront for their goods.

[Taeshan]

Only big matches remain for the Purple Knights as they inch closer and closer to the final matchday and try to qualify for the 83rd World Cup. West Phoenicia was next on the docket to visit Taeshan, and the Knights welcomed them in Mt. Ceabring, at the Stairway to Heaven. No room for error remains in the qualifying campaign with the Knights locked in a hotly contested battle with Mytanija for the the automatic qualification spot, and the Knights were looking to double up on victories over the Stampedes. With only 3 matches remaining, and needing to score as many goals as possible to hopefully push themselves to far ahead of Mytanija to be caught the Knights came into the game ready to score.

For the third match in a row it was young teenager Wilhelm Nkitilina that got the Knights off to an early start this time 14 minutes in threading a needle between the goalie and the near post after an impressive through ball from Shiloh Morgenstern had the young Hurricanes striker 1-1. The left side of the Taeshan formation has proved near unstoppable the last few matches with Nkitilina, Morgenstern and Santiago Santiago wreaking havoc on most teams this tournament. The Knights continued their recent dominance in qualifying with further goals before the half from Geoffrey Klingenberg, and Daigo Coshan. Coshan's goal marked the first international tally for the Laketown Skipper. The Knights defense came to play in the second half with shut-down defensive midfielder Yoshimi Hirahito continuing to be beyond his years in defensive guile and tactical acumen. If anything the Knights future looks really bright, and this tournament continues to show that.

For their opponents parts the rest of the group matchups were rather easy to predict. Mytanija's 1-0 victory over Senayan was respectable, but continues to show their lack of goals, while Darmen stayed just alive with a 3-1 defeat of Saint Émelie. The Knights will hope to learn from that match as they themselves head to Saint Émelie for their final matchup on the road of qualifying. Hopefully they don't find themselves looking ahead to Darmen and their final matchup of the season that could prove the make or break matchup of the campaign. While a win in either of the remaining games could see the Knights qualify, wins in both would all but assure that chance. That said they at least are guaranteed of a spot in the playoffs, though with 4 decades of failure behind them, maybe now is not the time to leave qualifying up to playoffs. Now is the time to be the very best, like no one ever was.