World Cup 84- RP Thread (IC)

by **Banija** » Tue Jan 28, 2020 10:38 am

Setting is Post-Match Press Conference after World Cup Quarterfinal loss to Eura

Marcus Waters was standing at the post-game presser. Banija's match with Eura was a grueling affair- so many ups and downs, and so many twists and turns, but it would be Eura that would triumph in one of the games of the tournament. The two top 7 sides did battle, each trying to land the knockout punch in this heavyweight fight, but it would be the historical favorites, Eura, that would show why they were on the pantheon of the multiverse's greatest teams. Why they were, consistently, year in and year out, a favorite to go far in the World Cup Finals, while Banija really only just arrived at this point after a miracle run to the World Cup semifinals on home soil. Waters was still emotional after this gut wrenching loss in extra time- and he was going to spout off at his critics, however few there actually were in Banija.

He just went straight into it, still raw after this tough match. "Well, as you guys can see- just because we were rising before, it doesn't mean that we are guaranteed to continue to keep climbing the ladder. This whole World Cup cycle, despite our newfound rank, was always going to be tough- we had a lot of key guys retire after World Cup 83, including all-timers like Chibuzo Afolayan, Assefa Yitebarke, and others. And it showed. To be elite in international football, you need to build that talent base. And I feel like, as my own 6th World Cup cycle within Banija, the fifth as the senior manager, comes to an end, we need to take a realistic appraisal of this program. We can't complain after a quarterfinal appearance at the World Cup, I think. This has always been a tough tournament to win at, and we accomplished quite a bit along the way. Far and away our best qualifying cycle. We had strong wins, even in friendlies, considering our 1-0 win in Baker Park before the tournament started. We recovered well from our opening loss to Farfadillis by defeating HUElavia, and with our backs against the wall, without our captain, finding a goal at the death against Zwangzug to get to the knockout stages at all. Having our best game in the tournament against a former world champion- Brenecia.

It is tough to win in the World Cup, and once you get to the quarterfinals, everybody who lasts this long is so strong that anybody is honestly capable of winning. And think about our road here- it is just our fifth Finals appearance, and we have our second consecutive appearance in the World Cup Quarterfinals. It is a strong record. But we have to think about the difference between us, and a nation like Eura, and a nation like VIlita. How do they have this kind of success, all the time? They've got the money within their own programs, all the way down at the youth level, and especially at the club level, of course. But that's not a reason, nor a true excuse- we have a strong, developing youth program as well. Our young men and women won the 8th Sporting World Cup. We have youngsters who have played together, who know how to win together at the youth level- those people will be entering the senior ranks quite soon.

Of course, it is tough to win at this level. But this is why we are here. We are going to try and take those strides to the next level. There has always been someone better than us. Never in our history, have we been able to consider ourselves the 'best' team. We play in the toughest neighborhood- the Glorious Southwest, stacked with elite teams like Equestria and Valanora. Even the last two major tournaments we have competed in, AOCAF LVIII and this World Cup, have both had separate transfer windows open during them, serving as a distraction from focusing solely on the task at hand. But those cannot be excuses. Eura's national team did not outplay us today because their league is better than ours, or because of the transfer window. These are the types of teams that we want to compete with. We have a good team, heck, I would say even a great team- seeing what our boys have been capable of over the last World Cup cycle is quite impressive. But we are not elite. If you want to win when you're in our neighborhood, when you are in the football mad region of Atlantian Oceania, then you cannot be merely great. You have to be elite in all phases of the game. A t

And that, we have not been. We had a great run last time around. We went toe to toe with some of the best in the multiverse, and took them down. South Covello. Vilita. It was our first time making any sort of deep run at a World Cup. So the loss to Starblaydia, while it hurt, was a sign of things to come. But we needed to take the next step this World Cup cycle, and we didn't. I'm looking for this team to be elite. And it has shown throughout the cycle that we simply had complacency with being great. Man for man, I firmly believe that we are just as good as Eura. As Farfadillis. As Starblaydia. As Equestria. But what separates those nations from ours? They have that expectation to win. There is a firm belief, not only in their eleven on the field, or their 23 on the squad, but throughout their nations that they are indeed the best team in the multiverse. And no matter their rank, they believe that every year. Of course, they have the trophy-case to back that up- something that we don't have, yet. A lot of being elite is about expectation, and they've set the bar so high.

WE are capable of getting to that stage. We should get to that point. But when was the last time Eura truly feared an opponent? The last time Vilita feared an opponent? Or Starblaydia? Or Nephara? We've all seen Equestria's incredible run through a pair of AOCAFs and the World Cup. We've all seen how nations talk about those countries. For the true elites, the true best of the best, the battle is won in the mind before they step on the field. When your next opponent is Eura, you fear and believe you need a miracle. Eura never believes they need a miracle. Nor does Nephara, or Starblaydia, or Equestria, or Vilita, or Farfadillis. That is the level we need to get to. If we are going to win in Atlantian Oceania or beyond, we need to have that killer mentality, that confident swagger, that overwhelming belief that we are the best. Without it, we will have peaked, as a nation, in World Cup 83. We are capable of much more, and I assure you, I will put in the work necessary to get us to that next level. Where Banija can join the pantheon of that true first tier of nations, where the mention of their name strikes fear into your hearts. More than a nice story. More than overachieving. More than great. More than a nation on the rise. We need to be Elite. We need to be Champions. Those are the two words you have never applied to Kadongo Kamu, and we must get there.

Bad, to Average, to good, to great, to elite. We've taken the first four steps. That last step is the hardest. There are plenty of programs that are great- but we need to get to an elite status. Plenty of nations that I've already listed are there. Eura is there, and has been there for a long time. Generations of players with the expectation of 'championship or bust'. We are not. Let's do the little things. I am going to make sure that we get there, that we take that last step. We are going to get that expectation all the way down the line. Get it into our youth programs. The last time our U18 team competed, they won the Sporting World Cup. We need to get to that level. And by God, we are going to do whatever it takes to get there."

Marcus Waters, after his long, angry rant, then decided to take sip of water, and started taking questions. Deftly danced around the question of who he would root for in the semifinals. Praised Ilman Jawara for his brace. And answered quite a few more questions. And then, he walked back to the locker room. He wanted to make sure that Banija came out like gangbusters for the World Cup 85 cycle...

by **Alasdair I Frosticus** » Tue Jan 28, 2020 11:14 am

The Knights of the Oblong Table In....

THE QUEST FOR THE ~~HOLY GRAIL~~ GRAIL-SHAPED WORLD CUP

"Fret not, Lord Simeone; we lost. 'Tis not the end of the world."

"Perhaps, but it's a disappointment."

"True. Look, I know you think we are but buffoons - no, no; pray, do not deny this. We sometimes play the fool, but we are not fools. We know of your conversations with your native land's representatives. As I said, I know you think we are but buffoons, but I tell you a great truth...

No Grail quest can ever be truly successful. The glory comes through the attempt to find the Grail. Sometimes 'tis enough to try."

"And sometimes you want to win."

"Aye; but if someone wins, someone must also lose. And we cannot always win. Perhaps in the acknowledgement of this truth, we come closer to achieving the Grail than we knew.

As I said, we only play the fool."

by **Cassadaigua** » Tue Jan 28, 2020 7:13 pm

It's time to find out who one of our finalists will be!

Result

by **Farfadillis** » Tue Jan 28, 2020 8:00 pm

The players had been left with just one instruction from their manager: “Don’t be yourselves.”

The message was, perhaps, not entirely inspiring. It would never feature in a movie, for example. But, nonetheless, it was an astute message. In this World Cup, Kita-Hinode had felt right at home in high-scoring affairs. Low-scoring affairs, though? One tie and two extra time wins. Not exactly a pristine record.

However, Tuzzio would never be able to convince the Farf team to play defensively of their own accord. So he left them with one simple instruction. Defending, he figures, was just the negation of attacking.

The first few minutes were awkward. The Farves just kept starting runs forward before stopping abruptly, and turning around to retain defensive cohesion. They’d look up and wind up for a pass, before either managing a fantastic feint - the opponent can’t know what you’ll do if you don’t know what you’ll do - or losing the ball.

However, they quickly settled for a patient, extremely drab possession style. Kita-Hinode couldn’t even get a sniff of the ball, since the Farves were extremely good at keeping it, and they just never attacked.

Eventually, Metharom got tired of endlessly chasing the ball and committed a foul out of frustration. Not even a yellow card, but still the most exciting event up until that moment.

A free kick far away from goal. Farfadillis knew exactly what to do in such circumstances: a short pass and pretend nothing happened. Let the game flow, entertain the audience. So, naturally, t’Öéséné swerved the free kick into the cauldron of struggling heads and legs that was the box.

Holsteiner managed to graze the ball with his head. It went past everyone, and hit the left post bluntly. It went back towards that very same cauldron, and chaos began. You can take the chaos out of Farfadillis, but you can’t take Farfadillis out of the chaos.

Fujiwara tried to clear the ball, but it hit van Brabant’s back. Like a tiger, Wçêíl pounced for the ball, only to get accidentally tripped by teammate Baldomero Teijeiro. His effort was not for naught, as Miguel Benedito hit him with the ball squarely in the head as he fell. The ball went flying towards Namezono’s goal. Reacting in an instant, the Hinodejin managed to save the inexplicably powerful “header”. Not offside by an inch at best, Êns got to the rebound first, by throwing himself to the ground to get to the ball. The ball went into the goal and Kojima’s leg of literal steel went straight into Xíxì’s thigh.

So the tally for the free kick was one goal and one substitution. In place Êns’ stead came Ûsêtêrnìx. Everyone back in Farfadillis gasped. This surely couldn’t be. Farfadillis had had literally insane managers in the past, but none had ever dared to play two centerbacks at the same time. What was next? Trying to win one-nil with a lead obtained at the fifteenth minute?

Yes.

The team would eventually manage their first ever boring, hard-fought one-nil victory. The players would be left feeling dirty. But there were a few moments for the bored neutrals to savor.

Like Tgô punting a goal kick into the stands on purpose, not knowing how to not be himself. When Kita-Hinode realized he was planning to continue doing this, they started sending the ball out for a goal kick whenever a throw-in was deemed convenient.

There was also the fifteen minute lapse where Holsteiner dropped deep from his striker role to play as… centerback. He figured that was the last thing he’d do under normal circumstances. This came to an end when he realized that thing was actually playing like a gentleman. He didn’t play any less dirty, but he did say “Sorry” for every elbow, kidney-punch and dive that went unnoticed.

Marchiondo, usually a gentleman, proceeded to use every dirty trick in the book to gain an advantage.

Wçêíl, usually an excessively passionate and very unpredictable winger, became a cold-blooded short pass bot. He finished the game with an astonishing one hundred passes completed out of one hundred. Not even one went more than two meters forward.

rue Cazade, usually a player that tires out quickly because of the demands of his role, chose to stop getting tired after running. It didn’t work, and he was duly substituted in the seventieth minute for Liberté Salogadó.

Liberté Salogadó, usually nervous because of his lack of international experience, continued to be very nervous because that was not under his control. This frustrated Tuzzio, who had instructed him to do differently.

Kósa Bajnok stopped playing like he was twenty-five instead of thirty-two, and he had the game of his life. He won every duel, up high and down low, and was chosen the man of the match. He learned nothing from this.

As the match came to and end, the audience cheered. The game ended with Farfadillis having had three shots, with two on goal, all from the play of the goal. Kita-Hinode ended the game with no shots. Farfadillis had had 77% of possession.

As the team reached the fifth semifinal in its history, the streets in Farfadillis became even more anarchic than usual, demanding Tuzzio’s firing for his hand in the way the team had played.

Tuzzio, however, cared only about whether he’d be able to pull off the same trick against Eura in the semifinal. After all, Farfadillis had lost against Eura in pretty much every chance given. Furthermore, they’d also lost all four semifinals they’d been in up until that point. Not being themselves was the best the team could do to make it to a final once and for all.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

We're gonna find out who's going to Concord Heights for the Final and who'll be coming to Belle Haven for the 3rd place game. The journey is near the end, who'll be
runnin' against Vilita?

Will it be an all-AO Final, or will be Rushmore-AO, mirroring the co-hosting duties?

Cutoff!!!

by **Eura** » Tue Jan 28, 2020 9:12 pm

One last training session was taking place in New Lakeland before Eura's quarter final. The squad was bouncing, pleased about their victory in the previous round and feeling full of belief that they could progress past Banija. As manager, Michael Brandon was chiefly responsible for everything from motivation to tactics and so could take a lot of credit for the positive mental attitude alive within the team. Yet his assistant, Tom Riley, was proving as influential as any of his predecessors and playing a big role himself. It makes a difference to have Eura's first World Cup winning captain around, but champion pedigree and his coaching skills aside he had also proven to be a great role model for the players, carrying forth his own mythology as a low-key, zero ego passing midfielder who lifted the biggest footballing prize. Riley was more than just a coach as many see it - drilling set pieces or arranging tactics and leaving the "soft" stuff to others. His communication skills, emotional intelligence and empathy were all valuable assets in contrast to the likeable but businesslike Brandon who didn't quite have that touch. When an individual or group let their head go down or were acting out, Brandon tended to call on Riley to fix it.

Riley was more than able to keep tabs on the entire squad and work out where interventions were needed regardless of Brandon's initiatives and directions. As the training session wore on he was pleased with what he saw in terms of morale, team work and similar indicators. Nevertheless, one lonely figure concerned him, partly because they were rarely the solitary type - at least while wearing a Eura shirt. Monica Rowland was difficult to deal with at the best of times, and almost unbearable when she got into one of her stomping moods. Not this time. She was skulking around at the edge of the training pitch like a teenager lazing about on a kids playground. A ball came her way which she passed back while barely stopping to look at it, before returning to her kitbag and pulling out a phone. She was texting something as Riley walked over in his usual quiet way. 'Monica?'
'Woah!' She'd dropped the phone, shocked a little by his unexpected arrival out of the corner of her eye. 'Oh. Hi Tom.'
'What's the matter?'
'Nothing in particular. Unless you're dropping me for Harry H, once he learns how to thread a bloody pass.' Ok, so she was feeling a bit stomp-y.

She began to shuffle away only for Riley to follow, keen to get to the bottom of things. 'Come on now Monica. We know each other pretty well don't we? I would have thought there's nothing you can't tell me.'
'A couple of qualifying campaigns and a Copa? Not sure "pretty well" is the phrase you're looking for.' She was doing that other thing that came out under stress, a Nepharim twang to her voice that reminded all present of her former allegiance and dual nationality. 'Fine then. Its my job to look out for your welfare, so let's say its a professional question. What's up?' Monica stopped, looking as if she was going to throw him on the turf. But then she softened slightly and spoke her mind. 'Truth be told, I'm anxious as fuck.'
'About?'
'Fucking everything. There's personal stuff going on in Bastion. Family stuff. My ankle is swelling again. I've got some of the old team memories on my mind. All sorts really.' He let out a kind chuckle. 'I'm sorry to hear that, sounds like everything then. The world should be reassured, even the hard as nails Monica Rowland worries! How bad is the ankle?'
'I'll make it through Banija, think so anyway.'
'Good. The other stuff? Let's talk it through and see what we can do to get you back in the right fame of mind.' She smiled (uncharacteristically when on footballing duties), then followed him off to talk.

----------

Eura lined up in strength against Banija for the quarter final with one notable exception. Monica Rowland was relegated to the bench over fears about an injury to her ankle. Behind the scenes of course she'd argued ferociously with Brandon over it, having to be calmed down by the soothing voice of Riley in the tunnel at Qusmair Stadium. She was replaced by Spartangrad's balding and quite terrifying midfield enforcer Harry Gravesen. Not that much could scare the Banijans; their dramatic rise in world football was now marked by being one game away from repeating their semi-final run at the previous World Cup. Gravesen growled and minced his teeth in their general direction, however most of the opponents at kick off just looked on without a care in the world. They were here to win and prove they belonged in the top tier of footballing nations, tradition and history be damned. They went a long way to cultivating that narrative in the early stages, pushing the Eurans deep into their own half and creating multiple chances. Ilman Jawara was looking very lively, testing Kevin Belgrave the most with a difficult to save swerving strike that the Directus keeper could only awkwardly punch away.

It took some time for Eura to reset and slow the game down, the latest episode in their common yet effective strategy during this World Cup campaign to kill the game for short periods and rely on counter attacks against tiring or overexposed opponents. It seemed this strategy was going to work again. A frustratingly slow Banijan buildup was broken up by Scott Coles, who set Moira Woakes off down the right hand side where she was racing away. The Crisisbless star Fekati Abdi charged toward her with blood pumping through his veins, unfortunately for him flying right past her as he launched into a lunging tackle. Woakes regained her stride after the near miss and pushed on, finding herself bearing down on goal from the right. In the end she had two choices; go for glory from a decent position, or play in a teammate. She took the unselfish option, filleting a pass neatly between Kuma Bultum and Kawsu Kaba for Brian Bond to tap in one of the less flashy goals of his season. Bond was very close to returning the favour a few minutes later with a cross that Woakes fell inches short of stretching to reach at the back post. Instead of Eura doubling their lead before half time, Banija came again, and got their just reward when Jawara popped up to head home from a superbly executed free kick routine.

Understandably the Eura manager was displeased with the way his team had given up their slender lead with only moments remaining before the break. However, it was hard to see what he could change in response. The team was performing well and nobody letting the side down. It was turning into a bit of a thriller in fact, Eura coming out flying after half time with Bond shooting narrowly wide and Anthony Townsend's speculative long range shot rattling the bar. Banija were also keen to take the lead in this spell of end to end combat, maybe sensing this was their opportunity to prove themselves on the biggest stage by slaying the Eurans. Gitonga Kahara, their captain, forced Belgrave to make another save with a drilled free kick that had to be tipped over the bar. Then Belgrave was on his knees to keep Nwabudike Ugonna out, barely having enough time to react to Ugonna's close range fumble other than to direct it over the bar with a whipped out wrist. The deadlock was broken after sixty five minutes. Eura were decidedly not the benefactors. Harry Gravesen had looked shaky for the best part of the game and finally cost his team in the obvious sense by losing his mark at a corner. That mark happened to be Jawara, who nodded home a free header and was promptly mobbed by his teammates. In his case it was a perfect day to become a national hero, and in Gravesen's to become a national villain.

To date Brandon had enjoyed a strong record with game changing substitutions in his tenure as Eura manager. With only a quarter of the game left he had no option but to trust those previously successful gut instincts. Townsend was hauled off in spite of his near miss earlier and replaced with Damion Bowman, allowing Rhys Griffiths to switch to the right. Gravesen was off too. Initially Frank Bevan seemed to be warming up - not a surprise given how many were saying that he should be starting over Armstrong let alone Gravesen. Then it transpired that Rowland was coming on after all, inserted into the contest at a vital late stage in order to turn the tide. Before she went onto the pitch, Riley pulled her aside. 'Remember what we talked about. Pure concentration. Box the rest off somewhere. You can come back to it later.' She ruffled his hair like he was a child playing adult. 'Thanks boss. I've only got one thing on my mind right now.' Rowland sprinted on to a roaring seal of approval from the Euran fans. Only a short period of time passed before Eura's midfield had clearly regained the ascendancy. Rowland's ankle seemed to be holding. Much to the Eurans frustration, so were Banija.

Writers have a tendency to emphasize the magical or exceptional aspects of great victories. Too often they forget how many are won, or driven in a certain direction, by the most mundane kind of mistakes or bad luck. It was going to be the latter kind of moment that would give Eura a lifeline and it started with apparent disaster. Rowland was on the ball, looking imperious, a quick one two with Armstrong and she's getting...forwards. Down she went thirty yards from goal. A strangled yelp comes from her direction and the physios run on. The Euran players swarm the referee and call for a red card, the second red to go their way in as many games. Namakula Kawesa escapes with a yellow instead, her demeanour suggesting she didn't feel too sorry for the Euran who had been kicking seven bells out of her for fifteen minutes. Fortunately Rowland was fine and had done her job well, getting a discreet thumbs up from Riley, to which she returned the gesture. Eura had a free kick from a decent range and with a strong taker available in Armstrong, though Townsend would have been a preferable option. He had already made his mind up to go direct as Lemuel Bereket nervously bounced about on his goal line directing defenders left right and centre.

Armstrong took a short run up, curled the ball over the wall and instantly let out an aggravated grunt as it floated into the hands of Bereket. Or so he thought. Kuma Bultum raced back to clear at the same time that Bereket called "mine!", leading to an almighty clash, and the ball dropping nicely for Woakes to get it across the line. Extra time beckoned yet again and this time Eura had no intention of allowing the opposition to dominate it for ten minutes like they had done in the last round. Oscar Coltrane was thrown on to replace Armstrong in a central midfield role more familiar to his later years at Sabrefell Athletic than his usual positioning in Euran colours. He added an extra level of creative talent to the side and allowed Woakes, Griffiths and Bowman to really surge forward in support of Bond. The chances began to come, though Banija were far from on the ropes - they too created several opportunities to win the game in extra time. Sia Fall came on for Ugonna for what would be his final international appearance and nearly did it himself in utterly heroic fashion, launching himself at a high cross with an acrobatic scissor kick and meeting it perfectly, only to watch the ball pass by the outside of the crossbar agonisingly close to going in.

Since the game had gone into this extended period both sides had put everything on the line to win. Fall forced a diving save out of Belgrave, Bond tried his own ridiculous volley but cleared the bar easily, Kawesa had a deflected shot cleared at the last second by Charles Roberts, and even Dean Steele had tried to be the hero of the day with a daring effort from outside the area that Bereket had to claw away with a spectacular backwards dive and stretch. Then there was Rowland, controlling everything in the middle and wearing down Banija utterly, as well as nearly scoring with a fine effort or two of her own. She'd done more to change the tone of this game than any other. Having given everything they could it would now all come down to handling pressure and experience, especially if the much dreaded penalty shootout would decide the winner. Thankfully penalties or another cataclysmic error or wrong turn of luck would not decide the day. Coltrane was the biggest name on the pitch and had that pivotal experience, however much he might have passed his peak. Since he had come on, a small part of everyone watching would have been thinking, "what could Coltrane do?" He'd had his moments, though many Euran commentators feel he has always lived in Craig Sinclair's shadow in achievements, stats and public adoration. Those criticisms had always dug deep in Coltrane's psyche despite his exterior persona of stoic professionalism and love of competition.

Five minutes remained of extra time, and it was at this point that Coltrane did something that could silence only the hardest of critics. Although he had his back to goal a few yards outside the box and Ablie Kah breathing down his neck, Coltrane knew a gap was behind him and how to exploit it. The centrebacks were ever so slightly split, with one marking Bond and the other watching for a run in the channel by Bowman. Overpowered by Kah, the Banijans logically expected Coltrane to lay the ball off for Woakes and Eura to step away again. He threw them all by executing an absolutely textbook one hundred and eighty degree turn, allowing himself to do so in a split second by feigning a pass and changing his action to pull the ball back behind him and past Kah. The Banijan midfielder was stunned by the audacity of Eura's best example of an old player with that special something about them. Coltrane accelerated in an instant bypassed Kaba as he hesitated in coming away from the space available to Bowman, who was now a bystander. Coltrane was on his left but, defying his slightly forward lean and substantial momentum, switched the ball to his right. Rowland did her part one last time, holding off Bultum with her strength, and watched as Coltrane calmly sidefooted the ball into the opposite corner on the right under the despairing arms of Bereket.

Knowing how perilous their situation now was Banija made a third and final sub, bringing on Alanso Tamba and sending everyone forward. The following minutes passed in a haze for Eura as they had to balance the joy of that remarkable goal against the need to concentrate and avoid conceding a gut wrenching late equaliser. Banija pushed and pushed, Fall at the centre of everything, Tamba almost getting in behind the Euran backline, Belgrave collecting two corners in a row in hotly contested aerial challenge. A final chance bounced harmlessly to Burns' feet which he took as an invitation to send the ball flying into the stands. The referee agreed with the sentiment and blew the whistle, meaning Eura had secured a great victory against a determined opponent after being 1-2 down with not all that long left. Coltrane was rightly heaped upon by his teammates and worshiped by the Euran faithful for a solid time after the final whistle. Others deserved credit too; Belgrave was phenomenal in goal, Woakes the bright spark in midfield, and no-one played badly bar Gravesen. Away from the fuss of the cameras though, Riley knew who he wanted to congratulate. He jogged over to Rowland, who was embracing a couple of fans against the advice of the grumpy looking stewards, and gave her a richly deserved pat on the back for a great performance in defiance of circumstances unseen to those outside the dressing room.

by **Nephara** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 7:21 am

Extract from the Book of Close.

It had to end eventually. In ninety bloody minutes, Strauss got exactly the open, free-flowing game she'd wanted to stifle, and five goals flew past Hesterine. We played okay. Vilita were transcendant. Nobody was gonna begrudge their place as finalists.
There wasn't time to dwell on it for anyone involved. The fans drank long into the night with their Vilitan counterparts, any reason for earlier conflict swept into the past, and a trip back southeast to Belle Haven beckoned. This remained a victory, in the light of what had already come before. But it was not over. We all knew that much.

We got given tomorrow off, today as I write this, so long as we all convened to watch the Farves smash Eura in the semifinal. Mostly, we cheered for Eura. What do you expect? Even as a professional, you can't just watch a game without pulling for someone. But the end result did at least mean a reunion with their near-neighbours in the third-place playoff. Scrapping over bronze medals, sure, but at least it's something. Glory doesn't have to be gold.
And the advantage of poring over the match means we all know their defensive frailties now, though doubtless they're watching our match thinking the same damn thing. Tawny wouldn't shut up about Rowland's ankle. We'll have to keep an eye on her. If we leave her to her own devices I reckon we'll be playing with ten for eighty minutes. Her and Rowland - oil and water. From the first moment they laid eyes on each other.
It's gonna be hard not to think of Rowland throughout all this. Nephara's always had great defensive midfielders, but probably the best will be managing the opposition after luring the one arguably shaping up to be the second with him. Michael Brandon was... a brilliant manager. World-renowned. And everyone knows it. Strauss is feeling the pressure because she's perceived as just some overpromoted hotshot.
Rowland hates Shone because Shone's a dirty greasy lowlife. Rowland resents Rowena because she thinks she should've been the first female player in the Goldleague, and wasn't. But she was never easy for anyone to get along with. Only, really, Trella - and, I mean, everyone gets along with Trella - and Circe, who, well, isn't here. Everyone misses Circe, too.
But it's hard to begrudge her for what she did. She was raised in Eura. She always considered herself Euran, she never made a secret of it. Of course she was going to jump at the chance to play international football for whoever was willing to take her, and of course she was going to prioritise Eura the moment it became a choice. But there's a lot of bitterness all around at how it played out and, anyway, it just still looks a little wrong to see her in a red shirt.

Hadn't really done much through the rest of my free day. Sulk, I guess. I'm not much of a graceful loser. But then, you only get to be a good loser through practice, that's the old Marcher saying.
Hesterine wanted me for cards. Hesterine never cheats, but always wins anyway. The opposite of Valeri - yeah, I know, sweet horse-faced Valeri Longship, the world's worst card shark. Secrets like this are why I keep up the Annals. So as long as they were both there it'd even out, generally.
So too were Roxi, who cares least about money, and both the Kurts, who play just about exactly as you'd expect from them.
None of us talked about the match. Mostly, we gossiped about Tawny, because gossiping about Tawny is just kinda what you do when nothing else presents itself.
Roxi was the most sidetracked. "She's gonna snap Rowland in half. First minute of the game, she'll come in like a fuckin' sidewinder and -- boom. No more Mons."
I guess I chuckled, or something.
"Why's she have it in for her so bad?" Other Kurt asked. Laiota. Bastable's the original even if he's younger.
"Trust me, man," I told him. "They both came up at around the same time, Shone a little later, a little worse. So she had it out for Rowland from the start just trying to take her place."
"Even before everything happened," Roxi added.
"Yeah. And she rubbed her wrong anyway, all poise and control and shit. Anything you think of Shone, Rowland's the opposite. Except for good at football and for kind of a bitch. But not even in the same ways, you know?"
"Fuck, I love Tawny."
"Yeah, me too. But she's a psycho, still."
Hesterine said something about the actual game that I blanked out at the time and am blanking out now.
"You know what breaks my heart, a little?"
It was Other Kurt again. I looked over, probably a little too obviously like You have a heart? judging by the kicked-puppy look he gave me.
"What?" Kurt OG prompted, 'cause otherwise we'd have been there all day.
"This was it. You know? My one chance. And I didn't think it'd come to anything. Thought it was just, all a bonus, you know. And maybe you seasoned guys have it different, but... fuck, I don't know. I really started to believe at the very end. I really did."
There was a long silence.
"And then we got fucking shitcanned-"
"Yeah, alright, Kurtis," said Valeri sharply. "Enough of the pity thing."
Another long silence. Then Valeri mumbled something.
"Uh?" Kurt OG, again. Some people wanted to have words pried from them; Kurt OG was a master prier.
"Just... I really started to believe it, too."
"Don't fret about the past. Think about how in the shit we were after one came... and think on that as you're getting a medal draped over you," I said.
Captain, after all. Sometimes you had to act like you believed in something, in the hopes they'd follow suit.

Still, maybe...
Just now, I looked up the stats. It's going to be our tenth face-off. At first we alternated wins, until our lot had broken the pattern by winning the last three. Those are good numbers, and I'm praying to God and Godhead we can make it four.
And, failing that, that Tawny Shone doesn't end a career.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

We're here at the BBP Stadium for the 3rd Place match between Nephara and Eura, both from Rushmore, worthy past champions and semi-finalists for this World Cup.

Although it's not the final, both sides shall be expect to give No Quarter

Thanks to all for a great World Cup, on behalf of the Commonwealth of Baker Park!

by **Alasdair I Frosticus** » Thu Jan 30, 2020 12:26 am

Press Release:

For Immediate Distribution

The Holy Empire Football Association today announced that it would spend World Cup 85 campaigning for the banning of Cocoa-bo as an addictive performance-enhancing substance.

The campaign will be led by the Holy Empire's World Cup 84 captain Sir Barsanuphius.

"Cocoa-bo is a dangerous substance" said the God-fearing footballing cataphract knight. "In addition to being the only possible explanation for Vilita's recent World Cup success, its addictive properties have wreaked havoc with the lives of cute little murderous bunny rabbits, and have caused the most chaste of my knights to spank groups of nubile teenage girls.

It has been plain for some time that the Vilitan drug distribution networks have taken insidious control of Vilitan media, sporting, and governmental institutions, with other nations and teams often ranked by the extent to which Cocoa-bo consumption has taken root in other countries. We assume that the version of the drug distributed internationally lacks the performance-enhancing properties of the version consumed by Vilita's national football team, but ask that the World Cup Committee launch an immediate investigation of the chemical content of Cocoa-bo both within and without Vilita.

This is my new crusade. I shall not rest through World Cup 85 until my prejudices are confirmed, regardless of the actual evidence, and this dangerous substance is banned across the multiverse"

The Holy Empire Football Association is actively looking for a name for this campaign, preferably one with an easy to pronounce acronym, and welcomes suggestions sent by the mundy method of 'telegramme'.

Other national football associations are also welcome to join the campaign. Again, telegramme is the best method of signalling an intent to participate.

by **Vilita** » Thu Jan 30, 2020 3:30 am

Jungle Cats Find their identity en route to World Cup 84 Final

Collins Park, Oceana, Baker Park :: After being ousted in the Quarter Finals of World Cup 83 in Banija and Equestria, some had begun to wonder if the golden generation of Vilitan National footsport had wrapped up - and for good reason. Three consecutive early exits from major competitions to include defeat in the very first knockout round in both AOCAF 58 and 59 as well as the Quarter Final ouster at World Cup 83 by the host nation Banija - at the time ranked just 22nd in the multiverse. In fact, the Jungle Cats entire World Cup 83 campaign had been wholly unimpressive having never faced Top 10 opposition and losing twice in five games including to Banija and current World Cup 84 host nation the Commonwealth of Baker Park. As a result, when the World Cup 84 Qualification campaign began and the Jungle Cats started off with weak defensive performances against un-ranked Hampton Island and 83rd ranked Ancherion, there began to be whispers. When the Jungle Cats were held to a 2-2 draw at home by 46th ranked Krytenia, the closest geographical rival to the Tropics of Vilita other than the Island Emirate of Turori, whispers quickly became speculation. Many of the players in the Vilitan National Player pool were still veterans of their famous World Cup 81 championship winning side, so what could have changed? Of course, there were a number of retirements to consider along the way as well. Former team captain and veteran defender Jirijii Januaa retired after World Cup 82 perhaps representing one major difference in the squad that struggled throughout the World Cup 83 campaign and through to the opening three matchdays of World Cup 84 qualifications. Then 37 years old, Januaa had a decorated career with the National Team but the toll of traveling for the National Team particularly as they were based in Audioslavia where they played their domestic sport for KT Itzalovalle, was just too much. There were a number of up and coming youngsters however who may lack experience but have shown the talent to step and and fill the defensive void left by Januaa as well as rotational players Amarini Baracelv and Arocki Tadalek who also retired since World Cup 81 concluded. Cosumarite based 19 year old Lohani Riiyaaw has made a big impression earning a number of starts along side fellow youngster Rojara Tiones of the Yeaddin Owls. The future in defense also looks bright with a young prospect Inteali Koranjo having already made their internationstatal debut. Yet while the talent is there, the experience is still lacking and it has shown on the scoresheet for Vilita who have more often than not struggled to keep the ball out of the net and instead relied on their own fire power for victory.

SPECIAL REPORT

It is there where the Jungle Cats obvious strengths remain as with the lone exception of the veteran Perran Adlani, the great Vilitan World Cup 81 squad was also relatively young up top. The team was led by 20-somethings Sipke Tarala and Tenziki Kulakao along with the Under-21 superstars Nii'arala Milaaso and Enzoril Alabonni, all of which remain on the World Cup 84 roster. The same could be said of the support from Milaaso's Under-21 and club teammate at Eastal Lunar FC, Limu Katarakhna the multi-faceted attacking midfielder who entered World Cup 84 having already amassed 14 career internationstatal goals. With such talent remaining on the squad, it was easy to overlook the loss of experience on defense but the statistics didn't lie. Vilita just hadn't been that good defensively since the loss of Jirjii Januaa and the problem was perhaps masked until points were dropped in a major way in the local rivalry match against Krytenia on the third match day of the qualifiers.

The Vilitan Footsport Association were never ones to make rash decisions. It was still within the "mulligan" window to start the World Cup Qualification campaign - the time period in which the Vilitan Footsport Association promises no changes for a single poor result to open the cycle which grew to prominence in the wake of multi opening matchday qualification defeats at the hands of Lymantatia during the 60's as well as World Cup 74 Qualifying when they were defeated not only by Lymantatia but also Polkopia to kick off the campaign. The Jungle Cats would overcome the points lost to Krytenia and tighten up ship conceding only one goal over the next two games which including their first shutout of the qualifiers against Mattijana. However, the inexperience on defense was exemplified greatly over the subsequent five match stretch which somehow included four victories despite the Jungle Cats having conceded 14 goals - nearly three goals per match in that stretch. Only with the top-scoring attacking numbers in all of World Cup Qualifying could a team average conceding 3 goals per game and collect 4 wins out of 5 and that translates to 24 goals scored in five games for Vilita - nearly 5 goals scored per game in that stretch. It was the 5th game that was particularly disturbing and after a string of four victories, opened up the whispers again as it was a defeat on the road to qualification rival Zwangzug. They were the best team the Jungle Cats were going to face in the Qualification run and the closest thing to a real test Vilita would have until the World Cup Finals. Having been held repeatedly by opponents outside the top 10, the Jungle Cats may have been guilty of playing down to their opponents and some were beginning to wonder with their defensive holes, if Vilita were even still worthy of their World #1 Ranking position.

Then something clicked. Not necessarily the Vilitan defense which remained inexperienced and plenty leaky to always ensure graciously allowing any opponent at the very least a consolation goal - even when being scored upon 6 or 7 times, but the ratios. The Jungle Cats began firing on all cylinders and making sure that no matter how many goals they conceded, they scored more. In fact following the Matchday eight defeat to Zwangzug during the World Cup 84 Qualifiers, the Vilitan National team trailed just 3 times in a match closing out the campaign with 12 consecutive victories to close out qualifying. During the finals there were even signs that the defense had finally come around as the Jungle Cats executed an extremely rare sweep of their Group in the Baker Park section defeating Audioslavia, Siovanija & Teusland and Sargossa by a combined score of 7-2 with defense that finally looked like they were catching up in quality to the offense.

Of course, the best opponent Vilita faced during that stretch was 13th rank Sargossa which was also their closest match at just 2-1. The real test would come in the knockout round. While other opponents saw relatively low ranked nations standing between them and the latter stages of World Cup 84, that could not be said for the Vilitan National Team. Their Round of 16 opponent was the host nation, the Commonwealth of Baker Park, ranked 9th in the multiverse. It was a fight until the very end but Vilita survived with a 4-3 victory. The reward, a Quarter Final match up between the winner of Equestria - the reigning World Cup Champion, and Starblaydia, the reigning World Cup runner up. It would be the first ever knockout round match up between Vilita and Starblaydia - an incredible historical footnote for the two nations whose legacy extends back 70 cycles. Yet this time, as the opponents grew more difficult the Jungle Cats seemed to gain more confidence. They had shrugged the chip off their shoulders by eliminating a Pot 1 team in the Round of 16 then disposed of another in the Quarter Finals. It left the Vilita Jungle Cats as the only Pot 1 team left in the World Cup bracket and they had just two more matches standing between them and a number of potentially historic accomplishments.

The World Cup Semi-Final would represent the most important match up ever played between Vilita and Nephara slighty beating out the two sides prior meeting at the Quarter Final stage in World Cup 81 which the Jungle Cats had survived 4-3. From there the Nepharim had to hit a reset button after Struggling during World Cup 82 and 83. They came into World Cup 84 as an underdog team barely clinging to status as a favorite just to advance to the knockout rounds but very few had placed the former World Cup Champions as contenders in World Cup 84. They had proven their mettle in the Quarter Finals however defeating four time World Cup Champion nation the Holy Empire and had demonstrated they were once again among the multiverses elite teams ready to compete again for the title.

The venue was Collins Park in Oceana. It was full circle for the Vilitan National Team who called Oceana their home base in the run up to the finals with their opening match day fixture against Audioslavia having been played at the 47,000 seater stadium in Baker Park's third largest city which had been newly renovated in the build up to the World Cup 84 Finals. After an emotional and hard fought victory over Starblaydia in the Quarter Finals, the Jungle Cats came out of the tunnel with a lineup mostly as expected of them with perhaps two notable changes. Most prominent was the inclusion of Linvoi Warazil in attack. The veteran transfer-listed forward had not started a game yet in the World Cup 84 finals but was thrust into the lineup for tactical reasons by the Vilitan coaching staff alongside superstar forward Sipke Tarala while hot-boot Enzoril Alabonni was relegated to the bench and Nii'arala Milaaso was out of the squad entirely presumably due to an undisclosed injury concern.

If there was any question as to whether it would be a nervous, defensive affair with a spot in the World Cup Final on the line, those fears were allayed inside the opening 15 minutes when four goals lifted the crowd off their feet at both ends of the pitch. The Vilitan coaching staff must have seem something in film study with the match up between Warazil and the Nepharim defense because it took less than five minutes for Warazil to find themselves in space and firing past Cormorants goalkeeper Hesterine Mercator for the games opening goal. Of course, Estrella Hawke was having none of that for Nephara, unwilling to let her team lose confidence so early in the match, the Euran based striker near the century mark for all time goals for the National Team charged up the field on the restart razzling and dazzling before firing past Mako Canopii to level the scores at 1-1. It was at that moment the fans realized they were in for a special game and the goals would flow freely throughout the day.

It would be the Jungle Cats tallying the next two over the course of ten minutes with Va'a-Rio Kiwavn putting Vilita back in front with a stunning free kick from nearly 30 yards out that dipped at the end as if it had suddenly transformed into a concrete boulder instead of a gas filled ball. Just a few minutes later, it was the unexpected story line of the day from Vanorian side Raynor City United as Linvoi Warazil got on the scoresheet again to put the Jungle Cats up 3-1 silencing the Nepharim on the stadiums south side.

The match would settle down from that point as the emotion of the frantic opening period began to wear off. Nephara changed their look to deal better with the unanticipated threat posed by the presence of Warazil up top and began chipping away at the inexperienced Vilitan defenders. They eventually would find an opening between a pair of Under-21 internationals for the Jungle Cats with the skillful Hawke drawing away the services of both Rojara Tiones and Lohani Riiyaaw which left the winger Marica Kuepper complete unmarked and at full pace to run on to the carefully slotted through ball. Now finding herself one-on-one with Mako Canopii her foe from the Vilitan Stellar Division, Kupper knew just where to place the ball as Canopii struggled to cut down the angle with the Nepharim instead cutting down the Jungle Cats advantage to just one with the goal.

Vilita would hold on to the narrow 3-2 lead through half time when the teams got the opportunity to re-strategize for the second half while the fans queued up at the various BCEL Beverage stands around the venue scooping up extra collectable cups filled with their beverages of choice from Baker Parks notoriously flavorful beverage supplier. The excitement of the first half saw fans over-purchasing drinks and snacks at the break knowing they wouldn't want to have to get up in the second half to get any additional snacks for fear of missing the decisive moment in what had been a thrilling Semi-Final match up worthy of the billing.

When the second half resumed however the pace of the game had clearly differed. The approach from Nephara had turned more tactical and the focus for Vilita had shifted more towards the defensive mindset. After all, a place in the World Cup Final was at stake. Nephara knew that conceding one more goal could cost them their shot at the Final while the Jungle Cats knew conceding one would put them back at square zero. Both teams were incentivized to score a goal but certainly not at the expense of conceding one. The quality of the chances also went down in the second half which slowly breezed past the hour mark with only a few speculative efforts that had to be dealt with by either netminder. That was, until the 68th minute when Sipke Tarala, the largest transfer target of the 24th UICA Transfer Window executed a moment of brilliance that would change the match. Tarala was a domestic opponent of a number of the opposition on the Cormorants roster having transferred two cycles prior to the famous Sabrefell Athletic club in Nephara and perhaps held a little familiar knowledge on a move or two that helped set up their moment in the spotlight which gave Vilita a 4-2 lead that Nephara would not be able to overcome. It forced the Nepharim to abandon their measured approach and switch to a bodies forward strategy as they now needed two goals to force the extra session. The quality of their chances improved but Mako Canopii was up to the challenge, keeping the goal clear and even earning an assist on a late counter attacking opportunity when Linvoi Warazil had stayed back at the half way line even behind the Nepharim defenders who were supporting the teams offensive efforts. Warazil completed the hattrick - perhaps a swan song sendoff for the veteran Jungle Cat forward who left their mark on the competition by helping send the Jungle Cats through to the World Cup 84 Final in Cassadaigua.

Vilita [5] - [2] Nephara

:: Vilita Goalscorers ::
:: 5' Linvoi Warazil
:: 11' Va'a-Rio Kiwavn
:: 15' Linvoi Warazil
:: 68' Sipke Tarala
:: 76' Linvoi Warazil

:: Vilita Statistics ::
:: Possession: 56%
:: Shots on Target: 12
:: Corner Kicks: 14

:: Nephara Statistics ::
:: Possession: 44%
:: Shots on Target: 7
:: Corner Kicks: 11

:: Nephara Goalscorers ::
:: 6' Estrella Hawk
:: 36' Marica Kuepper
::
::
::

Vilita Jungle Cats Lineup v. Nephara ::
[GK] Mako Canopii, [D.] Rojara Tiones, [D.] Lohani Riiyaaw, [D.] Jirak Trikala, [ML] Polaox Torerun, [MC] Cywrenta Vlintejni, [MC] Va'a-Rio Kiwavn, [MC] Jyuola Mtalata, [MR] Jurzen Devmiko, [FC] Sipke Tarala, [FC] Linvoi Warazil
BENCH::
[FC] Fishtii Blikala, [FC] Enzoril Alabonni, [M] Limu Katarakhna, [M] Kudii Davasarii, [U ] Westii Yahaya, [D] Inteali Koranjo, [GK] Striitca Virahat

The performance from the Jungle Cats in the World Cup 84 knockout round certainly warranted their place in the World Cup 84 Final lighting the lamp 12 times in three knockout matches, two of which were against Top 10 opposition. While the Vilitan National Team would be leaving the Commonwealth of Baker Park for the final to be played in Cassadaigua, they would have fond memories of their first ever extended competition in the rising Atlantian Oceania power which saw six wins in six games and an average of just over one goal conceded per match - a vast improvement over where they had previously been especially considering the quality of the opponent. They would need to continue the trend if they are to be successful in the final against a similarly skilled opponent in Farfadillis. The Farfazillians had been employing an uncharacteristically strategic defensive strategy under the tutelage of long-time Farfadillis National Team player turned manager Ichi Tuzzio. Of course, Tuzzio and assistant manager Friekder Dandalleion are well known throughout Vilita for their many impressive seasons playing in the Vilitan Stellar Division. However whether under pressure from the general populous who wanted to see more goals, or perhaps simply out of coincidence, Tuzzio's La Vherderoja had advanced to their first ever World Cup Final on the strength of a similar 5-2 victory over their opponents, two time World Champion nation Eura.

For the Farvish team, it was a very Turorian progression to finally breaking down the barriers that had stood in front of them. Like Turori, Farfadillis had long struggled to escape the Quarter Final stage - despite having often been at the hand of knocking the Vilita Jungle Cats out prior to that stage. Then, more recently, just like Turori, Farfadillis broke through to the Semi-Final stage and have now taking that massive step from World Cup Semi-Finalist to World Cup Finalist. Of course, the emotional hurdle for Farfadillis was the Semi-Final match. That was the barrier they tore down to now enter into uncharted territory for a nation in conflict with their playing style in front of the eyes of the multiverse for the World Cup Final. On the other hand, the Vilitan National Team, despite a mixed historical record against Farfadillis, seem to finally be a team who have found their identity and now sit on the cusp of a number of multiversal and national records including the possibility of completing a perfect World Cup Finals campaign for the first time in their history. The match, to be played at the Dagan Airways Stadium in Cassadaigua, will certainly be a hard fought and well attended affair as many Farves will already be in Cassadaigua while the Vilitan Cove traditional travels well in addition to the number of Turorians already in Concord Heights from earlier in the campaign. By all accounts Concord Heights has been an excellent host city and perfect venue for fans as demonstrated by a quartet of matches earlier in the finals with dedicated fan villas, museums and even the Cassadaigua National Sports Hall of Fame. While the quality of the product on the pitch is yet to be determined, the World Cup 84 Final will likely set a new bar for the quality of the product in the stands as the Concord Heights Beauty School is set up all week long in the build up to the final offering complimentary makeovers to anyone possessing a ticket to the World Cup Final. While the fans are sure to impress the only remaining question is which nation will take home the World Cup Trophy in a battle many, many cycles in the making between two familiar and rivalrous foes.

by **Farfadillis** » Thu Jan 30, 2020 5:18 pm

La Vherderoja’s record against Eura was quite famous back in the island. One win and one draw in the group stages. In both cases, both teams advanced. Beyond that, Farfadillis had lost thrice. Once, perhaps harmlessly, in a third-place play-off. But beyond that, the other two losses had really stung. Most infamously, Farfadillis had lost been thrashed 6-1 in the quarters of World Cup 73. Beyond that, and much more recently, Eura had come out ahead 3-1 in a round of sixteen the previous World Cup.

Why was Eura so much better in important matches than Farfadillis? The reason was simple: mental fortitude. The Eurans had it in spades, while the Farves were famous for needing decades to get past new hurdles, despite having the quality. They lost their first five quarterfinal matches, before going on to win the following five. After that, they’d lost all four semifinals they’d been in. Some of those losses had been very harsh. An attacking team with a mentality problem can and will get humiliated by an opponent that knows what it’s doing.

This time around, however, Tuzzio was pretty sure he had a solution to this problem. The team, as a whole, was still mentally weak, at least compared to the Euran team. Half the starting line-up looked completely deflated after finding out Eura had beaten Banija. Tuzzio’s solution to this was to try and heat up the match, in the hopes the players would recur to their more primal instincts and perform like they could and should.

But heating up a semifinal and getting away with it is not a task for everyone. Luckily for him, he had none other than Oskar Holsteiner. A shit-stirring man by trade, and a Eura-based player. He knew their language and their customs. He alone could probably turn the game into a chaotic fiesta, the other players would just have to let themselves go after the first few Holsteiner incidents.

His tactical instructions were therefore just two: Holsteiner was told to focus on winding them up, and not tell the other players about the plan, and the rest were told to just be themselves. As far as Tuzzio was concerned, Holsteiner getting sent off could even increase their chances of winning if it meant the game devolved into chaos. After all, chaos was the one state in which this team seemed to thrive, unlike previous iterations of la Vherderoja. For one, he knew he hadn’t thrived under those circumstances.

His one worry was that Êns wasn’t at top physical condition after the Kita-Hinode game, but starting Çídh seemed like too much of a risk.

The game started with, you guessed it, free-flowing attacking football from both sides. The Eurans were used to playing considerably attacking football. They were one of the few teams that could adapt to Farfadillis’ rhythm without trouble.

Already in the first few minutes, Holsteiner could be seen irritating the Euran defenders. He grabbed shirts on corner kicks and even went for kidney punches if the referee wasn’t watching. It didn’t help the Eurans that Farfadillis managed to provoke no less than four corners.

Tuzzio was content with how things were going. His plan wasn’t far from paying off. Then, as if reminding him his influence on the team went beyond his whacky plans, he was surprised by his own protégé scoring a goal out of nowhere, in the same way he used to as a player.

Faragó rue Cazade robbed the ball from Rowland with a tough but fair tackle, showing how much he’d grown into his new role. Then, he looked up, positioned the ball for a long shot, and proceeded to give Belgrave no chance of robbing him of protagonism. The goal had been a quintessential screamer.

Tuzzio celebrated this goal like he had very few before. One, because Faragó had scored it. Two, because it was in a fucking semifinal. Three, because it meant the Eurans would get impatient very quickly.

And that they did. Holsteiner managed to provoke two yellow cards in just five minutes. One for each centerback. This would’ve been problematic for the Eurans against any team, but against Farfadillis it was basically a death sentence.

In the twenty-second minute, the Eurans managed to equalize. It was only fair; the game had been very even up until that point. A quick passing play between the Euran attackers led to Townsend being left with space inside the box, and every Farf knew what that meant. There was nothing Tuzzio could blame his players for. With their tactical set-up and defensive skill, they were never going to stop such a skillful play.

This alarmed the players, but not Tuzzio. He reminded them of his instructions. He knew they’d pull through eventually.

Fifteen minutes later, Holsteiner managed to pull the team through again, this time with a goal. Marchiondo dispossessed Woakes of the ball, and sent a long pass to Êns. Who got rid of two players with precise dribbling and proceeded to send Holsteiner through on goal. Lethal as always, he placed the ball well beyond Belgrave’s reach with a very powerful shot.

If going down had irritated the Eurans, going down again because of goal by this guy would only make them go mad, Tuzio figured.

He was wrong, though, the Eurans showed great composure. So much so, that they’d score in the last play of the first half. And the scorer would be no other than Charles Roberts, one of the two men Holsteiner had been trying to get sent off the entire half.

As far as goals go, it was a pretty standard one. Armstrong took a great corner, Roberts jumped above everyone else, and then he smashed the ball past Tgô. This time, the team could be blamed. It had been a glaring defensive mistake, probably due to the pressure. But, unlike other times, he chose not to berate them for it. They still weren’t behind, and he didn’t want to pile on the pressure.

At half time, he limited himself to reassuring the players. He reminded them the Euran centerbacks were both on yellows, and to take advantage of that, too, but that was it.

Maybe because of his reassurance, but probably not, Farfadillis quickly found a third goal. It took just seven minutes.

Êns, who had had a good first half, but was now causing real problems to the Euran backline and midfield as a false nine, proceeded to stun Eurans, Farves and neutrals alike by dribbling past Rowland, then Steele, then Roberts and slotting the ball past Belgrave, who went on to furiously berate his teammates. In what seemed like an instant, Êns had turned an innocuous position into a wondergoal. He was helped by Steele and Roberts’ cautiousness, of course, but it had been an incredible goal nonetheless.

After that, the game continued to be very even. However, the Eurans’ frustration began to grow more and more, specially as Holsteiner had only amped up his shenanigans for the second half. He spat on players, brought up whatever personal issues he knew of thanks to Euran tabloids, and was overall a giant dick.

This all finally came to a head when he dove for a penalty in the sixty-sixth minute. In a moment of pure fury, Roberts lifted him up and pushed him, then proceeded to threaten him. Holsteiner pushed him back and it almost devolved into a huge fight. At the end, the referee sent off both. Holsteiner for the dive and the push, and Roberts for the push and the previous yellow.

This, in theory, might’ve even been a good thing for Eura. Holsteiner was probably more important for Farfadillis than Roberts was for Eura. But there was a key difference: the Eurans felt very hard done-by. The Farves, on the other hand, felt only excitement at the prospect of playing an even more offensive brand of football in a ten-versus-ten game.

From then on, Farfadillis controlled the game. Tuzzio had never felt so full of himself. His plan had turned out perfectly. The Eurans still had a few clear chance, but nowhere near the number Farfadillis managed.

Still, only Êns’ individual brilliance managed to seal the game in the end. With eight minutes of regular time to go, he once again dribbled past three Eurans, taking full advantage of Steele’s yellow card, and proceeded to gently position the ball in the upper-right corner. The Eurans had been in disarray for minutes due to the red card, and Êns had smelled blood.

After that, the Eurans completely exposed themselves in defense. It was a reasonable choice. After all, Farfadillis conceding two with ten men was hardly an impossible prospect.

Alas, it was not meant to be for them, as Tgô pulled off a few very good saves, and Êns scored a fifth goal in the last play, after the Eurans committed even Belgrave to a corner kick, and Êns showed enough leftover energy to outrun everyone else to get to the end of Wìjìnì’s long ball and send the Farf fans into a frenzy.

With Eura out of the way, and now comfortably in his hotel room, Tuzzio began to think about Vilita. After many fruitless hours of tactical analysis and player profiling, he came to the unfortunate conclusion that his team was completely outmatches. This Vilita team was unlike any he had seen before. His Farf team, on the other hand, wasn’t even the best he himself had managed. What’s more Holsteiner was suspended for the game. He’d have to field an inexperienced Edmün Çídh.

But then again, this reminded him of his time as a player. Back when he was still active, Vilita was miles ahead of Farfadillis. Yet, somehow, la Vherderoja always managed the upset, many times with him and Dandalleion, his assistant, putting in top performances.

Maybe Friekder and him were just the lucky talisman the team needed. Still, he was not a superstitious man. He had come up with a tactical plan, flawed as it could maybe prove to be.

He’d tell the players they were huge underdogs, and that a honourable loss would be more than enough. That was what Rossizzo purposely did to fire them up back then, in the World Cups of the 60’s. Only now did he realize it was intentional.

He looked up at the sky and whispered.

“This one’s for you, old man.”

by **Vilita** » Thu Jan 30, 2020 5:54 pm

Recycle Time... Back again... Nikkii's Back... Back again... Alright here we are Recycle Time lets do it!

I know, we already did that intro. Buuuut speaking of Recycling, if you still have an old copy of the classic Vii game Zombifarf you may want to dust it out pronto because citizens are currently spending crazy amounts of Tures to get their hands on the currently out-of-print title as they look to have a little fun in the build up to the World Cup 84 Final between Vilita and Farfadillis. Just check this out:

The matchup has also resulted in a 800% increase in the re-sale prices of the original out-of-print ZOMBIFARF video game with Toys '4' All locations across the Vilitan Cove reporting all previously owned copies of the game sold out for the Vii Console. Of course, the Vii version of the game is itself a remake of a cult classic which provided updated graphics and new gameplay modes including the ZOMBIFARF Cup and the Ŝþéçíâļ Ćħâřâčŧéŕ shooting gallery where players are able to choose their targets from famous Farfazillians such as the appropriately named "Zombie Friek". Even sales of Vii gaming consoles saw a small uptick since the Final matchup was announced - as some gamers who might have already moved on to newer gaming consoles wanted to reconnect with their own copies of ZOMBIFARF.

Of course, while Zombifarf did spawn a couple of sequels, nothing will ever be as good as the original and yes, I was playing my copy of Zombifarf just a few minutes ago; no, you can't have it and yes, I'm going back to playing it right after we are done here!

So obviously we had to leave Baker Park and come over to Cassadaigua which was... ugh... totally amazing! Hello Concord Heights Beauty School and where have you been all of my life? Alright, I know, they've been in Concord Heights but I really just loved the opportunity for them to do all of my highlighting in time for the final! Saves me the trouble and lets face it, they did a much better job than I ever would have.

I haven't gotten to see the museums and stuff yet but there is plenty to do in and around the stadium, lots of companies and lots of booths with prizes, special offers - I mean I somehow signed up for a Five Star Mobile phone plan. Luckily I got a great deal but I guess maybe I'll have to be coming back to Cassadaigua more often now. Perhaps I can cover some Stock Car Races during this upcoming season and get good use out of it that way. Also. Cocoa-bo. They are here. Of course there was a little kerfluffle between them and our very own Vilisorma Beverage Company after Vilaye launched Vilaye Roast and is trying to compete in some of Cocoa-bo's morning cafe beverage market space and now things seem to be getting even worse for Turori's national delectable company.

So Vilaye came thrusting onto the scene when Cocoa-bo's very open projections for the World Cup 84 knockout round came out saying all the nations that embraced Cocoa-bo were going to win because Everything's Better with Cocoa-bo except most of them didn't win. So it was very embarrassing for Cocoa-bo. Then, the Vilisorma Beverage Company comes out with their own ad campaign for Vilaye Roast saying basically, hey look, its not what you consume that makes you better. You bring the talent, you bring the skills. All we're here to do is wake you up; give you a kickstart so you can use those skills you already have to their fullest. It's really simple and really clever especially with the timing of all of it.

I mean really they are saying the same thing probably although its more of Vilaye's market to begin with. Now however it seems like the Vilaye Roast marketing campaign has had additional connotations as there are rumblings that folks who actually believe Cocoa-bo does make Everything Better because of what's inside the concoction - are looking to take action against Cocoa-bo for this very fact. Yup. Thats right folks. Cocoa-bo has now been labelled as an addictive performance-enhancing substance. There is even a movement to ban it!

Now, don't worry all you hoofsters out there in Equestria and anyone with a sweet tooth - they don't want to ban Cocoa-bo entirely, just for athletes. Which, honestly, considering what happened with those Fluffy Bunnies and the unfortunate Cocoa-bo incident might just be a good idea. For the rest of us however, at least for now, drink up!

Of course I will be there at the Dagan Airways Stadium rooting on my Jungle Cats one more time. I've been blessed now at my third World Cup supporting Vilita and it's something that none of my ancestors could have ever done and let's be honest, every time could be the last time so I'll be rooting them on just as loudly as the very first time. Who knows, it could be the last time for the Vilita National Team as we know it with all the rumblings about whether Vilita and Turori really count as two independent entities considering who they compete unified at the regional level. The pro Cocoabo faction is also pushing it so that they could enter the Cocoabo in place of the Turori National team whole Vilita and Turori send a unified citizen team. Who knows when or if such a thing would ever become reality, but if or when it does superfans of the Jungle Cats like myself will cherish these rare opportunities to celebrate in their nations collective achievements.

As for our opponents those crazy farviputians led by Tuzzio and 'the Friek' of Jungle Strike FC fame; it has been a fairy tale ride for them that their media and some fans barely seem to appreciate, calling instead for the team to play a more exciting game even if it were to come at the expense of a victory. I think the Farves have a lot of momentum and will one day soon bask in championship glory. I even had them and Banija in the semi finals on my bracket so the half I got right looks like a good bet. Of course we aren't surprised about the recent rise to prominence of both those teams who are sure to be contenders for the World Cup for many generations to come. For now though, I've got maybe one more game of Zombifarf in me then it's time to head down to Dagan Airways Stadium. Yes it's true. For those of you asking via twii.tur, I DID promise to make a Jeremy Jaffacake-esque video recording for you all if my team wins this thing. Of course it won't be anywhere near as ridiculous as the original but I'm willing to try almost anything once. It could be the last greatest game of my generation and I'm going to enjoy the heck out of it. See you at the stadium. Go Jungle Cats!!!

by **Cassadaigua** » Thu Jan 30, 2020 7:06 pm

I would like to thank everyone for their fantastic participation during this World Cup, making its hosting truly enjoyable for Baker Park and I.
Over 1100 posts, quite awesome!

Now, for the final time. Here's the cutoff!

Results

by **Farfadillis** » Thu Feb 06, 2020 10:17 pm

Farfadillis' World Cup history wasn't much different from its real one. A country that has everything it takes to succeed, but constantly undoing itself in the most ridiculous ways. The national team hadn't endured a tenth of what its people had, but not for lack of trying.

A team famous for its mental blocks, Farfadillis had needed six attempts to get past the quarterfinals. The average quality of their teams didn't go up, but with the mental block gone, the team had gone on to win the next five, demonstrating it was just that: a mental block. But la Vherderoja would never let something like newfound success propel them away from mediocrity. No, instead, they'd find their new mental block: the semifinals.

In World Cup 77, a couple of questionable referee decisions and an unfortunate penalty shoot-out saw them go out against the hosts, San José Guayabal. In World Cup 79, Bonesea destroyed them 4-1. In World Cup 80, they were up 3-1 at half time against the Holy Empire, we all know how that one ended. In World Cup 82, the semifinal of mental blocks happened: Farfadillis faced Turori. They won that one by getting thrashed 6-3.

This history bordering on self-sabotage could be seen mirrored in the country's political turmoil. A revolution, a genocide, a civil war and then total societal collapse. All self-inflicted to varying degrees.

Interestingly, beyond the Rulandese at the time of the revolution, the team seemed rather unaffected by issues back home. The players themselves all lost friends and family, and had their own personal connections to the tragedies of the nation, but it didn't make them play any better or any worse. For a country used to tragedy, la Vherderoja was a fitting national team.

With what must have been the most depressing pep talk of all time, Ichi Tuzzio sent his players to the pitch, having tasked them not with bringing the World Cup trophy to Farfadillis, but with not embarrassing themselves like they always did.

Tuzzio had expected to fire them up with this. Fire them up by exploiting their rebelliousness. What he hadn't realized, however, was that this was a team composed entirely of people that had grown up in the chaos that was the Farfadillis of the last fifteen years. Their rebelliousness had been snuff out, in many cases, by bombs, acts of terrorism and famine. They went out on the pitch expecting to endure a miserable and chaotic game, and they had been tasked to endure it.

One can only imagine the Vilitans had a much different outlook on the game.

The match started exactly as everyone expected: the Jungle Cats took control of the game from minute one. The hunger for a record sixth World Cup title was bigger than the hunger for a first one, and it was being broadcast to the entire Multiverse.

In the fifth minute, some swift link-up play between Tarala and Tzufarei ended with the latter grazing the right post.

In the seventh minute, Vlintejni was left with too much space and pulled off a fantastic shot, which was only stopped by an attentive and acrobatic Tgô. Most neutrals were astonished by the lukewarm reaction the keeper had to his own save.

In the tenth minute, Tarala hit the crossbar. Three minutes later, Tgô denied them a one-on-one.

The Vilitans were completely overrunning them, and they were just taking it and taking it. They were playing as offensively as always, but taking a beating from a much better team.

In the twentieth minute, the Farf team suddenly sparked into life. Marchiondo surged from behind Bajnok to strip the ball from a surprised Kiwavn, before going for a long pass to Wçêíl. The winger ran down the flank and passed the ball towards the edge of the box, where rue Cazade controlled with his first touch, and fired with his second. Canopii's post trembled, but it went out.

As if the chance had been only to show that they were, in fact, there, the team went back to getting completely humiliated. "Are they vying their time?" Some neutrals began asking themselves. The correct answer would've been "No."

As the minutes went by, the Vilitans started getting increasingly frustrated. With this, the Farves started getting back into the game a bit. Chances started coming in a three-to-one proportion, a big improvement on the previous ten-to-one. In the last minute of the first half, a Tarala header was tipped over by what was possibly the best save in Íüé Tgô's career. Nobody in the Farf team batted an eye.

With the Jungle Cats perplexed by their lack of luck and their opponent's lack of fire, the first half came to a close. Purely by virtue of luck, Farfadillis seemed to be hanging on.

For the second half, Tuzzio substituted wonderkid Edmün Çídh - who hadn't touched the ball at all - with the completely unknown Elemer Miross-Lezocz. Nothing changed. He didn't give a half-time talk. For some reason, he wasn't disappointed at all with how the game was going.

At the start of the second half, Farfadillis had a brief spell of domination. For ten minutes, the Vilitans barely had a sniff of the ball. Demonstrating a patience usually so evasive to Farf teams, they actually came close to scoring once again. After who-knows-how-many passes, it was rue Cazade that found himself with space to shoot once again. The post denied him once again.

This was the last chance they had in regular time.

The rest of the second half will, with time, come to be known in Farfadillis for just one thing: the astonishing performance of Íüé Tgô. Long shots, headers, close range shots, rebounds, set piece kerfuffles. Nothing fazed him. The Vilitans, much like the neutrals, began to get increasingly... weirded out by the lifelessness with which this rather unknown keeper was pulling off a legendary performance.

In the last play of the second half, a Tzufarei free kick forced Tgô to fly his way into his own post. He did it without hesitation, pulled off the save of the century. He got up, a hand on his ribs. The referee signalled there would be extra time, and the Vilitans were more bewildered by the lack of celebration from the Farves than by the fact they hadn't yet won.

Tgô sat down in pain, then raised a fist, in quiet celebration.

In extra time, the team seemed to finally succumb to exhaustion. Vilita scored in the second minute.

A cross from Torerun found Tzufarei's head, after he rose above the young Ûsêtêrnìx, who'd replaced Bajnok. Tzufarei headed it towards the spot, where Tarala was waiting, unmarked. Not even Tgô could stop the striker from placing his volley on an upper corner. The Vilitans went wild. So did the crowd. The Farves, on the other hand, quietly took the ball from the back of the net all the way to the kick-off spot, and waited for the Vilitans to finish celebrating.

It was at that point that the Jungle Cats finally let themselves feel like six-time World Cup winners. With Farfadillis showing no signs of fighting back, the game was as good as done.

But Farfadillis came out with all guns blazing.

As if they'd been waiting to concede all game, la Vherderoja started to show a much more familiar face. In a matter of minutes, the Vilitans were bunching up inside the box. Xíxì Êns started making them accumulate yellow cards. rue Cazade hit the post a third time. Eleonóra entered the pitch for Miross-Lezocz, and began wreaking havoc himself.

After switching halves, the Farves only dominated more. They were up against the best team in history and making them look like unranked fodder. In the minute one hundred and eleven, they finally got through.

As Êns received the ball from rue Cazade at the halfway line, the Rulandese turned around and left Vlintejni biting the dust. He then dribbled past Kiwavn as if not even noticing him. With Eleonóra trying to sneak behind Trikala, making the most of the confusion caused by playing with no strikers, Êns pulled off a perfectly-weighted pass. Just as the ball entered the box, and barely getting to the ball before Trikala, Eleonóra let loose the best shot of his career. It hit the roof of the net.

The emotional floodgates broke. No goal had ever been so celebrated. Most players began crying. Eleonóra took off his shirt. Nobody could understand what was happening.

With just ten minutes to go, the game got heated like never before. The Farves started hitting and hard. A fight almost broke out on more than one occasion. The Vilitans, now desperate not to go to an undeserved penalty shoot-out, began trying to take back control of the game, but Farfadillis did not relent. They had a few more good chances, but fate did not favor them in those.

In the last play, another Vilitan header - this time from Devmiko - proved dangerous. Lojes de Sájajo cleared it away from the goal line. As the referee signalled the end of extra time, the Farves once again did not celebrate. This time, because they smelled blood.

After almost fifty years of attempting it, the Farves were now one shoot-out away from winning the World Cup, and their opponents were losing the mental battle.

The Jungle Cats won the coin toss.

Sipke Tarala was their first taker. A calm and collected striker, he had not a problem placing his shot well away from Tgô's reach.

Lázár Eleonóra followed. The Szoirsian smashed it into the upper-right corner. An unappealable penalty.

Tzufarei took Vilita's second penalty. He would no doubt have nightmares with Tgô, because he once again saved his shot.

rue Cazade had the chance to give the team a huge advantage, but sent it wide.

Torerun hit the right post, but it bounced in.

Wçêíl shot to the right; Canopii dove left.

Devmiko hit the post much like Torerun, but it bounced out.

Marchiondo skyed it.

And with that, it was the turn of the last two penalty takers.

Va'a-Rio Kiwavn would take Vilita's. The midfielder took a great penalty. Well-placed, quite powerful. But it was not enough. Tgô had guessed the direction, and he wasn't going to fail to save it with the night he was having. Nobody in the Farf team celebrated.

Xíxì Êns walked up to take the final penalty. Many thoughts flashed his head, yet he seemed calmer than ever. He could be playing at the plaza by the look on his face. With a few steps, he delicately placed the ball in the upper corner.

Celebrations broke out. Most ran after Xíxì. Some just dropped to the floor, sobbing hysterically. A couple just looked at the sky, thanking their loved ones, wherever they were.

Eventually, the whole team gathered closely. Tuzzio took a few moments to communicate he was going to resign. Without his consent, the players quickly grabbed him and started throwing him into the air. After the first two throws, his cane started being thrown too. The parties would go long into the night, not just in Cassadaigua, but in Farfadillis too. For the first time in years, there was something to celebrate.

Ӿ Ӿ Ӿ

As he got off the boat, Xíxì took a deep breath. He hadn't been to Ruland in three years, and had come to miss even the smell. Donning his trusty glasses and hat, he hoped not to be noticed wandering the streets. He was visiting his mama, after all. Everyone else could wait.

Walking through the streets, he was quickly reminded why he didn't visit more often. Every time, the city managed to look even more run-down. Houses from his childhood now either burned down or completely abandoned. The factories, at the distance, somehow still functioning. He was convinced their smoke was blacker now. There was a lot of trash on the street, even more than usual.

He pondered for a bit why there seemed to be more beer on the street than usual, which brought a smirk to his face as he arrived at the answer. As he turned a corner, he arrived at the plaza where he played footy as a child. He was once again disappointed to find it hadn't been rebuilt after the bombings. He walked on.

As the Sun kept rising, he visited his father's grave. He brought three different types of flowers to compensate for the years he hadn't been there. He didn't stay long however; he had to be home by eleven, when the gang shoot-outs start.

He took a different route home because of this. He went right through a Mâ Âlâmëómë-dominated neighborhood. As an avid Dí Maozóxê fan, even he was surprised at how he was now finding the green and the black pleasant. This was his home city, after all. All of it was.

As he got to his neighborhood, he noticed a new plaza had been built close to the old one, one which did have a football pitch. Piqued by curiosity, he got closer. There, there were seven kids carelessly playing footy, like him all those years before. He sat for a few minutes and watched. He found it cathartic. The years and the tragedies would come and go, but there would always be Rulandese kids playing footy somewhere, away from their worries.

He continued his way home. He was about to get to his favorite part of the neighborhood: the Mâás Fôx mural. A legend born just a few blocks away from him, Xíxì had naturally idolized him. As a kid, on his way to the plaza with his ball under his arm, he'd always spend a few seconds staring at the mural. It featured Mâás pointing to the sky, celebrating a goal Xíxì now couldn't remember.

When he got to the mural, he stared at it like a little kid once again. But, once again, it was out of pure awe. There, pointing towards the sky, was a smaller version of the Mâás Fôx he remembered. At his side, jumping and raising his fist, after scoring against Eura... it was him. He let a few tears escape his eyes; he figured it wouldn't hurt. All he hoped for was that one day that mural would give a kid hope, like it had to him so many years before. He continued walking home, pondering what he'd achieved.

As he walked the last few steps, he took a good look around. He wanted to really take it all in. He knocked on the door. For a brief moment, he wondered if his mother would think of him differently now, as a World Cup winner.

"Who's there?" A familiar voice could be heard asking from the other side.

"It's me, mama." A smile took over his face.

"Xíxì!?" The door swung open abruptly. They embraced.

"How have you been, my Xíxì?" She looked at him teary-eyed. "We've missed you a lot."

"I've missed you too." Xíxì tightened the hug.

"Come in, we've got guisô." She hurried back into the kitchen.

He stepped into his home. "Is there guisô for me, mama?"

"I always have some ready for you, my dear."

World Cup 84- RP Thread (IC)

WC84 - SF v. Nephara (5-2)

Recycle Time - World Cup 84 Final

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