Cup of Harmony 76 - Everything Thread

by **Gyatso-kai** » Wed Jan 15, 2020 11:06 pm

An ASPN Production, Brought to you on ASPN.co.gki

REPUBLIC CITY --- Aaron Yitsune

Here we are, ladies, gentlemen, and individuals of a non-binary gender. We are sitting on the cusps of what is our first Cup of Harmony since the Fiftieth Edition and...

Wait..Am I talking about Football? On a hockey show?

bUt WHerE's mY iCe aND mY StICk anD pUCk!!!11!!111!

We here on CENTRE ICE support all Avatarian Sports, and we ALWAYS cover the tournaments whenever we can. And, as we are approaching the All-Star Break for the AHL, I figure it might be good to go over what our boys on the pitch will be facing off against, so as to make our audience more well-rounded.

BECAUSE SPORTS DAMN IT!

So, without further ado...

******

The Group Schedule was announced just the other day, and here it is:

Matchday 01 (16 Jan.) vs

Geektopia₉₅
Matchday 02 (17 Jan.) vs

Ancherion₆₂
Matchday 03 (18 Jan.) vs

Timuria₅₉
Matchday 04 (19 Jan.) vs

Pasarga₂₈
Matchday 05 (20 Jan.) vs

Squornshelous₁₀₂

If you followed along with the World Cup Qualifying, I am sure you recognise two of those names. Yep, on Matchday 03 and Matchday 04, we get two rematches from the World Cup Qualifying! (More on that later)

But let's take a look at our opponents:

::: Matchday 01 (16 Jan.) vs

Geektopia₉₅ :::
Style: +2.793
Formation: 3-3-4
WC 84 Record: 7-2-1, 23 pts, 8th in Group 11

Not much to say about Geektopia, as we have yet to face them either before or after The Silence. Expect this game to be quite a show, as The Bisons are set to open the Cup of Harmony with their (hopefully) best foot forward and get a good solid victory to open the tournament.

::: Matchday 02 (17 Jan.) vs

Ancherion_{62[/62] :::}
Style: +2.4
Formation: 4-2-3-1 (2 CM)
WC 84 Record: 9-4-6, 31 pts, 4th in Group 14

Here we go with another team that we have never faced off before against. Ancherion - despite having such a great flag - wasn't able to make it out of their group, having the pleasure of watching perennial favorite Vilita make it out of the Group Qualifying in first place for Group 14, with 52pts and only one loss... Not the same for Ancherion, who managed to end the last ten games of the tournament 4-3-3.

::: Matchday 03 (18 Jan.) vs

Timuria[sub]59 :::
Style: +3.0
Formation: 4-2-3-1
WC 84 Record: 8-4-8, 28 pts, 5th in Group 12

The first of our World Cup rematches, as well as the first game in which The Bisons will be wearing their black alternate kits. Timuria was a solid opponent in the Qualifiers, with the Bisons drawing the first match away 1-all, and then bringing it to Zhaoyang District, where in front of an 83,000+ crowd, the Bisons managed to silence Timuria 3-1.

We can only hope we do it again.

Now, obviously, Timuria will not be a pushover, as they have more than likely studied us. Initial reports are saying that Aki Kio'los, our starting goalkeeper, may not start until this match, as he is currently dealing with a lower body injury he sustained on personal time away from the team. What does this mean for the Bisons? With Zhao Baoli in the net, our team will likely play a more defensive game, so do not expect the score to open up like it did at The Stadia Capital.

::: Matchday 04 (19 Jan.) vs

Pasarga₂₈ :::
Style: +1.0
Formation: 4-4-2
WC 84 Record: 13-3-4, 42 pts, 3rd in Group 12

The team to beat for this tournament! It doesn't even matter what we do in the other games, so long as we can defeat Pasarga, we could lose every other match and I would still celebrate like we won The World Cup of Hockey! Pasarga gave us two very uncomfortable defeats in Qualifying; first off with that absolutely embarassing 5-1 stomping at Stadia Capital, then when we travelled to their home stadium, it was a shutout and Zhao let in two unanswered goals.

We cannot allow that to happen here. They are in the Top 30 Nations in the world, and only missed out on qualifying for the World Cup Proper by a single point. This is !!NOT!! a match to take likely.

::: Matchday 05 (20 Jan.) vs

Squornshelous₁₀₂ :::
Style: +5.0
Formation: 4-3-3
WC 84 Record: 9-6-5, 33 pts, 5th in Group 5

A team we have never faced closes out our tournament, and it is an offensive beast of a team. Squaornshelous is a far cry from the team that managed to win the World Cup back in the 31st Edition, but they are certainly not a threat to be taken lightly. If we could knock own Pasarga, and close out our tournament against a team just outsie the Top 100... That may just guarantee Tay'haai his job next tournament cycle.

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URL: http://www.aspn.com.gk/articles/ahl/23887462
© 2020 Avatarian Sports Programming Network

by **Trolleborg** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 4:03 am

BUSOGA ISLANDS – TROLLEBORG

This is a day of our first game on Cup of Harmony. It’s pivotal day, since, it’s not a secret, the fate of the team and whole “Opening Doors” policy depends on how good our players will show themselves on the field.

So, here we are, game with Busoga Islands is almost began. Morten Troghil – it’s easy to predict – put his best line-up possible.
Lineup of the team is as follows

Islanders started the qualifying tournament well, kept in the first two places for almost the entire first half, tied the matches with two teams that ultimately went to the world championship, having the first defeat only in the eighth round, but six in subsequent matches, finishing in fourth place. Odds are to the opponents favor, but if our boys will play as passionate as only can then everything in the world is within their reach.

FTST85: Yes, we are here at CoH in Banija. In fact, return to Banija, since our last match in the WCQ was here. Now we did a lot of things this time, for which did not have time in our last visit: we see museums and historical landmarks, (at last!) visiting waterfront, try bananas of all kinds, plus the famous banana liquor. Unfortunately, the sale of alcohol in Istria is limited in the morning due to local regulations, but we already have enough flame in our guts to survive such a trouble

Although we have expressed fears in the local press that many things will turn out to be difficult, the situation, it should be noted, is quite conducive to a football holiday. This is the first time we are faced with so many fans of another team while playing in a neutral field, it will be interesting to see how Busoga will cheer for their side. We are already approaching the stadium, even from the outside you can hear how the first ones who come in are chanting inside.

Good part of the country surrounded their TVs and entered their 3D zones, and many people will watch the game in open-air fan zones

The Green Sea is already present in the stands of the stadium, roaring, singing, rehearsing a "wave", and from time to time chants “TROLLE-BORG!”.

When announcer begin to name our players, fans making thunderous applause for everyone and put together live mosaic with a red dragon in the centre. The head coach of our team presented the lady who heads the Busoga Islands team with a magnificent bouquet of flowers.

by **Sajnur** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 8:17 am

World Cup Qualifying: Summary of Sajnur Results

by **Pasarga** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 10:20 am

To say that there was an icy feel on the plane from Pasarga to Xanneria would to be putting it very lightly, as nearly all the players and coaches knew that they were all on very thin ice. The PFA had come dangerously close to sacking Srđan Jakšić in between the end of the Qualifying cycle and the decision to accept their invite into the Cup of Harmony. There had even been a few rumors mulling about that the PFA had thought about dissolving the national team entirely, until the officials from the SuperLiga convinced the heads of the organization to let things settle and see what happened after the Cup of Harmony. In any other situation, taking a draw off a top ten team in the world, and collecting seven points off the three other top seeds in the group to end the cycle would have been seen as a massive result. Yet in this circumstance, all it did was leave the team and the fans feeling bitterly disappointed and a huge sense of trepidation about the future of Pasargan football, given the threat that the PFA had made about its possibility of being dissolved, such was the wild highs and lows of international football.

The group that the side got in the Cup of Harmony certainly is not doing them any favors, getting not one but two teams that the side had played during the Qualifiers. One of those, Timuria, is partly to blame for the Wanderers not making it to the Finals, as they pulled out miracle wins in both of the matches that the side had against the Wanderers and a fact that will leave many in the team looking to get a certain amount of revenge. Being toppled in the first game of the campaign in Timuria was frustrating enough, but understandable, the team still needed a few games to get used to playing with one another given the amount of shake up that had occurred in the roster from the previous Qualifiers. However to let Timuria come into The Stade de Torgos in front of ninety thousand fans that were urging their team forward to get back into the Finals only to be toppled once again was near on unforgivable, until the same happened a few matches later against the unheralded Fujai team that really put the Wanderers in a poor position to try and claw out from. That there is a small chance to get a measure of revenge is both sweet but scary at the same time, as they have already demonstrated they have the quality to get a result against the squad.

Gyatso-kai is the other team from the Wanderers qualifying group that made it into their group at the upcoming Cup of Harmony, a side that while on paper was handled quite easily by the Wanderers, still will put a few nerves into the team. They could be this groups Fujai, a very low ranked side that comes into the group with very little actual chance of progressing from the group but could still get a result here and there to ruin other teams' day. The fact that they have played both us and Timuria twice and now should have fairly in depth scouting reports on the players and tactics makes them a side both the Wanderers and Timuria should have a concern about, even if their ranking would suggest otherwise. As everyone who knows the game can tell you, a national team ranking is both a blessing and a curse, with the ideas of where you should be and what should be expected of your opposition. This is not the case and gives a false sense of elevation when facing off against opponents of a lower rank, as any historian of the game will be quick to remind you of number one Polar Islandstates losing at home to an unranked Weegies.

The rest of the group provides challenge in terms of rankings but not teams that the Wanderers are very familiar with, taking on Ancherion, Geektopia, and Squornshelous. The latter of those three was once among the best teams in the world, nearly a century ago, and has now come back from the depths of lacking a football team to provide competition once more. Like Sarzonia and Bears Armed, they made those who mistook them for some random unranked nation think otherwise with a heightened level of play and a good amount of favorable results to come their way, making their way into the top 150 after the qualifiers. All in all, the Wanderers will need to shake off the trepidation and icy feeling of the team if they are to progress, though it should be a somewhat more manageable task as two of the third placed teams will be advancing into the knockouts. Yet if the Wanderers are going to show that they should have been in the Finals and are among the favorites to win the entire tournament, then they need to go out there and secure the top spot in the group and not rely on what might be. That has already cost them once this cycle and they would be unwise to rely upon it again.

by **Bears Armed** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 11:13 am

The date is three days before the first matches of this tournament. In the city of Council Groves (the capital city of Bears Armed), it is early evening. In the beehive-shaped building that now houses that “great metropolitan newspaper” ‘The Bear Necessities’, sports journalist Arrieth Grey is putting together an article about the Cup, and about the “route” along which the ‘Bear-Belles’ have travelled to qualify for entry into it.
She looks at a stack of back-issues that is on the floor to her left, and at her typed-up summary of their reports about the Belles’ games during the World Cup’s qualifying process. That, the editors willing, will be enough about those matches. Before going on to re-read the reports in other issues about the three ‘friendly’ games which the Belles have played during the intervening months ⁽¹⁾, she looks at the ‘Match Result’ sheets for those games and her own hand-written notes for each of these for a reminder of what she’ll be looking for in those articles.

Bears Armed vs. Sarzonia
Venue: Northlands National Stadium, NorthPort, The Northlands, Bears Armed.
Score: 2-1. (Bears Armed wins)

Goals
Bears Armed (2): White (#13) @ 19’ (assist: Bronze [#35]); O Redwood (#37) @ 32’ (assist: Norr-Vurra [#24]).
Sarzonia (1): Holly Cambrio (#19) @ 47’.

Red Cards
(none)

Substitutions due to Injury
(none)

Why at NorthPort, rather than Wimbley? Apparently Sarzonia requested this, BAAS agreed as also had other games to place at Wimbley anyway. ⁽²⁾
Two weeks after last WCQ match for the Belles: significantly less time for visitors, because time flows differently in their own homeland? But, then again, this line-up was mostly players who hadn’t been used in their last qualifier… whereas Belles mixed a few more ‘first team’ players in with the reserves whom Urrsarra gave this chance to play. Sarzonia calls its team ‘Stars’, and that crew — even though they lost — did show "star" quality.
Stars were also ‘unranked’ before last year's qualifiers, despite past history (inc. some games against earlier version of Belles, but no close rivalry…), came out of that process reclassified at eight-plus-one ranks ahead of urrs: in the base-ten that the WCC uses, at 110th to our 119th in the worlds … in more familiar base-eight terms, at One-EightSquared, fiveEights-and-six’th, to our One-EightSquared, sixEights-and-seven’th.

Bear-Belles win toss, take first kick-off, O Redwood to Norr-Vurra; press high up field & hard, three attempts on goal — two of them on target, but well-saved — before Stars counterattack. Their West (#17) makes a long run down the left side, but is dispossessed by Bronze whose high pass to White is received on her head, nodded down to her feet, and curved home — high, again — from 28 yards out! Belles dominate play again for rest of first half, with O Redwood’s power shot into the bottom left of the net from only 7 yards out more like the sort of goal that most people probably expect from our girls… although that’s their only shot ‘on target’ during that period.
Wonder what Stars’ manager said to them during the break?
Stars take kick-off, Cambrio (on, now, in place of West), and manage to pass ball around between themselves for about a minute before Cambrio “dances” through our defences and slides ball into top right of net when Orchards guesses she’s going for top left. Oops, Orchards!
To-&-fro for the rest of second half, Belles manage four more attempts (two on target), Stars also four (three on target, but one of those would have been offside anyhows): Stars are mostly looking a bit tired by halfway from interval to full time, fall back into a more defensive posture.

Bears Armed vs. New Lusitania
Venue: Union Park⁽³⁾, Democracity, The Free Land of the IDU. (neutral venue)
Score: 1-1. (Bears Armed draws)

Goals
Bears Armed (1): O Redbank (#23) @ 51’ (assist: O Sarrndale [#05]).
New Lusitania (1): Jota @ 42’ (assist: Veiga).

Red Cards
(none)

Substitutions due to Injury
(none)

Belles’ first ever match against another IDU member’s team? Think so… get an intern to check…
Belles’ first game played at Union Park, anyhows.
No past history with the N.L. on the pitch, because their entry to international competition was during Belles’ break from that and we didn’t meet them in either DBC since then or in last year’s WCQs.
They are ranked at FiveEights-and-six’th in the worlds, to our One-EightSquared, sixEights-and-seven’th (or, in base-ten, 47th to our 119th): Quite a difference!
ThreeEights-plus-four days ago, by our calendar: How long for them? They’re in IDU politically, but not actually on same Earth, so time-flow could differ…
Belles are fielding ‘first team’ line-up from the squad that will be going to Cup of Harmony, rather than selection from wider pool used in WCQ.

N-Ls win toss, take kick-off, Silveira passes to Jota. Rapid attack almost takes Belles by surprise, but Russett leads our defence into right places to blunt this. To-and-fro, mostly in mid-pitch, no attempts on goal possible for either side, almost until break: then Veiga intercepts a pass between Bruin and Brent, sends long shot upfield which Jota runs into, with our defenders closing in on him he takes a shot from just outside the 18-yard line… and then O Barrdenn — who’s in goal for the Belles for this match because K. Ulhga had unavoidable obligations back home — fumbles the save. Urrgah!
Belles take the attack back into their opponents’ half, can’t equal before the whistle goes for half-time.
After the break, Belles pressing strongly again and relying on multiple passes to confuse opponents… Brent’s shot on target is blocked by Cancela but goes out for a corner to the Bears: Harroya takes this shot, and O Redbank is waiting by the far post to “poach” an equaliser from this. Both sides try hard — N-Ls maybeso slightly more skilled technically, but if so then our girls’ superior energy balances this — but neither can manage a decider before the final whistle goes. Still, though, managing even a draw against a team that’s that highly-ranked is a good sign of our team’s potential.

Bears Armed vs. Jeruselem
Venue: Wimbley Stadium, Bears Armed.
Score: 3-0. (Bears Armed wins)

Goals
Bears Armed (3): Brent (#11) @ 29’ (assist: Barris [#07]); Brent (#11) @ 62’ (from penalty); White (#13) @ 87’ (assist: Bruin [#06]).

OPPONENT (0): (none)

Red Cards
(none)

Substitutions due to Injury
(none)

And so, back ‘home’ to Wimbley… where the Belles have actually been less successful during this cycle, from their pre-qualifiers friendly against Equestrian States onwards, than they were ‘away’!
Jeruselem is a nation with whose teams the Belles had a long history back in ‘the old days’ In fact, their army’s team ‘Jeru FC’ (which entered WC contests as if it were a separate nation’s!) was actually the first side that the Belles faced after their initial ‘Baptism of Fire’: in a pre-WC Qualifiers friendly game, at Plumtrees Park (the Belles’ original ‘home’ ground, even closer to the centre of Council Groves than Wimbley), which ended as a draw despite the visitors’ significantly higher ranking in the WCC’s tables. Then, later on, there were meetings in WC qualifiers and in actual World Cup contests, and in a smaller competition called the ‘Pink Cup’ which was just for those all-female (or, in the case of other nations involved, sometimes just mostly female) teams that had qualified for the World Cup. Currently ranked one place above new Lusitania, and thus one place even higher above the Belles.

Arrieth’s stomach “grumbles”. She realises that it’s now well past supper-time, and takes a break from her work to get some food.⁽⁴⁾

________________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, the Bear-Belles -- who arrived in Xanneria yesterday -- are having a day in which to recover from the journey before they resume training.
Their first game is actually against their hosts here, who are the group's top seed, and they aren't taking this prospect lightly. On the other paw, they aren't too worried about the prospect, neither: After all, they've already faced Xanneria's team twice during the last two years, in the World Cup Qualifying process 'home' and 'away', and won both times... so they should have a chance of doing so again if they try hard enough.
The team's chaplains are leading a prayer service for those of the Belles' players & staff who follow either 'One Plus Seven or 'Ursionity'.

“Oh thou, The Great Bear,⁽⁵⁾
By whose art came into being the Allness,
The Allness within which We live,
We praise Thou, this and every day.,

“Oh thou, The Great Bear,
Who sent unto urrs The Seven Holy Helpers
That they might teach and guide urrs,
We thank Thou, this and every day.

“For sending unto urrs Little Bear,
Who exemplifies the Virtue of Furrness⁽⁶⁾,
Which is the first of Virtues,
— May We exemplify also this Virtue —
We thank Thou, this and every day.

“For sending unto urrs Pig,
Who exemplifies the Virtue of Companionship,
— May We exemplify also this Virtue —
We thank Thou, this and every day.

“For sending unto urrs Rabbit,
Who exemplifies the Virtue of Providentiality⁽⁷⁾,
— May We exemplify also this Virtue —
We thank Thou, this and every day.

“For sending unto urrs Owl,
Who exemplifies the Virtue of Learningness⁽⁸⁾,
— May We exemplify also this Virtue —
We thank Thou, this and every day.

“For sending unto urrs Donkey,
Who exemplifies the Virtue of Persistence,
— May We exemplify also this Virtue —
We thank Thou, this and every day.

“For sending unto urrs Tiger,
Who exemplifies the Virtue of Adventurousness,
— May We exemplify also this Virtue —
We thank Thou, this and every day.

“For sending unto urrs The Strangers,
Who exemplifies⁽⁹⁾ the Virtue of Considerance⁽¹⁰⁾,
— May We exemplify also this Virtue —
We thank Thou, this and every day.

“For sending unto urrs all Seven of these Holy Helpers,
To guide urrs in the Virtues that they exemplify,
— May We exemplify also these Virtues —
We thank thou, again, this and every day.
For from Thee, and of Thee, is the Allness,
And so shall it every be.
Ahhbear".⁽¹¹⁾

________________________________________________________________________________________

OOC Footnotes

1. I don’t know how much time passes for most of the other nations involved between the last WC qualifying games and the starts of both the ‘World Cup’ proper and the ‘Cup of Harmony’, apart from the fact that Sarzonia has their time-flow IC the same as their [RL] time-flow OOC, but for the Bears this gap runs approximately from mid-Autumn to early Summer.

2. I thought that I’d suggested Wimbley in my invitation, but Sarzonia said NorthPort in their own RP (WC RP thread, page 39) so…

3. Actually the region’s members are still discussing a name for this stadium, as it's in the region’s overall “capital city”, but that’s one of the suggestions which has been made so far.

4. I really hoped to get all three of these matches’ described and more for this post, but unfortunately RL (which does not mean wanting to go & have my next meal…) is getting in the way.

5. “The Great Bear” = God (the Creator).

6. “Furrness” does not translate easily into English, at least in a short form: It is essentially a combination of self-reliance & being true to one’s own nature, while acknowledging that others also have rights; respect for Nature as a whole; and behaving rightfully in general.

7. “Providentiality” = Prudence, in the sense of making wise use of what comes one’s way and planning in advance how to build from this. Rabbit had a ‘People’’ of his own, who lived close to the Bears in ancient times and who taught them about such matters as agriculture, preserving foods, and building shelters instead of just relying on caves or hollow trees.

8. “Learningness” = not just acquiring knowledge, also using this wisely.

9. “exemplifies” is used here in the form appropriate to a single being rather than plural, despite the plural nature of the associated Name, because ‘The Strangers’ are regarded as a single “Helper” despite manifesting in two bodies as a mother & young child of a species with which the Bears were otherwise unfamiliar until recent times. (As a mother & child Kangaroo, in fact…)

10. “Considerance” = understanding that people differ, accepting those differences (where they are just differences, and not actually harmful to anybody else or [beyond the limits considered acceptable in the development of civilisation to the environment), and helping them to be comfortable alongside everybody else anyway if that’s what they want.

11. “Ahhbear” = “Most-Wise”, in the actual Ursine language as well as (“borrowed” from that source) in the ‘Urso-English’ dialect of English… and this expression may be used by Bears who are speaking other forms of English, too. This form is used specifically for ‘The Great Bear’ (i.e. God, the Creator) and perhaps also sometimes — with the relevant name added — for one or another of the Seven Holy Helpers, or other major supernatural beings. With the alternative pronunciation & spelling ’Ahbearrh’ it is an honorific that might be used for some senior clergy, shabears, wizards, and so on, instead.

__________________________________________________

This prayer is routinely used in both of the religions involved. Its original version of this prayer is attributed to the prophet Darroth, who was one of the first Bears to meet and study with the ‘TrueBears’ ⁽¹²⁾, although in his day it would have referred to only five ‘Holy Helpers’ because both ‘Tiger’ and ‘the Strangers’ were later additions to this Mythos. (There are still sects that recognise only ‘Five Holy Helpers’, or that add ‘Tiger’ to the list as well but do not also acknowledge ‘The Strangers’, but those are significantly smaller & less influential than ‘One Plus Seven’…)
The third-to-fifth verses about specific Helpers can have their order rearranged, to fit circumstances, but the order used here is the “default” one.

12. 'TrueBears' = not exactly an Ursine counterpart to [Tolkienian-style] Elves, but there are similarities in concept.

by **Hapilopper** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 2:17 pm

The Stadium of the Restoration, Busukuma, Banija
Just before Cup of Harmony Match 1: Hapilopper v. Sarzonia
The Hapilopper National Football Team was conducting a final training session just before the first match of their Cup of Harmony efforts, against Sarzonia, a team that promised to be a real thorn in the side of the Haps. In other words, the Haps couldn’t just sleep on the Sarzonians, they had to take them just as seriously as anyone else in the group. This was a nation that had, at one point or another, won all three WCC competitions, and they could very well do it again in the future.

Head coach Thom Perkins and Dom Probst, president of the Hapilopper Football Association, watched off to the side as the players conducted that last training session, just hours before the match was set to begin. The team looked good and fresh as a daisy, deceiving the fact that the failed effort to qualify for the World Cup took a hell of a lot out of them. Dom looked over to see some of the fans start to arrive in the beautiful Stadium of the Restoration, Banija’s national stadium. Many of them were carrying the blue, green and white flags of Hapilopper, while others were carrying those oversized drums that they always beat on in an effort to get under the skin of the other team.

They stepped into one of the most beautiful stadiums they had ever been in. The Stadium of the Restoration had been built for the 81st World Cup, which Banija hosted with the Free Republics, and hosted the first match of that tournament. Dom and Thom had remembered watching that match on television and marveled at the sheer beauty of the place.

“Think we could get a building like this?” Thom asked in a nonchalant tone.

“What, for a national stadium?” Dom replied.

“Yeah, we could build a new one,” Thom replied. “I mean, Capital Stadium is awesome, but it’s 50 years old and it’s starting to show its age. We could build a new one in case we wanted to host a tournament, like a World Cup or a Cup of Harmony, you know? Maybe 100,000 seats, hundreds of luxury boxes, a nice turf field that wouldn’t feel like concrete when you fall, and hell, maybe the HC Nationals could get a new baseball park out of it.”

“They don’t want to move out of Capital Stadium,” Dom replied. “I asked them about six months ago and they said they don’t want or need a new stadium. They’d rather spend that money on player contracts. Plus, I’m really not sure we can afford a new stadium.”

“Well, you know, we could ask for funding…” Thom started.

“Hah! Good luck with that,” Dom interrupted. “No self-respecting government in Hapilopper is going to put a cent into a stadium after what happened with BankTrust Park. If we’re going to build a stadium, we’re going to really have to explain why it needs the help of the public. We’re not replacing Capital Stadium.”

Several years ago, a county north of Surrey, one of Hapilopper’s largest cities, promised millions in taxpayer funds to lure the city’s baseball team, the Surrey Wolves, to their new baseball-only stadium into the suburbs and away from a large chunk of Wolves fans, who felt their current stadium was more than sufficient. The stadium, BankTrust Park, wound up costing about three times as much as that county had promised, Wolves fans were irate their team had been moved to a northern suburb, and the situation left a bad taste in the mouths of many Hapiloppians. The Wolves, once one of the dominant forces in the National League of Hapilopper back in the 90s, saw much of its support go away overnight, and an expansion team, the Retrievers, was formed on the premise of actually being for all of the Surrey area. The Retrievers wound up picking up most of the Wolves’ old fans and an idea of a government funding the construction of a stadium seemed radioactive.

The moral of the story, of course, was that if the Hapilopper Football Association wanted a big ol’ stadium like the Stadium of the Restoration, they had better make a damn good case to the Hapiloppian government why they should assist with funding the stadium and why this stadium would not be just a gigantic waste of money. Plus, Capital Stadium, even if it was showing its age, was still a massively popular stadium amongst fans of football, gridiron and baseball. If the HFA wanted to replace it, they had better have a real good excuse for doing so.

However, they may have found one from an unlikely source. Peter White, President of the Port Ember Football Association, recently told the Port Ember Times Sports Journal that he was interested in Port Ember co-hosting a tournament of some sort with Hapilopper.

“You read that?” Thom asked. “He said he’d like to co-host a tournament with us or Timuria.”

Dom nodded his head.

“Yeah, I did read that,” he replied. “That’d be cool. I don’t know if we could hold a tournament final in Capital Stadium, though. We’d have to build something much larger. That 100,000-seater you were talking about sounds pretty attractive if we’d go that route. We could do a Cup of Harmony and then, maybe further down the road, a World Cup.”

Thom grinned and nodded in approval.

“You know, we could call our World Cup ‘Football in the Promised Land,’” Dom suggested. “Shit, dude, 100,000 screaming fans cheering for us in Hapilopper City, imagine that.”

“‘Football in the Promised Land’?” Thom asked with a strange look on his face. “What do you have in mind, Probst?”

“Something spectacular,” Dom replied. “I should get ahold of some architects to think of the ultimate national stadium. I think we could convince the Hapiloppian public to support this.”

In the coming days, Dom would set some events in motion that would lead to the formation of the HFA’s “World Cup Host Committee,” which would serve as an interest group to drum up support for new venues and new infrastructure across Hapilopper in the event they could possibly host a major WCC-sanctioned tournament in the future. They wouldn’t be ready to host the next World Cup, but perhaps the one after that.

That, however, wasn’t on the mind of fans across Hapilopper watching on Venerable Television and the thousands that had made the relatively short trek to Banija. All that was on their minds was the first match of the Cup of Harmony, and arguably the showcase match of the first match day, live from the Kingdom of Banija’s national stadium. The Cup of Harmony was about to begin and it was time for the Haps to kick some Sarzonian ass.

by **Timuria** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 2:57 pm

Group C Analysis

by Tufan Nursultan

With the Cup of Harmony rapidly approaching, we will look ahead to our group, one of the toughest in a competition known for having incredibly competitive groups. The Red Wolves have been drawn in Group C with two familiar faces amongst our upcoming opponents. Our opponents are listed here in the order that we will face them as we progress through group play and the Red Wolves hope to make substantial progress in order to better secure not only the management's future, but the future of a lot of the players going forward.

Match Day One: Squornshelous
World Cup Qualification Record (W-D-L): 9-6-5 (5th place in Group 5)
World Ranking: 102
Analysis: One of the weaker teams (such that there are weaker teams in this group) that Timuria will have to face based on the rankings, a team that favours a hyper offensive tactical outlook which showed in their 50 goals in the qualification period, though that was overwhelmed by the 45 they conceded. The Red Wolves defence has famously suffered from issues and facing such a potent offence so early may set a bad direction of travel especially concerning the young player Berkin Balkan who will be a starter for the Red Wolves for the first time.

Match Day Two: Pasarga
World Cup Qualification Record: 13-3-4 (3rd in Group 12)
World Ranking: 28
Analysis: A team that the Red Wolves have already faced, besting them in both meetings, both shock results. The Red Wolves seem to have had the number of the strongest team on paper in the group, but over the course of so many meetings it becomes hard to shake the idea that eventually quality tells. Especially of concern is the fact that they were the second top goalscorers as a team in Group 12, scoring 14 more goals than the Red Wolves on their way to very narrowly missing out on a chance to go to the World Cup proper. Instead they will be looking to assert their dominance in this group and make a deep run into the competition and are the heavy favourites to win it all.

Match Day Three: Gyatso-Kai
World Cup Qualification Record: 6-6-8 (7th in Group 12)
World Ranking: 134
Analysis: The weakest team on paper in this group, who shocked the Red Wolves with their valiant and stubborn display which rocked the stability of the management in the eyes of the Football Federation. They are not to be taken lightly and the fact that such a clearly formidable team is on paper the weakest speaks volumes about the actual strength of this group. They play in a similarly attacking style to the Red Wolves, but choose to line up in a 4-4-2, which will present different challenges for the Red Wolves who typically do not face such basic formations in league play.

Match Day Four: Geektopia
World Cup Qualification Record: 7-2-1 (8th in Group 11)
World Ranking: 95
Analysis: A team that put in a more than respectable performance during their qualification campaign in a very tough group. Though they had a fairly respectable offensive output, not unexpected for a team that favours positive play in a very unusual 3-3-4 formation that will surely present challenges to any of their opponents in how they adapt to it, they were let down by a porous defence that left them very much unable to really push on and serious contend in what a was a group stacked with talented teams. However, they are not to be overlooked by anyone and could spring more than a surprise or two by the time this group stage is settled.

Match Day Five: Ancherion
World Cup Qualification Record: 9-5-6 (4th in Group 14)
World Ranking: 62
Analysis: The Red Wolves' final match of the group stage will come against their closest competitor in terms of ranking, a mere 3 places below the Red Wolves at 62. They are yet another team in this group that favours offensive play, meaning that this group will likely produce one of the highest rates of goals and given the tightness in quality in this group, this match looks likely to be an entertaining, meaningful and goal ridden affair. Their system is almost a one-for-one match with the Red Wolves favouring a 4-2-3-1 with a central midfield double pivot. One player to watch will be Sameer Jaklim Jr, who has an astonishing 17 goals in 21 matches and will almost certainly be a thorn in the side of every team in the group.

by **Mercedini** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 3:47 pm

76th Cup of Harmony
The HUEmpire Strikes Back
@ Cunningham Metropolitan Stadium - Delano City, Xanneria

Good afternoon and welcome to somewhere that we'd preferably not want to be reporting from, Delano City, Xanneria. That's right, Mercedini are no longer a World Cup playing nation following their bitterly disappointing end to their qualification cycle, which saw them lose out on a Top 2 spot in their group and be eliminated from contention. It's the first time this has happened in four editions and mean Mercedini are relegated back to their previous stomping ground, the Cup of Harmony. As a top fifty nation in the multiverse, the Cup of Harmony can be a great chance for the nation to get out of it's elimination doll-drums and pick up some silverware. However, it can also be a place where scalps are taken and reputations are thrown out of the window. Especially so when runaway-favourites Nephara failed to lift the trophy when they lost in the final to Qasden, while Triple Crown-seeking Audioslavia were upset in their final against the Golden Eagles, as Dini lifted their first major footballing trophy. In that tournament, Mercedini came through their quarter-final, semi-final and final by beating nations of a higher rank, meaning you really can come from nowhere to upset the odds in tournaments like these.

On the contrary, Dini are now no longer an up and coming dark horse that the big dogs are trying to avoid, they have been there, done that and got the participation medal, which was why this cycle's qualification failure came as such a hit. We are now well within the realms of Mercedini being upset by lower ranked teams in a tournament where anything could happen. Going into this tournament, Pasarga and Mercedini are seen as the teams who are most likely to be left standing once the dust has settled. The major unknowns will come from the teams towards the bottom of Pot 1 and in Pot 2, where teams are eager for success and have proved themselves to some extent, but are missing that extra step to compete against the Nepharas and Vilitas of the multiverse. Indeed aside from the Baptism of Fire and regional tournaments, the Cup of Harmony is the best place to start for the middling teams who are punching above their weight but can't quite hold onto to qualifying spot with both hands... and that is where the danger lies.

Cup of Harmony: The Mario Kart Of Footballing Tournaments

Those at the front have to make use of a green shell, those at the back have Bullet Bill at their disposal. Indeed, Mercedini have everything to lose at tournaments like this with so many banana skins littered throughout the group stages and the knockout rounds, they would do well to avoid the graveyard of previous Pot 1 sides who have gone out as the brightest flame, but are soon snuffed out. The Golden Eagles have been drawn in a group where they fancy their chances, where up to three teams qualify from the group of six. Only one familiar face greets them in an interesting Group D with Pot 2 side Mattijana the only side previously faced by the men in blue and black. With them, are four nations who Dini will play for the first time in any fashion, which will prove an interesting experience for players on both sides. For the first time in a long long while, Mercedini will go out as the team everybody wants to avoid, but also as the team everybody wants to beat. As stated before, they have everything to lose and play to defend their KPB rank, rather than trying to add to it.

Who are the teams they will face for the first time? Well, arguably the most dangerous will be Flavovespia, who's criminally low ranking of 119th disguises the fact that this team could very well challenge and hold onto one of the automatic-qualifying spots for the knockout rounds. A 9th placed finish in Group 8 probably doesn't show their qualification performance through rose-tinted glasses, but several impressive performances throughout the campaign shows that they can turn up the tempo when the occasion is on. Mercedini will play them first, and it will be a fixture where neutral territory will certainly suit Flavovespia, a surprising result could be on the cards if the conditions are ripe for it.

Tamgu, a team that will already be experiencing deja vu in this group, having already faced Mattijana in the qualifiers, they will play them again in Xanneria where they will be hoping to exact revenge on the Pot 2 side. For Mercedini, it's another unknown against a side who placed safely within mid-table during their qualification group. Another match that Mercedini are expected to win and win handsomely, Tamgu may prove less of a threat compared to Flavovespia, but it's matches against those teams around them which will decide whether they claim a spot in the top three to move on to the knockout rounds. It's on a knife-edge, but things may already look certain by the time the two face each other.

Mkabia, rock bottom of their group, ten points to their name, have a chance at redemption and claim some crucial KPB points which could shoot them up the rankings and mean they are in a much better place next time around. For this cycle, it will be less about a deep run and more about enjoying the occasion and trying to take point wherever they can. Not seen as a threat and favourites to finish bottom of the group once again, an invitation to a tournament like this could be the spark for Mkabia and it's fans. It certainly ignited a spark in us when Dini defied all the odds as a Pot 4 side and claimed a round of 16 spot in their debut cycle at the Cup of Harmony. It continued a run which escalated into the team qualifying for the World Cup on their third cycle, and leading to their first trophy at the tournament in under ten cycles. One to watch for the future, Dini are expected to rack up a cricket score against these minnows.

Finally, Balqia, a team which finished in an impressive 5th place in a stacked Group 11, finishing with nine wins, eight losses and three draws. It proved the metal of the nation and it's players to come out of a group like that with more wins than losses, proving the team was able to steal points from the best of them and, more importantly, notch up wins against those around them to keep their run alive. Alas, with five previous World Cup Qualifiers in their group, something had to give, but their invitation to this tournament is well deserved. Balqia are a team that could go far if they continue their qualification trend and the draw is kind to them going forward. Another team who could challenge for a World Cup spot in the near future. Another one who is likely to gun for the top two spot and could very well advance.

Well... that's it from us. Dini seem to have bagged a favourable draw for the group stages and look to make it five wins out of five to set up their stall early and send out a message to all of the Pot 1 sides that they mean business once again. Our money is on Dini finishing top, and then either Mattijana or Flavovespia claiming the second auto-qualifying spot, with the other one finishing third and waiting on the results from the other groups. Balqia is also in the equation, with matches between all of the lower ranked sides likely to be crucial in the end. Perhaps if Dini drop points to those behind them, that could pay dividends. That is why the Cup of Harmony is so unpredictable at times. So many things to think about in so many different groups, we will be back with more coverage of the Cup of Harmony, hosted by Banija and Xanneria.

by **Kelssek** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 5:23 pm

“Welcome into our NSN studio here in Busukuma, the capital of Banija and home of our coverage of the 76th Cup of Harmony. I’m Alyssa Tolan, joined by former Kelssek international and former manager of Kingstown Athletic, Ian Colwyn, and our NSN analyst Davís Ninaelir. Let’s get straight to it as we count down to Kelssek’s opening match of the tournament against Schottia. What are the two of you expecting from the lineup?”

Ian: “It looks like we have a full and healthy squad for this which is gonna be a big boost to the players. Kelssek really struggled with injuries during the qualification campaign and it showed that we unfortunately lack depth of talent on defence. The back four should be pretty straightforward: Liadon and Douglass as the full-backs and Kassel Pokorny and Damien Halliger in the middle.”

“It’s in the midfield that it’s not so clear?”

Davis: “A lot of competition for places and this is Kelssek’s strength going in here. I think Andrea Crowe is going to decide match-to-match which players give her the attributes she needs. She’s not big on fancy formations. Colm Ó Tuathail I think will be the go-to on the left wing, Ruslan Demetriev and Gabriel Lapierre down the middle. The right wing and the two strikers, we’ll see. She might play Rémy Dionne as a wrong-footed winger, or Shaheen Taleb might drop there. Custworth is definite but then it’s between Langelier and Lister. She wasn’t happy with how they did against Baker Park, though.”

“How much does that friendly affect her plans? Kelssek took a big loss and playing with what’s supposed to be our squad for this tournament. Does this change anything?”

Ian: “Not much, I mean, friendlies are just that. It wasn’t very encouraging to lose 7-1 as preparation of course. But Baker Park are a stronger team than any we’re likely to play in the Cup of Harmony.”

Davis: “We saw more of what Kelssek should not do, rather that what Kelssek is going to do.”

“What should be the target for this tournament, then?”

Davis: “I think reaching the semi-finals is a good outcome. This is a very competitive tournament, with many very strong teams.”

Ian: “We should target winning the title. We are not favourites for sure, but we have a very good chance.”'

"And what about your prediction for this particular match?"

Ian: "I think Kelssek are in a good position to exploit the defence of a Schottia team that's not been very stellar in that department. Kelssek will need to use its creativity in midfield and try to control the game from there. At the same time our defence is also not playing to its strengths, or that's how it's been in recent months. I'm calling for a 2-1 win for Kelssek."

Davis: "Well, I do think it will be a win and I'll say 3-2 for Kelssek. Ian's correct that relying on a rearguard effort is not Kelssek's best approach here. I believe it is going to be a very high-octane matchup and we have seen what happens in a lot of the matches Kelssek played recently where the players just decide they will try to outscore the opposition."

“All right, the players are just about done warming up over in Jinja City. We are going to take a break and when we return, it’s the anthems and kick-off for Kelssek vs. Schottia on NSN.”

by **Squornshelous** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 5:31 pm

Leaving Home, Chapter 1

Before the team would be permitted to depart for Xanneria, a rally took place in the plaza in front of the Ministry of Sport.

The diplomatic and economic disputes with Sarzonia were still causing some mild unrest, though they had been mostly smoothed over by this point. Never one's for taking chances when it came to controlling the mood of those they governed, the Council of Ministers had ordained a nationally broadcast public sendoff for the team. As the team's leading scorer by a significant margin, Lyyti's participation would be more than just nodding and smiling in the background while ministry figures strutted back and forth in front of the handpicked audience. She had memorized an appropriately brief but patriotic speech that had been thrust upon her a week earlier. I wonder how they're going to be disappointed in us for not qualifying and talk about our inevitable success at the the same time. She and the rest of the team waited in a converted space off the lobby. What it had been originally was unclear; a smell of dust and old cardboard suggested a storeroom, but there was no trace of what might have been kept there. It currently acted as a green room. A few dozen chairs, occupied by the waiting players and staff, sat against the walls leaving a clear space in the center, not unlike a locker room.

"Two minutes, look alive." Holmgren spoke immediately upon entering the room. "Better be ready for your closeup Vang. The rest of you, I hope you haven't wrinkled your outfits too badly." Holmgren could always be relied upon to treat them like children. It wasn't as if anyone would have been lining up to befriend him, none of the team was likely to forget the circumstances of their recruitment. Still, he always seemed to go out of his way to avoid any semblance of friendliness.

"Keep your shirt on Markkus." Lyyti was much closer to being above reproach than anyone else in the room, and used her clout to stand up to Holmgren whenever she could. "You're one to talk about wrinkles." Holmgren looked down at his smoothly starched shirt, then glared at Lyyti. "On your face Markkus, if you don't stop frowning all the time." There were a few chuckles around the room at that. Holmgren's glare was ice.

"90 seconds Vang." He disappeared back through the door without another word.

The rally itself was a strange affair, a series of uninspiring speeches by a series of equally uninspiring ministry bureaucrats. Minister Petrov arrived to great fanfare ten minutes into the event, interrupting Kiril Melkochuk's rambling address. The Chief Undersecretary was obviously furious to anyone who knew him, but managed to contain himself, settling for a grandiose introduction of his superior, as if he had always intended to end his remarks mid-sentence. It was Petrov himself who presented Vang to the crowd for her carefully prepared remarks. They were a bland mixture of patriotic fervor and promises of a good performance in Xanneria and Banija. Lyyti was glad when she reached the end of her script and was permitted to sit down again.

The crowd cheered madly through all of it. And why not, they were being paid to. Finally, after it seemed half the Imperial government had their say on the stage, the players filed off and back into the ministry building. At a rear entry, a bus waited to whisk them back to their barracks. There was a certain amount of milling around, however, as some players went to use the restroom. Lyyti, therefore, was left without any plausible way to beg off the conversation as Melkochuk approached her.

"My dear! I had no idea you were possessed of such eloquence and turn of phrase. You had that crowd eating out of the palm of your hand. Someday you must consider a career in politics."

You're the one who gave me the script. Lyyti did her best to hide her annoyance, "Thank you Chief Undersecretary."

"Please, Ms. Vang, you must call me Kiril. There is no need for such formality between us I hope?"

"If you say so, Kiril." Her eyes searched the room for a way out. She tried to summon a teammate to rescue her with pure force of will.

"I insist upon it my dear, Lyyti. Do say I may call you Lyyti. It is such a beautiful name. I do so look forward to becoming better acquainted with you, and the whole team of course, during the tournament."

Lyyti's mounting disgust with Melkochuk was squashed by sheer surprise, "You're coming to Xanneria?"

"And Banija as well, should all go well. I must confess I'm as giddy as a schoolgirl over it. You must have noticed they didn't let me out of the office for any of our away matches during qualifying. Would you believe this will be my first time leaving the Imperium?"

"Really, I would never have guessed." I'm going to die of old age here in this lobby with Melkochuk still grinning and prattling away.

"Yes, you're quite the cosmopolitan by comparison, Lyyti. I hope you won't mind accompanying such a neophyte as myself," abruptly, he reached forward and seized her hands in his. There was little enough strength in his fingers, but he held her tightly enough that she couldn't extricate her hands without putting forth a discernible effort. "You must allow me to steal you away from your teammates one evening while we are abroad. I'd like to discuss you future potential in the ministry and perhaps beyond. Never too early to plan for such things you know. Perhaps over dinner? I have been recommended some really tremendous restaurants by our Xannerian consulate."

"I don't think Coach Teri . . ." Lyyti began.

"Oh I'll speak to Ms. Lagerkron for you, I'm sure I can persuade her to agree with us."

It's us now is it? "I'm not sure the middle of a tournament will be the best time for a night on the town, Chief Und-, ah, Kiril."

"Oh my dear," Melkochuck burst out laughing, "I don't mean anything so wild. No pub crawls or drinking contests. Just a quiet dinner out and some conversation between friends. Come now, you can't object to that, can you?"

I don't really have a fucking choice now, do I? Lyyti somehow kept a snarl from her face, "I suppose not, Kiril. Now I think my bus is leaving, and there's something I needed to discuss with Lucia and Havard. I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning at the airport?"

"Until then dear lady, I shall wait with bated breath."

Back in the athletes' barracks, Lyyti found herself in front of the bathroom mirror, scrubbing her hands vigorously over the sink. She felt she could still feel Melkochuk's hands on hers, despite the soap that coated them. I can't keep doing this. Each time they had pushed a little further, she had reminded herself that everything was for her family. An ad campaign here, military recruiting drive there, the speech today, those she had been able to stomach. But things were starting to go too far. Who the hell even am I anymore? She slammed her hands down on the edge of the sink, white-knuckled. I don't think I can come back from this trip.

Defection. It was in insane thing to think of. They'd kill her if they caught her, Xannerian sovereignty notwithstanding. They'd kill her parents, her sister. Her friends from back home too, probably. I can't do that to them. Not after everything she'd already done to help and protect them. But I can't keep on like this. I have to do something.

by **Ziwana** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 6:26 pm

Cup of Harmony 76: Ziwana arrive in Xanneria

By Chosadziwa Botolo

ZCOMM Sport in Austin,Xanneria

Akambuku players arrive at Austin Airport in Austin, Xanneria

Ziwana flew in into Austin, Xanneria were their Group B Cup of Harmony matches will be taking place. The Akambuku have arrived at base camp in Austin 48 hours before the Cup of Harmony starts to get accustomed to their surroundings and have enough time to recover from jet lag. The team were invited to participate in the Cup of Harmony after failing to qualify for the World Cup. Ziwana have been drawn in Group B alongside Saintland ranked 91^st, Jeruselem ranked 46^th, Appalachian Nation ranked 129^th, New Lusitania ranked 47^th and Lisander ranked 101^st in the world.

Although not an easy group, Ziwana's draw into this group has been favourable as their are three nations below it in rankings. The chances of qualifying from the group stage will depend upon the Akambuku's performance and that should not be a problem. In the Melayu Archipelago Cup and Baptism of Fire Ziwana dominated the group stages. Moreover, Ziwana's performances in the World Cup qualifiers have proven that the Leopards are not a pushover and are a high scoring team. although in order to beat high ranked New Lusitania and Jeruselem, the Akambuku will have to tighten their defence to avoid a defeat or a draw after all it was a draw that crushed the World Cup dreams of so many Ziwani fans.
The players who participated in the qualifiers have been maintained and have had a few week since the qualifiers ended to recuperate although some of the players have had club football and depression from failing to qualify. The low morale and mood in the Ziwani camp has been made worse after they lost 2 games in a 3 match friendly competition hosted by Banija. To counter this the Royal Ziwana Football Association has hired a Team Psychologist to help the players deal with their mental issues in preparation for the Cup of Harmony and future matches. This is not the first time it has happened, during the Baptism of Fire a loss to Fujai also deeped the mood although this time it is worse. Ziwana has always performed above expectations in every competition it has been in however their performance has never been enough leading to knock outs in semi-finals, quarter-finals and even last day qualifier knockouts. This constant bottling or last minute disappointment has hit the boys hard. In Ziwani football a team like the Akambuku is considered 'Opelekeza' (An Escort). A team known as 'Opelekeza' is a team that eliminates big teams clearing the path for the eventual winners or qualifying team so they are seen as the escorting team. Such thinking for a national team means that the players have no drive or motivation to win as they have lost hope that they can win. Hopefully with the leadership of Captain Jean Wilder and Manager Harry Ngonamo the boys will be back to their exceptional ways. In an interview with ZCOMM Sports after Ziwana failed to qualify, Akambuku Captain Jean Wilder whilst in tears was quoted ; " football is a highly competitive game that needs a lot of factors for a team to win like patience, great tactics and team cohesion. And even if all the factors are in place another team might still win against your team just because it was their day. Today it is Qasdens day and they truly deserve to qualify but so do we but it was not our day. Every triumph follows in the feet of defeat and sorrows, I ask my fellow Ziwani teams mates and fans alike to lift up their heads and be proud of Ziwana's achievements. Let us learn from our mistakes and prepare for dawn because if do not dry our tears and focus on the future we might get swallowed by the darkness and miss the dawn."
Jean Wilder was correct, Ziwana performed really well at the World Cup qualifiers but it was not the Akambuku's time to qualify. Instead of focusing on not qualifying the Ziwani teams should look at their achievements and be proud. They should also look at their mistakes and work on them so that they can avoid them in the Cup of Harmony and eventually they may finally get to a final. For more updates on the Akambuku visit http://www.zcommsport.com.

by **Brusseldorf** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 7:58 pm

FEELING GROOVY

Los Alrededores fans all over the nation are ecstatic with the news that Brusseldorf has been invited to their third consecutive Cup of Harmony. Without a World Cup finals in the book, the Cup represents the furthest reach of the national team on the world stage. At least a few thousand fans were said to have stayed up for the draw, and the news of Brusseldorf’s invitation soon went viral. The news was shared so quickly, that several social media platforms were unable to handle the server load. CEO of Gladchat, Ivan Sergi, said his platform was affected. “Our systems went down for a few hours, in the early morning, until we understood the situation and were able to redistribute the server allocation. I must say, as a football fan myself it’s wonderful to see the people getting behind the national team. I made sure that the error page made a slightly humourous reference to Antony Providence stopping any traffic from getting through!”

Providence had an impressive qualifying campaign, making the second most saves of any keeper in the group.

The Locale spoke with Manager Craig Foster, who was also delighted with the news of Brusseldorf’s invitation to the Cup of Harmony. “Yeah look I’m very pleased. We’ve been here three times since the reformation, and every time I can’t help but think we belong here. We’re amongst nations who also care about the quality of the football. The teams that get into the [World Cup] finals, and yeah, good on em, they tend to play defensive and try and keep the action manageable. That’s totally opposite to how I was brought up playing football, and that’s totally opposite to how the team wants to play football. But here, in the Cup it’s all about the action and the style and the sexy football. There, I said it again. I know you guys like that one *laughs* It truly feels like home here. I can’t wait.”

Brusseldorf will play Bolgano at home tonight, kicking off what Craig hopes will be Brusseldorf’s first Cup of Harmony winning run.

by **PotatoFarmers** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 8:04 pm

[FYI: For a complete list of RPs for the CoH, you could refer to my roster page for details. 1 year would have passed between WCQ/BoF and CoH in our calendar.]

Something seems odd here
Poafmersia, after a long hectic domestic season where teams start to understand the problem of "fixture congestion" (as everyone in the multiverse calls it), got 4 friendlies with teams of varying capabilities. The 4 matches showed some improvements in the team's style as they learnt from the experience of the qualifiers and whatever IFCF and FFI club competitions some of the players played in, yet some problems show up which could be looked into as the Red Panjias prepares for their first match in Banija.

Tamgu 1-1 Poafmersia
Venue: Naira City Stadium, Tamgu
Goals: Bytia Hisel 84'

Starting Lineup: Dikash Johikas; Graciia Warisian, Danzik Hoboson (c), Pasits Rikachz, Timothy Gausun; Goon Figsh (DM), Matthew Tibrise, Daas Taisg (AM), Daak Kalson; Shakira Handris, Santik Manson

Substitutes:
Bytia Hisel (Shakira 63')
Dargis Walshor (Matthew 71')
Alex Hoboson (Pasits 76')

Poafmersia had to rely on a late effort from substitute Bytia to get a draw against the 85th ranked side in the first friendly. It was a rather close affair, with both sides gaining almost equal amounts of possession throughout the match. Adnan Suliaha chose a 4-1-2-1-2 formation, the main alternative for the Poafmersian team, and luckily for him, the four player midfield was able to compete in the center of the park. They were many good efforts that were saved very nicely by both goalkeepers, or barely missed the goal. The post could be the saviour for Poafmersia, as as many as 7 of 9 shots on target by Tamgu hit the post.

Poafmersia 2-2 Filindostan
Venue: Libira National Stadium, Fiskadaha, Poafmersia
Goals: Bytia Hisel 12', Joel Haodao 67'

Starting Lineup: Dikash Johikas; Alex Pickford, Danzik Hoboson (c), Alex Hoboson, Denise Pickford; Goon Figsh (DM), Dargis Walshor, Daas Taisg (AM), Daak Kalson; Bytia Hisel, Joel Haodao

Substitutes:
Gisiik Moonar (Daas 59')
Jessie Mchargarita (Daak 76')
Pete Carisa (Joel 81')

The performance back home was much nicer, as there were 68,561 fans cheering both teams up. The home fans had banners welcoming the away fans, and the atmosphere felt like a testimonial match rather than a proper friendly tune-up for both sides. Sticking with Dikash in goal, Adnan called a few starting players back, but stuck to the 4-1-2-1-2 formation. It was Bytia that opened the scoring, with a nice assist from Joel after he ran passed two players and crossed it to the other side to find Bytia. Filindostan got one up, but it was Joel who added a second after substitute Gisiik Moonar made a nice through pass to Joel just outside the box and Joel slotted it home. Although Filindostan later equalised again, the match was a success to Adnan. As he nicely put it. "Getting a draw out of Filindostan is difficult, as they are really good and much more experienced then us. There are lots of good takeaways here, but as for problems there are also some that we can raise and take a look at."

Equestria 2-1 Poafmersia
Venue: Atlantian Coliseum, New Cloudsdale, Equestria
Goals: Shakira Handris 42'

Starting Lineup: Sandi Jaliaha; Alex Pickford, Danzik Hoboson (c), Pasits Rikachz, Denise Pickford; Goon Figsh (DM), Dargis Walshor, Gisiik Moonar (AM), Daak Kalson; Shakira Handris, Joel Haodao

Substitutes:
Jessie Mchargarita (Daak 60')
Pete Carisa (Pete 71')

Nobody saw this problem coming.
Despite having 65% of the possession, Poafmersia only made 4 shots to Equestria's 14, with only 2 of those 4 on target. One was Shakira's solo effort that equalised for Poafmersia after Equestria took an early lead, while the other was a nice shot which was saved by the goalkeeper.
So a team that is good in offense could not find opportunities to score? It must be the magic of Equestria's talking ponies, which had defended deep and hoofed the ball back upwards after they got hold of the ball. Poafmersia conceded 2 goals to 2 very nice counter-attacks from the World Cup defending champions, but after that it seems that the goals cannot come in. Noting that the midfield was struggling against Equestria's zonal marking system, Adnan was hesitant to switch back into a 4-3-3, however, when he had no choice, he took out Goon Figsh and played Pete instead. That made no help, and Poafmersia was stuck with a 1-2 loss to the 2nd-ranked team in the world.
Shakira felt that fatigue played a role in the loss. "Having a long domestic season, and a good run in the IFCF and regional club competitions, this means that naturally we would be tired. It's really crazy playing Tuesday - Thursday - Saturday almost every week, though I was in Audioslavia where our club could naturally skip the qualifying rounds and directly move into the group stage. For some of the Poafmersian players here they had it worse. Santik Mason's FC United of Mancodas came in all the way from the second qualifying round in the Liga B Champions' Trophy into the group stage and advanced into the knockout stages, and he was telling me that trying to help the club attain promotion, do well in IFCF, while having to cope with the troubles of the FA Cup means things would have to be done. Fixture congestion is really horrendous in my opinion, and after a long season and you have to play one of the World Cup Qualifiers, regional Cup, the World Cup or even the Cup of Harmony. However, this could possibly be why the foreign teams had so much experience and were so good at their game, and we just have to get used to it."

Bolgano 0-0 Poafmersia
Venue: Golden Park, Bolgano
Goals: none

Starting Lineup: Jabik Henderson; Alex Pickford, Danzik Hoboson (c), Pasits Rikachz, Bolsto Nelison; Dargis Walshor, Gisiik Moonar, Jessie Mchargarita; Joel Haodao, Bytia Hisel, Pete Carisa

Substitutes:
Denise Pickford (Bolsto 62')
Graciia Warisian (A. Pickford 73')
Ftiks Wariq (Danzik 80')

Against opponents we won during the Qualifiers last year, the team seems to be quite fatigued to even get a shot in. Many shots were half-hearted and Poafmersia was very lucky to escape with a draw. Switching to 4-3-3 means the players needed to work harder in the midfield, and BOLGANO took that opportunity to control the possession and played rather defensively. In the end, both sides settled for a dull 0-0 draw, which the fans were very disappointed with.
"Terrible outing today," said one away fan who came to BOLGANO to cheer the team. "Really they could do better, and hopefully they would not put up the same performance for the Cup of Harmony match next week."

Lineup for MD1 match against Kandorith:
Sandi Jaliaha; Alex Pickford, Danzik Hoboson (c), Pasits Rikachz, Denise Pickford; Goon Figsh (DM), Dargis Walshor, Gisiik Moonar (AM), Daak Kalson; Shakira Handris, Pete Carisa

Fixture List:
MD1: Kandorith vs Poafmersia - Lwanga City Arena, Lwanga, Buganda (cap 26,500)
MD2: Poafmersia vs Savojarna - Eastern Stadium, Istria, Moravica, Banija (cap 39,000)
MD3: Euran Oceania Territories vs Poafmersia - Star Field, Herzegovina City, Moravica, Banija (cap 70,000)
MD4: Squornshelan Remnant States vs Poafmersia - Albert III Stadium, Dodoma, Bunyoro (cap 48,600)
MD5: Poafmersia vs Hampton Island - Star Field, Herzegovina City, Moravica, Banija (cap 70,000)

by **Squornshelan Remnant States** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 8:44 pm

"Well, we avoided being drawn with the Imperium, what a nightmare that would've been."

SCFA* President Ailen Koirala was slouched in an armchair in her living room. A glass of white wine swayed in her hand. Across the coffee table, which at the moment held the bottle and a cheese board, not coffee, SCFA board members Silja Tolmaren and Kornelie Tamela sat on the couch. It had been Kornelie's idea to institute a monthly "ladies night," and while the idea had seemed silly at first, Ailen now could scarcely remember how they had gotten along without them.

"Would they even have shown up to play?" Kornelie wondered. "They still won't even recognize us as existing, let along a legitimate sports opponent."

"Even the slim possibility of meeting them somewhere in the knockouts is the kind of publicity you just can't buy," Silja, as usual, found it difficult to leave her work entirely behind.

"They certainly surprised a few people in qualifying though, didn't they? That Vang girl is something else."

"Is it treason then Kornelie?" Ailen grinned. "You jumping ship to the Imperials better because of their star striker?"

Kornelie flicked a piece of bread at Ailen. "If that's what it is to admire a woman who's made a name for herself out of a tough situation then you better lock me up, Madame President." She proffered her wrists in mock surrender. "I can only imagine what she's had to go through to get where she is, batshit crazy government like that."

"She certainly is impressive," Silja mused, "A pity they won't let any of who she really is show. All those scripted interviews." She sighed.

"You really do have to feel for all their players," Ailen leaned forward, "the PM wouldn't share very much with me, but he made it clear that our sources in the Imperium have nothing good to say about the way they treat their team."

"I wonder if there's something we could do."

"So do I Silja, but I doubt the Imperium's going to respond to a strongly worded-press conference."

Kornelie sat up suddenly, nearly spilling her wine in the process. "Maybe so Ailen, but there's still something we could do along those lines. Release a public statement of support and solidarity for the Imperial team."

"What?!" Ailen was sure she'd heard something wrong, "Voice public support for the Imperium?"

"What are you getting at Kornelie?" Silja also appeared very confused.

"Not support for the Imperium, support for their team. Hear me out. We express support for their players, applaud their efforts, but we condemn the Imperial government they live under, call on them to live up to the example of their team, whatever."

"That would have to be very carefully worded." Silja was giving Kornelie some pretty heavy side-eye.

"Have a speechwriter pretty it up obviously, but I think it's a solid idea."

"Just crazy enough to work, maybe." Ailen considered the idea. "The government will beat my door down when they find out."

"Good thing we don't answer to them then."

"Still there could be a lot of blowback from stirring the pot with the Imperium like this." Silja took a sip and continued, "A lot of people are still afraid of them."

"The Imperium's crazy, sure, but they're not going to go to war over a press conference that says they're the bad guys."

"I like the idea in principle, but something this big," Ailen paused unhappily, "would need to be approved by the entire board."

A brief silence fell over the room as they considered the prospect.

"Eldon won't like it," Silja broke the silence.

"Neither will Gustloff," Ailen added, "but I think Fidal will back us up, if we put it to him in the right way."

"Viordar's the wild card," Kornelie nodded, "but if one of us talks to Fidal about it beforehand, make him think he's being let in on a secret?"

"It should work," Ailen agreed, "and even if we can't win Viordar over, I'm the tiebreaker."

After a moment, Silja broke another silence, "So we're doing it then." It was half question, half answer.

"So it would seem."

by **Banija** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 9:22 pm

Ahhh, well. The first cutoff of Cup of Harmony 76 has finally arrived.

You know, some of us want to be at the Cup of Harmony. For some, it's an accomplishment. For others, it's a disappointment. But we're all here, right? May as well have some fun with it. So you should put your eyes on me, in the center of the ring, just like a circus?

Also, in an important announcement, please check the schedule. We have adjusted the calendar for the group stage, because of something that came up on my end scheduling wise. Matchday 2 is still scheduled for tomorrow, but Matchday 3 is pushed back to Sunday, Matchday 4 to Monday, and Matchday 5 to Wednesday. Please refer to the calendar in the OP for the full, updated schedule.

Without further ado... Matchday 1!

Group A
Xanneria 2–3 Bears Armed
Razneta 1–2 Filindostan
The Sarian 0–1 Terre Septentrionale

Group A                  Pld   W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Bears Armed             1    1   0   0     3    2   +1     3
2 Filindostan             1    1   0   0     2    1   +1     3
3 Terre Septentrionale    1    1   0   0     1    0   +1     3
4 Xanneria                1    0   0   1     2    3   −1     0
5 Razneta                 1    0   0   1     1    2   −1     0
6 The Sarian              1    0   0   1     0    1   −1     0

Group B
Saintland 0–1 Lisander
Jeruselem 3–1 New Lusitania
Ziwana 4–3 Appalachian Nation

Group B                    Pld  W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Jeruselem                 1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
2 Ziwana                    1   1  0  0    4   3  +1    3
3 Lisander                  1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
4 Appalachian Nation        1   0  0  1    3   4  −1    0
5 Saintland                 1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
6 New Lusitania             1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

Group C
Timuria 4–2 Squornshelous
Pasarga 5–3 Ancherion
Gyatso-Kai 2–3 Geektopia

Group C                    Pld  W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Pasarga                   1   1  0  0    5   3  +2    3
2 Timuria                   1   1  0  0    4   2  +2    3
3 Geektopia                 1   1  0  0    3   2  +1    3
4 Gyatso-Kai                1   0  0  1    2   3  −1    0
5 Ancherion                 1   0  0  1    3   5  −2    0
6 Squornshelous             1   0  0  1    2   4  −2    0

Group D
Mercedini 1–1 Flavovespia
Tamgu 4–4 Balqia
Mattijana 2–1 Mkabia

Group D                    Pld  W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Mattijana                 1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
2 Balqia                    1   0  1  0    4   4   0    1
  Tamgu                     1   0  1  0    4   4   0    1
4 Flavovespia               1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Mercedini                 1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
6 Mkabia                    1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0

by **Xanneria** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 10:00 pm

Group E
Busoga Islands 0–1 Trolleberg
Vdara 0–2 Newmanistan
Brusseldorf 3–3 BOLGANO

  Group E                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Newmanistan                       1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
2 Trolleberg                        1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 BOLGANO                           1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
  Brusseldorf                       1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
5 Busoga Islands                    1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
6 Vdara                             1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0

Group F
Sarzonia 0–1 Hapilopper
Kelssek 4–3 Schottia
TJUN-ia 0–0 Sajnur

  Group F                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kelssek                           1   1  0  0    4   3  +1    3
2 Hapilopper                        1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Sajnur                            1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
  TJUN-ia                           1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
5 Schottia                          1   0  0  1    3   4  −1    0
6 Sarzonia                          1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Group G
Hampton Island 3–1 Squornshelous Remnant States
Kandorith 2–1 Potato Farmers
Savojarna 2–1 Euran Oceanian Territories

  Group G                         Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Hampton Island                    1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
2 Kandorith                         1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
  Savojarna                         1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
4 Euran Oceanian Territories        1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0
  Potato Farmers                    1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0
6 Squornshelous Remnant States      1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

by **Hapilopper** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 10:38 pm

The Hapilopper Team Hotel, Busukuma, Banija
A few days after Cup of Harmony Match 1: Hapilopper 1-0 Sarzonia
After the first match of the Cup of Harmony, Dominic Probst started taking some action towards forming the HFA’s World Cup Host Committee. The organization would be responsible for verifying the feasibility of the Dominion of Hapilopper hosting a major WCC-sanctioned tournament in the future, be it the World Cup Proper, the Baptism of Fire or the Cup of Harmony. The goal was to present a logical bid to the World Cup Committee whenever they were ready, and it was obvious from where the Hapiloppians were now, they were nowhere near ready.

Sure, Hapilopper had infrastructure in place to host a World Cup, and it had the ability to host a variety of auxiliary events that went along with the tournament, but at this point, the team had a lot of homework to do to ensure they could host a tournament of this stature and give it the treatment it deserved. As Dom sat at a desk in his hotel room, he drew up some proposals for a World Cup held in the Dominion.

For starters, the first match and/or the final would be held in a proposed new stadium located in the Hapilopper City area, potentially in the nearby suburb of Conyers. Ideally, the tournament would coincide with the Hapilopper National Exhibition, a several-week long celebration of all things Hapilopper. Last year, the NSSCRA had staged a Hapiloppian race in conjunction with the HNE, and both turned out to be a rousing success. Probst figured that a World Cup as part of the HNE would do nothing but increase Hapilopper’s stature across the multiverse, and thus needed to contact members of the HNE Committee to ask their opinions.

Further, with the eyes of the world on the Dominion, the nation’s other sporting leagues could present a showcase event for the multiverse to enjoy. For instance, as part of an upcoming World Cup match day, the HASCAR Challenge Cup could schedule a race weekend to be held in a city just before a major match in the same city. The nation’s domestic football league could hold special matches the day before and the day after a World Cup match. There were all kinds of ideas.

Of course, Probst knew that the one thing the HFA had to do was observe how other nations operated with the World Cup. With that in mind, he made a call back to Hapilopper City and asked four representatives from the HFA to travel to Cassadaigua and Baker Park, two each, to observe the proceedings in both nations and report back after the World Cup final with a completed report of what they had seen and what they had learned. The four observers would have a rather generous travel budget to allow them to travel to the different areas in both nations where World Cup matches were being held. At the very least, the observers could watch some fantastic football matches while learning about how a World Cup host nation operated.

Taking a break from his brainstorming session, Dom stepped out of his hotel room and walked down to the hotel bar to see Thom Perkins and a couple of Hapiloppian reporters speaking about that first match, which saw the Haps take a 1-0 victory over Sarzonia on the strength of a goal from Beautiful Bobby East. It wasn’t a typical HNFT goal, which typically involved Hunnisett or East to Stevenson. It was Hunnisett to Stevenson to East, and Beautiful Bobby fired it in the top left corner of the net about as hard as he could. In his typical quiet reserved style, rather than conducting one of those wild goal celebrations, Bobby responded by shaking the hands of his teammates and individually thanking them for giving him the opportunity.

There was something more important to Dom and Thom than that 1-0 victory. The 91,835-seat Stadium of the Restoration had been jam-packed, and many of them were cheering for the Thrashers. It was the kind of look that Dom had been looking for in his vision of a national stadium. It was what he had envisioned for this national stadium he had pictured for the last few days.

After ordering a beer, Dom, kind of forgetting he was in front of a couple of reporters, started telling Thom his idea for this proposed stadium.

“So, right across the West River is Conyers, right?” Dom said. “I mean, downtown Hapilopper City may be a little too crowded for a 100,000 seat stadium, but right across the river, there’s a lot of space we could build a new stadium, you know? Hell, we could have the seats covered, or hell, maybe a retractable roof so when it rains or snows it won’t be an issue.”

“A new stadium?” asked Steve Dareman, the Hapilopper Television Network’s lead football reporter. “Is there anything official about this? Have you guys talked to the Hapiloppian government about this?”

“Right now this is strictly in the planning stages,” Dom replied. “We’re on the first step of the first stage of the first part of a new stadium.”

“But why now?” asked Billy Alexander, a reporter for the Hapilopper City Herald. “I mean, didn’t Capital Stadium just go under that renovation about five or six years ago? Hell, that was, what, a 90, 100 million dollar investment right there.”

“Yeah, it did, but I read somewhere that it’s too small for a World Cup opening match or a final,” Dom replied. “I mean, in the event we wanted to host one of those tournaments, you know?”

Thom turned and looked at Dom. He had said the quiet part out loud, and even when he tried to cover his tracks, even the idea of constructing a multi-billion dollar stadium like what Dom was thinking about wasn’t something that a national association head did on a drunken whim. Both reporters put two and two together and realized that Dom had the idea of hosting the World Cup on his mind. Or at least, a Cup of Harmony.

“You do realize this is strictly off-record, right?” Dom said, trying to keep a story from coming out before it was ready. “We’re not ready to announce anything, and even then, announcing something might jeopardize our position with the federal government, or even the governments of Hapilopper City and Conyers. Wait for us to announce something. We might not even have anything out until after the Cup of Harmony, so just please, be patient.”

Both reporters nodded their heads. They could read body language and understood that Dom was actually quite serious about the idea of a national stadium and potentially a future WCC tournament.

The next morning, the team woke up bright and early, training for their next match, against Sajnur, whose Cup of Harmony started off with a scoreless draw against TJUN-ia. While the training went on, Dom continued his brainstorming of a possible major tournament that could happen in the Dominion of Hapilopper and how the Hapilopper Football Association could make it happen. Other ideas would pop into his head over the course of the next few days, some good, some bad, some really bad, but they were a part of the brainstorming process. Hapilopper City wasn't built in a day, so Dom knew he had to take his time.

by **PotatoFarmers** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 11:40 pm

[FYI: For a complete list of RPs for the CoH, you could refer to my roster page for details. 1 year would have passed between WCQ/BoF and CoH in our calendar.]

Kandorith 2-1 Poafmersia
Venue: Lwanga City Arena, Lwanga, Buganda, Banija
Goals: Shakira Handris 70'

Starting Lineup: Lineup for MD1 match against Kandorith:
Sandi Jaliaha; Alex Pickford, Danzik Hoboson (c), Pasits Rikachz, Denise Pickford; Goon Figsh (DM), Dargis Walshor, Gisiik Moonar (AM), Daak Kalson; Shakira Handris, Pete Carisa

Substitutes:
Joel Haodao (Goon 55')
Matthew Tibrise (Dargis 63')

Poafmersian Team Hotel, Herzegovina City, Moravica, Banija
"Alexa, play Despacito."
Adnan surprised everyone, including himself, by making such a request to the Pomazin Echo speakers inside the lounge. The team was gathered in the lounge for the team debrief, which was done back in the hotel instead of being in the dressing room at the stadium. This was purely due fatigue concerns, they had only 74 hours between the first match and the next, which would be back in the state of Moravica.
Anyone who had saw the match between Poafmersia and Kandorith would understand the atmosphere inside the room. Nobody would have saw the result coming, and leaving the Lwanga City Arena with nothing seems particularly brutal considering how hard the players tried. As Shakira perfectly put it:

I mean, what else could you expect? The statistics, minus the scoreline, painted a perfect picture of Poafmersia's dominance over Kandorith. Poafmersia had 63% of the possession, had 16 shots, including 7 on target, and made a total of 987 complete passes. Kandorith only had 8 shots, 5 of which were on target, and conceded 6 corners to Poafmersia's none. Yet the referee ruled out Poafmersian goals not once, but twice, for offside by an inch, as well as awarded one penalty when the foul was clearly made outside the box.
Even the commentators were screaming at the referee for making so many mistakes. From the pundits' box at the top of the stadium, foreign and local commentators were heard shouting swear words at the referee for making one mistake after another. Even Adnan refused to give a post-match conference, as he simply brought the team back to the team hotel. The players were also furious, and this result has definitely sparked the fire in their hearts. "We would not accept anything more than a win against Savojarna," said Joel Haodao. "This result has showed us that we need to work harder than usual, to counter all the things that goes against us, and to win every match outright."
This would be a match to forget. But with more fans coming down for the match against Savojarna, the team would definitely get a great morale boost. They would hopefully be able find the spirit to beat Savojarna. But Savojarna is not an easy opponent either, as acknowledged by Adnan during the debrief. "We have to work twice as hard as today. We lost today in a very odd way, but we have four more matches and honestly every one of those matches are winnable. If we find the correct tempo and get the first goal in, we can gain a psychological advantage. The problem today, apart from poor decisions, was also because we let them score first. If the first goal in the 14th minute was counted, we might have gotten the upper hand and leave with all 3 points."

Lineup for MD2 match against Savojarna:
Sandi Jaliaha; Alex Pickford, Danzik Hoboson (c), Pasits Rikachz, Denise Pickford; Matthew Tibrise, Gisiik Moonar, Jessie Mchargarita; Joel Haodao, Shakira Handris, Pete Carisa

Fixture List for Poafmersia:
MD1: Kandorith vs Poafmersia - Lwanga City Arena, Lwanga, Buganda, Banija (cap 26,500) Loss (2-1)
MD2: Poafmersia vs Savojarna - Eastern Stadium, Istria, Moravica, Banija (cap 39,000)
MD3: Euran Oceania Territories vs Poafmersia - Star Field, Herzegovina City, Moravica, Banija (cap 70,000)
MD4: Squornshelan Remnant States vs Poafmersia - Albert III Stadium, Dodoma, Bunyoro, Banija (cap 48,600)
MD5: Poafmersia vs Hampton Island - Star Field, Herzegovina City, Moravica, Banija (cap 70,000)

For complete list of matchups, tables and KPB rankings for both the Cup of Harmony and World Cup, please visit our microsite: https://bit.ly/WC84CoH76

by **Jeruselem** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 12:09 am

Princess Katherine Annabelle Dallas dressed as Mindy from the Caramella Girls of Caramelldansen meme in Xanneria ...

This is Princess Katherine Annabelle Dallas for Naked News Jeruselem.
I'm covering the Cup of Harmony 76 in Xanneria.
It's match day 1 of qualification stage of the cup.

Some results of interest which don't directly impact us first.

In Group A, Bears Armed took on the host Xanneria and beat the host 3-2!
Well, that's an upset beating the host at home.
I think it's fantastic news for our friends Bears Armed!
It might mean we have to play them later, and they beat us 3-0 in recent friendly.

In Group E, Newmanistan beat Vdara 2-0.
It's been a while to see Newmanistan playing, and it's great to see them winning their first game here.
We won't be running into Newmanistan for a while since they are in different qualifying area.

Now to Group B, our Group.
Lisander beat Saintland 1-0. I was hoping Saintland could muster a win but hey it was close result.
Well it means Lisander have 3 points and started well.
Ziwana took on Appalachian Nation, and came out with 4-3 win. 7 goals in one game, well compared to the 1 in other game.
Pretty exciting game and well, we like to see games like that.

Now, first up we took on similiar seeded New Lusitania. 46 vs 47, seriously!
Well the Princesses came on top, winning 3-1.
We looked solid and unlike against the Bears where we were far from our best.
I'm guessing we lost to the bears because they are so much bigger than us.
But against New Lusitania, we stood strong pushed their defenses hard.
We actually could have had a better scoreline but they did make it hard for us to score.

Woo, woo! A good start. Lisander, Jeruselem and Ziwana all on 3 points and everyone else with zero.
But we have like 4 games left and no one is safe with just 3 points.
There's a maximum of 12 point left to grab so the results of match day 1 don't really tell you much.
New Lusitania will take this loss as a huge blow but if they win the next 4, they can make the knockouts.

Given a 5 game qualification stage, with 6 teams. You have to aim for 4 or 5 wins. 3 wins could be enough depending on how things go.
But one should not aim low, you have to do your best. You don't want to playing the highest seeds in the knockouts either.

I've got some time for questions.
There's questions why we bother to even play in Cup of Harmony. Well, it's simple - we didn't qualify for the World Cup and it's actually easier to win this one. Easier, not easy.
Do wo lose money on the World Cup? OK we aren't winning the cup, or won it but it's not looking we win any time soon.
The World Cup is actually a giant marketing scheme for all nations involved. You find you they exist and well you spend money in that country. It's good for everyone, mostly.
Yes that means people from other countries come to Jeruselem and spend money here.

Interesting question, do players carry cash around in foreign countries.
Generally no, but in some countries where the Internets is bad we have to since you need a backup plan.
Of course, in some places we can even use crypto instead.
I love me Bitcoins!
Yeah, that's it from me for now. See you all later for the 2nd qualification game here in Xanneria.
Hopefully another 3 points to push us forward to the knockouts.

by **Timuria** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 3:36 am

Red Wolves Open With Strong Win

Timuria 4–2 Squornshelous
Vatan Ercetin (13, 38), Caner Turan (56), Ismail Burhan (88);Havard Popov (31), Lyyti Vang (51)

by Tufan Nursultan

The Red Wolves have opened their Cup of Harmony campaign in the best possible fashion with a clear win over Squornshelous that they will hope to use as a springboard to launch into a deep run into the competition as attention and excitement once again builds around the Red Wolves. The early results in the group indicate that the prediction that this group would be a high scoring one were in fact very accurate with group favourites and current leaders Pasarga running out 5-3 victors over Ancherion while Geektopia edged out Gyatso-Kai in an entertaining 3-2 bout.

The early exchanges showed that this would be an open affair, with neither team paying particular attention to their defensive obligations. With Lyyti Vang forcing Murat Yigithan into an excellent save almost from the kick off. The first blood would however, be drawn by the Red Wolves with Vatan Ercetin weaving his way past the defenders on his way to chipping the ball over the goalkeeper.

Squornshelous would have many opportunities to equalise, but would finally do so in the 31st minute with Havard Popov lashing the ball into the top corner with a vicious volley that left Murat flat footed as it sailed by him. The Red Wolves would quickly regain their leader however, Vatan Ercetin would get his second goal of the half with a towering header finding its way past Hege Vogdahl.

Early in the second half, Vatan Ercetin would find himself forced off with a bruised shin, potentially ruling him out of the next match against Pasarga if he's given full time to recover. Squornshelous would get yet another equaliser, this time from their primary central attacker Lyyti Vang who would round Murat before slotting home in the open goal. Yet again, the Red Wolves would quickly recover their lead, Caner Turan cutting in and wrong footing Iosif Chaika before he placed his long range effort beyond the reach of Vogdahl.

A late chance to equalise would fall to Havard Popov, but his effort would be blocked on the line by new starter Berker Balkan. The ensuing counter attack would see the Red Wolves finally put this match beyond doubt, with Ismail Burhan replicating his former Super League rival's earlier goal chipping the goalkeeper with consummate ease.

The Red Wolves next match will be against heavy group favourites and on paper the strongest team at the tournament, Pasarga, who the Red Wolves bested twice in the World Cup Qualifiers and who are coming off a 5 goal performance against Ancherion.

What They Said After The Match:

Bekir Altingunes: "It always feels good to be in that win column and it's always a good sign when we start a tournament with such a commanding win, the task now is to build momentum, we have our toughest match up next and I know Pasarga will be looking to put us in our place after we bested them twice in the qualifiers, so we'll need to be at our best, as always."

Player Ratings:

Murat Yigithan 6/10

Ozbek Sarikaya 6/10

Eyup Mustafa 6/10

Berker Balkan 7/10

Gokdeniz Dag 6/10

Atilla Acar 6/10

Yusuf Ihsanoglu 6/10

Tekin Yavuz 7/10

Caner Turan 7/10

Ertan Renda 7/10

Vatan Ercetin 8/10

Substitutes:

Altan Seyfi - 6/10

Ismail Burhan - 7/10

Man of the Match: Vatan Ercetin - Had an excellent day and looked good value for his brace before he was forced off with a bruised shin making him doubtful for the next match.

Schedule and Results:

MD 1: Squornshelous W 4-2
MD 2: Pasarga
MD 3: Gyatso-Kai
MD 4: Geektopia
MD 5: Ancherion

by **Flavovespia** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 4:54 am

Mercedini 1–1 Flavovespia

Daniel Dostalok 11' - 90' Soctt Coleman

Flavovespia start off the Cup of Harmony 76 with a point against top seeds Mercedini, with a late goal to get the equaliser. Flavovespia now have 1 point on the board, already exceeding their performance from the last Cup of Harmony, and the team are in a buoyant mood.

The line up for Flavovespia was as predicted. Meehan in goal, a back four of Maddox, James, Gardner and Johnson. Holt and King lie deeper in central midfield, with Feld and Hall more attacking on the wings. Up front was the duo of Daley and Coleman. Mercedini lined up in their 4-4-2, in their dark home kit. Flavovespia meanwhile, were playing in all-yellow, using their away shorts and socks for this game. The venue for this game, the Cunningham Metropolitan Stadium in Delano City.

The game started with Mercedini looking on the front foot to begin with. The 3rd minute saw their first serious chance at goal, with Ben Chillotov having an early shot push over the bar by Meehan. The resulting corner saw a dangerous looking header smothered by Meehan, who was able to prevent any rebound opportunities for Mercedini. Mercedini were showing why they had come into this tournament as one of the favourites to take the title.

It was the 11th minute when they managed to get their breakthrough. Johannes Nymark got the ball to the feet of Ben Chillotov. Chillotov played a brilliant first time through ball into the path of Daniel Dostalok. Dostalok held off Gardner, and got solid contact with the ball, and hit it clean and accurate, into the bottom corner just inside the post. Meehan was a bit out of position, but may not have gotten to the ball anyway. 1-0 to Mercedini, and they made the early pressure count.

Mercedini looked to press their advantage in the first half, but Flavovespia had begun to defend more strongly. Holt and King were now closing down much more strongly in the midfield, with Feld and Hall also dropping back. The midfield quarter of Mercedini, praised by many and seen as one of the best of the tournament, were now dealing with a yellow swarm pressing them hard. That’s not to say they didn’t create more chances, and Meehan and Flavovespia’s defence were still forced to work hard to keep the score at 1-0.

Flavovespia had a smattering of half-chances in the 1st half, but nothing clear cut. Daley got on the end of a cross from Feld, but his contact with the ball was weak and easily gathered by Daniel Hosset. Coleman had a shot on the edge of the box hit the side netting. Hall went for spectacular effort 24 metres out, but it flew well over the bar. His cheeky inspection of the pitch to look for a divot to blame was hardly convincing anyone. So at half time it would be 1-0 to Mercedini, the team in front looking the better of the two, but they weren’t running up the score by any means.

Into the second half, and the game still seemed to flow the same way as before. Mercedini were looking the more likely to score, but their slow build up play and focus on maintaining possession meant Flavovespia could get bodies back behind the ball, and reduce the room available to create opportunity. This did lead to some more shots taken from the midfield, and one or two of them did make Meehan stretch to avoid conceding a second.

Flavovespia made changes in the second half. Terence Daley would make way for Marc Sharratt, and Stephen Shepherd would make his return to the national team off the bench, replacing Ian Johnson. The addition of Sharratt in particular injected some pace into the Flavovespia attack, but the end product seemed to be missing, and the Mercedini defence seemed comfortable for large periods of the game.

The last 10 minutes saw caution thrown to the wind by Flavovespia. The final change saw 2 Hadford Hill players swap, with Alan Holt off for Nigel Humphries, injecting more attack into the midfield. It almost backfired in the 86th minute, when Daniel Dostalok almost got clear, but a last second block by Tony Gardner stopped his shot going close to goal. The game was set for a big finale.

On the stroke of injury time, the grandstand finale came true. Steven Hall floated in a cross from the right wing. Aimed at Sharratt, it was initially knocked away towards the edge of the box. However Scott Coleman got their first. He took a touch to knock it beyond the oncoming defender, and with his second touch rifled in a shot on the near post side. Hosset couldn’t get across the goal quickly enough, and the ball crossed the line. It was 1-1 as injury time commenced, and Flavovespia had taken a dramatic equaliser.

Mercedini spent all of injury time trying to restore their lead, but found themselves with practically the entire Flavovespian side in their way. Flavovespia were content to defend as hard as possible, and whack the ball as hard as possible away from their goal if they ever got it. It wasn’t an elegant form of football, but it was enough to hold on, and the final whistle blew at 1-1. Flavovespia were delighted with their late equaliser, Mercedini disappointed in equal measure to have conceded.

The mood at the moment amongst Flavovespians is one of cautious optimism. The barrier of going without points at the Cup of Harmony is now broken. Furthermore, with Tamgu and Balqia playing out an entertaining 4-4 draw and Mattijana winning 2-1 vs Mkabia, the group is still very open. Next up for Flavovespia is a match against Pot 6 Mkabia. This was the sort of game in the qualifiers Flavovespia seemed unable to take advantage of, but this time the team and the fans will hope to put those demons to bed.

A History of Football in Flavovespia

Part 20

Despite the ambitions of the United and Eastern Alliance, it simply didn’t have the big names nor financial clout to truly take on the GWNFA. In 15BU, Capton Club and Captonbridge Rangers moved into the GWNFA Challenge League, and a year later Croxlich and Oxwich followed suit. The latter 2 offers were somewhat controversial, with Saltearth and Ellerstone United (the renamed Team Ellerstone and now playing in Hampridge United’s old ground) denied a spot due to the non-CCGW exclusion policy.

In the GWNFA Super League, St Astons City in 16BU and Waldster in 15BU would finally get titles, after a spell of dominance by Hadford Hill. Nevertheless, the past era since the controversies of 23BU had seen a huge level of dominance by the Big 3. A few grumbled that, given the opportunity, maybe Hadford Hill and St Astons City should have been kicked out. Some of that was a humorous element, as many at the smaller clubs did enjoy matches against the Big 3, and a surprise victory against them was a result to remember. A few however, not least in Waldster and outer Waldster, where support for the CCGW was highest, were somewhat less humourous. With regards to the Outer Waldster area, Stanmorn finally won the GWNFA Challenge League in 16BU to get a place in the GWNFA Super League, something ever since it’s formation and establishment, they were bitter about being the only one of the Outer Waldster teams not to do so.

13BU in the GWNFA Super League saw Hadford Hill face a very close title fight from Abbots Lunsel. Sadly for the neutrals, Hadford Hill just edged Abbots Lunsel to the title. St Astons City meanwhile, fell to 6th place, a position they’d rarely seen themselves in before for a while. With the revival of Abbots Lunsel and Vale having their halcyon era, it was Waldster who once again seemingly fell away from the top end of the table. Some began to wonder if it was possible that the Big 3 would no longer be so dominant.

In the GWNFA Challenge League, and the wider GWNFA, there were discussions over division numbers. By the start of 13BU, the number were 12-16. The GWNFA Challenge League sides were of the belief the system should be 14-14 or 16-16. Although both of those had support among some of the GWNFA and the clubs, especially the lower end GWNFA Super League clubs, the proposals struggled to gain traction and become a serious idea. There was opposition to this, which lead to the 12-12-12 proposal, with the third tier ambition once again cropping up. Unsurprisingly this went down badly with most of the GWNFA Challenge League clubs, and as it would turn out, a lot of the GWNFA.

The marrying up of the GWNFA and the United and Eastern Alliance still continued to be a matter of debate and discussion. The major sticking point was the belief from the majority of the GWNFA clubs and committee was that most, if not all of the United and Eastern Alliance clubs weren’t of the level of the GWNFA Challenge League. The United and Eastern Alliance disagreed, believing their Division 1 to be equal to the GWNFA Challenge League. Furthermore, they were unwilling to compromise on their league structure, believing it to be better and somewhat unhappy with the “closed shop” of the GWNFA.

12BU did see the sad end to one of the more famous clubs in the nation. Hampridge United had been limping on for a decade since their relegation to the GWNFA Challenge League. Their fans however, had largely abandoned the club for the 3 sides of the United and Eastern Alliance in the Hampridge area. Furthermore Hampridge United now played in Boleland Wood, and to many Ellerstone and Saltearth citizens, this was no longer a club they could support. The costs of playing in the GWNFA Challenge League, combined with no increase of income, lead to the team struggling financially. By the end of the season of 12BU, they could no longer guarantee they could pay all required expenses going forward. The team lost their place in the GWNFA system, and with no guarantee of a league to play in, shut down. One of the teams founded by the invention of the Inter City Cup, just over a half-century of football for them came to a close.

by **Xanneria** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 6:53 am

Hosts drop opener against Bears Armed
By Steve Stevenson

AUSTIN, LEITNER - A three two loss against Bears Armed, opened the CoH for the Maroons and it wasn't as close as it sounded. Bears Armed got out to a three 3-1 lead early and their defense held on. Bears Armed got out to a 3-1 lead on the back of Marra o Redbank who got two goals and all three goals were set up by the play of Karra Brent. On the Maroon side, Glenn Hailey played his heart out, when he could get the ball he played like the smashing all-star that could do all and end all, the problem was passing the ball to Hailey was an issue. Accuracy in passing is what killed it for the Maroons as no one could seem to get the ball going anywhere.Clearly the retirement of Mark hailey is being felt throughout the Maroons locker. Devon'elle Laymore also had the same issues. He had great ball skills but had trouble getting the ball due to wonky passing. Thankfully unlike the last game versus Bears Armed, no one got hurt from rough play against sentient Bears. Up next for the Maroons are the other group 9 co-horts in this group, Razneta. Razneta is coming off of a 2-1 loss to Filindostan. But lord knows they'll be talking up a storm about how Filindostan had an unfair advantage. Furthermore game three will take place versus the Sarian who are a new nation that we here at Xanneria have never faced before.

If the Maroons can get back on track this is the pair to do it against.

BEARS ARMED - 3
o Redbank 12' 50'
Kuthbearrh 31'

XANNERIA - 2
Glenn Hailey 40'
Laymore 87'

by **Sarzonia** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 7:54 am

Kevin Connelly's message to the Sarzonian national football team was a consistent one as they prepared for the Cup of Harmony and their opening match against world No. 50 Hapilooper.

"We're not sneaking up on anyone this time."

He said that before every training session, after every training session, during each film study session. It got on several players' nerves, in particular striker Jake Campos.

After Sarzonia fell to Hapilooper 1-0 in a match that didn't even feel that close, a reporter reminded Campos of his dismissive eye roll and his muttering, "ok boomer," under his breath during a training session, then saying it out loud as media looked on in stunned silence as the team began to disperse from the dressing room after the final public practice.

Campos grimaced, then nodded his head.

"He was right," Campos said of Connelly. "This was a wake-up call for sure."

If Sarzonia's flat performance against formerly unranked Atlantic Republic in their World Cup qualifying finale and their half-hearted 2-1 defeat to Bears Armed in an away friendly didn't do the trick, the team's first meaningful match since their stirring 3-1 victory over No. 19 Brenecia should. At least it would for more experienced Sarzonia teams of the past.

This team was facing its first cycle as a team and only three players had even played a single match of international football prior to this. Each of the three players with that experience all were just shy of their 21st birthdays, but all of them faced much more experienced national teams during the most recent AOCAF. And only third choice goalkeeper Carlton Sandt had any experience playing abroad outside of his obligations wearing a Stars kit.

Thus, a team without much experience may not necessarily respond the way Sarzonian supporters expect or hope with an even bigger match looming against the 41st ranked team in the world, Kelssek. They could stink up the joint or they could play an inspired brand of football that would recall their most recent magic in the Brenecia Beatdown. They were X-factors, these Stars. And even though they conceded the lone goal of the match in the 74th minute, they certainly played like a team that wasn't expected to do well against Hapilooper.

"We have a long road ahead," Connelly said. "We've just been notified there will be a rest day between the Kelssek match and our match against TJUN-ia. We may need that to lick our wounds if we play against the Wanderers the way we did today against the Thrashers."

Speaking of roads ahead, Connelly said once again that he intended to step down as Sarzonia manager as soon as his obligations to the team were completed after this Cup of Harmony regardless of result. So, even if the Stars hold the Cup of Harmony trophy aloft for the first time in 65 editions, Connelly said he would take on "some long-deserved and desperately needed rest."

For a team that has continued to feel the effects of their grief over the suicide of manager Bryan Ostrom and the ongoing murmurs from the Squornshelous Incident, rest was something Connelly desperately needed.

by **Sajnur** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 9:19 am

World Cup Qualifying 84: Sajnur Summary (Second Half)

by **Trolleborg** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 11:03 am

Trolleborg: Kotsson, Levenkrands, Troger, Dushegub (Bagger,56), Wolters, Kolding, Valgren (Groningen,77), Troll, Finnsnes, Kerr, Gulbranden.

Gulbranden,34 (0-1).

Since matches are now being shown to us in 3D, it’s not necessary for journalists to comment on the events themselves on the field, but it’s much more interesting to show what happened in the stands and beyond.

The debut of our team in its third international competition promised to be difficult, especially since the stadium in Istria was practically their own for opponents. Interestingly, local fans, the indigenous inhabitants of Banija, partly sided with Islanders, and partly supported our team. According to reports, fans of the city’s flag team decided to support ours, but not everyone had made this choice, and it was interesting to observe discussions and disagreements, often the line of demarcation ran right through the families, in two rows below our seats the wife and husband seriously quarreled for precisely that point.

The Trolleborg fans began to have fun long before the match, and did what they could to inspire our lads, and do it so loudly and so fieryly that after a goal was scored, my neighbor wondered why the roof of the stadium had not collapsed from the roar. After the game our players thanked fans, going to their stand and throwing shirts to them, and head coach especially emphasized the merit of the fans in the victory.

You can congratulate our guys on the victory, the opponent has a trong team, playing strict in defense, and more experienced than in international matches than we are,
In addition to the victory itself, we can congratulate our midfielder Zhita on the birth of his daughter, his wife successfully resolved just in the middle of a football match.
As we all already see two times, our team can made promising starts and then tended to lag and drag, drop points and looking awkward. Let's see how things will be unfolded

Now our players have to move to Dodoma and having a rather difficult game with Bolgano. Goodbye, Istria, it’s probably that we never return, but we have a good time here.

Our team pleased us with the game in usual attacking style, and, even more joyfully, for once, left field without conceding goals. We got three points thanks to the quickness and resolve of Gulbranden, who successfully used the mistake of one of the defenders who launched the ball into the air. Our striker was ahead of everyone

Cup of Harmony 76 - Everything Thread

CoH76 Part 1: Markky Mark and the Lytti Bunch

Pre- Cup of harmony Post

CoH76 Part 1

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