[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.]
Poafmer Times and Sporting Daily Special Edition: Who is in and who is out?It is that time of the year again, where we watch the World Cup in its full glory. This year is the year of the World Cup 84, as well as the Cup of Harmony 76. The Cup of Harmony is a competition for teams of nations which have shown great sportsmanship (OOC: Great RPing), who unfortunately failed to make it to the World Cup, and these nations will come together and compete for a separate trophy.
This is our nation's first full cycle, and also the first time we are reporting on the World Cup and the Cup of Harmony. We have done the same a few times last year, and at the start of this year, at different junctures of the World Cup Qualifiers. Today, we go deep into both the Cup of Harmony and the World Cup to find out who is making it out of their groups, and who stands a chance to do so pending the penultimate matchday in 2 days time.
We start with the Cup of Harmony, the "smaller" competition but definitely not small in terms of number of teams. A grand total of 42 teams are competing for the Cup, and with holders Main Nation Ministry choosing not to participate this time round, a new team would be crowned champions in Xanneria and Banija, where the competition is held. The competition starts of with 7 groups of 6 teams, with the top 2 teams and 2 best third-placed teams qualifying for the Round of 16.
Legend for all tables as shown (Head-to-Head Results may not be taken into consideration for the tables at the moment as the group stage is not completed)
Red (E) - Eliminated out of the World Cup/Cup of Harmony
Green (Y) - (For Cup of Harmony only) Unable to compete for top 2 positions in the group
Blue (Q) - Qualified for the Round of 16
Key Match in bold
Group A Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Xanneria 4 2 1 1 8 7 +1 7
2 Filindostan 4 2 1 1 8 5 +3 7
3 Terre Septentrionale 4 2 1 1 6 5 +1 7
4 Bears Armed 4 2 0 2 7 6 +1 6
5 The Sarian (E) 4 1 1 2 4 8 −4 4
6 Razneta (E) 4 1 0 3 3 5 −2 3
Matchday 5 Fixtures
The Sarian vs Bears Armed
Terre Septentrionale vs Razneta
Filindostan vs Xanneria
Razneta and The Sarian are both eliminated from the Cup of Harmony, with The Sarian falling behind to Xanneria, Filindostan and Terre Septentrionale based on Head-to-Head (H2H) performance. The Sarian only managed to draw Xanneria and defeat Razneta, losing to both Filindostan and Terre Septentrionale. With that in mind, there is no way The Sarian could overhaul 2 of the 3 teams on a H2H Points tiebreaker. (2 of the 3 because at least one of Xanneria and Filindostan would get more than 7 points, with their meeting in Matchday 5).
We can always look at the form book for the remaining 4 teams:
Xanneria: LWDW
Terre Septentrionale: WWDL
Filindostan: WWDL
Bears Armed: WLLW
Xanneria is a team on the rise, having gone unbeaten apart from their opening-day loss to Bears Armed. On Matchday 4, Xanneria defeated Terre Septentrionale, while Bears Armed defeated Filindostan, giving both Xanneria and Bears Armed much momentum going into the final Matchday. Xanneria is definitely favourites to defeat Filindostan, while Terre Septentrionale should have a easy game at Razneta. Bears Armed should avoid slipping up at The Sarian, because even if Terre Septentrionale wins, and the Filindostan-Xanneria match ends in a win for one side, Bears Armed is likely to qualify as one of the best 3rd place teams around.
Group B Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Lisander 4 2 2 0 9 5 +4 8
2 Ziwana 4 2 1 1 12 10 +2 7
3 Jeruselem 4 1 3 0 8 6 +2 6
4 New Lusitania 4 1 2 1 7 8 −1 5
5 Saintland (Y) 4 1 1 2 2 4 −2 4
6 Appalachian Nation (E) 4 0 1 3 5 10 −5 1
Matchday 5 Fixtures
Ziwana vs Lisander
Appalachian Nation vs Jeruselem
New Lusitania vs Saintland
Winner takes all in Ziwana vs Lisander, where Ziwana would be favourites despite having one loss to Lisander's none in the Cup thus far. A win for either side guarantees top spot and qualification, while a loss might put their qualification in jeopardy given that the top 4 is only separated by 3 points. Jeruselem plays bottom-placed Appalachian Nation, which have been eliminated, while New Lusitania plays Saintland. Saintland cannot get top 2, having lost to Ziwana 1-3 in Matchday 3, but they would be motivated to push for 7 points and hopefully qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. The likelihood of 7 points being enough? You can read about it later when we talk about current 3rd placed teams, but chances are, it may not be enough unless you have an excellent Goal Difference.
Group C Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Pasarga (Q) 4 3 1 0 12 7 +5 10
2 Squornshelous 4 2 1 1 8 7 +1 7
3 Ancherion 4 2 0 2 12 12 0 6
4 Geektopia 4 2 0 2 9 9 0 6
5 Timuria 4 1 1 2 9 11 −2 4
6 Gyatso-Kai (E) 4 0 1 3 5 9 −4 1
Matchday 5 Matches
Gyatso-Kai vs Squornshelous
Geektopia vs Pasarga
Ancherion vs Timuria
Pasarga, top seeds and highest-ranked team in the tournament, qualified without much surprise. On the other hand, Squornshelous looks like favourites to defeat Gyasto-Kai and grab 2nd qualification spot. Geektopia needs a miracle against Pasarga, but Ancherion vs Timuria would be interesting. Just like Saintland, Timuria has 4 points. Unlike Saintland, they had a 4-2 win against Squornshelous on opening day, so they could qualify as 2nd place. Both Ancherion and Timuria would be rushing for that second place, so this could be the must watch for this group.
Group D Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Balqia 4 2 2 0 10 7 +3 8
2 Tamgu 4 1 3 0 11 10 +1 6
3 Mercedini 4 1 3 0 7 6 +1 6
4 Flavovespia 4 0 4 0 5 5 0 4
5 Mattijana 4 1 1 2 4 6 −2 4
6 Mkabia (E) 4 0 1 3 7 10 −3 1
Matchday 5 Fixtures
Mattijana vs Flavovespia
Mkabia vs Tamgu
Balqia vs Mercedini
While Balqia vs Mercedini would be an important match for both sides, it is definitely more important for Mercedini than Balqia. Tamgu would have an easier match at Mkabia, so Mercedini would need a win to match Tamgu. For Balqia, they could play for a draw and qualify quite comfortably. The more intriguing match would be Flavovespia vs Mattijana, where a win for either side is necessary to have a shot at qualifying for the knockout stages. Failure to win would signal the end of the road for them. Mkabia, despite the huge effort made by the team, is unfortunately out.
Group E Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Newmanistan 4 2 1 1 7 5 +2 7
2 Trolleberg 4 2 1 1 7 6 +1 7
3 Busoga Islands 4 2 0 2 5 5 0 6
4 Brusseldorf 4 1 2 1 9 9 0 5
5 BOLGANO (Y) 4 1 1 2 7 8 −1 4
6 Vdara (Y) 4 1 1 2 5 7 −2 4
Matchday 5 Fixtures
Brusseldorf vs Trolleborg
BOLGANO vs Vdara
Newmanistan vs Busoga Islands
We are not giving a must watch here. All three matches have rather interesting things in them, considering that everyone wants a win here in this group. It is complicated with regards to Top 2 slots. Vdara cannot qualify as Top 2 because they lost to Newmanistan and drew Trolleborg. If they are level with points with Trolleborg then Brusseldorf would be on 8 points and overtake the both of them, so either ways Vdara cannot get Top 2. They are, however, not out because a win for both Trolleberg and Newmanistan, together with a win for Vdara, is enough to bring them to third place and possibly a slot in the Round of 16. On the other hand, BOLGANO defeated Newmanistan but lost to Trolleberg. Assuming they get level with Newmanistan, this would mean that Busoga Islands won and moved to 9 points. It does not matter whether Trolleberg wins, draws, or loses. If Trolleberg wins they would be on 10 and top 2 would be Busoga Islands and Trolleberg. If Trolleberg draws they would be on 8 points, and top 2 is still Busoga Islands and Trolleberg. If Trolleberg loses then Brusseldorf wins and moves to 8 points, so top 2 would be Busoga Islands and Brusseldorf. Either ways, there would not be a BOLGANO, so they cannot qualify as Top 2 teams. Regardless, every match is important, even for Vdara vs BOLGANO, where the winning team could compete to be third place.
Group F Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Kelssek 4 3 0 1 15 12 +3 9
2 Sarzonia 4 2 1 1 12 11 +1 7
3 Sajnur 4 1 2 1 6 8 −2 5
4 Schottia 4 1 1 2 9 8 +1 4
5 Hapilopper 4 1 1 2 5 6 −1 4
6 TJUN-ia (Y) 4 1 1 2 7 9 −2 4
Matchday 5 Fixtures
TJUN-ia vs Hapilopper
Sajnur vs Kelssek
Schottia vs Sarzonia
Hapilopper's only saving grace is that they defeated Sarzonia on the opening day, and still has a chance at 2nd place if Schottia does the same, considering they both drew on Matchday 4. Despite Kelssek already qualifying, Sajnur should not expect an easy match as Kelssek needs all 3 points to secure top spot. The most important match would be Schottia vs Sarzonia, as that would likely dictate where the second spot is going, especially since Sarzonia needs to be wary of a Sajnur win while Hapilopper would hope that Schottia wins and for them to have a slight chance if their win is bigger. Meanwhile, TJUN-ia, which unfortunately lost to Sarzonia, would need to pop Hapilopper's hopes by winning to get any chance of qualifying as best third placed team.
Group G Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Hampton Island (Q) 4 3 1 0 11 5 +6 10
2 Kandorith (Q) 4 3 0 1 10 9 +1 9
3 Savojarna (Y) 4 2 0 2 5 6 −1 6
4 Poafmersia (Y) 4 1 1 2 9 9 0 4
5 Euran Oceanian Territories (Y) 4 1 1 2 8 10 −2 4
6 Squornshelan Remnant States (E) 4 0 1 3 8 12 −4 1
Matchday 5 Fixtures
Savojarna vs Squornshelan Remnant States
Euran Oceania Territories vs Kandorith
Poafmersia vs Hampton Island
This group steals the cake. The top 2 spots taken by the fifth seed and the sixth seed, while the top 4 are stuck playing ping pong with one another, hoping and praying that the best third placed team spots would come to them. Savojarna's matchday 4 loss to Kandorith literally sealed the group, and yet they still have a get-out-of-jail-free ticket by winning top seeds Squornshelan Remnant States and getting one of the best third-place teams, which is very likely with 9 points. Meanwhile, Poafmersia and Euran Oceania Territories can only blame their poor runs and have to rely on a miracle to get out into the Knockout stages. Poafmersia would need to beat a in-form Hampton Islands, which bamboozled everyone with their weird playing styles and strategies.
Current Ranking of third-placed teams
# Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
B3 Ziwana 4 2 1 1 12 10 +2 7
A3 Terre Septentrionale 4 2 1 1 6 5 +1 7
D3 Mercedini 4 1 3 0 7 6 +1 6
C3 Ancherion 4 2 0 2 12 12 0 6
E3 Busoga Islands 4 2 0 2 5 5 0 6
G3 Savojarna 4 2 0 2 5 6 -1 6
F3 Sajnur 4 1 2 1 6 8 -2 5
So is 7 points enough? Based on a look here, it is very unlikely as many teams can surge beyond 7 points. With only the best of 2 third-placed teams to qualify, it might be a tough cookie to bite if you are a 7-pointer. Nevertheless, you should try and aim for it, because who knows what is next?
Now we are done with the Cup of Harmony, let us move on to the World Cup. The groups of 4 teams are much easier and straightforward, so we do not spend much time here.
Group A Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Ko-oren 2 1 0 1 3 2 +1 3
2 Cassadaigua 2 1 0 1 2 1 +1 3
3 Turori 2 1 0 1 2 3 −1 3
4 Chromatika 2 1 0 1 1 2 −1 3
Matchday 3 Fixtures
Chromatika vs Turori
Ko-oren vs Cassadaigua
This host's group is really cancer. All 4 teams are on 3 points, with similar Goal Differences. Ko-oren and Cassadaigua's advantage is in Goal Difference, but no one can actually tell who would qualify. Theoretically, Ko-oren just needs to not lose to qualify, because they would qualify ahead of Cassadaigua on Goals For. Meanwhile, Chromatika needs a win to have any chance, as a draw would put them behind Turori on Goals For. Cassadaigua can qualify with a draw if Turori vs Chromatika ends in a draw, but they would also need a win to be more secure.
Group B Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Eura (Q) 2 2 0 0 10 5 +5 6
2 Kita-Hinode (Q) 2 2 0 0 6 3 +3 6
3 95X (E) 2 0 0 2 5 9 −4 0
4 Valanora (E) 2 0 0 2 3 7 −4 0
Matchday 3 Fixtures
Eura vs Kita-Hinode
95X vs Valanora
Commiserations to 95X and Valanora. Both of them are out and they would need to play another match for personal glory against each other in Matchday 3. Meanwhile, Eura and Kita-Hindoe play for first place in the other fixture, with Eura gaining an advantage of a superior goal difference putting them ahead in the case of a tie. Eura performed very well at the qualifiers, but Kita-Hinode are no pushovers, so although we predict Eura to win this decider, we think it might be a rather close match here.
Group C Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Farfadillis 2 2 0 0 6 3 +3 6
2 Banija 2 1 0 1 4 3 +1 3
3 HUElavia 2 1 0 1 1 2 −1 3
4 Zwangzug 2 0 0 2 1 4 −3 0
Matchday 3 Fixtures
Farfadillis vs HUElavia
Banija vs Zwangzug
Group D Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Brenecia 2 2 0 0 4 2 +2 6
2 South Covello 2 1 0 1 4 4 0 3
3 Mriin 2 1 0 1 5 4 +1 3
4 Darmen 2 0 0 2 2 5 −3 0
Matchday 3 Fixtures
Darmen vs South Covello
Mriin vs Brenecia
Group E Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Free Republics 2 2 0 0 2 0 +2 6
2 Nephara 2 1 0 1 2 1 +1 3
3 Baker Park 2 1 0 1 4 5 −1 3
4 Drawkland 2 0 0 2 3 5 −2 0
Matchday 3 Fixtures
Nephara vs Drawkland
Free Republics vs Baker Park
Similar groups with similar permutations. We do not have to go down into "how many goals should X win by", since it would take a rather long time to calculate, but we know that Free Republics, Brenecia and Farfadillis needs to not lose. And it might be quite simple for Farfadillis, with a match against HUElavia, the fourth seeds. For Brenecia, maybe not so, since the opponents are Mriin, which are quite a strong team when they are at their 50% or so capabilities. For Free Republics, a draw may be good enough.
Group F Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Vilita (Q) 2 2 0 0 5 1 +4 6
2 Audioslavia 2 1 0 1 4 3 +1 3
3 Siovanija & Teusland 2 1 0 1 1 2 −1 3
4 Sargossa (E) 2 0 0 2 0 4 −4 0
Matchday 3 Fixtures
Siovanija & Teusland vs Audioslavia
Sargossa vs Vilita
Unfortunately for Sargossa, their loss to Siovanija & Teusland and Audioslavia in the first 2 matches means they are out. And Vilita's win against the same teams mean that they are first. Well then. So it's left to the two teams to fight for second place, with Audioslavia being the favourites. As for an upset, we are not ruling it out.
Group G Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Taeshan 2 2 0 0 5 1 +4 6
2 Equestria 2 1 0 1 3 2 +1 3
3 Apox 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 3
4 Port Ember 2 0 0 2 0 5 −5 0
Matchday 3 Fixtures
Apox vs Taeshan
Equestria vs Port Ember
When Equestria lost to Taeshan the last time out many people were screaming "Defending Champions are out!" To us, we think that is as possible as Port Ember beating the talking ponies. It could be done, but the odds are low and we don't see how Apox and Taeshan can qualify at the same time. Assuming Apox wins Taeshan, and the head-to-head points goes down to 3 apiece. Head-to-head goals are currently at: Apox -2, Equestria 1, Taeshan 1. Apox needs to win by 2 goals for Equestria to get out.
Group H Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Starblaydia 2 1 1 0 4 1 +3 4
2 The Holy Empire 2 1 1 0 5 3 +2 4
3 Reçueçn 2 1 0 1 4 4 0 3
4 Qasden (Q) 2 0 0 2 0 5 −5 0
Matchday 3 Fixtures
Reçueçn vs Starblaydia
The Holy Empire vs Qasden
Actually this is similar to those 6-3-3-0 groups, but The Holy Empire and Starblaydia has an advantage. Still, Starblaydia would need to not lose to qualify, while The Holy Empire would prefer a win lest Recuecn wins Starblaydia by one goal only. Apart from that, we have nothing much to say about this group, since tiebreakers may not be needed at all here.
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) Loss (0-1)
MD3: Euran Oceania Territories vs Poafmersia - Star Field, Herzegovina City, Moravica, Banija (cap 70,000) Win (3-5)
MD4: Squornshelan Remnant States vs Poafmersia - Albert III Stadium, Dodoma, Bunyoro, Banija (cap 48,600) Draw (3-3)
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