AOCAF Cup 60 | Everything Thread

by **Gyatso-kai** » Wed Apr 15, 2020 11:28 pm

by **Torisakia** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 1:01 am

And welcome to yet another edition of the Sports With Bort blog. As always, I'm your humble host Bort Stevens. We're continuing our special report on the Torisakia national team and their AOCAF 60 run. But before we begin, I have to address something. Apparently some of you had to point out in my last post that Torisakia had won a game in the AOCAF before: AOCAF 59 against Sarzonia. I missed this due to my "reliable" source not being so reliable. So I fired him and falsely reported him to the police for sexual harassment. I also contacted his friends and family and told them that he made a racist joke by the water cooler at the studio. That'll teach him to be unreliable to me. I'll keep you all updated on his downfall as we go along.

Back to AOCAF 60. Torisakia played their first match of the group stage today against Banija, the 6th ranked nation in the world. Going into this game I think most of us expected Torisakia to get their brakes beaten off of them. As far as I can recall, Torisakia has never beaten such a highly ranked team before. I don't think they've ever beaten a top 100 team. We expected nothing from this game and we were still let down. What occurred out there on that pitch is nothing short of magic. Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 12 hours or so, Torisakia throttled Banija 3-0. No, that wasn't a typo. Three to nil. A shutout. A big goose egg. Everyone is calling it the greatest upset in the history of Torisakian sports. Bigger than Tokai United's playoff win against 4th seed Tokai in Season 105. Of course we're all thinking the same thing: how could a lowly, 198th ranked Torisakia team that has never had success in any international association football competition shutout a 6th ranked Banija that's had every bit of success to be had? Honestly I have no idea. It seems like when we expect Torisakia to play bad, they play good. And vice-versa. Regardless, this is one of the proudest moments in this nation's history, next to when Rosalind Dupond got kicked out of office.

Torisakia set the town early on. Very early. Seriously they scored within the first minute of the match. Syarhey Sweetcloud, the international boy-wonder himself, scored on a beautiful cross from Gregory Franklyn to give Torisakia the 1-0 lead. A boring 20 minutes went by with at least 100 saves by Mitch Issacson. Seriously they guy was on fire the entire match. Torisakia extended their lead at 23 minutes with a powerful shot by Johnny Kelso. By this point the Torisakian fans that traveled to attend the game were making more noise than the ambient sounds from the stadium. Torisakia entered the half up 2-0, leaving the entire nation of Torisakia, Banija, and the world in shock. But surely Torisakia would find a way to choke away this lead, right? Well they almost did. Coming out of the half Banija almost got a shot past Issacson. But Mitch was able to make an acrobatic, triple bat-in-the-air-and-away to keep the shutout alive. Torisakia would continue to control the game, especially in offensive tempo. Almost every time Torisakia had the ball they put a shot on goal. Torisakia put the nail in the coffin at 72 minutes on a corner header by Faron James to put them up 3-0. As the game approached its final minutes, the cheering from the Torisakian fans continuously grew louder until it was literally the only thing heard on the television set. At the final whistle, the entire nation of Torisakia took to the streets to celebrate. There's been numerous reports of riots, looting, and fans tipping things over since the game ended. The celebration continued even at the match, where some Torisakian fans tried to invade the pitch after the match was over, but they were promptly asked to leave at once. Talk about David and Goliath, I submit to you: The Torisakia Ice Birds!

The fun continues as Torisakia matches up against Valanora, who recently defeated Oontaz 3-1. Valanora is another top 15 team, and it's a bit ambitious to ask for two upsets in a row. But if we could please do so, I'd like that. It makes it easier to write these blogs and I don't have to try and think up stories to tell you all. That's it for today's edition. Join me next time as I attempt to break the record for most watermelons shoved up one's nose while riding a bicycle backwards with a blindfold and hands tied behind back.

by **Bolgano** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 6:35 am

95X 1-1 Bolgano
A difficult game that remained as a draw

Bolgano's team before the start of the match

Bell Moor, Hastings, Krytenia
Bolgano returns to soccer performance since his last match in the Cup of Harmony in Xanneria, the players returned to their clubs to face the new season of the BSNL and others had to play the tournaments organized by the IFCF, now everything comes for them to come back To join for a new edition of the AOCAF being played in Farfadilis and Krytenia, the latter is where Bolgano will have to participate, his group really closed with 3 high-category teams, Audioslavia, Mriin and 95X, Bolgano's rivals for this match.

It will be the first confrontation between them and from the beginning the favorites were 95X although it was clear that Bolgano is a team that fights against anyone regardless of being weak or strong, both teams come to this moment with the intention of winning the 3 points, the players are They establish in their places on the field to start the game, the first opportunities were obtained by Roisin Dart for 95X that in a quick shot towards the Nines goal where he manages to stop being a sample of what is ahead, Bolgano has a neutral style where when they least think they can attack and try to score, that was how the first attacks came for the ¨Celestes¨ and Tom Evans had a chance to score, Aisling Ayala blocked the way making them make a change Evans and make a pass towards Frizzel, he managed to shoot but Rhiannon Concord-Fourteenth managed to reject the ball in time to send it to the corner, Riot Birgot had the responsibility of making r the center for Tom Evans to head the ball but Lauren Hills catches her where they open a fast break for Natalie Notgnirrah to run from that area to the Red Nines to make a pass for Summer Madison where she kicked and made it impossible for Nines , 95X goal and placed the 1-0.

In the second half Bolgano changed to play a little more offensively since they cannot lose the opening game, they looked for every opportunity to score but the 95X defense did not let the offensive advance and they took advantage of a counterattack although our defense stopped them leaving this second time fully active in the midfield, so it was until a lack of Kara Sixteen on Ryan McShane, this is the time for Riot Birgot to center and minutes before Daniels Razor had entered, the center was perfect for Birgot for the header by Ail Hedd to lower it for Daniels Razor and he tries to kick although because there were many 95X players piled up and he managed to give it to Louis Merts who managed to take the ball and only against Lauren Hills did he score a goal to tie the game, from there not There were many opportunities and I managed to leave it as a 1-1 draw.

Goalscores
95X: Summer Madison '35
BGN: Louis Merts '64

MD1 95X: 1-1 Draw
MD2 Bye
MD3 Iskandervale
MD4 Audioslavia
MD5 Mriin

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 7:52 am

Stelburg Radio 590 - Sports

Alan Kress: Welcome back to Stelburg Radio 590, I’m your host Alan Kress, and we’re here the morning after a busy day in the sports world for Siovanija & Teusland - the football team were upset yesterday in their opening match against Muradil, we’re going to take some calls on that in a minute here - and the junior hockey team took a close one over Banija here in Stelburg at the World Juniors. We’ll get to that game in a bit, but first, what happened out there on the pitch yesterday? Not a good result for our Goldhorns, who saw Michael Ribbeck go off with an injury in the first half before giving up 2 goals against an unranked side. We want to hear your thoughts on this, Stelburg - the phone lines are open! Call us. 401-444-4554. We’ve got one coming in already, let’s put ‘em through.

Caller: Disgra-

AK: Can you give us your name, first, before what I’m sure will be a calm and collected tactical analysis?

Caller: Johan, from Stelburg.

AK: Alright, Johan from Stelburg, you’re li-

Johan: That was a disgraceful performance today. Where was the passion? Where was the fight? They didn’t give anything out there today that was positive for me. Nothing. Thierse, what are you thinking? What was going through his mind? I want to know why he’d make that play. I’d love to know, but I don’t even think he knows! Just braindead. You’re playing for your country, son, get your head in it! And Zhelyaskov, oh dear. I have no idea how he keeps getting chances! It’s his 20th chance by now, and he’s blown all of them! How is he anywhere near the squad?

AK: Johan, do you think maybe you’re being a bit too harsh here? It’s only the first match of the-

Johan: They’ll be 0-0-4 if they play like that!

AK: Is this a prank call?

Johan: It’s too real, Alan. Not one good thing today. Not one. Hughes - what was that team? No changes in the second half, maybe? Nothing when Ribbeck went off? Honestly, I’ll always thank him for getting us to the World Cup - but it’s time to go. It’s time to go.

AK: You can’t be seriously suggesting the manager be sacked after one match.

Johan: It’s not just one match though is it! He had one good Qualifier, and 2 good games at the AOCAF 2 years ago.

AK: One good qualifier, that’s 20 matches Johan! You can’t really think that the man who led us to our first World Cup Finals, and got a win at that same tournament, should be sacked 1 year later after 1 loss.

Johan: It’s a disgrace. I’m not watching the rest of the tournament, they don’t deserve my support.

AK: With fans like you, Johan, who needs rivals? Let’s get to the next caller, hopefully there’s some sense to be found here.

Caller #2: Good evening Alan, Paul from Launitz.

AK: Hi Paul. You aren’t going to tell me Hughes needs to go, are you?

Paul: Haha, no, no. Look, it’s obviously disappointing to lose like that. But you have to look at that team and see what he was trying to do - he was trying to get some minutes for guys that haven’t experienced tournament football. It’s a lesson - a harsh one, to be sure. But it’s not the end of the world.

AK: Thank you. That’s what I’m thinking, they were due for a bad loss at some point - I’d rather it be now than later in the tournament.

Paul: Exactly, you have to think - there are still 3 games to go here. You can’t judge them off of 90 bad minutes. I do have to ask, Alan - what is your opinion on Zhelyaskov?

AK: I think there’s just something in his head, Paul. He was always talked about as being the guy in net, first at Olympia and then eventually for the national team. He’s done well for himself in Eura, and there’s no denying he’s a talented keeper - but he just can’t seem to catch a break for the national team.

Paul: Yeah. I don’t think you can blame your keeper all the time - today, for example, is more on the team in front of him, they were dreadful. But I wouldn’t be confident with him in net the rest of the tournament. I wouldn’t. Which is why we’re lucky to have Heuser.

AK: What lineup would you like Hughes to play against Demot, which is surely a must-win now?

Paul: It is a must win, Alan, and I think he has to go first choice. You can’t do anything less than that. Put Dimitrov in - I know what he wanted to do here, but it didn’t work, and now you’ve got to trust in your guys, rely on your main guys. You have to hope Ribbeck’s able to go, but I’d be fine with Reichwein up there as well if he can’t. Give Kramer something to work with out there.

AK: That was the one good point, wasn’t it, that Kramer didn’t have an off day?

Paul: It was tough to watch him get things going, or get the ball into a position where he could put it forward, and no-one else was doing their jobs. I mean, he made a few mistakes of his own, to be fair - that giveaway in the build-up to their second goal was not his best moment - but if you had to pick one guy today out of the bunch it’d be him.

AK: We’ve not got an official update on Ribbeck, either, but the word is it’s good news - he might sit out Demot as a precaution, but should be good after that.

Paul: I couldn’t believe the ref didn’t give that guy, Zedres I think it was, a red card. A yellow? Come on. Ref needs to take control of the game in a situation like that. I wouldn’t be happy about it if I were Hughes. That’s good it’s not serious - hopefully he can play against Demot, we’ll be needing him the rest of the way.

AK: Hughes wasn’t happy in the presser - said he wouldn’t comment because he didn’t want to get in trouble.

Paul: I wouldn’t be if I were him. Just got to hope Ribbeck is ok, I think that was a big reason why they seemed to lack a bit of mental strength there - when something like that happens immediately, you’re a little shaken up for sure.

AK: Thanks for your time, Paul, I’ve got to let you go now though.

Paul: Thanks for the opportunity, Alan, and hopefully I’ll be calling in next time to discuss a win.

AK: So do I - not sure how I’ll deal with the idiots if they lose, to be honest. Anyways, we’re off to commercial - coming up after the break, we’ve got RSN Hockey panelist Sergei Berezov to discuss Siovanija & Teusland’s 1-0 win over Banija at the World Junior Hockey Championship last night.

by **Hapilopper** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 10:11 am

‘A SHOT AT REDEMPTION’
By Jane Michaels, The Hapiloppian

Max Greenwell, the new president of the Hapilopper Football Association, watches a training session taking place outside his office in Hapilopper City. He has been the permanent head of the HFA for a few months now, and in those few months, his presence has become known, and then some. Cost-cutting measures have been put into place since Greenwell took office, including a rumored suspension of the HFA’s Under-18 and Under-21 teams.

While Greenwell declined to comment publicly on the suspension of both teams, he did state the association had lost money over the last two years due to what he felt was his predecessor’s mismanagement of HFA funds.

“We lowballed ourselves with sponsorship,” Greenwell said. “We didn’t get as much as we should have. On top of that, we spent a lot more than we should have with the youth teams, and with the exploratory committee for a World Cup hosting bid that we are nowhere near ready to take part in.”

Last year, that exploratory committee became public, as well as a proposal to construct a new stadium in the Conyers area, across the West River from downtown Hapilopper City. The governments of Conyers, Hapilopper City and the Dominion all denounced the proposal, stating such a move would be too costly to support, especially with other issues that the three governments are facing at the moment. Greenwell said that proposal has been shelved.

“We’re not hosting a World Cup right now, because we’re not ready for it,” Greenwell explained. “Would we like to host one in the future? Absolutely. That committee had some fantastic ideas for it, such as tying it with the Hapilopper National Exhibition, but we just need to make sure we’re ready for it before we dive head on into it.”

Greenwell said for this upcoming World Cup cycle and the AOCAF, which started yesterday, the Hapiloppians are all about redeeming themselves from what had been a disastrous last season, and it never quite got off on the right foot.

“We might have been doomed from the start with that 8-1 fiasco in Equestria,” he said. “That match did more to hurt our confidence than anything else, and a lot of us got scared of one team, rather than focusing on actually qualifying for the World Cup.”

In the first match of the last AOCAF, the Haps were demolished by Equestria, 8-1. Cooter Harris, then the starting goalkeeper for the Hapilopper National Football Team, suffered a full-fledged meltdown after the eighth goal.

Harris: “The worst moment of my life”

Even now, it is clear that match in Equestria still haunts Cooter Harris. Harris, born Douglas Winchester Harris 31 years ago in Greenfield, a suburb of Hapilopper City, was known as one of the top goalkeepers in all of Hapilopper before that moment. It had been the culmination of some unfortunate moments during the previous Cup of Harmony leading up to the AOCAF, and the moment was a step too far for the Haps.

When asked about the “Manehattan Massacre,” Harris winced a little. It was clear he did not like thinking about that match, but was more than happy to speak about what went through his mind that day.

“To this day, I feel that Equestria went out there to make an example out of us and ran up the score,” Harris said. “You can’t convince me otherwise. I’ve felt they went out there to show they were the best football squad in the world and they were going to run up the score on whoever they faced first. It happened to be us.”
Harris said giving up goal after goal was just too much to bear, and after giving up the eighth goal, he had just had enough.

“So I threw the ball at that one horse’s head,” Harris said sadly, talking about Pristina Shine, who scored three goals in that match. “I wanted to go over there and whup its ass. The rest of the team came in, restrained me, I got a red card and I just went apeshit in the locker room. It was the last straw and I got removed from the team.”

After the removal, the HFA reportedly strongly suggested to Soldiers, the club team Harris played for at the time, that sending him elsewhere would be in their best interest. So he ended up at Northshore FC, a club team in Xanneria. It was there he started his comeback, and did pretty well for himself. It was also there that he witnessed the Haps take down the Equestrians.

“That team came out like they were a group of Road Warriors or a Legion of Doom or something, and they went out and gave those horsey bastards what they deserved,” Cooter said. “It did a lot to helping myself out, that’s for sure.”

Cooter’s mental state improved dramatically after that match, and so did his play, to the point where he was actually invited to return to the HNFT this season, at the request of a number of players.

“Ernie Stevenson went to bat for me, man,” Harris said. “He told the HFA brass that I should get a second chance, and I’m going to make the most of it.”
Stevenson, perhaps the highest-profile Hapiloppian in football today, said that Harris could still get the job done at the net, regardless of what had happened in the past.

“Look, I’m not going to judge Cooter on what happened in the past,” Stevenson said. “He was in a bad spot in his life, and he’s turned it around. I want to see how he does out here, and maybe, by some chance, he could become our starting goalkeeper again. I hope he can.”

Greenwell: “We must qualify”

The new-look Hapilopper National Football Team features a handful of new players, a new head coach in Buddy Martinez and a new 4-4-2 formation, which is to say four defenders, four midfielders and two strikers. Previously, the HNFT relied on a 4-2-3-1 formation, which gave Ernie Stevenson free reign to shoot with impunity.
Martinez explained, however, that he felt this formation would allow more opportunities to get scoring opportunities for players such as Claire Randall, Beautiful Bobby East and Murray Hunnisett.

“We’ve got multiple threats on the offensive side of the pitch,” Martinez said. “We can exploit those threats with the 4-4-2 better than we were able to with the 4-2-3-1.”

With all these changes, Greenwell had one expectation for the team, which will make its debut this week in the 60th AOCAF tournament against Baker Park, one of the strongest teams in international football.

“We must qualify for the World Cup,” Greenwell said emphatically. “We’re using this AOCAF tournament as a warm-up for us to settle out whatever bugs we’ve got with this side right now, so we’ll be ready to go with all guns blazing when qualifying gets started for the World Cup.”

Greenwell also expressed concern over some of the teams in their AOCAF group, specifically Baker Park and Siovanija & Teusland.

“Baker Park’s scary as hell, man,” Greenwell said. “There’s a good reason they’re one of the top teams in international football. They know what they’re doing. Not saying we don’t, but there’s few sides out there that has their shit in gear quite like the Bees. The Goldhorns are going to be a real tricky side to get around too. We’re worried about both teams, and if we can get a result from one or both of them, then we’ve done well for ourselves.”

by **Sarzonia** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 10:58 am

It's not often that Sarzonian football is the undercard on a night when the first choice national team is playing a match, but that's precisely the position the Stars and interim manager Kevin Wilson found themselves in.

The Stars played to a 5-5 draw against a team calling themselves Independent Athletes From Quebec, a result that saw both starting goalkeeper Paolo Gomes and reserve keeper Carlton Sandt play significant minutes.

However, the overwhelming amount of calls to sport radio focused on a match the Stars would not be playing in, namely, Delaclava's return to international competition. The Phoenixes would live up to their team's nickname by returning to the pitch for the first time since calamity resulted in a lengthy absence from foreign affairs and international competition.

In a sports bar in a suburb north of Portland, the biggest screen switched from the Sarzonia match with the Stars trailing 5-3 with 38 minutes remaining and Sandt jogging in to replace Gomes. There was only one complaint from a patron, and he was more upset about the fact that the switch happened during pregame analysis of the Delaclava-Starblaydia fixture than he was about missing the Sarzonia match.

Thus, only a few dedicated souls noticed Mek'hi West and Brady Reynolds scoring goals six minutes apart to draw the score level and secure a draw from the snatches of defeat.

A television camera panned the stadium before the opening kickoff of Delaclava's match and saw the expected large swaths of purple-clad Starblaydi supporters and a red and gold colour scheme that announcers had to explain was the new colour set favoured by the Delaclavs. And there were noticeable pockets of navy blue and silver in the stands.

Even though the stadium seating allotment was supposed to be equal for the Starblaydi and Delaclav contingents, the navy blue essentially made it feel more like a home fixture for the returning Phoenixes.

Unfortunately for both Delaclav and Sarzonian supporters alike, it was the hated Starblaydis who were the possessors of the three crucial points in the Group G table. Sarzonia's walk out with a lone standings point wasn't lost on their supporters, but any consternation about Sarzonia frittering away opportunities took a formerly rainbow-coloured back seat.

by **Banija** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 1:50 pm

Marcus Waters, along the touchline at the end of Banija's 3-0 loss to Torisakia

Marcus Waters, the Banijan manager, who was at his 160th game at the helm for the Banijans, was beyond frustrated. He'd been with this team since halfway through World Cup 80 Qualifying- this game was officially the start of his fifth full cycle at the helm. And boy, was he pissed off. Going down 3-0 to Torisakia was not the plan entering today's game. And yet, here they were- down 3-0, with just under a minute remaining on the clock. The Banijan fans had long filed out of the stadium, so those remaining were just the Torisakia fans, in light blue, singing their hearts out.

Waters didn't know what the worst part of this miserable, never ending match was. The first part, of course, was the heat. The Adar Jak is situated right in the heart of the Szoirsian desert, making the heat both dry and unforgiving. The sun beating down, the fact that they had you bring in your own water- since the Banijans were here for the entirety of the group stage, the RBSA had to ship literal trucks of water from back home into the country, and have enough to last them the two weeks they'd stay at the Adar Jak.

But honestly, the heat was fine if you were winning, if you were playing well. When things are going well on the pitch, you tend to forget about those outside distractions. But when you're getting blown out, it gets magnetized. The match takes 100 times longer. The game is seemingly never-ending. And that's when you think about things like the heat. And each of the goals were painful to remember. He had spoken to his players about getting off to a strong start- Torisakia had absolutely nothing to lose on this matchday. And yet, seconds into the match, they were down 1-0. Sweetcloud leaving Kawsu Kaba in a cloud of dust, and heading home. A horribly out of position Jumu Sanneh just watching the ball go into the net.

The team actually did not fold after that early goal. But the finishing was terrible. Isaacson was making save after save after save, and Waters could only throw his hands in the air. How many attackers on this team were worth 8 figures? And yet, finding the back of the net seemed impossible. And when Torisakia countered and scored a second time, with Johnny Kelso hitting a blisteringly pacey shot past Jumu Sanneh to double their lead, Waters was mystified. What the hell was going on? The Kadongo Kamu looked so out of sorts, so disjointed. They couldn't connect an attack in the final third. The team was so deflated. Heading into halftime down 2-0, Waters thought he had pieced this side together. Madu Okparra and Jideofor, in for a struggling Namakula Kawesa and Nwabudike Ugonna, respectively.

But after a good buildup saw an Okparra chip just barely touched over the net by Isaacson, the team just melted. The midfield was horrific. The Nzo and Uche partnership was not working. Something about Amadi Uche- he could always bring it for his club, both when he was playing in the BSL, and now in the Elven Premiership, but he never seemed able to be able to put it together while wearing the green shirt. The defense was under all sorts of pressure. They couldn't withstand the pressure. Banijan players weren't getting back. Waters was getting beside himself, screaming himself hoarsely. Once Faron James got past the Banijan Galactico, Kuma Bultum, for the third goal, Waters had enough. He brought his clipboard, slammed it onto his knee, and simply took a seat on the bench. His own frustration had gotten the best of him. The score was decided now- Banija's traditional grit had left them.

When the final whistle finally blew to put them out of their misery, he saw Torisakia fans attempt to rush the field. That's how it'd go. He shook the hand of Andy Sanders, his Torisakian counterpart. He congratulated him on the win, the two men spoke for a second more. Marcus Waters was always congratulatory in defeat, especially in an upset. He spoke to a number of others on the Torisakia coaching staff, and shook the hands of a few players. And then, of course, he made his way back to the locker room.

"Getting back there, there was a horde of media members at the door to the locker room. Why were they here? The RBSA had told him that the press would meet them in the press room after the game, not outside the dressing room. But then, as he tried to weave his way through the press. He could hear it loudly and clearly- Gitonga Kahara giving the team a new one. It sounded like he was yelling at Kuma Bultum. "YOU HAVE IT ALL SO EASY!" The captain screamed. "OH, THE FAMOUS GALACTICO! AND YET, WE ALLOWED THREE GOALS?'

Once Waters found his way to the locker room, he decided that he'd let Kahara continue a while longer. They needed some sort of spark to recover from this disastrous outing. Maybe letting his players unleash their emotions. "THINK OF THOSE WHO BUILT YOUR PATHWAY!" Kahara continued yelling. "People like Wasa Jawo, like Coach Wangolo, like Chibuzo Afolayan- they never had it as good as any of you had it. Pot 1 by right? Look at the amount of money flowing through this room. Kuma, you're worth well over $20 million fucking dollars. Raynor City pays you all sorts of money. You're driving around Valanora in a Punjab Motors car, and yet, putting on the shirt, ain't worth nothing."

Of course. It was an old guard v. new generation type of thing. Every national team went through this- going from one generation to the next. He had seen it starting- the younger players ate together, the older players ate together. The older players were slightly condescending. But a loss of this magnitude blew it all wide open. And Kuma was in for this screaming match as well. "Man, get the hell out of here, Gitonga." He said. "We're all getting paid. First of all, you know I'm not driving anything around Valanora- cars are banned there. Second, who the hell are you to question my effort, my commitment to this team? Don't be petty- you make plenty of money in Cosumar. Don't act like you're the only one who puts in effort here- I don't remember you playing for a team that missed the World Cup, either."

That's when Marcus Waters jumped in. "Enough guys!" He exclaimed. "All this infighting isn't going to get us anywhere." Both players sat down. Bultum and Kahara were staring daggers at each other. That would be a situation that the manager would need to deal with later. "Look, we won't lie here- that's not the performance. But we're going to change things up. We'll be at the practice facility tomorrow morning, 9 AM sharp- and sharp. We're in a hole. But we're not out of it. We gotta focus all of our energies on dropping Ngolia."

And then Marcus Waters came out for what had to be the longest press conference of his life. Getting grilled over the 3-0 loss. He gave, of course, all the credit in the world to Torisakia- they were better in every aspect of the game. Waters told reporters that the 3-0 win for the Ice Birds was 'thoroughly deserved', as they were the better team on the day. When asked about the screaming match everyone had heard inside the locker room, he just said that the players were men, and that they were showing their frustrations after a big loss. Normal stuff.

As he went back to the hotel, he realized he had no film whatsoever on Ngolia. What can you do? He started diving through the team sheet, and looked at what changes he was going to make. Of course, Kahara and Bultum were fixtures. But everyone else? He was going to have to make some changes. He could only imagine what the press would say if the Banijans couldn't go out and get three points against an unranked Ngolia...

by **Audioslavia** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 3:45 pm

“I like the idea” said Daffodil, nodding. “Name might need a tweak. I’m not sure ‘The Boffers’ is the best title for it”
“Yeah” said Rubio, waving a dismissive hand, “yeah I haven’t thought of the title so much"
“Interesting angle though” said Daffodil. “Focusing on a different Baptism of Fire each chapter and how well or how badly the more interesting teams did. Starting with Cycle 59 was Jeremy’s idea, I assume?”
“It’s just to appease him, really, yeah” said Rubio. “Just to pique his interest in the idea. I’m going to start the chapter with this team” he continued, showing a picture of a national team crest to Daffodil on his phone. Daffodil squinted to read the writing.
“Bloodbath Generation?” said Daffodil, frowning. “Weird place to start”
“It’s a writing exercise” said Rubio, “I figured it’d be a good way to figure out if I can do this or not. I mean, information on the likes of Audioslavia and Karditan will be easy. Montory and Cowardly Pacifists may be more difficult, but a story about one of the fair-to-middling teams would be just about the right amount of challenge. If I can make a viewer invested in them, then I can make them invest in anything”
“You sure you can do it? I don’t remember Bloodbath Generation at all”
“I’m a journalist” said Rubio. “It’s my job. Plus, just look at the name. There has to be a back-story of sorts with a name like that”
 “And Jeremy’s fine with this? Honestly, I can’t remember him needing writing help before” said Daffodil
“Yeah sure” said Rubio, “I can show you the text he sent me if you like”
“Nah nah, it’s good. I’m just saying. He’s kinda controlling. I can’t imagine him contracting out the ‘what gets said’ part of The Idiot Project"
“Jeremy *is* very controlling, yeah, but this is me. We’ve been stuck together for centuries. I’m one of the few people he trusts”
“Well sure” said Daffodil. “I’ll do the vocals if you send me the script and a cheque”
“Will do” said Rubio, “but here’s the catch”
“Of course, there’s always a catch”
“It’s nothing big. There’s just a couple of things I need first. I have access to Jeremy’s database, but not to, y’know, Jeremy. At least not properly. He probably remembers Bloodbath Generation. Ask him if he ever saw them play. Where and when, why and who with and all that”
“You can’t do this yourself?” asked Daffodil. “I mean I’ll do it, but…”
“Yeah” said Rubio, scratching his head, avoiding Daffodil’s gaze for a second. “I could ask him myself, but here’s the thing. If I ask him, he’s going to tell me about all the things he thinks I need to know. If you ask him, he’s going to tell you about all the things he did that were cool and funny. He’s a show-off like that. I think I need both in order to write this properly. To get the full story.”
Daffodil thought for a moment. Rubio could see he wasn’t quite getting his point across. He redoubled his efforts.
“The short version is this. For the Jeremy/Daffodil stuff, he gets the full writing credit, and for the Jeremy/Rubio stuff, as per our agreement, the writing credit gets shared. Thus, he’s less invested in the latter than he is in the former. I just want him working as hard as if it were the former.”
“Yeah” said Daffodil, scratching his head. “Yeah I think I know what you mean”
“Good. I was beginning to think I wasn’t explaining it properly”
“Oh no, you explained it terribly, but I recognise the feeling behind it. Working with Jeremy. It’s like you’re constantly playing a game. It’s taken me a while - three episodes-worth of studio time at least - to get to grips with it”
“Then you know exactly what I’m talking about”
“Okay” said Daffodil. “Next time we’re in the studio I’ll give him a whisky and encourage him to talk about himself.”
“Just push him in the direction of Bloodbath”
“Gladly” said Daffodil
“And you’ll just have to give a few days after you send all the info and I’ll send you the finalised script” said Rubio. “Like I said, though, keep it hush-hush that this is for the Rubio section. I want him to get carried away with himself when he starts talking about stuff. Do you have a notepad? Can you do shorthand?”
“I’ll be talking to him in a recording studio” said Daffodil, blankly.
“Ah right, yeah”

Within half an hour, both men had said their goodbyes. They parted company at a metro station in the centre of Osteria. Daffodil turned left, Rubio turned right, towards a waiting car. He opened the passenger-side door and got in.

“He fell for it” said Rubio. In the driver’s seat, Rubio’s better half Sue Dysos shushed him before he could continue the sentence.
“What?”
“I said ‘shush’ for a sec..”
Rubio waited, confused, as Sue continued listening to the radio. After a couple of seconds, she pressed the pause button.
“News?” said Rubio.
“No. A podcast” said Sue. “Just wanted to listen to that last sentence.”
“A podcast?” said Rubio. “You shushed me for something you could simply pause”
“I wanted to listen to the last sentence, Jeeze” said Sue, starting the car and pulling away. “So he ‘fell for it’ then?”
“I suppose I wouldn’t say ‘fall for it’.. Jesus that's bright” said Rubio, rummaging in the glove compartment for a pair of sunglasses, his vision losing a one-sided fight with the evening sun"
"Yes. Sun. bright. Tell me what happened" said Sue
“He probably thinks something’s up”
“Like what?”
“Like. I don’t know. I mean, the fact is I’ve told him I’m doing a chapter of The Idiot Project about Baptism of Fire 59, but in actual fact I’m not doing that at all, and am simply trying to get information from Jeremy, without Jeremy knowing, about something that happened, oh, what, eighty years ago?”
“It’s still weird when you say things like that” said Sue. “I haven’t quite gotten used to immortality yet”
“Well you’ve got plenty of time” said Rubio.
“Either way, it’ll be a dead end” said Sue. “If Hanson figure's something's not right then it'll come across when he's talking to Jeremy. Jeremy's will get the 'this ain't what it seems' vibe you just gave Hanson, and you’ll end up with either nothing or something that isn’t what you wanted”
“Who the fuck is ‘Hanson’”
“Daphnaes Hanson” said Sue, checking her mirror. “The guy you were speaking to?”
Rubio blinked.
“Fucking…. Daphaes Hanson. Defecating Whatshisface. You were just speaking to... It's the guy we're talking about”
“He’s called Daphnaes?”
“What the hell kind of journalist are you?” said Sue, flabbergasted. If she hadn’t been driving she’d have thrown her arms in the air in incredulity.
“Well I don’t know, he calls himself Defecating Daffodil it kind of sticks in your mind, y’know? There's no room for any other names. It just fills your brain like bwwffffffff " - Rubio mimed an expanding balloon.
“He introduced himself as ‘Daffodil’?”
“Yeah. No. Probably. I have it all recorded. Anyway I disagree”
“About what?”
“I don’t think Jeremy’s quite so formidable with regards to always being a step ahead of everyone”.
Both Sue and Rubio sat in silence for a second as the car idled at a traffic light.
“Having said that, though” said Rubio, “I was kind of half expecting him to parachute through the sunroof, and call me a twat just then”
“Remind me” said Sue. “What exactly is it that you want? That you’re looking for?”
“Jon Mozos” said Rubio. “There was a World Cup qualifier about 20 cycles ago. Jeremy Jaffacake went to watch it. He hadn’t seen a big Audioslavia game in years, yet he turns up at this one with Jon Mozos. A total bloody nobody waster working as a barman in Kjeligsted.”
“Right. And. So. What?”
“So I turn up at the stadium with Jon’s brother. Alvaro.”
“Alvaro” said Sue, rolling the word around in her mouth. “Alvaro Mozo. Why does that sound familiar?”
“Former Audioslavia national team manager Alvaro Mozo” said Rubio.
“Oh wow, him. Man he dropped right off the radar”
“Dead now” said Rubio. “Perils of being born over a hundred years ago”
“How long?” said Sue
“Last week” said Rubio. “Obituary was in the newspaper. 105. Good innings, that, especially for an Audioslavian. His brother had died at 47. In prison. Peas in a pod, those two”
“Entirely. So.. there’s a stadium. There’s you, Jeremy, the Mozo brothers - the manager and the deadbeat… wait he wasn’t the manager at that point was he?”
“He was the assistant. Assistant to Israel Klimt. Became manager after Klimt left” 
“Big shoes to fill” said Sue. “Okay. So there’s those four… and?”
 “Like I said. Jon Mozos was nobody. A complete nobody. I always thought it was just Jeremy being stupid, bringing the Audioslavia assistant manager’s deadbeat brother to the match but.. it’s a lot of effort, isn’t it? Why would he bring him unless he knew him”
“He was a barman” said Sue. “What Audioslavian barman isn’t on first-name terms with Jeremy Jaffacake?"
“Those in Kjeligsted” said Rubio. “Kjeligsted is dry. Has been for a hundred years”
“Huh” said Sue. “Yeah it’s one of the reasons Jeremy just doesn’t go there. Same reason I don't go there any more, in fact” 
“So either he’s a barman in a dry bar, which is stupid” said Rubio, “or there was a speakeasy of some description”
“Speakeasy. Wow. This certainly is 80 years ago. Why are you interested?”
“I just want to know. I just want to know what the deal was”
"What are you expecting? That he was running an illegal cockfighting ring with escaped terrorists?"
"No no. Nothing like that. I'm just curious. I just want to know. There's something I want to know, and I know the guy who could tell me, and I know the guy who could tell me wouldn't tell me if I asked, which just makes me want to know even more"
“You just want to know? And then what?
"And then nothing" said Rubio. “I just want to know”. He shrugged. “I’m a journalist”
“Well *I* want to know what happens at the end of this podcast” said Sue, pressing play. Rubio listened for a moment.
“What is it?”
“True crime” said Sue. “This episode’s about an art thief. It’s a page-turner. I can’t take my eyes off it”
Rubio decided to ignore the worst use of metaphor since that time Jeremy drunkenly declared a metaphor to be the sharp lemon zest that enspices the undulating pancake of reality.

by **Demot** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 6:35 pm

Demot "Dynamo" Roster

Kits

Home Away

Manager: Scott Gaines, age 54
Assistant: Gary Josephs, age 51

Modifier: +4

GK: Ramón Coleman, age 21, Tiranyus FC
GK: Erica Caldwell, age 23, Skyhaven FC(F)
GK: Elsie Morris, age 27, Santa Rosa FC (F)
LB: Maureen Price, age 28, Likewell Kirk
LB: Melvin Kinney, age 25, Freestone FC
CB: Jacqueline Juárez, age 22, Skyhaven FC (F)
CB: Judy Nelson, age 27, Atalantian FC (F)
RB: Alicia Sloan, age 24, Mirria City (F)
RB: Ralph Sanders, age 28, Skyhaven FC
RW: Judith Mason, age 22, Club Demot (F)
RW: Diane McDonald, age 28, Tiranyus FC (F)
LW: Irene Osborne, age 22, Atalantian FC (F)
LW: Irene Murray, age 28, Oceanic United (F)
MC: Rafael Fields, age 27, Druidisian United
MC: Kathryn Robinson, age 25, Mirria City (F)
AMC: Alma Smith, age 22, Maracruse Typhoon (F)
AMC: Randy Banks, age 25, Santa Rosa FC
AMC: Victor Wallace, age 30, Oceanic United
AMC: Edith Davis, age 31, Club Demot (F)
ST: Wanda Maldonado, age 31, Oceanic United (F)
ST: Gilbert Irwin, age 22, Skyhaven FC
ST: Valerie Lynch, age 28, Santa Rosa FC (F)
ST: André Maynard, age 24, Likewell Kirk

Morris
Sanders             Nelson               Price
McDonald                     Fields                      Murray
   Davis      Wallace  
     Maldonado            Lynch

I Give To My Opponent The Permission To:
=================================
Choose My Goalscorers: Y
Godmod Goalscoring Events: N
Injure Players: Y, but no more than two games out
Godmod Injury Events: N
Red Card Players: Y
Yellow Card Players: Y
Godmod Other Events: TG me first.
=================================

by **Mriin** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 11:49 pm

"Surprised you made it out here on such short notice. And that you found a recording studio with an open timeslot in like, a day."
"I've worked in Krytenia a lot longer than I ever wanted to," grimaced Jeremy Jaffacake over his whiskey, "but it does give me a string or two to pull when necessary."

Daphnæs took a sip of his water and glanced at his counterpart's glass; he'd picked it up as a courtesy, a Schottic concoction recommended by the liquor store clerk at what he thought was a marked up import fee but paid anyway. That Jeremy had gone on to put it on ice, with a straw, and a teeny umbrella, seemed to make the effort less worth it. Does he keep a packet of little plastic umbrellas with him all the time?

"Hey, I'm not complaining,” Daff shrugged. “And not to dig too deep, but you don't think there's any danger being back in a nation you're as well-known in so shortly after the... incident?"
"Oh, I'll be plenty fine there. My 'friends' don't leave loose ends."
"...alright, fair enough. Are you catching any of the games since you're in town?"
"That's a matter yet to be decided. It's been a minute since I've seen an Audioslavia match in the flesh, but I imagine you'd feel slighted if I took a rain check on the Mrii match."
"It'll be a close one, considering we just barely squeaked past fucking Iskandervale. But I'm not here to tell you what to do to--"
"What are we here for, then?” Jeremy squinted at him a smidge. “I needed a good distraction right abouts now but I didn't expect you to get the recording itch mid-tourney."
"Opportunity knocks when you least expect, as they say"
"Don't quote proverbs at me Daffy. I've heard and written them all thousands of times before you were born"
"Aye, the immortality and all, right. That sort of leads us to the point, where I wanted info on some ancient history I'd been digging around. Something I know you lived through"
"That doesn't quite narrow it down"
"So I remember from when I was a kid,” Daff said as he waved his water around, “my parents were always changing where they said our family is from. One week great-grandma was Quebecois, the next she's Mercedinian. But one thing they always kept the same was that we had a great-great-great grandfather from Radiatia"
"Radiatia." Jeremy said it a few times, trying to get a feel for it. "Radiatia... definitely sounds familiar, but I can't put my finger on it"
"I'd never thought much of it, until I stumbled across them in your database. Turns out they'd debut'd in BoF46--"
"That's it, they faced Audioslavia in the... what was it, quarterfinals?"
"Something like that. I'd been wondering if you knew anything else about them"
"I, uh... nope. Not really."
"Nothing?"
"They didn't stick around in football too long after, I don't think. Not much of an impact. What would you even do with info on them?"
"Thought it'd make a good clickbait video, you know. "DD's SECRET HERITAGE--LOST FOOTBALLING LEGACY??" or some such, stick my face doing a stupid expression on the thumbnail"
"That'd be easy, any picture of you would do. But I didn't think that was your style"
"Doing voiceovers for an IC RLStates platform wasn't my style either"
"Point taken. Don’t think I can help, unfortunately”

“I’m sure there’s still a story somewhere in here." Daff clicked his phone on, scrolled some, and turned it around on the table. "Any of the other names stick out to you?”
Jeremy stared at Daff for a moment, before setting his drink down and leaning back. “Well, Karditan, obviously. Runners-up and their keeper is still giving me an earful every time I get caught”
“W-what”
“Long story, for another time. Who else was there… Cowardly Pacifists? Had a live chicken for a mascot and no forwards.”
“What about this--’Bloodbath Generation?’ That’s a hell of a name.”
Jeremy paused again--by just a hair--before continuing. “Definitely an eye-catcher, them. Didn’t do much in the BoF but stayed around longer than most do-nothing Boffers do.”
“If you know that off hand, they must’ve done something memorable”
“Not really something they did. I just happened to be there when Audioslavia faced them a few cycles later”
“They really had you on the ground for matches like that? I’d’ve thought that was below your station”
“Nah, I was passing through on business, figured it’d be rude not to swing by while I was in town.”
“Aye. I imagine you probably went through Cathair pretty often?”
“We actually played our games in Kjeligsted back then”
“The fuck is a Kellogstaid?”

by **Ko-oren** » Fri Apr 17, 2020 12:53 am

Personnel changes

Better results in the IFCF, a national team that's firing on all cilinders, and despite the 'negative' playing style, even manages to sell jerseys abroad, and a healthy domestic league pyramid that's filling more seats than ever before: Ko-orenite football is huge right now. Katanmak Juliasterinthen is still steering the ship, having faced trials and tribulations, divided locker rooms, and a revolving-door crew as assistant coaches and other staff, but he's weathered the storm and has found calmer waters. The KFA, the national football association, has stated its intent on keeping Juliasterinthen for a lot longer, and have decided on a supporting staff for him. At his side is the ever-present Katherine Davenport, and that's a partnership that's unlikely to change. In addition, recently retired Exidio Varela - despite only holding a few NT appearances - has been added as a more energetic, affable assistant. Then Cath Schoppe remains, a familiar face to about 10 clubs among Ko-oren's top 24 clubs, as a coach bestowing an attacking identity on the team - of Advance Alara fame, most recently.

Behind the four, there is a group of eight other coaches and medical staff involved in the daily workings of the team. Some recognisable names: Takiji Miyaguchi, from the prime goalkeeping institute of the nation, and arguably responsible for the incredible class of keepers between the ages of 24 and 28, of which we have many. From the world of gridiron, we have Aeneme Aoragolin, the manager, the face of the national team organisation as a whole.

Beyond the on-field staff, there are five members of the scouting and analysis department. Brought in from various backgrounds, this group will take care of video analysis of our opponents, as well as keep track of all Ko-orenite players that are (or should be) on Katanmak's radar. A decent western bias for them, the one raised furthest east is Pomeroy, from Aminey area. That shouldn't be a problem, but might keep our hyper-defensive style intact - which is a good thing, most of the time, at least, don't get me wrong. They will support the three Selectors, a group of people tasked with selecting the 23-man roster, who can either take Juliasterinthen's advice, or do something else. Generally, they get along. There's an eastern bias with them: the westernmost member of the group is Ronne Weleman, from Straudum. Zacharias Steenbok is perhaps the most well-known of the bunch, a man of few words and the somewhat staunch ex-coach of Straudum.

And that brings us to those on the field. Instead of 23, the Selectors have brought in 35 players for the first edition of the Big Staff national team. Some big names have been dropped, out of form for much of last season: Theshendan, the goalkeeper that always performed well enough but never really convinced. Odell, who joined the national team at a later age as central midfielder. The unit that's seen the biggest turnover is the attack, no longer featuring Duchemin and Tsuchida, or Novoa, or even Vaugrenard. Vallotton should be starting alongside Turner, Vermelho (on and off the NT) and Noya (long-time member of the team) behind them. Furthermore, there are two debutants: Pirastadhaunden and Nagamine.

Debutants - there it is. There are many of them. Buthoningun, Marrable, yTawdnhawch, Forward, Murakami. But possibly the largest group in the national are players that have recorded just a few appearances, but never were part of the team in any larger capacity. Obviously, the core is still made up of stalwarts - Hellegeland, Lampshire, Benjamin, Yokota (returning as captain), Longchambon. For the goalkeepers, we have selected four. All have been with the national team in some capacity, but never started.

All in all, this is the most inexperience group in a long, long time. That doesn't mean that this is a step back. No, this should extend the team's peak.

by **Krytenia** » Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:50 am

There was something special, almost magical, that seemed to happen to any nation hosting an international football tournament. It's as if the problems of the country - even of the world at large - simply melt away, replaced by the shared experience and joy felt by fans across the country, no matter where they came here from.

Krytenia, this year, was no different. There were Sarzonians - now there's a blast - having the time of their lives and a bit of banter with the locals down in the southwest, dragging a few fun-loving Vilitans along for the ride. Bulls fans had pretty much taken over the bars of Osteria; no doubt Jeremy Jaffacake was in one of them, regaling a bunch of burly steelworkers with the tale of how he brought down a medium-sized government with nothing more than a swivel chair, a spatula, and a cheese and pickle sandwich. The Cosumarites were living it up in Aigburth - though the Starblaydis only seem to be here in small numbers. Anti-Krytenian sentiment and an increasingly isolationist world view will do that to you.

One place that was unusually subdued, though, was the capital. Sure, there was a buzz in Emberton, but it was a faint one. It didn't help that the capital wasn't hosting a game at the finals, mind, a decision that the KFA had made to "spread the joy" of a tournament they felt was more the Farves' than their own. It was this decision that saw one Rameses Niblick III heading south for the summer on a train bound for Ousevale.

There were certainly worse ways to travel than a RINK inter-city train in first class. Rami had done most of his draft work between leaving Bridge Street and Bradwell, and was popping his laptop back in his case by the time the automated voice piped in to tell him the train was now approaching Ousevale. He walked out into the station expecting the black and white livery of an Ousevale-registered taxi.

What he saw instead was a rather swish looking gleaming white Tickford Poseidon. Rami recognised the car immediately; it belonged to Alexander Sampson, the Krytenian national team manager. Looks like he'd be getting the first class treatment on the way to the Dragons' training camp as well as the train. Rami got in the passenger's seat, whereupon Alex immediately flopped a large manila folder on his lap.

"Hello, Rami. I have a proposition for you..."

by **Flavovespia** » Fri Apr 17, 2020 6:56 am

Flavovespia kick off the AOCAF Cup 60 with a win, the first time in a major international tournament they’ve won their first group game. The win was a good performance by Flavovespia, as they shook off the fears of an upset to run out 2 goal winners.

Flavovespia lined up with the expected 1-11 on the field, in their yellow home shirts, black shorts and black socks. The team set out to play the 4-2-2-2 that Crawford had favoured, and Brian Buttery would get his first cap in international football. Midland Stadium, Browham was the venue, and there were packed grandstands, not least from the thousands of Flavovespians flying over the Crystilakere Channel and the Great Calanian Desert to Krytenia.

The early stages were a tentative start, as both sides looked to size up their opponents, and get a feel for the conditions and play. Flavovespia had the first real shot on goal in the 8th minute, with Steven Hall taking a speculative shot from the corner of the box. The angle of boot on ball wasn’t quite right however, as it curved away from goal and above the crossbar as well, not challenging the goalkeeper.

Xannerian AO Territory had their best chance in the 20th minute from a corner. The ball was floated in, and their tall centre back got to the ball, and turned it towards goal. Meehan got a hand to parry it away but only into the box. Thankfully Mark James got their first to hook it away, and his clearance fell to Hall. Hall himself then played it into the path of Daley on the counter, but the goalkeeper smothered a slightly weak shot.

It looked set to be goalless at half time, but the last attack of the game changed all that. Feld got clear down the wing, and turned the ball towards the far post. Hall reached it first, but had his shot parried away. However the ball bounced kindly for Coleman, who needed no second invitation to smash it home. 1-0 on the brink of halftime, and Flavovespia had the opener and the all important shift in the mentality of the game.

Flavovespia came out in the second half knowing they merely needed to not concede to win, but at the same time not content to just rest on their laurels. In the 53rd minute, Xannerian AO Territory had another good chance, but the shot was drilled straight at David Meehan, who didn’t need to try too hard to save it.

That was a chance Xannerian AO Territory would regret missing dearly. In the 61st minute, Brian Buttery played a practically perfect pass to let Scott Coleman beat the offside trap. One on one with the keeper, he flicked the ball with his right foot beyond the outstretched arms of the #1 and into the net. The lead and Coleman’s goal tally were doubled.

Although Flavovespia continued to look to control the game, and potentially even extend their lead, they were more cautious in their game play. The first substitution saw Tony Gardner come off after a solid performance, and Alexander May enter the field in his place. Soon after Scott Vaughan was on for Ronald Maddox, a more defence minded substitution.

Xannerian AO Territory did have an opportunity in the 78th minute, when a speculative effort dipped at the last second, testing Meehan who pushed it over the bar, however they couldn’t create a clear cut chance, despite some attacking substitution and play. In the final minutes, Terence Daley came off, and Christopher Ace made his international debut, as Hall moved to a forward position at the end.

2-0 it finished, and Flavovespia take 3 points in the opening game. Elsewhere in Group E, Chromatika avoided an early upset with a 1-2 win over Twicetagria. Group F was an absolute festival of goals, Vilita and Turori ‘s 5–2 win over Euran Oceania Territories wasn’t the highest scoring game as Independent Athletes from Québec and Sarzonia split 10 goals equally. The big shock was in Group D, as Banija lose 0-3 to Torisakia, helped by a sublime goalkeeping performance by Mitch Issacson.

Flavovespia now travel to Ousevale to face off against the hosts Krytenia. Flavovespia haven’t beaten them in their previous 2 matchups, can Richard Crawford and his side make it a third time lucky?

Post Match Interviews

Patrick Hammond (FTV) – A win in the opening game, how important do you feel this will be?
Richard Crawford: I think it is important for sure. Our record against sides people expect us to beat hasn’t always been to our best, and we’ve not always started well. To break those down today, that puts us where we want to be. The team aren’t chasing dropped points and that can be key in this type of tournament.

Bo Cheng (ICTV Sports) – How happy overall were you with the team and the tactics?
Richard Crawford: I think it was a very good performance. There’s a few bits and pieces to work on, but for sure I do like what I saw today. I think everyone who played gave a very good display, and I’m likely to keep this setup next time out. Maybe a mistake here or there was made, but these things happen, and we didn’t lose focus from them.

Louise Kelly (foreverfootball.fva) – Do you think Flavovespia can get a result against Krytenia?
Steven Hall: Well the lads did well out there, and I think morale is high. We didn’t beat Krytenia last time, when we really needed it, so there is the determination we need. I think in a tournament anything can happen, look at Torisakia.

Stephen McNeil (The National Times) – 2 goals Scott, was that a good day at the office for you?
Scott Coleman: Yeah, great, just the start I needed! They say goals like the first one are lucky, and maybe it was a bit, but you’ve got to get yourself in those positions. We all played well out there, but I won’t lie, it is nice to be the goalscorer.

Sara Blair (Waldster Weekly) – Brian, your first international game, how does it feel?
Brian Buttery: It’s still taking a bit of time to sink in. When I got the call, I thought I was going to be a rotation player at best, I could barely believe I would be a starting midfielder. Once you do get out there though, you put that aside as much as you can, and try and play to your best. I think I did, and I am also glad I got an assist, a good way to start an international career.

by **Chromatika** » Fri Apr 17, 2020 11:42 am

In the Eye of the Beholder
Part 1: Introductions

Thirty years from now, Enigma Armageddon would look back at his first conversation with Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov and chuckle. Not out of mirth or laughter, but one of commiserations and of import after knowing the role that they would play in each other's lives. One one hand, Enigma Armageddon: Named as a bad joke of sorts, blind in one eye, field general and leader from a young age for the Anomalies; on the other hand, Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov, he of collegiate fame who flew the coup after winning one title in the CCFA and made it to the Red League, a radical move and a trendsetter that may herald the next wave of youthful Chromatik superstars who may fancy playing at the professional level after a year or two in college.

The scene of their first meeting? The Capitalizt Dome, for the AOCAF 60 team introductions. It had become clear a few months ago that Chromatika was going to field a U-25 squad for the AOCAF while under the tutelage of Evans and Everdeen; though the media had gone to town on such a notion, the players seemed to be enthused. Veterans like Keira Andisori, Jazmin Dragana, and even Mia Ria said that in order for Chromatik football to grow, there needed to be more opportunity for the younger players to develop; Silian Parker, the former manager, went on record to say that the deeper roster the Anomalies fielded during World Cup 84 Qualifying would set them up for higher success in the future. This did mean that a number of players with little or no experience would be called up; a few of them may have had a stint in the Chromatik U-21 squad, but it wasn't a guarantee.

There had always been a bit of a disconnect between the U-21 squad and the senior squad in Chromatika; the U-21 team could be described as a glorified CCFA All-Star team, and not all of them made it to the Anomalies' 50-man squad. Though this meant that there was decent competition to get on the squad, there needed to be more of a continuity for players to go from the U-18 to the U-21 to the senior team, and the AOCAF roster was supposed to be that bridge. As innovators of the new age of Chromatik football, only time would tell if Evans & Everdeen's latest gamble would pay off.

And so it was that Nadia Rios, Kateryna Zuniga, Leysa Burns, Orianne Marc, Augustus Humphreys, and Vailiy Marten Kuznetsov entered the Capitalizt Dome as a member of the Anomalies' senior squad for the first time. Of them, the one who would feel the most pressure would be Marc, who would actually be a starter alongside Andréa Croix-Pierre and Hermaeus Mora. The one who brought the most attention, though, was Kuzetsov, because he was the 23rd man.

Usually, the 23rd man in a Chromatik squad was an extra striker or an extra midfielder. To have that player be a winger?

The scene was five minutes before the rest of the team would show up and start making introductions with the new blood. There were awkward conversations between those who had seen each other on the pitch in the CCFA; it was nice to see some familiar faces.

That was when a football came streaking from the left side to everyone' s surprise. Marc moved out of the way, Rios went to head it away, but it was Kuznetsov who got it with his head and dribbled it to his feet.

When everyone turned, they saw the unmistakable figure of Enigma Armageddon jogging toward them, his usual stoic expression on his face.

Everyone instantly fell quiet. Rios and Zuniga stopped their debate on whether the latest proposition by new Premier Keri Wyse Aart would find any traction in Congress, while Humphreys and Burns stopped their mild-mannered banter about the Red League offseason and whether or not Tihon would return to take the title from Myana. Armageddon always had a way of capturing everyone's attention, whether it be due to his pronounced nose, the eyepatch that he wore over one eye, or just the lumbering gait that he moved effortlessly with, the ironic nature of that statement be damned.

"Welcome, everyone," he intoned, "To the dreamland of fooballers. You've been waiting for this moment for all your life, I know. Fame, prestige, glory - all of it potentially await you. What I want you to remember, now and always, is that the future lies ahead of you, but it will be exactly what you make it to be. Circumstances will come your way that you have absolutely no control over. Stuff happens. What matters to your career and to the country and to this uniform -" he pointed at their shirts "-is what you do with what is given to you, the effort you put in, and what the results say about the dedication that you've poured into your craft. Now, I know that sometimes things don't turn out the way that they ought to, because life isn't fair; that being said, it is my firm belief that no matter the result, hard work and effort will always show, and to those who can see, that will end up mattering more than the result."

There was a beat of silence, but the new players all nodded in agreement.

"Evans asked me to speak to you all before you came in - I am one of the younger members, after all, and may be a little less imposing." He cracked a smile at that, before continuing, "Let me be the first to say, welcome to the Chromatik National Team."

Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov was the first to shake his hand. The younger man looked Enigma up and down, and held his gaze instead of cowering. At that moment, the two reached a level of respect that they could both palpably feel.

And so, two more members of the Chromatik generation of the future - the others Henri de Aea and Hermaeus Mora - met for the first time.

AOCAF MD1: Twitcetagram and Jype 1-2 Chromatika
Goals: Vidal '22, Marc '81
Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Tioux; Xiao - de Aea - Will - Rowles; Armageddon (C) - Kim, M.S.; Marc - Mora - Croix-Pierre; Vidal.
Substitutes: Kuznetsov -> Croix-Pierre (52), Nocturne -> Rowles ('71), Kim, M.J. -> Mora ('84)
Projected Lineup vs. Xannerian AO Territory: Nichols (C); Rios - Rondeau - Ken - Nocturne; Zuniga - Burns; Humpreys - Kim, M. J. - Reynolds; Non.

by **Timuria** » Fri Apr 17, 2020 11:46 am

AOCAF Group Stage Preview

by Tufan Nursultan

With the first match day and the Red Wolves bye out of the way, we will take a look at the Red Wolves opponents in Group B in the order we will face them. The Red Wolves can expect a tough ride, with not many expecting them to rise far above the bottom of the group and any success beyond that will be considered an exceptional success for Bekir Altingunes.

Freeport Isles
KPB Ranking: 73rd
Expected Finish: 3rd
Analysis: The Red Wolves first match will be against a side that many would consider their equals outside of regional play, but who by virtue of the regional coefficient found themselves in pot 3 above the Red Wolves. Given how poorly Bekir Altingunes did in the team's first outing in the AOCAF, it is reasonable to expect that this will be an incredibly difficult match that will set the tone for the whole tournament. Win and the Red Wolves will likely be in a very position to advance via third place from the group, lose or draw and immediately the Red Wolves will be playing catch up and with only four matches to seal advancement a strong and fast start is urgent. They opened with a shock defeat at the hands of Aji No Moto, losing out 1-0 in their opener and the Red Wolves will need to tread carefully against a side that will be looking to recover and get their campaign back on track.

Equestria
KPB Ranking: 8th
Expected Finish: 1st
Analysis: They are by some margin the best team in the group and are widely expected to show that class, with direct progression to the round of 16. If the Red Wolves fail to get a result in their first match, they will almost certainly need to bounce back against what might be their toughest opponent in a long time. Ideally they will be hoping to surprise Equestria and grab a draw, otherwise expectations will be low and no one will expect the Red Wolves to get a result here. Though it will be a good stress test for what is a slightly adjusted squad and for them to be tested against the very best competition. They opened with a very strong win against the side widely considered to be the second best in the group (and the Red Wolves next opponent after them) running out with a 4-1 victory over Qasden.

Qasden
KPB Ranking: 24th
Expected Finish: 2nd
Analysis: The Turkish Vans (a beloved national pet here in Timuria) will likely be Equestria's top challenger. However, the decisive 4-1 defeat they suffered may already have scuppered any chance they have to take top spot. An attacking side by nature who line up in a standard 4-4-2, they will be hoping the experience in their side will see them through against the Red Wolves, while our national team will be hoping to physically overpower them, exploiting the athletic talents in the squad. By this point in the group stage this will be a critical, must win match for both sides, both of whom love to attack, expect and entertaining match for the neutrals here.

Aji No Moto
KPB Ranking: UR
Expected Finish: 5th
Analysis: The Red Wolves final opponent will be a side who have enjoyed a shock win in their first outing at this edition of the AOCAF. If the Red Wolves are destined to continue their struggles, this is a match they will be expected to win and win comfortably. Bekir Altingunes has had a bad time against much lesser opponents and any chance of him continuing in the long term in his role as manager will involve him demonstrating that the Red Wolves can begin to take care of business and not constantly play down/up to their opponents. Though given the result they got in their first match Bekir Altingunes and the Red Wolves will need to make sure they don't overlook their final opponents, but victory here may seal advancement.

If you were to put a gun to my head and ask "how will the Red Wolves do?" I'd say that the expectation that they'd come fourth is probably not an unreasonable one and any extended stay in the tournament should be regarded as a success. Expect the Red Wolves to muster one win and one draw from this group and nothing more. If they fall below that Bekir Altingunes will be in very very deep trouble.

by **South Concepthuania** » Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:01 pm

All the players of the team and some Farf farmers gathered in a circle just outside La Fantás, as a line of smoke rose to the skies from the eternal fire.

Diogenes: We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of a loved one, Who.

Unknown Farf: Who…?

Diogenes: To mourn Who, the goalkeeper, the guy you just killed

Unknown Farf: Oh, yeah, good times. I remember it like it was yesterday.

Structure: It was two hours ago.

Unknown farf: Yet it seems so long ago...

Diogenes: Now enough chit chatting, it is time to offer his body to the fire, as we all came from this fire 7 years ago and we will all return to it 7 years from now.

Unknown Farf: Amen.

Structure: That’s some weird mythology.

Common Sense: Hey coach, I'm pretty sure Who is alive?

Diogenes: Everyone is alive, until they’re not.

Unknown Farf: Cause of the fire.

Diogenes: Yes.

Common Sense: No, I mean Who, our goalkeeper, he just fainted from the scare when all the Farves started trying to set him on fire, we have been trying to tell you this for two hours now.

Pandemic: That was a close one, we’re lucky Power was able to overpower the farmers.

Diogenes: Nonsense! He must be dead, for we must offer him to the fire.

Common Sense: Wasn't it the other way around?

Diogenes: Fire! Fire! Fire!

Farves (in unison): FIRE!!! FIRE!!! FIRE!!!

Power: HEY GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM!!!

All the Farves and players started pushing and fighting. In the fight there were scenes like Drippin’ crying when some Farves destroy his supreme shirt, Incredible Violence beating up already fainted Farves, Power trying to get six Farves off himself and a lot of general turmoil.

Then, slowly but surely, the Farves got Who closer and closer to the fire until he was just a few steps away from it, but then just in time Omnipotence and Omniscience managed to get between Who and the Farves.

Omnipotence: AH! Some crazy Farf just bit me.

Omniscience: That´s Diogenes, though, technically, he is some crazy Farf.

Diogenes: WE MUST OFFER THE CHILD TO THE SEVEN-YEAR-OLD GOD OF FIRE!!!

Omniscience: Wait, is it true that this fire is seven years old? Holy shit, the fire must have an incredibly toxic combustible. Quick! Get away from the smoke!

Just then, a sudden wind appeared, sending the smoke over the farmers and players who started coughing desperately.

Human: OH MY GOD! MY EYES! THEY BURNNN!!!

Jazz: MY THROAT! MY F****NG THROAT!!!

Famine: I CAN'T BREATHE!!!

Diogenes: Okay, guys! New running training! Remember, on the last few minutes of a match you will have to cough cough run even though cough cough you cough can’t cough cough breathe cough.

The players and the farmers rapidly dispersed.

---

The next day…

It was sunset on just outside La Fantas, and the players were doing some standard training with some cones and goals they had brought at the cost of some protest from Diogenes, it was pretty cold and the field was not ideal given that they were practicing in some empty grass around the stadium but it was finally a normal training session and the players were grateful for it.
Some players were doing passing practice and some were doing shooting practice after a while Power and Structure started talking while resting a little.

Structure: How are you holding up?

Power: Not great, my nerves are eating away at me.

Structure: It is our first international tournament after all, and probably our best chance to get into a team with good pay, if we fuck this up, we are basically doomed to play forever in South Concepthuania and be a no-name with low pay.

Power: Wow! that really helps my nerves!

Structure: Like I would care, you aren't human, it is freezing cold, we have been training for four hours, yesterday we inhaled toxic smoke, you are really nervous and still you are in peak condition and you’re shooting like it’s your best day. So I reserve my right to be as cynical as I want.

Power: You say that, but the one making mistakes in the match will be me, you always are ice-cold on matches.

Structure: C'mon what happened to the arrogant "I'm the best player in South Concepthuania" Power I know?

Power: People won't ever forget that, will they? You know, I like this country, there’s graffiti of football players on the streets, every kid I see is playing with a ball, imagine if our families saw this? Nobody would laugh at the idea of being a professional football player, I don't know if I could make it here or if I have the talent to play abroad, but don't you think it would be nice to have fans that actually liked football? To see kids looking up to you just because you are a professional player?

Structure: Hey, our fantasy here should be about winning this cup so let's get focused, but yeah it would be nice.

Power: Yeah, you're right, let's get back to training.

They trained some more. Power gets the ball and does a strong shot right to the top bin, the farves farmers that were watching the training start cheering.

Structure: seems you already got the fans

---

Drippin’, Vaporware and Vibe Check were practicing ball control with some cones and the ball as Diogenes watched them.

Diogenes: IS THAT THE BEST YOU GOT? With that clunky way of controlling the ball you will not be able to keep possession for one second.

The players try again.

Diogenes: STOP THINKING! you think the other players think what they do, they have been playing football since they were babies! Of course they don’t think what they do! Let your instinct drive you, I don't care if you make some mistakes. It's best to have some good and bad plays than to let all of your plays be slow and predictable!

The players keep trying for another hour until they rest.

Drippin': This is wack, this is all wack, im f****ing wack. Ahhh, I just can't.

Vaporwave: Holy fuck, our game is just next week and I’m still in this f***ing slump. I think I'm going to go to The Prairie and raise some yaks.

Vibe Check: C'mon, don't let him mess with your head. Just focus on our next game.

Vaporwave: How are you so calm? You were awful today.

Vibe Check: Hey, I'm getting the bad vibes out of my body so when the games comes only the good vibes remain. Also, I'm not letting some crazy old man get in my head.

Drippin': He's some crazy idiot, but he sure is the best coach I met! He really doesn't care which mountain you came from.

Vibe Check: Yeah!

Vaporwave: Remember when our last coach made us get the balls when the other where practising shooting.

Vibe Check: Fuck him, I hope he’s eatin' breadcrumbs from the floor.

Drippin': We have to do a good job in this cup and we will not have to be under nobody's foot no more.

Vaporwave: Yeah!

Vibe Check: Yeah!

VIbe Check: I don't know if we can say we aren't under Diogenes foot right now, tho.

Vaporwave: Or under Houdini's foot, the other day he left me five hours chained to the walls expecting me to break free on my own.

Drippin': Are all Farves just completely crazy?

Vibe Check: I think so, but I never seen them caring about what mountain I come from.

Vaporwave: They are good guys.

Drippin': Yeah!

Vibe Check: Yeah!

…

Omniscience, Omnipotence and Omnibenevolence were walking back to the hotel after practice.

Omniscience: It was nice to have a normal practice.

Omnipotence: Man, that Diogenes is crazy. Doesn't he know we need to have a good showing in this cup?

Omnibenevolence: I think his training has that in mind.

Omnipotence: But especially you! You need to be in peak form because, you know…

Omniscience: You are on the bench, so you need to show off in the minutes you play.

Omnipotence: Hey, you don't need to say that way, you know it is basically our fault that he is on the bench.

Omnibenevolence: I know, normally in other teams I would be in the starting eleven, but seriously, we all have to stop caring about this stuff.

Omniscience: About what?

Omnibenevolence: About showing off, everyone is just focusing on themselves like this, if we don't put the team first and think of winning this will be a disaster, come on guys we are a team first and foremost.

Omniscience: Yeah, you're right

Omnipotence: We will win next week, you can bet on it.

Omnibenevolence: Yeah! We will.

…

After training, on the day before the match:

Structure: Team! As you all know, tomorrow will be our first international match and I'm sure you are all nervous. Probably, all the players from this competition have been playing football since they were kids. Probably most of them had more football experience the moment they were twelve years old than we all have nowadays. But don't let that intimidate you, because nobody in this cup will have sacrificed more for football than us, nobody sees the beauty of football more than us, because we had to learn football, nobody gave football to us in a platter, we had to search for football ourselves, and we had no one to give us motivation or training. We got that from ourselves. So tomorrow I want you to win And to show that we deserve football more than anyone do! You hear me?!

Everyone: YEAAAAHHH!!!

by **Dogsmouth** » Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:26 pm

Edric performed a slight bit of 'percussive maintenance' on the camera, which finally sputtered to life.

Cynthia Rayne, sat on the other side of the room, gave him a sidelong glance. "Did you bring your own equipment? I think even the Farves have higher tech than this..."

"Sometimes the old ways are best. Ol' Siobhan here gives a wonderfully grainy flimic effect that really adds that je ne sais quoi."

She decided this was definitively not a topic worth discussing further.

Edric took her silence as agreement and rolled forward. "Anyway, I'll just be asking you a few questions, we'll be out of here in under twenty minutes. And rolling in 3... 2..." He rounded the camera and took his seat. "Alright. Let's start with you introducing yourself."

"I'm Cynthia Rayne. I'm a striker on the Dogi national team, and also play for Chardonnay Rangers in Nephara. Formerly of Arkstone in the Dogi league."

"First of all, congrats on not just your first, but second international goal!"

"Well," she chuckled, "it's like that old saying about 95Xers. You wait so long for one to show up, then two come by at once."

"Don't think I know that one?"

"Ah, it's a dumb saying anyway. But yes, it's great to get that particular monkey off my back."

"Do you think your time in Nephara had a hand in you starting this tourney off stronger?"

"Oh, absolutely. My confidence is... still not impervious, but much stronger than it was last AOCAF. Turns out some of the flakiness I had was because of how inconsistently I had to put in effort when playing in the Dogi league. In the First Division, I have to be on my best game all the time. Being pushed like that helped me see that I can pull out my best performances when I need to, with... some amount of consistency."

"That's great to hear. Those goals provided us with an outrageously valuable point against... well, the defending world champions, for dog's sake. Outrageous. Now, this is supposed to nominally be an educational programme--would you mind speaking some to your time in Arkstone?"

"Ehhhh. I try not to go back to those times too often, lest they drag me back into a funk. I guess I can say I'm still proud of the championship we took to break up Oakstone's dominance, which I absolutely am. That was a wild season, and... well, I'm forever grateful the hardcores didn't turn on me in the following seasons when I started to fuck up all the time. That could have made things... even worse than they were."

"Of course; I didn't intend to dredge anything up, and sorry if it came off like that. We're all glad you seem to be in a better place now. For something a bit more detached, since we do still need to fill our quota, do you know any history of the city itself?"

"Huh. Arkstone is... a pretty nice place to live, all things considered. One of the easiest Dogi towns to get a normal job in since they built the first factories and have added a few since the old days. Though the smell of the paper mill is something I never got used to. But yeah--it's a big flat plain, so they decided it was the best spot to make a few big buildings. I guess because it's less swampy all that heavy machinery won't sink into the ground? And then the name came from the welder's workshop that still trains every engineer and repairman in the country."

"Mmhmm, that all checks out, and I think gets us where we need to be. One final question: Any thoughts on the upcoming match with South Concepthuania?"

"Don't know much about them football-wise, to be honest. But Meredyth passed around some general info on them she'd dug up and they seem an interesting sort of folk. They've a naming convention kinda like the ponies do, where their names dictate how they're gonna live their life. Or something. I'm not an expert, don't quote me on that."

by **95X** » Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:48 pm

A Draw on the Field, a Catastrophe Half a World Away
Four 95X VIPs were supposed to attend the 95X vs. Bolgano game. Granted, Sarah Foureleven wasn’t expected to be called into the game and these weren’t the most prestigious seats in the stadium, but it was still her first game on the 95X National Team, and an important event for those involved.

Eleven Foureleven, Bo Foureleven, and Jason Ninetyfivex arrived and learned Sarah had invited a “special” friend, described only as someone she spoke strategy with while she attended her competitive developmental program. They all agreed to let the ticket go to someone else last minute and learned it had been redistributed to a lucky 95X fan.

The three watched from afar with binoculars as Sarah sat on the sidelines and the team played to a 1-1 draw.

After the game, Ninetyfivex went back to his hotel room, turned on the TV, and immediately forgot about the game.

“For those of you just joining us, let’s recap what we know so far. At approximately 6:30 AM local time, Air95 Flight 17, transregional service from Scottfire International to Pacific City International, crashed shortly after takeoff. Media organizations from across the region have tried to contact Air95 for information on the type of aircraft and number of passengers on board but as of now have not been successful…”

by **Equestrian States** » Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:51 pm

Purple Pony Power
Your Source for Equestrian Hoofball News, By Fans, For Fans

AOCAF 60, Match Day 1: A Great Start for Ponies Fans
by Crystal Cloudburst

As supporters of the Equestrian national team, we've definitely had it pretty good over the last few years. Two Atlantian Oceania titles and a world championship? I can't think of anyone who'd say that the Ponies haven't been one of the very best teams in the multiverse in that time. Of course, in the world of international hoofball, nobody is ever content with what they've got, and the Ponies and their passionate fans are no exception.

Just two teams have won three consecutive AOCAF Cups: NEWI Cefn Druids, who won the tournament's first three editions, and Pacitalia, who won AOCAFs 30-32 en route to winning 10 regional titles in 16 tournaments between AOCAFs 25-40. It is this elite club which the Ponies have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join here at the 60th AOCAF Cup. Pearly White has said in her pre-tournament press conferences that she aims to make this a historic competition in more ways than one, and lead the Ponies to cement their dynasty.

The Ponies kicked off their campaign against Group B's second-seeds, Qasden, and promptly kicked the ever-loving shit out of the poor Qads. Pristina Shine, Midnight Strike, and Rosewing made it 3-0 before the halftime whistle, and Sunny Day came off the bench in the second half to make it 4-0 before Onyx Foster scratched out a consolation goal in the 84th minute. All in all, as good a start to the Equestrian title defense as one could hope for.

However, the real icing on the top of the cake came from Szoirsia, where Equestrian archrivals Banija were humbled in a 3-0 loss to Torisakia. A comfortable win for the Ponies and a humiliating defeat for the Kadongo Kamu? I've only one thing to say to that:

More please!

by **Krytenia** » Fri Apr 17, 2020 3:03 pm

MATCHDAY 2 CUTOFF - Both regions
Is it your lucky day ?

Group A
Farfadillis 2–2 Busoga Islands
South Concepthuania 0–1 Dogsmouth

Group A                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Dogsmouth                 2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
2 Ko-oren                   1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
3 Farfadillis               2   0  2  0    4   4   0    2
4 Busoga Islands            2   0  1  1    2   4  −2    1
5 South Concepthuania       1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Group B
Aji No Moto 0–2 Equestria
Timuria 0–0 Freeport Isles

Group B                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Equestria                 2   2  0  0    6   1  +5    6
2 Aji No Moto               2   1  0  1    1   2  −1    3
3 Timuria                   1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
4 Freeport Isles            2   0  1  1    0   1  −1    1
5 Qasden                    1   0  0  1    1   4  −3    0

Group C
Demot 0–3 Siovanija & Teusland
Hapilopper 3–4 Baker Park

Group C                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Baker Park                2   2  0  0    5   3  +2    6
2 Muradil                   1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
3 Siovanija & Teusland      2   1  0  1    3   2  +1    3
4 Hapilopper                1   0  0  1    3   4  −1    0
5 Demot                     2   0  0  2    0   4  −4    0

Group D
Torisakia 0–1 Valanora
Ngolia 0–2 Banija

Group D                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Valanora                  2   2  0  0    4   1  +3    6
2 Torisakia                 2   1  0  1    3   1  +2    3
3 Banija                    2   1  0  1    2   3  −1    3
4 Ngolia                    1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0
  Oontaz Dert Li Ng         1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

by **Tropicorp** » Fri Apr 17, 2020 3:47 pm

The Mystery of Delaclava

The Atlantian Oceania Cartography Institute (AOCI) Office in Tropicoast was where all the new maps were printed. The information they needed for the maps was gathered at a makeshift office space in Lopinka, Vilita that had been stood up when disorder reigned in Mertagne and 1093 Goats overran the AOCI Headquarters there. The cartographers wanted to be somewhere bustling. Not the biggest city - but not isolated on the tropical edge of the Calanian Dessert outside of a chemically questionable factory. So they found a building just down the road from the Toys '4' All headquarters in the former Vilitan Capital and settled in.

The annual meeting of the AOCI members took place on AOisland where the teams reviewed the current maps and adjudicated any changes. The leads from the temporary AOCI headquarters in Lopinka ran the meeting and sometimes there would be a representative on hand from the Tropicorp plant - but typically they were just involved in the printing and distribution of the maps and not much else. This is what made the call received from an unknown number in Cyanea one recent day all the more odd.

They received a call from a man named Sammy Randolph. He claimed to be from Delaclava and they claimed their land was missing from the map. After being transferred three times throughout the Tropicorp system, Sam finally got a hold of Injuara Laksi who was one of three document reviewers that interfaced directly with the AOCI headquarters in Lopinka. Laksi explained to Randolph that there were no actual cartographers in Tropicoast - all of the decisions were made at the Lopinka facility. Randolph asked for a number to the Lopinka offices but Laksi was unsure if they would get in trouble for prodiving a direct line. After all, they had no idea what the credentials of this person really were. The National Geological Survey of Delaclava? Delaclava wasn't even on the map. It all sounded made up. So Laksi simply pointed Randolph to the official AOCI website, http://www.aoci.ao; and politely ended the conversation.

After the call ended, they turned to one of their colleagues and asked if they had ever heard of a place called "Delaclava" before. They responded "Oh yes, I think that might be a city in Whittoria? My Aunt may have vacationed there once."

by **Farfadillis** » Fri Apr 17, 2020 4:14 pm

Announcement: Here you will find the RP bonuses corresponding to each MD. This document will be obviously be constantly updated.

Group E
Xannerian AO Territory 4–6 Twicetagram and Jype
Krytenia 2–1 Flavovespia

--Group E                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Chromatika                            1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
  Krytenia                              1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
3 Flavovespia                           2   1  0  1    3   2  +1    3
  Twicetagram and Jype                  2   1  0  1    7   6  +1    3
5 Xannerian AO Territory                2   0  0  2    4   8  −4    0

Group F
Sarzonia 3–2 Vilita and Turori
Tropicorp 4–2 Independent Athletes from Québec

--Group F                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sarzonia                              2   1  1  0    8   7  +1    4
2 Tropicorp                             1   1  0  0    4   2  +2    3
  Vilita and Turori                     2   1  0  1    7   5  +2    3
4 Independent Athletes from Québec      2   0  1  1    7   9  −2    1
5 Euran Oceania Territories             1   0  0  1    2   5  −3    0

Group G
Cosumar 0–2 Starblaydia
Gyatso-kai 3–3 Northwest Kalactin

--Group G                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Starblaydia                           2   2  0  0    4   0  +4    6
2 Cosumar                               2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
3 Gyatso-kai                            1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
4 Northwest Kalactin                    2   0  1  1    3   5  −2    1
5 Delaclava                             1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0

Group H
Iskandervale 1–2 95X
Audioslavia 0–0 Mriin

--Group H                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 95X                                   2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
  Mriin                                 2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
3 Audioslavia                           1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
  Bolgano                               1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
5 Iskandervale                          2   0  0  2    3   5  −2    0

by **Muradil** » Fri Apr 17, 2020 5:01 pm

"Maybe it's true that my time here should end, that I have to pack things up." Oæbreù thought to himself while he watched himself in the mirror: a towel around his waist, his long hair still wet and a few days old beard. "I've had a long and fruitful career. There's not much else for me to achieve. I know that winning the AOCAF Cup isn't likely at all, but we won more games that I had expected, so there's that going on at least."

His career spanned over two decades of professional play, and this year would mark his 30th year playing at a competitive level. He still remembered how nervous he was on his first match.

"Aight, I think it's about time you get some play, little one" the coach told him. He was playing with children 2 years older than him, but there wasn't truly a difference between their skills, it was mostly their size that meant he shouldn't play more. Being so small in comparison meant he was easier to tackle and take the ball from him, even though it almost-never happened. He was that good.
With his heart beating so fast that he though he was going to die, he ran across the field. Ten minutes on the clock for him to make it worth.
The match ended, his team lost. That he didn't care about, but his performance was lackluster. He only managed to touch the ball a few times.

30 years later that memory still haunted him, and despite being way past his prime, he knew he had in him some few good moves left. At least to surprise that idiot coach who wanted to boot him.

"I think you should play football, even if it's not a good sport. Your physique is better for that game, anyway." The words came out of nowhere.
That was his father, before taking him to his first practice. Football was regarded as a lesser sport back home, he never knew why until he got older: it was the poor's sport of choice.
30 years later that was still true. Not as much as back then, but still enough that most upper-class kids watched their parents with disdain if they told them they had to watch a game or two at work.

All in all, it ended up well for him. He played for 9 teams back home, always the star. And when he got older, he stopped playing nationally, he chose to play only for the national team. That way he wouldn't get tired as fast, he excused himself: my flesh means more than me. It also helped he knew his father had enough influence that he'd play as long as he wanted.

With the memory of his first game still lingering on the air, he remembered how he missed that easy shot last match; that bitterness managed to reassure himself he had to resign to the team. If not for himself, for the other players. He went through the roster on his head: he watched the Môrnengi brothers grow up into great human beings; he managed to give Phel-Ha the confidence he needed to let his hair grow out. A few months after that, Dóca was called for modelling on a magazine. How he teased Rhemil and Nürm when Nürm entered the team, given the first's first name was almost the same as the latter's last name; he befriended Jan, who was older than him.

"Wait, how's Jan still going on as strong as ever? Does the man ever get tired?" He had never seen Jan, who was 41 years old, get tired. He remembered his face: the man didn't look a day older than 33 years old. "How does he do it? Damn. He's gonna outlive me in the team, even if he's not remembered". That was his ego speaking for himself. The Crazy earned it, he had achieved enough to have a big ego. Jan, on the other hand, was always a second tier player, a fundamental player for the team's play-style, for sure, but still he never stood out. The watchers never thought of him as fundamental, but he was the most important player on the team. Despite this, the Crazy's ego calmed him down: he did more than Jan, at least in the fans' eyes, and that's what mattered more for him. "I need to stop being so egotistical, he's the best friend I've had on a team. And I'm sure he deserves more recognition, I wish he had it" he mumbled, but deep down his ego though otherwise.

This train of thought came down to a halt when he heard the knock on the door: someone was calling him, and judging by the intensity of the hits, they had probably been calling him for a long time. "I'm coming, he shouted."

"Do you remember how it was when your insides burnt with passion? When you loved the game with those flames that you kept going strong, somehow, through 30 years of hard work contained in this short life? Now you've got to accept that age defines players, and maybe you're past the point of being worthy for the team."
With those words still ringing on his head he opened the door. The coach was there to talk with him.

by **Sarzonia** » Fri Apr 17, 2020 6:41 pm

Paolo Gomes woke up the morning of the Sarzonian national football team match against Vilita and Turori fully expecting to sit the match out. After all, he had a horrendous start against Independent Athletes From Quebec and was yanked in favour of Carlton Sandt. He played a vastly better match and sparked the Stars en route to a hard-earned draw.

So imagine his surprise when interim manager Kevin Wilson had his interpreter with him and told him he was starting.

"I couldn't believe it," Gomes told the assembled media through a translator. "I thought I blew my chance."

He made the most of Wilson's implied confidence in him, making five saves en route to a 3-2 victory that came in spite of The Eel Things dominating play. They won the possession battle with 52 minutes of possession to 41, counting stoppage time. They fired 19 shots to Sarzonia's eight, and had seven on target compared to five for the Stars.

However, Sarzonia were better where it mattered most, on the score sheet. Sarzonia's Jake Campos, Mek'hi West, and Clayton Wilson all notched goals in a 20-minute span of the second half that turned a 1-0 deficit resulting from an 18th minute Charlie King own goal.

King was beginning to berate himself after the own goal until he heard a familiar voice say something he totally didn't expect.

"It's OK, don't worry."

King whirled around with a look of shock. It was Gomes using the first English words anyone on the team ever heard from the Portuguese language-speaking goalkeeper. Gomes smiled, then patted King on his back.

The Stars weathered a desperate flurry in the final 10 minutes with only one goal allowed in the third minute of stoppage time. The Stars were fortunate to be able to play keep away for just another 45 seconds before they heard the sweet, sweet relief of the referee's final whistle. They looked at the Group F table and saw themselves in a position they didn't expect. Top of the table.

The Stars have four points from a victory and a draw, ahead of both Tropicorp and the Eel Cat Things. The Stars will face Euran Oceanic Territories, who were idle after opening AOCAF play with a 5-2 defeat to Vilita and Turori.

More noticeably, they already are just one victory away from matching their win total from the previous AOCAF after just two matches played. Sarzonia finished 2-1-7 with the Under 21 national team playing against senior national team competition.

For now, the Stars will be happy with what they've done at the moment, but as midfielder Brady Reynolds warned, the real work is just beginning.

"We haven't done anything yet," he said. "We've still got our work cut out for us."

by **Twicetagram and JYPe** » Fri Apr 17, 2020 9:47 pm

Life in Twicetagria

The unofficial national newspaper because we haven't got a logo yet

Overview of AOCAF 60: What went wrong?
By, John Suh

As rookies to the world of soccer, we entered the AOCAF 60 with not-very good-results. Even though we managed to win to Xannerian AO Territory, there was still much to be improved on and done for this youthful side. Let's look at each match day:

Chromatika 2 - 1 Twicetagria

The No-Nicknamers actually performed well in this game, as we managed to score and hold a deficit of only 1 goal. But still, we still had much to do, as Chromatika, strong contenders for first place(in Group E) were obviously the better start.
The match got off to a slow start, with nothing special happening in the first 20 minutes. However, in the 22nd minute, the Twicetagrian defense was left shell-shocked by a quick counter-attack after we failed to score from a corner. The defense was left to watch as Vidal of Chromatika slid in an easy goal against Han.
After that embarrassing goal, however, we came back to our feet and managed to press the opposition's defense. We had some close shots, most of them being saved by Tioux, while Chromatika failed to register a single shot until the 41st minute. Sadly in the first half, we were left trailing.
Kim then swapped Hirai for Imelia, which turned out to be a good decision. Before the 69th minute, most of the playing happened in the middle of the pitch. With some luck and precision, Chase(Harley) was quick to pass to Imelia, who was open. She then dashed past the defense, before passing the ball to Toreira, who scored with a back heel.
However, this Wattpad-like upset was short-lived, as Chromatika scored yet again in the 82nd minute. After Cho clumsily made a poor tackle on one of the Chromatika strikers, it led to a free kick, where Marc gracefully scored from the spot.
After that late-goal scare, we couldn't really do much to draw the game, as our players grew tired. It ended up in a 1-2 loss, which is not that bad.

What did we do well?
Our attack and midfield were actually pretty strong, as the midfield stopped the opposition from going any further. If not, we would probably have lost with a wider margin.
Our attackers were the stars of the game, as they registered a total of 14 shots, with 9 of them on-target.
Imelia takes home our MVP Award, as she set up the goal that drew the game. She was also quick and ruthless on the defenders.

What could have improved?
Our defense was to blame for that late winner.
If Cho hadn't made a sloppy tackle, we would probably have tied the game. But we can't change the past, and we're here to regret our decisions.
It wasn't just Cho though. Our defense was scattered all over the place, and we could have stopped Chromatika from scoring the first goal of the game.

Next up we have Xannerian AO Territory, and hopefully we can improve.

Xannerian AO Territory 4 - 6 Twicetagria

This game was much better played by us, as we scored a 6-goal rout against XAOT. However, a clean sheet was out of our reach as we conceded 4 goals.
The match started in our favor, with us hogging the possession for the first 20 minutes. Our attack and defense played roles in this game, and they proved it as a quick clearance by Suresthos led to an impressive solo goal by Chase(Lesley) in the 14th minute.
After only 3 minutes, we scored yet another one, as our coordination and teamwork led to a beautiful display of an assist and a volley, which de Castro scored. The Xannerian defense were shattered as we led them by 2 goals in 20 minutes.
However, the opposition were quick to react, as they scored a quick one at the 31st minutes, which was fairly surprising, as we had them on our tails.
They then surprised us yet again by scoring via a CORNER, one of the most useless set-pieces. An undesirable performance by our defense in the first half.
However, we sprung back to our feet when Hirai scored a free kick in the 44th minute, reminiscent of the winning goal last game.
Kim didn't make any changes to the line-up this time. We were leading 3-2 by the first half, and the game was proving to be a thriller.
However, Xannerian stunned us by scoring right from the kick-off, which led Kim to ponder about her choice of not substituting anyone.
Thankfully, our attack made up for it, as we scored on the 55th minute with a quick counter. de Castro put in a long ball, before Chase(Lesley again) scored an easy goal. This was repeated again at the 67th minute, but it was a brother-sister interaction as Harley put an impressive through ball to his sister, before she complete a hat trick with a rainbow flick. Talk about 'sibling rivalry'.
At the 75th minute, however, Cho, the defender who gifted Chromatika the winning goal, unexpectedly scored an own goal. A huge miscommunication led to Cho passing the ball to the unaware Han, whom we're gonna forgive for now.
Thankfully, Cho made up for his mistakes by setting up one of the tournament's most impressive goals: a Hirai volley from outside the box.
The game ended at 4-6, with us bagging full 3 points.

What did we do well?
As usual, our attack was on task. However, what was more special was that no substitutions were made to them. A hat-trick by our promising star Chase(Lesley) gives us a brighter hope for our next match.
Our defense also made up for last game's loss. Even though they could have prevented the opposition from scoring, as well as Cho's miscommunication, they still put on a modest performance as they helped contribute to the team.

What could we have done better?
Excluding out defense, our midfield was not up to task today. errors in the middle of the pitch led to 3 of the opposition's goals. Although Chase(Harley) and de Castro were one of the best performers, they could really put in a little more effort in defending. After all, a clean sheet is our goal in this AOCAF!

We are currently placed 3rd place, tied with Flavovespia, but losing on goal difference.

Best Goal So Far
Hirai as Pavard(Xannerian AO Territory 4 - 6 Twicetagria)

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