World Cup 85 || RP Thread

[Mavinet]

Huong Que Bistro
26 An Dinh Vuong, District 1, Dai Hoa
Mavinet

Today's special: Ba Xuyen Duckweed Cake (Bánh bèo in Mavinese)

A hors d'oeuvre from Ba Xuyen Province, the duckweed cakes, named after their likeness to the aquatic plant abundant in Mavinet's rivers and lakes, are made with rice and tapioca flours. The flours are mixed with water and steamed in small shallow bowls to create the distinctive duckweed shape. The cakes are then complemented by minced shrimps, green onion bits, crushed peanuts, and eaten with fish sauce.

The sun has risen, and it's the start of another day of business like always. Except it isn't exactly like always. Today is a matchday at the Thang Long Stadium, and it isn't any ordinary matchday. It's the first matchday of the 85th World Cup qualifier - the first World Cup Mavinet participates in. Ho Viet Long, a short but robust middle-aged man, woke up since 5am to start preparing ingredients, setting up the tables, cleaning the equipments, checking the orders... All the things he has been doing since he was 15. Huong Que Bistro is one of the most famous dining places in the capital and the brand is well-known in other provinces. His grandfather opened a small cafe 47 years ago, and passed it down to his father. 47 years later, the place has evolved into a famous bistro, opened 3 other branches, and Long is keeping the family business running. On a normal day, it is a dining place serving traditional Mavinese foods, but on matchdays like this, Huong Que becomes somewhat a sport bar, with people coming in to watch the match on the widescreen TV hanged on the wall of the premises. That said, football watching has never been a big pastime of the nation. Mavinese people can be passionate about football, but there simply hasn't been a lot to watch domestically, and almost nothing to watch internationally.

This year, it has been a bit different. The football frenzy swept through the country since its participation in the 10th Sporting World Cup. Successes in the Di Bradini Cup and the recent the Baptism of Fire has created an interest in football among the majority of Mavinese citizens. People have been anticipating the start of the World Cup qualifier months before today, so Long knows it is going to be a busy day. Mavinese fans are not the only people flocking to District 1 to see the match, but the opponent's fans will also try to find a place to watch the events unfold, especially those couldn't afford a ticket or couldn't secure one quick enough. They were selling like hot cakes. The opponent today is also a country Mavinese people will always remember: Pasarga. Long remembers sitting with his kids watching the green-and-white team demolished Mavinet's game and emerged 8-0 victorious. Everyone, including him, knew a minnow like Mavinet couldn't compete with big teams like Pasarga, but still they couldn't help but feel a bit hurt. But today it shouldn't matter for him who is coming in. As long as they are customers, Mavinese or Pasargan, he will treat them with courtesy.

The bistro saw plenty of customers throughout the day and the staff run back and forth taking orders, making dishes and serving them. Mavinese going in and out, chatting with each other and with the owner. Many of them have come here since their young ages and continue to return decades later, now with their own little family. Long enjoys meeting all these acquaintances; he considers them an extension of his family. It's a meaningful connection when a business owner can connect with the customers in a genuine and human way. There are several groups of Pasargans visiting the place as well, certain through recommendations, and Long makes sure he has time interacting with them. They are nice people; although some of them like to cleverly tease Long with the 8-0 result, they know not to push it too much. The atmosphere gets busier and more lively as the kickoff draws closer.

It's match time! Most of the tables are cleared to make room for the increasing number of people coming in to watch the match. A small group of Pasargans occupies a corner of the bistro, sipping their beers and chatting away. They seem relaxed and confident, completely different from the anxious and restless expressions of the Mavinese fans.

"Hey owner, let's hope you guys can do better today eh? Last time was too boring." one of the Pasargans lifts his cup as if cheering for something.

"Of course we be better. No more 8-0. If you win more than 3 goals again today, everything free for you." Long responds with his broken Rushmori lingua franca.

"Eh heh, hear that boys? Free stuffs for sure. Let's get some more fancy things."

A returning customer looks concerned. "Are you serious? That's a lot of money."

"That's ok. I trust our team. And it's just a group. I can afford it." Long smiles as he continues to clean the glasses behind the counter.

The match starts. Pasarga is obviously the superior team. The tempo, the passing, the strength, the physique, everything seems to be in their favor. Júlia Müller, Alexander Jager, Mária Vöröss... the names that once brought humiliation to the Water Buffaloes are now continuing to bring a lot of troubles to the defense of Mavinet. The high pressing game Head Coach Nguyen Minh Quan is implementing seems to relieve the back line of some pressure, but it won't help much if the amount of pressure is too high. Every time the Pasargan players made an attempt at goal, Long and all other Mavinese fans hold their breath anxiously, while the Pasargan group slap their thighs after every save from Nguyen Hoang Trung as they rue the missed chances. 20 shots on goal in the first half for Pasarga to Mavinet's 3, and somehow Mavinet manages to keep the score at 0-0.

"Looks like no free stuffs today." Long teases the Pasargan group as the Mavinese fans laugh.

"We don't need 90 minutes to destroy your team. Pasarga has played worse teams than Mavinet, I'll give you that."

Some nearby Mavinese fans were upset and plan to stand up to confront the rude Pasargans, but Long stops them. "That's alright, we will see the final result then." Turning to the Mavinese fans, Long whispers: "Don't bother. They're drunk, and I don't want an incident here."

Everyone returns to their seats and continues watching, but the atmosphere seems to have got a lot more tense all of a sudden.

The second half begins. Pasarga again push forward, looking to overwhelm the Mavinese defense. Unlike the shaky performances in the Baptism of Fire, Phan Anh Tu and Ho Hung Dung command the back line and coordinate with each other very effectively. Although Pasarga holds the ball the majority of the time, most of their shots are long range and can be safely dealt with. Mavinet is still in the game, but Pasarga still controls it. But as time goes by and Pasarga's attempts still have not yielded any breakthrough, the frustration of the Pasargan group is more and more visible. They start making negative comments loudly and at anything they can find criticisms for.

Then, in the 80th minute, something completely unexpected happens. In their engrossed effort in attacking, Pasarga loses the ball in midfield. Szalyk Földessy misplaced a pass to the forwards and Nguyen Huu Nghia takes advantage of the loose ball to send the ball long down the other side of the pitch. Ho Vu Thanh Hoang gets in a race with Pasarga's captain Deli Ács and manages to dribble past the 26-year-old left back toward the byline. A low cross in and Vo Thanh Hai flicks the ball into the net with his heel at the near post before anyone can realize what just happened. A very brief moment of silence and the Mavinese fans in the stadium burst into cheers. So do the ones in the bistro.

Out of nowhere, Mavinet is now leading the 25th ranked team. The Pasargan group in the bistro slams their hands on the table. Some swear loudly, some other put their hands up in disbelief. From a confident stance, they now look even more worried than the Mavinese fans an hour ago. The second half goes on and Pasarga pushes even harder to look for an equalizer. With a goal in hand against the 2nd seeded team in the group, Mavinet completely focuses on the defense now. They can't drop this good result. And they don't. The match ends 1-0 to Mavinet. A classic upset if Long has ever seen one.

Needless to say, the Pasargan fans in the bistro are bitter. They start throwing abuses at the Pasargan players, the referees and of course, Mavinet's team. The Mavinese fans have had enough and confront the problematic foreign fans. Long, sensing troubles, quickly moves to the site and stops a brewing fight. "No fight here, please stay away from each other." He turns to the Pasargan fans: "Keep your calm. Just pay for the beers. For these ones, nil payment." The Mavinese fans laugh loudly at the sneaky tease, but in their haste, the Pasargans didn't catch it and bitterly make their payment. They then quickly leave the place, still mumbling angrily as they get out the door.

"That will teach them, coming here and scorn us?" a Mavinese fan speaks to Long.

"Yeah hopefully they'll learn to not underestimate others. But that's just them. Don't hate on the Pasargans; others are really nice." Long says.

He looks up the TV and sees the Mavinese players happily shake hands and hug each other. They have really made their country's day with this win. A scene of Ho Vu Thanh Hoang shake hand and swap shirts with Deli Ács appears on the screen. Long can't help but think with pride: "That's my boy."

---

MAVINET - 1
80' Vo Thanh Hai

PASARGA - 0

[Legalese]

“Welcome back! Joel Dondlinger here in Nagato, where the Legalese National Team came in on the road to a Reina side recently baptized in the fire of their first competition. However, that preparation for the Wavelet side was not enough to overcome the Legalite attack, and Bolder’s men will return home to re-open National Stadium with three points in hand, a 5-3 victory over Reina. Gabe Salomon, any last thoughts?”

“Simply sublime from the Legalites today! The possession battle is normally not one that Legalese expects to win, but did today, and helped fuel the attack. Look at Kamari Osofsky’s goal in the 15th minute, for example. He latched on to a misplayed pass by Sakuranami, and drove right to the penalty area, finishing with a solid strike to open up the scoring. Winning the ball in the midfield helped start the movement for Skyler Mandella as well on both of his scores, jumping the Legalites out far enough to keep the lead for the rest of the contest. Can they keep it up?”

“Thanks for that, Gabe. That’s a good question, and one we’ll have a little time to ponder, as the Legalites head home with an off day during Matchday 2, before hosting Saintland to resume festivities.”

“For me, I want to simply thank you all. You see, radio is what I’m known for, and for good reason: my smooth, dulcet tones with just the right re-assuring amount of bass is perfect for coverage that is calm, comforting, and relaxing, whether I’m telling you about the next song, calling the Francis City Little Legalites Baseball Invitational, or shilling for some corporate sponsor like Red Ostrich. Red Ostrich, it relieves the pain because you think it does.”

“You see, I’ve never called a soccer game before, but I realized today, as I was watching, why it’s such a microcosm of life. It can be a sport of passion for some, while a sleep aid for others, but both are true and incorrect at the same time. It’s a game, but really, it’s what you make of it. Tonight, we saw, after a long absence, our national team make it theirs -- playing an aggressive, swashbuckling style that can’t be mistaken for boring, and one that worked out well. Will it always? Maybe not, and there’s something to be said for a team that can win by simply refusing to concede, practically suffocating the opposition as well, even if you may find that agonizing to watch.”

“Either way, I’m just glad to be on the journey with you all, and look forward to seeing where it goes. We have exciting times ahead, for sure, and we’ll see you back here again when the National Team hosts Saintland.”

----

“General Manager of the National Team? Do you know what you’ve gotten yourself into?”

Lisa cringed inwardly at her father’s question. I don’t know why he’s so tentative -- I saw an opportunity to do something important, and took it.

“You didn’t think your daughter was going to follow in your footsteps, after all? I thought the Civil Service frowns on nepotism.”

“Only for supervision, but the bottom line is that you don’t need to do this.”

“You don’t need to be Director General, the head civil servant and practically run the country, but you do anyways, dad, and you know why: because you want to.”

Oyer Mcquade leaned back in his chair for a second. “Go on.”

“I mean, nobody really *needs* to do what they’re doing anymore. Anything that’s dangerous or easy enough to do gets done mostly by machine, and we’ve figured out the resource issue, so everyone starts with enough, at least from a survival perspective. And it’s not like the Civil Service gives you a luxurious life on top of your basic income -- the pay’s not great, the hours are pretty high and inconsistent, especially as DG, and the job’s pretty thankless. But you still do it, out of duty, or maybe even pride, because you like it, right?”

“Of course I do, dear. So, my daughter, why are you doing this? What does this get for you?”

Lisa smiled. “It gets me what I’ve been looking for -- some adventure. Let’s face it, in the last twenty years, for all the gains we’ve made as a society to clean up the environment, provide for all of our citizens, and still set a high standard of living, there’s one thing that rings true: Legalese is, well, boring.”

Oyer paused before responding.

“You’re right, comfort is boring, and so is complacency. We need something more, and if you can make it happen, how can I object? I wish you luck, dear, but remember one thing: ‘May you live in interesting times’ is an old curse for a reason.”

[Krytenia]

Up In Ash
By Rami Niblick in Ashton

TWENTY-FOUR games. Many are protesting that it's too many matches for the various national teams. Krytenian fans, though, will probably be glad there's plenty of opportunity to turn things around after this car crash of a performance. To say the Dragons weren't at the races was an understatement; it was more a case of them still trying to work out which end of the horse was which.

The Omerican media were surprisingly pessimistic. Their team, for whatever reason, had not entered the previous World Cup, and the likes of Blog De Football were fully expecting the Dragons to ride roughshod over their team. They even sent a second string side to Ashton, resting players for their second qualifier against Newmanistan, expecting this match to be a dead loss. This, however, is a Krytenian side very much in transition, and the adventurous 4-1-5 formation quite spectacularly fell on its face on opening night. JJP's men haven't quite got the midfield balance right, and the Incorrigibles tore through the middle third like wet toilet paper. Captain Stephen Mariner cut a tragic figure, chewing out his hapless team-mates as Krytenia's rearguard were bombarded again and again. The fact that it stayed only at five is more of a testament to Damien Carpenter's abilities in goal than any performance from the rest of this shower.

Jerome Jaffacake-Phillips and Paul Davis clearly have work to do to get the squad up to scratch. They'll be painfully aware, though, that this performance has set a clock ticking, and with Qasden next, it could creep towards midnight quicker than expected. Hope springs eternal, though, and if things start to click, this could still be a dangerous Dragons squad; the road to World Cup LVIII wasn't exactly smooth, either. Onward!

KRYTENIA - 1
Smith 84

OMERICA RESERVES - 5
Fernand 9, 28, 59
Magalhães 41
Cabral 74

[Ziwana]

M1848 announces acquisition of Ziwani kit maker, Zsports.

By Chosadziwa Botolo

This morning at 9am, the official M1848 Howler account posted an announcement of their takeover of Zsports. M1848 is a Joshenian clothing and kit making company with its headquarters in Paradiz the capital city of Joshenia. Zsports being the Ziwani national team kit makers, has divided fans over the take over with some excited by the acquisition whilst others worried about it.

Takeovers will always attract backlash, but there is no need to cry over spilt milk. What we can do now is watch out what M1848 can offer. This is not the first takeover by M1848. A few years ago they took over Jsport. Let us take a look at Joshenian kit history to appreciate how good M1848 are and what they can offer Ziwana.

These are Joshenian first edition kits in the modern error. They were made by a freelance designer named Jurgen Nike. He designed Joshenian Football Federation logo, basing it on the coat of arms.These kits were simple making using of purple, green and red kits with golden shorts. These kits are two simple and lack character, they look like someone just threw Joshenian team colours unto a kit template but what are we to expect from a freelancer.

These are second edition Joshenian kits. These are the first kits made by Jsports, who were the kit design flag carriers of Joshenia. These kits were used in the first Baker Park Open Park and in Joshenia's first NS World Cup. The home kit had a camouflage representing the vigor the players had to fight for their nation. The White away kit was very controversial as it detracted from the traditional away kit. The Jsport kits also spotted a new Joshenian FA logo, it was cleaner and more modern. These kits look better compared to the first edition kit, but the golden shorts look terrible, the white kits also lack creativity.

These are the 3rd edition Joshenian kits. These kits were used in the 2nd Baker Cup Open Cup and Joshenias 2nd World Cup appearance. At this point M1848 had taken over Jsport. The colour template was changed to a darker purple. However, the design was still made by the Jsport design team. The kits spotted a new JFF logo made by JFF itself, it was slicker and looked more royal and modern than previous crests. The kits however looked horrible it was as if someone had vomitted triangles on the kit. The golden shorts also still lookout of place with the shirts.

These are the fourth edition Joshenian kits. In this iteration, M1848 took over the design of the kits. The Jsport logo and brand was replaced by the M1848 crest. The ugly golden shorts were gone. The kits were full purple and full red. These kits looked elegant, royal and just cleaner. The kit presentation is also much better, instead of a boring white wall a gradient of gold and purple is used. These kits are regarded as the best kits and sold out in stores. These kits were used in the 82nd NS World Cup and even though Joshenia did not perform well due to a strong Hinode, they looked good losing.

These are the fifth edition Joshenian kits. These kits were used in the CONAEFA Championship in the New West Indies region which Joshenia won. We can all guess the confidence given to the player by putting on such beautiful kits helped the Golden Eagles lift their first trophy. The home kit takes its inspiration from the second and fourth edition kits. It seems M1848 follows history, they might bring back elements from a kit Ziwani fans loved. The fifth edition home kit has patterns on them the way they were done on Jsports kits but better. Instead of making the purple look faded it still looks darker and cleaner with little noise. The away kit made a return to the controversial white. However M1848 explained that the Joshenians believed in imperialism and wanted glory and honor, however, they did not want war so the white signifies the peace Joshenians strive for. It seems M1848 are great at publicity, this explanation makes sense and explains the white used in the second edition kit. The kits also spot a new Joshenian FA logo designed by M1848, it definately defits a nation in 2146. I just hope M1848 can design a better Ziwani national team logo. The presentation for this edition is also different, the kits are shown behind in front of the Joshenian national stadium, the Sir Plakett Arena. It looks beautiful and I dare say again elegant.

One thing is true M1848 are masters at making elegant kits and good at publicity. With Zsport kit quality and reputation falling its great that M1848 has stepped in. However, all Ziwani hope the Zsport brand is not completely dropped just improved.

[Chromatika]

Chromatik City Courier
Jordan Lawless, Sports Columnist

Group 3 Matchday 1: Chromatika 2-3 Terre Septentrionale @ The Capitalizt Dome, Chromatik City, Chromatika (Cap. 144,000)
Chromatik Scorers: Andisori '22, Victoriane '63
Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Ria; Xiao - de Aea - Will - Ilya; Armageddon - Dias; Victoriane - Mora - Dragana; Andisori (C).
Substitutes: Kim, M.S. -> Dias ('53), Conrad -> Dragana ('77), Vidal -> Andisori ('85)
Projected Starting XI @ (288) Sanctanus (0-1-0): Tioux; An - Ken - Baugh - Nocturne; Zuniga - Burns; Etienne (C) - Kim, M.J. - Kuznetsov; Non.

CHROMATIK CITY, CHROMATIKA -

In a sold-out Capitalizt Dome in the first home matchday of the new qualifying cycle, the Chromatiks fell just short of the mark as Terre Septentrionale scored a big result in the early days of Group 3. Though the two highest scorers in Chromatik history - both Keira Andisori and Kaytlyn Victoriane - scored, a key sequence left Mia Ria in a one-on-one situation against Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa, one that Ria was just not able to palm away.

The result sets the Chromatiks back in this early stages of the world cup, but it's a long marathon, not a sprint. Losing at home to the third seeds this early is not the best result, but it's all about consistency and taking care of the lower ranked opponents, like the Anomalies' first match on the road - which will be against Sanctanus. Evans and Everdeen will be using their fifty-man roster to its fullest extent, all eleven players not having played a match yet.

Here are a few key snippets from the post-match press conference from certain players and staff:

Konrad Evans, when asked about what was the biggest factor to the loss: "We didn't have the best communication between the five players in the midfield. Dias isn't that accustomed to being on the field with Armageddon, and they were out of place a bit. All three goals that were conceded happened in lapses of communication and concentration between the attack and the defense. I think that as we play more matches and the players spend more time together, this is something that will sort itself out, but it did trip us up this time. It'll be up to us to make sure that it doesn't continue."

Mia RIa, when asked about the last face-off against Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa: "I mean... One inch further and we're celebrating one of the best saves that I've made in my career. It was a fair fight, one that I lost, I'm not ashamed to admit. It was a game that just felt off on so many counts. They were the better team on the pitch today, I apologize to the fans that came to watch."

Katherine Everdeen, when asked about the fifty-man roster and starting eleven new players for the match against Sanctanus: "It worked last cycle, so I don't know why we'd change it this time. It gives the younger players a chance to have good experience playing for the national squad and spells the more experienced players. Until results say otherwise, we'll be sticking to this."

Chromatika will need to get the three points on the road to get back on track.

---

The Golden Boys of Chromatik Football
Introduction

When you look at the most famous players of Chromatik football, it's pretty obvious that in the past, it's been dominated by women. Gabrielle Antonio, Rachel Hellion, Alyss Montague, Sandra Sybill, Erika Morningstar, Aysu Damjana, Zlastica Ellen, Ki Niro, and even the living legends of Keira Andisori and Kaytlyn Victoriane. Mia Ria and Jazmin Dragana are also getting up there.

In comparison, the best male figures in Chromatik history have been Nikolai Thorben and Luuk Aart.

Why was this the case? There are competing theories, but the consensus seems to be that in the Rainbow League System, male figures didn't play much football, as the Chromatik Party had them doing other things. With the Rainbow Revolution, things have started to change.

Here are some of the male figures that are in the scene now:
Henri de Aea
Valence Ilya
Engima Armageddon
Kai Dias
Hermaeus Mora

We will be taking some time to go over each of these players, their careers, and their tendencies.

[Zwangzug]

The Zwangzug players were not necessarily the most talkative or easy to interview, but for many journalists, they were a far sight easier to approach than Squornshelous, simply by virtue of not having layers of biometric bureaucracy to approach. This had made them prime targets for the press, and Chevanthi had been able to recite the usual grind of "it's a long stage, we can't take anything for granted" and "any of these teams have the potential to compete on any given day" and "the Eagles Cup and IAC were useful experimental stages, but they're shorter by nature" than blah blah blah.

And then, one foolish journalist dared to ask "What do you think of Imperial media suggesting that this could be vengeance for their World Cup 41 elimination?"

Before Chevanthi could make the this is not a good time hand-at-neck gesture, Sydney had gripped the mike.

"Fuck you," she said, "fuck your mother, fuck the journalists who want to build fucking 'narratives' about stuff that happened in the era of the 3-2-1-2-fucking-three, and fuck any other hacks that think it matters."

Paige blinked. "D'you mean all at once, or more sequential, like."

Joshua, who had significantly more experience translating back and forth from Sydney's idiolect into Zwangzugian prudism, immediately cut in, "What I think Sydney is getting at is that not only were none of us there, but those experiences haven't really shaped these particular teams. Do we think Squornshelous are an experienced and talented side, absolutely, and does the Imperium's, uh, particular form of, uh, governance, and cultural, uh, isolation result in a lot of energy and motivating support for their side, no question, so that's not an opponent we can underestimate, which as Chevanthi has said really also holds for everyone else in the group, be they a World Cup champion or recent Baptism of Fire participant, next?"

"But surely," said an underprepared writer who really couldn't take a hint, "the heavy defeat in the World Cup 34 qualifiers laid the groundwork, however indirectly, for the emergence of Excelsior Slogda as a defensive-minded force?" Chevanthi's cleats, more accustomed to leaving imprints in the Janaki Gardens turf, dug into Sydney's shoelaces to stifle the latter's would-be reply.

"Audioslavian talent aside," said Randall, "Slogda are currently rubbish, so maybe some questions about the clubs actually sending talent here?" Blessedly, someone redirected the inquiry towards Strathcona's push for the Challengers' Cup places and Laurel got a turn with the usual cliches.

(Popov 39, Idmar 14, Angier 43, Cherenkov-Nguyen 72)

[Busoga Islands]

The Busoga Chronicle
The Islands #1 News Source!

The Finals- Are they attainable?


Players do a military salute during their 5-3 victory on Matchday 1 of World Cup Qualifying

DUKUMA, NORTH ISLAND- "Patience" was the key word from Bethany Donnell's opening press conference as the Busoga Islands second ever national team manager. She said that, with a small country like this one, success could never be guaranteed in sport. "I am a realist and an optimist at the same time. There are limitations. But at the same time, there is real potential here. The current generation is strong, the next generation is coming along nicely, and getting prepared to help the team. The expectations here are reasonable. This is a side that has been growing stronger and stronger, ever since its maiden foray into international football in World Cup 81 Qualifying. This is a side that has always been a thorn in the side of the world's strongest, and I think we can do more. What's required, is consistency. It will take time- but we can get there."

The Former SRS national team manager spoke very true words. And AOCAF LX was a learning curve. There were highlights. The Busoga Islands particularly continued to be a thorn in the side of big nations, most notably fighting the defending world champions, Farfadillis, to a 2-2 draw on their own home turf. A massive result, considering Donnell just took the same roster from the Cup of Harmony campaign. It was a rather pedestrian campaign, however- a 2-2 draw. They've played in the AOCAFs five times now, and have not once made the knockout stages. They haven't made the knockout stages of any campaign, to be quite honest, since their Baptism of Fire appearance, when a stellar group stage was brought to a halt by the Freeport Isles in the Round of 32.

But she preached patience after that tournament. She said she appreciated the long leash that BISA had given her, and that fans would see big time changes in the squad heading into World Cup 85 Qualifying. And she was right. The AOCAFs were like a zero- let her get a feel for what she's working with, to see what she can really accomplish here. The Busoga Islands is a notoriously tough job- it's not for everybody. Of course, there are plenty of teams in Pots 3 and 4 and 5, who can see the World Cup Finals in their windshield, but aren't quite sure how to take the last step to get there yet. But this job comes with particular challenges.

There is the big challenge of the country being a small one- just around 10 million people. It doesn't produce a ton of talent because of our size. We're not like our much bigger neighbors all around, from Siovanija & Teusland to Banija to Equestria and Valanora, all much larger countries with more developed footballing systems. There are only six professional teams in the whole country, and they compete in the Banijan pyramid. It makes sense for the sides- it enhances all of their viability, both on and off the field. Heaven knows what would become of a 6 team all-Busogan league. But of course, it's not the greatest thing for the national team. It's not like there is a ton of cooperation between the BSL and the Banijan national team- but naturally, there is none between the Busoga Islands national team and the BSL. And of course, only one of those professional teams is actually in the first tier, with the other 5 being in the second tier, in the Banijan regional leagues.

The sides do a good job of recruiting Busogan talent, on the whole. But it's hard to get talent exposed. Years ago, BISA invested heavily in ensuring that it could have talented scouted by Equestrian squads, and numerous Busogans were playing up and down their pyramids. But it's been a while, and many of those players are on the wrong side of 30, and well above that as well. BISA has been focusing on recruiting talent and spreading it throughout Banija- but of course, they could do a better job of exporting talent abroad as well. Valanora is really recruiting Banija, and while the Busoga Islands doesn't produce that level talent, BISA could do a better job of finding places abroad for younger Busogan talent.

It's a truly challenging job. But Bethany Donnell believes she's up for it. She's 65- she is certainly in the latter half of her coaching career. But it would be quite an accomplishment to put in her feathercap. Her peak as a manager, of course, is transforming Pikemouth, in Brenecia, one of the toughest domestic leagues in the multiverse, from a top-end second-tier side, to a mid to top end first tier side, in a league that consistently ranks in the Top 5. She's dealt with the pressure, managing at Northern Union, although she didn't last there long. And she's been in the international game before, managing the Squornshelous Remnant States for a while before being unceremoniously fired six games into World Cup 84 Qualifying.

There's a number of unique challenges for the Busoga Islands. And yet, they are out there, plying their trade, doing what they can. Getting a side like this to the Finals would certainly be quite the accomplishment for ol' Bethany. But the results were strong to start out with. She earned her first competitive win as the Busoga Islands national team manager today with a 5-3 home victory over Balaslandia. The defense wasn't where she wanted it to be, but the offense was stellar and clinical. It was an up and down game, extremely enjoyable for fans. "We are trying to build a defensive side here- we never want to be conceding three times. However, sometimes, you get crazy games like this one. You just gotta be along for the ride. 8 goals between all sides, but great finishing on the offensive end, and great job to earn all three points."

The Islanders have several tough games ahead of them on the schedule- but they got off to a great start, earning three points that will be valuable. When you are in Pot 4, there is no such thing as a guaranteed three points- we've shown in the past that we can, on the right day, hang with just about anybody, but we certainly aren't good enough to say we can just beat lower-ranked opponents. We've never done that consistently. That's why this win is such a strong win. Matchday 2, we take a visit to formerly war-torn Wreckeria. Ranked 127th, they often punch well above their weight. It'll be a key game.

An analyst on public radio summed it up well. "These are the type of games that can swing a Qualification campaign. Nobody thinks we're going to take points off of Kita-Hinode. But how do you do against those other mid-level sides that have an outside chance at the tournament? Especially away from home? Points on the road, especially in a long, grinding, 26 matchday qualification period, come at a premium. Can we get some? This is our first opportunity. A lot of things to like, and a lot to dislike, after Matchday 1, but at the end of the day, we got the points and that's all that matters. Can we do the same on Matchday 1- at least earn a singular point, if not steal all 3?"

We'll see what happens when the team lands in Wreckeria. Until then, of course, go Busoga!

[Kandorith]

Shinonome Kyoai - International
News From The Empire

---

Struggling Start For The Warriors

Group 11                                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Equestria                               1    1   0   0     6    0   +6     3
 2 HUElavia                                1    1   0   0     4    2   +2     3
   Lo Santano                              1    1   0   0     2    0   +2     3
   Xanneria                                1    1   0   0     4    2   +2     3
 5 Ancherion                               1    0   1   0     3    3    0     1
   Kandorith                               1    0   1   0     1    1    0     1
   Monglechabagd                           1    0   1   0     1    1    0     1
   Nooooooooooooooo                        1    0   1   0     3    3    0     1
 9 Jamestownnnn                            1    0   0   1     2    4   −2     0
   South Concepthuania                     1    0   0   1     2    4   −2     0
   Vdara                                   1    0   0   1     0    2   −2     0
12 Fujai                                   1    0   0   1     0    6   −6     0

Tenkyo, Failing to impress, or the struggles of starting a tournament, this is a question many fans are asking right now after the rusty start of the much-promised Kandorese team. The team struggled against Monglechabagd, on paper a match they should have won with relative ease. The reality however was not that the opponent was playing way above their level, but rather that Kandorith was playing sub-par and nervously. Where the midfield was the engine of the successful team during the Cup of Harmony, it was now stalling and refused to start up the game for the Kandorese side. Even though the first result for the team was disappointing, manager Hayabusa ensured there was nothing to worry about.

"The match did not give the wanted result that is for sure." Hayabusa pressed. "I know the fans expect the very best from us and this is exactly what I want to achieve with this team, but the fans also have to realise that the team needs time to get used to the new formation and tactics. I still think we have done a good job by not losing. Winning is preferred and we will focus on winning from now on as during the final minutes of the match the team seemed to be finding their drive. Yes, this was too late to turn the game around but spells a way to improve in the upcoming match.

The Kandorese home and away kit

"Some changes will be made during the training schedule to make sure the team is ready to face our upcoming opponents, who are arguably more difficult than the previous match. Some people also say it was complacency because we played against a side which just came from the Baptism of fire but I can say with certainty this was not the case. We were simply too careful and holding back too much to test the waters. We need to start embracing attacking and counter football more than we did in today and I have already urged the the team to play more creative and show more assertiveness on the field. I am sure we can turn this draw around and learn from it to start winning from now on."

Kandorith faces Lo Santano next, another side unknown to the Warriors and unranked on the current KPB list. In the previous match against Vdara they were slightly brushed aside with a two goal victory for Vdara. This means it would be a real loss in face value if Kandorith were too stagnate against this team too. Kandorith has a history of bad starts during qualification campaigns for the World Cup, of which most ended in absolute disaster; though there is high confidence in Hayabusa leading the team to victory. Another plus side is the reveal of the new Kandorese football kit which was delayed but finally ready to be used on the field. Another factor which could give an already proud and vicious side an even more menacing look.

Kandorith will be looking to win their next match to keep their morale up high. The team also knows many fans will be traveling to see the team play and expect nothing but a result against Lo Santano. Hayabusa seemed confident and smiling as he returned to the training grounds which is always a sign for good tidings to come. Everyone in the nation surely remembers the previous Cup of Harmony where Kandorith performed way above their expectations and shocked multiple large football nations. The fans of course hope Kandorith will be able to do this in a tough qualifiers group. To keep morale high prayers and good luck charms are a welcoming site during matches and even the night before the team has to play. Even temples and houses of worship dorn the colours of the national team and ask the Gods for good tidings. One "tradition" stands out above all the others though, Her Majesty The Empress visiting the grounds when the team plays. During home games the Empress herself is known to make an appearance to enjoy the game and be an inspiration for the national team and the fans.

During the match the most debated player was the captain himself, Hiro Tanaka, with mixed responses there was a slight disappointment according to many fans. Where Tanaka normally is the playmaker of the team and the driving force behind the impressive Kandorese midfield his performance was marked "lacking in inspiration" according to many fans. Tanaka defended himself on social media after issuing an apology to the fans. He said the lack of good plays was due to fatigue from having a mild flu earlier this month and said he was fully recovered now and ready to give his full one hundred percent for the team once again.

Since the new era of Kandorese football Tanaka has been one of the fan favourite players who also has the most caps for the new national team, closely followed by Hikomasa and Matsuda. Tanaka is one of the few players from FC Tenkyo left in this selection after disappointing results from the domestic team ending fifth in the league this year. The largest part of the team is part of the former team coached by Hayabusa, Imakazawa Ravens, Which also ended up champions this year after an outstanding league run. The league run of the Ravens gave the players an extreme morale boost and made them undisputedly the most successful team in the Kandorese first division since the establishment of the league.

Where most domestic football leagues have extreme rivalries, the Kandorese league seems to lack such hostilities but rather have a more harmonic rivalry. Most fans enjoy drinking and partying with the opposing sides regardless of the winner and loser. When the league is called upon to defend the nation abroad however, the fans become the legion behind the Kandorese team. Always donned in the nation's colours, mostly purple, they travel almost anywhere where the Kandorese national team plays and always sing at the top of their lungs. Many foreign media has branded the Kandorese support as "lively, cheerful yet intimidating". Where in the home stadium it might indeed be the most intimidating display, when supporting the team elsewhere they sing and cheer their team on even louder. The "Kanyori Ultras" will surely be heard in every stadium Kandorith will play and during every match they will try to outdo the home fans. The upcoming match will be Kandorith's first away match in this qualification campaign and for the fans it is a must-win, the Kandorese team will surely put everything on everything to show the supporters why they deserve a spot on the world cup and of course to win back their own confidence.

[95X]

From the 95X Wire Service:
95X 3–1 Havynwilde
(95X: Ajax :15, Dart :38, Madison :73; Havynwilde: Houston :87)
SOUTHWESTPORT, 95X—The 95X National Soccer Team opened the World Cup 85 Qualifying season with a win over debut nation Havynwilde.

Alix Ajax put the 95X scoring train in motion early with an unassisted goal. Roisin Dart also connected in the first half and 95X led two-nil going into halftime. The second half was dominated by the home team, who didn't play down on their opponents yet didn't have a need to score. The third 95X goal came on an Aisling Ayala throw-in to Summer Madison, who made an air kick that bounced off the inside of the right post and into the goal.

Havynwilde avoided being swept in their first qualifying game with a goal in the closing minutes by Ashton Houston.

[Xanneria]

Wins to sooth the Maroons fans soul
By Steve Stevenson

SOUTH CONCEPTHUANIA - A 4-2 win is something the Maroons needed. They got it after taking down debutant AO nation South Cencepthuania 4-2 in an away match at the Concepthuanian grounds last night. The dashing Devon'elle Laymore again lead a charge from the Maroons as he got two goals and Richard Presintino also looked dazzaling!. Coach Myrone Rhule gets his first WCQ victory in his first game, and he is excited. During his press conference he noted a few things like Laymore's thunderous hooking kick that got the Maroons up 1-0 or that he liked the flag of his opponent, but there were other things to talk about, he wasn't in the mood a couple weeks ago to talk about a botched friendly, a 6-1 loss to Baker Park was a shocking score but there were circumstances surrounding the game that caused the botched game for the Maroons.

The story goes that for many on the Xannerian team Baker Park is home, BO has three Xannerians in their system and because of this it was evident the Maroons players themselves wanted to make a good showing. Then it came down that Dom Brabham had to be scratched ass he had contracted a major stomach bug the day of the match, so usually the venerable Evan Jefferson would come in to play goal. Problem is, Jefferson had had a long term commitment from a Sajnur based chocolate to film an advertisement for them. And ad that had been planned out WAY in advance of this friendly. This put in Leonetta Walters, a new keeper to the Maroons and an employee of Brentford FC in Baker Park. She has done well in the Brentford net and it allowed her to become of the two newest females on the Xannerian roster. But this was a tough spot and she knew it. TO make maters worse Baker Park had referee Weston Herrara in the game, no one outside of the Baker Park liked this guy and the running joke in Baker Park is that he has some dirt on some high level official in the officiating off that would allow him to keep his job. This would turn into a point of contention as the game was evenly played and in turn somewhat more defensive game as 60 minutes in the game was 2-1. A well contest physical match when a player from Baker Park named DeAngelo Simmons got the goal on a headder off of a corner kick, But it had appeared that there had been offside. Well Miss Walters (no Relation to the famous Race Car Driver Eddie Walters or his son) decided take argument with that. When she was yellow carded, she got more violent and ripped the yellow card out of the refs hands and stomped it in the turf. That inevitably lead to a Red Card and for the next 40 minutes The Maroons took a drubbing. It's amazing they only allowed three more goals to Baker Park.

Now sitting at the brightly hued desk and podium at South Concepthuania's main stadium Mr. RHule fielded questions about that drubbing and not the 4-2 win over South Concepthuania. In regard to Leonetta Walters this was the carefully thought out statement Mr Rhule stated

Well it may have been excessive but as far as I know there may have been some things boiling behind the scenes on that one. I have also heard that a lot of the Baker Park fans were glad she did it too. She's gotten a lot of support I've heard. Hopeful we won't be in a pot like this for a while, I know about the Equestria game but we should give them a better fight than Fujai. Right now though I want to talk more about Vdara, I think we shouldn't let them get beyond our grasp. I think we'll see them hungry after that loss.....

Vdara is our next opponent and we'll see how well they do after a stunner saw them lose to Lo Santo. So it's like fighting of wasps, if you don't have a good net you cant catch those angry bastards.

NOTE: This is based on SC's AOCAF60 Roster.

[Oberour Ar Moro]

When Nycollas Mauranghas got his first apartment in Regium, he had to park his junker of a car at a parking garage ten minutes from his place. So that meant a lot of walks back and forth. At first, this was extremely annoying, but after a while, he got used to it. Then he started to enjoy it. So he found a cheaper garage that was 15 minutes away. Then he found an even cheaper garage 20 minutes away. So a stroll to his car whenever he needed to go anywhere had become a calming tradition.

He'd leave his building and turn right. Pass by a shoe repair shop, a tailor, a takeaway, a book store he had sworn to frequent more but rarely did, a Monsieur Beignet he shouldn't go to but goes to sometimes anyway because sometimes you just want a beignet, a coffee shop where he gets strawberry smoothies. He had to cross a couple of side streets, take a left, another left, and there he was to get into his newer junker and head out. And then when his errand or trip was done, back to the garage, and then retrace his steps.

Sometimes he'd put earbuds in and listen to music and sometimes he'd just listen to the sounds of the city. Today was a city sounds kind of day. The national team was meeting at the Parade Grounds for a walk-through, then to a Regium hotel to rest before tomorrow's qualifying opener against North New South Wales. Nycollas had a lot of thoughts to work through on his way to the stadium.

Since Gilduin Roux had been named manager of the national team, Nycollas had been on the outs. No question about it in his mind: Roux didn't want him around. Roux clearly preferred Premier Division players, and despite leading A-Division in goals for years, Roux didn't seem to see any value in Nycollas. First was naming Nycollas as a winger for the Copa Rushmori (a position he'd never played), then leaving him off the roster for the Wonder Cup, and then making him fourth choice striker in the national team pool.

Nycollas paused for a moment as he recalled Arzhur Janquin letting him know he was on the roster for the North New South Wales. Janquin sounded like Nycollas was imposing on him. But then, the only reason Nycollas was on the roster was due to injuries. Mikêl Rose was being rested by Hibernus due to overwork, and Kerrian Odierne has been dealing with heel and leg issues all year. But then, no one needed to see Odierne play. He was ensconced as striker. All the strikers were competing for a single national team slot.

Nycollas sighed. At least he was on a roster. As long as you're there you have a shot to impress, but it didn't seem very likely. Nycollas was about to get going again, but that's when he heard a tentative voice from behind him say "Excuse me?"

Nycollas turned around to face a young woman with copper hair and blue eyes who was staring at up at him. "You're Nycollas Mauranghas, right?" she asked.

Playing in the Oberour A-Division didn't get you much respect from Gilduin Roux, and it generally didn't get you a lot of attention on the street, at least in Nycollas' experience. That might be a good thing, Josselyn Pessiere probably couldn't enjoy a stroll in Regium, but he probably didn't save money by parking 20 minutes from where he lived. "Yes, that's me." He responded

Nycollas saw the woman grip her hands into fists as she puffed up somewhat as if she was steeling herself for something. Was she that overwhelmed to speak with him? Nycollas couldn't recall the last time he felt that flattered. Suddenly, the young woman quickly walked around him and placed herself right in front of the path he would have been walking, like she was a defender in front of the goal. She spoke again, this time with a stronger voice. "It's such a pleasure to meet you!"

"Likewise," Nycollas responded. And it was, she was beautiful. Nycollas tried to gather together all the suavity he could muster. "Regium United fan?" he asked, realizing that was not very suave small talk.

"I'm, um, a football fan in general, mostly." The young woman said. She stared at him with sharpened eyes. "I hope to see you play in the match tomorrow!"

"Uh, yeah. I hope I get to play." Nycollas said, suddenly feeling quite lame. His teammates would be howling with how poorly he was handling this. Then, in a flash, the young woman was by his side, wrapping her arm under his, and pulling out her phone. "We should take a picture!"

"A picture...you mean a selfie?" Nycolas couldn't help himself and felt utterly gormless. But, "A selfie! That's what it's called!" the young woman genuinely seemed to appreciate the clarification. Nycollas tried to not think too much about her leaning against him as he looked at her phone. It was, he thought for whatever reason, very flat. He didn't recognize the model, or what appeared to be the OS as she went to a camera. He decided to think more about the young woman leaning against him because he was drowning himself in irrelevancy.

"Ready?" She asked, then clicked the screen. And then held the phone. "A...nother?" She asked, as though she was trying to stall for time. Nycollas was happy to oblige, though this whole experience was odd. Another click. A pause, then she slowly stepped away, back in front of him. She stared down at her phone deep in thought, then tapped the screen, and stared at it more.

Nycollas was feeling baffled. "Umm..." but then she lifted the phone to his face. "What do you think?" Oh, she was reviewing the photo. Nycollas dutifully considered. He thought about a compliment he could offer, but he was cut off.

A few intersections ahead there was an almighty crash. Nycollas shifted, looking past the young woman. A car had blown through a red light and had plowed into a city bus. That was an intersection Nycollas would have had to walk through to get to his car. Nycollas couldn't help but shudder. How close was that?

He looked back at the young woman in front of him. It didn't seem she had reacted at all to the car crash. She was back to being buried on her phone. She looked at something and a small satisfied smile met her lips before she looked back up at him and started speaking urgently.

"I have to go. But I am glad to have met you. Listen: You'll play in tomorrow's game. You'll come off the bench. In extra time, you'll be on the corner of the area when Annaeg Chaumeeur will get in trouble and pass you the ball. If you can collect it, you can score and win the game."

Nycollas was dumbstruck. What in the world was all that?

The young woman looked up at him insistently. "Just remember that. Look right for Chaumeeur, look for the ball, you'll get a chance. Trust me." With that, she purposely strode past him.

Nycollas was rooted to the spot but was able to gather himself as he swung around. She was nowhere to be seen.

Gendarmerie and paramedics were already at the site of the accident in the intersection as Nycollas walked past. He suddenly realized that he hadn't asked for the young woman's name. Though, he thought as he got back on the sidewalk, maybe that's for the best.

------

The first game of World Cup Qualification was an eventful affair. Thommas du Contant de la Mollette scored after 17 minutes, and Taran Bele added another goal on the eve of halftime. Coming out of the break North New South Wales came alive, scoring two goals on their own in quick succession. Eneour Pique-Pain pulled the Dragoons ahead, but North New South Wales tied the game at 3 at the 77-minute mark.

As the tying goal was celebrated. Gilduin Roux walked unhappily over to Nycollas. "Start warming up. You're coming in for Bele. Make your time count." Roux turned and started walking back to the touchline. As Nycollas gave high-gives to a worn-out-but-unhappy-to-be-subbed Taran Bele, he tried to not think about that bizarre conversation from the day before. He didn't believe in fortune-telling or whatever it was, but he couldn't help but keep focusing on Annaeg Chaumeeur as the sweeper worked his way up and down the pitch.

The clock kept advancing, up to and into added time. Nycollas did everything he could to place himself, as the ball kept inching closer to the North New South Wales.

Nycollas had jostled with an opposing defender and had worked himself into a terrible position. He was supposed to be in front of the goal not on the corner of the area and suddenly Nycollas could only think about where Annaeg Chaumeeur was. He near the penalty spot, back to the goal, with three opposing players orbiting him, trying to tackle the ball. Annaneg, clearly desperate, made a quick scan and made a terrible decision and passed it to Nycollas.

As the ball traveled to him, Nycollas realized he had a clear lane towards the goal, and ran forward, wound up, and scored a terrific one-touch goal.

The Antenne Sports announcer had to yell over the crowd that "Nycollas Mauranghas doesn't even think twice!" which somehow was a blatant lie. Nycollas ran in celebration, drowned in cheers, arms outstretched in complete disbelief.

[The Grearish Union]

MD 2 vs Damukuni

It was needless to say that the Grearish capital was giving itself a makeover for the occasion that presented itself to her doorstep. The first of the Grearish home games in the World Cup 85 qualifiers is to be held at the Atheburn Park at Atheburn and the excitement is through the roof. The humongous 60,000 capacity stadium saw major revamps before even being enlisted for the home games, and now it saw decorations of proportions unseen.

Some argue that the makeovers were only required steps towards realising the dream of a nation with unrivalled infrastructure for sports, and especially football. The government announced goodwill aeroplanes to take off from from the fellow Esportivan country of Damukuni to land in Atheburn before the game to transport fans from Damukuni as well as to draw international interest to the motherland as Grearia tried to project itself as a future host of one of these high-profile competitions. It is largely believed that the current government is doing most of this to realise financial goals more personal than for the public, but the average Grearish person seemed to be happy that the World Cup qualifiers were coming to their backyard, and they left no stone unturned to see it be one of the biggest festivals of the country in recent times. With the away win at Qvardax bolstering the morale of most players, including Kline, who scored a brace in the same encounter. While Schaefer found herself under fire for not being able to keep a clean sheet in what was seen as a much easier match than the full-time scored depicted, it was all forgotten when the team went out on to the freshly laid grass on the Atheburn Park pitch, getting closest to home, and getting rejuvenated all the same. Mission Damukuni awaited them.

[Torisakia]

Welcome back to The Bort Retort. I'm your humble host, Bort Stevens. Oh wait, that was my old blog. Uh, welcome back to Sports with Bort. I'm your humble host, Bort Stevens. We're continuing our special report on Torisakia at World Cup 85. Today we'll be discussing Torisakia's riveting 5-4 win over Squornshelan Remnant States (henceforth "Squorn"). But now's a good time for me to let you know that this blog is brought to you by Webizy®. Webizy is a the place to go for all your website building needs. Webizy is absolutely essential when it comes to building websites as a pro. Why? So versatile. With over 9000 templates to choose from, you can create a website for any occasion? Opening a tire business? Webizy has got you covered with its 'Passing Gas' template. Want to advertise your rent-an-egirl service? Use Webizy coveted 'Squirrels In My Pants' web template. Using '.com' or '.net' is for weenies. With Webizy, you can also create your own top-level domain. Whether it be your name, your business, or the 12 digits, the expiration date, and three numbers on the back of your credit card, the possibilities are endless. I created my own website for my dog Chuggles using Webizy's 'Canine Carnal' template and created my own '.bort' domain for a fraction of what it would cost using other sites like PageBerry and Webicore. You can get Webizy's webpage build, a free domain name, unlimited storage, Caeser-Cipher encryption, 24/7 tech support, and fully integrated eCommerce services for just T$19.95 a month. But wait, there's more! Sign up on their website http://www.Webizy.tor using the promo code "BORT" and you'll get an extra month of Webizy free (just pay a separate processing fee). But I'm not done yet! Sign up on their website http://www.Webizy.tor using the promo code "BORT" and you'll also receive an autographed photo of me, absolutely free (just pay a separate processing fee). So what are you waiting for? Webicore to offer you something like this? Don't delay, don't wait, or we'll rip your underwear off. Sign up today at http://www.Webizy.tor using the promo code "BORT" for 20% off your first month (just pay a separate processing fee).

Now that my sellout is out of the way, we can get onto the main topic. What a rousing first match this was. I think we all expected a close game but not such a high scoring one. The first half alone saw 6 goals between the two squads, nearly one right after the other. It was a game of opportunities with a total of 27 shots throughout the match. Shot accuracy was fairly even as well, Torisakia at 46.6% while Squorn sat at an even 50%. The match, played at Yassaca, Sivolvia in Squorn, started with a bang. Within the first minute, Torisakia scored off of a crosser from Kallian to Kelso to go up 1-nil. The celebration would be short lived however, as a few minutes later Squorn would score on after Zoban Ajao managed to get past Serafin and Ehud and faked out Issacson for a clear goal to tie that match. Roughly 10 minutes would go by without any scoring. Torisakia had a few opportunities but were denied every time by Squorn keeper Stovar Krieven. Mitch Issacson had a easy day in terms of shots on goal, as outside of the 4 goals Squorn scored only 2 more were actually on goal. During the scoreless time, Faron James managed to pick up a yellow card for seemingly no reason at all. Seriously, I'm not exaggerating. He was no where near the play and the ref just up and gave him a yellow. What an ass. It's possible James said something that the ref heard, but it's more likely they just gave him the yellow because he was Torisakian.

The tie was eventually broken by Squorn, who scored off a corner kick by Viordar Rebljeten in the 22nd minute. It was a pretty weird goal too. Rebljeten headed the ball towards the goal and Issacson blocked it...with his head, which caused the ball to go up, hit the middle bar, hit Issacson back on the head, bounce back towards Rebljeten (who didn't even see the ball), and hit off his shoulder and into the net. The officials congregated to determine whether it would be counted as a score by Rebljeten or an own goal by Issacson, but the review showed that the ball never crossed the goal line after Issacson hit it the first and second time so it was counted as a Squorn goal. Despite the voodoo setback, the Ice Birds mounted an offensive attack on the next possession and responded with a 25 yard shot from Gregory Franklyn that managed to sail over the 4 or 5 Squorn defenders in the area. Afterwards another scoreless 10 minutes would go by, although this time without one of our players being wrongly given a yellow card. Around the 38th minute, Jordan Kallian had an open shot from about 10 yards out on the Squornish end but was fouled hard on a desperation 'tackle' by Rudi Dalso, who was given a yellow and set up Kallian for a penalty kick. Kallian managed to break the tie with the kick as he went one way and Stovar Krieven went the other to give Torisakia the 3-2 lead. Squorn seemed content to go into half time with this score and made no attempt at a last minute push.

The second half was a little less eventful than the first. About 15 minutes of no scoring went by while another of our players got a yellow card. This time the victim was Derek Lovel. This yellow made more sense than the first as Lovel tackled Iuri Takala pretty hard, so it was warranted in my book. At the 61st minute, the Ice Birds would increase their lead on a corner header by Faron James but without the magic voodoo that Squorn had on their corner header earlier. Torisakia's lead was increased to 2 as they led 4-2 with roughly 30 minutes remaining. Squorn would respond within 10 minutes on another corner header by Viordar Rebljeten again to cut the lead to 1. But it seemed to be too little, too late as Torisakia went into their conservative mode and attempt to keep possession while running as much clock as possible. As a result the next score wouldn't come until the 88th minute when Johnny Kelso scored on a strong kick from 18 yards out to essentially seal the win for the Ice Birds. Squorn managed one more goal in added time while Torisakia was basically not even trying. I wasn't paying attention either so I don't know who actually scored the goal. But they probably aren't important. In the end, Torisakia won the match 5-4 and starts the World Cup 1-0-0. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

TORISAKIA 5-4 SQUORNSHELAN REMNANT STATES

Torisakia:
Kelso 1', 88'
Franklyn 27'
Kallian 38' (pen.)
James 61'

Squornshelan Remnant States:
Ajao 5'
Rebljeten 22', 71'
(Unknown by Bort) 92'

Torisakia's next match is against Drawkland, who defeated Lochario 2-1 on MD1. This will be Torisakia's first home game of the World Cup and the first of two games to be played at Tokai Memorial Stadium. The team will go on a 'tour' of sort across Torisakia for their home matches. They'll start at Tokai Memorial, then go to the Vinewood Bowl in Douglas-La Pryor, then up to Ogino Arena, then Mustang Alley, Kirk & Hilton Heights, and finally at the newly constructed Estadio Nacional de González Isla (aka "ENGI") for our Gonzalez Isle friends. They will then travel in reverse for the next half of the World Cup, playing in Gonzalez Isle again then going to Kirk & Hilton Heights, Mustang Alley, Ogino Arena, Vinewood Bowl, and end off at Tokai Memorial. Normally the team would play at the Stadium of Peace in Yasui, but due to ongoing renovations of the stadium they were not able to schedule any games there for the next few months. SoP should be ready by the next TSL season though, so Yasui fans don't soil your britches just yet. The national team usually doesn't play matches at Kirk & Hilton Heights due to its odd configuration as a multi-purpose stadium, along with its age. The city of Presidents City did announce last month that they would hold a vote for citizens on whether they should renovate Kirk & Hilton Heights or build an entirely new stadium, so either way they're getting an upgrade. The decision to play at ENGI comes some six months after the official end of the Gonzalez Isle Civil War and during the Gonzalez Isle Reconstruction Act, which aims to rebuild and renovate many cities in Gonzalez Isle that were affected by the war. ENGI was a primary target of this act, as before it was a heavily dilapidated stadium that only held around 10,000 fans. Renovations began back in October and as of this month ENGI looks like a completely new stadium. It now holds 68,350 and now features theater-style seats with cupholders focused exactly towards midfield for the best viewing experience (the seats not the cupholders), free Wi-Fi, and is home to the largest HD video screen in Gonzalez Isle at 41.5 feet high by 164 feet wide. Definitely an upgrade that the citizens of Gonzalez Isle needed.

So that's all for today. Next time we'll review Torisakia's performance against Drawkland. If they win, I'll praise them highly and declare them the greatest team of all time. If they lose, I'll scorn them heavily and declare them the worst team of all time. If they draw, I'll praise and scorn them highly and heavily and declare them the most average team of all time. Either way I'm exercising my First Amendment right so there's nothing that can be done to stop me, unless my internet provider shuts off my service again. I already told those squares that I paid for this month. What the hell is a franchise fee of T$4.62 a month?

[Omerica]

blogdefootball.co.or
All the football news that’s fit to print!

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The Most Mind-Numbingly Long Qualification Campaign Ever: A Preview, Part Two
By Anastasia Saint-Martin

And now, the moment none of you have been waiting for: the conclusion of our two-part preview of a World Cup qualification campaign so tediously long, we had to break the preview of it down into two parts. Unlike the World Cup Committee, we won’t drag this out any longer than we have to and just get right into it.

So now that I’ve thoroughly bothered a footballer with more time on his hands than sense, let us continue our journey through this nightmare of a qualification campaign that I’m fairly sure counts as torture in all twenty-five republics and as a normal prison routine in Quebec.

Legalese
Previous meetings: none
Home game: Matchday 7 @ Stadium of Great Arden, Lisbon
Away game: Matchday 20 @ National Stadium, Legalese City

One of the best things we can say about their national team right now is that they have a great media to cover it. We will very happily start calling the Cup of Harmony the “World Cup Improper” and we’ll cough up as many florins as you wish to sue us for.

The Federation of Association Football—a name somehow even more ambiguous than “United Republican Soccer Federation”—have finally awoken from their slumber and are ready to get these auld giants back into the swing of international footy. Fourth-place finishers at World Cup Meme Number, the Legalite side made a showing in the Eagle’s Cup “Relics Match”, taking Northwest Kalactin to penalties, which did not assuage the nerves of a side that has lost all their rank in the years since that world championship semifinal.

Nonetheless, Legalese had to be in the running for “unranked nation you did not want to see drawn into your group”. The Legalites attacking flair will light up Group 14, even if they struggle to get to the heights of the World Cup finals, and will present one of the most potent obstacles to Omerica’s ambitions to claw back up the ranking ladder. Legalese, like Omerica, will hunger to claw back up that ladder as well and they would have every right to eat the Incorrigibles for breakfast.

Also, a sincere happy centennial to the National Stadium from everyone here at the blogdefootball!

Prediction: Two bizarre draws, followed by a lawsuit.

Saintland
Previous meetings: 0–2 defeat @ Lulai, San José Guayabal (Cup of Harmony 63); 0–1 extra time defeat @ Saint Petrus, Saintland (True Church Open)
Home game: Matchday 8 @ Stade Municipal de Brétolles, Brétolles
Away game: Matchday 21 @ Royal Stadium, Saint Petrus (presumably)

Sanctusterra is a puzzling Rushmori realm. Theocratic baseball nuts at heart, they have been an on-and-off football nation for a while, but reliably play a gut-wrenching Karelan game when they’re on.

However, if there’s any opponent we are unreasonably bullish on, it is Saintland. We’re sensing a tad bit of weakness in the Sanctii side here. While Omerica failed to score in their two previous meetings against Saintland, times are very different now. Omerica might still be a floundering mess, but Saintland appear to have fallen down to that level as well. If there’s ever a time we’re going to score against—let alone beat—Saintland, now would be that time.

If any team beside Omerica or Krytenia is liable to do significantly poorer than their seeding suggests, it is Saintland. They are currently in that range where we could easily punch above our weight and take them down if we have our act together. While the Incorrigibles will be coming in off a relatively tricky match against Legalese, George Kostas’s squad rotation and the relative front-loading of Omerica’s schedule means that we’ll be hitting the pitch against Saintland at an opportune moment: we will either be coming off a spirit-boosting win against Legalese or out to recover some pride.

I just imagine we might become spoopy skellingtons before they release their roster press release, though.

Prediction: An exorcism and an inexplicable six points.

Lake Esper
Previous meetings: none
Home game: Matchday 22 @ Stadium of Great Arden, Lisbon
Away game: Matchday 9 @ probably by a lake of some sort

Another Baptism of Fire team, this time with an attacking flair. Lake Esper were not as successful as their Riennic counterparts, only narrowly winning their group before falling to Floyssau on penalties in the Round of 32.

Of course, the Gryphons crashed out in the last 32 in their Baptism of Fire appearance after a match that went to extra time, so it may portend mildly mediocre things for Lake Esper. Prepare for a lot of disappointment. If their experience is anything like ours, this campaign will be a miserable mess. Nonetheless, in a campaign as maddeningly long as this one, they will have plenty of opportunities to stun favoured opposition; in just their second campaign, the Gryphons had a bizarre 4–2 win over powerhouse Quebec at the Arena la Rouge, so put nothing past Lake Esper here.

Our advice for the Esperians is to learn from our mistakes and temper your expectations. Take the hits on the chin and cherish the upsets. This will be about establishing your identity and you want to make the best impression you can. Results will come later.

Also, your flag reminds of Saltstead for some reason I cannot put my finger on…

Prediction: Four points and a great beach holiday calendar.

North New South Wales
Previous meetings: none
Home game: Matchday 10 @ Stade Municipal de Brétolles, Brétolles
Away game: Matchday 23 @ I don’t even know, to be honest ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I don’t even know, to be honest. I’m not sure why they couldn’t call themselves “New Central Wales” or something like that, but they definitely win the award for Second-Most Ridiculous Name in Group 14 of the World Cup 85 Qualification Tournament.

From what we can gather, they don’t seem to care all that much about scoring goals, instead preferred to park the bus, the plane, the train and the tricycle in front of goal. The Incorrigibles will have the task of getting past a mind-boggling eight defenders on their way to scoring, but this is where we take a lesson from the old Saltsteadish playbook: “a one-goal win is still a win.”

It would just be nice to know where we will be playing, I reckon.

Prediction: Six points. Enough said.

Southern Esportivan Union
Previous meetings: none
Home game: Matchday 24 @ Stadium of Great Arden, Lisbon
Away game: Matchday 11 @ Portsmouth Arena, Portsmouth

“There’s a ball. There’s a goal. Get the ball in… the… goal.”

As if it weren’t enough to have to face Esportivan opposition, we have to face opposition that literally have the title of that waste dump in their own name? The SEU at least know what the object of the game is, so bravo.

The final and least successful Baptism of Fire graduate Omerica will face in the qualifiers, this island nation were rather thoroughly humiliated in Appalachia and not just from the organising committee managing to misspell their name—we know how frustrating those kinds of cock-ups can be, HUClavia. The team managed just a solitary win at the tournament over Floyssau—having long been eliminated by that point—and barely managed to finish above the foot of the Group A table. Taking fourteen goals in against themselves, the Union do not appear to be a significant threat to anyone but themselves. We’re still going to budget a draw in Portsmouth, though, because Omerica.

“Oh, stop the other team from doing that too.” Yup, that’s how defence works.

Prediction: Four points and a miserable trip back from The Region That Shall Not Be Named.

Qasden
Previous meetings: 1–3 defeat @ Inura, Turori (Cup of Harmony 72)
Home game: Matchday 13 @ Stade Municipal de Brétolles, Brétolles
Away game: Matchday 26 @ TBA, TBA

OwO

Meow.

We are well and truly boned here and I doubt I need explain why.

Prediction: Two defeats and a litter of kittens left at the door of Westavon’s Château de la République.

The Verdict
It will be a miracle for Omerica to come anywhere remotely close to qualifying. After a clerical cock-up cost Omerica a spot in the World Cup 84 qualifiers, this campaign will be all about rebuilding Omerica’s rank and with such a tough group we’ve been drawn into, we are going to be playing a game of damage control.

It was a lucky mistake, given how a Maxtopian Pox epidemic would break out not long after the qualifiers began, thereby giving authorities breathing room to contain the outbreak and prevent it spreading to other countries. But now that officials in Chasteauvieulx have given the thumbs up for sporting events to resume, a few upset wins here and there would be great morale boosters for a nation that’s been through a difficult slog. Resuming the hustle of getting our arses handed to us on a silver platter will restore some sense of normalcy to people’s lives in the aftermath of a very abnormal time.

“I don’t think anyone in this team has any pretensions of qualifying,” manager George Kostas told the blog. “We’re here to get the team back into the swing of international football after this unfortunate mistake and just notch as many points as we can.”

It won’t be a romp to the finals, but it might just be beautiful in its own way. Our backs are against the wall, but, if anything, the lack of expectation means the Incorrigibles have no pressure to buckle under. If anything, this is the kind of environment where we flourish. We’ll pin our hopes on a valiant fourth-place finish at best and a noble sixth-place effort at worst. ◇

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Other Football News:
• Second-string Incorrigibles side stun the world, tearing through Krytenia like wet bog roll
• OPSL will contemplate resuming stopped season after Plenipotentiaries lift the federal state of emergency
• URSF clerk responsible for Omerica’s failure to enter the World Cup 84 qualifiers officially sacked

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Uniting Omerican sport fans across the United Republics — blogdefootball: a proud member of the Gryphon Pride network

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United Republican Soccer Federation
6 Jacques la Rouge Road
Port Alexandre, MS 18-A40
UNITED REPUBLICS OF OMERICA

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Krytenia 1–5(?!) Omerica
World Cup 85 qualifying group stage — Matchday One
Rutian Grounds, Ashton, Krytenia
Goalscorers: Neil Smith 84’; Jean-François Fernand 9’, 28’, 59’ – Thom Magalhães 41’ – Anaïs Cabral 74’
Omerica lineup (4–3–3): Jean-Robert Tosi; Felix Zanetti – Raphaël Martin – Noah Clement – Jodie Barton; Thom Magalhães – Jessica Bennett – Alphonse Fontaine (captain); Adélaïde Argyris – Jean-François Fernand – Anaïs Cabral
Substitutions: Zanetti > Jet Sneyders (46’) – Bennett > Jefferson Steelflex (46’) – Fernand > Christina Falkirk (69’)

Omerica v Newmanistan
World Cup 85 qualifying group stage — Matchday Two
Stade Just-Cartier, Val-du-Tibère, Charlottesville
Omerica lineup (4–3–3): Valentin Augustin; Jet Sneyders – Aristide de Felice – Charity Kayode – Fernand Michelakakis; John Soares – Elise Bianchi – Red Bolton (captain); George Palmeiro – Christina Falkirk – Jessie Beckett

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[Audioslavia]

Sue had a number for Emmanuel Portico, but the number didn’t work. It simply redirected to an automated message.

Due to temporal differences, it is not possible to connect your call

Sue knew of only one reason why you’d receive that message: If the person you were calling lived on the isle of Calorborne. I mean it stood to reason. What would a phone call sound like with someone for whom time ran around 300 times slower. They’d pick up and hear nothing. Just the sound of the first ‘H’ of ‘Hello’ slowed to a sub-audible fraction of a hertz. They’d put the phone down. It’d be instantaneous.

From outside of Calorborne, the only real way to communicate with someone on the island was electronically, typically via email. She found a personal email for him in Rubio’s contact database, one of the few contacts who had their real name attached, rather than a code-name.

Hello Emmanuel.

I hope this email finds you well. I’m contacting you regarding the Yusuf Naid case you might have read about in the papers. I’ve attached a couple of links for you, including information about a speakeasy that was raided and shut down on Kjeligsted around the time. If you have any information I’d love to hear from you. Total confidentiality. The statute of limitations has run out for any and all of these ‘crimes’.

Regards,

Sue Dysos

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Patterick Plan Passes First Test

As the dust settled on Audioslavia’s opening game of World Cup 85 qualifying, Sean Patterick left the field believing that his controversial choice to go with the 5-5-0 system had been vindicated.

For those primarily interested in the result (which would certainly include not only Patterick but most Audioslavians still smarting from their upset defeat to Euran Oceania Territories), that will be the end of it, but Audioslavia’s display was not the most convincing.

After Kyran Knudsen’s burst down the left and finish into the opposite corner early on, TJUN-ia began to look less and less susceptible to the Bulls’ ‘Plan A’, which largely consisted of relying on the speedy Knudsen and artful Marañón for their inroads through the Jags’ defence. TJUN-ia were conservative in possession, giving little away, and when Audioslavia did manage to break, they found the likes of Aron McKenna and Jeff Donaldson alert and in position, ready to shepherd the wingers out onto the flanks. With no presence in the box other than the diminutive wingers and late-arriving midfielders, the Bulls found it difficult to create real chances in the first half.

The first chances of the second half came from the men in orange and blue, with Podolov drawing a save from Zanardi and Joe Green firing a hard shot into the chest of the goalkeeper, who stumbled to collect the rebound before Ulawaya arrived to try to poke the loose ball home.

TJUN-ia’s confidence was beginning to grow, and so Marañón’s goal was incredibly important to an Audioslavia team that were creaking under the pressure. Moxey won the ball in midfield, played it out to Knudsen again who, finally, managed to evade the attentions of Donaldson and send a beautifully weighted defence-splitting diagonal ball to Marañón. The winger’s first touch let him down, but the winger reached the ball before the recovering Umkala and hooked a left-footed shot across the goalkeeper and into the far corner for two zero.

The crowd relaxed. So did Audioslavia.

If there’s anything this Audioslavia team should be capable of with it’s 5-5-0 formation it’s closing out a game while in the lead, but Prince Carter wove himself free of the defence on eighty-one minutes to strike the ball into the corner to pull one back for TJUN-ia, and all of a sudden the Bulls were under pressure.

For those final minutes, the orange-blues probed and prodded at an Audioslavia defence that had to maintain full concentration just to keep their heads above water.

Audioslavia have passed the first test, then, but how this team deals with being behind is still up for question. Patterick, out-thought against EOT, still has to convince the general public, let alone the FFA, that this is the way forward.

Next up come New Lusitania and the Algarves, who as third seeds should provide an even sterner test that that posed by TJUN-ia. Patterick's men have navigated a home game in which they went ahead early and, in any case, expected to win. Now, travelling to take on the team of tugas itching to trounce the trialist toros, Audioslavia move on to test number two.

[Ethane]

SUNSET PART 1

The sun slowly descended over the horizon, the ocean glimmering as the last rays reflected off the rolling waves. It was last light, and Malcolm had chosen to stay out into the early hours of the morning, waiting for the stars to paint the sky like it was a canvas. He loved stargazing whenever he could, watching the stars from the beach as he listened to the sea rolling up against the sand. Malcolm did everything at the beach. He went there most days after school, reading one of the books he had in his backpack or completing one of his favourite paintings while perched on one of the many rocky outcrops that lined the edge of the beach.

Malcolm was an artist by nature. He loved to paint, to write, to photograph. He was a young boy with a great imagination, one which he used to create numerous fantasies which he noted down in his journal. He always seemed to be in a different world to everyone else, spaced out from whatever was going on. He could be on a busy Letsoian beach in the middle of summer, yet forget that he was surrounded by people, instead lost in the atmosphere of the beach. Still, he preferred to be alone. That’s why he generally went to the beach later in the evening; as it cooled down, less people tended to be on the beach. It was peaceful.

He looked at the watch strapped loosely to his right wrist. 2130. He knew that it would yet be a couple of hours until the stars were fully out tonight. The sun seemed to be taking forever to set, the orange hues seeming to fill the whole sky. Malcolm loved a good sunset. It brought the end of a day. It meant closure. But it was also part of a cyclical pattern. The sun came and went, every day without fail. But it always came. There is never a time where the sun does not rise in the morning and set in the evening. One of the only certain things in this world.

Malcolm lay back on the sand, being careful to not mess up his styled blonde hair, and looked up at the sky, watching the clouds dance across his vision. He lay there, waiting. It was supposed to be a good night for star viewing. Perhaps he’d be able to have a go at painting that portrait of the sky he’d been intending to make for a while. Or maybe tonight would the night for some astrophotography. He hadn’t made his mind up yet.

And the sun slowly slipped behind the horizon. The orange hues faded to red, before slowly fading to blue and then black. And the beach was left shrouded in darkness, with only the crashing of the ocean against the sand to be heard. And the stars slowly lit up the night sky like fireflies light up a dark forest.

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High-scoring thriller leaves fans on edge of seat

The Red Kites were on the road at Bolgano for their first game of the qualification campaign, and they managed to come away with a win, albeit one with a rather high score line. The game was initially delayed due to confusion over the opponents for the first match, but once Bolgano had rectified the confusion over their opposition, the game was underway.

Ethane was initially dominant in the match, getting the first couple of chances on goal straight out of the gates. Kyle Ford came close from distance after a cross-field pass in the 5th minute from Leyton Underwood, but Red Nines pulled off a solid save to send it out for a corner. Another opportunity came straight off this corner, with a swinging cross coming in from Atanga and finding Smith in the box, who headed it just wide of the goal after beating Red Nines. This dominance wasn't to last though, with Ethanian play becoming more negative and entrenched. Still, a chance for Hope in the 13th minute was well-taken after a cross-box pass by Montoya, leaving Hope one-on-one with Nines. He swept it past Nines and straight into the bottom-left corner of the goal, giving Ethane an early lead.

This revitalised The Red Kites, with Underwood spearheading a renewed offensive effort in the team to push for a second goal and consolidate their early lead. This paid dividends in the 17th minute when Smith ran on to a beautiful through-ball by Kyle Ford into space. Smith had to get a shot off early due to pressure from Noldmand, but the shot was well-timed and powerful enough to fly past the diving Red Nines into the right side of the goal. At this point, it looked like The Red Kites had found their stride and were not going to let Bolgano past.

That broke down with the continued efforts to push up and pressure Bolgano though. Atanga had pushed up to take advantage of a corner conceded by Nines after a weak Montoya shot, with Coleman perhaps advancing forward a little too far. He was able to recover after a disappointing Ford corner to catch McShane off guard, but McShane was able to dispatch the ball to Birgot before Ford could tackle. A beautiful chip over Romero saw the defence caught off guard and scrambling to get back into position, but Merts was able to take advantage of the defensive confusion and find space for a shot, the goal easily passing Araújo and making the score 1-2, Ethane still in the lead.

The leveller came in the 43rd minute with a corner. Evans sent a shot off from the edge of the box which almost beat Araújo, but the Ethani keeper was able to get his fingertips to it and send it out for a corner kick. The corner was taken well by Birgot, but Evans was beaten in the air by Romero. However, an unfortunate header left the ball at the mercy of Noldmand in the middle of the box, who sent it flying home off a half volley into the top-left corner, levelling up the game going into half-time.

The game appeared even for the first ten minutes of the second half, with neither team able to find the necessary breakthrough to take the lead and set themselves on the path to victory. Still, the Red Kites managed to put away a half chance in the 57th minute to take the lead back again after half-time. Frizzel took his time on the ball in midfield and was caught off guard by Zavala, who was able to steal the ball with a well-timed tackle. He passed the ball through to Smith, who in amongst a tangle of defenders was somehow able to get a shot on net. It was slightly deflected by Mellin, enough to nudge by Red Nines in goal and sent Ethane into the lead.

Bolgano were quick with the response though. Frizzel passed through to Evans, catching the Ethani defence sleeping on the job. Araújo comes into pounce on to the ball but ends up catching Evans instead, sending him sprawling to the ground. The referee blew his whistle, giving Bolgano a penalty and Araújo a yellow card. Evans took the penalty and calmly stroked it into the left corner of the goal, with Araújo diving the wrong way, tricked by Colt's player.

Ten minutes later, the Red Kites were back on top of the game and pushing for the goal to give them victory. The chance came in the 71st minute with a great passing play involving at least half the team. A beautiful shot by the substitute Burgess was only stopped by an even more beautiful save by Red Nines, sending it out for a corner kick. Atanga took it, sending it directly to Burgess again who was able to knock it in from the near post, beating Red Nines who was coming out to catch it.

The game went 5-3 in favour of Ethane with Kjaer stealing the ball from Merts, providing a deadly threat on the counter attack. Kjaer sent a beautiful pass over the top of the defensive line which Montoya was running on to. He managed to catch it with his foot, swivel at the edge of the box, and shoot, sending it in with a beautiful strike into the centre of the goal. Bolgano were in a spot of bother, with less than ten minutes on the clock and two goals to make up, against a team very happy to sit back and absorb the attacks Bolgano had to offer. A great opportunity came in the 88th minute with a mistake from James leaving the goal open, but Frizzel ended up blasting it wide and high.

They found the first of the two goals needed in the 90+1 minute, when a counterattack by Mellin with a slick pass through to Frizzel left him one-on-one with the keeper, able to slice it under Araújo. There was no celebrating though as they picked up the ball and ran back to the centre spot, rushing to push for that second levelling goal. However, there just wasn't enough time with the Red Kites able to stand firm against further Bolgano offensives, leaving no space for them to move up the pitch.

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Lineup against Abanhfleft

GK: Joss Araújo
LB: Cai Woods
CB: Nelson Romero
CB: Craig James
RB: Zakariya McArthur
CM: Leyton Underwood
CM: Alexander Kjaer
LAM: Josh Montoya
RAM: Kyle Ford
ST: Declan Smith
ST: Scott Burgess

[Zwangzug]

my head's on fire
how about yours
that's the way i hate it
it's a thing i've abhorred

hey now, this is the MD2 cutoff for groups 9-15
get your scores on

[Independent Athletes from Quebec]

OOC : Given the timeframe of WCQ in my calendar, expect this to have happened about a year before Jacques IX's passing and the Funeral, which is also RP'd in detail by myself and others on the current IBC thread.

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Sir. Alexandre Kim, whose 65th birthday was just 3 days ago, was reading the cover of Landslide Quebec's World Cup Qualifying edition at his office, when he heard the sounds of fireworks on the immediate minutes after the Grim Reapers' match. A long day in the office, he stayed at the Palais Royale, while his wife Leonora visited their son Wilhelm's household to see their granddaughter, Katherine. Unlike the Royal House, who were watching the football match in one of the salons, Alexandre decided to stay out of watching the television to focus on work.

Of course, there once was a time when the Private Secretaries also attended the game at either The Reneegrad or The Samseongoloondongjang. Both Alexandre and his predecessor, a certain late Sir. Michael Andrews, were avid football fans- Sir. Michael were longtime London FC fan while Sir Alexandre cheered for Montreal Koreana from early age- and it was of of course Sir Michael, who was already going to these games for ten years before that, present for each and every game the Royal House was to be present. He, then a young man, knew the social merits of being part of such games anyway, and getting to meet members of the RQFA, both Sporting councils of the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, and not to mention occasional cabinet and opposition politicians, were promising enough of a prospect that he felt just following along, as a simple Man of the Institution.

And he came to like the matches, and the Goods that it brought. For many years it went accordingly, as the Grim Reapers made two Round of Sixteen, two Quarterfinal and one Semifinal appearance in his time at the Royal Matches, and the practice continued for another thirteen years with the Commonwealth-level matches and tournaments after the RQFA were suspended by NSWC for excessive internal politicking between RSC and ISC, which caused its accreditation to be ripped apart.

Alexandre, however, had to discontinue the practice three years ago, when Jacques IX's health situation deteriorated to the point where it was advised that the monarch had to pick what duties to attend and what to give it up to then-eighteen years old Christine II, the Princess of Gaspesie. Without hesitation, he placed sports matches as one of those to be delegated to the Princess of Gaspesie, and since then left those duties to Yvon Joffre, Her Royal Highness' secretary. Of course, he knew it wasn't really his desire nor choice, and would have reconsidered such had he known that the illness of Jacques IX were to last for much longer than two he was originally diagnosed to live for. But it wasn't his choice to make anyway- the matter of having the highest-ranking Royal (not by age but by royal line of succession, in this case) be present at the Grim Reapers' match was something of high stakes. He knew very well from his time as late Sir Michael's assistant and that of his first seven years as his successor that whenever a Royal or two arrives at the Royal Suite at any of the CSKA Stadium, The Samseongoloondongjang or The Reneegrad, there would be lots of people and as a man who loved socialising with crowd, he knew that a lot of alcohol, enthusiasm and of course politics stemmed from it as well.

And even though the Royal Kingdom of Quebec was out of international, non-Commonwealth, footballing scene for a full sixteen year period, such enthusiasm and confidence many had for the Grim Reapers' were still present, as the Grim Reapers went onto beat Filindostan 4-1 at The Reneegrad. That's what Princess Christine and Yvon Joffre told him on the sunday brunch held at the Palais anyway, as they recounted the details of how the 102,448 fans in audience stood up and unexpectedly sang the Royal Anthem right after the National Anthem, and talked about what went right and wrong in the game. It even amazed Alexandre as well, given the Grim Reapers' particularly poor record on 'My Little Valladar Presents...The Grim Reapers V Exhibition Tour', and that only solidified what's already his faith in the power and strength the Quebecois monarchy bestowed upon its finest peoples.

Of course, it wasn't his matter of jurisdiction to intervene in any sport though. Both his athlete and middle-age days, while bright and burning as if it were a candle, were long behind, and he knew that all too well. Now his worry was to prepare for the time when his tenure as the King's Private Secretary ends, replaced by another tenure as the Queen's Private Secretary. Everybody in the nation knew that His Majesty, however strong he were in his twenties and thirties, was no longer the same King, and he, from time to time, blamed himself for following to the Royal Protocol and a decade of training as assistant to his predecessor.

Still, he knew that the change of throne was still going to excite many for it was, in some ways, like the fireworks that were being held outside after the news of Grim Reapers' victory against Poafmersia. While the Princess Christine, bright and dazzling creature of her own kind, was adjusting to the accelerated sense of expectation in the Palais Royale, he also knew that there were other matters where the world would place great expectations and awes upon her.

The first two of many to come, of course, were the eventual Coronation and the Royal Wedding. While late Sir. Michael taught him a thing or two about the Royal Marriages during his apprentice years, the last coronation happened when late Sir. Winston Allen-Homebush, Sir. Michael's predecessor, was in charge. He met the late Sir. Winston once, back in 2017, and he died a year after, so there was no way he could have contacted him barring a seance. That, exactly, was something he was going to have to learn and likely require the aid of the Queen Mother and the Prime Minister, a promising 49-year old fella named Kim Seung-Yoon. They would probably be able to advise the Queen on what proper measures to be taken and consequently, lessen the burden as well.

And then there are whole levels of concerns to made on the Royal Wedding, which caught even more of his mind the past six months at the office. While he read through Asher Lundrigan's article earlier, he briefly remembered the happy faces of the Queen Elizaveta and King Jacques; he recalled a scene of two on a walk they had on the Palace Gardens just two weeks ago, and hoped that whoever was going to be the lifelong partner would come to provide no less and all the more for the Princess as well. As someone who's watched the Princess since the age of five, he knew very well the streams of ever-circulating rumours and possibilities that came up with who were going to become the luckiest man. And while the Princess had a couple of quiet relationships in high schools, he was also aware that whoever was to become the next lucky bloke for her would be set for his life, not just as in material comfort, but also as in his binding through the centuries of royal accords and protocols. He just hoped that it would be someone befitting of a monarch and frankly he was worried too! Still, he knew from his two degrees at Universite St. Croix and three decades of working at the Palace that all Prince Consorts of Quebec were excellent (though that's because there were only four in past), and that Her Royal Highness were going to make a good choice....

[Sarzonia]

The morning after the emotional first match of World Cup qualifying saw many Sarzonia national football team players sleeping in their own beds. The abrupt change in schedule meant that the Stars started World Cup 85 qualifying with two home matches instead of away to Delaclava and home against Acronius.

It was just as well. The Stars knew little about their next opponents, who hadn't bothered to furnish a squad list or any details about their style of play to the Sarzonians. The Stars would have to rely on the scouting report from the Acronian 2-1 home defeat against unranked Huayramarca.

They were expecting Acronius to come out motivated to avoid falling into an 0-0-2 hole against the team ranked immediately higher in the world rankings than they were.

"The old saying is that a wounded animal is more dangerous," manager Kevin Connelly told a still-socially distancing collection of reporters assembled in the media room at Dave Wilson Stadium. "Acronius most likely are going to feel like they can't afford to drop a second straight match after losing at home to an unranked side."

After the press conference, Connelly thought about his remark. During the immediate previous World Cup qualifying cycle, his Stars were unranked and were expected to be cannon fodder for the other teams in Group 2. In general, they held up to that expectation in the first half of qualifying. No one expected the run of form that saw the Stars only lose to group heavyweights Banija in a 12-match stretch. No one expected them to critically damage group third seeds Abanhfleft's qualifying hopes with a draw. And no one expected the Stars to defeat the second seeds Brenecia by the same 3-1 away scoreline that the 19th ranked team in the multiverse hung on the Stars at Dave Wilson Stadium.

Then, after the Stars thought their belated magic carpet ride crashed down with an away draw to the other unranked side in the group, Atlantic Republic, they were invited to the Cup of Harmony, where they finished on the medal stand at a major football tournament for the first time in a long time.

One World Cup qualifying cycle after the incredible run that saw him walk back his plans to retire, Squornshelan republican media referred to pulling off a surprise run as "a Sarzonia" in honour of the team's giant-slaying ways.

They entered the previous cycle unranked and unheralded. They enter this cycle ranked 65th in the multiverse. They may not be in a position to qualify for a World Cup on cruise control, and they definitely aren't in a position to have the target on their backs that fellow Triple Crown winner Nephara does, but they won't sneak up on anyone now.

And speaking of Nephara, Connelly already plastered quotes from Nepharan media about Sarzonia and would use them to motivate his team. The so-called slights may not truly be slights, but that wouldn't stop Connelly from reminding his team that they were there to do a job.

All that would be in the future, however. Right now, he had enough to attend to in the present.

He wasn't entirely pleased with his team's performance against Delaclava. He reassured starting goalkeeper Paolo Gomes that he would see the pitch again, but he always intended for Carlton Sandt to get the start against Acronius no matter what happened against the Phoenixes.

The fact that Sandt's start would come so soon after Gomes's benching would create the beginnings of a goalkeeper controversy, and Connelly couldn't help but feel as though that would make former Stars keeper Mateo Sandoval smile after he was unceremoniously dumped from the team.

He had no way of knowing that Sandoval was in no condition to smile. Not when he stood high atop The Overpass in Woodstock, hearing the frantic pleas of his family to not leave his feet and this world along with them.

Being blacklisted by Sarzonian football after he was found to have lied about his age ruined Sandoval. It kept him from getting any employment other than the most menial of tasks.

He would eventually be talked down by Woodstock Police, who would contact a mental health facility in Corcorran that specialised in treating people who attempted or considered suicide. The fact that the facility was across the border in Delaclava was both a damnation of Sarzonia's health care, which was still a work in progress when compared to Delaclava's or Pacitalia's and a further testament to the relationship between Sarzonia and Delaclava.

Regardless of how the goalkeeper situation shook out, Sandoval's place in it was no longer a thing. Even though his life still was, it would never be the same.

[Balqia]

The constant tap in the table was making her go crazy. One of the members of the administrative sector of the Team kept knocking his fingers in the table, making a tiny, but annoying sound. Mary was about to knock her hand in his face when the manager suddenly entered the room. He was a tall man, with short black hair and blue eyes he stopped behind his chair and smiled, he only started to speak after waiting a minute, until it was exactly three o’clock.
— Hello, everyone, as you may know I am Mr. Markus Pikeviq, your boss. And today is our first administrative meeting, everyone will stand up and introduce themselves.
A very direct approach, he sat down in his chair and ordered the first man in his right to so. And so the first minutes went on, she just said her name and function, as expected. After finishing the manager started to speak again.
— Great! Now, let’s go to business. As you may see we are going to play tomorrow against…
— Sankt Konrad.
A woman by his said completed the information, she was so quiet until then that wasn’t noticed before.
— Mr Berka will tell us a little more about them now.
The coach got up and walked to a board where some graphs were projected. He walked too slowly, maybe it was caused by his old aged, denounced by white hair and tired eyes, or because of his weight, that was surely above average.
— Sankt Konrad, so… err… — He drank a bit of water — they come from a small island in the ocean, as most islands are, I think… — He coughed — but let’s go to what matters. They just got in the football world, coming fresh from the Baptism of Fire. However, we should not underestimate them, they played their first match and got a draw against Halipo… hapilopo… Halipopper.
He went back to his seat, the graphs were kept there unexplained.
— Great, Mr. Berka. Antonescus, what is the strategy?
Now a tall and slim man got up and went to the charts. He was in his mid forties, his hair was still brown and his green eyes were vivid. He smiled and talked very loudly.
— So! Our strategy is very simples indeed. We will use our good and old 4-4-2 formation with Tuqi and Torviq in the front. Coming from the Orsac Base Team both of them play very well together. Jogoliq will be in the middle with the others, he is still adapting to the team, but I expect good results. Berka and I agree that Trotz should be sent in the second half of the game in Valko’s place.
A man with round glasses raised his hand, Antonescu got silent in the same instant.
— Why will you send Trotz?
— Valko is getting tired too quickly recently, he has a good explosive drift, but when he is done with it he becomes a hindrance for the team. Trotz, in the other hand has a good resistance and is very offensive, we are going to be more aggressive in the second half than in the first.
The man nodded and Berka took his assistance place as speaker.
— Oh, and before I forget… — He coughed — We are going to send Zay too, probably in Tuqi’s place. Basically we will use the first period to… test… them, and then attack with full force in the second.
The room got silent after this, the manager got up and started to speak.
— Right, this part is over so we are going to the next one.— He got himself besides the graphs. — Those are our performances in the last participations. As you can see we got second place in the BoF, a good start, but when we reached the real stuff things got worse. In the last try qualifying stages we only reached the fourth and fifth place, a terrible result if we consider the heavy investment in the National Team.
The woman that was behind him approached the table with some papers and handed them to everyone.
— This year’s objective is simple: got classified. This is the team’s job, your’s is to help them. The paper in your hand is our action plan to achieve this and make our country proud, they contain information on your job and on the job of everyone else. I hope we all can work together very well to achieve this.
Everyone read their papers and the room got quiet for a moment. Pikeviq suddenly raised from his place and looked to her.
— Oh, I almost forgot. Mrs Rockwell and Mrs Riviera, please come here.
Mary was caught by surprise, she was not expecting that and wasn’t warned about anything. After getting besides the manager alongside a woman with dark hair and olive skin he spoke again.
— These two are our foreign spokesperson. I am expecting everyone to get along with them, they are going to speak for us in the foreign press and answer the media. So, I hope that they will be very well treated by you, any infringement of code of conduct will be dealt with harsh measures.
Everyone understood the message, they complimented them again and some even introduced themselves again. The meeting came to an end and everyone left the room, everyone besides the two foreigners.
— It’s a pleasure to meet you.
Mary complimented Riviera in balqese, but was answered in english.
— C’mon, you don’t have to be so formal. I’m Amanda Riviera, I’ll love to work with you.
— Oh, sure. We should…
—Well, I’m going, turn off the light. Bye!
Mary was left alone, she left the room and turned the light off, the corridors were as desert as the room, only a lost pen and security cameras make her some company.
— At least I made a friend... I think.

[Delaclava]

WCQ, Day 1: Stars' Campos hat trick buries fast Phoenixes start

Woodstock, SRZ — Jake Campos scored three goals in the second half to lead Sarzonia to a come-from-behind 6-4 victory over Delaclava in each team's opening World Cup qualification matches.

Delaclava got off to a fast start in front of a sold-out crowd of 105,900 at Dave Wilson Stadium, leading 4-1 after 36 minutes and chasing starting Stars keeper Paolo Gomes out of the game. But the Phoenixes were unable to adjust when the Stars eventually figured out how to temper the blistering offensive pace, nor when center back Valentin Gusev exited the game after the first half with a injury.

"This was a rough one to go through," Delaclava captain Keaton Durbridge said after the game. "We played a perfect game for about forty minutes. But we couldn't figure our way out of tough situations, and they showed that they've got a bit more experience."

Also littering the stat sheet for the Stars were Brady Reynolds with one goal and two assists, and Cayden Aguirre with a goal and an assist. For the Phoenixes, Lukas Meyer opened the game with a brace within twenty minutes, and Rhydian Campbell added a goal and an assist.

The Phoenixes initially appeared to be the quicker, stronger squad, overwhelming the Stars defense with relentless offense and furious counterattacks. Delaclava particularly stood out in the opening stage of the game for its success with generating more methodical possession opportunities and scoring chances within the box. Meyer unleashed a few threatening shots coming out of stellar individual plays, and he eventually broke through in the 12th minute, taking on a touch pass from Donato Girardi and beating Gomes all alone.

In a furious six minutes, Meyer added a second goal to finish an aggressive overlap run from Pavel Cicak, Aguirre halved the deficit with a volley off a Carlos Dos Santos cross, and Campbell extended the lead again with a shot from 25 yards out, from slightly to the left of middle into the right corner, which caught Gomes off guard. Dathan Ingram then added to the scoring, running through onto a deft flick from Dashaun Howard.

"We came out and imposed the game we wanted to play," Durbridge said. "We forced them to abandon their style and get on our level. Unfortunately, we let them beat us at our own game."

Disaster began in the 42nd minute, when Reynolds was given far too much time to advance towards the right side of the box, and took his chances with a hard drive that beat George Ross near side. Even worse, it appeared that the defense broke down on the play scrambling to compensate when Gusev went down awkwardly around the arc. He finished the half and the Phoenixes took a 4-2 lead into the locker room, but Chris Lang was in Gusev's place to start the second half.

Asked about the decision to pull Gusev, manager Tim Landers commented, "It was a tough choice. Maybe he could have gone on, but he was not moving well and we have twenty-five more games we need him for.

"Besides, Gusev is a very talented player, but no one on this team is good enough to be irreplaceable. They all know that if someone isn't ready to go, it's next man up and back to business. Losing Gusev was absolutely no excuse for how we played in the second half. We lost our confidence and Sarzonia had all the belief in the world they were going to win. All the credit goes to them."

Landers had no updates on Gusev's status for future games, adding, "We'll just have to see. I'm not going to try to force him in for the next few games if he's not 100 percent ready."

Sarzonia entered the second half down by two goals but quite evidently with more confidence and a home crowd that was now spurring on their team at the top of their lungs. Campos scored his first two goals four minutes apart, the first by heading in a free kick from Reynolds, and the second by finishing a counterattack that was instigated as Ernie Mabree won the ball in the defensive half and took it nearly all the way up the field to set up the score.

Landers made adjustments then, adding Kelly Joseph as a second center back to replace Ryan Keating and replacing Campbell at midfield with Alexei Gusev at forward. The addition of Joseph helped the Phoenixes stop the bleeding at 4-all, but the two teams played to a relative stalemate for the next 20 minutes. The crowd grew restless, wondering which team would bend first.

The difference came when Stars managed Kevin Connolly made his own adjustment, replacing Aguirre with Holly Cambrio. Cambrio immediately gave a different stylistic look that caused trouble for the Phoenixes backline, and soon enough notched the deciding goal herself. Left back Charlie King thwarted a Delaclav scoring chance with a clever intercept and lobbed up the field to Mabree, who once again led the charge towards the net before laying the ball off to Cambrio, who worked her way around Lang and tucked the ball into the low right corner past Ross.

With the crowd positively roaring now, Delaclava pushed even harder to rebut, but it backfired as a hasty opportunity fell apart and Cicak was forced to make a somewhat cynical tackle to thwart another counterattack. Cicak earned a yellow card for his trouble, and Reynolds connected with Campos for a goal that loudly echoed the one they'd created at the beginning of the half.

"They killed us on set pieces today," Landers said, "They had a distinct plan for those situations and we weren't up to the task."

Just three minutes after Delaclava was tied and pushing for a breakthrough, they were demoralized and done. The Stars had little trouble shutting down and protecting the two-goal lead, and the final whistle blew with the scoreline 6-4.

"The least we can say is that we joined up with the Stars and gave the fans a classic," Landers said. "We probably learned more than we would've liked today, but we will grow, for sure."

Referencing the pre-game ceremony (more after the jump) which honored victims of the recent viral outbreak in Sarzonia and the Cyanean scientists who developed treatment and vaccination for the disease, Landers added, "Honestly, it's about as good as a loss could feel. They're coming back from hard times and we all came together to celebrate a victory over that."

However, Durbridge took a different tack.

"I don't really give a shit about this being a feel good match," he proclaimed. "The opening ceremony was great, but after that we had a game to play and we didn't do it. This was one we needed to win and should have done. If we don't qualify, we're not going to be remembering how positive today was before we even starting playing. We'll be regretting that we let a big game slip out of our hands."

While Landers and Durbridge come from different generations and viewpoints, Durbridge's frustrations are understandable. The Phoenixes are now on a seven-game losing streak, adding six friendly losses on the front end of this qualification opener. Captain Durbridge is one of a few who have played all twenty games for the revamped squad, and they sit on a mediocre 5-2-13 record in all matches so far. Delaclava is looking for a shred of confidence, and the memories of their Wonder Cup run are fast fading.

In response to Durbridge's comments, Landers said, "I get it. I get his passion, and trust me, it's a big reason why he's our captain. Today was about more than football, it was a celebration of life, of cooperation and diplomacy.

"But it was still a football match, and we should've done better. I think we're on the same page, and we're going to regroup and keep moving forward."

Delaclava 4-6 Sarzonia

DEL, Meyer (Girardi) 12'. DEL, Meyer (Cicak, Girardi) 20'. SRZ, Aguirre (Dos Santos) 24'. DEL, Campbell (Durbridge) 26'. DEL, Ingram (Howard, Campbell) 35'. SRZ, Reynolds 42'. SRZ, Campos (Reynolds) 49'. SRZ, Campos (Aguirre, Mabree) 53'. SRZ, Cambrio (Mabree, King) 79'. SRZ, Campos (Reynolds) 82'.

---

More than a game: pregame ceremony honors heroes of viral outbreak

In a time where Delaclava is still re-establishing connections with the rest of the world, the Sarzonian football association found a way to celebrate the nation's international contributions.

A group of Delaclav medical researchers and professionals, which developed the cure and vaccine for a virus that claimed the lives of 28,000 Sarzonians, were invited to be recognized in a ceremony preceding the Delaclava-Sarzonia fixture. The event celebrated not only the scientific achievements of the team at the University of Rextaria, Corcorran, which developed the successful treatments, but the diplomatic relations that motivated labs and universities around Delaclava to provide assistance and opened the doors for communication between the two Cyanean governments.

Sarzonian President Grant Haffner was on hand to greet the personnel from URC and from hospitals around Rextaria, as well as to be honored himself for his decisive executive orders that minimized the damages done by the illness.

One of the honorees in attendance was Dr. Alyssa Etienne, chair of microbiology and immunology at URC. Dr. Etienne commented, "Our team embraced the opportunity to conduct the kind of research and work we do every day, and apply it to an imminent crisis. We have a very talented group that was incredibly motivated to find an effective solution.

"The lives already lost to this illness are tragic. However, we are hopeful that we as a region can come out of this with more appreciation of the fantastic scientific and academic research that being undertaken all across Delaclava, as well as international collaboration and disbursement of knowledge and development of best practices that will keep our citizens healthy."

When asked how she enjoyed the ceremony itself, Dr. Etienne laughed and replied, "It was actually a lot more pressure than the work itself. We knew we were in a time-sensitive situation, but we were fully focused and involved as a team. We didn't have thousands of people staring at us!"

The two opposing managers, Kevin Connelly and Tim Landers, were particularly struck with the moment and the crowd's reception. Connelly was quoted as saying:

"This is much bigger than football. This is a commemoration of the harmony that exists between our countries. It's a memorial to the people we lost. It's an acknowledgment of those who were left behind by the loss of people they love and care about. And it's a celebration of the spirit of Cyanea and the wonderful people who make up this continent."

Landers had similar sentiments to offer:

"When we go around the world representing Delaclava, it's much more than making our nation proud with our play on the field. Each match is a venue to either embrace a friendship between two nations, or perhaps to assuage a more hostile relationship. It was incredibly humbling to see what our allies have gone through, and what our fellow citizens have done to help. All we can do is provide a source of entertainment that fans can observe and rally around."

The game itself resulted in a 6-4 Sarzonian win. Make no mistake - the result matters. The Stars were overjoyed after the game and start off their World Cup campaign on the right foot. The Phoenixes were heartbroken and are left looking for answers, and they are facing a long and miserable qualification phase if they don't find those answers quickly.

But anyone in attendance could plainly see the day was special, and not just for what happened in ninety minutes of play, but also for the journey that led players and fans alike to that moment.

---

DFA announces tentative qualifying venues

The Delaclava Football Association released a statement earlier today with a schedule detailing the venues and cities that are currently assigned to host Delaclava's twelve home World Cup qualification matches.

The schedule includes a diverse array of locations: Manchester is the only venue currently slated to host multiple matches - three at the brand-new Pride of Manchester - with only two matches in Catherina (at the Delaclava National Athletic Complex), and three matches taking place in overseas provinces.

"With the schedule as it currently stands, we look forward to presenting high-quality football at locations around the country, giving a wider set of fans the opportunity to show their enthusiasm and spirit for the Phoenixes," the statement read.

Noting the lack of finality in the published document, the statement continued, "Details are still being finalized with each hosting location, and all venues which have traditionally been chosen to host significant domestic and international events should be prepared to host any of the listed matches."

The DFA confirmed the selection of Olympic Field, the fourth stadium at the National Complex, to host Delaclava's home opener against South Charlia. The stadium, previously named Quiranos Memorial Stadium, was renamed to "capture the Olympic history and spirit of Delaclav sports and to declare our mission as we move forward into this new era." A ceremony dedicating the field to a variety of sporting legends as well as the current national team will take place as a part of the christening.

Two other significant events are virtually set in stone, one of which is the grand opening of the Pride of Manchester. The construction of the new 110,000-seat stadium was motivated by a need to have an association football stadium befitting the now-largest city in Delaclava, as well as a desire to address the over-saturation of significant Delaclava matches at the National Complex, and to spread such matches around the vast geography.

"The stadium has finished constructive and has hosted some small matches and events, but we were looking forward to hosting a top opponent for the unveiling of our nation's new football masterpiece," the statement said with regard to the new stadium. "Sarzonia was the first such opponent on the schedule, and we look forward to hosting our neighbors to the north for this grand opening as well as the inception of the second half of World Cup qualification."

The Pride of Manchester is also slated to host Darmen and Jeruselem, which along with Sarzonia represent the four top seeds of the group. Delaclava will instead host Nephara, the top seed and No. 4 ranked team, at Valhalla Stadium in Valhalla. All four of these home matches against top-75 opponents take place in the latter half of qualifying.

The other is a planned dedication of Berrera Stadium, scheduled for the final qualifying match against Huayramarca. The second stadium at the National Complex, originally named Gareth Haschell Stadium, the 95,000-seat venue was renamed after the footballing legend, longtime national team captain, and patriarch Alessandro Berrera. The venue bears the name already and was used for several Baptism of Fire matches, but the official ceremony will take place in the qualifying finale, with family members invited to accept the honor.

"With our return to international football, it was fitting to re-dedicate two of our largest stadiums to our two greatest footballing figures," the statement added. "We previously re-dedicated our third stadium to Michelle Germaine in a recent friendly against Sarzonia, and we look forward to doing the same for this match. The qualification fate of the Phoenixes will likely be determined by then, but whether the match signifies the end of the road or the start of a greater opportunity, it promises to be a joyous day where we celebrate one of Delaclava's dearest native sons."

One curious decision is the assignment of the Simpralia match to an abandoned plot of land in Barrassia, the capital of the lands belonging to the militant group known as The Forgotten Army. There are no stadia constructed in these lands and the spectators would likely only be standing around the pitch looking on. The DFA statement did not provide any reasoning for this selection, nor could they be reached for further comment, but it stands out among the Phoenixes' final five matches, the other four of which will be played in front of crowds of 100,000 or more.

Complete Home Schedule (To Be Confirmed)

✓ MD3, vs. South Charlia (Home Opener) - Olympic Field (Dedication), Catherina (85,000)
✓ MD5, vs. Aimena - Jayji Stadium, Crystal Lake (23,000)
MD8, vs. Acronius - DENFO Stadium, Salem (20,000)
MD10, vs. Welzat - University Field, Velodri (17,500)
MD12, vs. Great Lausitz - The Void, Nonsense (45,000)
MD14, vs. Sarzonia - Pride of Manchester (Grand Opening), Manchester (110,000)*
MD15, vs. Competitive Solitaire - Babbage Grounds, Mariana (52,000)
MD17, vs. Darmen - Pride of Manchester, Manchester (110,000)
MD19, vs. Jeruselem - Pride of Manchester, Manchester (110,000)
MD22, vs. Simpralia - Abandoned plot of land, Barrassia (None specified)
MD24, vs. Nephara - Valhalla Stadium, Valhalla (105,000)
MD26, vs. Huayramarca (WCQ Finale) - Berrera Stadium (Dedication), Catherina (95,000)

* Sarzonia will serve as the official home team for this fixture.

[South Covello]

SoCo Goes Loco, a South Covello Soccer Podcast

Shawn Burst: Hey Hey, welcome in everyone, I'm Shawn Burst, co-host of the SoCo Goes Loco soccer podcast, the greatest podcast ever to cover South Covello soccer, joined as always by Jason St. Pierre and Bozo Bryant, and now our brand new, fourth co-host, Christina Archuleta! Say hi, Christina!

Christina Archuleta: Yoohoo, I'm here, whoopdedoo!

Jason St. Pierre: Hi all, good to be back in action.

Bozo Bryant: Yep, and today we're going to preview South Covello's group in World Cup Qualifiers for World Cup 85.

Shawn Burst: So South Covello is in Group 4, and today we're going to go through each of their groupmates and preview each one.

Christina Archuleta: Groupmates? So they're mating with them? Ewww....

Bozo Bryant: No, Christina, just no. Let's not go there please.

Jason St. Pierre: Anyway, so South Covello's first groupmate is Taeshan, which is two letters greater than Eshan but we all know Eshan's superior.

Shawn Burst: Yeah, but Taeshan's pretty good too, they'll be a tough win.

Christina Archuleta: But I thought Taeshan and Eshan were the same thing and Eshan was his last name and Ta was his first name.

Bozo Bryant: Really, Christina? Come on, now, really? That's not even wrong, that's ... I don't even know what it is.

Shawn Burst: Anyway, next up is North Quadana.

Christina Archuleta: Quadana? That's what ducks say, right? Quadana quadana quasdana, feed me bread! Mmmm now I want bread, I'm going to go bake some bread when I'm done with this podcast.

Jason St. Pierre: Yeah, you do that Christina.

Bozo Bryant: What kind of bread will it be?

Christina Archuleta: Sourdough. Last time I made that I set my house on fire and I want to do better this time.

Shawn Burst: Well it would be hard to do worse.

Bozo Bryant: Anyway, next up is Maccian, which as we all know is named for the famous fast food restaurant, Maccian Donnels, or something like that.

Christina Archuleta: Ooh, I'll get a Maccian Donnels chicken sandwich and put it on the sourdough I make!

Jason St. Pierre: But if it's already a sandwich, why would you put it on bread?

Christina Archuleta: So it will be a sandwich sandwich, like duh.

Shawn Burst: OK, sure, whatever.

Bozo Bryant: Next up is Flavoespia, who I always called Flavosepia but now I realize I was wrong.

Jason St. Pierre: Christina, what are you doing on your camera?

Christina Archuleta: Licking up the flavo from the sepia coffee table. It tastes like dirt and stale coffee. Mmmmmm.

Shawn Burst: Anyway, next up is Eastfield Lodge, which as we all know is the older brother of Westfield House.

Christina Archuleta: Is Westfield House real?

Shawn Burst: No, I was joking.

Christina Archuleta: Are waffles real?

Shawn Burst: Yes, waffles are real.

Christina Archuleta: You weren't joking?

Shawn Burst: When did I mention waffles?

Christina Archuleta: You said they were real.

Shawn Burst: Yes, after you asked.

Christina Archuleta: Yes, I know.

Shawn Burst: Then why did you - oh, never mind.

Bozo Bryant: OK, next up is a nation literally called A Flock of Seagulls, though we know absolutely nothing about them, not even a roster.

Christina Archuleta: They're roosters? You said rooster. I thought they were seagulls, and so they must be pumpkins..... Ooh boy, pumpkins!

Jason St. Pierre: No, they're seagulls, we think, they're probably a flock of seagulls, that is what they're called, but who the hell knows.

Bozo Bryant: Christina, what in tarnations are you doing?

Christina Archuleta: I'm turning the camera into pumpkin pie so I can feed it to the gators of A Flock of Seagulls.

Shawn Burst: I won't ask.

Jason St. Pierre: Probably for the best.

Bozo Bryant: Anyway, next up is West Pocono, who we drew with 0-0 in our first game. They are so boring that I don't really care to analyze them, that's why we played a 0-0 game against them, they didn't get a single shot on goal, we got two, it was super boring, or something like that, why would we even watch it?

Christina Archuleta: For the streaking alligator nudists throwing pumpkins at the crowd, obviously!

Jason St. Pierre: What? None of that happened! None of it at all!

Bozo Bryant: Anyway, next up is Melbergia. And we know nothing about them, but -

Christina Archuleta: Do you know what a Mel Burger is? It's a burger topped with pumpkins and alligator cheese and porcupine balls and cheese corn and kumquats and the ears of a million hippos.

Jason St. Pierre: If you say so, I'll take your word, I guess.

Christina Archuleta: Sweet Baby Kumquat Jesus, I was right!

Bozo Bryant:/ See, this is what happens when you encourage her, Jason.

Shawn Burst: Anyway, next up is Freeport, so named because it is a free port.

Christina Archuleta: Well then I claim it for myself because it's free, free, free, free, free, just like that Sybil woman from the Free Republics promises, Sybil Teachcorn or whatever her name is.

Bozo Bryant: Ehhh, sure, let's go with that.

Shawn Burst: Next up is Main Nation Ministry, run by a Lord Almighty Gregory Wannabee known only as The Leader. But with the former LAG dead and the new one in an island prison with his cronies, The Leader may now be the most evil leader on Earth.

Shawn Burst: But doesn't he assassinate media who say mean things about him? So let's be nice and not call him a Lord Almighty Gregory Wannabee.

Bozo Bryant: All right then. Oh, The Leader, you are infinitely beneficent, and infinitely wise, and we would love to have you on our podcast, and we most certainly would not feed you to the hungry hungry alligators off our coast in the beautiful Bay. But I'm sure that if we did do that, you would taste wonderful because you are the best tasting leader of all time. Just in case you're listening.

Christina Archuleta:/ Oh boy, I want to eat The Leader! Does he taste like pumpkins? Or kumquats?

Shawn Burst: SHUT UP, CHRISTINA! DO YOU WANT TO DIE?

Christina Archuleta: Do I want to pie? Do I ever!

Bozo Bryant: Oh, The Leader, please forgive our idiot friend here, as you are infinitely forgiving, just in case you're listening!

Shawn Burst: Next up is the oddly named The Appraisal To The Allmighty MR TAYTO.

Bozo Bryant: And they spelled Almighty wrong.

Christina Archuleta: Yeah, they forgot the Q and the Z and the J and the smiley face and the x-ray machine and the -

Jason St. Pierre: Who hired you, anyway?

Christina Archuleta: You did, to a ten-year contract!

Jason St. Pierre: Was I drunk?

Bozo Bryant: Unfortunately, you were, and if we fire her before then we have to pay her 1 billion liberos.

Shawn Burst: How much are we paying her now?

Bozo Bryant: Nothing, she just gets 2% of the profits from this podcast plus three kumquats a week.

Shawn Burst: Ehhh, fine, sure, whatever.

Jason St. Pierre: And the last team in our group is Sylestone, but thanks to Christina's antics, we are out of time and don't have time to discuss them.

Christina Archuleta: Wait? There's one more team? Who are they again? Who are we forgetting!

Bozo Bryant: The last team us us, Christina?

Christina Archuleta: This podcast is playing in the World Cup?

b]Jason St. Pierre:[/b] I give up! We're done! Good night, everyone!

[Terre Septentrionale]

Terre Septentrionale beats Chromatika

Chromatik City, Chromatika - On matchday one of the qualifications, the Nordiques played against Chromatika, the team they have to beat if they want their ticket to the World Cup. The Chromatiks are only 15 ranks ahead of Terre Septentrionale but they were the clear favourites to win. They were at home in a sold out 144 000 seats stadium with the vast majority of the fans being from Chromatika. It probably was the most hostile environment the Reprezentacja Nordycki has ever faced and they responded well, with a 3-2 win against Chromatika. The Chromatiks attacked at the 22nd minute when Enigma Armageddon passed to Jazmin Dragana who dribbled with the ball and made a header pass to Keira Andisori who heads the ball right into the net and it was 1-0 Chromatika. Terre Septentrionale attacked at the 33rd minute when Yannick Ksiezniakiewicz passed to Roksana Kolodziejczyk who dribbled and passed to Sandrine Fontaine. Fontaine passed to her right to Sandie McCracken who faked to shoot but the passed behind to Roksana Kolodziejczyk who dribbled and shoot the ball and it's a goal! The game was tied at 1-1. That was the score at the halftime.

The Northmen attacked early at the 49th minute when Sandrine Fontaine passed to Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa who shoots but Mia Ria deflects the ball and it goes behind the net. It's a corner kick for the Nordiques and it was taken by Élisabeth Normandin. Normandin kicks the ball in front of the net and both Sandrine Fontaine and Kattie Will jumps to get the ball but Fontaine jumps higher and heads the ball into the net. Terre Septentrionale is leading 2-1. The Chromatiks tied the game at the 63rd minute when Hermaeus Mora had the ball and he made a short pass to Kaytlyn Victoriane who kicks the ball and it's in. The game is tied again. Chromatika attacked again at the 85th minute but Retta Conrad's pass was intercepted by Zdzislaw Brzezanczyk who passed the ball to Élisabeth Normandin who counter attacked. She dribbled with the ball and passed forward to Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa. She was on a one on one with Mia Ria and she kicks the ball. Ria almost stopped the ball but she slightly touched it and it's a goal. Instead of the Chromatiks celebrating what could've been Ria's best save in her career, it's Terre Septentrionale celebrating Cwierczakiewiczowa's most important goal in her career and Terre Septentrionale won 3-2!

BOXSCORE

22nd minute: Keira Andisori assisted by Jazmin Dragana
33rd minute: Roksana Kolodziejczyk assisted by Sandie McCracken
49th minute: Sandrine Fontaine
63rd minute: Kaytlyn Victoriane assisted by Hermaeus Mora
85th minute: Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa assisted by Élisabeth Normandin

YELLOW CARDS

8th minute: Kai Dias
58th minute: Wlodzimierz Waclawczyk
70th minute: Hermaeus Mora

RED CARDS

None

Day 1 and next matchday

With this win on day 1, Terre Septentrionale is in 1st place, tied with 5 other teams, for 3 points. In our group, The Jovannic surprised everyone with a 2-1 win against Eshan and The Sarian tied 1-1 with Sanctanus. Savojarna, Northwest Kalactin and Adyatin also won. In other groups, BoF winners Mavinet beat Pasarga 1-0 and Banija beat Mercedini 3-0. On next matchday, Terre Septentrionale will receive Sabalonia at home at Laszlo Kocsis Stadion in Szentgyörgyvölgy. The stadium is already sold out with almost no tickets for Sabalonia fans travelling to Terre Septentrionale. Vainqueur will still be in net, but Weronika Zubrowska is expected to start instead of Slawomir Skrzeszewski. Przemyslaw Tkocz and Kévin Maillé-Chicoine are also expected to be in the starting XI instead of Élisabeth Normandin and Sandie McCracken.

Wlodzimierz Pietruszewski,
Senior writer,
La tribune Septentrionale

[Alba and Cymru]

ԬԬԬ The Celtic Times ԬԬԬ
Bringing Light to a World in the Dark

Celts Suffer 0-1 Loss in First Qualifying Match
Glasgow, Alba

The Celtic Football team suffered its first loss to Adyatin in the first round of the qualifying matches of the 85th World Cup in Glasgow on Sunday. Many sports analysts were paying close attention to this head-to-head match between the two newcomer nations, whose defensive capabilities have gained respect of the football world. The match saw little gains in the first half, with long possessions by both offenses leading to no result. Excellent passes by the Celtic front and midfield led to great plays for the goal, but Adyatin goalkeeper Serhiy Makhaulin was quick on his feet to keep the ball out off the net. Alba and Cymru also provided some decisive defensive plays. Several steals in the backfield by Jarquín Ramos, Teàrlach Levenax, and Ine Wes Seaxe lowered the shot count of Adyatin.

Adyatin's major break came late in the second half, as a penalty against Wilhelm Eisenhauer drawn by Adyatin striker Slavomir Hautarovich provided a 1v1 battle against Johannes Werner. Werner dove left to block Hautarovich's penalty shot, but the ball went to the left, giving the lead to Adyatin, who would defend the rest of the match against a frantic Celtic frontline, who was unsuccessful at tying the game.

"This was a very winnable match," said Celtic head coach Coinneach MacDunn. "We fought hard, yes, but there were some things that we didn't do so well on offense. We took shots where there shouldn't have been. A few bad passes and broken lines gave the advantage to [Adyatin]. I think this is a good introduction to what we're going to be seeing in this caliber of competition. This won't be a walk in the park, and I hope my men learn that after what they've seen today."

"I'm glad we've finally got to play [Alba and Cymru]," said opposing team captain Ivan Yushchenko. "We have been looking forward to a match with this team since the Baptism of Fire. I've heard their defense is on a different level, and I'm glad that we've somehow managed to pull through. I wish them good luck in the rest of the qualifiers, and we'll see them again in a couple of weeks."

"Definitely not what we wanted," responded Celtic footballer Francesco Persico. "There was more we could've done, and it's dissapointing to say that we didn't leave everything on the pitch. You learn from your mistakes, and I hope the rest of the team takes the mistakes we've made tonight and amends them tomorrow against Jovannic."

Game stats for Adyatin (1-0-0):

Group Rank: 2nd
Shots: 11
Goals: 1 (Slavomir Hautarovich, 72')
Possession: 42'
Saves: 9
Fouls: 11
Yellow: 1
Red: 0
Injuries: 1 (Petro Simunov, bloody nose [will return next match])

Game stats for Alba and Cymru (0-1-0):

Group rank: 8th
Shots: 9
Goals: 0
Possession: 48'
Saves: 10
Fouls: 9
Yellow: 2 (Johannes Werner, Not Lionel Messi)
Red: 0
No Notable Injuries

Alba and Cymru will fly out tommorow to The Jovannic (1-0-0), while Adyatin will return home to take on The Sarian (0-0-1).

---

Protests Over Tainted Water Supply in Cardiff
Caerdydd, Cymru

Thousands of Celtic citizens took to the streets of Cardiff to protest against negligent government policies that have resulted in the chronic deterioration of the city's water distribution system. Researchers in early 2018 found that elevated levels of dissolved lead were present in Cardiff's water supply, and dangerous levels have persisted to the present day. Concerned citizens have filed many petitions demanding that the city council set aside funding to renew the water lines, but no action has been taken thus far.

A watch group named Ceartas Saoranach has organized a week-long protest outside of the city government building in order to persuade the city to fix the ongoing issue. The group gained the support of tens of thousands throughout Alba and Cymru, and their numbers showed Sunday as more than 8,000 citizens came to Cardiff to support the cause.

"It's really a disgrace that I pay thousands of doiliers in taxes while none of it goes into repairing our utilities," said concerned citizen Sìm Deòir. "We voted this government in to help us, not to leech off of us. The king himself does more for our city, but we've never voted for him, and he lives hundreds of [miles] away. It's time for the city to step up and do its job."

"What needs to be known is that the city of Cardiff runs a very tight budget," responded city council member Lùcas MacCnaimhin of the Conservative Party. "Most of our funding goes into the public essentials already: schools, public safety, garbage disposal, etcetera. We are making plans and allocating additional resources to tackle this city's water problem, but it takes time to complete this process. I fully understand the public's impatience, and I can fully assure them that they will begin to see progress very soon, and this problem should be fully resolved within the next year.

---

Trans-Caucasus Free Trade Agreement to be Put Into Law
Grozny, Chechnya

Politicians from across Europe's tallest mountain range have finalized a sweeping economic agreement that is expected to bring billions in revenue to the 17 nations who have signed it. The Trans-Caucasus Free Trade Agreement will eliminate all import and export tariffs on items on transit in the Caucasus, as well as lower visa requirements of citizens travelling between Caucasian countries. Supporters of this new deal expect to see greater economic prosperity to the region, which has been stricken by stagnation for the past two decades. Opponents worry that major countries in the Caucasus - including Georgia, Armenia, and Chechnya - will benefit greatly at the expense of smaller economies.

The Celtic Times will keep a close watch on the future of this trade deal.

---

Astronomers Discover Nearest Centaur to Date
San Francisco, Californian Republic

Centaurs are small astronomical bodies - most often asteroids - which orbit the sun between the orbits of Jupiter and Neptune. Such objects are rare, and often have unstable orbits. Only a few dozen have been discovered so far, and an estimate on the exact number of centaurs ranges from a few thousand to a few million.

This week, astronomers from the University of California at San Francisco have discovered a peculiar object close to the planet Jupiter. Nicknamed "Bee-Zed", this centaur is special in that its orbit around the sun is stable, and also retrograde. Astronomers were puzzled at first at the fact that a near-Jupiter object with such dynamic properties exists, and how physics would allow the object to be stable. However, more studies in the orbital motion of Bee-Zed shows that it is in an 1:-1 orbital resonance with Jupiter, something which was once considered impossible. Jupiter acts as a kind of balancer for Bee-Zed, changing its orbit every 6 and a half years in order to achieve its strange resonance.

UCSF plans to continue its watch on Bee-Zed, and they hope to find more objects like it near Jupiter or the other gas giants.

---

Choice Scripture for Today
The Orthochronica: Chapter 33, "Na Galatianaich" (The Galatians): Verse 22:

22 And yet another endowment upon Mankind are the Heavens and the Earth, which bear a multitude of peoples and tongues. Indeed, this is a testament to the wise.

[New Lusitania and the Algarves]

STL|Serviços de Transmissão Lusitana
Sport | Football|
World Cup 85

[size=150]STANDING START
Muradil 1-1 New Lusitania
@ Muradil FA Stadium, Muradil

...and they're off! Yes, it's the start of yet another cycle of thrills and football here at the World Cup and for New Lusitania it all begins here in Muradil. Muradil of course a country that was in the Baptism of Fire, but shouldn't be underestimated. New Lusitania would start with Antonio Lopes in goal and Guerreiros, Leiteiro and Cancela in defence. Nevais further up in midfield as Mário, Fernando and Gama would complete the middle of the park as Veiga, Jota and surprisingly Paciente completed the group.
The whistle blew and it all began. It was a tight first half with fewer chances than expected as the teams were locked in a midfield battle. Muradil got a couple of shots in during the first half but were all saved. New Lusitania had a good chance as well when Gama crossed it in to the box and Jota hit the bar. Later on, he would cross yet again but Paciente could only get a volley to the post. A very interesting forty-five minutes were over before they knew it, as the referee blew the whistle for the second half. New Lusitania got off on the right foot and a neat through ball from Mário into the area would see Jota take the first goal of qualification for the Selecção. However the job wasn't done yet. Muradil had believed in making a statement in the first match and so by seventy minutes, a rare mistake by Nevais saw the opportunity for the opposition to score. However, there were still twenty minutes left and that meant there was still plenty to pay for. As time ticked on, time also became more precious. On eighty-two minutes, Fernando has sent the ball into Paciente's way for him to put it in the back of the net. As a couple already celebrated, the flag went up in the sidelines in a moment which resulted in some protests. The leg was shown to be just outside in the replay and so the referee had indeed made the right call, whilst Paciente was lucky not to get a booking. In the dying moments of the game however, disaster struck for the Lusitanians - a penalty for Muradil. The game would be halted for several minutes as the player was treated and meanwhile discord reigned between players. Eventually the offender, Cancela was handed a yellow card which once again was debatable as through the words of one commentator "I've seen those given many times through the way of a red". With things calming down, the Muradil forward stepped up to the penalty area taking a few paces back. This was a match-deciding moment. The whistle blew. The kick was taken... but saved! Antonio Lopes guessed it right with just a bit to the right, it wasn't a bad a penalty however with plenty of flair. With a few extra moments given, not much else could be done and both sides would have to be pleased with a draw. FULL TIME: 1-1

Around the Grounds
Top seed Turori took the day off giving the others a chance to get that psychological edge at the top. Astograth would sit top on goal difference following a convincing home win against Necosia (3-0), with Audioslavia managing a 2-1 victory against TJUN-ia. Sajnur kicked off with a great showing against Jeckland in one of the highlight games of the round (5-3) but probably not the best in the group itself following Villablanca's surprise away victory against E.O.T. as Porticalia managed their first point following a goalless draw with a returning Natanians & Nosts. Behind Astograth are Sajnur and Audioslavia joining them on three with Villablanca. Muradil, N&N, New Lusitania and Porticalia stay mid-table with a point as the rest are down at the bottom with Turori still yet to start.


THE HUB
Goals: Jota (1)
Assists: Mário (1)
Bookings: Cancela (1Y)
Injuries: -
Next Match: Audioslavia (H), Jamor - STL1 17h