World Cup 85 || RP Thread

[Kandorith]

Shinonome Kyoai - International
News From The Empire

---

Kandorith Shuts Down Equestria

*  Group 11                              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Equestria                              18   13   5   0    53   26  +27    44
 2 HUElavia                               18   13   1   4    51   31  +20    40
 3 Xanneria                               17   10   6   1    47   28  +19    36
 4 Kandorith                              18    8   7   3    45   34  +11    31
 5 Vdara                                  18    9   3   6    36   34   +2    30
 6 Ancherion                              18    5   6   7    36   36    0    21 
 7 Fujai                                  17    5   6   6    30   37   −7    21
 8 Nooooooooooooooo                       18    5   5   8    34   36   −2    20 
 9 Blouman Empire                         17    4   4   9    31   38   −7    16 
10 Monglechabagd                          17    4   4   9    28   41  −13    16 
11 Jamestownnnn                           17    4   2  11    31   46  −15    14 
12 Lo Santano                             17    2   6   9    26   41  −15    12 
13 South Concepthuania                    18    3   3  12    25   45  −20    12

Tenkyo, In yet another absolute spectacle the Lotus Warriors manage to do just what they had to do, keep Equestria at bay. With brilliance and determination the Kandorese midfield did not give any way to the vastly higher ranked Equestria, the current number one of the group. Although for Kandorith to still qualify will be determined by other factors, for now the road still looks towards a positive outcome and the fans could not be happier. The Kandorese national team looks at their top of fitness and ability and they are showing that with great finesse as they play the ball around the field; a good sign for better things to come in Kandorese football history. The players and Hayabusa himself are cautiously positive with this and the previous match, the road ahead might be somewhat easier than the opponents they had to face until now. With the toughest opponents now played two times, Kandorith should be able to get a victory in all remaining matches which might be just enough to place themselves for the World Cup.

"It is going to be a very tough battle and we have to look towards the top three how their matches play out." Hayabusa said. "I believe in the Kandorese spirit and our ability to start another winning streak like we did in the previous leg of the qualification campaign. With drawing against Equestria for a second time we have shown we can take up a battle with the big ones in the world of football. Drawing against the number eight in the world is not a small feat and especially not for a smaller side like us. I think this is definitely a sign of what is to come for our football history and a huge leap in the world of sports for our nation. Of course we are still going for qualification for the World Cup but this will be a tough run. I believe in this squad and I know the nation believes in them too, not qualifying would of course be disappointing. Yet, I do not think the fans will be angry if we do not make it as long as we play our very best. I believe we could have gotten a win out of the game against Equestria but I think it is better to focus on winning against the rest of the group, not the number one.

"Our next opponent are a side to be reckoned we won the last match against them just barely at home. We have to be cautious to not show them too much of the ball and once again take a controlling presence on the field. I do believe we are up to the task as we have honed our skills and tactics throughout the campaign. Just like Equestria, the Blouman Empire will be facing a different Kandorith; a more versatile and experience team which now works like a well oiled machine. Just like in previous matches and the upcoming matches we should be the team to be in control; take possession and refuse to let go of it. I have great respect for all the sides we face, but when it comes to the situation on the field; we have to win every match, when possible."

The upcoming match in the Blouman Empire will be played at the Cork Park Stadium and will be mostly surrounded by another special occasion. Her Imperial Highness, the Empress will be attending the game at the stadium on invitation of the emperor and empress of the Blouman Empire. The event will mark the second time for the Empress to visit a foreign nation which is not a former part of the empire and the third time the empress leaves the nation at all. Even more noteworthy however is the fact Empress Masumi will be attending a state banquet at the Upspring Palace in honour of the occasion. Many details have not been revealed but there were no expenses spared for the event. As with any event happening within Kandorith involving the imperial house, many will of course try to catch a glimpse of the young empress while she is visiting the Blouman Empire. There have already been small scale events set up to try and set up meetings with the empress though it is unknown if the imperial delegation has answered their calls. For the Kandorese fans and the national team it will be an absolute morale boost to have the empress visit them even when playing far away from home. For people at home things are becoming even more clear; the Kandorese nation is changing at its' core and changing with the world, for a better and brighter future.

The royal banquet will be held in the evening with an approximate two-hundred attendees and will take place in the grand ballroom of the Upspring Palace and will include the players and staff of the two national teams. The main attendees will of course be Empress Masumi, Emperor Henry IV and Empress Chelsea of the Blouman Empire. Among the rest of the attendees will also be other members of the Blouman Empire's imperial family and other highly ranked officials and people of interest. For the Empress it will be the first official state banquet outside of the empire and there is a lot to look forward too. Many people believe this is another great step towards more greatness of the Kandorese nation on the world stage. The Prime Minister and imperial delegation took a more careful approach in addressing the event, they have downplayed any large plans and words and even told people not to think "too much of it" but rather see it as a business card for the Kandorese empire towards other nations.

[Terre Septentrionale]

OOC: Sorry for the lack of RPs lately, I'm kinda lazy

Terre Septentrionale beats Adyatin

Rzodkiewnica, Catherine-Ouest - After sitting in 7th place on their bye week, Terre Septentrionale won two games in a row. A 2-1 win against Sanctanus and now a fantastic 5-2 win versus Adyatin at home in Rzodkiewnica. This game features two teams who shares the same colors: green, white and red. Terre Septentrionale was the first team to score, at the 7th minute, when Élisabeth Normandin passed to Sandrine Fontaine who dribbled and made a short pass to Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa who kicks the ball between Serhiy Makhulin's legs and the score was 1-0. 2 minutes later, Adyatin attacked when Petro Simunov passed the ball to Andrei Maritsyn who dribbled with the ball and made a cross to Adyatin's captain Ivan Yushchenko. Yushchenko shoots and he scores. The score is tied at 1-1. The Nordiques attacked at the 39th minute when Slawomir Skrzeszewski passed to Roksana Kolodziejczyk who dribbled and passed to Sandie McCracken. McCracken made a header pass to Sandrine Fontaine in the penalty area and she heads the ball right ino the net. Terre Septentrionale is leading 2-1 and this is the halftime.

Terre Septentrionale attacked at the 58th minute when Sandrine Fontaine had the ball and passed to Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa in the penalty area but Heorhiy Alekseev trips her and he recieves a yellow card. Cwierczakiewiczowa looks hurt but she finally wakes up and, we can't hear from the press box, but it looks like she told the team doctors she can continue. She takes the penalty, she kicks the ball and the ball is in but she falls to the ground again, holding her leg (not the one she used to kick the ball) and she's clearly hurt again. She will be replaced with Tymoteusz Swierczewski and Terre Septentrionale will use a 3-6-1 formation instead of a 3-5-2. The score is 3-1 Reprezentacja Nordycki. Terre Septentrionale attacked again at the 65th minute when Élisabeth Normandin passed to Wlodzimierz Waclawczyk who dribbled with the ball and passed to Sandie McCracken who kicks the ball and it's another goal. 4-1 Terre Septentrionale. Adyatin attacked at the 79th minute when Heorhiy Alekseev ran with the ball and passed to Juraj Dmitriyev who dribbled with the ball and passed to Patryk Hronek, who subbed in for a midfielder. Hronek kicks the ball ans it's in. The score is now 4-2. Adyatin attacked at the 88th minute when Andrei Maritsyn's pass intended to Slavomir Hautarovich was blocked by Zdzislaw Brzezanczyk. Brzezanczyk clears the ball and the ball is loose in Adyatin's territory. Roksana Kolodziejczyk is the first player to reach to the ball and she's on a one on one with Serhiy Makhulin. She dribbles and kicks the ball, it's another goal and the score is 5-2 for the Northmen. This is the final score.

BOXSCORE

7th minute: Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa assisted by Sandrine Fontaine
9th minute: Ivan Yushchenko assisted by Andrei Maritsyn
39th minute: Sandrine Fontaine assisted by Sandie McCracken
58th minute: Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa (penalty)
65th minute: Sandie McCracken assisted by Wlodzimierz Waclawczyk
79th minute: Patryk Hronek assisted by Juraj Dmitriyev
88th minute: Roksana Kolodziejczyk (unassisted)

YELLOW CARDS

14th minute: Élisabeth Normandin
24th minute: Ivan Yushchenko
44th minute: Wlodzimierz Waclawczyk
58th minute: Heorhiy Alekseev

RED CARDS

None

Back on track

Terre Septentrionale slipped at the 7th place on their bye week, but two matchdays later, the Nordiques are back on track. They're currently sitting in 5th place with 29 points in 17 games. It's just one point behind The Sarian and Eshan, both with 30 points. There's actually 6 teams fighting for the 2nd place and - well, we're too lazy in Terre Septentrionale and a journalist from Chromatika did the job for us - Terre Septentrionale seems to have the most favorable calendar among these teams fighting for the 2nd spot. On matchday 20, the Northmen will travel to The Jovannic. Georges-Kévin Vainqueur will rest and will be replaced in the net with Jennifer O'Byrne. Fryderyka Cwierczakiewiczowa, currently day to day, will also be watching the game from the sidelines.

Wlodzimierz Pietruszewski,
Senior writer,
La trinune septentrionale

[Kohnhead]

Kohnhead plays Lochario to a draw



Back home at Orange Bull Arena, Kohnhead hosted the struggling Ginger Tigers from Lochario. These two also had a draw in their first match against each other, when Kohnhead traveled to their place. Overall The Brains probably deserved a win but unfortunately they failed to do that. Jackson Newcastle made one costly mistake late in the game which blew the win.

The game started off well for Kohnhead as in the 9th minute number 9 Audrey Henderson would strike for Kohnhead. She normally plays striker but can play in the midfield too and here she sent a beautiful ball into the back of the net and was assisted by Korkson.

The Ginger Tigers came storming back and evened the score in the 23rd minute. Overall the defense for Kohnhead in this game was sloppy and should have/could have been better pretty easily.

Just after halftime in the 51st minute Aaron Korkson would score a one timer into the upper corner of the net. Kohnhead just needed to hold on for the win which they almost did.

In the 87th minute disaster struck as Jackson Newcastle was caught half asleep and way out of position for the Lochario counterattack and they were able to lift a ball over his head.

Group 2                                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kita-Hinode                                  17   14   3   0    43   16  +27    45
 2 Drawkland                                    18   11   2   5    36   22  +14    35
 3 Squornshelan Remnant States                  17   11   1   5    40   29  +11    34
 4 Kohnhead                                     17    9   4   4    34   26   +8    31
 5 Busoga Islands                               17    9   3   5    36   24  +12    30
 6 Torisakia                                    18    7   6   5    36   29   +7    27
 7 Wreckeria                                    17    7   3   7    33   38   −5    24
 8 Donnacona                                    18    7   2   9    27   24   +3    23
 9 Gyatso-kai                                   18    5   5   8    38   40   −2    20
10 Lochario                                     18    4   5   9    24   38  −14    17
11 Jantor                                       18    3   4  11    22   40  −18    13 X
12 Balaslandia                                  18    4   0  14    30   51  −21    12 X
13 EGM                                          17    2   4  11    19   41  −22    10 X

In the group 2 standings you can see that Kohnhead are only 4 points off of Drawkland due to them losing to the third place team Squornshelan Remnant States. Another big thing of note is Busoga Islands is now just one point off of Kohnhead for 4th. Kohnhead have a game on hand against Drawkland but need to get these wins. I hope they can get the win against Torisakia in their next game. The roster will be the same as Ida Cogginter is not yet ready but I have a feeling she will be starting the next game.

Come on you Brains

[South Newlandia]

ELEPHANT VALLEY MAIL
Sports -> Soccer
Elephants upset Marauders again!

Both South Newlandia and Valanora looked forward to the encounter in the Elephant Dome, but for entirely different reasons. It was a historic encounter for South Newlandia, hosting a team that had won five World Cups and holds the record for the most Semifinals of World Cups reached at eighteen. For Valanora, the motivation was mostly rectifying the first game, as South Newlandia had surprisingly upset Valanora there. South Newlandia hoped to get one over on the side once more. As of now, the Marauders are basically already qualified for the world cup; it would require a small miracle to stop them now, while the Elephants barely had realistic chances left, being four points behind the Wanderers with a game more.

South Newlandia 5-4 Valanora

The 21500 people inside the Elephant Dome hoped for an exciting game, and they would not be disappointed. It was the third game in the Dome, and so far, the Elephants had a draw against Eraman and a defeat against Pasarga here.

In the 7th minute, the Marauders appeared in front of Mikhail Trischuk’s goal for the first time. A good pass by Nora Kirkhus puzzled the South Newlandian defense line, and Thor Møller got in a good position to shoot. His shot was on target, but a good save by Mikhail Trischuk stopped the ball.

In the 13th minute, South Newlandia had a first offensive attempt. Before that, the Elephants had been confined to their own half, and Valanora left no room for counter-attacks. Now, A good play over Jack Schroeder and Corban Green got Brandon Irving in possession. He took a shot from about 25 metres, and Eivind Strømmen tried to block it. He succeeded, but the ball bounced right to Simon McCabe. As Sean Smørdal was already on the ground following the shot by Irving, Simon McCabe has able to put the ball into the empty goal. Suddenly and completely opposite to how the game went, the Elephants were up 1-0.

The Marauders were not going to accept that. They tried to get an equalizer as soon as possible, and they had a good chance in the 17th minute. Harlem Saxstrom was fouled close to the penalty box by Manuel O’Neill, who also received a yellow card. Laborious Hawk took the free kick, and his precise free kick left Mikhail Trischuk without a chance.

Over the first 30 minutes, Valanora was in clear control of the game. Mikhail Trischuk was the one keeping the Elephants in the game, as the Maurauders put the Elephants under pressure with multiple chances. In the 28th minute, Valanora had another attack. Harlem Saxstrom broke through the defense, and a precise pass by Nora Kirkhus put him one on one with Trischuk. Saxstorm managed to get the ball past Mikhail Trischuk to get Valanora the lead.

The game stayed exciting. In the 35th minute, the Elephants had another opportunity. After a corner by Corban Green, Dhruv Roy got a header in. The ball hit the crossbar, and it was once again Simon McCabe who stood on exactly the right spot. He got the ball over the line to tie the game at two.

Valanora remained the stronger team throughout the first half. In the 41st minute, they took the lead again. Simon Kvaal had the ball in midfield, and he suddenly noticed an opening. His precise pass made it to Harlem Saxstrom, and he managed to score his second goal, leaving Mikhail Trischuk no chance.

The game was 2-3 at half-time, and the Elephants could be glad to be in reaching distance of the game. So far, Valanora was dominating the game, but South Newlandia got a few decisive chances to keep the game close. Coach Robert Wolverine decided to exchange Patrick McMora for Jarod Stuart. McMora hadn’t had his best day so far.

It was the 52nd minute, and South Newlandia was getting stronger. Valanora was still the better team, but the second half wasn’t quite as dominant as the first was. Now, it was Jarod Stuart who had the ball in midfield. He managed to get the ball to Faisal Harworth, and Harworth decided to get a shot in. The shot from about 30 metres went exactly into the upper left corner, with no chance for Smørdal. With that, South Newlandia tied the game at three.

The game was far from over. In the 64th minute, Laborious Hawk appeared inside the penalty box. Karl Meyer pulled his tricot, and Hawk fell. It was the next yellow card for South Newlandia as well as a penalty kick for the Marauders. Thor Møller took the ball, sent Trischuk into the wrong corner, and the Marauders were in the lead again. At this point, Wolverine made his second substitution, as he got Tommy Anderson on the field for Karl Meyer.

Valanora almost followed this up with another goal. In the 66th minute, Laborious Hawk dribbled through the Elephants’ defense, and got himself into a great position. Hawk took a shot, but Trischuk was on the ground almost instantly and directed the ball around the post.

Instead, South Newlandia grabbed another eqaulizer. Corban Green had broken through on the left side, and decided to just get a flank in. The Valanoran defenders couldn’t quite clear the ball, and suddenly, Brandon Irving had the ball. His hard shot left Smørdal no chance, and the game was all tied up yet again.

The Marauders were still pushing for the win. In the 81st minute, it was once again a good pass by Nora Kirkhus creating a chance. Thor Møller got a shot in, but another great save by Mikhail Trischuk held South Newlandia in the game. Robert Wolverine pulled his last substitution, getting Bjorn Cohen on the pitch for Simon McCabe, despite his two goals. McCabe was very obviously unhappy about the decision.

When everyone had seemingly already accepted the draw, South Newlandia got another corner in the 90th minute. Corban Green got the ball into the middle, and it was Tommy Anderson who got his head on the ball. It would have gone wide, but Bjorn Cohen was exactly on the right spot near the post. He took the ball volley, and there was no saving that ball.

With this goal, South Newlandia won an insane game against Valanora 5-4 to take all six points from the top seed. Just as the first encounter, this one will make the history books as well. Obviously, there was a lot of luck involved, but if you put five past a 5-time champion, you must have done something right. South Newlandia now won three games in a row and at least remains in fighting distance against Pasarga.

Player Rankings

Mikhail Trischuk (GK, Captain) 7
Despite conceding four goals, he also kept the team in the game with numerous saves.

Dhruv Roy (LB) 8

Jack Schroeder (LCB) 8

Manuel O’Neill (CB) 8

Karl Meyer (RCB) 7

Raphael Moreno (RB) 8

Corban Green (LM) 8
The 18-year-old played a great game.

Faisal Harworth (CM) 9
He playing was a risk, but it well payed off.

Patrick McMora (RM) 6

Brandon Irving (ST) 8

Simon McCabe (ST) 9
He is finally back with full power.

Jarod Stuart (RM) 7

Tommy Anderson (RCB) 8
He got more control into the defense.

Bjorn Cohen (ST) –
That was maybe the most important goal of his career.

Starters against Bliuji

Robert Wolverine announced the return to the old 4-4-2 formation. In the defensive line, O’Neill and Schroeder will join Roy and Moreno. The only big surprise is Jarod Stuart starting instead of Patrick McMora. McMora didn’t play to his usual standard recently, but the loss of his start is still a surprise.

Results from Matchday 19, Group 13

Pasarga (25) 5-2 Ottoman Syldavia (338)
Pasarga got three points closer to qualification.

Tamgu (79) 2-2 Plane of Possibility (148)
A draw helps neither team here.

Mavinet (218) 4-2 Bliuji (99)
Mavinet finally got another win.

Pangurstan (311) 2-2 Juvencus (39)
If Juvencus can’t win here, what can they win?

Kuriko (330) 2-1 The Kytler Peninsulae (UR)
Both teams are officially eliminated now.

Eraman had their second bye day.
South Newlandia (228) 5-4 Valanora (15)

Current standings

Group 13                              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Valanora                               18   13   2   3    48   20  +28    41
 2 Pasarga                                17   11   3   3    51   27  +24    36
 3 South Newlandia                        18    9   5   4    33   30   +3    32
 4 Eraman                                 17    8   5   4    27   19   +8    29
 5 Plane of Possibility                   18    8   5   5    29   26   +3    29
 6 Mavinet                                18    7   3   8    42   38   +4    24
 7 Juvencus                               17    6   4   7    38   35   +3    22
 8 Tamgu                                  17    6   4   7    35   38   −3    22
 9 Bliuji                                 17    6   2   9    36   40   −4    20
10 Pangurstan                             18    4   6   8    34   40   −6    18
11 Ottoman Syldavia                       18    5   3  10    21   31  −10    18
12 Kuriko                                 18    5   1  12    21   42  −21    16 
13 The Kytler Peninsulae                  17    3   3  11    22   51  −29    12

Schedule for Group 13, Matchday 20

The Kytler Peninsulae (UR) vs. Pangurstan (311)
This match will not matter.

Juvencus (39) vs. Mavinet (218)
Juvencus and Mavinet could both use this win, as it will be an exciting matchup.

Valanora (15) vs. Tamgu (79)
Valanora should have no trouble here.

Plane of Possibility (148) vs. Pasarga (25)
This will probably be one of the tests Pasarga has to get through on their way to the world cup. The Planers are the clear outsiders, but they performed well so far.

Ottoman Syldavia (338) vs. Eraman (63)
Eraman should have no trouble to get a win here.

Kuriko will have their bye day.

Bliuji (99) vs. South Newlandia (228)
The Elephants will travel to Bliuji on the next matchday. Despite being a top 100 team, they had a bad time so far with little to no success. The match in South Newlandia ended 3-3 in Walstreim City Stadium, and another draw may already be another success. Maybe, even a win might be possible.

[Balqia]

While everyone was enjoying the trip back to Balqia she was inside the bathroom. The toilette was easy to climb but hard to stand up for much time, her hands danced through the small hole between the wall and the ceiling, the dust stuck to her fingers that only stopped moving after sensing the envelope full of paper.
She put it under the coat and went back to her seat, trying to act normal, even though she wasn’t doing that for the last week. There it was, Erna was sleeping with the head in the window while Tutiq, the team’s physician, played in his cellphone. He took his phones off when she sat down.
— Could you turn on the television?
She stretched and pressed the small button under the screen, it was the Sport Report from the morning.
— Good morning, everyone. Today our boys won their eighth match, but the question remains “Will Balqia be able to classify?”, let’s see what Andreas Koniq has to say!
The screen cut to a reporter in the field, he was a young man using the team’s official coat, behind him stood the empty field.
— Hello everyone, I’m Andreas Koniq, speaking directly from Valentine Z, where our team just won their seventeenth match with a beautiful score from Torviq. However, many balqese ask themselves if this is even relevant, the disastrous first half of the classification period left us with several ties and defeats, the future don’t look so bright.
— As if classifying was easy!
Tutiq complaint. He was wearing the same coat as the reporter with matching pants.
— This match can give us a prognostic. The entire first half was spent with a long and improductive marathon around the field, our defense is surely doing an excellent job, the opponent’s failed offensives talk by themselves in this regard, however, the lack of positive results from the front is worrisome.
The screen changed to several cuts from the match while Zay and Troviq tried to advance and where stopped or missed kicks, one of them hit an unaware janitor.
— The only thing that avoided a tie was the well done shot from Torviq during the twentieth minute from the second half. His good timing with the rest of the team and calculated offensive is something that should be emulated in the future, however, at the moment we can count with a ticket to the Cup of Harmony or pray for a miracle.
The screen was turned of by the physician, who returned to his cellphone, leaving Mary with nothing else to do but wait.
They arrived after more television and a long nap, there she was again, the purgatory in form of country. After landing and doing the expected checks they were freed from that, in the car she ended with the other Staff.
— Home sweet home!
Said Erna.
— Yours, at least.
Did she spoke that out loud?
— Don’t worry, soon enough you will be home.
Yes, she did.
— I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…
— It’s okay, sweetheart, everyone is stressed.
She just noted that both of them were speaking English. Well, it’s expected from the head of the social sector.
— And don’t worry about the case, from what I know you are about to be discarded as a suspect.
— Oh… okay.
They stood in silence, the hotel arrived and in seconds the silent staff disappeared in the halls, leaving Mary with her baggage and silent room. She went straight to the bathroom and stood in a corner, a perfect place to disclose the envelope with her ticket back home.

[Trolleborg]

Previous parts of the story: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 13 – 14 – 15 –16 – 17.

And in fact, it was really worth seriously tuning in to the appropriate wave and realizing that there is a lot of strange things in this country, but their strangeness is completely harmless and serves only the purpose of making the citizens life more fun, entertaining and fruitful.

The rest of the day flew by like one minute. To begin with, Naomi and Wesley returned to the museum and tasted a dozen of interactive adventures in row, with Keith's comments before and after. They started from the tribal past of Trolleborg, participating in a very brutal brawl on clubs, and Wesley said that he certainly needed to try all this live, with real weapons, and not with a hologram. Keith tell him, that his wish can be fulfilled in the Military History Museum. Then the Middle Ages began, in which the guests from Zwangzug chose what would be called a knights tournament in another country, and the moment the Trolleborg sailors opened the way to the eastern continent of the South Pacific. And so on, and so on.

The guests left the museum already quite ready for the future, and although it was getting dark and they already was quite tired, they still went for an evening walk along the streets of the capital, first in the historical center, and then in the vicinity of their hotel. They walked past the warmly lit windows, cute swinging lanterns, illuminated proud buildings and a fortress, being accompanied elsewhere by soft music pouring from the speakers on the streets here and there.

When they came across a restaurant where another robot served them, and this one sang folk songs while serving, and whistled dashingly at the end of every verse. Wesley, while sitting down at the table, expressed his intention to go after a meal to scrutinize a huge (according to Keith), park of arcade computer games nearby, but after he finished satisfying his appetite, he no longer had the strength to do this. Exactly the same thing happened with Naomi, her desire to go shopping also remained unfulfilled right now.

Therefore, they went to the hotel on foot, dancing together in the middle of the pedestrian street to the beat of the melody, and went to bed there, feeling that this was probably one, if not most, strangest and amazing day of their life.

How cool it is to travel!

[Jeckland]

THIS ARTICLE IS SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN AVERAGE


Sixth place. In a group of thirteen, that’s lower upper mediocrity. In your first qualifying campaign, it’s an admirable if unspectacular achievement. In Jeckland, it looks like a best case scenario.

After some eye-catching results in the first half of qualifying coupled with some other teams dropping points, Jeckland occupied that hallowed sixth spot after each team had played once. But with just four points separating them from second place, Jeckland would have had ambitions of at least raising their position before the group was done.

As it turns out, they have played up to their position in the table, with two wins, two losses and a draw seeing the Spuds not only fail to move up the table, but slip down to seventh behind Natanians and Nosts. To be clear, there are some caveats to this - the Spuds have had their off day in the second half of qualifying, and a comfortable in seventh, with eighth place TJUN-ia five points behind having played a game more. But there is also a five point gap up to fifth and New Lusitania, who just beat the Spuds 3-1.

So a battle for sixth it is, which few in the multiverse will care about. But we do. We want to celebrate those teams that are just above average, that maybe might become something in two cycles or three, or will more likely fade into the wilderness, never to be heard of again. We’re going through all 15 groups in World Cup Qualifying and assessing which teams we think stand a chance of claiming this not-so-coveted gong. We will of course be rating the race in each group out of 6. Let’s hope all those numbers don’t summon the devil or cause Margaret to make us lose to Necosia.

GROUP 1
As covered above this looks like a tight two horse race between Natanians and Nosts and Jeckland. Could be nip and tuck, would be better with more teams. 3 out of 6.

GROUP 2
Torisakia occupy the magic spot, with a game more played than Wreckeria and Donnacana below with 3 and 4 points left. Busoga Islands are 3 points ahead, also with a game less. 3.5 out of 6.

GROUP 3
Chromatika have risen from their disaster start to become an unlikely contender in this utterly unthrilling race. There are four teams looking to take their spot below, with Northwest Kalactin and The Jovannic looking the most likely. 4 out of 6.

GROUP 4
This is looking spicy. Flavovespia in fifth have played 18 games, four clear of sixth placed Melbergia. Four teams are three points or less behind them with little else to play for, so expect a moderately fierce tussle here. 5 out of 6.

GROUP 5
Sharktail are sixth, but may have their sights set on higher things with a game in hand on Squornshelous and The Macabees above. From below, Valladares and Darkmania lurk. 4 out of 6.

GROUP 6
Balqia have an eight point buffer on seventh, making this utterly pointless. There are teams tightly clustered above, but the glorious sixth place in the group given the same name is nothing more than the wooden spoon of the qualifying race. 2 out of 6.

GROUP 7
Delaclava are in the box seat but face Acronius from two points above and two teams two points below. They’ve all played the same number of games which makes this easier on my brain. 4.5 out of 6.

GROUP 8
This is good. Tequila hold sixth from Cheergirls on goal difference, with Mattjana just one point ahead and Devonta two with a game in hand. Behind, Quakmybush could make a surge. 4.5 out of 6.

GROUP 9
Not a lot to see here, with eighth and below out of the picture. This looks to be between Ziwana and Grod Island, with the latter behind on goal difference with a game in hand. 2.5 out of 6.

GROUP 10
BOOORING. Electrum are five behind fifth and three behind eighth with a game in hand on the latter. Congratulations Electrum, you’re just a cut above the median. 1.5 out of 6

GROUP 11
Ancherion currently sit in sixth but Fujai are in the box seat, on the same number of points with a game less played. Nooooooooooooooo could also get involved. 3 out of 6.

GROUP 12
A decent array of teams here, with Geektopia on 25 three behind Osarius and three ahead of two teams, with Talamia and Baggieland lurking just below them. 4.5 out of 6.

GROUP 13
Mavinet hold the crown but has played a game more than Juvencus and Tamgu with two points less and Bliuji with four less. This could be interesting. 5 out of 6.

GROUP 14
Not much going on here. Krytenia are three clear of holders Oberour al Moro, with Drunk People at The Local Tavern one point behind as their only likely competition below. 3 out of 6.

GROUP 15
Damukuni are five points away from Emastalia and Andromeda Island Group. The former having a game in hand is the only thing that makes this mildly not very interesting. 2 out of 6.

So now you finally know. Nobody really wanted this, nobody asked for it, but it felt apt given Jeckland’s plight and the fact I thought there were six matchdays to go when I started writing this. Will I revisit these largely inconsequential scraps for percentages of KPB points and mild satisfaction? Probably not. Because this was about as fun to write as a eulogy.

[Kelssek]

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER FOR PUBLIC HEALTH TO INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON COCOA-BO

Sir Barsanuphius: We now have testimony from the honourable Laurent Collard, Minister for Public Health of Kelssek. Welcome, Minister.

Laurent Collard: Good morning to members of the committee and thank you for your invitation to testify on the issue of Cocoa-bo. My evidence will address the public health authorities’ approach to the question of allowing Cocoa-bo in Kelssek.

As Kelssek’s Minister for Public Health, among my responsibilities is to administer the Food and Drugs Act. This legislation covers all sorts of issues from labelling of foods to which drugs require prescriptions. The Ministry sets out regulations on the importation of things such as drugs, health products, foods, and so forth, through the Kelssek Biosecurity Agency. These regulations are then enforced at the borders by its inspection officials.

Senator Copronymuso: Does this include the importation of puppies?

Mr. Collard: Yes, the Kelssek Biosecurity Agency is also responsible for governing the import of live animals.

Senator Copronymuso: Fascinating. And have you found that Cocoa-bo harms puppies?

Mr. Collard: I am not aware of any research by my ministry that has administered Cocoa-bo to puppies. It’s interesting you ask that. We did have a citizen complain to the Ministry some years ago about their dog being pecked by cocoabo while visiting Turori but I understand this was the animal, not the drink. That type of incident is not exactly our jurisdiction and we did not follow up on it.

Sir Barsanuphius: Minister, you were about to explain about the legality of Cocoa-bo in Kelssek. Pray continue.

Mr. Collard: The drink, not the animal?

Senator Copronymuso: I understand puppy mills are considered a menace in the mundy realms, is this an area of your expertise?

Mr. Collard: Moulins... à chiot? I don’t understand. You are talking about the thing which go round, correct? Windmills do not work that way.

Sir Barsanphius: Thank you, Senator. We are discussing the drink, Minister Collard. Is it true that it is banned in Kelssek?

Mr. Collard: To be precise, it is possible to import the drink for personal use, say if you purchased it on your trip to Turori, or order a reasonable quantity to be delivered to your home. But generally, it would be illegal to import it for commercial purposes as there is no licence for it. I should say this is because no one has tried to establish a Cocoa-bo franchise in the country, in which case they would have to apply for the licences and so forth.

Chad Minett: But then it’s not banned, I could just apply for an import licence, then?

Mr. Collard: True, but in my understanding Cocoa-bo is exportated from Turori, and we have not certified Turori as a fair trading partner, so there would have to be a trade relations assessment into the country’s state of labour rights, environmental protection, and so forth. Or, you could apply that specifically to the Cocoa-bo corporation, which would probably be faster. Perhaps I should have been clear, according to our International Trade Act, any trading partner or failing that specific firms being imported from must be certified to have equivalent standards to Kelssek regulations or to have taxes assessed that ensure our people, environment, economy, and moral values are all protected.

Mr. Minett: So this doesn’t really address whether Cocoa-bo is harmful or addictive or performance-enhancing?

Mr. Collard: I can tell you that Cocoa-bo is certainly harmful to the public. Are you familiar with the Communist Manifesto?

[several seconds of silence]

It appears not. Simply, the bourgeoisie’s need for constantly expanding markets chases it to all ends of the globe and all realms of reality. It creates new wants, such as Cocoa-bo, and a world after its own image. Thus it converts the people into the slaves of the bourgeoisie, with ever-longer working hours and lower wages, which creates dangerous inequality. It extracts surplus value as profit, therefore increasing the returns to capital over returns to wages. Competitive pressure to extract resources in environmentally destructive manners, this degrades the quality of natural environment and endangers ecological integrity, with damaging effects to our water supply, climate, garbage pollution, and wildlife. We found a dead whale who had eaten four hundred Cocoa-bo type of cups. From the perspective of public health, the alienation from one’s labour, the tendency of exploitation and overwork, is responsible for the tremendous mental health and social problems in capitalist society.

Sir Barsanphius: In your opinion then, should Cocoa-bo be banned at the World Cup?

Mr. Collard: Certainly, it would be against reason to permit capitalist hegemony to be exerted through a major international sporting event. The ideological domination of Cocoa-bo must be broken.

Sir Barsanphius: Very well. Thank you, Mr. Collard. Let us adjourn for a brief intermission.

[Zwangzug]

Tessie had been impressed that the stadium even had a referees' room. The early generations of Zwangzugian fans were by no means experts in the nuances of world football, but they'd grasped enough to know a suitable home for the national team should have certain amenities. As referees' rooms went, it was utilitarian but functional.

It was less suitable as a morgue. The walls meant to keep fans' ire out also functioned keeping the smell in, she supposed, but that was all that could be said for its merits.

With luck, she wouldn't have to go back. With luck, they had seen the worst. With luck, all she needed was to go and tell Ryan to take a break. That there were twenty-three--twenty-two of them, each with their own rituals and ways to speak and be silent. That they didn't need to do anything formal as a group. That they already had been mourning, if not for Bridget specifically, for each other.

Luck had been distant.

There was some stupid journalist who had claimed that his deity was like an official scorer who made notes about your moral character, there was probably some hack who had imagined death as a pitiless referee, sending off the aged and young alike, or perhaps the tunnel itself and some other field, some other light beyond. Stupid. She didn't want to make sense of anything, she didn't want anyone to believe the world was sensible, and yet did not want her teammates to have changed. If Samuel's humor or Amelie's terrible taste in music or Hallam's incessant scribbling had died before them, had any of it been worth it?

"You're pale," Ryan noted when she returned to the food stand at section 8. "Take your temperature."

"With what, the thermometer that's been under Connie's tongue?"

"No-o," said Ryan, which could have meant anything from "Mimmo broke it trying to convert it into Celsius" or "Connie's so delirious we don't need to take her temperature anymore, we know it's not good."

"What difference does it make," she muttered, but complied anyway. It would almost have been a relief to be high, to have a reason to sit down and rest instead of running around trying to make herself useful. Except she knew she wouldn't be able to sit down and rest even if she was high, which she wasn't.

"Could be worse," said Rowan, "there're probably some people who would want to build a pyre straightaway. What would you even use, the goalposts?"

Tessie was too tired to yell at him, although she couldn't pass that off as a symptom of anything either.

(Saitta 9)

[Squornshelous]

Recollection, Chapter 5
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4

"Mr. Holmgren."

Markkus laboriously opened his eyes, the lids seeming to scrape his retinas. He had become dimly aware that he was slumped in a chair in another room nearly as plain and bare as the cell he'd first woken up in. The same white paint over cinderblock, the same harsh white light from the ceiling lamp. Same bare metal door with a small, square window. This room was slightly larger, and had no permanent fixtures, aside from the light above. By way of furniture, it contained three chairs, including the one that held him. Next his chair, and connected to his arm by a sinuous length of clear tubing, was a battered, rolling IV stand, holding a single bag of clear liquid. Cheap, hollow plastic painted to look like metal, Markkus could feel its legs flexing slightly under his weight. The other two chairs were filled by a plain looking man and woman in the dark gray uniforms of the Imperial Security Service. One of the many overlapping law enforcement agencies active in the Imperium, the ISS was responsible de jure for the interior security of the state, including threats to the government of domestic origin, as well as customs, border control, and securing imperial currency. In practice, they exercised almost unlimited jurisdiction, as nearly anything could be described as a potential threat to state security. But, I've never heard of the ISS breaking up a black clinic before.

"Mr. Holmgren, we'd like to discuss what you were doing in that clinic, and what your role in the NewCon movement is."

Marrkus blinked at the man speaking, confused. His mouth worked, trying to form a question of his own, but all he managed was a strangled croak.

"Mr. Holmgren, the dose of sedative you were given was specifically calibrated. You have been conscious for several seconds, and are fully capable of responding to me. We have even spared you the worst effect of your sedation." The man gestured at the IV.

"Give him a minute, he's been out for almost a full day."

Holmgren almost smiled. Good cop, bad cop? I didn't think they really did that routine. He shifted in the chair, raising his head, "I was having neurosurgery done. I don't have any connection to NewCon."

NewCon, or The Coalition for a New Confederacy was an underground leftist movement bent on overthrowing the Imperial government and peacefully reunifying with West Squornshelous. Outlawed as soon as its existence became known to the ISS, the movement was supposedly all but wiped out. That didn't stop people from blaming everything from violent crime to late trains on them, though, nor did there seem to be any dropoff in the number of people arrested under suspicion of membership in the group. Markkus was convinced that there was no such group, and never had been. It was merely convenient for the government to make necessary actions more palatable to its people by couching them in a context of the preservation of the nation. He'd certainly never dreamed that he might ever find himself accused of being a member.

The man opened his mouth, but a gesture from the woman cut him off. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Let me fill you in on a few things you aren't aware of, and then I'll let my colleague ask you again. You aren't here because someone decided to raid a black clinic. If you want to get a high risk, illegal medical procedure done, then as far as I'm concerned that's your business. TO be honest with you, we picked you up purely by coincidence. Our real interest is in this man," with a quick flourish she summoned a holographic image which hovered over her upturned palm. "Zladimir Alexandrovich Dzobroshtan. Descended from Molvanian migrant workers, conducts illegal biocomputing research on human subjects without license, not that it's of any particular interest to us," she sounded bored, as if the information she'd rattled off was common knowledge to anyone. "What interests us is his sideline. He funds his operations by conducting nervous system augmentations for NewCon operatives."

"Of which you are one." The man sitting next could no longer keep his silence, "so I'll repeat the question, and let you start from the beginning. What procedure did Dzobroshtan perform on you, and what do you do for NewCon?"

Well, well. You're in quite the predicament now Markkus.

We're in a predicament Kiril, so either shut the fuck up or help me. I die, you die, right? Not waiting for a reply from his mental passenger, Markkus straightened and replied. "I don't know the specifics of what Dzobroshtan did, I only know what it's supposed to do. Combined with the drug therapy from the implant in my neck, it's supposed to help me recover my memory of a particular night two years ago." He left the second half of the question unanswered for now.

"Your memory of one night is that valuable? Why?"

Zarquon, he's laying it on thick.

I suggest you play along Markkus. You'll need help from the Ministry to get out of this, but you'll have to give these two something to bite on or you'll never leave this facility.

"On the night in question, I was in Xanneria. It was the night that Lyyti Vang disappeared, and SFF Chief Undersecretary Kiril Melkochuk was killed. It was the night I got this," he gestured at the scar on his temple, "and I have no memory of whatever happened." He paused and looked at each officer in turn, "but you should already know all that." A telltale flinch told him they did not. "In any case, you can cross reference all of that with the Ministry of Sport. You can also cross reference my visits with other neurologists and psychiatrists to try to find a treatment," he was tempted to affect a yawn, but decided against it.

No need to antagonize them further. You've made an impact, give it time to take effect.

"You expect us to believe that you paid a small fortune a charlatan like Dzobroshtan to stir your brains around so you can remember a single night from two years ago?"

"No, I don't," Markkus shrugged, "I just know what any investigation of me will find. I have nothing to do with NewCon, and there's no real reason for you to think so."

The officers exchanged a look, and Markkus new he'd won. He'd be back in his cell today, and still there tomorrow, of course, but barring someone deciding to execute him out of spite, they'd realize he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and cut him loose.

The man abruptly stood and, without a word, strode to the door. The woman stood more slowly, walking closer to him and leaning in to speak softly. "I hope your story checks out, I really do. You know the resources we have, and I can tell you, if there's anything, anything at all in your past," she glanced toward the door, "he's not going to be happy." She patted his shoulder with a sarcastic smile, "you think about that, and we'll get back to you."

[Legalese]

“And now, a special word from someone known to have them in supply the same way a newspaper journalist buys ink by the barrel, Joel Dondlinger!”

“Thank you. I don’t know if I’d go so far to call it a special word, really more just what has been stewing as a thought for some time, and, well, I have a microphone, and I’m not afraid to use it, as the saying goes. This has been an exciting time for Legalese and their place in the footballing/soccer world, even if the results look more like the early days, as opposed to the salad days of the 280s. It hasn’t been an easy go, with a strong start giving way to the reality that crushed the false hopes of qualification, To be quite frank, I didn’t know what to expect as the team started to falter and eventually crumble under the weight of expectations and the grueling set of twenty-four matches. If I had to guess, I suspected we might see the team fade from the public eye, with only the diehards, either thirsty for more scintillating soccer, and/or with a level of national pride that’s appreciated if slightly uncomfortable sticking around.”

“It turns out that, to the surprise of nobody, especially my ex-wife, I was wrong. Somehow, we’re now seeing more people tuning in now, with the team on the verge of elimination. Oddly, I don’t think it’s the train wreck effect that’s causing this -- and I’m someone who knows how to appreciate the spectacle of a train wreck, which I figured was how I got this job. After all, a train wreck is just short of witnessing a mass mauling by warthogs in the sheer level of ‘I just can’t bear to watch this, oh the humanity! But I must witness it nonetheless’ factor.”

“If I had to guess -- and I do, because if I didn’t, there’d be no need to me to wield my microphone -- I’d have to say that it’s because this team represents our national aesthetic. We just plod on, reaching forward to first figure out what the biggest problem is, and then see what we can do to solve it. Right now, we’re in the infant stage of learning how to win games -- will it take attacking to the point of near abandon, or should we dial it down, try to control the tempo and redirect the outcome in our favor? Yet, that’s the problem that we need to solve in order to solve the problem of qualification. But hey, in the past two decades, we’ve solved clean energy, scarcity and resource distribution, and put big dents to increase equality and decrease strife, so perhaps we can figure this out as well.”

“Okay, now that we’ve talked about that, let’s see what problems we can solve tonight against Omerica. I suspect the answer is none, none at all, but that’s why we play the games.”

[New Lusitania and the Algarves]

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

SILVEIRA'S BACK IN THE GAME
Porticalia 0-3 New Lusitania
@"Estádio Nacional" (?)

New Lusitania's fellow lusophones Porticalia would host the next match on their long road. António Lopes would be the goalkeeper for this match and Azinheira would return to central defensive midfielder. Silveira despite fit, wasn't considered for the starting squad, viewing the beginning from the bench as Paciência started the game. It started out well for the Lusitanians as they found the goal in the first fifteen minutes with a good confident show from the team. It would be Paciência who would put it in, in a time when he would be fighting for position with Silveira's return. The pass from Fernando though would show exactly what he could bring to the table, finishing it brilliantly. Although Porticalia had five or six attacks but the fact that they were up against a side who had at least twelve attacks during the same period saw them overwhelmed. This meant that before halftime, a second goal for the Selecção was indeed on the scoresheet. Veiga would score this time, after Horta crossed it in leaving him to head it home for that second goal, his fourth this cycle. One of the better close calls was on the hour mark when Fernando himself put the ball just over the bar.
Despite a good performance, Paciência would be subbed off for Silveira as a strategy to give him a more phased return to the Selecção. This would indeed work and Silveira would bounce straight back into his style and ways of play bagging himself a goal before the game's end, a nice control-and-shoot type goal into the lower half of the net after a Gama pass which lifted the ball every so slightly into the air. The game was overall a New Lusitania performance that gave back some needed confidence following the games against Audioslavia and the EOT, meaning Victor Santa Cruz was "pleased with the performance" as New Lusitania return home with another victory. FULL TIME: 0-3


Around The Grounds
Fifth was the sort of stagnant location the team found itself in, but it wasn't too bad. Audioslavia's goalless draw to leaders Turori decreased the gap ever so slightly to six points and with Sajnur drawing TJUN-ia 1-1, this was a catch-up matchday for the Selecção but also Astograth who had easily beaten Muradil 0-3 too. As Natanians & Nosts took a bye, Jeckland creeped up to sixth following a 4-2 victory against Villablanca at home. The EOT meanwhile bagged themselves a 3-1 win against Necosia who still search for their first victory. New Lusitania play Sajnur next, a game that will affect the standings severely which ever way it goes, with the Heróis do Mar hoping it goes towards their favour, having a convergence with the rest of the contenders and even if a victory might see Audioslavia feel more distant, the objective is "obviously a victory" as returning striker Silveira pointed out on what supposed to be a cracking match of football in Aveiro.

THE HUB
Goals:Jota (11), Paciência (6), Gama (4), Veiga (4), Fernando (3), Silveira (3), Azinheira (1), Trincão (1), Cavalariça (1)
Assists: Fernando (8), Horta (6), Gama (6), Veiga (5), Mário (2), Paciência (2), Azinheira (2), Jota (1), Silveira [1], Nevais (1), Cancela (1)
Bookings: Cancela (3Y)
Injuries: Silveira (expected Return in a match)
Next Match: New Lusitania X Sajnur
@ Estádio da Ria, Aveiro

NB: Previous editions my have the name Paciente instead of Paciência which is a mistake which STL apologises for.

MMXX STL

[Krytenia]

GENERAL ELECTION: PARTY POLICIES IN BRIEF


Reform Party of Krytenia (Ref)
Leader: Charles Linton (Wall Vale)
Policies: The big one is the governmental reforms which triggered the election in the first place; creating a federal system with greater autonomy for regional governments. The party also plans on an overhaul of the civil service, essentially hoping to pay for reforms by reducing administration and red tape, something that has several branches of the public service up in arms at what they see as a threat to jobs and the economy.
Party colour: Light green


Krytenian Democrats (Dem)
Leader: Marcus Corrello (Emberton Castle Hill)
Policies: The Democrats, the rump of the party left behind by the schism that created Reform, are understandably against the federation and devolution of government. Instead, they pledge investment into education and healthcare, and a reform of the justice system with a look to reduce custodial sentences and more concentration on criminal rehabilitation.
Party colour: Orange


Krytenian Conservative Party (Con)
Leader: Sarah Finch (North West Quinneth)
Policies: The Conservatives agree broadly agree with Reform on electoral reform, though are cooler on the conversion of the Senate into a proportional body. Central to their manifesto, meanwhile, is the party's policy of cutting 1% off sales tax, reducing it to a round 10%. They're also looking into civil service reform, but wish to cut much deeper than Reform.
Party colour: Mid-blue


Socialist Party of Krytenia (Soc)
Leader: Nicole Deschamps (Valque)
Policies: Though they disgree with Reform on federalisation, they do agree with Senate proportionalisation. Ms Deschamps has already gone public on the "federalisation sinkhole" the party fears this will create. The SPK instead are looking to increase the economy by converting uranium and steel production to public ownership, and a rise in top-rate income tax by one cent in the argental.
Party colour: Red


Mercian National Party (MNP)
Leader: Peter Owen (Tyfield South)
Policies: The MNP see federalisation as the first step towards Mercian independence, though they're not happy about the division of the south into three non-historical regions. The MNP, as always, continue to pledge for funding and opportunities for the Mercian provinces, and and eventual split from Emberton entirely.
Party colour: Navy blue


The Greens (Grn)
Leader: Lisa Storey (Aigburth Wavertree)
Policies: Neutral on federalisation, the Greens continue their campaign to reduce uranium production and extraction, and expand the country's National Park scheme. They're also looking to increase taxes, though in their case it's vehicle and factory emissions under the microscope.
Party colour: Dark green

[Torisakia]

So we're roughly two weeks or so into the Kiragate scandal. A lot of questions have been asked, many have been answered, and some have just been ignored. We found out that the former Minister of State Security communicated with Alexei Borodin and Cassidy McKenzie while they were in TBI custody. We also found out that the minister and Borodin had talked about covering up the incident via a small donation of billions of Torisakian Dollars, and pretty much everyone in Dupond's cabinet knew and went along with it. The Ministry of Justice fabricated legal documents to make the case look punctual and major news outlets quietly swept the story under the rug after incentives and threats were given. The information gathering portion of Kiragate is almost done. Now the Kira Commission will go forward with prepping the evidence to be submitted to court. As of right now, Mitch Campbell, Barrie Lowry, Rosalind Dupond, and like 13 other members of Dupond's cabinet are set to face trial over the course of the rest of the year. According to what my lawyer told me, the maximum sentence any of them can face is 25-50 years in federal prison, a fine no more than 4 times half of the amount of money that each of them received (if applicable), or both. Essentially they'll all die in prison, if we're lucky that is. Had this been caught a few years ago they may have all faced the death penalty, either by lethal injection or electric chair, which is my favorite. Despite everything that's been uncovered in the investigation,two questions still remain: what actually happened to Alexei Borodin and Cassidy McKenzie? Are they still alive?

Answer: no. This is one of the few things that the government didn't lie about, sorta. You see, Borodin and McKenzie were still alive when the government sheltered them and the Kiraism cult stories were pulled from the shelves, but apparently due to stress, guilt, or some other third thing, they both ended up coming suicide not long after. Both of their death certificates have been public knowledge since 2015, and they line up with the government's story about what happened. Borodin and McKenzie were being sheltered in the Torisakia Emergency Operations Bunker (TEOB or 'TEE-awb'), that underground shelter where the President goes if there's threats of attacks. The government decided to hold them there until they could figure out a way to fully clear their names in the initial Kiraism cult investigation. About a week into the ordeal, Borodin and McKenzie were both found dead in their respective bedrooms, with the cause being hanging. No suicide notes or any indicator of why they committed suicide were found. The TBI Crime Scene Investigations Unit (TBI-CSIU), who investigated the suicides as they occurred on government property, theorized that stress from the event, as well as overwhelming guilt for their actions, led to their decisions to take their own lives. It should be noted that the official death certificates show Borodin and McKenzie's deaths to have occurred at Tokai Penitentiary rather than the TEOB. This was the only detail that was fabricated by the government, as they obviously didn't want the public to know that they were being sheltered. So in short, Alexei Borodin and Cassidy McKenzie both died on February 17, 2015 at 11:23am TST via suicide by hanging. This is one of the only few incidents that occurred during 'Kiragate' that the government didn't try to cover-up.

So where are their graves? Borodin never told anyone what to do with his body should he die (keep in mind he was in his mid-20s at the time so the thought of death was a long time away for him), so authorities turned to his immediate family for direction. Borodin's family initially wanted him buried at Bertram-Killough Cemetary in Leadale, Tokai, where many of his ancestors are buried. But after some thought, they abandoned this decision due to the possibility of grave defilement if it was confirmed that Borodin had ties with the Kiraism cult. Instead, they decided to have his body cremated and his ashes be spread at the Leadale Community Athletic Complex, where Borodin played youth ice hockey as a child. So that was that.

As for Cassidy McKenzie, things were a little different. Upon her body arriving at the morgue, officials found out that McKenzie was an organ donor. Not wanting to let good human body parts go to waste, they prepared for the harvest. It was then that officials were approached by the Humane Labs & Sciences organization who wanted to extract cerebral data from McKenzie's brain and attempt to implement it into a robot body. In other words, they were wanting to turn her into a robot by putting her 'brain' in one. This was during the hayday of the "Cyborg Race" in the Torisakia sciences field (remember they tried to turn Murvin Alexander into a cyborg and it went as well as you would expect), so Humane Labs was willing to try anything. Officials agreed and Humane Labs made off with the body. According to what I've read, they were able to successfully extract her 'mind' but had difficulties getting it to work with humanoid robot bodies so they tried putting it into a more robot-like machine, something like a robotic arm with a small head and eye like FLaDOS from the Mortal game series. I wasn't told if this succeed or not, but I'm going to attempt to find documents about it. If it did work, I wonder if Humane Labs still have it? Is she functional? I would love to have my own FLaDOS-based personal assistant. I will protect it. I want to see it grow up healthy. And I want to tell my friends and neighbors about it. I'll call them up later and see what I find out. I'm willing to pay any amount of money for it.

And before you ask: yes, everything I told you is classified information. But I was given full permission to disclose it. I even have the paper that says it. See? Right here. In black and white, clear as crystal.

[Huayramarca]

OOC: Extremely busy to pull a proper RP.

Part 1.
Part 2.
Part 3.
Part 4.
Part 5.
Part 6-

Ñucanchi Ñan - Part 7.

Estadio Olímpico de Oriente, Sechura - 07/04/1980 - 2:00 P.M.

When the last meeting of Ñucanchi Ñan happened at Guayaquil, Ana launched a quite spicy phrase to the Huayramarcan National Team supporters “Let’s revert the Intigate, it was fake news. Carry up your Inti to Sechura, take it with you on the venue and then lift it off when Huayramarca score a goal, so Mina would be butthurt by then.” Many people interpreted this as a clear challenge to what the Huayramarcan president said, in a country where people still ignore a lot of what’s going on backstage on the government and believes that the president is always right. Some people were metaphorically “opening their eyes” and were somewhat distrusting on every word Mina was saying. During the last weeks, Ñucanchi Ñan was continuously exposing Mina on a crusade to raise awareness on people about how mediocre was Mina while on command, the audio exposed at Guayaquil about the frogs and Intis, which led to the “Intigate” and corruption while giving up concession for mining projects at Protected Biosphere Reserves such as Illimani was raising up anger on people.

This day, would be a test for Ñucanchi Ñan, a way to measure how they would impact into public opinion by promoting the usage of Intis as protest at the Olímpico de Sechura. Since early hours, Mina was at the stadium, observing the situation, he also was aware that this would be a test for his popularity, since he clearly talked about “Carrying Intis at a stadium is foolish, you won’t enter to the stadium if you carry one.” The people at the Jungle are pretty much neutral on what they think about Serranos, despite being old allies of Costeño people, they only wanted the best for Huayramarca, since they actually promoted some kind of campaign between themselves to proclaim neutrality and their effort to promote logic and coherence, which was, of course, clearly rejected by Mina et al. at the government. Mina observed from far away some people carrying Intis, they were about to place themselves in order to offer those images to the people attending the stadium, they were cheap, pretty much N$ 0.5 each, since it was made by concrete and painted out on liquid paper corrector, since the white color was a symbol for purity according to the Incaic people back at their time, still, a living tradition up to our days.

Mina was clearly disgusted at it, but let it pass: “They won’t sell anything, they’ll be ignored.” While he walked into the stadium, to the VIP box that was designed for him, there, he had alcohol, havano cigars, and whores waiting for him. Mina was clearly a man that liked to throw money away and delight himself on power, thinking that having all what he wants is a power symbol.

On the other hand, people were arriving to the stadium and had some white image on their arms, guess what, an Inti, much to the despise of Mina, people were buying them in order to support the Huayramarcan national team, since people were expecting that they would earn a win for once at home, the rival was Greater Lausitz, a chance would be there and wasn’t something that could or should be wasted. Mina asked González, the HFF president “Bring those players some Cocoa-bo, let’s do this!” González left and then told the doctors to proceed when the players arrive to the stadium, meanwhile, he was observing thousands of people carrying Intis, he took a photo and sent it to Mina on E-Quipu (Refer to it as the Huayramarcan parallel to RL States WhatsApp) Mina observed it cautiously and said “Fake news, ignore.” González wrote “I just took it with my phone.” “Are you mad?” Said Mina while standing up to get some whiskey and leaving the phone at the table, ignoring González.

Mina was refusing to accept a reality, something that would make him crumble sooner than later since the people was organizing themselves from the bottom, pretty much as it happens at any revolution in Huayramarca and wasn’t the exception when Mina seized power. It’s ironical how somebody who did the very same thing was now discarding it, like he didn’t really learn or got any experience in a revolutionary campaign… Ana, Kevin, Buendía were at the stadium, carrying big Intis and promoting people to buy one and protest against Mina.

The stadium was completely crowded by 3:10 P.M. the match was about to start, Mina appeared to the balcony and he observed the scene while waving hands, a sell-out stadium with the same amount of Intis, he made gestures that Intis weren’t needed to support, then an angry fan threw one at his head…

To be continued.

[Vdara]

On form?

Vdara were at home to already-eliminated Blouman Empire, who had nothing to play for. However, Væñøœrëñbérghüïś still wanted a good show.

”Right lads! It’s time to get cracking. We should be winning this one easily, but as long as we take the three points I don’t give a sh*t about the scoreline, whether it be 1-0 or 5-4, alright? Good, good. Now, get out on that pitch and win this one!”

The match report is as follows:

1: The referee has blown his whistle, albeit a minute late. He thought he was blowing his whistle wrong, but it turns out he had in fact blown his dog whistle very harshly, deafening any dog within the stadium - of which there were a few, surprisingly.
7: Lazelis is getting forward here, and he’s powering through the Blouman defence. He’s turned Potts and... he’s scored! Lazelis propels Vdara ahead with an early goal, and adds to his impressive goals tally!
14: Lazelis is through yet again, and he’s darting towards the defence. He’s left Potts for dead yet again, he’s nutmegged Lornet and... he slots it past Polinoir to make it 2! It’s 2 for Lazelis, and 2 for Vdara!
21: Lazelis is going for a hat trick, he’s running towards the defenders again... and he’s been dispossessed by Potts.
31: Giannakos has the ball in midfield, further out from his usual position in defence. He’s passed it to Vlahiades, who’s going to run forward. He’s... managed to run it over the touchline, and Cupstran will take the throw-in.
38: Cupstran is playing some nice football in centermidfield, and he’s moving forward. He’s taken a shot from range... which flies over the bar. Goal kick for Vdara.
45: Well, easy as you like, that’s half time! Not too much action from the game, but Vdara lead 2-0 at the break!

In the dressing room, Væñøœrëñbérghüïś had a few words to say to the players.

”Well done, boys, you’re keeping us in the tournament if this result remains as a win. Any win is good, and we need to keep that up. However, you don’t win a game at half time, so we need to keep our energy and our hopes up, ya hear? Fantastic. Let’s get another win and please those fans!”

46: The teams are back, and they’re ready for action, and action they’ll get! At least, I hope so. I’ve already fallen asleep watching this team a few times, and I’m sure that if I do it again, I’ll lose my job.
54: Cousins has dispossessed Giannakos at the back, he’s rouletted to the left and... he’s scored! Blouman grab a goal back, and Vdara have been stunned!
63: Væñøœrëñbérghüïś seems to be shouting to his players from the touchline. We can’t tell what he’s shouting, but it seems profanity-laden.

”Keep the f**king ball, you p***ks! Get this damn result or y’all are getting f**kin’ punished!”

70: Athanas has the ball on the right side, and he’s passed it to Stamatelis. Stamatelis is moving forward, and he’s flicked the ball to Fotellis. Fotellis puts the ball forward to Lazelis... who puts it in the net! However, the linesman has his flag up, and the goal won’t stand. It’s offside.
81: Giannakos has passed the ball to Karalas, and he’s cleared it. Amazingly, he’s hit the crossbar. Nice shot, but crossbar hits don’t earn you any points.
90: Game over, game done, game finished! That’s another 3 points to Vdara, who still has a chance of qualifying! The fans are chanting Væñøœrëñbérghüïś’ name, they’re happy with the win!

The dressing room had a positive atmosphere, with Væñøœrëñbérghüïś seemingly quite happy.

”Good job out there, lads. Sorry for my outburst earlier, just didn’t want yous to end up losing the seemingly easy match. Next match is against Fujai, which I hope yous are able to capitalise on. If you don’t, well, you’ll see.”

With Vdara sitting one point behind 4th placed Kandorith, qualification was mathematically achievable. However, everybody knew that it was over. There was no chance of catching the top 3. There was no chance of qualification. Why would there be? Why would lowly Vdara qualify in their second World Cup? Well, they could’ve been third in different circumstances. Losses to Lo Santano and South Concepthuania dropped 6 points, with the draw to Fujai making the total 8. These should’ve been easy games (according to the bookies), and Vdara had scuffed them. It’s a shame, really.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Daily 2020
Down the stretch
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

As the finish line closes in on World Cup Qualifying, with matchday 19 upon us, let's take a look through the other groups, to see who's in the lead, and which team or teams are the biggest surprises.

Group 1: Turori leads Audioslavia by 11 points, with Astograth, Sajnur and New Lusitania & the Algarves in a tight battle for third. Astograth seem to be exceeding expectations as they chase the Bulls; with 31 points they one of the better performing BOF sides so far.

Group 2: Kita-Hinode lead the way here with a 10 point margin over Drawkland, and Kohnhead being the surprise dark horse here, also on 31 points.

Group 3: Eura are top of the pack here, with a tight battle for second among The Sarian, Eshan, Savojarna, Terre Septentrionale and surprisingly Chromatika, all separated by just 4 points. We could go into depth about the Chromatik struggles in the first half, but for our money, Jovannic have done the best job among the unfancied sides.

Group 4: A tight race between 3 nations that BP have faced in qualifying previously—Taeshan have a three point margin ahead of Main Nation Ministry, who lead South Covello by four for the final qualifying spot. Our surprise here is West Pocono, who sit fourth at the moment in their WCQ debut.

Group 5: The Commonwealth haven't looked over their shoulder at their opponents here, with a 19 point gap to third placed Twicetagria, for our money one of the two best debutantes in the entire competition. Zwangzug look pretty safe in second in what many have said is the group with the least amount of drama.

Group 6: Banija have also run away in this group, leaving Hampton Island in second place with an 18 point gap; they are also our surprise team here, deserving of their spot through excellent play.

Group 7: Nephara lead Sarzonia by 10 points with Jeruselem just a point behind the Stars. The Tiger Princesses have surprised us, as their inconsistency in the past seems to have disappeared under their new manager.

Group 8: The Holy Empire are always a formidable opponent and have an 11 point cushion over the pack with Port Ember & AOCAF champ Ko-oren in a battle for second. There are two teams in this group we feel are more than holding their own, BOF participant Tequilo and Cheergirls.

Group 9: Cassadaigua have been as dominant as BP and Banija have been, but have only a 5 point lead over Kelssek. Timuria are well back in third, but they and Grod Island are the surprise teams we like here.

Group 10: Siovanija & Teusland have been in a neck & neck race with the Free Republics and currently lead by six points at the top; having qualified for the first time in WC84, our AO and Baptism of Fire 67 friends have built upon that success. It's here they we're going to make our surprise teams two who have not had much of their previous luck with them, Appalachian Nation and Bolgano. Of course there are sophomore slumps, but both sides should be higher up the table.

Group 11: Equestria have a four point cushion over our suprise package here, HUElavia.

Group 12: 95X hold a seven point lead over Starblaydia (!), who lead Cosumar by 4 points with Zeta Reka—our surprise here—Plane of Possibility, who get honorable mention, and Osarius chasing them.

Group 13: Valanora and Pasarga appear to have things in hand here, but we shout out to South Newlandia for their excellent performance.

Group 14: Vilita became the first nation to clinch a spot in the Finals, as they have a 19 point gap between themselves and Qasden. Lurking just behind is Riena, who have impressed us.

Group 15: Brenecia are looking safe in the clubhouse with and 8 point lead over the Independent Athletes of Quebec and another 5 points to third place. IAQ get this group's recognition, as they have return from a long absence to stand at the brink of making the last 32.

[Delaclava]

Delaclava 2-1 Jeruselem

DEL, Meyer (Howard, Girardi) 33'. JER, Banister (Cassina) 53'. DEL, Meyer (Walters) 82'.

Lineups
DEL: Ross; Cicak, Gusev, Joseph; Girardi, Ritchie (Sash 77'), Durbridge; Campbell; Ingram (Walters 46'), Howard (Mullins 46'), Meyer.
JER: Simo; Carro, Damma, Starc, Carrot (Corky 73'); D. Dallas, Cassina, Fletcher (Reeves 73'), Castillo; Banister, A. Dallas (Lancaster 84').

The Phoenixes equipment manager, Matthew DeFrancis, was jumping up and down, celebrating with the rest of the coaches and staff as the bench poured out onto the field. The referee had just blown the final whistle, and the cheers from 110 thousand fans rained down onto the pitch at Pride of Manchester. Improbably, Lukas Meyer had scored two goals - the winner in the 82nd minute - and led the Phoenixes to a 2-1 victory over the Jeruselem Princesses, the biggest win in the team's "new history" and their first win in their brand new home stadium.

Once the celebrations finally began to return to the locker room, Matthew was in action mode again. He needed to quickly fulfill his duties as equipment manager so he could get things ready in his alternate role as "equipment" "manager". He had to head to the Manchester-By-The-Sea Resort and get arrangements ready - the team was having a big, wet event, and it was on him to organise the festivities.

Once Matthew had cleared the bench and loaded up the vans with the equipment, he came back into the locker room, trading some final congratulatory hugs and butt smacks with the players - then headed back to the van and raced to the hotel to get the reception set up.

About three hours later, the ornate hotel lobby was packed with guests - it was hard to imagine this was a private event, so to speak, but the team had been anticipating a massive result tonight, and they were ready to celebrate at a moment's notice, inviting everyone they knew. It was no problem getting the fans and groupies to join in - the whole city had been watching the game either at the Pride or on a TV somewhere.

Matthew ascended the stairs to the third floor of the lobby and looked down. It was quite a sight. Hundreds - perhaps thousands - of players, staff, fans, and guests milled around - some sipping champagne, others downing tequila and perhaps Cocoa-bo. From his own national team, he noticed Jared Thompson, Pavel Cicak, Donato Girardi, Brent Ritchie, Declan Mullins, Rhydian Campbell, Ryan Keating, Josh Torres, Zane Davis, Ryan Walters, Gunnar Sash, Jesse Bates, and Quentin Bard - a much larger contingent than he expected - and two of the coaches, Jessica Garcia and Allison Rhimes. Some of their wives and girlfriends were there, as well as other friends that Matthew recognised - dark-haired male models, beautiful blonde mermaids, hairy-chested men, tan and brunette women.

He also noticed, with a bit of surprise, that Marco Hertel and Michel Fillion had arrived, mingling in a corner with a handful of women whom they'd just met, and it seemed that perhaps a few hundred of the other guests were Quebecois as well. He couldn't remember their names, but recognised two other players and one coach from that squad. And there were plenty of others milling around who were clearly not Delaclav - perhaps Atlantian Oceanian, but some looked even more exotic than that.

Matthew made eye contact with Donato Girardi and motioned for him to come upstairs. They exchanged greetings and brief fondles, then Matthew tapped a spoon against his stiffly-poured Valeinan vodka and soda to catch everyone's attention.

"Welcome everybody, and thank you for coming - both now and later!"

Everyone in the lobby laughed and cheered at this.

"First, congratulations again to the Phoenixes squad today for a landmark victory!"

More cheers as the crowd fawned over the twelve players in attendance, loving the attention.

"Also, congratulations to the Jeruselemite squad for a great competitive match - and I sure hope some of you stuck around. We'd also like to thank the Quebecois contingent for joining us and congratulations on your victory today as well!"

As all the guests acknowledged them, the Quebecois players, who had come into the hotel a little bit sour-faced, were starting to lighten up now - Marco Hertel in fact seemed on the edge of euphoria, although perhaps that was not naturally manifested. Meanwhile, their tag-along crew, members of the Grim Reapers' supporter group, were interspersed among the Delaclav fans, appearing nearly bloodthirsty with lust.

"We hope your squad can continue onward and manage to qualify. And now I'd like to welcome someone very special to speak to you. Our vice captain - in more ways than one tonight - Donato Girardi!"

The crowd laughed, appreciating the wordplay as well as the Delaclav star midfielder. Girardi looked down upon the crowd and began, "Welcome everybody!

"We have plenty of drinks and hors d'oeuvres coming - so enjoy yourselves. But don't fill up too much!"

Girardi turned and winked at Matthew, then returned to his enthusiastic guests. "The VIP participants for tonight - all the players, coaches, and our special guests - will stay with you all for a while, then head upstairs to the royal suites and begin. Hopefully we'll be able to accommodate each and every one of you at some point during the night.

"Otherwise, we have all of the rooms in this hotel - including the adjacent neighborhood of guest houses, and the beach itself. If you go out of here and see anyone along the way, feel free to invite them! The more the merrier!

"Finally, everyone stay safe and protected tonight - you can take sort of 'enhancement' you want, but that's each person's choice. We also ask for your discretion when you leave here either tonight or tomorrow morning - we want to have maximum, Magnum fun tonight with as little complications as we can."

Girardi paused. "That's all we have for you - with our words, anyway. Have a wonderful and freaky time tonight. Let's get this orgy started!"

To be continued...

[Recuecn]

Tremblay could hear a tone as Relié pressed the button, somewhere behind him, to turn on the floodlights. Even before their first faint glimmer, he could hear them rattling to life, and then a constant hum as they began to warm up. It was that old hum of electrics in the background, only ever noticeable for the first few seconds before—like a meditative tone—it disappeared into the distance of your consciousness. The noise of the team behind him preparing for a late evening practice and the sounds of a stadium coming to life tugged at Tremblay's attention. Usually they would never open the stadium for nothing more than a couple hours' practice. But this time Tremblay had sneaked the team in, and this moment by himself, pondering in the night air as he stood on the sideline, made it all worth it.

The yellow light from the tunnel behind him cast his shadow onto the pitch in front, stretched out and pulled until it crossed the center circle. But at his feet the moon cast another, paler, bluer shadow, as if to remind him that it was thanks to itself he could make out anything at all in the misty darkness. Tremblay closed his eyes, feeling himself in this place, in this time. He bent down, stretching his old back, and touched his toes. He could feel the evening dew on his fingers; his shoes were wet. He breathed.

There had never been a time his job wasn't stressful. Every game was a performance review. When he'd been retired, Tremblay had been universally admired and respected: a symbol of the reçuecian love for football—perhaps the only remaining evidence that there had been anything there before the FNRF and the le championnat. Coming out of retirement for a position as visible as head coach of the national team had put him under the most public scrutiny he'd experienced since... as long as he could remember. He didn't worry too much about that. He concerned himself more with how well the team was doing. And there was always pressure for the answer to that to be "very well".

He needed a zen moment like this very much: alone on the field, with only Relié puttering around somewhere for a distraction. Tremblay let go of his toes and straightened his back, breathing out. He strode forward down the center line onto the field, now a dark gray. For a moment, walking onto the pitch, that hallowed ground, brought him back and summoned forth memories of when he had done so as a player, long ago, even before he had then begun to coach. His memory sparked with the same energy crackling through the still-warming floodlights. But it was only for a moment. Then he was back as the manager he had become, passes and formation diagrams and positioning all floating through his head. The cool night air chilled him an extra degree as he stepped through it, now at a brisk pace.

He stopped at the center point and turned around, facing toward the tunnel. The happy chatter of the team, almost ready, came to him louder now, and the light from the dressing room made him shut his eyes again. He tilted his head back, one last instant of peace and reflection. He opened his eyes. There was the moon, full and shining against the sky, now a light gray.

And then, the floodlights came on in their full glory and brilliance, blinding him in a flash of white. With the light the color rose up from the field and the stands, and Tremblay had to lower his gaze to the tunnel, out of which the reçuecians streamed into the artificed sunrise.

[Riennic Isles]

The Riena Sentinel

---

Riena 1-1 Omerica
Wavelets stall at home once again

---

• Riena: Steiner (5')
• Omerica: Argyris (70')

On matchday 19 of qualifying for World Cup 85, Riena once again failed to deliver in front of an expectant home crowd as they threw away an early lead to share the points with Omerica. The draw did neither team any favours, with Riena wasting yet another opportunity to close in on ailing Qasden, while Newmanistan won away at Oberour Ar Moro to move just a solitary point behind the Wavelets.

Playing at the Wavelet Arena, Riena once again displayed a surprising inability to control games at their stomping ground. Despite going ahead early doors through Flare Steiner's twenty-yard rocket, Riena never looked comfortable or at ease despite home comforts, and they struggled badly at times to live with the Incorrigibles' enterprising play in attack. Having already beaten Riena at the Stade Just-Cartier during these qualifiers, Omerica rediscovered some semblance of their early swagger today as they showed the latent ability that put the lie to their lowly position in Group 14.

Despite a somewhat shaky start, the visitors grew into the game as they took control of the lion's share of possession. With all to play for in the qualification sweepstakes, Riena fought gamely to put some daylight between themselves and Omerica, but the Incorrigibles' talent in attack meant that the Wavelets' opponents were always in with a fair shout of picking up a point or three despite their one-goal deficit. And Riena's inability to put the game to bed with further goals was duly exploited b the Incorrigibles, Adélaïde Argyris meeting an inch-perfect Maïa Bustos cutback to sidefoot home in the seventieth minute.

Both teams had their moments in the final minutes of the match, Meru Matsukai hitting the crossbar with a swirling free-kick while Alphonse Fontaine came close to winning the game for the visitors with an acrobatic volley that was just about tipped over the bar by a diving Miho Minato, and in the end, a draw was the fairest outcome of a match that swung wildly at times between both teams.

Yet at this stage of qualifying, two dropped points will hurt Riena far more than it does their Omerican counterparts. With a string of nightmare games coming up in the run-in, it looks like these two dropped points will be hugely damaging to Riena's already faint hopes of a second-place finish. The current state of play after matchday 19 means that Newmanistan can inch two points ahead of Riena if they win their game in hand. For their part, Qasden are two points clear of the Wavelets with a game in hand, having took their expected loss against Vilita this matchday.

Given Riena are yet to play Vilita, who visit the Wavelet Arena for Riena's final match of these qualifiers, Riena face a daunting task if they are to regain lost ground in the battle for second. The Wavelets will likely need to take maximum points from their remaining matches, and given their alarmingly poor streak at home, as well as the calibre of the opposition to come, it looks like these dropped points against Omerica have slammed the door shut on any lingering hopes of a fairytale qualification. Perhaps Riena's strong form over the first half of qualifiers was always going to be unsustainable, and these recent results mark a return to their normal level. And yet, the Wavelets can rightly be proud of their battling performances in what was their inaugural qualifying campaign. The Cup of Harmony beckons, and we hope that the Wavelets will continue to do the country proud, as they already have in these qualifiers.

Riena (4-3-3): Minato; Uruha, Tsukamoto, Amemiya, Kagura; Sakuranami, Kirimiya, Nakiri; Haneda, Kanzaki, Steiner
Substitutes: Kugimiya, Narita, Himemori, Kawakaze, Matsukai (60'), Suenaga (77'), Samukawa

Omerica (4-3-3): Augustin; Sneyders, Thyme, Marquetti, Barton; Soares, Fontaine, Archambault; Palmeiro, Falkirk, Bustos
Substitutes: Durant, de Felice, Zanetti, Bennett, Bolton, Argyris (58'), Chrysantos (71')

[Kelssek]

Scores for MD 20, groups 1-7

[Mriin]

While many of you may not survive tonight, remember there is always another day. Always. Cutoff for Groups 8-15!

[Taeshan]

Taeshan 1-0 West Pocono
The Haberdashery, Williams Isle, Taeshan
Nkitilina 50'

The Guaran-dam-tee

I was just coming through my first world cup appearances when I was really humbled for the first time. While Taeshan is a soccer mad country it had fallen on hard times in the sport it loved so much. But to Taes I was now a god. I was the striker that led them back to the world cup. I wasn’t the only new player they had their hopes set on, but I was the most noticeable. The guy who put the ball in the back of the net, the “hero”, but that went away quickly.

I was looking for a move from Atlantea Hurricanes, but my agent was having a hard time finding me a job. Qualifying for the World Cup was a big deal for Taeshan, almost four decades of failure. Qualifying for a World Cup isn’t a big deal for Eura, or Nephara, or Vilita. No that was old hat, I was just another of the 100’s of guys who got to play in a World Cup. Many of which from nations like mine, who hadn’t been so hot recently and didn’t have the recent pedigree. The sporting directors didn’t know who I was, and frankly didn’t care. Taeshan’s league wasn’t up to snuff and as far as they were concerned Taeshan qualifying was likely a fluke, a flash in the pan, and not a sign of the talent of the squad.

It was a bitter pill to swallow. Being a god among some, but not even being able to be worth the pennies a transfer would have been from the Hurricanes for a squad to have a depth signing. A flyer on someone who maybe could put the ball in the back of the net, but you know how those Taeshani forwards are, all pace and power and no mental fortitude. No consistent ability to put the ball in the back of the net. No, you want your speedy Taeshani wingers, even if they don’t qualify for the World Cup speed is good. Speed rules the world.

Then I decided they would all rue the day. I doubled my efforts. I put in the Work and a year later not only was Taeshan back in the World Cup for a second time in a row but Taeshan was here to play. Wins over Equestria and Port Ember all but assured our advancement. Two goals in the first game and an assist against the World champs proving we meant business. A tie against Apox to advance, and then a bitter pill to swallow with a loss against the Holy Empire in Extra time.

But Taeshan had made its mark. We’re here to stay. So am I. I still put in the work, I’ve moved to Eastfield Lodge to a bigger team, RGS Athletic, with hopes of international club competition to be brough into play. I hope I’ve started to prove those other club managers wrong. I also pushed myself even more for Taeshan. Taeshan is one of the stalwarts of the international scene but has never been good. Never even made a semifinal. That will change by the end of my career. I can promise you that.

Wilhelm Nkitilina

[Chromatika]

Chromatik City Courier
Jordan Lawless, Sports Columnist

Group 3 Matchday 20: Northwest Kalaction 4-3 Chromatika @ Northwest Kalactin
Chromatik Scorers: Dragana ('2), Thorben ('39), Sierra ('84)
Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Ria (C); McBee - de Aea - Rondeau - Austic; Armageddon - Zuniga; Thorben - Kuzami - Dragana; Sierra.
Substitutes: Xiao -> McBee ('49), Dias -> Zuniga ('64), Kelly -> Thorben ('79)

NORTHWEST KALACTIN -

Through the first four losses, Chromatika couldn't believe their luck. The fifth was versus Eura, an understandable scratch, and then The Sarian, and then Sabalonia. So, Chromatika ended the half with seven losses, something that wasn't supposed to happen but did. Then came the stretch where the did a lot better, followed by a home loss versus Eura. All that was okay - 8-2-8 with eighteen points still on the board.

However, when Kalactinian striker Luke Dillan got the ball past Mia Ria in a short, decisive strike, any chance of a qualification seems to be really far fetched at this point. Chromatika will need to win its remaining five matches and hope that Eshan only scores eight points and Savojarna scores nine. It is still technically doable, but not as likely.

There is definitely almost no room for error now. Chromatika must hope that everything falls into place exactly the way that it needs to.

[Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom]

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

The next day, Helmutov had business to address. There were two people who resonated in Helmutov’s head. One was Luka, the other was Wladmir. This mystery of the Green Order had seemingly enveloped the inner core of the government. The public however was in the dark and highly divided. People camped into two groups. One believed the protesters quelled at the Zeta Reka National Sports Complex were heroic martyrs. They rallied around the young lady who’s head was broken on the pavement. Another side had formed against these new protesters. They claimed one of the activists had planted a bomb. Media ran both claims, and more neutral outlets seemingly said nothing conclusive. There were picketers who got close to the police building. Helmutov thus required an escort. Although it was a tad risky, it was the old man’s estimation that a visit had to be paid to Waldmir.

Helmutov kept his head down as he passed the crowd and headed straight to his intended destination. After a quick job up a flight of steps, Helmutov opened the door. A familiar friendly voice cried out, “Lars, you’re on time.” Helmutov smiled at the ox like commander, “of course,” he said, “I don’t have much of that time you speak of to spare.” Wladmir nodded, “I know why you’re here, old pal. They want to investigate. I will be okay. I was in Kven looking for a vacation home.” Deputy Helmutov put his hands on the desk, “I know you're not invovled. You've been trying to reform the force for years. You’re a revolutionary at heart.” Waldmir looked flattered, “I play the long game,” Wladmir said solemnly, “It’s hard to get people to listen when you’re just here by appointment. They treat me like I know nothing. I'm just an outsider who's, 'keeping them unpopular.'” Wladmir spun in his chair slightly, and began writing papers. “You know, I still have my strip of cloth from the green order.” Helmutov’s eye lids flew open, “You do?” “Should I have burned it?” Wladmir quipped with a chuckle, “You told me I could do some good with them. I guess I did.”

Helmutov wasn’t sure if he should mention the alleged revival of the Green Order. Even though this was a room of friends, someone was on the inside. Helmutov elected to move the discussion back to his investigation after a brief silence. “So," he said inquisitively, "who was keeping the fort while you were away?” Wladmir kinked his neck, “Miloš I think.” Wladmir said before a pause. Waldmir thought carefully before continuing to speak, “Yeah, Miloš. He’s a good kid. He would know what happened.” Helmutov rose from his chair and uttered a simple “Thank you.” The two companions shook hands. “You always were good at playing cowboy,” Wladmir said, “Be careful, friend. There is seemingly a lot going on these days.” Deputy Helmutov smiled, “It’s been a lot calmer these past few years. Hopefully we can keep that mood alive.” After flatteries were exchanged, Helmutov looked straight into the eyes of Wladmir, who spoke again, “I’m serious,” he said with conviction, “do not do anything dumb.” Then Wladmir handed Helmutov a piece of paper, it was where to go to see this Miloš character. He was a floor down in his own office. Helmutov was pleased and set off with a, “thank you, pal.”

Helmutov went to where he was instructed. He knocked on the door and was greeted by a short man dressed as formally with a red suit. “I don’t want you here,” the man said. “Miloš?” The man named Miloš snapped back, “I said get out. I have a lot to do. I’ll talk to authorities. I have to go and I’d like your womanizing butt out of here.” The angry Miloš walked off in a huff, not closing the door behind him. Helmutov snuck in, and locked the door. Looking around, Helmutov window and kept the curtains in their place. The experience sleuth knew he was on the first floor and could get his middle aged bones outside in a hurry. He searched around for anything important, started with the cluttered table Miloš called a desk. Behind the desk was a pile of papers and a green ribbon. The were full of references to old events. One paper had Helmutov’s name underlined. It was information from the riots Helmutov had been connected to decades ago. “Praise God for phones.” Helmutov said to himself and he got out his smartphone.

There was a rattle at the door and a heavy breath. Outside a commotion burst past the glass door, “Hey Maria!” Miloš shouted, “You have my spare key?” Helmutov realized he was in trouble. Ditching the photography plan, Helmutov put all the papers back, and ran out the window. Once he was outdoors, Helmutov realized the escape route must not be found. The door creaked open, and the window squeaked closed. It was a close call. Only one thing wasn’t put back in place, and that was the green ribbon. Helmutov ran quickly, running close to the protestors. Only a few were around this side of the block, and Helmutov quietly tip toed back before being noticed. As he got on the public transit system, Helmutov breathed a sigh of relief and placed the green ribbon in his pocket.

The day’s remaining affairs were comparatively drab. Parliament agreed to set up a committee to investigate the federal government’s use of force against the protestors. No mention was made of the mysterious reemergence of a revolutionary organization. All cabinet members were preparing for audits on their activities, as was the President and few other major officials. After a day of major work, and a minor amount of drinking, Helmutov slid into bed for the night. Before the tired codger could doze off, there was a ringing sound. It was Helmutov’s home phone. Helmutov picked it up and grunted quietly into the line. A monotone response flowed out, “I heard you were snooping around in an office, Mr. Helmutov.” It was Luka, “You should have called me for assistance. I’ll make sure your little incident is swept under the rug. Hopefully what you found is important for the investigation I encouraged. If you have no solution you should consider checking the scene of the incident. You likely have enough authority to take a visit to the National Sports Complex. If you’re worried about looking suspicious, call me tomorrow.” An exhausted Helmutov rolled back into bed and hung up the phone and dozing off. There was a lot of work to do. Worse yet, things could get even more confusing if all this talk of a new Green Order was true.