Cup of Harmony 77 - everything thread

by **Trolleborg** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 2:20 am

Hello dear viewers! It's Trolleborg TV, I am Tiernes Riper, and right now welcome as our guest none other than Torben Mortensen, Chairman of our FA.

T.M. Good afternoon, Tiernes, good afternoon spectators. We have not seen each other for a long time. I am ready to answer about everything that has happened since our last meeting.

T.R.: And the first question is, of course: how do you evaluate the performance of the national team in the recent WCQ?

T.M. At 8 out of 10. As a person who was fully knowledgeable about the state of affairs, I assumed before the games begin, that 4th spot would be a good result, but in reality our team finished third, and was really close to have a ticket to Mriin and Farfadillis. This time there were no terrible recessions, as in the last qualifying tournament, and we did not lose a single match on our field, moved 40 points up the table of the PBC and entered the sixth dozen of teams in the world football. But there are obvious problems in terms of psychology. It was not even necessary to work miracles, in several matches the game that we showed regularly in this cycle would be enough, but, unfortunately, we showed it regularly, but not always. Two games with ZSeparatists, fights with St. Saratoga and Chinatown are matches that our team was quite capable of winning. Had we won they all, or at least three matches from this list, and even if the Free Republic did not fall into a crisis in the second part of the tournament, a ticket to the World Cup would be ours. And there are obvious difficulties with the defense. Moreover, as an expert, I can’t say that I see any obvious punctures and failures, all players are acting as they must, and nevertheless the result of all efforts is unsatisfactory. But the head coach is working on it, and you will soon be able to appreciate his efforts.

T.R.: What can we expect from the future?

T.M.: Much will depend on the next two or three cycles of the World Cup. We, as I already said, have made serious progress in the last season. But in world football it’s quite easy to get into the middle ranks and it’s very difficult to rise above it into the elite. Many teams tried for years and generations, but could not do it. As you know, due to our long life expectancy, football players can play at the highest level up to 45, but still, age has an effect. The current players of the national team, having already gained experience and making name in the world, will start to leave sooner or later, and it’s will be seen who will replace them. Although in general the path to the national team is open to everyone, but it looked like there was a psychological barrier, since once you was in the national team you have to be deemed worthy of successes of established line-up, and it’s bringing tremendous pressure on the players. And it’s difficult to compete with people who brought the country its only trophy in the international arena, covered in fame and firmly standing their place on the field. So, either a breakthrough will be made in two or three seasons, or it will take many more years until the next line of players comes. The recipe can be formulated as follows: a lot of work to improve their skills, a stable game at their level and a little luck.

T.R.: And what should we prepare for?

T.M.: In grief and joy you have to be with the players. And things must not be like in the WCQ84 campaign, when after first serie of failures there was a angry voices to withdraw from competition. And as a result of the failure of our team in shameful line of friendly games, it was seriously proposed not to go to the Pan-Pacific Cup at all...

T.R.: Which brought us such a terrible shock ...

T.M.: But apart from the semifinal game team played brilliantly! Yes, I agree, what happen is totally terrible. Especially for players who, having won a lot of victories, have already seen themselves as winners of the tournament and were psychologically unprepared for what happened in the semifinals. A lesson to all of us, including the fans. But there were a lot of positive emotions. We showed a real good game, and I, without any hassles and reservations, believe that we were the best team of that tournament. In addition, we received a good press, and judging by the WCQ85, we learned few things from this lesson.

T.R.: And now tell us what lies ahead of the Harmony Cup.

T.M.: With all my pleasure and within my competence…

T.R. But it will be after the express news bulletin.

by **Vdara** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 4:39 am

The Draw (again)

Hello, and welcome to you all! Well, the groups have been drawn, and I’m sure you’re all excited for the Cup of Harmony, no? Well, you should be. Let’s talk about it! Vdara are coming into this tournament off of a ten game unbeaten run in the World Cup, so make sure to think highly of them!

Group 4 Preview:

Team 1 - Filindostan - Record: N/A (never played)
KPB Rank: 45th
Welp, what can we do here? Probably not that much, I’ll tell you that. Filindostan are a well-experienced team, and we’ve just come off the back of finishing 5th in our group. Well, I guess they never qualified either, so you never know. However, I’m going to predict a loss or a draw.
Team 2 - Kandorith - Record: 1W - 1D - 0L
KPB Rank: 48th
You all know who they are by now, I’d hope. We just played them, after all! Hayabusa is a decent manager for them, and they’ve got quite the star-studded lineup. However, I think this matchup depends on latest form, so I’m going to say that this game will go either way.
Team 3 - Vdara - Record: N/A (that’s us, you muppet!)
KPB Rank: 77th
It’s us! Look at us! We’re in the Cup of Harmony! Let’s go!
Team 4 - Maccian - Record: N/A (never played)
KPB Rank: 115th
Having never played or even really heard of Maccian, I think it’s safe to predict this result as a win. However, you can never expect too much from Oi Magoi, so don’t be too hasty here.
Team 5 - Delaclava - Record: N/A
KPB Rank: 134th
I really don’t know too much about this team, but I have heard the name, so that’s one thing. I’m expecting a win for Vdara in this matchup, and I think you should all expect the same as well.

Predicted Group Finish:
1) Kandorith
2) Filindostan
3) Vdara
4) Maccian
5) Delaclava

Well, that appears to be all for tonight. Vdara’s schedule will be shown after this, but I just want to tell you all to stay safe and keep your supporting momentum up! Oi Magoi will need it!

Match Schedule:
Matchday 1 (June 21st)
Vdara vs Maccian (home)
Matchday 2 (June 22nd)
Delaclava vs Vdara (away)
Matchday 3 (June 23rd)
Vdara vs Filindostan (home)
Matchday 4 (June 24th)
Kandorith vs Vdara (away)
Matchday 5 (June 25th)
Vdara bye

by **Electrum** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 5:09 am

Series of haiku
To explain group eleven
Nothing to construe

First, Timuria.
Calling themselves the 'Red Wolves'
Try resist their pulls

Best at being in third
The wolves have something to prove
The team's spirit, spurred

Savojarna comes
So close to qualifying
But it came to none

Looking for honour
Must find a good playmaker
Or they'll be goners

Next is a long one
Z. R. and Hugeltadom
Try to score just one

Worthy opponents
Wreathed in flames at the moment
Not to be misjudged

South Newlandia
Helmed by Bobbie Wolfie
Their chances, can't foresee

Nothing more to say
We're running out of ideas
Oh, beat Mavinet!

Run by Computator,
Electrum comes last of all,
Don't expect a haul

Await cocoa-bo
And a certain vegetable
We'll come with the flow

Oh, and excuse the meter.

by **Busoga Islands** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 5:19 am

The Busoga Chronicle
The Islands #1 News Source!

Disappointing finish to World Cup Qualifying leads to challenging Cup of Harmony Group for the Busoga Islanders

We ran out of positive scenes like this as the Marathon of World Cup 85 Qualifying entered its final stages

ARLINGTON, ZWANGZUG- There was so much hope toward the end of World Cup 85 Qualifying for the Busoga Islands. In the chaotic madness that was Group 2, the Busoga Islands, with just two games left, somehow found themselves with 40 points and all alone in the second World Cup Qualification spot, although four other teams were within three points of them. The task ahead of them was clear, although it was not at all simple. Win your two remaining games, ignore what happens anywhere else, and you will be into the World Cup for the first time in the country's history.

And the fact that we are writing this article from Arlington in Zwangzug, rather than anywhere in Mriin or anywhere in Farfadillis, simply shows you that we failed at this task. Everyone knows it. But let's take us through exactly what happened. Second place was a poisoned chalice in Group 2- the team entering a matchday in second place, during the second half of Qualifying, had a combined 3-6-3(W-L-T) record. On its own after 12 games, that would've meant 12 points, or like a 10th place finish out of 13. The team entering a matchday in second place didn't win at any point after Matchday 19. So we should've known what was coming.

Lochario was not a strong team. There is no doubts about that. But they were certainly capable of pulling the odd upset, and they made sure to put that ability to use in World Cup Qualifying. They had beaten us in the first leg, in Lakiska. But with so much at stake in the return leg, and the talent gap(however small), many figured the Islanders would be in a great position. But we blew it in Lochario, and then on Matchday 26, at home against Torisakia, we lost 1-0 there. There's no need to really dive through those matches- who wants to do that? But it leads us to the Cup of Harmony.

Now, we have a very interesting group. Matchday 1, we will play against the Grim Reapers, right here in Arlington. That will be a fascinating matchup. For one, of course, the Independent Athletes from Quebec are certainly a talented group. From the Baptism of Fire, they were third in a group with Brenecia and Reçueçn. A country that hasn't been to the World Cup in a number of cycles, they're ambitious, and they're coming for trophies at this tournament. And, of course, Pot 2 v. Pot 3. A lot riding on this game. Bethany Donnell told reporters that "this is absolutely a benchmark game for both sides. IAQ just beat a full-strength Banijan side in Quebec City- it shows that they've got excellent form. They've got a massive travelling fanbase, we imagine this will be mostly like an away game in that sense. But we're ready for all comers."

The rest of the group is good as well. Sylestone, ranked 228th, is Pot 5, while the Pot 4 side is 119th ranked Mavinet. The Pot 1 side here is Xanneria. Xanneria, who co-hosted the last Cup of Harmony with Banija, is indeed a dangerous squad. They attack with ferocity, in the opposite sort of style from the Busoga Islanders. We like to defend and counter- they like to bring overwhelming pressure and get you straight from the front. Can we get out of this group? It looks like the Top two in each group, plus the best 8 of 12 third place sides will make the Round of 32 in this 60 team Cup of Harmony.

Bethany Donnell says her squad will be up for the challenge. "One of the things that makes this tournament so challenging is that so much of it is the mental game." She said. "There isn't a manager in the history of the multiverse who has had trouble motivating his players for the World Cup. IT's the World Cup. Same for the Baptism of Fire- fresh-faced nations making their international debut. The Cup of Harmony. Not to say anything negative- no, this is a wonderful, prestigious tournament. Once you've arrived, seen the crowd, and start playing games, there is no longer any trouble."

"But so much of an international tournament is won and lost not even on the field, but before you step onto it. In the prep work. Are you motivated on the training pitch back home? Have you gotten over, mentally, your failure to make the World Cup, and put Qualifying behind you? Do you have the same sort of push in the film room, when you study your opponents? The same sort of push in the weight room? Those things make a difference. Look at Pasarga last cycle. A World Cup regular, a former World Cup champion. Extremely disappointed to miss the Finals for a second straight cycle, something unheard of for a nation of their caliber. But they didn't go to Banija & Xanneria and sulk and feel sorry for themselves. No, they were plenty motivated. they were extremely focused on the task at hand. They showed all sorts of mental strength, and it was one of the most dominant Cup of Harmony title runs we've seen in quite some time. And look at them now- they've vaulted themselves back into the World Cup."

"Now, I'm not saying we can do anything like that- we aren't Pasarga. However, it'll be plain very quickly on the field whether we simply went through the motions at home, or we're truly ready to compete here in Zwangzug. We've traditionally struggled in this tournament- I want to get rid of those struggles. We've just gotta take it a game at a time. And our first opponent, naturally, are the Grim Reapers. We're probably two evenly matched sides. Three points is always the goal. Can we get them?"

Another thing that makes this intriguing is the history between the two countries. Not on the pitch- we've never played each other. But off of it. The Busoga Islands were part of Banija for a couple of centuries, including when Banija was colonized by the Royal Kingdom of Quebec. Relations between the two countries are not excellent, as the Busoga Islands, after becoming independent from Banija, declined to even entertain the notion of joining the Quebecois Commonwealth, like Banija did. But still- there is certainly that political history that simply adds to the intrigue of the match. The sparks should certainly fly in Arlington when these two meet to kick off the Cup of Harmony.

by **The Sarian** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 6:59 am

Into the Archives: The Sarian in the Cup of Harmonies 59, 60 and 64.

This weekend, The Sarian will face off against Oberour Ar Moro in the Cup of Harmony. They've been here before - this is the sixth time that the Bustards have found themselves in the Cup of Harmony. But what will the future hold for the team? A peak at the history of the side in the competition might be able to provide a clue: there's heartbreak, despair and even one or two triumphs. Here's a brief look at the teams of Saaris gone past.

Cup of Harmony 59
Forget a sixty team mega-tournament, this Cup of Harmony had just twenty-four invitees. And a fresh-faced Sarian team were amongst them. It was a very different time in the history of Saari (or Sari, as it was at the time) sports. The team shocked everyone - including themselves - with a run to the Baptism of Fire final, only to lose to Buyan on penalties. In truth, it was a run mostly built on luck but it inspired a new national spirit and sense that anything was possible. And then it all came crashing back to earth. The luck was replaced by being drawn into the 'Group of Death', widely considered to be one of the strongest qualifying groups in many-a-cycle. And if that wasn't enough, The Sarian firmly inserted themselves into a drama between the Federation of Free Republics and Felix (though did manage to effectively steal a qualifying point by arresting Republican players at half-time). It was a bruising campaign, with The Sarian finishing seventh out of nine teams. Though, if you want a testament to how hard the group was: top seeds, Pasarga, slumped to a miserable fourth.

There wasn't much hope then when the Bustards travelled to Valanora as the fourth-lowest ranked seeds. With three team groups, there was also very little room for an upset. The first opponent was the peculiarly named Super-Llamaland, the team's best shot at getting an upset and qualifying from the group. And the other opponent? They might be familiar to the modern reader: fellow Cup of Harmony 77 group-mates, Legalese. After the shocking (and, in hindsight, deeply unfair) sacking of John McKenzie, Leonard Heathwait led the team, but only in an interim capacity. In a team filled with some of the big names of the early Sari football era - Isiah Bernard, Carson Seabrooke, Daley Brandon - only one name really stands out: Ross Horn. After being leading light of the Sari Baptism of Fire campaign, he had initially struggled to make the step up after a move to the Farf club Avenida Principal. Whilst he would eventually regain his form, it is easy to forget that he went to the Cup of Harmony with a whisper campaign behind his back of whether he had shone too bright, too early.

And it wasn't all content back home - arguments with the Free Republics after the qualifiers rumbled on, and the left-populist Peoples' Liberation Party (a forerunner of the Corvidae-backed Florican Party which would plunge the Multiverse into war several years later) had used the crisis to gain power. Whilst the team were in Valanora, the monarchy would be overthrown and a severe curve on parliamentary authority would be instituted. It wasn't quite the authoritarianism that the Florican Party would eventually achieve, but the fears were real.

It was never going to be a Cup of Harmony then. A fact exacerbated when a hostile audience, loyal to previous manager John McKenzie eventually provoked Leonard Heathwait to punch someone live on TV. Because, apparently, irrationally angry Saari managers have always been a thing. And if the team hoped the football would do the talking for them, they were sadly mistaken. A two-nil loss to Super-Llamaland was characterised by an awful performance by Ross Horn, with one match report we found saying "[m]uch had been expected of returning Sarian striker, Ross Horn, but the Avenida Principal man was desperately disappointing throughout and he was unable to inspire his team-mates.". The comeback narrative was to be delayed for another tournament. The result meant that The Sarian would have to defeat Legalese by three goals if they wished to progress in the tournament. Alas, it wasn't to be. Legalese ran out four-one victors; perhaps a worrying sign for the Cup of Harmony players of today? The tournament would eventually be won by Mytannion. And the fate of the 'Group of Death' from the qualifiers - of the seven teams which didn't qualify for the World Cup, four of them made the final eight of the Cup of Harmony. In short, The Sarian couldn't have had a ruder comedown from the heights of their earlier Baptism of Fire triumphs.

Cup of Harmony 60

If the debut qualifiers were hard, nobody was prepared for how difficult the sophomore follow-up would be. Drawn into Group Four of the World Cup qualifiers, there had been some hope that a relatively easy group might even provide a springboard to the World Cup. Instead, The Sarian went seven games (that's half of qualifying in the days before mega-groups!) before registering their first victory. The second half of qualifiers was much more fruitful: the team didn't lose once. But that late surge was still not enough to prevent The Sarian from being confined to fourth, and a second Cup of Harmony appearance.

Kinitaria and Kazamatsuri were the hosts. Although The Sarian were ranked in Pot Four, they were the best team in that pot and there was room for upset. Looking at the side now, it's remarkable in it's unremarkable-ness. The first XI had started to graduate from the Baptism of Fire group, but had yet to take the shape of the World Cup qualifying sides which would follow it. Jordan Lee was sixteen, Alfred Von Heinrich twenty-two. Jarrett Firmin, twenty-five, was taking the Captain's arm-band for the first time. A team in transition isn't quite accurate, but it was a team in the first stages of evolution. It was also tumultuous at the top: Jack Parker (or Jck Prkr for people who remember that joke) from Nexxus Drakko (Nxxs Drkk) would come in as manager - he would eventually become regarded as one of the best national team managers ever until his tragic death. In this tournament, however, he had been thrust in charge with little time to prepare. That said: the kits were better, the players tempered by longer in the international spotlight. And Ross Horn was good again.

Things were still rocky back home - the United Liberal Party had unexpectedly defeated People's Liberation at the ballot box in an election rigged in favour of the incumbents. But the PLP had reformed, first as the National Front and then as the Florican - tied to the international Corvidae movement which was on the rise globally. By the end of the Cup of Harmony The Inevitable Syndicate and Yttribia would both fall to the facist movement and The Sarian wasn't far behind.

As for the football? The first game saw the team lose, not unexpectedly, to the Inevitable Syndicate. The result was much harder fought than expected, however, which provided some hope. The weak link for The Sarian? Ross Horn. It seems weird to write in hindsight, given the legendary status he would be afforded on retirement. But he was just a man, and the Cup of Harmony was a tournament he seemed to really struggle in. A three-all draw in the next match against Kalumba gave the team a chance to progress. And then we turn to a theme in The Sarian experience of the Cup of Harmony: heartbreak. The Sarian beat Zwanzug, 2-1. But they were tied on points with Kalumba. After the two teams drew, they also couldn't be separated by H2H record. So it went down to goals for. Kalumba six, The Sarian five. Out by the smallest of margins.

Cup of Harmony 64
After that heartbreak, it would be a long-time until The Sarian once again saw themselves in the Cup of Harmony. Three consecutive appearances in the World Cup proper and the passage of time meant that just two players who appeared in the 60th Cup of Harmony were in the Saari team for the 64th - William Peters, just sixteen in Kinitaria and Kazamatsuri, was now the Captain and Ron Fletcher, a surprise inclusion in the 60th squad, was now considered one of the greatest Saari midfielders of all time. In the previous Saari appearances in the competition, The Sarian were nobodies. Now, they were the shock non-qualifiers, twentieth in the World Rankings and odds-on favourites to win the tournament.

In typical Cup of Harmony fashion, there was a new manager - Gareth Bournemouth. The Nepharan was seen to be the man who could turn the side around after their exit in the World Cup Playoffs, and the side he picked was uniquely his. The team was more defensive minded, and Bournemouth had began to quietly retire some of the team which had qualified for the previous three World Cups. Sadly, we know how the story ends - there was never a replacement for that golden era and Bournemouth would be vilified in history as the worst Saari manager ever. Ironically, his career would then nosedive further at Ramusok United of Cosumar - the villains of this story. This tournament would be the unmaking of this once celebrated Nepharim premiership winning manager.

Since the last Cup of Harmony, a lot had happened to The Sarian. The Corvidae menace had come and gone - though The Sarian kept the facist act going for much longer than the others. Politics was almost normal - the newspapers of the time talk about ethics inquiries regarding the selling of off-shore drilling rights. Scandalous? Sure. But surprisingly harmonious by the standards of the previous two competitions. In short, both in sport and in life, all was shinning positively for the Bustards.

And then two late goals from Szavoda meant that the first game ended in a three all draw. And everyone panicked. Was The Sarian's tumultuous history in the tournament coming back? Even foreign newspapers were getting in on the game, with Omerica's Blogdefootball declaring 'The Sarian is not invincible' and talking up their chances of nicking points from the now wounded front-runners. An unconvincing 1-0 victory in the next game against Bears Armed didn't help matters. Another 1-0 victory against Omerica wasn't perceived as much better - though a counter-narrative that it proved Bournemouth's defensive approach was working did join the discourse. In hindsight, that was bullshit.

And then the doubters were shut-up. Jacobo Yap spearheaded a three-nothing victory over Brenecia and there were talks of the new-found political stability allowing the World Cup to be hosted in The Sarian next cycle. The quarter final was shakier - The Sarian took penalties to knock out Chiata and a clash of titans against Barunia was set-up. Barunia were the other expected qualifiers for the World Cup who had found themselves in the Cup of Harmony and thus the clash saw the top two teams of the tournament face-off. No-one could have expected the outcome. Barunia six, The Sarian six. Bournemouth's reputation for defensive play was gone in a heartbeat. At the time, nobody really minded. It was an exciting game and The Sarian would win on penalties. Nobody foresaw that the consequences of no-one minding would come to bite The Sarian very quickly..

Then the heartbreak of the final. It should have been plain sailing - the Semi Final was the hard game; Cosumar were twenty-eight places behind The Sarian in the rankings. But we know how this ends> Cosumar five, The Sarian one. In the Semi Final and Final, the defensive Gareth Bournemouth had managed a side which conceded more than The Sarian did in their qualifying campaign under the attacking Daniel Bauer. It was a disaster; still to this day considered the worst day in Saari football. Of course, correlation is not causation but The Sarian never recovered. In truth, twenty years of political turmoil curtailing footballing development is the reason. But the aftershocks of the Cosumar defeat have gone down in history as the reason why The Sarian had never again qualified for the World Cup. In the qualifiers for World Cup 73, The Sarian finished third and subsequently rejected an invite to the Cup of Harmony. Three more third place finishes would follow before a humiliating slump to sixth in the qualifiers for World Cup 77 which would see The Sarian withdraw from international competition. And so ended the first era of football in The Sarian.

Line-up versus Oberour Ar Moro (4-4-1-1): Oodel Duoztiun / Trent Kindvanbruux, Jaxon Pieuz (C), Henri Brejzun, Ceutiz Maazden / Wictor Buul, Jodi Lauri, Hugo Sint Lo, Maeri Beniut / Mohammad Islam / Wera Pauwelz

by **Eraman** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 7:08 am

CHAPTER 16
GROUP DRAW

Eraman were drawn in Group 6 alongside Jeruselem, TJUN-ia, Sharktail and Garifunya in the Cup of Harmony held in Kelssek and Zwangzug, a draw that pleased Tun Sengalang Petara very much. The draw could have been a lot worse than that.

The Cup of Harmony is competed by nations who failed to qualify for the World Cup but that doesn't mean that it is not competitive. Some teams should have no business here, teams that should be in Farfadillis and Mriin like South Covello, Darmen, Chromatika and Mercedini. But they are here. Luckily, not in the same group as Eraman.

That is not meant to say that Group 6 is easy or uncompetitive. The pot 1 team in Group 6 might not be South Covello, but Jeruselem can be as good as anyone in the tournament. They finished third in the World Cup qualifying campaign behind Nephara and Sarzonia but finished above Darmen who is way above them in the ranking table. Jeruselem will be the favourite to qualify from the group.

Apart from Jeruselem, 2 other teams in Group 6 finished 3rd in the World Cup qualifying campaign. One of them is Eraman. The strong showing by Eraman in the qualifying campaign got them to 60th in the ranking, the highest they have ever been in history, even higher than Eastfield Lodge, the nation where Eraman begins its international football journey 4 editions ago.

Being ranked 60th, it's enough to get Eraman in pot 2 for the group draw. It's the first time Eraman were put in a high pot. Will it add extra pressure for the Tun Sengalang Petara boys? For the record, Eraman never made it past the group stage of the Cup of Harmony.

The other team who finished third in the qualifying campaign is Eraman's neighbour, Sharktail. Sharktail finished third behind Baker Park and Zwangzug in their group and is currently on an 8 matches unbeaten streak and 6 matches win streak. Can Sharktail continue the momentum? Tun Sengalang Petara hopes not because Sharktail will be the first opponent of Eraman in the Cup of Harmony and losing to its neighbour is catastrophic for his chance of qualifying to the next round and/or winning the next general election.

The other 2 teams in the group are TJUN-ia and Garifunya. Both teams finished 9th in their qualifying campaign which is not an impressive feat. That doesn't mean TJUN-ia and Garifunya can be taken lightly because the Cup of Harmony is a totally different tournament. TJUN-ia, for instance, is the third seed in the group. Failure to convert draws into a win was the main problem for them in the qualifying campaign.

All matches will be played on neutral grounds. There will be no home and away matches. For a team who rely heavily on home ground advantage in the qualifiers, Eraman is expected to have a tough time in the group stage.

by **The Jovannic** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 7:46 am

All Hail The Jovannic! Reports from people, for the people.....Jovannic Sports Central

we are in Jovannica, as the Jovannic National Team prepares to travel to The Royal Jovannic Airport for the trip to Klessek. Reporter Carlie Marion approaches Gothal Mathee, who is wearing a bright purple jacket with green stripes, whose design looked as if it was made to attract attention.

So Gothal, what are your plans for the first match against the Euran Oceanic Territories?

My plan may be to lie low for a bit, before striking hard at them, relentlessly and persistently. This team seems familiar to Eura, who we beat 2 times. We must push on in our matches, we are underdogs, but we can use it to our advantage.

Some good words there. What do you think of your chances?

I think we can do very well. We are underdogs as I have said before, but we can upset, and we can fight.

The reporter moves on to Jovan Ilohil, the team captain, who was having a conversation with his old schoolmate, Gavon Simoli.

So Jovan Ilohil, do you think The Jovannic have a chance?

It depends. Our recent form tells me that there is a decent chance of making it to the knockout rounds, but we must continue our form.

Gavon Simoli, are you proud of your performances in WCQ?

No. I was inconsistent.

Jovan juts in

You improved! You did very well in our 2-1 win against Eura!

But I must do better consistently.

Always the pessimistic one eh?

The reporter moves on to the crowd, whom are screaming and vying for the camera.

LET'S GO JOVANNIC! ALL HAIL! ALL HAIL!

GOTHAL SIGN MY JERSEY!

**** EURAN OCEANIC TERRITORIES!

WOOOOOOOO!!!!

the reporter swivels away and heads to Stocktain Lelop, busy signing autographs

Stocktain, your breakthrough has been very important for the Jovannic. How do you feel?

I feel of course extremely happy. But this is a team effort and we need to push together to have a chance to win the cup of Harmony.

Thank you very much and this is...... Jovannic sports central!

Starting Eleven against EOT
Mavin Tsuniki, Kish Dasny, Raye Eng, Kallin Yustat, Nivario Wesh, Stockian Lelop, Jin Tze, Thomas Behine, Sami Ning, Ianu Fathe, Jovan Ilohil

by **PotatoFarmers** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 8:11 am

(OOC: I am currently outside and unable to tidy up my roster. For now, any RPer can use my main roster as I posted for the qualifiers, linked in my sig, though there would certainly been some changes. Will do it asap, hopefully before MD2)
(OOC: This was written as a continuation of my RPs from the WCQ, all of which are linked in my WCQ roster, and will be linked in my CoH Roster when I settle the player list. If you had not read those storylines, then you may be slightly lost about some of the references, but that is it.)

Zwangzug. Ah yes, the memories of whatever happened 3 years ago from today, when the team, against all odds, won teams one after another, and came through the 71st Baptism of Fire as 3rd place. Maybe not "against all odds". The fact is that no one can deny that it was a difficult challenge for the team.
Then again, we are here. Once again, on the shores of the nation where it all started, where the dream all begun. It was here where Poafmersia made a name for herself, stepping into the multiverse by showing Poafmersia's attacking football. Not to forget how we chalked up the goals to produce a 8-2 scoreline on this nation, somewhere on the other side. However, the Red Panjias today are a completely different side from the Red Panjias 3 years ago. Then, it was all about hoofing the ball to the front and rake up goals. Today, it is all about movement, about each and every player's stamina and productivity on the pitch. The results have shown for themselves how this team has grown. Barely 3 years ago, Poafmersia was 175th on the global rankings. Today, they come into the competition in the top 50, guarding the 50th position and using it as a springboard to achieve a goal they set for themselves when they all begun - to play in the World Cup. For Adnan Suliaha, the current head coach of the Red Panjias and the person who started it all, this couldn't have came faster. Back when he started this project, he promised to make the Red Panjias become a top 50 in 4 cycles and enter the World Cup in 6 cycles, or 12 years. The first target is done in half the time, and now they march towards the second target brimming with confidence.
The road to success isn't all smooth sailing, as seen by the various lows in the qualification campaign. A loss to Qvardax, and giving Reventagar their 2nd point with a poor away draw was the nadir of the campaign. Just as when they were on the finishing stretch, they messed up real hard. But there were many more positives. It started with giving top seeds Brenecia the only loss of their campaign, which really sent shockwaves around the multiverse. Then it continued with 2 draws against second seeds Reçueçn. The team managed to cleanly defeat returning giants Quebec in the second half, and stopped Filindostan from doing the double over the team. The footballing fraternity in Poafmersia are excited for busier transfers seasons to come, with players moving in and out as the nation aims to build its domestic football scene. Meanwhile, the huge growth has given other sports groups encouragement, with basketball and rugby among 2 of the many sports that have indicated that they would like to begin an international team as well.
Adnan Suliaha and Katiri Hedge published the final roster just hours before the team's flight to Zwangzug. Some players are being removed while others are given starts, with a variety of central midfielders joining the pack, while some players like Jessie Mchargarita and Donk Mason are dropped. Adnan only picked one pair of left and right midfielders, putting the emphasis on finding more holding midfielders and digging out defenders. The pressure is really on Poafmersia to work really hard this time round, as they attempt to bring home a trophy this time round, avenging their early exit from the Cup of Harmony 2 years ago. Being 2nd seeds (top 50 and you are 2nd seeds? That is how crazy the cup is.), Poafmersia begin the campaign against Torisakia, the 96th ranked team who are also the group's 3rd seeds. Having missed the last qualification cycle, the team came back strongly, coming in 4th in Group 2 with a 12-7-5 record. Next, on Matchday 3, they play top seeds and 36th ranked team Port Ember. Port Ember entered the World Cup last cycle for the first time in their history, but failed to gain a single point in the group stage. This time round, they narrowly missed out on qualification following a 14-5-5 record in Group 8. The Red Panjias then play returning side Huayramarca, who came back from a long hiatus but came to finish 7th in Group 7 with a 8-8-8 record. They then play Astograth, also a returning team that performed very well during the qualifiers with a 13-8-3 record in Group 1. With everything to play for, the group is considered one tough nut to crack, but Poafmersia is aiming to get a direct slot with top 2 positions, which would grant the team a good Round of 32 draw and that they do not have to rely on other results to get into the knockout stages.

MD1: Poafmersia vs Torisakia @ Bug House, Twineur, Zwangzug
Starting 11: Sandi Jaliaha; Alex Pickford, Alex Hoboson, Konile Trasa, Timothy Gausun; Daas Taisg, Goon Figsh, Donk Mason; Joel Haodao, Shakira Handris (c), Pete Carisa

by **Mercedini** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 8:19 am

77th Cup of Harmony Group Stage Preview
@ Bowreach - Vickery, Kelssek

It's a new day and it's a new dawn for Mercedini in the Cup of Harmony as it's a new look managerial and coaching team who take the helm for the tournament in it's 77th edition. Predictions have been flying around for this tournament, but with so many big names invited to the tournament, it's anyone's guess as to who will lift the title at the end of it all. With restrictions being lifted in Mercedini, it has allowed a limited number of fans to travel to Kelssek for this event, so the team will have at least some of their home fans cheering for them in the crowd. As stated previously, Mercedini finished fourth in the previous iteration of the tournament, following a brilliant run to the semis before a near capitulation in their final two games, robbing themselves of a place in the finals at first, before falling short of a bronze medal and a place on the podium.

Now a new batch of teams take to the pitch to play for the multiverse's second biggest footballing tournament, for some, it was a cycle to put themselves on the map, but for some, it was a cycle to forget with one final chance to right their wrongs. For Dini, they were the unlucky victims of Hampton Island's shock qualification from Pot 6. In the end, they bought it back to within two points to make the overall picture a lot closer than it was, but in a group where they came in as the second best team, they fell short on two many occasions to deserve a spot at the big time.

Group 1
Ethane (55)
The Jovannic (139)
Tequilo (90)
Mercedini (31)
Euran Oceanic Territories (105)
On MD1, The Jovannic will face Euran Oceanian Territories, while Tequilo will play Mercedini

With the group draw now concluding, Mercedini have been drawn against the mixed bag of all mixed bag. They come in as favourites to win the group as the Pot 1 side, but there will be plenty to keep the Golden Eagles on their toes. Their first match will be against Tequilo here in Vickery, with the newcomers having serious potential to spring an upset or two with their decent track record and their disciplined preparation which hasn't gon unnoticed by the Mercedinians. The first match of any tournament is one of the more important fixtures of any campaign, as it sets the tone for the rest of the tournament. Tequilo have very little to lose in a fixture like this, so will likely go for it all on the pitch.

With the extended tournament format, it mean we have twelve groups of five playing in locations across Kelssek and Zwangzug. The five team format mean there will be four matches played over the five group stage days, and Mercedini will take their rest day on Match Day 2. Following that, the Golden Eagles head to Langlois to face Euran Oceanian Territories, a team which has had a decent upward trend as of late. From being the team languishing near the bottom of most groups, to putting together a good run and making it to the Cup of Harmony, EOT have turned a corner in their footballing chances, and could very well force their way through to the knockout rounds. It is a game that Meredini should win, although we *thought* that during qualification.

After that, it's the tussle between the two highest ranked teams in the group, Ethane and Mercedini. Both were unlucky not to make it through qualification, although this is a major chance for either team to finish their cycle with a bit of silverware for their cabinet. Many international pundits have predicted that whoever wins this, win the group. With two teams guaranteed to advance and a good chance for a third team to snatch a 'best-third-placed' spot in the group, we could see both of these teams go forth to the Round of 32, unless one of these teams is having a major off day... or week. It's likely to be close, but Dini do have the potential in midfield and upfront to pull out a result which could set out their stall for the title.

Finally, we hope it doesn't come down to the final game, but Mercedini will face The Jovannic in their final group game to round out their extended Cup of Harmony group stage. Again, little is known about The Jovannic from a Mercedinian perspective, which could play into the hands of the lower ranked side as they hope to spring a surprise and nick a point or three from under the noses of the Golden Eagles. It will be the final opportunity for Mercedini to pick up points to help their KPB and to secure at least a qualification spot in the group. The benefit of the format will mean that even if Mercedini slip up along the way, they can still comfortably qualify with a couple of wins and a couple of draws, if other results go their way.

That will round out the group for Mercedini, only time will tell whether they will be given the chance to play anymore following that, Pundits and predictors say that the group is Mercedini's to lose, although Mercedini have been in Pot 1 at the Cup of Harmony before and have been eliminated with a game to spare. It has given the Golden Eagles and the best of times and the worst of times, but it all beings now, and they have to outlast 59 other teams, the biggest ever pool that Mercedini have found themselves in at this tournament.

by **Torisakia** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 8:20 am

And welcome to another edition of the Sports with Bort blog. I'm Bortmorvius Dionosticles Stevens, three-time court defendant. We're starting a special edition for Torisakia's Cup of Harmony 77 run. This marks the first time that Torisakia has appeared in the Cup of Harmony, as before they either declined their invitation or weren't invited at all. I'm not sure what the criteria is to receive an invitation, but whatever it is Torisakia apparently met. If you recall, Torisakia finished 4th in Group 2 in the World Cup 85 qualifiers. They had a chance to get 2nd in the group and move onto the World Cup proper, but things just didn't work out fully. To qualify, Torisakia had to defeat Busoga Islands by at least two goals, have Squornshelan Remnant States tie or lose, and have Drawkland lose all on the final matchday. Torisakia beat Busoga, Squorn tied, but Drawkland ended up winning. Even if Drawkland had lost, Torisakia didn't win by at least two goals and thus Squorn would have taken second based on goal differential, despite us beating them twice. At least they had to bright idea to have all those matches played concurrently, otherwise we might have had some match fixing going on. The last thing we need is another scandal, god forbid.

Torisakia has been drawn into Group 7, along with Huayramarca, Astograth, Poafmersia, and Port Ember. Some of you might remember Poafmersia as we played a friendly with them not long before qualifiers started, which we won 1-0. I don't think we've played any of the others before, but we do have indirect connections with Astograth. A few months ago Tokai United signed Aritz Zarandona, a 19 year old midfielder from Astograthian club Echegoyan FC, on a 4 year, T$9.2 million dollar contract. Practically unheard of money for an international player in the TSL. Other than that, we don't even know who the other teams are. We don't really need to know honestly, since every match will be neutral site in Zwangzug. Torisakia opens up the Cup of Harmony against Poafmersia at the Bug House in Twineur, Zwangzug, one of two venues for Group 7. I really hope there aren't any actual bugs at the arena, especially praying mantises. Might need to bring some Raid with you if you're traveling there. Poafmersia finished 5th in Group 15 in World Cup 85 qualifiers with a respectful 13-6-5 record. Matchday two consists of Torisakia taking on Port Ember, who finished 3rd in Group 8 with a record of 13-5-5, at the Stelladome in Spenson, which is apparently where the Zwangzug space program is located. If you're traveling there for the game you could probably catch a rocket to the moon to kill some time. You'll have double the opportunity to learn about space travel as matchday three is also in Spenson, when Torisakia plays Huayramarca. Huayramarca finished 7th in Group 7 with a record of 8-8-8. Interesting sequence of numbers. Torisakia's final match will take place back at the Bug House in Twineur against Astograth, who finished 4th in Group 1 with a record of 13-8-3. The Astograth match will undoubtedly be Torisakia's toughest challenge of the competition, and we're lucky to have it played on neutral ground. Imagine if we had to travel to Astograth. I shudder at the thought.

We're retaining our roster for the Cup of Harmony, despite the Ministry of Sports & Recreation's numerous threats to gut the team due to so many draws. Although it's only four matches, it's still a way to get our guys some more experience playing together. The roster has actually come together pretty well, as their performance in World Cup 85 qualifiers shot Torisakia up to 96th in the KPB rankings, their highest ranking ever. Torisakia will no doubt climb higher after World Cup 85 ends and new rankings are released. Things are finally looking up for us in association football. Maybe now we can shift our focus to gridiron football. We're gonna be in World Bowl 39 you know. I'll be covering that as well, so stick around in the next few weeks for that. Going back to the roster, it's going to be interesting to see how manager Andy Sanders rotates our guys. I wouldn't be surprised if he starts some of our subs and then substitutes our main guys in later on, just to change things up. The stakes aren't as high in the Cup of Harmony as it's basically the losers' tournament, but it's not just a field day in May in 7th grade. I also wouldn't be surprised to see us use different formations, such as the 4-3-3 formation we used in our first match against Jantor last month. It's a good time to experiment with different tactics in a situation where it's not serious, but not too relaxed. Worst case scenario we go 0-4 and we're back to being the laughing stock of the international community. What's new.

Well that's all the time I have for this edition. Join me next time as I listen to all 21 albums from Beocast and reverse mask each song and think up as many "evil messages" as I can from the reversed lyrics just so I can prove those bible-thumping Christian people you see on TV late at night right. Right? Wrong!

by **Cheergirls** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 8:20 am

Spacebook entry from Captain Meghan Banks,

Good morning to all of my fans out there. I want to thank you for all of the support that you gave us during qualifying for the World Cup. When we signed up for the competition, there were a lot of people that thought we were crazy. Squads from Cheergirls have tried to do this before, and have done as good as they possibly could. That is why I felt that we had a good enough team here to succeed in qualifying.

We did succeed. Our dreams may have seen us wanting to actually qualify for the World Cup, but we knew that in reality, that was not going to happen. There are many ways that this can be seen as a success, first is that we had a winning record. At 10-5-9, we managed 35 points on the table. I know that is mediocre in the grand scheme of things, but for a young nation coming into this tournament, that is pretty good. We had more points then nations like Eastfield Lodge, Valladares, and even Hapilopper. Wow, did we really have more the Haps? Indeed, we did! So, we can proud of all of that.

We would succeed because in the second half we did better against the stronger teams. Our next to last game, in drawing Port Ember on the road, a nation that made the World Cup last year, prevented Port Ember from making it this time. We were well aware that their country had media that published things like the game would be in the bag before we even played them and that inspired us. I know they were dealing with some other things, but the response of all of our fans following that game was something that all of us players enjoyed. They didn’t have it in the bag after all, and now, their baggage has been redirected to the Cup of Harmony instead of the World Cup. Little things like that make us really proud.

We would also succeed because we matured as young adults. There is still a lot of growing up for us to do, but this was a big step. We would bond together for a cause and did not back down. We were inspired by Sir Barsanuphius The Bold. He would give me a valuable lesson in leadership, something that I hope to take with me for the rest of my life. Therefore, it was a great success. We didn’t need to qualify in order to have it.

In the Cup of Harmony, we’re just here to play, a lot like we did in the World Cup qualifiers. We have not set any expectations on ourselves, other then to keep growing as soccer players and to enjoy this wonderful experience. We will play hard and do everything we can to win games, so our group mates: Darmen, Riena, Balqia, and Jeckland can expect that we will give it our all. Hopefully, we can keep learning and growing as we move forward.

by **Alba and Cymru** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 10:31 am

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

June 21, 2020 Edition

Celts Gear Up for Group 5 of the Cup of Harmony
Glasgow, Alba

The football world is alight once again as two simultaneous competitions are underway across the globe. The World Cup proper is preparing to kick off in Farfadillis and Mriin with thirty-two of the world's top competitors, including defending champion Farfadillis and in-the-hunt Vilita. The lesser competition - the Cup of Harmony - is also underway in Kelssek and Zwangzug as sixty of some of the best competitors fight for their right to a world title. The competition has been organized into twelve groups of five, with four matches scheduled for each of the competing nations. Only the top two or three in each group will advance to the tournament stages of the competition. Alba and Cymru is seeking for an advancing spot.

Group 5 is where Alba and Cymru will be situated in this cycle's Cup of Harmony. The Celts will have a tough time qualifying for the tournament stage, as 4 other football giants have also found themselves in Group 5. Flavovespia, New Lusitania, Kohnhead, and Eastfield Lodge are among the competition that Alba and Cymru will have to face in order to advance to the championship. As the group rankings stand, Alba and Cymru sits in last place, though not far behind. Here's a quick examination of who the Celts will be facing in the Cup of Harmony:

Flavovespia (66)

Flavovespia finished 4th in Group 4 of the World Cup Qualifiers. Accumulating 13 wins and over 40 points, The Hornets have built a strong reputation for their football program. The Republic of Flavovespia is known for being a top producer of football kits, which are advertised on the nation's propaganda website titled, "KitBlog".

The Hornets prefer a balanced style of game-play, opting to score only when the opportunity is presented, but laying low until the chance arises. The Celts need to be wary of Ramon Martin, wearing the number 32 jersey. Martin was a talented striker who alone gave Flavovespia the chance to qualify for the World Cup. Now that that dream is long-past, it is guaranteed that Martin will still play with the same vigor for another chance at a championship. The Celtic offensive front will need to show improvement since the World Cup Qualifiers, as David Meehan presents a tough challenge for the Celtic scorers to maneuver around.

Flavovespia now sits at a ranking of 66, which makes the nation the second pot of five in Group 5. A win against The Hornets in Latrobe would almost promise at least a playoff spot for Alba and Cymru.

New Lusitania (40)

Alba and Cymru's next match will be the toughest in the group stages. Being the top seed in Group 5, New Lusitania is almost certain to qualify for the tournament stage of the Cup of Harmony. The Republican Empire of New Lusitania and the Algarves experienced a rough road during the World Cup Qualifiers despite being one of the top competitors. Their entry to the Cup of Harmony presents another stage of a gauntlet that A & C will have to tackle in order to have a chance at a title.

Unlike the previous opponent, New Lusitania has a slightly more aggressive style of play, and their two strikers - Daniel Jota and André Silveira - could be a major problem for the Celtic backfield. Earning 53 goals in 24 qualifier games, New Lusitania will be looking to exploit any weaknesses in the Celtic defense, and young goalie MacNeill will have to be on his best guard.

New Lusitania comes into Group 5 as the top contender, and sports analysts are promising NL's appearance in the Cup of Harmony brackets. If Alba and Cymru can take a win from the top seed, things could spell trouble for Group 5.

Kohnhead (102)

The most evenly-matched fight will be played in Kirkenes as Alba and Cymru hosts Kohnhead. The Galactic Empire - which is perhaps the strangest national prefix this news agency has ran across - is in the same boat as Alba and Cymru. Both are currently sitting at the bottom two seeds of a five-nation squad, which warrants additional effort from Alba and Cymru and Kohnhead in order to climb the steep ladder.

Though Kohnhead plays a similar formation as Alba and Cymru, the Brains, as they're nicknamed, prefer a fast-paced game. Erin Maltos is their go-to weapon, earning many of the nation's 42 goals in the World Cup Qualifiers. Besides a beefed-up offense on the opposing side, Not Messi and MacGregor should have little difficulty landing a few goals on the Brains' defense.

Kohnhead finished quite impressively in the World Cup Qualifiers despie being a newcomer, but Alba and Cymru will need to close-out this must-win game in order to show the world who's the frontrunner of the rookies.

Eastfield Lodge (74)

And at last, and most definitely not the least, will be Eastfield Lodge. The Imperial Commonwealth of Eastfield Lodge is made up of more than one nation, just as the United Kingdom of Alba and Cymru. This fierce, multi-national game is guaranteed to be an exciting closing match for the Cup of Harmony group stage.

Supposedly, the Eastfielders had for a long time been an offensive-minded squad, but their tactics have become more reclusive in the past year. After the forced disappearance of former manager Jane Williamson, assistant manager Robert Andrews took over, modifying the Eastfielders' offensive formation and play style into a more balanced game plan. Despite the changes, the Eastfielder strikers still present a hefty threat to the Celtic defense, and MacNeill and Ramos will have to work double-time to keep the ball away from the goal. On the defensive end, Thijn Persson is a well-experienced goalie who knows how to control the defense. If Not Messi can outsmart Persson in the deep field, the match could fall into the Celts' favor.

Overall, Alba and Cymru may seem like the loser-to-be in Group 5, but the difficult competition presents a favorable opinion from the the Celtic footballers, who desire to face tougher opponents for the thrill and experience.

Unfortunately, even though Culloden Memorial Stadium is complete and fully operational, it will not be making a debut appearance in the Cup of Harmony due to the regulations that sanction Kelssek and Zwangzug as the only grounds for competition. With special permission from officials from the World Cup Committee, Kelssek, and one of the four competitors mentioned, perhaps Culloden will be available for one match in the Cup of Harmony, though this is quite unlikely.

Schedule

MD1 - BYE
MD2 - Flavovespia (66) (0-0-0) @ Macquarie Docklands | Result: # (Alba and Cymru #-# Flavovespia)
MD3 - New Lusitania (40) (0-0-0) @ Community Stadium | Result: # (New Lusitania #-# Alba and Cymru)
MD4 - Kohnhead (102) (0-0-0) @ Waterfront Dome | Result: # (Alba and Cymru #-# Kohnhead)
MD5 - Eastfield Lodge (74) (0-0-0) @ Griffin Park | Result: # (Eastfield Lodge #-# Alba and Cymru)
R/32 - TBD

by **Mavinet** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 12:14 pm

© Dai Hoa Times
Cup of Harmony 77: A door closed, another one opens
by Vu The An, Associate Sports Editor

Another round of football frenzy has passed after Mavinet's last match in the World Cup qualifiers with Tamgu ended in a loss for the Water Buffaloes. The national team finalized their effort to reach the World Cup proper in Farfadillis and Mriin with only 28 out of the maximum 72 points available for grab. One shouldn't expect a rookie nation to make history by qualifying for the World Cup on their first try - although that did happen before - but many fans in Mavinet thought the team could have performed a lot better and ended the campaign in a better position. The Water Buffaloes did score some impressive points against stronger opponents like Pasarga, Eraman and Juvencus, but at the same time dropped valuable points facing less challenging teams like Ottoman Syldavia, Kuriko or The Kytler Peninsulae. Perhaps the successes at the junior level and at the Baptism of Fire put much more pressure on the inexperienced squad than anyone could anticipate, and their unpredictable form reflected that.

But as a wise telephone salesman from a faraway land once said: "When a door closes, another one opens.", Mavinet national team and fans can rejoice in the fact that despite the sub-par performance in the qualifiers, the host nations of the Cup of Harmony - Kelssek and Zwangzug - still decided to extend an invitation to the Water Buffaloes for participation in the tournament. With the acceptance from the Football Association announced, Mavinet's football squad is ready to get back in action.

What is the Cup of Harmony, you asked (yes, you did!). It is an invitational tournament that happens at the same time with the World Cup final. The invitees are the nations that failed to qualify for the World Cup, but did sufficiently well in the qualifiers and deserve to be given a chance to participate in a formal international tournament. Why is it called the Cup of Harmony? Damned if I know, perhaps because it is better than calling it the Cup of Losers? Etymology is not so important here. What matters is Mavinet is about to head into its third senior-level international competition.

As the national team was preparing to fly to Zwangzug, where Mavinet's group stage matches will be played, information about who is in the final roster was released. There was no surprise in the list as no new names were selected. All of the 23 players who participated in the World Cup qualifiers feature again and Head Coach Minh Quan will continue to lead from the technical area. Fan favorites like Goalkeeper Nguyen Hoang Trung, talented young winger Ho Vu Thanh Hoang and prolific striker Vo Thanh Hai will once more be expected to shine when the moments ask. It is particular exciting to see how lethal Vo Thanh Hai will continue to be as he scored 20 of the 46 Mavinet's goals in the qualifiers. The 27-year-old will certainly be the spearhead of Mavinet's attacks.

Last but not least, we all want to know who we will play at Zwangzug. Sylestone, Xanneria, Independent Athletes from Quebec and Busoga Islands, along with Mavinet, make up Group 10. Based on ranking, Mavinet is the second lowest ranked team in the group, sitting at 119, only better than Sylestone at 228. Xanneria is perhaps the top candidate for going through to the next stage, while Independent Athletes from Quebec and Busoga Islands will compete for the other spot. Mavinet and Sylestone most likely will not be able to advance, but judging by how well the new teams have been playing in the World Cup competitions this cycle, there can be no room for complacency in the higher ranked teams. And Mavinet will surely go into this tournament with a strong will to prove themselves after a disappointing performance in the World Cup qualifiers.

Here is another chance for the national team to test how far they can go in an international tournament. Let us hope that this door doesn't close too quickly.

Mavinet's fixtures in the Cup of Harmony 77
MD1: Xanneria vs Mavinet
MD2: Mavinet vs Independent Athletes from Quebec
MD3: Busoga vs Mavinet
MD4: Bye
MD5: Mavinet vs Sylestone

by **Flavovespia** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 12:41 pm

Flavovespia have found out their 4 opponents and the location of their group stage games in the Cup of Harmony 77. Let’s take a look at the 4 teams that The Hornets will face in the upcoming tournament:

Eastfield Lodge

A familiar name in Group 5 for Flavovespia in their opener. Eastfield Lodge of course hosted the ill-fated debut appearance for Flavovespia in the Cup of Harmony 2 editions ago. In the World Cup Qualifiers, Eastfield Lodge and Flavovespia were in Group 4 together. Sadly for the Eastfielders, their qualifying campaign was considered one of their poorer ones, as they would fall to 8th in the group, after entering in Pot 4. Flavovespia did the double over them in the group, a scrappy 1-0 win in Marthorpe followed by a 1-2 win for The Hornets in Lodgertia. The side in Blue and Green will certainly be looking to avoid that fate again when they play Flavovespia.

Robert Andrews took over during the qualifiers for the Eastfielders. It remains to be seen how likely it is that he keeps the system of Jane Williamson, especially given recent results. The standout feature of that system is the fluidity in which the central defender has. Listed as a 3-3-3-1 on paper, the middle centre back, usually captain Tajo Carr-Ponce, has the creative freedom to advance up the field, into a midfield position or even further, creating a 4-2-3-1/4-1-4-1. The biggest goalscoring threat usually comes from their centre-forward, Nya Murray tasked with that role in most games. The dynamic centre back is probably the most unusual feature for teams facing Eastfield Lodge. The team err towards the more attacking side, but not substantially so.

Just 8 positions in the KPB ranks separate Flavovespia and Eastfield Lodge, with a score of 1.19 the difference. The two sides on paper should be fairly evenly matched, and it did look that way in the qualifiers, despite the results. Eastfield Lodge will certainly be looking to avenge those two defeats from qualifying in this opener. Flavovespia must be wary of the threat posed, to avoid starting the qualifiers on the back foot. Flavovespia got the big one in terms of stadium allocation for the first match. Stade Outineau, the largest stadium in Kelssek will be the venue. The vibrant city of Outineau will be the first city Flavovespians visit, in a stadium that once hosted the World Cup final.

Alba and Cymru

The strength of the Baptism of Fire 72 field and the returning nations in this cycle is reflected in the size of the Cup of Harmony 77, with 60 teams competing. Alba and Cymru are one of that class, and have shown themselves to be adapting quickly to international football. A Round of 16 exit in their Baptism of Fire was followed up by a 9th place in Group 3 of the qualifiers, not something to be scoffed at. The Celts will come to the Cup of Harmony, hoping to outperform their position as the lowest seeds in the group.

Defence is the order of the day for Alba and Cymru. They only conceded an average of a goal a game in the qualifiers, showing they can keep it tidy at the back. The back 5, with a rarely seen sweeper in the form of Jarquín Ramos are certainly going to give any attack force a hard time. For all the praise their back line gets, the front line can’t be neglected. With over 1000 club goals between them, Conchúr MacGregor and Not Lionel Messi are famed names in their home nations. Maybe internationally based on the qualifiers they didn’t quite live up to expectations, but that might make them much more determined in the Cup of Harmony.

Flavovespia play them second, but this will be the debut for Alba and Cymru in the Cup of Harmony. 59 places and 6.10 points may separate these teams, but games are never played on paper. Flavovespia will need to play well to get the 3 points from this game, and maybe rely on the inexperience in this tournament of their opponents. Flavovespia journey north to Latrobe to Macquarie Docklands for their second game. A ground in what was originally a docklands, now a gentrified hipster central. I’m sure some of the old-school purists will have strong opinions on that.

New Lusitania and the Algarves

Flavovespia find themselves in the unfamiliar position of just one team ahead of them in the rankings in the group. New Lusitania, or to give their full name, New Lusitania and the Algarves, are that team. They actually had one of the best 30 records in the qualifiers, with 48 points, but were unfortunate to have Turori and Audioslavia in their group. Nevertheless, they beat Turori (albeit after they’d qualified), and thus on their day, New Lusitania can be quality.

A somewhat attacking side, New Lusitania usually play a 3-5-2, albeit with a CDM and CAM and not a flat midfield. André Silveira had injury issues in qualifying, but alongside Daniel Jota will be expected to provide the goals for New Lusitania. Captain Bruno Fernando plays in the middle of the park, and will be the ones hoping to call the shots in both attack and defence. Rui Patríce will be hoping to make sure that New Lusitania don’t ship too many goals.

Off a bye may be a good time to play the top seeds, as there’s ample time to prepare and evaluate previous games. 26 places and 4.65 points separate Flavovespia from New Lusitania in the KPB rankings. A tough gap to overcome, but certainly not an insurmountable gap. Flavovespia though will be hoping this isn’t a game critical for qualification to the knockout stages, as it is the hardest on paper. Breton on the South-East coast is the host venue for this match, and Kingswharf the stadium for this showdown. In Matchday 4, it could have big implications for the table.

Kohnhead

Kohnhead are another graduate of the Baptism of Fire 72 class. Like Alba and Cymru, they made the Round of 16 in that tournament. Kohnhead however had a very impressive first World Cup qualifying campaign. 5th place, 41 points, and only 4 off of making the World Cup itself. They’ll come into the Cup of Harmony very keen to continue that run of form. Of course though, everyone starts the Cup of Harmony with nothing, and past performances in the qualifiers are no guarantee of success at this stage.

An attack-minded 4-1-3-2 is the formation Kohnhead use. Aaron Korkson will be their main theat. At just 22,the striker has already made it as the captain of the Kohnhead and is already talented in front of goal. With more development, he could certainly be one of the top strikers in the world. However Erin Maltos, a fellow club teammate, is a serious threat in front of goal as well. Although the defence and midfield of Kohnhead haven’t quite matched the level of their attack, they can still go toe to toe with some fine teams. The team in red and white will definitely have aspirations of the knockout stages.

36 places and just under 4 points in the KPB rankings, Flavovespia in theory should be favoured in this match-up, but who knows what the table will look like going into the final Matchday? Kohnhead have certainly proved themselves to be no pushovers whatsoever, and some think they could be a dark horse in Kelssek and Zwangzug. Flavovespia return to Outineau for their final group stage game, hopefully not their last game of the Cup of Harmony 77.

So, what do Flavovespia need to do to qualify from this group? 60 become 32 for the knockout stages, the Top 2 and the 8 best 3rd place sides moving on. Expectations would be that 7 or 8 points are likely the key numbers to qualify. That means at least 2 wins, and 2 losses probably sends a team packing. Flavovespia are Pot 2, and thus on paper should be in the final 32, but football is never that simple. The opener against Eastfield Lodge will be a big tone setter for the group stages. A win puts them in a good position to move on, given they’d still have 2 of the 3 lower seeded teams than them in the group left. A loss however, and suddenly there’s much more pressure to win 2 of the next 3, and avoid another loss at all costs. Flavovespia go into a tournament in a position of having more expectation on them before, and are now the opponents to the exciting up-and-coming nations. Can they make their experience count, and reach the knockout stages, or will Flavovespia find themselves in the dreaded purgatory teams at this level can end up in?

by **Port Ember** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 1:14 pm

Port Ember Times Online
THE 77TH CUP OF HARMONY ARRIVES

After an extremely turbulent World Cup Qualification Season, the national Port Ember Football Squad failed to qualify for the Cup Proper, missing the coveted qualification spot with a single point against heavyweights Ko-oren. Luckily (or originating from a place of pity as some would say), the team were invited to compete in the 77th Cup of Harmony tournament.

This is the second time in our nation’s young football history to partake in this specific Cup. The first time was immediately following our debut to the international football world, due to failing to qualify after a strong showing in the qualifiers. The previous season our team did not partake in this Cup, as we actually managed to qualify for the World Cup proper on their second attempt.

Now, the fact that our team failed to qualify for this World Cup can be considered as disappointing, especially since the expectations to qualify was extremely high from the nation, this author believes that we as a nation should not be too hard on them, especially when we consider the insane amount of emotional and life changing events rocked the team, for example the murder of Captain Ray Reddington by teammate Frazer Murray, the execution of Murray, the resignation and suicide of Coach Stuart Baxter, and finally the appointment of new head coach Kent Block – a former soldier with zero football management experience.

Our squad is by no means at tip top fighting form as of yet, as this mentioned factors is still fresh and actively affecting the players, yet sources close to the squad has revealed that the team seems to be highly motivated for the upcoming Cup, feeling the burning desire to dig themselves out of the emotional and professional hole they have found themselves within. It remains to be seen whether this is at all possible, yet we as a proud nation remains hopeful and supportive of our squad.

The Cup is hosted by the nations of Kelssek and Zwangzug. Port Ember has been placed within Group 7 of the upcoming Cup, alongside the nations of Huayramarca, Astograth, Torisakia and Poafmersia. Huayramarca is ranked as the 146th best team in the multiverse at the moment, and have finished in 7th position in Group 7 during the previous World Cup Qualifiers. We have never faced them before. Astograth is ranked as the 100th best team in the multiverse at the moment, and have finished in 4th position in Group 1 during the previous World Cup Qualifiers. We have never faced them before. Torisakia is ranked as the 96th best team in the multiverse at the moment, and have finished in 4th position in Group 2 during the previous World Cup Qualifiers. We have never faced them before. Poafmersia is ranked as the 50th best team in the multiverse at the moment, and have finished in 5th position in Group 15 during the previous World Cup Qualifiers. . We have faced them once before, where we managed to defeat them for the 3rd spot in the last Independent Association Cup – which was a very close and hard fought for match, which had to be decided via a penalty shootout. They will be our toughest match up in this group by far.

Match Fixtures: Cup of Harmony 77, Group 7

Match day 1: Astograth vs Port Ember (Spenson; Stelladome)
Match day 2: Port Ember vs Torisakia (Spenson; Stelladome)
Match day 3: Poafmersia vs Port Ember (Twineur; Bug House)

Match day 4: Bye Day
Match day 5: Port Ember vs Huayramarca (Twineur; Bug House)

Match Preview:
Match Day 1: Astograth vs Port Ember
Location: Stelladome Stadium; Spenson; Zwangzug
Port Ember Starting Lineup:
(GK)(#1): Peter Smith.
(CB)(#2): Josh Richards.
(CB)(#3): Jason Lee.
(LB)(#4): Alex Kuhn.
(RB)(#5): Russel Pierce.
(AM)(#18): William Carvello.
(DM)(#6): Steven Packard.
(LM)(#8): Jason Chamberlain.
(RM)(#11): Eric Tosaír of the Tribe of Waterford
(CF)(#7): Leon Moult.
(CF)(#9): Danny Nicovic.

Top Score Magazine: Exclusive Online Article
The Launch of the New Port Ember Football Association Premier League

As all hardliner football fans will know, professional Port Emberian football is a pretty young novelty, only established when the shiny new national football squad stormed the 70th rendition of the Baptism of Fire tournament (only three International Seasons ago), and the nation has been going strength to strength ever since. Well almost... Although our team has surpassed and conquered hurdle upon hurdle, it seems that the Port Ember Foot Association PEFA has finally realized what this author has been saying since the inception of this talented squad - You can’t invest all in one portfolio. PEFA has been utterly and totally focused on developing the national squad from pillar to pillar in the hope that they can change the football landscape for our nation, all on their own. Now this has worked to a certain extent (I mean our nation went from an amateur nobody football nation to a top 50 nation almost overnight), the cracks of this mentality has started to show. Our national team is in complete dissaray at the moment with all the chaos which had occurred during the World Cup 85 - and the worst part is that no effort was made to build a strong domestic league, which could have been used to strengthen the weakening national squad. Let’s take a closer look with examples with what I mean:

- At the start of the Qualification Season, the players of the national squad started behaving like spoiled little brats, abusing alcohol and drugs, leading them to miss out on practice sessions and even play international matches whilst intoxicated. This was an absolute embarrassment off course, but what other choice did the Coach have but keep the little shits on the squad? I mean there were no alternative skilled players available which could be used to replace them. The players themselves knew of this fact off course, and that is why they knew they could do whatever they wanted and get away with it.

- When the team's star player and Captain Ray Reddington were murdered by fellow teammate Frazer Murray, the team was absolutely gutted. Obviously for emotional reasons - but I am also referring to the skill pool. Again due to the lack of developing player domestically, the team could not replace their star players with equally good players - and this had a definite effect on their performance during match days.

- Now for the big one... When Coach Stuart Baxter suddenly resigned, disappeared and committed suicide - PEFA appointed a retired Military Special Forces Operator with zero experience in coaching a football squad at professional level. Now it can be said that this was not a completely rash and idiotic decision (the team did manage to obtain a seven game winning streak under his leadership), this is not a long term arrangement which can be sustainable. Again, PEFA did not have much choice in the matter - they have not developed their domestic coaches adequately.

Now, it is not all doom & gloom news. PEFA has identified the exact points of concern which I have pointed out above, and they actually have put actions into play to correct that. and boy what a power play it is! Here is the blow by blow what they have done:

1. PEFA disbanded the old Premier League in its entirety.

2. PEFA opened the application process for clubs to register to form part of the new PEFA Premier League very strict and precise requirements. These requirements include:

- The applying club must appoint a Head Coach who has passed a International Accredited Coaching Clinic.
- The applying club must own a stadium which can seat at minimum 50 000 spectators.
- The applying club must ensure that this stadium maintains all amenities which would be considered up to international standard.
- The applying club must establish and maintain training facilities which adheres to international standards.
- The applying club must establish and maintain medical facilities which adhere to international standards.
- The applying club must establish and maintain a merchandising and equipment factory which adheres to international standards.
- The applying club must establish and maintain a Youth Academy which adheres to international standards.

3. PEFA had established Coaching Clinics all across the islands with professional coaches hailing from all across the globe being employed in order to train and hone our local coaches to become the star coaches of tomorrow.

I will be the first to admit that these actions taken were absolutely bad-ass. These steps obviously made a lot of people VERY angry - specifically referring to the clubs who used to be part of the previous Premier League, and can no longer be due to not being able to meet the strict new standards. With a single hardliner policy, PEFA has changed the landscape of Port Emberian football forever... And I applaud them for it.

Now that the dust of these actions have settled, its finally time to announce the brand new and improved PEFA Premier League! It has been announced officially that the first season of this League will commence once the national squad returns from the Cup of Harmony, in order for our best current players to form part of the newly established teams in order for their skills and experience to rub off onto the new kids on the block (yet another smart move from PEFA). It has been announced that thirteen teams have managed to reach the newly set standards as laid out above, and has been registered by PEFA as new teams, thus wiping out their previous history and records, if applicable. It seems that PEFA has taken the saying "Out with the old...' VERY seriously. Anyway, the Top Score Magazine will bring you a weekly introduction of each new club - thus being a 13 Part Series.

Without further ado - the introduction of the first new club...

Waterstad Pirates FC

Geographical Center of the Club: Port Ember Megalopolis; Waterstad Borough.
Home Stadium of the Club: Waterstad International Stadium.
Team Colors: Red
Main Sponsor: Port Ember Port Association
Team Manager: Shaquille Sharrow

Signed Players:
Goalkeeper: Peter Smith.
Goalkeeper: Séamas Mathews
Defender: Craig Ramsey
Defender: Kermit Hammond
Defender: Lúcás Moray
Defender: Victor White
Defender: Ailbhe Muyskens
Defender: Bernie Corwin
Defender: Maddox Van Adrichem
Defender: Jeff Fairbairn
Midfielder: Ora Krusen
Midfielder: Ninian Levitt
Midfielder: Kason Pope
Midfielder: Rocky Wayne
Midfielder: Ace Speight
Midfielder: Erwin Newell
Midfielder: Jayson Ivers
Midfielder: Gus McDonald
Forward: Jaap Layton
Forward: Thom O'Clery
Forward: Rinus Michaelson
Forward: Donnie Bateson

Star Players signed:
Goalkeeper: Peter Smith
Defender: Victor White

Well, the Club managed to sign Peter White - the starting Goalkeeper for the national squad - who is just a bloody beast between the sticks. That will provide the club with a boost like no other. They have also managed to sign Victor White, a bench defender for the national squad. Although Victor is not the best defender on the national squad (hence being a bencher), he has a lot of experience which will add immense value to the club come match day. All in all some smart signings for this Club.

A Word

Well what can be said about this Club, is that they have boatloads of cash. They are by far one of the wealthiest clubs of the league, and they will no doubt use it to gain an early advantage over the competition. Interesting to note is the fact that their home stadium, the Waterstad International Stadium, is the previous home of the national squad, and is truly a modern marvel. Furthermore the fact that their main sponsor is Port Ember Port Association surely says a lot. This is an organization who lives and breathes on a positive Public Relations image, and thus if they are willing to throw their weight (and ridiculous amount of money) behind this club, someone somewhere must know that this club has potential.

About the Home Town

The Waterstad Borough of Port Ember Megalopolis is the very heartbeat of both the city – and the nation as a whole. This Borough has sprawled from the Port Ember Port, which is the economical center of the nation, being one of the largest and busiest trading ports in the world. The Port itself is so important to the nation, that the entire nation was named after it! The citizens which makes up the demographics of the Borough is generally the folk which is responsible for the ‘Hard Working; Passionate; Hard partying; Hustling; Brawler” stereotype which Port Emberians worldwide has become known for. The Borough is settled by a majority of blue collar laborers who is by far the most passionate football fans found within the nation.

About the Stadium

The Waterstad International Stadium is a modern grass stadium which seats 100 000 spectators. This stadium used to be the home stadium of the national team, and is where the team was born, thus the stadium is considered to be the “home of Port Emberian Football”. The national squad had relocated to the Lilly Black Memorial Stadium situated within the Lilly Black Borough since the beginning of the World Cup 85 Qualification Season, yet the nostalgia of the Waterstad Stadium remains intact. This is also the second largest stadium within the nation, just below the new Lilly Black Memorial Stadium.

Kit Revealed

Accepted Clubs of the PEFA Premier League:

- Waterstad Pirates FC
- Lilly Black Kings FC
- Gold Coast Raiders FC
- Blacklake FC
- Greenfields Bulls FC
- Nirvana FC
- Eden FC
- Thurston FC
- Thurston Bergians FC
- Amanaki FC
- Amanaki Coast FC
- Beras City FC
- Real Beras FC

by **Tequilo** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 1:19 pm

TAPALUPÉ, Tequilo - El Copa Armonía is here! The features team who like to submit our regular walloftext for GOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL-a!!! Extra are all still busy in the baggage lounge at Burnaby International, having forgotten vital paperwork, so we’ve pulled the Daily crew in on a Sunday afternoon to bash out an update to tide us over - all your favourite bits, in brief. We’ve rewired the Copametro to look forwards instead of backwards with a prediction rather than a match report; and Rúi de Los Rovas is back as we extend the brand new version of the classic comic strip with five more episodes for Season 1 (Rúi Rebooted) - what is the legendary 125-year old former footballer going to do about the impending war between Russia and Monaco?!

Meanwhile, we’ve rebranded our popular ‘Where Are They Now?’ section; and in an effort to celebrate the competition we’ll be entering for the first time, we’ll be looking at our opponents to see if we can recall any foreign nationals in our domestic history with links back to those countries - beginning tonight with our next opponent, Mercedini. We’re now calling it ’Trace & Track’ - our marketing guys think you’re going to love it!

MARTÍ MARKS MID-TABLE MEDIOCRITY - MERCEDINI MATCH MIGHT MEAN MUCH MORE, MAYBE. MAYBENOT.
Tequilo Start With Toughest Clash, Probably

Location: Bowreach, Vickery

Tequilo come into the Cup of Harmony with a useful 90th placed ranking and rather surprisingly find themselves the middle-ranked team in group one, based in Kelssek. With their first game at Bowreach in Vickery, the squad have opted to base themselves just outside the city at a training complex in Sherwood, where coach Isaac Martí will plot his route to achieve the targeted third-placed finish, with a generous squad bonus for finishing well enough to reach a round of thirty-two knockout tie. The Agave-Blues are handed a tough first fixture against group favourites Mercedini, meaning they most likely will be playing catch up thereafter. Coach Martí has targeted seven points for a respectable finish - that looks a tall order already, but one thing he will guarantee is entertainment, with an attacking approach and a well-bonded squad who have been together since the Baptism of Fire and show no signs yet of cabin fever.

Coach Martí reports no fitness concerns heading into the tough opener at Bowreach, and will go with his preferred starting line up that is shot through with good experience from this cycle and six players over 30 to calm the nerves. If the BoF is anything to go by, this group of players will enjoy the tournament, and a cheeky point here against the Mercedinians would be a very nice opening indeed. Don’t expect that though - bookmakers in Tapalupé have closed the book on a four goal defeat, so they are not at all optimistic.

Starting Line-Up for TEQUILO vs. Mercedini:
Bienvenida | Zambo, Apeiztegui, Huracán, Chicchan | Callañuapa | Artechevarria, Tafalla (Capitan), Tutayan | Tlacolotl & Toran

TRACE & TRACK
What ever happened to Ricardo Valendro?

Decades ago, Tequilo-time, back when Bonesea were inventing a new form of football that involved a seven-man attacking front line and the Bonesligg was full of promising talent that helped the nation win a Cup of Harmony and almost a World Cup, many adventurous young footballers from around the multiverse went to prove themselves in the cold and fog of the Boreal Islands. But the football wasn’t always for them - a fusion of running, kicking and fighting, those of a more delicate constitution rarely lasted a full season before shipping out, for the sake of their health. One such young man was Ricardo Valendro, a diminutive midfielder with a light touch, a needle pass and an eye for the subtleties of artisan football. Horrified by the brutish nature of the game in Bonesea, he cancelled his contract at SS Skiveness and headed west, and south, for Tequilo. He’d heard about the enthusiasm for a more technical version of the beautiful game, and when he came, he fitted right in. A much admired trequartista at Real Gardaresso and then at Argón Tacranza, his decade in the Tequiloan state championships was marked by style, and a taste of the exotic. But what happened next?

Valendro was considered a highly cultured pitxilero (that’s footballer, to you and me) and he was fondly thought-of in his adopted country. Continuing to pursue high culture, he discovered café ocelote... though no-one is quite sure how he discovered it, and he has never been entirely forthcoming on the matter. In any case, Valendro recognised that the floor-fallen coffee beans eaten by wild ocelots pass through the gut undigested, and make for a delicious brew. So he spent many years hunting for ocelot droppings and making marvellous coffee out of them. Opening a small café in Gardaresso, where he returned after retiring from football, his incredible brew soon garnered critical praise. Eschewing the temptation to intensively farm ocelots and feed them on coffee beans, he continued to pick only wild poo-pods; demand made Valendro Café Ocelote the most expensive coffee in the multiverse, and his small shop a site of pilgrimage for coffee-lovers everywhere. Becoming deeply involved in protecting natural environments for his feline coffee workers, he has managed to put in strong protections for much of the Guastenango cloud forest where the ocelots roam and enjoy their coffee beans. Today a wealthy retired coffee baron, he has a crew of skilled trackers who collect his ocelot droppings for him, while he enjoys the quiet life in Gardaresso.

RÚI de Los ROVAS
Rúi Raza & the family company are back!

Read on for the season one (Rúi Rebooted) five-episode extension of the famous old comic strip featuring Rúi Raza, the legendary footballer who is now 125-years young and still tearing it up in football as a superagent for the family business, the Raza Agency. In the imagined world of the comic, developed over so many years by hundreds of writers, the former ‘Blackburn Rovers’ world-beating striker has his son Roque, grandson Ronaldo and great-granddaughter Rita all in the business now, while Rita’s son, Rúi’s great-great grandson Rodi Raza-Shearer is just entering his playing apprenticeship at the Rovers, who are but a shadow of the former world club champions they once were. After causing a spot of trouble in ‘Monaco’ with Princess Gabriella, and an international incident in ‘Russia’ aboard his ship the SS Sepp Blatter, Rúi has opened up a new office in Geneva, in the Infantino Tower located conveniently close to the headquarters of ‘UEFA’ - the squeaky clean governing authority now running world football after the collapse of the illegal gambling ring and people trafficking cartel ‘FIFA’. While Rúi arranges the expensive executive toys on his desk, great grand-daughter Rita is in the office next door tying up frightening young client Kylian Mbappe’s swap move to ‘Liverpool’ - a quite good team from across the water in Tranmere - but will Sadio Mane really want to go the other way play for PSG - where every domestic game is a pedestrian training match in another failed Champions League campaign?

NEXT TIME
What’s Up In The Next Issue of GOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL-a!!!

Coming soon - Hopefully the boys from the Extra desk will be ready to submit their piece from Burnaby, Kelssek; while we’ll be reporting on the Mercedini match, running another Trace & Track app, and revisiting Rúi Raza and his footballing royal family in the fictional world of Blackburn, Lancs.

by **TJUN-ia** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 1:59 pm

By Peter Davis

Kelssek is a land of wonder and culture. The nation from The East Pacific is well known for their friendly attitude and their dominate in sport. Now they host the 77th Cup of Harmony (w/ Zwangzug) and The North Pacific's TJUN-ia is one of the entries.

The Jags are looking to show progress after a less-than-average WCQ campaign. They'll get 4 games to decide their fate in the group, and the first game is at Griffin Park in Novoyana. This city has rodeo, marauders and even beer - a great venue to host Jeruselem. The Princesses are foes we have played before but failed to overcome. But that was a cycle ago and this Jaguar team is much more experienced in the WCC.

Still, they will be tough to beat. Thet missed out on the WC by 2 points and Boris Lancaster wants to get something out of this cycle. David Seems has been here before but now looks to make a statement of intent in Novoyana. It will certainly be a tough game, but one many will enjoy. GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Stadiums will be filled in as soon as we get them)
MD1: vs Jeruselem (42) - Griffin Park, Novonaya (39,200)
MD2: BYE
MD3: vs Eraman (60) - Canada Stadium, Neorvins (66,300)
MD4: vs Garifunya (156) - Community Stadium, Arvika (34,700)
MD5: vs Sharktail (109) - Macquarie Docklands, Latrobe (cap. 55,700)

by **Kohnhead** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 2:18 pm

The official roster of the KNFT consists of the following players for the Cup of Harmony. It is the same roster that the team used during the qualifiers. The team listed is their club team in the Kohnhead Futbol League (KFL) and it also has two college players.
***=Captain
Starting XI
***Forward: Aaron Korkson #91 (M) Age: 22 Team: Kohnhead City FC
The 22 year old captain played very well at the Baptism of Fire before their loss in the round of 16. He also was one of the main reasons they were able to do so well in qualifiers. He's a strong leader and is able to score goals pretty easily. He and Maltos are the stars on Kohnhead City FC and on national team. He hasn't even reached his prime yet, and when he does he will be a machine.

Forward: Erin Maltos #10 (F) Age: 22 Team: Kohnhead City FC
Maltos is the best player on the team hands down. Korkson is the better leader but there's a reason Maltos got the number 10 jersey. She at points during the BOF would really put the team on her back and she has very good footwork. The qualifiers saw her disappear in Korkson's shadown at points but she played very well in most games although her scoring numbers were a bit off. Together with Maltos and Korkson up top Kohnhead should have no problems scoring.

Center Mid: Linus Rallyton #11 (M) Age: 24 Team: Philtront Pioneers
One of the surprising things that happened during the BOF was the emergence of the midfield trio of Rallyton, Cogginter, and Laker. Rallyton is the team's corner taker and the person who takes the free kicks. He plays on the center of the pitch and is able to be everyone on the pitch playing great defense and offense. During the qualifiers he was by far the best midfielder and is one of the best players on the team.

Right Mid: Ida Cogginter #41 (F) Age: 27 Team: Kohnhead City FC
Heading into the BOF many thought Audrey Henderson the young 21 year old would have this spot. Cogginter proved those doubters wrong and had a fantastic tournament. She really is a big part in the flow of the offense and has great skills as a passer. Cogginter plays second fiddle on Kohnhead City to Korkson and Maltos but she really played well in the BOF and some claim her injury was the reason Kohnhead didn't make it to the quarters. The qualifiers were a different story as Cogginter in her first game back got injured and missed all of the first round of games. She looked great on her return and solidified her spot in the starting XI.

Left Mid: Charles Laker #54 (M) Age: 19 Team: Barnley FC
Laker had some up and down games in the BOF and didn't play very well in the friendly versus Riena just before the BOF. He's quite young and has a very high upside as his talent is undeniable and he is a playmaker when he has the ball. He will be a mainstay on this team for many years and the BOF proved that. His BOF was better than the qualifiers but he has shown a lot and is a worthy starter. He also played quite well in the Wonder Cup.

Defensive Mid: Hannah Horsford #2 (F) Age: 29 Team: Philtront Pioneers
Horsford only got into the starting XI due to a formation change which removed Harry Richman from the striker and added her as a defensive midfielder. Overall I thought she was pretty eh and this is evidenced by the fact that the team allowed 5 goals to Maccian. She settled down against The Grearish Union though. She is the only member of the listed starters whose position is in any real doubt. She dismissed those doubts in the qualifiers by basically being the only capable defensive midfielder, as when she was subbed off the replacements struggled.

Right Back: Caroline Prius-Lenoard #76 (F) Age: 31 Team: Barnley FC
Prius-Leonard has had a poor COF just like the entire defense with the exception of Radison. She had some okay games in the group stage but was constantly struggling in many games. She has suffered through injuries and gone through grueling rehab to get here, but her athleticism is nowhere near its peak form. In qualifiers CPL was one of the strengths of the defense and really bounced back.

Center Back: Miranda Atkinson #51 (F) Age: 18 Barnley FC
Atkinson is the youngest member of the starting team and wasn't even a starter at the BOF until the 6th game for Kohnhead replacing Dylan Vargas. She didn't do terrible and compared to Vargas she looks amazing. Atkinson is young and her best days are ahead of her. She says she has resolved the miscommunication issues between her and Newcastle. She has had ups and downs but has now solidified her spot in the starting XI.

Back: Callie Porsha #42 (F) Age: 18 Kohnhead City University
Porsha was the first choice defender off the bench with Vargas having played so poorly, Porsha is ahead of her. The main benefit of her is she can play center back, full back, and wing back. Vargas doesn't have that capability as he is only a center back. She is now starting in Corton's spot due to her injury and while she showed some flashes, it wasn't the best for qualifiers. She will need to pick it up.

Left Back: Nicholas Radison #14 (M) Age: 23 Team: FC Kohnface City
Radison has been the best defender by far. He has the pace to run up and down the wings which is something you always look for in a wing back. Radison has consistently been the lone saving grace of the defense but he's going to need some help if they team wants any shot at fighting in the COH.

Goal Keeper: Jackson Newcastle #1 (M) Age: 34 Team: Kohnhead City FC
Newcastle had a very good start to the COF but seemed to tail off as the tournament progressed culminating in a 5-5 game against Maccian. He rebounded in our last BOF game allowing two goals in two hours but the 34 year old is on his first and last World Cup and the options behind him are well not exciting. Newcastle missed a couple of games due to a concussion and came back on a tear but seemed to fade as qualifiers ended. He is contemplating retirement and I wouldn't be surprised if the COH is his last tournament.

Formation: 4-1-3-2. It has two center backs, two full backs, a defensive midfielder, three midfielders which are more attacking, and two strikers.

Coach: Christopher Kohnhead (M) Age: 52 Doesn't coach a club team is fully with the National team

Bench
Forward: Griffin Phoenix-Anderson #68 (M) Age: 33 Nickelson FC
Pheonix-Anderson got some playing time early in the BOF as a substitute for Richman but with the formation change I don't expect him to get any more barring injury. He looked fine for a sub in those games. He played a grand total of 9 minutes in the game Richman was forced into starting due to Korkson's suspension against Kita-Hinode.

Goalkeeper: Madison Richards #72 (F) Age: 30 Nickelson FC
Richards is the backup goalkeeper, and is 30 years old. What more can be said? She did not impress in her games started but wasn't a major liability.

Mid: Audrey Henderson #9 (F) Age: 21 FC Kohnface City
Henderson is considered a big part of future of the team and her best days are ahead of her. She played okay in the qualifiers but was playing out of her preferred position most of the time. When she becomes a full time starter the team hopes to move to a 4-1-2-3 putting her up top.

Forward: Thomas Stratford #12 (M) Age: 19 Kohnhead City University
One of two university players Stratford hasn't seen any playing time and hopefully will not. He's a very raw player and with Richman and Pheonix-Anderson both ahead of him in pecking order plus the fact that Korkson and Maltos almost never sub, I don't think he gets any minutes.

Center Back: Claire Corton #24 (F) Age: 25 Team: Swisston City FC
Corton had a rough start to the BoF, with some saying her and Vargas were the major problem with the team. She stepped it up a bit later in the tournament but overall had a rough BOF. We will see if she can turn it around as Vargas wants a starting spot back. Corton was playing the best football of her life but an injury cut her qualifiers short. She is still injured and will miss most of the COH. Hopefully she can come back because she is better than Porsha.

Forward: Harry Richman #77 (M) Age: 31 Team: Barnley FC
Harry Richman has come in clutch for this team. He plays 65 minutes a game when he starts yet is ready to come off the bench and give this team a spark whenever necessary. That would require a formation change as Korkson and Maltos will probably never come off (crossing my fingers on injury luck).

Back: Dylan Vargas #23 (M) Age: 29 Team: Swisston City FC
Vargas what a disgrace. A starter who was so bad he was moved to the last spot on the bench and may never see playing time again for Kohnhead that's how bad he was. I don't want to talk about him.

Mid: Al Torgan #21 (M) Age: 26 Team: Northern FC
Torgan was a new addition to the squad for the World cup qualifiers as the team needed more midfielders considering four are starters. Torgan has never been that flashy of a player and his team are always in contention for relegation. He's a consistent player, who may get some playing time as a sub. He played seven minutes in the qualifiers and didn't look to bad.

Mid: Emma Balmer #61 (F) Age: 29 Team: Northern FC
Why not go for the other star midfielder of Northern FC? Balmer is behind Torgan in terms of skill but her advantage is she is primarily a defensive midfielder which no one else besides Horsford is. The coaching staff would have to make a choice if Horsford were to go down.

Info: The brains is the official nickname for Kohnhead and they are a relatively new team on the internat ional spectrum. While the domestic league in Kohnhead has thrived for years and the top two teams Kohnhead City FC and FC Kohnface City have won all the titles except one which was one by Barnley in the inaugural season the league has talent throughout. Despite this status of being new they played extremely well in the qualifiers and have lots of hope about the COH. They also had a massive rank boost going from 243rd to 102. They hope to better their rank at this tournament.
Rank: 102
Achievements: Winning the Second Wonder Cup, round of 16 at 72nd BOF, 5th place in group 2 of WC85 qualfiers
Record: Coming soon
Inaugural Match: Coming soon
Biggest Win: Coming soon
Biggest Defeat: Coming soon

Jerseys
Home:

Away:

GK:

Style Mod: +2
RP Permissions: Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes
Godmod other events: Just TG me to let me know what it is. I will probably allow almost all.

by **Squornshelous** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 2:23 pm

Recollection, Chapter 8
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7

Sitting in an airport in, well, actually he couldn't quite remember exactly what country this was. Somewhere in AO, maybe? No, that had been yesterday. . Markkus Holmgren yawned and stretched his legs out into the aisle between rows of seats, drawing a frown from an elderly couple passing by. He ignored them, and continued skimming through Squornshelan sports blogs and articles on a public access tablet.

The majority of discussion was focused on how, for the second consecutive cycle, the Red-and-Black had been drawn into a group featuring the top overall seed of the tournament. Last time around, it had been then 28th-ranked Pasarga, this time an even more daunting opponent: 16th-ranked South Covello. In addition to that, Squornshelous, already at a disadvantage as the second-lowest ranked team in pot 2, had been drawn with the top team in pot 3, the Sarian. Given the difficult group, the majority of actual press coverage struggled to simultaneously temper expectations and present the usual propagandist image of the superiority of the Imperial team. Overall, it seemed like the team had a decent chance of making the second round this time, but Markkus didn't expect much more than that.

For a moment he toyed with the idea staying here in Kelssek for the tournament - it would be nice to just watch football for a change.

By all means Markkus, do whatever strikes your fancy. Why should it matter if the expense leaves us destitute?

He had to admit, grudgingly, that Melkochuk's voice was right. He didn't have the money to follow the team on their trip across Kelssek from Neorvins to Burnaby. Since he'd embarked on the effort to regain his memory, he'd burned through just about everything he had. Whether it had been worth it, he wasn't sure. The implant Dzobroshtan had implanted had likely ceased functioning the moment he'd left the Imperium, though he wasn't sure if it was doing anything other than monitoring him and feeding data to the scientist. For all he knew, Dzobroshtan was dead, or still in ISS custody anyhow. Markkus worried that leaving had somehow disrupted the treatment.

Our tech doesn't work outside the Imperium, have I ruined everything?

Memory notwithstanding, I can attest that you certainly have ruined your life, not that you care to heed my advice anymore.

Melkochuk's voice had become petulant over the week since he'd left Squornshelous. During that time, Markkus had hopped from country to country, hoping to throw any pursuit by Imperial agents off his trail. He wasn't sure why he'd chosen any destination in particular, so many of his decisions seemed to be made on instinct now. I need something to eat. He got up from his seat, pulling the suitcase that now held the sum total of his possessions behind him. Shoving his other hand into his pocket, he unexpectedly encountered a piece of paper. Curious, he stopped, and removed the now slightly crumpled sheet. He unfolded it, and stared in shock at the words printed on it. Hunger forgotten, completely oblivious to the people pushing past him in either direction, he stood, dumbfounded. When did I get this? He wasn't sure how long it was before he found himself able to move, but he eventually found himself in the waiting area of a departure gate. Maybe this is how my memory works now? I don't have conscious access, so I don't know why I do things, or even remember them sometimes?

I would inform you that this is a terrible idea likely to get you killed, or imprisoned at the very least, but I suspect you already know that.

Shut up.

Over the PA system, the gate agent made an announcement.

"Everyone in the gate area, we thank you for flying with us today. We will begin our boarding process momentarily for this afternoon's flight to Jaglan, Squornshelan Remnant States."

by **Timuria** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 2:36 pm

The Cup of Harmony: How Did We Get Here and What To Expect

by Ihsan Mehmedov

With the groups drawn, the Red Wolves, fresh off their mildly disappointing, if interesting qualification campaign now have to pick themselves up for the Cup of Harmon, a notoriously competitive and tough invitational that they've often had to fight tooth and nail in to make any progress. They come into this one, in a strange position however. As the side with the strongest qualification record among non-qualifying sides and as a team that occupied pot 1 for the first time as a team. There's a slight weight of expectation from the public. So we're looking at how exactly we ended up here, what we can learn from the qualifiers and what we know about our group stage opponents.

The Slow Start

MD1: @ Xuzaqiy W 5-3
MD2: vs Cassadaigua L 3-2
MD3: @ Kelssek L 2-1
MD4: vs Barunia L 4-1
MD5: @ Audiasania W 3-2

The early matches of the qualification campaign heralded difficulty, though this was arguable the toughest part of the schedule for them, there were a series of serious disappointments. The opening victory was an important boost, though fragility in the defence rang alarm bells. These difficulties replicated themselves in their second match against Cassadaigua who were eventual group winners though the offensive side of the ball seemed able to take care of itself. This feeling was upended in a narrow loss to Kelssek and a shocking 4-1 loss to Barunia. The result against Barunia particularly heated up the seat under Bekir Altingunes, who was apparently on the verge of being let go before pulling out a narrow 3-2 win against Audiaslania.

The Hot Streak

MD7: vs Olastor W 3-1
MD8: @ Patistan W 5-3
MD9: vs The Mann Clan W 2-0
MD10: @ Grod Island W 5-3
MD11: vs Sargossa D 1-1
MD12: @ Res Publica Nova Roma W 7-3
MD13: vs Ziwana W 4-2
MD14: vs Xuzaqiy W 6-1
MD15: @ Cassadaigua D 0-0
MD16: vs Kelssek L 3-1
MD17: @Barunia W 3-2
MD18: vs Audiasania W 2-1

After this slow start came a streak where Timuria only lost one match in 13 matches from the Audiaslania match. Highlights include a hard fought 1-1 draw with Sargossa, a ridiculous 6-1 win over Xuzaqiy to kick off the second half of the qualifiers and a gritty and brave performance that led to a 0-0 draw with Cassadaigua. These results set the Red Wolves up for a final run that had the potential to take them over the line if there was an open that presented itself. The only blemish and the result that really condemned the Red Wolves to the Cup of Harmony was their bitter 3-1 loss to Kelssek, a match they evidently needed to win in order to stand a realistic chance of closing the gap and qualifying. Sadly that wasn't to be, but fans were enjoying the football on display and some small comfort was being offered in the form of Timuria being one of the most in from sides at this point. An amazing 39 goals in 11 matches, almost four a match were scored in this period and while defensive problems still had prominence it rarely impacted results.

The Underwhelming Finish

MD20: @ Olastor W 6-2
MD21: vs Patistan W 3-1
MD22: @ The Mann Clan W 1-0
MD23: vs Grod Island W 4-3
MD24: @Sargossa L 4-2
MD25: vs Res Public Nova Roma W 4-0
MD26: @ Ziwana D 2-2

For those who expected the Red Wolves to go out with a bang, they were slightly disappointed, routine wins over Olastor, Patistan, The Mann Clan and Grod Island didn't close the gap by enough for them to have a chance at qualifying by the time they came to their match against Sargossa, which confirmed that they would have no chance at a World Cup this time around. The final home match of the qualifiers was a nice treat for the fans who got to see an almost flawless performance across the pitch from players who may not play often, but showed why Bekir Altingunes has faith in them. The qualifiers ended with a disappointing 2-2 draw with Ziwana, though the point confirmed that the Red Wolves would indeed come into this tournament as the non-qualifying team with the strongest record.

With how we got here out of the way, let's look at our opponents in the group stage in the order that we will come up against them and what we can expect when we meet them:

Electrum
KPB Ranking: 128
Form (Past Five Matches): WWLWL
Final Rank in the Qualifiers: 6th
Formation: 4-4-2
Star Player: Honestly? I don't know - The information made available about the side makes it very confusing for me to even parse some basic information about our first opponents or their players, all I can say is with a team that is as much of a wildcard as this, every player is a star and maybe simultaneously a dud.
Analysis: On paper they're the weakest side in the group, but that means that they're the most dangerous opening opponent in this group stage. They come in with relatively strong form, despite their weak finish in the qualifiers a poor sixth place. They are however, former World Cup champions and that kind of pedigree is hard to ignore. They operate in what approximates to a 4-4-2, the collection of "sentient beings" as they might prefer to be referred to, play what comes out as a fine balance between attack and defence which will make an interesting challenge for the Red Wolves who lean heavily towards an offensive style. A strong start here will set a good tone for the coming group stage especially for a side who famously struggle to get off to a fast start.

Savojarna
KPB Ranking: 59
Form (Past Five Matches): LLWDD
Final Rank in the Qualifiers: 7th
Formation: 4-4-1-1
Star Player: Krister Voynov - The left winger is probably the single best player on the Savojar side, the 26 year old reminds the Timurian sports press a lot of our own star left winger Caner Turan, especially since both like to cut inside from the wing a lot. Fortunately for the Red Wolves, they have an excellent right back in the form of Gokdeniz Dag who is used to dealing with offensive livewires like Voynov and his recklessness in attacking and laccadasial attitude to defender, which is where he diverges from Caner, may leave Volkan Ayhan an opportunity to shine in this match.
Analysis: If rankings were the be all end all, most would consider Savojarna the main challenge for the Red Wolves in this group, who are in the unusual position of being a top seeded side in the group. Rather counter-intuitively, they come into the Cup of Harmony as the side in the group who had the worst qualification campaign in terms of their finish in the group and come in with the weakest form in the past five competitive matches. That being said there should be no illusions, this is a side who can turn it on if they need to and with the pressure of a World Cup qualification campaign no longer on their shoulders and a point to prove in a competition that they may not feel they should have been condemned to they will make dangerous opposition. They line up in a slightly defensive 4-4-1-1 with the intention seemingly to absorb pressure from more offensively minded sides and to break on the counter attack, a situation the Red Wolves have historically been vulnerable to, often against much weaker opposition. This match will be following a break in group play for the Red Wolves so they will have time to assess whether they should simply overwhelm them with shock and awe or take a more calculating and methodical approach.

Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom
KPB Ranking: 98
Form (Past Five Matches): DDWLL
Final Rank in the Qualifiers: 3rd
Formation: 4-5-1
Star Player: Rybki Prodanowić - The 35 year old central midfielder is the captain of his national team and while age is just a number, he has begun to show signs of entering his mid-30s. That doesn't make him any less of a threat from set pieces, where the Red Wolves have often been found lacking and his vision and technical abilities allow him to provide many assists to his teammates. So long as he's on the pitch the Red Wolves will need to be very careful to not give away set pieces in advantageous positions meaning that they will likely take a more conservative approach to their defensive duties than we're used to, to try to neutralise the threat.
Analysis: A fellow third place finisher in the qualifiers, though a substantially poorer one on points than our own. Still that's likely a function of their group having two sides that were vastly superior to the others and a much more competitive structure beneath them. They come in on the back of equally poor form with Savojarna on absolute terms, but with their form trending towards middling in their most recent matches rather than poor. They enter this group as the side that occupied pot 3, meaning that they'll have to be taken very seriously especially as a pot 1 side, knocking us off would send a big message and set them up for advancement in the right circumstances. In terms of their tactics, they take a slightly more defensive posture than Savojarna, with a 4-5-1 being their most common formation, with the intent being to crowd the midfield and suffocate any build up play, a wise strategy when the side can be quite easily over-matched by more offensive sides, occasionally however, they have been known to deploy a 4-2-3-1 as the Red Wolves do and while I'm sure Bekir Altingunes will be aware of the implications of that, it shows that they are a more versatile side than many would maybe give them credit for.

South Newlandia
KPB Ranking: 101
Form (Past Five Matches): WWDDL
Final Rank in the Qualifiers: 4th
Formation: 4-4-2 - Diamond
Star Player: Mikhail Trischuk - It's strange to think of a goalkeeper as a star, but there's no real way you can otherwise describe Trischuk, who also doubles as the captain of the side. Aged 26 in a way he reminds me of Iskender Nur, the talented keeper for Timuria, though Trischuk appears to be a consummate professional rather than the questionable reputation that Iskender often carries with him due to early career questions around his conduct. This is a keeper whose best years are ahead of him and he's already astounding, Vatan Ercetin and Ismail Burhan as well as the other members of Timuria's prolific offence will need to work out how to beat him otherwise they may find themselves out of luck in this match.
Analysis: A side that come in just on the outside of the top 100 and one who may well be playing us in a match where one side's fate is sealed. That doesn't mean that the Red Wolves or South Newlandia will take it easy in this encounter, there is of course every possibility that a lot will be riding on this match and that makes it all the more important that Bekir Altingunes and his team figure out how to overcome a side lining up in a unorthodox formation that eschews a traditional midfield pivot in favour of a diamond structure. This is especially an issue as South Newlandia will be coming into this match with three games of tape on the Red Wolves and understand their style of play leaves them potentially vulnerable to a well organised counter attacking side, which the diamond formation lends itself to. They finished in fourth in their group and come in with the second best form of any side in their past five matches in the group so opponents will underestimate them at their peril, if I had to pick a dark horse this side would be the one I identify as one who will produce at least one big shock and the Red Wolves will make a mighty tempting target.

So with this information available, what should we expect? For one, we come into this as the best ranked side, with the best form and the best record in qualifying. If you think I used the word "best" there a lot more than we're used to with this team, you'd be right. Yet expectations feel rather muted, there's a feeling in the national teams camp that this will be a profound struggle, in such a competitive group and that the gap from top to bottom hardly exists. The one thing that seems to be agreed upon is Savojarna being expected to advance, the consensus being that their poor qualifying campaign not being a fair reflection of their talent and that it's a matter of time until they show up. The only other thing that feels certain is that the Red Wolves will have to prove that their shock and awe offensive style can be sustained against higher quality, more disciplined and more defensively minded sides, a hypothesis that is as yet unproven. Expect a lot to hinge on whether they get off to a fast start.

by **South Newlandia** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 2:51 pm

ELEPHANT VALLEY MAIL
Sports -> Soccer
South Newlandia in inconsistent form before the Cup of Harmony

It’s been a year since the World Cup Qualifiers, and the South Newlandian squad hadn’t played together since then. In order to get the synergy of the team back, South Newlandian officials arranged for three friendlies to be played in the weeks ahead of the Cup of Harmony. The first two of these were played in South Newlandia, in Jecken Arena in Newport, to be more precise. The Elephants had invited two teams that also will participate in the Cup of Harmony. First, they played Eraman, a side they had already faced twice in the World Cup Qualifiers. There, they drew the team on home soil but lost the game in Eraman. Eraman would ultimately finish one point ahead of South Newlandia in 3rd place. Currently, the side is ranked 60th in the world.

Normally, Eraman is known for weaknesses in other stadiums, as they had huge success in their home stadiums. They even managed to beat Valanora on their home soil, something only one other team managed to do this cycle. With the South Newlandia being very much uncoordinated after the long break, neither that nor the relative home strength of the Elephants seemed to matter. Within thirty minutes, the count was 0-3, and it could easily have been more already. The defense didn’t hold up to their usual standard, and there was nothing coming from the offense either. Especially Manuel O’Neill and Raphael Moreno didn’t play well at all, and both were directly responsible for a goal each.

It took the team until almost the end of the first half, but they seemed to be finally trying now. Right before half-time, Simon McCabe hit the post with a shot, and that was a sign of more coming.

The second half was indeed much better. That might have partly been due to Eraman seemingly having the win in the bag already, but it was a much more even matchup now. In the 52nd minute, Finnley Wallis scored what seemed to be an honorary goal after a corner by Corban Green. South Newlandia was fighting to get back into the game now, and they managed to get within fighting distance in the 71st minute when Brandon Irving got a good pass in for Simon McCabe, who ended up scoring the 2-3.

Eraman was very much awake now, and they were determent not to blow this game. South Newlandia remained aggressive, but Eraman managed to keep them away from the equalizer. A few minutes before the end of the match, they also scored after a nice counter to make the final standing 2-4.

The next team the Elephants faced were the Independent Athletes from Quebec. We aren’t sure why exactly they were selected, but they had a fantastic World Cup Qualifier run and were now ranked 90th in the world, a few places ahead of South Newlandia. This game went much better, as South Newlandia was able to play out their strengths well. Quebec is a very offensive team, and the Elephants were able to come from a solid defense and overplay their opponents. The defense were well in synergy this time, and they were able to win the game with two goals scored by Patrick McMora, while Mikhail Trischuk didn’t concede a goal here. There is not much more to say about this game.

Right before their departure to Zwangzug, the Elephants returned a favour. In the middle of the World Cup Qualifiers, the Elephants had invited Jeckland to play a friendly match which ended 1-1. Now, they made a quick visit in Jeckland to play in Jecken Stadium against the Spuds. Like the other two teams, the Spuds also compete in the Cup of Harmony. This game didn’t go very well for the Elephants, as they lost to the 124th ranked nation in the world by two goals, without scoring one themselves. There’s not much to say, the Spuds were clearly better than the Elephants. It wasn’t as bad as the opening half against Eraman, as there was a lot of bad luck involved in the game against Jeckland as well.

What can the Elephants learn from this, that’s the obvious question to ask here. We saw that the Elephants can be rather inconstant, but we knew that already. In the game against Eraman, the Elephants proved that they would not give themselves up even in bad situations. This same game also proved that the aging right side of the South Newlandia cannot keep up with fast defenders.
For the Cup of Harmony, South Newlandia will have an upwards struggle. Facing four very strong and experienced teams, making the knockout rounds will be very difficult. Robert Wolverine probably hoped for a better start to this year, but at least the team is back at playing together now. We are excited for four interesting matches in Zwangzug, and maybe even for some points.

Schedule for Matchday 1

South Newlandia (101) vs. Savojarna (59) (Pacific Fields, Bassabook)
Electrum (128) vs. Timuria (44) (Kyogijo Concord, Trink)

Squad for the game against Savojarna

Despite the right defense side with O’Neill and Moreno being identified as a weakness, both will start for the first South Newlandian game. Savojarna will be the clear favourite for this game, but that also means that Savojarna will need a win, while the Elephants aren’t under as much pressure. We hope for an interesting game!

by **Jeckland** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 3:49 pm

The Jeckish Football Association Presents

JECKLAND CUP OF HARMONY 77 ROSTER

TEAM INFO

Nickname: The Spuds

Style Modifier: 0

THE STORY SO FAR

Jeckland burst back onto the international scene with their Campionato Esportiva run, reaching the semi finals in their return. As a result, expectations were fairly high for an unranked nation in World Cup Qualifying, despite a tough draw in Group 1. However, Jeckland delivered, taking points off every team in the group bar Sajnur and finishing fifth above this nation. Their impressive performance did not go unnoticed and led to an invitation to the Cup of Harmony.

THE SQUAD

GK: Carter Clemens, 31, Colanso City - The big keeper was reliable as ever during qualifying and keeps his place as Jeckland’s no. 1.

GK: Earl Porcher, 24, Nagelti Rovers - The flamboyant shot stopper continues to impress in the JPL and make a case for his inclusion in the team.

GK: Balfour Hermanson, 24, Yonsolo United - A surprise star of the latest JPL season, Hermanson offers a fresh option to Ross between the sticks.

RB: Bailey Hanley, 29, Yonsolo United - The wing back may find his defensive capabilities tested in the Jeckland back four, but has been drafted in to deal with the problems at right back after a stellar season.

RB: Chaz Grey, 25, Peswick Town - His performances at club level have not translated into the yellow and green so far, despite his incredible work ethic down the right.

CB: Jerrard Lovell, 27, Rack City Rangers - The composed ball player has formed a good partnership with the captain at the heart of the Spuds defence.

CB: Teddie Gilbert, 28, Colanso City (CAPTAIN) - The no nonsense defender provides the perfect foil to Lovell and offers assured leadership with the armband.

CB: Dan Robertson, 23, Panbury Town - The young defender keeps getting better and better and will push hard for a starting berth.

CB: Ridley Danielson, 26, Nagelti Rovers - Famed for through balls from the back, Danielson offers a left-footed option in the heart of defence.

LB: Brendan Pain, 25, Rack City Rangers - His crosses and free kicks are bound to bring assists, but he may be susceptible to losing his cool.

LB: Mike Bond, 26, Panbury Town - A tidy and efficient left back, Bond does his job with minimal fuss.

CM: Reuben Sanderson, 25, Kyslo - The most talented player in the team, his creative skills combined with quick feet make him a multifaceted attacking threat.

CM: Cleve Blanchard, 28, Panbury Town - Breaking into the team during World Cup Qualifying, Blanchard can win a game on his own if he’s on form.

CM: Matty Graves, 24, Colanso City - Will run through brick walls for the team, helping both defenders and attackers around him.

CM: Raynard Deadman, 23, Peswick Town - The enforcer at the base of a midfield, snapping into tackles and picking up cards in the process.

CM: Hamilton Shepperd, 28, Nagelti Rovers - Loves to press up the pitch and has a decent passing range too.

CM: Loren Tittensor, 30, Yonsolo United - A leader on and off the pitch, Tittensor’s positioning and passing makes up for a lack of pace.

RW: Cree Martel, 21, Rack City Rangers - The winger developed into a superstar during the qualifiers, with his speed and ability with both feet terrorising defenders.

RW: Fitz Sawyer, 24, Peswick Town - Whilst not as quick as your average winger, he is clever and knows how to outwit his marker.

ST: Cyprian Stack, 25, Nagelti Rovers - A lethal finisher who feeds upon any kind of service from those around him.

ST: Jeptha Lynton, 25, Yonsolo United - A brilliant season has left the hold up master in serious contention for the striker spot.

LW: Kimball Forest, 22, Kyslo - Despite some questionable decision making, Forest has matured into an adept threat on the left.

LW: Pierce Linville, 22, Panbury Town - Very one footed, but gets down the byline and whips in top crosses.

DEPTH CHART

THE MANAGER

Hailing from Lingham, Kayden Ross is lauded for his successes with the Jeckish team thus far. His teams have a high work ethic and are fairly balanced between attack and defence.

RP PERMISSIONS

If you're RPing the match first, feel free to RP whatever you want in terms of goalscorers, match events and yellow cards. If you want to do anything 'unrealistic' or godmoddy I might be fine with it, but TG/Discord me first and only proceed if I give approval. Similarly if you plan to give a player of mine a red card or injury that would rule them out of the next match, TG/Discord me first. I will provide a lineup for the following match in my previous RP, failing that use the last one available or the starting lineup in the depth chart.

by **Zwangzug** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 4:02 pm

We're underway! RP cutoff for groups 7-12.

Group 7
Astograth 1–0 Port Ember
Torisakia 3–3 Poafmersia

* Group 7                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Astograth                             1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
2 Poafmersia                            1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
  Torisakia                             1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
4 Port Ember                            1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Group 8
Jeckland 3–4 Darmen
Balqia 0–1 Cheergirls

* Group 8                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cheergirls                            1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
  Darmen                                1   1  0  0    4   3  +1    3
3 Balqia                                1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
  Jeckland                              1   0  0  1    3   4  −1    0

Group 9
Squornshelan Remnant States 3–3 Omerica
Baggieland 2–2 Trolleborg

* Group 9                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Baggieland                            1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
  Omerica                               1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
  Squornshelan Remnant States           1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
  Trolleborg                            1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1

Group 10
Xanneria 2–3 Mavinet
Independent Athletes from Quebec 1–3 Busoga Islands

*  Group 10                            Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Busoga Islands                        1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
2 Mavinet                               1   1  0  0    3   2  +1    3
3 Xanneria                              1   0  0  1    2   3  −1    0
4 Independent Athletes from Quebec      1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

Group 11
South Newlandia 0–0 Savojarna
Electrum 0–2 Timuria

* Group 11                            Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Timuria                               1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
2 Savojarna                             1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
  South Newlandia                       1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
4 Electrum                              1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0

Group 12
Valladares 5–5 Newmanistan
West Pocono 0–3 Geektopia

* Group 12                            Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Geektopia                             1   1  0  0    3   0  +3    3
2 Newmanistan                           1   0  1  0    5   5   0    1
  Valladares                            1   0  1  0    5   5   0    1
4 West Pocono                           1   0  0  1    0   3  −3    0

If you had a bye today you don't display in the tables, but don't worry, it's nothing personal!

by **Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 4:45 pm

Continuation of the World Cup Qualifying story.

Helmutov sat in his study. His residence was being cleaned up by a few visitors who worked for Luka. They also hauled away the assassin for questioning. “He probably works for Al-Baour.” Nikola said coming up the stairs, “Knowing the Law Ministry, these guys could be after you for anything.” he said with a chuckle. Helmutov began to write down. “You know,” Nikola said, “three star group hangs out at a bar owned by some of these guys.” “You know this, how?” Helmutov asked as he covered his pages. “I’ve been sent there before,” Nikola said “I’m quite the item.” Helmutov rolled his eyes. “You’re too high profile to go anywhere like that,” Nikola said. “Well” Helmutov spoke out slowly, his nose in well crafted notes, “It wouldn’t do any harm if you took crack at it.” Nikola looked at how intently Helmutov was studying this mystery. He knew the law man was serious, but never as a detective.

Nikola nodded to nothing and walked away. Going down the hall, he peeked into a bedroom with a heart shaped bed. Nikola rolled his eyes and moved on. “Did you open that door,” Nikola asked to a guard, who shook his head. After the attempted attack on Helmutov, the house was filled with men armed to the teeth. Helmutov had worried that they would make a mess of the place. The last twenty four hours had been quite peaceful though. The mail carrier signed a non disclosure agreement. Nikola remembered the look on the man’s face and chuckled as he opened his car door. Perhaps it wasn’t best to call the car Nikola’s but rather Luka’s. The compact car was sleek in its day, but the old sports car had the looks and sounds of a brat’s first tuner.

Nikola took big breath as he left Helmutov’s residency Working security wasn’t a common occurrence for Nikola. He has been assigned to work along side the police force and keep tab’s for Luka. It was a boring experience, and given the longstanding controversies with policing in Zeta Reka, it felt good to be himself again. Of course Nikola really wasn’t himself at all. Tucked away in his wallet was an id that said “Bogdan Markowić.” Everyone knew Nikola as Bogdan in the streets. The place he was going to was a place where you needed a secret identity. “Al-Baour” and his underground organization of drug running and tax evasion wouldn’t be a fan of cops or spies. The “Zelen Korporation” was to be taken seriously, even politicians talked of the gang’s trouble making, if only to promote their own policy interests.

As the the sun set, Nikola rolled up to the dingy bar. He parked behind to an unmarked car, a typical thing to see in town. Nikola looked at himself in the car mirror, his shirt buttoned up and his sunglasses were shining in the sun. Nikola exited the vehicle, quick to walk past some product peddling salesmen. This wasn’t a man of vices, or the time for wasteful spending. Nikola approached the doorman, flashing a card. “That’s expired, buddy.” the doorman said before chuckling “Nah,” he said with a quiet laugh “Who the hell am I kidding, come in. The chef misses you.” Nikola nodded, “Never change big guy.” he said before shaking the bouncer's hand and strolling into the club.

The place was dark and dim. Circles like that of spotlights dotted the bar. Nikola walked up to a booth and sat down. The bartender came over with a grin, “Haven’t seen you in a while!” Her voice came with a coarse tone, a waft cigarette smoke exiting her lungs a few second later. "Where in the world have you been, Bogdan?" the lady asked, “I’ve been away, Blume. Nothing unusual I can assure you.” Nikola said confidently, “Well,” Blume said, “you’re always welcome here. Do you want your usual?” Nikola nodded. “I could use some help with something.” Nikola said as the tatted up lady prepared a strong drink, “I was looking around for a rich kid. You know that Miloš kid.” Blume ticked with her lips, “you know the guy’s got friends in high places. What’s he doing that’s got you messing around?” “Nothing” Nikola said with a sip, “I just need to talk to him. He’s bit of an enigma though.” Blume laughed, “the kid’s normally coming in and getting hammered. He’s been pretty quiet lately. I don’t think he’s been here on any of my shifts.”

Nikola finished his liquid treat and spoke again. “Anything you could tell me about him?” Blume looked up at the ceiling. “Well,” she said holding out her words for a second or two “His family is called the Antonić family. I know his folks used to be pretty powerful before the regime change.” Nikola nodded, “You talk with him a lot?” he asked. “Hell no.” Blume said suddenly, “Kid has a nasty attitude. Thinks he owns the place because he works for the police commander. Has a big grudge against the government too. I don’t know why they gave him a job.” Nikola put some money on the table. “You said it yourself, he’s got a powerful family.” “Formerly,” Blume said, “They got squashed pretty hard when things changed. The boy is never getting over it.” Nikola nodded once and moved the subject along, “Would Al-Baour know anything about him?” “I doubt it. You could ask him yourself. Tell him he’s behind on my pay if you talk to your ‘buddy’” Nikola looked at Blume “He’s not my buddy, but thank you.”

Nikola had been assigned to monitor the city criminal elements. It was a tough job, but luckily he never got caught moving info. He’s still had to run an errand or two for Mr. Al-Baour in recent times. Nikola knocked on the door of the boss. A short man opened the door. “You’re unscheduled.” the man said. “Is there anyone who should be here?” Nikola asked unamusedly. “Not really, my son,” a voice said out in the distance, “let him in.” Nikola walked in and gave a respectful hug to the boss, Kahled Al-Baour. “What has brought you here? Sit and tell me.” The man was joyful, and happy and he sat down. It wasn’t something the public would ever see of the crime lord. He was demonized, and it wasn’t totally unwranted if someone knew how had clawed his way into power. “I need help with something.” Nikola said, “I’m suspicious of a man, but he is in the government.” Khaled laughed, “You are always doing something new. You need to be less adventurous.” Kahled put his hands on the table and spoke without emotion, “Of course, if you can give me information I need, I can always help you.” Nikola looked into the eyes of the man he had infiltrated years ago with silent contempt.

“Is there anything specific you need?” Nikola asked, “Of course,” Kahled said, “I need you gather some intel for me on why my men went missing at the home of the Deputy of Law.” Nikola looked with no emotion, but his heart began to race. “Bogdan, you are quite perceptive,” Kahled said, “You know I can not have men of mine moving against the federal government without cause. The upfront offer was delivered that day and was good to pass up. I need to know what is forcing the hand of the government’s enemies.” Nikola’s suspicions were confirmed, the well dressed killers he delt with were loyal to the fastest growing gang in the Zelen neighborhood. Kahled continued “They were not to kill the man. He was to be taken to a secret location.” Nikola began to twiddle a finger and he spoke calmly, “Perhaps, the location provides the answer.” Kahled laughed, “Of course it would! Why did I not think of that?” “Care to say where the old man was to go?” Nikola asked before a quick response, “Oh yes, friend. The Deputy was to be delivered to the Antonić-Werić Paper Mill. It is in Hügeltaldom, I believe.” Nikola’s eyes perked, “You mean the old Antonić family’s company? I’m looking for one of them, Miloš. He works in the government.”

Kahled looked at his notes, “He’s been here before.” Kahled said, “Perhaps he is involved. If you can figure it out, I can intrust you with the documentation. You are loyal enough to be causes, friend.” Kahled got up and whispered to his assistant standing at the door. The small man ran off quickly. “My friend,” Kahled said, “do you think this connected to any major events?” Nikola knew to say “yes” but pretended to ponder for a moment. “I think it could be connected to protesting scandal at the National Sports Complex.” Kahled sat down, “The one with the communists?” he asked before speaking on, “You know, I’m surprised they have someone from the community on that team. Jad is his name.” Nikola piped up, “I didn’t know that.” “Oh yes,” Kahled said, “I know his father, he was loyal man. I just hope they don’t use the boy for the blame when things fall apart.” Nikola reclined, “I don’t know much about athletics,” he said “I assumed you were a fan for a while.” Kahled shook a hand, “I am more or less a fan, Bogdan.” The assistant came back with paperwork. “This is should all you need.” Khaled said as both him and Nikola got up. “Thank you, sir.” Nikola said before quickly being interrupted. “No, thank you. I’m not a sir either, I am your friend.” The men exchanged pleasantries as Nikola left the bar. As he left a few people in leather walked it. Nikola caught the back of one of the men’s outfit, it said “Three Star Worker’s Union”

by **Jeckland** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 4:52 pm

OOC: This ICly happens before MD1, and OOCly was supposed to be posted before then

ROSS DEFENDS BOLD SQUAD SELECTION

Kayden Ross has defended the dropping of players such as Billie Gibbs and Kolby Dane from his squad for the Cup of Harmony after their roles in Jeckland’s World Cup Qualifying campaign.

Both players were regular starters but after poor domestic seasons have fallen out of favour with the national team boss, who opted to call up a host of uncapped players for the tournament.

When questioned before the match against Darmen, Ross replied “I have picked what I believe to be the best 23 players I can. Dane and Gibbs have given a lot for Jeckland, but right now I think that there are other players that will offer more to the team. I will always pick the players that I feel are right, which means that players who didn’t make this squad still have a chance to make the next one. This squad allows new players who have played well domestically to step up and show their worth.”

Jeckland were given one of the worst possible group draws. As the bottom team in the fourth pot of five, things were never going to be easy, but the Spuds will be aggrieved that every other team in the group came from the top four seeds in its pot. Ross was unwilling to pin any blame on the draw, stating “The 60 teams in this tournament are all here because they are good. Whilst some will say we wouldn’t have picked these teams out of the hat given the choice, given our record against stronger teams I doubt many of them would have picked us either, lowest seed in the pot or not.”

Ross has an impressive list of results to back up this claim in his tenure to date. Wins against Bongo Johnson and Damukuni on the way to the Campionato Esportiva semi finals have been backed up more recently with draws against Turori and New Lusitania, and most famously a 1-0 win against the Bulls of Audioslavia. Whilst Jeckland face what is on paper one of the toughest possible starts to their group against one of the tournament frontrunners Darmen, the Spuds are always in with a fighting chance in games like this. With third place a potential qualifying spot for the Round of 32, the Spuds can see progression out of their group as a significant achievement.

OOC: Lineup vs. Darmen (4-3-3) - Clemens; Hanley, Lovell, Gilbert ©, Pain; Deadman, Sanderson, Blanchard; Martel, Stack, Forest

Make sure to follow the match on the new Jeckland Football feed! With updates throughout the game, the feed is your go to place to make sure you keep up with the action! The feed will provide updates on all Jeckland games at the Cup of Harmony, so make sure you’re following to never miss a moment!

Cup of Harmony 77 - everything thread

Chapter 5a: Back to where everything begun.

Celtic Times, 21 June 2020

CoH-77 RP-1 PreMD-1

Boot It!: A Dance With The Princesses Starts Us Off!

CoH77 Part 1

Who is online