Cup of Harmony 77 - everything thread

[Vdara]

We advance further!

Following the draw, Vdara were put up against high-ranking Jeruselem. As seen before, many Vdarans were not confident about the match, but still willing to support their team. This, amazingly, would pay off.

Millennium Park, Redswyth, Kelssek

In the dressing room, Væñøœrëñbérghüïś looked quite confident, unlike many fans. Lazelis, however, seemed to side more with the fans, and was visibly in discomfort.

”Well, lads. We’re in the knockouts now. We need to give these games our all, and without consideration for the skill level of our rivals. Business as usual, basically. We’ve overcome Kandorith before. We’ve overcome HUElavia before. Heck, we even drew with Equestria! We won 5-1 over Filindostan! We need to pump that winning mentality into the knockout stage, and I’m sure we can do that very well. As usual, of course. Now, let’s get going, and let’s win this game! Forza Vdara, everybody!”

The match report is as follows:

1: The Round of 32 has kicked off, and you’re listening to Vdara vs Jeruselem, here at Millennium Park!
4: Vdara have started off quite strong in this match, Jeruselem can hardly get a touch of the ball, never mind keep possession!
10: It’s Vlahiades who’s making a quick run on the left hand side, he’s left the Jeruselem defenders for dead! He tries to put a cross in... and it’s blocked by Simon Carro. Corner for Vdara.
11: It’s Vlahiades who’s going to whip this one in, it’s headed towards Stamatelis at the edge of the box, who hits on the volley... straight past John Simo! It’s 1-0 to Vdara, and it’s well and truly deserved!
16: Vdara are pushing forward yet again, and it’s Kimon Karalas who’s got the ball at the moment. He tries to lob it forward to Fotellis, but it’s headed away by Dash Dallas.
25: It’s a penalty! Arya Starc has brought Lazelis down in the box! It’s only a yellow card, she’s lucky to stay on the pitch! It’s Fotellis to take the penalty. He steps up, runs towards the ball... and hits it into the top left corner with lovely technique! The score is 2-0 to Vdara, and it looks like they could be running away with this match!
35: Quick as ever, Lazelis is making a fast-paced move towards the defence. He’s nutmegged Carrot, he’s avoided Damma’s tackle... and he’s been dispossessed by Simon Carro.
42: Vdara definitely look dominant in this first half, as Stamatelis makes a pass to Athanas at the right side. Athanas takes a slip, and the ball rolls out for a throw-in for Jeruselem.
45: Well, that’s halftime! Vdara look to be the clear favourites to win, which isn’t how any of us predicted.

As the players entered the dressing room, all the players looked quite confident, and Væñøœrëñbérghüïś seemed very smug.

”See? What did I tell you all? I told you that this game was gonna be business as usual, didn’t I? I’m sure I did, yep! As always, I am right. Well, I mean, I’m not always right, but most of the time I am, you see? Anyhow, we haven’t put this game to bed yet, but we still have the upper hand. You guys have done a fantastic job of keeping the ball out of our net, and constantly threatening theirs with some great passes and some great movement. That’s fantastic, keep that up. However, I need to make sure that you lot at the back don’t get too cocky. We may be dominating this match so far, but we could easily be counter attacked multiple times in this second half. So, make sure to keep your heads in this game, and stay focused, okay? Losing focus could be fatal, and we absolutely don’t want that, do we? Anyhow, it’s about time for you lot to get back on the pitch. Let’s get this win, for everybody back home!”

46: Well, the Vdaran squad looks raring to go in this second half, with the opposition much less so. Vdara look to be winning this one easily, but you don’t win a game by halftime!
52: The Vdaran fans are singing quite loudly, this will surely spur the players on the pitch on, I’m sure!
58: It’s a corner for Jeruselem, and Carrie Fletcher is taking it. She whips it in, it hits off of Giannakos’ foot... and it ends up in the net! Jeruselem have got one back, and at long last! It may be an own goal for Giannakos, but it’s a goal for Jeruselem!
65: Vdara haven’t lost momentum in this second half, which is surprising considering how often that’s happened, both in this tournament and in the World Cup.
70: There’s going to be a substitution here, as Mavroglou comes off for Kairakos, and Giannakos comes off for Galanatos. I wonder why Væñøœrëñbérghüïś is choosing to bring the youngsters on for such a big game?
76: It’s a penalty for Jeruselem! Banister was brought down in the box by Pardakis, who’s got himself a red card! This will be embarrassing for the captain, as Jeruselem have a chance to equalise! It’s Banister who wants to take it, as he was the one brought down. He’s making the run towards the ball, he’s hit it hard... right over the net! Reece Banister has fluffed his lines from the spot, and Moustakakos will be puffing out his cheeks!
80: Vdara are looking a bit uneasy, but that’s understandable when you’ve only got ten men on the pitch in such a big game.
86: Lazelis is making a lovely run here, as he’s ran right past Cassina. He continues his run, he skips past Jamie Damma, he’s through on goal... and he’s missed it! Chirstoforos Lazelis has managed to screw up his chance to put this game to bed, and this could haunt him later!
90: The game is over, and the Vdaran fans will be relieved! Having to go down to ten men for the last 15 minutes or so might have taken a toll on Væñøœrëñbérghüïś’ men, but they’ve pulled through nonetheless, and they advance to the Round of 16!

In the dressing room, everyone seemed happy - except Pardakis. He was supposed to be a role model, and he had nearly mucked this game up for his teammates. He was an old dog, he couldn’t be taught new tricks - especially not at the age of 38. Nonetheless, Væñøœrëñbérghüïś didn’t seem to mind, as he gave out his closing team talk.

”Well, we might have given away a goal, but who cares! We are through to the fucking Round of 16, and who would’ve thought it? Nobody. Absolutely nobody except us. We believed we could make it, and we have! It’s great, isn’t it? Anyhow, depending on how the result between Quebec and Squornshelous goes, we’ll be facing one of them in the next round. We should be able to overcome them, but I don’t want you guys to be upset if we don’t. We’ve worked well as a team - both in the World Cup and in this tournament - and I want you lot to take that away with you, if anything. Now, in terms of predictions, don’t make them. For what I know, we could crash out in the Round of 16 or we could win the fucking final. That would be amazing, wouldn’t it? We’re all dancing on that little podium thing, Mathaios is lifting that coveted cup... but it’s unlikely. I’ll be honest, I don’t think we’ll make it past the quarter finals. But hey, you lot have proved me wrong before, I’m sure you can do it again. Now, I’ve got an interview to do, so you lot just get changed and get to the team bus, okay?”

Waiting outside the stadium was a news crew from Vai, Vdara’s national broadcaster. Væñøœrëñbérghüïś had risen in fame back home, but that’s not what they were going to interview him about. As always, they were going to interview him about this game and, presumably, the next.

Reporter: ”Hello to you all! I’m here with National Team manager Lükækš Væñøœrëñbérghüïś, who’s just masterminded a 2-1 win against Jeruselem! How do you feel, Lükækš?”

Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”Well, quite frankly, I feel proud. I feel proud of my team, I feel proud of my fans, and I feel proud of myself for taking on this responsibility. I feel as if I’ve helped the lads work better as a team, and I also feel as if they respect me as a manager.”

Reporter: ”Good, good. Now, with that red card, Pardakis is out for the next two games. How do you think the absence of the team’s captain will affect your squad?”

Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”I think they’ll cope just fine. Don’t get me wrong, Mathaios is a great player and a fantastic role model, but I feel like my players will cope just fine without him for the next two games. I hope so, anyway.”

Reporter: ”Who would you most like to face in the Round of 16, Quebec or Squornshelous?

Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”Quebec, by far. We’ve had similar rises in ranking recently, we haven’t played them before, and I think it would be cool to see a battle of the underdogs in this tournament. However, I wouldn’t mind playing against Squornshelous either, as they’re a well-established team who we’ve never played against either. No matter who we face, I’m sure we’ll play well, and I’m sure the fans will enjoy watching the game against them.”

Reporter: ”I’m sure they will too. Anyhow, that’s all the time we’ve got for this interview. Thanks for your time, Lükækš!”

Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”No problem, I’m off to get back to the hotel with my team.”

Later results would reveal that Vdara’s opponent in the Round of 16 would be Squornshelous, after they beat Quebec on penalties. Can Vdara overcome yet another formidable opponent, or will they crash and burn at the hands of Squornshelous? Find out later, when the match is played at the Stadium Konoha, in Burnaby!

[Vdara]

Vdara 2-1 Jeruselem: Social Media Edition

During and after the game against Jeruselem, many Vdaran fans took to Twitter to talk about the match.

Vdara started the match by doing quite well, and were two goals up by halftime.

Vdara continued dominating, but an own goal from Giannakos halved the deficit between Jeruselem and Vdara. Still, Vdara would end up progressing.

With that, Vdara had made it past the Round of 32, and they had done it quite impeccably. However, their next game was against a decent Squornshelous side who had just made it past the Independent Athletes of Quebec on penalties. Could Vdara beat Squornshelous, or would they crash out in the Round of 16? Find out tonight!

[Trolleborg]

Greetings, dear compatriots! It’s we, crew of TTV from Zwangzug. First of all, we must apologize to you for problems with broadcasting. As you see, unfortunately, the colors fell out during the broadcast, so that the teams looked a little different than they should be, and our devices could not really pick up the color of the Tequilo uniform, showing instead something remotely similar. But right now there’s a little we can do, 3D technology is only a year old, it was tested for the first time only on the past CoH.

We must admit, that like everyone interested, we were all waiting this match with great worries. Interestingly, from the point of view of the KPB score, it is more profitable in the current rules to fly out home from the group stage rather than from the first round of the playoff. But we were interested in such issues in the second place, and in the first we all, undoubtely, wanted to see what our team will demonstrate on the field. As everyone has already seen, Morten Troghil is trying out a new defensive formation in this tournament, and the question was asked whether this strategy does significant damage to our attack line, which pleased us with a plenty of goals for almost two seasons.

Given that Los Pitxileros is preaching an attacking football, it was interesting to see what happens. Opponents immediately tried to seize the initiative and lead attacks on the gates of our team, but, unlike ordinary practice, Trolleborg defensive line acted carefully, reliably and at the same time correctly, practically without giving scoring chances, but also avoiding fouls. Once, however, a moment caused controversy when Roxelio Toran and Aiden Troger collided in the penalty area, but the referee considered that there was no violation

It is not known how events would unfolded if the refere made another decision, but it turned out how it is. Our team continue defended competently, even Kerr and Gulbranden came to help the defenders, counting on their, respectively, speed and power. But they didn’t need to do this very often, since Groningen successfully neutralized his opponents on the approaches to the penalty box with his discreet but very high-quality game, showing himself as if by magic wherever it was required. Sometimes our lads organized sharp counterattacks, in the first half Gulbranden outplayed the defenders in the air, shot dangerously, but the ball went just wide. In the last half hour of the game, Tequilo players seemed to be carried away by the attacking impulse, and as a result, in the 72nd minute, they missed a sharp spurt of a whole group of our players from their own half of the field. Troll shifted to the flank, got the ball there, and took advantage of the second of freedom as efficiently as possible, scoring a brilliant goal.

Opponents spent several minutes recovering, and then staged a real assault, could equalize twice, but Kotsson make saves both time - first knocked out a ball going right to the top corner, and then parried away the shot at point-blank range after dangerous cross. The final whistle made our fans furious.

After the game, Tequilo fans were invited to a traditional feast and virtual football tournament in our camp. Let's hope that this is the beginning of a great and strong friendship between our peoples and see you at the next tournaments!


It is noteworthy that in this stage the playoff games was won by 8 teams from the first third of the final table of the group stage, 6 from the second and only 2 from the third, including our own and Poafmersia's.

In the next round, the Northwest Kalactin team will be the opponent of our guys. Kalactin loves attacking football, the team mainly used aged players and is led by a coach from Ethane, country known to us from WCQ85. One could assume that he could learn a lot of interesting things from his colleagues who have seen our team closely twice, but how much can he learn there, if our own specialists and fans themselves cannot understand anything in the dynamics of our team’s game?

Our team will play in the following line-up:

[Port Ember]

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Top Score Magazine: Exclusive Online Article
A Look At The Clubs of the New Port Ember Football Association Premier League

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As discussed during the article ”The Launch of the New Port Ember Football Association Premier League, thirteen new Football Clubs have been established and registered, whom will form part of the brand shiny new Port Ember Football Association Premier League this year directly following the conclusion of the 77th Cup of Harmony. As promised, we will release an article to introduce each new Club with every issue of Top Score Magazine (Online).

Just to serve as a reminder, each club who is now registered within the Port Ember Football Association Premier League has met the following requirements:

1. The applying club must appoint a Head Coach who has passed an International Accredited Coaching Clinic.

2. The applying club must own a stadium which can seat at minimum 50 000 spectators.

3. The applying club must ensure that this stadium maintains all utilities which would be considered up to international standard.

4. The applying club must establish and maintain training facilities which adheres to international standards.

5. The applying club must establish and maintain medical facilities which adhere to international standards.

6. The applying club must establish and maintain a merchandising and equipment factory which adheres to international standards.

7. The applying club must establish and maintain a Youth Academy which adheres to international standards.

Without further ado - the introduction of the next club...

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Eden FC

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Geographical Center of the Club: Port Ember Megalopolis; Eden Borough.
Home Stadium of the Club: Eden FC Stadium
Team Colors: Lime Green
Main Sponsor: Poseidon Fisheries Ltd
Team Manager: Edward Moore

Signed Players:
Goalkeeper: Floris Shepard
Goalkeeper: Dalton Sexton
Defender: Jaap Rains
Defender: Parris Kerr
Defender: Bruno Martins.
Defender: Oli Simons
Defender: Carson McDevitt
Defender: Timothy Admiraal
Defender: Avery Brinley
Defender: Albertus Meeuwessen
Midfielder: Dougal Duke
Midfielder: Steven Packard.
Midfielder: Darwin Clement
Midfielder: Flynn Farmer
Midfielder: Elwood Keen
Midfielder: Kentigern Willoughby
Midfielder: Jayson Westcott
Midfielder: Robert Causey
Forward: John Caomhánach
Forward: Newton Bryce
Forward: Denny Haley
Forward: Lionel Huddleson

Star Players signed:
Defender: Bruno Martins.
Midfielder: Steven Packard.

This Club managed to sign two Star Players ahead of the first season. The Club managed to sign Defender Bruno Martins. Bruno is a bench keeper for the national squad whom has been a part of the national squad since its inception in the form of the Port Ember Youth Development Program. Although not the best keeper on the national squad, the years of development and experience on an international level will surely benefit this club in the long run still. The next star signing is in the form of Midfielder Steven Packard. Steven is a bench midfielder for the national squad, also part of the squad since its very inception. Although Steven is only a bench midfielder for the national team – he is considered one of the greatest substitute impact players in the game today. This is evident in the fact that he has seen game time in every single match that the national team has played to date. He is legendary in the late game, bringing fresh perspective and morale to the late game. I am excited to see the impact this player will have on the rest of the club’s players, but most importantly this opportunity will allow Steven to play a full 90 minutes game, allowing him to be developed even further for future national matches.

A Word

This club seems to have a strategy to place some emphasis on establishing a team which focuses on developing a strong defensive, counter attacking midfield, evident with the signing of Star Defender Bruno Martins and Midfielder Steven Packard (who has great chemistry by the way). The team managed to sign Poseidon Fisheries Ltd as their head sponsor, which is a great sign that there is potential in this squad’s ability to rise to the top. For this team, I personally hope that they manage to build a very strong and developed backline which places some focus on counter attacking in order to grow the potential talent pool for the national squad in the long run.
About the Home Town

The Eden Borough of Port Ember Megalopolis is situated on the south eastern edge of the super city, situated on the eastern coastline of the capital. This Borough is known as the food producing heart of both the city and the nation as a whole, possessing world renowned factory farms, fisheries and food processing plants as the main focus of economic activity.
.
About the Stadium

The Nirvana Stadium is a modern grass & luxury stadium which seats 85 000 spectators. This stadium is a very large, modern an luxurious with many Executive Suites, reflecting the wealthy upper class nature of the geographical area.

Kit Revealed

Accepted Clubs of the PEFA Premier League:

- Waterstad Pirates FC (Covered in Issue 1)
- Lilly Black Kings FC (Covered in Issue 2)
- Gold Coast Raiders FC (Covered in Issue 3)
- Blacklake FC (Covered in Issue 4)
- Greenfields Bulls FC (Covered in Issue 5)
- Nirvana FC (Covered in Issue 6)
- Eden FC
- Thurston FC
- Thurston Bergians FC
- Amanaki FC
- Amanaki Coast FC
- Beras City FC
- Real Beras FC

[Astograth]

Previously

Ethane 0-1 Astograth
Trink, Zwangzug. Kyogijo Concord.

Lineup: Anzizar, Remondegi, Leskerre, Doyenard ©, Lizarza, Gurina, Urkizo, Berdesagar, Malkorra, Duarte, Urdanibia
Substitutions: Ibargengoitia for Berdesagar, Martel for Remondegi, Narke for Duarte
Goalscorer: Urdanibia

---

When at his best, Mogel Doyenard did not think. He simply acted, fully immersed in the moment, giving in to muscle memory and instincts that had been finely honed over twenty years. And in the final third of Astograth’s match against Ethane, Olibondeka’s first win in a knockout round since Copa Rushmori 17, Doyenard was at his best.

Going in, they’d known they were up against a tough team, highly skilled at both offense and defence. More skilled than them, on paper. The match plan was to control possession and keep the ball away from them, avoiding making themselves vulnerable while baiting Ethane into doing so. This was easier planned out on a whiteboard than actually done.

During warmups for the match, vice-captain Indartsu Lekea had to be ruled out at the last minute due to leg cramps, forcing Vaudrail to send on Beltza Urkizo and have him partner up with Gaitzka Gurina – an explosive combination on a good day, nevermind a critical match. Moreover, Lekea was the team’s anchor man, specialised in anticipating and intercepting attacks down the middle, while both Gurina and Urkizo were best used at playmakers. Deploying a centre-back in defensive midfield, a position none of them had played for any significant length of time, was not an option with the stakes this high, so the manager had gone ahead with Gurina and Urkizo, with Duarte, Berdesagar and Malkorra set to drop deep and build outwards.

This configuration, which had been successful in qualifying against weaker sides than Ethane, proved insufficient to hold onto the ball like they’d wanted. For the first fifteen minutes they were pushed to the limit, Doyenard and Leskerre stretched thin as the Red Kites looked to capitalise on the advantage. Anzizar was instrumental, saving two strong shots, and Remondegi stuck out his leg to block another from Declan Smith that would surely have gone in otherwise. Olibondeka slow turned the tide around as Ethane laid off the pressure to take care of their own defence, giving way to an even-matched struggle for possession in the midfield.

With Narke on the bench and Lekea injured, Astograth’s precious blue armband fell to Doyenard as the squad’s 3rd captain. It was on him to be the lads’ reference point, shouting out encouragement, refocusing them on the tactic at hand, and giving out assurance that no, Ihazintu,the referee is not screwing you over and you’re lucky to not have a yellow on you already. He had plenty of experience doing this with Sporting Iturributa, and with several of the same players too. Most notably, goalkeeper Aratz Anzizar.

This was Anzizar’s last tournament before retiring from the national team. He was 35 already. It wouldn’t be long before he was out of Sporting, too – and Doyenard couldn’t see him playing anywhere else. The link the two of them had formed at club level had carried over and joined with Leskerre to form the strongest partnership within Olibondeka, elevating the three of them from good individual players to one of the best defences Astograth had ever seen. Starting with this match, they went into every game knowing it would most likely be their last time together.

The match was physically and mentally draining, but they managed to survive scoreless until half-time. In the dressing room, Vaudrail, Narke and Lekea gave some rousing words about being halfway there to full time, and about how the final stretch of the match would be the most critical. The way the match was going, if either side scored it would most likely be the winner. If they managed to get to extra-time, they’d find themselves in a very different place, where the stress was such that anything could happen. And if it went to penalties, then everyone knew what to do. They'd specifically prepared for that possibility.

In the end, neither extra time nor penalties were necessary. In the 57th minute, a clash between Ibargengoitia and Kyle Ford earned the Astograthian a yellow card and forced Ford to temporarily come off the pitch for treatment. For a window of a couple of minutes, Astograth were 11 against 10, and they pounced on the chance. Gurina and Urkizo, for once working as a unit, swiftly closed down on Ethane and won back the ball, setting up on the left – exactly where Ford was missing. Ibargengoitia burst down the flank, playing off of Duarte to get past Ethane’s right-back, and swung a looping cross through the box. Urdanibia, with a running jump that lifted him above the defence, met it just right with his head to blast the ball into the top corner.

The goal energised Astograth like nothing else, but Ethane responded to the pressure in kind. For the next thirty minutes, Doyenard and company were made to play the match of their lives. Conscious thoughts abandoned him. He acted, reacted and proacted as only someone with tens of thousands of hours of training could. It would leave blanks in his memory, things he could remember doing but was unable to visualise. In his mind’s eye he was one of twenty-two moving pegs on a board, strings tying them together in shifting combinations, a web of possibilities both taken and abandoned.

And if the pitch was a web, Doyenard was its spider. He hounded forwards like never before, chased down every ball, gave up on nothing. The need to waste time and wind down the clock tickled the deepest corners of his lizard brain. If a striker brought down a ball with his shoulder, Doyenard demanded a handball ruling. A save by Anzizar could not possibly lead to a corner kick. If they won a throw-in, surely it could be taken 10 meters further down the sideline, or only after swapping takers twice. If they were going to hold onto this lead and win, they had to be ruthless.

After an excruciating amount of time, which to Astograth felt like an entire match in itself, Doyenard saw the referee put the whistle to his mouth and lift his hand. Before he heard the sounding of full-time, he’d already raised his arms above his head. There was a roar in the crowd and on the pitch, as the Astograthians pumped their fists and hugged. Doyenard walked over to Leskerre, and a jogging Anzizar met them. The three of them embraced, a mess of sweat and body heat, vertices of a triangle that had let in just 2 goals in what was now 5 matches. They’d been together in the worst of times – those doldrums of World Cup 83 – and now, the best of times too.

[Zwangzug]

Round of sixteen cutoff for Zwangzug.

Trolleborg 5–2 Northwest Kalactin
TJUN-ia 1–2 Geektopia
Darmen 1–0 Omerica
Flavovespia 1–3 Astograth

Quarterfinals:

Trolleborg vs. Geektopia (Eglantine Park, FTC)
Darmen vs. Astograth (Palloci Pagoda Park, FTC)

[Squornshelous]

Recollection, Chapter 12
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11

Markkus was thoroughly confused. Not long after arriving at the police precinct and being deposited in a holding cell, he'd been given some food, and the option to make a phone call. Having no one else to contact, he asked them to connect him with the customer service department of Sporting Jaglan, and had conveyed a message for Vang to a bemused and slightly annoyed representative there. Just a few hours later, an officer fetched him up to the front desk, where another was waiting with paperwork for his release.

"So wait, I'm just free to go?"

"Initial here please. Yeah, there's no bail for something this minor, and charges will most likely be dropped once someone from the DA's office looks this over in the morning."

"And you just let me go even before that decision's been made?"

"Yeah, no sense you spending the night here for no reason. Now, Sporting could come after you with a civil case if they wanted to, but I doubt they'll bother."

"Why was I arrested if I'm not going to be charged with something?"

"You were causing a scene buddy, we get you out of there and defuse the situation, problem solved."

Markkus frowned. "I thought I'd be here for a while, I told someone to come here to talk to me."

"What, you saying you don't wanna go? This isn't a hotel."

"Can I leave my contact information, in case she comes?"

"This isn't a post office either, and I'm definitely not your secretary. Sign here."

"Sorry, it's just . . ." He stopped himself, suddenly mindful of saying too much, "things are different where I'm from."

"Sure, sure," the desk officer straightened the stack of papers with a couple quick taps against the desk. "Well, we're done. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."

Markkus walked aimlessly out the door, a free man. Free to do what? Vang had fled at the sight of him, the customer service associate had probably laughed off his call as nothing more than a story to share with her coworkers. Even on the off chance she'd actually passed his message on to her supervisor, what were the odds it had gone on further to actually reach her? What were the odds she'd even listen to it, let alone come to talk to him? But what if she does? If the first message had been a long shot, trying to pass another may as well be impossible. If he left for the hotel, it was as good as giving up.

A pair of pink concrete planters filled with shrubs and flowers flanked the sides of the precinct's front door, and Markkus seated himself on the edge of one. It was too tall to sit on comfortably with his feet on the ground, and too narrow to sit up on, but it was better than nothing. Beads of perspiration appeared on his brow as the late afternoon sun, still potent in these latitudes, beat down on him. After a few minutes, the desk officer came outside.

"I told you already, you have to go. You can't stay here."

"Please, I don't think she'll come, but I can't take the chance of missing her if she does, can I just stay out here for a while?"

"You're killing me here, man. I can't just have you loitering out front all day."

"I can't explain it in a way that would make sense to you, but trying to talk to this person is the only thing that matters in my life right now."

The officer gave him a long look, then sighed, "Ok man, clearly you've got a lot going on, I don't need your life story. I'll look the other way until shift change tonight, that's four hours from now."

"Thank you."

"And come in for a cup of water if you feel faint, I don't need you passing out on my doorstep here."

The officer went back inside, and Markkus slid down to sit on the ground, relief momentarily robbing his legs of strength.

Markkus sat on or against the planter through the afternoon and into the evening, moving around to the shaded side after the first few minutes. He watched as countless vehicles passed by the station, none stopping. Each time one slowed, but continued on, he berated himself for getting his hopes up, but couldn't help but perk up and turn his head with the sound of each passing car. It was difficult to bring himself to get up and go in for water. Markkus wasn't sure why, exactly. Exposing himself to further pity from the desk officer? Maybe. In any case, after what felt like half an hour persuading himself, he got up and walked in. The desk officer conspicuously busied himself with paperwork the entire time Markkus was in the lobby, but he could feel the man's eyes on him nonetheless. Melkochuk's voice was mercifully silent, and Markkus tried to avoid even thinking about it, lest he inadvertently summon the troublesome phantom. Eventually, inevitably, his luck in that area ran out.

You really are quite a sight Markkus. Sitting on a hot pavement for hours waiting for a woman who hates you so much she'd sooner have you arrested than look at you.

Shut up.

I thought I'd seen you make some terrible decisions up to this point, but you were never so pathetic before, what's happened to you?

Shut up. Go away.

I can't imagine what you'll do next, as you've burned every bridge behind you. Perhaps you can make a life here among the Westies, that police officer inside is nearly a match for you in terms of sheer ineptitude.

Please go away.

Listen to you, you've crumbled to such a shell of your old self that you may as well . . .

Melkochuk's tirade was cut off by the sound of tires on asphalt. Distracted by the internal argument, Markkus had missed the approach of a large black sedan, which pulled to a stop directly in front of the precinct. Markkus scrambled to his feet, wincing at his stiff knees as the back door slowly swung open and Lytti Vang stepped out, standing with arms at her sides. She looked just for a moment, as if she were as surprised by her arrival as he was. Markkus opened his mouth, struggling for something to say, but she beat him to it.

"What are you doing here Markkus?"

[Kelssek]

Eighth-finals
Kohnhead 2–3 Kandorith
Port Ember 2–3 Krytenia
Vdara 2–4 Squornshelous
Mercedini 2–1 Poafmersia

Quarter-finals
Kandorith vs. Krytenia (Canada Stadium, Neorvins)
Squornshelous vs. Mercedini (Stade Outineau, Outineau)

[Vdara]

Vdara 2-4 Squornshelous: Buh Bye!

Well, it was good while it lasted.

[Krytenia]

Rather annoyingly, I didn't factor in being away, so I'm having to wrap the storyline up early.

Linton Wins Witting Majority
David Maclean reports from Portland House

In a historic General Election, Charles Linton emerged victorious last night as his Reform Party claimed an overall majority at the first attempt. Despite many critics having expected at the party's formation that Reform would create a chasm within the centre ground, Mr. Linton's charismatic campaign, combined with a robust manifesto, proved a powerful combination. The party won 301 seats, sufficient for a working majority of 27, despite exit polls at the close of voting predicting them short of the 288 needed for victory.

Turnout was well up across the nation compared to recent elections. The public went to the polls in their droves, mobilised by radical manifestos from both sides and a genuine feeling that real change was being offered from multiple sources. Queues for some more high-density polling stations started forming even before opening time; a few had lines throughout the day.

As well as Mr. Linton's victory, it was a good night for many parties left of centre. The Greens more than doubled their representation to five, holding North Aigea, going from one to three seats in Aigburth, and gaining the division of Charnham. The Witting will also welcome its first Communist member in over thirty years with Ivan Kaladze's shock unseating of their Socialist candidate in Adanac. Nicole Deschamps, though, was the big leftist winner. Her Socialists cleaned up in the inner cities, unseating Democrats all over the country and narrowly missing out on becoming the Official Opposition. Most notably, they won the division of Emberton Castle Hill, unseating Democrat leader Marcus Corrello as his party crashed to just four seats. Insiders at Parliament Square are not exoecting the party to still be a going concern at the end of the year.

Sarah Finch, meanwhile, has vowed to carry on as Official Opposition leader, with her Conservative Party grandees standing firm behind her. This is despite a somewhat disappointing election which saw them losing seats to Reform, largely in the more rural areas of the country.

With the votes for the Senate being counted this afternoon, and Parliament not due to be inauguarated for another fortnight, Mr. Linton has some time to reshuffle his cabinet in readiness to execute his sweeping reforms; in the meantime, he will travel to Avide Castle to be ceremonially re-installed as premier by the young Queen Maria II later today.

Final Seat Totals: Reform 301, Conservative 122, Socialist 117, Mercian National 25, Greens 5, Democrat 4, Communist 1

[TJUN-ia]

By Peter Davis

TJUN-ia 1–2 Geektopia
(Podolov 65'/Resendis 35', Houg 82')

The result is official: we're out. The Geeks prevailed in a tightly contested affair in Bangkok and they certainly deserve to go to the Quarterfinals. David Seems certainly tried but he and his men must now head back to the International Community.

But this journey wasn't in vain. We may have faltered in WCQ, but no one can take that win in Turori away from this team. This team won its group with 3 wins and then proceeded to beat the highest-ranked nation in the entire tournament. We couldn't win two knockout games in a row, but we certainly tried our best. Everyone tried their best.

David Seems and Li Xiu Ying have come a long way on this journey and now they can say that they are the manager and assistant manager of a Top 100 team. We entered the WC85 cycle just outside the Top 100 and entered that list of "elite nations" just in time for this tournament. Now, if the predictions hold up, we will leave Zwangzug as the 72nd ranked team in the multiverse. Behind Kohnhead, The Sarian and Tequilo but ahead of Eshan, Sajnur and Eastfield Lodge. No matter how you look at it, this team has come a long way from being just inside the Top 300 at the start of WC84.

But what is next for TJUN-ian football? Will the FA-TJUN-ia look to add their players to an international transfer list? Can we improve on our best performance at IAC10? Will they even consider sending an "Under 23s" team to the Olympic Games? All these questions will have to be answered soon whether on or off the field.

The Jaguar is certainly prowling the jungles of the WCC, but it must leave them for now. As they say in the Hoppo Island of the CEA: Sayonara!

[Mercedini]

77th Cup of Harmony - Round of 16 LIVE
Mercedini vs. Poafmersia
@ Macquarie Docklands - Latrobe, Kelssek

Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the Macquarie Docklands in Latrobe, Kelssek. We have another match for you in the saga which is Mercedini's Cup of Harmony journey. The Golden Eagles have made it all the way to the Round of 16 after they wrapped up qualification from the group in style with a 1-0 victory against The Jovannic to seal their ticket to the final thirty-two. Then, a tight tussle was decided by a Garzallo penalty to get them up to this point. Today, Mercedini face Poafmersia for a spot in the quarter-finals to face either Vdara or Squornshelous. Mercedini have had a seamless run in the tournament so far, but have yet to reach their full potential as a unit, barely scraping past opponents when, ideally, they should be cruising. Two teams with big fan bases at this tournament who could definitely go on and win it all, it will be interesting to see how the match develops between these two teams.

---

0' - Here we go! The teams head out of the tunnel to greet the crowds in the stadium, the attendance looks to be a lot bigger than the couple of thousands seen in previous matches due to the obvious higher turnout from Mercedinian fans, estimates had put the Eagles' contingency at around 2,000, nearly double of their last match. The big match is certainly capturing the imagination of the locals here, meaning there's plenty of action happening in the stands. Mercedini are resting some players, due to the physically punishing match in their Round of 32 fixture against The Jovannic, with Chollotov and Dostalok still the ones to watch for the Golden Eagles as they begin as the starting duo once again. Meanwhile, Mercedinian league fans may be unfamiliar with the team they are playing today in Poafmersia, but they have been on an upward tick in previous cycles, a could very well cause a shock tonight if things go their way. Plenty of talent on the pitch for both sides, it's just the matter of who will be left standing once the dust has settled.

5' - (MRC 0-0 PFM) - It's a tale of two sets of tactics in this game thus far, with the Mercedinians attacking very strongly in the opening five minutes of the game, compared with the defensive stance of Poafmersia who are playing in their recognisable red and orange kits, contrasting the blue and black kits of the Mercedinians. Chillotov and Dostalok haven't seem much of the ball lately, with the opposition defence doing well to isolate them up the pitch, Presic and Garzallo are making headway down the wings, they just lack that dangerous ball in which could prove to be the difference in the end. It remains goalless at this early stage, chances have been few and far between as these teams feel each other out.

12' - (MRC 0-0 PFM) - Wow! The Mercedinians are certainly not having it their own way in this match as the Red Panijas have the ball in the net for the first big chance of the game. It has been ruled for offside and a potential foul in the build-up, so the Golden Eagles have been let off very early on in this match. Figsh stole the ball from behind Karlovic in the midfield, with the defence also pushing up the field to instigate an attack, which left the team exposed for a counter attack. The Fiskadaha FC player was held up as a number of players jostled for the ball, but they got the ball through to Carisa who was put through in acres of space. All of the defenders stopped and appeal for offside, but that didn't stop the Poafmersia from rounding the keeper and slotting the ball into the net. Tight margins already presenting themselves, Mercedini can regroup and reset themselves for the restart, but Poafmersia have come to play.

20' - (MRC 0-0 PFM) - Twenty minutes gone and chances have been in short supply since that ruled out goal about ten minutes ago. Chillotov and Dostalok have been forced to fall back and join the midfield battle to get a touch on the ball, disrupting their attacking play which has led them to this point. PFM has also been lacking upfront since their big chance earlier, but their defenders seem to be doing a decent job so far in locking the opposition out of the box. Fans who were making all the noise have now gone silent as the nerves begin to set in, it's a big match for both teams, with one eye also on the match between SRS and Vdara paralleling this match. Nothing to really separate these two teams at the moment, still goalless in this very tight Round of 16 match with the clock ticking down in the first half.

27' - (MRC 0-0 PFM) - Mercedini get their first shot on target with an opportunistic shot from Chillotov on the edge of the box. In a match of few chances, that could have been the difference between going through and going home. Chillotov was found with a cross from Presic which was headed out of the box by the Poaf defence. The Lajuno striker took a touch to control it before firing high towards the opposition's goal, but the shot lacked any venom and was safely caught by Jaliaha in goal for the Red Panijas. We're over half way through the first half, with only two chances worth of note in this match. It certainly hasn't been a classic in terms of exciting matches, but both teams have a stake in this match, although some of the locals may feel short-changed by the action in this match considering what they saw from Mercedini in the Round of 32. Still 0-0.

37' - (MRC 0-0 PFM) - Less than ten minutes to go in this match, and both teams need to produce some magic if they are to come out on top and have a lead in this match. Both teams have had recent chances on goal, but neither were taken and remain at a stalemate in this match. The first came from Mercedini where a corner was sent in and was originally cleared, before Dostalok picked up the ball outside the box. A rush of blood to the head of the Starling striker meant he hit the shot on the volley and sent the ball high and wide into the stands behind the goal, and receiving jeers from the locals and the Poafmersian fans for his troubles. At the other end, the PFM went close with a good piece of passing play before Carisa low drive whistled just wide of the post, he seems to be the danger man and has been having a good time of it upfront so far. It coming to a head in this match, but time is running out if either team want to take an advantage into the first half.

44' - (MRC 0-0 PFM) - It was Mercedini's chance to go ahead in this match at the perfect time, but the linesman has now robbed the Golden Eagles of a goal as they have the ball in the net, but Presic's run was just too early as another goal is chalked off. Presic dribbled past a number of players before passing back to Kraljic who looked to release the winger down the right hand side. The Loconstead United player then sent an early cross and found Dostalok unmarked in the centre, and the Handon united made no mistake from six yards as he headed over the diving save of the Alpine goalkeeper. Fortunately for the team in red and orage, it was Presic who made the error of not timing his run, as he was caught out by the offside trap and was caught a couple of yards offside. A let off for Poafmersia this time, we look to be heading to a goalless first half, just stoppage time to play.

45+4' - (MRC 0-0 PFM) - How intriguing! The referee blows his whistle for the end of the first half in what has been an eye opening first half to the match. Chances have been few and far between with both linesmen the biggest effect on the match, ruling out a combined two goals between them. The Mercedinians haven't had it their own way and it's the first time they haven't gone in at half-time with the lead in hand. These two teams are finely poised, at half time at the Macquerie Dockyards, it's Mercedini 0, Poafmersia 0.

HALF TIME
Mercedini 0 - 0 Poafmersia

Welcome back to Latrobe, where we are embroiled in a fascinating match between Mercedini and Poafmersia for a spot in the quarter-finals of the 77th Cup of Harmony hosted by Zwangzug and Kelssek. The Golden Eagles in black and blue are currently embroiled in a very tight match with their opponents who are ranked 50th in the world. It's tightly poised between the two teams, so let's see who will be left standing in this finally balanced match Kraljic OFF, Santa-Corvani ON

49' - (MRC 0-0 PFM) - Slow start to this second half as Mercedini maintain control of the football in the opening minutes. Their tactics obviously aren't working as they face a very defence-minded team in Poafmersia. One substitution has been made for the Mercedinians, with the more experienced Kraljic making way for the enthusiastic Dino Santa-Corvani. He has put in his shift for today, and makes way as Billic attempts to guide his team to the second title at this tournament. Both teams need to find a goal if they want to put their name in the quarter-final draw with either SRS or Vdara waiting in the wings, which we hear is also very close. Forty minutes still to play and to get a goal, or else we will get another thirty and potentially more.

57' - (MRC 1-0 PFM) - GOAL! We said we needed a goal to ignite this game into life and that's exactly what we got. Ben Chillotov gives Mercedini the lead in this match and it's probably fair to say it's been coming. The Golden Eagles have had the vast majority of possession in this second half and they have made it count with a goal from a corner. It was whipped in with pace from Garzallo on the far side and was originally headed towards goal by Brindliev, but parried well by the Poaf goalkeeper. The ball fell to Presic who kept the ball in play on the by-line, and drilled in a low cross inside the six yard box. Chillotov was arriving at this point and slid in to bundle the ball into the net. It was brave stuff from the Lajuno striker with all of the players and legs around him, but he was rewarded for his bravery by giving his team the lead. The fans are going mental in the far corner of the stadium with some of the locals celebrating and applauding as well. Mercedini lead, and it could be golden by the end of the match.

65' - (MRC 1-0 PFM) - Mercedini have settled really well into this match following that opening goal. The roles seem to have been flipped in this match as it's PFM's turn to attack and Mercedini's turn to sit and hold their opponents back to hang onto their lead. Both managers are on the edge of their technical areas barking orders and tactics at their players on the field with the fans chanting their chants and banging their drums to drum up (pardon the pun) a spectacular atmosphere at the Macquarie Docklands here in Latrobe. It remains 1-0, with every second benefiting the team in blue and black as the try to keep out the Red Panijans.

71' - (MRC 1-0 PFM) - Mercedini come close to a second goal in this match with Dostalok nearly getting on the score sheet himself. He was isolated upfront with the ball, so decided to throw caution to the wind and dribble the ball past three players before firing low at the goal. Jaliaha gathered the ball very well given the speed and spin of the ball as it flew through the air. The Golden Eagles are beginning to take control of the match after a shaky start. Of the two teams, it looks as if the team that's already in the lead is taking the initiative. We could be on the cusp of something special if the score line stays as it is. Chillotov OFF, Alva ON

75' - (MRC 2-0 PFM) - GOAL! That could be the goal which sends the Golden Eagles to the quarter finals in some style as super-sub Alva comes on and scores within five minutes of his introduction to the match. It's another set piece which has undone the defence of Poafmersia, this time a free kick. Garzallo stood over the ball with many expecting him to shoot from just outside the box, but the Zoloroni Met winger drilled the ball low into a very dangerous area, with any touch from one of the arriving players enough to send the ball into the net. Luckily, the outstretched foot from Elspachia striker Feliks Alva was enough to deceive the goalkeeper, and the ball rolled slowly into the PFM net to double Mercedini's advantage. After a long wait, Mercedini look like they have made it to their second Cup of Harmony Quarter-final in succession, could they just? 2-0!

80' - (MRC 2-0 PFM) - Some of the PFM fans are beginning to file out of the stadium as their team looks at a defeat to Mercedini square in the face. Mercedini could also be in line for a fourth clean sheet at this tournament, they need to hold out for another ten minutes to earn that. As we know at these types of tournaments, anything could happen, and with Poafmersia still pressing for a way back into the game, the Golden Eagles need to make sure they have their guard up if they want to see this game out. It remains 2-0 to Mercedini, if the team can get hold of the ball and keep it, they can surely see this game out.

88' - (MRC 2-0 PFM) - Audible boos from the Mercedinian fans as the fourth official indicates four minutes of added time, but they are in a party mood as Kuznetsov controls the ball on the half way line. They now have their fate in their hands as they look to see this game out without any more mishaps, even Dostalok and Alva have fallen back to help with the passing game, their job is now done. Billic has a look of pride on his face as the second half continue to tick on. It's been a rocky road to this point, with disappointing result after disappointing result finally leading them to this point and a formula that looks to be working. It almost looks inevitable at this point, only a couple of minutes to go now.

90+3' - (MRC 2-1 PFM) - GOAL! At the death, Mercedini's clean sheet evaporates as Poafmersia net what looks to be a consolation for Carisa to end their tournament with a positive. Carisa has been the danger-man for almost the entirety of the match ans finally gets his reward for his perseverance. It came from the last push for the Red Panijans as four players pushed forward. Taisg broke free of his marker to work his way to the side of the box, as he lofted a ball into the danger area where several players from both teams were waiting. Carisa rose highest to the ball and had to use all of his neck muscles to get the ball past the diving hand of Hosset. The Mercedinian goalkeeper got a hand on the ball, but he could only parry the ball into the side netting as Poafmersia halved the deficit. We are already past the four minutes of added time as Mercedini get the game back underway.

90+4' - (MRC 2-1 PFM) - There we have it, the referee blows his whistle for the end of what ended up as a tight and entertaining affair in Latrobe. Mercedini were made to work for their win and the result may seem harsh from an PFM point of view, but it is a testament to the quality and talent of both squads here today. Goals from Chillotov and substitute Alva ultimately sealed a place in the quarter-finals for the team in blue and black, while Poafmersia head home after a good run which saw them reach the knock out stages of an official WCC tournament. They will return to Poafmersia with their heads held high and that 93rd minute goal which denied Mercedini their clean sheet. It's finished here in Latrobe; Mercedini 2, Poafmersia 1.

FULL TIME
Mercedini 2 - 1 Poafmersia
Chillotov 57', Alva 75' • Carisa 90+3'

That's it from us, Mercedini are through to their third Cup of Harmony quarter-final where they will meet Squornshelous, looking for revenge after they beat the Golden Eagles when Dini hosted the Independent's Cup. It will likely be a different environment for the lads as they look to overcome another opponent and make it to another semi-final after their fourth place at the tournament in the previous cycle. As ever, we will give you the run down of all the action including post match interviews and reactions. However, from us here in the Macqarie Docklands, goodnight!

[PotatoFarmers]

Mercedini 2
Chillotov 57'
Alva 75'

Poafmersia 1
Pete Carisa

Starting 11 - Sandi Jaliaha; Alex Pickford, Danzik Hoboson (c), Alex Hoboson, Timothy Gausun; Daas Taisg, Goon Figsh, Gisiik Moonar; Hansel Tang, Shakira Handris, Pete Carisa
Substitutes - Joel Haodao (Tang 64'); Stegaj Johnatson (Moonar 86')

International football roundup - Banija unexpectedly loses in semis; Red Panjias fail to get past stern Mercedini side
Commentary by Roisig Hansa
Sporting Daily Chief Editor (Football Division)
Nephara vs Free Republics.
In the World Cup, the final matchup was certainly unexpected, but not an impossible matchup from the moment the knockout stages happened. The sides came into the World Cup in a very different manner, overcoming various odds to reach where they are in this moment.
First, let us talk about Nephara, the favourites to win the title. The abilities of the team are well known by Poafmers, with our national football team playing them in the qualification cycle for the 84th World Cup. They went on to obtain the Bronze Medal that cycle, defeating Eura in the third-place playoffs. This cycle, they came into the World Cup Proper as the overall 5th seeds, going into Group F with second seeds Valanora, who were 14th ranked then; third seeds Audioslavia, ranked 19th then; and 95X, ranked 33rd then. For Nephara, they barely got out of their group, only qualifying in second place with 3 points, coming on top on goal difference against Audioslavia and 95X. They then defeated hosts Mriin in the Round of 16, defeated Eura once again in a repeat of the third-place playoffs of the WC84, and then disptached WC84 co-hosts Baker Park in the semifinals. Their wins have been narrow wins, but nonetheless, they still remain overwhelming favourites over Free Republics. Free Republics came into the tournament 17th ranked, qualified out of Group C in 1st place with 6 points, and then defeated Ko-oren in the Round of 16. In the quarters, they shocked Turori with a win in penalties, then avenged their group-stage loss to Banija in the semis.

Road to the Finals - World Cup 85

Matchday	Nephara	Free Republics
Group Stage MD1	Loss vs Valanora (2-4)	Win vs Pasarga (6-3)
Group Stage MD2	Loss vs Audioslavia (1-2)	Loss vs Banija (1-3)
Group Stage MD3	Win vs 95X (2-0)	Win vs Sarzonia (4-1)
Round of 16	Win vs Mriin (3-2)	Win vs Ko-oren (2-0)
Quarterfinals	Win vs Eura (3-2)	Win (on PKs) vs Turori (3-3 FT, 4-4 aet, 4-1 on penalties)
Semifinals	Win vs Baker Park (4-3)	Win vs Banija (3-2)

Who is our winner? Hard to decide. For Nephara, the previous bronze medallists, they have came off 2 opening losses to come back even stronger. Difficult wins over Eura, Baker Park and Mriin has certainly gave them the credentials as favourites, and being the higher ranked side, Nephara is certainly the stronger and better side on paper. But let us not rule out Free Republics, who have came through really strongly, defeating Banija in the semis, and Turori in the quarters. Regardless, the finals would be a nice and exciting match to watch, and certainly anything and everything can happen.

Let us move our attention to the Cup of Harmony, where Poafmersia bows out of the Round of 16 to Mercedini. It was no easy match, since Mercedini is a very strong side. For the first half, both sides are difficult to separate. However, the differences in talent showed in the second half, as the Golden Eagles became the dominating side for a large majority of the second half, taking the initiative and starting to score the necessary goals. Throughout the game, despite substitutions from the Poafmersian side, the Red Panjias looked more tired then the opposition, which was strange because the Red Panjias finished their game in extra time while the Golden Eagles had to enter the dreaded penalties.
With the match over, the Cup of Harmony goes into the quarterfinals, with a series of interesting matchups. BoF71 winners Trolleborg plays Geektopia, with the former pulling off a shock 5-2 win over Northwest Kalactin. Meanwhile, one of the favourites for the title, Darmen, dispatched Omerica 1-0 to set up a quarterfinal match against Astograth, a side that is coming off a long hiatus and has had a good run thus far. Kandorith and Krytenia play each other in the 3rd quarterfinals, while Mercedini will play Squornshelous in the 4th match. In my opinion, Darmen and Mercedini would likely be the final matchup. However, Krytenia, Squornshelous and Astograth are sides that have had some history behind them, and that they may be likely to pull of some shock victories here and there. After all, in the Cup of Harmony, shocks are a key part of the tournament. Will the favourites reach the final? I guess all of us have to wait and see.

[Kandorith]

Shinonome Kyoai - International
News From The Empire

---

Against Odds, There Is More On The Road

Kohnhead 2–3 Kandorith

Huge festivities erupted in Kandorith as the Lotus Warriors managed to beat Kohnhead with two to three goals, against all odds. For Hayabusa's team however, the job is not done yet; the fans at home are delighted and relieved though. For the Kandorese team the road has been a tough one with a few hiccups, a surprising defeat and even more surprising wins and every time the Kandorese had the underdog role in the matches yet managed to stand tall.

The next game is one of a different caliber as the team will face Krytenia at the Canada Stadium in Neorvins. They are currently ranked 62nd in the world, which would be a favourable matchup for the Lotus Warriors yet extreme caution is advised against this very surprising and hopeful team. They are currently performing far above their level and managed to knock out quite a few larger names than both themselves and Kandorith. Although Krytenia looks like a tough matchup, the fans and Hayabusa himself are hopeful and seemingly without any stress.

"The team is performing good currently, not good enough if I say so myself but extremely well." Hayabusa commented. "We have work to do in the defensive area still, but I think our attack outweighs our f laws in defense massively. The previous match was another example of winning with an attacking mentality and leaving the defense as a second priority. In the end, football is won with scoring one more goal than the opposition. Against Krytenia however we need to play more defensive minded; while still staying on our toes to attack swiftly. They are a very attacking team and I believe we can take a massive advantage out of that fact. I sincerely think our players are more swift and agile than theirs and we will need our chances from any counter-play we can get, yet we should not forget to defend as their offensive prowess is a huge factor in their games. The goal for the coming game will be shutting down their play while we will be able to play our football. We have to show Krytenia they are playing on our terms and will have no freedom to pass the ball or even set up any dangerous attacks towards our goal. If we manage to keep the midfield shut, we will have a very large chance to win. If we manage to shut down both their midfield, attack and we get chances in the counter; we will definitely win.

I am glad we made it this far, for the KFA this has been the goal of course, for me I think of greater things for this team. With the current team and our resilience to the opponents we have faced I think we should be making ourselves ready for yet another semi-final and I dare to dream about being in the finals. Again this tournament has been a great boost for the Kandorese football and I think this team has been even more of an inspiration to the nation than during the last Cup of Harmony. We have had our struggles in this tournament, but each time we have managed to handle our struggles; where last time we joined the tournament we had a rather easy-sailing only to hit a wall towards the end of the tournament. This time the games were different, we had to work hard and stay on our toes to secure wins. Because of our current mentality we are no longer a match-to-match team but have rather grown towards a tournament-to-tournament team, ready to take on the entire run."

The optimistic words from Hayabusa show that the team morale is at an all-time high, despite earlier difficulties and positioning. For the game against Krytenia Hayabusa will start his best players the nation has to offer and will of course be working hard to secure the victory and a spot in the semi-finals for the second time in the history of Kandorese football. For the statistics there is no doubt, Kandorith should be on top of this game and should sail passed the opponent. It will not be an easy match, but the Lotus Warriors have the technique, speed and prowess to win the game when it comes to statistics. The Kandorese team has played against the Krytenia side for the last time in World Cup 82 where Kandorith lost to them with just one goal in both games. The difference though; Back then Kandorith was ranked 174th in the world and surely the team has a win on their mind to overcome that dreary night during the 82nd World Cup.

[Squornshelous]

Recollection, Chapter 13
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12

"What are you doing here Markkus?"

"Vang! I . . . umm"

"I'm serious Markkus, why did you come?"

"I don't know."

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

"I mean I don't know. I can't remember anything from that last night in Xanneria."

"Amnesia? You expect me to believe that?"

"I remember leaving the match against Gyatso-kai, but the next thing after that is waking up in a hospital in Vogsphere two weeks later."

"Bullshit, if you can't remember anything, how did you find me?"

"I told you, I don't know. I can't remember anything that happened, I just get these feelings and impulses, like I almost recognize something."

"You left the Imperium to find me here because of a feeling you had?"

"I didn't even know you were here until I saw your picture in the news. I just, I don't know, decided to come to Jaglan. I think on some level I knew you'd be here."

"That doesn't make any medical sense at all."

Markkus shrugged, "Nothing really makes sense anymore, but here I am all the same."

Lyyti ran a hand through her hair and shuffled her feet, "You're not much like I remember Markkus, what the hell happened to you?"

He barked a bitter laugh at that. "I don't know. That's the whole idea. I was hoping you might be able to help me find out."

Now it was Lyyti's turn to laugh. "You coming to me for help."

"I know I've never done anything but make your life more difficult, but I think you're the only one who can."

"You actually did do something for me though, you really don't remember anything?"

"No. What did I do?"

Lyyti heaved a long sigh, "Not here," she looked around, as if wary of eavesdroppers, "Come on, there's a cafe up the street. We can talk there."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The cafe was a small, hole-in-the-wall type place, with clean white walls and royal blue decoration inside. The room was narrow, but stretched back away from the street. Along one wall, a counter, behind which sat an array of equipment and supplies, along with a bored-looking attendant who could not have been more than a month over 20, if that. Opposite him, with a narrow space in between, a row of small tables stood against the opposite wall. Tablecloths striped in the same blue and white that covered the rest of the cafe draped over each.

Lyyti was seated across from him at one of the small tables. her driver sat over at the counter, nursing his own coffee and studiously looking anywhere but at their table. His stiff body language told Markkus that he did not approve of this meeting, and would not hesitate to drag him outside given the slightest provocation. Lyyti, on the other hand, looked uncomfortable and uncertain. She was avoiding eye contact, and had said nothing since sitting down. Markkus would wait all night to hear what she had to say if it came to that, but he felt an uncontrollable urge to start the conversation. Do I just ask her? No, don't push to hard, but say something, anything. Need to break the silence.

"Have you been following the team much? They're doing pretty well, even without you there."

"I have been. It's . . . complicated, watching them play."

"Do you miss it?"

"I miss the team, not so much the rest of it. I miss Lucia, watching her make that final penalty against the Quebecois after Yi sent his off the bar was special."

"They've definitely been putting on some entertaining matches."

"The round of sixteen was probably more entertaining for us than anyone else. Vdara's manager looked a pretty unhappy to be down 4-1."

"With a name like that I'd be mad too. It's enough to make a Farf crosseyed."

"Still I have to admit, sending the goalkeeper forward for set pieces with 15 minutes remaining was a gutsy move."

"Vogdahl won't be happy with conceding one to her opposite number. But they've really put in a good performance."

"Made the most of a favorable draw you mean, and nearly biffed it against the Quebecois. We're not the only former greats hanging around in the CoH after all. Easy to see why Yi made the move to a big-time league with a two-goal performance like that. We were just lucky he put his penalty a few inches high."

"I guess so. I admire the fight back from the team after going down though. Who'd have picked Martikainen off the bench to score the equalizer."

Lyyti smiled, "I have to admit, the look on her face made my night."

"And they didn't make the same mistake against Vdara, score early, score often, like the motto from the old days used to be."

"Don't get me wrong, they've played well. It's been frustrating that I can't really talk about it with any of the people I've met here. Big step up in opposition for the next round though, and they haven't beaten a higher-ranked team since Vakolicci Haven back in qualifying."

"True, but the Confederates beat Mercedini on their own turf a few years back, so they're not invincible. Foreign press can't tell the difference between Red-and Black and Black-and-Red though, typical."

A lull in the conversation settled over the table, and the smile faded as both ex-pats' thoughts inevitably went to the country and people they'd left behind.

"Do you ever think about contacting any of them?"

"No. I mean, of course I do, but I can't. Most of them would never understand what I've done. Watching them go up three goals against Vdara, it was all I could do not to try reach out to someone right then. But it's better right now if I'm just dead as far as everyone in the Imperium is concerned. Besides, how would I even

"They're bound to find out eventually, why not have it be from you?"

"Maybe. It's not something I can deal with right now though." A more focused look slid onto Lyyti's face as she fixed Markkus with a much more direct stare. "We didn't come here to talk football though."

"No, but I didn't want to push you."

"I appreciate it. So, two years ago, you don't remember anything after the match?"

"Nothing at all, I just get feelings or impulses about things that I can't connect, and also," Markkus stopped. Could he tell her about Melkochuk's voice? Would she laugh at him, get up and walk out? Did he really have anything left to lose at this point? "Also, ever since I woke up, I hear Melkochuk's voice in my head."

"What do you mean you hear his voice?"

"It's like he's talking to me, I can have a conversation with him. I think I'm going insane, or maybe I already have."

"Well, I'm no psychologist, but that might actually make some perverse sense, in a way."

"What do you mean by that?"

Are you sure you want to know that, Markkus? As if the mention of his name summoned him, Melkochuk surfaced in the back of his mind, speaking in a tone of malicious glee. To make matters worse, Lyyti echoed the sentiment.

"Are you sure you want to know all of this Markkus?"

"Not knowing is too much to take anymore. I have to find out what happened, no matter the consequences."

"If you're sure," her voice was low, and she leaned forward over the table. "You remember I said you had done something for me, and it was why I agreed to talk to you?" Markkus nodded. "Well, maybe the reason you hear Melkochuk's voice in your head is because you killed him."

[Trolleborg]

Hello, our dear viewers! The TTV team in Zwangzug happy to say, that today we have good news – our team won second round of Cup of Harmony playoff. Although we again have to apologize for the fact that, due to circumstances beyond our control, the equipment worked incorrectly again and in the last 20 minutes of the game there was a difficulties with colors. But we hope that the game of our team gave everyone pleasure, regardless of what color the goalkeeper of the opponents shirt was looked like.

As everyone confidently predict, oponents possessed a gaming advantage and in the first half hour controlled the ball, but failed to convert it into something. It should be noted that the players of our team defended in cold blood, although they made mistakes - it is clear that the new game system is not yet fully grasped by them. Nevertheless, four of our defenders plus Groningen, to which midfield players were added as situation needed, withstanding the attacking impulse of opponents very well. And, like in the previous match, in each episode our players having the ball they try to develop an attack, and they did it very well whole game. Kolding had time and stamina to both help the defenders cope with a very frisky three Kalactin forwards, and helped attackers. Twice in a row, it was his deeds that plunged Kalactin fans into shock.

First, in the 27th minute after such a cross Kerr got the ball almost on the front, and carefully threw his head right on Finnsnes's, who move into the box right in time and opened the score

Five minutes later, Kolding made a cross over, and now Kerr struck ball by his head, and not only me want to check if it was Gulbrandden, such a goal was in his style.

Already when the main time of the first half was over, our players relaxed a bit and conceded a goal, having made a mistake in the interaction of defense and midfield. Groningen just overlook Medine, and no one was able to predict and correct his mistake

2-1 and practically it’s all over again in the second half. Kalactin, barely leaving the locker room, rushed forward, but shortly after that there was another sharp attack by our lads, and the Troll, facing the visible impenetrable wall of defenders near the penalty area, cleverly pushed the ball past them and Finnsnes beautifully shot on goal.

3-1, but there was almost 40 minutes to play, and opponents quickly proved that not everything was lost for them. Although nevertheless, we must admit, if there hadn’t been a ricochet from someone near the box, our goalkeeper would have probably dealt this shot.

Fortunately for us, the players of the Kalactin team, mostly aged, so the Zwangzug climate and speed of the game begin take their toll, and they could not gather enough strength to build something on their success immediately. So our players, successfully using substitutions, looked much more freshier, and managed to quickly restore the difference in the score. Kolding made a clever pass along the goal line and Kerr scored with a point blank shot

Just another 25 minutes before the final whistle, with two goals of difference looked like a comfortable situation, but Kalactin, nevertheless, have a chances to score.

It was already dark over the stadium, and injury time was running on, when our players, having beaten off another stubborn attack, developed their own. Starting in their half of the field, they moved forward fast, and In the end, Kerr did not become greedy and try to make a hat-trick, but, having reached the penalty box line, he make a pass to the Troll, and our midfielder struck just as all the fans expected from him.

5-2, unexpected score, we all must admit. And bars Zwangzug again having money windfall. Their keepers must be most ardent supporters of out team out of Trolleborg.



In the quarterfinal out of eight teams five are come from first third of the group stage table, two from the second and we, the only ones, from the last third.

Our opponents will be Geektopia team, professing a very peculiar 3-3-4 game scheme, and tending to play attacking football. In the playoff this team proved to be experts in strong-willed victories, the Geektopians saved the game with Savoyarna whilst losing 0-2 by the end of the first half and pulled out a victory finding net twice in the last minutes of the extra time, and then managed to score winning goal against TJUN-ia in the last minutes.

Let's see how our guys cope with the tasks that Morten Troghil will set for them. The team will play in the following lineup:

[Krytenia]

Jerome Jaffacake-Philips looked over his charges in the dressing room.

"Congratulations to all of you on making it this far. I remember seeing the long faces, the dropped heads after the shambles against Omerica. I remember the promise after the Vilita game that we'd never let a team roll us over like that again.

"We've come on so far since then. We've come through the group stage clinically. We took down Chromatika when it mattered, and we were ruthless against Port Ember.

"So it might sound harsh to say I want more from you. But I don't say it because I'm disappointed with you. It's because I want to push you harder. Take you further. We're three games from glory here. Ross, marshall the defence. Kandorith are potent going forward, use your experience and keep it cool. Neil, Rafa, Selly, there will be holes. There will be chances. Take them.

"Stephen, you know what I expect from you. Lead these guys, let's keep it tight and play our game. Best of luck out there boys."

[Astograth]

Previously

Flavovespia 1-3 Astograth
Forbridge, Zwangzug. Eagles Club.

Lineup: Anzizar, Martel, Leskerre, Doyenard ©, Lizarza, Lekea, Gurina, Berdesagar, Malkorra, Duarte, Urdanibia
Substitutions:Aragolaza for Malkora, Arana for Urdanibia, Echeberz for Lizarza
Goalscorers: Urdanibia, Lekea, Arana

---

The dressing room was a party. Players in various states of undress played music from their phones, danced, cheered, clapped, sang, and recorded themselves for social media. They hadn’t quite won the Cup of Harmony, but winning in the Round of 16? A long-awaited achievement for a nation so thoroughly humbled by the years.

It was Ibai Kiriano, assistant manager, who called them to attention, that he might say a few words. In a corner, the ever-present documentary crew trained their lens on him, as did her eyes researcher Landerra Lazaga beside them. Kiriano wiped his nose with a bejewelled hand.

“Boys, boys. I just wanted to say, again, that I’m proud of you. I was with many of you during the last time we put together this national team, for World Cup 83. That was a disaster, but! It goes to show the difference that attitude and preparation make. So many people wrote us off this time around, and here we are. Nearly qualified for the World Cup, made it to the Cup of Harmony quarterfinals. And if you keep playing like you did tonight, sky’s the limit boys. It’s coming home.”

The squad, gathered in a semi-circle broke out in applause, Remondegi letting out whoops.

“And whatever you do now, it’s already better than I did,” added Kiriano, to laughter. His generation had done quite well in the Copa Rushmori, but not much in World Cup Committee competition.

Indartsu Lekea, the team’s vicecaptain and key anchorman, stood up next to stand by Kiriano, placing a hand on his shoulder. The tough midfielder commanded respect not just for his talent but for the club he was signed to. AFC Corvistone were a mainstay of the Nepharan Premiership, and everyone wanted to play in the Premiership.

“Boys, I’ll echo that. The last few times anyone tried to get this team off the ground, we got fucked. We ate shit.” Lekea was one of the coarser voices on the team. “And yet! We tried again, and we tried again, and we tried again. And we got better. The reason’s simple.” He held up a finger and paused. His teammates leaned in. “Stats! We got stats! In fact,” he said with a smile, “I’ve got stats to present to all of you, right now!”

Lekea took a few steps back toward the whiteboard on the dressing room wall, picking up a red marker from the tray along the bottom. He drew a tall, lopsided bar. “This!” he exclaimed, “Is all of the previous times Astograth has qualified to the quarterfinals of a Cup of Harmony!”. He wrote a 1 above the bar. “And this!” he said, as he drew an equally tall but even wonkier bar right next to it, “Is how many times Astograth has won the Cup of Harmony”. He wrote a 1 above it, too. Lekea pointed to each bar with a grin as his teammates chuckled and manager Vaudrail covered his smile with a hand.

“Now someone- you, Marko,” said Lekea, pointing at Martel, “tell me, what percentage is 1 of 1?”

“That’s right, 100%!” Lekea shouted with aplomb, before Martel could reply, and wrote a giant 100% next to his graph. “100%, look at that, now that’s a stat. That’s an analysis. 100% of the time that Astograth made the Cup of Harmony quarterfinals, we won the Cup of Harmony. Marko, what stage of the Cup are we in?”

“We’re in the fucking quarterfinals!” yelled Martel, this time interrupted not by Lekea but by the rest of the squad in another round of cheers and laughters.

“And I’ve got another stat!”, said the vicecaptain, manically erasing the board with his forearm. He pointed at Vaudrail and looked at his teammates. “You know how many foreign managers have managed Astograth at a Cup of Harmony before?”. He turned around and drew another big bar, paused dramatically, and wrote a 1 on top. “You know how many times Astograth has won the Cup of Harmony?”

“ONE!” they all shouted together.

“And what’s 1 of 1?”

“100%!”

“100% record. We have 100% of the Cups of Harmony we've gotten to the quarterfinals of, and 100% of the foreign managers we’ve had in the Cup of Harmony have won one. That adds up to 200%, obviously. Boys, the numbers don’t lie and they spell disaster for everyone else at this cup.”

[Zwangzug]

RP cutoff for the Zwangzug quarterfinals!

Trolleborg 1–3 Geektopia
Darmen 0–1 Astograth

Semifinal:
Geektopia vs. Astograth (Eagles' Club, Forbridge)

[Geektopia]

Geektivities
*Be cool, be woke.
Reports done by Marshall, sports editor and categorist
Semi-final Predictions and Formations that the GFF were supposed to set up in case we make a deep run, but didn’t.

Geektopia v Astograth: 0-8
Astograth are going to win this because they beat Darmen and came this far, it’s only rightfully fair that they dispatch us and come even further to getting a WCC championship for reason of beating Darmen. I, new sports editor Darryl (are the names this millennia getting more common-looking or what? I fucking hate my name.), might as well be labeled as a national traitor for reason of this blog, but I just don’t think we’re ready to handle something like this. Half of our XI are sociopaths, and all of our subs that played against TJUN-ia are sociopaths in general. Our captain may be a wise, nicely worded player, but i don’t he’s ready for this either; he wouldn’t want to put pressure on our next generation that probably will consist of a bunch of losers that won’t beat Starblaydia in qualifying; the other generations before these guys didn’t even come close to not finishing near the bottom table of qualifying. If we do advance to finals, I’ll be in a hell of a mood. My heart will implode, but it’s always wanted the boys in Green to do well, asides from the brain of course. This is an extremely lucky thing to see, and it will probably not be repeated by this nation anywhere from 3000 years to 15,000. Yeah, that’s right, this will probably happen once every 15,000 years, or once every five World Cups.

Kandorith v Mercedini: 2-3
To rub it in even further, although it's stupid to make these comparisons, a higher-ranked side in Mercedini will probably go the distance to take out Kandorith, which will make our eight-nil defeat even more unfruitful. Mercedini are dangerous, a top seeded team, and they win important games as ourselves, now for them to win the competition is slightly less of a reality from here but will all probably pan out if they do go on to score three goals in this stage of the competition.

---

Formations that we’ll use in the semi-final and final/third place play-off: 2-3-4-1-7-0-5 (or, a Barella-Crete-Pillars-Loui-Resendis-Osorto-Andreen connection.)

Geektopia break their +1 goal differential duck in surprise win against BoF winners Trolleborg

Goals: 9' (Rolf Valgren | assist provided by Stuart Kerr | Trolleborg), 18' (Osorto | assist provided by Andreen | Geektopia), 45' (Resendis | assist provided by Osorto | Geektopia), 88' (Loui | assist provided by Houg | Geektopia)

Player Ratings
Leabo = 7.0
Osorto = 8.5
Loui = 8.0
Barella = 7.0
Crete = 7.0
Pillars = 7.0
Andreen = 7.5
Sudlow = 7.0
Resendis = 8.0
Medine = 7.0
Houg = 7.5

[Kelssek]

Quarter-finals
Kandorith 3–3 Krytenia (3–3 AET) (3–2 pen.)
Squornshelous 0–1 Mercedini

Semi-final
Kandorith vs. Mercedini (Waterfront Dome, Kirkenes)

[Mercedini]

77th Cup of Harmony Quarterfinal LIVE
Squornshelous vs. Mercedini
@ Stade Outlineau - Outlineau, Kelssek

Bonour, comment ca va? Je suis tres bien, merci. Et tu? Mon banguette? Enough of that, welcome one and all to the Cup of Harmony quarter-finals. Thankfully, we have been given the evening match for the day which means cooler weather and more recovery time for the team after their 2-1 victory against Poafmersia. Our opponents today, Squornshelous, have been causing quite a stir since their return and have fully deserved of their spot at this advanced stage of the tournament. It's poised to be a tight match with both teams tipped to go far, but for one, their run must end here tonight. Mercedini will be naming an unchanged side from their match against Poafmersia which means another run out for the impressive Dostalok and Chillotov plus another cap for young guns in Karlovic, Brindliev and Di Sansev. A much higher attendance for this match with both Mercedini and Squornshelous filling their attendances plus a good turnout for the neutrals in the centre of each stand, separating each nations' fans. The players appear out of the tunnel for what could be the make-or-break match for both teams at this tournament.

---

0' - Two renditions of national anthems later and we are all set for the start of this final eight match-up. We have already seen one match thus far between Squornshelous and ourselves, and it won't live fondly in the minds of the Mercedinians as the SRS beat the Golden Eagles at their own tournament to top Group A at the Independents Cup. This means Mercedini can get revenge here tonight with a win, but with fatigue coming into effect and Mercedini already coming through two tiring matches against previous opponents, this may not be the match of equals everyone expects. Nonetheless, both sets of players are ready for kick off, with both managers eyeing a spot at a semi-final against either Krytenia or Kandorith.

7' - (SQU 0-0 MRC) - We're about seven minutes into this match and it's already clear that these two teams will fight a hard fight in this game for those three points. Squorn's midfield seems to be keeping the through balls of Nymark at bay thus far, the same can be said for the Mercedinian defence, with their attackers plus Garzallo and Presic combining well to hold the ball up and flush out any quick counter-attacking opportunity that SRS try and muster up. The two teams cancelling each other out at the moment, as it remains goaless.

15' - (SQU 0-0 MRC) - Mercedini can see the prize ahead of them in this game and they are beginning to ramp up the pressure on their opponents. Dostalok went close but his scuffed shot across the face of goal whistled wide of the post but didn't really give the goalkeeper any trouble with the effort. As stated before, both sides are locking horns in the midfield with no sign of any team on top just yet. Tense times in this match with both teams looking capable of getting a result from this match, it's no wonder they're both fighting for a commanding spot in the tournament, with who is left to contest them.

23' - (SQU 0-0 MRC) - Time is ticking away much faster than I anticipated in this match, the frantic action has been a great distraction from the clock which is a credit to both of these teams. Mercedini look slightly on top in this match due to the attackers having more chances on goal, but Squornshelous have threatened. They had a chance from a corner which was worked well to Popov outside of the box who was in dangerously lurked in space. Nobody picked him up as he lashed at a ball which made it's way through the crowd, on target. A smart save from Hosset meant the ball was parried out and the danger was effectively cleared shortly after that. Half of the time has gone in this first half, and it's already turning out to be a classic in Outlineau

29' - (SQU 0-0 MRC) - Mercedini ramping up the pace of this match as the fitness of their players are really beginning to show when it comes to the two teams. High pressure has been adopted by Billic, a format that Mercedini were famous for adopting during their Golden Years. It was forcing their opponents to make riskier passes to keep it away from the Mercedinians, giving the team in blue and black a better sight at goal. The match has gone up a gear and the Squornshelans (?) are coping with this play so far, although their fitness looks to be fading as each minute passes. Can Mercedini capitalise on that? They have about fifteen minutes left to do it if they are to go ahead in the first half.

34' - (SQU 0-0 MRC) - Just when you thought Squornshelous were fading, they go and have a series of chances which seriously threatened the Mercedinian goal for the second time in this game. The first was a laced shot from Anker which flew majestically, the keeper was beaten but the shot just wasn't quite on target as it skimmed the top of the crossbar and out. A couple of minutes later a quick one-two put Anker through on goal yet again, but they took one touch too many and the ball was smothered by Hosset in the Mercedinian goal. A wake-up call for the Golden Eagles, but they have survived and look to move forward once again.

40' - (SQU 0-0 MRC) - Time is running out for Mercedini in the first half as both teams jostle for position on the pitch. The midfield has been where most of the battles have been fought, and it is where the ball is now has Nymark fights with his counterpart for the ball, but he lays it off to Kraljic who can look up to spot a pass. Neither team have utilised their wingers that much with Garzallo and Presic look relatively isolated throughout the match, let's hope they have some more action in the second half, still goalless in Outlineau.

45+2' - (SQU 0-0 MRC) - After a frantic first half, the referee draws proceedings to a close with the first half whistle. It's been a game which has lived up to it's hype as one of the most watched matches in these quarterfinal fixtures. Both teams have gone close multiple times but neither team have anything to show for it so far. Whether it be a spectacular save from the goalkeeper or a shot off target, Squornshelous and Mercedini have had plenty of golden chances in front of goal, and wasted just as many. Plenty to think about for both managers but at the end of the first half, it's Mercedini 0, Squornshelous 0.

HALF TIME
Squornshelous 0 - 0 Mercedini

An intriguing first half for the fans ended with neither team forcing the initiative. Plenty of positives from a defensive point of view but the end product is sadly lacking for the teams who are likely tipped to go all the way if they can win this one. Plenty to keep an eye on in this second half with the attackers hoping to break the deadlock for their respective teams, whether they will or not remains to be seen, but this match is sure to be an encapsulating match for the fans and the neutrals. One goal could do it, the margins are as fine as that.

49' - (SQU 0-1 MRC) - A great start from Mercedini has given them their rewards with a goal from the super striker Daniel Dostalok, who nets once again for the Golden Eagles. A defensive mistake from the Squorn back line gave Chillotov the chance to break forward with only two defenders chasing him. He managed to squeeze the ball past the two defenders who were marking him and into space in the box where Dostalok was arriving at a rate of knots. He picked up the ball and sold the goalkeeper a fake to nip past the diving Squorn glove, before slotting the ball into the open net. A cheeky goal but it gives Mercedini a valuable goal against their main rivals at this tournament. It could be invaluable come the end of the match, 1-0!

56' - (SQU 0-1 MRC) - That goal seems to have lifted the spirits of the Mercedinians and they are coming forward with more purpose which Squorn are currently not coping with. Dostalok went close again with a low drive on the edge of the box, but it went wide of the post, ending what could have been a fruitful attack to kill any momentum their opponents had. It's Mercedini who are making all the noise in the stadium with the players reacting positively that, but at the moment it remains 1-0 to Dini with over half an hour to go.

65' - (SQU 0-1 MRC) - Unfortunately, Squorn are fading in this match which only spells good news for Mercedini in this game. The midfielders are finally beginning to prove their worth in this match are sending some decent balls through to the target men up front. The wingers are beginning to get a bit more action and are sending a series of crosses into the mix, but they aren't being converted into a guilt-edged chance as of yet. Mercedini are looking comfortable but it can be said that SRS provided some resistance in this match which means a good performance has been given by the players today, that will help them when it comes to later rounds. Things aren't over just yet, as long as it remains a one-goal deficit, Squornshelous could very well nick a goal or more.

77' - (SQU 0-1 MRC) - Mercedini thought had put this match to bed with about fifteen minutes of the match still to go, but it's Johannes Nymark's a great goal coming from a corner, which has been rule out by a foul. It was whipped in by Garzallo and was originally cleared by the defence, but a rapid shot was fired back in by Nymark and flew into the net for what looked to be Dini's second. However, Brindliev was caught leaving on Tjaeder in the box, which impeded the midfielder's ability to clear the original corner kick. The ball made it's way through traffic and took a wicked deflection which wrong-footed the goalkeeper to end up in the net, but by then, the whistle has already gone for the infringement, as the celebrations were cut short. It still means Mercedini are one to the good, how costly could that be?

85' - (SQU 0-1 MRC) - Mercedini are closing out this game with intricate passing and mesmerising dribbling skills from the players on the pitch. There are some tired bodies out on that pitch and Mercedini are exploiting that to no end, they may get some more goals in this match but at the moment Billic has his arms folded and looks content with his teams performance. Squorn did have a chance minutes ago as Tjaeder whipped in a free kick, but the ball flew high and wide of the goal, a simple shake of the head from Tjaeder said it all. It look like another win which would be rather impressive for a new incoming manager. Five minutes to go and Mercedini stay in the ascendancy.

90+1' - (SQU 0-1 MRC) - One minute is all that we will see when it comes to added time, the referee blows his whistle for the end of that match which ends a ninety minutes which caps of a match which could be Billic's best win as a manager. Mercedini were made to work for their win but they came through it rather comfortably with the lone goal from Dostalok as the beginning of the second half. They have qualified for their second successive semi-final at the Cup of Harmony match to spare and will face Kandorith for a spot in their first final in five cycles. It's finished here in Outlineau; Squornshelous 0, Mercedini 1.

FULL TIME
Squornshelous 0 - 1 Mercedini
Dostalok 49'

That win means Mercedini play two more games between now and the end of the tournament, the first will be the semi-final against Kandorith, goodness knows what the second one will be, but it will either be the Final or the Third-Place Play-Off. Four nations remain in the running, with Mercedini vs. Kandorith in the second semi-final in Kirkenes. Meanwhile, the day's action will be kicked off in Forbridge, Zwangzug where Geektopia will face Astogarth for the other spot in the Cup of Harmony Final. Mercedini are going into the semi-finals as the highest ranked nation left following Darmen's elimination, but form counts for nothing in these tournaments, it's all about how you perform on the night. We will be back tomorrow with coverage of both semi-finals, everything is on the line for the final four.

[Astograth]

Previously

Darmen 0-1 Astograth
Bangkok, FTC, Zwangzug. Palloci Pagoda Park.

Lineup: Anzizar, Remondegi, Leskerre, Doyenard ©, Lizarza, Gurina, Urkizo, Berdesagar, Aragolaza, Duarte, Urdanibia
Substitutions: Yrigoy for Doyenard, Sorrosua for Duarte, Narke for Aragolaza
Goalscorer: Sorrosua

---

He’d spent so long waiting to play a match like this again. The longer he waited, the slower his legs became, the wider his belly became, and the greyer the tips of his hair turned. One day he hung up his boots and closed the door on playing that match himself.

It felt surreal to watch it play out now, in the flesh, just a few meters from him. A Cup of Harmony quarterfinal. A high-stakes international knockout bout. Ages and ages since assistant manager Ibai Kiriano had last had the chance. The last quarterfinal Astograth had played had been at the 17th Copa Rushmori, against Pasarga – that old bogeyman. Sant’Antioco, Ossidiacqua. Il Cratere, an infernal construction in a volcanic caldera. Churin, his strike partner, had been the hero in a 3-2 victory that day. The semifinal against Irad was in Sant’Elia, Estadio Acqua. A bizarre stadium in a bizarre land, which felt like playing inside an enormous terrarium. They’d played out an arduous match at odds with the scenery, taking it scoreless all the way to a heart-stopping penalty shootout. Which they’d won. They’d won. They’d won… they’d reached a final, and met Mytannion at Il Colosseo while Ossidiacqua fell apart around them.

The Mytanars had gotten that far in the tournament playing for the memory of their departed teammate and friend Ismet van Huijgevoort. In the emotional department, Astograth could not possibly compete with that, so to any neutral they were the bad guys for a night. Kiriano had been happy to oblige, pinching the ball away from a nervous Tim Dalgaard to open the scoring. In the end, as in any good story, the villains got their comeuppance and the coveted, curvaceous Copa slipped away in stoppage time. Repin’s last-gasp free kick instantly traumatised an entire generation of Astograthian football fans.

That Copa Rushmori had been the peak of Kiriano’s career with the national team, and it was impossible to remember with anything but that kick in the teeth that was the final. A lot of ink – electronic and otherwise – had been spent debating the whys and wherefores of how Astograth had failed, because failed they had. Conventional wisdom was that Mytannion had simply wanted it more, that Repin would never had scored that free kick if it wasn’t dedicated to van Huijgevoort. Astograth had lacked a higher purpose – but what higher purpose did they need, Kiriano would reason in the deep hours of many nights. The sport was the premise and the purpose, the cause and the effect, they didn’t – or shouldn’t – need anything more to succeed. Did the best players have any ulterior motive than simply being the best? The great forwards, Alan Belmore, Di Bradini, Val Kylx, Valrauncion, Timo Skye – what did they play for, if not the glory of football itself? He didn’t reckon the likes of Laborious Hawk, to whom seasons must breeze by, was particularly concerned with anything but sport

This tripe in the Astograthian media about “not wanting it”, tripe it was. Kiriano rejected it. No matter how noble their opponents’ motives, Astograth had wanted that cup at least as much. He’dwanted it. He’d needed it. What were they doing, conceding such a valuable free-kick that late in the match? That was the mistake. Why had they allowed Berozhserkovsky to get a header in off that corner? That was the mistake, and so on. It was a football match and the mistakes they’d made were of feet and balls and tactics.

It had hounded Kiriano’s career, this accusation of “not wanting it”. That he could’ve been one of the best players in the world, but he’d squandered his potential due to being a slacker. He’d liked to party, sure, and buy fast cars and jewellery, but that was his free time. He didn’t miss training, he didn’t smoke, he wasn’t driving drunk. As a teenager, maybe, but not since he’d been 19 – he owned Ichaso Chapitel for that. The Ituraitz FC manager, who’d promoted him to the first team, had told him in no uncertain terms that he could go far, but he’d need to put in the work. He’d put in the work. He’d wanted it. He’d wanted it so much that at 20 he was winning the UICA Champions’ Cup in a team of titans: Dima Petersen, Fantasia Cecile-Marie, Ikatz Alberro, Alphonse Richelieu, Colin Collymore, Ostoja Maric.

And here in Zwangzug, at Pagoda Palloci Park, Ibai Kiriano wanted it. And not for anybody else but himself. If they lost it was a matter of tactics, of preparation – including mental preparation, sure – but not an abstract, airy handwave. He understood that now, in large part thanks to Vaudrail and his enormous efforts to get this team into whatever shape they needed to be to succeed. Football was not mysticism, it was, if not discrete, at least concrete.

The whistle blew against Darmen, Sorrosua was the hero, Olibondeka were in the semifinals and Kiriano on the sidelines, eyes humid. One step closer, just two to go. If they were to live or die in this Cup of Harmony, it would not be for lack of wanting.

[Zwangzug]

soon

Geektopia 2–1 Astograth

Final: Stelladome, Spenson (scorinated by me in 48 hours.)
3PPO scorinated by Kelssek, in Kelssek, (Edit: at the same time as my usual scores.)

[Kandorith]

Shinonome Kyoai - International
News From The Empire

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Another Run For The Lotus Warriors

A tight match was the result, but the Kandorese National team eventually won when it came to the after time. The fans were beyond belief and once again Kandorith has reached the Semi Finals of the Cup of Harmony. Where the mission for the KFA was to reach at least the quarter finals, Hayabusa has once again shown that he is in the lead of the most successful team in the history of Kandorith. Where fans were sceptical when the team lost to Vdara and barely made it to the second round, Hayabusa remained stalwart and sure to reach the final rounds of this tournament. Right now, fans are still praising his name and believing in a final spot for the Kandorese team for the first time in history.

"I believe in the cause we are playing for." Hayabusa commented "We are standing here again in the Cup of Harmony on the brink of history to be the first Kandorese team to reach the finals. I truly believe we can go all the way and even go above the expectations and beyond. This young team has a lot of potential and has the mentality to endure a tournament like this. We have survived against all odds and will survive against any other opponent we will face"

There is little left to say, the team and the fans believe in one final achievement for their team and who knows, the Kandorese will finally have their moment of glory. Where the team has been fighting off great names like Vdara, there is no doubt that the fans think the team can go all the way. For Hayabusa his team is at stake; for the nation their reputation is at stake. The second time ever for the Kandorese team is in the semi-finals of the most prestigious Cup of Harmony and this time the sentiment is a winning mentality. The Lotus Warriors have shown themselves on the field every time and are ready to face their next opponent; and absolutely ready to acknowledge the faults they made during the last semi-finals. The road goes on, the fans are ready for the game; but will the players deliver? This is the greatest question as the Kandorese fans are busy celebrating they made another semi-final in the Cup of Harmony.