World Cup 86: Roleplay Thread

by **Rangers FC** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 6:25 pm

The Sleepy Rangers Fan Chronicle

Sleepy Guy was pretty pleased today, despite Rangers not getting a single win. Wins aren’t always expected when you’re a Rangers fan, though.

Sleepy Guy: ”Y’know, I get that we’re shite, but like... that was a good game! Granted, we lost, but we only lost by 4 goals to 3! Against STARBLAYDIA! We’re practically one of the best already, just like our good pals at Celtic.”

Sleepy Guy takes a look at the poster behind him, and thinks back to when he was a child - back when Rangers FC were good.

Sleepy Guy: ”God, I miss those days. Back then, we were littered with superstars like Ally McCoist- I mean, Alanis Coistikis, Andrianos Goramis, Lorentzo Amorousis... and now look at us. Our players are good, but we need those glory days back.”

A tear rolled down Sleepy Guy’s cheek. He reminisced about the time he had spent with his dad watching the Rangers beat all of these teams littered around the world, and now they were struggling against teams like Darmen and Mattijana.

Sleepy Guy: ”We need those glory days back.”

Sleepy Guy promptly took a swig of water, before shutting his computer off for the night and climbing into his bed, which was emblazoned with the Rangers crest - just like his walls, his door, and his lamp. He hoped he’d wake up to good results, though deep down he knew that any points would be good for the weakened Rangers side. He needn’t worry, however - those glory days would come back.

NO SURRENDER, LET’S PLAY WITH SPLENDOUR

by **Sulsuland** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 6:34 pm

*Its late at night in Sulsuland,when Sulsu, the leader of the team participating in the world cup realizes he needs to cause his daily dose of chaos, and he’s almost out of time!*

“Uh oH, SulSu noT readY! WaS tOo buSY eaTinG fisH!” He said to himself.

*Sulsu paced around, wondering what to do with such short notice left*

“MayBe mOrE walNuT JokEs? nO, ThoSe AlreaDy GeTtiNg oLD.” *Sulsu muttered to himself some more.*

“Well maybe you could do some more ominous stuff? Like your evil sneeze form?” *The author of this post asked Sulsu.*

“MaYbE, buT SuLsU WoulD nEEd tO SneeZE in ThE firsT PlaCe foR thaT To haPpeN.” *Sulsu responded to the random voice speaking to him.*

“Oh! maybe you can go make fun of another team!” *suggested Sulsu’s pet Goldfish, who is immediately eaten after this statement*

“WhY SulSu evEn hAvE peT fiSh?” *Sulsu asked himself* “It noT lIkE SulSu knOw AnYThinG aboUt oThEr teAmS to saY MucH... thOugh iS pREttY FunnY thaT SulSu goT tO mEsS uP onE GuY’S chanCeS oF geTTing giAnT cUp.” *sulsu mused to himself yet again*

“whaT abOuT MorE of ChaNneL 5? jUsT donT AsK abOuT OtheR ChaNnElS” *The channel 5 news crew popped in the window to suggest*

*Sulsu beats them off with a broom* “No nO, SulSu TirED oF thAt GaG.”

“MaN, iT reaLlY loOk LikE sUlsU haVe nOthiNg to PosT, oH WeLl, SulSu gIve uP For thE nigHt” *Sulsu concedes as he rests his hand on some clearly broken computer, which was somehow transmitting the last three minutes of dialogue and has posted it to this very forum*

by **Saltstead** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 6:44 pm

TRENDING IN SALTSTEAD: #SALKRY

ROYAL SALTSTEADISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

@KSFB_an
FULL TIME IN ASHWELL: SALTSTEAD 6−2 KRYTENIA

Tonight is the tirteenth time in history that Saltstead have won a game by at least four goals and the fourth time the Stallions have done it at King William VII National Park.

#SALKRY

ROYAL SALTSTEADISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

@KSFB_an
Fun fact: Fun fact: Saltstead have scored six goals in a single match for only the third time in history.

Saltstead 6−1 Frejo (Port Michael, SAL; WC78 qualifying)
Makhnovia 0−6 Saltstead (Unknown City, MAK; WC80 qualifying)
Saltstead 6−2 Krytenia (Ashwell, SAL; WC86 qualifying)

#SALKRY

ANNELISE VAN HALLEN

@al_vanhaal
Well, Krytenia got so pissed after beating Starblaydia that they fell apart against us! I guess that’s a good sign for Zeta Reka, then… xD

Sent from my Orange mVI

#SALKRY : #sextwä

by **Vdara** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 6:44 pm

”We’re fucked, I tell you! FUCKED!”

For the first time in this World Cup campaign, Vdaran manager Lükækš Væñøœrëñbérghüïś was well and truly pissed off. He’d watched his side get humbled by Vangaziland just two games ago, and back then he had told his players to get a grip and lose the complacency - And yet, here he was again, trying to figure out how his team lost to Acronius.

”Jesus fucking Christ, lads. I know we aren’t much better than Acronius, but fucking hell, man. We were bossed around the pitch by a team that we should’ve at least got a point off of, and yet we cock it all up! That’s what we always do, isn’t it? We get our chances, and then we blow them out the water with games like this. We were ahead of Eura just a few match days ago, we’d regained our chances - and we’ve only gone and pissed them away all over again! We went from being two points ahead to THREE POINTS BEHIND! That has to be our chances gone, I’m sure of it. We’ve had a great campaign and all, but lads... there’s only three games left. All three of them are against teams that we haven’t managed to defeat. This doesn’t bode well for us, not in the slightest. By my calculations, qualification isn’t mathematically impossible, but it’s heavily improbable. I mean, Eura are three points ahead of us. If we beat them, they’re still ahead on goal difference. If both us and Eura win our other two games - then we’re still out. Their goal difference is just too high for us to overcome. At this rate, we might have nothing to play for except third place... but that’s just what I’m thinking.”

At this point, Markos Moustakakos stood up and began to try and raise the spirits following that team tslk. As the manager of the under-18s, he has plenty experience in getting his players to listen - and he’s got plenty experience in getting his players to improve with just his own words.

”You lot shouldn’t be thinking this way, and I don’t think most of you are. We still have a fighting chance of grabbing second place from the Eurans, and we can do it in style, can’t we? Of course we can! We’re Vdara, aren’t we? We’re one of the overperforming teams in this group, aren’t we? We’re bloody fantastic, aren’t we? I’m darn right, aren’t I? We can do this, guys! We just need to keep our heads held high and our confidence up. It’s possible, lads. It’s possible.”

Markos was right. It was possible, and although Eura are three points ahead with 3 games to go, there was still plenty time for Vdara to uplevel their game and get a few cheeky wins into these last three games. They’d need to if they wanted to keep third place, after all.

by **Ziwana** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 6:44 pm

Part Six

HOW WE WON THE

4TH CMFA CUP

By Charles Payen, Jean Wilder and Abdulaziz Haqawi

by **Turori** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 6:45 pm

:: twii.tur Highlights ::

wii.tur is a short message communication service based in Turori allowing users to exchange content of 140 characters or less. The service originated as a way to allow officials to receive alerts and key information such as incoming weather notifications, major events and the ability to stay coordinated during a time of crisis but was under-utilized and doubts were raised as to whether the overhead of the infrastructure was worthwhile to maintain.

As capabilities of interconnected and handheld communication devices improved, the Turorian Weather & Information Interchange (Twii) was adapted into a public facing service where users could sign up to create their own twii nodes where users would sign up to a twii group to receive all the twii messages delivered by members of that group. Ultimately, as demand grew, a fully public release of twii came at the connected location twii.tur where all users can participate in the public twii, selecting which messages to receive by adding individual users, groups or topics to their twii.tur feed. twii.tur has upgraded with a slew of new features including the !quickbang feature which would allow users to automatically add to their own feeds for assorted sporting, news and other categorical associations.

twii.tur has leveraged its past World Cup partnerships to grow from a small locally used Turorian information sharing service to one of the multiverses most prominent messaging and communication services and, along with Cocoa-bo, one of the most successful and well known Turorian entities in the global market.

Riakao Iboabao

@RiakaoRow
Just getting ready to watch the #TuroriEels do battle in #WC86 Qualifying.

#Win4Nigel

:: Behind the twii :: Turorian Olympic Rower Riakao Iboabao posted a twii of their simple setup inside their abode, showing off their hard earned Silver Medal earned while competing for the Vilitan Union at the XIV Summer Olympic Games in Istria and Orean. It was the second career silver medal for Iboabao who also won silver at the XII Summer Olympic Games in Kelssek & Vekaiyu. Although the Turorian athlete turned in a time 4 seconds faster than their personal best, it was not enough to steal the gold medal away from the athlete from The Sarian in the Mens Single Sculls. Athletes from the Vilitan Union would earn a total of 29 medals in the Olympic Games with 11 Gold, 10 Bronze and 8 Silver including the one won by Iboabao.

Now, with the Olympic Games having come to their conclusion, the sporting eyes of the Island Emirate have shifted focus to the World Cup 86 Qualifiers where the Turori National Team are in the stretch of a qualification run where they are locked in a battle for the top spot in Group 5 with fellow Atlantian Oceania nation Siovanija and Teusland. Defeat at the hands of the S&T'ers has left Turori 2 points shy with three games to play in the qualification phase despite the Eels superior goal differential across the fifteen games that have been played thus far. Turori will ensure no worse than a second place finish in the group with just a single point over their final three matches but will be looking for victory in their three remaining games to keep the pressure on Siovanija & Teusland as the duo fight for top spot and a place in the World Cup 86 finals in Newmanistan & Drawkland.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

© Sporting Times Weekend 2020
WCQ Notebook
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

Maestro approaching legends

When the Commonwealth National Team take to the pitch at Prince William Stadium in Newmarket for the final home fixture in World Cup 86 Qualifying against the Orion Islands, Manager Ichi Tuzzo will be taking another step towards BP soccer immortality.

It will mark the 77th time he has taken charge of the national side, which will pull him into a tie with George Charleston for third place on the all-time list, behind Pamela Scott's 99 matches and Trevor Richmond's 95; combined the four have managed over half of the 665 matches in the national team's history, 52% to be precise.

The Maestro will also certainly equal Scott's 61 victories in charge of the mixed gender team by the time the World Cup Finals conclude in Drawkland and Newmanistan. He already has won 56 and drawn 9 of the 75 matches he has been at the helm, and with at least 2 friendlies scheduled between the end of WCQ and the Finals as well 3 group stage matches, the existing mark has little chance of standing until the next cycle.

Offense or Defense

So what's more important to earning enough points to be one the final 32 nations to gain entry to the World Cup?

It helps immensely if you have a side adept at both; currently, there are 13 teams that have allowed 15 or fewer goals through 15 matches, and 13 that have scored more than 48 in the same span. There is no crossover between the two lists, and of the best defensive sides, only 2 have been eliminated from contention, while the scorers are all atop or sit second in the table of their groups.

If you expand the defensive list to those national teams that have allowed between 16-19 tallies, the list grows dramatically, and this where you'll find a majority of the high scoring sides; Banija are the runaway leaders in scoring, with 74, and have allowed only 18, while Nephara & Valanora are tied for second on 55, the Cormorants having allowed just 19 against—same as Baker Park's total—and Eura, Siovanija & Teusland and The Holy Empire all tied with 51 goals for.

BP are in a 5 way tie with Starblaydia, Cassadaigua, Farfadillis and Terre Spetentrional, all just 1 shy of the half century so far; the Bees have the best goal difference of that group, but are only the third best defensive side in Group 18, as Mercedini (13) and Savorjarna (17) have kept things tighter at the back.

Group 2 also has three strong defensive teams, one of whom will not make the WC field; Ko-oren have clinched a place having allowed only 6 opponent goals, while Tequilo (15) & 95X (17) battle for the second spot. It is the surprise package from the last World Cup, Hampton Island who currently boast the stingiest defense in the tournament, allowing a goal only once every 5 matches.

Spare a thought for both Ethane & Transvolcanic, the former being eliminated while allowing only 8 goals, the latter with just 16 goals against.

by **Valanora** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 7:05 pm

Qualification, it was a nice feeling, a feeling of relief and accomplishment mixed into one. While the Marauders had always expected to qualify out of the group, doing so with three matches to go was definitely a bit of relief and actually a bit of a surprise with most in the squad thinking that it would be coming up in their next match rather than at home against Kandorith. With the the Marauders looking quite comfortable a few days prior in Capri against Emastalia, the side then braced for the last big match that was left on the schedule, hosting Kandorith who was looking to stay in the race for the playoff spot. It was a close affair and you could tell by the fire in their eyes that the Kandorith squad really wanted to replicate the result that they had gotten back in their homeland in Valanora, however there was not going to be a late equalizer this time as the defense clamped down and kept their foes at bay. It would be a final score of three to two, with their guests coming close but not quite up to the task of getting a pair of draws against the Eternal Empire.

It was a few minutes later that news came in from Schottia that they had done the seemingly impossible and bested Qasden in Schottia, despite their government being in a collapsed state at the moment. However a lack of government apparently does not dissuade from the national pride and Schottia was able to keep their home field strong and best our subregional neighbors in Qasden one to nil, a result that had big implications for the two squads who had just finished their match in the Hatire Memorial. For our guests, it meant that Qasden stayed on three points ahead of them in the table, making the loss that they suffered in Capri a bit more easier to suffer with the two teams still yet to play in the final three matches of the campaign. For the Marauders, it was just the result needed to secure their spot at the top of the table and qualification for the Finals, a match earlier than what had been predicated but a welcomed surprise nonetheless and one that could prove very beneficial for the squad moving forward not just in this World Cup but in the next few.

With qualification secured, the star players of the squad are likely to be rested quite a bit in the next few matches, though full changes are not to be expected as the squad is still chasing an unbeaten run in the qualifiers, looking to add another feather to their cap for achieving the difficult task of going unbeaten in the qualifiers once more, a task they have done on a few previous occasions. That being said, a few more of the fringe players are likely to see a bit of action, with Signe Hagen expected to start instead of Saxstrom next match as an example. Bleeding in a few of the younger players will do a world of good, especially the likes of Lothas Ludwig, Miriam Troegner, and Indra Söderström. All of whom seem to have bucketloads of potential and should be in and around the national team for the next decade, very well maybe being the next trio to lead the attack for the Marauders. Being able to secure the qualification for the Finals at such an early mark affords the squad such opportunities and ones that should not be wasted nor be taken for granted. Only a handful of other teams have already secured their spots in the Finals, so the fact that the Marauders are up there with the best should serve notice that this squad is indeed on the prowl for that sixth star to add to their already impressive crest.

by **Omerica** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 7:22 pm

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

Why Anne-Sophie Groothuis is Omerica’s greatest manager ever
By Serena Kendall

“I want to thank everyone who has made this possible. It has been the honour of my career to have been given this opportunity and I will cherish this time for the rest of my life. I want to thank the URSF and our incredible supporters, who have made these seven years a joy. I leave with no regrets and I wish my successor, whoever it may be, the best of luck.”
— Anne-Sophie Groothuis announcing her resignation at the 75th Cup of Harmony

With the end of Omerica’s fourteenth World Cup qualifying campaign approaching, the debate over who ought to be inducted into the World Cup Hall of Fame is quickly approaching. The general consensus is that one of two managers will be inducted by the United Republican Soccer Federation: Ryan Pritchard or Anne-Sophie Groothuis.

Arguments can be made for either of them to join the pantheon first, so we’re going to take a look at the arguments for each of them. Today, we look at to the woman who brought home Omerica’s first-ever piece of of silverware and helmed the national team through more matches than anyone else in history. Here is our argument as to why Anne-Sophie Groothuis is the greatest manager Omerica have ever had.

That Grand Final
Anne-Sophie Groothuis’s introduction to the international stage was not a particularly distinguished one, getting battered 4−1 in a knockout round that Omerica had barely managed to qualify for. Thus, when Omerica were drawn with Hot Skitty on Wailord Action, Kavagrad and the so-called “Free Republics”, the same old show of doom and gloom was afoot. Oddly enough, HSOWA are the most threatening force in international footy today, what with the so-called “Free Republics” suffering under an isolationist dictatorship and Kavagrad just plain not giving a shit about international football anymore, but back in the day, they were expected to knock Omerica out in the group stage in now-perennial-IAC-absentee Mercedini.

Ultimately, after a three-goal humiliation against the Redhearts, a bet that Omerica would get to the grand final was one that would get you sent to the nuthouse, but Omerica scraped through to the knockout stage with a cagey one-goal win. The team swatted aside Abanhfleft, dealt with Beepee and pulled one over on Kavagrad to be unexpected grand finalists. The Incorrigibles, up against Drawkland, quickly went two goals down, but were able to claw the game back and take it all the way to penalties. Sadly, the Kick Corps were victorious in that shootout.

Two years later, Omerica were doubtlessly one of the outside favourites for the crown and demolished a group consisting of Tulize, Indusse and Juvencus. Thanks to the horrid format of the tournament, Omerica had done enough to skip the first knockout round, but quickly went back to business demolishing Juvencus and beating Kavagrad in penalty shootouts. Only the hosts and titleholders Drawkland remained.

This time, Omerica were the ones to strike first thanks to Édouard Bouchard, but Drawkland would re-establish their superiority in short order to lead 2−1 at halftime. Bouchard snagged a brace in the 69th minute and was on course for a hattrick when he was brought down in the box. Red Bolton had to relive the nightmare of staring down Lana Harmony from the spot, but made his kick count this time. Upon being presented the trophy, tears of joy could be seen strolling down the captain’s face as Omerica won a major international tournament for the first time ever. Groothuis’s Incorrigibles came close to repeating the feat in the 75th Cup of Harmony, but packed it in for home after a semifinal defeat to eventual champions Main Nation Ministry. No other Omerica manager has even managed to make it to a semifinal.

The trailblazer
Anne-Sophie got a lot of flak when her appointment was announced. Omerica had just come off the horrendous reign of Christine Salmond, then the only woman to have managed the national team, and were skeptical that the Gallophone could actually have anything worthwhile to contribute to the national team. Supporters were happily proven wrong, however.

The first female manager to gain wide support in the Omerica camp, Groothuis’s reign marked a sharp turn away from the tactical conservatism of the Pritchard−Salmond era, setting the path for the Incorrigibles to rediscover their tactical roots under George Kostas and Alexis Stephanidis. Groothuis’s reign marked a period of unprecedented stability for the national team, who had never before seen a manager survive so long in the trigger-happy nation whose favourite pastime was once hailed as The Great Blame Game.

The sheer success of Groothuis’s tenure as Omerica manager has opened the door to places the United Republican Soccer Federation would have hitherto considered it unacceptable to draw from. Both of the last two managers, whatever one may think of them, have come from outside Omerica’s dominant Mespalia−Romainbourg football axis. George Kostas came in from Falcon United in Eastavon. Alexis Stephanidis brought Southavon’s Andreaskruis back up to the Premier Division, an achievement similar to what got Groothuis her job in the first place.

The Federation have now become bolder in their managerial picks and are willing to take a risk if it means Omerica can soar once again. We have Anne-Sophie to thank for that.

Groothuis’s prolificness
Groothuis called it quits at Omerica’s most enduring failure: the 75th Cup of Harmony. The manager knew that she simply was not going to deliver the same heights for the nation as she had been doing. Omerica were due for a fall and what a fall it has been! But Anne-Sophie has not gone away in the meantime. Just as she managed at the club level before her Omerica stint, she went back to the club game and now plies her trade in the Squornshelan Remnant States.

Guiding Club de 28 Mars to the Premier Division against all the odds was the accomplishment that endeared Anne-Sophie to the United Republican Soccer Federation in the first place and her ability to take a floundering Malavan Romainbourg side, who had just sacked their manager—a woman you may have heard of by the name of Alexis Stephanidis—after a humiliation in Cobrio, to an Omerican top-flight title definitively demonstrated her ability to take struggling teams and turn them into teams that could challenge for titles. It was little wonder, then, that a Squornshelan Remnant States team stung by one bitter failure after another.

That she was able to guide West Squornshelous out of the garbage group and past former champions Reçueçn in her first IAC with the West Pacifican nation. It was a performance better than anyone in the Confederacy had been expecting, having jokingly suggested that she’d be hopping on the first train back to East Calaverde from the Pays-de-la-Mer. Instead, the SRS are one of the teams to beat when the next Championship comes around.

Anne-Sophie is simply a manager with an international reputation that Ryan Pritchard simply does not have. Groothuis is a name in the record books and a name that international pundits and players have heard of. Her flexible, but endearing sides are ones that put awe into the hearts of minnows and sweat on the brows of giants. That is why Anne-Sophie Groothuis is the greatest manager Omerica have ever had. ◇

Other Football News:
• WCQ86: Omerica go into the final stretch on two straight wins, but must be perfect to have any chance of qualifying
• CoH77: The URSF are lucky to not have a vote as two strong Cup of Harmony bids go to a World Cup Committee vote
• OPSL Gold Division: The invasion of Saltsteadish players is a harbinger of things to come in the Omerican professional game

by **Huayramarca** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 7:23 pm

And there's a corner, Pierroix, Martesse and Bénétraz from Isles Rogieres aiming to do a header, meanwhile, a scramble of Huayramarcan defenders and also Kevin Quispe, Ian Mamani, Mendoza and even Bryan Tello:

Here it comes the kick, oh fuck... A red shirt pushed it into his own net.

by **New Lusitania and the Algarves** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 7:30 pm

STL|Serviços de Transmissão Lusitana
Sport | Football|
World Cup 86 Qualifiers

THE DREAM BEGINS TO DIE
Matchdays 14 & 15 Review:
New Lusitania 2-3 Nephara (Estádio Nacional do Jamor - Att: 74 352)
Havynwilde 2-2 New Lusitania

The crowds rallied around the massive Estádio Nacional do Jamor in the national sports complex outside the city. A sunny and cold winter's day cut through the skin of those present but the valley filled up anyway as fans awaited one of the biggest matches of the group. Nephara had been nefarious for destroying most teams in their path so far, including the second placed Terre Septentrionale whilst New Lusitania had gotten a respectable 2-3 loss away. Now at home, the Selecção hoped to be the first team to take points off the world number two. Both teams logically brought their best players for such a momentous occasion. New Lusitania would kick things off and the home crowd cheered as Jota got the first chance of the game. On the twentieth minute of play, the Porto forward would go one better as he scored to put the team in front as Horta managed to get the ball past the opposition's defender. Nephara would soon tie the game as Lovelace was the end point of a concoction of good plays that set up a good goal. Halftime and the teams were tied meaning there was still plenty of game to see through.
In the second half, Nephara made their intentions extremely clear with all previous caution thrown out the window resulting in two goals in less than five minutes - Bastable headed one in and Moxham shot the other into the bottom left corner. This 1-3 predicament meant New Lusitania had around thirty minutes to find two goals. One goal only came on the eighty-second minute when the ball was sent upfield and landed in the final third - Veiga got the through-ball into Silveira and he tucked it in the bottom left corner nearly. However, with so little time left it was extremely complicated to get back the point and despite a few good chances, namely from Azinheira, but the match had ultimately gone Nephara's way.
For the Selecção, the match had been a bit of a disappointment even if it was a completely respectable result. With all that behind them, the National Team now travelled to Havynwilde.
A disappointing result which should've and could've spelt victory for the Lusitanians. The Selecção dominated the first half scoring early on - a lateral pass from Gama would be simple enough for Veiga to put an aerial ball into the net well to open the tabs. Not long after, Paciência would bag another goal in his second cycle - rotational yet again, but with positive results. The goal had been scored on the rebound of an original shot by a charging Cancela, which the goalkeeper had almost laid claim to but failed putting the ball back into play and conceding the second.
After Halftime though, the game was a polar opposite of what had been seen in the first half. A dirty foul led to the expulsion of Leiteiro and a penalty which meant that Havynwilde pulled one back. The home side would achieve their much sought after ppin however from a critical mistake by the sub fullback, Ferradura which let them score from a corner in the seventy-second minute. An extremely disappointing result and an enraging second half for Lusitanian fans around the world, where the result was made purely by defensive mistakes ...
Grilo affirmed that "this game might cost us dearly in the long run, but with the way the standings are and three matches to go, I think anything is possible and as long as we keep working hard and believing anything is possible." In the standings it was now a five point gap to qualification as New Lusitania dropped down to fourth position following the two points drops. Another two wins means that Nephara are now officially qualified translating in a race purely for second now the concrete reality as well as mathematical fact. Despite beating Sharktail in the first match 2-1, the draw at Unimon (2-2) meant that Mavinet was three points ahead as Terre Septentrionale took things as cautiously as possible against Havynwilde (1-0) and then against Damukuni (3-4). That defeat and a surprise one against the Minarchists away (1-0) saw Damukuni in fifth and them as well as anyone below them officially eliminated from the race with the final matches being a play for pride and the eventual Cup of Harmony invitational.
New Lusitania now host the Damukunians in a match that has been a tricky challenge in the group despite what the standings might suggest meaning it's sure to be a good one and later travel to Hwiccemark for the penultimate matchday in what is a must win. Terre Septentrionale play them and Unimon in this break, but their slaughters last time mean it might be the end of the race by the break's end and the necessity of nothing short of a miracle. Mavinet receive Nephara in what should pose an interesting challenge for the new risers and later travel to the Minarchists in what should be an easy task for them. Most agree, Havynwilde's draw meant the Selecção were realistically out but the ball is spherical and anything can happen. The dream is mathematically alive and all hope for it to come true.

Goals> Silveira (6), Veiga (5), Jota (5) Paciência (3), Fernando (3), Gama (2), Palhagueira (1), Guerra (1).

----
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by **Eura** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 7:42 pm

Life in the Seventh Star

Part Four

Home was five minutes’ walk away before Arabella realised she was visiting her friend’s house covered in a mix of dust, asbestos and brick particles. ‘Matty, we should clean up. Will your mum be mad?’
‘Shit. Yes, she would, if we walk in like this. Why don’t we duck into the canal?’ They wandered over to a railing overlooking the Pesca Canal, one of the many man-made tributaries of the Tolno River that fed through Aspel. It was so murky that they couldn’t even see any fish apart from the dead ones floating at the top. It smelled of sewage. ‘Ok, maybe not. I’m pretty sure that river is seventy percent dead bodies.’
‘Definitely. What if we…’ Arabella’s expression brightened like a light bulb had just lit up in her head. ‘…hold on.’ She grabbed Matty’s hand and his heart fluttered. Arabella from school is holding my hand. Arabella from school is holding my hand! Then she tugged at it and almost sent him staggering over as she rushed forwards towards the adjacent street of up-market houses, mostly populated these days by officials of the new government and oligarch’s henchmen.

‘Quick, over here!’ She climbed over the garden fence of one of the houses, stopped at the top and held out her hand again. Mateo gripped it hard, and with a bit of effort they managed to get over the fence. ‘Arabella what are we doing? What if we get caught!’
‘Oh boohoo, stop being such a girl.’
‘I…you’re a…what?!’
‘Just shut up and help me.’ She not so subtly marched up to the patio doors of the house and looked inside to see if anyone was home. Mateo took the hint and climbed up on a garden chair to see if there was anyone in the upstairs windows. ‘Seems dead. Wait here.’ Mateo stood in the middle of the garden alone as she walked over to the garden shed and disappeared inside it. He’d thought a few times about how they might spend time together, but this wasn’t quite what he’d had in mind.

She emerged with a garden hose and took aim at him. ’Time for a shower.’
‘No, wait, fuuuAHHHHHHH!’ He screamed wildly as she sprayed him with cold water from the hose. He ducked down on to the floor, trying to hide behind a flower bed, to no avail. ‘There’s no running away Mr Piroz!’, she said in a mock voice of an evil supervillain. Eventually he started giggling again and gave in, waiting until she turned the hose off. ‘There, all better! Right, now me.’
‘Cool, gimme the hose then.’
‘What? Eww, no, weird Matty. Go look over there.’
‘But-‘
‘I said go over there!’ He obeyed, waited for her to clean up, then turned around when she whistled to get his attention. ‘Ok, we’re presentable now.’
‘Soaking wet you mean.’
‘Hey, you want to go back to your mum like this or covered in crap? We’ll be fine.’

----------

‘You bloody idiot!’ A rap on the door had summoned Rossana like clockwork. She opened it to find Mateo and Arabella drenched on her doorstep. Unsure how to react to this development and Mateo having a friend – a girl at that - she defaulted to losing her temper. ‘What the hell have you done now? You’ll catch cold! Unbelievable, completely unbelievable. MEDORO! Medoro, get out here!’ Mateo’s uncle popped his head through the door and squinted at his nephew and his new companion curiously. ‘Oh, hello. Nice to meet you. I see you’ve met Mateo’s mother.’
‘Medoro for goodness sake, please can you get them some towels?’
‘Alright, alright’ he mumbled to himself, skulking away to the kitchen. Rossana turned to Arabella and smiled politely. ‘I’m very sorry about that dear, and that my son has clearly got you up to no good. What’s your name?’
‘That’s ok. I’m Arabella.’
‘Oh, lovely. I'm Rossana. Why don’t you come in and I’ll make you a cup of tea?’ She gently pulled Arabella in past the breach, then practically dragged Mateo in by his ear.

Rossana made the kids some tea and helped them dry off, and kindly asked Arabella to stay for dinner. Mateo hadn’t told his mother he was bringing someone home to join them but she had always been very good at changing plans at short notice. Mateo, on the other hand, had not yet reached the end of his maternal scolding. ‘You can’t keep quiet forever. What were you doing?’
‘I swear Mama, we were just playing around with Kela and Simona and a big truck drove past, and there was this big puddle, and it splashed us.’
‘A big puddle? Its twenty five degrees and dry as a bone outside Mateo.’
‘It was in shadow!’
‘Pah, in shadow. Well, you can clean up the dishes anyway. Don’t make me worry about you making yourself ill again. You can help me lay the table too.’ He breathed a sigh of relief at getting away with it and strolled off, pleased with himself, to the dining table.

His smile disappeared as he turned the corner to see his sisters talking to Arabella. Natalie saw him approaching and grinned evilly at the opportunity to embarrass her little brother. ‘Hey buddy, we’re just getting to know your friend here.’
‘She’s called Arabella.’
‘I know, we’re best friends now. Arabella, did we tell you about the time he peed himself when we went to the zoo?’
‘Shut up Natalie!’ Mateo complained in a high pitched voice, while red in the face. ‘Aww, look at you. You look like a strawberry.’
‘Screw you!’
‘Hey, screw you, little shit.’
‘Mama! Mama, Natalie called me a little shit!’ Much to Arabella’s amusement, she had a solid hour of this kind of exchange to enjoy over dinner.

The meal was lovely and allowed the family a chance to get to know Mateo’s new friend. Predictably, Rossana loved her; despite her sometimes toughened exterior she could be quite traditional, and this was the first time Mateo had ever brought home a “lady friend” as she liked to awkwardly describe her. Natalie liked her too but was more interested in using her presence to wind up her brother. Medoro warmed to the new visitor in his own quiet way. But Penelope was a bit more on edge about Arabella, and hadn’t said a word. Arabella turned to her in the middle of the meal out of curiosity. ‘Do you go to our school Penelope? Mateo says you’re really good at arts and crafts and stuff like that.’
‘Ooh yes, show her Penne!’ squeaked Rossana with excitement. Penelope sat there without saying a word, poking away at her meal with her fork. Mateo gave her a nudge as if to tell her to say something.

Grudgingly, she did so. ‘I like making things.’
‘That’s cool. Like what?’
‘I don’t know, just things.’ She pushed away her plate and looked down at her lap. ‘Mum, can I go now?’
‘But you haven’t finished your food Penne.’
‘I’m not hungry.’
‘Well then. Make sure to put your plate away.’ Normally Rossana insisted on her children waiting to be dismissed from the table but Penelope was so well behaved that she let it slide. Arabella sat in her seat awkwardly as she thought of something to say. ‘Is your sister ok?’
‘I think so. She’s just grumpy probably.’
‘Ah, I get it. Well I guess I’d better head home…’
‘Really? You can stay if you like. I should show you our back yard, and we’ve got a really cool view from-‘
‘No, it’s ok Mateo, I’d like to go home now. Thank you for having me over though, it’s been really nice. See you at school.’ She gave Mateo a gentle pat on the arm and got up to go.

Natalie unhelpfully chipped up with a joke at Mateo’s expense once Arabella had left, incurring a death glare from her mother. ‘Don’t you make fun of him Natalie, I’m glad he’s made a lady friend.’
‘Mama, stop calling her that!’
‘Sorry, sorry. Girlfriend.’
‘She’s not my girlfriend!’
‘Oh, you know what I mean. I’m glad, that’s all.’ Mateo put up with a bit more ribbing and joking before leaving the table to clean up the dishes with his mother. Once he was done, he decided to head up to his younger sisters room, eager to check in on her. He still couldn’t work out why she’d been so weird at dinner. ‘Penelope? Are you doing ok?’ She was curled up in bed reading a book. ‘I’m fine, thanks.’
‘You sure? You seemed kind of off back there.’
‘I’m fine’ she said, more short in tone this time. ‘Ok then. Well, I guess I’ll see you in the morning. Goodnight.’
‘See you then. Night.’ Mateo closed her bedroom door and headed towards his own.

by **Newmanistan** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 7:43 pm

WORLD CUP 86 - NEWMANISTAN/DRAWKLAND

It's cutoff time again! Hopefully this only happens to your opponents.

by **Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 7:45 pm

Villains and Heros from the World Cup (Written for the Aleiusia Star/Aleiusia Zvezda)

With the elimination of Zeta Reka from the world cup, there was much grief in the country from its faithful football fanatics. The Rekan team slid from the third place team in a group, to the third worst. The team was eliminated after a draw against Mattijana, a game which could have put the Rekans in fifth place with a victory. A sports coach from Porto Nowi once said that “Elimination leads to reflection.” With his words in mind, this time is perfect for everyone to look inwards. In this article, we will name the villains and heroes of this qualification campaign.

Villains
Rybki
We hate to say it, but when a captain keep struggling to finish games, he’s not helping the team. During the first half of the campaign he was subbed out in half of his appearances and was not in three matches. On the plus side, he has rallied the men to victory, but he’s not been anywhere near as productive as in times past. This decline in form in similar to a decline seen at the club level by Rybki’s club, DD Porto Nowi. "I'm not going anywhere" Rybki said, but others disagree, an anonymous source in the Football Association stated after match twelve that Rybki's armband was "up for grabs after qualifying." No answers have been given by either Rybki or Coach Marko Dusan.

The Zeta Reka Football Dossier/World Cup Report
We aren’t too hard on these guys, but they seem to have disappeared from publishing foreign info on the national team. We contacted all relevant public agencies, from the football association to the sport & culture ministry, but heard no word from them. Hopefully they’ll return. This lull is not the first time this news source has dropped off the map, but they came back in time for the domestic league.

The Fans
Quite Frankly, the fanbase has been appalling. This sport isn’t the most popular in the country, and it feels like fame only comes from that sudden success. Without wins, home attendance has gone down by over a third since the 6-6 draw against Starblaydia. Social media has been blaze mocking and steering the players helping the country. “It’s sad to see,” one anonymous player told TV reporters after a death threat to the team was made by a man from Ogroven City. “We were not interrupted” the player said, “but it’s quite a pity really.”

Heros
Bogdan Rawić
He’s been scoring more goals in this cycle than any other player from Zeta Reka, and the pint sized powerhouse of the team may never stop. Last time around Rawić was more raw. In the cycle however the young man seems to be years ahead of his time. Former starter Stajkowon Hokwok said of Rawić after match ten that “He’s got the instincts of someone in his late twenties.” and also called Rawić a “wonderful player.” Scoring a hat trick at home against Starblaydia has to be the highlight of Rawić international career, and that was perhaps the biggest moment in Rekan football yet. Reports state that Rawić is a candidate for playing football abroad.

Stanko Yakowić
Yakowić is a fallen hero, spending time on the shelf with a major leg injury suffered during club play. He has been training with the team near the end of his recovery, encouraging and mentoring the younger player. Yakowić was named as a substitute for matches against Starblaydia and The Jovannic. However, Yakowić unexpectedly re-aggravated his muscles during a training camp. Everyone in Zeta Reka is pulling for this national hero to return to action someday.

Youth players
Players under twenty three had great showings in the cycle. Bogdan Rawić is the most known player, but subs and reserves have been full of life in the campaign. Zaur-Luka Igorić is a future star at left back, a position in no small need of assistance. Stanimir Rekawić has been capped a few times, and plays as a pro in Audioslavia. Arnald Gal has backed up Rawić well, scoring a few great goals. “There is a great youth culture developing here” veteran player Wladmir Zuzkoff said on social media. Similar sentiments were expressed by Rybki in a magazine interview a few weeks ago. Rybki said that, “these kids are lucky. World class support is being provided to the young men, and they have entire careers ahead of them.”

The Fans
For every ill character there are many more not only from people in Zeta Reka, but followers and friends from all around the world. One supports of the team’s supports is President Wuk Paznyak, who stated in a proclamation that “Even with divisions in our nation, or those who have made football hard others, and even in spite of all the negativity some have tried to shroud over our nation and our athletes, you great fans have brung honor and dignity to our nation.”

Not only have there been good, but acts that count. One local charity, teamed with the National Mining Company, and the general public in a “Red Card Poverty” campaign. For every goal scored by the team, you could pay one the currency of Zeta Reka, the Federal Deo, or an equivalent value of foreign money. Not only that, but the Millions of Deos donated were matched by a donation from one of Zeta Reka’s largest businesses. “This money will go to children’s housing, education, food, and more.” Mining Corporation spokesperson Bojana Mandžuka said in a press conference for the charity drive.

Every person who’s supported the team has reason to be disappointed, but the true fans will continue to look onwards to the next campaign. Even so, this one is not over, there are still a few great matches left, and perhaps a spot in the Cup of Harmony.

by **Twicetagram and JYPe** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 10:11 pm

Home >> Sports >> International

Twicetagrien Premier League: Double(or quadruple) Edition!
by Antonov Vasilyev

Another day comes another league preview. But today's one is different. We're doing a 4 team preview today, and it's not just any 4 teams; it's the 4 oldest teams in all of Twicetagria. So, let's go back on a historical journey, shall we?

Legothria Drakonia

What's the narrative in 20 words?
A lackluster performance from the Dragons cost them the title, so they will have some work to do this season.

How did last season go for them?
Poor performances across the pitch meant that the title would be a lost cause, which is sad for the most domestically successful team in Twicetagria.

Got any interesting stats from last season?
Despite having one of the best defending and attacking players in Vasiliev and Rominevskiy, Legothria still has the worst goal difference in their entire history, with a meagre +2.

Any transfer news?
In order to patch up the team, they've gone and brought some of the best players in Aelius, Krusic and Apollon.
In: Aelius, Krusic, Apollon
Out: Duvronik

Fun fact about the manager?
Markel Danilov is the only manager to have been sacked 3 times in a season. Ouch.

Where will they hope to finish?
Despite a better side, Legothria still may not have the momentum to topple Imperial, so they'll probably settle for 2nd. Of course if Black Swan doesn't screw them up.

Our Verdict: 2nd

Dynamo Velikiygrad

What's the narrative in 20 words?
A true fall from grace, Dynamo have been gradually performing worse, and it's unlikely they'll imitate again their past glories.

How did last season go for them?
Dynamo used to be the unbeatable giants of Twicetagrien football, now they're struggling against mid-table teams, an omen that doesn't bade well for their future.

Got any interesting stats from last season?
This season is the season with the most number of losses(11), and the draws and losses also outnumber the wins 18-12.

Any transfer news?
Dynamo have not made any transfer market deals yet, and they don't look like they'll be buying anyone anytime soon.

Fun fact about the manager?
Chava Dragovic is Dynamo's top goalscorer, with 454 goals to his name.

Where will they hope to finish?
We can only see a downward spiral for Dynamo, so they'll probably tumble down the pecking order even more.

Our Verdict: 5th

Spartakus Tsar Moszhov

What's the narrative in 20 words?
Despite making some somewhat good transfers, the Tsars have yet to go higher than 13th, which is a bad omen.

How did last season go for them?
Despite their name, Tsar Moszhov have no fighting spirit at all, conceding the joint most games last term.

Got any interesting stats from last season?
As said earlier, Spartakus have let in the most goals this season, with an uncanny 39 goals against on the league table.

Any transfer news?
Surprise, surprise, Spartakus has made absolutely no changes to their squad, and we don't think they'll be doing anything.

Fun fact about the manager?
Kaning Raumoff is the manager who has been relegated the most(3), so we don't know what Spartakus wants to do with them.

Where will they hope to finish?
Ultimately we're looking at a mid-table second-division or worse side, so our bet on them is last place. Talk about fighting spirit.

Our Verdict: 16th/last

FK Sranchies

What's the narrative in 20 words?
One of the most boring sides to watch, Sranchies have surprised none of us with an absolute shitshow last season.

How did last season go for them?
Sranchies has had a quiet season, having an almost even W-D-L record.

Got any interesting stats from last season?
FK Sranchies has had the most 1-0 or 0-0 scores this seasons. Talk about excitement.

Any transfer news?
Sranchies have gone and sells most of their reserves, and brought in Filip Ryumin, an exciting youth prospect. We don't know if he'll be exciting on the pitch though.
In: Ryumin
Out: Kara, Minashov, Xlaves, Numyunivya, Argachov, Nenyen

Fun fact about the manager?
Yaruva Donamov used to be a FK Sranchies player. That's like the only funf act we have for them.

Where will they hope to finish?
As usual, nothing exciting will come from Sranchies, so they'll probably remain in 9th.

Our Verdict: 9th

by **The Gothanita Isles** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 11:26 pm

Previous RP (TGI - Ch 2 Part 15a)
Previous RP (Poafmersia - Ch 2 Part 15b)

RP Series: Getting to the top
Chapter 2: A tale of 2 nations
Part 16: TGI...producing statistics pages?

Extracted from various newspaper outlets
With 1 matchday to go, many things have been settled by now. 19 teams have secured direct qualification to the World Cup, while a team has confirmed to be in the Playoffs. Another 9 teams go into the final matchday aiming to secure a direct spot in the World Cup instead of having to rely on Playoffs, while another 17 teams are still in contention for a playoff spot at the very minimum. Will they reach there? Let us find out what every team needs.
Again, before we start, let us set the legends that we will use here. Teams coloured cyan represents teams that have qualified for the World Cup proper. Teams in navy blue have qualified for the Playoffs. Teams coloured brown have qualified for at least the Playoffs, while teams coloured orange can no longer obtain 1st in their group (although they may still qualify automatically as the 6 best runners-up or qualify for the playoffs). Teams in dark green can no longer qualify for the World Cup proper automatically, though they may still qualify for the playoffs, while teams in red are eliminated and can no longer qualify for the World Cup or the playoffs. Below is the legend with the lettering.

Group 1                                 Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Brenecia (Q)                          17   13   3   1    45   22  +23    42
 2 Hampton Island (X)                    17   11   4   2    22    5  +17    37
 3 Ethane                                17    8   4   5    19   10   +9    28
 4 Lisander                              17    7   5   5    28   28    0    26
 5 Darkmania                             17    6   4   7    22   26   −4    22
 6 Lo Santano                            17    6   3   8    25   32   −7    21
 7 Gyatso-Kai                            17    5   3   9    27   31   −4    18
 8 Nethertopia                           17    4   3  10    23   36  −13    15 (A)
 9 The Fortem                            17    3   6   8    27   37  −10    15 (A)
10 Pemecutan                             17    2   5  10    30   41  −11    11

(A) Head-to-head Points: Nethertopia 4, The Fortem 1

The top 2 spots have been secured by top seeds Brenecia and second seeds Hampton Island respectively. For Hampton Island, they will end the campaign against Lo Santano at home, aiming to get as much points as possible to avoid the playoffs. Simple as that.
Important Match for MD18: Hampton Island vs Lo Santano

Group 2                                 Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ko-oren (Q)                           17   14   0   3    28    7  +21    42
 2 Tequilo (Y)                           17   11   3   3    39   19  +20    36
 3 95X (Z)                               17   10   4   3    36   17  +19    34
 4 Huayramarca                           17    7   4   6    22   22    0    25 (A)
 5 Sajnur                                17    7   4   6    34   30   +4    25 (A)
 6 Jeruselem                             17    6   7   4    31   23   +8    25 (A)
 7 Netop                                 17    5   5   7    17   22   −5    20
 8 Iles Rogieres                         17    3   5   9    24   40  −16    14
 9 Semarland                             17    3   1  13    19   47  −28    10
10 Quebecois Acadiana                    17    2   1  14    15   38  −23     7

(A) Head-to-head Points: Huayramarca 7, Sajnur 5, Jeruselem 3

Top seeds Ko-oren have booked their place in the World Cup proper, while 5th seeds Tequilo would be looking to secure 2nd place ahead of 2nd seeds 95X. It is a direct meeting between both sides in the final matchday, with 95X needing a win to qualify for the playoffs. Anything else, and Tequilo will qualify for either the playoffs or directly to the World Cup.
Important Match for MD18: 95X vs Tequilo

Group 3                                 Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Pasarga (Q)                           17   14   2   1    35   17  +18    44
 2 Eura (X)                              17   13   0   4    56   25  +31    39
 3 Vdara                                 17    9   3   5    49   36  +13    30
 4 Timuria                               17    8   4   5    26   20   +6    28
 5 Fujai                                 17    7   3   7    22   27   −5    24
 6 Megistos                              17    5   6   6    31   34   −3    21
 7 Acronius                              17    5   4   8    25   33   −8    19
 8 Grand Quebecois                       17    4   3  10    29   47  −18    15
 9 Drunk People at the Local Tavern      17    2   6   9    34   42   −8    12
10 Vangaziland                           17    0   5  12    20   46  −26     5

The top 2 spots have been secured by second seeds Pasarga and top seeds Eura respectively. For Eura, they will end the campaign against Vangaziland at home, aiming to get as much points as possible to avoid the playoffs.
Important Match for MD18: Eura vs Vangaziland

Group 4                                 Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Nephara (Q)                           17   16   1   0    61   24  +37    49
 2 Terre Septentrionale (X)              17   11   3   3    55   37  +18    36
 3 Mavinet                               17    9   2   6    43   34   +9    29 (A)
 4 New Lusitania                         17    8   5   4    34   25   +9    29 (A)
 5 Damukuni                              17    5   5   7    30   31   −1    20
 6 Havynwilde                            17    4   7   6    22   30   −8    19
 7 Sharktail                             17    4   5   8    26   34   −8    17 (B)
 8 Unimon                                17    4   5   8    18   31  −13    17 (B)
 9 The Minarchist Free State             17    3   5   9    25   40  −15    14
10 Hwiccemark                            17    1   2  14    18   46  −28     5

(A) Head-to-head GD: Mavinet 1, New Lusitania -1
(B) Head-to-head Points: Sharktail 6, Unimon 0

A combination of poor results and good luck meant that this group was settled earlier than expected. The top 2 spots have been secured by top seeds Nephara and second seeds Terre Septentrionale respectively. For Terre Septentrionale, they will end the campaign against The Minarchist Free State at home, aiming to get as much points as possible to avoid the playoffs.
Important Match for MD18: Terre Septentrionale vs The Minarchist Free State

Group 5                                 Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Siovanija and Teusland (Q)            17   14   1   2    59   32  +27    43
 2 Turori (Q)                            17   13   2   2    47   21  +26    41
 3 Omerica                               17    9   3   5    29   20   +9    30
 4 Astograth                             17    5   8   4    20   16   +4    23 (A)
 5 Valladares                            17    5   8   4    35   31   +4    23 (A)
 6 Garifunya                             17    6   4   7    37   44   −7    22
 7 Gopnikea                              17    6   2   9    23   31   −8    20
 8 The holy junta                        17    3   4  10    27   42  −15    13
 9 NorraLesse                            17    2   4  11    25   45  −20    10
10 Blampano                              17    1   6  10    16   36  −20     9

(A) Head-to-head Points: Astograth 4, Valladares 1

The top 2 seeds, Turori and Siovanija & Teusland, both qualified for the World Cup directly, with both teams having more than enough points to get into the top 6 runners-up. Both teams may just have to fight for the glory of being the group champion, and may dictate what is the cut-off between playoffs and direct qualification.
Important Matches for MD18: Siovanija and Teusland vs Garifunya, Turori vs The holy junta

Group 6                                 Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 The Holy Empire (Q)                   17   16   0   1    58   22  +36    48
 2 Audioslavia (X)                       17   12   2   3    40   19  +21    38
 3 Poafmersia                            17    9   4   4    35   29   +6    31
 4 Juvencus                              17    8   3   6    42   34   +8    27
 5 Euran Oceania Territories             17    5   5   7    30   33   −3    20 (A)
 6 Delaclava                             17    6   2   9    23   27   −4    20 (A)
 7 Silver Commonwealth                   17    5   3   9    26   42  −16    18
 8 Lovisa                                17    5   2  10    21   39  −18    17
 9 Sylestone                             17    4   2  11    17   25   −8    14
10 Southwest Eastnorth                   17    3   1  13    21   43  −22    10

(A) Head-to-head Points: EOT 3, Delaclava 0

Terrible results for Poafmersia, such as a shock defeat at Delaclava, combined with Audioslavia handing The Holy Empire their first loss, meant that this group was settled earlier than expected. The Holy Empire still retains the direct qualification spot, while Audioslavia will be fighting for a direct spot with a home match against Southwest Eastnorth.
Important Match for MD18: Audioslavia vs Southwest Eastnorth

Group 7                                 Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Banija (Q)                            17   17   0   0    81   20  +61    51
 2 Chromatika (X)                        17   12   2   3    50   29  +21    38
 3 Blouman Empire                        17   10   2   5    37   35   +2    32
 4 Xanneria                              17    7   3   7    39   38   +1    24
 5 Tamgu                                 17    6   2   9    33   47  −14    20 (A)
 6 Free Republic of Hong Kong            17    6   2   9    28   39  −11    20 (A)
 7 Pripet Socialist Republic             17    5   4   8    21   33  −12    19
 8 Quakmybush                            17    5   3   9    31   34   −3    18
 9 The Gothanita Isles                   17    3   4  10     7   26  −19    13
10 HAIKU                                 17    1   4  12    21   47  −26     7

(A) Head-to-head GD: Tamgu 4, Free Republic of Hong Kong -4

World No. 1 Banija maintains a perfect record going into Matchday 18, while Chromatika has to fight for a direct qualification spot. They have a tricky matchup, with Chromatika hosting Banija. This should be an interesting match to watch, one fighting to get out of playoffs, the other aiming to maintain a 100% win record.
Important Match for MD18: Chromatika vs Banija

Group 8                                 Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Vilita (Q)                            17   14   2   1    60   20  +40    44 
 2 The Sarian (X)                        17   12   2   3    33   18  +15    38
 3 Sargossa                              17   11   1   5    35   26   +9    34
 4 The Macabees                          17    7   5   5    29   28   +1    26
 5 Staypuftonia                          17    6   3   8    20   36  −16    21
 6 Freeport                              17    5   4   8    28   28    0    19 (A)
 7 Jeckland                              17    5   4   8    28   31   −3    19 (A)
 8 Jamestownnnn                          17    3   6   8    18   35  −17    15 (B)
 9 Transvolcanic                         17    4   3  10    10   21  −11    15 (B)
10 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles           17    2   2  13    23   41  −18     8

(A) Head-to-head Points: Freeport 4, Jeckland 1
(B) Head-to-head Points: Jamestownnnn 6, Transvolcanic 0

Top seeds Vilita secured top spot and a direct spot, while 4th seeds The Sarian secures 2nd place ahead of Sargossa and The Macabees. They host Jamestownnnn at home to play for a direct spot by being the 6 best runners-up.
Important Match for MD18: The Sarian vs Jamestownnnn

Group 9                                 Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Valanora (Q)                          17   15   2   0    67   22  +45    47
 2 Kandorith (Z)                         17   10   4   3    54   33  +21    34
 3 Ancherion (Z)                         17   10   3   4    44   31  +13    33
 4 Qasden                                17   10   1   6    37   28   +9    31
 5 Lochario                              17    8   3   6    28   29   −1    27
 6 Schottia                              17    6   3   8    18   23   −5    21
 7 Kencana                               17    4   3  10     8   25  −17    15 (A)
 8 Solharcht Kirale                      17    4   3  10    17   43  −26    15 (A)
 9 Emastalia                             17    4   2  11    22   36  −14    14
10 Glazgo                                17    1   2  14    22   47  −25     5

(A) Head-to-head Points: Kencana 1, Solharcht Kirale 1

With Valanora getting the top spot safe and secure, 3rd seed Kandorith hosts 4th seeds Ancherion in a direct battle, with Kandorith holding the upper hand. If Kandorith doesn't lose, they qualify for the playoffs, while Ancherion needs a win to qualify for the playoffs. Because at least one more team will gain more than 34 points, 2nd seeds Qasden is eliminated and will not qualify for the World Cup playoffs.
Important Match for MD18: Kandorith vs Ancherion

Group 10                                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Reçueçn                               17   13   3   1    36    7  +29    42
 2 Squornshelous (X)                     17   12   0   5    38   26  +12    36
 3 HUElavia                              17   10   3   4    40   23  +17    33
 4 Maccian                               17    8   2   7    25   29   −4    26 (A)
 5 Praeceptia                            17    8   2   7    36   38   −2    26 (A)
 6 Tioguldos                             17    7   5   5    34   30   +4    26 (A)
 7 Mathuvan Union                        17    5   3   9    20   29   −9    18
 8 Baggieland                            17    3   5   9    33   37   −4    14
 9 Eastfield Lodge                       17    3   2  12    13   35  −22    11
10 New Waldensia                         17    2   3  12    17   38  −21     9

(A) Head-to-head Points: Maccian 10, Praeceptia 4, Tioguldos 3

Top seeds Reçueçn secured top spot and a direct spot, while 3rd seeds Squornshelous kept second place with a win over Tioguldos in Matchday 17. A head-to-head advantage over HUElavia means that Squornshelous is effectively having 36.5 points now to HUElavia's 33 points. Squornshelous now visit Mathuvan Union, aiming to get a revenge for their Matchday 9 loss and hopefully, avoid the dreaded playoffs.
Important Match for MD18: Mathuvan Union vs Squornshelous

Group 11                                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Mriin (Q)                             17   12   4   1    49   26  +23    40
 2 TJUN-ia (Z)                           17    9   4   4    39   29  +10    31
 3 Tikariot (Z)                          17    9   3   5    41   29  +12    30
 4 South Newlandia                       17    6   8   3    30   21   +9    26 (A)
 5 Port Ember                            17    6   8   3    27   23   +4    26 (A)
 6 Natanians and Nosts                   17    7   3   7    36   33   +3    24
 7 Filindostan                           17    4   4   9    23   23    0    16 (B)
 8 Union Europae                         17    4   4   9    22   42  −20    16 (B)
 9 Southern Palm Islands                 17    3   4  10    25   37  −12    13
10 Se Vende Skooma                       17    2   4  11    14   43  −29    10

(A) Even on head-to-head points & GD
(B) Head-to-head Points: Filindostan 6, Union Europae 0

Top seeds Mriin secured group champions, while a surprise 2 teams are left fighting for a spot in the playoffs. 4th seeds TJUN-ia play 7th seeds Tikariot in a battle for the playoffs. Tikariot, quarterfinalists at the Quarterfinals of the most recent Baptism of Fire who lost to eventual champions Græntfjall (Graintfjall), will need to win at home to TJUN-ia to secure the playoffs spot. Any other result and it will be Baptism of Fire 71 debutee TJUN-ia who qualifies for the playoffs.
Important Match for MD18: Tikariot vs TJUN-ia

Group 12                                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Trolleborg (Q)                        17   13   3   1    45   26  +19    42
 2 The Hinodejin Empire (Y)              17   11   3   3    36   18  +18    36
 3 Taeshan (Z)                           17    9   6   2    29   16  +13    33
 4 Riena                                 17    7   4   6    32   29   +3    25
 5 Ziwana                                17    7   1   9    28   29   −1    22
 6 Savigliane                            17    6   1  10    34   42   −8    19
 7 Springmont                            17    4   6   7    30   35   −5    18 (A)
 8 Fluvannia                             17    5   3   9    20   28   −8    18 (A)
 9 ZSeparatists                          17    4   2  11    23   39  −16    14
10 The Grearish Union                    17    3   3  11    16   31  −15    12

(A) Even on head-to-head points & GD

3rd seeds Trolleborg surprisingly secured top spot and a direct spot to the World Cup, with top seeds The Hinodejin Empire and 2nd seeds Taeshan left fighting for the runners-up position. With both teams even on head-to-head points and goal difference, Taeshan now has an outside chance of qualification. For Taeshan to qualify, they need to win Savigliane at home, hope The Hindoejin Empire loses, and overcome a 5 goal difference deficit (ie. Their margin of victory, and The Hinodejin Empire's margin of defeat, needs to add up to more than 5.) By the way, in case the goal difference is the same, the Hinodejin Empire qualifies because they have more wins. Is it possible for Taeshan? Considering that the Hinodejin Empire play Trolleborg away, anything is possible. However, you do realise that Trolleborg's only loss is a Matchday 9 defeat to The Hinodejin Empire.
Important Matches for MD18: Trolleborg vs The Hinodejin Empire, Taeshan vs Savigliane

Group 13                                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kelssek (X)                           17   12   2   3    42   21  +21    38
 2 Equestria (X)                         17   10   6   1    45   22  +23    36
 3 Geektopia                             17    8   5   4    46   34  +12    29
 4 Sultanate of Oontaz                   17    5   8   4    17   19   −2    23
 5 Indusse                               17    4  10   3    33   29   +4    22
 6 Oberour Ar Moro                       17    5   7   5    36   33   +3    22
 7 Kohnhead                              17    4   6   7    28   39  −11    18
 8 Libonesia                             17    3   5   9    20   34  −14    14
 9 Woryand                               17    2   6   9    27   46  −19    12
10 Bostopia                              17    1   7   9    35   52  −17    10

(A) Even on head-to-head points & GD

With 8 teams eliminated, it has become 2 teams fighting for first. Second seeds Kelssek and top seeds Equestria still has some chance to qualify for the World Cup directly. For Kelssek, a draw at Kohnhead is enough to become group champions regardless of the result of Equestria vs Bostopia. For Equestria, they need exactly a win, combined with a Kelssek loss, to become 1st place. Either way, both teams have some chance of being the top 6 runners-up too.
Important Matches for MD18: Kohnhead vs Kelssek, Equestria vs Bostopia

Group 14                                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Farfadillis (Q)                       17   12   3   2    53   26  +27    39
 2 Græntfjall (Z)                        17    8   5   4    24   15   +9    29 (A)
 3 Yuezhou (Z)                           17    9   2   6    30   27   +3    29 (A)
 4 Sarzonia (Z)                          17    9   2   6    34   23  +11    29 (A)
 5 Plane of Possibility (Z)              17    9   1   7    37   35   +2    28
 6 Eraman                                17    6   5   6    41   37   +4    23
 7 Nagore                                17    5   4   8    21   28   −7    19
 8 Alba and Cymru                        17    4   5   8    25   37  −12    17
 9 Northwest Kalactin                    17    3   4  10    32   50  −18    13
10 Overseas Territories of Sylestone     17    2   5  10    20   39  −19    11

(A) Head-to-head Points: Græntfjall 9, Yuezhou 7, Sarzonia 1

What a tie going into Matchday 18, where 4 teams will fight for 1 spot in the playoffs. Baptism of Fire 73 champions Græntfjall (Graintfjall) holds a slight head-to-head advantage over Yuezhou and Sarzonia, while Plane of Possibility is 1 point behind looking to snipe that playoff spot. Really, really fierce battle here. Plane of Possibility can qualify for the playoffs with a win over Yuezhou, and that Græntfjall and Sarzonia both don't win their away matches. For Sarzonia, they hold the head-to-head disadvantage over Yuezhou, Græntfjall, or both, so they need to get more points that Yuezhou and Græntfjall to qualify. For Yuezhou, they need to gain more points than Græntfjall because they lose by head-to-head goal difference, and they need to gain more than or equals to the number of points as Sarzonia gets. This is with the condition that they do not lose to Plane of Possibility. For Græntfjall, they just have to gain more than or equal to the number of points Yuezhou, Græntfjall or Sarzonia gets.
Important Matches for MD18: Nagore vs Græntfjall, Plane of Possibility vs Yuezhou, Northwest Kalactin vs Sarzonia

Group 15                                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Cassadaigua (Q)                       17   14   2   1    58   27  +31    44
 2 Quebec (Y)                            17   11   2   4    46   34  +12    35
 3 Main Nation Ministry (Z)              17   10   3   4    33   22  +11    33
 4 Squidroidia                           17    8   2   7    35   35    0    26 (A)
 5 Flavovespia                           17    8   2   7    35   25  +10    26 (A)
 6 Devonta                               17    7   2   8    29   31   −2    23
 7 Electrum                              17    7   1   9    31   36   −5    22
 8 Wymondham                             17    6   1  10    16   26  −10    19
 9 Ihilthracna                           17    4   2  11    27   44  −17    14
10 Kulefati                              17    0   3  14    13   43  −30     3

(A) Head-to-head Points: Squidroidia 6, Flavovespia 0

Quebec goes into Matchday 18 needing 1 point to secure the playoff position, since they hold a head-to-head advantage over Main Nation Ministry. With Main Nation Ministry making a tricky trip to Squidroidia, Quebec may have an easier job than expected. Main Nation Ministry needs to win while Quebec loses to secure a spot in the playoffs. Quebec, however, can possibly qualify for the World Cup directly with a win.
Important Matches for MD18: Wymondham vs Quebec, Squidroidia vs Main Nation Ministry

Group 16                                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Starblaydia (Q)                       17   13   3   1    54   27  +27    42
 2 Darmen (T)                            17   10   1   6    35   28   +7    31
 3 The Jovannic                          17    8   3   6    36   32   +4    27
 4 Krytenia                              17    7   4   6    31   36   −5    25
 5 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom             17    6   4   7    29   27   +2    22 (A)
 6 Saltstead                             17    6   4   7    20   16   +4    22 (A)
 7 Mattijana                             17    6   4   7    20   22   −2    22 (A)
 8 Rangers FC                            17    5   5   7    22   25   −3    20
 9 Sulsuland                             17    5   3   9    30   46  −16    18
10 Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison        17    1   5  11     8   26  −18     8

(A) Head-to-head Points: Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom 7, Saltstead 6, Mattijana 4

Top seeds Starblaydia will play in the World Cup proper, while second seeds Darmen will play in the playoffs, having secured 2nd place yet not having enough points to qualify for the World Cup directly as the top 6 runners-up. Darmen will host Saltstead, aiming to better their points so as to get a better opponent in the playoffs
Important Match for MD18: Darmen vs Saltstead

Group 17                                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Zwangzug (Q)                          17   12   2   3    28   13  +15    38
 2 South Covello (Z)                     17    8   7   2    19   11   +8    31
 3 Abanhfleft (Z)                        17    9   3   5    43   32  +11    30
 4 Squornshelan Remnant States           17    7   6   4    21   17   +4    27
 5 Barunia                               17    6   6   5    27   22   +5    24
 6 When U Die                            17    5   5   7    25   31   −6    20
 7 Legalese                              17    5   4   8    22   27   −5    19
 8 Liberal Democratic Socialist States   17    4   6   7    17   24   −7    18
 9 Eurasies                              17    5   2  10    27   37  −10    17
10 Verceola                              17    2   3  12    12   27  −15     9

Top seeds Zwangzug qualifies for the World Cup directly, while Abanhfleft and South Covello battles for a place in the playoffs. South Covello needs a win at Liberal Democratic Socialist States to secure the spot, while Abanhfleft can secure the spot if South Covello does not win and they defeat Squornshelan Remnant States at home. If Abanhfleft does not win, South Covello qualifies, having a superior head-to-head over Abanhfleft.
Important Matches for MD18: Liberal Democratic Socialist States vs South Covello, Abanhfleft vs Squornshelan Remnant States

Group 5                                 Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Baker Park (Q)                        17   14   1   2    58   22  +36    43 (A)
 2 Savojarna (Q)                         17   14   1   2    42   19  +23    43 (A)
 3 Mercedini                             17   11   2   4    30   18  +12    35
 4 Twicetagria                           17    7   4   6    19   20   −1    25
 5 Cheergirls                            17    6   5   6    15   17   −2    23
 6 Busoga Islands                        17    5   4   8    18   24   −6    19
 7 Orion Islands                         17    5   2  10    29   42  −13    17
 8 Murphtannia                           17    3   7   7    24   32   −8    16
 9 West Angola                           17    2   5  10    20   37  −17    11
10 TOTEL                                 17    1   3  13    15   39  −24     6

(A) Head-to-head Points: Baker Park 6, Savojarna 0

Top seeds Baker Park and 4th seeds Savojarna both qualified for the World Cup directly, with both teams having more than enough points to get into the top 6 runners-up. Both teams may just have to fight for the glory of being the group champion, and may dictate what is the cut-off between playoffs and direct qualification.
Important Matches for MD18: West Angola vs Baker Park, Savojarna vs Murphtannia

Ranking of 2nd place teams              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Savojarna (Q)                         17   14   1   2    42   19  +23    43
 2 Turori (Q)                            17   13   2   2    47   21  +26    41
 3 Eura                                  17   13   0   4    56   25  +31    39
 4 Audioslavia                           17   12   2   3    40   19  +21    38
   Chromatika                            17   12   2   3    50   29  +21    38
 6 The Sarian                            17   12   2   3    33   18  +15    38

 7 Hampton Island                        17   11   4   2    22    5  +17    37
 8 Equestria                             17   10   6   1    45   22  +23    36
 9 Tequilo                               17   11   3   3    39   19  +20    36
10 Terre Septentrionale                  17   11   3   3    55   37  +18    36
   The Hinodejin Empire                  17   11   3   3    36   18  +18    36
12 Squornshelous                         17   12   0   5    38   26  +12    36
13 Quebec                                17   11   2   4    46   34  +12    35
14 Kandorith                             17   10   4   3    54   33  +21    34
15 TJUN-ia                               17    9   4   4    39   29  +10    31
16 South Covello                         17    8   7   2    19   11   +8    31
17 Darmen (T)                            17   10   1   6    35   28   +7    31
18 Græntfjall                            17    8   5   4    24   15   +9    29

Only 4 more runners-up can qualify directly based on the current rankings, and from the looks of it, 38 points is the current target. Maybe we have to reach 41 points to avoid the playoffs based on our current estimates, but who knows? We shall find out on the last day, where everything finishes.

Blouman Empire 1
Jason Potts 88'

The Gothanita Isles 0

Starting 11: Thulile Bolkvadze; Jeanette Ross, Abu Bakr Ekmekçi, Saif al-Din Kartal, Gerhard Abraham; Remus McQueen, Sardar Chaplin; Grigorii McCrory, Ladislava Tyler, Vladan Bloxam; Abdelkader Kartal
Substitute: Chloe Brewster (McQueen 50')

The Gothanita Isles 2
Sadık 27' (Assisted by Tyler); London 69' (assisted by McCrory)

HAIKU 0

Starting 11: Thulile Bolkvadze; Ayokunle Christian, Abu Bakr Ekmekçi, Saif al-Din Kartal, Gerhard Abraham; Remus McQueen, Sardar Chaplin; Grigorii McCrory, Ladislava Tyler, Cyneburga London; Salwah Sadık
Substitutes: Chloe Brewster (Chaplin 62')

by **Sylestone** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 11:47 pm

Sylestone 1-3 Audioslavia
Sylestone and Audioslavia fought out a very good game at Chamberley, but one that ultimately ended with a Sylestone loss and an Audioslavia win. It put the away side in strong contention for that envious second spot in the group, a status which they confirmed with a win over The Holy Empire in Matchday 17. Santago Rosel and Eurica Da Rosa scored three goals between them in the first half, but the stocky Sylestonean defence didn't let any more Audioslavians past them in the second half, even breaking through at one stage to score from a free-kick. Questions were asked whether the Appliances just played well in the second half or whether they had their signature dump in form in the first. We may never know.
The Ironing Board was angry. After making a bad pass in the twelfth minute and failing to bring himself back to stop Rosel's attack, he performed a slide tackle on the Audioslavian at the edge of the penalty box. VAR showed he was inside and Rosel was awarded the penalty. He scored. Ten minutes later, Rosel once again performed some good technical skills but this time the Bar Stool was onto him. He passed to Da Rosa and while the referee wasn't looking, the midfielder performed some shirt-pulling on the Toilet as the sentient took the ball from him. He yelled to the ref, but he didn't see and let play continue. So Audioslavia scored as Da Rosa outsmarted the keeper with a curling kick. And then again, in the 35th minute, Da Rosa was awarded a corner and curled it in. 3-0 Audioslavia and the Appliances seemed the subject to another Toaster rant.

Sylestone began playing all-out defensively in the second half as they sought to wear the ever-relenting Audioslavians down. Remarkably, for a side so good, they did wear out. When the Mixer found an opening, their pursuit was only half of what they would usually bring about and were much more aggressive. This time, the referee did see the shirt pulling and pulled him up on it. The Mixer, given the free-kick, spanked it over the wall and into the goal. The last three minutes were played out without any more drama.

SYLESTONE - 1
Mixer 87'

AUDIOSLAVIA - 3
Rosel 12'
Da Rosa 22' 35'

Euran Oceanic Territories 0-0 Sylestone
Sighs.

Prediction (by the Toilet):
Sylestone 420-0 The Holy Empire

Actual Prediction:
Sylestone 0-2 The Holy Empire

by **Jeruselem** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 2:11 am

Princess Kate (naked) at the Naked News Jeruselem studio

Hello this is Kate San ... Princess Kate for Naked News Jeruselem covering the World Cup 86 qualification for match day 16 and 17.
Look I'm not going to mess around and waste your time with results and tables ...

by **Murphtannia** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 2:40 am

Match day 16

Bill speaks "Hello and welcome to Match day 16, Murphtannia's final chance at getting a home win this WC, if they don't it will be their worst record in a competition in their 120 year history of having a football team. However today's opponents are Mercedini, who have failed to qualify in large parts due to Upsets such as the 3-1 home loss to Murphtannia. While they can't qualify they are still one of the best teams in the WC and will be looking for revenge, so on that note lets start with the lineups.

Mercedini: "In Goal we have Daniel Hosset, at CB we have Jordan Brindliev and Liam Toivonen, and completing the defence we have Thomas Di Sansev at RB and at LB we have Joaquim Santorino.

In the midfield we have Lawrence Garzallo at LM, a CM partnership of Johan Karlovic and Dino Santa-Corvani and finally at RM we have Leon Kulap.

This leaves the attacking line as Adrian Talisky and Daniel Dostalok.

A younger team from Mercedini today, perhaps with nothing to play for they are giving the youth a run in the team."

Murphtannia: "In Goal we have the usual lineup of Adam Ball, in defence we have Pallet and Banks at CB, Cartlidge at LWB and Bridges at RWB.

In midfield we have a change as Kai Leafy comes in for Marley, Owens continues at CM with Jenkins and Styler completes the formation at CAM.

Finally up front we have Boland and Pole, with Murphy being taken off in the warm up, the extent of his injury his unknown."

[Kick off] 0-0

[27th minute] Murphtannia are on the attack, some good passing play here, Boland receives the ball, he has Pole as an option but GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL, MURPHTANNIA TAKE THE LEAD AS BOLAND BEATS THE KEEPER, THE FANS ARE GOING WILD, COULD THIS BE THE DAY?

[32nd minute] The game is even here with Murphtannia in the lead, chants of F****k off Dini we'll celebrate where we like, we'll celebrate where we liiike, f****k off Dini, we'll celebrate where we like. It's clear they haven't forgotten the action taken by Mercedini when they performed their pitch invasion.

[HF] Murphtannia 1 Mercedini 0

[Kick off Second Half]

[55th minute] Mercedini have been playing well since the break, the Murphtannian fans are still be loud but not hostile, but Mercedini are on the attack, they're running forwards, Talisky picks up the ball, oh that's some brilliant footwork, it's enabled him to get past Pallet, he's through on goal, 1-1!!, he passes it across the goal to Dostalok who scored the tap in, Murphtannia looks like they are heading for another disappointing game.

[60th minute] Mercedini have a free kick, it's whipped in from Garzallo, Talisky gets his head on it 2-1!!!!, Murphtannia are falling apart here and the fans are trying their best to put them back together again, but Mercedini are running riot.

[70th minute] The game has veen very even so far, despite 2 quick fire goals from mercedini Murphtannia are still in this game, but that could change as Talisky is played through on goal, put he passes it across goal again for Dino Santa-Corvani to score the easy tap in. Murphtannia now have a large mountain to climb if they want to come back into this one.

[Full Time] Mercedini 3 Murphtannia 1

The players are sitting on the pitch, the fans have been stunned into silence across the country, Murphtannia have officially failed to win a single home match in their first ever WC, making this the worst home form in the history of the nation.

Still Murphtannia have to pick themselves up now as they travel to West Angola before an away fixture to Savojorna to round up Murphtannia's first WC.

Match day 17

"Hello and welcome to the highlights package, when Murphtannia travelled to West Angola in their penultimate game of the season, lets start shall we."

[15th minute] West Angola took the lead when Thomas slotted the past Steven Philling, who came in for this match.

[20th minute] West Angola should've made it 2 but a superb save from Philling to keep Murphtannia in the game.

[30th minute] Murphy was played through on goal by Styler, slotting past the keeper to level the game. His 13th goal of the season he is now 1 away from becoming the all time leading goal scorer

[HF] With both teams having nothing to play for some reserve players have come in for Murphtannia, Philling, Leafy, Hogan, and the Sterling brothers have all played well today however.

[60th minute] Boland has the chance to put Murphtannia ahead, but he skews it wide.

[70th minute] Kĩbunja Waigwa makes it 2-1 as the cross comes in from Matu, a superb header from Waigwa rifles the ball into the back of the net.

[91st minute] Murphtannia have a corner, Cartlidge whips it in, and it's headed away by Carrick, but it's sailing through the air, Murphy it outside of the box, tries the overhead kick, and he makes it 2-2!!!, I mean it was the perfect way for Murphy to become the all time leading goal scorer fir Murphtannia and to grab another late equaliser for Murphtannia.

[Full Time] West Angola 2-2 Murphtannia

Murphtannia continue to look for an allusive win, but with the next game being away to Savojorna that is unlikely, despite spending moat of the season in 6th-4th Murphtannia look like they will end 8th, a disappointing collapse of form towards the end, but good performances nonetheless and the players should be proud of themselves.

by **Graintfjall** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 4:35 am

Brynjólfursson urges players to ignore ‘social media distractions’ ahead of crucial decider

In a pointed rebuke, Græntfjall’s national football team coach Sigtryggur Brynjólfursson has issued a public warning to his squad to “steer clear of social media distractions” while preparing for their final World Cup qualifying match against Nagore, a game that will decide whether they head to the playoffs or not. “It is no exaggeration to say this is the single most important game in Græntfjall’s brief but proud football history,” he said in his post-match conference following the Snow Wolves’ 4 – 2 victory over Northwest Kalactin, a result that moved them into second place in Group 14. “So I want all my players 100% focused on the game, and not worrying about reTwitchers or InstaSnap likes.” He extended the remarks to give all Græntfjaller players a general reminder that “their social media activity reflects on them” and that those “proving themselves unworthy to wear the blue-and-white” would “not be considered” for selection, in comments clearly aimed at controversial midfielder Sara Kristoffersdóttir.

The 17 year old Kristoffersdóttir’s loud – some would say obnoxious – presence on social media spilled over into a row that almost threatened to overshadow the Snow Wolves’ famous victory against Northwest Kalactin. Coming back from 1 – 0 down, they ran away 4 – 2 winners behind goals from Jason Þórhallursson (2), Lyngar Rögnvaldursson, and Amanda Guttisdóttir. Yet Guttisdóttir, who had spent much of the evening prior to the match openly feuding with Kristoffersdóttir in an increasingly heated argument on Twitcher, the social media platform, very nearly did not start the game, with reports that a furious Brynjólfursson, rarely given to emotional outbursts, had given the midfielder a stern public dressing-down. Guttisdóttir would not be drawn on the matter, saying only that she would be taking a “Twitcher break” as she mentally prepared for the match in Nagore.

The argument spiralled as Kristoffersdóttir, who seems likely to leave her relegated club Fliserboding and seek a move overseas in the forthcoming transfer window, denigrated the experience of playing football in Græntfjall. She mocked the Queendom as “[like] hell [but] colder”, said she regularly “froze [her] tits off [waiting for anything to happen] in this boring af shithole”, and warned foreign players to steer clear of the Græntfjall Premier League with the hash-tag “#cantwaittogetout”. Guttisdóttir took strong objection to the comments, but having herself moved to Eura to play for Old Boys Club was accused of hypocrisy by Kristoffersdóttir. “bitch u left y cant i???” Twitched Kristoffersdóttir, to which Guttisdóttir replied with a picture of herself literally wrapped in the Græntfjaller flag and the hash-tag “#dontletthedoorhityou”. Subsequent Twitchers from Kristoffersdóttir descended into extreme vulgarity, while Guttisdóttir Twitched an image showing she had blocked her account.

The two women have, perhaps incredibly, played seven games of international football together, but it is difficult to see how they could ever again line up alongside each other as teammates after spewing so much public invective. And it is Kristoffersdóttir, on the outskirts of national team selection already, who is more likely to be hurt by that, at the expense of Guttisdóttir, an established starter for the Snow Wolves who put on a command performance against Northwest Kalactin. Her well taken goal was only her second of the World Cup, but the touch she displayed across the pitch and increased physical presence to weather some aggressive marking from Frank Owens together amounted to one of her best showings yet in national team colors. Brynjólfursson, a noted traditionalist, has already publicly criticized Kristoffersdóttir and her latest antics are unlikely to have further endeared her to him.

It is not the first time Kristoffersdóttir’s social media actions have drawn criticism. Throughout her first GPL season she regularly took to Twitcher to criticize referees, teammates, opposition players, and her own manager, and would spar with fans who took issue with her performances on the field or behavior online; meanwhile InstaSnap banned her from the platform for seven days after she sent abusive messages to Steinaux club captain Petter Erlingsson, who had been strongly critical of her for posting an InstaSnap of herself wearing an old Red Guard uniform featuring a hammer-and-sickle insignia (a symbol now banned in the Queendom). Erlingsson said he did not wish to speak on the particulars of the latest blow-up, but noted that “she is clearly damaging her own trade value by behaving this way, and more importantly ruling herself out of ever playing for the Snow Wolves”. Kristoffersdóttir’s response drew her a further seven day ban.

But the question of how players interact with the increasingly ubiquitous presence of social media is not likely to end with the sad tale of one impetuous teenager. Þórhallursson has the most-followed InstaSnap account in the entire Queendom, and recently drew tens of thousands of indignant comments after he posted an image of the Grand National Arena with an attached comment that seemed to hint at a possible exit from Gunzlach, and the GPL itself. Erlingsson’s own InstaSnap page is frequently deluged by intense flame-wars between supporters of Steinaux and their rivals Gunzlach and Altendalur. Even those players whose pages attempt to steer clear of controversy find themselves sucked into the maelstrom of online outrage: national team goalkeeper Alexander Leonardsson, who was generally considered at fault in Græntfjall’s game against Overseas Territories of Sylestone, conceding a goal that led to a 1 – 1 draw in a game the Snow Wolves had hoped to win, had to deactivate his InstaSnap, which he exclusively uses to post pictures of dogs from the pet rescue he and his wife co-fund, in order to deal with the number of abusive comments being left about his goalkeeping performance.

Bríana Noahsdóttir, who started the last two games and appears to have won her place back over Andrin Franklínsson, admitted that “social media can be pretty addictive”. “You think, I’ll just check what they’re saying about how I played, and three hours later you’re still arguing with some teenage troll with a cartoon frog avatar,” she reflected. “In a lot of ways, I think it’s really good. We can interact directly with fans in a way we never could before. It connects all of us and gives everyone a voice – that’s great! But then you see one comment on InstaSnap talking about your appearance or one Twitcher spreading a hateful rumor, and it just ruins your whole day. There are players in the dressing room who don’t have any social media at all – sometimes I envy them!” One such player is defender Ralf Álfarsson, who said he “didn’t even know how to use a computer”. “I stay away from that stuff,” he said. “I feel sorry for the young kids coming up who can’t get away from it, though.” If Kristoffersdóttir is to have a future in Græntfjaller football, that might be exactly what she will need to do – and until then, Brynjólfursson will be hoping his players at least have their eyes on the prize of World Cup qualification, not the update notification on their phones.

Græntfjall – 1 (1)
Leonardsson; Vilbertsdóttir, Hjörleifursson, Álfarsson, Vernerisdóttir; Aunosdóttir; Raphaelsson, Guttisdóttir (76’ Reynarsson ), Jvarsson (86’), Noahsdóttir (66’ Bjørnsson ); Þórhallursson (36’) (81’ Antoninsson )

Overseas Territories of Sylestone – 1 (1)
Goal; S. Ball, Stick, B. Ball (52’), Hoop, Pads (42’); C. Bat (67’ Frisbee (89’)), V. Net (86’ Backboard ), T. T. Bat; Club (16’), Racquet (80’ Broomstick )

Græntfjall – 4 (1)
Leonardsson; Vilbertsdóttir, Hjörleifursson, Álfarsson, Vernerisdóttir; Aunosdóttir; Raphaelsson (53’ Snæþórsson ), Guttisdóttir (25’), Noahsdóttir (51’ Bjørnsson ); Antoninsson (45’ Rögnvaldursson (74’)); Þórhallursson (49’, 64’)

Northwest Kalactin – 2 (1)
Romero; M. Hall, Anderson (64’), Martinez (62’ Taylor ); Gilbert (85’), Owens (62’ Guidry ), L. Hall (10’); Dillan, McCarthy (75’ Torres ), Sanders, Butler

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by **Squidroidia** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 7:32 am

A silence filled the room as the media delegates were taken to their seats. With Squidroidia's position in the World Cup all but confirmed having lost the chance to qualify, all focus now turned on the Squidroidian FA press conference, being held the day after the game against Electrum. President Fukuhara Himeko had elected not to travel, as she was expecting just this. Squidroidia could only finish in 5th and 4th now, and suitors were making their guesses on what was going to happen. Mito being sacked was off the cards, as his results in qualification at least gave him the job up until the 11th IAC. With the Squidroidian club sides also on break, there was room to grow - Squidroidia's economy was booming and adding in a few teams to the top 2 leagues or even opening the floodgates for amateur teams to make the jump up professionally were likely, as was the option of adding new stadiums.

As Himeko got into her seat, she was given the plans submitted by the leader of Squidroidia himself, Mr. Takanori. Oddly enough, this also included a new planned city which was to have a new football team, but it wasn't the right time to announce it yet. Eventually, after she talked about the qualification process and calmed everyone's tits, the questions started to flow in.

"Tsuji Yoshitomo, SBN News. With Squidroidia's recent performances in international competition plus the progress Squidroidian clubs are making, do you see any intent to develop the amateur game further?"

Himeko stared at the sports analyst for the national broadcaster. "Other than Heritage Cup qualification for the 2 best Division 2 teams, the team with the most draws in Division 1 and an unknown factor which will be revealed at a later date, as well as cup qualification for the top 2 Division 1 teams, we have no plans to add or subtract amateur teams or divisions. Progress will be given towards the professional game at this time."

Another hand was raised. "Ishida Akina, FourThreeThree Squidroidia. With amateur advancements out of question for the foreseeable future, what is in store for the professional game especially after this World Cup campaign?"

"Good question, and one where I do have answers for. For the system heading into the 3rd season, there will be no changes other than the relegation of Midnight and the promotion of Octo Valley. It will still be a 28 game season with 2 8 team leagues, and the Jecken and Inklingcraft sponsorship deals are still in tact. However, we will move towards another round of expansion in the 4th season. In other words, 2 more teams will join the Squidroidian system."

"Do we have any confirmed cities?"

"Yes we do. From my understanding, the heavily advancing city of Souraoi will join the Squidroidian system, and they will play their games at a new 25,000 seater stadium at the FunStar Complex. As far as I know, FunStar themselves will have a 50/50 split of ownership, with the other half going to the Squidroidian FA for regulation regarding finances. As for the other team..." She pulls out a CG generated city out in the middle of the forests. "The Squidroidian government has decided to build a planned city, which was given the name of Newton due to its reliance on nuclear energy."

"Newton doesn't sound like anything science related, you know that right?"

"Ehhh, it's close enough." She then pulls out a CG generated stadium. "And with that plan, we are proud to announce that Newton will get its own professional football club, to play in a shiny 35,000 seater arena, the 2nd biggest in the Squidroidian system. It will be run entirely on nuclear energy along with the rest of the city, and the SFA has been looking into this new stadium to host the Squidroidian Cup semi-finals."

"As for the Final venue?"

"That will remain as Inkopolis City Stadium."

One more hand was raised. "Kobe Yasuo, Inkopolis Daily Mail. Could Newton's new stadium cost the Squidroidian taxpayers too much?"

"...This isn't the time for finance questions, Kobe." She sighs and puts down the pictures. "As for existing teams, we are looking into getting TryHard Sporting a new stadium, although with a team refresh. Along with that, I am proud to announce that Factoria's Mill Park will be expanded to a 7,500 capacity by the end of Season 4."

The room came back to Akina. "What divisions will Newton and Souraoi play at?"

"The 2 teams will play each other 4 times during the course of Season 3, made up of interesting prospects from the amateur leagues. The team who finishes first will play in the Super League, while the other will start in the Challenge League. This ultimately means that the league will have a 32 game season starting in Season 4."

"As for Cup qualification?"

"For Season 4, it will be the last ranked teams in the Challenge League and assignment series against the top 2 amateur teams. Going forward that will just be the bottom 2 CL teams vs the top 2 AL teams. As such the former Preliminary Round has been renamed to the First Round and the new round starting in Season 4 will be the Preliminary Round."

"That is all for now."

"Thank you."

by **Taeshan** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 9:52 am

"What was your favorite memory of him"?

"Well it was World Cup 86. We built ourselves quite a hole in the end. With two late qualifying ties we had a chance to go into the last match just needing to win on our own, heck we could have made it that it was just a tie, but no we built a huge hole going into that last game. We needed to win, but we also needed the only team already qualified to beat one of the teams we just tied against. And we needed both us and them to win by quite a fair bit of goals."

"That sounds like a rough set of circumstances."

"It was not ideal."

"And from my understanding, Taeshan is not known for scoring goals they are known for preventing them."

"Yes."

"So how did you go into this game"?

"Well Miles, the manager, calls us in to the first practice a few weeks before and says, remember last season when we scored 10. I need more. I need you to all remember playing a man up for 90 minutes, but I need you to do that like your lives depend on it. We've qualified for 3 cups in a row, and I want to have chance at 4. We can't control what Trolleborg and Hinode play to, but we can go out on a high note."

"So you just went into that last game guns ablaze I presume"?

"Yes. We just went in their trying our best impression of Taeshan City Miners. Shoot first, play defense later. We figured with a player like Yoshi guarding the defense, even that young defense that looked so weak all qualifying. We could do it."

"And how did that go?"

"Well Yoshi comes to me, smiling and is like...Sully I'm gonna score multiple goals this game, and we're going to win. We might not get the complete result we want, but we're going to score a lot of goals this week."

"It's interesting to hear you say his name."

"Well it's different when you're thinking about them when they were alive vs now when they are dead. That game is a big memory of my past. It was the deepest corner we put ourselves in, probably the first time in a few years that we had much trouble in qualifying, well towards the end. It marked a weird moment for such a young team, and while yes maybe it's not a shining moment in Taeshan history. But it's one of those moments that always made me feel incredibly proud of my team."

"So what happened"?

"Well..."

by **Savojarna** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 11:24 am

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
#weareBACK - Victory in Zoloroni secures qualification

By Jaukka Halanen

World Cup 86 Qualification - Group 18
Calendar:
Week 1: Savojarna 5-2 West Angola / Savojarna 2-1 Busoga Islands
Week 2: Twicetagria 0-0 Savojarna / Savojarna 5-3 Orion Islands
Week 3: Baker Park 3-2 Savojarna / Savojarna 5-2 TOTEL
Week 4: Cheergirls 0-1 Savojarna / Savojarna 1-0 Mercedini
Week 5: Murphtannia 0-2 Savojarna
Week 6: West Angola 2-4 Savojarna / Busoga Islands 0-1 Savojarna
Week 7: Savojarna 1-0 Twicetagria / Orion Islands 1-5 Savojarna
Week 8: Savojarna 1-3 Baker Park / TOTEL 0-1 Savojarna
Week 9: Savojarna 2-0 Cheergirls / Mercedini 2-4 Savojarna
Week 10: Savojarna vs. Murphtannia
Standings: 1. Baker Park 43/+36. 2. Savojarna 43/+23. 3. Mercedini 35/+12.
4. Twicetagria 25/-1. 5. Cheergirls 23/-2. 6. Busoga Islands 19/-6. 7. Orion
Islands 17/-13. 8. Murphtannia 16/-8. 9. West Angola 11/-17. 10. TOTEL 6/-24.

The decisive picture of this WCQ campaign, at least for us, will be a quick shot of Victoria Maersk sitting on the bench after her replacement in the final phase of the game, pulling out her phone for a brief moment before showing it to her seat neighbour Alexey Nurkanen, leading to an excited reaction. We’re strongly assuming this was the time when Maersk checked corresponding results, confirming that the victory would likely see Savojarna not only securing second spot, but direct qualification: It took the Captain only seconds once the game was over to twii the hashtag #weareBACK, quickly becoming the top trending topic in Savojarna as the Northlights saw their first World Cup qualification in twelve years.

Victoria Maersk [SVJ/Vermillion Rage] ✓

@VictoriaMaersk_off
Twelve long dark years are over - #weareBACK! @SFFB_International #WorldCup #MRCSVJ

How we got there is a story with many angles; in hindsight, the decisive thing definitely was that Savojarna finally managed a good record against lower ranked teams. An incredible streak of eight wins, and only two lost points against teams not called Baker Park (0-0 in Twicetagria on the third matchday) meant that the Northlights were in command of this campaign at all times. And yet, qualification came down to a dramatic game last night in Zoloroni, where not everyone was as certain of the chances the Northlights would have against a dangerous Mercedini side. The hosts were attacking fast, but Savojarna’s defensive posture paid off, and a team that could closely mirror the one standing on the pitch in Drawkland and Newmanistan could set up for many quick counters. Twenty minutes in, the possession read 59% Mercedini, but the shot attempts were speaking a different language, with Savojarna leading 4-1 in that statistic. The fifth one, it showed, would stick.

Mercedini tried to play through the middle, not a great strategy when Joonas Andersson is having one of the best games of his career; the veteran midfielder plucked the ball from his opponent’s foot and immediately launched the counter over Lundell. Funneling the ball to the left, Voynov, Lundell, Jotansson and Jashkin suddenly found themselves evenly matched with the Mercedinian defence line, a situation that quickly changed as Voynov beat his direct opponent and passed in to Jotansson, converting from short range. But Dini’s relentless assault had to result in something at one point, and it was a free kick that brought the equaliser before the break, as Zirkova was beaten out by Chillotov in the aerial duel. Heading into the break, Savojarna were even behind; Skov advancing too quickly left a gap for Lawrence Garzallo that was just what Mercedini needed and in the centre, it became a coin flip as Dostalok was the first one to get his foot onto the ball.

But one of the qualities Savojarna are known for is their ability to persist and come back. Opening up a little bit at the back after the break, they ground them down, scoring off a combination between Jashkin and Lundell that the latter crossed in perfectly for Voynov, lurking on the second post, to convert from short range. An hour into the game, finally, the seal on Mercedini’s pressure started to break. Skov first got off a cross from an overlap that Jotansson knocked just over the bar; then a long dribble by Maersk finished with a perfect through pass onto Lundell, who was denied by a quick reflex of Hosset. With Forsberg jumping the highest and converting, qualification suddenly was on the table as Savojarna led 3-2. At that point, all that was left to do was to hold on to that lead for a bit more than twenty minutes. Rangren reacted, taking off Maersk for Ilkkanen, and in the last ten minutes also replacing Jashkin with Nurkanen to shore up the right. Then, in the final minutes, a scene that will become Savojar stuff of legends.

Six minutes were still on the clock as Johan Karlovic passed a ball over the defence into the run-up of joker Feliks Alva. A shot, deflected by Zirkova for a corner. On the corner, everything focuses on the centre; everything except the short Rika Lundell sneaking slowly away from the goal. Then, the corner swung in; Pakanen caught it straight out of the air and kicked it out long, into the run of Zirkova, who suddenly pulled out the turbo. Racing down the field, she retrieved the ball, impossible to catch for Liam Toivonen. Passing it off to Voynov, the two kept running, until the left winger swung his leg, getting… a shot to the post. The ball bouncing back into the no man’s land of the Mercedini box, and then, suddenly, out of nowhere, Matts Pedersen showed up in the box. Until today, nobody knows where a left back comes from in the box during a counter right after a corner, but smacking the ball into the net, it was him who sealed the qualification.

Asked about the moment after the game, he said: “I have absolutely no idea why I was there, to be honest. I saw the ball fly past my head on the corner and heard Iiro shout ‘MINE’, so I ran, because either he has it and I may be needed long or he won’t and then it’s a goal anyway. It’s been instinct, really. I just kept running, suddenly I was in the box and the ball coming my way, so I shot. It worked”. Similarly, Man of the Match Krister Voynov, shining like he used to in the past and making recent criticism forgotten, said: “I’m not sure if any of us know how we managed to score some of these goals, or defend some of these attacks. It was incredibly difficult, honestly, and I am so happy we actually managed to win this game and wrap qualifying up. WE DID IT!”. Many interviews were - understandingly - interrupted by sudden outbreaks of shouting, celebrating, or singing among the team. Now, the squad intends to use their final game, at home against Murphtannia, as a celebration of their first qualification in twelve years.

Mercedini 2-4 Savojarna (2-1)
Zoloroni Sports City Stadium, Northeastern Zoloroni - 74’684 (sold out)

GOALS: 21’ Jotansson 0-1 (Voynov). 39’ Chillotov 1-1 (Nymark). 43’ Dostalok 2-1 (Garzallo). 52’ Voynov 2-2 (Jashkin). 67’ Forsberg 2-3 (Jashkin). 85’ Pedersen 2-4.
YELLOW CARDS: 15’ Zirkova, 54’ Brindliev (both foul), 86’ Voynov (excessive celebration).
REMARKS: 85’ Voynov hit post. Zirkova misses next match (second yellow card).

MERCEDINI: Hosset - Aznelik, Brindliev (79’ Alva), Toivonen, Di Sansev - Garzallo (73’ Kuro), Nymark (66’ Santa-Corvani), Karlovic, Presic - Chillotov, Dostalok
SAVOJARNA: Pakanen - Pedersen, Zirkova, Forsberg, Skov - Andersson, Maersk (73’ Ilkkanen) - Voynov, Lundell, Jashkin (79’ Nurkanen) - Jotansson (62’ Jacobsen).

[box]Savojarna line-up for Week 10
vs. Murphtannia (4-3-3): Virulainen - Viipuri, Forsberg, Anttakari, Loeseth - Ilkkanen, Gren - Rajala, Lundell, Östberg - Terkala.
Bench: Larsen, Pedersen, Dmitriev, Skov, Maersk, Voynov, Mortensson, Grivoshenko, Jacobsen

by **Tioguldos** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 11:55 am

TIOGULDÓS SAYS GOODBYE TO THE WORLD CUP

The dream of qualifying for the finals will have to wait for another cycle for the Tiogs. The Red Army is a developing team, and still has a lot to improve. Still, based on good results, they managed to give hope to millions of Tiogs. Despite being sixth in Group 10, the national team had some very memorable matches that got the fans jumping of happiness. It has been an amazing journey, but, as expected, it came to an end in the qualifiers.

Some of the players have had exceptional performances throughout this last 17 matches. Some remarkable ones were Kildoge Fenuskal, who wreaked havoc in the opponents' defense, running by at top speed by the left wing; Lumugue Niforro, the captain and structural inflection point of the team covering the midfield and supporting the forwards; Óstam Perda Raom, the creative playmaker of the Red Army, who showed amazing talent with the ball; Prulduos Omnofo, who scored a lot of goals and gave attacking solidity to the team; and Ugós Oroso, undoubtedly the best player in the Red Army, was the top scorer and also the big idol for the fans.

For the last matchday, Tioguldós will play against Reçueçn at home. The match means nothing to either team, as the Red Army is out, and Reçueçn has already qualified. Still, Gúpder Mebal has stated that he'll be lining up the eleven starters for a chance for the fans to salute the team one last time. As is typical of Tiogs, it's expected a sellout crowd. Not only because of the salute but also because of the importance of the opponent.

It was evident that the team ranked 219 wouldn't be able to advance to the finals but having won against opponents such as Squornshelous and HUElavia, Tioguldós built up hope. Now with the dream of going to the World Cup vanished, the Red Army focuses on the Cup of Harmony.

[trynottocry][/trynottocry][cry][/cry]

by **Trolleborg** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 12:37 pm

Greetings, compatriots! We in TTV have a pleasant duty to inform you of news of exceptional importance (maybe someone else has not heard, although we have no idea how it could be).

IN THE VERY DIFFICULT STRUGGLE OUR TEAM WON A TICKET TO THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!

Unfortunately, we must apologize again for AI's tricks. He continues to freak out in his already familiar spirit: during the broadcast of the match with Grearish Union he made the stadium looked he liked best, and painted women into men, the young graceful goalkeeper of visiting team Susanna Schaefer was presented as a big middle-aged man. And during the broadcast of the game with Ziwana, he repainted the home players' shirts green and yellow from a solid yellow color.

TROLLEBORG – GREARISH UNION 2:1

Grearish Union represents a very young roster in this qualifying tournament, the young boys and girls who entered it ran fast, and, of course, it was clear that Esportiva was Esportiva. But our team, playing its usual way, go to the break with one goal advantage: In the middle of the first half, Troll received the ball in front of the penalty area already at speed and shot beautifully and powerfully right into the corner

in the second half, Chance Benton seized the opportunity to header after a corner. If we had two goalkeepers, perhaps they would manage, but we only had one, albeit excellent, and this is proved not enough

The guests continued to do well, tried to keep the pace, did not lose concentration, but in the second half they still wavered, twice our players did not use real chances, but in the end, a quarter of an hour before the end of the game Kerr received an excellent pass from Laaste, who had climbed the flank into the penalty area, and in the fall sent the ball into the net

Guests try to make our life difficult as they can, but Trolleborg stands on his own and won 2:1.

Difficult, frankly say, but we believe that this a completely deserved victory for our team.

ZIWANA – TROLLEBORG 3:5

Our team played the penultimate match of the group stage with the Ziwana Leopards.
The stadium in Ziwana has a truly huge field, from the stands it looks almost square, and well-trimmed - just right, not long stems, among which the ball gets stuck, but also not a board with blades of grass, where it bounces here and there. No, its having everything just right: there is enough space to run, and you can weave combinations, make long and short passes and so on.

Ziwana was eager to trip our team, but our lads could not allow themselves a luxury of losing points. The team entered the field in the red version of the form, and looked very impressive both in form and in the game.

Already on 2nd minute, Valgren put the ball into the penalty area for Gulbranden, who successfully pulled away from the defenders and shot powerfully, the goalkeeper only managed to slow the ball, but this was not enough

But opponents were not at all discouraged by such a development of events: already at the 10th minute
in a situation that did not seem particularly threatening, Abdulaziz Haqawi move into the box and shot from acute angle past the defender who threw himself at his feet and goalkeeper. It is noteworthy that our players completely lost the second forward who was in the penalty area.

And 10 minutes later, after the corner kick battle in the penalty area ensued, and someone throw ball into the penalty area, jumping twice and them Charles Payen caught it and sent it into the net with an elegant movement of the heel

However, this score did not last long. Literally before the Leopard fans had time to finish dancing and beating drums in the stands, Kerr escaped the attention of the defenders, received a pass from the flank and managed to shoot past and the goalkeeper who had come running on.

And after a few minutes, Gulbranden successfully diverted the attention of the defenders to himself, and Kerr got a second for an accurate shot and make everything perfectly, shot exactly into the bottom corner - and our lads were again ahead

Those who stayed on the approaches to the stadium for half an hour had a reason to regret it bitterly, especially since this time the score lasted quite a long time, despite the fact that both teams played fast, attacking football and constantly created threats to the net.

Only in the second half did our guys manage to somewhat strengthen their precarious position: after a corner kick, the ball darted around the penalty area and, as a result, Troll literally knocked it into the net.

Akambuku, however, soon earned a penalty and managed it as they must.

There was still almost a quarter of an hour left to play, but our guys quickly regained their advantage: Kerr intercepted the ball, went one-on-one and did everything as it should at this moment, when everything could go this way and that - coolly and competently bypassed the goalkeeper and shot right into the net

Already in injury time, news came that Kita-Honde had lost at home, so our team got a ticket to the World Championship ahead of schedule, and from first place. Our fans in the stands enthusiastically shared the players' celebration.

The last match of the group which remainsm, throw us head-to-head with the favorites. Undoubtedly, Kita-Honde will try to biff on the nose the upstarts who have bypassed them, and gladly take the opportunity spoil the hosts' mood by victory on their own field. It will be a difficult match, but the burden of responsibility is no longer pressing on Trolleborg. At the end of the it all, we would like to remind you that the national leader Vladimir Finn will address the people with a speech precisely in connection with this victory.

World Cup 86: Roleplay Thread

WCQ86 Matchday 14-15 rp

Murphtannia fail to win a home game all WC.

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