World Cup 87 - RP Thread

by **Kohnhead** » Sat Jan 09, 2021 3:54 pm

The pressure on Michael White intensifies as Qualifiers draw closer

Michael White leads a practice as the team prepares for Qualifiers

Michael White was hired less than a cycle ago after the failures of Christopher Kohnhead in the last qualifiers as we looked quite unimpressive failing to beat easy teams and not doing anything against the top three nations in the Group or the mid tier teams. White came in as the assistant from South Newlandia a team that came out of our BOF Group and had followed a similar trajectory up until those fated qualifiers. They had definitely outperformed us and the Kohnhead Footballing Committee decided to make Michael White the second manager of the KNFT and do a complete 180 from the nepotism that got Coach Kohnhead hired in the first place.

Christopher Kohnhead had some good moments with us but his handpicked starters especially the new 4-3-1-2 formation just didn't work. For the Cup of Harmony which happened afterwards, White kept the same formation and starters and despite a sluggish start in a very difficult group we advanced with clutch wins over Cheergirls and The Orion Islands. However an unfortunate draw against highly ranked HUElavia kept us out of the Round of 16. Still despite technically not making it as far as we had in the prior cycle, spirits were high as our group was quite difficult with New Lusitania, Squidroidia, and Geektopia headlining the other teams and we had taken top 25 nation at the time HUElavia to penalties.

While White led us in a sort of friendly tournament in Twicetagria where we made it past the Group Stage, it wasn't a premier tournament and no one really tuned in from Kohnhead. The next major tournament would be the 11th IAC coming quite a while after the Cup of Harmony in Havynwilde. Kohnhead were drawn into a group with the hosts who took the spot as a pot 1 team meaning that we were the heavy favorites to make it into the Round of 16 with ease. This didn't happen as we just didn't impress and while we advanced and got into the Round of 24 a 4-3 loss to the Quemorr Isles eliminated us then and there once again a round worse than last time.

Unlike after the Cup of Harmony spirits were not happy as Michael White had made his changes to the team bringing Sophie Johnson and Taylor Rodar into the starting XI, as well as making some personnel changes at the back half of the team. White was supposed to have implemented his strategies, tactics, and hopefully winning ways at this point and failing to advance out of an extremely easy group makes everything look worse.

However White is not on the hot seat, not yet at least. He still hasn't managed a qualifying cycle yet which will be a huge test for him and still has been endorsed by the entire team including captain Aaron Korkson who said "It's not Coach White's fault if we aren't playing well, we all know we need to be better myself included. We have set high expectations for ourselves and now we need to meet them and play up to the abilities we know we can play up to. Coach White has the full confidence of the team and I would hope and assume the whole committee as well."

This cycle will mean a lot in how people view Michael White, if we can find the form we had back in the 85th cycle it will mean wonders for Michael White's career as a manager. Personally I have confidence that the team will do well this cycle as we have not been entered into the most difficult group. White has said the expectations are a top four finish in the Group and to compete for one of the qualification spots. White has made one change from the IAC and that is to change the underwhelming 4-3-1-2 formation into a 4-4-2 and run with Sophie Johnson at a CM spot next to Linus Rallyton.

Group 19 Preview
Kohnhead have been drawn into the very last group 19, you know what they say save the best for last. Let's take a look at who the opposition will be for this qualifying cylce and attempt (emphasis on the attempt to predict how the matches will go).

Pot 10: Mapletish (UR)
As per usual the pot 10 team is unranked by the latest rankings however Mapletish are not like most pot 10 teams. Mapletish have actually participated in 13 World Cup qualifiyins, making the World Cup proper twice in cycles 64 and 66. Their most recent qualifying attempt was back in World Cup 81 but after a semifinal run in the DBC they are here for the World Cup. Their team is made up of entirely 20 year olds and will be the same roster sent to the DBC who came in third place. Most pot 10 teams should be pushovers, Mapletish are clearly not what they once were but they do have talent and a good amount of history. Given Kohnhead's problems with pot 10 teams in the last World Cup I cannot just write them off but to live up to our standing as a pot 4 team we need to beat them twice.
Prediction: W W

Pot 9: Al Qurija (UR)
While Al Qurija are one of three unranked pot 9 teams they just like Mapletish have some substantial history in the World Cup and the sporting world as they are the current title holders of the Unofficial World Champion (UWC for short). That was however years and years ago so who's to say this team can beat us. Again this is a matchup we need to always win as a pot 4 team and I expect us to do so. This also means that Kohnhead have a chance to play for the Unofficial World Champion title and cement themselves in the history books as does every member of Group 19. Al Qurija starts off with Siovanija & Teusland so if they suffer the loss everyone expects them to suffer that's who will claim the UWC.
Prediction: W W

Pot 8: United Pink States (269)
After two poor draws based off of historical performance we get another poor draw this time based off of ranked as United Pink States fresh off of their appearance in the Baptism of Fire where they lost on penalties in the quarterfinals to Freechi. United Pink States along with two others are the highest ranked teams in pot 8 thus making this not a good draw. I think Kohnhead definitely drops points against them and I think we even fail to beat United Pink States drawing them twice, although I hope we pick up the full six points. UPS as one might call them are the team we host in the first match of qualifiers at Chicken King Stadium's Football debut, it has previously served as the home team for our National Gridiorn and NSCF team.
Prediction: D D

Pot 7: Pemecutan (192)
While one of our main competitors on the NSTT scene isn't necessarily the worst draw possible they are not definitely not a good draw. Pemecutan has not been as good at football as they are at tennis and had a poor qualifying performance last time around. They participated in the 73rd Baptism of Fire and didn't do too well not making it past the Group Stage. We are definitely a better team than Pemecutan but I think they play us to a draw in their home arena while we do manage to get a win at Chicken King Stadium in the second to last match of the qualifying campaign.
Prediction: D W

Pot 6: Savigliane (124)
Another very poor draw (this group really is looking difficult) as the pot 6 team we drew was 124th ranked Savigliane the fifth best team out of this pot. Ranked 124, Savigliane just like Pemecutan in pot 6 made their debut in World Cup 86 participating in the Baptism of Fire where they lost in the round of 16. They participated in the World Cup Qualifying where they finished 6th in their group earning themselves an invatation to the 78th Cup of Harmony. Savigliane should be a tough test and I think we get three points from two matches with a win on the road in our second match before losing to them at home midway through the qualifiers.
Prediction: W L

Pot 5: Natanians and Nosts (102)
NAN as we will be calling them are an okay draw out of pot five being in the middle of the pot in terms of the rankings. In the last qualifying cylce they finished 6th in their group in an okay performance, and were only five points out of a spot in the playin games. Despite this NAN is not a team I am really afraid of despite their ranking and status as a pot 5 team. I actually think Kohnhead gets six points out of the two games against them even though I might regret that later.
Prediction: W W

Pot 4: Kohnhead (69)
That's us

Pot 3: Port Ember (57)
The pot 3 team that is in our group is Port Ember and this might be one of the best draws we got and that says a lot. Port Ember are a mid pot three team who do have a lot of history but Kohnhead's only dealings with them are actually a fond memory. As a pot 1 and top five team at the 10th IAC, Port Ember were widely regarded to win their IAC group and advance into the round of 16 like that, their only problem was a hyped up Kohnhead team with a chip on their shoulder. With an Al Torgan winner Kohnhead stunned Port Ember to win their match 3-2 and to win the group, it remains one of our signature wins to date. While that match will be on everyone's minds, what I also am thinking about is that if we want to compete in the group we need to be able to get points from teams like Port Ember. I think we lose to them at home in the third match but manage a draw against them in the second half of qualifiers.
Prediction: L D

Pot 2: Siovanija & Teusland (22)
This is probably the worst draw we could have gotten as S&T are the the third best team in their pot and we all know how important pot 2 is, in fact I would argue it is the most important pot. It has been well documented that Kohnhead has never managed to get a single point from a pot 2 or pot 1 team in two years of qualifying and frankly I don't see that changing this time around. This is the reason I believe we will not be able to qualify, I think we put our woes against bottom tier teams away but I don't think we get any points off of them especially considering the ranking of 22.
Prediction: L L

Pot 1: Eura (10)
All things considered Eura are probably not that bad of a pot 1 team to pull. We didn't pull Banjia, or Nephara, and we don't get the chance to capture two UWCs with Baker Park. I think Eura beats us handily, handily as in the way the Equestrian States beat us last time around. Against Kita-Hinode in our first qualifying attempt we actually manged to lose by only goal both times in 1-0 losses but I don't think we get anywhere near as close this time around.
Prediction: L L

Total Points: 28
If we can figure out how to get points from the top three pots I think we could have a chance but that is a big if. However I think we do a lot better of a job this time around securing Michael White's job for the time being.

by **Tikariot** » Sat Jan 09, 2021 7:53 pm

The picture fades in to the Tikariot Sports TV WC studio, which has seen a complete redesign from the last edition, no more desk, but instead just bar stools and what feels a huge threedimensional screen surrounding the three gentlemen occupying the bar stools. The background has the flag of Taeshan to one side, the one of Ethane to the other and circulating images of both the Tikariotian national team and the Tikariot Premier League in the centre.

Alistair McIntosh: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Tikariot Sports TV's coverage of the World Cup 87 qualifiers for what is dubbed the Taethane World Cup by some on social media. I'm Alistair McIntosh and with me tonight completing our trio infernale, Duncan Haldane and Martin Seagrave, welcome back gentlemen for what should be an explosive campaign!

Duncan Haldane: Thank you, Alistair, and please don't talk about too much explosiveness, part of this will happen in Ethane and we all know what happened last time!

Martin Seagrave: As long as you keep Sylestone away, we should be save. But thank you for the welcome, I'm sure it will be an exciting qualifying season for sure!

Alistair McIntosh: Thank you for the reminder, Duncan, I'm sure Ethanians would also like to keep this quiet this time around. But enough with the wordplays, let's look ahead. 19 groups, 192 teams, 18 games, for most at least, and a lot of expectations. What has changed?

Duncan Haldane: Well, despite some good results before the last World Cup we still went into the qualifiers as severe underdogs and tickled TJUN-ia until the very last game, this time around people will actually expect us to be in contention, which is giving us a completely different outlook, because with the expectations will also come more pressure on both the players and also coach Stuart Ekstrom.

Alistair McIntosh: Do you feel that the team has what it takes to cope with the pressure?

Martin Seagrave: It is always hard to say until it actually happens, but I think that yes, they have everything to deal with it and perform, but a lot will depend on how the games will go, especially in the beginning.

Alistair McIntosh: Speaking of which, let's have a look at who the Snowy Owls will be facing in this campaign as some people have already called group 17 a potential "group of death", which is always encouraging for the inhabitants of said groups.

As they mention the respective nations, their flags show up in the background, fluttering in the wind.

Martin Seagrave: Let's go from bottom to the top and start with the only unranked team in the group, Widaya. They're a virtually blank page in the book, they have not participated in the Baptism of Fire. They hail from the North Pacific and while they are generally considered the easiest of our opponents, we had thought the same of Union Europae last cycle and see where that led us.

Duncan Haldane: Very true, however this should hopefully be six points in a group where I could see every single point and maybe even goal count. Next up is State of Trinity, who in fact did participate in the Baptism of Fire, but finished with just one point out of their five games, getting them into 361st position of the WC rankings. Again we should be able to expect six points out of these two games.

Alistair McIntosh: Agreed. Now the next nation is the first of the bunch that we have actually played against before and matter of fact also the only national team we have any kind of record against, this being 289th placed Hebitaka. We had played against them in the IFC 2 and beat them comfortably with 6-1, making it our highest win in Tikariotian history, together with a 5-0 over Megistos technically. They also were in the Baptism of Fire 74, finished second in their group behind Khytonya and lost to the United Pink States in a penalty shoot out. Careful optimism here as well, but they have proved that with additional international experience they definitely could be a nation to stage an upset or two.

Duncan Haldane: Speaking of Khytonya, they are in our group, too, making it them, Hebitaka and the State of Trinity former group mates in the Baptism of Fire and now also in our group.

Martin Seagrave: Hahaha, quickest reunion ever!

Duncan Haldane: Yes, no kidding. They, however did not just win the group, but also beat Silvedania 3-0 in the Round of 32, before also falling to the United Pink States in the Round of 16.

Martin Seagrave: Basically you're telling us that we should be happy not to have the United Pink States in our group?

Duncan Haldane: Pretty much. But Khytonya are one of those teams that will definitely be able to pull off some surprise wins and let's just hope it is not going to be against us, they are in the same pot Tikariot was in at the last World Cup and we all know where that led.

Alistair McIntosh: Good point there. They are 229th in the rankings and then we have a big jump all the way to 123rd.

Martin Seagrave: Yes, Balqia are next and to be perfectly honest, there is not much I could find about them other than that they sat out WC86, which explains why I don't know anything about them, but seem to have done pretty decently in the WC85 qualifiers, so they coul take several nations in our group by surprise, even if just by nobody really having any recent benchmarks for them.

Alistair McIntosh: Definitely a lot more familiar territory is Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom, who are ranked 76th and come from pot 4. There are a couple of Zeta Rekans that left quite the impression in the TPL this season, such as Adam Wladić-Hermann, Ratmir Ljajić or Blagureka Markić. I would hope that we're on somewhat of even footing with them and they are one of the three teams where the head to head is going to become extremely important.

Duncan Haldane: Very much so, same for Tequilo, which some see as the most uncomfortable team for us to play. They are 53rd in the world and--

Suddenly some static flickers the screen, but after some brief moments everything returns back to the studio, where nobody seems to have noticed anything or at least does not seem to be concerned about it.

Duncan Haldane: --just like with Zeta Reka we--

Martin Seagrave: Don't forget the Hugeltaldom!

Duncan Haldane: --thank you. So just like with Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom these are going to be crucial games, the kind that many are calling 6-point games. So this is going to be a really tough nut to crack for any of the teams in this group!

Martin Seagrave: Same goes for Newmanistan, who did a remarkable job in the WC proper as hosts last cycle as well and are proven contenders for a qualifying spot year in, year out and just because they were not as much in the spotlight last time as they obviously did not have to participate in the qualifiers, they are a tall and steep mountain to climb.

Alistair McIntosh: Which leaves the group head and while there are no easy pot 1 nations, many agree that we have been paired with one of the hardest we could have received in the draw in Vilita. 5 times World Cup champions, as recently as the repeat in 81 and 82, I don't really think that there is a lot more to say other than that one point would already be a huge achievement.

Duncan Haldane: Agreed. So where do we see Tikariot in all of this?

Martin Seagrave: Anywhere from third to fourth to be honest, with maybe a shot at second, if things line up really nicely.

Alistair McIntosh: I'm with Martin, we do have a chance, but it is nothing we should be too disappointed by, if it does not happen. Unless it is as tight as last time, of course.

Duncan Haldane: Oh, that goes without saying, but we seem to be all in agreement so far.

Alistair McIntosh: Excellent. So let's have a look at our team, shall we? A lot of familiar faces, but also a couple of new ones, some of who are likely a little surprising for some of our viewers as well.

Again static hits the screen, this time distorting the image more and also oddly muffling the sound for a few moments before returning to normal.

Alistair McIntosh: No surprise in goal.

Duncan Haldane: No, even though he didn't have a stellar season pesonally, reaching the IFCF with Baraldhur and his performances in the national team make him our clear number one. Same for our back four with Zion Grimes, who surprisingly seems to have found his scoring touch in the league, too, despite a horrible season with Pyathora, Eren Knox, first Tikariotian national team player in Quebec now, James Coronello and Anil Al Hak, tried and tested and one very solid unit.

Martin Seagrave: In midfield we have the most change with Rory McNair still our anchor, but Nicholas van Haar has had an absolute breakout season in Port Tacassam, 15 goals and 16 assists after Hassan Al Jumaily moved him out to left midfield, no longer in McNair's shadow.

Alistair McIntosh: No, definitely not. He has progressed leaps and bounds not just offensively, but also being able to become a lot more levelheaded, so he is no longer a red card risk in every game he is in. But on the other side is maybe THE surprise in the starting eleven at only 19 years old, Dairon Noles.

Duncan Haldane: Very much so. He has been instrumental in Vantanoch not just keeping the class, but also comfortably! Twelve goals, three assists, seven (!) game winning goals, he definitely was a revelation and it does not come as a surprise that Tikariot City scooped him up as only change in their projected starting eleven for their upcoming title defense.

Alistair McIntosh: And upfront no real surprises there.

Martin Seagrave: Well, we've had a wealth of players that could be starters in many countries, but it is almost frightening when looking at the front three. Nighthorse 20 goals, Connolly 21 goals, Fredriksson 21 goals, two of them with great speed and passing skills that still can score at will and one target man that can pull defenders on him and through that open up spaces for the other two, I really don't think that our goal scoring is going to be our biggest issue this campaign.

Duncan Haldane: Absolutely not, especially since Morris Nighthorse recovered from his injury early in the season and absolutely rallied to a second Player of the Year award, almost repeated his Golden Cannon as well and on top of it all helped heave Baraldhur into the IFCF qualification spots, so he looks like he is on fire just in--

Now the image is completely lost to the static and a dark and murky looking graphic flickers in between the dark grey lines of static, barely visible before the transmission breaks off.

Alistair McIntosh: Thank you for sticking around, we seem to have had a brief technical issue causing us to lose transmission, we hope that everything is back to normal, though. So looking at our reserves, the list is a little bigger than last time.

Duncan Haldane: Well, it is better to have more players to draw from than run into issues, because it is going to be a long and grueling campaign. So starting in the back, Brian Merson is our veteran backup and he is one player that I could see jump in at any time and take over for Chatelet without any drop in quality. Behind him it does not necessarily go iffy, but inexperienced with two 19-year olds. Both Colt Skirving and Matthias Prediger have been huge surprises this season, especially Prediger, who kept everybody's number one relegation bet Ancarea in midfield and now has been rewarded with a contract in Eivora and Skirving has been playing a huge role in Avanaroch overachieving big time this season as well.

Martin Seagrave: Our defensive back ups also are like a kindergarten compared to the starters, with a 19 year old, four 20 year olds and a 21 year old, plus a more experienced right side, if anybody would have told me before the season that we'd see names like Ximon Bergstrand, Caleb McKinley and Stian Farnsrud in the lineup, I would not have believed them, but they all have had outstanding seasons and show that this country could have a consistently bright future ahead of it.

Alistair McIntosh: Our midfield is decidedly more experienced at least in age, if not necessarily in caps, but while not necessarily flashy in all positions there is so much base power here in terms of passing and assists and ball recovery, I think that the grittiness of some of the players here could be instrumental in supporting our strikers successfully. I mean, Davey Dixon, Heath Christie, Raymond Mattheiss, they are among the oldest players on the squad, but they will not back down, no matter who you will go up against.

Duncan Haldane: True, true, and let's be really honest, if you just look at the names in the front lines, Stainthorpe, Sweeney, Grimaud, Haparanta, Mosnyk, Wagstaff, each of them could easily be a starting forward, but then you see Nighthorse, Connolly and Fredriksson ahead of them and it's just impressive.

Alistair McIntosh: OK, ladies and gentlemen, this is all that we have time for tonight, we will be looking into the transmission issues that we ran into to hopefully be able to avoid them from repeating, but join us in our live coverage of our first game against Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom and hopefully witness a successful start to the World Cup 87 Qualifiers, I am Alistair McIntosh and bid you a good night!

by **Jeruselem** » Sat Jan 09, 2021 8:20 pm

Princess Kate and Akai Hanto at the Naked News studio

Kate: This is Princess Katherine for Naked News Jeruselem! I'm with our social media reporter Akai, now ... since I have a minor problem with travel called, kids, Akai has volunteered to travel with the team on overseas trips.
Akai: Just don't expect me know much about football
Kate: Just sound intelligent, that usually works
Akai: But I'm not actually intelligent ...
Kate: Well, that's not my problem
Akai: Err, I guess it isn't.

Kate: IT' S WORLD CUP 87, and well we're in again because we are. Guess what group we're in? Here's a hint, it's not 666.
Akai: It's 13 then
Kate: Yeah, well we get either 6 or 13.
Akai: OK
Kate: Well joining us in Group is New Lusitania and the Algarves ... which I think is New Lusitania from the past. I can't remember them with the Algarves. Maybe they added a new conquest or something.
Akai: What's in Algarve?

Kate: Sorry, no idea. Now another familar name is Oberour Ar Moro, who is like ranked really low still. I think we've played Banija. The other teams are a bit of mystery.
Akai: Um, how am I supposed to know stuff about them.
Kate: I guess you can check their social media.
Akai: I guess so
Kate: Well, these teams are Stevidia, The Belacian States or Belac, Melbergia Saltstead Vangaziland, and Thibaea. Um, only just found this out recently so I cannot tell much about these countries.
Akai: Well guess who's going be doing the research.

Kate: We're one of the top seeds in this group, but doesn't we're gonna qualify like we haven't for a while.
Akai: Hey I knew that one for once
Kate: Gone is old coach and we hired a girl again. Pekora Dancer, yes she's that slightly crazy one. That's OK
Akai: I get along with crazy people!
Kate: That's because you are crazy
Akai: Good point

Kate: We've had a bit of change in the team with a bunch of new players. An injection of new blood in the team. Not in the vampiric manner.
Akai: I'm assuming you're doing the social media reports then
Kate: But I'm definitely not doing your cooking segments
Akai: No one can cook as good as me around here
Kate: But no one eats your cooking
Akai: Yeah why is that ...

Kate: So there will be a few changes in programming during the cup but then that always happens.
Akai: Suit me, I get more money
Kate: And find more people to annoy as part of your job
Akai: Yeah, thats's fun.
Kate: Just remember to wear clothes
Akai: Oh yes, I have to do that.

Kate: Well, another journey for our world cup team. I'll have to stay home for now. I'm sure Akai here will keep every one entertained.
Akai: You mean informed?
Kate: Not really
Akai: Oh yes, I generally blubber useless rubbish which sounds intelligent.
Kate: Well, that's it from us. The football is back and we're on the road again. Whether that road leads to the finals? We'll see
Akai: This will be fun!

OOC

Group 13
Jeruselem
New Lusitania and the Algarves
Stevidia
The Belacian States (Belac)
Melbergia
Saltstead
Vangaziland
Banija
Thibaea
Oberour Ar Moro

by **Mytanija** » Sat Jan 09, 2021 10:32 pm

MYTANIJA WORLD CUP QUALIFYING GROUP PREVIEW
RIVALRY RENEWED WITH THE SARGOSSANS; TOUGH TRIPS TO AUDIOSLAVIA AND DAMUKUNI IN SECOND-HALF OF SCHEDULE

by Nevenka Planinc

AUDIOSLAVIA (19): Anyone who saw this draw and said that they felt Mytanija could get something from either of the fixtures against Audioslavia may well have been met with the response ‘Aye, and Jeremy Jaffacake told the truth last night’ (ed: A Mytanar adynaton along the lines of ‘when pigs fly’), which is rather fitting really, when you think about it. Our meetings with Audioslavia have been pretty mixed over the years: a 5-1 win at home and 3-1 loss away during World Cup 62 qualifying; and a 1-1 draw at World Cup 65 when the Hoops had already qualified for the knockout rounds. In years gone by this may have even been a marquee fixture, but following Mytanija’s suspension from NSWC football for repeated issues with hooliganism and subsequent slide down to unranked it doesn’t quite have the same je ne sais quoi it may have once held for neutrals. One small victory for the FSM and Mytanar football in general is that you would expect the Bulls probably would have preferred someone else from Pot 10 when the draw was made, history does go some way in forming present views after all. Audioslavia qualified to the last World Cup through the play-offs after finishing 2nd in their group behind the Holy Empire - never a disgrace. At the World Cup proper they were knocked out of Group H after Baker Park and Vilita both amassed 6 points to their 4. At the most recent AOCAF they were unexpectedly knocked out in the round of 16 by the Busoga Islands.

None of that is really all that important to us because this Audioslavia team is still of great quality and will present a great challenge for this Mytanija team. Mytanar supporters will be most familiar with Euraleague stalwart David Logan at the heart of the Bulls’ defence and young Revolutionaries’ right-back Michel Saint François. You can be sure that Lev Repin will be looking forward to pitting his possession-based 4-6-0 against the Audioslavian kontrapuntzeka philosophy and a 4-5-1 which on the face of it looks relatively negative but is a formation that can rip your team apart in seconds if you give the ball away cheaply. We get our first game against the group’s top seeds out of the way nice and early, on match day 2 and the FSM in all their wisdom are sending Audioslavia to Arsika and Novi Zavej Park. It is the stadium which has the smallest capacity out of all the grounds used during World Cup qualifying and the governing body are using all the tricks available to them by sending the group’s best team there given the raucous provincial crowd which will be waiting for them (not to mention the terrible transport connections, the potential for Arsika’s youthful population keeping the Audioslavian team up with their partying or locals getting them five pints deep on the Guinec the night before the game). We then travel to the 78,200 capacity 66 Stadium - known for sponsorship purposes as the Arena Kirola - in Cathair and its peculiarly small pitch dimensions. This could pose issues for the Hoops’ possession-based approach as well as for the 4-6-0 formation more generally, two false nines trying to find space on that pitch sounds like a recipe for disaster. I would not be surprised to see Lev Repin dig into his bag of tricks ahead of that game and pull out a different formation to mitigate the effects of the tight pitch.

Expected line-up: 1. Stroud; 3. Ramires, 5. Logan, 6. Ceron (c), 2. Saint François; 4. Moxey, 8. Deschappelles; 11. Knudsen, 10. Da Rosa, 7. Oteiza; 9. Rijsbergen

SARGOSSA (35): Our good friends* (*ed: I could not possibly publish what Nevenka wanted to write here) from Sargossa are the 2nd seeds in our group and that will have been a draw that every Mytanar tuning in would have cheered at, an opportunity to renew a rivalry which has been mostly dormant on the football pitch but which was lit-up by two games at the most recent Copa Rushmori: a 1-0 loss in the group stage, followed by a stunning 5-4 win in the same competition’s quarter finals. The Corsairs certainly will not have relished being drawn in the same group as us as we can present a very much unwanted thorn in their side as they look to make-up for their failure to qualify last time out, they were narrowly beaten to 2nd spot in their World Cup 86 group by the Sarian and at the subsequent Cup of Harmony were eliminated at the semi final stage by those Krytenians... who are apparently able to win things these days. It has been a tough few tournaments for Sargossa and they will want to stop the rot here. Tikariotian manager Brian McAllister should have a good chance in this group.

Well, we are well acquainted with this lot and know their qualities well. Agustín Soria is an excellent talent on the wing and will present every team issues with his dribbling skills and finishing ability. The likes of Águila and Goyoso in the centre of the park are experienced schemers and provide the necessary bite as well as guile that is much-needed if you are to qualify for the World Cup. Our qualifying campaign starts red hot as we travel into the lion’s den and play our Rushmori rivals on the opening match day, it remains to be seen where the game will be played but one would imagine it will be in Soluca at the Generalissimo or at one of Sargossa’s other major stadiums. It would not be a major surprise to see them send us to a provincial stadium as the FSM were rumoured to have done to them, in the end they must have thought better of it as we will play them on match day 10 at the Novi Atletskistadion in Thessia in front of what promises to be a fired-up capacity crowd.

Expected line-up: 1. Martinez; 3. Escribano, 5. Esnáider (c), 21. Galán, 2. Carter; 18. Águila, 8. Goyoso, 16. Fonseca; 10. Costa, 17. Manzanares, 15. Soria

NORTHWEST KALACTIN (62): Despite being our group’s 3rd seed, Northwest Kalactin struggled during qualifying for World Cup 86 and finished 9th (second bottom). It was a tough group, featuring World Cup luminaries such as Farfadillis and Sarzonia as well as exciting new kids on the block such as Græntfjall and Yuezhou. They finished bottom of their AOCAF League A group by the time it came around to the knockout rounds and this set them up for an elimination game against a League C group winner in the form of Savigliane which they duly won. They were then knocked out on penalties in the tournament’s round of 24 on penalties by Dogsmouth. In short, they may not be in the finest form but they still represent an extremely difficult proposition for Mytanija in this qualifying group. We may have to hope that they are more focused on the various other sports their country loves when we come up against them. They play an extremely attacking style which could present issues for our defence which will have suffered for not having played at international level consistently for a few years - it did okay for some of the recent Copa Rushmori but in other places was truly atrocious (hello 4 goals conceded against Sargossa and 3 against Southwest Eastnorth!).

Their four strong forward line will cause Lev Repin sleepless nights as the manager tries to come up with a way to prevent being outnumbered in defensive areas. It may well end up amounting to little more than just playing the 5-3-2 which the Hoops have used at times when they need to hold onto a lead. Playing five defenders will allow Mytanija to have a spare defender at all times, something which most tacticians in our country believe to be crucial when building a tactic. The Hoops will fly into Atlantian Oceania to play at the Kalactanian national team’s Gold Coast International Football Stadium, the 104,000 capacity behemoth outstrips all Mytanar stadia for size and will surely present the Hoops with a hostile atmosphere through sheer force of numbers if nothing else. Imagine the size of the away section and the potential issues that will pose for the Kalactanian authorities though. They will then travel to the smog-filled Miago to play at the Miagostadion on match day 12 and what a way to introduce them to Mytanija in what will be the first ever encounter between the two teams. Miago is not exactly a tourist destination and the locals - for the most part - are not the greatest fans of foreigners. Welcome to Mytanija.

Expected line-up: 1. Romero; 2. M. Hall, 3. Anderson, 4. Martinez; 5. Gilbert, 6. Owens, 7. L. Hall; 8. Torres, 9. McCarthy, 10. Sanders, 11. Butler (c)

HUAYRAMARCA (88): The Condors finished a distant 4th in their World Cup 86 qualifying group, behind Ko-oren who qualified and 95X who went to the play-off. They then finished 6th out of 7 in their Cup of Harmony group. They will be eager to improve on that and their team has gradually gained experience in World Cup qualifying and looks to be building towards making that jump from contender to qualifier - could this be their year? Well, maybe not to qualify directly but they may just be able to sneak into 2nd and either an automatic qualifying spot if they are one of the three best runners-up or a play-off. If they perform to their best there is no reason why they cannot usurp Sargossa and Northwest Kalactin. Their most recent AOCAF performance does count against them though as they ended up in League C after the mammoth process to separate the wheat from the chaff and failed to even qualify through to the latter stages as they finished bottom of that group. If that version of Huayramarca turns up in World Cup qualifying then they will not be fighting for that play-off spot and the Hoops may even fancy themselves to get a result against them at home.

They have some very interesting players in their ranks, Ian Mamani probably being the best of the lot, the young captain offering a real creative presence in behind their striker in a manner similar to Jasno Odonelec. Keep an eye out for Gabriel Sayritupac too, the tricky winger looks to be a real talent and you can be sure that Top League scouts will be keeping their eye on him when they have a chance to see him play up close. We will be playing Huayramarca at Radnika on match day 4 and you can bet that the capital crowd will want to see a good performance from the Hoops even if they might not manage to win the game against the group’s 4th seed. Mytanija then travel to Huayramarca on match day 13 and will play at one of the country’s three major stadiums: the Estadio Nacional del Huayramarca; Estadio Olímpico del Oriente; or the Estadio Metropolitano del Guayas. The Hoops will have to deal with the altitude when travelling, with the so-called Andean effect causing issues with the flight of the ball and potentially the breathing of some players.

Expected line-up: 1. J. Mamani; 4. Vilca, 14. Chumacero, 2. Quispe, 6. Fernandez; 17. Mina, 8. Allauca; 7. Mendoza, 11. I. Mamani (c), 21. Sayritupac; 23. Tello

DAMUKUNI (103): They finished 5th in their qualification group last time out in World Cup 86 and since then they were dumped out of the Campeonato Esportiva group stage, finishing 3rd in the group behind Hampton Island and the Golden Lotus. They have solid pedigree though and similar to Emastalia below Lev Repin will use the games against Damukuni to work out exactly where this team are at. We would have been in a good position to beat Damukuni pre-suspension, but after a while without playing top-level international football will we be able to perform at the level necessary to get some points out of them? If we play well this is probably the best team in the group we can beat without our opponents having a bad day at the office, but it is something to aim for and Repin will be praised if he manages to get a top-half finish in this qualification group in our first qualifying attempt following our ban from NSWC competition for hooliganism issues. An interesting morsel of information is that Damukuni and Emastalia were in the same qualifying group for World Cup 85 with Emastalia finishing above Damukuni that time around.

Damukuni’s team is a mix of relative youth (their right back Akuoru Sasaki and striker Julie Coelho) and experience (pretty much everywhere else). Veteran goalkeeper Shoryū Enomoto captains their team and the task in hand for Lev Repin will be working out which formation and tactical approach of his will give the Hoops the best chance of beating the Damukuni captain. They play a pretty expansive style and you can be sure our defenders will have a job on their hands keeping them out, but it is one that the likes of Mojmir Anac and Petr Isaev will relish as Mytanija look to move back up the rankings. We welcome them to the Novi Kaunostadion on match day 6 and travel to Esportiva to play away on match day 15.

Expected line-up: 17. Enomoto (c); 24. Roarki, 35. Gaulans, 25. Lani, 69. Sasaki; 99. Darvish, 86. Ortberg, 84. Ueshiba, 85. Yoshiki; 11. Coelho, 61. Rodríguez

EMASTALIA (129): Emastalia finished 9th in their qualifying group for World Cup 86 which was a pretty poor showing all-told, that will give Mytanija confidence that they can do well in the two games against the group’s 6th seed. As mentioned, they were also in a group with Damukuni for World Cup 85 qualifying and Emastalia actually managed to finish above the higher ranked team in that qualification cycle with Damukuni below them in 7th. Emastalia managed a thrilling 6-3 win at home and secured a point on the travels in Damukuni. This provides an interesting storyline to this group besides our own fortunes. The Peacocks will present a challenge for Mytanija, after all they are the higher ranked team despite what many might believe about the level of quality of football in each country. Mytanija have to try to regain our own position within the international game after the FSM were punished for failing to control Mytanar hooligans at home fixtures by being banned from qualifying for a few cycles. We will be able to see just how much the game has suffered in the country in the intervening period against the likes of Emastalia - teams we would easily have beaten before the suspension.

Emastalia’s key player is undoubtedly their 106 goals in 40 caps striker Willem Alden, though whoever plays left-back may also face an uphill task against the prolific winger Elijah Obinna - he has 37 goals in 39 caps for the Peacocks. Repin will use this game as a barometer of how good we actually are following the suspension, the impact of it will become clear afterwards as we should really be beating nations such as Emastalia. We will travel to play them at either the Peacock Stadium in Emastaly or Lotus Stadium in Amsterdam on match day 8, before welcoming them to our shores on match day 17 when Mytanija will play their final home game of the qualification cycle in the capital, at the nominal national stadium Radnika.

Expected line-up: 1. Llynn; 18. Phillips, 3. De Vries, 20. Louivereau, 17. Vanderbilt; 15. Rosenau, 6. Pouveire (c), 4. Gillapi, 11. Obinna; 7. Alden, 21. Aaldenburg

CIRRUS AZALE (269): I stared at Cirrus Azale’s team for a while and couldn’t make head nor tail of it, but I think I got to the bottom of what their expected starting line-up could look like after a while. I’m probably very wrong as this team seem to be a tactical puzzle, their position names are all different and centre-backs appear to be alien to them. I kind of respect that. They did okay at the Baptism of Fire ahead of this qualifying campaign though, reaching the quarter finals before being eliminated by Yerapia 1-0 after extra time. What was perhaps most impressive was that they qualified from their group without actually losing a game, putting together two wins and three draws as they finished in 3rd. Lev Repin will probably see them as a potential banana skin given their reasonable showing at the Baptism of Fire and the sense of intrigue that surrounds their tactical approach. Given our reputation and history you can be certain that Cirrus Azale will be well up for taking the scalp of a team that has won international trophies like the Cup of Harmony and Copa Rushmori before.

We first meet them on match day 5 when we travel to Cirrus Azale for the first ever meeting between the two nations. They will then travel to the capital to play at Kotrba, the cavernous stadium in Esca’s Votavova neighbourhood. It will be filled with an extremely hostile home crowd and you can be sure that that will be a true baptism of fire if they did not feel they received one in their Baptism of Fire.

Expected line-up: 72. Lydekker; 22. Hepburn, 31. Tamerlain, 29. Gravity Falls, 11. Smythe-Wellington; 41. Kelley; 29. Majewski, 40. Fitzwallace, 79. Banders; 71. Maher, 3. Addams

CRITICAL OPERATIONS (289): I honestly have no idea what we are up against with this lot. A team of doctors and surgeons, perhaps? Maybe a team of project managers or engineers? We cannot be sure. They entered the most recent Baptism of Fire and that was their first foray into international football. They managed to get out of the group stage with their mysterious set of players, amassing two wins, two draws and a loss through their give group games for a total of 8 points. They then beat Cascadia in their first knockout game before succumbing to Bonbokh u Piche 3-1 following extra time after the teams could not be separated through 90 minutes with the game finish 1-1 in normal time. All in all a pretty good showing for their first international tournament, they won more games than they lost and they were a game away from the semi finals which is nothing to be sniffed at. Whether their line-up is constructed from secret agents or is a team set-up for a white-collar marketing firm is something we will find out once we have played them.

Repin will surely be confident of getting something from both games against this lot? Although he may perhaps be slightly worried given the sheer lack of information on their team and their tactics. We travel to play them on match day 8, wherever it is that we will be going. I’m not entirely sure how Gazeta Sporta will get me there to cover the game, but hey, what’s in the details? They will then come to the Olujastadion in Ebor for match day 16 where they will play in the hospitable sunny climes of Mytanija’s northern coast.

Expected line-up: ???

IBIXA (UR): A trip to Atlantian Oceania awaits us and one to Rushmore for them as we face-off against Krytenia’s southern neighbours. They are the other unranked team in our qualifying group and we should probably fancy getting a result against them in both fixtures given both the diverging standards of both nations’ footballing histories. Les Gaseles are set to play their first games at the newly completed Altoro Arena during this qualifying campaign and the 40,000 capacity should ensure a crackling atmosphere for when Mytanija visit. The Hoops would probably prefer to be playing against Ibixa’s neighbours, with a little bit more history between Mytanar and Krytenian football than Mytanar and Ibixan football but despite the disparity in the two teams’ pasts they will be playing against one another as unranked teams and that means that history will count for nothing and the two teams will be able to create some of their own out on the pitch. A loss against Ibixa would be a hit to Mytanar football’s pride though, expect Repin’s men to go out with a level of motivation they may usually reserve for bigger games.

Antoni Guell’s team play an attacking 4-3-3 and boast some truly lovely kits made by JMC. Their key men appear to be the captain Jordi Godina, the creative midfielder alongside him Ximeno Figueras and their central striker Gonçal Oriol - if the trio perform then the Hoops could be left with red faces. Expect some Top League scouts to be keeping an eye on the Ibixan team in the hope that they may spy a bargain who could do a job in the top tier of Mytanar football. Mytanija play Ibixa away at home on match day 9 when they will be welcoming them to the Westfalenstadion in Prizren in the hope of putting on a show at the biggest stadium in the country. The Hoops will then travel to Ibixa on the final match day to play at the shiny new Altoro Arena.

Expected line-up: 1. Marines; 3. Nadal, 4. Valencía, 5. Rado, 2. Escutia; 8. Perna, 6. Godina (c), 7. Figueras; 11. Soler, 10. Oriol, 9. Mollet

MYTANIJA (UR): And finally, it’s us! There aren’t too many teams that have finished 4th in the Copa Rushmori and gone straight into the next World Cup qualifying cycle unranked. Mytanija will be one this time around and it has left the Hoops with relatively high expectations but probably very little chance of fulfilling them. Mytanija are essentially this group’s bottom seed and that would usually mean being the group’s whipping boys but in many ways both the Mytanar team and our opponents will probably see things a little differently. We have more history in World Cup football than arguably any other team in the group except Audioslavia, Sargossa would perhaps claim the second spot behind Audioslavia in those stakes for themselves and they may have a case but we’re hardly going to recognise our regional rivals ahead of ourselves are we?

We have a fairly experienced group of players and in Lev Repin a manager who is constantly prepared to tinker tactically to find the set-up which will get our team results, it could prove to be a potent mix in this qualification campaign. It looks like he will be deploying the strikerless 4-6-0 from the beginning of this qualifying campaign, an interesting development as the national pool as a whole is possibly more suited to a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, but given the success of the dual false nines at the Copa Rushmori who can say Repin is wrong? Ocokoljic and Odonelec caused opposition defences nightmares with their constant movement as they occupied unusual positions for nominal forwards. Those two and a few others could cause the same issues for many of the defences in this group and it is likely that Repin will be relatively confident of getting a result against pretty much anyone other than Audioslavia at home given the... shall we say boisterous home atmospheres that will be awaiting our opponents.

There isn’t much pressure on Repin following Mytanija’s impressive showing at the Copa Rushmori, the suits at the FSM are largely in agreement that he should be given time to implement a philosophy that will take Mytanar football back to the pinnacle of the world game and they appreciate that being unranked will mean the process takes a while. Many at home are optimistic of a top-half finish within the group though, there are plenty of winnable games if the Hoops turn up and play their best stuff and we may even be able to scalp the Sargossans along the way too.

Expected line-up: 1. Kasun; 2. Vukovic, 3. Anac, 4. Jernejec, 5. Isaev (c); 6. Hrdaljko, 7. Fejzuli; 8. Vlahovic, 9. Ocokoljic, 10. Odonelec, 11. Kalinic

by **Koniglich Wasserstein** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 6:35 am

Interviewer: Hello there Mr Vogel. How are you feeling ahead of your first World Cup '87 Qualifying match tommorow?
Thomi Vogel: We are really excited for tommorow, but we would ask for no expectations from our fans! (laughs) We really want to start out strong, but we'll see how the first half goes and make adjustments where we need to for the second. However, at the same time, I think that starting the match strong is the real key here, mainly to boost morale. However, it is against one of the best teams there is, and in the end it's all about the experience; we are unlikely to take home anything from this game apart from a negative goal difference.

Interviewer: I see that Alex Lange has just come back from Stevemeve captaining the Western Wolves to league victory. How are you planning to help him to help less experienced players such as Horn and Lorenz?
Vogel: I wouldn't consider them to be inexperienced; they both have more than 20 caps for the national team. I think that if all of the team, not just Lange, give them the ball like they would to any other player, they will have more than enough confidence to enjoy tomorrow.

Interviewer: Right, and are you looking to apply pressure up the field, or sit back and wait for the ball to come to you?
Vogel: I think pressure is important, and we shouldn't just wait for the ball. I think that our attacking players should be pressing up the field, not at all times, but a lot of the time. Our defence, however, should not be dragged out by the opposition in most cases.

Interviewer: What match in this campaign are you most excited for?
Vogel: Chartistan at home. After their comment about us earlier this week, we want to try put up as bigger fight as we can. At the same time, we are still likely to lose both games against them, but we are looking forward to the match regardless.

Interviewer: And the one you are most dreading?
Vogel: The last one! we are going to try enjoy every minute of this campaign, even if we lose every match. As our World Cup debut, it's more of an experience for the players, and to prepare us mentally for whatever lies ahead.

Interviwer: Thank you very much.
Vogel: Thank you.

by **Flavovespia** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 7:27 am

Group draw – “A challenging one”

lan Young described the group draw as “A challenging one, but certainly one I think we can challenge in”, following the conclusion of the draw ceremony. Flavovespia will have to contend with plenty of experienced nations, some of which have graced the upper echelons of international football, and other contenders for whom World Cup qualification isn’t a far away dream.

To recap, this is the draw for Flavovespia:

Cassadaigua (4)
Flavovespia (41)
Muralos (259)
Havynwilde (126)
TJUN-ia (56)
Busoga Islands (79)
Hispinas (315)
Nacaltora (UR)
Central Shaneville (UR)
Acronius (100)

Cassadaigua are a nation anyone familiar with international football has heard of. Twice winners and 3 time hosts, they are one of the true powerhouses in the world. Inducted into the World Cup Nations Hall of Fame way back after World Cup 55, their historical prestige can’t be overstated. Cassadaigua made the semi finals of both the World Cup 86 and Copa Rushmori, but in a major sense of déjà vu, they lost by 5 goals to 4 against Nephara in extra time on both occasions. They were of course in Flavovespia’s qualifying group last time out, and were the opener, in a 1-2 loss for Flavovespia. A 4-3 loss in the away fixture means Flavovespia would dearly love to get an upset on the top seeds of the group.

Muralos are a debutant at the World Cup Qualifiers, and were in this cycle’s edition of the Baptism of Fire 74. The Hawks, as they’re nicknamed, went out at the Round of 16 stage, but were undefeated in the group stage of the tournament. Despite being debutants, they won’t be a pushover, and will certainly look to claim some upsets in their debut cycle. In the IAC 11, they won their group before a Round of 16 exit to New Lusitania. Additionally, they won the International Football Cup 2, so they do have some silverware. Their Pot 7 status arguably doesn’t do them justice, they could cause some surprises.

Havynwilde are of a fair few teams in this group who could potentially spring a surprise and make the Top 2. The cold, eternal wintry nation of the Melayu Archipelago are certainly on the rise, both internationally and in domestic league level, they could make noises in this group. They’re in Pot 6, but could certainly outperform that, in this cycle and beyond. They hosted the most recent IAC 11, but their performances left a lot to be desired, and they’ll be coming into this tournament keen to make up for that. The cold conditions of Havynwilde could potentially give them home advantage, even if IAC 11 didn’t show that.

TJUN-ia came out of Pot 3, and will certainly be gunning for a place in the Top 2. They began playing in World Cup qualifiers one cycle after Flavovespia did, and have made appearances in every Cup of Harmony since them. They’re another competitor in the IAC, in the IAC 11 they made it to the Round of 16, before a 6-3 loss to Megistos, Ben Robertson’s first half hattrick largely to blame. They’re certainly a team who have potential one day to make it to a World Cup, maybe even this time around. Many would suspect Flavovespia have been marked down as a key team to beat by TJUN-ia.

Busoga Islands are another well known name. Formerly a part of Banija, the Busoga Islands have somewhat underperformed recently, in particular last cycle where they didn’t even go to the Cup of Harmony, hence dropping to Pot 4. However, they could very well be a “sleeping giant” of the qualifiers. Co-hosting the AOCAF Cup 62, they went from League B to automatic Round of 16 qualification, and then surprised Audioslavia. Domestically, top Busoga Islands clubs now play in the Shango-Fogoa Premier League with Farfadillis and Banija, what effect that has on the national team remains to be seen. Group 3 of the qualifiers looks competitive, and Busoga Islands certainly adds to that perception.

Hispinas are another World Cup Qualifiers debutant, after their Round of 32 exit in the Baptism of Fire. That wasn’t their first foray into international football, they were in the U18 and U21 World Cup in their last editions. They also debuted in Copa Rushmori 36, winning their group as an unranked nation. They then reached the quarter finals, before defeat to a Group 3 side, Cassadaigua. They also made the quarter finals of the most recent Wonder Cup. The Golden Sealions, come into their first World Cup cycle already with some good international experience, and despite being from Pot 8, won’t be a pushover at all.

Nacaltora return after a period of absence from international football. Their return to international football saw them reach the Round of 16 in the Copa Rushmori 36, before a 5-3 loss to Yue Zhou. Unusually they played in the Baptism of Fire 67, but didn’t then go on and appear in the subsequent World Cup Qualifiers 80, so this is their first appearance in the qualifiers. Despite coming into this tournament unranked, their results in the Copa Rushmori 36 show they could mix it up, and be a threat in any of their 18 games.

Central Shaneville return for a second crack at qualifying for the World Cup. Central Shaneville come into this tournament unranked, but as stated before, it’s not their first attempt in this tournament, having competed in the World Cup 81 Qualifiers. Another member of the Melayu Archipelago, they narrowly missed out on a knock-out stages appearance at the IAC 11. They were also eliminated in the group stage of the International Football Cup 2. Qualification with zero points in the ranking is considered very unlikely, but they’re another team lower down the pots, who could spring a surprise on any of their 18 matches.

Acronius have never qualified for a World Cup, but not for a lack of trying, this is attempt number 20. A nation that is experienced in the qualifiers, if not outright successful, they’ve seen plenty over the years and will try to utilise that to good effect. They do however appear to be the only nation in this group with limited international play since World Cup 86. From Pot 5 of the draw, it isn’t out of the question at all for them to spring a surprise and be in the hunt for qualification.

Asked about the schedule and the upcoming 18 games, Alan Young said “there are no easy games, only hard games and harder games”, to the amusement of the press gathered. Expanding on that point, he emphasised “we were unranked and a lower pot team that long ago, we know the sort of attitude sides will go into these games with. It’s up to us to not suffer the pitfalls of assuming a game is won on paper and not the pitch”.

The consensus seems to be at the moment the most important part of the schedule for Flavovespia is the run of games of Havynwilde, TJUN-ia and Busoga Islands. The 6th, 3rd and 4th seeds in the group in a row, it has been described as the “gauntlet to qualification”. Pundits speculate that whoever amongst the Pot 2-6 sides (the aforementioned nations plus Acronius) has the best H2H in that “mini-league”, will likely come out as favourites for at least 2nd place in the group. Nevertheless, even the teams from the lower pots are no pushovers, unlike some previous cycles nobody in this group looks like cannon fooder.

Flavovespia’s record in opening games, particularly away isn’t the strongest in World Cup Qualifiers. Cassadaigua is certainly not a team anyone needs to face first on your travels, if that trend is to be bucked. Nevertheless, Alan Young chose to remain optimistic about things. “It’s a chance for us to make a statement early. If we avoid a loss in Cassadaigua, I think that will send a message about where we stand. I’m happy enough to play them early, it’s an early chance for revenge”, the new Flavovespia manager stated.

So whilst this draw in the balance of things can’t really be described as helping Flavovespia’s qualification chances, it will provide the nation with plenty of interesting matchups and hopefully entertaining games. Group 3 certainly looks like an exciting group in these qualifiers and very unpredictable before a ball is kicked. Soon in Hadford Hill, the 18 game journey for Flavovespia, and Alan Young’s international journey will begin.

by **Barunia** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 8:10 am

The Barunia Suns have officially launched their World Cup 87 campaign, with the above image posted to their official social media accounts. The World Cup starts in a few days, with the Suns playing their traditional opening match at Sam Garcia Field in Northport-San Baptiste. Their opponents will be the lowly-ranked Jabal Akhdar, but coach Rafael Barrios has urged the team not to be complacent. He stated online that an early win will be important to set the tone for the rest of the campaign.

A morale boost in the first match will certainly be welcome, before the Suns head to Valanora to take on one of the true giants of the game. Currently ranked 5th, Valanora will be a serious challenge for Barunia. The 5-time champions are undoubtedly early favourites to top the group. Unranked Frestovenia and minnows Icecliff will be a welcome relief for the Suns in their next two games, before they get a welcome two home games in a row. The team also won't have to travel, with both games scheduled to be played in Porthaven. The oddly-named Tornado Queendom will be a warm-up for the main event, world number 20 Kelssek. This has all the hallmarks of a classic match, and one that may well decide the Suns' hopes.

After that Barunia travels to Squidroidia, the team most close to Barunia in rank. Then Memorial Stadium hosts its first match, when the Suns take on Wreckeria. Then the team hit the road for two away games in a row, facing the stalwart Darmen before it's off to Jabal Akhdar to start the second leg.

1 vs Jabal Akhdar (315) - Sam Garcia Field
2 @ Valanora (5)
3 vs Frestovenia (UR) - Bayview Stadium
4 @ Icecliff (359)
5 vs Tornado Queendom (263) - Sun Stadium
6 vs Kelssek (20) - Sun Stadium
7 @ Squidroidia (84)
8 vs Wreckeria (155) - Memorial Stadium
9 @ Darmen (46)
10 @ Jabal Akhdar (315)
11 vs Valanora (5) - Sun Stadium
12 @ Frestovenia (UR)
13 vs Icecliff (359) - Sam Garcia Field
14 @ Tornado Queendom (263)
15 @ Kelssek (20)
16 vs Squidroidia (84) - Bayview Stadium
17 @ Wreckeria (155)
18 vs Darmen (46) - Memorial Stadium

by **Frestovenia** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 8:42 am

Frestovenian footballers ready to play first qualifier

Fresto Sports - 10 January 2021

Asvard Stadium ready to host first qualifier

The first game in this qualifying campaign is getting closer and closer for the national team of Frestovenia. Tomorrow the first test for the boys in orange is against the team of the Tornado Queendom at home ground. Both teams trained inside the Asvard Stadium this morning. The weather was good and the sun was present for most of the time. The pitch conditions are on point and everyone seems to be happy with it. Players of both teams looked very energetic and excited, which is already a big compliment for the people behind the scenes working 24/7 to keep this stadium running. Tomorrow just before the kickoff against the Tornado Queendom, the Stadium will light up in the orange and blue home colors and fireworks will explode above the stadium to start this world cup campaign with a BANG!

First official match ended in a 1-1 draw

Yesterday the team played their first official match against Lorrana. The friendly match in the Asvard Stadium started with an opening ceremony. Traditional Frestovenian music was played inside the stadium and a group of dancers performed in the middle of the pitch. Only supporters from the city of Asvard were given the chance to visit the match. Lorrana that was drawn into group 12 for the 87th world cup qualifiers, played a strong match against the Frestovenian side. In the first 45 minutes of the match both teams couldn't find the net. After half time the team of Lorrana got the first lead in the match and made a 60th minute goal header by Irti Ramük. For a long time it seemed that the Frestovenian side faced its first international defeat, but a late minute goal by midfielder Gunter Palrikken in the 87th minute changed that thought. 1-1 remained the score.

Match result:

Frestovenia 1-1 Lorrana
@Asvard Stadium, Asvard

60' Ramük (Lorrana)
87' Palrikken (Frestovenia)

FINISHED

What to expect in tomorrows match?

The match against the Tornado Queendom will be seen as the first big test for the Frestovenians. The 263rd ranked side in the KPB rankings from pot 7 will be one of the opponents to beat in this qualifying campaign. We spoke with the head coach of the Frestovenian team Alrik Valatanen about tomorrows clash: "Although we don't know much about the play style of this team, I can say that we will face an opponent that has more experience and quality. It can be a difficult opponent, but we know that on a good day we can beat this team. Let's just hope that tomorrow will be such a day for us". When asked if the team will play in a 4-3-2-1 formation the coach answered: "Yes, we will keep our standard formation. Captain Artvikker will play in the point of the attack together with the two other forwards Ogsen and Gajetser". Can we still expect changes on the match day tomorrow? "No I think this is how it stands now and we will just see how it turns out" says the head coach.

Match info:

Frestovenia v Tornado Queendom
@Asvard Stadium, Asvard

LIVE on Fresto Sports 1

Fresto sports 1 will broadcast the match against the Tornado Queendom. Interviews & reactions after the match will be on Fresto Sports channel 2.

by **Garbelia** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 9:29 am

Interviews with the manager, Otter McOttery
Interviewed by Garvida Rovers legend, Lutra Scratchington

Manager interview:

"Hi Otter, thanks for agreeing to the interview."

"I'll do it, but I don't have time. I am weighing up the benefits of a different formation, should we be sitting back so we don't get thumped, or flowing forward, like how Garbeli play?"

"Wow, that sounds complicated. So, first international tournament Otter, how are you feeling about it all?"

"Stressed, I need to keep this job, if we bring home the wooden spoon, I'll face the sack, but I need the players to believe."

"So you have been training them to want to win, to expect them to win?"

"Of course, players who believe play better. Simple. Now should I switch to a 5-4-1, or a 6-3-1? Actually no, 3 in midfield would allow balls to get into the box. No. You're a legend Lutra, what do you think I should do?"

"Just keep doing what you do. Believe in yourself, like the players."

"You mean do what I did at Garvida? No, a 4-2-4 won't work with these players, we need a moderate formation.

"Not what I meant. Anyway, how are you finding managing on the world stage?"

"Stressful, to think I was chosen, with the weight of millions of citizens on my back , it will be hard."

"So can you give us any glimpses of what has happened in training, what you've been working on?"

"Otto Otter is a legend a set pieces. Unstoppable. We have every aspect covered, except discipline. The players get riled up easily, but we've hired a therapist to release their inner calm, or something. I'm worried it will harm their desire though. Anyway, the team is scoring 9/10 corners against a team from Farbelia, it is looking good."

"What is your opinion on the new kit?"

WHO CARES WHAT THE PLAYERS ARE WEARING, THIS ISN'T A CATWALK! Although, the quality of kit material is poor, that might affect concentration..."

"Slightly strong reaction. Anyway, what is the 3-4-1-2 formation looking like?"

"Actually, quite good. If/when we take the lead, the wingers drop back to make a 5-2-1-2, and if we just need to score, it can be converted into a 3-1-4-2 or 3-1-2-4, the wingers are very versatile, which is great for the team."

"You've received criticism for having no reserve team, just the U-23s on standby."

"Really? Anyway, football is still quite a new sport in Garbelia, so most of our players are U-23 anyway, and the good ones that aren't can just drop into the squad.

"The team's manager seems very tense. Let's hope the worries are baseless, and we'll find out in our first match, against Græntfjall tomorrow, watching from the press boxes. Tune in to PGBS Sport for live coverage, and until then, goodbye!."

View from Venjolath Road will be broadcast on both radio and television daily until the end of the WC Qualifiers, and will be available as a podcast afterwards. In 2 days, we bring you a match report and limited highlights of OUR FIRST MATCH against Pluvia and the Saxean Isles. (Loss of a day due to timezones)

by **Cassadaigua** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 10:45 am

New World Cup, What are the expectations?
By Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times,

As we prepare for a new qualifying period for the World Cup, there is excitement all throughout our world, and other worlds. For many, the World Cup 87 cycle is just another step for their national program to win their first title, or to add to their trophy cabinet. For others, this is the first time that they have ventured into this level of competition. We see nations come and go every World Cup, and while some will make it and some will become legendary, there are many more that we will never see again. Watching new programs will always be exciting, just as long as you aren’t the favorite on the other end that are falling victim to them in an upset.

Team Cassadaigua is one of those favorites during World Cup 87, and our fans will only consider this a success if we bring the World Cup trophy back to Concord Heights. That always creates a tough situation, because you can make the case that there are about twenty countries in the World who also consider themselves to be a favorite and capable of winning it all, and then you add on to that a group of nations that are rising through the ranks. We’ve done it before, and because we have done so, our fans want to taste that level of success again. As fans, we hope that the team can ride in the coattails of the World Baseball Classic 50 team, which recently won it all, right here in Concord Heights. That can serve as a reminder from the last time that we had made the semifinals in the World Cup. That was #83, and afterwards there was so much hope that we could win it all on home turf in #84. We know that did not happen, and that made the win in the World Baseball Classic even sweeter. Following that, would we be spoiled and selfish if we expected to win the World Cup, too? Well, we have made it a habit of that. After all, we are also the reigning World Bowl champions. We’re supposed to be sharing these titles with others, but lately it is us and Banija hogging everything to ourselves.

If winning the World Cup is your expectation, then you are only setting yourself up for disappointment. If we win it, you will see it as something that should have been the ending, and if you don’t win it, you will not be satisfied. I ask you then, to not have this expectation. Instead, make it your hope. The road is tough, and that will start in Group 3 against quality opposition from TJUN-ia, Flavovespia, and Busoga Islands as the likely nations to see near the top. Acronius figures to be a pesky opponent that has been around for a while. Havynwilde, if their media is up to the task, can be a spoiler. Muralos, Central Shanesville (the home of the great Jeff Shreeves!), Hispinas, and Nacaltora are also nations that will be taking us on and hoping to get a signature result against us. Hispinas has not yet shared who will be on their team, but they recently performed well in the Copa Rushmori, so we will not take them lately. At the end of the day, this is a group that Cassadaigua should win. There will be interesting stories to write about or read about that will happen elsewhere, but eventually, we should get the automatic bid for winning the group. This is a format, by the way, that will have a playoff. It’s similar to what was employed by Newmanistan and Drawkland last time, but with a few less automatic bids for second place teams. That’s going to make nations in our group extra motivated to get results against us.

This World Cup is hosted by Taeshan and Ethane. For Taeshan, a nation with a long (I can’t quite say illustrious, though they have had some great moments) history in sports, this is certainly very exciting. I was actually a little surprised to hear that Taeshan had never hosted the World Cup before, but it is a great step forward for their nation. If you are planning a trip, bring a winter jacket. As for Ethane, they don’t have as long a history in sports as their co-host, and it is also their first World Cup. Naturally, we would prefer to play in Taeshan, to stay in Rushmore, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We have to get to the World Cup, and that is never a given, even when you seem to be a favorite.

As far as the team is concerned, the roster should not be a surprise. Much of the team returns for the World Cup, and the new names could be seen coming a mile away. Morgan Rosenblatt will be one of the younger starters we have had on the team in a while, but after her incredible play in the Copa Rushmori, she was an easy choice. Rosenblatt takes over the spot vacated by Zack Pierce, who is no longer part of the team. Pierce has seen his stats slip at home, and as such, he was not included on the team. On Spacebook, Pierce posted that, “I will miss being a part of the World Cup team. After coming so close last time, and being a big contributor to that effort, I wanted to be back. However, I am also aware that better options seem to have presented themselves this time out.” Some have wondered why Pierce was not added to the “travel squad” that Sweeney sometimes brings with the team, though usually that is made up of younger players.

The biggest controversy with the roster was not a player, but that of a kit number. The #23 was assigned to Taylor Russo, which will look a lot better on the striker than the #38 did the last time out. No one questions Russo’s role, but putting #23 back in circulation seems to mean that it will not be retired for long time midfielder Sierra Mattison, who played such an integral role on this team up until her retirement after World Cup 85. It was not seen as an automatic that Mattison’s number would be retired, but many felt that it should have been. The number was not worn in the last World Cup, much like the #22 for Lupe Enriquez. #22 was not put back into circulation, but #23 was, which is fueling questions that #22 will be retired. As for #23, it seems as though CASE has decided that Mattison did not quite reach the criteria for jersey retirement. CASE declined to comment on the matter, and it would not be unprecedented for a kit number to be retired after it was worn by another player or two. That happened with Michelle Fuller’s #5, as honoring her was a bit delayed. Perhaps, CASE simply realizes that we cannot retire everything. Russo should represent the #23 well. Now, will #22 be retired for Lupe Enriquez? Many feel as though it should be and if there was going to be a choice between Enriquez and Mattison, then Enriquez was going to be the better choice.

Stay tuned on that, and on everything else. Enjoy the qualifying action!

by **Squornshelan Remnant States** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 11:25 am

Three Things
Salwan Mynhier

Oh yes, it's time once again to watch the Black-and-Reds go out and do battle with the multiverse of football. All is not quite well, however, and the Black-and-Reds are facing a few serious issues as they prepare for their seventh attempt to qualify for the World Cup.

The Confederacy has an uphill battle ahead
We head into World Cup qualifying with our worst starting Ranking since World Cup 82. After several cycles not quite achieving the objective of being the Pot 3 team that trips up a higher seed to sneak into second place. Now at 66th, the SRS finds itself in Pot 4, and qualification looks like an extremely remote possibility. Ahead of us in Group 7, we find 3rd-ranked Farfadillis, champions of World Cup 84 from Pot 1, 39th-ranked Krytenia, who were not only somehow victorious in a semifinal in Cup of Harmony 78, but won the ensuing final as well, and 48th-ranked Poafmersia, whose relative lack of success in qualifying thus far is greatly tempered by their back to back IAC championships. These are good teams, and none look particularly likely to suffer the kind of massive letdowns that would be necessary for us to finish top two. Behind us, dangerous teams from Gyatso-Kai (109th) and Bongo Johnson (170th) are also looking to move up in the world. In some groups, one can perceive chinks in the armor of certain sides, opportunities that a lower seed might exploit. In this Group 7, apart from the Kryties' age old penchant for underachieving (one that we definitely share of late), it's hard to see any real room for the Black-and-Reds to pick up the extra points they'll need.
Rumors of a Management Change
Anne-Sophie Groothuis of Omerica has managed the Black-and-Reds since IAC 10. Unfortunately, rather than the improvement and qualification run she and the SCFA had anticipated for Wordl Cup 86, the team's performance was stagnant, and the decision to forgo the Cup of Harmony led to a further drop in the team's status around the multiverse. Another set of poor results could see the SCFA look to move on, and give another manager an opportunity to lead the team out of its plateaued standing. On the other hand, the perfectionist Omerican might just as easily decide to walk away, as she did from her last position, managing her home country's national team. Of course, both Groothuis and the SCFA have been extremely tight lipped, denying all such rumors and dismissing further questions on the subject. It could just as easily prove that this is all hot air born of careless speculation by trigger-happy journalists.
Are there too many foreigners in the SCFA?
Before you break out the pitchforks or put me on trial for hate speech, give me a moment to explain. The SCFA, buoyed by Megabrantid's stunning recent success in the Challengers Cup, is now considered among the top 25 league systems in the multiverse. With such excellence in club football, and the opportunity for young prospects to cut their teeth at such a high level, one would expect the national team to mirror the league's rise in quality. This has not been the case, but why not? In its top division, the Superleague, the SCFA enforces no rules limiting the number of foreign players, or requiring that any homegrown talents feature in the first team. The result has been that the teams with the means to do so have brought in large numbers of foreign players. This trend has reached a point that foreign players often significantly outnumber Confederates in the first teams of the best teams in the league. Damogran FC and Algolia feature only 3 Confederates in the first team, Chalesm and Megabrantid only 4, and Royals and Syneca 5. Of the teams that were realistic contenders for IFCF positions this past season, only Yassaca (6), Traal (7), and Interblag (10) featured a Confederate majority in the first team. The question, then, is this. Is a preponderance of foreign talent in the first teams of Superleague teams holding back the development of Confederate players, and by extension the quality of the national team? It's a difficult question to discuss without giving too much credence to simple xenophobia, but one that the SCFA may need to consider if it still expects to qualify for a World Cup any time soon.

SRS Qualifying Schedule and Results:

MD1  SWE v SRS @ TBA
MD2  SRS v KRY @ Megabrantid Financial Field (cap. 69,245), Brantisvogan, Megabrantis, SRS
MD3  PFA v SRS @ Libira National Stadium (cap. 68,000), Fiskadaha City, PFA
MD4  SRS v CRY @ New Rudlit Arena (cap. 31,200), Rudlit, West Flania, SRS
MD5  WZA v SRS @ Edge Hill, Bradley, WZA
MD6  SRS v FFD @ Bridger Lane (cap. 72,406), Damogran, Algolia, SRS
MD7  GKI v SRS @ TBA
MD8  SRS v BGJ @ Synesoft Arena (cap. 38,600), Syneca, Sivoliva, SRS
MD9  SNB v SRS @ TBA
MD10 SRS v SWE @ Reinallt Arena (cap. 41,230), Golgafrincham, Megabrantis, SRS
MD11 KRY v SRS @ TBA
MD12 SRS v PFA @ Slavnarzeczpospolitastadion (cap. 61,230), Lublova, Molvania, SRS
MD13 CRY v SRS @ TBA
MD14 SRS v WZA @ Olympiastad (cap. 47,550), Arkintoofle, Megabrantis, SRS
MD15 FFD v SRS @ TBA
MD16 SRS v GKI @ Castle Street (cap. 57,300), Jaglan, Algolia, SRS
MD17 BGJ v SRS @ TBA
MD18 SRS v SNB @ Ralph Wilson Memorial Stadium (cap. 48,700), Han Dold City, Han Dold, SRS

by **Valanora** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 12:15 pm

Optimism was the feeling of the national team and the supporters, optimism that this Marauders squad was there on the precipice of greatness once more. The side was entering the Qualifiers in a top five ranking according to the WCC rankings, there was an air of confidence and prestige among the side that had been missing for large parts of the previous two decades that had finally started to reemerge three or four years ago. To top it all off, they were finally back in the trophies, having overcome a sluggish start to the Eagles' Cup before eventually winning the competition, defeating the current World Cup holders and subregional rivals of Banija in the Final to win the trophy. It was a certain amount of privilege to feel like one had to be contending for trophies, yet throughout the decades and over century of playing international football, the Marauders had put in the work to be there among the best at the game constantly. To be contending for titles was what had become expected of them, even if the side itself was not necessarily at its best, there was a reason why Jeremy Jaffacake had made the Untitled Elf Game after all. The Marauders objectively were an elite footballing nation, squad, what have you and greatness was not hoped for but expected due to that history and sustained level of excellence.

While rankings and trophies are nice and definitely worth the celebrating and optimism, they alone are not the reason for the Navy Wave and other fans of the Marauders to be feeling good about the upcoming World Cup. The Marauders have a history of magnificent players coming out of nowhere, of someone that did not garner much attention at first before developing into a star. That seems to be the case again with Lothas Ludwig, with the strong striker having burst onto the scene like he was shot out of a rocket after not getting many laurels inside the Empire itself. Ever since the move to FC Felsenkirchen 1879, the striker has seen himself undergo a metamorphosis into an elite level prospect, what some might even go so far as to call a wonderkid. It is not through the grace of Elune or some other deity that the young man has become one of the best young strikers in all of football, it is through the hard work that he put on the training pitch and then putting it into effect during the matches itself. That he has been able to supplant Thor Møller is a testament to the amount of skill that the young lad has and how special he seems to be, having scored many clutch goals for both club and country already, as his goals in the knockouts were pivotal to the Marauders' march to the Eagles' Cup victory.

There are other young players who are making their mark as well and forcing themselves into the national pool and in the case of Indra Söderström, she has made it into the predicted starting eleven alongside Ludwig. A dynamic playmaker out on the wing, she got her chance in the Eagles' Cup like Lothas and put in a performance that was deemed worthy of starting ahead of the more versatile Miriam Troegner. Troegner is another one of the young players coming through the ranks and her great play for her club had Kingsgrove sweep in during the summer to elevate her to a higher level club in Brenecia. A bit more physical and aggressive than Indra, she would provide an interesting change of pace off the bench if brought on. Günter Obermaier looks to be a keeper for the future and one to keep an eye on, especially now that he has moved to Ulsa and looks to get some good training in with the Euran work rate being world renowned. Farther up the pitch, you have a quartet of midfielders in Gudrun Bißmeier, Claudia Makatsch, Heike Schoß, and Gideon Riemann all who look to be very promising and having landed at good clubs to help their development towards reaching that potential.

You can only look so far into the future without needing then to circle back and focus on the here and now. For all the optimism around the Marauders, there is also a bit of a gloom and hangover in the Empire after the third World Cup bid between themselves and Chromatika ended up falling short and the World Cup hosting rights were awarded to their foes. That outcome is what necessitates the need for the Marauders to have to go into the Qualifiers once more, which can at times be quite a slog to try and get through, especially when you routinely have over a hundred sixty entrants going into the event, meaning interesting formats aplenty are applied to the qualifying stage. In this edition, a hundred and ninety teams will be competing for those thirty spots in the Finals, bringing the qualifying groups to nineteen groups of ten teams each, with only the group winner in each group being assured of a place in the Finals. A select few "best placed" second placed teams will also be in line for automatic qualification but for the majority of those who finish second in their groups will be having to hope to advance out of the lottery that is a playoff round. After a marathon of qualifying, to have your chances of advancing come down to a good draw and having two good days seems a bit devastating and frantic, yet that is the situation we are in.

Didrik Gjedrem was appointed off the back of his success at Raynor City United and managing the egos that that club attracts and expected to do the same and bring success back to the national team. With the Eagles' Cup success, there is enough evidence that the Raynor City born man has the credentials for the job, making the adjustments needed to get the side out of its initial slump and into the right run of form for a trophy. He now has a middling difficult qualifying group to try and navigate, with getting out to a good start likely being the key to keeping the Marauders towards the top of the table and the automatic qualifying spot. A big danger will be that of the Rushmori side of Darmen, a side who likely should be finishing second in the group based on their player level and I would favor to get into the Finals themselves. However Kelssek is not to be overlooked either, not quite mediocre but not quite up in the great status either, Kelssek and Darmen are probably roughly around the same level of skill and their fight for second, should the Marauders be at the top, will be an interesting storyline to finish. Elsewhere, there is some danger in Barunia, Wreckeria, and Squidroidia who can all get a result on their day, though four to six points should be the goal from all three teams for the Marauders. While six points from Frestovenia, Icecliff, Tornado Queendom, and Jabal Akhdar have to be required if the Marauders are to live up to their billing.

The side begins their campaign away to Icecliff and that is where we will get to see what sort of mood that Didrik has his side in. If they are really ready to go hard after that record breaking sixth title or if there is a bit of complacency about them that will need to be stamped out quickly. Having stumbled out the gate at the Eagles' Cup, there is hope that the tactful manager will have learned what went wrong there and make the adjustments to get this Marauders side starting on a high and keep the momentum through to Finals themselves.

by **Wrecker** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 12:35 pm

Inkopolis City Stadium, Inkopolis, Squidroidia
Just before the first match of the World Cup 87 qualifiers: Wreckeria v. Squidroidia
Well… at least they made it. The Wreckerian National Football Team had gotten enough backing to make it to Squidroidia for their first match of the qualifiers for World Cup 87, but just barely. And there were questions over if they could make it to each and every qualifying match across the multiverse. They’d have to rely on sponsors pulling through for uniforms, air travel, accommodation and even a good place to eat, train and work out. David Simmons, head of the Wreckerian Association of Soccer, looked like he hadn’t slept for days as he tried to get enough backing to even press on. It was that backing that made the difference between the team being able to field its players for qualifying matches and staying home, as they did in World Cup 86.

The Wreckerian economy collapsed not long before World Cup 86, owing largely to a failed attempt to field a combined Wreckeria-Hapilopper delegation at the most recent Summer Olympics. When that economy collapsed, and when sponsors were unwilling to foot the bill for the Wreckerians, they had to pull out of World Cup 86. And Simmons spent months in his cramped, wood-paneled office in Halsted, wondering if they could ever get back to the World Cup.

As a fundraising effort, the WAS entered a team in the National, a small eight-team tournament in Xanneria, a tournament that included World Cup hosts Taeshan and Ethane, as well as Xanneria, the Appalachian Nation, Mattijana, the Busoga Islands and Chromatika. To everyone’s surprise, it was Wreckeria picking up the National trophy as the winners of the tournament. And that tournament victory helped the Wreckerians raise enough funds to at least make it to Squidroidia and possibly to the next away match in the Tornado Queendom.

David and head coach Marvin Byrnes were walking along the sidelines of Inkopolis City Stadium a few hours before the match. There was trepidation in their steps, trepidation in their voices. They did not have a lot of the swagger they might need for the top teams of the multiverse. They were just hoping to wind up on the top half of the group, maybe beat some of the lower-tier teams, and build to the future. Maybe they could develop some new players to debut at World Cup 88, work to develop a domestic league and go from there. But that was step 1000.

They were probably at step 5 or 6 at this point. But they were getting there.

“How do you think we’ll do?” David asked his coach.

“Well, if we can contain them, we’ll do just fine,” Marvin said. “They trained well. They worked their asses off. But I don’t know how they’ll be against a team like Squidroidia. We could be completely and totally outclassed. Or we could do great against them. I’ll know when they start playing.”

David nodded his head and surveyed the stadium. Inkopolis City Stadium was a nice venue, certainly nicer than what they had in Halsted. The team’s national stadium, burned down during the Wreckerian Civil War, had not been rebuilt, and funds for construction went away when the economy collapsed. So the team would continue to play in the relatively dilapidated Patrick Stadium, a 64-year old stadium in the middle of Halsted. He was thinking of a future step for Wreckeria – a new stadium for its soccer teams.

But there was a lot that needed to happen first. The team needed to win matches. They needed to not suck completely. The Wreckerian economy needed to bounce back. Sponsors needed to come onboard. Either way, they were still better off than they had been…

by **Newmanistan** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:35 pm

THE ROCKET REPORT

THE WTF GROUP DRAW

By Taylor Larson,

I know Taeshan has been beaten by us several times over the past decades in various competitions, but I thought the score on that was settled when they beat us for the World Bowl 34 championship. Maybe not, after the World Cup 87 group draw was revealed. Seriously, now, what the heck is this? I’m still trying to grasp the task at hand for these Rockets, and don’t forget that you have to win this group in order to qualify for the World Cup. The three best second place teams will also get in, but in a group like this, with many good teams beating each other up, you can be pretty much assured that whoever survives as the second place team in this group will not be one of those three. Somewhere in another group, two teams will cherry pick their way through the competition, and that will happen in at least three groups. The second place team here is going to the playoff. Oh joy. That historically has not worked out for us. In fact, if Newmanistan were so fortunate to even finish second in this group, whoever ends up playing us can probably consider themselves a lock to make it to the World Cup.

I know I am being a major downer, and no, I do not seriously mean to imply that Taeshan would have done something to assure us being in a difficult World Cup. It is the way the balls came out in the draw, aligned perfectly to give the Rockets one of the bigger worst case scenarios that you can dream up. First of all, we have to take on Vilita as the top seed. Then there’s Tikariot, one of the most exciting up and coming teams in all of sports, something which has been on display in a large way in baseball, both in the World Baseball Classic and the International Baseball Slam. I am really high on where their national program is heading in these sports, but why do we have to run into them here? Zeta Reka is a good team, and Baptism of Fire nation Hebitaka is a threat. Khytonya and Balqia are good threats as well. But the scariest nation in here is the one that no one really wants to see. Tequilo. Please, why, Tequilo? This is clearly a nation with great things ahead of them, and they are hungry to make the World Cup. They have been close the last two times, and that will only make them stronger here. If we don’t finish second though, I’m hoping for Tikariot over Tequilo. Baseball powers club and all that. We expect that they will play to a high level, and their media will be on overdrive to report every such detail.

Michael Starre was brought in here to show that he could get the Rockets to qualify for the World Cup when he took over midway through World Cup 85 qualifying. Obviously, we had the automatic bid the last time, but we won Group A, and made it to the Round of 16. Starre proved himself there, and we should be optimistic that he will do the same here in World Cup 87. Qualifying out of this group would be another tremendous step for our program, and when this period is all over, our hope is to make everyone dread the fact that Newmanistan was in their group.

by **Ibixa** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:42 pm

New Stadium To Host First International

ALTORO - The sight of a gleaming new stadium and multi-sport complex on the outskirts of Altoro has been regarded as the centrepiece of Ibixan restoration and expansion of recent years. Next week, it will host an international match in anger for the first time as Les Gaseles take on Emastalia in their World Cup opener.

The stadium, now officially named the Estadi Sant Lluis, boasts state-of-the art acoustic technology and seating adjustable for both human and caprine fans. Holding forty-one thousand supporters, it's expected to be an intimidating venue for the likes of Audioslavia, Sargossa, and Huayramarca later in the campaign.

Despite their new surroundings, expectations are low for the Ibixa team, who have set themselves a goal of finishing in the top half of qualifying for this campaign.

by **Electrum** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:42 pm

The Turnip: Flag Men - A Preview
by Harold Banana and Andrew Lee, citizen journalists

We heard you loud and clear! You want us to rest and rejuvenate simply because we churn out so many articles of The Turnip on a daily basis. You don't want reams and reams of analysis of all the teams in our group in pot order or playing order, simply because who's going to have the time to read through all of that? What do you nerdy coolbros and coolbroettes want? That's right, a low-effort analysis of the World Cup qualifying by examining the flags in our World Cup qualifying group, and how they will relate to how each team will go in qualifying.

Welcome to Flag Men. We're the men, and here's the flags.

Flag Men. Flag Men. Flag, Flag, Flag, Men, Men.

Much has been written about the vexillological aesthetics and cultural histories behind the national flags. Much has also been written about haruspicy, a form of divination where the entrails of sacrificed animals (usually the liver) are examined to give omens. Today, we combine these two pleasant forms of analysis and dissect each nation's national flag to see how Electrum will perform against them in football.

Xanneria
The Xannerian flag is a brown and yellow triband defaced by a brown pine tree. In 1943, the founder of Xanneria, Bartholomew J. Kennedy III Jr. decided that Xanneria, the country, had to be astoundingly offensive in all possible ways. The brown-and-yellow colours were chosen to symbolise the classic excretions of a human being, while the national football team has being trained to be so offensive that they have up to four or five forwards at one time, with their players known for being yellow-carded for pushing too much. In fact, Xanneria is so offensive, they are likely to offend our delicate sensitivities, so are expected to do well. Of course, our flag and country name also reminds people of excretions, but we don't talk about that.

North Japan
The North Japanian flag consists of a central wide red stripe, bordered above and below by a thin white stripe both, then followed by a broader blue stripe. The central stripe is defaced by a picture of their coat of arms. We really don't have enough information about this country to say anything about it, other than it is north of an area adjacent to a location in the vicinity of a region named Japan. Their coat of arms shows a gear, a mountain and two wheat stalks. Because of this, we have no reason to believe that they have advanced further than the industrial age in the civilisation tech tree, which means we are sure to beat them, provided they don't steal our technologies and skip a few technologies on the tech tree.

Vdara

The Vdaran flag consists of a blue field with a white bird sitting on a white branch. Cute, but must be deadly for sure. Surely no nation other than Vdara can be so confident or courageous to come up with a flag that breaks all the norms. Where's the tribands or a cross? We'll have none of that thank you, we'll just lift this flag from a stock photo and then make the colours very strong. Any country that is so brave to have this kind of flag definitely has the kind of moxie needed to defeat the Electrumite team, once, perhaps twice, and maybe even three times.

Cascadia

Again, we don't know much about Cascadia, but one thing that really irks us is that their flag is rumpled. #MFUA! Make Flags Unrumpled Again! The flag, from what we can see, consists of a vertical triband, with blue on top, followed by white and then green. The flag is defaced by a slimmer pine tree compared to the Xannerian flag, otherwise known as the Douglas Fir Tree. What's with trees appearing on flags? At any rate, their trees are much thinner than Xanneria's, which only means that they are a younger country, since they would have a bigger tree to put on their flag if they were older. As a result, not expected to be a huge threat given that they have a young team that just heard of football yesterday.

Bonbokh u Piche

The Bonbokh u Pichean flag consists of a central red panel with a yellow sun surrounding a black circle which has a hammer and sickle enclosed in it, surrounded by two thinner black bands. What a bad-ass flag, but unfortunately, the hammer and sickle means that they haven't even progressed to the industrial revolution yet in the tech tree. These two mixed factors means that we are likely to win one and lose one against this team. Plus Bonbokh u Piche is a really hard word to say. Can you say it five times? Bonbokh u Piche Bonbokh u Piche Bonbokh u Piche Bonbokh u Piche Bonbokh u Piche. The Electrumite team is going to struggle calling out their plays if they have to negotiate at least five syllables to say their opponent's name.

Electrum

The best flag, the based flag. The Golden Buttocks of Destiny will triumph for sure.

Quakmybush

The Quakmybush flag of a red saltire defacing a yellow field. They've been in the NationStates World Cup for ages but no one knows who's on their team, given that they haven't submitted a list in at least 7 World Cups. That's twenty-eight years for some of you, or fourteen, or seven, or two years, if your nation somehow experiences time in a much slower fashion compared to the rest of the multiverse. Boring flag, yuck colours, rumpled, they're not expected to be a huge thread. Quakmybush? More like quack my ball.

Norish Jeia Repa

What a comically small flag! It's so small that we can barely describe it to you. We think they have a green flag with a blob on the top right and a vertical red, black and orange triband below the blob. The country of Norish Jeia Repa from the region of Macula Offeret has a capital named... Bellingham. You would have thought this country would have a better named capital city that matched the rest of its details, but alas, no they didn't. Because you need reading glasses to see the flag, we can only assume they are not going to be a huge threat to Electrum.

Commonwealth of Baker Park

What. Can someone explain this flag to us? We are bamboozled. The left sided and the centre seem to be a mishmash of different crosses, the bottom left features part of our flag, but thinner, and the top half looks like a birds eye view of a snooker table where the balls are star shaped. It is a flag that is every bit as confusing as the full name of the country which is "The Nation of The Commonwealth of Baker Park". What a mouthful. We think that first bit is a bit tautological, because of course a nation is a commonwealth, you don't need to repeat it. Anyways, despite this flag, their kit is black and yellow, representing the two smallest parts of the cross on the flag. Where's that flag design on their kit? Our general befuddlement of this flag means they are likely to confuse the Electrumite team too, so are expected to be a huge threat.

Hapilopper
Hapilopper, why must you play with our emotions, you naughty nation! We were going so well, but alas, we have another rumpled flag. At least we can see this flag properly this time, there is a green cross in the middle, splitting the flag into two quadrants, and the top-left and bottom-right quadrants are blue, while the other quadrants are white. Oh, and they have thin black lines separating everything, which is really a bit patronising since we know how to distinguish between different colours, it's not like you need a border line to tell us this is where one colour starts and this is where one colour ends, OK we get it, you have three different colours on your flag, you don't need a fourth colour to help us distinguish between the three that you already had, jeez OK, rant over, this is what you get when you have a rumpled flag. They have definitely worked us up so much to get a reaction out of us that they are also a threat to Electrum football team, because after all, a threat to The Turnip is surely a threat to Electrum more broadly.

And there you have it, that's all the flags analysed. Now shut up about us making a preview and go do something else more productive with your time other than read this article.

by **Southwest Eastnorth** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:03 pm

The Explorers

This is a map of Southwest Eastnorth, Sort of. This is the official map put out by official cartographers in the region of Rushmore. In theory the borders are non existent and with Queer Poco el Mono Ara and Antoletia, those nations are our only known borders. As the photo below is the official borders so far. A full on fade, a an unown blur into the future. The nation known as SWEN is a mere 5 decades old. Nothing of th e other Virginian nation is known. What is known is that ht nation will move on. Move on into the unknown wilds of Southwest Eastnorth.

Sergei Oren: former Qzvarkian Qaz military man now working for Directional Resources
Perry Pershing: Directional Resources Exploration Division
Alex DiPablo Jr: Directional Resources Exploration Division

Sergei and his two compatriots were members of an exploration crew. a group of three. these group of three were hired by PetroSWEN. Their goal was simple, explore the wild territory on the Southwestern front. A territory Southwest Eastnorth had wanted to explore, but for the nation it was a chance to stake their claim. Three men were charged with this exploration task. They were employed by a company called Directional Resources. DR was a group ready for exploration. They were big in to Iron, but were unsatisfied if that was their only ore extracted.

As the three were in a truck full of technical equipment, they will soon cover all the dusty lands that will soon be claimed in the name of the Southwest Eastnorth populace, even with the three explorers tax returns mentioning "Directional Resources" as their employer. They were also governmentally supported.

Sergei looked out the back of the truck, the sunrise slowly peaking out over the dusted horizon. This wasn't your granddaddy's dune filled, sand laden, ocean of dust, style desert. This was packed sand with no trails and random shrubbery every few miles. Your navigation system was useless as it would be a bland singular color, where you are has no roads after all. The truck was a massive beast built for this, a mobile command center with tech and gadgets, yet still had homely comforts for what in reality was an over glorified camping trip. The three made their way over the bland beige that had plagued the landscape since right after they left White Sock, the biggest inland city. You only knew you ended up in the nation of someone else if you ran into them or if you ran into

They wanted to look for all the signs, anything that would show them there was money to come from the beige they traversed. Sergei was the driver, he had the experience, this monstrous trucks they drove were a Xannerian made Knox K-111. Knox's large truck division was a military endeavor and Qzvarkian Qaz had several older models. Sergei was hired because of his service over there driving these hulks. Well thats what the SWENs thought.

"Sergei!" called Perry "were's gonna stop here, it's getting to 7:30 and we'll set up camp for the night here."

"What about those tracks we saw in the sand a mile back" - Sergei

"I might give it a look, not a lot of wildlife here just darkness. I do remember though I think a team from SCOIL in Starcom Racing were exploring for Oil. So maybe it was them."

It's the summer so the SWEN's had all the daylight they needed to get camp down before 9:00pm. So at 9:00 it was diner, a dried stew put in a pot of boiling water. Alex got out his communication device, basically an tablet computer/phone hybrid that had GPS tracking, and he put in an order for the morning. The team would receive a shipment of supplies brung to them by Helicopter and they would load up the supplies in the truck the next morning and be off on their way after all was said in done.

"Alex, you got the order done?" - Sergei

"Yeah's I do Sergei" replied Alex. "Hey the World Cup Qualification groups have been released, at least the sports news I'm news site says they have. Maybe Sergei you've heard of a few of these places"

"Eh sure, who are they? I'll tell you all I know" - Sergei

"Well we're the 1 team, so you know all about this place right?" - Alex

"Yeah and we got those Potato Farmers right?" - Sergei

"Yeah, I think their basically the guys we had last cycle" - Alex

"West Zirconia is in our group? Aren't they an old hand?" - Alex

"No clue, I know about as much as you do, Alex, it's been a while since any news came from the Northwest, hell maybe Candelaria will be back in a cycle or two." - Sergei

"Gyatso-Kai, Sergei....haha see I made a rhyme" - Alex

"Alex, given the charts over in Qaz, you'd be eternal number 1 chartstopper with those rhymes, just got to suck up to Pet'r more. But yeah old name again I think, Mid pack AO'er if I remember correctly." - Sergei

"Yeah, got any news about Socialist New Brittan?" - Alex

"No" - Sergei

"Krytenia? You've heard of that place, right?" - Alex

"No" - Sergei

"Joking right?" - Alex

"Yes" - Sergei

"But really Krytenia winning the CoH is one of those moment's where sometimes you think your a bit of code in a video game and your code is breaking, you know like in that movie. Thats what two years ago felt like." - Sergei.

"Who else is here? Some nation called Caryton? Heard of them Sergei?" - Alex

"Actually yes, it sounds like that weird fundy nation that played a few games earlier this year. That will be a fun trip to go to" - Sergei

"Oh there' Farfadillis, too" - Alex

"Oh God No! No one should be cursed to go to that Hell hole, it's the self flagellating nation! You could die from the self nuking." - Sergei

"Hold up what?" - Alex

"Yeah, no one touches Farf, they got a weird superstition, that the nation has to nuke itself," - Sergei

"Can we just forfeit that away game?" - Alex

"If not I guess we have Bongo Johnson" - Alex

"Who is he?" - Sergei

"An entire nation 'Surge' " - Alex

"Oh are they any good?" - Sergei

"As good as a random number generator!" - Alex

"Inconsistent then?" - Sergei

"Yeah" - Alex

"Oh and we get the good team in the first match" - Alex

"Who? Squornshelous? Even a civil war can't stop that team" - Sergei

"Correct guess, how'd ya know" - Alex

"May have peaked on your screen" - Sergei

"So Sergei, do you think the Qaz would ever enter the World Cup? you heard, they entered IFCF right?" - Alex

"Eh if they do it'll be just like the military, a bunch of mercs goofing off and not taking it seriously. Hell, why do you think we have a damn Lacrosse team. It's a bunch of mercs on military bases who play the sport back at home and brought the stuff over. Heck! if they do bring a Footy team in watch them put Bryan Faust in, he's that Xannerian, Qariq 1k signed.Knowing, the Qaz government, they'll give him dual citizenship in a second. Heck they did that to me, I'm actually Xannerian " - Sergei

"Wait so your Virginian too?" - Alex

"Yeah, want to know something fun. My 93 year old Grandfather is the last living member of the Post expedition. Arnold Kadam is his name." Sergei

"Which one was that? the one in 1967 Xanneria?" - Alex

"yeah and now there's a city called Bauxinton and big hole in the green cause of it. Eh, it's Roberval, not much to do there but dig, I don't blame them for trashing it" - Sergei

"Hey Guys I found something" - Perry

Perry came over to the camp holding a piece of metal with a crudely drawn Nepharan flag on it and a piece of black cobbled rock, like pavement

"Hey whats that crackling noise coming from your pocket Sergei." Alex musingly exclaimed.

"Ah I think thats my geiger counter."

by **Mavinet** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 5:45 pm

FOOTBALL'S HEARTBEAT
MBC1 channel
Wednesday, 6pm

Good evening, dear viewers! Welcome back to another episode of Football’s Heartbeat, coming to you every Wednesday on MBC1. I am Tô Hoàng Linh, your familiar host. Prepare your stethoscope, because we are going to listen to the heartbeat of football.

*Transition theme*

*News section*

…
And the highlight of today’s news is the World Cup 87 Qualifying stage draw, which saw Mavinet appearing in Group 10. Given our country’s obsession with decimal perfections, this is a good sign that maybe, just maybe, this World Cup will be the one Mavinet achieve the goal of getting past the group stage. Whether or not we will feature in the final 32 remains to be seen.

The start of the qualifying stage of the World Cup is probably one of the most anticipated events for sports fans in Mavinet, especially those that have been following the progress of the national team since their official debut in the 72nd Baptism of Fire. This year, the qualifying journey consists of 18 obstacles, and for the 16 lowest second-placed teams, an extra pair of playoffs will determine who get to play in Taeshan and Ethane – the hosts of the upcoming World Cup.

Group 10 features few familiar names to Mavinet fans. Big names like Chromatika and Drawkland are well-known in the football multiverse, but haven’t had any encounters with the Water Buffaloes. Another semi-familiar face is fellow Rushmori Eastfield Lodge, who also will start the history with Mavinet in this qualifying journey. The rest of the group are ZSeparatists, Freechi, Smosh Games, Logano Fraza, United States of Devonta, Arklanda. And here are the full fixtures of Mavinet’s World Cup 87 qualifying stage:

MD1: Mavinet v United States of Devonta
MD2: Eastfield Lodge v Mavinet
MD3: Mavinet v Arklanda
MD4: Mavinet v Chromatika
MD5: ZSeparatist v Mavinet
MD6: Mavinet v Freechi
MD7: Smosh Games v Mavinet
MD8: Mavinet v Logano Fraza
MD9: Drawkland v Mavinet
MD10: United States of Devonta v Mavinet
MD11: Mavinet v Eastfield Lodge
MD12: Arklanda v Mavinet
MD13: Chromatika v Mavinet
MD14: Mavinet v ZSeparatist
MD15: Freechi v Mavinet
MD16: Mavinet v Smosh Games
MD17: Logano Fraza v Mavinet
MD18: Mavinet v Drawkland

Looking through the names of our groupmates and the fixtures, I can say that there is a better chance for the Water Buffaloes to make a serious effort to qualify this time. The last World Cup qualifying saw Mavinet exceeded all expectations in a group that had the ultimate runner-up Nephara, final qualifier Terre Septentrionale, as well as strong names like New Lusitania and Damukuni. Delighted as we were at the end of that journey, surely none of us expected much at the beginning of the stage. This time, we can. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Only the national team can decide that. Mavinet have grown as a team since then, and with a somewhat easier-to-breath group this time, let us hope the national team continue their upward trend and reach the highest step of the World Cup qualification stair.

A qualification spot will also be a priceless parting gift to two of most important figures in the national team: Head Coach Nguyễn Minh Quân and current captain-goalkeeper Nguyen Hoàng Trung. The two are confirmed to be retired from the national team at the end of this World Cup cycle, a decision that the pair made recently after years of commitment and achievement to Mavinet’s football. From winning the Baptism of Fire to finishing 3rd in the World Cup 86’s qualifying stage, Head Coach Minh Quân and goalkeeper Nguyễn Hoàng Trung can be proud of their contributions, and we hope they will be able to enjoy a memorable last ride with the national team.

With the expected departures of the veterans, let us not forget that the national team is constantly evolving, and there is nothing more exciting than seeing new promising faces coming in with their attempts to make a mark on Mavinet’s football. Talented young players like 22-year-old goalkeeper Lê Văn Thịnh, 26-year-old left back Trần Khang Anh, and 24-year-old midfielder Mai Trung Hải will be the ones to watch in this year’s new crop of international players. The most notable among these is definitely Mai Trung Hải, who graduated from the ALT Vĩnh Thủy’s academy and is making a strong impression in the domestic league with Nam Quan Steelers with his sharp vision for creating chances and intelligent movement. Although Trần Hoàng Minh will still be the go-to playmaker for Head Coach Minh Quân, it will be interesting to see what Mai Trung Hải can make out of the chances he is given, especially when paired with other creative attacking minds like Vũ Tiến Linh, Hồ Vũ Thanh Hoàng and Võ Thanh Hải.

*Transition theme*

That’s it for today’s program. For the following episodes, in celebration of the 1500th anniversary of Đại Hòa, we will have special series where we meet and interview important figures in contemporary Mavinet’s football at some of the most iconic landmarks and neighborhoods of our beloved capital, to hear their stories about the city as well as their experiences in football. Please join us here next week at our usual time on Wednesday, 6pm, MBC1, to meet our first guest. I am Tô Hoàng Linh, and this is Football’s Heartbeat.

MD1’s lineup:
Hoang Trung (GK) / Phuoc Long (LB), Hung Dung (CB), Van Thao (CB), Van Hau (RB) / Tri Thong (DM), Hoai Linh (CM), Hoang Minh (AM) / Tien Linh (LW), Thanh Hoang (RW) / Thanh Hai (ST).

by **Valladares** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 8:07 pm

Chapter I: The Origin

Out of the six cities and towns that made up the District of Metropolis, Valladares' federal district, Ciudad Piar was the least known of them football-wise: Cerro and Servette both had competitive top-tier clubs that usually set the southern suburbs in fire every time they faced, Swangard housed the National Stadium as well as one of the top Valladar clubs in Metropolis Alligators, while even Villena (best known for the international airport and air base claiming nearly half of its municipal jurisdiction) had another club in the top tier at some point lost in time. And let's not talk about the city of Metropolis proper, a large and vibrant city capable of supporting 11 clubs spread all over different tiers. But what about Ciudad Piar? Did they not have anyone who to root for? Or were the locals nothing but a small, boring and uninterested island in the middle of a sea of passion for this sport?

To begin answering that question, we must go back in time to the origins of this middle-class settlement nested right next to one of the richest zones of the federal capital: founded in the early years of the 20th century by a group of Quebecois and Valladar railway workers employed in the construction of the rail line linking the former and new Valladar capitals of Columbus and Metropolis after they decided to settle around the rail yard that had been established some few kilometres to the northeast of Metropolis, the history of Ciudad Piar began as the settlement of "Pueblo Talleres", which slowly grew as a place to house those foreign rail workers who were no longer needed since the railways were already built and running, and had no funds, means or desires to return to their faraway homeland. Traditional surnames from the Royal Kingdom of Quebec such as Baek, Kim, Masson, Nam or Duvernay-Chérif helped build a small settlement that reflected its Quebecois origins with a clear town centre with lots of traditional shops and a small central plaza around which the church, town hall and a high school were built. The school was a particular one for Valladar standards, boasting a cadet corps of its own as well as the first (and perhaps only for a long time) Korean language program in Valladares. However, the rail station and the yard around which the village was built remained prominent, and thrived along with the town. While Pueblo Talleres, being still part of the Swangard municipality, managed to retain some of its Quebecois character over time, urban sprawl from Metropolis as well as emigration of Valladars from the mountainous zones of the Mountbatten and Alto Danubio states to the areas to become Greater Metropolis eventually turned it into a suburb of the federal capital, giving it a small touch up of Valladar urban style before it formally became a municipality of the District of Metropolis and got its current name in the 1960s after Lieutenant Darío Piar Galvez, military leader of the Valladar reunification.

Of course, Pueblo Talleres would not take too long since its foundation to embrace sports...and especially football, however, with a group of local youths founding the Club Atlético Talleres at a public meeting at the village's central plaza in 1930, attended by nearly 100 villagers. The club was thought, and remains to this day, as a multisports one, where not only football is played but also basketball, swimming and tenis, just to mention the four most important sports still supported by it. The act of foundation was signed by 20 people, and villagers could join only by paying a fee of 50 Point cents. One would think that mass enthusiasm expressed at that moment would be the birth of a successful, famous club, one that was founded some time before some of the current powerhouses of Valladar football and could be rivaling with them to this day, or at least providing loads of footballers to La Nacional and other clubs of the multiverse, but for some reason the club stayed decades out of the radar and when professionalism was a certain fact, they never made a serious effort to embrace it. There was now another question to be raised...

What happened there?

--- xxx ---

Four years ago...

"There is a combination of factors for that", states Pascal Crow, former footballer for the club, always a fan, and now historian and secretary for the club. A corpulent but matey man, with a beard and mustache, and in his middle sixties but who doesn't really look like he was that old, Crow received his visits very kindly in his office at the club's headquarters, a small building facing the railroad tracks on one side, and the sports complex housing the club's 3,500-capacity stadium Estadio Michael Baek, named after one of the club's founders, on the other. "The Valladar Football Association did not exist at the time, and fees to apply for membership into the District of Metropolis or Mountbatten football associations were too high. Despite the enthusiasm displayed at the founding of the club, and the high numbers of members that signed up into the club, the villagers were not quite rich and we still failed to collect enough money to enter any football league. Besides, the villagers preferred to focus on the social aspect of the club, instead of the competitive one, and weren't really interested in moving the club to a competitive environment. That is why we have been away from the domestic footballing scene for a long time, or rather, we never joined it..."

"Do you regret having remained in ostracism for all this time, while other clubs gained ground, titles, following and popularity?"

"Yes. We lost a lot of time by not joining before. And our fans also lost quite a lot of time." Crow sighed and suddenly his gaze showed a halo of frustration and nostalgia, before following up. "Look, the lack of an own professional club in Ciudad Piar did allow other clubs to gain a foothold here among the youth population, for example Marinos, who became heavily popular here with all their championships, Quebecois stars, and Champions' Cup and all of that. It's totally obvious that they would rather follow a professional club which isn't based in the town but that can win titles and trophies on a regular basis over a local amateur side that only competes once or twice a year and never against the big guns. Out of the municipalities of the District of Metropolis, this was the only one without a professional club. And that historical mistake needs to be amended."

"So what is the next step for Talleres now?"

"The club members have agreed that the club must enter the Valladar league pyramid, and to that effect, we have finally joined the Metropolis state championship. Our goal now is to take part and of course, to win it in order to start moving up the pyramid. We want to reach Liga-3 in five years. We have managed to recruit some local entrepreneurs who have welcomed the idea, the Ciudad Piar residents have been enthusiastic about the plan and have expressed their support in multiple ways, and some former Valladar footballers such as Osman Candelo and Jefferson Ospina have also contributed with some donations. Do you remember Zachary Fortin, the Quebecois player? He's also very interested in the project and has made some contributions, mainly in infrastructure and the stadium. So I think we are well on our way to a successful project, and all of this is mainly thanks to our fans. We may not have many financial resources, but we have a heart, or rather thousands of them."

Crow looked through the window at the training pitch where the club's U15 squad was having its training session of the day and warned, "for quite a long time, we allowed ourselves to be sidelined and left far behind by other clubs in the area. It is time that not only Metropolis, but also Valladares and even the multiverse know who we are, and that we've been always here...it's time for Talleres to claim their place in history."

"I long for the day that a Talleres player manages to make it into the national team and become a star. I merely hope God allows me to live to see that..."

VALLADAR NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM SELECTION - MATCHDAY 1: THE GOTHANITA ISLES
Goalkeepers: 1 - Paulo Gaviria (Nacional), 12 - Lucien Chamoun (Crisisbless, NPH), 23 - Danilo Araúz (AD Cerro)
Defenders: 2 - Jair Marrugo (CSKA Quebec, QUE), 3 - Martín Delgado (Herzegovina City, BNJ), 4 - Jorge Vargas (Tannenberg FC), 13 - Daniel Brown (Bohemians Metropolis), 14 - Nicholas Hossiner (Rolalas FC, VAL), 15 - Jason Fletcher (AS Bezieres)
Midfielders: 5 - Bryan Castillo (Hondo FC, VAL), 6 - Christian O'Brien (Tanrısal, PAS), 7 - Ronald Mickel (Kitara Athletic Association, BNJ), 8 - Arley Barrios (Myana, CMT), 10 - Cristian Benítez (Nacional), 16 - Leandro Martelli (Avenida Principal, FFD), 17 - Nick Mariner (Tihon, CMT), 18 - Fabio Betancourt (Hondo FC, VAL), 19 - Alexis Durmisi (Urbizania Wanderers, ASG), 21 - Adrien Trolli (Servette FC)
Forwards: 9 - Wilfried Baume (AC Izotz Zubia, AUD), 11 - Thibault Benezet (Sabrefell Athletic, NPH), 20 - Aymeric Fortin (1830 Cathair FC, AUD), 22 - Valentin Germain (Crisisbless, NPH)

(OOC: Players 1-11 are starters; 12-23 bench/reserves)

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 10:23 pm

Stelburger Zeitung

Sports

Highly-Anticipated Showdown with Al-Qurija Starts Goldhorns’ Campaign

When Siovanija & Teusland’s national football team open their World Cup 87 Qualification campaign at the Nationalstadion tomorrow night, it will be one of the most highly-anticipated games in the history of world football.

No, it’s not a World Cup Final. Not an AOCAF Final. No debut of any big-name future star (although Florian Krukenberg may be on the bench), or farewell to a hero. Instead, this game will mark the return of a champion.

You see, 152 years ago, a game of football was played in Brazilico. The home side would defeat the visiting team from Dead Man 3-0, and, for the first time in history, claim the Unofficial World Championship belt. That was in the year 1880. Meanwhile in Siovanija & Teusland, FC Teussen Stelburg had just been founded a few years before. The Teus Empire was at war attempting to regain the island of Sankt Konrad. The Siovanijan Republic made the Pomorie Declaration just one year later, demanding the return of the city from the Teus Empire. It was 8 years before the Great War that would create the modern-day United Republics.

While Siovanija & Teusland weren’t a part of it, there was a vast history developing. Titans of the game like Starblaydia, or our neighbours to the west Valanora, would win World Cup titles - and they would win the Unofficial World Championship belt, too. A belt passed from nation to nation, following the basic principle of to be the beat, you’ve got to beat the best.

There were numerous interruptions in the early years, as holders of the belt came and went from the international game. But from cycle 39 on, for 41 straight cycles, the belt passed from nation to nation. Through the World Cup Qualifiers, the Finals, through the AOCAF, there was always the chance. Not every nation in the world could be a Valanora, a Vilita, or a Starblaydia. But on their day, any nation could take home the belt. And they did. Have you ever heard of the nation Manhatten Prime? We won’t blame you. But they held the belt for 10 straight games, unofficial champions of the world on their day, before losing it away.

46 countries have held the World Cup title. 216 have held an Unofficial World Championship belt. By the time Siovanija & Teusland eventually entered world football competition, in World Cup 80, the belt had gone around to the Free Republics. They would lose it to Drawkland, who would eventually lose it themselves, and the belt would make its way around to Al-Qurija. On the same day the Goldhorns ended their first-ever Qualifying campaign with a 1-0 loss at home against Abristan, Al-Qurija defeated Aggrey-Finn Land in an exciting 4-3 win to claim the belt.

In World Cup 81, Siovanija & Teusland would come back. It was a stronger performance in those qualifiers, led by Thorsten Kramer. World Cup 82 and 83, the Goldhorns got closer to qualification, but never took that next step. In World Cup 84, they finally made it to the World Cup Finals, the last 32. In tournaments 85 and 86, they’d repeat the trick, coming into World Cup 87 ranked 22nd in the world.

Al-Qurija, however, disappeared. They were gone from international football, seemingly never to return. And with them, the belt. Gone from international football too, for the first time in over 80 years. New belts were created, to be held by World Cup winners in the meantime. But the mystique and prestige of the original would never go away.

So, early this year, when it was announced that Al-Qurija would return to international football in World Cup 87, the whole world bated their breath. On group draw day, there was one draw every single team in the world wanted: Al-Qurija on matchday 1. Only one could get it. That lucky team? Siovanija & Teusland.

That’s right, when the Goldhorns meet Al-Quirja on the Nationalstadion pitch tomorrow night, it will mark a match for the unofficial world title. Just two weeks ago in Stelburg, boxers Georg Gottschall and Johannes Steiner fought for the Republic Heavyweight Belt - Steiner taking the belt in a fourth-round knockout. The Goldhorns will be hoping that they, too, will be taking the belt in a knockout. They’ve just defeated the real champions of the world, Banija, in a friendly. Can they beat the unofficial champs too? Of course, the visitors will have their own pride on the line, and they aren’t just going to roll over: they want to show why they deserve the belt.

When Gottschall and Steiner fought at the Stelburg Sportpalast, it was called the ‘Smackdown in Stelburg.’ We’ll borrow from that, and from the new heavyweight champ’s nickname, for our preview of this one:

In this corner, wearing gold trunks, the challenger, from southwestern Atlantian Oceania, ranked twenty-second in the world, the Terror from Teusland, the Siovanijan Slaughterers, the Tempest from the Southwest, captained by the one, the only, Thorsten F****** Kramer, Siovanija & Teusland!

And in this corner, wearing red trunks, the undisputed, unofficial, champions of the world, from Sonnel, unranked in world football, the All-Mighty from Al-Qurija, the Quarrellers from Qurija, the Savages from Sonnel, led by Stojko ‘The Pop of Peril’ Popovski, Al-Qurija!

These two fighters will meet in… the Showdown in Stelburg!

Siovanija & Teusland 4-2 Banija, @ Olimpski-Stadion, Borograd, Siovanija

Starting XI: Heuser; Steimle (Mendel 73’), Jager, Thierse (Maksimov 45’), Vesele; Kramer, Bahr, Bliznakov; Kokalj, Tauscher (Krukenberg 45’), Ilev
Goals: Lukas Tauscher 20’, Stanimir Ilev 26’, 84’, Thorsten Kramer 70’
Man of the Match: Stanimir Ilev

Siovanija & Teusland National Football Team
Squad Selection - Qualifiers 1 & 2
Home against Al-Qurija and Natanians & Nosts

GK - Ewald Heuser, Anatoli Sveteikov, Lino Kaberle
LB - Edgar Steimle, Axel Richter
CB - Karl-Heinz Jager, Erich Thierse, Taras Maksimov, Niels Kronthaler
RB - Darijen Vesele, Pierre-Louis Lotbiniere
CM - Thorsten Kramer, Todor Mihailov, Vsevolod Hristov
LW - Mario Kogler, Lojze Kokalj
CAM - Leopold Bliznakov, Kurt Witzel
RW - Lukas Tauscher, Florian Krukenberg
CF - Michael Ribbeck, Stanimir Ilev, Denis Dezelac

Expected Starting XI vs Al-Qurija: Sveteikov; Richter, Jager, Thierse, Lotbiniere; Kramer, Hristov, Bliznakov; Kogler, Tauscher, Ribbeck

Expected Starting XI vs Natanians & Nosts: Heuser; Steimle, Maksimov, Kronthaler, Vesele; Kramer, Mihailov, Witzel; Kokalj, Krukenberg, Ilev

by **Chromatika** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 11:36 pm

World Cup 87 Qualifiers, Part 1: The Ceremony

There is a moment that happens in every Chromatik national team player's career. It happened with Luuk Aart, Gabriella Antonio, and the like. It happened with Keira Andisori. It happened with Kaytlyn Victoriane, Henri de Aea, Enigma Armageddon.

Before every qualifying cycle, every Chromatik that will be making their national team debut that cycle gets called up to the front of the entire pool in an internal ceremony. Then, the Manager calls them up, one by one, and hands them the jersey that they will be wearing for the qualifying cycle. It is a proud moment, a solemn moment, a moment to treasure. If the player started their career in an AOCAF, they would get their jersey the cycle after.

This cycle would see seven such jerseys be given out, a pretty high number in a pool of fifty.

As usual, the service was a private affair. A nice dinner, catered by a local Chromia company that specialized in such affairs. One press member - Jordan Lawless of The Rebel. Jordan had earned the trust of the team, and knew what to report.

One by one, the seven came up to get their jerseys.

GK Juxon Fillar - labeled the next Chromatik hope at keeper, he had made such an impression in the AOCAF that had the whole country clamoring for his next start. The first callup of a long, storied career. He would get #23 in his first cycle, which was pretty high.
GK Jacob Descombes - made a name for himself by becoming Metropolis Alligators's first-choice QB. He earned the #34.
CB Damon Ingram - made his debut in the recent AOCAF. #37 makes him the last center back on the roster. Had a great season in Tikariot.
DM Kaia Larriet-Cortes - #48 this cycle. Chromatik football royalty making her debut - likely to be a long career.
AM Haley Hauser - #42 this cycle. Great first season with Chromatik and a good showing in the AOCAF. Recently signed up with Euran club Falourr, managed by Silian Parker.
AM Baillaire Fillar - #50 this cycle. The last player. Juxon's younger sister with a ton of potential. Should get some starts against the lower ranked teams.
ST Paskal Toussaint - #44 this cycle. Decent first season in South Newlandia, remains to be seen how shallow Chromatika's striker pool has become.

As each one got their jersey, the team applauded. They'd had a whole season of preparing with these players and knew their worth. They were part of the fifty for this cycle, and that was all that mattered.

With seven new members initiated and the hopes of a country behind them, The Fifty members prepared for the long journey ahead.

Chromatik Team for WC 87 Qualifying - Matchday 1 vs, Drawkland @ Capitalizt Dome, Chromia, Chromatika
Starting XI: Ria; Xiao - de Aea - Anderson - Ilya; Thorben - Armageddon (C) - Conrad; Mora; Vidal - Sierra.
Reserves: Tioux; Chapman, Will, Ken, Pomeroy; Victoriane, Zuniga, Kuznetsov; Kuzami; Non, Andisori, B.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

© Sporting Times Weekend 2021
NT to push ahead in spite of loss of key players
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

As the Commonwealth National Team begins preparations for their eighth campaign in attempting to qualify for the World Cup, there will be a seismic shift under the foundation of the most successful era of international soccer in Baker Park's history.
Ahead of opening match--an away fixture against North Japan--let's take a look at some of the imminent changes that will have an impact on the National Team.

Passing of the Torch
In the leadup to the beginning of WCQ, there have been a series of friendly matches that have underscored the vision of the governing body regarding the nation's future as a continued presence among the elite company they currently rub shoulders with.

The most recent friendly against world number one Banija at the BBP National Stadium, marking the 700th match in FAC history, was meant to impress upon all watching--in the stadium and across the multiverse--the confidence, sense of pride, and the celebration of the ultimate achievement of the FAC Development Charter that was created by FAC Executive Director David Carlson, Sporting Director Trevor Richmond, and former NT Manager Pamela Scott.

The occasion was framed as a tribute to the seven players included in the starting XI playing their final match in the Black & Gold, all of whom were marking a milestone number of caps earned; they represent the dividends on the investment the FAC put into grass roots youth soccer, raising the levels of participation, technical proficiency & coaching, and support to associate member youth club organizations.

The group of veterans, all of whom are household names to followers of the sport, represented a cross section of the various experiences taken to earning professional careers in Baker Park;
--Derick Briggs, the record holder for appearances by a defender and captaining his country, who has played his entire career for his hometown club Shirley Metros;
--Terrence Stephens began his career as an academy player at North Royalton Town before moving on to Asbury Park, and has been a quiet, steady presence in the dressing room since the Baptism of Fire;
--Veronica Navarro who went from University of Ezriquay to playing for her hometown side Hamilton Wanderers Ladies while building up a reputation as one of the best wingers of her generation and part of a strong right side midfield with her friend Lorenzo Taborn;
--Amanda Hayes came through the academy at Crusaders and captained the club to three National Conference titles upon the introduction of mixed gender league play while quietly becoming the seventh highest scorer in NT history;
--Missy Tilton was a high school standout who signed with Leiderkranz Ladies on a tryout and became the club's all time leading scorer among both women and men;
--Sabrina Patton was left unsigned after completing her academy time at Clayton City, but went on to average 25 goals per season at Llewellyn Turnpike Ladies before signing with Chenoworth Rovers in Nephara, where she won the Iron Boot as leading scorer in the First Division and leaves the NT as the most prolific woman goal scorer in history;
--and finally Daisy Callum, who wore the armband on the occasion of her becoming the second player—and first woman—to reach 100 senior team caps, who started her career at Broadview AFC before moving to Middletown City Ladies before a transfer to Southern Star in Brenecia. She joins Patton as the only women to date who have scored 30 or more goals in NT history.

In all, those seven depart with 575 combined caps—more than double the total of the entire 23 player squad that faced The Holy Empire at the Jhanna City Recreation Ground in the opening match of World Cup 80.

Each was replaced during the second half and given their own moment to bask in the adulation of the 74,773 spectators who were lucky enough to have a chance to witness the night; in most cases, the player coming on represented the future of the national side, stressing the continuity that the Charter will surely continue to provide in the future. Nearly all of the subs were part of the squad at the AOCAF, providing another linking image to the consciousness of the viewer.

Better Apart, then Together?
The qualifying tournament will see the return of the split squad concept, last used in World Cup 83, as a means of getting the maximum use out of the NT player pool. Jen Prescott will lead one group while Ichi Tuzzio will boss the other, alternating the doubleheader weeks of at least the first half of WCQ. In the previous two cycles, Tuzzio has used a version of the intensive squad rotation system, but drawing on a smaller number of players overall. Both teams are expected to have between 24-27 men & women in camp at any one time, and it's expected that there will a even distribution of key members among both sides.

As was the case in the past, there will be a substantial amount of evaluation and self-scouting of entire NT pool, looking to determine what combinations of players mesh together and who has the capability to fit into roles that provide tactical flexibility when making decisions on the final 23 player squad.

Rising Expectations
The Commonwealth have now made the semi-finals of four major tournaments, so the question becomes if the quarterfinal is the minimum than needs to be reached to in order to consider a particular competition a success? The FAC's marketing department has developed a campaign designed around the theme "Reach for the Stars", which highlights a new line of merchandise featuring the Andromeda star motif on the flag, and also plays into the idea of earning stars to wear over the badge on NT shirts. That itself should be a signal that the association has definite ideas of where the future lies, and what the goal for the national team ultimately is.

by **Tequilo** » Mon Jan 11, 2021 12:11 am

TAPALUPÉ, Tequilo - The World Cup is back! Version 87 around the corner… and we've got your back for all the latest in the biggest and best competition in the multiverse: let the GOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL-a!!! Daily take the strain - all your favourite bits, in brief. For this cycle we’re bringing back some of your favourite features: Track & Trace… whatever happened to The Class of 72? El Copametro… how are Los Pitxileros making out in the qualification campaign trail? Rúi de Las Rovas… season three of the famous old comic book strip rebooted… and of course, we have mail! You can write in too, if you want to - address your fascinating texts to spamcatcher@gola.teq or drop a letter in the mail to PO Box 654353583.2, Grand Central Post Office, Tapalupé¹

But first - what in the name of the hairy river dolphin is going on at the Unión? It's all change at the Tequiloan FA, and there is a talk of an infectious auto-imitation disease inbound from a far country called Gibberwilde... err, what?

SHAKEMUPP & SCAPEGOAT
All Change At The Unión

Part 1/4: Tzalti Larrosa

“If you don’t mind me saying so, Señor Presidente,” said Advisor Turcios, determined to press on whether he minded or not, “the optics right now on this are, to say the least, perilous. Eighteen months to the General Election and if you are left holding the can for Kip-jamming the electorate? No-one in their right mind - although there might not be many of them left in their right mind if The Kip gets out - will be voting on your ticket… you could promise them all free piyacote on state prescriptions for the rest of their natural lives and you won’t get a single vote.”

She had a point.

“Ligi, what would you have me do?” wondered President Larrosa, Itzaltzu Urbano Larrosa officially and 'Tzalti' Larossa to everyone but his mother, “follow the Admiral’s advice and shoot a plane load of innocent Tequiloans out of the air? Would that get my ticket punched, do you think?”

He had a point.

“Both good points,” said a very dapper gentleman with manicured features, exquisite sartorial threads and a deadly smile, waltzing into the Trapezoid Office unannounced as if he had already been listening to the fraught conversation between the President and his advisors over the coming Kipolalia crisis. He was followed in by another gentleman, of equally fine presentation, the both of them sporting mustachios for twirling when deep in thought, and by the cut of their jib, most likely an elaborately decorated ceremonial dagger under their woollen sports jackets for gutting prey and opponents-various.

“Messrs. Couth & Ruly…” called out a flustered butler chasing in behind, displaying all the signs of having tried and failed to prevent them from waltzing into the Trapezoid Office unannounced.

“Ah,” said Tzalti, with a smile, as the advisors made way nervously for the Narrative Agents from that pungent sort of afterlife called Wight, “welcome to Tequilo, gentlemen.”

“Please, Señor President,” said Mr. Couth - or was it Ruly? - smiling with dead eyes and taking the President’s extended hand rather too firmly, “the pleasure is all ours.”

He had a point.

“What a muddle we have here, Señor,” said Mr. Ruly - or was it Couth? - nodding at Ligi Turcios, the Advisor, as she backed away with a nervous and audible gulp, “but never fear, Shakemupp and Scapegoat here, to save the day.” He smiled widely, and shook the president’s hand.

“Beg pardon, gentlemen?” wondered Tzalti Larrosa.

“Shakemupp and Scapegoat at your service,” said either Mr. Couth or Mr. Ruly.

“You have to make some hard decisions, Señor President,” said either Mr. Ruly or Mr. Couth, “of course you do, that’s why you are the president. But there is no need to panic about this unfortunate business of a plane-load of viral footballers headed into Tequiloan airspace. You have all the protocols you need to sort that out. Señora Turcios here is correct though, the optics are the problem - and that’s where the hard decisions need to be made. What you need is a scapegoat, and a shake up. Allow us to present you with a plan…”

§

Ten minutes later Messrs. Couth & Ruly - or was it Shakemupp & Scapegoat? - had highlighted a way out of this for the standing president. It wasn’t exactly pretty.

“But… but…” stammered the president, struggling to articulate the implication of the plan, his advisors all silent and rather pale, “poor Señor Lepe… not only is he the President of the Unión de Pitxi [that’s the Tequiloan FA to you and me] and the greatest Tequiloan footballer of all time ever… he’s also the most charming old man, so delightful… and utterly beloved of the nation. Can I do this to him?”

“Yes, yes,” said one of the Narrative Agents, I’m not sure which, “you can do this. A gentle smear, a rebuke, a sacking, and you’re sure to win the next election. If you don’t want to single him out, you could also fire the Director and the Head Coach. Shake ‘em up!”

“Benny,” said Tzalti to his flustered butler, “would you please ask Telephony to get Señor Lepe on line one, and our press officer on line two.

“Actually… get me the press officer first.”

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The things that are really tazering your testes right now

Good morning everyone. We have letters!

Regular correspondent Rùben Curto of Chanco Cóndor writes: “I thought I’d get in early with the new edition of The Daily, and try to set the tone with some football commentary. After all, this is a football magazine, isn’t it?”

Martín Costello of Arca Nueva seems to agree, and is keen to talk about the goings on at The Unión: “What is going on at The Unión?!” he wonders. “I am stunned by the treatment of Lepe, and I don’t believe for one minute that he actually quit. I think they were all pushed.”

Back to Rùben on the one football topic that has created so much correspondence: “Bring our boys home!” he cries. Fortunately we’ve heard a rumour that they will all be back from isolation camp in time for the World Cup.

That will surely please ‘Orejas Grandes’, who is very excited for the World Cup. “I’m very excited for the World Cup. The Agave-Blues must beat The Teals in the first match, it’s the only way to show we mean business. Speaking of the World Cup, I watched the host voting with interest, and wondered, could we legislate to make it more exciting?”

‘OG’ raises a point that many of you were concerned about. Calm and helpful Aurora Pozo summed up the feeling nicely: “I thought the legalese in the constitution was moderately convoluted but there is always room for more convolutions, in my opinion. More legalese please!”

We look forward to a hearty debate on the finer points of run-off voting and election theory, although Rùben Curto of Chanco Cóndor finishes his letter with a prescient warning: “And don’t get me started on Dr. Kel Sekk and his Condorcet Theory!”

Alright then, we won’t, Rùben. Finally, we have more updates on García de Corcoles, who went missing in the Baptism of Fire and has been a regular feature in our Letters section by keen-eyed spotters ever since; from being in a wheelchair outside a greengrocers in downtown Isopropyl, Ethane (Zeferí Desanrom of Gardaresso, Letters To The Editor, 3 years ago) to acting as a goal post on a beach in Antivador (Sylvia Bombarra et al. last summer). Regular García hunter Norm. de Plume of Plume, Antivador has been back in touch: “I’m concerned that the man on the beach, who may or may not have been Señor de Corcoles, has been kidnapped. I’m sure I saw him being carried away by two gentlemen with a sinister cut to their jib, although they both offered tremendously polite greetings.”

If you have spotted García, want to convolute the constitution or just like to share your opinion on the pitxi, please drop us a line at Letters To The Editor, spamcatcher@gola.teq or slowmail to PO Box 654353583.2, Grand Central Post Office, Tapalupé.¹.

NEXT UP
What's coming next with GOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLa!!!

In the next edition of GOLa Extra, we begin our thrilling look back at the Kipolalia Crisis when some of our boys went to Gibberwilde and caught the auto-imitation bug; PLUS! - in the Daily edition look out for more adventures of fictional comic book legend Rúi de Los Rovas, now into his 120s and running the family agency as he tries to find a new home for 'Lionel Messi', the world's greatest ever tax dodger; there will be our regular letters feature; we talk to some of the logistics team in the World Cup squad about how to manage a campaign of double-matchdays; and we meet up with old friends in a new series of 'Trace & Track', featuring the Class of 72...

[1]Or TG Tequilo and we'll be sure to publish you in the next edition of the DAILY!

by **Nephara** » Mon Jan 11, 2021 2:26 am

Daniella Strauss had done the impossible: whipped big-match consistency into the infamously mercurial Cormorants.
There had been light in the past, but always fleeting. Legacy had eluded them. The legends that won World Cup 74... well, that was not regarded as a strong team, at the time. Theresa Riether, with nothing to lose, rolled the dice on a bunch of flashy young guns, expertly managed their egos, and let them fire.
Such was the reputation, at least.
Strauss had spent a long time reviewing tapes of the champions, those who had managed what her own crop had not. Comparing what she did and did not have, relative to them. And she became more and more convinced, as time went on, that structure was the key.
Yes! Structure, in this team that laymen had looked at and only seen anarchy, sound and fury and defence-splitting passes to the brilliant Penumbra Amokachi, a player who could have been one of the greatest strikers in history had she not believed herself to be the greatest striker in history already. She looked at a side that Riether had trained and drilled to do the simple things right, drill quick passes forward, outpace and out-think opponents and keep, keep fighting 'til the very end. They'd concede goals, fewer than they strictly ought to thanks to Diandra Ballard's steadiness between the posts, and back themselves to get them back... but also, they'd never let themselves be overrun. Every game, Rainsford and Ashdown, a partnership that had literally everything but pace, held a death-grip on the centre of the park, often overmanned, always superior.
It was easy to see what Strauss had that Riether did not. For one, a central defence. Riether had relied on the early embers of Katskalidis' and Scharner's careers - Scharner would indeed step up, but Katskalidis was an early bloomer who would never quite get the concentration and skill of the great centre-halves. She even had great players in most of the same positions; between the posts and up front. Eerily, she even had a same-club combination on the left wing in Belgrade and Muscadin, just as Vesper and Vyntra had been.
She didn't have Adnan Szalai, still probably the greatest right winger to play for the country, but now enjoyed the bright promise of Anselm Koerner. Perhaps he might, someday, be considered worthy of mention in the same breath.
She didn't quite have a Rainsford, either. Shone was the best destroyer in the game, but as a craftswoman, well... the equivalent in this generation of Nepharim was Monica Rowland, who was pulling on the red of Eura these days.
And she had an Amokachi, but she'd just got off the phone with her after informing her her time with the national team was over.

The follow-up call came the next day.
Chimera Moxham had got through many of the stages of grief in a remarkably short time. It wasn't a look that suited her. She was a swaggerer, a braggadocia, someone whose natural position was on top. She was Nephara's greatest asset. She had just been informed the national team was moving on from her.
Take two. Less drunk, this time. "Hey. Boss." Just a little hair of the dog, anyway.
"Ah. Moxi. Ready to leave on a better note, this time?"
Moxham almost laughed, despite everything. "Fuck me, but you got a ruthless streak in you. Press wouldn't've thought you had it in you. Remember when your back was to the wall, boss? Remember when they all wanted you out?"
Strauss smiled. "A few times," she admitted.
"And I got you out of trouble, time and again. Never let you down. What, sixty-five goals--"
"Just the sixty. Five shy of Amokachi."
"Still. Fuck me, above Gerd. Big lump up front every game. Grew up on tapes of that man. Knew I'd be better than everyone in a green shirt back then, think I did okay for myself. Did okay for us all."
"Yeah."
"But it's over. Isn't it."
Sigh. "Yeah."
Moxham bit her lip. "Fucking... knew it. Knew it before you called, too. Why'd you call, anyway? Could've come here in person. Afraid I'd hit you or something?"
"Yeah."
"Well. I might've. Would've, pro'lly. Shit. But I knew from the final, really. Reading out your starting lineup, kept expecting me to be there. Kept expecting after you'd read out the eleven, even. Like there was some mistake. Like you'd go back. You never explained why, either."
"You're bright. You figured it out, I'm sure."
"Right. Needed stability, not a crone in her 30s. And... Lo's a good player, a damn good player. He's no me, but he's good enough. And different, to who I was, and... and... well, you know that. I guess you need him, going forward, not me."
There was a pause, and then a soft chuckle from Moxham's end.
"Tell you what, though. Someone put a gun to your head, said you had to win a game tomorrow or you'd die, you'd put me in the fucking team."
"I would, in a heartbeat." Strauss chuckled, softly. "But maybe not a year from now."
"Yeah. Maybe not."
More awkward silence. In the landline era, perhaps they'd both be twirling the cords around their fingers.
"You'll thank me later," said Strauss at last. "Better to end on the trophy than petre out sadly in front of the world."
"Later. Maybe. Not today." Moxham sucked in a breath. "I shouldn't've called."
"Moxi--"
The player hung up. The manager leaned back in her chair and sighed. But she'd do it all again, if she had to. Benching her for the final, letting her cool her heels on the bench for 73 minutes, may have been ruthless. It may even have been cruel. But - and here's the only thing that matters - it worked. They won.

The year before the victory at WC74, Nephara's most-capped player, the legendary Hadrian Belfast, hung up his boots after victory in the regionals. He'd wanted to go out on top, too - not the theoretical top, but the one he could manage.
Perhaps the portents were there, after all.

NEPHARAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 1
Goalkeepers: 1 - Aranea Provost (Holdenberg, EUR), 12 - Raluca Garamond (Sabrefell Athletic), 20 - Fasolt Senninger (Aries Chariots)
Defenders: 2 - Rovena Stride (AFC Treason), 3 - Vivica Muscadin (Sabrefell Moths), 5 - Roxelana Thorn (Revolutionaries, EUR, c), 6 - Cedella Verlander (AFC Corvistone), 18 - Pristina Soeringer (Stein-los Turkish, PAS), 19 - Monika Strasbourg (Myana, CMT), 22 - Reniira Clevinger (Sabrefell Athletic)
Midfielders: 4 - Tawny Shone (Sabrefell Moths), 7 - Anselm Koerner (1830 Cathair, AUD), 8 - Lothaire Cromwell (AC Izotz Zubia, AUD), 11 - Chantal Kalevi (Tihon, CMT), 13 - Ysabet Belgrade (Sabrefell Moths), 14 - Exene Fletcher (Hellinic Rouge, PAS), 15 - Rook Timekeeper (Sabrefell Moths), 23 - Janna Sauthier (CASK Thorsborg, SVJ)
Forwards: 9 - Kurtis Bastable (Ulsa, EUR), 10 - Konrad Lovelace (Revolutionaries, EUR), 17 - Voska Avetisyan (Istria City, BNJ), 21 - Latona Basilisk (Coret Hawks)

SCHEDULE
Baggieland vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Quemorr Isles @ The Iron Hill (Vermillion)
Græntfjall vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Pluvia @ Ludd's Hammer (Stahlburg)
Garbelia vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Kandorith @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
South Covello vs. Nephara
Sett Forest vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Indusse @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Nephara vs. Baggieland @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
Quemorr Isles vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Græntfjall @ Phoenix Rise (Corvistone)
Pluvia vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Garbelia @ Eagle's Club (Brinemouth)
Kandorith vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. South Covello @ Eagle's Club (Brinemouth)
Nephara vs. Sett Forest @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
Indusse vs. Nephara

by **Brenecia** » Mon Jan 11, 2021 2:33 am

TASKFORCE CATERPILLAR
Part 1 of ?

"... Caterpillar."
"Yes, sir. Aren't you going to..." the anxious Directorate middle-management drone proffered the brown file at the upper-management drone. "... you know, read it?"
"I don't really feel motivated to read it."
"Motivated t--"
"Caterpillar. Caterpillar, for God's sake, who names these things, I-- give it here."
Suddenly, the lesser drone was protective, and clung on. They wrestled over it a while.
"Sir, it'll rip--"
"Then just give--" He gave another proper yank, sending the other to the floor, and planted it down on his desk to vandalise with a ballpoint pen. "Right. Here. Better, see?"

TASKFORCE KILLER WHALE
Part 1 of ?

"Well, I for one think it lacks subtlet--"
He kicked it up the chain, and now three senior civil servants were looking over it.
"No," said one, at last. "That's a stupid name."
"It's going to have a stupid name no matter what," pointed out a second.
"Yes, sure, but this is stupid like a 13-year old boy's idea of cool. We need something more cryptic."
"Oh, what like... like Taskforce Mystic Sorrow, or--"
"-- more like a real actual solid--"
"Taskforce Quintessence!"
"-- not quite--"

TASKFORCE OPHIUCHUS
Part 1 of ?

"-- that kind of works, honestly."
"I was only saying it to make fun of--"
"No, Ophiuchus it is. Perfect. Now you just have to tell me what it means."

Ophiuchus is the hidden thirteenth starsign. It is the gateway drug to the dark astrology, where the answers are held, where the sausage is made. And it takes you down dark alleyways on the grim streets of North Hall, in the dead of autumn.
It takes you to a man, looking furtively and very conspicuously over his shoulder every few seconds, who almost runs into the young woman he's trying to meet. He is aggressively bland, in face and clothing; slightly lighter than average, slightly shabby, slightly unshaven. She is sturdy, but clearly athletic, in soot-blacks trimmed in vivid blues and pinks.
"So," she says. "What's this important, eh, Calem?"
"Trust me, you'll need to see this--"
"Sooner you say what it is, sooner I'll agree or disagree."
The man paled. Another look over his shoulder.
"Stop doing that. You're making me nervous."
"Shouldn't you be?"
She glared at him. "Should I? You've been with the force this long, you should know how to avoid a tail, surely. Now, come on. What was that important?"
"Well..." He glanced, to either side. The woman gritted her teeth. "Look, you know ... Sara, our brass, they know. We're gonna get ordered to take out, your... uh... 'cell', I guess. In. Three days from now, 4pm."
"I see."
"... That's it? 'I see'?"
She shrugs. "We figured it was coming, sooner or later. Don't worry. I'll tell the boys. You'd better get back home before you're missed, Sheals."
"Yeah? Missed by who?"
Sara rolled her eyes. "Figure of speech. Just go, Calem. The message has been relayed, or whatever."
Sheals nodded, relieved, and raced off into the distance still more conspicuously than he'd sidled over in the first place. Sara just rolled her eyes, and took a note.

Three days later, at 3.53pm, Sheals tried to listen to his sergeant over the sound of the wheels on the patchy road and, louder still, the beating of his heart.
The sergeant was a bulldog of a woman, fully-kitted for trouble like all the rest of them, heavy vest and an assault rifle handed down from the military that was once handed down to them from the Nepharan military, now surplus after they'd got handed down Euran armaments that were merely one generation out of date. Not exactly cutting-edge, but it would put lead in a man quickly. "... and Sheals, Petrie and Byrne will take the exterior stairs and make the breach through the window access. Remember, this is Blue Dawn we're dealing with, domestic terrorists who've already taken credit for a failed assassination. They'll likely be armed, so don't take any chances. Watch your angles, watch your sides, watch your mates - we'll get out of this alright."
The van stopped, and disgorged its contents into an alleyway. Sheals followed Byrne in a reverie. How could it come to this? Police turning on... on patriots, people who just didn't want to see their
And so what if a few had to be put out of the way, it was nothing more than the shags had already done. They'd martyred Kerr, anyone who went on the right forums knew*. And, tried to murder the entire royal line. And all the other stuff. There was a lot of other stuff. So maybe a statement did have to be made, and if the Margravine had to pay to--
"Breach!"
Oh. Right.
His train of thought was taken over by autopilot. He caved in the window with the butt of his rifle, then clung to the wall as Petrie threw out a flashbang. Close eyes - three - two - one - open eyes - and charge into the breach, but his head was coming back, he'd sent the message, there was nobody th...
Nobody there...
The place was squalid. There was writing on the walls, holes in the ceiling, plates of food mounting up and, worse of all, four people crawling around in pain on the floor.
"GET DOWN! GET DOWN!" Byrne yelled.
"ON THE FLOOR, NOW!" screamed Petrie, and similar shouts echoed through the rest of the complex as other groups were tracked down and subdued.
Sheals stared gormlessly as one of them fumbled for a pistol at his waist and started to fire blindly at the breach--
A burst from Byrne's gun silenced him. "Look alive, Sheals, fuck's sake!" she bellowed.
Had he not-- had he not relayed--
A few shouts of "CLEAR" echoed out. Petrie stayed behind to secure the fou-- the three prisoners, leaving Sheals to dully follow in Petrie's tracks. Someone tried to run the other way, only to see the two armed police and stumble onto his face.
Slowly, the prisoners got rounded up and shunted to the ground floor. Some fought. Some kicked. S-- Sara? The woman he'd warned, the woman he'd risked his career to warn, was there, biting and kicking at the two who had her collared--
"What're you looking at, huh?" she snapped at him, then spat at his feet.
All Sheals could do was stare as she was thrown into the wagon.
He felt a sympathetic clap on his back. "Froze up, huh?" Byrne, doing her thing of being rhetorical.
"I just--"
"Don't worry. Happens to us all. Once."

It was a hell of a job, requiring a couple extra vans lying in the wings. Even so, it was a cramped ride back. They'd expected ten, maybe fifteen. They'd bagged twenty-three. Sure, maybe a couple were partners or random civilians, but this was more than just a captured cell. This was an infestation, spiked.
Sara continued making the biggest show of defiance, but the moment they threw her into interrogation, her entire demeanour shifted. She strode straight to her chair, putting her feet on the desk and crossing her arms. "Right. Now that charade's done with... I expect you've got a call waiting for you at your desk."
The detectives looked at each other. "Wait, huh?"
The woman just rolled her eyes. "Sapphire Keller, Directorate agent, ID 476JC, Rozelle office. I'm the reason your operation went off without a hitch. The call, I assure you, is waiting for you. And, by the way, you might want to consider cuffing Constable Sheals before he get any ideas."
The detectives exchanged another glance, before the fatter and more cocksure of the two braved a good scoff. "Bravado, that's all.
Someone knocked on the door.
"Come in!"
It was a shy-looking uniform, holding a phone. "Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt, but it's..." She looked, furtively, between prisoner and detectives. "... it's from the Directorate," she stage-whispered.
"That'll be Coretta Wray," announced Watson, or Keller. "Go on, take it. I'll wait."

* The conspiracy theory that NSIA agents assassinated Clarisse Ward's tyrannical intelligence chief, Barrett Kerr, is a rare case of a stopped clock being right. The reasoning that they assassinated Kerr because he was on the verge of cracking open a black-market dragon-breeding ring extending to the Dreamed Realm was a rather less rare case of a stopped clock having no fucking clue what's going on.

BRENECIAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 1
Goalkeepers: 1 - Scathach Wright (Raynor City United, VAL), 12 - Tiarnan Cove (Rozelle), 20 - Cairbre Dundalk (Chenoworth Rovers, NPH)
Defenders: 2 - Clovette Bravender (Ulsa, EUR), 3 - Triss Roscommon (Revolutionaries, EUR), 5 - Finn Leadbetter (Holdenberg, EUR), 6 - Leona Ford (Workers Union, EUR), 17 - Caithe Shepherd (Rozelle), 18 - Casey Giltanan (Workers Union, EUR), 19 - Deimne Watermark (Northern Stallions)
Midfielders: 4 - Finn Townsend (CdF Celtade, AUD, c), 8 - Esther Caitiff (Ulsa, EUR), 10 - Dreigiau Parrish (KT Itzalovalle, AUD), 11 - Tricia Pace (Northern Union), 13 - Cheney Deal (Northern Stallions), 15 - Mathgamain Fife (Rozelle), 16 - Ceridwen Fletcher (Holdenberg, EUR), 21 - Gaheris Archer (North Hall), 22 - Linoan Waters (Istria City, BNJ), 23 - Ronan Schofield (Raynor City United, VAL)
Forwards: 7 - Lauren Cheney (Spartangrad, EUR), 9 - Mhacha White (Farrenton Athletic, EUR), 14 - Kitty Hazeldean (Marque)

SCHEDULE
Hindu Ram Rajya vs. Brenecia
Plane of Possibility vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Filindostan
West Angola vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Terre Septentrionale
Ranoria vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Trigel
CRC vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Riena
Brenecia vs. Hindu Ram Rajya
Brenecia vs. Plane of Possibility
Filindostan vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. West Angola
Terre Septentrionale vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Ranoria
Trigel vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. CRC
Riena vs. Brenecia

World Cup 87 - RP Thread

Interview with manager Thomi Vogel

Fresto Sports - 10 January 2021

View from Venjolath Road: Ep. 5 Plethora of Previews

WC87 Pre-Qualifying

WC-87q RP#1 MD1

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