Independent Associations Championship 12 [IC]

[New Lusitania and the Algarves]

STL|Serviços de Transmissão Lusitana
Sport | Football|
A bit rushed but hopefully good enough

ONCE AGAIN?
IAC12 Preview

New Lusitania arrive in IAC12 following a successful '87 cycle that saw them miss the World Cup via the playoff and later reach the Round of Sixteen in an expanded Cup of Harmony, the second knockout round. The previous 11th Independents Cup was nothing short of controversial at times but New Lusitania went all the way to the third-place after being beaten by eventual champions Poafmersia in the semi-finals back in Havynwilde.
With this, the Selecção hope to continue their high and ambitious hopes into IAC12 in Almuzahara and Muralos, two very different nations. The former will host the national team in ita stunning arabic-iberian cultured nation. Upon arrival the first press conferences occured with Francisco Grilo announcing the Heróis do Mar were in the country with the end-objective of being one of the primary candidates come the final game. For now, New Lusitania look forward onto the group stage draw. This initial stage, features a fairly accessible draw. With eight groups of six, the Selecção have been placed as the group's top seed with competitors Space, Hebitaka and Fujai as well as unranked Oscioru and Gadhavi. However, in the other groups there are plenty of other massive contenders - the hosts will look to do well at home, Poafmersia will be looking for the third Championship in a row and HUElavia will be hoping for to get to their Championship at last. The Kick Corps are on the resurgency and Omerica would like to finish their IAC tenure on a high as Tequilo, Squidroidia, TJUN-ia and many others also lay claim to the title.


A GREAT START
IAC12 Group Stage
Hebitaka 0-5 New Lusitania
@Estadio de Los Leones, Alvira/Elvira, Almuzahara (Att: 30 401) [?]


The first game is always an important one as everyone looks to start the tournament on the right foot. António Lopes would start in goal with his usual defenders. The midfield of Guerra, Palhagueira, Fernando, Caldeirão and Gama was set with the balls being pushed onwards to Silveira and Paciente. The first goal didn't take much time to come with just seven minutes on the clock. Paciente got that first goal in with an assist by Caldeirão - a quick shot to the bottom left put the Selecção. A second quickly appeared from his counterpart Silveira as he headed the ball in with precision following a cross from Guerra. At the half-hour a third, spurring from Silveira went for a second, stretching his leg out to put it into the net. Halftime came and went with New Lusitania looking strong. The entry of Mendonça in defence for Vinagrete was a tactical surprise but one that was worth it, showing value throughout the closing forty-five. A fourth goal was credited to the captain Fernando, when he used a free-kick just outside the box to curve the ball into the net. The referee had marked it after the ball had been taken from Caldeirão along with his legs and was a clear decision. New Lusitania slowed down a bit during the middle of the half with a final goal appearing from one of the night's stars, Caldeirão himself, with a good volley in from a corner taken by Gama. A massive win for the Lusitanians but the big question is - was it too much, too soon? With the Selecção confident, will it come to bite them? Only time will tell, as New Lusitania presses on with the second Matchday soon enough.

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STL
Official Broadcasters of the IAC.
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MMXXI (in association with the FLF)

[Muralos]

Cut-off for Groups A-D, Matchday 2! Usually, hosts add a link to a song in their cut-offs. The same will be done for my half of the IAC-12. I don't think I need to explain any more about this tradition. You know the rules, and so do I...

Group A:
Murphtannia 3-0 Britonisea
Bunkaiia 0-1 Silver Beach
Reçueçn 0-0 Almuzahara

.                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Murphtannia             2    1   1   0     5    2   +3     4
2 Britonisea              2    1   0   1     2    4   −2     3
3 Silver Beach            2    1   0   1     2    2    0     3
4 Almuzahara              2    0   2   0     2    2    0     2
5 Reçueçn                 2    0   2   0     1    1    0     2
6 Bunkaiia                2    0   1   1     1    2   −1     1

Group B:
Quintessence of Dust 0-6 Poafmersia
Treekidistan 0-1 North Alezia
Squornshelan Remnant States 1-1 Britland Isles

.                              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Poafmersia                     2    2   0   0    14    0  +14     6
2 Squornshelan Remnant States    2    1   1   0     4    2   +2     4
3 North Alezia                   2    1   0   1     1    8   −7     3
4 Britland Isles                 2    0   2   0     2    2    0     2
5 Quintessence of Dust           2    0   1   1     1    7   −6     1
6 Treekidistan                   2    0   0   2     1    4   −3     0

Group C:
Gadhavi 1-3 Hebitaka
Oscioru 0-5 New Lusitania and the Algarves
Space 1-0 Fujai

.                                 Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 New Lusitania and the Algarves    2    2   0   0    10    0  +10     6
2 Space                             2    2   0   0     5    0   +5     6
3 Fujai                             2    1   0   1     2    1   +1     3
4 Hebitaka                          2    1   0   1     3    6   −3     3
5 Gadhavi                           2    0   0   2     1    5   −4     0
6 Oscioru                           2    0   0   2     0    9   −9     0

Group D:
Squidroidia 2-2 TJUN-ia
Sajnur 2-1 Montaña Verde
Srednjaci 1-4 Kriegiersien

.                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 TJUN-ia                 2    1   1   0     5    2   +3     4
2 Squidroidia             2    1   1   0     4    2   +2     4
3 Sajnur                  2    1   1   0     3    2   +1     4
4 Kriegiersien            2    1   0   1     4    3   +1     3
5 Srednjaci               2    0   1   1     2    5   −3     1
6 Montaña Verde           2    0   0   2     1    5   −4     0

[Squornshelous]

Scions, Chapter 1

Tyra Volam pulled the red and black jersey down over her head, shifting from foot to foot as she tucked the hems into her shorts. They had been designated the home team for the match, and so had their first choice of kits, opting for the Imperium's classic red sunburst on black. She brushed her fingers over the embroidered patch on the left side of her chest. The crest of the SFA, crowned with a single gold star.

Tyra had been 13 years old when the Imperium had returned to international football. She already loved the game, and was enrolled in the youth academy at FC Santraginus. She'd been entranced, watching the qualifying matches. She'd known instantly she wanted to wear one of those red and black kits one day. Her brother had told her she couldn't, of course, she was just a stupid girl. She'd enjoyed rubbing it in his face as Lyyti Vang scored goal after goal for the Red and Black, and been all the more determined to make her dream a reality. A few years later, with Tyra about to graduate from the youth academy and sign her first pro contract, Vang had vanished. The best footballer in the country just . . . didn't come back from Cup of Harmony 77.

And no one seemed to care.

"Don't ask too many questions, Tyra," her mother said.

"Probably up to no good, you could always tell there was something wrong about her," had been her father's opinion.

For Tyra, the idea that Lyyti Vang could somehow be in the wrong was unthinkable. Someone had done something to her, and covered it up, she was sure. I'll become such a famous footballer that no one will be able to hide the truth from me anymore. It was an idea that floated up from time to time. But increasingly, as she made her professional debut and settled into the rhythm of footballing life, it wasn't always foremost in her mind.

Liberation Day had changed everything. Among the many, many illegal foreign hosted websites she'd accessed with the VPN her parents didn't know she'd downloaded, she'd found something that dropped her jaw clear to the floor. She knew what happened to Lyyti Vang. Her handlers at the Ministry had been trying to control her. Trying to use her. It made perfect sense. Even at just 21 and newly named to the first team, she'd had plenty of experience with the type. But Lyyti had escaped. She'd beaten them gotten away and she was free. Living in the Confederacy playing football because she wanted to, not for anyone else. Her dad said you couldn't trust anything you saw online, but she believed it. She felt filled with hope, filled with purpose. It had to be true, she could feel it.

There were still several players on this team who had know Lyyti, been her friends even. Alla had been one of those, and had taken Tyra under her wing when she'd first arrived at training camp, back before World Cup 87 qualifying. She'd confided some of her worries in Alla, some of her doubts about what was happening, what had happened, not just to Lyyti, but across the country. "You can't take that all on yourself," had been the guarded response, "you're a footballer. Focus on that first. I won't tell you to ignore your heart Tyra. You're a good person, and I know you mean well, but don't ruin your career, ruin your life." Tyra had found it uninspiring, to say the least. There were people out there risking their lives already. Who would she be if she wasn't willing to do the same? As long as the struggle to improve people's lives, to bring real reform was out there on the fringes, people could dismiss it, could ignore it, could pretend it didn't exist. She could make it more personal, show them how far this had all gone. She knew she could. Still, the prospect of standing out, making a statement was frightening. She had a plan, but even now, nearly on the precipice, she wasn't sure she could go through with it.

Lucia Krupin, team captain approached her. She'd been close with Lyyti, everyone said. Even been her roommate on road trips, but she'd never been interested in talking about her, and seemed to care the least out of anyone on the team what might have happened to her friend. Lucia took Tyra by the shoulder and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"If you do anything to embarrass yourself or this team, you won't have to wait for the police to come. I'll kill you myself."

Lucia leaned back, clapped Tyra once on the shoulder and smiled, before moving on to her own locker. Stunned Tyra looked across the room. Alla wouldn't meet her gaze.

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

Tyra walked numbly down the tunnel, woodenly holding the hand of her assigned mascot. She felt bad. She'd asked the poor Muralosian child's name just a moment ago, and already forgotten it. She was vaguely aware of Alla ahead of her, and the Drawks in their white and red opposite. One of them was wearing the number 0, and she found herself going round and round in her head about how strange it was. The roar of the crowd was like a physical barrier to be overcome. A meeting between the 23rd and 32nd ranked teams in the multiverse was quite the occasion after all. She could feel some detached part of herself noticing these things, while she concentrated on moving her feet, one after the other. She filed into her place in the line, facing the stands. The anthem of Drawkland came first, floating unregistered past her ears. They probably sang along, Tyra couldn't have said.

Then, there it was. The opening bars of the fanfare brayed brassily across the stadium. She clenched her fists as hard as she could. Her hands still shook anyway. She took a deep breath, set her shoulders, and took a half step forward, bending the other leg and sinking down until her right knee touched the grass. She bowed her head, afraid to look at the touchline where the reserves and coaching staff were.

Thank fuck I didn't fall over

[Abanhfleft]

DISCLAIMER: Gaelic Gamers is an independents sports blogging website created by four cousins with a common liking and passion for sports of all kinds and is in no way or form affiliated with or organized by any official news organization in the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft. All statements and opinions posted here are our own and not anyone else's.

---

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Football Fallacies
with The Man from Markovsky

WHY CAN'T YOU GALS JUST BE NORMAL FOR ONCE AND WIN?

Hello and welcome to The Football Fallacies. Right, I think it's time we made it official. This generation of women football players is most definitely not the replacement to the golden generation that we've all been hoping for. It just isn't. I'm sorry. Someone has to say it.

This whole team is just an embarrassment to their predecessors. Some of these girls who have been given the opportunity to represent the Democratic Republic frankly shouldn't even be within a bastard mile of the national team! Take Bronwyn Churchill, for example. She's the daughter of one of the greatest strikers the Sultanate of Oontaz has ever seen! First she decides to become a goalkeeper, so that's already a big disappointment, and then despite knowing that goalkeepers are going to be one of the players who get jostled around during a game the most, she doesn't even bother with getting one iota of anget management training! Those two yellow cards that Churchill got against Tequilo were just abysmally stupid on her part. You keep yelling to the referee about something that's already been decided upon,, damn right you're getting booked for dissent! And getting almost into a fight with that Tequilo player knowing she's already got a yellow to her name? She must really want to get off the bastard field at that stage.

And then we have freaking Kelly McGinnis. Christ above, she was supposed to be Chelsea Stuart's successor! At the moment, McGinnis isn't even good enough to clean the grass off of Stuart's boots! This woman is touted as being the star striker of her generation, but if I was to judge that particular statement by watching just this one match, I'd say that whoever said that was probably blinder than a whole flock of bats! I have never genuinely seen anyone who is seemingly incapable of scoring even a lucky tap in! Christ above, Svenja Volksson could have probably scored at least one of those tap-ins, and she's 45 bastard years old and couldn't even hit a barn door in her prime if she was stood literally in front of it!

Anyway, that's all there is for me. If you've got any comments or reactions to the Tequilo game then feel free to leave them down below. Until then, I've been the Man from Markovsky, still disappointed in our country.

               TEQUILO 3 - 0 ABANHFLEFT
CALVOECHEAGA (7', 77')
             TÜN (28')

[Omerica]

The Northern Times
The Voice of the Lallands

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Things that have happened since the last time Omerica scored eight in a match

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Sahalena-Urbeto, Muralos — Playing a nation whose football apparatus was fighting amongst itself as much as it was vying against the opposition was a beautiful gift laid into Cam Meister’s lap. The newly-minted Central Shaneville manager was having none of that, though. «Omerica are a great team,» Meister said in an interview before matchday 1. «All I’m saying is if I beat them I may become some kind of pop culture icon back home or something.»

Nevertheless, there was a confidence in the Central Shaneville camp. «There’s a unity in the Central Shaneville camp for the first since in a very long time and it’s good to see,» Central Shaneville forward Josh Smith remarked. In the Omerica camp, things were muted. «I just hope we don’t embarrass ourselves here,» Incorrigibles midfielder Fearchar Mac Cléirich told The Northern Times. «It would be karmic after what happened two years ago if we just shat the bed.»

And boy was Alexis Stephanidis’s first match at the Independent Associations Championship and Cam Meister’s first match in charge of Central Shaneville one for the history books. For both sides, the inexplicable 8–0 thrashing set a record. For Omerica, it set a new record for the nation’s largest margin of victory. For Central Shaneville, it was their largest-ever margin of defeat.

Both managers were left dumbfounded at the result. «I don’t know what happened, I can’t explain it,» Meister said, followed up with «Congratulations to Omerica, they deserved to win that one.» Stephanidis, for her part, was apologetic: «I am so sorry that this was Mr Meister’s introduction to the international game. My own first game at Andreaskruis ended in defeat, but I cannot imagine how harsh it must be to start off with a defeat like this.»

But this is actually the second time Omerica have scored eight in a match, the first being an 8–2 thrashing of Wolfbenz in the Omerican capital that used to hold the record for Omerica’s largest win. So why not reminisce in the memories that have happened since that qualifying game against Wolfbenz?

The Curse of Kilkenny was born
Omericans were—unjustifiably—peeved at the events that happening in a crucial World Cup qualifying game in Burningham against Osarius and the Omerican Football Federation made their displeasure known by not showing up for a Cup of Harmony round of 16 match against Acronius at the Bridget Kilkenny Stadium in Teach Iarann in Stvoto Latoli. That birthed a superstition around knockout games that still follows the Incorrigibles to this very day.

Omerica qualified for the World Cup
We did it on a wet day in Augusticinia, narrowly beating out Nephara to qualify for the World Cup for the first (and only) time ever, all under the reign of a much-underestimated interim manager by the name of Ryan Pritchard. Omerica almost didn’t make it, though, as Nephara briefly took the lead. Nevertheless, they dropped crucial points on the penultimate matchday, putting the qualifying race back into Omerica’s hands. The World Cup finals were short-lived, but they were sweet.

The Mespalia Sessions dissolved the Omerican Football Federation
Omerica’s stringent corporate anti-corruption legislation kicked in in an infamous case. With the organisation mired in a pervasive match-fixing and betting scandal, the Mespalia Sessions Court closed up shop on the federal FA, the culmination of a crusade by the most popular tax collector in history Carola Lefebvre. The United Republican Soccer Federation rose from the ashes, full gender integration came to historically segregated Omerican football and these United Republics would go on to become one of the mainstays of the Independent Associations Championship.

Omerica won the Independent Associations Championship
Two years after his saved spot kick handed the Championship to the Kick Corps, Red Bolton converted a late penalty against the hosts and titleholders Drawkland. It would be the last goal of the match, securing Omerica a first-ever international trophy. For the home team, it brought back bitter memories of their World Cup playoff defeat to Saltstead that denied them a place at the World Cup finals for the first time. But for Omerica, it was a first taste of true glory, one that was dedicated to the memory of those who perished in the Philibiscostal Bus Tipping, the most devestating football tragedy in the nation’s history.

Omerica crash out of the Championship group stage on home soil
IAC X will be remembered for a lot of things, most notably the first instance of a host nation being eliminated in the group stage. TJUN-ia earned plaudits in Falconbarrow, stunning the host nation and making George Kostas’s position as Omerica manager untenable. Ultimately, Alexis Stephanidis came through the door and stunned all of her detractors, earning Omerica two top-three qualifying finishes in a row. Who knows what she could have done at the Championship if it hadn’t been for amateur hour.

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[Almuzahara]

MD2 cutoff! Will you get what u need, or will the three points elude you?

---

IAC12: MD2
Groups E-H - Muralos

Group E
Adab 2-2 Ginadjkrum
Muralos 2-2 Indusse
Grey County 1-1 Kohnhead

Group E Standings
   Team            P W D L For Ag +/- Pts
 1 Muralos         2 1 1 0  5  2  +3  4
 2 Kohnhead        2 1 1 0  3  2  +1  4
 3 Ginadjkrum      2 1 1 0  3  2  +1  4
 4 Adab            2 0 1 1  3  4  -1  1
 5 Indusse         2 0 1 1  2  3  -1  1
 6 Grey County     2 0 1 1  1  4  -3  1

Group F
Abanhfleft 1-0 Picksall Islands
Sannyamathland 1-0 Trolleborg
Garbelia 0-3 Tequilo

Group F Standings
   Team                 P W D L For Ag +/- Pts
 1 Tequilo              2 2 0 0  6  0  +6  6
 2 Sannyamathland       2 2 0 0  3  0  +3  6
 3 Trolleborg           2 1 0 1  2  1  +1  3
 4 Abanhfleft           2 1 0 1  1  3  -2  3
 5 Picksall Islands     2 0 0 2  0  3  -3  0
 6 Garbelia             2 0 0 2  0  5  -5  0

Group G
Al Wadiya 0-1 Omerica
HUElavia 1-1 Central Shaneville
Hot Skitty on Wailord Action 0-1 Devonta

Group G Standings
   Team                             P W D L For Ag +/- Pts
 1 Omerica                          2 2 0 0  9  0  +9  6
 2 Devonta                          2 2 0 0  3  0  +3  6
 3 HUElavia                         2 1 1 0  3  1  +2  4
 4 Central Shaneville               1 0 1 1  1  9  -8  1
 5 Hot Skitty on Wailord Action     2 0 0 2  0  3  -3  0
 6 Al Wadiya                        2 0 0 2  0  3  -3  0

Group H
Galimencia 0-2 Squornshelous
United Pink States 1-0 Drawkland
Lorrana 0-0 Juvencus

Group H Standings
   Team                   P W D L For Ag +/- Pts
 1 Juvencus               2 1 1 0  2  0  +2  4
 2 Lorrana                2 1 1 0  2  0  +2  4
 3 Drawkland              2 1 0 1  3  2  +1  3
 4 Squornshelous          2 1 0 1  3  3   0  3
 5 United Pink States     2 1 0 1  1  2  -1  3
 6 Galimencia             2 0 0 2  0  4  -4  0

[Almuzahara]

Almuzahara and Silver Beach have played three times before.

They first met at IAC11, on the frozen shores of Havynwilde. While both hail from the powerful sporting region of Sonnel, the matchup would be the first either nation would know of each other: Almuzahara's reclusive nature meant many Silver Beach fans got their introduction to their regionmates in Group F of the IAC. While Silver Beach were nominally the second seeds, pegged to advance from the group, it would be the Panthers who would win the crucial MD4 clash. The win saw Almuzahara to the second round with seven points, while Silver Beach were eliminated a day early with a mere three. The match wasn't just your everyday win though. It was an absolute beatdown, as Silver Beach were a man and two goals down at the quarter-hour. The joke in Almuzaharan circles asked how Silver Beach counted to six and replied "Fernandez, Fernandez, Ben Labrat, Al-Qushayri, Fernandez, Osman" - while Almuzahara would eventually fall in the Round of 16, their regionmates would miss out on the playoffs in humiliating fashion.

They next met in the group stage of the second Seven Nations Cup. The two nations had each had a perfect qualifiers, with Almuzahara scoring 20 in four wins and Silver Beach scoring 14. The MD4 clash was seen by Silver Beach as a chance to get revenge, and by both teams as a chance to solidify their spot in the final four. Ultimately, a testy affair ended somewhat anticlimactically in a 1-1 draw, with Ahmed Fernandez's early goal being canceled out by an impressive finish by Natalie Lachman. Both teams would advance comfortably, and would immediately be drawn together again in the semifinals.

This time, it was Silver Beach's turn to break their opponents' hearts. Despite a ten-match undefeated run from the Panthers, a late Ibrahim Delgado mistake led to a thunderous Lachman winner in the last minutes before stoppage time to break a late tie. Before that, neutrals had been treated to a fantastic game, as the teams had traded a pair of goals between each other before Silver Beach pulled ahead late. Silver Beach would go onto win the 7NC that many Almuzaharans believed would've been theirs had they won, asserting regional dominance that Almuzahara fell just short of.

Tomorrow, the fourth-ever match between Silver Beach and Almuzahara will occur. Who will win? Neutrals will; it promises to be a fantastic match.

[Sannyamathland]

Sports Times

The Lions Register Their 2nd Win

Ostrovsky scores the winning goal in his debut game

Sannyamathland:1-0:Trolleborg

The Lions edged past a stubborn Trolleborg side to register their second consecutive victory in IAC12.It was a dream debut for Alexander Ostrovsky, who scored the only goal of this match. The match was truly a nail-biting affair and could have gone on either side. The first half ended goalless, inspite of numerous efforts of attack from both the teams. Mount's 36th minute long range shot hit the woodworks, and Stuart Kerr's powerful header was barely pushed away by David Santos Jr. Apart from a few instances, the first half ended rather peacefully. It was in the second half that things started to get a bit heated. Stephan Chubukov was booked after pushing Jasper Lucius in front of their box, while Mbiki got into a heated altercation with Kasper Wolters. They were on the verge of a fist fight, before being forcefully separated by their team mates. Even after 60 minutes had passes, there were no goals from either sides. Then in the 68th minute, Kramnik introduced Ostrovsky from the bench, and this changed the entire scenario. In the 78th minute Ostrovsky headed in a long ball from Philips, thus scoring the only goal of the match. In the post match interview, Ostrovsky said:"I couldn't have hoped for a better debut. I am thankful to everyone who gave me this chance to prove myself."

[Murphtannia]

Hello everyone and welcome back to Ground Sports, I’m your commentator Jerry and I’ll be with you for our live coverage of Matchday 2 of the IAC.

Murphtania got off to a decent start last time out with a 2-2 draw with Almuzahara, with Murph and Alex Saunders continuing their impressive form, adding their names to the score sheet.

Now manager Murphy looks ahead to the next fixture, Britonesia, to create a foundation with which we can build form and push on to success. Speaking of which the line ups have been completed and the match will now shortly begin.

Kick off

(15th minute) Murphtannia have been playing very well so far, playing a high intensity, pressing game, Britonesia are yet to leave their own half. Jenkins has picked up the ball in midfield now, he plays a through ball into Owen, who pings it cover the top to Jude Elliot on the right wing.

What beautiful attacking play this is. Elliott beats the RB. He whips in a sublime ball. Jackson is there to get his head on it. GOALLLLLLLLLLLL.

WHAT A BRILLIANT WAY TO SCORE FROM BRANDON JACKSON. A BRILLIANT HEADER INTO THE TOP RIGHT, KEEPER HAD NO CHANCE, AND JACKSON WHO HAD A BRILLIANT SEASON LAST SEASON KEEPS IT UP WITH A DEBUT GOAL.

What a start this is for the Murphtannians, Murphtannia 1 Britonesia 0.

(30th minute) 15 minutes since the last goal and Britonesia look down and out, they can’t seem to string a pass together. Meanwhile Murphtannia are having a brilliant evening, they seem to be doing everything exactly as Murphy intended.

Brilliant teamwork on display tonight, but so far it’s still 1-0, still room for Britonesia to make a comeback.

(half time) A Brilliant half of football for Murphtannia, although the manager may be disappointed they failed to capitalise on several key chances. The best chance of the evening of course being when Styler hit the crossbar, an inch lower and it would’ve been 2-0.

Second Half


The managers have finished their half time talks and the teams are ready to restart the match, can Britonesia find a way back into this game or will murphtannia continue their dominance, only one way to find out I suppose.


(50th minute) So far this second half has been more even, Britonesia finding themselves on the attack, now, the striker takes a shot, OH I SAY.
What a brilliant save from Ball. He hasn’t had much to do this evening but a brilliant diving save to tip the ball over the crossbar, has to be said that looked a certain goal. 50 minutes played 1-0.


(51st minute) After that save Murphtannia found themselves on the counter-attack. After a quick goal kick from Ball, Cartlidge finds himself on the ball, he’s running forward, he passes it sideways to Jenkins. Who passes it to Styler.

Styler comes up against the center backs. Oh he’s managed to find a way through the defense with some clever footwork.

But he’s been dispossessed by the defender who then clears the ball. Straight into the path of Murph who is in midfield for some reason. Murph starts to run forward. He’s still running forward. He’s beaten the midfielder. He’s beaten 2 CB’s. He just keeps going. He takes the shot.

GOALLLLLL.

ABSOLUTELY, WORLD CLASS. RUNNING FROM HIS OWN HALF, TO SLOTTING IT INTO THE BOTTOM CORNER. THE FANS ARE GOING MENTAL. THE TEAM ARE GOING OFF TO CELEBRATE.

Just in case Murph was scared Jackson might take the plaudits today I think he proved differently.

Murphtannia looking secure now, Murphtannia 2 Britonesia 0.

(60th minute)

Murphtania have looked dominant all game, keeping Britonesia on the backfoot, however as they second half has gone on Britonesia have started to claw their way back, taking a few pot shots here and there and getting a cohesive attack going.

Murphtrannia will need to be careful, they cannot afford to get complacent now. Though saying that they are still putting in 100% and don’t look like stopping as Alex Saunders comes on to replace Jackson upfront and Steven Hurricane comes on.

(80th minute)

Britonesia have made this game a lot more even, but with time running out you have to feel like Murphtannia are going to get the 3 points here.

Hurricane however has picked up the ball outside the opposition box. He then passes it to Styler who passes it back. Brilliant 1-2 from them. Hurricane then plays a brilliant ball into Saunders.

Saunders takes the shot and GOALLLL. 3-0!!!
Saunders slots it past the keeper to secure the 3 points for Murphtannia, a brilliant piece of play from Hurricane, Styler and Saunders as the crowd celebrates.

A brilliant performance so far for Murphtannia. 3-0.

(full time)

Well what a game and what a performance, the entire team can be proud of themselves for that. Brilliant goals from Jackson, Murph and Saunders. And Murphtannia got even happier when they found out that this result takes them top of the group, while there is still a long way to go, this has certainly been the kind of start the team would’ve been hoping for, and the kind of start a successful campaign can be based off.

[Garbelia]

Sigtryggur Brynjólfursson sat alone in a darkened room. Defeat. First a humiliating 2-0 to Sannyamathland, now a capitulation to Tequilo. He knew how the GFA work. Hire, fire. If only Arthur Goodotter's early strike had been an inch lower. If only Steve Ottoman's header hadn't been blown off target. Campaigns are longer than 2 matches, but Garbelia needed to improve their form. A 6-1 friendly win had boosted hopes of new Garbeli heights, but they had come crashing down. The Masters lost to Lorrana in their quarter-finals. His team recorded another defeat. Ottery McOtter had one victory in 5 competitive matches. Sacked. Gero Tizsa performed admirably to rescue an excellent World Cup result. It didn't last. Dismal Cup of Harmony. Sacked.

The phone rang. Sigtryggur knew it would be the GFA. The government number (O113R) confirmed it. "Hello? Am I speaking to Brynjólfursson?"
"Yes."
"No need to sound miserable! We are not sacking you."
"Really?"
"Really. Just advising you. Drop Ottoman. We don't care who you pick to replace him, but he is not good enough. Same story with Otterface. Get a replacement. Change your style. Or else..."

Sigtryggur Brynjólfursson span around and opened a file on his computer. He had some scouting to be doing...

To be continued.

[Central Shaneville]

CENTRAL SHANEVILLE BOUNCE BACK
Welcome back to Muralos and our coverage of Independents Cup 12!

Central Shaneville fans were still looking for answers after the island nation suffered its biggest defeat in its history at the hands of Omerica, which made history for both sides on the opening matchday a few days ago - however whilst Central Shaneville morale was low heading into their match with HUElavia with them needing a result to keep their Independents Cup campaign alive and a result is what they got but was it enough for the public to warm up to new manager Cam Meister?

Whilst alot of Central Shaneville packed the grandstands in Muralos for this matchday there was alot of support from HUElavia too and with that the referee blew his whistle to get the match underway and the atmosphere in the Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky Arena was a tense one from the off as both teams did little to attack in the first 30 minutes in what felt like a feeling out process.

HUElavia however took advantage of Central Shaneville's leaky and inexperienced defensive backline when Anthony Wessels attempted a very ambitious pass to midfielder Daniel Cutting - the pass was too ambitious as it caused Ayuka Hamada-Navarro to slip through and catch goalkeeper James Penford off guard who wasn't too happy with himself after the goal.

Despite this Central Shaneville pushed on and finally showed some life in the team as Cam Meister (the manager) shouted instructions from the touchline not to go through the center of the field (like a normal Central Shaneville attack) but utilize the wings which is what they did with Sam Wray putting in a cross which found David Vujanic's head which found the net which Vujanic celebrated in a very humble fashion.

More chances followed for both sides but that is how it ended 1-1 in what was a "mixed bag" of a football match according to fans at the stadium.

With that draw Central Shaneville could still qualify however manager Cam Meister will definitely be wanting a win so he can cement Central Shaneville as knockout stage contenders.

Our coverage will continue soon with Matchday 3 when Central Shaneville play Devonta - a somewhat unknown side according to our sources around Muralos.

[Srednjaci]

INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP 12

WE DESPAIRINGLY NEED A VICTORY

SANJUR - SREDNJACI 1:1

Our game is not bad but it is ineffective especially against Sajnur. Possession of the ball in the legs as much as 66%, more shots on goal but only one goal scored by Isidor Matković.

The fast-footed Tavano passed on the right side, got rid of the guard brilliantly, came to the edge of 16 meters and assisted. Matkovic does not miss such balls. However, Matković hit the post with his head in 38 minutes. Then in the 48th minute Li Peng was alone in front of the goalkeeper, he kicked the ball under the goalkeeper but the ball hit the post. On the right side of the cornet in the 69th minute, Zoran Šutić made a shortened corner, added Davidi Zimmer and she threw the ball right on the head of Ante Tomljanović, but the goalkeeper defended with his fingertips.
OF COURSE THEN PUNISHMENT WAS THEN. IN THE 89TH MINUTE ATTACK SNJUR, ONE SHARP BALL IN SIXTEEN METERS OF OUR GOAL, IVAN KUŠIĆ SLIDED AND THE OPPONENT PLAYER MATCHED OUR GOALKEEPER.

SREDNJACI 1-4 KRIEGIERSIEN

Then the game against Kriegiersien, again equal on the field but we did not use all those opportunities. Kriegiersien turned every shot towards the goal.

Matkovic threatened in the 18th minute. He got rid of the keeper brilliantly, made two steps inside the space of 16 meters and shot, the goalkeeper in agony but managed to break the ball into the corner. In the 23rd minute 1: 0 for Kriegiersien and in the 41st minute Li Peng equalized on a pass from Davida Zimmer. The second half we are watching an open game, the Midfielders have chances and Kriegiersien have goals.

GK Jure Iveša - 26 y - NK Čelik Raduč

LB Danijela Majić - 23 y - NK Bistua Nuova
CB Ivan Kušić - 26 y - NK Dinamo Katanija
CB Franko Rušković - 27 y - NK Mladost Melarit - Captain
RB Zoran Šutić - 25 y - NK Archer Kula

CDM Heong Min Ho - 25 y- NK Dinamo Katanija

LW Davida Zimmer - 24 y - NK Bistua Nuova
RW Takanobu Tavano - 23 y- NK Dinamo Katanija

CF Ante Tomljanović - 25 y - NK Čelik Raduč

ST Isidor Matković - 24 y - NK Torpedo Melarit
ST Li Peng - 25 y - NK Mladost Melarit

.                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 TJUN-ia                 2    1   1   0     5    2   +3     4
2 Squidroidia             2    1   1   0     4    2   +2     4
3 Sajnur                  2    1   1   0     3    2   +1     4
4 Kriegiersien            2    1   0   1     4    3   +1     3
5 Srednjaci               2    0   1   1     2    5   −3     1
6 Montaña Verde           2    0   0   2     1    5   −4     0

[Kriegiersien]

The Schoenwetter Herald

Sport – Soccer


Independent Associations Championship 12

Srednjaci 1-4 Kriegiersien
Goals for Kriegiersien: Franz Faust, Daniel Werner, Ernest Le Bone, Guntram Lukas Rothschild

This is the first win for the Kriegiersien team at the IAC since IAC 10, after the women’s Olympic team, that represented Kriegiersien at the IAC 11 in Havynwilde, went home without a point.
“That was a much too long losing streak, I am really happy how the team represented their nation and themselves. Now we can finally dream of more”, commented Coach Viveka Schweizer.

The team played more cautious, with a 4-5-1, with Vanyaaar Starrrgoal as only striker, trying to lure the opponent into counter attacks. But in the end free kicks and corners decided an even game, the young Kriegiersien team being more efficient in front of the goal.


Next up is another Underdog, the mixed team of Montaña Verde.

“Of course we will try to use our size advantage and play much over the wings. Especially big Viktor [Vorontsov-dashkov] should give them problems there”, gave Assistant Manager Riso Becker insight into the tactic.

[Zwangzug]

The Arlington Moon-Tribune

When you look at the evolution of individual Abanhfleft players, you don't just see the clubs that have helped them make their name--although there have been plenty--but in some cases, their individual journeys across the field. Elene Liner, now a 27-year-old right wing for the Fleftic side, emerged onto the international stage at the age of fourteen. For context on this mind-boggling statistic, there was an Under-15 World Cup then in its sixth edition (circa WC 75), and in fact, some of Liner's current teammates such as Georgine Baum and Bronwyn Churchill were also on that squad. And it was a talented squad, making the final against hosts Schottia and holding them to a draw over 90 and then 120 minutes. Penalty kicks followed, and Schottia emerged as the victors.

Liner would participate in several more age-restricted tournaments before making her way to the senior sides as a right wing. But what's notable is that she was the goalkeeper on that team; the toll that defeat exerted on her psyche was severe enough to see her explore new horizons as an attack-minded player. (And a talented one, too; she scored the only goal in Abanhfleft's matchday two clash against the Picksall Islands, off an assist from Prudence Woodward.)

For Zwangzug fans already skeptical of international aging schema, this could be a cautionary tale about youth tournaments in general. Whatever the position, should fifteen-year-olds whose bodies and minds are still maturing be thrust into a world spotlight? Then again, no doubt some conservatives would say if they're old enough to vote, they're old enough to showcase their athleticism. But one can also see in this a story of resilience. Liner had enough potential not to have her options limited by her playstyle at age fourteen, and was able to retrain herself to excel elsewhere; in the opposite direction, Bronwyn Churchill was not pigeonholed by her father's abilities, and is forging her own identity with the Sky Blues. Perhaps the lesson is not to read too much into formations or tactics, and to trust in players' ability to read the course of the game. And yet, when some players literally play by different rules than others, it's hard not to fall back on stereotypes. Or maybe that was just our local bias wanting to praise Ēwiko Hūmgin's brave but futile second-half performance.

Meanwhile, the international domestic season is revving up for another cycle of IFCF play. It may or may not come as a surprise that our own 1./ is among the world's elite, currently ranked seventh among associations. And it's fair to say that, as plucky and dedicated as the Picksall Islanders are, only the current university players are even close to breaking into 1./ rosters. This raises the question; would it actually be easier for some of these players to stay involved in organized football by going to the other side of the planet, rather than the mainland? Kim Higden has dismissed these speculations: "Fans always need to wimbō and daydream about the next tournament, the next cycle. Our job is to focus on the game at hand. And if you think I'm being too nimkobin about that, well, we all have plenty of hopes for success that might seem unrealistic--even in the next game!" The Islanders will next take on Sannyamathland, who upset Trolleborg this matchday.

Sentence of the day:

Nabēk venkafod nefkokab! They have opened the window!

This usually refers to a literal window, but who knows, maybe it'll catch on for transfer season too. Be careful with using nefko as a verb; it means something like "to flee," but in the context of "watching this team makes me so angry I think I'm going to jump out a window to escape."

[HUElavia]

B-Team Berated with Bitter Draw

HUElavia 1-1 Central Shaneville
(Hamada-Navarro 30' | Vujanic 68')
(Alexandrovosk-Sakhalinsky Arena, Saĥalena-Urbeto)

Entering Matchday 2, HUElavia was looking to build on their Matchday 1 victory over HSOWA with their 2-0 victory. Coming up on their fixtures was Central Shaneville, which were coming off a blistering and horrific 8-0 defeat to the hands of Omerica. Due to this prior knowledge, Coach Salgado Lacerda opted to use the entire B-Team for the match, along with Vannier being placed in goal. Moutinho-Figo was put as the Captain for the match, and the Home Uniform was used for the first time in the match. The match was played at Alexandrovosk-Sakhalinsky Arena (21,484), in Saĥalena-Urbeto, which once again had a strong HUElavian backing in the stadium. Once the anthems were played and the coin was flipped, the ball rolled and the match was under way!

The opening 30 minutes were very tense for both teams, with very little attacking opportunity coming from both sides, mainly due to the stellar performances done by the HUElavian defense and the competent defense put up by Central Shaneville. In the 20th minute, Moutinho-Figo was clattered down by Ekins, which gave for a free kick and a yellow card. Moutinho-Figo could not get up and as it turns out, he had suffered a pretty bad cut from Ekins' cleet. Off he went on a stretcher to get treated, while Hamada-Navarro was substituted on and given the Captain's Armband for the match. The opening goal came in the 30th minute, when Wessels wanted to send a long pass to Cutting, but it was intercepted by Hamada-Navarro, where she was left all alone and ran one-on-one with Penford, where she chipped the ball over an off-guard Penford and slotted it into the corner of the goal, making it 1-0. Hamada went to celebrate with the bench and squad giving hugs and hi-fives and sharing a kiss and hug with her husband, Navarro. The fans jumped and celebrated in traditional fashion to make the stadium rumble from the cheers and jumping. There were some occasions from both teams throughout the remainder of the half, but it ended 1-0, and the HUElavians were satisfied with the lead once more.

In the second half, both teams had more drive to attack and look to make scoring opportunities. Central Shaneville changed up their approaching, going from attacking the center towards attacking the wings. This would pay off, as in the 68th minute, a cross by Wray went into the box and reached the head of Vujanic, who headed it past a diving Vannier into the goal, making it 1-1. Vujanic was humble with his celebrations and got congrats from his teams while the supporters for Central Shaneville were happy and celebrated the goal with joy. Both teams tried to get something more from opportunities, even after making substitutions. Despite this, the match ended in a 1-1 draw, which was a mixed bag of results, mainly having a more negative outlook from the HUElavian supporters who expected something more.

With the draw, HUElavia sits in 3rd Place with 4 points (1-1-0), behind leaders Omerica who have 6 Points (2-0-0), and 2nd Placed Devonta who also have 6 Points (2-0-0). The team will play against Omerica on Matchday 3 at Spartak Stadium Okcidenta-Havenurbo (27,800) in Okcidenta-Havenurbo. This is the third time these two teams meet in the IAC, and all meetings have been in the Group Stage. In IAC 8, Omerica won 3-0, and in IAC 9, HUElavia won in a 5-4 thriller. 12 years later, these two meet again, with very likely 1st place in Group G on the line. The A-Team will place once again, with Ramos in goal and Navarro as the Captain once again. The Home Alternative Uniform will be used for the match, and the stadium is expected to be sold-out with a 50/50 amount of support in the stands for both teams. The team continues to train in their practice facilities and spend time studying film and going over the plans to face Omerica. They also continue their sessions with the Sports Psychologists, getting help to come over the mental frustrations of the draw. While the players may have their fears with what may happen in the future of this tournament, adrenaline blowing out the fear seems to be one of the motivators for the team. After all, with them running around, making quick decisions, they got all the adrenaline they need to push forward. The fans continue to enjoy their time and stay in Muralos and despite the cold weather, they seem to prefer it here than what was 4 years ago in Havynwilde. Regardless, here's to our next match!

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[Tequilo]

---

RED RADIO A-GO-GO
ITS JUST THE SAME OLD SHOW

---

Part 3/6: Threewide Department of Corrections, Usorno

There are migrant workers from Tequilo all over the known multiverse, and in many of the sixteen corners of the as-yet unknown multiverse, each with their little state-issued red radio. Vilito Xururi was not permitted to take his on shift with him at 'Threewide Pen' up in the north; he had to leave it in his locker and only had access - during his rotations - when he took his meal in the staff refectory.

It was mid-afternoon Usorno Eastern Time and the Tequilo World Service was broadcasting live coverage of the Agave-Blues IAC match against Garbelia. Jaïr Iscla was about to put Tequilo ahead from the penalty spot after Tsttnauayui had been upended in the box, and in the Threewide staff refectory, four Tequiloa were huddled around Vilito's little red radio having got permission from 'El Gafa' to have late lunches all together, just so they could enjoy this communal moment supporting their Pitxileros. As Jaïr dispatched the penalty, the four comrades jumped in unison, and knocked the red radio crashing to the floor, cracking it's familiar casing. The radios were easy enough to jimmy back together, but it would take some glue and tape and a little prayer to get it going again - so Isadora Pinto brought hers from her locker to carry on the broadcast, while Vilito taped his back together with materials hastily gathered from the staff lounge. When Macedoni Altés put the game beyond doubt in the second half, the four workmates were careful not to drop another red radio in their excitement.

The little red radio has always been red, at least when issued by the state, and private alternatives with different designs and in different colours were never really successful - for two reasons: firstly, why pay for a fancy glittery blue set when you can get the government issue red version for free? And secondly - well, the privately built ones never really worked as well; only the state-approved and patented ultra-high multiversal frequency receiver, the UMF - standard in the little red radio - was guaranteed clear reception in the darkest, dankest corners of Ao. Private manufacturers without the UMF receiver simply couldn't deliver if for some reason you found yourself, dogs forbid, on holiday in Sonnel. For that, you needed your little red radio made by A-Go-Go on behalf of the government. There was one exception to the red box - the matt green super-tough military issue version; but if you're packing one of those, you probably aren't on holiday in Sonnel.

"You can swap it out next time you fly home," said Isidora, who felt guilty that she most likely was the one that had knocked Vilito's radio on the floor in her excitement, "they'll change it at the airport for free if you tell them how it happened." In Tequilo, it's no crime to break your radio in a moment of unbridled ecstasy. The government is happy to oblige.

TEQ PRESS ON
GARBELIA 0-2 TEQUILO HT: 0-1

Location: @ Novikovo Stadium, Novikovo, Muralos
Attendance: 23,876 Novikovoes, a smattering of Garboes, and the Ultra-Mariachi Band (8 sombreros + doggo)
Scorers: Jaïr Iscla 20'(pen) Macedoni Altés 54'
Assists: Tsttnauayui 20' Niño Pinto 54'
Booked: Otto Johnson, Lefiné Avianum | Tol Chicote
Tequilo Line-Up: (4-1-3-2) Oscar Bienvenida | Ostando Bertendona, Emmanuel París, Tol Chicote (sub: Diogo Junco 56'), Ochoa Abril | Ixtub Tün | Jaïr Iscla, Niño Pinto, Tsttnauayui | Macedoni Altés (sub: Mani Quita 86'), Alexandro Calvoecheaga
Player of the Match: Tsttnauayui (Tequilo)

---

DEFENDING FROM THE FRONT
Coach Juan Manuel Botín is beginning to reveal his hand in this tournament ahead of the next World Cup cycle, tactically speaking, and we have cause to be excited about his high pressing game - the Teq Press, as we are going to name it: defend from the front, pressurise the defence, shut down the wide channels with aggressive forward movement characterised by the excellent Tsttnauayui, who won a player of the match award as well as getting an assist by setting up the penalty to open the scoring for Tequilo. It is paying off at the back too where the defense has been under significantly less pressure so far in this tournament than has been the case previously. Two clean sheets for captain and keeper Oscar Bienvenida attest to that. Jaïr Iscla calmly put away the penalty in the twentieth minute, won by that man Tsttnauayui when he caught the defence napping as they tried to play out from the back and found themselves trapped in their own box. Otto Johnson was the first to panic, felling Tsttnauayui, and the penalty gave the Agave-Blues a deserved lead. The second, shortly after half time, was engineered by Niño Pinto and scored by Macedoni Altés on his international debut.

The biggest test comes in the next game as Tequilo take on powerhouse group favourites Trolleborg, a rematch of the Cup of Harmony round of 32 match up in Los Pitxileros' first world cup cycle. The Trolls won that tie with a narrow but well-deserved 1-0 victory in Kelssek, and Juan Manuel has openly stated that their well-appreciated 'mighty press' tactic has been influential in his thinking for future tactics. Two pressing teams should mean lots of energy, plenty of gaps, but perhaps few goals - neither the Trolls nor the Agave-Blues are conceding easily at the moment - Trolleborg's only goal against in the surprising defeat to Sannymathland last time out. They will want to bounce back from that and it is going to be a fascinating contest between two similar sides. A win for Tequilo would put them well on the way to securing a place in the last sixteen, but in Trolleborg they have perhaps a competition favourite to overcome first. Defender Tol Chicote and forward Macedoni Altés join José Tavia on the injury list - Diogo Junco makes his first full start for the country while attacker Pedro Rôa is recalled to the starting line-up alongside Alexandro Calvoecheaga.

---

TEQUILO STAT SUMMARY

Competition goals: Alexandro Calvoecheaga (2) Ixtub Tün, Jaïr Iscla, Macedoni Altés (1)
Competition assists: Jaïr Iscla, Tsttnauayui, Niño Pinto (1)
Competition PoMs: Alexandro Calvoecheaga, Tsttnauayui (1)
Competition cards: Ostando Bertendona, Tsttnauayui, Urbano Noboa, Tol Chicote (1 yellow)

---

Confirmed Line-Up for TEQUILO vs. Trolleborg
@ Novikovo Stadium, Novikovo, Muralos
(4-1-3-2)
Oscar Bienvenida (C) | Ostando Bertendona, Emmanuel París, Diogo Junco, Ochoa Abril | Ixtub Tün | Jaïr Iscla, Niño Pinto, Tsttnauayui | Pedro Rôa, Alexandro Calvoecheaga (VC)

Unavailable: José Tavia, Tol Chicote & Macedoni Altés (injured)

[Drawkland]

E X P I R E D ...

If you're not caught up on this whole "Elite Eleven" thing, feel free to read up on the literature ...

A Hint * A Tease * A Story * A Contradiction * A Roster

Elite 1 * Elite 2 * Elite 3 * Elite 4 * Elite 5 * Elite 6
Elite 7 * Elite 8 * Elite 9 * Elite 10 * Elite 11

Expired 1 * Expired 2 * Expired 3 * Expired 4 * Expired 5 * Expired 6

"What was that?!" Nicole exclaimed, watching as the faintly green field around her body started to dissipate.

"That was your aura," Kanyo answered clinically. "It's one of the three magical anchors a person can have. Yours isn't very strong, I'm afraid, but at least it was something. Your other two anchors, your mind and body, had nothing to them. No offense to your actual brain and physical skill of course, but they have no ability to channel magical energy. Your aura, an extension of your energy, seems to have something though."

"So what can I do with that?" Nicole asked, trying to mask her excitement. She had been to a few magic shows before, but they were mostly just demonstrations of visual prowess. Wizards and warlocks and other demonstrators would go on stage and make spectacular arrangements and cool-looking light flashes. It was like watching a firework show, but inside a theater and without the earplugs. For the most part, magic was so rare that it was hard to see it as anything other than a neat party trick.

"It's lucky for your purposes. Aural magic is mostly based on energy, and it can be useful to create protection for yourself, and even some sorts of attacks. The protection will suit you much better in the maze, but I will make sure you are well rounded."

"What do I learn first then?"

"First, you must learn patience." Kanyo replied bluntly. "You are not in the right mindset, nor are you physically prepared for this right now. You will not be receiving any training today."

"I understand." Nicole tried to avoid showing any disappointment. Kanyo was her new instructor now, essentially her coach, and she knew she had to respect her wishes. She knew more about this than Nicole could even attempt to learn in her entire life, so there was no reason to question her. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No, quite the opposite." Kanyo turned slightly and vaguely gestured behind her. "I have already made arrangements for you to spend a week with me. My staff will be taking care of your diet, your clothing, and your routine. I have done this many times before, and I know the best regimen to ensure your success in learning the arcane arts."

"I'm staying here?" Nicole gasped, slightly taken aback. She was under the impression that she'd head back to her apartment and commute whenever she came in for a training session. She hadn't made plans to be boarding here.

"Yes, you are. If you're serious about this venture, then you must stay. If you leave, I will not teach you any further, and good luck finding somebody with my resume."

Nicole stood silent for a moment to compose her self. This was not what she had planned for this week, but she was a professional defender in the top league in the nation. She was a former national teamer, even. She always had to be able to make changes on the fly, adapt to the situation on the pitch as it developed, remaining resilient in the face of constant challenges. She had stood firm and protected her team's box a thousand times. This should be no different.

"Okay. I'm in. I have quarters, I assume?"

"Correct. You will be led to these quarters by one of my assistants momentarily. Your food will be delivered to your quarters at an appropriate time. Your clothes and other essentials are already there as well. Your training will begin tomorrow morning precisely at sunrise. I have other matters to attend to. Goodbye." Kanyo stepped back, and without warning, she was enveloped in a small cloud. The cloud dissipated, and the Queen was gone.

"That's a little cliche," Nicole muttered, looking around the now-empty room. There were 12 banners on the wall, each with a different design and color scheme. They looked vaguely familiar, like from some book she'd read in grade school.

Presently, the doors on one end of the room silently opened, and someone dressed in robes entered. Nicole assumed this was the assistant Kanyo had referred to, so she jogged to the end of the room to meet them.

"Hello, I'm Nicole. Are you the person who's supposed to show me around?"

The person stared at her in silence. They turned back to the hallway they had come from and began smoothly striding away. Not knowing what else to do, Nicole followed them. The hallway was narrow, with many twists and turns, but Nicole managed to keep up with the person until they stopped at a door. The person remained silent, but opened the door and gestured for Nicole to enter.

Nicole obliged, bowing her head to the person, and entering the room. The door quickly shut behind her. She tried to open it again, but it wouldn't budge.

"What kind of-" Nicole started to complain, before she stopped herself. She just realized that perhaps the weirdness and offputting nature of this place was perhaps being done on purpose to throw her off.

"I wonder if this is some sort of hazing thing," Nicole wondered aloud, turning back to survey her new quarters. It was a bit larger than she was expecting, but there wasn't much in it. The room was again, circular, and she figured it was likely inside one of the towers of the Citadel. On the opposite side of the room from the door was a tall and narrow window, where the late afternoon light shone through.

Nicole walked up to the window, and peered through it. It was too skinny for her to fit through, which was nice, because it appeared there was no window or bars to protect from the elements. She stuck her head through the window, and her theory of the room being in one of the 12 towers of the castle was correct. It was quite high up, as well. She had a really good view of the grounds outside the castle, as well as the outerlying areas of Kayo. The downtown area must be on the other side, which she couldn't see.

"I guess I can't see my house from here," Nicole grinned to herself. "Har har. I'm so funny." She turned back to the room, where there was not much furniture to speak of. There was a small, simple bed against one wall. Alongside it was a single dresser. On the other side of the room was a simple desk and chair, with some old writing supplies, and an empty shelf which she assumed was meant for books.

She looked through the dresser drawers. All the clothes in there seemed identical - all old-timey tunics that looked straight out of some medieval movie. There was a single long-sleeved robe in the mix, which was really plain. It suddenly dawned on Nicole that her phone was no longer in her pocket, despite the fact that she definitely had it when she entered the castle.

Nicole sighed. It wasn't a big deal that she was probably about to be isolated from the outside world for a week, in the grand scheme of things. Still, she was still annoyed it was sprung up on her at the last second, but she supposed that was the point.

Around the time the sun started to set in the sky, another person in a robe opened the door. They were carrying a small tray with food on it, and placed it on the ground. Nicole tried to ask them a question, but they closed the door just as quickly as they opened it and they were gone. Nicole walked up to investigate the tray. It had some sort of bread, a weirdly-colored broth, an assortment of vegetables, and a cup of water. Nicole shrugged and brought the tray to her desk and started to dig in. She'd certainly eaten more tasteless food in the varied diets and regimens she'd tried over her playing career.

Once she finished eating, she placed the tray on the floor by the door and went to peer out the window again. The sun was below the horizon and it was beginning to get dark. Living in the modern world, Nicole had gotten used to spending some time at home after dark, but she knew without any sort of light it would be difficult to do anything in her quarters. Not like there was much to do anyway.

Nicole decided to do a short workout to help tire herself out and spend the last hour or so of light usefully. She went through a stretching and small cardio routine, plus some body weight exercises. She assumed she'd have to be in good physical condition for whatever Kanyo would put her through, and even if she didn't, she would hate to lose ground on her physical training. Once she'd sufficiently tired herself out, she drank the rest of the water and settled into bed. It wasn't very comfortable.

---

Nicole awoke to the sounds of birds chattering outside her window. She sat up in bed quickly, peering outside and seeing the sun hadn't yet risen. She wasn't late, at least for now. She quickly dressed in one of the tunics from the dresser, and noticed there was a tray waiting at the door. It was once again a small bread loaf, this time with a banana and something that looked and almost tasted like a protein shake. Once she'd eaten the meal, Nicole placed it down where she found it. She tried the door, and to her surprise, it opened.

Navigating the winding hallways was hard, since Nicole had only been through them once and she was mostly focused on keeping up with the mage or whatever person had been leading her. Thankfully, she managed to find the room where Kanyo had given her the "lesson" yesterday.

The ellipsoidal room was empty and mostly dark, though there was light coming from ... somewhere. Nicole walked to the center of the room, seeing no evidence of any other person there. With some time to kill before sunrise, Nicole did some stretches, the ones she'd usually do in the morning when she planned to work out or play a match. As Nicole was doing a toe-touch, she got the sudden feeling she was being watched. When she came up from the stretch, Kanyo was standing directly in front of her. Nicole hadn't seen or heard her come in, so she was a little shocked, but she kept her cool.

"Generally at sunrise we do a morning meditation." Kanyo started, in a critical tone. "However, it appears you are doing something productive at least, so I won't count that against you."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Nicole replied quickly. "Meditation is not something I've learned to do."

"This will be your first practical lesson, then." The Queen replied, extending an arm to her side. "While this is an adequate venue for arcane sparring and practice, it is not effective for teaching, in my opinion. We will travel to one of my grounds further inland."

"How long will that take?"

"Less than a minute, depending on how long you want to stand and gape." Kanyo swept her arm in a circular motion, and suddenly the air beside her seemed to warp and bend. Nicole watched as the warping deepened and stretched, before it seemed to tear into a picture of a grassy clearing in a dense forest. The picture expanded, grew into more detail, and floated above the ground next to the Queen.

"Is this some sort of portal?" Nicole asked, trying to keep the awe off her expression.

"What do you think?" Kanyo sarcastically replied, clearly a little irritated. "Come along now, we have a little time before the sun rises there." She stepped into the picture, and walked through it like there was nothing there. Nicole took a deep breath, and walked through it herself. It felt like walking through an empty doorway, there was no resistance or anything. She simply stepped into the picture and she was in a different place entirely.

"What is this place?" Nicole asked breathlessly.

"This is one of my secluded grounds. It's in the middle of one of our national forests, and it's not connected to any civilized area. There's no trails within 50 miles of this place, no roads, no infrastructure, no trace of any person but me and those I invite here. This is where you'll be spending the next week."

"This is amazing ..." Nicole replied, turning around to take the whole place in. The air was fresh, and the only non-natural thing she could see was a modest cottage or two in the distance. The sky was no longer inky black, but the trees were still dark, as the sun had not yet risen but would soon.

"Follow me," Kanyo replied dismissively, "There is a point at the top of this hill here where I like to meditate. I will teach you the basics there." Nicole nodded and followed the Queen as she strode to a small trail through the trees. It was going to be a long week.

[Srednjaci]

WORLD ARENA SPORT

INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP 12

It is time to introduce the first lineup players.

GK Jure Iveša - 26 y - NK Čelik Raduč
Jure Iveša was born in the town of Raduč ( 195 cm, 89 kg). Raduč is a town known for its steel mine and steel production. But it is also known for the automotive industry, the production of railway compositions as well as aircraft parts. At the age of 6, Iveša joined the football club Automobili Raduč. At the age of 10 he switched to athletics, high jump, but at the age of 11 he returned to football but to another club. He enrolled in the football club Čelik Raduč, where he has remained until now. He was named the best goalkeeper in the league.

LB Danijela Majić - 23 y - NK Bistua Nuova
Danijela Majić, 185 cm and 70 kg, was born in Bistua Nuova. She comes from a sports family. Hers mother was a handball player, today she is a coach and hers father was a football player and today he coaches a football club in which Danijela , NK Bistua Nuova, is also. Bistua Nuova won the DR Srednjaci championship in the women's competition and currently has no relevant opponent in the league. Danijela is adorned with great technique and speed, she often takes corners but also uses hers speed to penetrate to the attack.

CB Ivan Kušić - 26 y - NK Dinamo Katanija
Ivan Kušić ,186 cm and 75 kg, was born in the small town of Plava Laguna near Melarit. He made his first football steps in NK Plava Laguna. In high school he moved to Melarit to study. There he started playing for the home club, Mladost Melarit. With his games as an 18-year-old, he attracted the attention of major clubs and signed a contract with Dinamo Katanija. He won the championship and the cup with that club. Great pillar of the club's defense, with an overview of the game. He is strong in duels, fast, but his technique is also great.

CB Franko Rušković - 27 y - NK Mladost Melarit - Captain
Franko Rušković, 188 cm and 78 kg, an insurmountable pillar of defense. A very intelligent player with incredible agility and endurance. Strong and corpulent, they won duels in 92% of cases. He started playing football at the age of 10, before football he tried volleyball and tennis. He stayed in football and led his club NK Mladost Melarit to the second position in the league, but also to winning the cup. He was named the best football player in the league for last season, but also the best defensive player in the league.

RB Zoran Šutić - 25 y - NK Archer Kula
Zoran Šutić, 183 cm and 70 kg, he was born in the town of Kula. Despite his club fighting not to drop out of the league, Zoran is one of the bright spots of the drowning club. Zoran was brilliant in his position and Archery Kula will probably be left without its best player. There is talk of negotiations with Torpedo Melarit, a team that entered the first league from the second league.

CDM Heong Min Ho - 25 y- NK Dinamo Katanija
An amazing player, fast and always in the right place. The accuracy in the passes is amazing and the technique is amazing. He was born in Katanija and started playing football at the age of six. From the beginning, he was Dinamo Catania and with that club he is the champion of DR Srednjaci. He is 178 cm tall and weighs 68 kg.

LW Davida Zimmer - 24 y - NK Bistua Nuova
Davida Zimmer , 176 cm and 66 kg, a fast football player who creates problems on the left wing. A great football player who is an unsolvable enigma in the league. She was named the best football player in that position and she deserved an invitation to the national team with great statistics. 22 goals in the season, 18 assists and an accuracy of 87%. The speed in the sprint is amazing, 80 meters ran in 10.24 seconds. It has an excellent and precise shot from the edge of 16 meters and it is the most dangerous.

RW Takanobu Tavano - 23 y- NK Dinamo Katanija
The best player in that position and probably the best player in the league ever. The ceiling is 177 cm high and weighs 67 kilograms. Probably a fast player on the right wing is simply unstoppable. Because of his speed and technique, two players run into him in defense and sometimes three. This creates a surplus on the field and is very dangerous there. With one jerk he is able to add the ball with incredible precision. Its market price is dizzying. In the cup against Lokomotiva Raduč, a club from the second league, Tavano scored an incredible 6 goals. With Dinamo Katanija he is the league champion and he scored 18 goals and gave 33 assists.

CF Ante Tomljanović - 25 y - NK Čelik Raduč
Tomljanović is a unique player. He plays as an offensive midfielder, central foreward but can also play as a striker. A player who has almost everything. He is 182 cm tall, which is quite high for his position. But he is very agile, strong and technically great. He scored the most goals with his head from the corner, he can jump high and the defenders who should guard him are usually lower than him.

ST Isidor Matković - 24 y - NK Torpedo Melarit

Isidor Matković, 183 cm and 79 kg , the absolute star of the league. Torpedo Melarit entered the first from the second league and Matković is their best player, the club's top scorer, the top scorer of the second league and a player who has incredible skills. His sense of goal is the most pronounced of all the players in DR Srednjaci. Incredible shot, strong and technically refined. His turn and sprint are famous. It is difficult to keep him because he is constantly on the move and in addition to goals, he is often an assistant. He is the most talented player in the league and he will surely lead the battle with Tavan to be the best player in the league.

ST Li Peng - 25 y - NK Mladost Melarit
Li Peng , 181 cm and 78 kg , the best striker of his club. He led Mladost Melarit to win the cup. In the final against Dinamo Katanija, he scored a hat trick and had one assist for the 4: 2 victory. Named the player of the match but also the top scorer for last season in the league with 41 goals.

These are the players who are the first lineup.
Players who are still playing together, we hope that they will not play for a long time because they have hard matches to win. It’s time to turn your skills into 3 points.

[Central Shaneville]

INTO THE UNKNOWN...
Central Shaneville are used to facing "unknown" opposition however tonight they face a side with form and yet (as of time of writing this article) this team remains as secretive as ever, this team being Devonta.

However they are not a side to sleep on as they are ranked 2nd in the table just behind Omerica so Central Shaneville boss Cam Meister may look to change up tactics ahead of tonight's match knowing a result could catapult his team into contention for the knockouts following two matchdays which has been described as a "mixed bag" by fans and pundits.

Elsewhere, the team continue to train and it seems that defense is the name of the training game in the Central Shaneville camp with trainers and even Cam Meister himself looking over proceedings - "Our defense is our biggest weakness" Mr. Meister said "It's too leaky and inexperienced however over time I believe we can turn this back four into an absolute unit" he said very optimistically.

When Central Shaneville sources looked to get a word off the Devonta manager they were supposedly stopped by security guards however this was never confirmed so with a team this secretive, Central Shaneville are really off into the unknown when the team steps onto the pitch tonight in Muralos.

[Squidroidia]

This is War - Kuritibah

Squidroidia vs TJUN-ia. Pot 1 versus Pot 2. The marquee matchup in Group D.

The 2 teams have had different trajectories to get here. TJUN-ia were the example of "Close, but not close enough", making the playoff stages of the past 2 World Cups but not making it into the show. They, as well as the Inklings, had fresh blood coaching them. Unlike Adam Johnson's hire for the Squidroidian national team, however, the Jags had 2 people managing them - Something unheard of in Squidroidia. David Seems and Li Xiu Ying. The dynamic duo.

It was safe to say that TJUN-ia didn't really have a national league to call upon. That was supposedly in the works but the status surrounding it were fishy. Instead, everybody on the Jags roster played in foreign leagues - Aron McKenna and Archer Andrews are teammates of Sho Itō at Shamrock. Makino Hideo had to come up against Leighton Labe, Orion Reynolds, Carlos Pique, Percy Pearson and Kim Won-an in the Murphtannian Premier League. There was some TPL representation. 2 players were in the V-League. One player on the Jags plays in the S-FPL. There was even some Ko-oren Top League representation. TJUN-ians were present everywhere in club football.

Both teams won their first games as well. We do know about the 2 goals to 0 Squidroidia had against Kriegiersien, but the Jags against newcomers Montaña Verde was better than that. The Condors didn't put up much of a fight against the TJUN-ians, giving up goals to Joe Green, Vladimir Podolov and Kepo Ulawaya, the "Big 3" in TJUN-ian footballing circles, to put the game to rest. They sat top of Group D as the game in Kuritibah.

It was war.

Squidroidia would score first, getting it in the 24th minute from none other than the young Shamrock prodigy Sho Itō playing out of position. He wasn't there for long, however, as Adam Johnson made the choice to sub him off in the 40th minute. Before the second half, however, the Jags would tie it up, as one of the Big 3, Kepo Ulawaya would score. He scored in the second half too, bringing the Jags the lead in the 62nd minute. Squidroidia were trailing. Trailing in a competitive game. Adam Johnson's defensive strategy wasn't working. They needed a point, a goal, and fast.

In stepped Shiba Tetsuo. The Squidbreak youngster would score his first national team goal with a strike just outside the box in the 84th minute. The Inklings could breathe with a draw. A scare from the Jags was thwarted.

Now, on to Srednjaci. Should be easy.

[Adab]

Adab 2-2 Ginadjkrum
Yargab (49’), Yissakar (79’) | Posse (38’), Wallin (67’)

A Dance with Football
A look into the lives of the people involved in Adabian football and those associated with them

Chapter 15: This Contract of Ours

Saad knew it was coming. He knew it was the whole point of the visit, and he knew he had to give his answer to the offer. There was no joy, no excitement, only a feeling of irritation that he had been asked to return to where he did not want to come back to. He understood why Naram-Sin, and indeed so many others in the country, put their trust in him. But it was a part of his life that he did not want to go back to.

He did not give an immediate answer. Wordlessly he rose to his feet, bowing his head somewhat, closing his eyes, and frowning. He did not even look at Naram-Sin. At this point it must have dawned on Naram-Sin that it was not going to be as easy as he thought. He, too, rose from his seat, but did not move closer to Saad. Instead the two men stayed still in their respective positions, a poignant moment of silence enveloping them.

“You know,” Saad broke the silence, opening his eyes but still not looking at Naram-Sin, “I really appreciate your offer, Naram-Sin. I really do.”

Naram-Sin nodded, weakly. “I sense a ‘but’ in your answer.”

Saad raised his chin, his eyebrows furrowed, his sight fixed on the wall in front of him. “There was a time, Naram-Sin,” he continued, rather slowly, “that football formed a major part of my life and I couldn’t live without it. It was the only thing that my life revolved around. But we all have changed, Naram-Sin. Too many years have passed. We’ve changed, the world’s changed, even football’s changed.”

Naram-Sin solemnly, gradually stepped forward. “What do you mean?”

Saad turned his head ever so slightly at Naram-Sin. He launched his right foot towards the visitor, then the left one. “Thirteen years ago,” he continued, his voice growing low, “we could’ve had it all. We had a young, fresh squad. We had done well in the Independents Cup and the World Cup qualifiers. We could have done much more. We could have become much more.”

“Saad, no,” Naram-Sin sighed, shaking his head. “We couldn’t have done things any differently, and you know it. It’s an economic crisis. The government had to shift money to other projects. You know it’s the Imperial Palace’s decision. We just weren’t that much of a priority-“

“WE COULD HAVE!” With one quick movement Saad grabbed Naram-Sin by his collar, pulling him so close that their foreheads almost clashed. His face was a terrible frown. His breath barely managed to come of his gritted teeth. “We could have! We could have improved on our performance! We could have kept on competing! We could have become a regional powerhouse, maybe even a multiversal giant of football!”

“Saad, please.” Naram-Sin could barely get his words out. Saad’s grip on his collar grew even tighter. “It’s not my decision. It’s what the Imperial Palace-“

“Look me in the eye, old man. LOOK ME IN THE EYE!” Saad barked. “Thirteen years and you still don’t understand. You all people just rolled over and obeyed their insane orders when they destroyed the national team, destroyed our chances at becoming a respected football power. You have no grit, no passion, no nothing, not even a love for the game that you claim you have.”

“It’s the Imperial Palace, Saad. We can’t just oppose-“

“You can! For God’s sake, Naram-Sin, you and I are citizens of this country. Those people have an obligation to listen to us! Instead you did nothing as they destroyed one of the few things that could be our national pride in our darkest time. If they couldn’t give a damn about arts and culture and sports, well it’s their loss. But it didn’t have to be like this!”

Saad released Naram-Sin’s collar in an equally quick movement, so sudden and powerful that it sent Naram-Sin stumbling a step or two backwards. “Saad,” he said quietly, obviously still stunned and bewildered at what his old friend had just done to him, “this is a new chance. We can do this. We… we can rise from the ashes.”

“The ashes from the building you burned down.” Saad began to calm down, and his voice grew softer, but his burning eyes were wide open still, staring at Naram-Sin. “Why me, Naram-Sin? Why not someone else who is younger and more in touch with the latest developments? You know I haven’t managed a team in more than a decade.”

“Because you’re our hero, and you’re the symbol of our past glory,” Naram-Sin explained. “We… want a more diverse team this time. Men, women, maybe all the major religious faiths, someone from Faraby, all kinds of people. Veterans from your time, the current stars in the league. No other manager commands the amount of respect that you have. No one can unite the team like you.”

Saad simply nodded. And for the next minute, neither man spoke, each lowering their heads. Saad closed his eyes.

After a while, he broke the silence. “What do you expect from this team?"

“We just want to do our best in the Independents Cup. Prepare for the World Cup.”

“What exactly is ‘best’? Round of 16?”

“No, not necessarily. Just… do our best. As long as they get playing time and can prepare for the World Cup.”

Saad nodded again. “What are you going to offer me in your contract? Two years? Until the end of the World Cup?”

“A four-year contract, in fact,” Naram-Sin said. His own eyes grew wide as the realization dawned on him. Maybe there’s a chance after all.

Saad raised his head, looking straight at Naram-Sin. “I want a one-match contract.”

“One match?” Naram-Sin looked up at Saad, taken aback.

“Yes,” Saad affirmed. “After every match that we play, be it friendly or competitive, I want to have the option of either renewing my contract for the next match or letting it expire. No, I don’t want any money. I’ve had enough from my real estate company anyway.”

“Oh, uh, sure, if that’s what you want. We can arrange it. Are you sure you don’t want a longer contract?”

“Look, I’ve got a good thing going with my real estate company. One-match contract. Take it or leave it.”

“Uh, sure, alright then.”

“Also, you said that you want veterans from my time in the team. I want Marramzi, Yargab, Orlev, and Frangieh.”

“Sure, sure.” Naram-Sin nodded in rapid succession, noting Saad’s demands in his mind.

“Good,” Saad said. His hands reached down and sank into his trouser pockets. His eyes were on Naram-Sin. “You ever watched The Godfather Part III? There’s a scene where Michael Corleone is sitting down with his people, and he says, ‘Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.’”

[TJUN-ia]

By Peter Davis

After a comfortable win over Montana Verde kicked off the Co-Manager era of TJUN-ian football, the Pot 2 Jags were about to take to the Moonlight Coliseum again for what could be the biggest game of the group stage. Things were smooth to begin with for both David Seems and Li Xiu Ying in the first game, but everyone knew that real tests were still to come that would kick off against the Pot 1 team in this group: the Inklings of Squidroidia, a team who may be out of the IAC entirely in the next few years and certainly a respectable unit for us to try and take down in Kuritibah.

My Squirdiodian counterpart called this game a war and in this regard, they would be absolutely correct. Both teams came in knowing getting points from the other would be big for the knockout chances and so, all 90 minutes to this one would be thrilling to watch for the neutrals but an absolute nightmare for the fans of both sets of 11 players out there. Squidroidia's relatively-new manager in Adam Johnson was looking to kick off the Inklings' new era in style and it would be his unit who would get on the scoresheet first, Sho Itō (who plays for Shamrock Cathair, interestingly enough) converting as a striker, despite the fact he usually plays in midfield or on the wing. Strangly enough, Itō was subbed off in the 40th minute for Amagawa Katsuyoshi and after that, TJUN-ia finally levelled the score as Kepo Ulawaya headed home just before the break.

Once the players came back out, the real battle began as a 1-1 draw just seemed a bit off for the attacking prowess both teams have. TJUN-ia and Squidroidia were pressing for all 3 points here and Ulawaya used the tense atmosphere to his advantage, firing the Jags 2-1 up in the 62nd before thing got real pretty quickly. Both the Co-Managers and the one from Barunia were certainly using a lot of the book to try and get the result they wanted and play turned into a siege...until the 84th. Then, a 21-year-old midfielder called Shiba Tetsuo certainly made his mark, firing past Harold Gylfisson from outside the box to score his first ever goal for his country (what a way to do it, too!). That would be the final moment of this contest as both Jags and Inklings had to share the points after a tight affair in the Moonlight Coliseum.

Three teams lead the way in Group D now, all on 4 points: TJUN-ia, Squidroidia and our next opponents in Pot 3 Sajnur, certainly and old foe from multiple WCQ campaigns. We may have dropped points today but in a group this tight, near perfection may be required in the remaining 3 games. GO JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group D, Matches in Almuzahara)
MD1: vs Montana Verde (Pot 5) - Moonlight Coliseum, Kuritibah W 3-0 (1st)
MD2: vs Squidroidia (Pot 1) - Moonlight Coliseum, Kuritibah D 2-2 (1st)
MD3: vs Sajnur (Pot 3) - Moonlight Coliseum, Kuritibah
MD4: vs Srednjaci (Pot 6) - Moonlight Coliseum, Kuritibah
MD5: vs Kriegiersien (Pot 4) - Moonlight Coliseum, Kuritibah

[Lorrana]

Lorrana 0-0 Juvencus

Juvencus nearly took an early lead in unusual style as Olisati's clearance fired straight into Edu Coste and back onto his own crossbar, shortly after Lorrana had been denied an eighth-minute opener when Kiyon was ruled just offside in teeing up Sidar Va Daledi to score.

The hosts struck the woodwork themselves when Va Daledi's wonderful effort crashed off the goalframe thanks to a fingertip touch by Juan Carlos Ungaro.

The goalkeeper was again in fine form to readjust and keep out Berd Ravilu's close-range shot 10 minutes after half-time, while Julio Campana and Joao Pereyrar tested Lizu Lruiktu at the other end of the pitch.

And because of some wasteful Juvencus finishing, failing to beat Lruiktu despite registering seven shots on target, Juvencus and Lorrana are now tied in first place, with the same amount of points, goal differential, and equal on head-to-head.

Group H Standings

Group H Standings
   Team                   P W D L For Ag +/- Pts
 1 Juvencus               2 1 1 0  2  0  +2  4
 1 Lorrana                2 1 1 0  2  0  +2  4
 3 Drawkland              2 1 0 1  3  2  +1  3
 4 Squornshelous          2 1 0 1  3  3   0  3
 5 United Pink States     2 1 0 1  1  2  -1  3
 6 Galimencia             2 0 0 2  0  4  -4  0

[Abanhfleft]

DISCLAIMER: Gaelic Gamers is an independents sports blogging website created by four cousins with a common liking and passion for sports of all kinds and is in no way or form affiliated with or organized by any official news organization in the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft. All statements and opinions posted here are our own and not anyone else's.

---

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Football Fallacies
with The Man from Markovsky

EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS TO HAPPEN AFTER DOING THE SAME THING TIME AND TIME AGAIN

Hello and welcome to The Football Fallacies. Right, so after that bullshit that just happened in the World Cup of Masters, turns out calling this particular set of players for the national team our next golden generation is actually an apt descriptor of these girls. They're definitely the next golden generation of perennial disappointments, it turns out! I am always amazed by the lengths in which our national teams are willing to go to bring us some definitely not needed heartbreak. Even the bloody over-35 team. You would think that after they let their careers pass by without a single major achievement to their name, that they're going to finally clean up their act and have an actual go at actually winning something! But no. Apparently, just like how just can't teach certain stuff in football like actual skill, there are also some things that you can't unlearn. Like crashing out on the first knockout round of a tournament after dominating the group stage thanks to a bastard own goal! But I've already talked about that game before. If you haven't seen it then the link is right here.

Anyway, that's enough of reliving the disappointment of that fateful. Let's focus on the disappointment of this game in the Independent Associations Championship. Christ above, it feels like nothing's changed at all! It's still a team that can play amongst the best of the best of the multiverse, as long as everything is perfectly in place. Once even a single hair gets misplaced, the whole operation just falls bloody apart. Just like the old national team! These lasses truly are the chosen successors of Chelsea Stuart and company. It truly must be in the Fleftic DNA. That's the only explanation left I have for it. Not even Heinrich Wurzmann using his Alternative Football Program to inject a bunch of naturalised players into this team was able to take it beyond its inherent shiteness. Oh, that doesn't sound like a great choice of words given how those said same naturalised players were forced out of the national team. Well, one of them, anyway. Of course it had to be the one playing for Rosen City who got nabbed for drugs. I hope that the SFA strip the goddamn Salt Miners of every single point that they got while she was playing for them, although we all know that that's not going to happen. If they applied this logic to NSWC then we would get stripped of every single point we got while that Jennistora girl was playing for us. Christ above, I don't think you can tell by my words just how much I hated seeing her playing against Ludogorets. You really can't! That girl would just destroy our midfield and give the likes of Alex Rousseau and Karen Villegas all the room in the world to operate and smash us even further. I'm just glad that she's gone, that's all I'm going to say.

I am also glad that her girlfriend got yanked out of the team as well. No, of course not because of that. Come on now, lads, let's be honest. Rule Britannia or whatever her name was was only on both the national team and Rosen City because of her relationship with Jennistora. They're like a bastard package deal, if you will. You can't get one without the other. And now with Jennistora gone, Rule Britannia went with her. And good riddance, I say. That girl had no business at all being anywhere near a self-respecting national team, let alone a team on a journey to bring it back among the elites of the sport. Never mind that Rule Britannia scored a handful of vital goals for us; most of the time she was just getting in the way of our actual forwards and kept a real CAM like Prudence Woodward from being able to produce the goods for the country in the prime of her career! Talk about a goddamned waste! I don't know what the hell Ginny Katesmar was thinking. At least with Rule Britannia gone, Katesmar's hand has been forced and now Prudence is starting games for the national team just as she should have been doing before the bloody couple from Rosen City came around. And if you're wondering why I'm speaking in codenames here, it's just covering bases. Nothing's been made official yet, and we here at Gaelic Gamers don't have that much money to deal with a libel lawsuit. And damn sure Rosen City will make a right fuss about this whole thing just to protect their bastard investment.

Not gonna lie though, I kinda miss Jennistora being able to ping balls over the opposition and feeding the likes of Kelly McGinnis, Elene Liner, and Amelie Rusev. Christ above, we had to call up players we had even forgotten existed just to rebuild our midfield. Stephanie Winter-Slaughter had to sit this one out because of a hip injury, and Abigail Papadiamantopoulos retired from international duty after she broke her ankle in apparent repayment for all the other ankles she's broken for All-Inclusive Haranguer. On paper, Trinidad Kleist and Cecily Segovia are the perfect midfield duo. Segovia picks out the passes and Kleist cleans up any attempts by the opposition to get into our box. But instead we've got two midfielders who love tackling opposition players, meaning we literally don't have someone creating something in the bastard midfield out there. Woodward, Liner, and Rusev all have to drop back deep to get the ball moving forward for us, meaning we have to stretch ourselves to attack instead of doing it to our opponents. And that does not a cohesive attack make. Christ above, even Elene herself got sick of this whole thing and just decided to smash one in after having to go all the way from her own third to just collect the ball. Good thing it went in, otherwise all that effort would have been a waste and we might have ended up getting just one point from the Picksall Islands.

Anyway, that's all that there is for me. If you've got any comments of your own about this game or predictions about the next one, feel free to leave them down below. Until then, I've been the Man from Markovsky, still disappointed in our country.

 ABANHFLEFT 1 - 0 PICKSALL ISLANDS
LINER (83')

[Muralos]

Tidbits
An e-mail newsletter for visitors to Muralos for the IAC-12
Sponsored by the Muralosian Soccer Association
March 29, 2021

OOC: The images below are images of RL land where Muralos is IC-ly located. The first is from Encyclopedia Britannica, while the second is from the Wikimedia Commons. A lot of this RP is about the geography and culture of an RL region. There is little worldbuilding on my part.

The Muralosian Soccer Association: "All stadia for the IAC-12 will be in Sahaleno."

People who live in Kurilo:

Muralos is divided into two provinces: Sahaleno (the large island of Sakhalin) and Kurilo (the 56 Kuril Islands, which are much smaller). There is no easy transport between Sahaleno and Kurilo apart from plane and boat, and there is only one professional soccer stadium in all of the Kuril Islands– at Nord-Kurilo on Paramushir Island. This is why no IAC-12 games are being held on the Kuril Islands.

While Muralosian government officials have floated the idea of constructing a high-speed railway network from the southern town of Kurila-Urbo (on Kunashir Island) to Novikovo in Sahaleno, construction may not happen for decades. If constructed, the Kunshir-Sakhalin bridge would be over twice as long as the longest bridge in the world today. Residents of Kurila-Urbo have serious reservations about constructing railway networks as well. The Kuril Islands house great amounts of beauty and cultural significance to the Ainu people. The meme above showcases some of the islands' clear waters and towering mountains, including the volcano Alaid:



A note on the island names mentioned in this newsletter: Kunashir is thought to mean "black island" or "grass island" in Ainu, while Paramushir means "broad island" or "populous island." (OOC: My source for this is Wikipedia, as it is for most of my dispatches about cities in Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.)

Latest Match Fixtures

Muralos 2 - 2 Indusse
Brava 40', R. Mori 84'| Butea 27', Mersias 74'
March 27, 2021, Urbego, Muralos

Muralosian head coach Jozefo Koltakov admitted to "misjudging Indusse's skill level" ahead of the Muralos-Indusse match. Despite Indusse's lower standing in the IAC rankings, their squad is considerably more experienced than Muralos'. Indussean soccer players are no stranger to international competition; they have played in multiple World Cup qualifiers and U-18 World Cups. With this level of international experience, they are certainly equipped to hold off the Hawks.

A similar misjudging of skill level occurred among the Hawks during the 87th World Cup qualifiers. La Gazeto de Sportoj reported that the Hawks squad considered TJUN-ia to be their equals, based on their performance in the IAC-11. However, they neglected TJUN-ia's performance in previous World Cup Committee-sanctioned events, which propelled the nation to 56th in the world rankings. The TJUN-ian national team was much more consistent when Muralos met them in the World Cup qualifiers. TJUN-ia placed 2nd out of 10 teams in World Cup Qualifying Group 3, while the Hawks placed 6th. International experience prevailed.

Other Fixtures:
Murphtannia 3-0 Britonisea
Bunkaiia 0-1 Silver Beach
Reçueçn 0-0 Almuzahara
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