Di Bradini Cup 50/U21WC71 Everything Thread

[Garbelia]

Garbelia are through!

The tension was on in this all-forestian clash, but Island of the Lost confirmed Garbelia's qualification just after half time, winning 2-0. Mass celebrations began after the final whistle, as Garbelia finally made it out of a major tournament's group stage, conceding the joint fewest goals in the entire competition (0), but scoring the fewest out of any qualifier (2, the next highest being 5).

Garbelia 0 - 0 Kannap
8 YELLOW CARD! Unknown pulls on L'utra Zeeotter's shirt as they jumped for a header.
40 YELLOW CARD! Fet Ezoud is booked as he clashes with Unknown.
40 YELLOW CARD! Unknown is booked as they pick Fet Ezoud up and throw him to the group after his booking.
- Half Time ~ 0-0 -
45 SUBSTITUTION: Furretto De Vydra on for Lutra Vydra
45 SUBSTITUTION: Unknown on for Unknown
56 HIT THE POST! Opspore Kawauso nutmegs Unknown, but her vicious effort towards bottom corner hits the inside of the post.
56 WHAT A SAVE! Ote Vydra attempts to drive home the rebound from Kawauso's shot, but her sidepaw effort is blocked by Unknown, with an improbable dive.
80 SUBSTITUTION: Udar Otti on for Konfiti Ota.
88 RED CARD! Unknown is sent off for their second yellow card, as they shove Furretto De Vydra to the ground.
90 INJURY TIME! 2 minutes added on.
- Full Time ~ 1 - 0 -

Player Ratings for Garbelia:
9/10 Opspore Kawauso, Loutre Avia
8/10 Steorian Barnes, Ote Vydra
7/10 Nutria Huron, Udar Otti, L'utra Zeeotter, Furretto De Vydra
6/10 Otterata Otto, Konfiti Ota, Vid Otterra, Lutra Vydra, Fet Ezoud

Player of the match: Loutre Avia

In the potentially group deciding clash with regionmates Kannap, Garbelia weathered the early onslaught, and took a deserved 0-0 score into half time. The second half was less intense, as Garbelia knew they had qualified after Cassadaigua's defeat. They passed the ball around conservatively, with the game's biggest chance when Kawauso hit the post and Vydra's rebound was saved.

Miao Otterdottir has said that the team will remain the same against Juvencus, an ultra-attacking side that emerged from a tough group, in a game which promises to challenge the Young Otters immaculate defensive record, and maybe even their place in the competition.
After the game, a grinning Loutre Avia told us, "Yeah, really pleased with the Player of the match award, and really pleased with our progression. It feels great to not have conceded a goal, and I feel ready for Juvencus. It will be tough, but if the team are on top form, I think we could make it. Even though we don't have the best attacking record, our defence has been watertight, everyone mucking in, and I feel like some of the players could become legends."

Schedule:
MD 1: Garbelia 1 - 0 Cassadaigua W, Garbelia second in the group
MD 2: Island of the Lost 0 - 1 Garbelia W, Garbelia first in the group
MD3: Garbelia 0 - 0 Kannap D, Garbelia first in the group, advanced.
MD4: Garbelia V Juvencus

[New old Forest]

NEW OLD

ABOUT

1. General Information

• Population: 12,000,000
• Income tax rate: 12.2%
• Economy: 713 billion
• Major industry: Uranium mining
• Other industry: Gambling, woodchip exports
• Crime: Low
• Citizens: Cynical
  
  2. Location
• The new old Forest is located where the old old Forest once stood
  
  3. Historical Timeline
• Low lands flooded, soil irrigated, trees grow
• nearby tribes fight for this new forest land
• Tribe of the Elder wins the land first
• Descendents of tribe of the elder scared off by a pack of dogs
• dogs return to their home and the descendents retake the forest
• the forest is now old and its citizens rejoice
• during celebration a fire burns the forest
• descendents rebuild and the forest grows again
• Crime reduces as hooded man intervenes, decendents take up sport
• New old forest participate in Di Bradini Cup
  
  4. Major Cities
• Kunkird
• Wape Snood
• Nollatow
• Eroxtowb
• Nentol
• Kiltbroog
  
  5. Demographics
• 71.5% of new old forest are descendent from the old old forest an the tribe of the elder
• 28.5% of new olf forest are not descendent from the tribe of the elder
  
  6. Sports Clubs
• New old Forest club
  The new old Forest club have the coach named Crian Blough
• New county club
  The new county club are not good like New old Forest club
• New old Rugby club
• New county Cricket club
• New old forest dancing club
• New old forest hockey club
• Negoa tennis club
• Hooded man marathon club
  
  7. Transportation
• Walking
  
  The primary transportation in New old forest is walking
• Air
  
  Flight is permitted in New old Forest
• Train
  
  New old Forest train connects to New county and surrounding area
• Bus
  
  New old Forest bus service is not recommended but available
• Tram
  
  Tram is best alternate to Bus service in New old Forest
• Boat
  
  Boat transportation in New old Forest recommended only on water

[Tumbra]

Pemecutan 4-3 Tumbra

(4-3-3): 12 - Bonner; 2 - Ganley, 14 - Legget, 5 - Hussein (20 - Turnbull, 68'), 18 - Rouse; 16 - Lawrence, 8 - Tipple (23 - McCormick, 60'), 10 - Dunstan; 17 - McGarry (7 - Reed, 84'), 21 - Baker; 22 - Pearce

Scorers: McGarry (14'), Rouse (37'), Ganley (82')

Player of the Match: Komang Trisna Mahayana (PCU)

HONDO - A second-string side that played in a dead rubber match for the Tumbrans fell 3-4 to a resurgent Pemecutan side. The result allowed the Pemecutans to clinch progress to the Round of 16, at the expense of the Young Wanderers of Pasarga, with their early elimination counting amongst the shocks of the tournament. The Junior Eagles' failure to beat Pemecutan raised some questions, as the loss came at the same time as the Under-18 side's victory in the 13th Sporting World Cup, a team that notably included female players and used them to great effect. Head coach Edmund Finnegan attempted to assuage some critics that it was merely a second-string side and that he was saving a majority of the players for the Round of 16 fixture; yet, contrasts, most of them unfavourable, have been drawn to the victory in Aleuisia; most took this as an opportunity to begin calling for the further inclusion of females in the domestic game.

Politics aside, however, the lineups were announced to much surprise - only three regular starters (Ganley, Hussein and Tipple) were to play a part in this match; the rest were rested. Immediately, the match got off to a sprightly start for Tumbra; fourteen minutes in, left winger Alistair McGarry cut in on his right foot with the ball at his feet, and scored after dodging his mark and Yuhacana Bansora; the finish past Indra Hadi Putra was easily, calm and coolly taken to give the Eagles a 1-0 early lead.

The Tumbrans kept on pressing afterwards, perhaps a bit too eagerly; their high defensive line became the source of certain defensive scares, especially when Leo Olivando beat Almar Hussein and was clear through on goal, only to be denied by a fingertip save from Joe Bonner; the goalkeeper later shouting at his team to stay back and defend more, lest he be caught alone in a 1-on-1 situation again; yet, he was ignored.

This rebuke by Bonner would duly have consequences; five minutes later, in the twenty-third minute, Komang Trisna Mahayana would break through and bring the Pemecutans back level; in the exact same fashion that Olivando beat Hussein in, except Mahayana was much more clinical with his finishing. It was only after this goal, which pegged the Junior Eagles back, that they ended their high-pressing and began sitting back, looking for opportunities to go on the counter.

John Rouse would score off a corner - his headed goal being scored in controversial circumstances, because he allegedly used a Pemecutan player's shoulder to leap up to get the ball; however, the referee elected not to use VAR and the goal stood. The two teams would head into the half-time break, with the Junior Eagles leading 2-1; their standard of play, outside the first goal, had not merited the lead, however, and the Pemecutans were right to feel aggrieved about the Rouse incident.

The second half would begin with the Pemecutans going on the offensive, once more, with the Tumbrans trying to adopt the same tactics that they did against the Geektopians and Pasargans; that was, sitting back to try and preserve their one-goal lead. Once again, however, the defense was caught lacking; Rangga Hadijaya, the right midfielder, would go on to bring the Tumbrans back down to Earth after an emphatic free-kick goal on the edge of the box. It was after this that the Junior Eagles would go on the offensive once more; this constant chopping-and-changing of tactics by Finnegan was a source of controversy after the match, yet he maintained that his tactical choice were more reactive to the current game situation; his default tactic was to "attack", but he was not against "protecting leads that needed to be protected, either."

Komang Trisna Mahayana would go on to catch the defense unaware twice more in the 75th and 79th minute; his hat-trick capping off a genuine run from the Pemecutan National Team, one that has achieved limited success on the international level, yet which always threatens to punch above its weight. While Marcus Ganley went on exquisite run which ended in a goal in the 82nd minute, it proved to be too little, too late and the Tumbrans would end up falling by a single goal.

The Tumbran National Team will face Baker Park in the Round of 16, a thoroughly tricky matchup; and now that a marker has been thrown down by the members of the victorious U-18 squad, several of whom have received contract offers from overseas, to at least go as far as the semi-finals. Regardless of the distinction between the two squads and the difficulty of the opposition that they faced (or will be facing, in the Under-21's case), many will be pointing to the U-18's success as a key marker that female players are, if not just as, more able than their male counterparts, and the pressure will only be ramping up on the Tumbran Football Federation to make a choice on whether to allow females into a sport whose environment has been nearly always dominated by males.

[Mytanija]

YOUNG HOOPS SAIL PAST SYLESTONE
ADEM FEJZIC ROTATES HIS TEAM TO GOOD EFFECT; TJUN-IA NEXT UP IN THE ROUND OF SIXTEEN

by Irma Simunec

MYTANIJA 3-0 SYLESTONE
MYT: Gannot 14’, Alagic 22’, Secujac 61’
SYL: none

MYT: 1. Besak; 13. Praznik, 14. Yevstigneyev, 15. Abadzic, 16. Svensek; 17. Radosevic, 19. Aganovic, 8. Hjik (sub. Dresevic 70’); 20. Secujac; 9. Gannot (c) (sub. Prinelec 70’), 22. Alagic

SYL: 1. Jameson; 2. Mornington, 4. Lynn, 5. Nambucca (sub. Rose 64’), 3. Clarke; 6. Love (sub. Blair 64’), 7. Stanton (c), 8. Jones; 10. Strathfield, 9. Gilchrist (sub. Satis 70’), 11. Kearnes

A manager making nine changes to his starting line-up from the previous game would normally expect some drop-off in terms of performance, particularly when only three of his usual first choice eleven were starting. Adem Fejzic’s Mytanar under-21 team experienced nothing of the sort as they comfortably swept aside Sylestone 3-0 to mimic the 3-0 victory over Farfadillis in the game before. An entire new defence and midfield figured in this game, although it did include Neven Hjik coming back into the team after he was left out against Farfadillis, but there was no noticeable effect on the team’s performance. The young Hoops were excellent defensively and displayed an attacking fluidity which was partially game-planned out of the team’s strategy in the previous game, with a number of newcomers making a good impression in what was their first start (and for some, their first appearance) for the under-21 national team.

This was a performance that was built on Mytanija’s attacking outlook more so than the defensive strategy which was crucial in the win over Farfadillis. Mytanija moved the ball well and the movement of Gannot and Alagic moved the Sylestone defence all over the pitch into places they didn’t really want to go. The partnership between Mitchell Lynn and Olivia Nambucca had been relatively solid up until this game, Sylestone conceding two through their first two games at the tournament, but here Gannot’s intelligence really caused problems as he dropped into midfield areas alongside Pasha Secujac. Dragisa Alagic constantly stretched the defence going the other way and this caused the space between Lynn and Nambucca to widen into a yawning chasm at times, usually exploited by Pasha Secujac. The 17 year old Harry Love was given a particularly difficult task in manning the centre of the pitch for Sylestone and as the likes of Secujac, Aganovic and Hjik whirled around him it necessitated Amelia Stanton and Abigail Jones tucking inside to try and provide him with some support. This negated Sylestone’s midfield width, something Fejzic would have hoped for prior to the game but could hardly have dreamed it would work so well.

Some credit has to go to the Mytanar full-backs too, it was the first appearance at the DBC for Matko Praznik and the first start for Julij Svensek and both acquitted themselves well. Fejzic was intelligent in his use of Praznik – a left-back/centre-back hybrid – by instructing his team to play in a narrow version of the 3-1-3-3 used by the senior national team, with Praznik becoming the third central defender. This meant the trio of Praznik, Yevstigneyev and Abadzic went one versus one against Sylestone’s forwards; a scenario which will prepare them well for any future jump into the senior national team. Svensek moved into midfield areas and often actually overlapped down the right to provide some width, this was important in keeping the pitch stretched so that spaces opened up through the middle – exactly where Mytanija wanted to operate. The middle of the pitch often became congested, the lack of wide players in this DBC squad meaning Fejzic couldn’t utilise the 3-1-3-3 as Lev Repin often does, but it worked reasonably well anyway with Gannot dropping off into the channels and Pasha Secujac taking up unusual positions opposite him. Alagic stuck to his task as the main focal point and his runs in behind often had the Sylestone defence sprawling.

Mytanija’s opener came from one of those runs as Svensek, in his roving brief from right-back, could be found in the inside-right channel. Alagic ran off the back of Mitchell Lynn and Svensek threaded the ball between the Sylestone centre-half and Hugo Mornington at left-back. Alagic had timed his run well and had a little bit of space to hit a threatening ball first time across the Sylestone six-yard box and Damien Gannot was there to slide it in. It showed a good level of commitment from the squad captain as he got there ahead of Olivia Nambucca, he continued his outstanding scoring record at this level, this goal now his 11th in 8 DBC appearances. How he’d enjoy adding a medal to an exceptional individual record. Six minutes later Gannot turned from scorer to provider, young Directus midfielder Edin Aganovic finding him in the usual sort of space he likes to occupy just outside the opposition penalty area. Gannot received the ball on the back foot and swivelled in one motion before deftly poking a pass through Nambucca’s legs, Dragisa Alagic ran through onto it and hit it first time with his weaker left foot. Alagic had taken the shot early and it seemed to surprise Timothy Jameson in the Sylestone goal as he couldn’t get down to it.

Mytanija had to wait a while for their third, this time it was a good ball from Jasar Abadzic over-the-top of the Sylestone defence for Dragisa Alagic to gamely chase. Alagic got onto it ahead of Olivia Nambuca and played it back into Neven Hjik, Hjik steered a pass over to Pasha Secujac with his left foot. Secujac had the ball in a similar position to that which Gannot had had it in for Alagic’s goal, but instead of looking for a pass Secujac took one touch to get the ball out of his feet and then a second to curl the ball beyond Jameson. It was a wonderful effort from outside the penalty area and the sort of goal which deserved to cap what was a wonderful team performance from Mytanija. Secujac will hope that it is a goal which puts him ahead of Alen Gvetadze and Olivier Golodkovsky in the pecking order for the number ten role in the knockout rounds, Adem Fejzic has given each of them a full game to state their case during the group stage and Secujac was the only one to score, although the other two did provide important assists. It really is difficult to separate the three players, Gvetadze and Secujac arguably have more impressive domestic resumes but Golodkovsky has undoubted potential too. Fejzic will have a tough job in deciding which to select for the important games ahead.

The manager saw an opportunity to limit Damien Gannot’s minutes once again, bringing him and Neven Hjik off with twenty minutes to go as he looks to keep all these young legs fresh for the business end of the tournament. Gannot has played 203 minutes so far in the tournament (from a maximum possible 270), demonstrating just how well Fejzic has done in limiting the talismanic forward’s time on the pitch. This will hopefully keep him well rested for the knockout stages, with Lazar Prinelec having a similar amount (around 200 minutes) following his cameo against Sylestone. Being able to rest the entire starting defence as well as Zijad Kurtcehajic and Dusko Ocokoljic – key performers in the Mytanija midfield – for this final group game will encourage Fejzic, it bodes well for their condition for the latter stages of the tournament and beating Sylestone with a much-changed team is a good indicator of the squad’s depth of quality.

Mytanija topped Group G with the best record in the tournament: three games, three wins, ten goals scored and none conceded. That sort of showing is very promising for the future of Mytanar football no matter what happens from here on out. The FSM will be proud that the youth revolution which is happening in Mytanar football appears to be bearing fruit, if the team can reach the quarter finals of the DBC for the second straight tournament it will point towards a bright future for the senior team. Energija-Nuklearna’s performance in the IFCF Rising Stars’ Cup, beating teams from respected nations (at both youth and senior level) like Baker Park and Chromatika on their way to the knockout phase of the tournament can only be a good thing too. It does seem like Mytanar football is in good health, the challenge for the likes of Lev Repin and Adem Fejzic is to now help these high quality youth players to transition into the senior game successfully. A high level of performance at youth level has not always been a good indicator of future success, but it can only help and if we can turn these evidently talented footballers into a strong senior team then it could lead to a return to the sort of level Mytanija has occupied within multiversal football in the past. It has to be understood that there’s a lot of work to do in the meantime though, this is not an overnight recipe for success. The FSM seems to have a long-term plan and allowing it to be carried out under the watchful eye of Lev Repin – even if there are some underwhelming results – will be key in recognising the sporting potential of a national football team.

The under-21s will now face-off against Group F runners-up TJUN-ia at the Hatire Memorial stadium in Capri. TJUN-ia managed 4 points in their group with one win, one draw and one loss; a record made more respectable by the fact that the defeat came against group winners Eura. They seem to have a pretty gung-ho approach, scoring 10 and conceding 8 through their three group games, although their 4-2-3-1 formation perhaps looks more structured than their defensive record lets on. Their players compete in leagues from all over the multiverse, demonstrating a desire for their talents from abroad or perhaps an itinerant streak within their national psyche which is similar to Mytanija’s own. Special attention will have to be paid to creative attacking midfielder Yomakaji Shimigatsu – a playmaker for Tikariotian side Nagoush – as well as Max van Oosterend, a player who will be familiar to Jezdimir Ocokoljic following the upcoming season. He plays for Marlesee 97 in Siovanija and Teusland. The reintroduction of Amar Kovacevic and Bigger Mbala-Ekakia to the Mytanar defence, as well as Zijad Kurtcehajic in that night-watchman role at the base of midfield should go some way to combatting their attacking talent.

Fejzic will hope that his team have enough to reach the quarter finals once again because there seems to be a stubbornness to this side which could see them go a couple of steps better than last time around. There’s also a path opening up, the winner of Mytanija-TJUN-ia will play the winner of Garbelia and Juvencus and any of the four which could be involved in that tie will feel it winnable. The knockout stages will certainly be enjoyable.

[TJUN-ia]

By Peter Davis

After another goalfest in Ianisle saw Eura victorious this time around, the Young Jaguars of TJUN-ia prepared themselves for one more match at Lathal - no matter what the final score would be. For the 2nd time in a row in this competition, the magical record of 1-1-1 was required in order to make the knockouts once more - a situation Philip van Oosterend certainly didn't want to be in at all, but it could've been a lot worse if that Kriegiersien match didn't end up as a draw. In order to reach the DBC knockouts for the 2nd time in a row, then they had to beat the relatively unknown Prinz-Eugens-Land and their Sapphire Tigers.

Lorenz Traub's team were good enough to beat Kreigiersien on MD2 and so, we took them as seriously as this team deserved. They had a great travelling fanbase and they certainly looked like they were enjoying their time in their 2nd ever football tournament, but TJUN-ia were certainly determined to make a statement of intent and so, with sad hearts, the Tigers and to fall to the Jags. The Young Jags turned up in the first half as both Kim Choi-Ya (14th) and Max van Oosterend (34th) were certainly ensuring that their final DBC didn't end here in Ianisle. The second half would certainly be more reserved as PEL certainly tried to get something from this one, but substitute Jose Lozano de la Cruz would ensure that this one was only heading one way in the 78th. TJUN-ia advanced at 1-1-1 again and PEL were certainly great opponents today.

And so, another knockout stage for PvO and his crew, but the next test will certainly be the toughest yet. We're now off to Capri and the Hatire Memorial for a date against the unbeaten Group G winners in Mytanija and with the odds stacked against us, can we somehow better our previous performance this time around? GO JAGS!

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SCHEDULE (Group F)
MD1: vs Kriegiersien - Lathal, Ianisle D 4-4 (T-2nd)
MD2: vs Eura - Lathal, Ianisle L 3-4 (3rd)
MD3: vs Prinz-Eugens-Land - Lathal, Ianisle W 3-0 (2nd/1W-1D-1L/+2 GD)
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Ro16: vs Mytanija - Hatire Memorial, Capri

[Vilita and Turori]

Vilita & Turori Dominate Baker Park to Top Group C

Rose Gardens, Kareen, Capri, Valanora :: Heading into the final matchday of Di Bradini Cup group stage action, the Vilita & Turori Under-21 teams odds of advancing were relatively slim. Sitting on 3 points but a -1 Goal differential, even a victory on the final matchday would be likely to leave the Little Eel Kitties in a three-way-tie for first place which they would most likely lose the tie breaker due to their inferior Goal Differential.

Of course, there were two things that could see Vilita & Turori through to the next round if they were to happen. Unlike in the ongoing IFCF competition where Margaret has masticated each and every Vilitan and Turorian entry and deposited them into a rotting spittoon at the first time of asking, the great deity of randomness has blessed Purapal Eskiiy and the Vilita & Turori Under-21 side in Valanora as not only one but both of the scenarios that the Little Eel Kitties needed on the Final Matchday of the group stage would come to fruition - sending Vilita & Turori through to the Round of 16.

Of course, before that could happen, there was a big decision for Eskiiy to make. Was Zelkki Milake Jr.'s performance in goal against Delaclava enough to warrant a second career start - in another must-win situation? The inexperienced 16 year old did make a mistake on Matchday 2 at the Rose Gardens which cost the Little Eel Kitties a goal ensuring that they would enter the final matchday on a negative goal differential instead of a flat even 0. Ultimately, however, Eskiiy decided that 1 goal conceded was better than 4 and Turori's 19 year old Derizi Amatopa was left to watch from the bench once more.

Just as happened during Matchday 2 against Delaclava, Milake Jr. got early help from the Vilita & Turori attack to protect against the risk of an early setback. Khrusan Mlianko put the Little Eel Kitties on the board just 7 minutes into the match and Clarana Refiami got a crucial second goal just five minutes later that allowed Vilita and Turori to pull level on the live table with the very Baker Park team they were opposing. It would be a tense 78 minutes from that moment forward where any mistake that allowed Baker Park to get a goal back could see Vilita & Turori crashing out of the Di Bradini Cup altogether. Considering Milake Jr. had just such a mistake on Matchday 2, nerves and tensions were high and the staff and fans were on edge.

Luckily, the scene over at the Turmondale Grounds was also going in favor of both Vilita & Turori and the Commonwealth of Baker Park. Defending champion side San Ortelio were locked in a back and forth matchup against Delaclava. If that match finished with either a tie score or a victory for Delaclava, there was still a scenario that could see both Vilita and Turori AND Baker Park advancing to the Round of 16.

As full time approached Purapal Eskiiy's side put a stamp on their own spot in the Round of 16 thanks to a late double from Naraiza Ruaplal. With Baker Park pressing ahead to try to force a mistake out of Zelkki Milake Jr. that would allow them to re-take top spot in the group on Goal Difference from Vilita and Turori, they left space on defense that was exploited by the attacking midfielder Ruaplal who took advantage of the open space to convert a pair of skilled strikes from the edge of the box to put the match away. When the full time whistle came Vilita and Turori had looked a far more formidible threat than they had in the opener, securing a 4-0 victory and leaping to the Top of Group C. For the previously unproven youngster Zelkki Milake Jr. it was a first career shutout and perhaps any doubts on whether or not the Eastal Lunar trainee had enough experience to handle the gloves in the pressure of must win situations had firmly been extinguished.

Vilita & Turori U21 [4] - [0] Baker Park
				
	GOALS:	Vilita & Turori U21 	:: 7' Khrusan Mlianko:: 12' Clarana Refiami:: 80' Naraiza Ruaplal:: 84' Naraiza Ruaplal           		
	STATS:	Vilita & Turori U21 	:: Possession: 62%:: Shots: 11:: Corners: 15	Baker Park 	:: Possession: 38%:: Shots: 3:: Corners: 3
	Lineup:	[GK] Zelkki Milake Jr., [D.] Narri Sebapilo, [D.] Inteali Koranjo, [D.] Injyua Klizlo, [ML]  Imauka Lkomorak, [MC]  Khrusan Mlianko, [MC] Lentali Purama, [MC]  Naraiza Ruaplal, [MR]  Kinabo Telioa, [FC] Clarana Refiami, [FC] Lutara Makakio			
	Bench:	[FC] Loala Inkabu, [FC] Tyoasi Klipark, [M] Trezisi Rokopolis, [M] Cuoabaza Orani’aoa, [U ] Friika Diirotora, [D] Planio’o Nrujsa, [GK] Derizi Amatopa

With the victory over the Commonwealth of Baker Park and by virtue of finishing in the Top spot of Group C, Vilita and Turori would advance through to the Round of 16 to play the Runners Up of Group B, Pemecutan. The match will be the first ever meeting between Vilita and Turori and the side from the Melayu Archipelago who made their debut first in the 73rd Baptism of Fire Cup in Valladares and Chromatika. Both teams will be on the move for the match which will take place at Haramos Park in Cartmot. It won't be a long trip for Vilita & Turori to relocate from the Island of Capri to the small city just South East of Mar Sara but they will certainly be disappointed to be leaving the fortress of the Rose Gardens that had been home to both of their two critical victories in the Group Stage.

Vilita & Turori Coaching History Overview:
Previously Featured:
AOCAF 16-18 :: Lorenzo Mumamba
AOCAF 19-20 :: :: Ricky Ezis

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AOCAF 34-36 :: Kris Wrice
DBCup 21-23 :: Tika Massa

While early coaches for Vilita and Turori were specifically assigned to lead the combined team solely in the AOCAF Regional Competition, a new approach would be taken from the 50th World Cup Committee Cycle. From then the role of head coach for Vilita and Turori would be shared by the coaching staff for the Vilitan National Team. This would be particularly evident during the reign of Kris Wrice and Tika Massa from World Cup Cycle 57-60. While the Vilitan National Team did not experience any great successes under the leadership of Wrice and Massa, the duo did oversea a time when both the National Team of Vilita and the Vilita and Turori Regional side were building back up after a period of relative irrelevance. Wrice & Massa were able to take a Vilitan team that had failed to qualify for Back-To-Back World Cup Finals and turn them into a side that advanced to the knockout rounds of World Cup 59 only to be eliminated by eventual World Cup Champion Aguazul.

At the regional level, the duo split coaching duties amongst the Senior and Under-21 squads with Kris Wrice leading Vilita & Turori's AOCAF efforts and Tika Massa taking the reigns of the Under-21's at the Di Bradini Cup. Similar to their performances at the National Team Level, Wrice and Massa did not collect any silverware in their time at the helm of the Vilita & Turori squads but were responsible for taking the initial steps to build them back into a contender. During their final cycle in charge of Vilita & Turori's AOCAF Regional squad the Kris Wrice led Eel-Cat Things advanced to the Semi-Finals of AOCAF 36 after a stunning victory over Espy va Drake and the powerful Vanorians thanks to Kristofer Kilpter's 89th minute winner. While they would ultimately see their dream run end at the hands of Pacitalia, the Eel-Cat Things rebounded to finish in third place after a Penalty Kick victory over Wight in the Third Placed Playoff at the Coliseum of the Inurahtii in Turori.

AOCAF 37 :: Calaesa Mitaroka

When Wrice and Massa left their role as co-head coaches of the Vilitan National Team it also marked the end of their term as caretakers for the Vilita & Turori Regional Squads. That role was immediately inherited by the new head coach of the Vilitan National Team, Calaesa Mitaroka. Mitaroka's time in charge of the Vilita & Turori Squad would be short - lasting only the duration of the 37th AOCAF Cup, but would be meaningful in the way it would serve to redefine the responsibilities - and importance - of the coaching roles of both the Vilitan National Team and the Vilita & Turori squad. It did not take long under the control of both teams for Mitaroka to make the assessment that if either the Vilitan National Team or the Vilita & Turori Regional Squad wanted to ever become serious contenders for championships, they should each have their own full-time coaching staff focused solely on that squad and associated competitions. Following AOCAF 37, Control of the Vilita & Turori Under-21 Squad was turned over to the Arcticala Robotics company which would use the Di Bradini Cup as a proving ground for new Robotic footsport players.

The Vilita & Turori AOCAF squad would be set up as a new proving ground for young prospects from Vilita and Turori to play along side National Team veterans in the twilight of their careers looking for one last chance to impart knowledge on the next generation. It would also mark the end of the co-dependence on the Staff of the Vilitan National Team to run the Vilita & Turori development and regional efforts which received their own dedicated staffing from AOCAF 38. While it would take a few cycles for the move to pay off at the Vilita & Turori level, Mitaroka's mark on the Vilitan National Team was immediately felt as the new dedicated staffing saw Vilita advance to the World Cup 62 Semi-Finals where they took eventual World Cup Champions The Holy Empire to extra time - the only match during the entire 62nd World Cup Cycle that The Holy Empire failed to win in regular time. After having divested control of the Vilita & Turori squad so they could focus solely on the Vilitan National Team, Mitaroka would go down in history as the coach who led Vilita back to the World Cup Final and ultimately triumphant in winning World Cup 68 and bringing Vilita back to the pinnacle of World Sport for the first time in 48 cycles.

[Krytenia]

The Kids Are...Actually Pretty Decent
By Rami Niblick in Sabinal, Valanora

AND so the saga continues. With the young Dragons heading to the Sabinal Stadium for their Round of Sixteen match against Kannap, a nation probably better known for tennis than football, it's clear there are some prime candidates for a place in the senior squad for the upcoming World Cup 88 qualifiers.

In goal, Michael Sveyn has been excellent. The Secklow stopper has pulled off a number of match-saving feats of goalkeeping; the only blot to his copybook is that he's yet to keep a clean sheet. It would be slightly harsh to blame him for that, however, given the competitiveness of the group and the fact that Gary Barton has the team playing a high-tempo style that, when it goes less than perfectly, does tend to expose the back line.

Thank God, then, for Eli Molinari. He's kept his head when all around him are losing theirs - against Juvencus he was often doing the work of two men as Adam Ghazi too often found himself too far up the pitch and out of position. One feels the Royal Emberton man either needs to be taken aside and reminded of his defensive duties, or else switch positions to central midfield, if he wants a place in the squad for the future. At full-back, meanwhile, the question is whether Barton (and, indeed, Paul Davis in the future) wants Martin Wallanderesque "border collie" channel-runners like Ryan Atinari or the more measured defensive skills of the likes of Billy Price. It could well depend on the opposition, of course, and...well, it's nice to have options.

In midfield, the management team will be well aware that time is running out for the peerless Cormac O'Neill. Max Snelders has, in his limited outings for the senior team, made a compelling case for being the Stanton icon's long-term replacement, but that's not to say the debate is even close to settled. Andrew Asprilla has been a thorn in the side throughout the tournament so far, using skill, finesse, and intelligence to get the Dragons moving forward apace on the ball. Arguably, there may even be room for both in the side should Krytenia employ a more traditional System Munitis, with Snelders in the middle three and Asprilla as the one in 4-3-1-2. Ashton winger Sam Barclay could be one to watch, too; despite being behind Alex Zigic in the pecking order at the start of the tournament, he took the opportunity of a start against Kohnhead with an excellent display - including the winning goal - and is expected to retain his place against Kannap.

The most exciting prospect, though, is in the front three. Alun Belmwr and Neil Smith need to be looking over their shoulders; the new kids are in town. Ciaran Rafferty, especially, looks like he's been playing centre forward his whole life; he has a presence and maturity both on and off the ball that sometimes makes you forget that he's still a teenager. Cande Montalban is even younger and also looks almost certain to be promoted to the seniors sooner rather than later, especially as he fills in that problem area of left forward. It seems only a matter of time before a bigger club than lowly Avidia City swoops in and takes him on elsewhere. Finally, there's Fraser Young. It definitely shows that this eighteen-year-old has Belmwr for a team-mate, selflessly working that area of uncertainty just in front of the centre-backs and creating space for Rafferty and Montalban to raise merry hell.

The question now, though, is this: how far can these young men go? The answer, of course, isn't entirely in their hands. There are two teams on every football pitch, and the job of the Dragons now is to beat whatever gets put before them. To that end, I think they have what it takes to defeat Kannap; all the lads have to do now is prove me right. Onward!

[Graintfjall]

It was a confusing end to the group stage for the Snow Pups, who returned to their team hotel celebrating their triumph over Darmen – only to realize it wasn’t Darmen they’d just played at all! They’d spent all that energy and aggression, only to eventually remember their opponents were actually Old New Forest! And it meant they still had Darmen left to beat! Which – thankfully – they did, but perhaps not quite in the style they would have wanted. The confusion of the previous game meant it was a tired young team that took to the field, and that showed in some sloppy defense that allowed Darmen to soar 2 – 0 up within the first ten minutes. Darmeni captain Kerr Park (whom Sara Kristoffersdóttir rattled by repeatedly calling him “Juan”) punished the discombobulated Snow Pups twice. His 5th minute cross into the box exposed defensive confusion and led to Jacopo Henriksson heading into his own net; 4 minutes later, Park took care of business himself with a crisply timed strike that swerved past Geirtryggur Levisson. The Snow Pups were on the back foot early and needed to get organized. It was time for Sara Kristoffersdóttir to step up.

She scored her first goal of the tournament in impetuous style in the 27th minutes: while brooding BFGs battled with Darmeni center backs in the penalty box awaiting her corner, she cheekily took the corner directly and curled it into the far corner. But Darmen struck again before the half as Park’s brilliance once again shone, winning a penalty from Ríkey Olgeirsdóttir, getting her first start of the tournament in place of the suspended Úranus Þorgeirsson. Baltassar Boon converted with aplomb and the Snow Pups were staring a 3 – 1 deficit, which nearly went worse before the half only for Geirtryggur Levisson to pull off a good save from a stinging Sinjin Mathers drive. The second half began more cautiously as the Snow Pups began to form a more cohesive unit, and the pressure told just after the hour mark with a series of attacks that saw the ball pin-ball around the penalty box. No one could find the back of the net until Sara Kristoffersdóttir stepped up and put her laces through one into the far corner. 3 – 2, and game on.

The ten Snow Pups – Ríkey Olgeirsdóttir’s dogged pursuit of Kerr Park eventually leading to a second yellow – continued the assault. Sara Kristoffersdóttir’s hat-trick goal was, in truth, the weakest of the three, a slightly speculative cross-slash-shot that rolled across the face of the goal and practically dribbled over the line, but it was enough to spark wild celebrations on her bench. On the 79th minute mark, Julia Wolfgangsdóttir tapped in a Hanna Nicosdóttir cross, and though Park had one final attempt on goal skim the bar, it wasn’t enough to drag the Darmeni youth back into it. Exhausted, the Snow Pups collapsed on the pitch afterwards, with some questions about why they’d run themselves ragged in a dead rubber and how they’d managed to so misread the schedule. They now prepare for their next game against… Chromatika? Equestrian States? Zeta Reka? Hugeltaldom? Siovanija & Shingoryeo? Brazilico? Maxtopia? Who knows!? Eh… it’s a Round of 16, it’s probably Nephara.

Look forward to following the Round of 16 against Nephara on GS SuperSports+!

[Chromatika]

Di Bradini Cup 50, Matchday 3: Chromatika 0-1 Equestria
CMT: None.; EQS: Valestein '42
Starting XI: Enax; Fillar, G. - Nodis - Aimée; Baum - Larriet-Cortes - Fillar, B. (C) - Andersen; Romane - Oveni - Fillar, E.
Substitutes: Everson -> Fillar, G. ('56), Laurette -> Fillar, B. ('74), Jordan -> Fillar, E. ('81)

Almanac of Chromatik Districts/Islands
Chromatika is composed of seven different political divisions: Five Districts and Two Islands. The five districts are Capital, Coastal, Deprí, Heartland, and Mountain; the two islands are Myana and Urrhed. Let us take a deep dive into these political subdivisions, in no particular order.

Coastal District
Heartland District
Myana Island

Urrhed Island

1. General Information
Population: 2,540,899 (12.70%)
Tihon: 1,152,589
Urrheddiao: 987,456
Qet: 150,487
Tor: 58,765
Wix: 44,574
Staramara: 34,572
Other Locations: 112,456
Capital: Urrheddiao
District Commissioner: Ki-Bum Dong (The Sparks Party)

2. Location
Located to the southwest of the main Chromatik island, Urrhed Island contains the southernmost point of the island as well as the westernmost point of the island. Temperatures are a bit warmer in the area, and there can be some high tides near the coasts.

3. Historical Information
Pre-Revolution: The Urrhed Island has always been Chromatika's fishing headquarters. During the days of the Chromatik Party, lots of people were stationed here to bring in the bounty of the sea. Why Myana Island was chosen as the naval headquarters and Urrhed Island was selected as the fishing one is a bit of a mystery - perhaps it was due to Myana Island being closer to the Capital District. Urrhed had more than 80% of Chromatika's fishing output pre-revolution, and it was all standardized back then.

During the Revolution: Once the Rainbow Revolution took control of Myana Island, getting Urrhed Island was a foregone conclusion. This completed the blockade of Chromatika's southern coast to prevent personnel and material from reaching the Chromatik Party, which eventually ended up throttling the regime. A lot of Urrhedites served for the Rainbow Revolution, numbering in the tens of thousands.

Post-Revolution: Urrhed is recovering from the Chromatik Party, getting a bit of a shipbuilding and naval presence to go along with all the fishing. The island's infrastructure has also been upgraded, including some of the island's internal cities. Urrhedites are a bit more laid back than Myaners, but make up for it by being more relaxed, creative, and at times productive.

4. Major Cities
Tihon is located at the northernmost point of the island, and the most populous city on the island, being one of the three cities to have more than a million people in the country. Tihon is a fishing town first and foremost but also a town of beaches, attracting lots of surfers and watersports enthusiasts.

Urrheddiao is located at the southernmost point of Urrhed. Urrheddiao is the seafood capital of Chromatika. It is here that most of the fishing fleets call home, and over half of the nation's fish is still caught here. Besides being the Capital of the Island, Urrheddiao is also known as the place where ships to Freedom's Altar, Cathair, Ramusok, Villeneuve, and Starblaydia depart weekly. This places the city as an integral port in Chromatika's vlaim to regional trade.

On the southwestern corner of Urrhed Island, Qet is a crabbing town with an interesting catch - that of a marine birds observatory. The Lars Museum, a nonprofit organization dedicated to cataloguing the efforts of the Rainbow Revolution, also funds the Lars Ornithological Association. Qet is a place for nature loving people who endeavor to observe and work with the land.

A town located in the northeastern part of the island, Tor is a surfer's paradise. It may not be as big as Tihon, but those in the know call Tori tides to be better than the ones off of Tihon. The water between the Urrhed and Myana Islands make for good surfing.

Wix is a small town in the center of the island that is known for packing all the seafood. A lot of working class people live here.

Staramara is another small town near the northern part of the island that is known for being a place for Gridirion Football. Both Staramara Tech University and the Staramara Angels are some of the first gridiron focused adventures in Chromatika.

5. Demographics
Akin to Myana Island, Urrhed Island is a hot spot for different ethnicities as well: 36% Other, 33% Eastern European, 31% East Asian.

6. Sports Clubs
Football
Red League: Tihon, Tor, Urrheddiao
Orange League: Qet, Tihon United
Yellow League: Urrhed FC (Urrheddiao)
Green League: Qet City, Wix City
Blue League: Qet United, Urrhed State (Urrheddiao)
Indigo League: Wix

Tihon and Urrheddiao have six titles between them, with the Tide's five-peat in the Chromatik League being a feat that's not likely to be beaten anytime soon. The Teal are hanging around tough, while Urrheddiao is a tough out with Erika Morningstar at the helm.

Baseball
Urrheddiao Knights

The Knights have been around the CBL playoffs for a few seasons and remain one of the teams in contention.

Basketball
Urrheddiao Pride

The Pride have been in the playoffs for the last two seasons.

Hockey
Urrheddiao Knights
Tihon Typhoon

Urrhed remains one of the better hockey regions in the country, having lost to Felswyr and Chromia in the playoffs.

Gridiron Football
Qet Lynx
Staramara Angels

The Lynx won season one.

Tihon and Urrheddiao are two of Chromatika's best sports cities, with the Tide having won five titles in the Chromatik League.

[Sylestone]

There is nothing in sport more bittersweet than getting slaughtered by a much better side playing their reserves but still managing to progress to the knockouts phase of the competition. Yet, that is what Sylestone's Under-21 national side faced here in Valanora in the 50th edition of the Di Bradini Cup. Mytanija, a side that had already qualified for the knockouts, slaughtered the Sylestoneans 3-0. Using their reserve players. Imagine what would have happened if they used their firsts... actually don't. Please don't.
Yet, it was enough. Quebec, needing a win to even stand a chance of progression, drew against a pointless Farfadillis to ensure Sylestone progressed into the round of 16. You should've seen the looks on their faces when the news came through. Then they heard they were playing Eura.
The Mytanar dominated the entire game, from back to front. In the first ten minutes, barely any Sylestoneans even got to touch the ball as the Mytanar expertly passed and dribbled their way around, sussing out the conditions before making runs at goal. It was the 14th minute when they opened the scoring. Damien Gannot received a threatening ball from Dragisa Agalic and deflected it out of the reach of Timothy Jameson in goals. It was a perfect set-up, a coaches' dream.
Mytanija's second came only a few minutes later, 22 minutes in. Edin Aganovic bisected a tiny gap between Hugo Mornington and Amelia Stanton, finding Gannot just outside the penalty area. Olivia Nambucca, playing her usual aggressive way, attempted to tackle him, but Gannot slyly poked a pass through her legs to Agalic, who ran on to the ball. He took the shot early and surprised Jameson, curling it into the top-left hand corner to put Mytanija 2-0 up.
After the opening two goals, Sylestone began to fight back. A Kim Kearnes header hit the post while a powerful shot from Abigail Jones was only blocked by a diving Semir Besak in goals, who somehow managed to deflect it over the crossbar. At the beginning of the second half, Gilchrist seemed to get one back, but replays showed that he was well offside when he shot the ball and the goal was disallowed. To make matters worse, only a few minutes later, Mytanija scored their third. Jasar Abadzic cleared a long ball over Nambucca's head in defence for Alagic to run onto, before he played it back to Neven Njik, who passed it to Pasha Secujac with Mornington looming ominously in front of him. Jameson wasn't expecting the shot as it curled past him to put Mytanija 3-0 up and Sylestone out of the game.
The final half-hour of the game was played out with nothing of any real interest, save Jameson blocking a shot from Gannot which nearly put the Mytanar 4-0 up. But alas, 3-0 it stayed until full-time with both sides simply giving up at the end. They were both through, anyway, as Quebec had not beaten Farfadillis. Both sides would move on to the round of 16.
Sylestone's next (and probably final) outing will be against Eura. Yes. Eura.
Fuck.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Daily 2021
U21's back in DBC knockouts, head to Valanari
by Fiona Devlin, National Soccer Writer

Although the group stage didn't end as hoped, the wins in both of the first two matches were enough to see the Commonwealth National U21 Team advance to the round of 16, and the part have decamped to Valanari for the match against Tumbra at Duran Palace.

The 4-0 loss to Vilita & Turori tamped down some of the enthusiasm the squad were feeling during their stay in Kareen, but other than costing BP the top spot in Group C, the damage was mostly to pride.

Manager Liam Sullivan pointed out it wasn't a single element of the team's play that was responsible for the shutout.
"We had a lot of breakdowns, more than we should be having at this point. Poor communication, poor marking, poor positioning. I'm at fault too, as we didn't put a ton of time into specific gameplan ideas for them (V&T), not because we didn't expect a strong effort out of them but more that we wanted to stress some fundamental concepts."

Tumbra also enter the match on the heels of a loss in their final group match, although the 4-3 loss to Pemecutin didn't affect the table, as both sides advanced. Sullivan was clear that this was a whole new tournament, and that he'd return to the lineup that played in the two wins and that there would be more than a cursory glance at the scouting report. "They're one of the highest scoring sides in this half of the bracket, so we'll need to get a whole lot better at the back than we were (in the previous match)."

This will the fourth trip to Duran Palace, with the team splitting the three previous occasions each way. The winner will face the winner between Equestria and newcomers New Old Forest in the quarterfinal,

[Valanora]

We're moving on! Ro16 Cutoff

Round of Sixteen
Krytenia 6–2 Kannap
Eura 2–2(3–2 AET) Sylestone
Mytanija 4–1 TJUN-ia
Garbelia 5–3 Juvencus

Quarterfinal Fixtures
Krytenia v Eura @ Angelotic Temple, Longview
Mytanija v Garbelia @ Donna Cathedral, Mar Sara

[Farfadillis]

Round of Sixteen
Equestria 0–2 New Old Forest
Tumbra 3–2 Baker Park
Vilita and Turori 5–1 Pemecutan
Graintfjall 0–0 Chromatika (0–0 AET) (3–0 pen.)

Quarterfinal Fixtures
New Old Forest vs Tumbra @ Artani, Mar Sara
Vilita and Turori vs Graintfjall @ The White Fortress, Gladerial

[Tumbra]

Tumbra 3-2 Baker Park

(4-3-3): 1 - Ager; 19 - Finney, 4 - Krabb, 20 - Turnbull (14 - Legget, 57'), 3 - Crozier (18 - Rouse, 75'); 6 - Kearney, 8 - Tipple, 23 - McCormick; 7 - Reed, 9 - Kinzinger (21 - Baker, 75'); 11 - Riordan

Scorers: Riordan (14', 53'), Reed (35')

Player of the Match: Nick Riordan

VALANARI - The Junior Eagles got over another hurdle in their pursuit to match the Under-18's achievements in the Di Bradini Cup today, as they beat Baker Park by yet another slender 1-goal margin. Nick Riordan was key in the victory, with his double sending Tumbra over the top; the mercurial striker, who serves as Tom O'Driscoll's backup at Serrapince FC, has now scored 5 goals this tournament. If they can go all the way, Riordan will definitely have put himself in contention for inclusion in the 33-man qualifiers squad that Marco Hemmings will announce following the conclusion of the current Tumbran Premiership season.

The Tumbran lineup presented few surprises; Chris Finney came in for Marcus Ganley, who had played all three Group Stage matches, and was presumably fatigued. John Turnbull came in for Almar Hussein, probably as a means of rotation, but also to test out who Thomas Krabb's defensive partner should be for the rest of the tournament. The lanky defender has impressed with his jumping reach and physicality; although the Junior Eagles have conceded nine goals this tournament, he still represents the best option on a defence that has been slated as increasingly leaky. Tom Kinzinger returned from his short injury layoff, with Finnegan evidently satisfied enough that the dynamic winger had recovered enough. Against Pemecutan, where the team were forced to play without Kinzinger, the attack was relatively more one-dimensional; as mentioned in an earlier article, although Baker was a decent enough substitute for Kinzinger, he could not bring the added sight and dribbling skill that Kinzinger brought to the Tumbran attack. To put Kinzinger in the starting lineup for the start of an increasingly important matches, then, was paramount.

The match got off to a slow enough start, with both sides attacking, but neither really made any breakthrough. Chris Tipple was rewarded with a yellow card early into the match for his perhaps rough tackle on Park Jae-sung; the midfielder was visibly more restrained with his tackling after the game, for a second yellow card not only would see him sent off; it would also see him miss the Quarter-Finals, if the team got there.

Nick Riordan managed to secure the breakthrough first goal in the fourteenth minute, coming off a Kinzinger low cross; the Serrapince FC striker calmly took two touches of the ball, shielding the ball from Joe Finnegan before turning and putting it high into the net, easily beating Beth Rossi at her far post. The goal, calmly taken, cemented Riordan as the team's maestro of a finisher; this was his 4th goal of the tournament, and it was evident he was looking for more.

The Tumbrans, in contrast to their earlier match against Pemecutan, did not sit back afterwards; they continued attacking the now-stunned Baker Park team, who were still recovering from the first goal. The Tumbrans got off a shot, courtesy of Lucas McCormick three minutes later; however, he was not able to apply enough control to the ball, and it sailed harmlessly over the net. It was this that stopped Tumbran momentum; following the break in play and preceeding the goal-kick, they managed to rally themselves together, culminating in an attack in the twentieth minute which saw Shelby Engels take an easy finish past David Ager to equalise the tie.

The game indeed roared into life after the second goal; both teams began attacking, throwing defensive caution to the wind. Both sides had attacks parried by the respective goalkeepers; in the end, the deadlock was broken by Jack Reed in the thirty-fifth minute, after Kinzinger cut in on the right flank; however, instead of taking the shot, which Rossi seemed to be expecting; he passed it instead to Reed, who took the finish after it ricocheted off the bar. The score at half-time, then, was 2-1 to Tumbra; an entertaining half which saw both teams take their chances, yet one which saw the Junior Eagles be slightly more clinical, gifting them the lead.

Fears amongst fans, both in Valanari and at home, that Finnegan would take the opportunity to sit back and defend were assuaged when Tumbra began attacking immediately after the second half whistle blew; immediately, however, multiple attacks were blunted by the strong Baker Park defence. Several opportunities went amiss before Chris Tipple received the ball on the edge of the box; his shot was blocked by Rossi, but the rebound was picked up by Riordan on the volley, sending the Tumbrans 3-1 up.

The first round of substitutions would follow, with Legget coming on for Turnbull; now, the fans groaned, for Turnbull - a big, sturdy defender with a penchant for tackling - was a clear sign that the Tumbrans were about to try and soak up the oncoming storm of attacks. Legget had been outstanding, recording six interceptions throughout his fifty seven minutes on the pitch; his vision and composure on the ball marks him out as a defensive stalwart to any hard-hitting tackler, or indeed as a libero in a three-wide defensive formation. Either way, Legget - much like most of the team - certainly stands to have an exciting future in Tumbran football.

Indeed, Turnbull's entrance confirmed that Tumbra would be trying to ride out the rest of the match; which was later defended by Finnegan as a strategic move to give players enough energy to get through the rest of the tournament. A late scare from Ben Moorman would see the Parkers reduce the two-goal winning margin to one; however, as the final whistle blew, it was enough for the Tumbrans, and they were through to the quarter-finals, which would see the Junior Eagles go up against the perhaps confusingly named New old Forest, whose players and play style have so far strongly reminded viewers of another age and another era in another world; however, nobody so far has managed to make any links, perhaps in a strong situation of déjà vu.

The team, in a break with the TFF's deal with Casper Sports, will wear fetching green kits for the occasion, which supposedly are throwbacks to the 1990 away kit; either way, the Junior Eagles will be fittingly kitted out for the clash of the ages in Mar Sara.

[Graintfjall]

It was a nerve-wracking playoff game but it had the desired outcome: Græntfjall finally beat Nephara beat in a Round of 16 game! This was despite the Nepharans resorting to very sneaky underhand tactics such as taking to the field in Chromatik uniforms, trying to distract the Snow Pups with the Chromatik anthem before the game, and repeatedly protesting “we’re not Nepharan, we’re Chromatik, Nephara isn’t even in this tournament”. Such sinister tricks didn’t work on the clear-eyed Snow Pups, however, who triumphed in a tense penalty shootout contest, just in time to realize that that particular joke wasn’t even funny and decide to abandon it.

Tired out from the exertions of their disorganized group stage, the regulation game didn’t showcase the Snow Pups’ attacking intent at their finest. They were content to play off the ball as they tried to recover the energy reserves they’d wasted in the group-stage mix-up, and therefore allowed their opponents the bulk of the early possession. Li Romane had the best chance early on, proving she wasn’t too green with a cunning bit of skill to beat Jasmijn Spiderlair; “lettuce score, I mean, let us score”, Romane might have been saying, but ended up slicing her shot wide. Van Enax at the other had two good saves, keep out a fierce Julia Wolfgangsdóttir shot, and punching clear a firm Grímúlfur Gunnþórsson header.

Julia nearly scored in the opening minutes of the second half. Ari Hlynursbur, playing their best game of the tournament to date, was put through on goal by Sara Kristoffersdóttir but unable to convert as a sprawling Enax deflected their shot, only for it to fall into Julia’s path, but she was unable to keep down her snap shot, sailing the strike on an empty goal over the bar. Mirana Andersen and Karra Oveni (twice) then had second half shots saved, though all three proved relatively easy for Geirtryggur Levisson to handle. Grímúlfur’s heroic defensive performance kept the Chromatik juniors out of finishing range and limited them to more speculative long range efforts.

Ari Hlynursbur had perhaps the best chance of the game late on, having beaten Grayson Fillar with a burst of speed, only not to put their foot through the ball with the requisite power, leaving a tame poke that was easy enough for Van Enax. Nerves jangled and tension rose as extra time was called for. Röskvi Tyrfingsson, on as a substitute for Julia, and Jasmijn both had shots on goal but neither represented a realistic scoring chance as the tiring offense began to default to long range shots over working fluent attacking moves. At the other end, Edith Fillar induced a fine save to tip her shot around the bar; Grímúlfur cleared Li Romane’s header off the line from the resulting corner.

The inexperienced Snow Pups had never faced a penalty shootout before. The first penalty was taken by Valtter Marvinsson, the most experienced player in the team, who had returned from suspension and come on as a substitute. Unfortunately, the defensive midfielder proved offensively terrible, and blasted his shot straight over the bar. Edith Fillar, having watched the ball rocket into the stands, tried to overcorrect, keeping the ball on the ground – and straight into Geirtryggur’s midriff. At the 3rd time of asking a penalty was finally scored, by Ari Hlynursbur, who brought a calmness to proceedings. Their penalty wasn’t wickedly firmly struck but was accurately placed into the corner such that even having guessed right, Enax’s dive wasn’t enough.

That early 1 – 0 advantage held as Hank Killian, sub for the exhausted Oveni, induced the best save of the night from Geirtryggur, his firmly struck shot equally firmly palmed away with a late adjustment. The Snow Pups celebrated their goalkeeper’s effort and then took full advantage through Röskvi Tyrfingsson. His penalty wasn’t well taken – he blasted it straight down the middle – but Enax had dived left and was unable to keep the ball out with his legs. The pressure was on Valeri Verim, who bravely volunteered to take the third penalty despite having only been on the field for a few minutes, a fourth extra-time sub for Chromatika. Verim struck it cleanly but Geirtryggur had gambled correctly and the ball was a comfortable chest height for him to corral. With a 2 – 0 lead, the Snow Pups just needed to score to win, and Sara Kristoffersdóttir did just that. Off an ambitious 15 yard run she looked to set to blast the ball into orbit off her left foot – only to cheekily bring through her right foot at the last moment and dink a little chip over the sprawling Enax.

Grímúlfur Gunnþórsson, a man who had spent the entire penalty shootout with his head in his hands, unable to watch, was named man of the match for his defensive performance, while Geirtryggur Levisson was hailed as hero of the moment for his save. A disconsolate Verim received a sporting pat on the back from Emilia Hrafnþórsdóttir. The Snow Pups were mostly too exhausted to enthusiastically celebrate, and trudged off the Aranfield Bridge field to well-earned cheers. But they now face a formidable opponent in Vilita & Turori’s combined Eel-Cats. That’s assuming porn spammers – who disrupted GS SuperSports+ broadcast of the game – even allow the match to take place!

[Garbelia]

Quarter Finals!

Garbelia broke their defensive mould today, surging forward with excellent passing motions, while doing just enough to stop Juvencus scoring the game away in a difficult Ro16 game, which was the young Otters toughest test so far.. The game, which was delayed by radical protesters, means that Garbelia have reached the quarter-finals: where a tough Mytanijia side, who now boast the best defensive record in the cup, and one of the best offensive ones (having conceded 2 fewer goals in their Ro16 game than Garbelia), lie in wait.

Garbelia 5 - 3 Juvencus
4 GOAL! Honoré Duchamps manages to muscle through Nutria Huron, and nutmeg Loutre Avia, after an excellent through ball by Gioachino Sgro.
29 GOAL! Ignasi Aliprandi manages to put on a burst of pace to go around Otterata Otto, and cut in on his right foot to blast into the far corner.
39 YELLOW CARD! Lutra Vydra lunges at Duchamps as the striker attempted a backheel to Acconci.
- Half Time ~ 0-0 -
45 SUBSTITUTION: Udar Otti on for Steorian Barnes
45 SUBSTITUTION: Faustino Innocenti on for Dominica Aguero
48 GOAL! Opspore Kawauso outpaces Innocenti, and puts a cutback on a plate for Ote Vydra.
53 GOAL! Udar Otti's shot is blocked by Joaquim Santo, but Opspore Kawauso attempts the impossible, sending a bicycle kick through Fernando Lopez's near post defences. Not the best shot, but a stunner nonetheless.
58 GOAL! Duchamps is played through by Aliprandi, and chips the ball over Loutre Avia.
67 GOAL! Fet Ezoud receives the ball to the side of the box, and plays a classy 1-2 with Otti, before rolling the ball under Lopez.
72 GOAL! Opspore Kawauso takes hold of the ball after Acconci's cross was cleared, and uses her pace and strength to make it all the way to the Juvencus box. Her shot from a narrow angle is blocked by Lopez, but on the rebound, she attempts a rabona so she could hit it on her favoured foot, and sends it through the keeper's legs.
85 WHAT A MISS! The ball falls to Duchamps after bouncing around in the box, but the striker can only blaze over the bar.
90 INJURY TIME! 2 minutes added on.
90+1 GOAL! Kawauso plays a curling cross direct from a free kick, and Nutria Huron volleys it into the top corner.
- Full Time ~ 5 - 3 -

Player Ratings for Garbelia:
10/10 Opspore Kawauso, Ote Vydra, Fet Ezoud
9/10 Nutria Huron, Udar Otti
7.5/10 L'utra Zeeotter, Konfiti Ota
6/10 Vid Otterra, Lutra Vydra, Loutre Avia, Steorian Barnes

Player of the match: Opspore Kawauso

In an intense Ro16 game against top side Juvencus, Garbelia finally found their shooting boots, and put 5 past a team known for their majestic attack. At the other end, the defenders did just enough to keep the score down, meaning that the Otters emerged triumphant in a tough 8-goal thriller.

Miao Otterdottir has said that the team will remain the same against Mytanijia, the team who matched Garbelia's feat of keeping a clean sheet throughout the entire group stage, but did it by scoring over 10 goals more than the Garbeli, in a game which may well be the end of a fairytale run.
After the game, a grinning Opspore Kawauso told us, "Really pleased to get the Player of the Match, but it has to be all about the team at this stage. Everyone put in a good performance, we worked hard up front, and our defence did well again." When asked about her bicycle kick and rabona goals, and a future callup to the main Otters team, Kawauso replied, "Yeah, I think they might be my best ever. But as long as it goes in, it counts, and then it is all about the team. I'm not thinking about 'graduating' yet, we are just trying to take it game by game, and do our country proud."

Schedule:
MD 1: Garbelia 1 - 0 Cassadaigua W, Garbelia second in the group
MD 2: Island of the Lost 0 - 1 Garbelia W, Garbelia first in the group
MD3: Garbelia 0 - 0 Kannap D, Garbelia first in the group, advanced.
MD4: Garbelia V Juvencus W, Garbelia in QFs
MD5: Garbelia V Mytanijia

[TJUN-ia]

Final: Mytanija 4-1 TJUN-ia (Secujac (12'), Gannot (28', 40'), Golodkovsky (74'); al-Kalhrani (36'))

By Peter Davis

Well...that was not in the plan at all.

TJUN-ia tried to beat the unbeaten in the Round of 16, but Mytanija would prove to be too big to tame in Capri in the end.

For the 2nd tournament in a row, TJUN-ia's run comes to an end at the first knockout hurdle, but this one hurts the most for obvious reasons.

For Andrade Ñunezo, Kofi Marshall, Peter Ørberg, Vladzov Błaszczykowski and Kelo Ngwemanagawa, their time in the U21 set up is over. PvO has led them for the final time and they are now David Seems' and Li Xiu Ying's responsibility.

If the FA cannot find another tournament to play in next year then 7 more players will join them.

A new era of this team will be beginning very soon...

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SCHEDULE (Group F)
MD1: vs Kriegiersien - Lathal, Ianisle D 4-4 (T-2nd)
MD2: vs Eura - Lathal, Ianisle L 3-4 (3rd)
MD3: vs Prinz-Eugens-Land - Lathal, Ianisle W 3-0 (2nd/1W-1D-1L/+2 GD)
-----------------------------------------------------
Ro16: vs Mytanija - Hatire Memorial, Capri L 1-4

[Mytanija]

DAMIEN AT THE DOUBLE!
GANNOT MASTERCLASS SENDS MYTANIJA PAST TJUN-IA AND INTO QUARTER FINALS

by Irma Simunec

MYTANIJA 4-1 TJUN-IA
MYT: Secujac 12’; Gannot 28’, 40’; Golodkovsky 74’
TJU: al-Kalhrani 36’

MYT: 1. Besak; 2. Bajalica, 3. Mbala-Ekakia, 4. Kovacevic, 5. Spiridonovic; 6. Kurtcehajic (sub. Radosevic 62’), 7. Ocokoljic, 8. Hjik (sub. Aganovic 68’); 20. Secujac; 9. Gannot (c), 11. Prinelec (sub. Golodkovsky 68’)

TJU: 13. Brykilawa; 14. Ñunezo, 16. Marshall, 15. Cervantes, 17. Ørberg; 6. Błaszczykowski, 18. Allen (sub. Tootoo 56’); 20. Kim, 21. Shimigatsu, 10. van Oosterend (c) (sub. Ngwemanagawa 82’); 23. al-Kalhrani (sub. Smith-Scott 68’)

Mytanija took another step forward in this DBC with a thorough and uncompromising performance against TJUN-ia. Damien Gannot was once again at the heart of everything good that Mytanija did during the game, scoring two and assisting another, as the team continued their inexorable march through the tournament. TJUN-ia managed to pull one back through Malhrani al-Kalhrani in between Gannot’s brace, the striker dribbling through a rather lax Mytanar defence before firing low past Semir Besak. It was the first goal that Mytanija have conceded at the tournament and Besak was clearly frustrated, wildly gesticulating at his defenders after the ball hit the back of the net.

To reach the quarter finals two tournaments in a row is a great marker of consistency and Mytanija have managed it. The FSM will be extremely pleased that the development of young players seems to be heading in the right direction, both in terms of the technical ability of players across the country but also with the tangible results which youth teams continue to achieve. The under-21 national team having such startling consistency is one solid indicator, but it goes hand in hand with the achievements of Energija-Nuklearna’s junior team who have exceeded expectations in reaching the last eight of the IFCF Rising Stars’ Cup. We seem to have a really solid generation of players between the ages of 15-21 coming up on the horizon and it bodes well for the future health of Mytanar football.

Damien Gannot is likely to be a major part of that future and this performance demonstrated exactly why that is. TJUN-ia’s 4-2-3-1 with two defensive midfielders had the potential to cause Mytanija issues, those midfielders are designed to occupy the sort of spaces attacking midfielders and false nines love to operate in and it can stifle their creativity as a result. Gannot’s footballing intelligence and off-the-ball movement ensured that it didn’t prevent Mytanija from progressing. Instead he decided to pull wide into the space vacated by TJUN-ia vice-captain Peter Ørberg and this proved fruitful, often leaving Liken Allen and Bruno Cervantes confused about who was responsible for picking him up. Mytanija’s defenders and Zijad Kurtcehajic recognised this situation early on and punished TJUN-ia repeatedly as a result. Kurtcehajic dispossessed Yomakaji Shimigatsu inside the Mytanar half and immediately sent Gannot on his way, a direct pass through the lines which turned the entire TJUN-ia team on its heels. Gannot played a lovely one-two with Lazar Prinelec around the oncoming Cervantes before cutting the ball back for Pasha Secujac – starting following his goal against Sylestone – who coolly slotted the ball past Brykilawa to get Mytanija on their way.

Gannot then scored two goals before half-time to complete a man-of-the-match performance (we keep mentioning his all-time DBC record – now 13 goals in 9 games, by the way – but only because it’s by far the best any Mytanar has ever done in the competition), the first capped off an amazing team move and the second was an outstanding individual goal. Antun Spiridonovic has been largely excellent down the flank from right-back and he was a key part in Gannot’s first, bringing the ball out from Semir Besak and up towards the halfway line. The ball then came inside for Neven Hjik who sprayed it out to Vuk Bajalica. Bajalica played a pass into Gannot and received it straight back, all the time drawing the TJUN-ia team across to that side of the pitch, Bajalica then switched the play with a raking ball which Spiridonovic met on the right touchline. Spiridonovic played a one-two with Prinelec – similar to the one Gannot played with his strike partner for Mytanija’s first goal – which the right-back met at the goal line and then fired a pass across the face of the TJUN-ia goal with Gannot showing the desire to get on the end of it and turn it in. TJUN-ia’s striker al-Kalhrani bustled his way through the Mytanar defence before slamming the ball past Besak to pull one back and make Mytanija momentarily nervous, but Gannot was on-hand to relieve the strain. For his second he received the ball on the halfway line and dribbled past four TJUN-ia players: Allen (who endured a torrid time against Gannot and Secujac, leading to his substitution just under an hour into the game), Błaszczykowski, Marshall and finally Ñunezo. Gannot then shot with his right foot across the goal, the ball flashed past Brykilawa and Mytanija were suddenly 3-1 up with five minutes of the first-half left to go and feeling very confident.

Olivier Golodkovsky was brought on for Lazar Prinelec with just over twenty minutes left and the Prahecq-born attacking midfielder teamed up with Pasha Secujac in those areas between the TJUN-ia defence and midfield. Gannot often dropped into those areas too and it was an interesting way of overloading the defensive midfield area which the opposition’s 4-2-3-1 is ostensibly made to combat. It did mean that Mytanija had to shoot from range a bit more as TJUN-ia’s defenders cottoned onto the fact that following one of the trio into those areas left spaces for another one of them to exploit. However, this worked out pretty well for Golodkovsky as he scored Mytanija’s fourth from just outside the penalty area after a nice passage of play which involved all three of them. Secujac received the ball from Aganovic, flicking a pass into Gannot and he drove the ball into Golodkovsky’s feet. Golodkovsky slightly miscontrolled the pass, but it bounced rather fortuitously and he hit it sweetly on the half-volley to add another to what was already an emphatic score line. TJUN-ia’s goal may have only been a consolation in the end but the concession was still very much to the chagrin of Semir Besak (and Adem Fejzic wasn’t altogether too pleased in his technical area either), but other than that this was the sort of performance which may have raised a few eyebrows in other camps if they weren’t already raised over Mytanija’s group stage form.

It has been a really strong showing, Mytanija have played four and won four, scoring 14 goals whilst only conceding one. Damien Gannot has scored 5, scoring in every game thus far and may well be the most in-form player at the tournament. He’s backed by a defence which doesn’t give up easy chances, although they did seem to go to sleep for TJUN-ia’s goal albeit with the game already won. Kovacevic and Mbala-Ekakia will continue to be a threat in the opposition box too, both going close with headers in this last sixteen encounter, but both failing to add to their accounts for the tournament. Adem Fejzic seems to have added a subtle tactical flexibility to his coaching too, particularly with his use of attacking midfielders and Damien Gannot. He may have been learning from Lev Repin because there does seem to be some aspects of his tactics creeping into Fejzic’s own, especially with the narrow 3-1-3-3 which was used against Sylestone. We may not see that again in the knockout stages unless he is presented with a formation which could make it impactful. Fejzic has done well with the under-21 national team and he may begin to find some job opportunities in Mytanija after impressing at this level, back-to-back quarter finals is impressive and has arguably made up for his disappointing tenure with Atletik Thessia.

His next challenge will be Garbelia, a team who came through Group H unbeaten with two wins and a draw, most notably beating our Rushmori neighbours Cassadaigua. In the round of sixteen they sent Juvencus home in a thrilling 5-3 win, a result which seemed quite unlikely given that Garbelia had scored two and conceded none during the group stage. Maybe they saved the goals for the knockout rounds. Their 4-2-4 formation could leave spaces in midfield for Mytanija to exploit, it is very similar to Quebec’s tactics which Fejzic’s team ably negotiated in the group stage, but Garbelia’s defensive record during the group stage will also provide Fejzic and the coaching staff with a conundrum. They could be extremely difficult to break down and it may require patience which the team have not really had to exhibit since the opening game, most games have been won during the first-half and then Mytanija have rotated the team and run the clock down. This one could be a little different and Garbelia will offer a different challenge.

ONE REASON WHY EACH TEAM LEFT COULD WIN THE DBC

Mytanija: The contribution of Damien Gannot throughout this tournament has been impressive, 5 goals in 4 games means he’ll be a danger to any defence and he’ll want to lead this team as far as possible in what is likely to be his last opportunity in the DBC.

Garbelia: They’re something of a surprise package at this stage and teams have struggled with the unknown thus far: with an unusual set of players and an incongruent style and formation they may well continue their great run.

Krytenia: Krytenia have put repeated disappointments behind them in recent years and have enjoyed a number of successes, this is a group of youngsters unsullied by failures of the past and they have a great chance of adding to what seems to be a new (successful) chapter in Krytenian football.

Eura: Our Rushmori neighbours may have had the ignominy of failing to qualify for the last World Cup but they’re always a power in footballing terms and this group of youngsters are unlikely to be any different.

New Old Forest: The tactical and psychological genius of Crian Blough.

Tumbra: Youth football in Tumbra is riding a wave at the moment, the under-21s could easily follow the example of the under-18s.

Vilita and Turori: Hitting form at the right time, they ended the group stage with a 4-0 hammering of Baker Park and then slammed five past Pemecutan in the round of sixteen.

Græntfjall: They have shown they can win games comfortably and win them when they get difficult, a penalty shoot-out victory over Chromatika is nothing to be sniffed at (especially when you believe you’re playing the invincible Nephara).

[Krytenia]

Serving Up An Ace
By Rami Niblick in Sabinal, Valanora

WHEN playing a nation more well known for its love of the small bouncy yellow ball rather than that big white leather one, it seems only apt that a tennis score shall ensue. And so it did, as Krytenia hammered Kannap by six goals to two.

If there's one thing that the young Dragons have proved so far in this tournament, it's a hunger for success. Everyone in the squad wants to end up in the seniors, and with Paul Davis likely to name an experimental line-up for the Eagle's Cup later in the year, there are places very much up for grabs. The end result is a Krytenian team that looked dominant from start to finish. Near the top of that list now, surely, is Oliver Selhurst. The Ousevale midfielder was given the nod for this game, with vice-captain Graham Stone nursing a tight hamstring; he made full use of the opportunity creating headaches aplenty for the Kannap defence. His chipped pass for Cande Montalban provided the opener just six minutes in, and from there Kannap were hopelessly chasing the game. With Selhurst and Andrew Asprilla pulling the strings, and Montalban, Ciaran Rafferty, and Fraser Young in clinical form, the Dragons were five up before the break.

With the foot well and truly off the gas, Krytenia took the opportunity in the second half to try a couple of players yet to pull on a jersey in anger. Benjamin Lispalle was relatively untroubled, Josh Brunberg may not have the flair of Asprilla but was a calming influence in the centre of the park, and Freddy Wynn got himself on the scoresheet with a fine long-range drive. There were a couple of defensive blips that blotted the copybook somewhat, but with the defence having comparitively little to do, that can probably be attributed to the engine running from cold.

Which brings us to the quarter-finals, and a match against Eura. Here is where we usually mention classic moments from sporting history against a fellow heavyweight...except somehow, Krytenia and Eura have never met in an international match before. If nothing else, there'll be some history made in the contest; let's hope we're on the right side of it. Onward!

KRYTENIA - 6
Montalban 6, 33
Rafferty 20
Young 25, 41
Wynn 77

KANNAP - 2
- scorers unknown 71, 88 -

[Vilita and Turori]

Vilita & Turori Advance with Five-Star Performance

Haramos Park, Cartmot, Valanora :: To kick off the Knockout Rounds of the 50th Di Bradini Cup, Purapal Eskiiy and the Vilita & Turori Under-21 squad would depart from their base in Capri and head off to Carmont, a little more than halfway between Rinaldi and Mar Sara. Their opponent would be Pemecutan who finished as Runners-Up in Group B. The Pemecutans would be coming into the Round of 16 with a full surge of adrenaline after an extensive and exhilarating 4-3 victory over Group B winners Tumbra on the final match day of the Group Stage. By contrast, Vilita & Turori's final group stage match was a far less nerve wracking affair as the Little Eel-Kitties comfortably won 4-0 over Baker Park.

After sticking with the youngster Zelkki Milake Jr. for both of the teams Group Stage victories, Purapal Eskiiy decided to make a shift back to the more experienced Turorian Derizi Amatopa for the Round of 16 match up against Pemecutan and was getting some flack for the decision on twii.tur when the two sides entered the half time interval level at one goal a piece. Unlike the previous two matches where Vilita & Turori's Under-21 squad got off to a fast start, Treasvo Tlikara's goal in the 20th minute was Vilita & Turori's only first half tally.

In fact, it wasn't until after the hour mark that the match turned on its head when Eskiiy's side broke through with four goals in a ten minute time span. It all started with a corner kick in the 69th minute. It was the moment of luck that Vilita & Turori needed to turn the match around and propel themselves into the Quarter Finals.

Cuoabaza Orani’aoa in-swinging delivery from the goalkeepers left curled and sunk un-touched into the upper corner of the goal in what appeared to be an unplanned moment of fortune for the Vilita & Turori Under-21 squad. While the goal was perhaps deserved based on the control of the play, Pemecutan had up until that point fought diligently to keep themselves in the match. Trailing for the first time in the 69th minute, however, it all fell apart for Pemecutan and it came apart quickly as Naraiza Ruaplala doubled Vilita & Turori's advantage just one minute later.

It wouldn't stop from that point either as Vilita's World Cup 87 breakout star Trezisi Rokopolis got in on the action scoring twice in the 73rd and 78th minute to extend Vilita & Turori's advantage to 5-1. It was a remarkable turnaround for a match that had been tied for so long but Eskiiy's side had done more than enough to book their place in the Quarter Final and had now scored 12 goals in their previous three matches after a slow start to the campaign.

 Vilita & Turori U21 [5] - [1] Pemecutan 
				
	GOALS:	 Vilita & Turori U21 	:: 20' Treasvo Tlikara:: 69' Cuoabaza Orani’aoa:: 70' Naraiza Ruaplal:: 73' Trezisi Rokopolis:: 78' Trezisi Rokopolis          		
	STATS:	 Vilita & Turori U21 	:: Possession: 61%:: Shots: 10:: Corners: 14	Pemecutan  	:: Possession: 39%:: Shots: 4:: Corners: 5
	Lineup:	[GK] Derizi Amatopa, [D.] Injyua Klizlo, [D.] Narri Sebapilo, [D.] Kamarela Dzzara, [ML]  Cuoabaza Orani’aoa, [MC]  Khrusan Mlianko, [MC] Naraiza Ruaplal, [MR]  Trezisi Rokopolis, [FC]  Tyoasi Klipark, [FC] Clarana Refiami, [FC] Treasvo Tlikara			
	Bench:	[FC] Loala Inkabu, [FC] Lutara Makakio, [M] Kinabo Telioa, [M] Imauka Lkomorak, [U ] Lentali Purama, [D] Bvalis Amaanara, [GK] Zelkki Milake Jr.

In securing victory the Little Eel-Kitties would also have to pack their bags once more as the tour of Valanora continued with their biggest trip yet. Having stayed in South-Central Valanora for the entirety of their stay thus far, Vilita & Turori's Under-21 Squad was now headed north to Gladerial to contest the Di-Bradini Cup Quarter Finals against one of the remaining favorites of the tournament, defending runners-up Græntfjall. Having lost the Final one cycle prior to San Ortelio, Græntfjall were now de facto favorites after San Ortelio's elimination at the Group Stage of this cycles competition. Of course, San Ortelio's only victory during their title defense was against Vilita & Turori in the tournament's opener so Eskiiy will be taking nothing for granted as he prepares the side to face Græntfjall. The biggest question once again will be which of his two goalkeepers will be getting the start at the White Fortress.

Vilita & Turori Coaching History Overview:
Previously Featured:
AOCAF 16-18 :: Lorenzo Mumamba
AOCAF 19-20 :: :: Ricky Ezis
AOCAF 34-36 :: Kris Wrice
DBCup 21-23 :: Tika Massa
AOCAF 37 :: Calaesa Mitaroka

---

AOCAF 38-40 :: :: Mikala Abellán

When Vilita National Team head coach Calaesa Mitaroka decided to step down from the role of Vilita & Turori head coach following AOCAF 37, it marked an important shift in the strategy of how the Vilita & Turori regional squad was handled. Instead of being just a side effect of the respective National Teams, the Football Association of Vilita & Turori was established to specific oversee all aspects of the combined Vilita & Turori squad. Ultimately, the decision would pay massive dividends for both the Vilitan National Team and the Vilita and Turori Regional Squad. Under Mitarok's leadership, the Vilita National Team would return to the World Cup Semi-Finals and ultimately win World Cup 68. As the first manager of the modern Vilitan National Team to not be distracted by duties with the Vilita & Turori Regional Squad, it established the new norm for handling the sides.

Another major shift, however, came when Mitaroka's replacement was named. In hiring Mikala Abellán to take over as head coach of the Vilita & Turori squad for AOCAF 38, the Football Assocation of Vilita & Turori deviated from another long standing tradition as Abellán became the first ever manager of the Vilita & Turori squad that was not also a former National Team player. Of course, there could be little argument that Abellán was the best option for the job. Learning under the wing of their father the famous Vilitan tactician Lorenzo Abellán, Mikala took over from his father as the head coach of Makosile United for Vilitan League season 29. The teams improvement under Abellán was rapid. Makosile would improve six places to 5th in Abellán's first season in charge. Two seasons later, Mikala Abellán led Makosile United to their first ever Vilitan League title.

Abellán's success at Makosile United would attract the interest of Jungle Strike FC who were looking to re-claim their position atop the Vilitan League Table. The combination of Abellán and Strike FC would set the bar in the Vilitan League with Abellán leading the team to 9 Stellar Division titles in two stints with the club - separated only by his time dedicated to leading the Vilita & Turori Regional Squad between AOCAF 38-40. Taking a page from Mitaroka's book, Abellán desired to focus on the Vilita & Turori squad after being named the first non-player to become head coach as the team and left day-to-day control of Jungle Strike FC to former player Lai Otieno.

Abellán's first season in charge of Vilita & Turori ended in the first knockout round after a 4-2 Penalty Kick defeat to Starblaydia and the team would exit once more in the first knockout round during AOCAF 39 after a 2-1 defeat to Thatius. Abellán would have their best campaign with the Vilita & Turori Squad during AOCAF 40 making it all the way to the Semi-Finals before a 1-0 defeat to eventual runners-up Wight. Defeat in the third place playoff to Andossa Se Mitrin Vega left a sour taste in the teams mouth and they seemed well prepared for another strong run the following campaign.

AOCAF 41-44 :: :: Nycflala Kater

Unfortunately perhaps for Abellán but perhaps fortunately for both Jungle Strike FC and the Vilita & Turori National Team, another shift occured prior to AOCAF 41. The well established manager of the Vilitan National Team, Calaesa Mitaroka, had set a timeline for their departure from the post and the plan was for veteran goalkeeper Nycflala Kater to ultimately take over from Mitaroka as a popular pick among fans. The result was that Mikala Abellán returned to Lonngeylin to coach Jungle Strike FC. In the 12 following seasons under Abellán's leadership Strike FC would finish no worse than 2nd in the Vilitan Stellar Division winning it 9 times including each of Abellán's first two seasons in charge.

Likewise, when Nycflala Kater took the helm of the Vilita & Turori regional squad, success was just as quick and just as frequent. Kater would avenge the teams AOCAF 40 Semi-Final defeat to Wight with a 2-0 Semi-Final victory in The Ineveitable Syndicate during AOCAF 41, setting up a Final date with Audioslavia in Fligsive. Kater would call their own number starting the match in goal as Player-Coach and would cement their legacy as both a player and a coach by bringing Vilita & Turori its first AOCAF title in over 20 seasons.

Descended of former National Team goalkeeper Jimmy Kater, who was a part of the World Cup 20 Championship squad for Vilita, Nycflala made their full debut for the Vilita National Team during World Cup 57 where he was named the starter in 14 of Vilitas 16 qualification matches. Kater performed strongly with 6 shutouts and a 5.86 average rating. Kater would also take the job of starting goalkeeper for Jungle Strike FC winning the Vilitan Cup, Stellar Division and Tropical Trophy prior to the arrival of Abellan. After World Cup 63, Kater decided to change their career path and went back to square one roots moving up the coast from Strike to become a young player-coach at Kiiara-Torra. Kater would lead the side to the Declasse title and an appearance in the Vilitan Cup Final, the first ever for the club. It was this quick success as player/coach that caught the eye of Mitaroka and the Vilitan coaching staff and ultimately led to Kater's appointment as coach of Vilita & Turori.

After winning AOCAF 41 as Starting Goalkeeper and Head Coach, Kater took a step back during AOCAF 42 allowing up-and coming goalkeepers Cilamara Issah of Vilita and G.Q. Disterfred II of Turori share duties in goal with Kater focusing on their role as Head Coach. Kater would lead the Eel-Cat Things to a near perfect campaign - not even conceding a single goal until the Quarter Finals and comfortably winning the championship match 4-1 over Osarius at the 66 Stadium in Cathair.

Kater's first defeat as manager of the Vilita & Turori AOCAF Squad would not come until his third tournament at the helm. Kater's 20th match in charge of Vilita & Turori was the AOCAF 43 Semi-Final against Farfadillis and it was the first that Kater's team would fail to win. A high scoring 3-4 defeat brought an end to Kater's 3-cycle reign of perfection unmatched by any Vilita & Turori Regional Team manager prior or since. Kater would lead the Vilita & Turori squad for one more cycle before moving on as manager of the Vilitan National Team, working as Assistant with Calaesa Mitaroka on the World Cup 68 winning side before taking over head coaching duties the following cycle.

[Farfadillis]

Quarterfinals
New Old Forest 2–5 Tumbra
Vilita and Turori 4–2 Graintfjall

Semifinal
Tumbra vs Vilita and Turori @ Hellgate, Raynor City