World Lacrosse Championships XXXVII--Everything Thread

[Taxonomic Kingdoms]

THЄ VIRÄMIA HERALD

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Orthornaviʀǣ`s Ӻinest News Sourçe

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今天新闻:

Philādelpʜiā Nixes Chroɱist _Plans to Disäble Ɯater Ŧreatment Plants

The Ɲationᴀl Congreß has ørdered Chromista to halt a proposed iɴterveɴtioɴ in Earthly affaiɍs, which would have űsed targeted deployment of ᴀlgal blooms to disäble water supplies in mäjor industrial çenters. Ɗelegates from Animaʟia say the prōpōsal is inᴄonsistҽnt with the natural proçess of evolucion and would constitūte an act of war.

"I understaɴd how frusträting it is to see your creation ruined by inconsiderate mortals, but stooping to their level is not the answer," said Animälian Congreßcritter Nilgiritrāgus Hylocrius. "I know Cʜromista can do ʙetter than this."

Chrōmist leaders say they pLan to revise the proposal to address the conçerns raiseᴅ by other kingdoms.

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Bᴀmford Seeks Permission to Cøntact Earthly Cʜarities in Cʜild Trafficking Cäse

The Bamford Sheriff`s Offiçe is seeking an exempcion from a 1981 agreement to withdraw from Earthly āffairs so that 8 children rescued by Bamfordviraien authōrities can be reunited with their families.

"We want to ʀeturn the children to their parents, but we have ɴo idea who they are or where they are fröm, and it's often difficult for Bamfordviraeans to travel in the Fallen world without spreading disease," said Mamavirus, a spokesgoddess for the Sheriff~s Office. "So we are going to need some help to find the families and send these children home. The Kingdom 0f BamFordvirae is committed to honoʀing the 1981 non_intervencion agreement, but this is a űnique situation, and these children don~t belong in Bamford. They belong on Єarth."

The non-intervention agreement was eɴacted to help enforce the Extinct Lineages Act of 1,619,002, 547 BCE & prevent the unauthörized resurrexion of smallpox.

In the meantime, 6 of the children have been pläçed in foster cäre among Bamford~s human commūnity, while tʜe ʀemaining two are in the care of Vaxinia Poxvirus, the goddess of vaxination.

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Hermit Crabs Catch a Clue -- And a Ticket to WLC Playoff

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but the problem appears to be limited to dogs and not all animals. The Animalia Hermit Crabs have got their claws on a playoff berth in the World Lacrosse Championship with a convincing 13-5 win over Qzvarkian Qaz. We're guessing someone told them which end of the stick to hold?

In honor of the occasion, we've decided to publish this blurb free from any innovative orthography that might offend the eyes of Animalian readers. But they'll have to win some more if they want us to lose our bratty attitude! Nyah, nyah, suck it animal kingdom.

[Bollonich]

Lacrosse Live

Welcome to Lacrosse Live yet again, today we have with us errrmmmm what your name?
Margaret
Yes, so we have with us Margaret, so Margaret tell us about yourself.
Well my name is Margaret, and you guys probably don’t care about what I say next so I’ll just move onto why I am here. I am here because I have caused all the results in the 37th WLC.
Urhhmmmm, she means predicted, you predicted them, so Margaret you successfully predicted all the results, so you must’ve analysed the games very closely so what do you think about the upcoming games?
I don’t need to analyse, like I told you I made them happen, why don’t you people understand. Though I shouldn’t be angry at you for not understanding as mere mortals cannot appreciate the skills of a God.
Margaret you know what how about we take a short 10 minutes break.

(Behind the scenes)
Tilda - Clark, where the hell did you find this “Margaret” she is creeping me out. Also is there any proof of her actually predicting the results, she seems to be seeking fame.
Clark - She did predict the results accurately however they were in the ancient Bollonischian language so I don’t know whether the translation is accurate or not.
Tilda- And you let her come onto the show without verifying the facts. Get an expert on the line and verify them right now.
Clark - Yes ma’am you’ll take care of Margaret in the meantime?
Tilda - Why do you want to do it? Might as well get some comedy for the show.

(Show resumes)
So Margaret can you make a prediction for us, who will win the game between Bollonich Konhead?
I sure can and sure will but I tell you again I define the results. Anyway get me a piece of paper let me decide what shall be the result then.
The piece of paper reads #%$^&. Ummmmmmm we’ll be needing an expert here to translate this.
Okay thank you Margaret, it’s been a pleasure having you here but your mom’s calling now.
Okay bye see you.
Yeah sure………(sigh) As if.

Okay now let’s move onto The Bandits match against Konhead to be held at the University Stadium in Belle Haven. Konhead is a type that qualified from Group B in 3rd position. Konhead had won 3 games and lost 2 and qualified with 9 points. Despite not having the best group stage periods, Konhead is a highly known and respected team in the sport of Lacrosse with them being ranked 11 in the world. Overcoming such a challenge that Konhead possess will be difficult for the Bandits, but with the brilliant result they pulled out against Banija a positive result might as well be on the cards.
All of us from Lacrosse Live would like to say adieu, we’ll meet you again tomorrow with the result of Bollonich’s match.

(Behind the scenes)
Tilda - Hey Clark, what’d the expert say, could you confirm the predictions? Were they correct.
Clark - Yes they were, I am getting the predictions she made today to her, we might need to get her on the show again.
Tilda - Wait what? She was correct?? I can’t believe it. I’ll make the arrangements to get her back on the show.

[Sarzonia]

Bryan Conway wasn't the biggest sport fan in the world, but he was willing to attend a sporting event if it fell under his duty requirements to do so.

He was sitting in the Situation Room in the basement of the Gray House after a Cabinet meeting. It was a pretty mundane meeting as they usually go. The only thing unusual about it was the late appearance of Sarzonian President Grant Haffner. His wife, Gloria was hosting a high school reunion on the Portico near the South Lawn of the Gray House, so she wasn't available to accompany the President to this meeting.

Other than the fact that Haffner was there, sitting in a chair away from the table that hosted many meetings where he often sat two seats to founding President Mike Sarzo's right in the early days of his tenure as Senior Vice President and External Affairs Officer, there wasn't much difference. Lieutenant President Brian Patrick was running the meeting as usual, and the main topic of conversation after the various Cabinet vice presidents gave their reports was the prospect of a new Constitutional amendment that would formally establish in law what had been the practice that developed in the wake of Sarzo's death: The Lieutenant President would become the de jure head of government and the presidency would merely be the head of state.

After the discussions, which showed that two states already voted in favour and Benatar, the home state of the late Conservative Gov. Pete Dent, voted against the new Article, the rest of the Cabinet officials adjourned.

"Bryan," Haffner said, tapping Conway on the shoulder to make clear it was the country's statesman he wanted rather than the lieutenant president. "May I have a word with you?"

"Yes, Mr. President," Conway said as the rest of the vice presidents, Patrick, and senior vice president for defence John Newman all departed the room.

"I understand you're going to Baker Park for the lacrosse tournament," Haffner said.

"Yes, and as I understand it, you wanted me to meet with Banijan Omugabe Ttembo," he said.

"I was hoping you would, yes," Haffner said. "I understand from your briefing materials that Banijan culture is ... a bit more conservative than ours in a few key ways."

Conway paused for a moment, but his eyes briefly flashed a bit of doubt and concern that he saw Haffner picked up on immediately. "Um, you could say that. Any advice on how I handle things?"

Haffner smiled slightly, hoping he would get across a sense of reassurance to the man who was now in the role he'd filled.

"As you know, I kinda got us in hot water with Pacitalia when I was in your role," Haffner said. "I know you aren't flamboyant, but even if you were, I wouldn't tell you to stifle that part of you for the sake of anyone's comfort, least of all an official from another country with whom we have good relations." Even if they weren't the most harmonious possible, given the cultural differences between the conservative, faith-heavy Banijans and the heavily non-theist and liberal-minded Sarzonians, not to mention the fierce rivalries the teams representing both countries developed across a wide variety of sport. Haffner let his smile melt down to his normal countenance, then continued, "Remember that the Banijans are likely not going to try to antagonise us, at least purposefully. If they make a mistake, please try to be understanding of it and evaluate it from the perspective of what place it comes from."

"And if they do say something purposefully offensive?"

"Bryan," Haffner said. "You've been in this role longer than anyone, myself included. I trust your judgment about how to handle yourself if they actually do something deliberately disrespectful."

Conway had a lot to think about as he took his briefcase with him and his aide sat down on the seat across from him on Sarzonia Three as it taxied on the runway at the secure tarmac near Woodstock International Jetport for the flight to Baker Park. His aide went over the basics, like the English translations of Banijan titles and some other standard rules of etiquette. His aide looked at Conway with concern and seemed to understand the worry.

What if Ttembo calls me by my dead name? Conway thought as he began to drift off into a restless attempt to sleep through his flight. He'd hated the name Brianna as a child, so much so that he chose the y in Bryan as a subtle fuck you to the name. Brianna. His mother still insisted on calling him that, even though he'd transitioned 15 years ago, and it resulted in a rift between him and her that never healed. He, in fact refused to open any mail she'd addressed to Brianna Conway. He stopped calling her. In fact, he refused to even take her calls on his direct phone number, as various secretaries soon learned not to patch them through to him. His father was a different story. He'd graciously accepted Bryan and, except for a couple of occasional slips early in Bryan Conway's journey, always referred to his son as his son. Bryan's father was allowed to call his son at his direct phone number and didn't have to go through the secretary. The secretary, in fact, would only answer if Bryan was literally away from his desk, and was allowed to tell Bryan's father exactly where he was.

When the jet taxied on the runway and the limousine pulled up to retrieve Conway and his staff, Bryan walked down the steps slowly, still thinking about how to handle various situations, not just what was spoken out loud, but also furtive looks, cringes or discomfort. It was the thought that kept him pensively looking out the window and the limousine drove him to his quarters at the Sarzonian embassy compound.

There weren't any matches to distract Conway the night he arrived at his guest house at the compound. The group stage had already ended and the playoff stage hadn't yet begun. Sarzonia weren't due to face off that night as the No. 1 overall seeds. Banija were enjoying a bye as well as the fourth seeds. If the quarterfinals results held serve, Sarzonia and Banija would face each other in the semifinals in what was sure to be an instant classic. Regardless, Conway had a lot on his plate, and the fortunes of Stars lax were the last thing on his mind.

[HUElavia]

HUElavia Advances with Domination!

Two Consecutive Wins gives HUElavia a spot to the Playoffs!

HUElavia 18–5 Xabia

United States of Devonta 9-14 HUElavia

Entering the final two matchdays, HUElavia seeked to clinch their place in the knockouts for the World Lacrosse Championship. Taking on Xabia and Devonta, a victory in either game would guarantee their place. Both games had a very strong backing of HUElavian supporters, looking to cheer on the team in another two matches in the WLC. The B-Team was playing for both matches, given that Coach Navia had faith in his backups to finish the job.

The first game had HUElavia dominating from start to finish, with the B-Team not hesitating to make shots left and right. Bohn and Branco got 4 goals each, while Uchi and Gollancz got hat-tricks each. Bilatan-Manlangit and Artigas got 2 goals each to finish off the HUElavian scoring. Meanwhile, REDACTED and REDACTED got two goals each, while REDACTED got a single goal. After the match ended, the players went onto the pitch to celebrate their advance to the knockouts, all to the thunderous roar and cheers of the HUElavian faithful.

The second game was more intense for the team, needing to stave off the attacks from Devonta. In the match, 4 goals were scored by Branco and Artigas each, while two hat-tricks by Uchi and Bohn to give HUElavia plenty of goals. Meanwhile, hat-tricks from REDACTED, REDACTED, and REDACTED were enough to keep pace, but they could not overcome Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos. At the end of the match, the players went onto the field to celebrate their finish and to congratulate each other, while the HUElavian crowd sang songs to cheer on the team.

At the end of the Group Stage, Sarzonia wins Group D with 15 Points (5-0), while HUElavia advances in 2nd Place with 12 Points (4-1). Despite a 2-3 record, based on a tie earlier, Xabia surprisingly advances with 7 Points in 3rd Place. Thus, Sarzonia advances directly into the Quarter-Finals, while HUElavia will be in the Playoff Round along with Xabia. HUElavia was placed as the #6 Seed, meaning they will play against #11 Cassadaigua, who finished in 3rd Place in Group C. The match will be played at Loren M Abernathy Stadium (14,000), in Northfield Borough, where it is expected for a strong showing of HUElavians to be present in the stadium. The team continues to train hard and study film, where they still feel the stinging upset and frustration from the blowout and humiliating victory against Sarzonia back on Matchday 2. Here's to what can be a great game and a major victory over one of the Multiverse's most prolific team, Cassadaigua.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[Cassadaigua]

Playoff time,
By Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

Despite not really getting into a rhythm during the group stage, the Fillies are going to be in the playoffs of the 37th World Lacrosse Championships. This means that we can give hope that maybe they have saved their best for last and are about to get hot. Yes, they are due for that, aren’t they. If the team loses the first playoff game, and it will be a tough one against HUElavia, we might see more fallout from the result than we probably should. Who knows if Sarah Cortez would be brought back, but more than likely Jessica Crockett would not be back at 40, even if she is still actively playing then. But there have been some other players which have been disappointments, and for that, I am looking at Stacey Proctor, Sierra Morganstern, and Kelsey Barker. We may have had Lexi Looper on that list, but she did step up well against both Bollonich and Sannyamathland so that should save her. In the finale, Looper had four goals and five assists, in what was also the best group stage game of Jessica Crockett. Yeah, you can make the argument that it is better for them to be getting hot now as opposed to later, so don’t just rule out hopes for a win against HUElavia.

If you can’t get too excited about the lacrosse team now, you can start preparing yourself for the World Cup 88 qualifiers. I know that lately I have spent a lot of time looking over the rosters that have been provided by various soccer associations to this point. It’s interesting to look them over, as some associations provide so much more detail into their list of players than other nations will. Last time I looked over so many World Cup qualifying rosters so carefully, Baker Park was co-hosting the World Cup. Maybe, one day they will return to that, and I hope that they do. They’ve done a fine job with the hospitality here in the WLC, and while I can be very disappointed with the play of the team, I have nothing bad to say about the fantastic accommodations that we have had out here in the Atlantian Oceania nation. We’re playing at the Abernathy Stadium for this game, a stadium that does not hold a lot of people, but I am expecting that there will be plenty of pink and black in the stands. A win here will get our confidence back.

Can they get it done? Or are they going to send me into a life of reading World Cup press releases sooner than I was expecting? Let’s pull this off!

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

CUTOFF!!

Four Teams will be taking their final bows at the WLC, all deserving of praise for getting here.

Round of 12

(6) HUElavia 7–5 (11) Cassadaigua
(5) Kriegiersien 7–9 (12) Xabia
(7) Vangaziland 13–13 (9) Taxonomic Kingdoms (14–15 OT)
(8) Bollonich 6–15 (10) Kohnhead

Quarterfinals May 8
(1) Sarzonia vs (12) Xabia @ The State College Stadium, Coolville, Midalia (26,000)
(4) Banija vs (6) HUElavia @ Salisbury Stadium (25,900)
(3) Abanhfleft vs (9) Taxonomic Kingdoms @ The State College Stadium, Coolville, Midalia (26,000)
(2) Baker Park vs (10) Kohnhead @ Salisbury Stadium (25,900)

[Taxonomic Kingdoms]

THE SOPHIA REGISTER

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Intelligent News For Intelligent Life

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Latest stories:

Roaches to the Rescue!

The Bamford Sheriff's Office will be getting some help from an unlikely source to locate the families of eight children recently rescued from traffickers. Three roach gods -- Blattella Germanica, Periplaneta Americana, and Periplaneta Australasiae -- have offered to enlist their mortal children to help with the search.

"There are already lots of roaches living in human cities; it's not that much trouble for them to listen to the people they live with and see if they hear anything useful," said Blattella Germanica. "This is about the most eyes on the ground you can get without asking the Flu sisters for help -- and nobody likes the flu."

The Bamford Sheriff's Office has said they welcome the assistance, but others have questioned the value of roach reconnaissance. "A virus could reach more homes more quickly," said Lassa Mammarenavirus of the Orthornaviraean Host Species Relations Office. "Can someone explain why we're not sending in the flu? Sure people don't like getting sick, but nobody likes roaches either."

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Lethe Floods, Helvetiaviraeans Unsure if Natural Disaster or Mismanagement

Several towns on the banks of the Lethe are underwater today, and nobody remembers how it happened. Possible causes include heavy rains in the underworld, a dam break somewhere upstream, an attack from a hostile water god, or an error at the Charon's Ferry Hydroelectric Power Plant.

"It's kind of pointless to even speculate," said disaster relief coordinator SNJ1 Natrinema Betasphaerolipovirus. "Nobody remembers anything."

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Hermit Crabs Squeak By Vangazis With Overtime Win

The Animal Kingdom is going the to quarterfinals at the World Lacrosse Championship after winning a nail-biter against Vangaziland. The Vangazis took an early lead, but the crabs fought back and sent the game into overtime, where goals from Coenobita Lila and Calcinus Seurati put them over the top for a 15-14 win.

The Hermit Crab's next opponent is Abanhfleft, who beat them in the group stage. Can the crabs get revenge? Tune in tomorrow night on tRNA Sports to find out.

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Opinion: Mortals Don't Belong in the Realms of the Gods
The opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not reflect the views of the Sophia Register.

Humans living in the Taxonomic Kingdoms have been in the news a lot lately, and not in a good way, so why do we let them live here? They steal fruit. They use the Virias as a haven for all kinds of unsavory behavior. Even the kingdoms that don't allow human immigration still have to live with the security risk from the human ghettos in Bamford and Viraemia.

Seriously, can we just deport the humans already?

[Sarzonia]

Far away from the drama of Situation Room discussions or intrusive thoughts aboard Sarzonia Three, Sarzonian national lacrosse team manager Jordan Helms had a different task in mind.

He was getting set for the Sarzonian national lacrosse team's second meeting against group mates Xabia.

If you'd told anyone on the team that they would face an unranked opponent in the knockout rounds, in particular, the only one that finished the group stage with a losing record, no one would have believed you. Yet, Xabia are here as the result of a shocking 9-7 upset victory over fifth seeded Kriegiersien. They will face the Stars as World Lacrosse Championship 37 organisers opted to have the lowest remaining seeds play Sarzonia in the quarterfinal round.

That means Helms's first task was to tell his charges to forget about the Matchday 3 contest which saw the Stars demolish Xabia 19-5.

"This is the knockout rounds," he said. "Anything can and has happened. Look at who we're facing. They've won their last two matches and beat a quality team in Kriegiersien. They also took Devonta to overtime and defeated Qasden." The latter team may have finished 0-5, but as a longtime regional rival and the third highest-ranked team in the group, Qasden were the only team to keep things close against the Stars.

That was a fact not lost on goalkeeper Matt Henning, who allowed nine of his 27 goals against Qasden.

"Look, a team that can beat a team like Qasden and then defeat Kriegiersien is one we can't afford to take lightly," he said. "We were dialed in our last four matches of the group stage and we can't afford to be anything but dialed in for Xabia."

Meanwhile, Helms said he wasn't paying much attention to geopolitical affairs "at least not now" as a reporter asked him about the prospects of a meeting between Sarzonian Senior Vice President and External Affairs Officer Bryan Conway and Banijan Omugabe Ttembo. "Omugabe" means "prince" in the native language of Banija.

"Right now, my main focus is on this team and ensuring that we're the ones holding the gold medals when this tournament is over," Helms said. "I'd like the last act for [Sarzonian WLC President Jonathan Price] or the first act for Cassadaigua's President to be to put the gold medals around our necks."

Privately, however, Helms expressed some concerns to Sarzonian national baseball team manager Geoff Yancey, who was also asked by External Affairs to get involved in diplomacy with Banija.

"Geoff, I don't think I'm equipped to handle negotiations, especially since [Banija] are very conservative in ways we're not," Helms texted Yancey.

"Jordan, I know I'm not equipped for it," Yancey texted back. "That's why I told Roxie [Roxana Henley, assistant deputy vice president for foreign affairs] I can't do it."

[Bollonich]

Lacrosse Today

This was the deciding moment, the true test of the quality of the Bandits. They were ready, they were prepared most importantly they were determined. They were up against Konhead, a well known and respected team in the multiverse. We were in the playoff, a very good position to be in for your first competition ever. However the Bandits weren’t satisfied, they wanted to advance, they wanted to compete at the higher stage. They arrived at the University Stadium at Belle Haven, ready to make their mark on the world. However from that point on, nothing went their way. The performance was disaster-class the team was in shambles and no one really knew what was going on. The score after the match was 6-15. The Bandits had been knocked out. Our dream tun was over, but we were leaving with our heads held high. We knew we had done what we strove out to do, to make our mark on the world and entertain people. We had succeeded, we had taken Cassadaigua to extra time, we had defeated Banija and Sylestone two heavyweights. We were in the top 12 teams in the world, something to be proud of and the players and fans had made memories we would cherish. This defeat wasn’t to be a sad one, we knew we are gonna come back, come back stronger but for the meanwhile we are proud of what we have achieved. The Manager’s words followed along the same lines he said:-
“Today we were just outplayed, in the big stage like this things like those happen quite often. And it is important we take loses well. What we achieved here in the previous weeks are something to be proud of. Which we will be, and we shall be coming back even stronger the next time. Until then Let Go Bandits.”

[Banija]

Banija prepares for WLC Quarterfinal matchup with HUElavia


Banijan lacrosse players celebrating a goal

SALISBURY, COMMONWEALTH OF BAKER PARK- Banija v. HUElavia at the World Lacrosse Championships. Rings a bell, right? These two teams faced off, most famously, at the WLC XXXIV Final. Banija's latest and best opportunity to finally bring home the world title we've been striving to grab for so long in this sport, and HUElavia stunning the multiverse in general by making the final in their first ever tournament in the sport. HUElavia, famously, won that Final, dominating Banija and showcasing their shocking rise from nowhere to the top of the sport in just one cycle. A truly shocking and surprising moment, It remains one of the greatest tournament victories this sport has ever seen.

That moment, naturally, sets the stage for whenever these two teams meet. Especially since there are still a few players on both teams who played in that Final- and now, another knockout match will set the stage between these two ambitious teams. HUElavia's won one before- so they certainly believe that they are capable of winning again. And we all know how Banijan fans, long starved for glory, feel about our own ability to win this tournament. But how do these two teams stand since that Final? Who has had the upper hand?

The answer, unquestionably, is Banija. The first time we played HUElavia after they beat us in that final was in the very next tournament, in Northwest Kalactin. The final game of the Casaran stage of that tournament was essentially a knockout game for both squads, sitting at 2-2. The winner would be 3-2 and almost surely clinch a spot in the knockout stages. The loser? Well, they would be eliminated in the group stages the tournament after reaching(or in HUElavia's case, winning) the final. We won 15-9. We were strong and powerful throughout the whole game, and it was well deserved. Would it have been better if it had happened three years prior? Of course. But you can't win em all.

And then, we played each other at WLC 36, in the opening game of the group of death in Sylestone. Our group had HUElavia, Abanhfleft, ourselves, and Mapletish- not to mention fierce challengers from Northwest Kalactin and Nyowani Kitara. IT was a closely fought game, that couldnt' be decided after 60 minutes, as it was 8-8. But we scored twice in the four minute overtime period, to win 10-8 and notch another win. Coach Budaye was asked if he would trade those wins for a win over HUElavia in the WLC 34 Final, and he simply laughed. "Don't ask me hypotheticals like that. We're both rivals- this is the fourth consecutive WLC we have a big game against HUElavia. They have elite level talent and organization, and if we want to advance, we can't think about what happened against them in the past- we've got to think about what we're going to do to beat them in the future, or aka, tomorrow night."

Banija v. HUElavia. Rivalry matchup. 4th straight WLCs these two teams meet. They notched an upset win over Cassadaigua in the Round of 12 to get to this point. Omugabe Ttembo, the Kabaka's second son, is here for the tournament, and the Royal Family has announced he'll stay here for the remainder of the tournament. Rumors abound that he's going to have a precedent setting meeting with Sarzonian Senior Vice President and External Affairs Officer(aka Foreign Minister equivalent) Bryan Conway. A whole lot of pages could be filled about that potential meeting, and all the land mines there- but that's beyond the purview of this magazine.

It's Banija v. HUElavia for a spot in the semifinal. Banija going for their seventh ever semifinal appearance, while HUElavia tries for their second title in four tournaments. Which side will triumph at Salisbury Stadium?

[HUElavia]

To Suffer and Advance

HUElavia agonizes the victory to advance to the Quarter-Finals over Cassadaigua.

HUElavia 7-5 Cassadaigua
(Loren M Abernathy Stadium, Northfield Borough)

Coming into the Playoff Round, HUElavia was on a strong streak from the Group Stage, and while the one loss against Sarzonia did hurt the team, they have rebounded since and were coming in with strong momentum from their 2nd Place Finish in Group D, making them the #6 Seed. Their opponents were none other than Cassadaigua, who was struggling in this WLC with their 3-2 record, only qualifying through Group C as one of the 3rd Place Teams, put as the #11 Seed. The match was set to be played at Loren M Abernathy Stadium (14,000), in Northfield Borough, with a strong showing for supporters for both teams. The A-Teams were played for both squads, with neither looking to allow a blowout from one another.

The first half had both teams looking to score on one another, but the defenses coming up clutch. Wen and Tenorio were making blocks from Crockett, Proctor, and Price. If they could not make blocks, Mariano would make saves with ease to prevent any goals from going in. In the 1st Period, the opening goals came late, with counter attack goals from Ching-Lacanilao and Sulca to make it 2-0 in quick succession. Cassadaigua responded in the final minutes, with a goal from Barker to make it 2-1 to end the period. The second period was another one with goals, first two goals being scored by Cassadaigua halfway in the period, with shots by Proctor and Matthews to make it 2-3. HUElavia responded in kind with goals by Bohn and Branco late in the period to finish off the half 4-3.

The second half continued being filled with attacks from both teams, with Cassadaigua opening the score early with a goal from Chandler, making it 4-4. A few minutes later, Aleksandrovna scored a blistering shot to make it 5-4 to keep the lead. Late in the period, Tremont took a strong shot to go into goal and make it 5-5 late in the period. In the final seconds, Meireles de Lima got a goal in to make it 6-5 to end the period. Cassadaigua went on a heavy attack looking to score, but blocks from the two different lines of the HUElavian defense and saves from Mariano kept the score at 6-5. In the final seconds, a counter attack was done and a shot from Gollancz in front of an open goal was enough to make it 7-5, to much of the joy of HUElavian supporters in the stadium. At the end of the match, the team went onto the field to celebrate the victory and give condolences to the Cassadaiguans.

Once again, HUElavia makes it to the Quarter-Finals of the World Lacrosse Championship, which has become a regular expectation for the team. HUElavia was the only higher seeded team of the Playoff Round to advance into the Quarter-Finals, meaning they will play against the Lowest-Seeded Group winner, #4 Banija. The Banijans come off winning Group C with 12 Points in a 4-1 record, and they are currently ranked #2 in the rankings. These two teams have met before, including in WLC 34, where HUElavia defeated them in the Final to win their 1st ever WLC Title, and have met them in the past two tournaments as well. Thus, this is the 4th consecutive times these two teams meet, in what is now one of the strongest rivalries in Lacrosse throughout the Multiverse. It's the #2 vs #3 team in the Multiverse and only one can advance to the Final Four. The match will be at Salisbury Stadium (25,900), where it will be a sold out venue with fans of both teams present to support their teams. Here's to what can be an entertaining and passionate Quarter-Final match in this rivalry.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

It's the End of the Line for four more nations

CUTOFF!!

(1)Sarzonia 12–4 (12) Xabia
(4)Banija 15–12 (6) HUElavia
(3)Abanhfleft 12–6 (9) Taxonomic Kingdoms
(2)Baker Park 8-9 (10) Kohnhead (scored by Quebec & Shingoryeo)

Semi-Finals May 10
at Sportsmen's Park Belle Haven (39,000)
(1) Sarzonia vs (4) Banija
(3) Abanhfleft vs (10) Kohnhead

[Sarzonia]

The match-up on paper looked nothing special.

The top seeded Sarzonian national lacrosse team came in with a stifling defence and an opportunistic offence, enjoying a plus-54 goal differential in five group stage matches. They also had a bye directly into the quarterfinals against a team that played a tough match earlier, and a team Sarzonia decimated in their first meeting.

It wasn't much of a match at all. Sarzonia rolled Xabia 12-4 to set up a battle against a team that would be a stern test for the Stars. They will get set to face Banija in the semifinals at Sportsmen's Park in Belle Haven as Sarzonia's fiercest lacrosse rivals defeated HUElavia 15-12.

Once again, faceoff domination was the big story. Sarzonia won 14 of 20 draws against Xabia and the underdogs never led.

With a guaranteed two matches remaining in Baker Park, manager Jordan Helms decided to rest his starting 10 for the majority of the second half after the Stars built a 7-1 lead at halftime. He'd seen the projections that Sarzonia would face either a revenge-minded HUElavia or their archrivals and wanted to make sure everyone remained sharp.

"We played one of our best matches today," Helms said. "We controlled the match against Xabia the way I hoped we would. Now we're going to face an outstanding Banija side that has been a thorn in our side for a while now."

That won't be the only intriguing aspect of the two rivals facing each other. Banijan Omugabe Ttembo is expected to meet with Sarzonian Senior Vice President and External Affairs Officer Bryan Conway in the VIP suite at Sportsmen's Park. Baker Park Secretary of State Thomas Dixon is also expected to be in attendance.

Helms said he didn't expect to cross path with any of the dignitaries before or after the match.

"I've got my hands full with Banija on the pitch," he said. "The off the pitch stuff is way above my pay scale."

[Banija]

Head Coach Allen Budaye on the sidelines of Banijan quarterfinal matchup against HUElavia

A HUElavian player had scored the final goal of the 3rd quarter just as time was expiring in the third. The fight between the two rivals was fierce and close- at that point, it was 11-11. Neither team could do much to pull away from each other. Just as one team got momentum throughout the first three quarters, the other side had been able to pull back and close the gap. Make it close. The quarterfinal had all the makings of an instant classic between two rivals who, at this point, were very familiar with each other.

Between the quarters, Budaye had a mini talk with his players. "Hey guys, this could be the last 15 minutes of our time in Baker Park." He had told them. "We do not want that to happen. Remember everything we have worked for. Those long nights. Those days in the film room. Early mornings in the weight room. Time away from family. Following your curfew. Respect the sacrifices you had made to get to this point. This sport is beautiful because of its purity- this is lacrosse, we aren't here for the money. We aren't big-time gridiron or soccer players, or even basketball players, making millions. We're here for the love of the game, to bring glory for our country."

"This final 15 minutes- it can separate us. Pretenders from Contenders. I believe we are contenders. I believe that we have as a good of a chance as any to win a title. But let's get out there and prove it on the g-d damn field." A lot of the fourth quarter was back and forth, without much scoring. But then, with 6:30 left in the game, Bobbicevic III, the captain, scored to break the deadlock and make it 12-11. And then, the flurry. 22 seconds later, Alanso Biri made it 13-11. And then, just 27 game seconds after that, Kadi Uster made it 14-11, which essentially sealed. The span of a minute, three goals to break open a tie game. The final score was a 15-12 Banijan victory.

Budaye was excited. "We dug deep today, and we earned this knockout victory." He told reporters. "Nothing is given at these late stages of a major tournament, and especially not against a squad with a championship pedigree like HUElavia. This was an important, big-time victory, and the boys earned it. They deserve credit for it. While a job well done, the job is not done- far from it. We know why we're here."

Budaye listened to various players talk about the rivalry with Sarzonia. Bobbicevic III, the captain who scored the go-ahead goal, perhaps summed it up best. "We have the utmost respect for them, and what they've done in this sport. 5 championships, while they were all a long time ago, are five championships. They've been elite since their return. They've beaten us on the big stage, and we've beaten them, particularly in the AOLC Final in Woodstock last cycle. And add in the fact that it's a semifinal, and they've been the most impressive team of the tournament so far? This is as big as it gets. We wait all tournament for games like this one, and you can best believe we're going to give it everything we got to send the Stars to the third place game."

Budaye was asked about Omugabe Ttembo attending the match. "I've never met a royal before in my life, and I am pleased Ttembo is here to support the team." Budaye was also asked about Ttembo's upcoming meeting with Sarzonian Senior Vice President Bryan Conway, and if he had any advice for the Prince. "Look, I'm here to try and bring a trophy back to Banija. Who the Omugabe meets with- that's on him and the Kabaka."

Budaye ended the press conference by saying that while Sarzonia were the clear favorites so far to win the title here in Baker Park, that his Banijan team would leave no stone unturned in their quest to get back to the Final.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

The unusual circumstances that meant Parliament was out of session in early May in a mid-term year hadn't been problematic for Thomas Dixon; the logjam of bills out in committee was a problem for the Leader of the House and the PM.
Right now, Dixon was thinking about diplomacy--which really he shouldn't be, since that wasn't his brief anymore--and how to massage the awkwardness that could ensue with a potential lacrosse match between Banija & Sarzonia; they were both among the best squads in the world, playing in the World Championships here.

The information passed along via embassy message traffic and from both nation's embassy here was that each nation would have a personage visiting for the knockout rounds; hardcore lacrosse supporter Omugabe Ttembo and wife--neither of whom had been included in the party for the State Visit several years earlier, but he was the Kabaka's youngest son, so royal protocols would need to be observed--would be hosted for the duration at the Banijan Embassy; while for Sarzonia, Senior Vice President & External Affairs Officer Bryan Conway would visit the Commonwealth for the first time, with accommodation provided within the precincts of the Sarzonian Embassy.

"Kalinda, if you've got a minute?" Kalinda Powell was Dixon's principal personal assistant; if the Secretary knew it, Kalinda did as well. "Sir?"

He let out the deep inhale he'd taken a few seconds earlier. "First, get in touch with the DCP people, I want someone who can coordinate the details for a meeting with Omugabe & Omugaba Ttembo at the Banijan Embassy for eleven-ish, and Vice President Conway at the Sarzonia Embassy around 2 on the day prior to the semi-final. Second, we'd like the Regent's Box at Sportsmen's Park. Specific details to follow.
All of this is contingent on the two nations making it to the semi-final."

(3 days later)

"Your Highnesses, it is my honor to welcome you to the Commonwealth of Baker Park." Dixon made a deep head bow to the royal couple, then introduced his wife Lydia who gave a half curtsey.
"I spoke with the Prime Minister about an hour ago, and she sends her apologies and regrets. We've had legislative session out of the ordinary, so she is out of the country at present, but instructed me to extend her personal greetings to you, and ask that you pass along her good wishes to His Majesty, the Kabaka and the rest of your family."

The two couples and a few other aides had a warm, pleasant talk over cookies and juice (the concept of 'elevenses''--a coffee/tea break with light snacks--certainly not a practice in caffeine-free Banija).

"We will be honored to entertain both of you, the ambassador & his wife--we've invited the Consul-General from Mansfield as well--and the rest of your party in the Prince Regent's Suite at Sportsmen's Park. We'll also be meeting with the Vice President from Sarzonia this afternoon and extending the same invitation, there is plenty of room for everyone."

"They seem like they'll behave, don't you think?" Lydia Dixon took a bite of her salad as she and her husband worked a quick, light lunch into the schedule.

"It would be a huge loss of face to commit an egregious offense in front of a visible ex-pat community where you are an unofficial guest--even if a majority of those people have an opinion that's similar--where the rest of your immediate family have huge popularity. If they get advice that people here are pre-disposed to having positive feelings for them..." He shrugged his shoulders.

The meeting at the Embassy of Sarzonia went much more smoothly.
"Mister Vice President, welcome, on behalf of Head of State Timothy Wentworth, Prime Minister Rebecca Schoenlein, and the rest of the people of the Commonwealth."
Dixon went through of all of the official apologies and explanations; he extended the same invitation to watch the match from the Prince Regent's Box.
"It's very spacious, and offers both opportunity to co-mingle and interact, or keep one's own counsel." Dixon nodded in an understanding way.

Tom & Lydia left to return home for a few hours, confident that their 'retail diplomacy visits' had been worth the effort.
"Kalinda? Everything coming together on your end?" Dixon phoned in and got the answers he wanted to hear. "We'll see you & Pete about 6:30 then."

[Sarzonia]

Bryan Conway smirked with what appeared to his aides to be a sense of confidence after Commonwealth Secretary of State Thomas Dixon addressed him as Mr. Vice President.

It could have been a whole lot worse, he thought. Conway realised Dixon could have -- inadvertently or otherwise -- referred to him as Madame Vice President. Or by calling him Brianna. But no, Dixon just made a minor error in referring to him as Vice President. That certainly wasn't worth an international incident, but just a gentle reminder.

"Thank you, Mr. Secretary, it's Senior Vice President," Conway said, shaking Dixon's hand. When he caught a slight look of embarrassment from Dixon, he smiled. "It's an easy enough mistake. All our Cabinet-level officials are either Vice Presidents or, in the case of myself and John Newman, Senior Vice Presidents." Conway wanted to make clear he wasn't upset or bothered by being mis-titled. After all, it was a damn sight better than being misgendered or deadnamed.

For the moment, at least, Conway's main thought was his lack of sport fan pedigree, so the prospect of watching a lacrosse match didn't exactly excite him, but since he was here for diplomatic purposes, he couldn't turn down an opportunity to do his job. Besides, one of his aides was a huge lacrosse fan and was an avid fan of the Sarzonian national lacrosse team. And that aide would be super excited to see the rivalry match between the top seeded Stars and the fourth seeded Banijans. It was a rivalry that even Conway was well aware of. In fact, that was one of the main reasons he was here in the first place. And it was yet another matchup between two of the major powers in the sport.

"Of course, I would be delighted to attend," Conway said. As the two men finished final preparations and then went their separate ways, the enormity of the task at hand began to intrude on Conway's thoughts.

He was being sent here, rather than a deputy vice president who was cishet and in a more traditional relationship because President Haffner believed in him. He was here because he was a statesman and a damn good one. He was here because the President and members of Parliament wanted closer ties with Banija than merely those born from the battlefields of sport. But yet.

Conway spent the afternoon poring over his notes about Omugabe Ttembo and his wife and studied more about cultural norms in Banija than he had for any previous diplomatic mission. Everything he read came back to the conservatism, the Mormon-predominant population, the discomfort about same-sex relationships and the idea that gender wasn't a binary. Conway felt he was walking a tightrope. And he was up way higher than usual and didn't see a net.

Of course, he had no way of knowing the anxiety Omugabe Ttembo was feeling about his interaction with him. About not wanting to mis-step and inadvertently create an uncomfortable situation, one that would likely require at minimum a Zoom conversation between President Haffner and Devin Kent, the Sarzonian ambassador to Banija. Or Lieutenant President Brian Patrick, since President Haffner was scheduled to be out of the country in a Delaclav hospital whilst he and first lady Gloria Taylor Haffner visited their son and daughter-in-law in Catherina for the birth of the President's first grandchild.

Either way, Conway had a difficult time simply focusing on the task at hand. He felt his phone vibrate and saw a text message.

Oh fuck, he thought. It was from his secretary telling him his mother wanted to talk to him. And she'd sent a screen cap of the message addressed to Brianna.

He pushed the button to close the phone screen and shoved it back in his pocket.

His mother was the last person he wanted anything to do with. Dealing with the prospect of meeting a Banijan Omugabe was stressful enough without the woman who gave birth to him adding to it. He felt his phone vibrate again. He allowed himself to exhale.

It was Dad.

"Just wanted to send you positive vibes, son. You're going to be great. Love, Dad," the text read.

"Thanks, Dad. Love you, Bryan," he texted back.

He drew a little bit of comfort from that small gesture from his father. He hoped it would be enough to carry him through a high stakes meeting.

[Banija]

Banijan Embassy in Belle Haven, one hour before Ttembo is supposed to set off for the match

"Son, how are you doing?" Kabaka Mwanga said. Omugabe Ttembo was video calling his father, the Kabaka, on a secure line. "You ready for your meeting?"

"Yes, father." Omugabe Ttembo replied.

"Remember- send the Senior Vice President my personal best wishes." The Kabaka said, as Ttembo just nodded. "And look- the gift for him is at the Embassy. Just remember- you're representing your country, your family, and of course, myself personally. We wouldn't have sent you here if you couldn't handle it- don't cause any incidents. Sarzonia is a potential ally of Banija, so it's extremely important you make a good first impression on behalf of our country. Oh- and don't forget our gratitude to Mr. Dixon and the Prime Minister."

"Of course Your Majesty." Ttembo replied. The two briefly spoke for a minute longer, and then the Kabaka had to hang up. Omugabe Ttembo and his wife, Omugaba Nalugwa, had both been studying up before they were to drive to the Embassy. Nalugwa came into the room at the last minute, and they grilled each other. Conway's title? Senior Vice President. How to address him. "Mr. Senior Vice President." Name? "Bryan" and by all means, do not call him Brianna. If you cannot remember the name, use his title and avoid name usage. And do not misgender- he/him pronouns.

Prince Regent's Suite at Sportsmen's Park in Belle Haven

The strength of the Banijan and Baker Park relationship could never be understated. Yet again, a landmark moment in Banijan foreign policy would be happening in Belle Haven. The Belle Haven Agreement was signed prior to AOCAF LXII, that finally fully normalized and enhanced relations between the Islamic Republic of the Busoga Islands and the Kingdom of Banija. And once again, another landmark moment- the first ever high-level diplomatic meeting between Sarzonian and Banijan officials. Fierce sporting rivals, but the potential for a legitimate relationship between the two AO nations.

Omugabe Ttembo and his wife, Omugaba Nalugwa, got out of the car. A few minutes late, they were, of course, photographed by the travelling Banijan press. Always a big deal when a royal was travelling, right? Especially when he was conducting state business. Ttembo posed with his wife, and then the two walked up, with a few select press photographers who had suite access, to access the Suite. He walked up, holding his wife's right hand with his own left hand. He opened the door for his wife, and then walked in himself.

"Dixon!" He said as he clasped hands with Secretary Dixon. "Great to see you again." His wife shook Dixon's hand as well. Just then, he saw Bryan Conway walk in from the other side. It was time. Dixon led Omugabe Ttembo over to Conway, and introduced the two.

"Omugabe Ttembo, meet my dear friend, Senior Vice President Bryan Conway." Thomas Dixon said. The two shook hands- and as customary, held the handshake for the photo op. All sorts of cameras flashing- the first ever high-level meeting between Banijans and Sarzonians.

As the photo op finished, they began to speak to each other. "Mr. Senior Vice President, how do you Bryan?" Omugabe Ttembo asked. "This is my wife, Omugabe Nalugwa." And she shook the Senior Vice President's hand as well.

"My father, the Kabaka, sends his greetings to your President, and your country of Sarzonia." Omugabe Ttembo said. "Here is a letter from the man himself-" And with that, he handed him over a sealed letter, handwritten directly by the Kabak and addressed to the Sarzonian President. It wasn't much more than you'd expect- simply a declaration of intentions for Banija and Sarzonia to further develop their relationship, both diplomatically and economically.

"And in the hopes that we can work together to build this future relationship, here is a gift from Banija to Sarzonia." Just then, an aide handed the gift to Omugabe Nagulwa, who presented it to the Senior Vice President.

"M-" Omugaba Nagulwa stammered, catching herself before she accidentally caused a diplomatic incident in this very suite. "Mr. Conway. On behalf of my father-in-law, the Kabaka, here is our gift to Sarzonia." And the gift was opened. It was two small wooden lions, in a pair- one painted in the colors of the Banijan flag, and the other painted in the colors of the Sarzonian flag. She handed the gift to the Senior Vice President, who thanked her and gave them to an aide.

There wasn't a ton of technical stuff to talk about today- just get off on the right foot. And Omugabe Ttembo felt that he did. Did he go overboard in offering a Sarzonian aide an $100 NSD bet on the outcome of the game? Probably, but the Omugabe was such a big lacrosse fan, he figured whatever his father said back home about it could be dealt with whenever he got back to Busukuma. He sat next to the Senior Vice President and Thomas Dixon, while Nagulwa went to sit with DIxon's wife, Lydia. Ttembo was hoping that the rest of the day would go well, and that he wouldn't have to pay out $100 NSDs at the end of it.

[Sarzonia]

That went well, Conway thought as he reflected on his meeting with Omugabe Ttembo and his wife, Omugaba Nalugwa as he began to make his way to the executive suite at Sportsmen's Park.

He caught what it sounded like a slip up by the Banijan princess, but to her credit, she caught herself. Conway looked and saw a flash of what appeared to be embarrassment rather than intentional harm as she corrected herself in time.

Conway handed the letter addressed to Haffner to his aide. He'd decided he could find out what the letter included once he got back to Woodstock and when Haffner was back from his trip to Catherina for the birth of his grandchild. He wasn't in position to open the letter, unless Ttembo asked, of course. As for the letter, it was going to get to Woodstock securely.

He looked at the wooden lions painted in the colours of the respective flags of the two countries. He smiled slightly. Even though the Sarzonian national animal was a tiger, it was fine. Both were aggressive cats, and both were symbols of their respective nations' pride. As for the bet of $100 NSD on the outcome of the match, Conway just smiled.

"I'm really not a betting man," he said. "Never have been. I'm just hoping for a great game today." And a Sarzonian win, of course, he thought. But of course, that went without saying. Conway wasn't a sport fan and he only knew some of the basics about lacrosse. The idea of six players out of 10 being active at any one time, the possession rule where the team getting possession of a ball going out of bounds was the one whose player was closest to the ball on a shot attempt, and other technicalities escaped the Sarzonian statesman. He hoped his aide would be better versed in those finer points of the match.

He was here to watch lacrosse, sure. But he was also here to strengthen ties between Sarzonia and Banija. That was his specialty. That's why he was paid the big salary and given this assignment by the President, and by extension, the House of Delegates. He wasn't likely to scream as loudly as Ttembo would be, but he would lend his support for the players clad in white and navy.

"You OK, boss?" his aide asked as Conway paused for a moment before opening the door to the suite to walk in and find his seat.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Conway said. He saw the look of concern in the aide's eyes, then leaned in closer.

"I'm relieved she didn't misgender me or deadname me," he said, referring to Nagulwa. It sounded like she was about to."

"She caught herself," the aide reminded Conway. "I don't think the Banijans want to provoke us. Not when they're pushing for warmer relations with us."

"You're right, of course," Conway said, visibly showing relief at this realisation.

"C'mon. We need to get in to take our seats. Dixon and the Omugabe are waiting for us."

"You're right. Let's go."

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

CUTOFF!!
Semi-Finals mean
No Quarter

Sarzonia 15–8 Banija
Abanhfleft 6–4 Kohnhead

3PPO
Banija vs Kohnhead

Championship Final
Sarzonia vs Abahnfleft

[Sarzonia]

In the Prince Regent's suite, Sarzonia Senior Vice President and External Affairs Officer Bryan Conway was struggling to follow along. He didn't understand many of the nuances of lacrosse, so he spent much of his time trying to figure out what he was watching.

The part he did understand was seeing the Sarzonian supporters, mostly clad in navy and silver kits, celebrating more often than the Banijans in attendance. He understood the groans and the disappointment on the face of Omugabe Ttembo as his country's pride, in a sport he so enthusiastically supported,found itself on the wrong end of a 15-8 scoreline against the Sarzonian national lacrosse team.

That meant it would be the top seeded Stars who would advance to face two-time defending champions Abanhfleft in the final. Banija were relegated to the third place playoff against Kohnhead, which fell to the six-time world champions 6-4 in the other semifinal.

As for this semifinal, a match nearly everyone thought would be an instant classic was essentially over by halftime. The Stars (6-0) won the faceoff battle 17-11 with Noah Ryanson logging 15 wins from his 23 attempts. Attack Colin Grassley led the way with four goals and two assists and the defence forced 15 turnovers, won seven ground balls, and disrupted Banijan offensive rhythm throughout.

"We wanted to make a statement," goalkeeper Matt Henning (six saves) said. "We wanted to show we belong back on top."

The final would pit the two stingiest defensive teams in the tournament against each other. Sarzonia conceded the fewest goals during the group stage with 27, but Abanhfleft only allowed two more. The Fleftics coughed up 10 goals in their two knockout round matches, two fewer than the Stars did.

Offensively, Sarzonia's 81 goals in the group stage were second to hosts Baker Park's 88. Abanhfleft were level with three other teams for third with 61 goals. Of more pressing concern to the Stars was the number of championships their opponents possessed. Abanhfleft had six titles, including the last two consecutive and were gunning for their seventh. That number would put distance between the two countries with the most gold medals of any in WLC history.

For Sarzonia, the goal was simple: Prevent a three-peat by the Fleftics. Stop them from claiming their seventh world championship before Sarzonia won its sixth. Bring Sarzonia's tenure as the presiding nation of the WLC to a close in style.

Even though the Fleftics had the more highly regarded opponent in the quarterfinals (ninth seeded Taxonomic Kingdoms vs. 12th seeds Xabia), the Stars made up for it with longtime powers Banija in the semifinals when compared to the Fleftics' opponents from Kohnhead. The Stars' victory over Banija may not have been as overwhelming as, say Sarzonia's 19-5 curbstomp of HUELavia, but considering the stakes and the fierceness of the rivalry, it was as impressive in its own right.

"Banija are one of the elite teams in this sport," Grassley said. "They're always a tough match. To beat them on this stage by that much is a testament to how well we played tonight. It wasn't as easy as it looked."

Manager Jordan Helms smiled as he watched his players rush onto the Sportsmen's Park pitch in celebration of their trip to the final. It would be his first time managing a team in a world championship game, though it would also be his third final including two regional finals.

He didn't necessarily feel vindicated. After all, the Incorporated Lacrosse Federation showed faith in him despite his lack of pedigree. They allowed him to name his own choice for defensive coordinator in Makeeyah Brantley after he decided to move on from longtime defensive boss Bill Harbour. They gave him an opportunity to succeed after taking over from hall of fame Carter Whitlock.

No, he felt like he'd earned his chance to set his own course with this team. It was an opportunity to bring Sarzonia all the way back to the top of the mountain. To be the first Stars manager to win without Whitlock having an official presence with the team.

"We have a chance to make history," he said, nodding when a reporter noted that a Stars victory would be their first world title in 21 championship contests. In the previous history of the Stars, Sarzonia had only one championship defeat in six trips to the final. The Stars have an overall 7-1 record in finals matches, including a two-match sweep of a best-of-three championship series.

But right now, Helms is focused on a present battle against Abanhfleft. Not on the past. Not on the future. And not on any geopolitical situations.

"I'm here to bring a world championship back to Sarzonia," he said. "Let everything else happen as it's supposed to."

[Banija]

Prince's Regent Suite, immediately following the final whistle of the Sarzonia v. Banija semifinal

Omugabe Ttembo was noticeably more grumpy as the game went on. Once again, a lot of excitement poured toward a world championship opportunity- and once again, extinguished by a team that was simply better than Banija. How long have we been a top 5 nation in this sport? But we've never been the best team in the world at this sport, and the latest exhibition of that was on the field here. Sarzonia simply dominated. It was a done deal for much of the fourth quarter.

The Prince knew he couldn't let this effect his mood totally. He, of course, was still here on business. As the final whistle sounded, a lot of the people in the suite stood up to begin to move around. Omugabe Ttembo motioned to the Sarzonian aide. "Here- $100 NSDs, as promised." And Ttembo grabbed his wallet and pulled out two 50s, and handed them each to the Sarzonian aide he made the bet with. The aide was clearly trying to look professional, but he couldn't hide the massive grin on his face. "Don't act so sheepish- you guys were the deserved winners tonight." Ttembo said. "You guys better give Abanhfleft hell on Sunday. We can all agree on something- everyone wins if the Fleftics lose." And everybody laughed.

Ttembo then went up to Senior Vice President Conway to say goodbye. "Mr. Conway, it was my pleasure to meet you. May this be the start and foundation of a lasting relationship between our two countries." Everyone in the room raised their glass, and sipped to that. And then, of course, Ttembo and his wife, Nagulwa, made their exit. After saying their goodbyes, the Banijan delegation shook hands with everybody and left the Suite.

"Well, I heard you catch yourself in the beginning there, my love." Ttembo said to his wife as they took the stairs here in Belle Haven. "But you were admirable. A job well done. My Father will be more than pleased."

[Abanhfleft]

(OOC: This RP should have been posted for the quarterfinals, but I don't want this going to waste by just being stuck in my drafts purgatory, so here it is.)

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

---

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Lacrosse Lamentations
with Aisling Keane

Well, after a very early slip-up in the group stage, we're through to the playoffs of WLC XXXVII. I'll tell you what, I was really expecting the worst after that opening day loss against Qzvarkian Qaz, because as well know, one loss for Abanhfleft could lead to a couple of losses, and before you know it, we're out. But not today. It would have been absolutely easy for this team to just call it a day and barely put in any effort for the rest of the group stage, figuring that six titles is more than enough. But it looks like the pursuit for title number seven is still well and truly on for the lasses and lads. So, while we all prep ourselves for our rematch against the Taxonomic Kingdoms, let's go take a look at how exactly the fuck we got here in the first place.

First up, the big shocker. It's almost a big relief that the worst game that Abanhfleft has played in lacrosse in recent memory is the first one that I've got to recap because, well, let's just say that it is absolutely deserving of being forgotten. Like, if I can just forget about it right here and right now then I'd be more than happy. But I can't forget about it, mostly because I've still got to recap it, but also because if we forget about it, we're liable to do the same mistakes once again. So let's just get on with this, shall we?

Let's start off at the absolute beginning, with Qzvarkian Qaz. I've seen pictures of this place when I had to look them up to prepare for my WLC XXXVII preview, and it's basically just Pridnestrovia but greyer, and also located in a desert instead of a snowy and mountainous wasteland. Based on this information, it would be easy to dismiss Qzvarkian Qaz as just cannon fodder before going up against actual opponents in the form of Delaclava and Kriegiersien. This despite the Qazians being ranked 20th by the official WLC standings. I ignored them, the team ignored them, and we all paid for our ignorance by watching these mercenaries beat the defending champions. It may have been by a close margin, but it was still a loss all the same. The Qazians took our Amazons by surprise, and by the time they could fully respond time had run out. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a pathetic showing, even though had this happened in football I'm pretty sure the Man from Markovsky wouldn't hesitate at all to use those same words, and then some, on the national team. But I'm not the Man from Markovsky; I'm Aisling Keane. I can be disappointed, but I tend to keep it on the down low.

On to the nation of San Lucas Agua Tibia, or as we Irish-Hungarians like to call it, St. Luke Water Shin Bone. Or was it leg bone? I know the tibia is a bone in the lower body but which one is it? Ah, I knew it! Mr. Barrameda has been proven right once again. All those biology and anatomy classes are going to be important to me one time in the future. Damn you, Mr. Barrameda! Damn you for being right! Anyway, by the sound of their name, I imagine St. Luke yadda-yadda to be this wonderful island paradise where there's coconut trees all round to shade your pale arse before you inevitably sunburn yourself. However, being in such and such a small tropical island perhaps doesn't really permit you any space for a lacrosse field, even though such a place can be used for a variety of other sports, but that's neither here nor there. What I'm getting at here is that I don't think the San Lucas Agua Tibia lacrosse federation or whatever it's called over there has got much in the way of funding, or anything else, really. At least they had some uniforms, sticks, and other such equipment with them, even if their shirts only have their numbers and not any names of any kind. At least they gave our girls a good fight, which is a damn sight better than what our next opponents would do.

Those opponents? Delaclava. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. This is bloody Delaclava we're talking about here! There's just no reason for them to have just suddenly fallen off a cliff in terms of performance. I'd actually be more inclined to believe that it was a bunch of impostors who somehow managed to get their hands on official Delaclavan team equipment and replace the real Delaclavan team for a laugh, hoping that no one would notice the difference. But our girls noticed the difference, and they went for the jugular because of it. In fact, Delaclava were lucky that our Amazons were still quite sporting about this whole matter because, given how piss-poor this Delaclava team has been, the girls could have run up the score, but they chose not to. Still, Delaclava will have to sit with a 15-zip shutout in their books. I'm just, like, still in disbelief that this game actually happened the way that it did. Delaclava, what the fuck happened to you? Like, seriously. What in the actual fuck? Why? Just why?

Before my sanity breaks down even further, why don't we just already forge ahead to the last two games of the group stage? Following up the fallen heroes of Delaclava is (are?) the Taxonomic Kingdoms. And let me tell you that I'm not kidding when I say that this country really is a collection of kingdoms based on taxonomy. I mean, their lacrosse team are hermit crabs, for God's sake! Oh, and speaking of gods, these same hermit crabs that can somehow play lacrosse? They're actual literal gods! Christ above, I still remember when the craziest team that we went up against were just ponies and broomsticks. But now we have to play against literal gods, even if they possibly only took on the form of hermit crabs because that's a form that we mere mortals can comprehend. However, despite their divine opposition, our Amazons held strong and edged the wee little crabs. It was actually funny to watch in person because of how much our players had to watch their step just to make sure they don't accidentally crush an opponent. Fun times. There was also some news about one of the player crabs disappearing because apparently a Baker Park kid accidentally mistook them for a pet crab. The search is still ongoing last I heard though, so more power to them.

And now to Kriergiersien who, try as we might, certainly looks to be our next big rival. We've squared against them in a fair few sports, and while their national team remains an intellectual oddity, there's no more use really in denying that they are anything but our rivals. We might not think that they're our obvious rivals but they think we're their rivals, and that's enough for them to keep pushing against us. But it wasn't enough to get them victory over us, and in this group deciding match, it was the Amazons who emerged triumphant. Thanks to the victory over Kriegiersien, we don't have to worry about the play-in round. However, some big names do. Like fellow finalists Cassadaigua from last tournament, along with one-time champions HUElavia. They have to face each other in the play-in round. Any other tournament, they wouldn't be facing each other so quickly. Or maybe they will. I don't know. All I know is that this group stage went relatively well for us given how we started it. That loss to Qzvarkian Qaz really could have delayed this campaign, but it didn't. And that tells me that there just might be something special about this specific World Lacrosse Championships.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Who'll be on Fire when the final day of the WLC is over?

CUTOFF

It has been my great privilege to host our tournament for the second time, it's been well RP'ed, competitive and a lot of fun. Now for the final results from Sportsmen's Park in Belle Haven:

Banija 13–2 Kohnhead

Abanhfleft 10–27 Sarzonia

Congratulations to the Champion, commiserations to the runner up and to the entire field. Thank you for visiting the Commonwealth.

[Sarzonia]

After all the drama of the preceding days, both on the pitch and off, the World Lacrosse Championship final between the Sarzonian national lacrosse team and Abanhfleft and the third place playoff between Banija and Kohnhead were sorely lacking in it.

The battle between the two teams with the best championship pedigrees in the sport wasn't much of a battle after all. Unlike tournaments past where the Fleftics always got the better of the Stars, this time it was Sarzonia who were dominant, walloping Abanhfleft 27-10 behind a diamond sombrero of six goals by attack Colin Grassley among 15 total goals by the attack trio for Sarzonia.

The defence under first-time defensive coordinator Makeeyah Brantley may have conceded the most goals on her seven-match watch, but with her team's offence scoring what some historians believe is the most goals in WLC finals history, she wasn't concerned.

"I can live with conceding 10 goals if we score more," she said. Our objective is to win."

Mission accomplished. The Stars team that competed in this tournament only had one close match, a 11-9 opening match win over Qasden that may have led to the false belief that the Stars were vulnerable, but a 19-5 annihilation of third ranked HUElavia on the second matchday put that thought to rest. After that, the Stars 15-8 victory over Banija in the semifinals was the next closest result facing the Stars.

The victory stopped the Fleftics in their tracks in their effort to win their third consecutive championship and seventh title overall. It gave Sarzonia their sixth world title in seven finals appearances.

For manager Jordan Helms, it was his chance to establish his own legacy apart from the enormous shadow of hall of fame Coach Harold Price and midfielder and coach Carter Whitlock. For the first time ever, a Sarzonia without either man was holding the championship trophy aloft.

He gave credit to the players and assistant managers.

"This was a prime example of 'teamwork makes the dream work'," Helms said after being doused with champagne. "We fought, we worked, and now we can celebrate."

It was Sarzonia's first appearance in the final in 21 cycles, after Sarzonia originally set itself apart from the rest of the competition with its fifth title in a 14-8 victory over Delaclava in WLC 16. And for the long-suffering Stars supporters, the historic triumph was well worth the wait.

Outgoing WLC President Jonathan Price couldn't hide his smile as he placed gold medals around the necks of his compatriots in his final official act as President. He would go out a winner.

And for Helms and company, the work to defend was about to begin.