World Cup 88- Roleplay Thread

by **Tumbra** » Wed May 26, 2021 1:58 am

Tumbra 2-0 The Juniper Union

Tumbra (4-3-3): 1 - Lennon; 2 - Hughes, 14 - Ashburn (4 - Henderson, 81'), 5 - Brown, 3 - White; 6 - Hicks, 28 - Stansfield (16 - Morgan, 60'), 29 - Cole (10 - Herlinger, 81'); 7 - Fraser, 9 - Vaughn, 22 - Sheldon

The Juniper Union (3-5-2): no lineup provided

TMB scorers: Vaughn (3'), Sheldon (19')
JUN scorers: Nil

Player of the Match: Johnny Brown (TMB)

Tumbra 0-0 Garbelia

Tumbra (4-3-3): 1 - Lennon; 2 - Hughes (25 - Campbell, 63'), 14 - Ashburn, 5 - Brown, 3 - White; 6 - Hicks, 28 - Stansfield (16 - Morgan, 75'), 29 - Cole; 7 - Fraser (17 - van Heirolf, 70'), 9 - Vaughn, 22 - Sheldon

Garbelia (4-3-3): 1 - Snaijer; 5 - Ottera, 27 - Vydra, L., 13 - Huron, 33 - Otterata; 20 - Katō; 23 - Kawauso, 11 - Ottoerson, 7 - Otter; 10 - Goodotter, 18 - Vydra, O.

TMB scorers: Nil
GAB scorers: Nil

Player of the Match: Vincent Hicks (TMB)

SPORT: TUMBRA 2-0 THE JUNIPER UNION; TUMBRA 0-0 GARBELIA
"We're Still In It," Declares Gabriel Even As Matches Against Kandorith and Drawkland Loom; Six Points To Top May Prove Insurmountable Gap

STRATON - Two more dropped points against Garbelia meant that Tumbra remained in the fight for the top spot in Group 1, though with two of Tumbra's most challenging matches ahead — against third seeds Kandorith away and against second seeds Drawkland at home — many punters lengthened the odds on Tumbra making the playoff spots considerably. Interim manager Peter Gabriel attempted to strike a defiant tone, declaring that Tumbra "[were] still in it," though most of the faithful will be looking to book their tickets to one of Græntfjall, Krytenia, South Newlandia or Grearia — depending on which bid turns enough heads of those in the World Cup Committee to engender the Cup of Harmony hosting rights.

Six points off top seeds Kelssek, and four off the all-important playoff spot, the upcoming two matches against Kandorith and Drawkland will prove crucial to the three countries' ambitions of making it to the World Cup proper. Kandorith first play Tumbra, then Garbelia and Drawkland; Drawkland play the already-eliminated Juniper Union, then Tumbra, and on the final matchday, Kandorith. Tumbra play Kandorith, Drawkland, then fifth-seeds Gyatso-kai; the reverse match ended in a 1-1 draw. A nerve-wracking final international break awaits fans of all the Black Eagles, Lotus Warriors and Kick Corps; Group 1 certainly looks set to see one of the most fascinating fights for the play-off spot.

Tumbra 2-0 The Juniper Union; Assured, Confident, Lethal

One of two nations to not provide a roster (the other being Revlona), Tumbra played host to a Union team resolutely sticking to a 3-5-2 formation despite being rooted to the bottom of the group. In a match which saw Tumbra be back to its very best, the Black Eagles capped off their superb defensive performance with two early goals from both talismen Robin Vaughn and Marcus Sheldon, scoring trademark goals to prove their undoubted quality on the world stage.

Vaughn's goal was typical of the right winger; early on in the match, neatly taken as he cut in on the right wing, on the overlap between defenders; slotted into the top left corner, past the outstretched arms of the Juniperian goalkeeper. For Vaughn, a sixteenth goal in forty-eight caps; the winger so far has been the only player to have played in every single one of Tumbra's international matches since its debut on the world stage, and he looks set to hit fifty by the end of the cycle.

Sheldon's goal, scored in typical Couno Rangers fashion, involved him receiving the ball from advanced playmaker Phil Cole, who himself deftly proved his youth translated to quality on the world stage, from deep; the striker then went on a long run, occasionally passing to Neil Fraser. The crucial moment came when Fraser hit a low cross into the box, which was received by Cole; Cole then made a shot, which was parried; but Sheldon caught the rebound to tap the ball into the net. Sheldon's goal brings him up to thirteen goals in twenty-five caps, equalling Philip Cohen's record in two matches less; the 30 year-old missed much of the previous qualifying campaign through injury, yet has proven his quality to take the starting striker mantle from Cohen.

An all-around performance, then, from the Tumbran squad, even as the Juniperians attempted to mount further attacks; yet, the eventual man of the match turned out to be centre defender Johnny Brown, who turned in a performance for the ages after coming in for heavy criticism in the first half of the campaign; the team's lower defensive line suiting the defender greatly, making several key interceptions and tackles en route to the award.

Tumbra 0-0 Garbelia; Defensive Performance Makes Up For Lack Of Offensive Prowess

A second home match followed, with Tumbra hosting Garbelia, whom they beat 3-2 away; the Otters were determined not to let this game slip, for it was crucial for their own chances of finishing as high up the midtable as they could. A spirited performance from both sides followed, with several attacks coming to naught; Vincent Hicks, ever-present for Tumbra, ran a total of 16km while maintaining a pass accuracy in the high nineties; and was instrumental in the Tumbran midfield dominating play. While the offense were denied several times by the deft saves of Loes Snaijer, the match ended 0-0. This result marked Tumbra's fifth clean sheet this campaign out of fifteen matches; and Tumbra's fourteenth out of the 48 post-WCC entry matches played — a disappointing record, but hopefully one that shall improve as time goes on.

Moving Forward

*  Group 1                                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts   Last 3 Matches
 1 Kelssek                                    15   10   2   3    37   16  +21    32   v Garbelia [A], v Marigred [A], v Revlona [H]
 2 Drawkland                                  15    9   3   3    43   34   +9    30   v The Juniper Union [H], v Tumbra [A], v Kandorith [H]
 3 Kandorith                                  15    8   4   3    34   21  +13    28   v Tumbra [H], v Garbelia [H], v Drawkland [A]
 4 Tumbra                                     15    7   5   3    25   23   +2    26   v Kandorith [A], v Drawkland [H], v Gyatso-kai [A]

A long road ahead awaits the four qualification hopefuls, with at best the three lower-placed sides fighting over the play-off spot. Kelssek play three lower-ranked teams, and are odds-on for taking all nine points from their encounter; the other three sides all have matches of varying difficulty when they are not playing each other. Drawkland plays tenth-seed The Juniper Union; Kandorith plays seventh-seed Garbelia; and Tumbra play, further adding to their Sisyphean task, fifth seeds Gyatso-kai.

The improvements made after the halfway break after Hemmings left Gabriel in charge have been noticeable; four of Tumbra's five clean sheets this cycle have come in the second half of the tournament. When Hemmings returns to oversee the WCC cup campaign and the Campionato Esportiva (after which he will decide whether to renew his contract with the TFF), it is expected that he will adapt a more conservative approach to play — perhaps adopting Gabriel's tactics to fit within his visually pleasing style that has led Tumbra to score many goals, yet be equally leaky at the back.

Three matches will decide Tumbra's destiny this cycle, then; three matches will see whether Tumbra heads for the bright lights of Cassadaigua and Chromatika, or not. The team now lives on a prayer; one slip-up and it will all go to waste. Yet, regardless of the result, the Black Eagles will have their heads held high; fifth and fourth as a tenth seed and sixth seed are not achievements to be sniffed at, and provide a solid foundation for the future. With future stars like Cole and energetic young striker Nick Riordan already amongst the team's ranks, the next generation of Tumbran footballers look set to continue blazing a trail on the international stage.

TUMBRAN SQUAD FOR MATCHES vs. KANDORITH @ EMPRESS NASUMI NATIONAL STADIUM, TENKYO, KANDORITH AND vs. DRAWKLAND @ TUMBRAN NATIONAL STADIUM, STRATON, TUMBRA

Starters: 1 - Lennon; 2 - Hughes, 4 - Henderson, 5 - Brown, 3 - White; 6 - Hicks, 8 - McGrath, 29 - Cole; 7 - Fraser, 9 - Vaughn, 22 - Sheldon
Bench: 12 - Addison; 25 - Campbell, 14 - Ashburn, 20 - Paterson, 19 - Carter; 10 - Herlinger, 15 - Aitken, 16 - Morgan, 28 - Stansfield; 17 - van Heirolf, 21 - Cresswood; 11 - Sheldon

Link to Arc Home
defender meets midfielder: season 2, part 5

Kerr's recent performances had been attracting attention. Labeled as some sort of panacea to Tumbra's defensive problems (though others thought that it was Marco Hemmings' fault, who really had no idea how to manage a defence), expectations had been piling higher and higher on the young defender. While he kept a low profile, he'd begun noticing more press on the streets, trying to get a sneaky shot of Stephen doing something untoward or another. Straton's nightlife scene was always infamous for the frequent sighting of footballers, whether from Straton or not; the club itself had a list of establishments players were prohibited from going to, on pain of fines.

But the thing was that Stephen was just a rather boring, average person. He enjoyed alcohol, but in limited amounts, and he liked to think he treated his body like a temple. That meant no drugs, not too much partying, nothing that would prevent him from, well, playing football. Over time he'd gradually worked himself into the first-team lineup at Straton, all while on a under-21 contract; which meant that soon his agent would be agitating for a new contract.

Stephen had first encountered his agent on the way to signing his first professional contract; John Whiting, his name was, and a shrewd negotiator he was, too. Whiting had identified Kerr's talent from a young age, and taken him under his wing — though with his clients all over Tumbra, he'd barely had time for Stephen. Now, however, Whiting had begun talking to Stephen, more, again.

Hey, kiddo.

Hey.

So you're all over the news, then. Broken into the first team and all of that. Proud of ya.

Thanks. It's been wild.

Have you been thinking about the future?

The future? No, not really.

Never too early. You're on what, two thousand a week?

Plus or minus, yeah.

Think it's time we started angling for a new contract. Either that, or...

Or what?

The world's a big, large, place. And the world's hungry for Tumbran talent right now. 'specially after that U-18 WC win
and the fourth place in Valanora.

Really, then? Moving abroad?

Well. It really was just a suggestion.

Think I'd prefer to remain in Tumbra for now, Mark.

I'll begin talking to the club. I've got your stats — highly impressive. How much do you want?

I really don't know.

Ah, come on. You've got to give me something to work from.

I really, really just wanna play football.

I can respect that, I really do. But your career only lasts for what. Twenty years, at most? You've got to make
the most of what you have, when you can. Five digits, six? I can make it happen.

I...really don't know.

I'll start with...eh. Sixty thousand. See how low they'll go. But I'll give you my assurance — your salary is about
to go up. Here, or elsewhere.

Please, don't piss off the club.

They can afford it. Plus, you deserve it. See my above messages. And if they don't want to give it to you, there's
always other countries you can go to. You'd sell like hot pancakes overseas.

Maybe it's something to consider. Alright.
Sixty thousand, starting offer. But please be patient with the club.

I'll do my damn best to get you what you deserve.

So that had been that. And the press speculation got heavier — would the club bend, and pay sixty grand a week to its fresh, young talent? Or would it seek to keep him, on more modest terms? That was what dominated Stephen's next videocall with Trudy, when they next found time for one.

"I don't agree with agents often, y'know. But he's got a point. Two grand a week's like eight grand a month. And you're a footballer. A footballer, for chrissakes! You've got fifteen years to make as much money as you can before you go into...coaching, or something."
"I get that, Trudy, but Straton was what gave me a start as a footballer. I don't...feel...comfortable...treating my boyhood club like this."
"It's your call, Stephen, but for what it's worth, you're acting like an idiot."
"Hey!"

Trudy had evidently touched a nerve.

"I don't know, Trudy, I'd like to show a bit more loyalty and backbone to the club that made me who I am today! Without them, I wouldn't even be talking to you now.
"I'm sorry, Stephen." Her face softened. "I really just...want you to realise that you need to make money. As much as you or I enjoy our jobs, our careers last less than twenty years. We've got to make the best of it as we can."
"I know." He looked away from the screen. "It's just...I wish I didn't have to make this choice."
"The two aren't directly opposed, you know," remarking in a rather surprised tone. "You could stay in Tumbra and become a club legend while earning a lot of money. You do deserve it. And what's sixty grand a week to Straton, anyway? You play for a Big Six team — that IFCF money's enough to cover a lot of shit."
"I suppose."
"So listen to your agent, Stevie. I don't like agents, and my current one's about as unobtrusive into my career as I want —"
"Didn't Dan help you negotiate your contract?"
"Yeah. Apparently picked up some tricks from his own agent, Pierre, I think his name was. Seems to be a bloody good agent, too."
"Wonder if he'll become an agent of his own in the future."
"Eh, I don't really care. What I was getting at was that although I believe agents are bloody bloodsucking bastards, Mark knows his way 'round the industry. You're not the first young talent he's probably dealt with, nor will you be the last."
"So?"
"Listen to him."
"And if it doesn't work out?"
"Then you could always come to Chromatika," she said without missing a beat.

A simple statement, curt in its delivery, yet bold in its message. In one fell swoop, Trudy had broached a topic she'd always wanted to talk to Stephen about — moving to Chromatika. It wasn't even that ludicrous a suggestion either — fifteenth in the world, its league ranked ninteenth in it. A strong, developing country in Anaia, forging ahead on its own path. History, culture, a future — all could be found and sought on those isolated islands in the far northern reaches of the world, three thousand or four thousand miles away. Typically, Stephen would have rubbished these suggestions, but he was tired of Tumbra and its media.

And for the first time, Stephen found himself entertaining that suggestion.

"That...ah...huh."
"It's not a bad place to live, you know," she said gently. "And you could always rent a nice place in Chromia. Just...just make sure to let me visit once in a while."
"This is...a lot to take in."
"When you come to Chromatika, I promise I'll show you what it's like to live here."
"But you live with the club."
"I might move out soon. By the way, was that a yes on coming to Chromatika?"
"Uh..."
"For the World Cup, dummy."
"Oh, that..." His face lightened up for a moment. "Yeah, I asked my mom. I can go. You got the tickets?"
"Whole country's swept up in World Cup fever. Managed to get some, for cheap."
"Darn."
"And once again, you," she jabbed a finger at the camera like how she'd jabbed her finger into his chest in Zeta Reka, "owe me."
"Well, what would I?"
She shrugged. "A meal. Several meals. Properly treating your career like it is. And entertaining the thought of coming here."
Stephen merely laughed at hearing that.
"I thought I was already —"
"Permanently, Stephen. I was being serious. I mean, I am being serious. There's not many better leagues than that in Chromatika."
"I know. I promise, I'll think about it."
"Good."
A small smile crossed Trudy's face.
"Go to sleep, dork."
"Soon. Take care, Trudy."
"You too."

So it was that the first seeds of an idea were planted into Stephen's mind. The idea of moving to Chromatika. A step rarely taken — precious few of his countrymen had moved abroad. Norm Watson, Dan Galbraith, Neal Diamond, Nigel Erskine, van Heirolf, John Bridges — the first six to step beyond Tumbra's safe shores and take a look at the beyond. The Nine, of course, had to go overseas to make a living — there was no point in attempting to make a living playing women's football in Tumbra as it stood. But apart from that? Precious few exports. Little imports, too.

Perhaps it was time to join that club. To take a step out into the world. Into the kind-of-unknown.

by **Eraman** » Wed May 26, 2021 2:20 am

CHAPTER 10
THE PRESS CONFERENCE

Tun found out that he was being investigated by the EACC a few days before the investigation ended and the prosecution began.

As soon as Tun found out about the investigation, he announced that he would hold a press conference that would be broadcasted live on every television and radio network available in Eraman.

The whole country was waiting for what Tun has to say that night. The public doesn’t know anything about the investigation yet.

Meanwhile, local football fans were left wondering if the live broadcast of the match between Eraman and Montana Verde on the same night will continue.

Tun scheduled his press conference at 9 p.m. while the match between Eraman and Montana Verde was scheduled for 8:15 p.m.

Tun confused the whole country, including me. I knew nothing about Tun's plan. I was anxious.

"What does Tun know?", "Does Tun know about my involvement?" among the questions that played in my mind.

The whole country could only speculate that evening.

Exactly at 8:15 pm, the kick-off between Eraman and Montana Verde took place. It was broadcasted live on several networks and watched by millions of viewers at home.

Just after the first half between Eraman and Montana Verde ended, which was still 0-0, the entire television and radio network in Eraman, including the big screen inside the Arupura Stadium, which is hosting the World Cup qualifiers, showed Tun standing in front of the camera ready to deliver his speech.

"Good evening my fellow Eramanians," Tun began his speech.

All the spectators at the Arupura Stadium were silent and directed their attention towards the big screen in the stadium.

Tun then went on to talk about how he loves the country and his long achievement in his 11 years as prime minister. But suddenly, the bomb drops.

“It’s time for change and I will not be seeking for re-election in the upcoming general election. I hereby declare the parliament dissolved. ”

Two sentences that made the whole country talking. Compact and concise. Delivered in less than 15 minutes. From that time on, Tun Sengalang Petara was only a caretaker prime minister until a general election is held within 60 days as stipulated by the constitution.

The screen then goes back to the match between Eraman and Montana Verde. It was a tight match that ended in a 1-1 draw but I can’t focus on the game as there was too much on my mind.

I tried to call Tun a few times after the press conference but it was left unanswered.

by **Talamia** » Wed May 26, 2021 3:09 am

Matchday 14/15 - Group 10
match report

Mercedini 2-3 Talamia

Talamia 1-0 Seguidores de la grasas

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages. It's Wednesday and you know what that means!
I am Auxe Aggelia and I welcome you back from the Pro Diorux TV studios!

Do you know what I love about our Hoopoes? They just never give up. That's the true Talamian spirit. We may not be able to qualify for the playoffs, we may never participate in the World Cup, but we will never give up. After the two embarrassing defeats of the last matches, we did it: we won once again two games in a row. Two very important matches! Let's go straight into the details.

May 24, 2021
Two days ago we faced what was probably expected to be the most difficult challenge: a demanding trip to the Mercedini stadium. They were second - and still are - we presented ourselves as fifths. Victory was an obligation. After qualifying for the DSAFF Comrades Cup knockout stage, our players were very tired. But they played their best! They managed to recover from a two-goal deficit, thanks to a brace from Lignus Fonè and a goal from the timeless captain Ansem Egemon. Egemon is continuing to amaze us this season, and he really doesn't seem to want to stop playing.

May 25, 2021
The second game seemed much simpler. We hosted in our Seguidores de la grasas stadium. In the first leg we lost miserably, condemning them the first victory of the group. Once again they fought us. The 0-0 lasted for ninety minutes, before Asulon Stemma Artemis was landed in the penalty area. Thraskema Apopatos took charge of the penalty kick. And he marked it! 1-0 at the last breath, to keep hoping when everything seemed lost. The next two games will be decisive. Only one draw or one defeat, and we would be eliminated immediately. We will also have to keep an eye on the other fields. Jeruselem seems clearly favored, while we ourselves have tripped the run-up of Mercedini. The playoffs are now six points away."

by **Srednjaci** » Wed May 26, 2021 4:26 am

ANOTHER WINN AND DEAFEAT

Ivan Božić : it sounds amazing that our players received two goals from Shreekaristan! Again!!!
We don’t know at all who scored the goals for them ,because we don't have neither the names of the players nor the numbers. But what still bothers us is that we lost both matches against Euran Oceania Territories !!
That means we failed to move from the fifth position.

EURAN OCEANIA TERITORIES vs SREDNJACI 1:1

In the first game, we lost 1: 0 aat home. We were looking for a win at home because these opponents are a step above us and we need a win to grab fourth place and get closer to third position. However, the opposite happened. The guests were the first to take a 1-0 lead in the 42nd minute! They were better in the first half and more concrete. Regardless of the fact that our players had more ball in their possession, Euran still had 3 shots on goal and one goal. The Ice Bears shot into the goal box twice.
The second half the Ice Bears come out more determined. Davida Zimmer hits the crossbar after 49 minutes. After a solo breakthrough, Li Peng hits in the left post of the goal and it was played in the 55th minute. The equalizer came in the 62nd minute of the game after Isidor matković ran over his guards, entered the area of 16 meters with the ball. EOT's goalkeeper ran out of the goal trying to prevent the goal. But Matković is a classy scorer and with a beautiful lob he scored over the goalkeeper who stayed on no man's land. Equalization! After that, the Ice Bears put constant pressure on the opponent, looking for another goal but they failed to break through the line of defense and the goalkeeper defended almost impossible attempts. 92th minutes were showing on the scoreboard when Ante Tomljanović made hard foul on center of field, received his second yellow card and was sent off. Tomljanovic will not be able to play the next match. EOT players take a free kick, the striker hits Danijela Majić and the ball is in the corner. EOT players take a corner, one fast and sharp ball, the EOT defensive player is the highest in the jump and hits his head for 2: 1 !! What a heavy shame! In the last seconds of the game we receive a goal!

SREDNJACI VS SHREEKARISTAN

The match against Shreekaristan still has great significance. Mostly because we need the best possible goal difference because we are currently in the red. We took a mixed team on the field, made up of some first team players and some from the bench. For the players of Shreekaristan it was again an opportunity to score some goal and they did. They scored two goals in a very short time of just 15 minutes. The first scored in the 5th minute of the game, after a catastrophic mistake by our defense and the second in the 15th minute of the game after a penalty because after a corner, Marko Šegotić played with his hand and received a yellow card. After 38 minutes, Takanobu Tavano nearly scored. In the second half, there is only one team on the field and that is our Ice Bears. They had as many as 15 shots on goal but only three of them ended up in the visitors' net. The victory was registered but again the goal was not achieved. The goal difference in this match was only +2 and that is not good considering the game shown. Inefficiency is obviously the main problem of the players from the bench.

We have three games left to improve our impression. Although many will say that what we did for the first performance in the qualifiers is great. But we are not satisfied with "great"! We need a position in the TOP 3 or the cycle is a failure. We have players for the top 3 position, we have a great team but we also have 7 defeats and one draw. We gambled two floors against the next opponent, Malandrin. Malandrin is not a team that should jeopardize our goal or even jeopardize victory. However they managed it in the first game. It is already a warning sign that such a thing will not happen again.
The heaviest defeat was inflicted on us by a team from which we were not allowed to lose,Bongo Johnson. In the whole cycle they achieved only two victories and one is against us with 6: 2! It is still not clear to anyone how is that happened? !! What kind of forces were involved in such result ?! It is an opportunity to take revenge for that defeat. There is no point in losing 6: 2 of the one who had only one victory before !!

What is the situation with our players? Who has the most goals and who the assist? Isidor Matković convincingly leads the list of scorers with 10 goals, while Li Peng is second with 6 goals. A total of 10 players scored 30 goals and there are three more games until the end. When it comes to assists, Takanobu Tavano shared the most, 7 of them, Davida Zimmer has one less.

LIST OF SCORERS

1.Isidor Matković - 10 goals
2.Li Peng         -  6 goals
3.Takanobu Tavano -  4 goals
4.Ante Tomljanović-  2 goals
5.Davida Zimmer   -  2 goals
6.Perica Lozančić -  2 goals
7.Ivan Županović  -  1 goal
7.Matija Čižić    -  1 goal
7.Marko Šegotić   -  1 goal
7.Olga Vuković    -  1 goal

TOP ASSIST

1.Takanobu Tavano -  7 assist
2.Davida Zimmer   -  6 assist
3.Ante Tomljanović-  4 assist
4.Matija Čižić    -  2 assist
4.Olga Vuković    -  2 assist
5.Danijela Majić  -  1 assist
5.Li Peng         -  1 assist
5.Isidor Matković -  1 assist
5.Ivan Županović  -  1 assist

The situation on the table is such that we have dropped out of any calculations, now and officially. We play other games to save the honor. Banija is expected at the World Cup. TJUN-ia as expected second, they are in a convulsive fight for passes as the second-placed team.

Group 13- Matchday 14
Malandrin 2–0 Shreekaristan
Euran Oceania Territories 2–1 Srednjaci
TJUN-ia 3–3 Bongo Johnson
Oberour Ar Moro 2–5 Banija
Astograth 0–0 Ibixa

Group 13- Matchday 15
Astograth 2–0 Malandrin
Ibixa 0–1 Oberour Ar Moro
Banija 1–1 TJUN-ia
Bongo Johnson 2–2 Euran Oceania Territories
Srednjaci 4–2 Shreekaristan
 
Group 13                                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Banija                                     15   11   4   0    50   22  +28    37
 2 TJUN-ia                                    15   10   2   3    40   30  +10    32
 3 Oberour Ar Moro                            15    8   3   4    29   26   +3    27
 4 Euran Oceania Territories                  15    7   3   5    32   25   +7    24
 5 Srednjaci                                  15    7   1   7    30   32   −2    22 
 6 Astograth                                  15    6   3   6    23   14   +9    21 
 7 Malandrin                                  15    4   5   6    20   31  −11    17 
 8 Bongo Johnson                              15    2   6   7    29   40  −11    12 
 9 Ibixa                                      15    1   7   7    22   36  −14    10 
10 Shreekaristan                              15    2   0  13    26   45  −19     6

by **Sarzonia** » Wed May 26, 2021 6:21 am

The days after the embarrassment subsided after Sarzonia had to abruptly reverse course on barring Nepharan fans in attendance at Dave Wilson Stadium in Woodstock were still high stress for Carter Marshall.

Sure, there weren't many Nepharans who showed up, and the ones who did were accommodated in an old hotel that had finished renovations to serve as a homeless shelter. The accommodations weren't horrendous by any means, but the fact that the building's dedication for its newly-intended use would have to wait a couple of weeks. They didn't register any complaints with the Health and Athletics personnel who checked on them.

The Stars were formally eliminated after their defeats in the past three matches. Nicola Mentes's charges were already effectively out of the race as soon as Quakmybush defeated them and snatched the Unofficial World Championship from the 97th ranked team in the multiverse, but Marshall received the report from the Incorporated Football Federation and chairman Zack Wilson that Mentes's status would be addressed at the end of the World Cup cycle. If the newly aggressive style weren't the issue, Mentes could either stay or go, and if he departed, assistant manager Nathan Hanifer would likely take over as the head man. If, however, the IFF decided they didn't think the style fit Sarzonia, it would likely mean moving on from both Mentes and Hanifer, who espoused similar views to Mentes in terms of how Sarzonia should play football in this day and age.

However, Marshall's attention was drawn away from football at the moment as he received a call from an underling who only recently assumed the position with the department as liaison between Sarzonia's governing body for quidditch and the Health and Athletics Department.

"Carter Marshall," he said as he answered the phone at his office. "Yes, Spencer, what can I do for you?"

"Mr. Vice President, we just received an application to compete in the Quidditch World Cup," Spencer said.

"Yeah?" Marshall asked with a mix of annoyance that this particular fact was being brought to his attention and curiosity as to why it required his attention right now. After all, he'd personally approved the motion to have the Sarzonian governing body for the sport initiate signups for the 11th edition when the hosts of the previous edition opted not to do so despite that being the customary practice. Sarzonia made no plans to host the tournament; after all, the Quidditch facilities at the Dave Wilson Athletic Complex and the ones being finished in Portland, Nicksia and Wilmington weren't exactly world class.

"I just thought with the current political climate," Spencer said before Marshall cut him off with a "what is it?"

"Sir, the one I'm holding right now," he said haltingly, "it's from Starblaydia."

All of a sudden, the annoyance, the irritation, and the slight curiosity why a particular country's signup was drawing this much consternation went away. It made perfect sense.

Starblaydia.

Of all the Anaian nations, that was the one facing Sarzonia's most hostile posturing. That was the one Sarzonia was most like "especially unfuck THAT one!" That was the country drawing the majority of the attention from ISN Task Forces Whisky, Alpha, Tango, and Foxtrot, especially the ISS Furious, the ballistic missile submarine at the centre of the last major political row with Free Republics.

Marshall only managed a weak "I see," as he sat back in his chair and stared at the wall.

"Well, what do we do?"

Marshall drew in his breath and exhaled. He knew standard protocols didn't allow a governing body to bar a country from signing up unless that country committed "egregious acts that run counter to the operation of [sport]'s charter and governing laws." Had this been an invitational tournament such as the Mike Sarzo Memorial Trophy, Sarzonia would be within its rights to decline Starblaydia a place in the tournament. The chances of Sarzonia allowing any Starblaydi in the country for a reason other than a sporting competition both countries were part of being scheduled in Sarzonia were remote.

"Well, according to the standard sport governing bylaws, we're not allowed to deny them a place," Marshall said. "We're not hosting the tournament, and we'd have no grounds to bar them from competing even if we were." And without a formal governing body for the sport as a whole, there was no constitution, no bylaws that specifically said anything. The laws of precedent would have to rule here.

"They will be allowed to compete," Marshall said. "We're not hosting, anyway."

After Marshall hung up, he knew that answer wasn't going to satisfy anyone at External Affairs or in the Gray House, but he really didn't care.

by **Eshialand** » Wed May 26, 2021 7:17 am

Sweet Revenge
Sendhang 0 - 4 Eshialand

As the team's plane touched down in Kambang, you kept repeating the same thought in your head: 1-5... 1-5... 1-5...

Your arrogance, your pride, and your assumption that your team was far better than anything the Sendhangites could muster led you to start three total nobodies in that ill-fated match at the SuperDome, the worst embarrassment in national sporting history.

That match, however, did leave you with something positive. A lesson. Never underestimate anyone, because even unranked teams can defeat first-seeded powerhouses.

You actually had a few reasons to feel somewhat confident going into this match: for one, it was on the road. Counterintuitively, whereas Eshialand was an abysmal 1-1-5 so far at home, they were a downright good 3-1-2 on the road.

Another spirit-lifting statistic was how the Owls tended to do when Jacob Harran was at right wing. While this choice seemed absolutely insane at first, it took what was a 2-0-5 team after the Savojarna match and gave them a surprisingly competitive 2-2-2 stretch. Of course, you could chalk this up to Alice Carroll's presence on the pitch, as the team that was 0-0-5 without her was all of a sudden an amazing 4-2-2 as soon as she walked out in her signature #24.

With these stats in mind, there was a glimmer of hope shining from the PS3 complex as the team gazed upon it for the first time. Victory was possible.

The day arrived for the match and everything seemed to be in order. The whistle blew, and the Owls' chance at redemption had begun.

It didn't turn out to be long before the glimmer of hope started to turn into a taste of victory, as Jacob Harran opened the scoring in the 8th minute with a blast that managed to curve around Nifo Kefalo and past Wageo, into the goal. 0-1.

In that moment with that goal coming so soon, you wondered what it'd be like if Eshialand's redemption turned into true revenge, with them winning by four goals in front of a Sendhangite crowd... it was never gonna happen, but it was fun to think about.

The rest of the first half was pretty uneventful, but you wouldn't have it any other way. Kolek played a shutdown match in goal, and your outfield players played more defensively than normal, because they knew what might happen if Sendhang got a good attack going. They had been here before. They knew this team.

Then came the second half, and it was almost as if something clicked in their brains. You weren't too sure what it was or why, but all of a sudden, the Owls were putting up the best offense you had ever seen. Then, it all started falling into place.

55th minute: a pass from Teuku Hamzah to Nanang Wirajuda is intercepted by Avery MacDougall, who wastes no time putting one past Wageo. 0-2.

69th minute: Dominique LaPlante steals the ball from Keylar Samoi, and she passes it to Lysander Moore, who appears to signal something to her, but you can't quite make out what. She then promptly forgets the fact that she's supposed to be a center back and starts running all the way up the pitch, passing back and forth with Moore. Before you know it, she's scored the first goal of her international career. 0-3.

Wait, was Eshialand up by three goals? Had this ever happened before? You keep pinching yourself, but the score wouldn't change... at least, not until the 82nd.

In that minute, Melissa Carey reminded everybody why she was the captain of the team, stealing the ball from Teuku Hassan Al Qari in beautiful fashion before passing it to Alyssa Longfield, who also got in on the scoring fun. She put the ball past Wageo, and the final score was 0-4.

Between your two matches, Sendhang was by far the most fun team that your Owls have ever played, even if that 1-5 loss was somewhat humiliating. Hopefully, you'd get to coach many more matches between the two teams to come...

"Hello and welcome back to ENN Tournament Report, I'm your host Josh Seametzle. Matchday 14 was one of the best so far, so let's take a look at some of its matches!"

Lisander 0 - 1 Hebitaka
"Despite the win, Hebitaka was unable to forestall the inevitable: they won't be qualifying for the World Cup."

Savojarna 4 - 4 Squornshelan Remnant States
"Well, this was... a draw."

Pluvia and the Saxean Isles 0 - 0 The 14 Stars
"And so was this!"

Sendhang 0 - 4 Eshialand
"I'd like to play a little game: find all of the Eshian NT records that Sendhang has! They're Eshialand's largest loss and largest win, they scored the most goals against Eshialand and had the most scored on them (tied with Naufre), they've also scored the most goals all-time against Eshialand (tied with Devonta), while also allowing the most... dare I go on?"

Devonta 2 - 3 Vilita
"And just like that, Vilita's back on top of Group 2, but it's still an extremely close three-horse race."

Atheara 0 - 0 Geektopia
"Have the tides turned for the Blue Guard?"

Quakmybush 1 - 5 Squidroidia
"Now that's a score to win the Unofficial World Championship by!"

"Well, that's it for me. Until next time, I've been Josh Seametzle, and this has been Tournament Report."

by **Bollonich** » Wed May 26, 2021 7:27 am

Vreton City Journal

Match Reviews

Bollonich 1 - 0 Talkasa

It had been a tough two games for us, as we had incurred two back to back defeats. These defeats had dropped us down to 6th after we reached 3rd position winning 4 times in a row. However we were more than prepared this time, as all our crucial players had gotten a rest and since this match was being held after the conclusion of the league season. The players were fresh and Gildiric was confident in his players, as he put on the same team that faced Tequilo. Another boost was the return of Ploy from suspension due to a red card he got against Tequilo. Speaking before the match, Gildiric said, “What we have shown here in the Qualifying is that we are a team that is not be written off. We have fought and we will continue to fight. Results don’t matter right now, it’s our pride that does. There are 5 games left to play and we will give it our all in these 5 games.” The Tigers were up against Talkasa a team we had beaten the last time we had faced them, 4-2. Talks weren’t having the best of qualifying campaigns as they were sitting at last place with only 11 points out of 13 matches. The game kicked off at the National Sports Stadium in Fermont which was only 10% filled as the riots in Fermont had once again escalated. The match being played with a limited number of fans began and to Bollonich’s surprise it was Talkasa which had the first shot on target and this happened pretty soon. Victor Arnolds after receiving the ball from Feodor due to a gaol kick played it in front, when Horthy found the Bollonischian defence napping and got behind them. His shot just outside from the penalty area however to their dismay the shot was saved by Sirigu. Talkasa continued to attack however to no succession, as The Tigers held onto a strong defence. However the tides soon changed and Bollonich started dominating play. It was the 37th minute when Buck Moreno broke through down the right side and played the ball back to Marshall who was on the edge of the penalty box. Marshall quickly lobbed a pass to the left corner of the penalty box where he spotted Schmit making a run. Schmit receiving the brilliant pass made a run for towards the byline, from where he put across a ball for Perry, who calmly slotted it home. This was it, Bollonich had taken the lead, a lead which could put us high up in the table. However the preservation of this lead is what would be integral to success. No better chances were to come or were seen during the first half. Gildiric brought on Cummings in place of Buck Moreno as a half time substitution as to provide Moreno with some rest. The second half begun with Bollonich again taking the upper hand and getting two back to back chances however to their disappointment none of those chances could be converted. In the midst of all this dominance by the Tigers Talkasa mustered up a chance. Nick Blythe’s shot ricocheted off Ploy and fell to the feet of Hamish Lorenzo. Lorenzo then put in a cross for Horthy, who’s header slightly missed the upper right corner. This was the closest Talkasa got for the rest of the second half as a defensive change by Gildiric in the form of bringing on Klingto in place of Hum. This change allowed Bollonich to easily seal the game and the 3 points. These three points were crucial however a further win against Trolleborg would boost the improbable chance of Bollonich qualifying.

Match Events

Bollonich                   Talkasa
37’ GOAL - Perry (Schmit)     N/A
45’ Cummings ▲ Moreno ▼
78’ Klingto ▲ Hum ▼

Trolleborg 2 - 0 Bollonich

We had won against Talkasa, giving us a crucial 3 points. The win, though it featured only one goal was a display of high quality, with Gildiric’s plans working to perfection. His will to stick to his starting line up despite the 2 losses was something of admiration to everyone. We were now up against a formidable opponent in Trolleborg, who had beaten us at our own home ground 1-0. We desire revenge and a chance at qualification. A win away at Trollebrog would be integral if we wished to compete for a playoff spot or we would have to settle for a Cup of Harmony invite which was still in the air. The match started as the Tigers took to the field ready to settle the score against the Trolls and looking determined. The line up Gildiric was playing featured only one small change; Cummings was playing in place of Buck Moreno. As soon as the match started the hunger and desire to win could be seen in The Bollonischian players. The Tigers got a number of early chances through Perry who tookon a brilliant shot in the 8th minute from 20 yards out. The shot was duly saved by the Troll keeper who punched the ball out of play. The corner kick taken by Marshall was curled into the centre where it was met by the head of Ploy who directed the header towards the goal which hit the goalkeeper’s stretched out arm, and then went on to hit the crossbar. The ball bounced off the crossbar and was cleared by a Troll defender. The first half featured a number of chances for the Bollonischians out of which this was the best one. Things were looking bright for Gildiric and his team going into the second half on top. But soon the complexion of the game was to change, in a 53th minute challenge put in by Swanson resulted in him getting hurt, he soon had to be brought off. At the moment this injury looked like calf muscle tear or such, due to which he was receiving treatment on the sidelines. The Tigers were hence currently down to 10 men, which is when the Trolls decided to launch an attack. Their right winger, Torstein Halst after dribbling past Bobby Burns decided to pass it to Stuart Kerr in the middle who took on the shot the first time and went on to score due to a beautiful left footed curler. After going down, Gildiric made two substitutions which included bringing Cliff Fennimore on for Swanson and bringing Abbott on for Schmit. Swanson’s injury which seemed to be severe was reported to keep him out for the entirety of the World Cup Qualifying left however an official statement is yet to be made by the BFF or its medical team. Swanson’s loss is one that the team felt dearly in the coming minutes, as the lack of a defensive midfielder like him resulted in Trolleborg getting behind the Bollonischian midfield. The Trolls had a direct path to the goal and they took it, with Stuart Kerr getting his brace. These two back to back goals shocked the Tigers leaving them no chance to respond. However we did not give up so soon, we continued to attack to get at least one goal back. And in the 88th Abbott broke through the line up of defence, after cutting inside he put in a shot from his right boot, which was deflected by a Troll defender after which the ball came to the feet of Cummings. Cummings pulled the ball back to Marshall, who received the ball slightly behind him, and even despite his valiant efforts he could not keep his effort on goal. This was the last chance the Tigers had in the match. The match ended with a 2-0 score line with Trolleborg rising to 3rd. Bollonich remained at the 6th position still at the bottom half of the table with 20 points out of 15 games which is a respectable amount for a team participating in the WCQ for the first time. Bollonich still isn’t out of the race for Qualifying however, but it has certainly become increasingly hard for us to achieve such. The next matches against North Japan at home and Zwangzug away will be crucial to see, as a loss to either could mean elimination for Bollonich.

Match Events

Bollonich                           Trolleborg
67’ Cliff Fennimore ▲ Swanson ▼     64’ GOAL - Stuart Kerr (Halst)
67’ Abbott ▲ Schmit ▼               73’ GOAL - Stuart Kerr
                                     82’ Torgeir Berglund ▲ Tom Gulbranden ▼

Top 5 Goal-scorers
1) Perry - 8 goals
2) Buck Moreno - 3 goals
2) Marshall - 3 goals
4) Tad Rios - 2 goals
4) Schmit - 2 goals

by **Valentine Z** » Wed May 26, 2021 8:42 am

Post 6 – Don't take me to the ball game. But you can all be here at the Valentian Party.

With each passing Matchday, it was not that Valentijn was not confident about her own team and her players; they simply have one hell of an uphill to work on, with everyone playing for the keeps. They still have a few more matchdays left - after all, they are going to play through all of the 18 matches. Still, sitting at the bottom of their group along with Baggieland in terms of score, they were certain that they were not going to get into World Cup 88 for this time after the qualifications. No matter, she thought. It was the journey that matters, and for the Valentians, just seeing their names in red was not going to make them call it quits. "No, we will give them the best fight they might have ever gotten, at least for the 16-32 feet tall people," Valentijn declared, putting her hand down on the table whilst looking out for anyone on it, "We are definitely not going to give up without a fight, and it would have been too early to do so anyway."

"We are still definitely going to train for it," Anastasia said, with the Valentians having just finished their match against Reçueçn with a 2-2 at the Fate Stadium, "I wonder if we can still get out of the elimination zone if we try our hardest."

"We definitely can, but it is going to be a bit taxing," Gwen replied back with a remark, "Still, I am glad that we are getting this far, truth be told. No offense to anyone here, of course. I mean... you know we have been dealing with the best of the best."

"Oh yeah, none taken on that!" Clarissa said with a heartful smile, proud of the recent 2 goals that she has kicked in and won against the Reçueçnians. She was unable to do so with the team from Acronius, and thus was doing it right there against Reçueçn, "We most very likely can have a better outcome, all for the fun of it, of course."

In the meantime, a few other Valentians, particularly with Trade Representative Charmaine heading the conversation, were talking about the merchandise sale that they were making. Given that this whole event and sports stuff were all from the pockets of The Sixty, the merchandise sale revenue were going back to them, but it helps that the surplus can be used for public projects and developments. "That's around a couple of millions for the new school or clinic, and I think that should be fine, right?" "Yeah, that should be good and doable," and that kind of thing that was going on in the background.

As for Valentijn, she told her friends about how she was setting aside some money for herself to host a large party in the Fate Stadium. The others thought of the idea positively and jumped in, all of them deciding to chip in and support Valentijn. After all, when you are going to go out of the qualifications or WC88 itself, you can at least go out in style, or celebrate the victories of the other players. At first, a few of the Valentians, such as Jolyn and Annette, wondered if this would make it look like the Valentians were trying to coax everyone to get their placements for that other football event, but Valentijn reassured everyone that it would not be seen that way. Besides, it would be all in great spirits, and some of them knows that the Valentians are the ones to chill out.

The pamphlet would soon be put out on the perimeters of Fate Stadium, as well as being sent to every single team's managers and emails, though in hopes that it would not end up as spam.

Valentine Z invites YOU, the Participants of World Cup 88!
A farewell party and celebration perhaps like none other.

De Geweldige Sierlijke Katachtige Utopia en Zijne Autonome Machten ov Valentine Z (The Graceful and Wonderful Feline Utopia and its Glorious Autonomous Superpowers of Valentine Z) - that is us, the Valentians, would like to invite all of the participants and teams of World Cup 88 to have a farewell party that we are hosting - all in good spirits. We are not doing this as coaxing or for anything else, other than to celebrate in great intentions about the victories of the many top-players and top-teams, while also wanting to make sure that those who got eliminated from the brackets can still have some time to chill out and mingle around. Food and drinks will be provided, as always, and we will be bringing a lot of them to accommodate at least 5000 non-Valentian guests.

Details
Time: Right after the 18th Match Day game.
Venue: Fate Stadium, Naypyithaw, Burma, Valentine Z.
Feel free to bring your own food and drinks (including alcoholic beverage).
No hard drugs for this event, please. A little bit of weed is fine.
No RSVP needed. A couple thousands of local Valentians will also be attending and celebrating the end of WC88 Qualifications.

Highlights of the party include:
- Foreword and commencement from Valkyrie Valentijn Samantha Constantine. Ribbon-cutting, confetti, and music complementary.
- All-you-can-eat buffet and bottomless refills for non-alcoholic drinks. Alcohol has some limits. Options for Kosher, Halal, and many other dietary requirements available.
- A huge cake (Neapolitan flavors - vanilla, chocolate, strawberry) with flags of every participating nations on top of it. 50 meters radius, 10 meters depth. Please ask the Valentians for assistance in getting pieces of the cake.
- A music festival with a good number of the local Valentian talents. Also includes some of the members from The Sixty - Exuberant Clarissa Alanis Star Samantha as lead vocalist, Chief Aviator Gwen Tracer Allison Oxton as second vocalist, 2nd Commander Carissa Beatrice Jolana Natana as drummer, 3rd Lt. Leonard Clinton Clement Van Der Linde as lead guitarist, 1st Cpt. Angela Stella Trista Tan Fang Ling as bassist, and many more.
- Fireworks display, with Mst. Cpl. Chloe Lucy Raneem Kattan Sabbagh handling the drones, and 3rd Commander Colleen Selina He. V. Tessa handling the pyrotechnics.

We do hope to see you guys around! ♥

- Valentijn “De Sierlijke en Vrij Valkyrie General ov Valentine Z” Samantha Maxwell Delta Weston Stijn Angelus Tracey Mitchell Tristian Marnix Basilisk Lewis Hyatt X. Constantine Sein Lin Zaw Naing

by **Ko-oren** » Wed May 26, 2021 2:30 pm

Three matchdays to go, and the Dragonflies have retained first place even after meeting dragonslayers Frestovenia. Thankfully we're dragonflies, not dragons, so that probably saved us the humiliation. That said, with two wins added (3-0 over Aut-Ves-Nat and 0-1 at Frestovenia) we only have to get four points to pull out of view of Vdara, HUElavia and the aforementioned Frestovenians. Seeing as we're still playing Vdara, a win in that game is also enough for us to go to a record sixth consecutive World Cup.

*  Group 8                                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ko-oren                                    15   12   1   2    36   12  +24    37
 2 Vdara                                      15   10   1   4    36   21  +15    31
 3 HUElavia                                   15    9   3   3    35   20  +15    30
 4 Frestovenia                                15   10   0   5    31   19  +12    30

For Ko-oren to win the group, they need four points (or to beat Vdara).
For Vdara to win the group, they need to get either seven (two wins, one draw) or nine (three wins) points while Ko-oren may not get any further points (in the first case) or not more than two points (in the second case).
For HUElavia or Frestovenia to win the group, they need to win all three remaining games, while Ko-oren may not win any of theirs. Vdara must get seven points or fewer from their fixtures.

For Ko-oren to finish at least second, they need three points (or hope that two of the other three teams drop points).
For Vdara to finish at least second, they must match (or exceed) the results of both teams below them.
For HUElavia or Frestovenia to finish at least second, they must get two more points than Vdara.

Between Vdara and HUElavia, the head-to-head record is firmly HUElavia's: both have won one, but HUElavia have scored three versus Vdara's one. HUElavia also has the head-to-head over Frestovenia (two 3-1 wins), Vdara has the head-to-head over Frestovenia as well (2-1 win, 3-2 loss, taking it on away goals). Frestovenia has the head-to-head over Ko-oren (2-0 win, 0-1 loss) but that's unlikely to come into play. The head-to-heads between Ko-oren and Vdara/HUElavia are to be contested in the upcoming international window.

MD16: Ko-oren v HUElavia (Orange Bowl, Schemerdrecht), Txakhaxi v Vdara, Barunia v Frestovenia
MD17: Vdara v Ko-oren (VdarArena, Chania), HUElavia v Barunia, Frestovenia v Aut-Ves-Nat
MD18: Ko-oren v CR North Yorkshire (Suzumebachi Stadium, Katashi), Barunia v Vdara, Aut-Ves-Nat v HUElavia, ZSeparatists v Frestovenia

And that makes this the Big One for the Dragonflies. Hosting the third placed team and then visiting the current runner-up will challenge all they've worked towards so far. No matter how comfortable they look: two lapses of concentration and you're bogged back down in a four-way fight for two spots. Keep a cool head and you're booking your tickets to Chromatika or Cassadaigua before you know it. And in the worst case scenario, we still have a relatively easy game, at home, versus the team in dead last in the group, while Vdara would still have to fight off Barunia, Frestovenia have bogey team ZSeparatists, yet HUElavia also have a relatively easy final at Aut-Ves-Nat. Juliasterinthen saved face with two wins, and will likely roll with the same XI - minus Aelisire (red card, suspension), Odgers (5th yellow card, suspension), and Longchambon (ankle). We say 'same XI', but a team without these three will not feel like the same old Dragonflies you've gotten used to over the last few months. To replace Aelisire, you can easily put Gicquel in the same position and expect the same level of performance. You can field Vaugrenard for Longchambon and you're in business - maybe he'll push up a little further than the Revolutionaries' attacking midfielder, but you'll see an identical enough play style. Odgers is harder to replace, though. Despite up-and-down performances, despite playing a position (that of defensive midfielder) that hasn't existed on the national team for a few cycles now, and despite having a perfectly good replacement in Yokota on the bench, it still puts Juliasterinthen on a fork in the road. Do you slot in Yokota and hope that the late-30-year-old puts in similar pace and stamina (the answer is no) and run with the same formation and a defensive midfielder? Or do you replace his position entirely and roll with more of a box-to-box midfielder with decent playmaking skills (Hilberdink)? Or do you... wait, that's all your options exhausted for the midfield. No matter what, it'll feel like an imperfect solution. Maybe even play a central defender (Escoffier or even Kitchingham, giving the latter his first minutes of the campaign) as a holding midfielder, or play the extra striker and move to a 5-3-2. The latter is a perfect match: we've played a 5-3-2 for ages and the players will immediately understand their role and positioning... but then you run into personnel shortages. There are just two strikers on the team (Erisia and Okawa), and you have two attacking midfielders, one of which is injured.

On the other hand, this is where Juliasterinthen is at his best. No matter what he chooses, it'll be a surprise for the opponents. Just when you think you know us, we're forced to break your assumptions and you better keep up. 3D chess - involuntarily - but still 3D chess.

HUElavia
Ramos / Liberman, Mendieta, Muller, Pae / Conti-Esposito, Duran / Sol, Guilbert, Navarro / Hamada-Navarro

Sharing the most gorgeous colours in the multiverse, the team that entered the group as the 3rd seed is still in contention - probably right around where they wanted to be at this point. Now we're here and it's only a few games from the end, they're smelling blood with the head-to-head over Vdara and Frestovenia. They just have to survive the onslaught of the Dragonflies passing them to death in hopefully a 1-0 loss to the home team, then overcome a disappointing Barunia squad, and get three points over Aut-Ves-Nat as they're no doubt expecting. The results have been surprising, to an extent, so no single fixture is a surefire win, but they'll absolutely enter that match with more confidence than either the Ko-oren or the Barunia games. They'll have to overcome the one point deficit to Vdara though.

Previous results
Vdara 1–0 HUElavia
HUElavia 2–0 Communist Republic of North Yorkshire
Delaclava 2–6 HUElavia
HUElavia 2–1 Txakhaxi

Coming into this game, they've strung together good results after the loss to Vdara. The 6-2 win must have been especially good, the 2-1 over Txakhaxi maybe a bit worrying, but ultimately with 3 consecutive wins they're in high spirits to close out the campaign.

Vdara
Moustakakos / Vlahiades, Galanatos, Giannakos, Xeniadis, Athanas / Karalas, Mavroglou, Stamatelis / Lazelis, Petras

The Vdarans sacked their coach going right into the most important parts of the qualification campaign. Bold move, let's see if it pays off for them. The second seed was under a very high pressure to succeed: they tasted the World Cup and they need, nay, crave more. They will not settle for anything less. It didn't go easy enough for them, so they sacked their coach - and time will tell if that was the right decision. We understand the high expectations after a good show, but did it bait them into firing their manager. Everyone would've wanted a more staunch performance, maybe even challenge Ko-oren for the group win, but here we are anyway.

Previous results
Vdara 1–0 HUElavia
Vdara 5–3 ZSeparatists
Communist Republic of North Yorkshire 0–2 Vdara
Vdara 1–2 Delaclava

All was well for the Vdarans, with a victory over their close rivals HUElavia, followed by an 8-goal affair against the ZSeparatists... days after that team beat the Green and Blue. An away victory over CRONY put them in the right place to contend, before all came crashing down in front of a home audience against Delaclava. Still on a point over the rest, if HUElavia versus Ko-oren goes their way, they might just be closer to the World Cup than they think.

by **Newmanistan** » Wed May 26, 2021 3:01 pm

THE ROCKET REPORT

ROCKETS GETTING CLOSER TO WORLD CUP

By Taylor Larson,

One of the best qualifying efforts in Newmanistan history continues to take place, as the sky blue earned back to back wins over Darkmania and Flavovespia, giving them 38 points on the table. In all likelihood, this means that Newmanistan only needs to win one of their final three games to make it to the World Cup. Yes, that’s even if we lose to Omerica. There is a lot of talk about the upcoming game against them in Romainbourg. A loss there, and we still lead them by three points, but really 41 points probably gets you one of the automatic spots for a second place team even if were to choke on our group lead. That game is far, far more important to Omerica than it is for us. If Omerica loses, then they start to worry about Flavovespia again. Omerica is really playing for the automatic spot for a second place team in their final games.

Can Newmanistan get three more points? Well, we have seen complete disasters in our history before when things looked promising, but after playing in Omerica, the Rockets are back at home at the still winless Gothanita Isles, and then play away to The Hainan Union, the latter of which is probably playing above their head with their sixth place spot on the table.

Captain Paul Lombardi says the team will not get ahead of themselves for these last three games, “We have not qualified yet. We got where we are through a lot of hard work, and learning from our mistakes. As a collective group of players, we all have been a part of it, just look at the number of people who picked up their first international goal during qualifying. This is not about just a couple strikers, and that makes this team so exciting to play for.” He goes on to say that the team is not thinking about their past history, “You get into trouble if you start thinking about what other Rockets teams of long ago have struggled to do. We are not them. We really believe that we are the best team that Newmanistan has ever had on the pitch, and if we make it to the World Cup, we are ready to show the world that we can do more than hit a baseball and make jump shots.” Manager Michael Starre says all the pressure is on his Omerica, “We’re going into Romainbourg not feeling any pressure for a result. They need it, we want it, but don’t need it in the same way. This will allow us to stay true to our game for the whole time. We get a draw or a win, we’ve just about locked it up. But we have a lead, and two more games after it.” Starre did not call the remaining two opponents beatable, but let’s face it, they are.

People have now started to post online whether or not they want to play in Chromatika or Cassadaigua or even factor in the odds of sneaking into pot 2 for the Group Draw. The latter will be pretty difficult, but not completely impossible. Rooting against nations like Pasarga, Kelssek, or Siovanija and Teusland, that are ranked ahead of us currently but in jeopardy of not qualifying themselves would be the best options for us to move up into the top sixteen. Of course, let’s get there first. Sports fans from Newmanistan that like to travel with the national team have made trips to Cassadaigua more than they have to Chromatika, due to the amount of times that the former has hosted the World Baseball Classic. So for the sake of going somewhere less visited, many of them will prefer to go to Chromatika, though others will point to the turmoil in Atlantian Oceania and Anaia (even though there really isn’t anything to worry about), as a reason to prefer to go to Cassadaigua. Either way, our fans can probably start putting in the time off requests at their job. We’re not there yet, officially, but only a massive collapse keeps us away from the World Cup now. I know, we’re Newmanistan, we collapse with the best of them, but this feels different. They truly are playing well out there.

by **Trolleborg** » Wed May 26, 2021 3:20 pm

First part of this story
Second part of this story

The view from the upper rows was wide and breathtaking, and Norra hesitated a little, taking a pictures, knowing that she had a ticket to the game somewhere in the middle of stand, and, perhaps, she would not have such a gorgeous opportunity to look around.

“Here we also broadcast away matches. When it comes out in 3D, and when not, it works in classic resolution”, the guide added.

Group went around the entire giant bowl, making photos left, right and center, and through a side door entered what is considered a VIP box at the stadium on December 1.

"The national leader himself comes here!" - Thorstein noted. - "But not often".

Before Norra had time to be surprised, he added: “Although he does not miss the matches of the national team, he prefers to spend time with the fans in the stands. Perhaps foreign leaders visited this lounge more often than he is in recent years”.

The whole "box" consisted of three small rooms, decorated tastefully, but rather modest, and provided with tables for snacks and the opportunity to sit down while dealing with them.

To Norra's surprise, the guests of the stadium were also offered a bite to eat and even a light drink - as the guide explained, in order to get an idea of how things are going at the very top of society. “The people of Trolleborg and the whole world have a right to know how their leaders live and what they eat,” – he proudly noted. – "On match days everything is exactly the same."

While some of the band members looked at Norra dubiously, apparently wondering how she could handle this clearly human-friendly canteen, and prepared to offer help, but when it came to eating well, she didn't have to give a head start. Well what can be summed up about food? Quite a decent menu. Frrrruits, vegetables, some meat, not too much baked goods. Hearrrty, simple, a few unusual ingrrredients, but nothing unnaturrrrral. The choice of drrrrrinks is rrrich, from beer and ale via heavy spirrrrits to soft drinks, including foreign ones – Norra's keen eye caught no less than five such brands of beer and half a dozen wines.

And then the guide invited everyone to go out onto the balcony, from where very-important-people usually watch football. And again he clicked by something, which made the empty bowl of the stadium filled with people, some fought on the green lawn for the ball, others were sincerely worried about them.

In just a day, Norra was supposed to be among the second, about over there on the left.

by **Krytenia** » Wed May 26, 2021 4:19 pm

Regicide
By Rami Niblick in Caversham

RUMOURS of our death have been somewhat exaggerated. Having looked completely out of qualification contention a scant few matchdays ago, a combination of grit, determination, and Reçueçn falling off a cliff means that things might just be coming up Dragons. Three points in their most recent qualifier, a home tie against Queenisa, certainly helped in that regard.

The game was an entertaining encounter for the neutral, with both sides throwing caution to the wind in an attempt to claim the victory. After falling behind to an early Brook Sophie goal, the Krytenians sprung into life as they stared into the abyss that was another potential Cup of Harmony campaign. Max Snelders, in for Cormac O'Neill in central midfield, was central to the Krytenian comeback, playing through Curtis Sunday for the equaliser before putting the home side in front from a free-kick. Krytenia would go into the break two goals to the good after Robert Reeder's cross was turned in by Alex Meitner.

Queenisa did get themselves back in the game in the second half, Nathan Noreith muscling past Ross Okano to nod home a corner shortly before the hour, but Snelders was not to be denied. A mazy run that took him past three defenders was capped off with a fine finish past the Queenisa goalkeeper to notch the Dragons' fourth. A late Sophie strike led to a nervy finish, but Krytenia held firm to collect the win and eliminate their opponents from contention.

Though the win now puts them just three points behind the fading Licornes, Krytenia have one issue remaining that Reçueçn do not; still having to play Turori. Admittedly, their Matchday Seventeen encounter will see the Eels with their place in the finals confirmed - and hopefully, therefore, already in their flip-flops - but this is also a Turori side yet to drop a point in qualifying. Add to that, of course, that Krytenia still have to make sure of three points against Fluvannia first, and you have an uphill battle ahead. Let's hope that the Dragons have the mental strength to take on the challenge. Onward!

KRYTENIA - 4
Sunday 20
Snelders 31, 74
Meitner 39

QUEENISA - 3
Sophie 12, 86
Noreith 59

by **Squornshelous** » Wed May 26, 2021 5:07 pm

When the Devil Drives, Chapter 7
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6
OOC: please note the political views expressed herein are solely those of the character, Lucia Krupin, and do not ~~necessarily~~ at all reflect mine

To say that it had been a difficult week for Lucia Krupin and the rest of the Red and Black would be a tremendous understatement. What should have been a week of intense training, preparing the team for a crucial match against group favorites and leaders Brenecia had been draining for all the wrong reasons. Instead of alarm clocks it had been explosions and gunfire that roused them that morning at the team barracks. Confused and frightened, they'd been ushered onto a school bus of all things, escorted by soldiers who seemed as bewildered as they were. The bus had stopped, and they'd all waited, standing around at an airbase that looked like it hadn't been used since the war. tufts of tall grass had burst up through the tarmac, and one of the massive hangars had collapsed under the weight of neglect. After what felt like hours, an enormous twin-tailed ekranoplane hove into view over the horizon battering them with the deafening whine of its turbines. Skimming just a few dozen feet above the ground, it wasn't visible until the last minute.

To Lucia, it looked far to heavy too fly, with a wide fuselage and short, stubby wings. The engines were mounted comically far forward on pylons projecting out from its nose. Belying its improbable appearance, it settled down on the tarmac, wheels shredding through the vegetation that had staked its claim there. Quickly, at the urging of the soldiers, the team and coaching staff boarded, and the vessel made a surprisingly smooth about-face, before spooling up its engines and shuddering back into the air. After a brief stop at the coast to refuel and receive instructions, they'd headed out, away from their home. Skimming over wavetops, when they'd next come to rest, it had been in Tumbra.

The city of Lakewood was in the far southeast of the country, and initially, the absurdly large flying boat that had just arrived in its harbor was the object of considerable curiosity. There was also initially a fair amount of consternation when it came out that while the aircraft's passengers were civilians, the crew were in fact, Imperial Military personnel. The arrangement to move the team here had clearly been hashed out well into the eleventh hour, and some of the details had been overlooked. Lucia wasn't sure what happened to the plane and its crew, likely they would have to be interned at least temporarily. The team, after getting some fitful rest en route, was eventually brought to a hotel. Lucia was asleep almost before her head hit the pillow.

The following day, they got a chance to tour the stadium and training facilities they would apparently have to call home for the rest of qualifying. Old, but clearly renovated and updated multiple times. It had a respectable capacity, but Lucia wasn't sure why they had gone the expensive and inefficient route of attempting to add onto an obviously outdated building. It was certainly a far cry from the gleaming Imperial Arena in Vogsphere, which stood atop the bones of two prior stadia of the same name. In any case, it would suffice perfectly well from a purely logistical standpoint, although who knew if travel from the Imperium was even possible right now with terrorists now bold enough to attack law enforcement and military forces in the heart of the capital.

Now, relacing her boots before taking the field against Brenecia, she tried to quiet her mind. She couldn't lead this team against its toughest opponent if she was distracted. The impotent fury that her home was under attack and there was nothing she could do about it refused to settled. Beneath it, fear for her family, for her country, her way of life. She missed the spires of Vogsphere, missed the way advertisements and storefronts at home filled the night with color. Even the sound of traffic here was wrong, growling combustion engines predominated, low tones passing into buildings and filling the air. She was also heartily sick of rice, and would have done anything for a good bowl of pork and potato stew with black bread for dipping. She was tired of struggling to speak English.

Not that the team had spent very much time out mingling in the city. This was a republic after all, still believing that the average citizens opinions should matter to government, no matter how much of an idiot the average citizen might be. Once it had become common knowledge who they were, and where they came from, it quickly came out that many Tumbrans actually sympathized with the fanatics terrorizing Lucia's homeland. Protesters carrying insulting signs and chanting slogans gathered across the street from their hotel, and near their training ground. Police did eventually appear, but appeared to not be very concerned with making arrests. Amazingly, the protesters were permitted to remain, so long as they remained in particular areas set aside for them. It was unconscionable.

Still, she had a job to do. Had to focus on the things she could control. Her own play, her own words. What she said to the team. Lagerkron was the tactical boss, and had final say over who played, but Lucia had become the leader of this locker room. Lagerkron didn't say much to the team herself, leaving it to her captain to find the right words to inspire the players. Lucia had no idea what should could say to them tonight. What could you say about what they'd been through?

Well, I'll finish lacing up my boot first, and then see what comes to mind.

She stood, and the quiet murmur of conversation faded almost immediately. She was proud of that, the respect this team had for her. She never had to ask for their attention. Looking around, she made eye contact with each of them. Here, in a land full of strangers who didn't want them there, this team was all each of them had left of their home.

"I won't give you a lecture on what we've been through this week. You lived it. The attack, fleeing our home, trying to adjust to this place. Let me tell you how damn proud I am of each of you just for being here, being part of this."

"We have a chance to do more though. Everyone's against us now, and with all we've endured no one back home will blame us if we stumble now. But we have such a chance here. We can be an inspiration to generations of Squornshelans. Long after we're gone, they will remember our names, remember how we shined a light for them in this nation's darkest hour. There are a lot of people back home who are scared, who don't know who to trust or what to believe."

She held her hand out, palm down, and the team gathered around, placing their hands on top of hers in turn. When they were all there, she placed her other hand on top.

"Let's give them something to believe in."

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

After the match, with her hat trick goal clinching the draw in one of the wildest games of football she'd ever played, Lucia knew for a certainty that everything was going to be all right.

by **Squidroidia** » Wed May 26, 2021 5:23 pm

Pressure Cooker - Inkopolis

Escaping the Gauntlet with a loss is all but expected when a team plays Nephara there. The crowded atmosphere, the best players in the world staring you down as the Godhead watches on, casting an energy to the Cormorants that only a select few could defeat on the night... The Inklings fought hard to get a result, but the ghost of Gethin Ramsey was too powerful to be stopped. 3-2 for Nephara. They were so close to qualifying for the World Cup. But even as the best team in the world, nothing does come easy... Johnson knew this. He didn't have a world-beating side on his hands, but he motivated them even though the odds were stacked against them, the home crowd deafening their communications and putting the televisions on mute. Ultimately, his hard work and experience paid off in a closely fought scrap. Squidroidia could play against the reigning world champions on the night, just ask Johnson when Nephara only beat his Inklings side 1-0 at Inkopolis.

Throughout the latter half of the qualification campaign, the bustling city of Inkopolis, capital of Squidroidia and home to 2 of the most famous clubs in the country (For all the right and wrong reasons), became more football mad than ever. If home games were sold out in minutes, the bars were sold out of reservations in seconds, streets crowded before any Squidroidian national team game, home or away, and everybody dropping their club's colors, orange and blue, red and black, magenta and green, for the white shirt with blue sleeves and subtitle blue stripes. For those days before the Inklings took the field, everybody was a Squidroidian fan. Any fan could tell you how packed the bars were when the team played in the IAC X and Baptism of Fire 73 Semi-Finals and the IAC 12 Final. Stories about fans packed in taking a pint and watching their team prove themselves to be world class on the night. It was an experience that can unite Squidbreak and IFC fans, Boulevard and MSC supporters, even the civil war in Inkopolis known as IFC/Real. Forgetting about how you hated the other club with a passion and cheered for your nation, even if they were represented by players from that club you hated.

50,000 fans were set to pack the Inkopolis City Stadium once again as the national team hosted Togonistan, a team who dropped form harder than a rock. Before Johnson and the boys (And girls) went down to Tushlark, Togonistan were top of the group with a 6 game winning streak in their return to international football. A 3-0 whooping started their downfall - They are winless since then and Adam wanted to make that 9 without a win for the Yellow Warriors. He knew, of course, that a win against Togonistan was absolutely needed for Squidroidia to even make the playoffs - A loss and a Hampton Island win against Central Shaneville would send them out before they even landed in Stafford City for perhaps the biggest game in Squidroidia's World Cup qualification campaign. The last thing he wanted was for Togonistan to embarrass them in front of the home crowd. As much as he wanted to think about the Golden Bears, the chance that a win against them away would open the floodgates for qualification and potentially put Squidroidia in the show would have to wait. His team had one more opponent before the eyeballs would have to be split watching squids and bears duke it out.

This was, perhaps, the tensest 270 minutes of football that this national team would go through. There was absolutely no room for error, no room for mistakes, everybody on the team needed to give it their all in order to even make the playoffs. Automatic qualification via winning the group was out of the window with the loss at the Gauntlet. All they could really hope for was a 2-legged playoff to decide their fate. They needed to win all of their remaining games to have that shot though. Nothing was going to come easy. Margaret does not care if your team made a Final or not, if your team has a 5 game unbeaten run and 4 game winning streak going, if you had the Unofficial World Championship to your name. Margaret only cares about luck. She can be cruel to anybody and everybody she meets. That's the risk you run with her.

Blue smoke was beginning to engulf Inkopolis Plaza as the Squidward Roids made their march to the Inkopolis City Stadium. Funny masks, chants about moments in national team history (They would have had one more prepared if they defeated Nephara), and overall goofiness. They could tell you about Distanced in Eurasies (For the Euro Cup of course), the Hand of Cod (Referring to the handball against Woryand in the IAC X Quarter-Finals), both instances of Dagan Drightmares (5-1 loss at home in World Cup 86 qualifiers and the Cup of Harmony elimination) and their personal favorite, the Legend that Died (Squidroidia's run to the IAC 12 Final and the loss to Tequilo). They knew every moment in Squidroidian footballing history, and they could have a decent chat with you if you're up for the fun. They would keep marching, making their way to their section of the stadium, ready to pour their heart and soul out for their team once again.

Those fans were enough to put a smile on any Squidroidian, especially one that wore the flag on their shirt in front of a global audience. But Johnson was distracted as a letter came in. It was from the Valentinians, who most recently visited this country for the FunStar Squidroidia 400 NSSCRA Main Series race, and they were hosting a farewell party after Matchday 18. The Valentinians already had a venue, the Fate Stadium in Naypyithaw, and were set to bring along performers, fireworks, and a special cake with every flag of every nation partaking, even the more complicated designs like those from Brookstation and Bollonich. This could be, perhaps, a gift for all that hard work, that blood, sweat and tears that they put in if they managed to snatch 2nd place and make the playoffs.

With mere minutes to go until the team boarded the bus, Johnson called the squad over. "There is an invitation from the citizens of Valentine Z with your names on it. You would really want to go and have fun out there, without a care in the world, but there has to be a way to push you to fight for the right to have fun. You have some of the most important matches of your careers ahead of you, and I don't want you to crash and burn out all of them, because if you do I will be burning up this letter and we'll not be going. So there is something that I ask from all of you... Finish 2nd in the group, and no matter if we qualify automatically or make the playoffs, you'll be flying to Naypyithaw. All expenses paid by me. Promise to me that you will fight all that you can to make that a reality."

The team all nodded yes as they made their way to the bus for game 16 of their 18 game campaign. Destination: Inkopolis City Stadium and a fight for their lives.

by **Eshialand** » Wed May 26, 2021 6:24 pm

The History of Eshialand
Part III: Rex Eshianum
Eshialand 1 - 1 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles

"Your Highness?"

Coach Kenneth Morgan nervously walked into your office. You couldn't really understand why he was nervous, because you thought you were friends. "Please, call me Will, I hate being called 'Your Highness'..."

"Okay, Will..."
"Come right in! What do you need?"
"Well, I need to ask for something..."
"What could that be?"
"Um... I need to use the plane after our final match..."
"Why would you need to use it again? Won't you just fly the team home after the match in the Squornshelan Remnant States?"
"Well, we were going to make a slight detour..." He nervously hands you a letter.

The letter in question appears to be from Valentijn, the leader of Valentine Z, made out to each of the WCQ 88 teams. An invite to a party, apparently.

"You want to use the plane to fly to Valentine Z?"
"Well, yes..."
"You don't have to ask me! It's completely fine! Go have fun!"
"Thanks!" Coach begins to walk away.
"Hey!"
He turns back around. "Huh?"
"Good luck in the next match!"
"Thanks!"

This was a pleasant interaction, but something about it just reminded you of your first day on the job, way back when you were just 13...

"Your HIghness?" It was Alex Vermeer, one of the revolutionary "Generals", who was currently serving as your... secretary?
"Please, don't call me that, just call me Will."
"Okay, Will..."
"Come right in! What do you need?"
"Well, you have a call from someone in a far-off land. They don't seem to be on any map though... I think it's a scam."
"If you think it's a scam, then it's probably a scam. I can name every country on the planet, so if I don't recognize the name, it's not a country. What's its name?"
He tells you the name, but you don't quite remember what it was. Oddly, that was the one part of the interaction you didn't quite remember, but you do remember that you didn't know the nation's name.
"Yep, that's a scam alright. Just hang up."
"Okay then..."

Little did you know that that was your first interaction with this so-called "multiverse". It wasn't the most positive of reactions... oh well, you had bigger fish to fry at that moment in time anyway. You still had to stabilize the country after the war.

How does one stabilize the country? Well, if you knew one thing, it's that you couldn't do it alone. Hence, you decided to run elections for a new Prime Minister. Of course, an election would take time, so until then, how was this going to work? You were in way over your head, and the reconstruction effort was going to be a serious challenge... so you had to appoint some people, but who?

You spent an entire week interviewing potential cabinet ministers and politicians who could form an interim government, and it hit you... this wasn't going to be fun.

What did you even do to deserve this torture? You never asked to be king, all you did was rally for change. Instead of change, all you got was piles of paperwork, interviews, and meetings. That was far too much for a kid to handle... why did it have to be you?

That's when you made yourself a commitment: never get overworked. Always take time for the little things. Never let your role define you, and always remember to just live life.

You think back to that advice, that advice that you had lived by for over 4 years now. You're 18 now, but you've never lived a day in your life since that day not thinking about that advice. It has saved your life on more than one occasion, when you were at some of your lowest points... just remembering that you too were a person just like anyone else and that you deserved your own life too can really liberate you at times.

Speaking of, maybe you should check how that match went... Moore scored in the 24th but Keir Gilbride tied it for PSI in the 88th? Oh, just 1-1 then. Well, considering it was at home, it could've been a lot worse.

"Hello and welcome back to ENN Tournament Report, I'm your host Josh Seametzle. I'm not really too sure what to make of Matchday 15, so let's just get right to the matches."

Devonta 4 - 2 Lisander
"I don't know why you'd think it'd be any other way."

Vilita 1 - 0 Sendhang
"That was actually surprisingly close, but a loss is a loss, no matter the goal difference."

Eshialand 1 - 1 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles
"And sadly, with this, the dream is over. We won't be qualifying. In fact, unless your name is Vilita, Savojarna, or the Squornshelan Remnant States, you won't be getting out of Group 2."

The 14 Stars 2 - 3 Savojarna
"They put up a valiant fight, but it wasn't meant to be for The 14 Stars."

Squornshelan Remnant States 1 - 0 Hebitaka
"SRS is managing to keep it tight for the top 3, with only two points between first and third place. It looks like it'll be up to teams like Eshialand to decide which team or teams will make it to the World Cup from this group, which is never good news if you still have a chance of qualifying."

The Grearish Union 0 - 1 Atheara
"That's right, Atheara has three clean sheets in a row! They're actually showing some of their BoF form... will they be able to finish strongly?"

Nephara 3 - 2 Squidriodia
"Maybe the Unofficial World Championship was always meant to stay in Nephara, you know? Trying to take it away from them long-term might just be a fool's errand..."

"And that's it for this edition of Tournament Report. I know, nobody wanted Eshialand to be eliminated, but it had to happen sometime. Actually, the only two teams from BoF 75 who could still qualify are Le Choix and St. Trinian's, who actually have a couple of other things in common... they played to a 0-0 standstill on BoF opening day, and their runs in that tournament both ended to eleven idiots and a soccer ball."

OOC: Here's my starting XI for the next two matches... yep, it's the same as the last two. It seems to be working for me.

by **Twicetagram and JYPe** » Wed May 26, 2021 8:31 pm

Home >> Domestic >> AO

Police bust MAJOR FA money laundering scheme as Twicists riot in front of police HQs

By Kanni Vartov

The president of the FA, Dylar Vikinov, and several other important members have been arrested following accusations that Vikinov and several other people were illegally laundering money.

After investigations, Vikinov was found to have "conspired and laundered money illegally in a scheme to smuggle funds to an unknown source". They stated documents found in a raid raised suspicion, as they were found to be evident of a laundering scheme, though details haven't been released to the general public as of 23/5. Other backroom staff, as well as members of a Twicist monastery linked to Vikinov have also been arrested because of their connections to the laundering scheme.

Many Twicetagrien football fans have suspected that this was linked to the FA's previous efforts to dissolve the domestic leagues and cups amongst other actions. Vikinov is also under suspicion of having concerted Vladimirescu's assassination, though an unknown hitman may have also played a part.

Many football fans have expressed their anger and disappointment over the entire saga, with some calling for a ban of people tied to religious organizations to partake in footballing politics. Online hate crimes, especially blackmailing and doxxing, towards Twicists have also increased in the past few days.

However, those part of the Twicist clergy have denounced the police's claims of Vikinov's wrongdoings, suggesting that they "didn't have adequate or substantial evidence to suspect Vikinov, and were prejudiced against Twicists". They also defended the FA's actions of dissolving the domestic leagues, stating that this was "to preserve Twicetagrien unity, and to promote one Twicetagria for all Twicetagriens".

Twicists have demonstrated and rioted in front of the Twice Square Police Headquarters as they call for the release of Vikinov from custody. They have also desecrated several stadiums in major cities such as Alphaxrie and Novi Canterlot.

More updates to follow on Vse Veshi Sports.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

Bees look to close up shop versus minnows
by Oliver Stanley
The Post Chief Soccer Correspondent

New Bremen--The home of the reigning National League Champions is more than ready for its closeup as it welcomes the National Team to the FSFB Stadium for the first time; the Westphalia County Fire Marshall has not been receptive to suggestions of temporary seating, so the crowd size will be no more than 11,300 for the visit of Central Antarctic Peninsula for the penultimate home fixture of World Cup 88 Qualifying.

A BP victory will guarantee both Juvencus and Taeshan will be unable to finish above the Bees in Group 7, who would clinch at least second place in the table. As things stand currently, 38 points would be enough to guarantee one of the six best second placed spots that would automatically qualify for the Finals.

The Commonwealth currently are one of three nations tied for 15th overall offensively, scoring 40 goals in 15 matches to date (2.67/gm) while maintaining an overall goal difference of +22; only the MD 11 draw against Taeshan has seen the opposition score more than 2 goals against the BP defense.

Zack Johnston is expected to be in the starting XI and captain the side for the first time at his club's home ground; the NL 1st Team All-Star keeper the previous 4 seasons has had a couple of shaky outings during the tournament, but still is the clear #1 for Jen Prescott. The player pool has been cut to fewer than 30 available for selection, so the back to back home fixtures will be the last chance for those still battling for a place on the Finals roster.

by **Savigliane** » Wed May 26, 2021 11:38 pm

WORLDS AWAY

6. ???
34 Allée de la Terese, Apt. 702A
Pitié Commune, Lutetie, Occitania

The calendar haphazardly stuck onto the dingy wall read September 2020. But when she looked at it, she only saw three years. Three years since she had been irreversibly split in two, on the night of one of her greatest triumphs. Three years without her family, without her friends, without her people. There were roughly six hundred thousand of them left behind in Savigliane's original reality, although scores more were surely undocumented and scattered across Europa. But with her closest and dearest all departed to some other dimension, stranded worlds away, it usually felt like she was the only one left. Just her and a few videos painstakingly uploaded to the internet, the last wisps of a fading memory, alone in the small, dim apartment.

That she had an apartment at all was a small victory of sorts. How many of her countrymen were left destitute, inconsolable, thrown out onto the streets of the surrounding nations? Occitania had never asked to get hundreds of thousands of Savigliano refugees, all of whose worldly possessions had just vanished. While the international community had initially welcomed them with open arms, every day that passed made Savigliane's reappearance less likely - and her people descended the slippery slope from temporarily welcome guest to permanent burden. There was talk of mass deportations, of heartless crackdowns in the barren communes of the sprawling capital of Lutetie. Her former fame had at least secured her a bit of time and money, enough for temporary accommodations, although her inability to return to her career quickly faded her star. The flickering light, grimy chair, and small television playing memorial after memorial were a testament to that. It was sparse - after all, she had left everything behind - and dirty, and more than a little cramped, with the residents in such a poor commune usually packed like sardines in high-rises. But it was enough to get by.

She had initially tried to move out to a farmhouse in the rolling western hills of the countryside, blowing both her limited resources and her moment of fame in the Occitan eye. But the first few months there had been a waking nightmare. Since she had seen her world pulled out from underneath, and the horrors of the first few days stranded and alone, her dreams had been plagued with flashes of Acqui Bollente pulling away and floating into the stars. And not just that, but the nightmarish visions of what had followed - seemingly falling through world after world for eternity, endless horrors flashing before her eyes, either real or perceived - had stayed with her in her sleep. She had spent weeks fearing sleep, slipping into her daily terror only when she had completely exhausted herself. The endless procession of therapists had tried to fix her, fix the flickering and flashing images of an alien world that had continued to stay with her, but the farmhouse had been too quaint and too remote. She may have been below a couple having a violent argument, and above the sounds of drag racing on the midnight alley outside, but at least she was comforted in knowing that someone else was there.

As the television stopped playing one video and prepared to switch to another, it suddenly flickered off and on, flashes of...something else beginning to appear on the screen. Startled, she tried to switch it off, fearing her past had found another medium through which to torment her. But before she could, the screen, for the briefest of moments, began playing a football match. It was her nation, some of whose players were still recognizable, against..."CBP"? Certainly nowhere she had ever heard of, but they had a one-nil lead early in the second half. Enraptured, she leaned in, reaching her hand out as if to touch it, to bridge the divide between dimensions. But as soon as she touched her hand to the television screen, it flickered and flipped off, belching thick grey smoke and emitting distinctive popping sounds as it did so.

She leaned back, stunned. It had lately become hard to say, in her confused and despondent state, what was real and what was hallucinated. But oh God, did she want it to be real. She gently cradled the television screen in front of her, trying to stare a hole into it so that she could reach in and grab its contents, and rocked herself to a fitful sleep with the screen in her hands and the sounds of the slum nightlife surrounding her.

by **Pemecutan** » Thu May 27, 2021 12:02 am

CHAPTER I: THE TENSION BUILD UP || CHAPTER II: THE ACCIDENT || CHAPTER III: THE ROAD LIES AHEAD || CHAPTER IV: A LITTLE TOO MUCH
CHAPTER V: THE OTHER SIDE OF YOU || CHAPTER VI: DEFEND WITH YOUR LIFE || CHAPTER VII: A DAY BREAK

CHAPTER VIII

Coach Pramana is seating back on his office. He is looking very serious with what he do. He is checking out the progress of his team so far which is quite impressive for him. Although some of the result miss his prediction but some other are surprising for him. Just like a couple of match where they were won against Sajnur and recently against Twicetagria. These are some accomplishment that really surprising. But some are miss the prediction such as a draw against Cascadia in their second match. Coach Pramana have given note on what's to be improve when suddenly he remembering one of his player. Pandu Oka Jaya. He has been active again. Even in the last two matches, Coach Pramana give him opportunity to play although just 10-15 minutes before the match ended. Pandu has the game spirit although his condition now is not on his prime. His injury haven't fully recovered yet. So although he is capable to play but not for a longer time as before. He has to rest more. Coach Pramana also give him a lesser amount of practice to keep his condition fit. At least in a month that Pandu will be able to achieve his prime condition again. The injury really suffocate him.

Pandu is looking at the night sky after the dinner. He move away from his teammates and give himself a time alone. He has been thinking lately about his condition. The result of the injury is still haunting him. Luckily the Coach is very understanding. One thing for sure is that he wants to end this competition together with his teammates. Still 3 matches to go and he is ready as usual.

"What are you thinking?" ask Wisnu who is suddenly standing behind him.

"Nothing. I just taking a time alone," Pandu seems to avoiding the conversation.

Wisnu exhale a heavy breath. He sat next to Pandu. "You are still our main striker," say Wisnu suddenly. Pandu give a simple smile knowing that his friend is still appreciated him.

"You know, I'm thinking to propose Juni," reveal Wisnu.

"Are you serious?" Pandu ask in disbelief. Suddenly he forget about what has he been thinking this night.

Wisnu nod. "Maybe it's look odd for you. But I feel like I can't love anybody else beside him. Well, he really can't control me."

"Hhmm. Yeah, I agree with that. He can control you," comment Pandu which makes both of them laugh.

"He completes me," whisper Wisnu.

"God, you are really in love with him," praise Pandu.

"Three years, Pandu. Three years. It's not a long time. And I think I'm ready to take a further step," says Wisnu.

"But what about your families?" ask Pandu.

"My family is okay with it. They even urge me to get marry. But it's Juni's family that doubt me to take the decision. It is harder to convince them." answer Wisnu.

"Are they not welcoming you?" Pandu ask again.

"Yeah," Wisnu looking afar to the distance sky. "They still think that we are a sinner," add Wisnu.

"Chill, mates. Keep your spirit. I believe you two can assured Juni's family. I've been seeing both of you and you are perfect together," assure Pandu.

"Thanks mate," say Wisnu with a smile. They are still seating there while looking at the sky until the midnight come

THE RIGHT DECISION

Everyone is looking at Komang who is seating alone far from them during their breakfast. It seems that Komang is calling his wife again for a trillion times. He gets super worried with his wife condition after the pregnancy.

"Are wannabe Dad is always looking like that?" ask Bayu Narmada who gets curious.

"I don't think so. I don't think I'm like that," answer Laksamana.

"Me too," add Komang Oka Laksana.

"Me three," sneaks Agung Darma Putra.

"Maybe because it is his first child," comment Agus Setiahadi.

The others are nodded with the comment. Komang is back to the crowd. He is seating close to them with a wide grin.

"What's with the happy face?" ask Heriawan Yudha.

"Nothing. It's just odd that I always miss my wife. Hehehe," say Komang.

"Yeah yeah. But don't loose your focus on the match," remind Rama Karyadi.

"Hehehe. Of course. The match is as important," answer Komang.

"Three more to go," comment Arya Tungga Wijaya.

They suddenly become silent. Everyone is on their own head. Suddenly....

"Hey, guys!. Practice time!" shouts Eka Putra Pradnyana, the assistant, making they are awake from their daydreaming. They are all standing up and heading to the field.

"Are you sure?" ask Komang Adi Prakasa.

"It's a big decision, mate," comment Laksamana.

"Yeah, I know. But I believe it is the best for both of us," say Wisnu assuring his teammates.

"Well, we can't say anything if you are already sure about it. We will support you," support Rama Karyadi which makes Wisnu smile.

"But where will you get marry? I don't know if our country give the permission to that," ask Riko Ferdian.

"We can only do it in Canggu. That's the only city that currently approve same-sex marriage," explain Wisnu.

"Oh, I don't know about that," say Agus Setiahadi.

"Yeah, it's a new regulation and only legal in the city. But all of our citizen can marry there. The same-sex couple," add Wisnu.

"I see. Honestly, that's a great place to be marry. You can go to the honeymoon right away," says Komang Adi Prakasa which makes everyone laugh.

"Good luck, mate," say Dwi Putra Kusuma while hugging him. Everyone else come together and give Wisnu a group hug.

Pandu is looking so busy with his phone. He is talking with someone very intense that he doesn't realize that Coach Pramana is standing behind him. The Coach clear his throat to get Pandu's attention.

"Oh, sorry, Coach. I don't know you are there," say Pandu while placing his phone on his pocket.

"It's okay. So who is that lucky girl?" tease Coach Pramana which makes Pandu blushing.

"Hehehe. I just met her a few days ago during our break. We just know each other. Nothing much, Coach," explain Pandu.

"Well, that's a good start, isn't it?" Coach Pramana tease him again.

Pandu give a dry laugh. "So, what makes you want to see me, Coach?" Pandu change the subject.

Coach Pramana just smiling, "I'm just want to ask about what you said earlier to me during the practice. Are you really sure about that?"

"Yes, Coach. I'm sure," say Pandu with confident. "Don't worry. I will be fine."

"I just don't want to put your career in danger. You are a great player, Son," worried Coach Pramana.

"Don't worry, Coach. I'm fine. I've been better," assure Pandu.

"Okay then. I'll talk to Wisnu about your decision. And you will be able to play as main again in the next match," exclaim Coach Pramana.

"Thanks, Coach."

Coach Praman is walking away from Pandu. Even though he is still half believe with what Pandu's say about his condition, but he can't forbid him any longer. As a player, playing football in a crucial and important match or competition is a pride of its own. Maybe Pandu just want to live in the pride.

by **Atheara** » Thu May 27, 2021 1:05 am

The Invitation For Farewell

Type: Dialogue
Time: ????

Coach Lyzen Oddenorf was walking down the hallway to the training grounds to check on the National Team, he was surprised when the team had picked up their weight and won against Grearish and starting to pick up points. Seems like his appointment to being a coach was not a bad thing after all, as the team was giving it their all. While he was thinking about his wife and how she is doing, he suddenly had received a text from Ivan Yesterov - Rukovic, one of the team starters.

RK: Sir, i got some news.
LZ: Any news, Rukovic? Is it good or bad?
RK: Based on what i know, the Valentians are inviting everyone for a farewell party at their Home Stadium.
LZ: Seems interesting, i have to say.
RK: Sure it is. Could we possibly go to the party?

Lyzen pauses for a second. Sure, the party not only seems fun, but could also possibly help Atheara strengthen it's relations in the world of sports with other nations Atheara have fought against. But it was slightly suspicious to invite everyone that is participating in the World Cup. But he wanted the team to have their fun, so he decided to answer. Because, why not? There isn't much to gain from this World Cup anyway, but a farewell party could possibly be the start of Atheara becoming an International Figure.

LZ: You may go to the party, under one condition.
RK: Anything, sire.
LZ: You all better not get drunk. Remember the last time Krusser drank some beer?
RK: Alright sir. I'll tell the team. Thanks for letting us go.
LZ: No problem, i say. You all deserve a break after the performance you gave.

He thought to himself. "I hope i made the right decision" since he was so unused to the modern day scene of sports. Oldschool football used to be different, but he knew he had to adapt and change. Now, where was he? Right.

To the training grounds. He had to get the team to prepare.

by **Pratapgadh** » Thu May 27, 2021 2:46 am

OOC Notes

The starting eleven for the next two matches against Kohnhead and Starblaydia are at the bottom

The Return Of Pro Wrestling Panja
Written By Rohan Hughes
Professional Wrestling
I've got some great news for fellow professional wrestling fans across Pratapgadh that PWP is returning from the ashes. Pro Wrestling Panja, formerly known as Pro Wrestling Punjab, has been purchased by the owner of Panja Entertainment. The owner of Panja Entertainment and son of former PWP Chairman Mahaveer Phogat, Navjot Phogat, has bought the company from his father and has renamed it Pro Wrestling Panja. The legendary promotion is set to make a return on 30 November 2025 with a major event called 'The Revival'. Panja Entertainment specialises in the media entertainment industry and music industry, so it will be interesting to see how they manage a professional wrestling promotion. Navjot Phogat has claimed that Pro Wrestling Panja will see its glory days again, he definitely has a lot of pressure as he will be leading a historic and respected promotion from local to global.

Pro Wrestling Punjab, now known as Pro Wrestling Panja, was founded in 1980 by a man named Mahaveer Phogat. Mahaveer Phogat was born on 1st July 1944 in a village named Veergaon near the city of Tilprastha. He was the son of a locally famous Pehlwaan (Wrestler) known as Eshwar Phogat. Mahaveer Phogat began his training to become a Pehlwaan himself at the young age of 15. He was trained under the guidance of his father and another local Pehlwaan by the name of Sair Fareedi. He was both academically and physically gifted as he competed in many regional and national level wrestling championships. He was just 19-years-old when he was first exposed to the theatrical drama of professional wrestling during a wrestling event organised by a few British wrestlers. One British wrestler, in particular, taught Mahaveer Phogat the art of professional wrestling, that man was Harry Smith. Mahaveer Phogat even wished to start his own promotion. However, professional wrestling was looked down upon by the locals who term it as 'fake wrestling', so he had to hold on to his idea for some time.

By the time he turned 22, his father Eshwar Phogat found out about him training to become a professional wrestler like Harry Smith. This led to young Phogat being kicked out of the village and spat on by his fellow villagers. He had to move to Jaipur where he met other Pehlwaans who were kicked out of their homes for similar reasons. Mahaveer Phogat, Harry Smith and his new crew held their first-ever wrestling event in the annual Jaipur Mela (Jaipur Carnival) in 1970. It was a huge success that captured the minds of the crowd. Mahaveer Phogat and his companions held a few more events in the city. In 1974, Harry Smith died due to heart failure at the age of 64. This sent Mahaveer Phogat into depression but picked himself up again to continue Harry Smith's dream.

Mahaveer Phogat finally decided to form Pro Wrestling Punjab in 1980. The promotion rose in prominence and didn't look back from the 1980s to the 1990s. Pro Wrestling Punjab was mainly loved by the fans due to the promotion incorporating the Indian-style. Pro Wrestling Punjab's product included Pehlwaani (Indian Wrestling), Kalaripayyatu (martial arts based in Kerala) and many other Indian combat arts. This made it much more unique compared to shows being held by British promoters during that time and it also made the local crowd feel like they are watching a local show and not a foreign product.

However, the promotion struggled in the 2000s as more promotions started to pop up in the nation. This includes promotions such as Golden Sun Wrestling and Revolution Pro Wrestling that had a more modern style of wrestling which attracted younger fans. Mahaveer Phogat failed to adapt to the changing times and the promotion declined in popularity. The promotion fell apart as associate promoters decided to move on to other promotions. In 2010, Mahaveer Phogat announced that PWP has seen its end. Ten years later in 2020, Navot Phogat bought the promotion from his father. By this time, Navjot Phogat gained a lot of experience in the media entertainment and music industries and became the CEO of Panja Entertainment that now owns a 100% stake in PWP. Navjot Phogat also decided to change the promotion's name to Pro Wrestling Panja, representing the company and a 'change' according to Navjot Phogat. He had promised that he would bring the glory days of the promotion and give a more sports-based and realistic product.

It took them five years to finally announce that Pro Wrestling Panja will be holding its first event in fifteen years on 30 November 2025. This event has been titled 'The Revival', meaning that we will see a new PWP that would incorporate the traditional and modern styles of wrestling and also provide its audience with a more sports-based and realistic product. So what could we expect from this event? A lot I would say as PWP has been signing a few stars and are also planning on holding a few title matches. Pro Wrestling Panja has also started a partnership with the young promotion of Valiant Championship Wrestling. VCW has grown a lot within one year and is quite popular right now with Kali being its current Valiant World Heavyweight Champion after defeating Daredevil. There have been rumours that VCW owner Vijaypratap Panwar and Kali making an appearance at PWP The Revival. That's exciting stuff and I would love to see what we will be getting out of this partnership. PWP has also signed a few indie stars and a few former PWP wrestlers. The bright-prospect Surjit Sansi at the age of 25 has signed a two-year deal with the promotion, a heel who really knows how to talk smack. Another popular wrestler in Pratapgadh, Mahinder Suri, has also signed a two-year deal with the promotion. One of the returning veterans is Pradip Gaitonde that has wrestled for the promotion since the age of 17. He has a lot of experience in this business and can teach young guns such as Surjit Sani to better themselves.

Panja Entertainment has also come up with the PANJA Network that will include all events such as pay-per-views and weekly shows, documentaries, interviews and more for a monthly subscription of $7.99. Panja Entertainment is using its experience in the media industry to make a perfect streaming service for this wrestling promotion and many loyal fans will surely sign up for this thing.

I am personally thrilled about this news and have already booked the tickets to the event which is being held at the Jaipur Sports Complex in Jaipur, Rajputana, Pratapgadh. As much as I love Valiant Championship Wrestling and Revolution Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Panja just has a different aura. The idea of a sports-based and realistic wrestling product attracts me and probably many wrestling fans in Pratapgadh who grew up with this promotion. Pro Wrestling Panja also has plans to expand to an international market, so their first event is going to be crucial to their success. That's all I have for you guys today. I'm taking a five-week break now.
www.firesports.com/home

vs Kohnhead
STARTING XI
1. Chetan Dandekar ST
2. Shafe Ansari RW
3. Gautam Sakarkar LW (C)
4. Atashban Aaryamehr CM
5. Kaval Visariya DM
6. Ravi Upadhyay CM
7. Dev Kamble RB
8. Jagdip Rajawat CB (VC)
9. Suman Gupte CB
10. Abhisekh Patodia LB
11. Purshottama Mahanta GK

SUBSTITUTES
12. Manas Kumavat ST
13. Washid Noorani LW
14. Lohit Dholakia CM
15. Jaywant Kulkarni DM
16. Pratik Surana GK
17. Rahet Zardari RB
18. Dharamveer Wairar CB

vs Starblaydia
STARTING XI
1. Chetan Dandekar ST
2. Shafe Ansari RW
3. Gautam Sakarkar LW (C)
4. Atashban Aaryamehr CM
5. Kaval Visariya DM
6. Ravi Upadhyay CM
7. Dev Kamble RB
8. Jagdip Rajawat CB (VC)
9. Suman Gupte CB
10. Abhisekh Patodia LB
11. Purshottama Mahanta GK

SUBSTITUTES
12. Manas Kumavat ST
13. Washid Noorani LW
14. Lohit Dholakia CM
15. Jaywant Kulkarni DM
16. Pratik Surana GK
17. Rahet Zardari RB
18. Dharamveer Wairar CB

by **The Grearish Union** » Thu May 27, 2021 4:47 am

Espo: The Need of the Hour
William Evans - Atheburn National University

Four of the six initial interested members of the Esportivan congregation of nations met at the Tumbran capital city of Straton last week to formulate the initial steps towards the formation of a cohesive Esportivan organisation, while making sure that no roadblocks are left undetected. Tumbran Foreign Minister Natalie Stern played host to the other members of the summit, namely Foreign Minister Glyn Ellsmore from Grearia, St. Bart's Councillor Annelise Boskamp from the Licentian Isles, and Petra Stark and Tanya Bell from South Newlandia. A great many topics are supposed to have been discussed in the said summit, and a few general agreeements had been reached, even though the representatives from Damukuni and Nova Anglicana were not available in attendance.

While it is clear that the Esprotivan Union will be based strongly upon economic dependencies and with the goal of a common market in mind, it is not unknown to the common observer of Esportivan business that the major problem working against it going forward is the difficulty of doing business. The great variation in the valuation and availability of Esportivan national currencies has been a pain for international businesses while trying to invest in the region. Even though there has been no discussion whatsoever upon the adoption of the Espo as the common currency — a sentiment that both the Grearish and South Newlandian governments share — there has been no indication of any future discussion on the issue as well.

Grearish ventures outside the country is having to pay high interest rates where the currency is weak, and it is these reasons that lead such companies to be unable to contribute to the Greraish aim of having a current account surplus for increasing Grearish ownership of foreign assets. This is also applicable to other economies having a stronger currency, as they will lose out without having a formalised regional currency that the Espo should be.

Being a natural calamity-prone country that Grearia is, earthquakes and storms are not a very rare sight. It is then when the need of diversifying the country comes even more into the fore, as the natural resource extraction industry would face tremendous pressure to perform under adverse conditions in that scenario.

The lack of an Esportivan Central (or Regional?) Bank could also become very telling when trying to combat debt-driven rises in interest rates, with not enough absorption of the debt to keep rates low. It defeats the common person's sensibility to have a treaty that works towards a common market without the first plans of a Regional Bank in place. The lack of the central authority will also be a difference-maker in implementing the Foreign Aid and Sanctions programme that has been storied so much by the representatives of the countries. In the Grearish context, FM Glyn Ellsmore will have to play the game much better to drive the Grearish sentiments and needs about the possible union home if she is looking to gain any control over the situation — both at home and abroad.

by **Srednjaci** » Thu May 27, 2021 5:50 am

IVAN BOŽIĆ : The IBA Champions League has started and the first two rounds have been played.In the break between national team obligations, the players also played in the Champions League.. Unbelievable, but the draw wanted as many as three of our clubs to be in one group, and they also had to compete in the first two rounds.
NK Bistua Nuova prepared a surprise by beating the champion NK Dinamo Katanija with 1: 0! But in the second match, Mladost from Melarit did not allow a surprise.NK Dinamo Katanija, was free in the second round.

MD1
NK Bistua Nuova (SRE) 1–0 NK Dinamo Katanija (SRE)
( 43' Petra Marinović, assist Davida Zimmer)

FC Orkendrem 97 (DMN) 3–1 NK Mladost Melarit (SRE)
( 51' Li Peng, assist Vladimir trižić)

MD2
NK Mladost Melarit (SRE) 1–0 NK Bistua Nuova (SRE)
( 72' Li Peng, assist Valentin Kostyakov)

Group G                            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                                              
 1 Valinkova FK                         2    1   1   0     4    2   +2     4         —    —    —    —    —    —    —   3–1   —    —    — 
 2 FC Orkendrem 97                      2    1   1   0     3    1   +2     4         —    —    —    —    —    —   3–1   —    —    —    — 
 3 Athletique Nationale                 2    1   1   0     2    1   +1     4        1–1   —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    — 
   SFK Zandester                        2    1   1   0     2    1   +1     4         —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —   1–0
 5 Naid Saluto                         2    1   1   0     1    0   +1     4         —   0–0   —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    — 
 6 NK Bistua Nuova                      2    1   0   1     1    1    0     3         —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —   1–0   — 
 7 NK Mladost Melarit                   2    1   0   1     2    3   −1     3         —    —    —    —    —   1–0   —    —    —    —    — 
 8 Darlington 1883                      2    0   1   1     2    4   −2     1         —    —    —   1–1   —    —    —    —    —    —    — 
 9 A Vartugian Team That Sucks          1    0   0   1     0    1   −1     0         —    —   0–1   —    —    —    —    —    —    —    — 
   NK Dinamo Katanija                   1    0   0   1     0    1   −1     0         —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    — 
11 Darzlon Club Team                    2    0   0   2     0    2   −2     0         —    —    —    —   0–1   —    —    —    —    —    —

IVAN BOŽIĆ : NK Dormatisi Blue Stars did not perform well. Two convincing defeats nailed them to the bottom of the table.
This club has lost several important players and this can be felt in the game.

MD 1
NK Dormatisi Blue Stars (SRE) 0–3 Najdovo FC (BRU)

MD2
South Saints (ETN) 7–2 NK Dormatisi Blue Stars (SRE)
( 7' Katarina Vojčinović, assist Lidija Mance )
( 88' Katarina Vojčinović )

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                                              
 1 FC Rostov                                           2    2   0   0     5    1   +4     6           —  —    —    —    —    —   1–0   —    —    —    — 
   West Quay Palisade                                  2    2   0   0     5    1   +4     6           —  —    —    —   1–0   —    —    —    —    —    — 
 3 South Saints                                        2    1   0   1     7    3   +4     3           —  —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —   7–2
 4 Najdovo FC                                          1    1   0   0     3    0   +3     3           —  —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    — 
 5 Club Pallasovka                                     2    1   0   1     4    2   +2     3           —  —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —   4–1   — 
 6 Bazsara FC                                          1    1   0   0     2    0   +2     3           —  —    —    —    —    —    —    —   2–0   —    — 
 7 The Other Placely Placington Team                   2    1   0   1     3    2   +1     3           —  —    —    —    —    —    —   3–1   —    —    — 
 8 Golden Wattle Bay                                   2    1   0   1     2    3   −1     3           —  —   1–0   —    —    —    —    —    —    —    — 
 9 Candelaria                                          2    0   0   2     1    6   −5     0           — 1–4   —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    — 
10 The Shady Cedars Retirement Home All-Stars          2    0   0   2     2    8   −6     0          1–4 —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    — 
11 NK Dormatisi Blue Stars                             2    0   0   2     2   10   −8     0           —  —    —   0–3   —    —    —    —    —    —    —

IVAN BOŽIĆ : We keep the best for last. NK Čelik Raduč is a very awkward and quality team.
NK Čelik also has big scalps in the domestic championship. This season, they beat both big competitors Dinamo and Mladost . They continued with that game in the Champions League.

MD 1
Avon FC (EJM) 0–3 NK Čelik Raduč (SRE)
( 18' Jean Lizarazou, assist Hrvoje Salović)
( 49' Želimir Kalčević, assist Jean Lizarazou)
( 87' Želimir Kalčević, assist Aleksander Mostovoy)

MD 2
NK Čelik Raduč (SRE) 5–2 Blasters (HEB)
( 11' Želimir Kalčević pen.)
( 39' Sanjin Velišević, assist Želimir Kalčević)
( 51' Sanjin Velišević, assist Hrvoje Salović)
( 55' Jean Lizarazou, assist Billy Hudson)
( 82' Želimir Kalčević, assist Dubravko Desić)

Group L                          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts                                                              
 1 NK Čelik Raduč                     2    2   0   0     8    2   +6     6         —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —   5–2   — 
 2 NKC Varea                          2    2   0   0     6    2   +4     6         —    —    —    —    —    —    —   3–2   —    —    — 
 3 A Placely Placington Team          2    2   0   0     4    1   +3     6         —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —   2–1   —    — 
 4 Santeros de Rosario                1    1   0   0     4    2   +2     3         —    —    —    —    —   4–2   —    —    —    —    — 
 5 Gazovik                            2    1   0   1     3    1   +2     3         —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —   3–0
 6 Wilbur Force                       2    1   0   1     3    4   −1     3         —    —    —    —   1–0   —    —    —    —    —    — 
 7 Gqöre Khanii                       2    1   0   1     2    4   −2     3         —   0–3   —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    — 
 8 Volkzyats AFC                      1    0   0   1     2    3   −1     0         —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    — 
 9 Galleon                            2    0   0   2     2    4   −2     0         —    —    —    —    —    —   1–2   —    —    —    — 
10 Blasters                           2    0   0   2     2    7   −5     0         —    —   0–2   —    —    —    —    —    —    —    — 
11 Avon FC                            2    0   0   2     0    6   −6     0        0–3   —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —

REPORTER : The football excitement continues even after the WC qualifying cycle. Our clubs did not start badly. We hope that Dinamo Katanija and Dormatisi Blue Stars will quickly find a solution and start winning.

by **PotatoFarmers** » Thu May 27, 2021 6:00 am

Poafmersia 1–0 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom
Poafmersia Scorers: Arnold Shwentin 33'
Poafmersia Lineup (3-4-3): Sandi Jaliaha; Nasri Sanchez, Mitchel Rosales, Simone Gori; Dargis Walshor, Arnold Shwentin, Nero Wood, Whitney Rios; Aleka Dufour, Makana Tuft (c), Iulianus Innocenti
Poafmersia Substitutes: Michael Jackson (Shwentin 71'); Ali Berger (Gori 80'); Kirsti Nieminen (Innocenti 87')

Ziwana 0–2 Poafmersia
Poafmersia Scorers: Aleka Dufour 61' (assisted by Matea Idowu); Monesty Erdos 87' (assisted by Matea Idowu)
Poafmersia Lineup (4-3-3): Shirou Amatore; Nasri Sanchez, Mitchel Rosales, Alex Hoboson (c), Natalia Abbott; Jordan Huerta, Woden Sweet, Michael Jackson; Matea Idowu, Aleka Dufour, Monesty Erdos
Poafmersia Substitutes: Ali Berger (Rosales 55'); Gisiik Moonar (Jackson 74')

Adnan warns against complacency ahead of crucial away trip to Sharktail
As reported on Poafmer Times
Fiskadaha FC - The Red Panjias will be making a trip to Melayu Archipelago to play Sharktail following their game against Pius Desurongcrandis tonight at the Libira National Stadium, and Adnan said that the remaining 3 games of the qualifiers will be "crucial" even as Poafmersia will likely secure a spot at least in the playoffs.

Speaking to reporters in the pre-match press conference, Adnan Suliaha said that the team should do their best to "keep the pressure on Audioslavia", and that he believes the Red Panjias should continue to put in their 100%. "Firstly, it is about the respect they accord to the match. Secondly, until we secure the ticket to Cassadaigua and Chromatika, the game isn't over. We need to keep the pressure on Audioslavia. If we can steal the top spot, we should do it. If we can't, at least get a top 6 runners-up position. But we can't be complacent, we need to realise that we could throw away the excellent position we are in if we mess up."

Adnan was also full of praises for the younger players. Mitchel Rosales, Michael Jackson, and Jordan Huerta were among the names mentioned. "While we have been putting in as ful strength a squad as possible, we have been giving opportunity for younger players to showcase their talents. Mitchel (Rosales), Jordan (Huerta) and Michael (Jackson) are some of the names off my head. They have been showing abilities to step up to the fore, competing for a starting spot." He also added that the team might be bringing in more players to make a cameo, suggesting that there would be more names than the originally named list for the remaining 3 games.

After tonight's game, Poafmersia will travel to Sharktail. This would be an important game for the hosts, considering that it would be the last home game of their star striker Gaby. Captain Makana Tuft said that the Red Panjias will join the hosts in any of the ceremonies conducted for the occassion. "The retirement of a star player is something that is widely celebrated, and we will hope that the travelling fans will join the hosts in the celebrations."

Poafmersia in drivers' seat to finish in top 2 - permutations heading into Matchday 16 (Part 1)
Article by Sporting Daily
Disclaimer: This article is part of a 2-part series, published in conjunction with Manclester Evening Daily of TGI. The second-half will be published with them.

Poafmersia took one step closer to qualification with two crucial wins against Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom and Ziwana, bringing them to 36 points. While 2 wins for Audioslavia meant that Poafmersia was unable to move into first place, Poafmersia remained top of the runners-up table and has a high chance of direct qualification. On the other hand, there are a number of groups out there with less straight forward finishes, going into the final 3 matchdays.

Q - Qualified for the World Cup.
P - Advanced to playoffs.
X - Assured of at least playoffs.
Y - Cannot win group, but can still qualify as one of best runners-up.
Z - Cannot qualify directly, but may still advance to playoffs.

Group 1

Teams in contention: Top seeds Kelssek, second seeds Drawkland, third seeds Kandorith, 6th seeds Tumbra
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- Kelssek (32 pts): Garbelia (a), Marigred (a), Revlona (h)
- Drawkland (30 pts): The Juniper Union (h), Tumbra (a), Kandorith (h).
- Kandorith (28 pts): Tumbra (h), Garbelia (a), Drawkland (a)
- Tumbra (26 pts): Kandorith (a), Drawkland (h), Gyatso-Kai (a)
Table
*  Group 1                                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kelssek                                    15   10   2   3    37   16  +21    32
 2 Drawkland                                  15    9   3   3    43   34   +9    30
 3 Kandorith                                  15    8   4   3    34   21  +13    28
 4 Tumbra                                     15    7   5   3    25   23   +2    26

Kelssek's path towards qualification is the easiest, having fixtures against 7th, 8th and 9th seeds. The 2nd spot isn't as straight forward, although Drawkland, Tumbra and Kandorith has games against each other over the next 3 matchday that could very well decide the winner. In the reverse, Drawkland defeated Juniper Union away on Matchday 7, but Kandorith and Tumbra had home draws against Garbelia and Gyatso-Kai respectively.

For Tumbra to stand any chance of getting into top 2, they have to claim wins against both Kandorith and Drawkland. Assuming Drawkland and Kandorith win against The Juniper Union and Garbelia respectively, the point totals going into Matchday 18 will be: Drawkland 33, Tumbra 32, Kandorith 31. Tumbra will need to win at Gyatso-Kai, while hoping Drawkland drop points to Kandorith to qualify.

For Kandorith to qualify, their first job will be to defeat Tumbra in Matchday 16, eliminating the latter, before producing a win away at Garbelia. If Drawkland does not drop any points over the next 2 matchdays, Kandorith will need to win at Drawkland to secure 2nd spot. The path will be similar for Drawkland, just that if they maintain their 2-point cushion, they will just need to avoid defeat to keep their 2nd spot. However, the point total will be crucial in deciding whether the team needs to play the playoffs to secure their spot.

Group 2

Teams in contention: Top seeds Vilita, second seeds Savojarna, third seeds Squornshelan Remnant States (SRS)
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- Vilita (33 pts): Pluvia and the Saxean Isles (a), Savojarna (h), Hebitaka (a)
- SRS (32 pts): Lisander (a), The 14 Stars (h), Eshialand (h)
- Savojarna (31 pts): Eshialand (h), Vilita (a), Devonta (h)
Table
*  Group 2                                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Vilita                                     15   10   3   2    30   16  +14    33
 2 Squornshelan Remnant States                15    9   5   1    34   23  +11    32
 3 Savojarna                                  15    9   4   2    31   23   +8    31

Except for a 6-pointer between Vilita and Savojarna, the 3 teams largely have rather manageable fixtures. Sure, there are tricky ones such as Savojarna's home trip to Lisander, but otherwise they are all winnable matches. Vilita vs Savojarna on Matchday 17 will be the most crucial fixture in the entire schedule. If Savojarna fails to defeat Vilita, they will be on the back seat going to Matchday 18, especially with a tricky match against Devonta, which they drew with during Matchday 9's reverse.

We should probably assumes everyone wins on Matchday 16. If Vilita defeats Savojarna at home on Matchday 17, Savojarna will have to hope SRS drops at least 3 points. If Vilita draws with Savojarna while SRS wins The 14 Stars, then SRS will take the advantage going into Matchday 18. (SRS 38, Vilita 37, Savojarna 35) If Vilita loses to Savojarna, then the last matchday will be even tighter. (SRS 38, Savojarna 37, Vilita 36)

Group 3

Teams in contention: Top seeds The Holy Empire, 2nd seeds Independent Athletes from Quebec (IAQ), 3rd seeds Sargossa, 7th seeds Silvedania
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- The Holy Empire (38 pts): Indusse (h), IAQ (a), Damukuni (h)
- IAQ (33 pts): Islands of Ventro (a), The Holy Empire (h), Silvedania (a)
- Sargossa (28 pts): Silvedania (h), Treekidistan (a), Indusse (a)
- Silvedania (25 pts): Sargossa (a), Indusse (a), IAQ (h)
Table
*  Group 3                                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 The Holy Empire (X)                        15   12   2   1    45   19  +26    38
 2 Independent Athletes from Quebec           15   11   0   4    47   24  +23    33
 3 Sargossa (Y)                               15    8   4   3    31   14  +17    28
 4 Silvedania (Y)                             15    7   4   4    15   12   +3    25

The Holy Empire has secured a top 2 spot, and may very well secure top spot on Matchday 17 if they defeat Indusse and don't lose away at Quebec. The Independent Atheltes from Quebec might be able to secure top 2 position if they defeat Islands of Ventro, and Sargossa loses to Silvedania on Matchday 16. The Holy Empire remains in prime spot to clinch top spot, with a 5 point cushion over IAQ and 2 home games against Indusse and Damukuni, teams they defeated in the reverse.

Silvedania and Sargossa are unable to overtake The Holy Empire, so only IAQ is within reach for both teams. At least one team might be eliminated on Matchday 16 when both of them meet.

Silvedania would need lots of results to go their way to qualify. First of all, they will have to defeat Sargossa on Matchday 16, a difficult task considering they were trashed 0-3 at home in the reverse. Then they need IAQ only get a maximum of 1 point from the remaining 3 games, while Silvedania will win all their matches, including a home game against IAQ.

For Sargossa, they would also need to defeat Silvedania on Matchday 16, and win their remaining games against Indusse and Treekidis. They need IAQ to only gain 3 points from 3 games, which could very well be relying on Silvedania to defeat IAQ once again on Matchday 18.

You may also take a look at the resolution of ties as follows:

Two way tie between Sargossa and IAQ
1) Head-to-head points: IAQ 6, Sargossa 0
2) Head-to-head GD: IAQ 3, Sargossa -3
IAQ will be ahead of Sargossa in this case.

Two way tie between Sargossa and Silvedania
1) Head-to-head points: Sargossa 3, Silvedania 0
2) Head-to-head GD: Sargossa 3, Silvedania -3
For Silvedania to be ahead of Sargossa, they will need to win Sargossa on MD16 by 4 or more. If Silvedania wins by 3, they will be tiebroken by GD. Else, Sargossa will be ahead.

Two way tie between IAQ and Silvedania
1) Head-to-head points: Silvedania 3, IAQ 0
2) Head-to-head GD: Silvedania 3, IAQ -3
For IAQ to be ahead of Silvedania, they will need to win Silvedania on MD18 by 4 or more. If IAQ wins by 3, they will be tiebroken by GD. Else, Silvedania will be ahead.

Three way tie between IAQ, Sargossa and Silvedania
1) Head-to-head points: IAQ 6, Sargossa 3, Silvedania 3
2) Head-to-head GD: IAQ 0, Sargossa 0, Silvedania 0
The exact head-to-head record will depend on Silvedania's matches against Sargossa and IAQ. The above values are based on the other 4 completed fixtures.

Group 4

Teams in contention: Top seeds Valanora, 4th seeds Abanhfleft
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- Valanora (37 points): Abanhfleft (h), The Grearish Union (a), Deniria (h)
- Abanhfleft (35 points): Valanora (a), Mytanija (h), Geektopia (a)
Table
*  Group 4                                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Valanora (X)                               15   11   4   0    30   15  +15    37
 2 Abanhfleft (X)                             15   11   2   2    44   24  +20    35

The top 2 has been known, the question is, who will be the group winners? Matchday 16's fixture will be the ultimate decider, as the winner will likely be in the drivers' seat for the top position. Even if either side loses, 41 points (for Abanhfleft) and 43 points (for Valanora) may be enought to bring the team to the automatic qualification spot. Abanfleft, however, will need to survive a visit by Mytanija, and a tricky trip to second seeds Geektopia, who failed to get their second appearance at the World Cup proper following their debut last cycle.

Group 5

Teams in contention: Top seeds Audioslavia, 2nd seeds Poafmersia, 3rd seeds Græntfjall
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- Audioslavia (37 points): Murphtannia (h), Græntfjall (h), Suimede (a)
- Poafmersia (36 points): Pius Desurongcrandis (h), Sharktail (a), Murphtannia (h)
- Græntfjall (29 points): Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom (h), Audioslavia (a), Ziwana (h)
Table
*  Group 5                                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Audioslavia                                15   12   1   2    24    8  +16    37
 2 Poafmersia                                 15   11   3   1    37   19  +18    36
 3 Græntfjall                                 15    9   2   4    38   24  +14    29

The Red Panjias may have defeated Græntfjall, but the road to guarenteed qualification isn't as simple as it looks. Audioslavia still has 2 tricky home games against Murphtannia and Græntfjall, while Poafmersia has a trip to Sharktail and a home game against Murphtannia. Being 7 points ahead of Græntfjall, it is likely that top 2 is secure. But to Adnan Suliaha and the team, they would not stop until qualification is in the bag. 9 points is what they will aim for, and they are very well within reach of doing that.

Group 6

Teams in contention: Top seeds Zwangzug, 2nd seeds Trolleborg, 3rd seeds Tequilo, 4th seeds Sylestone, 5th seeds Rangers FC, 7th seeds Sannyamathland, 10th seeds Bollonich.
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- Tequilo (30 points): Zwangzug (a), Sylestone (a), Talkasa (h)
- Zwangzug (27 points): Tequilo (h), Bollonich (a), Sylestone (h)
- Trolleborg (26 points): Rangers FC (a), Al Qurija (h), Sannyamathland (a)
- Sylestone (24 points): Sannyamathland (a), Tequilo (h), Zwangzug (a)
- Sannyamathland (23 points): Sylestone (h), Talkasa (a), Trolleborg (h)
- Bollonich (20 points): North Japan (h), Zwangzug (h), Rangers FC (a)
- Rangers FC (19 points): Trolleborg (h), North Japan (a), Bollonich (a)
Table
*  Group 6                                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Tequilo                                    15    9   3   3    28   18  +10    30
 2 Zwangzug                                   15    8   3   4    20   12   +8    27
 3 Trolleborg                                 15    8   2   5    18   12   +6    26
 4 Sylestone                                  15    6   6   3    14   11   +3    24
 5 Sannyamathland                             15    7   2   6    27   30   −3    23
 6 Bollonich (Z)                              15    6   2   7    22   23   −1    20
 7 Rangers FC (Z)                             15    5   4   6    25   27   −2    19

Before we start, it is worth informing you that the current direct qualification cutoff for runners-up is 32 points. That means this group is likely to be one of those groups where only the top qualifies directly, 2nd is hitting the playoffs. The race for top 2 is theoretically a 7-way race, but maybe some teams are already out. We can't tell! It is a complicated affair, but Matchday 16 will be especially crucial. Zwangzug hosts Tequilo, Rangers FC hosts Trolleborg, and Sannyamathland hosts Sylestone. After Matchday 16, the situation would likely be clearer.

Group 7

Teams in contention: Top seeds Baker Park, 2nd seeds Taeshan, 3rd seeds Savigliane, 4th seeds Juvencus
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- Baker Park (35 points): Central Antarctic Peninsula (h), Juvencus (h), Chartistan (a)
- Savigliane (34 points): Montaña Verde (a), Taeshan (h), Igratia (a)
- Juvencus (27 points): Igratia (h), Baker Park (a), Eraman (h)
- Taeshan (27 points): Eraman (h), Savigliane (a), Legalese (h)
Table
*  Group 7                                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Commonwealth of Baker Park                 15   11   2   2    40   20  +20    35
 2 Savigliane                                 15   10   4   1    36   20  +16    34
 3 Juvencus                                   15    8   3   4    32   27   +5    27*
 4 Taeshan                                    15    8   3   4    25   14  +11    27*
* Juvencus leads Taeshan on Head-to-head Points (Juvencus 6, Taeshan 0).

Right, so who shall blink first? It looks like the top 2 is going to be Baker Park and Savigliane, but the question is, who will be the one to blink and throw away points to let the other team qualify directly? The fixture list for both teams looks extremely similar. For Baker Park, the home game against the Central Antarcitc Peninsula will be easy, while the match against Chartistan might provide some difficulty. For Savigliane, the games against Igratia and Montaña Verde would be pretty average games. The crucial Matchday will likely be Matchday 17, where Juvencus travels to Baker Park and Taeshan travels to Savigliane. By some miracle, if both Baker Park and Savigliane suffer upset losses, while Taeshan and Juvencus wjin their games, it could very well allow Juvencus and Taeshan to make a late run for the World Cup ticket. But that looks improbable. What is more likely is that Baker Park will need to do as well, or even better against Juvencus as compared to what Savigliane does against Taeshan. It is tough, but it may very well be double direct qualification if both teams manage to win all their remaining games.

Group 8

Teams in contention: Top seeds Ko-oren, 2nd seeds Vdara, 3rd seeds HUElavia, 6th seeds Frestovenia
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- Ko-oren (37 points): HUElavia (h), Vdara (a), North Yorkshire (h)
- Vdara (31 points): Txakhaxi (a), Ko-oren (h), Barunia (a)
- HUElvaia (30 points): Ko-oren (a), Barunia (h), Aut-Ves-Nat (a)
- Frestovenia (30 points): Barunia (a), Aut-Ves-Nat (h), ZSeparatists (a)
Table
*  Group 8                                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ko-oren                                    15   12   1   2    36   12  +24    37
 2 Vdara                                      15   10   1   4    36   21  +15    31
 3 HUElavia                                   15    9   3   3    35   20  +15    30*
 4 Frestovenia                                15   10   0   5    31   19  +12    30*
* HUElavia leads Frestovenia on Head-to-head Points (HUElavia 6, Frestovenia 0).

Oh Barunia, how many points are you getting from your last 3 games? Jeez...they are playing all 3 teams that are looking for the 2nd place spot, so they definitely have a say in this. Barunia last drew Vdara, but lost to Frestovenia and HUElavia, so this would definitely heap pressure on Vdara, who are looking to get their second entry ticket into the World Cup proper.

But let us actually look at the 4 teams. To say that Ko-oren is safe would be overgeneralising the statement. Not with direct fixtures against Vdara and HUElavia upcoming. Two losses, and Ko-oren might serious be reconsidering how to keep that top spot. But to say that the last World Cup finalists aren't confident at all would be an understatement. A 1-1 draw away at HUElavia, and a 2-1 win home to Vdara in Matchday 7 and 8 meant that Ko-oren has confidence that they could at least salvage a draw. Not to mention that their 6-0 trashing of North Yorkshire, meant that the team would be confident of at least 5 points, a point tally enough to bring them across. Vdara would be careful not to perform worse than what HUElavia does against Ko-oren, in order to keep their precarious 1 point cushion. Among all of this mess is Frestovenia, who might be able to steal the 2nd spot if they can win every single of their game. That task isn't as difficult for Frestovenia, considering that they have manageable games against similar-ranked opponents. Every point likely matters, and Vdara and HUElavia needs to realise that as they enter the final stretch.

We also went on to calculate the tiebreakers between Frestovenia, HUElavia, Vdara and Ko-oren. You may also take a look at the resolution of ties as follows:

Two way tie between Frestovenia and HUElavia
1) Head-to-head points: HUElavia 6, Frestovenia 0
2) Head-to-head GD: HUElavia 4, Frestovenia -4
HUElavia will be ahead of Frestovenia in this case.

Two way tie between Frestovenia and Vdara
1) Head-to-head points: Vdara 3, Frestovenia 3
2) Head-to-head GD: Vdara 0, Frestovenia 0
This tie will be resolved via Goal Difference.

Two way tie between Frestovenia and Ko-oren
1) Head-to-head points: Frestovenia 3, Ko-oren 3
2) Head-to-head GD: Frestovenia 1, Ko-oren -1
Frestovenia will be ahead of Ko-oren in this case.

Two way tie between HUElavia and Vdara
1) Head-to-head points: HUElavia 3, Vdara 3
2) Head-to-head GD: HUElavia 2, Vdara -2
HUElavia will be ahead of Vdara in this case.

Two way tie between HUElavia and Ko-oren
1) Head-to-head points: HUElavia 4, Ko-oren 1
2) Head-to-head GD: HUElavia x, Ko-oren -x
There is one more game between Ko-oren and HUElavia, in Matchday 16, but for the two teams to require a tiebreaker between them, HUElavia needs to win that fixture. As a result, if this tiebreaker is necessary, HUElavia will be ahead of Ko-oren in this case.

Two way tie between Vdara and Ko-oren
1) Head-to-head points: Ko-oren 3, Vdara 0
2) Head-to-head GD: Ko-oren 1, Vdara -1
There is one more game between Ko-oren and Vdara, in Matchday 17. Ko-oren holds the head-to-head advantage, but there is a chance for Vdara to overturn this if they win against Ko-oren in that fixture.

Three way tie between Frestovenia, HUElavia and Vdara
1) Head-to-head points: HUElavia 9, Vdara 6, Frestovenia 3
In this case, HUElavia will be ahead of Vdara, which will in turn be ahead of Frestovenia.

Three way tie between Frestovenia, HUElavia and Ko-oren
1) Head-to-head points: HUElavia 10, Ko-oren 4, Frestovenia 3
As described in the tiebreak between HUElavia and Ko-oren, for a tie between the 2 teams to happen, HUElavia needs to defeat Ko-oren. As such, in this case, HUElavia will be ahead of Ko-oren, which will in turn be ahead of Frestovenia.

Three way tie between Frestovenia, Vdara and Ko-oren
1) Head-to-head points: Frestovenia 6, Ko-oren 6, Vdara 3
2) Head-to-head GD: Frestovenia 1, Ko-oren 0, Vdara -1
Matchday 17's game between Ko-oren and Vdara will play a role in deciding what this tiebreak will become. 
If Ko-oren draws with Vdara (a Ko-oren win will make this situation impossible), Ko-oren will be ahead of Frestovenia, followed by Vdara.
If Ko-oren loses to Vdara, then one of the following results may be obtained:
i) If Ko-oren loses by a goal, Frestovenia will be ahead of Vdara, followed by Ko-oren.
ii) If Ko-oren loses by 2 goals, Frestovenia and Vdara will be split by overall goal difference, but Ko-oren will be behind both teams.
iii) If Ko-oren loses by 3 goals or more, Vdara will be ahead of Frestovenia, followed by Ko-oren.

Three way tie between HUElavia, Vdara and Ko-oren
There could only be 3 point totals that Ko-oren has for this to happen. In this case, we will analyse by that condition.
i) Ko-oren has 37 points. Vdara will win 2 (including the game against Ko-oren) and lose 1; and HUElavia will win 2 (including the game against Ko-oren) and draw 1. 
In this case, the Head-to-head points will be: HUElavia 7, Vdara 6, Ko-oren 4. Therefore, HUElavia will be ahead of Vdara, who in turn is ahead of Ko-oren.
ii) Ko-oren has 38 points. This point total cannot be reached by HUElavia.
iii) Ko-oren has 39 points. This point total cannot be reached by Vdara.

Four way tie between Frestovenia, HUElavia, Vdara and Ko-oren
We established above that for this to happen, all 4 teams must be tied at 37 points. So Ko-oren would have lost to both Vdara and HUElavia. In that case:
1) Head-to-head points: Frestovenia 6, HUElavia 13, Vdara 9, Ko-oren 7.
In this case, HUElavia will be first, followed by Vdara in 2nd, Ko-oren in 3rd, and Frestovenia in 4th.

Group 9

Teams in contention: Top seeds Newmanistan, 2nd seeds Omerica, 3rd seeds Flavovespia, 5th seeds Darkmania
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- Newmanistan (38 points): Omerica (a), The Gothanita Isles (h), The Hainan Union (a)
- Omerica (32 points): Newmanistan (h), Darkmania (a), Flavovespia (h)
- Flavovespia (27 points): Darkmania (h), Osarius (h), Omerica (a)
- Darkmania (25 points): Flavovespia (a), Omerica (h), The Gothanita Isles (a)
Table
*  Group 9                                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Newmanistan (X)                            15   12   2   1    54   27  +27    38
 2 Omerica                                    15   10   2   3    39   21  +18    32
 3 Flavovespia (Y)                            15    8   3   4    21   10  +11    27
 4 Darkmania (Y)                              15    8   1   6    28   26   +2    25

The top 2 play on Matchday 16, while the 3rd and 4th play for survival. It is a particularly cruel fixture list for Omerica, who play the teams that are fighting with them for a top 2 spot. A win for Newmanistan would secure them the top spot on Matchday 16. If they draw, Newmanistan needs a point from the remaining 2 games. If Newmanistan loses, they will need to produce 4 points from their remaining 2 games to keep top spot.

Omerica has a tough road ahead. There are a variety of combinations where they keep 2nd spot, such as defeating Flavovespia on Matchday 18, winning both Newmanistan and Omerica, hoping Darkmania lose to Flavovespia while they obtain a win at Newmanistan. However, all 3 games aren't easy games. It gives the remaining 2 teams an open path to capturing the 2nd spot, and if Omerica does not produce enough results, it may cause them to slip below 2nd place.

by **Electrum** » Thu May 27, 2021 6:29 am

The Turnip: There's No Point Writing At All Because No One's Going To Read It Anyways
by Sweet-T, citizen journalist

In a blow to budding creative writers across the multiverse, a study has found that at least ninety percent of all writing will never be read by anyone. Throw away your intricately designed storylines with machinations involving a goat usurping power taking advantage of a wheat shortage, and throw away those meticulous analyses of football matches, which is all the multiverse seems to want us to read these days, and start spending more time at home with your turnips/kids/fur babies/indoor plants/the tiny dwarf superman in your drawer.

This study only confirms the recent anecdotal evidence of people not reading other people's work. In a conversation that The Turnip has secretly recorded, a journalist was speaking to an unnamed individual and asked them whether the individual had read the journalist's article on a fifth tier Calvinball team's annual general meeting. Of course, the individual, not wanting to hurt feelings said, "Oh yeah! That was quite the enjoyable read! I read every part of that article in intricate detail, especially the part where you had the title and everything, and you can test me on it if you wish."

Of course, pointing out a specific, perhaps even obscure detail of the writing in question (after a cursory glance, not reading it) made it seem like they read the article but they broke the cardinal sin of not reading something: which is asking to be tested on the contents of the article. After a predictably failing to identify who had seized control of the team (it was the goalkeeper's third mum), the writer/journalist was now paranoid of every single interaction they had with their supposed readers. They recounted to us about some of their troubling questions. Who else had not read their articles that they had clearly spent so much time and effort on? Is my writing good enough to attract the attention of millions of people? Or am I writing this for an audience of one?

Wait a minute. Who's going to even read this article? Who would honestly take the time out of their day and read the ramblings of a satirical magazine that is only syndicated in one of the world's worst countries? And why do all of our articles feel like they are written in the same way, even though they ostensibly have different writers in the by-line? And why is half of this article just questions? It just seems like poor writing really? Was that a question? How will this article even end? Those questions I wrote earlier -- do they apply to me? HELP! Oh so that's how the article ended.

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