World Cup 88- Roleplay Thread

[Trolleborg]

First part of this story
Second part
Third part
Four part

Quirija is not one of the most famous teams in the world, spend entire tournament in the last positions of the table, and Norra, looking at the field, could not understand in any way how this team managed to defeat Trolleborg, considered as one of the group favourites, in the first half of tournament. Was there really a bitter truth in the indignant words of the fans?

The guests did not show any particular interest in the game, preferring to just fight back - either they were tired during the season, or they lost their motivation to participate in the tournament. The center of the field on the direction of the Trolleborg goal was crossed for a long time by almost only the ball.
The hosts, on the other hand, pressed on, as expected, driven by the stands, which reacted noisily to every action. Norra caught herself on the fact that she, too, instinctively jumps up with her neighbors and starts waving her paws like them, and sometimes she picks up chanting and singing. The hosts footballers played, as always, quickly moving across the field, trying to pass the ball in one touch, and if having lost it, they immediately applied pressing the opponents' players, trying not to give them even a half-second to think. In the first ten minutes, Mahmud Maksimovic twice saved the guests in dangerous situations and once knocked the ball out while bravely throwing himself into the fight. Not having achieved success immediately, the hosts then tried long-range shots several times, but Maksimovic coped with them too, although not without difficulty. Norra thought it was going to be quiet now. People really can’t run at that speed for the entire game? But that was not the case, the hosts' footballers increased the pace again, and the stadium roared even louder. The Quirijans seemed to bend under the pressure of this noise, like trees from the wind. And so it happened, the guests wavered. Some of Trolleborg's midfielders pretend to be shooting from the point just out of the penalty area, and then made an accurate and treacherous pass forward, where a striker in green came as out of nowhere, like out of the ground, and used the moment of freedom he got as no better, shoting accurately and cunningly. The flight of the ball was so fast that it was barely noticeable, Maksimovic just rushed towards, but only managed to slow ball down. Two defenders drove inside the gate in a desperate attempt to save the situation, but both failed. The hosts' fans were jubilant and hugged everyone, someone set off fireworks at two places on the stands, a huge human wave went around the stands no less seven times. And again - running at a crazy pace, attacks, strikes, change of speed and again attacks and shots, the roar of the stands, singing and jumping in place to the beat of the singing.

When the match was over, Norra did not immediately understand this, she was so stunned from the all this noise and emotions. It became clearer to her when it seemed to be dawn around the stadium - a beautiful bright fireworks were banging over the stadium. And, having come to her senses a little, she then saw Trolleborg players were standing in the center of the field and bowing in all four directions, and felt how one of the neighbors was strangling her in a joyful embrace, and another neighbor was clap both her and the first neighbor being absolutely delighted, and, it seems, does not even realize what he is doing. Yes, for this it was worth to go and fly so far! How much countries leaving the big sport lost while deprived themselves of such emotions!

[Oberour Ar Moro]

Jean Calvaire felt like there should be some noise.

Some kind of whooshing noise, like air rushing out, or rushing in. Or perhaps a kind of churning noise, or crackling energy, or something. Anything.

But no. There in the middle of the room, like a doorway from a living room to a dining room. Just in this case it was seemingly a gateway from this plane to another.

“The Quiet Lands…” Calvaire heard a voice from his right. It was Phelipes la Galeranne, looking toward the center of the room with an indescribable look on his face. Fear? Awe? Though Jean wasn’t entirely sure how he felt either.

Jean looked back at the...the Quiet Lands? Right there in the center of the room? It looked like a passage into a street, some kind of back alley. But foggy and gray. And was the fog spreading into the lab? Jean waved his hand in front of his face, trying to clear the air. But it felt like he was suspended in water. And it wasn’t a fog. He realized the color in the room seemed to be desaturating.

Was the sound and color disappearing into whatever was in the center of the room? Was whatever it was eating the sound and color?

“Phelipes…” Jean could barely speak, he felt muffled. He tried to speak louder “Phelipes…!”

He didn’t seem to notice him at all. “It’s amazing…” la Galeranne murmured, slowly starting to walk towards the portal he’d helped create.

“We have to turn this off…” Jean spoke again, tried to move, and found it almost impossible.

Phelipes la Galeranne kept walking towards the center of the room, lifting his arm, stretching it forward. As he walked, the blue of his shirt, the brown of his shoes started to fade into grays.

Jean Calvaire couldn’t understand how la Galeranne was able to move at all, but still wanted to urge him to stop. But Phelipes la Galeranne, almost entirely monochrome now, reached out again to where the Quiet Lands began. It was as if he had touched a puddle in a hole in the asphalt. It rippled out then rebounded to la Galeranne’s hand. And it continued across la Galeranne’s form, and then rebounded again, and he seemingly dissolved completely from existence.

“Good God!” Calvaire found his voice as he fell backwards from shock. He stared as the ripples continued in the portal, the skin of which became choppy and rough. He felt like he was waking up from a dream. The pressures on his head seemed to be lessening, and he could start to hear more. A siren, for one. A blinking red warning light seemed to be fighting the fog. And he could feel a rumbling below him.

He felt a hand around his upper arm. “Come on!” It was the scientist George Redfield, starting to pull him towards the exit. “This place is about to go up!”

Calvaire started scuttling backwards, eyes fixed on the center of the room. The gateway in reality itself seemed to be breaking itself apart, and was taking everything else with it. Calvaire shook his head and leapt up, turned around, and started to run.

On foot, alone, he escaped from the facility. He collapsed onto a sand dune, and watched as it exploded. He sat and stared at where the center laboratory had stood, wondering if that hole in reality was truly gone.

---

“I’ve read your report Calvaire.”

Jean Calvaire sat at attention in the cool industrial office of his division chief a week later. The old man lightly tossed the folder onto his desk and rubbed the temple of his head with his pointer finger.

“We’re carefully bringing attention to this matter to the appropriate ministries. There are associates of Oath of Philosophy that need to be taken care of. Not to mention Pensirot’s involvement.” The chief continued in his soft voice.

“And what happened in Jabal Akhdar?” Calvaire asked.

The chief paused. “That will have to be examined further in kapnography,” he responded carefully.

Calvaire leaned back into his chair. Anything going to kapnography would probably never be seen by his type again. But this is probably for the best.

“I’m taking you off of assignment, effective immediately.” The chief added, almost as an afterthought as he turned to look at the Oberour Ar Moro flag on a pole in the corner. Jean’s shoulders slumped. He thought about arguing and fighting for his job, but he recognized he shouldn't and honestly couldn’t. He’s gotten too close to something he shouldn’t have.

“We’ll coordinate a period of leave. You will be required to meet with the proper medical and mental health officers. When you return we’ll finalize your new post and identity. You’ll be provided a new nom de guerre, of course. But…” the chief turned back and leaned forward, his arms on his desk, looking forward.

“Jean Calvaire will return.”

---

In a darkened room far from Jabal Akhdar, George Redfield dialed a secure number and waited as it connected.

“Redfield?” the voice on the other end asked.

“Yes, sir,” Redfield responded. He continued, somewhat unsure of himself. “Unfortunately Phelipes la Galeranne proved to be a dangerous fanatic.”

“Just as I said he would,” the voice responded sternly. “His funding for the project was appreciated though.”

“This is true. I recovered the data on the experiment. The originals were destroyed with the laboratory. Of course I activated the self-destruct.” Redfield added, seemingly trying to impress.

“I knew that I could count on you Redfield.” the voice reassured him. “You will send me the results immediately.”

“Right after this call, of course.”

“I understand there was a man there we weren’t expecting. What of him?” The man asked, full of curiosity.

“I am not sure. But all he can know is that la Galeranne is gone and the original portal is destroyed. Whomever he is they can’t make any connection to you,” Redfield said in a reassuring tone.

“If you discover anything further, update me immediately,” the voice responded sternly, causing Redfield to visibly recoil. But the voice continued, his voice again honeyed. “Your continued work on my behalf is appreciated.”

“Yes.” Redfield responded, honestly appreciative. “Thank you Comte de Brumes. Goodbye.”

At his home, before a raging fire, the Comte de Brumes hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. His hand rested on his knee, and he started to tap his fingers.

[Sarzonia]

The finality of playing the last World Cup qualifying match of his career set in for midfielder Brady Reynolds in the 68th minute as he jogged off the pitch with captain's armband in hand, giving it to Clayton Wilson.

For his final World Cup qualifier, the Stars opted to give Reynolds the opportunity to wear the armband. He protested the decision by interim manager Nathan Hanifer until he found out Wilson was behind the push.

Instead of simply sitting on the players' bench as was his rarely-used custom when he was substituted for, he accepted hugs from his teammates. In fact, after he grabbed the sport drink handed to him, he went behind the bench, sat down and cried.

It's really over, he thought, shooing away a staffer who went to check on him. Four World Cup qualifying campaigns. One appearance in the proper. A stunning comeback win against eventual finalists Banija. A third place finish in a Cup of Harmony.

And now, there was a question about whether the Stars would play anymore football. There was a possibility that Sarzonia would send a so-called "B"-team to the next AOCAF. More importantly, there was a good chance that Sarzonia would decline a potential invitation to the Cup of Harmony since Krytenia were named one of the co-hosts. That point hadn't been decided, of course, but the Board of Governors were about to take a hotly-contested vote as soon as the Squidroidia match went final.

After the team made it back to the dressing room, they got a text from IFF Chairman Zack Wilson. The Board vote was level. He had the tiebreaking vote. Several players's hearts sank. They knew Zack Wilson would have voted against had he not held his vote in order to break a tie.

However, when Clayton, Zack's son read a text from Zack, it read, "I voted in favour. Love, Dad." Zack Wilson would cite the fact that Hanifer was adamant about playing. There was pressure from Health and Athletics to decline, but Zack Wilson knew that some of Sarzonia's best diplomacy took place between the chalk lines.

Brady Reynolds's career was ending soon. Hopefully not now, but nothing was certain in these strange times.

[Talamia]

TALAMIA ADVENTURE IN THE 88th WORLD CUP

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages. It's Monday and you know what that means.

The time has come to take a look at the recap of this exciting, second Talamian adventure in the 88th World Cup qualifiers.

But first, here are two important announcements from the last few days:"

Dionùso Stadium, Anen - 23:00 CEST

"Good evening everyone, I am Auxe Aggelia and I am outside the Talamian changing room inside the Dionùso stadium in Anen. As difficult as it may be to find words in a moment like this, after the defeat that occurred against Arklanda and our elimination from the DSAFF Comrades Cup, I am going to interview Ansem Egemon, our captain, our rock. Hi Ansem, it's a pleasure to be able to talk to you. What happened tonight?"

"I don't know, Auxe. I still can't explain it to myself. It didn't have to happen and above all it didn't have to happen like that, in front of our audience. Congratulations to Arklanda. However, we obviously did not give our best. And for this I will never be able to forgive myself. We will never have to forgive ourselves."

"What does the future have in store, Ansem?"

"Dear Auxe, these are the moments that define a career. I am 38 years old and I feel I have given so much, everything to this shirt, to these colors. I'm one of the senators of this team. I contributed to Talamia's arrival on the international football scene. The time has come for me to give space to young people, to those who deserve more than me, to those who have more kilometers in their legs. The time has come to step aside. I can't hold back the emotion, sorry. This is not a retirement. Ptoco is my home and will continue to be home for at least next season. But, this shirt, I feel I can no longer deserve it after tonight. Now I'm sorry but I have to go and tell the boys."

After the bitter failure both in the Comrades Cup and in the World Cup qualifiers, the TSS (Talamia Sports Summaka) and Sanisla Pedalisismi decided to terminate the coach's contract by mutual consent. The 75-year-old, symbol of Talamian football will leave his position as coach. TSS has already made known the replacement of Pedalisismi: Ensem Eio, record holder of appearances in the history of the Alfa League and former coach of Alla Fofokoy, a team with which he spent most of his professional career and with which won the Alfa League as coach in the 2019/2020 season. Ensem Eio inherits a very heavy scepter, after the home defeat suffered yesterday night.

His appointment as the Hoopoe's coach means that Alla Fofokoy's bench is now rambling. The archers are now looking for a new coach. It opens up to the possibility of the first foreign coach on an Alfa League bench.

"Despite the excellent performance provided by our national team, two hundred and twenty-first in the ranking before the start of the qualifiers, we are witnessing the end of an era. It is the beginning of a new cycle. Without Ansem Egemon and Sanisla Pedalisismi, Talamia will never be the same again. And the revolution could start as early as the next Cup of Harmony.

For me, of course, this represents a great pain. I myself grew up watching Sanisla play on television, and then commenting on every game Ansem Egemon played with Ptoco. But let's see how it really went for our Hoopoes.

We kept the dream alive until the penultimate day. This must do us honor. The dream was called "play-offs". We could never have hoped to win the group and qualify directly. Furthermore, with the goal difference we had, we could never have thought of finishing second and qualifying directly. We were aiming for a place in the play-offs. Although, it must be admitted, our main objective was not to make a bad impression and not to concede too many points. Did we succeed? We have done much more than that. We have shown attachment to the shirt and colors, honor and respect for our audience.

After a surprising (by our standards) first round , Talamia was in third position, behind San Ortelio (tied on points) and Jeruselem. Two defeats were granted: against San Ortelio itself, and the unexpected defeat against Seguidores de la grasas. In addition, there were two draws: against Siovanija and Teusland and against Jeruselem. An enviable roadmap, also maintained in the second round.

In fact, the table is clear: we could not have done better than this. With three consecutive victories, in the final of the group we confirmed the third place, just behind Jeruselem and San Ortelio. Our compliments go out to these two incredible teams. We wish them all the best for the upcoming World Cup.

What does the future hold for us? Only time will tell. For now, let's hope Ensem Eio can give his all on the national team bench, just like he did on Alla Fofokoy's bench. We, as always, will be watching and cheering. And remember: you can only do it here, on Pro Diorux TV: are you a sports devote? Pick up your TV remote!"

[Audioslavia]

Bulls Brace for Impact
’Biggest Cup for a Generation’ says Rohan Cammers

Before qualifying began (remember that? the before times?), Audiosalvia’s Apoxian manager Rohan Cammers had suggested that the true battle lay not with avoiding another two defeats in the one-sided Beef and Potato Derby but instead in outlasting and outpacing their Poafmer opponents over the course of a long qualifying campaign.

The group kicked off, as all too many groups do, with Poafmersia defeating Audioslavia, and finished with the Potato Farmers ahead of Audioslavia at the top, but there are three positives Cammers can take away from a tricky qualifying campaign.

Firstly, the side’s first win over their Potatoverlords, a 1-0 win at the Arena Kirola that drew relieved cheers from the home fans come the final whistle, as the Bulls rode their luck all the way to the finishing line.

Secondly, and most importantly, qualification. It may be as the fastest of fastest losers, but the defeats came to the sides that would finish first, third and fourth and all were just about edged on aggregate. A point earned away at a struggling Zeta Reka side the only other blemish on their record.

Thirdly, and least importantly: At least Poafmersia actually finished ahead of us this time. There would be no back-room machinations to prevent Audioslavian progression this time….

Ah yes. Back room machinations and Audioslavian progression. That brings us neatly to the subject of…

‘I’m not here to promote Anaia’ said Rohan Cammers, folding his arms stubbornly at the press conference following the final day win at Suimede. ‘Look out over the ocean and you won’t see much difference between the old world and this new one we’ve built for ourselves, except maybe Iskandervale looming over the horizon. Things stay the same for the Bulls. It’s a World Cup and it’s been too long since this team has been able to properly compete in one."

He’s not wrong. World Cup 76 was the last time the Bulls won a knockout game in the multiverse’s premier tournament. There are those who think Audioslavia’s chances may depend on whether they play in Chromatika or Cassadaigua, with fraternal encouragement expected in one and a less generous reception from the wider international community in the other. Though Cammers avoided the question, it’s fair to say the popularity of Audioslavia on the international stage has taken a hit since the Foxchester Incident, with the sudden and unceremonious breaking of ties with long time regional home Atlantian Oceania and the hardening of the formerly soft border between that and Anaia that, soon after, became a fully fledged desertion.

Though teams from AO still very much rule the roost on the international stage, it’s the Anaians who have had a swagger in their step right now. Despite what the stats may say and what reality insists upon, the teams from the multiverse's most head-scratching region feel a sense of unearned optimism ahead of the tournament. Despite dismissing the importance of the rebalancing of the regional see-saw, Cammers admits that it may be Audioslavia's most important World Cup tournament for a generation. "Do well, and it gives everyone a boost, a reason to feel optimistic about the future. Another first or second round exit and people might start wondering what all the fuss was about."

Twelve cycles ago, the Bulls won a knockout match of World Cup football - something they haven't done since. Twelve cycles before that, the Bulls entered World Cup 64 wearing a fetching third kit in familiar colours.

It's been 24 cycles since Audioslavia last wore its region's colours on the world stage.
The solitary star dates this kit to World Cup 64 - a tournament the Bulls won

Alternate kits in regional colours aren't common - I mean who wants to wear the same colours as your rivals, and what would be the point in your regional championships - Kirola have decided to go all-in on taking advantage of the Anaia situation.

Kirola are Anaia’s second best kit manufacturer

Both kits pair the shirts with purple shorts and white socks. Though unlikely to be used in the actual tournament, Kirola announced that the two clients who’ll be gracing the grandest stage will have a third kit at their disposal in case of colour clash or, more likely, in case of a sudden desire to act like a douche against an Atlantian Oceanian team. For the Bulls, lining up in purple may cause some consternation among hardcore fans, while for Chromatika having any colours at all is a massive left-turn. Either way, the option to dress like the cartoon bad guy team in a 90s made-for-TV Disney movie about a kids soccer club is totally on the table.

The draw for the first round of the World Cup is slated to take place shortly after the playoffs, with between four and eight teams from each sporting region (including 'IAC Elligible' as one region) expected it make it to the first round. The seedings make an all Anaia/AO group unlikely, with the AOers almost all in pots one and two and the Anaians spread more thinly, but the popcorn-and-fireworks scenario remains possible. Cammers has stated he doesn't care where Audioslavia's opponents come from - any and all of the teams in pots one and two make for a hellishly difficult game. The only good news is that, with both teams in pot three, Audioslavia and Poafmersia cannot be drawn together.

In other news, misunderstood trade organisation and Occasional Orbital Ignore Cannon Aeronautics Agency (OOICAA!) NEATO have given themselves a logo that more accurately affects their status as just-trying-to-shift-some-grain-guv-honest traders rather than the elite ninja unit It accidentally portrayed itself as in the events after the Thing What We Did.

"Who’s a cute lil’ fox? D’aww I can’t stay mad at you" :- Everyone
"Maybe drop the crown thing though, it's cringe" :- Actually Everyone

[Hampton Island]

(Conversation between Stafford City Stadium CEO and his assistant)

CEO: We hold Nephara again. Other nations should be calling us up and asking us how we do it.

Assistant: Impressive to say the least that Edwin has two clean sheets against Nephara. It really goes to show what we are capable of accomplishing if we can hold them.

CEO: Sports can be weird like that, you know. You have two teams who, on paper, are not evenly matched. One team should be better than the other, but they just can’t get a result against them. Playing styles are a big part of it, sometimes you just run into an opponent that does not allow you to play your strengths as well as you can. Apparently we are that team for Nephara, at least in these last two games.

Assistant: It’s a great system that we have in place. I know they say chicks dig the long ball, or in this case, chicks dig goals, but we have other exciting things out there.

CEO: Our long ball game is pretty good though.

Assistant: It is an underrated component of the team. What did you think about those animal rights protestors this morning, claiming we are being cruel to the bears?

CEO: Oh, them? A bunch of morons, I looked at the signs they have, and I swear if you are going to write a protest sign, think it out before you write it. Spell the words correctly, and use proper spacing. I love these idiots who make the first few letters of their sign so big that they then have to write the last few letters so small to fit them in. That is enough for me to know that they are morons.

Assistant: That’s true. They say there is going to be a protest about our usage of bears at City Hall, and then protests, I think, in Marquette and Riverhead.

CEO: Why the hell do I care about a protest in bleeping Marquette? Don’t they know that I can’t stand anything to do with that city?

Assistant: I don’t know, sir.

CEO: Again, shows how dumb protestors are. If you believe in your cause, go to the place where the actions are taking place. Marquette? Yeah, have at it in Marquette, dimwits. And then Riverhead, who the hell cares.

Assistant: I agree. It makes them feel better.

CEO: Good. Let them pat themselves on the back afterward.

Assistant: And what about the one at City Hall?

CEO: Couldn’t care less.

Assistant: Fair enough.

CEO: I was looking at our playoff opponent, and it shocked me. I could have sworn Busoga Islands was qualifying out of that group in the top spot. Pasarga was handing them the group in the first half. And they blew it.

Assistant: After nine games, Busoga Islands held a nine point lead on Pasarga.

CEO: How the hell do you blow that?

Assistant: They were 5-2-2 in both legs, you have to give Pasarga the credit there more than blaming Busoga Islands.

CEO: I don’t care, you don’t blow a nine point lead at halfway. They had it in the bag, and should have at least got one of those automatic spots.

Assistant: Well, I disagree with you a little bit there. Pasarga just went on a great run.

CEO: You know what I like the most about Busoga Islands?

Assistant: What?

CEO: That they didn’t cave into the pressure to blindly follow other Atlantian Oceania nations into that new region of Anaia. They were loyal to Atlantian Oceania. Loyalty to your roots, that is a good thing. It shows that they have a lot of character and pride as a nation.

Assistant: I suppose.

CEO: A couple nations get bored with it. Oh, we want to do something else because we’re bored. Let’s just randomly break away from a long time region. Others say, ‘oh boy, let’s do that too’, forgetting all of the great moments that they had in Atlantian Oceania. But Busoga Islands? They were loyal, man. They didn’t need to go jump ship just because a few of their neighbors were bored. President Kaskende, kudos to you. Strong and firm! If I were the President of Hampton Island, I would love to meet that man. That was a brave and gutsy move of his to stay loyal.

Assistant: Well, with your connections, maybe you could arrange a meeting.

CEO: That’s right, you know, I may not be the President of Hampton Island, but I am the President of this stadium. We’ll get an invitation to President Kaskende when his nation comes here the most luxurious treatment at the stadium, if he wanted to come to the game, and I could really get to know that man well.

Assistant: Have you ever thought about running for President?

CEO: Lately, yes. Yes, I have been.

[Abanhfleft]

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

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Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Football Fallacies
with The Man from Markovsky

BECAUSE OF COURSE WE WOULD

Hello and welcome to The Football Fallacies. Right, so here we are, standing on the edge of a potential automatic qualification to the bloody World Cup for the first time in almost an entire bastard decade. The women's national team only really needed to do one thing in order to ensure that we had a better chance of automatic qualifying than when we entered this international break, and that was to win against Geektopia. Sounds simple, right? I mean, we've already done it before. Win against Geektopia, I mean. Even just one bastard goal was going to be more than enough for us. At least it would show that we did everything we could to regain the position that we lost after that disaster that was the previous international break. And what did we get as our just rewards? Nothing, that's what! Literally! We got a nil-nil goal and now we have to play against Yuezhou on a two-legged playoff! Christ above! It was all plain sailing until the last few qualifying matches! Oh well. That's Abanhfleft for you.

It probably doesn't help our cause at all that this was perhaps one of the most mind-numbing and incredibly limpid displays of football I have ever witnessed. Geektopia aren't even interested in trying to score a goal, which means all of the entertainment value has to come from us, and judging by how many times the lasses missed the literally open goal in front of them (!), the entertainment was more of the "why can't they fucking score!?" kind than the "Look at how many goals they can score!" kind. I cannae tell you the number of times I hit my head on the desk because of a missed chance while watching this qualifier because there were just so many. It must have been at least fifteen because that was the number of shots that the team registered. That's not shots on target, lads, just shots on goal. Just bloody godawful! What the fuck happened to the team that could score at will? What happened to the team that could score at least three goals away from home? Well, I mean, we finally got the bastard clean sheet, but at what cost? Not being able to score an away goal, that's what. And once you get these girls frustrated, you're bound to see a marked increase in tackles, yellow cards, and even the occasional red card when someone just takes it a little too far. Thankfully nobody received their marching orders for an early shower, but I have to admit that I was clenching my arsehole just waiting for the inevitable.

So it's the playoffs then, against the nation of Yuezhou. Perhaps not the country I would have wanted us to be drawn against, but then again, there are some better and badder nations out there that I would rather not face with this bunch of bottlejobs. God fucking damn it. We had a bloody clear shot at automatic qualification, but of course we had to blow it like the bunch of losers that we are. Atheara, Mytanija, even bloody Valanora... Those countries are going to haunt my nightmares for weeks to come. Bloody Nora. Anyway, that's all that there is from me. If you've somehow managed to find something to talk about in this match then feel free to leave them in the comments down below. Until then, I've been the Man from Markovsky, hopelessly disappointed in our country.

        GEEKTOPIA 0 - 0 ABANHFLEFT
MATKOWSKI (█ 25')       SEGOVIA (█ 70')
  WITRAGO (█ 49')       KLEIST (█ 75')
                        WOODWARD (█ 82')
                        FLEET-STREET (█ 89')
                        McGINNIS (█ 90+2')

(No goalscorers so I've decided to show cards)

[Busoga Islands]

OOC Note: Pasarga match details given to me by Pasarga. St. Trinians gave me permission to RP his match how I liked. As I was not involved either of their matches, anything RP'd by St. Trinians/Grandistania or Pasarga/Gatchingerrak Union for those matches should be considered official IC canon for those matches instead of what is RP'd below.

The Busoga Chronicle
The Islands #1 News Source!

World Cup Qualifying Final Day- Live Blog


The visiting fan section in the Freeport Isles

FREEPORT ISLES- The Final Day is upon us. And as always, the five matches for Group 16 will be played all at the same time. For this time zone in the Glorious Southwest, that means a nice kickoff time of 6:30 PM local. We all know what's at stake- a draw or a win puts us, at minimum, in the World Cup Qualifying playoffs. A loss leaves us at the mercy of events in the St. Trinians game. And, of course, if a heavily favored Pasarga wins at home, then they in all likelihood will clinch a ticket to the World Cup Finals.

Here are today's matchups. Home team, obviously, listed first.

Freeport Isles v. Busoga Islands
Ethane v. Blouman Empire
Pasarga v. Gatchingerrak Union
St Trinians v. Grandistania
Ancherion v. West Zirconia

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6:31 PM: And all five matches are off! Like we said, we're going to focus primarily on events here in Freeport, but with an eye out on events in Pasarga and St. Trinians. We won't talk about the Ethane and Ancherion games, since neither of those games have any effect on Busoga's final standing in the table.

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6:37 PM: Seventh minute opportunity for Artem Kohut! A 1-2 played at the top of the box sees him fire towards goal, but directly at the Freeport goalkeeper, who knocks the ball down and dives on it to prevent any sort of rebound.

---

6:40 PM: It's been an ambitious start here in Freeport for the Busoga Islands. It's 0-0 here, and in Pasarga and St. Trinians so far. If scores hold, of course, Busoga will advance to the World Cup Qualification Playoffs. But Bumba's squad is getting after it. We're playing aggressively, trying to get the ball in behind the defense. Some of our weight passes are too strong, and we haven't looked particularly great in the final third, but we're getting the ball down there and keeping it down there. The runs are there, we need some better crosses. Freeport's defense is also doing a great job of getting their body in the way of shots.

---

6:43 PM: A chance in St. Trinians! Comfort Maitland in behind the defense, for a one on one opportunity with the Grandistania goalkeeper. However, Regulus Bardsley came out, cut down the angle, made himself big, and made an incredible foot save to knock the ball out of bounds and ensured that the score stayed 0-0. Remember, a St. Trinians win with a Busoga loss would put them in the top two, and put us on the first flight to Graentfjall/Krytenia.

---

6:47 PM: A free kick by Cicek Aga just barely missed. She had an opportunity from about 25 yards, and some great bending action meant that the goalkeeper just stood there, watching and hoping that the ball would miss the corner. The ball was probably less than a foot over the bar, as the Freeport keeper put his hands together in thanks. What an opportunity.

---

6:50 PM: With the Islanders getting the lion's share of the opportunities in the first 20 minutes in Freeport, Busogan fans have made their voices heard loud and clear. Our estimate, after a scan of the stadium, is that around 40% of the fans here are Busogan fans. And it makes sense- so much at stake, a regional neighbor.

---

6:57 PM: THERE"S A GOAL IN ST. TRINIANS! Of the three teams still competing for World Cup Qualifying places, it is St. Trinians who become the first to draw blood. They have the longest shot of the three- they have a must win, and then need some help to get into the top two. A cross from Ilsa De Grandhomme found the head of Alyson Granger, who had a step on her defender. She rose up and headed powerfully home, and the goalkeeper didn't have a chance. It sent the home fans in St. Trinians into ecstasy. This meant the live table was now at 35 Pasarga, 35 Busoga, 34 St. Trinians. Could the #232 team in World Cup Qualifying really finish in the top two?

---

7:04 PM: IT"S BORISKA NAGY IN PASARGA! After a goal report from St. Trinians, the pressure is really being put on the Busoga Islands as there is a goal report from Pasarga. It was an efficient play from the top ranked team in the group. A perfect through ball from Szalyk Földessy to Júlia Müller got her in behind the Seven Stars defense, and the goalkeeper was in her sights. Unselfishly, as the goalkeeper came out, she sent the ball across on the ground, and Nagy was able to tap the ball into an empty net. After a tumultous World Cup Qualifying campaign for the Wanderers, the reaction was not one of crazy celebration but of palpable relief, as the result we all expected going in finally started to be in play- Pasarga winning this group.

---

7:11 PM: PENALTY HERE IN FREEPORT! Over the course of the last 20 or so minutes, the Freeport Isles have begun to turn the tide. They've began to get forward, and get some shots on target, although never really troubling goalkeeper Mustafa Taal. A Freeport winger took a hard tackle from Goving Nigam in the box, and the referee blew the whistle, pulled out his yellow card, and pointed to the spot. It was a 50/50 call, but one that VAR will not overturn.

---

7:13 PM: SAVE! It was a longer VAR check than we expected, but Nigam's yellow stood and the penalty was awarded. Freeport's penalty taker stepped up to take the kick. He went to the goalkeeper's left. Mustafa Taal was all over it. It was at perfect save height, and tall dove left and was actually able to catch the ball. His own team mobbed him at the goal while he roared in celebration. It was still 0-0.

---

7:17 PM: All three games have now reached halftime. Pasarga leads 1-0 at Home, St. Trinians leads 1-0 at home, Busoga is level at 0-0 on the road. Means the live table has Pasarga with 37, Busoga at 35, and St. Trinians at 34.

---

7:34 PM: All three games have kicked off again for the second half. The pressure is on Busoga- with St. Trinians in the lead on their own home field, Busoga needs a result, either a draw or a win, or else we will see ourselves eliminated on the Final Day.

---

7:39 PM: DISASTROUS! The worst has come to pass for the Busoga Islands, as Freeport bags their own opening goal to make the score 1-0 in favor of the home side. An errant pass by Kasekende Jr. was intercepted by a Freeport midfielder, whose team started racing up field. He played a perfect overhead ball to a Freeport winger, who was able to control it with one touch and blast it to the far post, upper corner, with his second. A brilliant piece of skill, and Taal could not do anything about it. With our team now trailing and with other results, this meant that if scores as they stood currently held, the Islanders would be eliminated from World Cup Qualifying.

---

7:41 PM: Ozkaya Tarhan subs onto the field for Servet Ornet. It's an attacking subsitution- create energy going towards goal. Busoga is certainly in need of it.

---

7:46 PM: Desparation is starting to set in for this Busoga squad. And, of course, frustration. There's a lot of pressure- Freeport is packing in their defense excellently, playing defense in layers and with all 10 men on the field behind the ball. Is Busoga built to unpack a defense like this? Will we need help elsewhere?

---

7:57 PM: We are well over an hour into the match, and as things stand, the Busoga Islands remain in line to be eliminated on the FInal Day. We're 68 minutes into our match, and our attack simply seems to be broken. All we need is one goal- but will we have the heft to create enough chances to find that goal? All eyes on our best players- particularly Cicek Aga and Artem Kohut, to see if they can pull off a moment of magic.

---

8:01 PM: Is there a rescue in St. Trinians?!?! The 20 year old Gordon Milano was able to take a long ball over the top of the St. Trinians defense, who mistimed their offside trap. He dribbled around the goalkeeper, and simply passed the ball into the net to make the score 1-1. Can this Pot 9 team pull off the unthinkable and play spoiler in this World Cup Qualification race?

---

8:03 PM: With Busoga's offense looking increasingly inept, all eyes are turning to St. Trinians. St. Trinians, of course, knows that three points would absolutely be enough, as long as Busoga doesn't figure it out. But one point, of course, is not enough for them. So that team is, like Busoga, pouring everybody forward in search of a goal. Pressure would be on the Grandistania defense- would we be reliant on Grandistania's ability to withstand the onslaught?

---

8:09 PM: OH (editor's note—word not fit for print) NO! ST. TRINIANS HAS A GO-AHEAD GOAL! Comfort Maitland has gotten in, taken a ground cross, and fired it home one time to give St. Trinians a 2-1 lead and send them back into second place. They are looking at it in VAR to check for offsides... But they won't disallow it, right?

---

8:10 PM: NO GOAL! The referee has signaled that Comfort Maitland was offsides in her run, as St. Trinians fans voice their displeasure at the call. Yet another controversial VAR move- it looked as if Maitland's arm was offsides when the ball was played. Aka, just barely. So the score is still 1-1 in St. Trinians. Fans there are letting the referees have it verbally. Security around the perimeter of the pitch is ready, but there seems to be no rush to the pitch as has happened in previous St. Trinians home matches.

---

8:12 PM: Incredible save here in Freeport! In the 83rd minute here in Freeport, a Delbin Kasekende Jr. volley saw the Freeport goalkeeper leap backwards, with his left hand, to palm the ball over the crossbar for a corner kick. Absolutely stunning. How the heck did he get a hand to that absolute rocket? We may never know. But despite the best efforts of the Busogans, it is still 1-0 to Freeport. Will that be enough? Or can St. Trinians find the go-ahead goal to punish Busoga's lack of ability to finish today?

---

8:17 PM: THERE'S A GOAL FOR GRANDISTANIA! The Busogan fans in the building here in Freeport start to celebrate as news trickles in from St. Trinians. The name "Grandistania" starts to be chanted by the Busogan fans. With everybody forward for St. Trinians, in the 88th minute, a counter attack off of a corner kick saw Armando Griffin blitzing up the field essentially alone. Just him and the goalkeeper, and Griffin silenced the home crowd by chipping the ball over the goalkeeper's head and perfectly into the net. Shockingly, Grandistania now led by a score of 2-1. Griffin simply put a finger to his lips to silence the home crowd, as Grandistania made its mark.

---

8:20 PM: As if to emphasize their point, in the first minute of stoppage time, 30 year old Grandistania center back Brandinus Dorsey headed home a corner kick to make the score 3-1. That was it, essentially. News was trickling into Freeport of this goal too, and Busoga simply laid back. No way St. Trinians could score three goals in however much stoppage time they had left.

---

8:25 PM: And with the final whistle in Pasarga, all three games are done. Pasarga's 1-0 win means 37 points, a group win, and a spot in the World Cup FInals. Busoga's 1-0 loss combined with St. Trinians 3-1 loss means that the Busoga Islands will go to the playoffs. Our opponent? Hampton Island.

---

8:35 PM: Busogan fans are reacting. Alexander Bumba to the media issued a strong defense of his team despite the loss. He said that it was an incredible accomplishment to make the playoffs, and now it was up to the team to do something while they were there. He emphatically rejected the term 'backing into the playoffs', as he said second place was earned over the course of 18 matchdays, as opposed to just the last one. President Kasekende Sr., on the other hand, said he'd send the entire Grandistania national team bottles of Busogan wine to thank them for their win in St. Trinians.

---

8:40 PM: Ever so quick to the punch, BISA has announced that the first leg home affair against Hampton Island will take place at the Dukuma Oval. What a night for the Islanders. Advancing thanks to Grandistania's late game heroics. Can they take advantage of the second lease on life given to them? We'll find out soon enough.

[South Newlandia]

The match against Qasden was set to begin. The Elephants, playing for a win, would almost certainly not be able to settle for a draw, but the first 45 minutes of the game remained scoreless. South Newlandia was fighting, but the Qad defenses were holding thus far. On the other side, Rigby had made a couple nice saves. A goal for Qasden would almost certainly devastate the South Newlandian chances. With the Krauts leading in Ranoria at the half, the Elephants needed a goal to win this game. Wolverine chose not to make any changes yet, trusting in Irving and McCabe to work their magic up front. The match continued, and Rigby kept crushing the dreams of the strikers from Qasden. The 62nd minute came, and a corner from McMora brought the lead for the Elephants when Dhruv Roy leapt high in the penalty box, jumping over his defender, and putting the ball into the net. The Elephant Dome went nuts, the team needed to hold on just half an hour to go to the playoffs. The defense, now working in a 5-4-1 with the tired McCabe subbed off for an extra defender in Tommy Anderson, held on tight. Rigby held a few shots from outside the box, and when Brandon Irving put the ball into the net for the 2-0 a few minutes from the end, the game was done. The Elephants won when they needed to do so to stay alive, but it was only worth a playoff spot.

---

Wolverine arrived home late after the team had a small celebration, nothing too crazy – they still had a way to go, after all. He thought back about all they had to go through for this. He remembered how he genuinely thought he might be fired coming home from Qasden, when they were humiliated 0-3 there, dropping to a 4-1-4 record. This was appropriately avenged now; in fact, all four teams that had beaten South Newlandia once were beaten in the other fixture by the Elephants. He remembered when the team prayed together, and he remembered how they had gone 7-2-0 since then. Maggie had smiled upon them. And, perhaps most importantly, he remembered how it was in Taeshan, two years ago. The things we felt when South Newlandia defeated Brenecia; a Brenecia that rested half their team, but Brenecia nonetheless. He wanted to feel this again.

---

Salazar came back to his apartment, where a rug hid the now two knife marks in the hardwood floor. He smiled. It did work twice.

NEWS
**Are there too many tournaments happening? A fan’s opinion**
**Debate over name for strait between Elephant Valley and Straton, Tumbra, continues**
**Number of Owlephant attacks back down to normal amount**
**SNL plays Rigby – Roy, Wu, Gurero, Wright – Mohamed, Green, McMora, Wallis – Irving, McCabe against OAM**
**Angela Schultz announces more regulations, more regulations**

The opponent of the Elephants would be a Rushmori team, Oberour Ar Moro. The 82-nd ranked nation going into the qualifiers, seeded low in pot 3 before they were drawn in Group 13, managed to jump into second place with late-game heroics against TJUN-ia. This left them with 36 points and a goal differential of +9, exactly what the Elephants also have, playing both teams tied on 12th in the ranking of 2-nd placed teams. Because of that, a coin flip was required to determine who plays at home during which leg. The coin landed with the Oberouran side on top, so the Elephants will host the Rushmori squad in the Elephant Dome first, and the second game will be played in the Parade Grounds in Regium, the capital of the South Newlandian opponents.
So, what does Oberour Ar Moro play? They employ a hyper-aggressive 4-3-3, throwing everything into the offense, and they also play in red. Different to South Newlandia, most of their team play in Oberour Ar Moro, with Desainctvictori and de Courbueil as notable exceptions. This will not slow down this nation, which debuted all the way back in World Cup 49 before taking a lengthy hiatus. They had decent qualifying campaigns in the last few cycles, but never quite enough to make it all the way to the big dance. As far as we know, this would be the first time they go all the way – but the Elephants will not go down without a fight.

NEWS
**Dragon Island at center of more confusing observations**
**South Newlandian adults also eat healthier, says Riddle, healthier food “probable cause”**
**Elephantson: “We’re in various talks with other associations, trust me”**
**Interest in chess among established nations “surprisingly low”**
**First pitch to begin new baseball season to be thrown by Daniel Jacobs**

[Squornshelan Remnant States]

Lifted Lamp, Chapter 10
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9

Anne-Sophie Groothuis was not in a good mood. The sun had long since set, and she was still at work. Not that there was any window she could have observed the sunset through. She was still in her office, just across the hallway from the locker room at the SCFA's national training center in Chalesm. She had been in here all day, more or less, and made very little progress on her goal. It was now, shit was that really the time? How was it possible for twelve hours to just vanish like that? Groaning in frustration and fatigue she pinched the bridge of her nose with on hand, refocused her eyes on the notepad in front of her, and tore the top page off. She crumpled it and tossed it at the wastebasket. It missed, joining a dozen odd identical companions on the floor.

Groothuis only had herself to be frustrated with. She'd gotten caught looking ahead, past the match with Eshialand, anticipating the automatic qualification that looked assured, even after 45 minutes had gone in Viltvodle. She'd been anticipating, not consciously mind you, having quite a bit more time to narrow down her final 23 for the world cup. But in the wake of the loss, she'd told Koirala that she'd have a roster done in time for the playoffs. She couldn't begin to imagine why she'd said that. With the first leg rapidly approaching, she was finding it a difficult promise to follow through on.

It wasn't just the difficult task of cutting players, telling them they weren't good enough, weren't the right fit for her team, and it was time for them to go home. It was one of the worst parts of the job. There was also the added pressure of the playoff. The Black-and-Reds had finished as the best-placed second-place team to not autoqualify. In theory this would pit them against an easier opponent who had not performed as well. Waiting for them, however, was 25th-ranked Trolleborg. Groothuis's team was winless against higher-ranked opposition in qualifying so far, with a draw and a loss against Vilita, and two draws with Savojarna. The teams performance had been good overall, a better effort than they'd managed in qualifying in a long time, but there were still problems. The defensive breakdowns that had led to several wins slipping away and becoming draws were particularly concerning.

Still, it was time to get this done. Maybe cutting players away from her qualifying pool had been the wrong approach. Time to look at this from the other side of things. First the auto-includes: Takala, the captain, and Petrov, leading scorer. Two down, twenty-one to go. The Harkhan twins had been good defensive performers overall, as had Achthoven on the right. Krieven still had it in goal, he was definitely in. What about the rest of the attack?

It was tempting to simply go with Naqvi and Vladcik out left. They'd been the mainstays on her team for years now. Dast had the advantage of chemistry with Takala, and the speed of youth, but was probably a cycle away from his time. Feidhlim was the one giving her a dilemma. On the right, it was hopeless. Yonte had played her way into a roster spot, definitely, but behind her there was next to nothing to separate Storrev and Starosta. At least the choice for her second striker was clear, with Gerstlauer putting in solid performances in her appearances to edge out Stienno and Verhulst.

But did she want to bring a third striker, or a sixth center mid? Vladcik could be pressed into duty up front if need be, but if Petrov or Gerstlauer went down, there would be very little to fall back on. Players like Takala, Naqvi, and Damnagoras were gifted attackers, but not the right players to be a center forward. No, she needed one more striker on this team. Better to bring Stienno along as well. That meant only five center mids though, with Takala already occupying one spot. Hashemi was essential to the team's buildup, but from there it got hazier. There was obviously a strong case for Marrish and Lomidan, but Arslan had surprised with some classy performances. There was also Damnagoras to take into account. It was difficult at times to fit the youngster into her tactics, but when he was on his game he seemed to create scoring chances out of thin air. The value of Tabur's defensive acumen was also not easily dismissed.

There were also difficult decisions to be made on the back line. She was a bit disappointed in Kazarov's play down the stretch, but was it enough to drop her in favor of Macar? In the center, Buczvarov had not always looked her best, hitting a patch of inconsistency at the worst possible time. Dalso's veteran presence might be welcome in the first eleven. Where was the right balance between class and form, energy and experience?

A few more pen strokes, and she stared at the list, fighting the urge to add it to the crumpled rejects in the corner. No, it was time to be done with this. She just wasn't looking forward to the conversations she would have to have.

Team Selection against Trolleborg:

Starting 11: Krieven; V. Harkhan, W. Harkhan, Dalso, Achthoven; Hashemi, Marrish; Vladcik, Takala, Yonte; Petrov
Subs: Drenel, Shimski; Macar, Szimon, Buczvarov, Malgos; Arslan, Damnagoras; Naqvi, Storrev; Gerstlauer, Stienno

Qualifying Schedule and Results:

MD1:  SRS 2-2 VIL @ Radlov Arena (cap. 76,800), Brantisvogan, Megabrantis, SRS
MD2:  USD 4-6 SRS @ TBA
MD3:  SRS 1-1 SDG @ Killough Grove (cap. 31,400), Han Wavel, Han Dold, SRS
MD4:  PSI 0-3 SRS @ TBA
MD5:  SRS 3-3 SVJ @ Overburg Arena (cap. 46,222), Damogran, Algolia, SRS
MD6:  HTK 0-1 SRS @ TBA
MD7:  SRS 2-0 LIS @ Flanoil Arena (cap. 50,350), Traal, East Flania, SRS
MD8:  SRS 1-1 TFS @ Smolak Systemy Stadion (cap. 31,200), Sjerezo, Molvania, SRS
MD9:  ESH 1-2 SRS @ The Eshialand City SuperDome (cap. 75,000), Eshialand City, ESH
MD10: VIL 5-3 SRS @ Tivali-Ring Stadium (cap. 87,000 ), Alikki-Cora, VIL
MD11: SRS 3-2 USD @ Sunergy Field (cap. 37,550), Hunian, Algolia, SRS
MD12: SDG 0-1 SRS @ Stadium Persekutuan (cap. 40,000), Kambang, SDG
MD13: SRS 1-0 PSI @ Old Flamarion Stadium (cap. 26,405), Flamarion, Megabrantis, SRS
MD14: SVJ 4-4 SRS @ Nationastadion Carl Gustaff Bjurman, Sjoedrhavn, SVJ
MD15: SRS 1-0 HTK @ Pheldagriff Stadium (cap. 45,620), Yassaca, Sivolvia, SRS
MD16: LIS 5-5 SRS @ TBA
MD17: TFS 0-1 SRS @ TBA
MD18: SRS 4-4 ESH @ Chernov Stadium (cap. 57,600), Viltvodle, Megabrantis, SRS
PO1:  TRL  v  SRS @ 1th December Stadium (cap. 100,000), Trolleborg City, TRL
PO2:  SRS  v  TRL @ The Lutenstaad (cap. 75,000), Lutenblag, Molvania, SRS

[Recuecn]

The pre-match warm-up on the pitch at the stade national in Reçueçn was brightly illuminated by the stadium's floodlights. From above, the field and the stadium complex shone brightly into the darkening even sky, lit elsewhere only by twinkling city lights. But for anyone who was in the know, the aura was not the celebratory one it appeared to be, but threatening harsh.

The players, running exercises in front of the early crowd, felt their skin prickle - all of them were on edge. The atmosphere in the dressing room had been toxic for months now, ever since Relié's scheme had been uncovered, and even had that not been the case, the reputation of the opponent they were momentarily to face weighed over them.

Huelavia. Reçueçn's first encounter with the Huelavians had been in the final of the IAC - not somewhere the Huelavians had found much success. They had played then on the same field they were about to play on now, and les licornes had taken the victory to win the IAC in front of their home fans. But since then, a bit of a rivalry had developed, and the Huelavians had given even better than they got. It would be a couple cycles before they'd meet again, this time in Curumba, and the Huelavians held Reçueçn to a scoreless draw. Les licornes would win their home leg, but the next cycle the two nations were drawn together again and this time Huelavia won both times. In the meantime, although they didn't meet again in the IAC, Huelavia outperformed Reçueçn each time, almost always making it to the final, while les licornes never once made it past the round of sixteen.

The confrontation that was about to happen then, between a Huelavian team on the rise and a Reçuecian team in decline, did not bode well for the ÉNRF's hopes of making it back to the world cup. But this was not the chief object looming over them.

No, the tension on the field now, still visible as Emanuele Cutrona and Gerauld Firaut awkwardly passed back and forth, reached back multiple weeks to the fallout of Relié's plan to spy on the Turorians and Krytenians. The manager had seen that something extra was needed and chose an underhanded scheme, but no part of his plan had gone the way he'd hoped. All the preparations had been laid in utmost secrecy, so that not even the whole team knew what was going on, but when Franky and Emanuele were caught red-handed in Krytenia, and footage of them sheepishly answering questions for Krytenian immigration officials was broadcast back at home, the whole nation found out at once.

Crowds demanded Relié's resignation. The FNRF, contractually powerless, asked for one, but Relié, haughty and high-headed, said he would continue on. Unanimously, Reçuecian fans decried the shady methods the manager had attempted, and the players who had been kept in the dark felt hurt, betrayed, and shocked. Some, like Kayserling and Firaut, men of particularly strong morals, were appalled at the espionage, and saw easily that their own reaction, a surprise to no one, was the reason they had been left out of the secret. Others, who perhaps would have gone along with the scheme had they been looped in quietly, were hurt at being lied to by their coach, and finding out about the whole thing at the same time as the public, could not help but share the public's opinion.

On the other hand, those who had been recruited as Relié's spies - Cutrona, Adams, Gouin Compton - felt that they could not back down and admit that they were wrong. It seemed that it would be worse to admit that they had been part of such a terrible decision, than to stand by it and argue that there was some merit in the idea and only the execution had been lacking. It was simply their pride and human nature that kept them from seeing the other point of view, but they were genuine in their belief.

Thus for weeks, the squad had been torn apart by this new wound, a wound that by now started to fester. Since the news broke, Reçueçn had gone 2-2-3. They had managed to defeat Acronius and Fluvannia, but had fallen apart again on the last day of qualifying against Gergary, finally dooming them to another cycle that would be decided by playoffs.

And that was where they were now, with one last desperate bid to make it back to the World Cup proper. as their pre-match practice wound down, they returned to the tunnel, where the Huelavian team stood waiting for them, a team that despite its own rebuilding and struggles stood straight and tall, put together and honest.

[Tikariot]

Walking with Shadows
--- Chapter XI ---

Chapter I - Chapter II - Chapter III - Chapter IV - Chapter V - Chapter VI - Chapter VII – Chapter VIII – Chapter IX – Chapter X

Sophia collapsing surprises James and he just so manages to prevent her from sliding (or worse falling) out of the van. In her car Nurisema is going berserk seeing her lifeless form.

“Can someone let the dog out, please?”

“No way he’ll tear us a part!”

“Sanford, just do it, trust me on this.”

The big man walks over to the car and then yanks open the door, making sure to keep the door between him and the mountain of fur shooting out of the car. Immediately Nurisema runs over to Sophia, whining, visibly not sure what to do. James looks the dog into the eye.

“Nurisema, calm! She is fine, ok? Just tired.”

The malamute steps next to James, putting his big, heavy paw on his arm, letting out a low grumble while fixing him in his eyes. James reaches over to pat the dog’s head. “I promise.”

Thibodeaux eyes the scene in front of him with more than just some passing suspicion. “Did you and the dog just have, uh, a conversation?”

James looks up to the dark-skinned man from Carathyr. “Yes, so? Him and I understand each other.”

“You and what?”

Nurisema walks over, looks up and grumbles as if trying to tell him something. Thibodeaux looks down at the stern face and shakes his head before turning around and walking towards the edge of the enclosure. When James looks back at Sophia, her eyes are closed, but she is laughing quietly at the conversation between Nurisema, Sanford and James.

“Hey, are you ok?”

She opens her eyes and weakly nods. “Yeh, like you told Nurisema, I’m fine, just tired. I’m not used to this stuff!”

James quietly laughs. “Trust me, you never get really used to it, but you did great! I’m not sure I’d have been able to drive like that.”

“I don’t think Sanford shares that sentiment.”

He smiles. “Meh, he’ll come around.”

“Help me up.”

He pulls Sophia to her legs, which almost immediately buckle. With a quick reaction he manages to catch her and scoops her up to carry her to the car. As she leans her head against him, she says: “You’re wet.”

James can’t help but laugh out loud. He places her into the passenger seat of her car, pushing the back of the seat down a bit. She looks up at him, but before she can say anything, Sanford’s booming voice interrupts them.

“Guys, we have a problem!”

Sophia motions for James to go and as he turns towards the van, he sees that Thibodeaux has opened the tube and the look on his face is foreboding.

“This is not that decree.”

He holds up a battered and beaten piece of old paper, the writing on it scattered across the page and almost calligraphic.

“You have solved the riddle, you are left with nothing, yet your efforts were for naught. To unveil what is hidden in the fire of the yellow orb would have made you truly worthy of what is ours. For our wisdom is lost within the shrine forevermore.”

Thibodeaux looks at James. “There are big spaces between the words, I don’t get it.”

James looks at the text. “I know that they wrote very differently back then, but this feels off. If you read it, there’s no flow, it looks like it has been hacked up and pieced back together, like there are things missing.”

“Can you read it to me again?”

James turns towards Sophia, who has not moved and still is laying back with her eyes closed.

“You have solved the riddle, you are left with nothing, yet your efforts were for naught. To unveil what is hidden in the fire of the yellow orb would have made you truly worthy of what is ours. For our wisdom is lost within the shrine forevermore.”

“This is gibberish and a waste of time!” Sanford makes not efforts to conceal the frustration in his voice.

“No, this is another riddle. Where are the spaces between the words?”

James walks over and holds out the paper. She opens her eyes and squints at the words. “That’s not just random spaces. ‘hidden in the fire of the yellow orb,’ hm…”

“The fire of the sun?”

“No, you can’t hide anything in it. But it’s heat. And—”

Suddenly she sits up and looks at James. “Remember when we were kids and wrote in invisible ink?”

James furrows his brow, trying to follow her train of thought. “Lemon juice? The yellow orb!”

Sophia smiles. “Yep. And to reveal it?”

“Heat.”

“Like fire.”

“And the acid of the lemon also burns.”

Thibodeaux looks at the two of them as if they came from a different planet. “What are you on about? Now is not the time to behave like kids!”

“It is!”

Both James and Sophia start laughing as they said it at the same time. Sophia looks at Thibodeaux. “What if the spaces between the words are not just empty paper, but actually complete the riddle? Does someone have a lighter?”

Crowe steps forward, a pink lighter in his hand.

“Pink? Really?”

He shoots Sanford an unamused look. Sophia flicks on the flame and carefully brings it closer to the old paper, being extra careful to keep enough distance not to set it on fire. As she moves the flame along the lines, word after word appears in the empty spaces, completing the letter. She reads it out as the words appear.

“You have solved the first riddle, you are left with nothing, yet your efforts were not for naught. Not To unveil what is hidden in the fire of the yellow orb would have proved that you are not made of what could make you a truly worthy ruler of what is ours. For where the heart of our wisdom lies, what you seek is not lost, but lies within the shrine. Break the seal and you shall rule forevermore.”

“This is – amazing! You are amazing!” James had moved next to Sophia to see the words appear. He looks at her and spontaneously hugs her. “I’ve never been so glad to wake up in the middle of a forest during a thunderstorm and pass out right after!”

Sanford turns towards him with a full “what the hell?” look in his eyes.

Sophia also looks at James. “Are you ok?”

James laughs. “Yes, never been better! If I had not woken up in that forest Nurisema would never have found me and brought me to you!”

The giant malamute lifts his head as he hears his name, then with a satisfied grumble puts it back down on his paws.

“OK, guys, we got another problem!” Sanford looks at the screen of a tablet. “They are coming, I don’t know how they found us, but they are getting close! Everybody move out!”

He tosses a two way radio at James. “So we can talk while we drive. Now MOVE!”

The three men scramble into the van while James slides behind the steering wheel of Sophia’s car. Thibodeaux reverses with squealing tires, rushing out of the parking lot as if the devil himself was chasing him, leaving James to follow behind. Sophia turns on the radio. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Moments later Sanford’s voice crackles through the small speaker. “I put a little chip into nazi boss’ coat pocket when he was down, just to see where they are going. And they are coming straight to us, I really don’t wanna meet them again!”

James nervously looks into the back mirror, but only sees dog as Nurisema is kind of sitting, his head on the seat next to Sophia’s shoulder.

“Nurisema, please lay down, I need to see!”

The giant dog does not give any indication he even heard James.

Sanford’s voice comes through again. “Let’s split up. Fastest way is to go opposite directions on Dragonridge Boulevard. These things have a range of about 10 kilometres, with the weather right now likely about 5. We go south, you go north.”

“Roger that.”

Shortly after the van turns right to fly down the access ramp to the six-lane Dragonridge Boulevard, which bisects Samreach from north to south, while James turns to the left, trying his best not to lose the car in the aquaplaning that is virtually everywhere. The boulevard is almost completely deserted with only those who could not avoid being out have not taken shelter from the ongoing onslaught of rain. Sanford’s voice cuts through the tense silence of the car.

“They’re going after us! We’ll try to shake them off and meet up with you later. OH SHIT, THEY’RE SHOOTING AT US!”

[Chromatika]

Who will take their penultimate step towards Cassadaigua or Chromatika? It's time to find out!

Results

[Yue Zhou]

As the Dragons of Yuezhou prepared for the imminent second leg of the playoffs, voices pounded away in Wen Xiaohui’s head, memories of the conversations she’d had leading up to this match. By playing in the match instead of flying to a neutral site across the Xandrian, she was abandoning the project that her uncle, the President of the nascent Sangauese Footballing Association, and Wang Jiahui had been collaborating on for weeks. Both had been predictably apoplectic, and their words over the phone continued to rattle in her head as she prepared for the imminent match against Abanhfleft.

Wang Jiahui had called first, all fire and brimstone. She’d been called a traitor, a sellout, and that was after he’d calmed down and stopped shouting expletives. Wang had been careful to convey a newly matured self-image, repeatedly claiming that his two years in captivity and on the run had erased his former self while entrenching his support of Ren Qiang. But in his ranting, Wen had heard the petulant teenager who had joined the national team so many years ago, the disappointment in the betrayal of the proletariat replaced with the fury of someone who hadn’t gotten his way.

She’d called Ruo Xiaolan, still an older sister figure even after retiring from the Dragons and from Cypher Town, to calm down after Wang Jiahui had wound her up. Ruo had talked her down, made her feel safe and assured. She had been told to focus on football, on building her influence, until the moment was right - and football had always been where Wen was at her most comfortable. But after hanging up and reconsidering, she had found the reassurance to be hollow. Ruo had spent years toiling away in Nephara’s second tier, and for what? If football was an end in of itself, then Ruo’s career had been an unabashed success. But if her goal had been to use football to make an impact - and that was her goal, right? - then it wouldn’t be enough.

Wen Xiaoli, her uncle and father figure, had called next. He wasn’t mad, but he was disappointed. He was disappointed that his niece had chosen short-term footballing glory over her country. He wanted to reiterate that she was only in the position she was in because of the help of the country that had fed her, raised her, and put her on a pedestal atop the Yue footballing world. He just wanted to understand why Wen Xiaohui was helping her oppressors qualify for the World Cup - she knew what that would do for the legitimacy of the government, right? - when they wouldn’t even guarantee her people a land of their own, or even just basic human rights. He was civil and reiterated that her aunt and he would always love Wen Xiaohui - but each word stung like a lash against her skin, cutting deep to her core. After hanging up, she had stared off into the distance, lost in thought - what had the last five years of her career been leading up to? Was she ninety minutes away from reaching the summit? Or was it a precipice, and was all of her efforts wasted besides propping up an illegitimate government?

No, Ruo Xiaolan was right, in a way. This story wasn’t about Wang Jiahui or her uncle. It wasn’t about the United Republics or the Sangauese freedom fighters. This story was about her. It had always been about her. And even though it was the last possible moment where she could still turn back, there was only one way it could possibly go on. She took three deep breaths, then took her position at the back of the line and walked out with her head held high. “In attacking midfield, from CASK Thorsborg, Number 18…” The roar of the crowd mercifully drowned out her thoughts as she stepped out into the crucible of the second leg. “Wen Xiaohui!”

Yuezhou 2 - 0 Abanhfleft
Lineup: Lu; Ren, Han (C), Zhu; Kang (Jiawei 68), Yang, Chen (Wan 78), Reeve; Li Jing, Wen; Liu (Luo 74)
Goals: Liu 35, Li Jing 63

---

A dominant performance from Lu Jialan's Dragons has Yuezhou on the verge of a historic World Cup qualification. Nangang City's Yübao saw arguably the biggest match in Yue football history, and the 48,000 fans who came in wondering if Yuezhou was up for the challenge will not have been disappointed. While Abanhfleft dominated possession and had a few early chances, most notably Amelie Rusev's delightful half-volley that struck the crossbar from eight yards out, the Dragons were simply too lethal on the counterattack. After Prudence Woodward was dispossessed by the ever-present Yang Tao, Yuezhou's first real chance came from a delightful series of one-touch forward passes and was finished neatly by Liu Huiying.

Abanhfleft was in real trouble after conceding first, and forced forwards in search of an equalizer, they opened up gaps in their defense - something Yuezhou has seen time and time again in matches where they score first. Li Jing should've doubled the lead five minutes into the second half, but although the Steinaux midfielder had a 1-on-1 chance, Bronwyn Churchill's delightful goalkeeping parried Li's shot just wide. She wouldn't be as lucky a few minutes later, as Li was gifted a second chance by Christy Shepley's catastrophic back-pass that he was able to convert.

Abanhfleft continued to threaten, but although they probably should've managed to get an away goal, especially when Amelie Rusev controversially won a penalty that was then missed, Lu Qiang would hold onto the clean sheet. The 2-0 result may infuriate certain bloggers from Abanhfleft. But for the long-suffering Yue fanbase, it's arguably the greatest result in Dragons history - and has them on the brink of World Cup 88.

Lineup to play Abanhfleft in Playoff Leg 2 (3-4-2-1): Lu; Ren, Han (C), Zhu; Kang, Yang, Wan, Reeve; Li Jing, Wen; Liu

False-nine Liu Huiying worked out pretty well in the first leg, so Lu Jialan has opted to return to the same tactics. However, with Yuezhou only needing to hold Abanhfleft to one goal in order to qualify for the World Cup, the Dragons will be playing much more conservatively in the second leg. Playmaker Chen Xiwei has been replaced in the pivot by young Wan Sheping, Wirr Tsi's rising star whose start represents a massive vote of confidence from his manager. Meanwhile, Li Jing's continued presence in the front three indicates more of a 3-4-1-2 or 3-5-2 shape could be in the cards for Yuezhou. In any case, while Kang Enlai and Diadora Reeve remain relatively attacking options on the flanks, Lu Jialan has no desire to overexert his team in search of an away goal. It's a decision that may be called "cowardly" if it doesn't work. But if it does? His will be the first Yue team in the World Cup.

[Ko-oren]

Warning: very large image. RP intended for MD1 of the World Cup.

NS World Cup Fantasy Qualification Roundup

[Zwangzug]

Zwangzug's e-Lipogram
World: "Zwangzug is into lipograms, probably"

According to political journalists in Graintfjall, our nation is still famous for lipograms, which is probably a good thing. Our football squad was a bit disappointing in this qualification campaign. WBC play is not so dismal, as our squad did qualify for playoffs, and on two occasions, would rally following a two-loss start. Which was particularly vindicating against Hampton Island, victors in an unusually absurd walk-off clash.

But anyway, many factors can bring a country infamy. Military might? Rich croplands? Pollutants such as oil? Jumping into Anaia or a similar group of nations? Such options can put your capital on a map, but at a high cost--war, infighting, popular opinion scandals, lots of bad things.

"It's totally cool to just not try, and you probably won't attain many wins or draws," said Hans Browning, a random guy doing a vox pop. "Lots of nations do this, signing up to a World Cup and promptly vanishing into oblivion. But oblivion is probably not a lot of fun."

"You could try standing out on account of your shiny graphics, or diplomatic summit skills, or capitalist cashflow," said Maria Olson. "But that sounds hard, so Zwangzug probably won't do that."

"Out of so many ways to show up as a humorous allusion or offhand quip, 'showing off by skipping straight from D to F' is probably not so bad, I think," said Daffyd Gwindor. "I don't know what I could form a comparison with, as our country isn't known for much, saving for our sportscasting. But it's probably a good thing."

(Our football squad did finish its campaign, though through a boring draw. It had no goals nor much action, so I'm not writing about it, sorry. But my boss thinks I ought to author anything sort of football-ish, so, um. Good luck to us in this Cup of Harmony?)

[Busoga Islands]

President Kasekende Sr. at his Desk, the day after the First Leg

The First Leg was solid. Not great- of course, a win at home in Dukuma would have been nice. But a goalless draw was absolutely fine as well- better than a scoring draw, and it was certainly better than a loss. The only result where neither team gained any sort of advantage on the scoreboard in the first leg. The first leg was tense, physical, and hard-fought- both teams had their chances, but neither could take them in front of the capacity crowd at the Dukuma Oval.

The President was looking through his mail. Just then, his chief of staff walked inside his office with a letter from the Stafford City CEO. "Mr. President." Said the Chief of Staff. "You're going to find this interesting." And the President opened it up to read. The Stafford City CEO, of course, was the owner of the Hampton Island national team. It was a letter extolling Busoga's decision to re-affirm their commitment to Atlantian Oceania during the aftermath of the Foxchester Declaration, and Anaia split.

It was an invitation to the second leg. As a massive football fan himself, and the first ever captain of the Busogan national team, the President was never going to say no to an invitation like this. But of course, as a head of state, he couldn't simply visit a foreign country, even as a fan, even in a suite. When you're head of state, you're always on the job. No such thing as a real, legitimate vacation.

"Ok, let's write him back and accept the invite." President Kasekende Sr. said. "But now- before I have our diplomats give me a full briefing, I need you to tell me what we know."

"Well, of course, the Stafford City CEO is not the President of his own country, or, as far as we know, a politician of any kind." Said his Chief of Staff. "Future President? Who knows? NO signs there either way publicly. This man owns the national stadium. And, of course, owns the team. As far as we know, no politicians of note within Hampton Island will be there with us, although that can certainly change. Just be yourself. He knows you're a huge fan. And if you see an opportunity to talk business- take it."

The President talked for a few more minutes with his Chief of Staff, then ended the conversation. After meetings throughout the day on other political issues, he responded to the CEO's letter.

To: Stafford City CEO

Hello,

I am glad to have received your letter and invitation to the second leg of the Hampton Island and Busoga Islands tie! I am glad to accept your invitation, and will attend the game with my wife. As you may or may not know, I played for this national team back in the day, captaining the squad through the World Cup 81 and 82 cycles as a goalkeeper. And, of course, my own son is a defensive midfielder on the team, Kasekende Jr. So to say that I'm a huge fan of the squad is an understatement.

I look forward to meeting you, and I look forward to watching a great game with you. You'll have to tell me how your country trains these bears, eh? Busoga could use a few soccer playing bears of our own.

With regards, I'll see you in a few days in Hampton Island!

From,

Delbin Kasekende Sr.
President of the Islamic Republic of the Busoga Islands

President Kasekende Sr. ordered a gift for the CEO to be prepared. It would be simple- a handheld wooden kangaroo, which was Busoga's national animal, painted in the colors and design of the Busogan national flag. And hopefully- not only would the visit be memorable, but it'd be memorable for the sight of the greatest triumph of Busogan sport- qualifying for the World Cup Finals.

[Valanora]

Upon the perches of the Gray Havens, Faenor listened and his heart broke as the pain coming from the lands that had once been his home flowed continuously, as well as an intense sense of anger and betrayal. Something had wounded his people quite a bit, something that had taken a toll on the entire empire as well as those who lived outside of its vast borders. It was difficult for Faenor to imagine what could be causing such strife among his homeland, for even his time as a mortal could not have prepared him for the overflowing feelings and sensations that had ventured for to the Haven and the amount of prayers from those of the Eternal Empire, harder still to decipher through it all given the overabundance. He was not as trained as Elune had been in being able to decipher through all the various prayers that were sent to this resting place for heroes and the sentinel position to be the protectors of the world, perhaps if she was here she could have more quickly come to figure out what was the root cause of all of this.

Time was taken to try and methodically decipher the cause of the pain and there was two common words among the prayers, Anaia and Foxchester. Deciding that he needed to investigate the matter further, Faeron donned a disguise, one that would keep him from being recognized as he had done on a few other occasions on a trip down to the mortal plane, even those who knew him as Tobias Raynor during that time would not know the face any longer. Arriving in the Empire, he quickly made his way to the capital city and former home of his, grabbing a newspaper to see if anything in the current events could explain what had been occurring in the Havens as of late. Much to Faenor's surprise but relief, there was indeed news that helped clue him into what was happening, as there was a story saying that the Empress of the Empire was heading to Stelburg to discuss with other regional leaders what to do about the breakaway Anaia nations that had signed something called the Foxchester Declaration.

The more Faenor read, the more he began to understand all the pain and suffering that he had been feeling flowing from the Empire and what the prayers were so intense and filled to the brim with this powerful emotions. It was in that moment that he had resolved himself in knowing what had to be done, he would attempt a feat that would be very similar to something that Elune had done centuries if not millennia prior, time seemed a very abstract thing in the Havens. Faenor was going to test the powers that Yanwë and Gladerial had imbued him with with this feat and if he were successful, he believed that all parties involved would find the situation more acceptable. It was a hope though, for mortals often were irrational and could see gifts as curses or misread intentions.

Back in the Havens, Faenor began to concentrate his powers and focus on the task that he had placed upon him. These nations that had decided to forego their relationship with the rest of Atlantian Ocenia, if they were in such a desire to remove themselves from the regional authorities, he would grant their desires. Divine lines were crafted and laid around the breakaway nations and the waters that they claimed were theirs, placed in such a way that Faenor believed that the ramifications of what he was about to do would have little collateral impact both for these Anaia nations as well as those in Atlantian Ocenia. Divine power was channeled into those lines, powering them greatly until a threshhold was crossed and they were about to burst as they were teeming with energy. Using his utmost amount of focus, Faenor initiated the sequence that began to rip apart the fabric of reality and split the planes of existence apart, a feat that only those who could see or sense the divine would be able to behold.

Seconds seemed like hours but the deed transpired as Faenor had seen to it, Anaia had been pulled away from the reality that was Atlantian Oceania and into their own pocket dimension or universe, leaving those in Atlantian Oceania free of the breakaway peoples. Surveying the damage such a use of power had created. The landmasses of Atlantian Oceania seemed changed, if only subtly, while there were now swathes of uncharted sea and islands to be discovered. For Anaia, it would take shape in whatever way those with significant influence in the dimension saw fit, being reshaped through will and imagination, such was the gift of the pocket reality they now belonged to. Dimensional doors were going to need to be constructed Faenor knew, so that travel could still be conducted, but that task would have to be left to lesser deities as the act had severely tired him out and he wondered if Elune had felt the same way when she had merged the Vanorian realm with that of the material world, all those many many years ago.

[Ethane]

Kreuger under pressure?

At the half-way stage of qualifying, Kreuger was informed that if results did not pick up immediately then he would be fired from the national managerial role. Fortunately, results did pick up in the second half, with a number of positive results including a crucial win against the Busoga Islands. Despite this run of form, speculation suggests Kreuger's job may still be under pressure, with a question mark over whether they are the best individual suited to manage Ethane.

At the start of the cycle, the expectations were set out clearly. The team had to build on last cycle's World Cup hosting, and at least reach the playoffs. That's not happened, and Ethane have fallen foul of their first-half poor form, the loss against Busoga particularly significant considering they find themselves 2 points behind the Busoga Islands, who are in the playoffs. That's not to say he's gone immediately though. While there is pressure on them, Kreuger is still being given a chance to prove themselves. Whether the next tournament that the Ethanian national team participates in is the Campionato Esportiva, an invitational tournament such as the Cup of Harmony, or another smaller football tournament, results will need to be positive. If the first half of qualifying is replicated in upcoming tournaments, then I imagine he may not be in the job for much longer.

[HUElavia]

Dreaming and Fighting to the Very End

A dramatic comeback gives HUElavia a historic and statement victory setting up the 2nd leg.

Reçueçn 2-4 HUElavia
(Lebo 22', Tegeler 39' | Navarro 75', Sol 81', Maximovna 90+1', Gagne-Leblanc 90+4')
(Stade Nacionale, Reçueçn)

After a historic and dramatic finish to the Group Qualifiers for World Cup 88, where HUElavia came back 7 points out in 4th place to winning 2nd Place by a single point, the team now faced a notable rival: Reçueçn. These two met over 17 years ago, when Reçueçn was the host for IAC 8, while Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos had the Cinderella run to the Final, which was won by the hosts. Since then, there have been meetings between the two, but the recent two matches, in the WC 87 Qualifiers, saw HUElavia sweep Reçueçn. Now, both teams were facing off against one another, with Reçueçn's players having a dreadful and anxious look to their faces, no matter how much they tried to suppress it. The Stade Nationale (30,000) in Reçueçn was sold-out, with a small, but sizeable HUElavian supporters present in the stadium. Both teams brought out the very best players they could use for the match, with both wearing their Home Uniforms. Once the anthems were played and the coin toss done, the referee blew his whistle, and the match was under way.

Despite early pressures from HUElavia, Reçueçn held strong in their defense, not allowing many shots reach the area of Firault. Eventually, HUElavia's attacks came to bite them. In the 22nd minute, Conti-Esposito was dispossessed by Saunders, who sent a long cross to Lebo, who was played onside by Mendieta. Lebo was left all alone, going one-on-one with Ramos, where he dribbled around Ramos, who was scrambling, and tapped the ball into the, essentially, empty goal, making it 1-0. The crowd jumped up with joy and cheers, while Lebo was hugged and hi-fived by his teammates. Coach Conavacio was fuming at the open space left out and Mendieta had a face of regret for the goal he allowed to go in. HUElavia kept on attacking, but there was no budging the Reçueçian defense. In the 39th minute, Hebron was being covered by Pae, where he sent a low pass into the box, where Tegeler won the ball past Muller and blasted it past the hands of Ramos into the goal, making it 2-0. Tegeler was mobbed by his teammates, all while the crowd jumped and chanted with joy at the goal. Conavacio was yelling, wanting more out of the team. Half time came, and Reçueçians were overjoyed, while it is rumored that Conavacio gave an earful to the players in the locker room.

The second half came, and HUElavia still put pressure, but played more to their tempo, making sure that Reçueçians would not get the ball much. Despite attacks from Reçueçn's front three, Ramos was calmer and made saves left and right, grabbing the ball to send it out long for attacks. All these pressures would eventually culminate in a grand opportunity. In the 75th minute, Duran made a pass towards Hamada-Navarro, but it deflected off Kayserling, where Navarro was left alone and onside, getting the ball and blasting it past the reach of Firault into the top corner of the goal, making it 2-1. Navarro grabbed the ball and ran back to center circle, sharing a quick kiss with Hamada-Navarro, all while the crowd was stunned. HUElavia kept on with the attack, and in the 81st minute, a cross by Pae was made into the box, where Sol towered over Cutrona and headed the ball past Firault to make it 2-2. The crowd was silenced, while Sol was mobbed by his teammates. Time ticked away and in the 90+1st minute, Maxmimovna (in for Hamada-Navarro) was all alone and went to take a long shot, which hit off the hands of Firault and rolled into the goal, making it 2-3. Maximovna was mobbed by her teammates while the crowd was whistling and booing for the gaffer. Reçueçn continued with their attacks, and in the 90+4th minute, Mendieta dispossessed Tegeler, sending a long ball to Savedra (in for Sol), sending a pass to Gagne-Leblanc (in for Duran), who ran past Spencer, and gave a curving shot past the reach of Firault into the top corner of the goal, making it 2-4. Gagne-Leblanc was mobbed as well by her teammates, while the crowd whistled and booed for letting in another goal. A minute later, the match ended, with HUElavia turning around the match in a span of 20 minutes, taking a big advantage for the 2nd leg. The players ran to hug each other and hi-five each other for turning the match around and putting the series in their favor.

After nearly 2 years, the World Cup Qualifiers is coming to its end. Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos have traveled to 19 different cities throughout these qualifiers, and now only one destination remains. HUElavia returns to the Capital, site of where the team began their home campaign with a 3-0 statement victory over Vdara. Now, HUElavia and Reçueçn will play the second leg at Estadio Nacional (100,000) in Curumba, where it will be sold-out. It is only fitting that the nation's largest stadium hosts such a momentous occasion. The A-Team will play once again, with the Home Uniform being worn. The team is training consistently each day, having high morale for what they have achieved throughout these near 2 years. The fans are waving flags and banners across the streets, showing off their passion and support for the National Team. The fans will be cheering on the team, waving the colors of the country, where the team and fans look to surround the Reçueçians with an array of "Yellow Blazes" to intimidate their opponents. Curumba, the final destination for a spot to Chromatika and Cassadaigua. Here's to finishing this series strong and securing our spot to our 3rd ever World Cup.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[Oberour Ar Moro]

As the Dragoons of Oberour Ar Moro lined up at National Stadium in TJUN-ia City, they knew what they needed to do.

If the home team TJUN-ia won, they were into the World Cup. With a draw, they could go into the World Cup with certain results, but at least would go to the playoffs.

For Oberour Ar Moro, the only result that meant anything was a win. A win meant qualifying continued for at least two additional games. A trip to the playoffs was there for the offing. A darw or loss meant they would wait for a Cup of Harmony invite.

So when the ball kicked off, Oberour Ar Moro was effectively playing a playoff semifinal. It was an opportunity for an opportunity.

And the Oberours played like it. TJUN-ia’s Jaguars had the lead on a Joe Green goal going into the half. But the second half was a wild affair. After an hour of play Eneour Pique-Pain drew the match even, before Vladimir Podolov a mere four minutes later pulled TJUN-ia ahead. Immediately, Pique-Pain tied the game again on a second goal. The Oberours kept fighting, before manager Milio Gabriel’s bold coaching call to sit down Pique-Pain and replace him with Iust de Bonere paid off. On the brink of the 90 minute mark de Bonere scored the winning goal that would send the Dragoons to the playoffs.

The post-game mood was a mix between jubilant celebration and honest sympathy with THUN-ia, which had been pacesetters in the group and had played well throughout.

So Oberour Ar Moro did make it to qualification. And they were to meet with South Newlandia. South Newlandia were the 31st ranked team in the world. They had qualified for World Cup 87, and won 11 games in Group 14, behind Rushmori giants Eura.

So the Oberour Ar Moro national team travelled to the Elephant Dome in Elephant Valley, South Newlandia. And they lost the first leg of the playoff 3-0.

Were the Dragoons burned out by the effort made against TJUN-ia? Were South Newlandia just too talented? Either way, if Oberour Ar Moro wanted to qualify for the World Cup, they would have to give an incredible result at home at the Parade Grounds.

[Sannyamathland]

The Red Terror

Episode 4

Alexei Donsekty saw Sannyamathland drawing with Trolleborg, and ending their World Cup Qualification campaign in a less-than-stellar fashion in the small TV, which hung in the wall in front of his bed of his equally small cell. The propaganda had always portrayed the 'Correction Centers'(labour camps to house political opponents) as some sort of a luxury rehabilitation center. But all of Donsekty's pre-conceived notions about this place was shattered five days ago, when he was dragged here by the officers of the ISB(secret police). Living in a small dungeon-like room, with only a single window, old worn out walls, a tiny bed and a tiny TV to spend time was the worst place that Donsekty has ever visited. Living in this small room cramped up for space, was like experiencing hell. Moreover, the back-breaking work that they had to do in the morning time was terrible enough. Combined with this is living in those camps. Donsekty curses himself everyday for posting that tweet. It is difficult to speak out against the government, when it enjoys such an immense popularity among the people.

The current regime of Chairman Rio has achieved remarkable successes when it comes to economy and defense. The economic growth of Sannyamathland is the fastest in the world and wealth gaps has decreased to a large extent. Employment oppurtunities in the rural areas have increased and the overall employment rate has reached an all time high. All this has made him extremely popular among the poor and middle class citizens. Moreover, Sannyamathland's recent military campaigns, like those in Liserian Civil War have been hugely successful. This has boosted the country's international reputation, and Sannyamathland has become one of the leading anti-American forces in the world. Last but not the least, young Kaustuv Rio has brought stability to a country, which has suffered decades of political instability especially because of it's old and ageing leaders who were too senile to actually rule the country. Rio assuming the leader's seat was a breath of fresh air for many citizens.

Most citizens have however, failed to realise that the government has started stamping out civil rights, and the level of political freedom is at an all-time low. However, citizens recently have begun to realise that the economic and military achievements has not gone hand to hand with political freedom. The 'War Against Terror' campaign has only made it clear that the government is not willing to tolerate any criticism to it's authority. This had actually increased political criticism, and the government has taken drastic measures to curb the protests. The newest War Against Domestic Terror is by far the biggest campaign undertaken by the government to silence oppositions to it's rule. Thousands of protesters were arrested on fabricated charges, and hundreds were killed legally and illegally by government agencies and the secret police(ISB). A huge purge was also conducted inside the Communist Party, and perceived opponents of Chairman Rio were either kicked out, imprisoned or murdered ruthlessly on the Chairman's orders. Dmitry Mikhutin, the Head of ISB, took an active part in the extrajudicial killings.

Yesterday itself, Donsekty got the news that his brother was executed by firing squad on the charges of treason. He hasn't cried for a single time after that, but a strange silence grasped him. He ate his food, did his work, even watched TV but didn't spoke to anyone. He wasn't sure whether he will ever make it out of this place or not, whether he will be able to survive for his entire duration or not, whether he will be able to make a living or not, whether he will ever see his wife and child or not. But there was one thing he was sure of. He can no longer play football with his brother, like he used to.

[Busoga Islands]

The Busoga Chronicle
The Islands #1 News Source!

'Everything to Play for' in Hampton Island as The Islanders draw 0-0 with the Golden Bears


An assistant coach talks to players during Busoga's 0-0 home draw with Hampton Island

STAFFORD CITY, HAMPTON ISLAND- A 0-0 draw in the first leg of a two-legged affair, with the away goals rule, usually does not do much to tell us about how the second leg will go. It's the only scoreline that does not give either team an advantage- even a small one. It doesn't give us much intelligence on how either team will approach the second leg, it doesn't tell us much how the game will effect either team's prep. All it tell us is this- that both teams are fairly evenly matched.

The fact that the first leg was 0-0 was not surprising if you were watching the game. It was not the free-flowing affair that you would want. Hampton Island sits and plays deep, and defends in great numbers. Busoga does the same, although to a lesser extent. We like to press a little bit and we blitz towards the spaces. While we had the majority of the possession, it was hard to generate true chances for either side at Lakiska City Cricket Park.

Both teams had exactly one really good opportunity to take the lead- and neither could take advantage of it. Hampton Island's best opportunity for an away goal was in the 27th minute. Lucky Seven(the bear) played a brilliant through ball to Nate Steward, who seemed to essentially be in on goal. Mohammed Gassama was sprinting back from the other side, trying to get to the goal while Mustafa Taal ran out to close down the angle. Steward played the ball on the ground towards the near post, beating Mustafa Taal. But Gassama, almost heroically, got back barely in time. The ball was halfway over the line, and a sliding Gassama was able to kick it out and clear it. Incredible.

That's why he plays in Eura, right? Not any defender would have that sort of ability to recover. And in a desperate situation- that away goal could have buried Busoga in the first half of the first leg. Our golden opportunity to take a 1-0 lead came in the second half. A free kick, around 30 yards from goal. 75th minute. Habib Fadika standing over the ball. Cicek Aga standing in the wall. Fadika took two steps forward, and the ball went to her. She played it on the ground towards the penalty spot, and Kohut got the ball, took one dribble, and was one on one with the goalkeeper. He shot it with his left foot, but 55 year old goalkeeper Edwin Conney made an incredible, sprawling save.

The manager said as much- it was a cagey affair where neither team gave too much away. "Hampton Island have conceded just 6 times over now 19 World Cup Qualifiers? And they've just kept their 14th clean sheet of this campaign. And as of late- conceded just one goal over the last 7 qualifiers. Absolutely incredible. They've got one of the top defenses in the multiverse, and we've just seen how good and organized they are at the back. They defend in layers, their midfielders get back, and their midfielders, together with their defenders, create such a strong wall that is nearly impenetrable."

While praising Hampton Island's defense, he also said that Busoga's did things well at the same time. "These are why these two-legged affairs are two legs- you have time to gain a feel for each other in this leg. Our defense was also strong- outside of one brilliant through ball, we pretty much prevented them from getting clean looks on goal for the entire 90 minutes. So we've got stuff to build on- keep the pressure on in the midfield, keep going after those 50/50 balls, don't be afraid of their bear midfielders. We're going to have to innovate some ways to get behind them on defense, however."

With only six goals allowed through 19 Qualifiers, Hampton Island easily have the best defense in the multiverse on a statistical basis- Audioslavia are next, having only conceded 9. Interestingly, neither squad won their group. The question is this- how can we make the leg in Stafford City the one where we score? Considering how dominant they are in general, the defense has been even more dominant at home, as they've only conceded twice at their own stadium. As we saw in the first leg, nobody creates many chances against Hampton Island- the question is, can we finish the chances created? We may only get 2 or 3, maybe even less than. Can we be clinical?

X-Factor: Artem Kohut

This is of no surprise. He's our team's best attacking player. A shame that Kamu Jacobs was retired essentially by the time he came in. But of Busoga's strikers, the Busogan-Delaclav dual-national filed his paperwork, changed his allegiance, and now heads the line for the Busogan national team. He has thumped in plenty of goals. He's got pace. He's got power. He's got the natural instinct of a #9.

And now, more than anything, it will be up to him. Like we said- this is not a second leg that's going to end 4-3, or be super open, or have an abundance of goals. It's going to be a cagey affair. The odds are not on our side getting more than one goal, if we get one at all. We need one- and one will likely have to be enough, it is unlikely we will create enough chances to get a second or third.

Can we create a chance for our star #9? That's the question. He is confident in himself. He had a chance in the first leg that was saved, but he certainly believes that he gets another chance in the box, that he surely will not miss. He's going to be a target for both our players and theirs. But if he gets his opportunity, if he gets a good opportunity in front of our goal, that is our best chance to put one past this iron wall of a defense and get a flight to Cassadaigua/Chromatika.

There's also the idea that Bumba is not making any changes to the starting XI. Many thought he might to try to get more attacking play- but he's trusting of the defense that is there. If it's level still 0-0 at the half, however, Bumba may become more aggressive with his subsittutions. He's said multiple times that he does not want to leave it up to penalties- so if it's level, or we trail, at the half, expect changes on the wings. Isa Kujabi for extra pace on the wings, Ozkaya Tarhan for something extra up top.

19 World Cup Qualifiers. We've had highs- a 4-2 win against Pasarga among them. We've had lows- the St. Trinians disaster. Jumping all across the multiverse. And it comes down to this. One more game in Hampton Island. A win or scoring draw to send us to the World Cup. The President himself will be in attendance. Can the impossible World Cup dream be achieved?

[Tikariot]

Walking with Shadows
--- Chapter XII ---

Chapter I - Chapter II - Chapter III - Chapter IV - Chapter V - Chapter VI - Chapter VII – Chapter VIII – Chapter IX – Chapter X – Chapter XI

James and Sophia look at each other with worry as the communication falls dead.

“Should we turn around to help them?”

The conflict on James’ mind shows on his face. “We don’t know how many of them there are, we might run straight into a trap, too.”

Sophia presses the button on the radio again. “Do you want us to come to you?”

It takes a few seconds, but Crowe’s voice comes through, the tension clear. “No! Go, solve this thing!”

She looks over at James, who nods grimly. “OK. Let’s go over it again and take it apart.”

Sophia takes her notepad with the full message. “OK. So we solved the first riddle and are left with nothing. Well, not nothing, we got this a least. Efforts were not for naught, good to know. Fire of the yellow orb, we got that. Here. ‘where the heart of our wisdom lies, what you seek is not lost, but lies within the shrine.’ Where the heart of their wisdom lies… They’re big on metaphors, so what is their wisdom?”

“Their teachings? Or their scripture or something?”

“Maybe. Let me see what the interwebs have to say.”

She flicks on her phone and begins to type away. After a few minutes of silence James looks over at her, but she is still scrolling through text as far as he can see, her black hair obscuring his sight. He figures to give her the time and space to research and pulls into a gas station. She does not even seem to notice as he exits the car and proceeds to fill the tank as she is still in the same position as before, but scribbling away when he returns. Only when he holds out a steaming cup of coffee her head slowly turns towards him.

“Thank you, thank you!” She takes the cup and carefully takes a big sip, allowing the hot liquid to make its way down. After a minute she takes a deep breath. “Alright, the Ordo had their own set of holy books that they used to keep their realm under control, with the laws passed down from the gods. They were called the “Lex Draconis”, the “Law of the Dragons”, so I’m not sure if they considered the dragons gods or something. But anyways, most of these books were lost throughout the centuries and only two remain that we know of and they are in a private collection.”

“OK, so the key might be in them.”

“Could be, but the problem with that is who that collection belongs to.”

“That sounds ominous.”

She gives an uneasy chuckle. “Yeah, it belongs to Severinus Horcomb, who is known for two things. For one he is the last known living descendant of one of the founders of the Ordo, but the other one is what is more worrisome. He is also the founder and backer of the East Dhaencunor Nationalist Party…”

“Oh crap. We’ll never get to those books then.”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Well, there is a museum about the Ordo Draconi Dhaencunori that he donated some artefacts and other things to, among them these books.”

“That sounds somewhat promising at least.”

“Yes and no. Good news is that it is open to the public and actually in Samreach. Bad news is that it is part of his estate just outside of town and given what we did earlier they’ve probably tightened security around it by now.”

James rubs his temples. “Great, just great.”

“Is that decree even still valid after all that time? They could just declare it outdated or something?”

“They looked into it, but there is no law about it, because nobody thought anything like that would ever come up. So, if they would present it, it’d likely go through courts and whatnot, but there’s a chance they might win and they don’t want to take the chance.”

“I see. Well, then there’s only one thing we can do.”

He looks at her suspiciously, even more so when he sees the look in her eyes. “Do I want to hear it?”

“Well, you’re gonna no matter what. We’ll have to pay a visit to the museum!”

James closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “I had a feeling you’d say that.”

“OK, who’s the adventure spy person in this? You or me? Right now you’re not very adventury!”

He can’t help but laugh. “Touche. We have no equipment, though, it’s all in the van.”

“Meh, minor detail, we’ll figure it out. So, what are you waiting for?”

“Uh, for you to tell me where we’re actually going?”

“Oh, good point…”

*****

About 25 minutes later they are slowly passing a mansion just at the edge of town, complete with grand wrought iron gates, high hedges and a long gravel driveway, the end of which lost in the unabated rain pouring down, lined with carefully horticultured trees and bushes. An elaborate gold sign adorns one of the basalt columns, “Horcomb Manor” carved into it, leaving nothing open for interpretation.

“It says that the museum is in a separate building on the edge of the estate, so that they can keep visitors off the actual grounds. Sounds like they don’t want mere mortals to disturb their, their—whatever those people do. It should be coming up to the left whenever that hedge ends, that is.”

The sheer size of the estate becomes clearer with every passing metre the car rolls past the high hedge, seemingly never-ending. Finally another gate comes into view, just as elaborate as the main entrance, if smaller, with a sign announcing the “Museum de Ordo Draconi Dhaencunori.” As they stop in front of the gate, they see a small building made from what seems to be granite blocks, similar to the stone they had seen in the staircase leading down into the catacombs of the destroyed monastery.

“You know feels as odd?”

James turns his head towards her. “What?”

“With him living here in this huge estate, with a museum dedicated to the Ordo, why are the catacombs still hidden away, all overgrown, without any effort to preserve them or show them off? If he’s so proud of the whole thing, wouldn’t that be like a perfect status symbol?”

He furrows his brow. “True. But what if he didn’t want people to crawl all over the place before he could find that decree? I’m sure he knows about the catacombs, but yeah, maybe that.”

“Good point. Either way, what do we do now?”

“Is the museum open?”

“Hold on, I’ll check. It says it is.”

“Well, guess we’ll do some historic sightseeing then!”

“Uh, but what if they know what we look like?”

“One way to find out.”

“Oh, now suddenly you’re adventure man!”

He grins. “Nurisema, you’re in charge of the car!”

The big dog lifts his head and issues a questioning whine.

*****

The museum is larger than it seems from the outside as it is partially built into the ground, opening into a large, open space that is littered with books, parchments, fragments of stained glass windows, large crosses and more. After the tense moment of admission, where the attendant barely even looked at them when he handed them their ticket stubs, they tried to find the books in question without seeming too eager or focused on them. As they expected, the building was devoid of other visitors, thanks to the raging storm, so they don’t have the advantage of blending into a crowd, but the attendant still does everything but pay attention to them, allowing them to move around undisturbed. Upon their entry James took note of three cameras covering the entrance as well as parts of the interior, with special focus of one of them on what the pamphlet heralds as the “crown jewel of the collection”, which turns out to be two old, leather-bound tomes, “Lex Draconis II” and “Lex Draconis V” gold-embossed on the front. They are in a large glass display case with bright spotlights on them. Under the pretense of looking at the books and reading up on them in the pamphlet, James tries to get an idea of the security surrounding the books before gently ushering Sophia towards the exit so as to not invoke any suspicions if they lingered too long. Back in the car she looks at him expectantly.

“It looks like the glass case has magnetic contacts that will sound an alarm, if the connection breaks. All the windows have reinforced steel bars and as far as I could see there is no backdoor or anything, so the only way in or out is through the front and there is a pull-down steel grate at the entrance into the museum room itself as well as another reinforced steel gate that closes inside of the entrance door. There are three cameras, one at the entrance, one on the books and one covering most of the rest of the room and I’m pretty sure that everything is alarmed on top of it. So, I’m really not sure how we’re supposed to get in there. And even if we get in, would we get back out?”

“I have no idea.”

“Alright, that makes us two. Nurisema, any ideas?”

The malamute does not even bother raising his head this time, but only grumbles disapprovingly.

[South Newlandia]

South Newlandia takes big step towards World Cup 88 in big win

Many people like to debate whether you want to start a playoff at home or away. Generally, people consider it an advantage to play the second game with home advantage, but that isn’t necessarily always the case. For example, having your own fans behind you in the first game may help you to take a big, early lead in the matchup, almost completely wiping out the chances of your opponent. That’s what happened to the Elephants, who defeated the Dragoons 3-0 in the Dome thanks to goals by Irving (2) and McCabe, and, perhaps even more importantly, thanks to a dominant performance by Rufus Rigby, who held the Dragoons at bay for 90 minutes. Admittedly, there was a little bit of luck involved – who knows how the game might’ve went if Taran Bele would’ve found the net with his shot in the 16th minute instead of just the crossbar – but that doesn’t matter now.
Oberour Ar Moro has one more chance to turn things around. The second leg, to be played in the Parade Grounds, is what will decide this match. And, sure, the Dragoons are playing with the back to the wall. The Elephants are the overwhelming favourite to qualify from this position, but they can not get too confident. The Dragoons are certainly capable of turning this around. There are 90 minutes to be played, more than enough to turn around this match. The Elephants cannot get careless for even a few minutes. Oberour Ar Moro has nothing to lose from here, and they will fight until the very last minute.
Let us, for a moment, take a look at history. When have the Elephants ever lost a match by more than three goals? You would expect it to have happened multiple times, but it was actually just once; when the Elephants got pounded by the BoF-champions, Mavinet, in World Cup 85 Qualifying, 0-4. And where was Mavinet located? You guessed it, Rushmore. The Elephants need to pay attention to not let that happen again.
Oh, and if you thought Wolverine would throw everything into defense for the last match – just scoring a single goal at any point would force the Dragoons to score five to move on. That should be the aim.

NEWS
**Esportivan communications improved with new technical solution**
**International footballing player association rules are a “confusing mess”**
**Owlephant-related hospitalizations drop to lowest mark in years**
**SNL starts same squad in return leg**
**Summer-hole causes lack of interesting news, news forced to become self-referential**

Could Ferrero Fotellis play for South Newlandia?

You are probably already familiar with Ferrero Fotellis. The 18-year-old son of the Vdaran legend Alexis Fotellis and a South Newlandian mother has taken the South Newlandian Soccer League by storm, leading Kinjestad to fifth place and winning Teen-of-the-Year awards in the process, despite being a legal minor at the time. This generational football abilities have earned him various offers, and he even made it onto the Vdaran national team as young as 18 for the recent qualifying campaign. Vdara, sadly, barely missed out on the World Cup proper. Now that the Elephants look like they might qualify for the World Cup, questions are being raised. Questions like “Could Fotellis play for South Newlandia in the World Cup finals after playing for Vdara in Qualifying? What are the rules on people with two nationalities? Would, maybe, even the World Cup Committee step in?” Lots of questions that need answers, and so far, the answers are unclear.

NEWS
**”Absolutely no one” interested in chess outside few select nations, poll shows**
**Could the Dragons win 50 games next season? Probably not**
**Even more reports about flying objects near Dragon Island, all confirmed fake**
**South Newlandian animals also eat healthier, proves recent study**
**Guerra not getting any military stuff this time either**