World Cup 88- Roleplay Thread

[Bollonich]

Vreton City Journal

Draws over
The Tigers ambitiously taking part in their first ever World Cup Qualifiers ever will like to make the most of this experience. The qualification group stages will take place in 18 match days which the Bollonischian Footballers will surely be excited about. The draw which took place puts Bollonich in Group 6 which has teams like Sylestone, Rangers Fc and Tequilo and will most probably be a very difficult group to get out of. The new John Lennon Stadium shall be host to the best of the home matches in the group. The groups, schedule and have matches look like this:-

Group 6
Rangers FC (100)
Al Qurija (201)
Sannyamathland (191)
Tequilo (53)
Sylestone (74)
Talkasa (301)
Trolleborg (25)
North Japan (124)
Bollonich (UR)
Zwangzug (21)
 
Schedule
Al Qurija (H) vs Bollonich (A)
Bollonich (H) vs Sannyamathland (A)
Tequilo (H) vs Bollonich (A)
Bollonich (H) vs Sylestone (A)
Talkasa (H) vs Bollonich (A)
Bollonich (H) vs Trolleborg (A)
North Japan (H) vs Bollonich (A)
Zwangzug (H) vs Bollonich (A)
Bollonich (H) vs Rangers FC (A)
Bollonich (H) vs Al Qurija (A)
Sannyamathland (H) vs Bollonich (A)
Bollonich (H) vs Tequilo (A)
Sylestone (H) vs Bollonich (A)
Bollonich (H) vs Talkasa (A)
Trolleborg (H) vs Bollonich (A)
Bollonich (H) vs North Japan (A)
Bollonich (H) vs Zwangzug (A)
Rangers FC (H) vs Bollonich (A)

Home matches
MD2:Bollonich (H) vs Sannyamathland (A) - National Sports Stadium
MD4:Bollonich (H) vs Sylestone (A) - The John Lennon Football Stadium
MD6:Bollonich (H) vs Trolleborg (A) - Rose Bowl
MD9:Bollonich (H) vs Rangers FC (A) - Rose Bowl
MD10:Bollonich (H) vs Al Qurija (A) - National Sports Stadium
MD12:Bollonich (H) vs Tequilo (A) - John Lennon Football Stadium
MD14:Bollonich (H) vs Talkasa (A) - National Sports Stadium
MD16:Bollonich (H) vs North Japan (A) - Rose Bowl
MD17:Bollonich (H) vs Zwangzug (A) - John Lennon Football Stadium

[Recuecn]

An Open Letter to the Management of the Krytenian National Football Team

We know what you're thinking.

You saw the draw and you thought to yourselves, "Well shit, we got Turori, but the top seed was always going to be tough. Good luck we have Reçueçn for our pot two team, they're washed up. They're dead in the water. They're over and done. They're useless. They're finished. They're done for. Why am I still reading from this thesaurus."

Well you thought wrong.

If you think that you can just waltz into our qualification group and steal our spot - OUR spot on the losing end of a second-place playoff - you have another think coming. Just because we're at the tail-end of a qualifying pot we shouldn't have even been in, just because our only competent GM left us to die in a Cup of Harmony ditch by the side of the failed World Cup qualification road, just because we haven't made it out of the IAC round of 16 since we won it four cycles ago, doesn't mean you can turn up your noses and treat us like an easy six points. We demand that you account for the possibility you may only get four.

Ok, we'll admit it. We're down bad. We've arguably been on the decline ever since that IAC victory or maybe one of those World Cup round of sixteen appearances so long ago. But if you could at least pretend to be concerned about facing us, it would go a long way toward allowing us to hang on to our last shred of dignity, or at least let go of it on our own terms.

After all, we're special. Reçuecian exceptionalism runs strong, and we're worried about our political ideology if our national image gets crushed on the global stage by some bunch of semifinal-losing semifinal-losers. [Is that really the only joke we have?] Remember, we did that cool thing where we qualified for the World Cup despite having zero KPB points, proving for once and for all that KPB points are just an imperfect way of measuring a team's ability, and not, I don't know, some reality-defining metric that directly affects a team's probability of victory. Don't be ridiculous. And then, having accomplished that amazing feat, we didn't stop there, but went on to keep talking about it and how cool it was while we waited to do anything else remotely impressive.

You guys, on the other hand, are history. Literally. Your accomplishments are so historic that we couldn't be arsed to look them up can't even begin to list them all. And that makes you cocky. We know it. We can see it in the smug grin we picture on your faces, and in the audacity you have to call yourselves The Cyans when we're in a group with Valentine Z, who literally are. You don't even have to say something disrespectful to us. We can imagine it perfectly fine, and it pisses us off.

The silver lining here is that it won't make the news. We had the "Reçueçn Misses 1st WC Since Qualification" story last cycle. So hopefully the "Reçueçn Give Up its Qual Spot to Krytenia, Of All People" headline that haunts our nightmares won't make the front page.

Not that it matters. If we don't make it to the World Cup I'm never reading the sports section again.

[Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom]

“Sir? Are you ready?” a soft young adult voice asked a question through the door. “Oh,” the man in the room said, eyes opening to a mirror “yes, dear. He said.” The man was old and grey, with a grey suit and a tie striped with more grey, but the small purple strips reflected as if they were glued to the mirror itself. “Gorgeous” the man said, seeing nothing but blurs. Hands pushed against the desk in front of them. “Glasses? Glasses - yes.” the old man continued to narrate as went about his business. “The man of hour, finds his spectacles well compared to the average old codger.” — his voice then peaked as a hand splayed on the desk — “But! The real men of the hour are still to come.” He looked into the mirror before reclining, “That's more like it.” a feminine voice said as the old man Djoko jumped and took a breath “Ljubica! Oh, hello dear. I’m merely practicing one more go around.” The young lady put a hand on her hips and turned her head to the side, “The first set of guests are waiting in our green room.” Ljubica’s patience was slipping away from her, that voice she had would always make it clear to Djoko. The older man continued to practice “Djoko Weljkowić here with... name goes here... I guess.” Djoko wiped his brow in order to part a strand of hair. “I have to keep the empty space concealed” he said with a chuckle, “that’s not easy today, ho ho.” Djoko licked finger to put a few stands in place. The old fellow rose from the chair, and headed for the door.

Ljubica handed over a small set of papers as he exited his dressing room. “The bolded players are guests," Ljubica said "each one will have own video package, as we've went over.” Djoko hummed while walking down the hall, exiting to look at pavilion that showed the blue sea, lush trees, and a sky that could be only described as azure. “The cool air of Ribar always tickled my fancy for an interview” Djoko said, sitting down with Lake Norlyr to his side. “The shine of the water is something I’ll never be used to.” The old man shielded his eyes with his papers. “Djoko,” Ljubica said, “shall we have our camerawomen check your angles?” Djoko put down his document and smiled “Oh, of course my dear.” An assist came, and she began to mauve a trio of video cameras on the patio. One sat near Djoko aimed to an empty chair and to the lake beyond. Mirroring the first cam was one to show Djoko, who was posing with a palm on his cheek, and the patio. The intern adjusted both recording devices before centering a final one placed in-between the two chairs, and looking out to the lake. “Good move place my tripod to the door,” Djoko said, “The glimmer from the water was far too distracting when they shot my face.” As the helper walked away Djoko twisted his wrists, “Who is first?” He asked while palming his fists.

“Bogdan Rawić, sir, I will escort him” the assistant said, Ljubica nodding in affirmation. Bogdan Rawić, a key player in the national team, waltzed in and shook Djoko’s hand after the later stood up. “I think I haven’t been face to face with you in two years my boy” Djoko said, Bogdan smiled, “Just about, to the day maybe.” The two sat down. “You’ll be getting a few questions, nothing to difficult. The group draw happened, of course, so you’ll get a question about your opponents.” Bogdan nodded “Audioslavia?” he asked and Djoko shrugged, “Perhaps, any of them really. You'll kick tail all the same we hope.” Djoko offered Bogdan glass of water, who accepted with thanks. “Alright, where’s your producer? I think we’re ready for the show to start.” “I am here,” the producer said, it was Ljubica. Bogdan was a bit flush, but sat back to get cozy. “You’re right, we’re ready to begin.” Ljubica said, “Alright, this is pre tapped everyone. We are not live but we're going get an intro from the booth at TV-4 before they cut away to the interview. I'll need you to mention Iwan at the start, Djoko. Okay!” — she shouted with fingers pointed to the camera operators — “You're beginning in five… four… three… two…”

[Malandrin]

The Royal Malandrian Football Federation has decided that it will expand the number of its squad to reinforce the different positions. According to Malandrin media, Episkros Rendkel, president of the RMFF, had a meeting with the coach yesterday and selected several more players:
-Tàask Revjeny (MD)
-Radaab Dyir (GK)
-Borja Espino (CB)

[Srednjaci]

FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SREDNJACI

The Football Association has published the results of the group draw for the World Cup 88 on its official website.

TOUGH GROUP FOR ICE BEARS

The DR Srednjaci football team is in Group 13 and we are ranked as the 253rd national team in the world. The group is tough because there are no easy opponents. However, with us are three very strong national teams, Banija, which is the 6th national team in the world, Astograth, the 24th national team of the world, and TJUN-ia, the 50th national team of the world.
Home games will be played in four cities.

KATANIJA , NATIONAL STADIUM : BLUE OYSTER



RADUČ : RADUČ MOTO STADIUM



KULA , GOLDEN EYE STADIUM



MELARIT, BLUE VOLCANO




Group 13

TJUN-ia (50)
Euran Oceania Territories (86)
Shreekaristan (354)
Srednjaci (253)
Bongo Johnson (139)
Banija (6)
Ibixa (173)
Astograth (24)
Oberour Ar Moro (82)
Malandrin (UR)


MD1 : Srednjaci vs Ibixa , KATANIJA -Blue Oyster National stadium
MD2 : Astograth vs Srednjaci
MD3 : Srednjaci vs Oberour Ar Moro , MELARIT- Blue Volcano Stadium
MD4 : TJUN-ia vs Srednjaci
MD5 : Srednjaci vs Euran Oceania Territories , RADUČ -Raduč Moto Arena
MD6 : Shreekaristan vs Srednjaci
MD7 : Srednjaci vs Malandrin , KULA -Golden Eye Stadium
MD8 : Srednjaci vs Bongo Johnson , KULA -Golden Eye Stadium
MD9 : Banija vs Srednjaci

SECOND ROUND

MD10 : Ibixa vs Srednjaci
MD11 : Srednjaci vs Astograth , KATANIJA -Blue Oyster National stadium
MD12 : Oberour Ar Moro vs Srednjaci
MD13 : Srednjaci vs TJUN -ia, KATANIJA -Blue Oyster National stadium
MD14 : Euran Oceania Territories vs Srednjaci
MD15 : Srednjaci vs Shreekaristan , RADUČ -Raduč Moto Arena
MD16 : Malardin vs Srednjaci
MD17 : Bongo Johnson vs Srednjaci
MD18 : Srednjaci vs Banija , MELARIT- Blue Volcano Stadium

We are looking forward to the matches of our footballers. They solidly represented us at Baptism Of Fire. We believe that their game will continue to grow and progress.
In the coming days, the presentation of the host cities of the matches is expected.

[Central Shaneville]

WORLD CUP ANYONE?
It is once again draw time as the Central Shaneville team made a public appearance and watched the draw with the fans in local pubs around Shaneville City, this was done by boss Cam Meister to "promote unity and passion" ahead of the World Cup qualifying campaign, the amount of teams in the draw though surprised some players and fans with goalkeeper James Penford saying "I don't think I've seen this many teams in a World Cup...ever, although I haven't seen many world cups myself."

By the end of the draw - Central Shaneville's group looked like this with ALOT of new teams for the island nation to face and two familiar ones too:
THE DRAW
Brookstation (247)
Central Shaneville (154)
Squidroidia (76)
Nephara (1)
Togonistan (UR)
Hampton Island (37)
Sarzonia (97)
Huayramarca (48)
The united states of sonindia (322)
Quakmybush (109)

The two familiar teams are Squidroidia and Sarzonia who Central Shaneville have either played against or been at the same tournament as in the past with boss Cam Meister saying "It will be interesting to play those two teams, it will be my first time playing them as a manager."

RENOVATIONS TO THE RED BULL ARENA

As this photo shows, Central Shaneville's Red Bull Arena has gone through some changes aesthetically since the last campaign as a new roof has been added to replace the old one with the Shaneville Sports Association saying "It looks more modern and stylish, thats why we changed it."

The fans reaction to the change has been positive saying that it will bring new life to the arena which is only used a few times a year despite being a massive multi million project when it was constructed.

To conclude, Central Shaneville's team and fans are very excited about their next attempt at the World Cup however with the number of teams seemingly bigger than ever, it will be a hard route to the footballing stardom.

[Sarzonia]

Sarzonia's return to World Cup qualifying after a one-cycle absence couldn't have gotten off to a worse start.

Sure, Group 12 may not exactly be confused with a so-called group of death with only one team among the top 35 teams in the multiverse, but that team is defending world champions and the current No. 1-ranked team Nephara.

Worse yet, Sarzonia's opening match after their absence will be away to Nephara as the team most likely unveil their championship banner and present rings to the players.

The significance of that match being the opener wasn't lost on Stars manager Nicola Mentes.

"We don't start off easy, do we?" he said. "Nephara being our opening opponent, away, is going to be an immediate challenge. Any prospect of us easing our way into the schedule is out the window."

The other teams of note for the Stars in this group will be Squidroidia, the team ranked directly ahead of the Stars among the other teams in the group. Add to that ancient opponents in Quakmybush, previous World Cup groupmates Huayramarca, second highest-ranked team Hampton Island (at No. 37 in the multiverse), and Central Shaneville, and you have opponents who are familiar in name if not necessarily familiar as rivals.

That didn't matter to the players, all of whom said they relished the challenge of starting their schedule with the defending world champions, a team Sarzonia beat away during World Cup 85 qualifying in what many observers referred to as the team's signature victory of the cycle en route to Sarzonia's return to the proper after a 28-cycle absence from the game's biggest stage.

"Absolutely, you know we're champing at the bit to face [Nephara]," said goalkeeper Paolo Gomes through a translator. "They beat us bad at our place and we got them back at theirs. You know we want to prove ourselves and we'd love to steal points from them."

Even if the Nephara matches, both there and at Dave Wilson Stadium in Woodstock are going to be a tall order, the Stars wouldn't have it any other way.

"You dream of facing the best teams in the world," midfielder and team captain Clayton Wilson said. "Now we're getting our chance against THE best."

[Garbelia]

WC 88 Draw Reaction
With Lutra Scratchington and statistician Vydri Otto

Lutra: Hello and welcome to the Garbelistats! studio, in the People's Stadium 'Media Cave'. I'm here with Vydri Otto to discuss the implications of the Otters' group draw.
Vydri: Yes, we are going to be taking you through each member of the group, with Lutra and I predicting the scores for our two games.
So, let's start with the basics. Garbeli fans won't have to look far down the results list this year, with the Otters drawn into Group 1, along with: Drawkland, Gyatso-Kai, Saltstead, Kelssek, Marigred, Revlona, The Juniper Union, Tumbra and Kandorith.
Of these teams, we have played Kandorith before in the previous World Cup, losing on both occasions. 3 nations in the group are less experienced than the GAB, with raw stats pointing towards a similar finish to the last occasion, around 6th or 7th in the group.
But the Garbeli could finish anywhere, couldn't we Vydri? The team proved it last time round, finishing 8th, when the raw stats pointed to the wooden spoon.
Yes, of course Lutra. Football is completely unpredictable, and anything could happen. But let's get going with the predictions.
Drawkland (23)
Drawkland are an established footballing powerhouse, with qualification in the last WC. They finished top of their qualifying group, with 47 points off 18 games, scoring 49 goals and conceding 19. They have a devastating system of attack, which the Otters will hope to control using their defensive tactics.
Home: 0-2 Away: 3-0
Home: 0-3 Away 4-1
Gyatso-Kai (84)
Another attacking masterpiece, Gyatso Kai play a traditional 4-4-2, with two powerful strikers from renown sporting families. Expect Song to be gliding round the Garbelery CBs, and Skirata to be charging through them.
Home: 1-1 Away: 3-1
Home: 1-2 Away 3-2
Saltstead (71)
With a similar style to Garbelia, the match at Saltstead will be a competition between two defensive teams. Garbelia, however, have a more attacking formation, but may end up overwhelmed in midfield.
Home: 1-0 Away: 0-1
Home: 0-0 Away: 1-0
Kelssek (10)
The group's top seed, Kelssek will pose a huge threat to the defensive organisation of GAB, and won't expect too much resistance against the wing prowess of Colm Ó Tuathail in another attack vs defence match.
Home: 0-3 Away: 5-1
Home: 0-4 Away: 6-0
Marigred (272)
Marigred have not released their squad, but it still looks like being a tough game.
Home: 2-0 Away: 2-1
Home: 2-0 Away: 0-0
Revlona (341)
Another unknown team, Revlona could be one game the Garbeli expect to win, but they won't lie down.
Home: 3-0 Away: 3-1
Home: 2-0 Away: 2-0
The Juniper Union (UR)
Relatively unknown, The Juniper Union are making their footballing debut. Despite sending out several spying scouting missions, Lutri Otterdottir has no idea who their players are or what their tactics are like.
Home: 2-0 Away: 1-0
Home: 2-0 Away 0-1
Tumbra (115)
Another free-flowing side, potent in attack. Last time round, Garbelia had good results against Baggieland, a nation with a similar predigree, so they could be hoping to counter the threat of Philip Cohen.
Home: 3-3 Away: 2-0
Home: 2-2 Away 3-0
Kandorith (46)
Garbelia have come up against Kandorith before, and know to expect a reasonably conservative, low-scoring match. Masada Katano is a danger up front, but Hideyoshi Takahashi will be a threat from set pieces, having scored in their last meeting with the Otters.
Home: 0-1 Away: 0-0
Home: 0-1 Away 1-0

After each game, we will be releasing a score for our predictions alongside the match stats and report, based on 3 points for correct result and goals, and 1 point for the correct result. We'll see if stats, or experience prevails. We'll also take a quick look at predicted points if our remaining games follow the predictions given.
I for one am excited for this cup, and hope to see you next time, just before our first match against Drawkland.

Schedule:
MD 1: Drawkland v Garbelia
MD 2: Garbelia v Revlona @ The People's Stadium, Garvida
MD 3: Gyatso-Kai v Garbelia
MD 4: Garbelia v The Juniper Union @ The Hive, Norvis
MD 5: Saltstead v Garbelia
MD 6: Garbelia v Tumbra @ The People's Stadium, Garvida
MD 7: Kelssek v Garbelia
MD 8: Garbelia v Kandorith @ The Hive, Norvis
MD 9: Marigred v Garbelia
MD 10: Garbelia v Drawkland @ The People's Stadium, Garvida
MD 11: Revlona v Garbelia
MD 12: Garbelia v Gyatso-Kai @ The People's Stadium, Garvida
MD 13: The Juniper Union v Garbelia
MD 14: Garbelia v Saltstead @ The Hive, Norvis
MD 15: Tumbra v Garbelia
MD 16: Garbelia v Kelssek @ The People's Stadium, Garvida
MD 17: Kandorith v Garbelia
MD 18: Garbelia v Marigred @ The People's Stadium, Garvida

Prediction Points:
Lutra: 0
Vydri: 0

Predicted Points Total:
Lutra: 24
Vydri: 15

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

NOW THIS ISN’T SO BAD

By Taylor Larson,

In World Cup 87, the group draw immediately dampened our spirits of following up our successful World Cup 86 campaign. After hosting that World Cup, and advancing to the Round of 16, there were high expectations that we could maybe take an additional step forward in either Taeshan or Ethane. Instead, Newmanistan was placed into the Group of Death, and were unable to qualify. Generally speaking, the Rockets were good in qualifying, but the group lived up to its billing, and Newmanistan finished in a tie with Tikariot for the second position. The Owls had the tiebreaker, so they got to the playoff, and the Rockets were off to the Cup of Harmony.

Once in the Cup of Harmony, Newmanistan actually played very well, with a successful group stage and making it all the way to the semifinals. Perhaps, if Eura was able to qualify, we would not have had to run into them and lose that semifinal, but the sky blue still managed a third place finish. The next tournament for the national team was the 29th Campionato Esportiva, which they nearly won, placing second. All things considered, the team has played at a high level under Michael Starre, even if they were unable to qualify for World Cup 87. Due to this, Rockets fans are still optimistic about qualification for World Cup 88, just as long as we were not in the Group of Death again.

The first thing fueling more positive vibes was the fact that Newmanistan snuck into the first pot. I’m not sure if this has ever actually happened before, but with 18 groups and two hosts ranked above us and the demise of the soccer program in Mriin, Newmanistan was able to get into pot one as the #20-ranked team in the world. So, that was good, as we would not have to meet anyone with a better ranking than us during qualifying. As we know, and experienced previously, there is plenty of talent in the other pots, so we would not be out of the woods yet. When it came time for pot one, Newmanistan’s name came up in Group 9. Immediately, we looked at the group and liked what we saw. We didn’t draw a high pot 2 team, and that is not to say that Omerica is not a major threat, because their program has made positive strides lately, but Drawkland was not there. Not that Michael Starre wouldn’t have loved that and all, but we’d rather play them in the World Cup itself. No Trolleborg. No Tikariot again. None of that, we get Omerica. As in the bottom team of pot two. The pot three team is Flavovespia, which is also towards the bottom of their pot. Again, you don’t want to assume that because these teams are not high up in their pots that they are not dangerous sides, but for a nation that was in a simply brutal group last time, maybe things evened out a little bit this time.

In Group 9, Newmanistan is opposed by Omerica, Flavovespia, South Covello, Darkmania, The Gothanita Isles, Acastanha, Osarius, Bunkaiia, and The Hainan Union. There are a couple names there of nations that have been much better in the World Cup previously, but the current state of their soccer programs is not what it used to be. Folks, is it time to expect qualification? I think it is fair to say. This group is there for the taking for the Rockets. There is to be no settling for losing out in a tiebreaker for a playoff spot, or even having to deal with the playoffs to begin with. Newmanistan needs to finish in the top spot here, or else there will be no consolation prizes for Michael Starre. That is just my opinion, of course, but failure to qualify will not be met with the same kind of acceptance as it was last time. Michael Starre certainly realizes this, telling me that, “We’re in a spot right now where we have to make it to the World Cup. We’ve been close, but no more settling for the Cup of Harmony. The team we have on the field is a well rounded team of veterans and youngsters, and I think they will have great chemistry. This is a time where we can do great things as a team, and I am not thinking about anything else right now.”

The stadium assignments for our qualifying games were recently announced, and with nine home games, Dover City will get a chance to have a game on their turf last year. This is not the first time that there has been more than eight qualifying games for us, but the recent trend was to have multiple games in Tundra Falls, Pocono City, or both. Not this time. Mountaineer Stadium President Lucas Bryson stated that, “We are elated that Dover City has been awarded a home qualifying game. In the past, I know that we have been looked over because of our close proximity to Pocono City, but just because we are close to it, does not mean it is a convenient drive for all of our fans. Having a game of our own, right here, will allow our fans to not have to travel to Pocono City unless they choose too. We’re, of course, excited to welcome all fans.” That game does not come until matchday 10 against Acastanha. As typical, the first home game for the Rockets will be at the Proving Grounds. Acastanha is our first opponent, but we travel for that contest.

We can do it this time. Get excited!


(OOC: Please note that during World Cup 88, I am going to be focusing more on a storyline I developed in the last World Bowl. I will tie in the soccer team to make it relevant, but that story needs to be worked on more, and it helps that the same set of eyes will be reading it, at least during the first half).

[Eshialand]

"Hello and welcome back to ENN Tournament Report, I'm your host Alana Markai. Today's edition of Tournament Report is going to be something special, as I break down Eshialand's qualifying Group 2 and see if qualifying is something even remotely possible."

The 14 Stars (UR)
Away: MD1
Home: MD10

"Eshialand lucked out with their qualifying draw and their World Cup Qualifying debut is going to be against unranked side The 14 Stars. It would come as a great surprise if this matchup, along with the home match on MD10, didn't grant the Owls at least 4 points."

Lisander (95)
Away: MD2
Home: MD11

"Group 2 contains five top 100 teams and Lisander is the first that Eshialand will have to face. While an upset is possible, the best Eshialand can hope for is most likely a single point."

Vilita (14)
Home: MD3
Away: MD12

"To all of you celebrating and gloating about Eshialand's Baptism of Fire win: CEASE AND DESIST. Our competitive home debut is going to be against five-time world champions Vilita. Trust me, BoF75 is nothing compared to World Cups 20, 68, 77, 81, and 82. Just getting within two goals against Vilita even once would be perhaps the greatest achievement in Eshian sporting history, however young it may be."

Devonta (75)
Away: MD4
Home: MD13

"Again, with a side like Devonta, don't expect to get more than one point, because even that would be a miracle."

Sendhang (322)
Home: MD5
Away: MD14

"In the Baptism of Fire, there were three teams that the Eshian people absolutely fell in love with: the Owls themselves of course, Atheara, and Sendhang. We already got an Eshialand-Atheara matchup in the BoF semifinals, and now we're set to see two Eshialand-Sendhang matches. Sendhang got stuck in a heartbreaking slog of a Group C that only scored 9 goals across all 10 matches (compared to Eshialand, who alone scored 18 goals in 8 matches, with that number rising to 30 after accounting for the Owls' opponents), barely missing the knockouts after unlucky tiebreaks. Any less than 3 points from Eshialand would a be complete and utter disappointment."

Pluvia and the Saxean Isles (146)
Away: MD6
Home: MD15

"This team is relatively unknown, at least to Eshians, and far from the strongest team in the group. Could a win be possible for Eshialand? It isn't impossible..."

Savojarna (29)
Home: MD7
Away: MD16

"The two matches against Savojarna are going to feature two very different Savojar sides, with completely different management and rosters... but both most likely to defeat the Owls."

Hebitaka (127)
Away: MD8
Home: MD17

"An upset, but only one, against Hebitaka is just on the inside edge of possible, but whether it'll actually happen is unknown."

Squornshelan Remnant States (60)
Home: MD9
Away: MD18

"SRS, being the very bottom team in Pot 3, was an extremely lucky pull, but that still doesn't mean that Eshialand has any chance at all of beating them..."

"In conclusion, qualification this cycle is nothing but a pipe dream for our Owls, but it was never the goal to begin with. The goal has always been to have fun, and this certainly looks to be a fun group."

[Tumbra]

All events of this RP line occur during the recently completed season of the Tumbran Premier Division.

SPORT: Group Draw sees Black Eagles Drawn With Powerhouses Kelssek, Kandorith; Hemmings "Quietly Optimistic" On Chances In Campaign Threatening To Be Overshadowed By Calls for Equality


Tumbran NT manager, Marco Hemmings.

COUNO: Two years on from a 4-0 defeat to South Newlandia, and just two months after a defeat to the Licentian Isles in the Campionato Esportiva Round of 16, the Tumbran National Team now gears up for a second qualification campaign, visiting places such as Kelssek, Drawkland and Kandorith in a bid to improve upon their result in the 87th cycle. The sixth seeds were drawn against teams as varied as Garbelia, Gyatso-kai and Marigred, who will be crucial to take points off if the Black Eagles are to get closer to qualifying for the World Cup proper in Cassadaigua and Chromatika, or even in the near future.

In a press conference organised after the draw, Hemmings described himself and team as "cautiously optimistic" for the upcoming campaign, which will take place across the course of the upcoming Premier Division season, as well as during the mid-season break. During the international off-season, several friendlies against teams of varying stature were organised; Hemmings, who released his final squad list for the qualifying campaign a few days before the draw, seems to be bedding in some of the next generation of Tumbran international players.

"There are no easy matches in this group," Hemmings said. "There has been much speculation, much talk about how this group is easier than the others, or how Group 11 is a group of death — I am here to categorically stop this. Make no mistake, we are in for a long fight, and we will try our best. But all the teams here are strong, in their own way, and we will be playing against every team like we played against the top, top countries last cycle," was Hemmings' response when quizzed by a reporter on the relative difficulty (or lack thereof) of the group the Black Eagles found themselves in. On paper, Tumbra has avoided several lower-ranked minefields — the team, for example, managed to avoid Adab from Pot 10, or former world champions Wight and cross-strait rivals the Licentian Isles from Pot 9; Delaclava from Pot 8 was also a particular team to avoid, as were the Mytanars in Pot 5. Serial dangers Abanhfleft and World Cup 81 finalists South Covello were also avoided from Pot 4; second-time qualifiers and surprise story Savigliane in Pot 3 were also avoided, as was the powerhouses of Krytenia. The Tumbrans, then, could have been rightly said to have avoided most of the bombshells from the lower pots; now the job for Hemmings, as expected, will be to avoid dropping points against lower-ranked teams, while sneaking upsets from the likes of Saltstead, Gyatso-kai and Kandorith in order to improve on their fifth-placed finish last cycle.

The thirty-three players included in the National Pool are mostly domestic based; eight come from Lakewood City FC, the defending Premier Division champions; five from their cross-town rivals, Lakewood United, four from FC Inter Nantwich; three each from Serrapince, Straton and sixth-placed finishers Clyde Park; two from Couno Rangers and Kingsbury United, and one each from West Couno United and Hesham. The sole player to come from overseas is Dylan van Heirolf, who recently left Kingsbury for Tikariot; unsurprising, as the rules on foreign transfers were relaxed only recently. Overall, the squad mixes old and new; much of the spine of the team that competed in the World Cup qualifiers are still present, and young guns will be given a chance to impress, such as Nick Riordan, who impressed during the Di Bradini Cup; the aforementioned van Heirolf; and LCFC youngster Phil Cole, who has played his way into the first team. Many will be looking at how this next generation shapes up; they will, of course, carry the hopes of the the estimated 70 million fans of football in Tumbra.

This World Cup campaign, however, which has elements of promise in it that will leave football fans salivating for more, raised even more questions about the state of female players in today's game. Protests took place outside TFF headquarters after a categorical denial by a TFF spokesperson that there were plans to allow female players to take part in the upcoming Premier Division season; many a protestor called the TFF "sexist" and "discriminatory" for denying female players a chance to share the stage with their male counterparts, particularly after nine female players were named in the U-18 World Cup squad that came out victorious in Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom. The nine players have all since found careers overseas, in nations as illustrious as Brenecia, Chromatika and Quebec and Shingoryeo; in a perhaps twist of fate, one player, Lynne Crossley, decided to sign for a team in Kelssek, who are the Pot 1 team the Tumbrans will face. Cries of "unfairness" were launched at the headquarters; while protests remained peaceful, police were called in; though, keeping in line with its policy of non-escalation, they were unarmed.

The Tumbran Advocates for Sporting Equality (TASE), a new group formed to attempt to call for change in the sporting scene in Tumbra, have announced their opposition to any plan to restrict the game to males only; calling upon the success of Nephara, Brenecia and others, TASE have announced plans to begin lobbying MPs and Senators to force the TFF to enact these changes in the domestic game. Already a lawsuit has been filed with the Straton Circuit Court in Tumbra; the case is expected to be heard within the year. The conversation on whether females should play on the same pitch as males is expected to dominate footballing discourse throughout the Premier Division season and this qualification cycle; and it remains to be seen if the ever-present and extremely powerful TFF will give in to the masses or not on this issue.

For their opening match, Tumbra will play against Saltstead; the Stallions, who finished third in their qualifying group last cycle, look set to play a defensive game against the offensive-minded Tumbrans in hopes of frustrating the ever-potent Tumbran attack.

TUMBRAN SQUAD FOR MATCH vs. SALTSTEAD; @ KING WILLIAM VII NATIONAL PARK, ASHWELL
Starters: (4-3-3); 1 - Lennon; 2 - Hughes, 4 - Henderson, 5 - Brown (c), 19 - Carter; 6 - Hicks, 8 - McGrath, 16 - Morgan; 7 - Fraser, 9 - Vaughn (vc); 11 - Cohen
Bench: 12 - Addison; 25 - Campbell, 14 - Ashburn, 20 - Paterson, 3 - White; 15 - Aitken, 10 - Herlinger, 29 - Cole; 17 - van Heirolf, 21 - Cresswood; 22 - Sheldon, 33 - Riordan

---

Link to Arc Home
defender meets midfielder: season 2, part 1

Two weeks had passed since Stephen Kerr and Trudy Harrison had properly spoken. Or, rather, texted, since that was the main way they were able to communicate nowadays. They were both busy as time marched on, and had rarely found the time to chat over the phone; Kerr was trying to break into the first team, while Harrison was moving to Chromatika, in a different continent altogether. Timezones, too, were proving to make it hard to speak; often Stephen's messages of greetings would go unanswered for most of the day, and when Trudy decided to start a conversation, Stephen was usually fast asleep.

It was perhaps a sad state of affairs for the burgeoning friendship; though most long-distance relationships, platonic or not, required a lot of effort to keep up. Through the two weeks, though, they'd agreed that they'd set out one day to talk over Zoom; to catch up with each other. Both of them really missed each other at this point; they'd expressed as much throughout their conversations — or what could be construed as a conversation.

So it was that on one fine Saturday afternoon — a Friday night for Trudy — that they fired up their computers, and called each other. To chat. While waiting for Trudy to pick up the call, he began feeling nervous. What would he possibly say to her? How long could they possibly talk for? There was so, so much that he wanted to tell his friend, and yet...he felt like he was lost for words.

Then Trudy picked up. Both their images were reflected on the screen. There he was, in broad daylight, at home; and there she was, seemingly on her bed, under a blanket. She flashed a familiar grin at him through the darkened room she was in, and all his nerves immediately dissipated. He was at ease. Nothing had changed.

"Hey there, Stevie. You're looking...normal."

It'd be all right, after all.

'Hey, you. You're looking normal, too."
"Hey!"
He smiled. "It's...been a while, hasn't it?"
"Sure has."
"How's life been for you?" The moment after asking that question, an awkward silence followed, before both of them broke out into laughter.
"You go ahead."
"No, you. You're the one with the more interesting career trajectory."
"Is that...jealousy that I sense? Anyway, I wanna know what's going on at home, too."
"Well...I've been training. Sometimes with the first team, sometimes not. Apparently the manager thinks I've got...potential? It's weird, really. But I suppose winning a cup'll do that for you."
"As someone who's played along with you, Stephen...you do have potential."

This wasn't much like Trudy. Typically she'd be teasing him, telling him he'd need to be in the under-18s for a while longer or what not. This...this was different. They continued talking — Stephen talked about training with the senior team, with their new marquee signing, Vázsony Sallay — he certainly looked like a goalscoring threat. There was also coming up close with the Straton manager, Ted Bayh — a hard taskmaster, but a kind nurturer, nonetheless. He also took the time to update Trudy on the upcoming World Cup, though news of that was pretty much everywhere — and more importantly, the recent protests that had broken out to try and fight for equality.

"It's hard to think that it's you who started this push."
"You, specifically. My twiit would never've gotten off the ground without you."
"I don't know. Dan's the one who got this off the ground. But you? You, Lynne, Wendy, Vic and the rest? Catalysts."
She smiled when hearing the clumsy compliment.
"That's honestly nice to hear."

The conversation shifted to Trudy. There she talked about the whole process of moving to Chromatika, from the initial offer to how Dan Galbraith helped negotiate better terms for the nine, to her actual plane flight. She talked mostly about her own experiences, and little about her family — which puzzled Stephen. Surely, surely, her family must've been involved in some way or another in their daughter's career? But try as he might, he just couldn't break down the barrier she'd put up when refusing to talk about her family.

Stephen took the chance to observe his fellow Tumbran. Not much was out of place, but...there certainly was something. She seemed more tired, somehow. When they weren't talking, or when there was a lull in the conversation, her expressions seemed less energetic, less vigorous, less Trudy. Perhaps it was the distance between them, perhaps it was something else, but the subject just didn't leave his mind as they kept talking about everything. From how big Chromia was, the different football clubs in the city — there were three, and Chromatik, Trudy's new club, was the club of the northern part of the city — to how different life there was. Comparing training regimen, the quality of food, the housing (Trudy had gotten to stay at Chromatik's training ground). The hours flew past, but finally, a quizzical glance must have escaped Stephen involuntarily, because the look on her face shifted from what it was before to...something that didn't look as natural.

When her expression fell, Stephen decided to take his chance.

"Are you...feeling okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I am. Why do you —"
"Because you haven't really looked up to your usual antics throughout the three hours we've been talking."
A smaller, perhaps more rueful smile, escaped her lips.
"I'm just tired, that's all, Stephen. Moving to a new country's difficult. Full of little difficulties. I expect it'll go away after a while, but the first few days? Weeks? Months? It'll be tough. But it's to be expected, isn't it?" She bit her lip.
"I'll always be here if you need me, Trudy."
"I know. I know, Stephen. You've been a really good help, and a really good friend. Well...we've been talking for long enough. It's late here...I should go and sleep. Thanks for talking to me."
"Trudy...I'm sorry for not texting more. If there's anything, anything at all that I can help with —"
"There's not much, unfortunately. And no, apology not accepted. We're both busy. I know. I appreciate when we can talk, just like today."
"Stay strong, alright?"
"I will."
"I-I miss you." Another clumsy attempt at trying to extend the conversation.
Another small smile. "Hey. I miss you too, friend. But we'll always be here. See you soon, Stephen. Good night." she said as she ended the call, not even giving Stephen a chance to respond. Stephen was left staring into a black mirror, heart sinking as he picked up his phone and tried to text Trudy.

Staring into another black mirror, three thousand miles away, Trudy Harrison closed the computer screen, curled up in her bed in Chromia as she'd tried to, as she'd done so many nights beforehand, trying not to think too much about home. Fighting off the well of emotions that had come just from seeing a bit of Tumbra. A bit of home.

She missed it, all right.

[The 14 Stars]

[align=center]Storm Wolves to make their debut in group 2!

[b]The 14 Stars draws group 2, lucky or the end?
After the draw had been attended by Richard Blackheart of the Starsian Association yesterday the outcome was group 2 a group with famous teams but also chance to prove ourselves.

Group 2:
Pluvia and the Saxean Isles (146)
Savojarna (29)
Hebitaka (127)
Squornshelan Remnant States (60)
The 14 Stars (UR)
Eshialand (203)
Vilita (14)
Devonta (75)
Sendhang (322)
Lisander (95)

Reactions and predictions[/b]

Expectations for these qualifiers are quite low, while the draw may be one of the more lucky ones for as far as possible the team still is a highly defensive one which also limits its scoring chances.
famous teams like Savojarna and Eshialand will take certainly advantage of this as they are the best teams in this group according to the insiders of our Federation that did plenty of research here.
Coach Marcus Blade was not attending the draw but has watched it together with the team as they saw how all teams were divided into groups and which teams they would be facing soon on the field in alot of matches here.

When The 14 Stars plays at home each opponent will be welcomed in either the Holy Road stadium or Titanic Stadium where all nationally important matches are held and so also the Starsian football qualifiers.
There also has been made a schedule for the upcoming matches and where they would play, there is though a special rule for all teams playing against The 14 Stars in the qualifiers.
When The 14 Stars is playing at home there are no foreign fans allowed to the stadiums, strictly only the team and staff members are allowed because earlier experiences with important matches had been not good.
this rule might be revoked later but for now it is put in place to protect all the staff and the players that will be playing.

Schedule of The 14 Stars:

MD1: The 14 Stars - Eshialand (Holy Road Stadium)
MD2: Vilita - The 14 Stars
MD3: The 14 Stars - Devonta (Titanic Stadium)
MD4: Sendhang - The 14 Stars
MD5: The 14 Stars - Pluvia and the Saxean Isles (Holy Road Stadium)
MD6: Savojarna - The 14 Stars
MD7: The 14 Stars - Hebitaka (Titanic Stadium)
MD8: Squornshelan Remnant States - The 14 Stars
MD9: The 14 Stars - Lisander (Holy Road Stadium)

MD10: Eshialand - The 14 Stars
MD11: The 14 Stars - Vilita (Titanic Stadium)
MD12: Devonta - The 14 Stars
MD13: The 14 Stars - Sendhang (Holy Road Stadium)
MD14: Pluvia and the Saxean Isles - The 14 Stars
MD15: The 14 Stars - Savojarna (Titanic Stadium)
MD16: Hebitaka - The 14 Stars
MD17: The 14 Stars - Squornshelan Remnant States (Holy Road Stadium)
MD18: Lisander - The 14 Stars

The teams reaction and new additions[/b]

As the players ready themselves for the opening match, a match against a very famous team that is willing to go to the biggest stage aswell its no one less then the team of Eshialand.
When it was announced the players were in quite a surprise but quickly that changed into motivation to train more and work hard to give the Eshialand team a match they won't forget anytime soon at all.
Several players were asked about the match and the group they were in aswell as the coach Marcus Blade and we even got told that new team additions are underway as we speak to improve the squad.

Morris Valerian: ''Yes its certainly a tricky group, i cant say how things will go but the team is in great shape and very motivated, we have been waiting for this moment to be allowed to take part on this tournament.
I can't believe that we will face such great teams and that many great players, its a dream coming true for any of us who are on the team as we are seen as the weakest team in the group and with a fair reason ofcourse.
Our first opponent Eshialand are good players, but we will give all we've got and with that motivation we will also enter the match with positivity and a will to fight.''

Gordon Borov: ''As captain i am quite happy with the draw, as we managed to avoid the so called ''groups of death'' but no group is safe or easy at all so we have besides positivity also realism when it comes to our chances.
We will give all we have, the pride and honor of our nation is on our shoulders and i will keep defending my nation's honor and pride till the end, and not only me but the whole team will do the same.
In terms of the match Eshialand are worthy opponents and i expect nothing less then a great match from both of our teams as i greatly respect and followed their earlier progress towards the world cup.''

Marcus Blade: ''Hmm there is no good or bad draw, you will need to defeat everything in your way to develop yourself and reach the top and only those who are capable of that are worthy champions.
Eshialand proved themselves once, but this is another stage with other teams and whether they are talented or not every match is diffrent and so is every opponent you will face on your road.
For that reason there has also been decided to call out an additional 4 players on the national team who will lead to changes in the team and these players will be able to take the team along with them, and thats all i can say now.''

Players to be added to the Starsian National Team Roster:

Stefano Garcia - 25 years - CDM - Red Matador
Dylan Diam - 24 years - LM - Aliea
Christiana Love - 19 years - CAM - Olympus
Kira Blade - 18 years - RM - Orion

Stefano Garcia is a defending midfielder who has big potential being a solid player in his team Red Matador, he is good with timings and rarely makes any fouls out on the pitch with his plays.
He is open minded young and motivated to take on the world, there is a chance he will make it to the main 11 even.

Dylan Diam is an Left midfielder, where attacks for our team are less often we do need good attackers and Dylan has a good long range kick and is physically very strong just like the other members here.
he does fit in the puzzle and just like the others he wants to win, he firstly refused the offer but changed his mind.

Christiana Love is a very young but promising lady, she plays for Olympus and is the youngest Olympus captain ever with only 19 years she commands the team with great leadership to many victories.
For her great plays and control of the game and ability to motivate and lead a team she earned the nickname ''Goddess of the field'' to her divine playing ability that will really come in handy on this team.

Lastly Kira Blade, she is the daughter of Marcus Blade and a right midfielder, she has a strong will but is very young and impulsive yet which often makes her just miss the perfect ratings yet.
But her speed and dribbling abilities are unmatched in any way which earned her after all a spot on the national squad, many think this is done on purpose but no one can deny her talent either, it is expected though she will not play in the main squad.

[Graintfjall]

Græntfjall – 0 (0)
Jorgesson; Markusson, Reynarsson, Kristersson (45’ Thorleifsson ); Tronsson (44’) (78’ Hróðvarsson ); Johannesson, Jvarsson (45’ Jokulsson (68’)), Svennsson (45’ Lucasson ); Leosson, Rögnvaldursson (78’ Lukasson ), Guðmannsson (45’ Aapelisson )

Tikariot – 0 (0)

---

Cassadaigua – 1 (0)

Græntfjall – 1 (0)
Jorgesson; Kristersson (45’ Markusson (60’)), Sigbergursdóttir, Davidsdóttir; Tronsson (45’ Jvarsson (56’)), Ottisson (61’ Constantinsson ); Lukasson (61’ Fornisson (77’ Rögnvaldursson )), Ymirsdóttir, Árgeirsdóttir (84’); Sofussdóttir (45’ Leosson ); Guðmannsson

---

Tequilo – 3 (0)

Græntfjall – 0 (0)
Hárlaugsdóttir; Vilbertsdóttir, Björnsdóttir, Hagalínsdóttir, Matteosdóttir; Kristoffersdóttir (66’ Hólmarsdóttir (75’)), Miansdóttir, Guttisdóttir, Mensdóttir; Dannysdóttir (85’ Álvgeirsdóttir (89’)); Jonathansdóttir (74’ Wolfgangsdóttir )

Two things are on Græntfjaller minds this summer: World Cup qualifying, and the general election. And those two things are coming together in this RP arc…

PSEPHOLOGICAL HEURISTIC ORGANIZING RESULTS CONCURRENTLY with ELECTORAL DATA for ASSESSING COMPETITIVE RESPONSES to ONGOING NATIONAL INCIDENTS MANAGEMENT

The PHORCED-ACRONIM system will be deployed during World Cup 88 qualifying following a successful trial run at the Eagle’s Cup.

Prior to each matchday, a set of two lists of options will be promulgated. The first option will be chosen according to the number of goals scored by the home team, the second by the number of goals scored by the away team. After the matchday’s results are announced, an election report will be written up using the prompted options. Friendlies will not count towards the system: only the 18 WCQ matches.

Here’s an example of how it will work, set up prior to the Eagle’s Cup final. Tequilo won 3 – 0, meaning the options chosen are:

The first security alarm of the campaign occurs when a brick is thrown at a far-right politician.

---

NDF consolidates polling lead despite “cowardly” intimidation tactics

The National Democratic Front have opened up a clear lead in this summer’s general election, according to polls commissioned by the Háttmark Harbinger. An election that looks increasingly likely to totally reshape Græntfjall’s political scene is unfolding as a party that just four years ago held a mere 5 seats in the Thing looks set to take over 100. NDF have broken through the 30% barrier in the latest Harbinger poll and are now beyond the margin of error ahead of the Blue-Greens, while Left-slate’s numbers have sunk yet further in the wake of ‘Bigotgate’, down to fourth place and under 20%. NDF leader Sigjón Þjóðbjörnsson hailed the polling as “very encouraging” but admitted it was “early in the campaign”, and promised to continue his “robust campaigning despite the pathetic attempts of Leftist provocateurs”.

His comments refer to the latest incident, in which a brick was thrown at Dynja Árgilsdóttir, leader of the NO2ISLAM political party who have become the latest right-wing minor party to pledge support for NDF in the coming elections. NDF, once considered themselves little more than a splinter party, have been working to bring assorted right-wing parties into an electoral pact similar to the Left-slate’s Altendalur Convention, thereby reducing the impact of spoiler votes and consolidating support behind a single party. Following a meeting with Sigjón Hrafnarsson of the Radical People’s Party and Luka Matteosson of the Volkisch Party, Þjóðbjörnsson and Árgilsdóttir appeared at a joint event in Mühlrich to unveil their new alliance. While at the microphone Árgilsdóttir, known for her fiery denunciations of what she perceives as the “Islamization of Græntfjaller society”, was sent ducking by the missile launched by a protestor later identified as antifa activist Arnold Sigvesson. Árgilsdóttir was uninjured, but hustled from the stage by security.

Politicians across the political spectrum condemned the incident with David Austmannsson calling it “reckless violence” and Kaija Michaelsdóttir deeming it “a totally inappropriate way to protest”. Zóphonías Juliusson, whose dramatic speech imploring his young activists to “fight the forces of darkness with every fiber of your being” was blamed by Árgilsdóttir for “inciting” the incident, denied any association with the act, but struck a note of equivocation in his response saying that while he “did not sanction political violence”, he found it “understandable” that Árgilsdóttir’s “toxic brand of hate and fear masquerading as politics” would “lead to” events like this. Þjóðbjörnsson did not directly blame Juliusson but urged his opponents to “respect freedom of speech”. “We will not be silenced by radical leftist violence,” he said.

Also in the paper:

• NEWS: “Miracle” as no injuries reported in train derailment
• BUSINESS: Lúðurbjór shares spike as predictions for hot summer weather roll in
• FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Operation Banana Hammock underway as curfew announced on Verdean streets
• EDUCATION: Ancient college “secret societies” under threat from equalities legislation?
• SPORT: Græntfjaller pair claim doubles title in Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland

PHORCED-ACRONIM #001

There’s bad news for…

0: Sigjón Þjóðbjörnsson
1: Kaija Michaelsdóttir
2: David Austmannsson
3: Zóphonías Juliusson
4: Queen Júlíana
5+: Hrærekur Jvarsson

…as a scandal breaks involving…

0: drugs
1: money
2: sex
3: children
4: animals
5+: all of the above

[Islands Of Ventro]

ISLANDERS MAKE THEIR FIRST WORLD CUP APPEARENCE


The IOV islanders are making their first appearance in the World Cup in a few days. This will be a great moment for the nation as it will be celebrated around the country. After a strong showing in the precursor of the BoF (Losing to Le Choix in the QF) the people of Islands of Ventro expect a strong showing from the Islanders.

Team caption Kevin Hate stated this to reporters today,

"We can't high off of our success in the Baptism of Fire, after all that was for nations new to the tournament. This is the big stage. No mess-ups. No mistakes. No failure."

We also talked with goalie Mitchell Manning who was out for the first game of the BoF due to injury but ended up coming back and helping the Islanders greatly. He was also a team caption before Kevin Hate.

" I think we are ready. We have been practicing non-stop and many players have not even seen their families for a couple of months, that's how seriously we are taking this. We are explosive and powerful and nothing can stop us if we get on a role. I don't doubt that we will make it out of the qualifiers and into the playoffs for a second. And want to know why. CAUSE WE ARE THE ISLANDERS!"

On that high note, we will leave you until the end of the first matchday. Oh and IOV Islanders. We wish you luck.

*Kevin Hate led the team in goals during the BoF even scoring a hat trick in one of his games

[Yue Zhou]

Lu Jialan’s training camps usually didn’t leave as much free time as those of Yuan Zilai, his Valanora-bound predecessor. But, perhaps aware of what was happening later in the day, the Dragons manager had unexpectedly opted to end training early, giving Han Jian plenty to think about as he turned the television on back in his room. Flanking him were his former club teammates Zhu Aiguo and Yang Tao. While all three had accepted offers from foreign clubs as soon as the Yue Civil War had hit, they had once been three-fourths of the “Yincheng Quartet” of starters on the Red Dragons and Yincheng Capitals when Yuezhou had returned to the international stage.

There had been a fourth member once, arguably the brightest of the four stars. The veteran Han Jian had taken a young striker under his wing, believing him to be the future leader of the Capitals and of the national team, but had been dismayed when the prospect had turned to politics instead of focusing on his game. And ever since Wang Jiahui had left Copa Rushmori 36 to fight in the Yue Civil War, he had seemingly vanished off of the face of the Earth. The state-owned media alternately alleged that he had died, escaped military captivity, started an anonymous new life in Sangau, and fled to relative safety (for a socialist, at least) in Xilindao. And neither his former mentor nor some of his closest friends had heard a word from him since. So, after two and a half years, to hear that he was not only alive, but also the newest signing of Mytanar Top League club Litala ‘93, and conducting an interview live on international television, came as quite the shock.

“I don’t even know why we’re doing this,” Han broke the silence as they settled down in front of the television. “He turned his back on us when he went to Nanhai.”

“It’s fine, Han,” Yang Tao replied, putting a hand on his shoulder, “I know you two were especially close before the war. It’s okay for you to be interested in how he’s doing.” Zhu Aiguo nodded along before chipping in: “You used to call him your little brother, yeah? Family’s got to stay together.”

Han switched the TV on, flicking through a series of pundits breaking down Yuezhou’s chances of getting past two former WC champions in the qualifiers before reaching the desired channel. “I just really thought he was the future of the Red Dragons, you know? I tried to nudge him towards that, you know, the star striker, the next captain...but then he fell in with all those military guys, and before we could do anything, he was joining a fucking militia?”

“You’re not his dad, Han,” Zhu Aiguo chided. “You didn’t fail him. He made a choice to prioritize fighting in Nanhai over his football career, and maybe it wasn’t what you wanted him to do. But he’s alright now, and he’s still playing, and you never know what might happen politically. Maybe you can try to nudge him back to the Dragons after the interview...but I think he’s decided what’s important to him on his own.”

As if on cue, the clock struck the hour, and a flashy broadcast introduction segued into a wide shot of Wang Jiahui with a reporter. The three were briefly stunned; Yang was the first to speak up.

“Wow, Jiahui looks like shit.” and he did. It wasn’t immediately clear how - the striker had never been particularly muscular, usually relying on his speed to find threatening positions. He wasn’t clearly beat-up or bruised. But there was a powerful sense of weariness that surrounded him and a concerning number of scars about his body, and his eyes were no longer bright with youthful arrogance, but grim and determined. As the interview began, it became painfully clear that the man on the screen was a stranger to all three of them.

”Let’s jump into it, Jiahui. Where have you been for the past two years, and how did you end up in Esca?”

”After my capture in Nanhai, I was held against my will by the National People’s Revolutionary Committee in a series of military hospitals. I was able to escape, but was then captured by a group of northern revolutionaries that took me back to Nangang. After escaping them, I went on the run from the Nanhai separatists, who believed me one of the northerners, but I ultimately made it to Xilindao, where the People’s Federation remains strong, and where I was able to negotiate a trial with Litala.”

”And what happened in the...year and a half between Nangang and Xilindao?”

Wang Jiahui’s eyes went dark. ”I’d prefer we not speak of that. The important thing is that I was able to find my way to Xilindao, where the light of the people still burns strong, and where Premier Ren Qiang has maintained the one true government in Yuezhou.”

”I assume that means you won’t be playing for the national team again?”

”As far as I’m concerned, there is no national team right now. I will only play for the national team once the rightful leaders of Yuezhou restore the Red Dragons to their former status, and once the cowardly WCC recognizes the team entering qualifiers as false representatives of the Yue people. I would encourage my former teammates, if they still believe in anything, to do the same.”

“How fucking dare he-” Han Jian started, before gently being guided back down. The national team captain shook his head again. “I thought I knew him. I really did.”

”And what about your decision to play in Mytanija? Is that related to all of this?”

“The story of football in Rushmore is increasingly one of unchecked capitalism and crass commercialization. If I am going to continue being a footballer, I can no longer play in a league built on such rotten foundations. Luckily, the organization and fans of Litala recognize that it doesn't have to be that way. I would encourage my other teammates who have gone abroad after the war to take note, and remember the power they have over the Yue people, and use that power not just for selfish personal gain, but to help make a dif-”

The television flickered off. Han Jian, dropping the remote, stood and walked to the door. “We’re done with him,” he growled, and Zhu Aiguo and Yang Tao, having already done their best to mediate, let him. As Han Jian made for the exit, he bumped into the fourth person in the room lounging in the doorframe, one that nobody else had realized was there.

“Wen Xiaohui? What are you doing here?”

The Sangauese midfielder shrugged. “Just figured I’d come and watch.”

“I thought you two hated each other,” Yang Tao added.

“So?”

Han Jian opened his mouth, as if to rebuke her, but then closed it again. “Well, stop watching,” he offered lamely, before leaving. Wen Xiaohui shrugged again, and then peeled off the door frame and left in the opposite direction.

[Savigliane]

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THE CAPITAL DERBY: AC Acqui Bollente v. Nazionale Acqui Bollente

When it comes to derbies, there are none more iconic in Savigliane than La Capitale; the two Acqui Bollente clubs have over seventy years of derby history, and although Nazionale isn’t quite the powerhouse they used to be, there’s still a lot of vitriol in the capital that comes with that tradition. Both ACAB and Nazionale had to claw their way to the top flight soon after their founding, as the dawn of Savigliano football saw dozens of clubs pop up throughout Acqui Bollente, all of which were competing for regional dominance. Ultimately, ACAB consolidated the industrial east of the city, while Nazionale consolidated the area closer to the city’s eponymous hot springs, in the west and north. As the west became the center of government in the region and the east became first an industrial and next a technological hub, the two clubs’ fates rose and fell to seemingly mirror them. Perhaps Alberto Caccini’s triumphant ascendance to power, and the tech industry’s post-Portal Event struggles to integrate itself into the economy of Atlantian Oceania, will mark another turning point.

Both clubs are two of the most successful clubs in SavigLega history, placing first (ACAB) and third (Nazionale) in league titles, respectively. Nazionale have traditionally been the more stylish of the two clubs, with ACAB being more pragmatic, one of many sore points between the two sides of the city. The two clubs haven’t always both been good at the same time - Nazionale have only recently recovered from a disastrous drop to the second tier - but when they both are, as they are now, things can get pretty heated. In recent years, Augusto Rinaldi has taken Nazionale back to an approximation of their former glory, finishing fourth in the league last season despite repeatedly losing all of his defenders (first Giovanna Vitale, then Serena Lamontagne and Margherita Romano, and finally Alexandre Onio) abroad, and is looking to remain in the IFCF places. Meanwhile, ACAB have finished in the top two for four consecutive seasons, but while Nazionale have increasingly turned to youth, ACAB have stubbornly stuck to their aging core of Giraudo, Vatrican, and Notari. ACAB may be much stronger now, but in La Capitale, nothing lasts for long.

THE BATTLE OF THE BÉANT: AS Villeneuve v. Villeneuve NSC

When Villeneuve NSC was founded fourteen years ago, basically as a pet project for construction magnate Joël Bonmaison, they attempted to rename the battle between them and top-flight AS Villeneuve the “Capital Derby”. This was relentlessly mocked by Acqui Bollente, the other capital of Savigliane, who’d had their own capital derby for decades before, and “The Battle of the Béant” was born. Named after the Béant River, a wide, languid cultural icon that splits Villeneuve into its east and west sides, it went basically unplayed for its first decade as NSC worked its way up to the first tier. Since then, it’s been hotly contested (more off the pitch than on it) as NSC attempt to rebrand themselves in opposition to their much more relevant crosstown rivals.

AS Villeneuve is historically one of the most successful clubs in SavigLega, second only to AC Acqui Bollente in league titles, but they do have a reputation as a bit of a yuppie club, focused on importing expensive talent while shipping the local youth off to Trinité or L’Escarene. Villeneuve NSC has attempted to fill the working-class niche in the city with relentless advertising campaigns blaring their preference for “streetlights over spotlights”, and other such slogans. “Oh, so they invest in local talent and embrace the local fan base?” Well, no. They spend millions on expensive foreign players, embezzle money to pave over historic neighborhoods for a brand-new stadium, and raise ticket prices until working-class fans go watch basketball. Soulless as it may be, the strategy has paid off recently, with NSC finishing above their crosstown rivals, struggling in their first season without legendary manager Jean-Claude Boucher, for the first time in club history. Meanwhile, AS Villeneuve is very much in transition (and arguably decline), losing first Boucher, then young winger Victor Collomb, and finally captain and stalwart center-back Adélaïde Garcia abroad. Ironically, the losses have forced them to turn to youth first. Will it restore order to the Béant?

THE MERCANTORES DERBY: Saint-Adelin des Mercantores v. Pietrargenta

Saint-Adelin and Pietrargenta are both defined by the Mercantores Mountain Range that they lie on. The western side of the range, which Pietrargenta inhabits, is full of rich veins of iron and silver, which transformed it from a rural backwater into a mining center (although, since mining is no longer a big part of the economy, it’s now slipping back into rural backwater status). The eastern side, which Saint-Adelin inhabits, is known for its beautiful forests; while it enjoyed a brief heyday as a logging center, it is now mostly known for its beautiful national parks, maintaining its natural dignity if not its prosperity.

The two teams are very similar in off-field philosophy - both emphasize their local communities and local talent, although these could just be symptoms of being increasingly left behind by the globalization of Savigliano football. On the field, though, they’re nearly polar opposites, and fucking despise each other. SAdM emphasizes free-flowing attacking football, nearly to a fault last season when they conceded the most goals in the league. Pietrargenta loves gamesmanship (their word, opposing fans prefer “dickishness”) and stonewalling their opponents by putting eleven men behind the ball. Pietrargenta has enjoyed better luck recently, coming close to IFCF qualification many times while SAdM continues to battle for relegation, but SAdM, with high-profile youth exports such as Anne-Marie Roux and Alessandro Bella, may be more well known internationally.

THE SOUTH COAST CLASSIC: Stade-Ferre Trinité v. L’Escarene SC

Trinité and L’Escarene, for most of the past century, have been virtually the same city - industrial, cloudy, and grey twins on Savigliane’s southeastern coast. Trinité, a few miles inland, became known as the center of an industrial region (Stade-Ferre’s club name comes from its history as a club for steelworkers). Meanwhile, the more coastal L’Escarene, located where the Béant River meets the sea, was more known as a port and a shipping center, and LSC was founded by dockworkers around the same time as Stade-Ferre was. The football has adapted accordingly, with football that could be charitably described as “counterattacking” and results that could be charitably described as “midtable” common. For those reasons, Stade-Ferre’s biggest rivals are L’Escarene, rather than AS Villeneuve, considered on a different level at the time - but while the fans hate each other, they both hate the Villeneuve clubs more.

A recent uptick in Stade-Ferre’s fortunes, which coincided with the arrival of legendary manager Nicoletta Arnaudo, has threatened the status of the Classic, as the Trinité club has shot out of midtable into perennial contention - and, upon Arnaudo’s return last season, won their first SavigLega title. The increased attention has attracted bandwagoners from across the south coast, and even abroad, as Stade-Ferre’s championship was won on the backs of foreign stars from Tikariot and Audioslavia. Many fans now consider themselves better than L’Escarene, who have remained stoically mired in midtable during Stade-Ferre’s meteoric ascent. However, L’Escarene now at least has one thing Stade-Ferre doesn’t - Trinité’s one-season wonder Benin Gerrikabeitia, who decided to accept a coaching position at L’Escarene, to the shock of Stade-Ferre fans everywhere.

THE HEARTLAND DERBY: Castiglione v. San Ludovico

Last season’s SavigLega 2 champions and runners-up, respectively, hail from the south-central plains of Italophone Savigliane. Aside from attack-minded football, the “Heartland” is also known as an agricultural center of Savigliane (“il granaio", as they say), a brief attempt to become a major industrial center roughly twenty years too late, as well as more recently, the center of far-right extremist political party Piano di Dios. As such, while neither team is particularly good, this may be the most heated derby in the whole of Savigliane. It’s been all talk so far, but with political tensions as high as they are, it’s unclear how long that will last, especially as farms struggle with the change of climate corresponding to Savigliane’s forced relocation.

This region isn’t where football originally came to Savigliane - that would be along the Italophone coast, in Porto Vecchio - it did develop a high-flying, attacking style decades before the rest of Savigliane learned the name Tlanxball. Castiglione still faithfully sees that tradition out, as they inexplicably scored thirty more goals than any other SavigLega 2 season. San Ludovico has also carried on with the same tactics, apart from a brief three-season experiment with a much younger Nicoletta Arnaudo, although their attack was much less prolific last season compared to the prodigious Castiglione. The recent yo-yo status of both clubs has cooled things down somewhat; for instance, between 2003 and 2013, one club was in the first division and the other in the second division every season, with one club coming up just as the other went down on five separate occasions. More recently, both have consistently challenged for promotion, throwing fuel on the fire of their rivalry. If both find their way into a relegation dogfight, the derby threatens to boil over.

[Sargossa]

Alejandro Martínez threw himself full length to his right, getting a strong palm to the ball and turning it beyond the post.

“Nice Jandro. Nice.” The experienced Tomás Gaos clapped his hands as he praised his younger colleague. Next to him Dario Almirón, goalkeeping coach for the Sargossan national side, placed another ball on the penalty spot and struck it firmly with his right foot, forcing another stop from Martínez. While the keepers were put through their paces at one end the rest of the squad were going through their warmup routines under the watchful eyes of assistant coach Gregory Wallen and fitness coach Luis Miguel Sacristán. Across the halfway line their cyan and gold tracksuited hosts were performing their own pre-match rituals.

The Gardiner-Stewart Stadium was filling up fast, a sea of cyan and gold to match their players on the pitch. Several huge banners had been unfurled, marking areas of the arena populated by the vocal gangs of ‘casuals’ that had emerged since international football had returned to the Licentian Isles. It was highly likely that Abingdon’s notorious Real Celts group would be in hefty attendance too, given how long it had been since World Cup action had been on these shores. It all added to the buzz of excitement. Eleven World Cups had come and gone since the last time a Licentian national side had kicked a ball in anger on their own turf. And their return to action came against an old foe.

Way back at the opening game of qualifying for World Cup 61 Sargossa came to the Licentian Isles and stuffed the lowly ranked hosts 4 – 0 in a suitably dominant performance. It should have set the scene for a third successive trip to the Finals. It didn’t. The Esportivans rallied magnificently and put together a run of form that saw them win the group and the precious World Cup spot ahead of the experienced Rushmori trio of Taeshan, Sargossa and The Kytler Peninsulae. The Licentian’s run included a win in the return fixture in Sargossa. And they’ve beaten The Corsairs in every game since. Their status as bogey side only ended by their withdrawal from international action.

Their warmups completed, first the Licentians and then the Corsairs drifted back towards the tunnel. It was a first match for both sets of players since their respective regional competitions had concluded. Competitions in which the nations went on similar runs, albeit with slightly different reactions. Sargossa made the quarter finals of the Copa Rushmori and were big favourites to advance further. But Brian McAllister’s boys froze on the night and were surprisingly turned over by Hispinas. Over in the Campionato Esportiva the Cyan-and-Gold showed remarkably little rustiness on their return to competitive action, breezing through the group stage before being halted in the last eight by continental juggernauts Brenecia.

That recent form had only served to heighten the buzz around the stands as kick off rapidly approached. The locals keen for their side to take the confidence from those performances over in Hannasea and channel it into a display to bely the current world rankings and resume their role as kickers of Sargossan arse. Whereas those who’d made the relatively short jaunt from neighbouring Rushmore were rather keen for them not to.

[West Zirconia]

The Daily Herald

for all your World Cup news

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WE GO AGAIN - BUT WHERE?

The draw for World Cup 88 qualifying has been made, and once again West Zirconia have been given a mountain to climb.

Their opponents in Group 16 include veterans (and Rushmori neighbours) Pasarga, now ranked eleventh, and Ethane, who co-hosted the previous World Cup.
Another team of interest is the 55th-ranked Blouman Empire; the last time that nation visited West Zirconia was when the Meerkats co-hosted Cup of Harmony 35 all those years ago.
That competition was possibly best remembered (apart from the Meerkats' appearance in the final) for the legendary clash with this World Cup's co-hosts Cassadaigua.


The complete schedule is as follows:

Matchday 1: Freeport (away)
Matchday 2: St. Trinians (at Marc Edwards Memorial Stadium, Redwood)
Matchday 3: Pasarga (at Stade de Torgos)
Matchday 4: Blouman Empire (at Edge Hill, Bradley)
Matchday 5: Gatchingerrak Union (away)
Matchday 6: Grandistania (at Wickett's Lock, Taylor's Cross)
Matchday 7: Busoga Islands (at Orange Field, Dukuma )
Matchday 8: Ethane (away)
Matchday 9: Ancherion (at Telstar Communications Stadium, Stanley)

Matchday 10: Freeport (at City of Houghton Stadium, Houghton)
Matchday 11: St. Trinians (at National Stadium, Searle)
Matchday 12: Pasarga (at Manchester Street, Moorcroft)
Matchday 13: Blouman Empire (away)
Matchday 14: Gatchingerrak Union (at KPM Stadium, Snaith)
Matchday 15: Grandistania (away)
Matchday 16: Busoga Islands (at STORMGroup Stadium, Mort Park)
Matchday 17: Ethane (at Graham Park, Broxton)
Matchday 18: Ancherion (away)

Although it would take a miracle to qualify, a good showing in this competition can only do favours for the Meerkats' rankings. When asked about their chances, manager Ben Phillips said: "Well, any eleven men can beat any other eleven men on the day. Whether we can do it eighteen times or not is another matter, but we'll give it our best shot."

[Hampton Island]

(Conversation between Stafford City CEO and his assistant)

CEO: Hannah Sanders has gone AWOL. Freestyle Mobility and other key sponsors have demanded that I do something, so we’ve done it. We’re back in control of the soccer team.

Assistant: It was the right call. Hannah has abandoned the team, but the nation wants to watch our team play. So, here they are.

CEO: I have already gotten some calls from loyal people to Sanders, like the Carter twins (Brittany and Brianna), but they are irrelevant to me. This is not Hannah’s team any longer. No one cares about the blackmail material anymore she would have over me. Her time is done.

Assistant: Brianna Carter sent me something incoherent over voicemail saying that you don’t have the right to do this, but she’s clueless and wouldn’t know how to file a lawsuit.

CEO: Not her role, anyway. Just a former manager trying to stay in her role. Hannah has abandoned her just the same as everyone else. I could see some of those former players giving me grief, but they didn’t qualify for the last World Cup, and screwed us over.

Assistant: I agree with not bringing them back, but they didn’t have much of a chance. Hannah didn’t do much for them to try and qualify last time out, so she failed them do. Didn’t even do enough for us to get an invite to the Cup of Harmony.

CEO: Might not have been their fault, entirely, but we need new blood. And I am bringing Edwin back.

Assistant: Conney?

CEO: Yes, the man may be 55, but he was dominant in this in World Cups 85 and 86. He’s coming back, they can’t score on him.

Assistant: I guess, as long as he is still at the top of his game.

CEO: Freestyle Mobility products work for him. Gets him agile for just long enough to be a successful goalkeeper a few hours a day, a couple days a week.

Assistant: Ok, I’m for it.

CEO: And we are going to have bears ready.

Assistant: That will be exciting, I was hoping.

CEO: Yeah, these bears are ready to play soccer. Not a difficult game to train them with, not at all like baseball. Can’t wait to see them play.

Assistant: How many?

CEO: Four starters. Right in the midfield. We won’t be easy to get a ball through, that’s for sure.

Assistant: Love it.

CEO: We get group 12, as you might have seen. Nephara, Sarzonia, and some others.

Assistant: Sounds good.

CEO: We need to take another step forward, and to reclaim what we lost in the last World Cup. People think we’re going to be a pushover, well not with bears in our lineup.

Assistant: Can’t wait!

[HUElavia]

The Road of Dreams

HUElavia given favorable draw and strong locations in what can be a great chance to make the World Cup.

Entering the Qualifying Draw for World Cup 88, HUElavia knew that they were facing an uphill battle after the debacle that was the previous Qualifiers and the Cup of Harmony 79. Even after falling short in another deep run in IAC 12, the team now had to regroup to take on the Qualifiers. Under the new management of Coach Conavacio, HUElavia was put in the high end of Pot 3, meaning they were a strong candidate to pull upsets and possibly make the World Cup Qualifiers or even the World Cup itself.

In the draw, HUElavia (44) was put in Group 8 with the following teams: Txakhaxi (UR), Ko-oren (7), Barunia (73), Aut-Ves-Nat (286), Frestovenia (122), Vdara (36), Communist Republic of North Yorkshire (UR), Delaclava (158), and ZSeparatists (90).

Compared to other draws, there is optimism in Coach Conavacio and the HUElavian Football Association. Coach Conavacio had this to say: "I'm satisfied with the draw that the team has been given. Ko-oren is a very formidable opponent coming off getting 2nd Place over 2 years ago, and they're definite favorites to win the group. Vdara is coming off their debut in the World Cup and they're looking to return once again, especially with the experience they now have. As for us, we're trying to rebuild with a strong squad of young and promising players and only time will tell if they are up to the task. I have faith in my team and we plan to take it one match at a time."

In collaboration between the HUElavian Football Association, the HUElavian Government, and both State and City Governments, the HFA announced the nine venues that will be officially used in the World Cup Qualifiers. The stadiums and cities are as follows: Estadio Capital (90,000) in Curumba, Estadio Internacional (82,500) in San Rafael, Estadio Costeiro (78,000) in HUEsilia, Estadio Maria Santos Leite (72,000) in Miras, Estadio Olimpico de Solea (60,000) in Solea, Estadio de Plata (53,000) in Pamallu, Estadio Sino (50,000) in Bagnano, Cog Stadium (40,000) in Caghia, and Estadio Municipal (33,000) in Careital.

With HUElavia seeded as the #6 team in Group 18, the matches will be as follows:

Matchday 1:
Frestovenia vs HUElavia

Matchday 2:
ZSeperatists vs HUElavia

Matchday 3:
HUElavia vs Vdara
(Estadio Capital, Curumba)

Matchday 4:
Communist Republic of North Yorkshire vs HUElavia

Matchday 5:
HUElavia vs Delaclava
(Estadio de Plata, Pamallu)

Matchday 6:
Txakhaxi vs HUElavia

Matchday 7:
HUElavia vs Ko-oren
(Estadio Internacional, San Rafael)

Matchday 8:
Barunia vs HUElavia

Matchday 9:
HUElavia vs Aut-Ves-Nat
(Estadio Sino, Bagnano)

Matchday 10:
HUElavia vs Frestovenia
(Estadio Olimpico de Solea, Solea)

Matchday 11:
HUElavia vs ZSeperatists
(Estadio Maria Santos Leite, Miras)

Matchday 12:
Vdara vs HUElavia

Matchday 13:
HUElavia vs Communist Republic of North Yorkshire
(Estadio Municipal, Careital)

Matchday 14:
Delaclava vs HUElavia

Matchday 15:
HUElavia vs Txakhaxi
(Cog Stadium, Caghia)

Matchday 16:
Ko-oren vs HUElavia

Matchday 17:
HUElavia vs Barunia
(Estadio Costeiro, HUEsilia)

Matchday 18:
Aut-Ves-Nat vs HUElavia

Once again, 85% of tickets go to the HUElavian Public, and 15% to the visiting supporters. The fans are flocking to the internet and outside stadiums to buy their tickets, which the fans are optimistic that this can be a great cycle for the team. Here's to a strong showing in the future from both supporters and the players alike.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[Jeruselem]

Princess Kate ...

Hello, this is Princess Katherine for Naked News Jeruselem!
Yes I look different, you know like virtual vtuber.
Since I'm a Mum, I'm working from home so I thought ... those virtual vtubers work from home, so I can do the same.
So for this World Cup, I will work from home but instead doing the usual live setup, I'll do like those virtual vtubers.
Yeah I know, most people already know what I look like but hey it doesn't matter.
Vtubers have clothes on their models but hey I'm allowed to be naked because it is Naked News.
Those who complain, they an FAQ off.

Now, it's world cup edition 88 or LXXXVIII.
The draw has been done and we've put in Group 10.
There's 10 teams in our group. There are 17 other groups but eh I'm not going to go through all of them because you probably don't care.

Firstly let's discuss the unknowns in our group because well that's actually most of the teams.
The unranked Seguidores de la grasas are here and well it's their first world cup.
Needless to say, no one knows anything about their capabilities except themselves.

Ranked 341 is Istoreya. Another unknown, but given their ranking they will be underdogs.

Ranked 221 is Talamia, err yeah really not much known about them except they haven't been the cup very long.
Clearly they haven't reached the upper echoleons of rankings as yet.

Fujai ranked 172, yeah no idea about them.
I can't comments about them like Asian, but we'll find out when we meet them.
If they speak Japanese, our own Akai Hanto isn't going have a problem.

Next is Bluecliff League ranked 116. Another unknown for Jeruselem, like those other 4.
Well, we can't say a lot about them just like those other 4.

San Ortelio ranked 101 is up next, we may have played them and I'm sure they didn't really bother us much.
So we're already covered all teams ranked over 100, the ones we shouldn't worry about.
And we haven't really faced most of them.

6 teams leaving 4 teams being the top contenders.
Ranked 64 is ... US.
So there's three teams ranked ahead of us.

Valladares ranked 56 is next up, surely a team we have to beat in order qualify.
Just like us, they have been around for quite a while.
You cannot write them off.

2nd highest seed Mercedini, ranked 39.
We seem to run into them in the World Cup and Cup of Harmony a lot and they seem to do the better of us.
But at least we know they are good and we need to raise our game to compete with their standard.

Top seed is Siovanija and Teusland ranked 17.
The team everyone fears because they are best. Any team ranked in the top 32 is there for a reason.
They are doing good, and if Siovanija and Teusland don't qualify, it will be a real shock.

So what can Peko and the team expect?
It's not like we're favourites to qualify, we don't qualify very often.
But we're always hanging around the annoying area where the contenders fight it out.
We can qualify but we have to step up our game if we want to qualify.
A look at our competition, we won't be on the list to qualify for most betting.

We have a new look team and hopefully the new blood can help us qualify.
I know our last campaign wasn't successful and the Cup of Harmony wasn't exactly a stellar success, but we always suck at the Cup of Harmony.

Well that's it from now.
I'll have more on the team later.
They are busy preparing as we face the opening games of the qualifying.
I hope you enjoy nude tubers!

A fan requested I say ... you know ...

HI HONEY!!!
HI HONEY!!!
HI HONEY!!!

I have no problem with that, I'm a wife.

[Queenisa]

Welcome to The Queenisa Sports Association, and Today it is specifically who is Queenisa Playing and some nice and civil commentary about our Matches and strengths about our opponents.
Commentated by Andrew Frane.

Match Infos ( Match Infos are randomly guess, order not organized )

1. Queenisa Vs. Acronius

2. Reçueçn vs Queenisa

3. Queenisa vs. Gergary

4. Hispinas Vs. Queenisa

5. Fluvannia Vs. Queenisa

6. Queenisa vs. Krytenia

7. Turori Vs. Queenisa

8. Baggieland Vs. Queenisa

9. Queenisa vs. Valentine Z

Some Notes and Commentary

“ The group draws only made us more anxious, especially against valuable members of NS forums and sports hosts such as Valentine Z and Recuecn. Also because we’re unrated, I and Queenisa Personalty cannot measure our winning chances against these nations although We do trust our Sincere players to win the matches for us “.

[Queenisa]

Post 1 – The Valentians Say Hi.

Valentians prepared their relevant paperwork and all the other documentation and applications that they needed to file, scurrying along on the large table like a handful of timid insects and mice, as Valentijn sifted through the paperwork of her own. Roster details, their national information, all the nine yards for needing to participate in the World Cup. Valentijn signed her name whilst struggling to use a smaller pen, lazy to get into her smaller body for the task. "All right, that seems just about done," she said, as she addressed the other Valentians who were all standing or sitting on her table, "I think we got everything, right? The full names, the permits, the team..." she trailed off, realising that something was missing only after when she hit the "Send" button to the international WC committee. "Oh, no."

"Oh dear, what was it?" Jamie asked, being attentive as ever as she rifled through page after page of documents. She might not be the one to be too keen about football, but she was certainly determined to make sure that the Valentians got all the administrative and secretarial work that they needed to be done.

"We missed a detail. Damn, we missed the actual stadium to play in," Valentijn typed a couple of sentences on her oversized keyboard, showing the screen to the Valentians, "Every nation more or less have their own stadium, and obviously we would need one as well. We are going to be playing Home at one point, aren't we?"

"Well, ahh... there's no need to build another one, I'm sure. I mean, we do have large stadiums of our own for domestic sports, right?" Jolyn added, looking at her own personal device for the list of stadiums and venues that the Valentians currently have.

"Yeah, but not exactly for football," Jamie added again, walking over to Jolyn and pointing at her device, "Ahh, this one. I think it was used for our own Olympics at one point, and it still is in use. I mean, the dimensions already exist, but it was not exactly for football."

"I will cover that, don't worry," Valentijn said, putting her hand down on the table and reassuring everyone along the way, "What is the capacity of it?"

"It could fit 400,000 people easily. And I will emphasise, it's 400,000 Valentians! Given the size of the people all over the other universes..."

"Yeah, we can make it work, then. I will see to it the following day. As for you guys, just prepare the dropships like we did back in NSSCRA 10. We should be airborne and ready to go by the time the matches are out for our team."

------

(Image)
Visual Credit: Mechyrdia.

Valentine Z to Host its World Cup 88 Debut on Fate Stadium

1st of May, 2092 (Conventional Earth Time)

Year 29, Day 137; 5:36:00 (Decimal Time)

Author: Head Diplomat Charlene Jeannie Natalia Adeline Marceline “Wanbyeoghan Hyeobsang-Ga” Celestie Christine Irelle Dva. Arianna Rees Edith Novena Annie Ciara W. I. Bethany Myong Suh-Hyung

The Valentians always have had stadiums all over their world as decades go by, with the first few stadiums being established in the 2030s as a result of economic and societal stability after the nuclear war has ended the Pre-Valentian Era. Even then, none would have been as large as the aptly named Fate Stadium that was build back in the 2060s, home to many of the domestic sports that were played in Valentine Z - from the commonly known Olympics, to even Mesoamerican Ball Game known as Pitz, dating back to at least -1650 AD. Since then, the Fate Stadium has been subjected to many changes along the way, most in the form of improvements as follows in its first few years since its debut:

2035: The Stadium was first established and revealed to the public.
2037: Completion of the Fate Stadium.
2040: First Valentian Olympics held.
2041: First Pitz game organized and played. Also the very first time the stadium is changed for renovation and for a change of sports.
2050: More seats added.
2055: Addition of the far-viewers for the audience. (More details on this below.)

Fate Stadium is located in Naypyithaw, Burma, territory of Valentine Z.

And now for the World Cup 88 that is happening in 2092 for us, we saw Valentijn proudly walking into the stadium as she basically took out the sports equipment and pieces like a building block, followed by ripping out the fake grass patch and rolling it over in exchange for the fresh new fake lawn, to both conform to the international football standards, as well as to ensure that there are no random portholes from the spikes and other bits that were from the Olympics. Within the next few hours, the stadium was ready and done, with the rest of the Valentians testing out the systems, the chairs, and everything in-between.

Fate Stadium boasts good acoustics, as well as large seats that were meant for Valentians. Fun fact: Discounting the cybernetic enhancements, oversized exoskeletons, Hollywood-style radiation mutations, and the like, the average height of a Valentian is 493.19 cm / 16' 2". In other words, international guests and folks will find it extremely comfortable and no longer will be doing balancing acts on their seats as they try their best to hold onto their props and snacks whilst still cheering for their favorite team.

Each seat is also provided with a 6K screen tablet that we have built to IP69K for some odd reason; I don't know, perhaps we don't like our stuff broken. Anyway, each of these screens were then connected to the array of overhead cameras all over the football field that would, in essence, present a 360-degree view of the field and the players alike. The arrays of camera are also powerful enough to see every single action in impeccable detail, and those who missed the action can rewind up to 30 minutes of playback from their respective screens.

Word of advice is: Please do not steal or smuggle our devices out of the field. If you would like these gadgets, alongside other merchandise, the Fate Stadium also has room for such a thing. We Valentians sell our very own merchandise, and the storeroom has enough space for 40 more booths. There is plenty of purchasing options for everyone, with discounts to boot, with all proceeds going to charities or on improving the public infrastructure of Valentine Z.

For more information on Valentine Z as a form of tourism guide, please visit Clarissa's article right here. A few folks might find the "What to see, and what to do" and the "Rules and Etiquette, and other tips" to be handy.

We hope that you will enjoy your stay here!

Born For A Fight

This article was created to notify that we are born to fight and Role-Play harder then ever........
Although we do let many high seeds get a free pass to stop the wearing of our power in hopeless situations, we gladly fight for a spot and if faced with higher speeds, Sudden Death Role-Playing is our method of biltz out the win event sacrifices are made.

[Oberour Ar Moro]

World Cup qualification time is here again. A time of infinite hope and promise that will swiftly and quickly be dashed upon the rocks of reality. Or maybe not! That's where the excitement comes from. The Dragoons of Oberour Ar Moro have 18 matches to look forward to that will determine their footballing futures. But who are the nine nations they will be facing off against? Here are the teams, with New Game's trademark succinct summaries.

Astograth (24)
Matchdays 7 and 16 (at the Parade Grounds)

A fellow Rushmori side, the Olives advanced to World Cup 87 and finished third in their group with a 1-1-1 record. They'll have to be thinking they have a good opportunity to advance out of this group for another finals apperance.

Banija (6)
Matchdays 5 and 14 (at the Parade Grounds)

Another World Cup qualification, another time Banija and Oberour Ar Moro are in the same group. The best moment of the Oberours inconsistent World Cup 87 qualifying campaign was a victory against Banija on their home soil.

Bongo Johnson (139)
Matchdays 4 (at the Parade Grounds) and 13

Bongo Johnson are a team with a long football pedigree (they made their international debut in the 48th Baptism of Fire) who reached their apex by qualifying for World Cups 82 and 83. They will be hoping to begin the climb to the heights of international football again.

Euran Oceania Territories (86)
Matchdays 1 and 10 (at the Parade Grounds)

Eura, of course, are a perennial Rushmori footballing power. The Euran Oceania Territories are Eura's parliamentary federal dominion in Atlantian Oceania. The Expats are not a footballing power, but they're a handy side who will be tough to beat.

Ibixa (173)
Matchdays 6 (at the Parade Grounds) and 15

Ibixa are a Krytenian protectorate who during World Cup 87 qualification won three games in eighteen. They'll be hoping for better results this cycle since it would be odd to hope for worse.

Malandrin (UR)
Matchdays 8 and 17 (at the Parade Grounds)

Say hello to Malandrin, who are making their very first steps into international football. It's left to be seen what their talent level will be is, but they are clearly very enthusiastic.

Shreekaristan (354)
Matchdays 2 (at the Parade Grounds) and 11

Shreekaristan are a football debutant for World Cup 88. They finished with a 0-1-3 record in the Baptism of Fire, and also participated in the All India Football Cup III, where they went 2-2-1.

Srednjaci (253)
Matchdays 3 and 12 (at the Parade Grounds)

Srednjaci went 3-0-1 in their Baptism of Fire group, but their run ended in the Group of 16 against a team that advanced all the way to the Semifinals. They must know they could have gone further, and will have something to prove.

TJUN-ia (50)
Matchdays 9 (at the Parade Grounds) and 18

Debuted at Baptism of Fire 71 and are a national side on a on a steady upward trajectory. The Dragoons must make sure TJUN-ja doesn't use their faces as a stepping stone.

[Ko-oren]

NS World Cup Fantasy Qualification
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Powered by Jarongi Sports Statistics, a company in Eaglebury, West Strand Riding. They deliver simple match statistics and advanced metrics alike for the Top League and the Dragonflies, and have been a household name for a good decade by now. The company even partnered up with World Cup 83, and with their smash hit Fantasy game, they might be here to stay.

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The game is found here, and it's simple enough. Pick a team from every group, and see how your choices match up with the choices made by other players across the Multiverse.

We can always still use more players!

Make sure to follow us @Jarongi and @WCQFantasy on twii.tur and quac.kor for the latest updates.

@WCQFantasy (1h ago)

Tequilo again ranks up there as the most popular choice so far, in a group with Sylestone as another attractive option. Second is Tumbra, in a tough group 1 - not entirely sure why people don't like Gyatso-Kai, Saltstead, or Kandorith as much. BoF-winners are always popular - Eshialand is third. Popular.

204 replies - 44 requacks - 483 likes

@WCQFantasy (1h ago)

240 KPB across 18 groups - that's 13.333 (recurring) points per team. You could pick Maccian (KPB 13.33) exactly 18 times. Neat.

77 replies - 19 requacks - 106 likes

@WCQFantasy (1h ago)

No one popular option in Group 16: Pasarga, Busoga Islands, West Zirconia, St Trinians, Gatchingerrak Union were all picked equally often. Indecisive.

184 replies - 78 requacks - 501 likes

@WCQFantasy (1h ago)

Group 4 (not 1 or 11!) is the group with the highest combined KPB (133.76) yet pickers are very sure that Mytanija is the team to choose here. Only other group with combined KPB over 120 is group 12. Class.

266 replies - 71 requacks - 594 likes

@WCQFantasy (1h ago)

Only pot where every team in that pot has been picked at least once is Pot 3: cheap picks with high ceilings. Vote of Confidence.

190 replies - 38 requacks - 299 likes