CMFA Melayu Archipelago Cup 8 (IC Thread)

[Lathamford]

S p o r t L i n k

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Libonesia scored two goals to beat Lathamford 2-1, putting Lathamian team on the brink of relegation from CMFA Melayu Archipelago Cup 8

Libonesia winger Fuhad Najib scored his goal in the 39th minute before Abdiel Tabungan scored his goal at 44th to ensure Libonesia their Group A rivalry at the top of the table.

"We made a good improvement and we will be ready," said Libonesia midfielder Pono Uwati.

"We received strong support from the fans," said Lathamford coach Anton Glasstriumph. “They inspired us but we could not reach the target to collect at least one point. We are disappointed but I am proud of my team.”

"There's no space, it's a bit difficult for us," Uwati said. Libonesia dropped what is considered their strongest squad so far this tournament, with team captains Samihudin Umbra, Uwati, and Alan Damunga dropped to the starting line-up.

They didn’t take long to threaten the Lathamian goal when Uwati fed the ball to Tabungan but the finisher went wide before a cross was kicked out by the Lathamian defense.

The pace of the game in the first half was a bit slow but Libonesia were always dangerous when in possession of the ball.

To be sure, Libonesia’s goal finally came from an unexpected source, when Nasrifin Ula ’s header from a corner kick hit the crossbar and the bouncing ball found Fuhad Najib head it into the net.

Lathamford had no choice but to find an equalizer and the change of strategy left them caught by a swift attack six minutes before the end of the first half when Tabungan completed a beautiful Uwati pass for the second goal.

Lathamford only goal score by Farrowsteam at 63 minutes.

[Trolleborg]

Greetings, compatriots!
It’s TTV with a news from Sendhang. We must admit, they will not make you much more happy, they are not too promising and perspectives are not too bright. In the first match of new season team demonstrate play of rather decent quality, but don’t find a way to bring ball into the opponents net. And, as a result, failed to revenge quite humiliating loss two years ago. All this don’t happened despite a best efforts of our fans, who present at the city and stadium in many thousands, provided the most powerful sound barrage, from which people even out of the stadium having go deaf, and the legs of everyone were shaking. We can’t, though, say that lads not trying to bring victory. But something badly needed absent from the game.

Our team begins, as everyone expect, press forward just after referee give first whistle. And this desire is overwhelming up to the point of being useless and even harmful. Stuart Kerr rushed forward and put everything he can in the hope to score, but got the almost exact opposite result – while trying to take the ball from the opponent's player in sliding tackle, he got a yellow card for a foul and, moreover, an injury that forced him to leave the field already in the 20th minute. Morten Troghil bring Zhivoglot instead, but he spend almost half a hour in the fights here and there, misguided jumping, rather clumsy maneuvers, unobvious moves without any tangible benefits for the team and then substituted for Herring, but he also don’t add much to the attacking might of our team.

All this storyline is epithome of what’s happened this evening: team was full of desire to fight and win, do much for this, but almost everything players did turned wrong way. Despite overwhelming posession of the ball and of the shots count, lads succeed to make less than half dozen seriously dangerous situations near the opponent’s gate.

Having draw this game, lads have on board game with a bold newcomers from Berdeng Bundok and holder of the title, SPI themselves, while having requirement not to drop points at all.

Looked like MC is really enchanted!

[Eraman]

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SPORTS

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Day 5 - Month 1 - Year 80

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Eramanian injured in Tapaklaboh

Tapaklaboh: The opening match of the 8th Melayu Archipelago Cup at the Tapaklaboh Stadium between Sendhang and Eraman tonight was marred by fights between supporters of both teams.

The incident erupted after the match ended in a goalless draw.

It is understood that the Sendhangite supporters, who were angry and disappointed with the outcome of the match, attacked the Eramanian supporters by crashing into their seating areas.

Sendhangite authorities were seen trying to stop the two supporters from fighting but can’t prevent a scene where an Eramanian supporter who was believed to have been injured by objects thrown by the Sendhangite supporters was carried by the medical team out of the seating area.

Meanwhile, the president of Eraman Football Association Tun Sengalang Petara, who also watched the match at the Tapaklaboh Stadium, confirmed that Eramanian supporters were attacked by hard objects.

“Hard objects, bottles and flares were thrown at us several times. There were also some Sendhangite supporters trying to storm the Eramanian area and the match had to be stopped for a while.

“I will make an official complaint to CMFA (Confederation of Melayu Football Associations).

"I will also make an official report to the Sendhangite government," he said in a statement tonight.

Tun Sengalang Petara said he and Eramanian supporters were still in the stadium while waiting for the situation to calm down.

“This incident is very sad for football which should be a medium of unification. I promise to demand justice for Eramanians.”

[Lathamford]

S p o r t L i n k
MAC8th Special Edition

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SportLink special interview with Ross Hearkener, Eraman National Team Manager, who recently brought The Ebony Falcon to the 80th Cup of Harmony semi-final. He is the former player and head coach of Royal Puncakpura. Under his guidance, Royal Puncakpura managed to break the domination of Royal Daulapura and Anara in Liga Eraman.

Can you please tell us something more about your coaching experience?
I started my coaching career with Royal Puncakpura and helped them to a Liga Eraman title before Tun Sengalang Petara, the president of Eraman Football Association contacted me for this big job. Here I am now in my second job as a coach.

What do you want to accomplish with our team?
The president has made it clear that reaching the World Cup is our main target. I have been given the time and space to execute my plan and with the talent coming through, I am confident in the future of Eraman football.

You will face a lot of expectations as a football coach–from the players, spectators, and other stakeholders. How do you want to handle the pressure?
Work hard and win. Results are the number one priority. That’s the only way to please everyone. People don’t care about how hard we work for it, people care about the end result.

Your hope in MAC 8th?
We came here to win.

[Sendhang]

GROUP STAGE
MATCH DAY 2

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Group A
Tapaklaboh Stadium, Tapaklaboh

Lathamford 2-2 Sendhang
Libonesia 0-3 Eraman

* Group A                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Eraman                     2   1  1  0    3   0  +3    4
2 Libonesia                  2   1  0  1    2   4  −2    3
3 Sendhang                   2   0  2  0    2   2   0    2
4 Lathamford                 2   0  1  1    3   4  -1    1

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Group B
Danokota Stadium, Danokota

Pemecutan 5–0 Opatzland
Ziwana 1–3 Island of the Lost

* Group B                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Pemecutan                  2   2  0  0    7   0  +7    6   Q
2 Island of the Lost         2   2  0  0    7   1  +6    6   Q
3 Ziwana                     2   0  0  2    1   5  −4    0
4 Opatzland                  2   0  0  2    0   9  −9    0

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Group C
Larantuka Stadium, Larantuka

Tanah Jaya 4–0 Southern Palm Islands
Trolleborg 0–0 Berdeng Bundok

* Group C                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Tanah Jaya                 2   1  1  0    4   0  +4    4
2 Berdeng Bundok             2   0  2  0    2   2   0    2
3 Trolleborg                 2   0  2  0    0   0   0    2
4 Southern Palm Islands      2   0  1  1    2   6  −4    1

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Group D
Kratonredjo Stadium, Kratonredjo

Acastanha 3–1 Sharktail
Brasilia 2–2 Samudera Darussalam

* Group D                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Acastanha                  2   2  0  0    9   1  +8    6   Q
2 Sharktail                  2   1  0  1    5   3  +2    3
3 Samudera Darussalam        2   0  1  1    2   6  −4    1
4 Brasilia                   2   0  1  1    2   8  −6    1

Note: Team in Blue assured position in Quarterfinal

[Lathamford]

Group A
Tapaklaboh Stadium, Tapaklaboh

Lathamford 2-2 Sendhang
Farrowsteam 20', 69' ׀ Salahuddin 44', Kalbasi 90'

Lathamford: Greenash, Decker [Barrington], Ashleigh, Skelmersdale (C), Haymoore, Wymondham, Selfridge, Hargreave [du Graypelt], Colfield, Farrowsteam, Falconderry

Sendhang: Wageo (C), Kefalo, Bari, Lumipada [Winata], Hamzah, Beripeda [Mendriq], Wirajuda, Al Qari, Nowela, Salahuddin, Kalbasi

Goal checker

Game #	Player	Score
Game #1 vs. Libonesia	Farrowsteam	1 goal
Game #2 vs. Sendhang	Farrowsteam	2 goal

quote of the games

Cracking Eggs with A Hammer...
- Otto Farrowsteam, Lathamford striker, after draw with Sendhang

[Lathamford]

S p o r t L i n k
MAC8th Special Edition

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SportLink special interview with Torben Mortensen, Trolleborg Football Association CEO. After two games, Trolleborg now sitting not so comfortably at third place in Group C after two draws. An Attempt to interview their manager Morten Troghil became fruitless, luckily we manage to have their CEO for this interview.

Can you please tell us something more about your national coach experience?
Morten Troghil was elected to lead our team when the Grand Opening of Trolleborg happened. As the most illustrious and decorated coach he was selected by coaches, FA, and fans - you can read about this in the link I provided before. He won Baptism of Fire and succeed in bring the team to the World Cup twice out of five times, although success evades him in almost all other tournaments.

What do you want to accomplish with your team?
Last season was the first one when our team goes back to the KPB table. We not only lost half a dozen of the games to the minnows teams in the WCQ, but also make early exits in the Melayu Cup, India Cup, IAC, and Cup of Harmony despite robust performance and very good quality of the game. The whole Trolleborg waits for what happened in this season and hoping for the better.

You will face a lot of expectations as a football coach–from the players, spectators, and other stakeholders. How do you want to handle the pressure?
After such a disappointing performance in each of the four MACs, we take part in, many voices were heard that we are better decline participation in the future, due to the uselessness of such a tournament for the team. But we put this question to the wide public debate and after that (as we in Trolleborg are used to do) make a referendum, where the option "yes, it's worth efforts" won, albeit not too convincing.

Your hope in MAC 8th?
MAC's are always difficult for us, every time we underperformed, never going even to the playoffs. We are going to this tournament having a minimum hurdle of an evened count of victories and losses, but even this modest objective is to evade us. Also, the team was tasked to win a spot in the playoff stage (at last). But we all see, that both objectives probably will not achievable this time.

[Eraman]

Thousands of Eramanian made their way to Sendhang for the 8th CMFA Melayu Archipelago Cup. For most of the Eramanians making the trip, that was not their first time in Sendhang because Sendhang is a popular traveling destination for Eramanians with daily flights from Anara to Kambang. Sendhang is shopping heaven for the Eramanians because of the stronger currency that the Eramanians have.

“Everything here is cheap,” says any Eramanians you can find in Sendhang.

Their trip to Sendhang at that time though was not merely for a vacation or a shopping spree. It was for something bigger, to follow the national team and give them their full support in the pursuit of their first-ever Melayu Archipelago Cup title. Eraman had never won the most prestigious national team football championship in the region but recent performance gave the Eramanians a glimmer of hope. The inspiring performance at the 80th Cup of Harmony suddenly made them think they can win the 8th Melayu Archipelago Cup.

Eraman started their campaign on the opening day of the championship against the host, Sendhang at Tapaklaboh Stadium, the home of the king of Sendhangite club football, KS Tapaklaboh. The Ebony Falcon did well in front of the hostile 30,000 Sendhangite fans who came from all over the country. They held the home side to a goalless draw much to the dismay of the home fans who started throwing objects at the Eramanian fans in the stand nearing the full-time whistle. Riots erupted after the match and caused the Eraman national team to be stranded in the stadium until midnight. The Eraman’s team bus had to be escorted by the Sendhang authority on their way back to the hotel.

Although traumatized by the experience on the opening day of the tournament, Eraman remained hopeful of their chance and set their focus on Libonesia for the next match. Libonesia is the largest country in the Melayu Archipelago in terms of land size. It is an important geopolitical power in the region but not in football. Eraman was the favorite for the match. Although a favorite on paper, the Eraman national team players knew that underestimating the East Melayuan would be a huge mistake especially considering that Libonesia led the group after winning their first match. A defeat would put Eraman in danger of getting eliminated at the group stage.

The players though did not disappoint the Eramanians in Tapaklaboh Stadium or anywhere in the world. They stepped up to the occasion and beat Libonesia 2-0 thanks to a brace from Wikra Petara. The result meant that Eraman top Group A after Matchday 2 but still have everything to play for in the last match of the group stage against Lathamford. Group A was still wide open with all 4 sides can still qualify for the knockout stage. It’s all down to the final matches of the group; Eraman against Lathamford and Libonesia against Sendhang.

[Samudera Darussalam]

Disappointing results in CMFA Melayu Archipelago Cup, fans asked Wirakusuma to resign

by Nur Azmi Sentosa

Kratonredjo, Sendhang

Hundreds of Samuderans have made their way to Sendhang, a neighbouring country on mainland Melayu Archipelago to give their supports for their national team in the latest CMFA Melayu Archipelago Cup, the most prestigious football competition in the region. As Samudera was absent from the previous championships, fans hoped that the long time taken would made a groundbreaking result as the Samuderan national team makes a comeback. Their defeat at the hand of Sharktail and the draw with Brasilia however, has disappointed a lot of fans. As Samudera's chance to qualify dimming, fans of the team affectionaly called "the Blues" after their uniform, has sign a petition calling for Surya Wirakusuma, the latest team's head coach, to resign for the apparent failure of the Samuderan team to bring better result.

The 56 year old man, who used to coach several known Samuderan local football team including Ujong Satu, denied that the team haven't made any achievement, but he acknowledged that more preparations should have been done.

"Here, in CMFA Melayu Archipelago Cup, we face a lot of respectable opponents, some of whom have made names for themselves in other international competitions," the Samudranagaran said. "Take Eraman, for example. It's not so long after our neighbour to the east advanced to the quarter-final of the 80th Cup of Harmony. Sharktail is not a team to be underestimated, and the same can be said for our future opponent, Acastanha. So it's wrong to say that my boys haven't fought as hard as they can. We just simply haven't gotten used to play against teams of other nations, and that, is our fault. It should have been a lesson for the future."

When asked about his opinion on the petition for him to resign, Mr. Wirakusuma said that this is a position entrusted to him and all future decisions regarding his status will have to be decided together with the other parties. Regardless, he said, until that time he will try his best to help the country's team to advance in the competition.

In Bandar Raja, the Minister of Sport was swamped with questions of the supposed "reform" that he promised. The Cempakan man seconded Mr. Wirakusuma's opinion that progress is being made thanks to the reform. However, the man also acknowledged that maybe it's not enough.
"As the man entrusted to oversee the development of sport, including the betterment of the quality of our athletes, it's within my responsibility to make sure that they can perform their best. The reform that I have promised to our citizens and fellow sport fans, however, seem to be inadequate, and for that I apologize."

The minister's reform is said to include a restructuring of the national football organization and the funds used to finance it. That restructuring affects the various teams that play under the national league, and it's convenient to say that it is not without any resistance.
Last opinion polls also suggested that Samuderans are divided on the issue, with 30% supporting it, 40% have no opinion, and the rest opposing it.

Back in Sendhang, the Samuderan fans said that they will keep supporting their national team despite the discouraging results from the previous matches.
"It's only natural." Reza Budiawan, a young football enthusiast, said. "If we who comes here to watch feel disappointed, imagine how the team feels." He shrugged. "I believe it when they say that they have given their all. So it's not their fault. Whatever the final results later, they have done their hardest and for that, thank you".

Other fans even went even further, saying that if it's permitted, they may help the team through "other means".
"Well, I'm a witch, you know, and we still enjoy the magicless game time after time." Pelita Wijaya, a Samuderan female fan, giggled. "I can make some charms and curses to help, but it's not permitted isn't it? I wouldn't want to get the team in trouble because of my behaviour. However my people and I would still want to convey our thanks to Chaniago and the others. They have done their best despite things."

So far, there haven't any report regarding magical incidents that happened in the Cup. The Samuderan Ministry of Magic have also cautioned the wizarding community who want to go to watch the competition "to behave responsibly". The minister said that despite her belief that the fans are going to cooperate, her office have sent some guards to the stadions where the Samuderan team is going to compete, "just in case."

While there is no magical happenings, the opening day of the tournament was stained with riots after the Sendhangite fans starting throwing objects at Eramanian fans, disappointed at the result. Asked if the event may deter their resolve to keep coming to the stadium to watch, laughter from Mr. Budiawan and his friends were their first response. "It's an intense competition, so of course there bound to be something like that. We are worried, no question about that, though so far, my friends and I haven't meet any real trouble here. Hopefully, that will stay that way."

Following the riots, the Samuderan embassy in Sendhang have asked Samuderan fans to keep stay on guard and avoid any problem during their stay in the neighbouring country.

[Island of the Lost]

8TH MELAYU ARCHIPELAGO CUP GROUP STAGE MATCHDAY TWO

ZIWANA - 1
Jean-Marc Mourgine (37')

ISLAND OF THE LOST - 3
Rylee Ross (48')
Evelyn Manzo (60')
Alexandra Robbins (72')

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It was the day of the first preseason friendly between Olympique Gymnaste Club Cote de Facilier (the official name of the Cote de Facilier Barons) and Futbol'nyy Klub Lokomotiv Rasputinsk (not to be confused with League of the Lost side Dinamo Rasputinsk). It had always been this way since the time I joined the Barons; out first preseason game was always against Lokomotiv. You would probably think it strange that we have an agreement to play a friendly against a team that's not even in the same city as we are, given that there are a good number of football clubs here in La Cote as well, but that's just the way the world works. The Barons and Lokomotiv worked out the deal and now we're playing them first during the preseason. A couple hundred fans had made their way to the Stade Jean-Pierre Blanchard to watch a literal friendly. These were the die-hard Barons fans, the ones who would literally follow the team to the ends of the earth just to throw their support behind us. They came from all walks of life: fishermen, taxi drivers, stevedores, police. But the one thing that they all had in common with each other was their loyalty to the club.

But while the fans were busy singing their favorite songs and shouting their chants, inside the locker room things were deathly quiet. The only thing we could hear was the hum of the light bulbs and the air conditioners, and the breathing of the players. Alaric Henderson stood in the middle of the locker room, silent as a statue. And then he spoke and said, "Listen to what's going on outside, ladies and gentlemen. Do you hear that? That is the sound of this entire community standing behind us. Their team. No matter how or why they chose to support us, whether it's because they live here or their mother or their father supported the Barons, the only thing that matters to us is that those people out there, they support us. They've supported us before and now, when we're at our lowest and nobody would be surprised if they chose to support someone else, they're still out there supporting us.

"Which is why we owe it to those people out there to do better," Alaric continued. "They are counting on us to do our utmost best to compete against the best teams that the Island of the Lost has to offer. Last season, we failed that. We failed that miserably. Which is why the pressure on us to do better is double or even more. I know what this team is capable of. This may be my first time managing all of you in a game of football, but I sincerely believe that I know exactly how to get the best out of each and every one of you.

"Now I don't want to put any pressure on you today of all days," Alaric quickly added. "This is just a friendly, after all. But I also want to stress that we are now standing upon the start of the road to redemption. This is where our season starts. I expect, I want all of you to do your absolute best. Now let's get out there and get this season started! Barons on three. One, two, three..."

"Barons!" the whole locker room cried out, and then the players started filing out onto the pitch. As I followed the players outside, Alaric walked up to me and asked me, "So, Helen, what do you think of my little speech back there?"

"I think it was a good speech, sir," I replied. "I feel like going out there and playing myself."

"Thank you," Alaric nodded. "I practiced that speech for a whole week. Also, I don't think going out there to play would be a good thing for your knee, would it? Or was it your ankle?"

"Both actually," I admitted. "I really screwed myself over in my career."

"Well then, didn't you say that this was going to your chance to make up for everything?" Alaric asked me.

"Yes sir," I nodded.

Twenty-two players had formed up on the pitch, waiting for the referee to blow his whistle. This season was going to the first season that the Island of the Lost was going to be playing with eleven players per side, a very drastic change from the seven-a-side rules that we used to have. The switch to eleven-a-side football was made by the Football Federation of the Lost in order to make us more competitive against the other nations in the outside world, where eleven-a-side football is the most common kind of football that they played. The referee finally blew his whistle, and the Barons' first game of the new season had officially begun. Sure, it was just a preseason friendly, but hearing the first whistle of the new season always brought a chill down my spine. The thought of a myriad possibilities opening up thanks to the start of the new season always does that to me.

Thirty-one minutes into the game though, and things weren't exactly going the way that the Barons would have wanted. Lokomotiv Rasputinsk had just taken the lead thanks to a counterattack initiated and then finished off by Vasiliy Grigorov. The Barons had had the lion's share of possession before Lokomotiv scored their goal, and we certainly have had the better chances as well, so Grigorov scoring the opening goal of the game pretty much was a sucker punch to the gut for the whole team. Alaric Henderson didn't take it well, and neither did his daughter Betty. I can't point fingers and laugh though. I reacted pretty much the same way that they did when Grigorov made a fool of the defender marking him and then thundercunted the ball into the roof of the net.

"Watch him, watch him, watch him," I said as I watched the events unfold before my eyes. "Mark him, for God's sake!" I shouted once Grigorov got close. And then Grigorov shook off the defender, and he went for goal. "Fuck! For fuck's sake!" I shouted as I bolted out of my seat on the bench. On either side of me, both the father and daughter Henderson were doing the same thing, shouting expletives and dancing around like agitated monkeys. I had a feeling that Alaric would take issue with Betty cussing up a storm, but he was too absorbed by his own potty mouth to notice or maybe even care.

"Man, Randy just got rinsed by that Grigorov guy!" Betty told me as soon as we retook our seats. Alaric remained standing, barking out orders to the team from the technical area. "I remember the time when simply nobody could get past Randy," Betty muttered.

"He doesn't wanna admit it, but Randy's getting old," I said. "He's been getting slower and slower every season, but he's still acting like he's in his prime, able to keep up with the likes of Rylee Ross and Devin Randall. But what can you do? If he says he can do it, he certainly believes he can do it. Even if his body doesn't."

"Betty!" Alaric shouted from the touchline. "Yeah?" Betty called back.

"Get warmed up and ready, Betty," Alaric said. "I'm putting you on for the last five minutes of the half."

"What? Really?" Betty asked incredulously.

"Well, don't just sit there waiting for a fly to fly into your mouth," I told Betty. "Get to warming up!"

"Of course ma'am," Betty stuttered. "Yes, ma'am."

Betty Henderson came on at the 40th minute for our starting central attacking midfielder, just as Alaric said, and immediately she was into the thick of the action. She may be only eighteen years old, but the way she carried herself on the pitch and fought off defenders who were playing the game for as long as she was old, you would be forgiven for thinking that she had already played professionally for at least ten years. And then came the moment that would eventually mark her as someone to watch out for in the coming season.

The Barons had been maintaining pressure on Lokomotiv ever since the latter scored the first goal of the game, but the team had been unable to convert said pressure into anything actual or substantive until the first minute of time added on to the first forty-five. Elena Arreola had managed to nab the ball away from Lokomotiv and had gone on a run for the goal, but Lokomotiv were able to shunt her into the wings, away from the area where she could do the most damage. But someone else had made her way into the middle of the penalty area: Betty Henderson. Elena Arreola looked around, assessing her options, and she only one. Part of me wanted to shout at her to just cross the damn ball already, but a bigger part of me wanted to urge Elena to keep searching for other options because, let's face it. Betty Henderson was not the tallest player out there. I'd given her some stick for it, of course, but now here I was legitimately wishing that Betty could have been at least an inch or two taller.

Nevertheless, Elena decided to go for the cross anyway. The ball arced high above before curving down into the penalty area. Three players jumped to meet the ball, two wearing the green shirts of Lokomotiv and one the purple and neon orange of Cote de Facilier. And, to the surprise of everyone in the stadium, it was the player from Cote de Facilier who managed to put her forehead to the ball and steer it towards the goal.

"YES!" I cried out. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" Betty herself had to turn around and wait for the ball to actually find the back of the net before she could run back towards the technical area and celebrate the goal with the bench. "I did it, Helen!" she exclaimed. "I scored a goal!"

"Damn right you did," I said back to her. Betty then leaped up and straddled me, and I had to quickly put my arms under her legs to hold her up.

"All right, girl, calm down now," I said to her once I felt that she had calmed down. "Remember, it's just a friendly. We haven't even started the real season yet!"

"I don't care, Helen!" Betty said. "I finally scored a goal for the Barons, and that's all that I care about right now!"

We played one more minute of added time before the referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the first half. Betty was still pretty much bouncing over having scored her first goal for the club, and right on the brink of half-time as well. The mood of the entire team certainly received a boost because of that, but, as we would find out later on, it would all turn out to be for nothing.

~ Chapter Eight in the story of Helen Josephus

[Trolleborg]

Greetings, compatriots!
It’s TTV from Sendhang, where our national team played at Melayu Cup and we must admit, that news are again not too pleasant. Despite our hopes, lads not succeed in bringing victory. As you all know, right now team won 93 games in the internatonal games, and we all, of course, hope that 100th victory is not too far. But it’s now looked like Melayu Cup don’t add much to the tally.

At the field of the game against Berdeng Bundok our team has a tremendous advantage, but nevertheless again not succeed in putting ball at the net of the opposition team. Coach of B.B. team Chad Dalrymple send on the field almost the same players as in a hard-fought draw against SPI in the first round – mainly experienced fighters at the back and middle lines, with two young talents put far forward to seek a chance. These two of the young talents both played in foreign league, and maybe learned thing or two in them. Altought mainly our defenders take care of them confidently enough, at least twice they are have a real chances to score. Opposition defenders also succeed in parrying every effort of our players, even fast-moving and always inventive Troll almost deserved a sign “Out of order”. Having 71% of the time posessed ball, our players put together less than five dangerous situations at the whole game, and, despite the fact that twice after shots ball hits the post, team doesn’t, in the end, succeed of bringing so-needed victory. Head coach indicated, that he will make a serious changes in the lineup soon.

Right now team sits at third place and having rather doubtful chances to make it to the playoff and dispel MC curse. In other games of the tournament we must especially highlight two – Ziwana, many times victor of the Melayu Cup, already lost every chance to qualify, and title holder SPI suffered a real disaster, having suddenly lose game with Tanah Jaya. Only three of the places in the playoffs is already occupied. And our lads not lose a hope to take one of them, but they needed an uphill battle with wounded and traumatized SPI, which also needed victory for qualification or at least as a consolation.

[Sendhang]

The violence in Tapaklaboh during and after the match against Eraman dominated the Sendhangite media for 2 days. Opinions were divided. Some condemned the Sendhangite fans who instigated the violence but some defended them and condemned the Eramanians for provocating the home fans. No apologies from anyone important in Sendhang were made except for the promise of better safety and regulations in future matches.

More personnel was deployed at Tapaklaboh Stadium for Sendhang’s second match at the 8th Melayu Archipelago Cup against Lathamford. Bottles, flares, umbrellas, helmets, lighters, walking sticks, and sharp objects were banned from the stadium. Everyone in the stadium was screened before being allowed to enter. The authorities were keen to not have a repeat of the opening day incident.

For Salahuddin, there was only one thing on his mind, to make amends on his mistake in the previous match. The pressure was mounting on him. The match against Eraman was his fourth match for the national team but after four matches, Salahuddin still failed to find the back of the net. The more time passes without a goal, the more Salahuddin felt pressured.

He was selected to spearhead the Sendhangite attack against Lathamford, for the first time in the starting eleven for 2 consecutive matches. But it was Lathamford who scored first with Farrowsteam finding the back of the net in the 20th minute.

Sendhang then re-grouped after the goal and were more offensive in their approach. Attacks after attacks were launched towards the Lathamford’s goal and the moment they have been waiting for came in the 44th minute. It was a moment Salahuddin will never forget as he scored his first goal for the national team. Salahuddin who received the ball inside the D-box with his back towards the goal made a quick turn before placing the ball in the bottom right corner for Sendhang’s equalizer. The pressure was relieved from Salahuddin’s shoulder. 1-1 at the break.

But after a slow start in the second half, Sendhang was punished again with Lathamford’s second goal of the game, again by Farrowsteam who shown how lethal he is by scoring 2 goals from 2 shots. Unhappy with what was going on, the Sendhangite fans started throwing objects towards the pitch again just like in the opening match of the tournament. Despite the ban on several objects, the Sendhangite still managed to smuggle some into the stadium. Unlike the first match though, things were more under control as the authorities made a quick response by arresting a few Sendhangite fans.

Sendhang re-grouped after the goal and became more offensive. Attacks after attacks were launched again. Their hard work finally paid off in the dying minute of the match to the delight of the 30,000 Sendhangite in the stadium. A loose ball in the penalty box was struck by Ramon Kalbasi from close range into the back of the net beating the helpless goalkeeper to make it 2-2. Tapaklaboh Stadium erupted with cheers.

With 2 draws after 2 matches, Sendhang had no choice but to beat Libonesia in the final match of the group to make it to the knockout stage. Salahuddin knew anything other than a win might be fatal.

[Berdeng Bundok]

Leopard Cats bravely hold out for draw

The Leopard Cats claimed another famous draw at the MA Cup, holding Trolleborg to a scoreless tie. Coach Chad Dalrymple admitted the game was “not the most attractive”; the Trolls’ 71% possession stats reflected their utter dominance. But they were unable to strike the killing blow as the Leopard Cats piled bodies behind the ball. Stefan Hertzfeld and Leonides Buenavidez put in strong shifts in midfield, and though Eilífur Basan received a little assistance from the posts, he held his nerve in goal and pulled off several sharp saves.

The result leaves the group in an exciting position heading into the last match day. A win for the Leopard Cats would guarantee advancement, though a draw would not necessarily eliminate them. “We’re not really looking at the other games,” said Hertzfeld after the match. “We’re just concentrating on playing another good game.” A slight tactical change is expected, with Samuel Fessler returning: Buenavidez will keep his place while Yoshi Niévez will make way.

Trolleborg – 0 (0)

Berdeng Bundok – 0 (0)
Basan; Niévez, Gellner, Henson, Tanjutco; Hertzfeld (58’), Buenavidez; Bristol (71’ Z. Rauscher ), Limjap (56’ Silva ), A. Rauscher; Bernardino (74’ Tsukada )

[Lathamford]

S p o r t L i n k
MAC8th Special Edition

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SportLink special interview with Teuku Syarkawi, Federation of Sendhang National Team Manager/ Head Coach
Teuku Syarkawi is the former head coach of KS Tapaklaboh, the champion of Divisi 1 Putrasia, the highest division in the state of Putrasia before the introduction of Liga Super Sendhang. His appointment as the first head coach of the Sendhang national team was made a week after PS3 was officially announced. It was an easy decision for the decision-makers in PS3 as Syarkawi is a very highly-rated head coach among football enthusiasts in Sendhang especially Putrasia.

He led Sendhang into its debut competition in the 7th Melayu Archipelago Cup in Pemecutan in which Sendhang won once, drew three times, and lost once. Sendhangite, especially the people in the corridors of power at PS3 Complex were generally happy with the performance of the national team in Pemecutan and put their faith in Syarkawi to continue leading the national team for the next 3 years.

Where do you see your team in five years?
The 5 years’ roadmap panned out by Persatuan Sepakbola Seluruh Sendhang (PS3) aimed at making Sendhang one of the football powerhouses in the region. We are on the right track to achieve what we aim for.

The pressure as a host nation that you facing?
Playing in front of our fans should not be seen as extra pressure. It’s a morale boost for the players and we thank the fans for their continuous support.

What is your national team's greatest achievement so far?
Nothing yet. We have won against big teams here and there but we still have a long way to go.

Your hope in MAC 8th?
Our target in the 8th Melayu Archipelago Cup is to be competitive and learn from the experience.

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[Sendhang]

GROUP STAGE
MATCH DAY 3

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Group A
Tapaklaboh Stadium, Tapaklaboh

Eraman 3–0 Lathamford
Sendhang 1–2 Libonesia

* Group A                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Eraman                     3   2  1  0    6   0  +6    7   Q
2 Libonesia                  3   2  0  1    4   5  −1    6   Q
3 Sendhang                   3   0  2  1    3   4  -1    2
4 Lathamford                 3   0  1  2    3   7  -4    1

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Group B
Danokota Stadium, Danokota

Island of the Lost 2–3 Pemecutan
Opatzland 0–3 Ziwana

* Group B                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Pemecutan                  3   3  0  0   10   2  +8    9   Q
2 Island of the Lost         3   2  0  1    9   4  +5    6   Q
3 Ziwana                     3   1  0  2    4   5  -1    3
4 Opatzland                  3   0  0  3    0  12 −12    0

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Group C
Larantuka Stadium, Larantuka

Berdeng Bundok 1–2 Tanah Jaya
Southern Palm Islands 0–2 Trolleborg

* Group C                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Tanah Jaya                 3   2  1  0    6   1  +5    7   Q
2 Trolleborg                 3   1  2  0    2   0  +2    5   Q
3 Berdeng Bundok             3   0  2  1    3   4  −1    2
4 Southern Palm Islands      3   0  1  2    2   8  −6    1

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Group D
Kratonredjo Stadium, Kratonredjo

Samudera Darussalam 0–0 Acastanha
Sharktail 5–0 Brasilia

* Group D                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Acastanha                  3   2  1  0    9   1  +8    7   Q
2 Sharktail                  3   2  0  1   10   3  +7    6   Q
3 Samudera Darussalam        3   0  2  1    2   6  −4    2
4 Brasilia                   3   0  1  2    2  13 −11    1

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QUARTERFINAL

Eraman vs Island of the Lost
@ Tapaklaboh Stadium

Tanah Jaya vs Sharktail
@ Larantuka Stadium

Libonesia vs Pemecutan
@ Danokota Stadium

Trolleborg vs Acastanha
@ Kratonredjo Stadium

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Edit note: fixed table error.

[Lathamford]

S p o r t L i n k
MAC8th Special Edition

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SportLink special interview with Agung Suryanantha, Manager of Pemecutan. Sitting at the top of Group B and comfortably going to Quarterfinal stage, Suryanantha is surely one of the happiness managers in the tournament now.

Where do you see your team in five years?
Interesting question. We have been in several competitions so far and have achieved some great results. What really bothers us is of course World Cup. The largest competition which is so hard to get through it. Having a position in the main competition will be something to look for.

What is the hardest decision you have had to make recently?
Hhmm. That would be picking players. Seriously, for this MAC I'm contemplating making a change in the squad seeing how the progress and result of our domestic league is. I'm seeing some potential players that might be a good choice for the national team. But in the other hand, this team we have is a very solid one. We have made many tough matches and gained many great result from it. And I make the decision to give my confidence into this squad again for one more competition before I decided to refresh the squad. To be honest, this is the best squad that we have this time.

What is your national team's greatest achievement so far?
Regional or internationally? Well, in the region we achieve two times runner-up in a row with the same team. Internationally, we achieve a lot. Being invited to the Cup of Harmony for the first time is one. Then reaching Round 16 in the Summer Olympics is the next great achievement. And of course, the Semifinalist of Melayu Olympiad.

Your hope in MAC 8th?
Definitely, the trophy. Hahaha. We are already dreaming of it for a long time. Being nickname the Netherlands of Melayu has been quite frustrating. A champion title will be a great addition for us. And it will erase the nickname and the curse, period.

[Lathamford]

S p o r t L i n k

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FLASH: Lathamford national coach Anton Glasstriumph resigned on Tuesday after his side were knocked out in the group round of MAC8th when they lost 0-3 to the Eraman. Glasstriumph’s decision comes amid heightened speculation about his future as coach after last Sunday’s 0-3 defeat in Tapaklaboh.

“I decided not to continue my job as a coach. Our target was not achieved, it is very clear,” said Glasstriumph, 51, in a statement issued by the Lathamford football governing body (LFA).

Glasstriumph said when he was appointed coach in 2020, it was an “honor” but he was also “aware of the pressure that came from the moment I was appointed”.

"The pressure is mounting now, and it's also not a healthy situation for me or for the squad ahead of an important match for Lathamford football for the others campaign." The LFA said in any case, Glasstriumph’s contract clarified that the team should have advanced at least to the quarterfinals and added that “his contract will not be renewed” if targets are not met.

"It has been decided that the two sides will split," the LFA added.

"Despite Anton's efforts, the team did not advance to the quarterfinals. We were expecting a better performance at the MAC and the selection of Anton (as coach), did not achieve what we had hoped for before,” said LFA president, Dr. Oscar von Cassbailey

[Trolleborg]

Greetings, compatriots!
It’s TTV with a fresh news from Sendhang. We are not fond to bring bad news into the Trolleborg homes, but right now (at last!) we have something pleasurable to say. Our national football team, while played in Melayu Cup, won final game of the group stage and take place in the playoffs for himself. First time in four cups it played.

Our national teams traditionally short of luck, losing almost every time they definitely don’t need to do so. Yesterday many of us feared that this will be proved again, since only victory can guarantee us a spot in playoff, and opponent was current title holder of MC. To whom, it must be added, our lads lost in the last tournament, also while in the dire need of victory.

SPI won recent MC, change coach from that time, exchanging Eramanian on Banijan at the helm, but team basically the same, right to the shirt numbers. SPI played not too well at this tournament, having draw game with BB and lost with unexpected score 0-4 to the Tanah Jaya, but not lost chance to bring themselves into the playoff spots – they needed just victory against our lads and draw or TJ victory in the other match of the group.

So, stakes was high for both teams. Morten Troghil opted, nevertheless, for a mixed lineup, but right now his skills as a football chef was used perfectly. South Palm Island team put two brothers Plascas to seek luck on our half of the field, and they are put considerable pressure on our defenders. But our team again played confidently at the defence, and trying move fast when having ball, with a good variety of attacking moves – sometimes fast flank midfielders take game on themselves, sometimes Troll and Lucius make their magic rituals in the centre. After they exchange passes near the opponent’s box, Troll shot as if from the field gun, but goalkeeper parried this threat, while stretched out in line, with his fingertips.

But, as our midfielders prove, this is only a try – just two minutes later the same persons again exchanged passes, but this time Troll was shot much more precisely and goalkeeper see ball coming through his defender shadow too late.

First Trolleborg team goal of the tournament was greeted by powerful performance of our fans, with tremendous firework.

Game then goes as before, our lads continue to run from here to there and back, occassionally gave SPI’s goalkeeper chances to prove himself as a first-rate one.

Fortunately, they are not lost due composure, and in the second half score second time. Finnsnes, who just joined to fight from the subs bench, make a very clever cross, two our players goes behind their markers and one of them, Berglund, succeed in put his leg on the ball before goalkeeper did.

After that game entered next phase – SPI almost lost hope to even, but our lads don’t succeed in creating goals, while trying not too hard. At last they are find a way to playoff, and there they needed every bit of their alacrity, altought such a things are not fully in line with our national psyche.

[Lathamford]

Group A
Tapaklaboh Stadium, Tapaklaboh

Eraman 3–0 Lathamford
Buisan Buayan 11', 40’, 88' ׀ -

Eraman: Bayan, Cicak Kudung, Badang Gangsa, Anton Mora, Waka Sentri, Beripeda Putra Daulapura Suara Petara [C], Rimau Belang [Karipa Senawang], Serigala Rudra, Perda Nasar, Buisan Buayan, Era Hitam [Kudrat Saputra]

Lathamford: Hydradust, Ashleigh, Darrington, Skelmersdale (C), Haymoore, Wymondham, Selfridge [T. Ashleigh] , du Graypelt, Colfield, Farrowsteam [Grantham], Falconderry

Goal checker

Game #	Player	Score
Game #1 vs. Libonesia	Farrowsteam	1 goal
Game #2 vs. Sendhang	Farrowsteam	2 goal
Game #3 vs. Eraman	-	-

quote of the games

Doubts And Fears Are Between Your Ears....
- Anton Glasstriumph, Lathamford manager, answering his fate after a miserable defeat.

[Eraman]

Eraman went into the final match of the group stage with their fate in their own hands. Top of the group after 2 matches, a win against bottom-side Lathamford will ensure their passage to the knockout stage regardless of results from the other match of the group.

Lathamford though was not to be underestimated. The 8th Melayu Archipelago Cup was their first-ever competitive international football tournament. But they have shown that they are no pushovers having lost narrowly to Libonesia in their opening match and drew with the host, Sendhang in their second match.

A group stage exit will be disastrous for Eraman though. Only Trolleborg, Sharktail, and Pemecutan were higher than Eraman in the KPB ranking in the 8th Melayu Archipelago. Considered as the 4th best nation in the tournament, the whole country would not take a group stage exit lightly. Especially after the great run in the 80th Cup of Harmony that saw them reached the quarter-final.

And the players proved that the amazing run in the 80th Cup of Harmony was not a fluke with a convincing 3-0 win against Lathamford that saw experienced striker, Buisan Buayan bagged a hattrick. It was a spectacular performance by the players as they dominated the match from the kick-off whistle. Lathamford couldn’t keep up and was handed a heavy defeat at Tapaklaboh Stadium.

The win saw Eraman finished the group stage on top of the table and booked their place in the quarter-final against the runner-up of Group B, Island of the Lost who shocked the whole region by beating 2-times champion Ziwana in the group stage and thus eliminating them very early in the tournament.

[Island of the Lost]

8TH MELAYU ARCHIPELAGO CUP GROUP STAGE MATCHDAY THREE

ISLAND OF THE LOST - 2
Kendall Sessions (63')
Devin Randall (67')

PEMECUTAN - 3
Arya Tungga Wijaya (18')
Agus Kusumawijaya (36')
Bayu Narmada (86')

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"Did you all hear how much the crowd was celebrating that goal by Betty back there?" Alaric Henderson asked the Barons of Cote de Facilier to start off his half-time team talk. "That is the sound of people who are very happy to see the team that they support succeed. The people didn't see a lot of these good moments from this team last season, which is why they're celebrating this goal like we've won the league. But it doesn't have to be that way. Yes, I know that I said earlier that this is just a friendly. Yes, I know that we are not going to be anywhere near challenging for the league title anytime soon. But I do know that we are way better than finishing in last place. This town does not deserve a team that can only finish in bottom place. This place deserves much more. And I know all of you ladies and gentlemen standing in here with me right now can be the team that Cote de Facilier deserves. So let's get out there and show the people out there exactly that. Barons on three. One, two, three!"

"Barons!" we cried out.

We went back out onto the pitch with renewed confidence and optimism thanks to Alaric's half-time speech. Having said that, it appeared that Lokomotiv Rasputinsk had also gotten a confidence-boosting half-time speech from their manager, because both teams started the second half swinging. A few handbags got swung around during some set pieces in the early minutes of the second half, but the referee was able to get in between people and stop things from getting too out of hand. But when both teams weren't busy trying to shove hands into each other's faces, the game was actually quite exciting and exhilarating. It was literally end-to-end football with chances being created almost every thirty seconds. It was almost impossible to remain seated with this kind of football going on. And this was just a friendly game! Imagine the craziness and excitement that would fill this place as soon as the League of the Lost got started.

The biggest chance for the Barons in the second half would arrive in the 55th minute. Velma Shipley, restored to the roster after her one-week suspension for the punch-up with Bree Buckingham, had won a free kick in a good position for the team. She was our primary free kick taker so she was the one who stood over the ball while the rest of the team prepared to overload the Lokomotiv penalty area. Velma raised her hand to indicate that the kick was coming, and then she took three steps back to build up momentum. And then she ran up to the ball and swung with her right foot. The ball arced high over the penalty area, sailing over the heads of pretty much every Barons and Lokomotiv player inside the box. And then, just as it appeared that the ball would hit the ground and bounce harmlessly over the line for a goal kick, Elena Arreola suddenly appeared out of nowhere and literally headbutted the ball into the goal. Alaric Henderson already had his head in his hands when the free kick didn't find anybody inside the box, but as soon as Elena appeared and scored, Alaric's hands immediately went up into the air and he cried out, "Get in there, Elena!" I raised my hands as well, but I didn't yell out anything coherent. I was just celebrating.

However, while Elena was doing her trademark spyglass goal celebration (where she made an O with her right hand and put it over her right eye), I heard groans ringing out from the stand where the die-hard fans were watching the game. I then looked at the linesman and saw that his flag was raised high in the air. "Oh, fuck," I muttered. "Oh, no."

"Offside? Offside!? The goal's offside!?" Alaric repeated.

"Sir, please just calm down," the fourth official said.

"She wasn't offside," Alaric insisted. "I'm telling you, she wasn't offside!"

"If the linesman says she's offside then she's offside," the fourth official shrugged. And, since this game was just a friendly, we didn't have the video assistant referee so there was no way that we would be able to ask for a review of the decision. We did have video of the game though, for streaming purposes, and I immediately made my way to our media center to check if Elena was indeed offside or not. "Hey, Jacques," I said. "You know why I'm here, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Jacques nodded. "Let me pull up the replay for you on another window." He clicked a few windows and typed a few things before the video finally appeared on his second screen. He then pressed the left and right keys on his keyboard to slow down the replay frame by frame. "There," he said. "I think that's the thing you're looking for."

I leaned closer to the monitor to see for myself whether Elena Arreola was offside or not. The replay was pretty clear; Elena was onside when Velma took the free kick. The goal should have counted. "Fuck," I muttered.

Alaric must have noted the glum look on my face after I came back from the media center because he didn't ask me anything about Elena's wrongly offside goal. We both wordlessly came to an agreement that none of the players should know about this, and that this would have to wait until after the game. And, as fate would have it, that offside goal would come back to haunt us. As the clock wound down and there was only two minutes left in the second half, the Barons had not been able to convert any more chances after Elena's wrongly offside goal, and as time ran out, I could feel an undercurrent of desperation flowing through this team. This was the same thing that happened to us last season: once things didn't go our way, we started getting desperate to just get a chance or a shot on target. This often allowed our opponents to find and exploit spaces in our defense, and it was one such gap which Nicola Halfdansdottir exploited in order to fire in a long-range shot, a shot which our goalkeeper simply had no chance of stopping from finding the back of the net.

Things were cordial between both teams once the final whistle had been blown. We shook hands with the Lokomotiv staff and congratulated them over the win. But while Alaric Henderson was shaking hands with the Lokomotiv manager, I could see the gears already turning in his head, the strategies playing out in his mind on how to stop us from growing too desperate every time things didn't go our way. I knew that he was most probably the best man to do the job of saving us from ourselves, but would we the team want to accept his help? I didn't have the answer to that question yet.

~ Chapter Nine in the story of Helen Josephus

[Sendhang]

QUARTERFINAL

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QF-1
Tapaklaboh Stadium, Tapaklaboh

Eraman 0-3 Island of The Lost

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QF-2
Danokota Stadium, Danokota

Tanah Jaya 0-1 Sharktail

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QF-3
Larantuka Stadium, Larantuka

Libonesia 4-6 Pemecutan

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QF-4
Kratonredjo Stadium, Kratonredjo

Trolleborg 3-2 Acastanha

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SEMIFINAL
@Persekutuan Stadium, Kiambang

Island of the Lost vs Sharktail

Trolleborg vs Pemecutan

[Trolleborg]

Greetings, compatriots! It’s TTV from Sendhang. Of course, we all share the joy of being capable at last qualify to the MC playoffs! Four times our team take part in the Melayu Cup. Countries come and go, was created and merged and ceased to exist, so even the traces of the places where our team played in the previous editions in Melayu Cup is lost – but we are not succeed in going through. Up to this day.

Our team advanced to the playoffs from the second place and as opponent got team of Acastanha, the winner of their group. As often happens, it was not very easy to get an idea of ​​the strength of the opponents, the teams from Melayu Archipelago rarely play in the world championships, Cup of Harmony and so on, so conclusions can only be drawn from the regional cup games and indirect data. Our team has repeatedly found itself in a situation of lack of information about the opponents, and such matches did not always end well. But fortunately, this quarterfinal brought us victory. Although everyone had to get nervous closer to the end.

Our players started the game as we are used to seeing - with building up pressure on the opponent's, not in the same mold as in the first years of playing on the international arena, but prudent and attentive. And a quarter of an hour later it brought success - Finnsnes curl the ball into the penalty area and there Valgren unexpectedly played with his head, hitting the goal.

Less than ten minutes later, the score was already 2:0, after Finnsnes suddenly shot from a long distance, when both teammates and defenders were expecting something completely different from him

2:0 before the end of the first half-hour? Great result - but only if you manage to keep it, and this became the problem.

Because a few more minutes passed and Acastanha got back one ball, after a corner kick, the opponents' players correctly positioned themselves, preventing Krogh from correctly assessing the situation and reacting in time

And in the second half, the opponents began to press on our goal, and the team kept the score in several moments, I must say, not without difficulty. Moreover, even the success of our team in the attack did not take the breath away of the Acastanha players. But, it should be noted, our guys played competently in front - Valgren and the just brought from subs bench Lucius started passing on the flank, pulled off the defenders and then move the ball right to Berglund who burst into the penalty area and shot

But even after that, the opponents did not give up playing at all, they continued to besiege the gates of our team and in the very end they won the right to a penalty kick and successfully converted it, and in the end the fans just waited for the game to finally end, so difficult looked situation on the field sometimes.

Well, let’s summarize - our team prevailed over a skilled and stubborn opponent and for the first time in history reached the semifinals of the Melayu Cup. This is pleasant, but still you can do anything but relax in such a situation.

[Island of the Lost]

8TH MELAYU ARCHIPELAGO CUP QUARTERFINALS
ERAMAN - 0
No goalscorers

ISLAND OF THE LOST - 3
Rylee Ross (12', penalty)
Devin Randall (63')
Elena Arreola (79')

---

It was a bright Saturday morning over Cote de Facilier. The mood around town was happy and quietly optimistic. The first day of the newest season of the League of the Lost was upon us, and although we hadn't had the best preseason that we could have had, people were still hopeful that we were standing upon the first day of a new era under Alaric Henderson. And, I have to admit, the optimism was slowly but surely getting contagious.

I got up at four in the morning, as was always my thing during Saturdays. I took a long hot bath to get myself warmed up, and then I put on my running gear, put my music player on random, stuck my earphones into my ears, and I began my morning jog up and down the beaches. Jogging in the early hours of the morning had been calming and therapeutic for me, and I had just found myself in a generally better mood ever since I started jogging. The fact that my place was literally next door to a great place to go jogging may have helped me keep up the habit. And I also loved the feel of the salt spray from the sea washing on my face.

This jog started out just like any other Saturday jog. I started off at the boardwalk near my place, and then I went down to the beach itself and passed by some cleaners and fellow early morning joggers. I followed the beach all the way down to the sharp craggy rocks marking the southern end of the geographical Cote de Facilier, and then once I got there I turned around and went back the same way I came from. I would do this route twice before I went back home to cool off because by the time I finished my second run, the sun was already high in the sky and beating down on me, and the beach-going crowd was beginning to clog up my route as well. But on this Saturday, my morning jog was about to be shaken up big time.

Part of my Saturday morning jog took me down a road where a number of beachfront properties were supposed to be built, but the project was abandoned after the environmentalists were able to stall it enough that the developers just ran out of money. The road was still there, but the asphalt was cracked by both the heat and the rain. Some scraggly grass had grown through the cracks and the dried soil where the lots had been marked. It was easy to see where the beachfront houses were supposed to go had the project gone ahead, but instead all that was there was grass, rocks, and dry sandy soil. Those were the sights that I had come to expect to see as I went down this road during my morning jog. What I was not expecting to see there was a car parked on the side of this abandoned and unmaintained road. The open trunk of the car was facing me, and someone was bent over looking at something inside the trunk. I immediately hit pause on my music player and slowed down. The person who was looking at whatever was in the car didn't appear to have heard me, even as I was jogging down a road with cracked asphalt. At that moment, I realized I had two choices: hang around and maybe even ask this person what they were doing here, or just turn around and walk away and pretend I didn't see anything. Curiosity eventually got the better of me and I made the choice to approach this person.

It was a decision that would almost cost me my life.

"Hey!" I called out as I walked closer to the car. The person suddenly raised their head and slammed the trunk shut, revealing a head of long and curly bright orange hair. The person then turned around, and I was surprised to see that I actually recognized her. "Mary?" I asked. "Mary, is that really you?"

"Who's asking?" the woman shouted back.

"Mary, it's me! Helen! Helen Josephus?" I said. "Surely you remember me from back at the orphanage."

I only have bits and flashes of memory from my time in the orphanage, but in those memories a certain ginger-haired girl named Mary had always seemed to feature prominently in them. Mary and I seemed to be good friends back then, and I remember being sad when my adoptive father Joseph Saint-Marie told me that I might not be able to see Mary again once the orphanage closed down. I remember crying and begging for Joseph to bring Mary home with us, but he just shook his head and told me that he could only take one girl home with him, and he had already decided that that girl was going to be me. That was the last time that I ever saw Mary. The last time before today, that is.

"Helen?" Mary repeated. And then recognition finally dawned on her, and she nodded her head. "Now I remember," she said. "You were the kid who was always tagging along with me back in the orphanage. So, the orderly actually adopted you, huh?"

"Yeah, he did," I nodded.

"I would have expected you to be Helen Saint-Marie now though," Mary muttered, and I thought I could detect a hint of bitterness and jealousy in her voice. "Why are you Helen Josephus?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "But it's still based on his name, so at least there's that. But I don't really know. How about you? Did you manage to find a new family?"

"I managed to find out who my father was," Mary replied. "Unfortunately for me, he's already dead. And I still don't know who my mother is. But my dad's name was Collum, so now I'm Mary nic Collum."

"Oh," I said, for lack of anything else to say. "I'm sorry to hear about your father, Mary. Really, I am."

"Don't bother," Mary waved away. "I got along fine this far without him. Don't feel sorry for someone you've never known."

"But still, Mary," I said. "This is your father we're talking about here. Are you sure you really don't feel anything for him?"

"He never loved me enough to take care of me," Mary muttered. "So why should I do the same for him?"

"Well, I guess you have a point there," I said, more to just agree with Mary because I sensed that this topic was getting a little bit touchy for her. I decided to change the subject by asking her, "So what brings you here? This seems a little off the beaten path, even for you."

"Well, you're one to speak," Mary said, pointing at my get-up, a purple jacket over a loose-fitting white tank top over a black sports bra, gray hot pants, and blue running shoes.

"This is my part of my morning jog," I replied. "How about you? Is this part of your morning drive?"

"No, not really," Mary shook her head. "I think I'm lost. I went down this road and I saw that it was a dead end, and then I popped a tire."

"Oh," I nodded. "You need any help changing tires?"

"No," Mary said immediately, and she shook her head fiercely to make her point. "No, I'm fine. I can take care of it myself."

"Are you sure?" I asked, walking closer to the car. "I can help you out if you want."

"No, no, it's fine! I'm fine!" Mary insisted. "Just go on ahead with your jogging or whatever."

"I got time, Mary," I continued. "Besides, Joseph taught me a thing or two about cars," I said as I laid a hand on the trunk of her car.

"Wait, no, don't open that!" Mary shouted suddenly. But too late; I had already pulled the trunk open. And I immediately wished I hadn't. I had opened the trunk, expecting to see a spare tire and tools, and instead what I saw inside the trunk was a pile of guns. But not just any guns; these looked like rifles, the ones soldiers carried to war. "What the fuck!?" I blurted out, shocked and surprised by it all. And then I heard something metallic click behind me, and something cold touched the base of my neck.

"I told you not to open the trunk, Helen," Mary said, and now she sounded both angry and desperate. "Turn around," she told me. "Turn around and face me."

I complied, since I wasn't really in any position to do anything else otherwise. I gasped as I saw the gun in Mary's hand pointed directly at me. The gun looked absolutely humongous, close as it was to my face. "Are you going to kill me?" I asked.

"I told you not to open the trunk," Mary hissed through gritted teeth. "You weren't supposed to see those guns, Helen. Now I gotta make sure you don't tell anyone about this."

"No, no, wait, wait! You don't have to do this!" I shouted. "I didn't see anything! I didn't see your guns, I didn't see your car, I didn't see you! I'm just a jogger jogging through this dead end road!"

"I'm sorry, Helen," Mary shook her head. "You shouldn't have gone jogging today."

"Wait!" I shouted again. "If you're going to shoot me, please don't shoot me in the head. I want Joseph to be able to recognize me."

To my surprise, Mary actually seemed like she was going to follow my last request. She was now pointing her gun at my chest and not my head. But now she also seemed like she was arguing with herself on whether to go ahead with the shooting or not. I kept my hands raised to about shoulder level, but internally I was praying hard for both my eternal soul and Mary's. And then Mary screamed, and she lowered the gun. "I can't do it," she said, more to herself than to me. "I can't do it." She then looked at me and said, "Just go! Get out of here! You saw nothing! You didn't see me, you saw nothing! Remember!" And then, as tears started falling from her face, Mary went back into her car and drove off.

The shock of it all didn't wear off until a few minutes after Mary's car had disappeared from view, and once that happened, my knees failed me and I had to kneel down on the cracked asphalt. My heart was pounding, my mind was racing, but at that moment, the only thing that mattered to me was that I was still alive. "Jesus Christ," I managed to say weakly.

~ Chapter Ten in the story of Helen Josephus

[Pemecutan]

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Wednesday, 21 July 2021 (Wraspati Pon Wuku Bala, Pawukon 1781)

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Rumour Has It

Pemecutan Puri - As the Pemecutanian domestic league is nearing its conclusion (only Piala Raja who is still in competition), the fuss of transfer window is arise. On this season of transfer window, there are no Pemecutanian clubs that are joining the multiverse transfer window which has already ended. This is an odd as in previous season several clubs takes part and even they got signed a very respective players. Nicolas Lavande of Savigliane and Eric Clark from Northwest Kalactin are a few of them. But it seems that many clubs are refrain from doing big buying in this season.

While the passion for multiverse signing is decline but the domestic transfer is still on the move. The most unexpected player in the transfer circulation is Arya Tungga Wijaya. The 3 times top scorer and national team player from Pesepur Pemecutan Puri is definitely a high catch. After the manager announce about his inclusion to the transfer window, many clubs are interested in signing the player. These includes the new promoted club, Calugida and even foreign club, SC Tabeira from Acastanha. This situation also makes Pesepur Pemecutan Puri is in search for a striker or attacker to cover their lost of Arya Tungga Wijaya. They are eyeing Pesub Ubung young forward, Komang Trisna Mahayana who is in the U-21 squad. Although no talks is made yet by both parties. Other interest is Duwanibala Padurbansa. This 19 years old Nilayam's striker is a promising future player. But Pesepur management has yet to make any move to approach both players.

On the other hand, Pesepad Padangsambian is in search for a goalkeeper after an initial signal for Herman Putrawan's retirement. This 34 years old goalkeeper have been playing for Padangsambian for 9 years. Although the possibility is select their reserve into the main team, but still they have to fill the empty spot. A possible candidate is Komang Yudha Artawan. This 18 years old goalkeeper is the backbone of Yowana Campuhan, Pescam Campuhan youth club. He will be turning 19 next year which will make him available for senior team. Other possible candidates are Arya Dwi Prakasa, Pescam Campuhan goalkeeper which playing greatly this season or Pesedongan Kedonganan goalkeeper, Bima Indrayuda which is the best goalkeeper in Karo League this season.

The transfer window in Pemecutan will still be open until 28 August 2021 which is also Pemecutanian Pawukon calendar last day of the year. The country will be celebrated their new year and the beginning of 1782 year on 29 August.