Independent Associations Championship 13 - Everything Thread

[Montana Verde]

Montaña Verde – 1 (1)
Mateo; Castiglione, Tafalla, Arquímedes (76’ Efraim ), Justin (49’) (70’ Juderías ); Ana-Ximena; Valentinha, Primitivo, Kristjana (34’); Naomí Berrocal (58’ Verónica Ximena ), Osito

Omérica – 1 (0)
Campagne (81’)

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Montaña Verde – 2 (2)
Mateo (90+3’); Castiglione (4’) (73’ Roberta ), Tafalla (85’ Efraim ), Arquímedes, Juderías; Ana-Ximena; Valentinha, Primitivo (21’), Kristjana; Thiago Montilla (68’ Verónica Ximena (74’)), Osito

Míchigan Franco-Canadiano – 1 (0)
(75’)

Article from the Verdean soccer magazine, Cuatro-Cuatro-Dos.

Past greats urge Condors to aspire to loftier heights

Gnomo and Davíd Ruiz, two of the most famous players in Verdean history, have urged the national team to push on at the IAC 13. After failing to advance out of the group stages of the previous edition and the Cup of Harmony, the pair have called the Condors’ progression to the IAC second round “not enough” and want the team to aim for a place in the playoffs. “We have good enough players to compete at a high level, the problem is a lack of self-belief,” said Davíd Ruiz after the team’s win against Franco-Canadian Michigan advanced them to the second group round where they will play Drawkland, Kencana and the Republic of Indian States. One of the most prodigious scorers in the history of the Campeanato Nacional, the legendary Gnomo – known as such for his short, stocky build and protuberant nose – singled out Osito, the Condors’ main striker, for a poor performance.

“He has two goals in four games, both of them against pececillos from Miena San Hosana,” said Gnomo dismissively. “The team need him to be more productive. He is meant to be the big man, well, put the team on your big shoulders!” Davíd Ruiz struck a more conciliatory tone, praising the play of the defense, while admitting to some shortcomings up front. “Tafalla has been really great stepping up to fill in once Jairo got injured, and Arquímedes is a super replacement for Edelberto,” he said. “Missing both our first choice center backs makes it really hard and the defense have adjusted very well, especially Ana-Ximena sweeping back to tidy things up. But, we need more energy, more invention up front. Too many long balls and no support for Osito who is left to do everything for himself.”

The legendary midfielder is often compared to Primitivo, although Davíd Ruiz himself dislikes the comparison. “He is more of a grinder, more physical,” he says. “I looked to use my pace because I wasn’t strong in the tackle, and played more on the wing. If anything, I am more like Kristjana! Except, without the long blonde hair,” he laughs. He is glad Primitivo has decided to sign to play overseas in Chromatika. “It’s a really strong league full of good players and even if he is not on the best team he will get a lot of great experience. It’s much better for his development.” He encourages more young Verdeans to seek out overseas berths. “Look at what me and Gnomo accomplished staying home – not much!”

[PotatoFarmers]

Stage 2 MD1 Cutoff!

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RP Prompt for the MD: Special things about you
We talked about the history of the football team in your country. As we move into Stage 2, let us change gear. Tell us more about your country. Talk about some of the special things in your country. Your nation. Some of the special things we need to know about your citizens. It can be 3 facts, 4 events, or whatever that you think is special to your country and the citizens in your nation.

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Group A
Tandeg Suci 0–1 Reçueçn @ Stadiun of Legends, Didari, Forche
Omerica 1–0 Quintessence of Dust @ Stadia Cochin, Cochin, Bikasta

  Group A              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Omerica                1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
  Reçueçn                1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Quintessence of Dust   1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
  Tandeg Suci            1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Group B
Poafmersia 1–0 Kriegiersien @ Red Mudra Lane, Mudra, Hitimatias
Squornshelan Remnant States 4–4 Volinovia @ Theatre of Light, Kistina, Ramadau Trish

  Group B                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Poafmersia                    1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
2 Squornshelan Remnant States   1   0  1  0    4   4   0    1
  Volinovia                     1   0  1  0    4   4   0    1
4 Kriegiersien                  1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Group C
Sannyamathland 2–0 Juvencus @ Dalaris State Stadium, City of Dalaris, Dalaris
Saterun 1–3 Srednjaci @ Sporting Dalaris Stadium, City of Dalaris, Dalaris

  Group C              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sannyamathland         1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
  Srednjaci              1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
3 Juvencus               1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0
  Saterun                1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

Group D
Republic of Indian States 0–2 Montaña Verde @ Matty Horis Stadium, Dury, Gikash
Drawkland 2–3 Kencana @ Bikarish Stadium, Bikarish, Nitrishi-pai

  Group D                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Montaña Verde               1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
2 Kencana                     1   1  0  0    3   2  +1    3
3 Drawkland                   1   0  0  1    2   3  −1    0
4 Republic of Indian States   1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0

Group E
HUElavia 1–0 Garbelia @ Davarsi Bria, Holhot, Nitrishi-pai
Indusse 4–2 Sajnur @ Holtin Kash Stadium, Holhot, Nitrishi-pai

  Group E              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Indusse                1   1  0  0    4   2  +2    3
2 HUElavia               1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Garbelia               1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
4 Sajnur                 1   0  0  1    2   4  −2    0

Group F
Adab 3–0 Space @ United Park, Greater Mancodas, Cochas
Kohnhead 2–0 Squidroidia @ Mancodas Complex, Greater Mancodas, Cochas

  Group F              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Adab                   1   1  0  0    3   0  +3    3
2 Kohnhead               1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
3 Squidroidia            1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0
4 Space                  1   0  0  1    0   3  −3    0

Group G
Almuzahara 2–2 Trolleborg @ Potato Villa, Sarim, Tikahs
The H Corporation 1–2 Abanhfleft @ Dreamers Park, Fiskadaha City, Tikahs

  Group G              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft             1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
2 Almuzahara             1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
  Trolleborg             1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
4 The H Corporation      1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0

Group H
Dari Sultanate 3–4 TJUN-ia @ Rukiya Sports Stadium, Trimidau Island, Piskn
Felinetopia 2–1 New Lusitania @ Offsdi Stadium, Kingsford, Piskn

  Group H              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Felinetopia            1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
  TJUN-ia                1   1  0  0    4   3  +1    3
3 Dari Sultanate         1   0  0  1    3   4  −1    0
  New Lusitania          1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0

[Srednjaci]

INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP 13

FROM FIRST SPOT IN TO FIRST SEED
by
IVAN BOŽIĆ

Srednjaci 1–0 HUElavia@ Dreamers Park

73' Li Peng (1:0)

Srednjacian football is becoming more competitive and better. Srednjaci have a strong football league. We have a bronze women's national team from the last World Cup. Srednjacian's have two football clubs among the top 32 in the IBA Champions League. One of them is in top eight. Five clubs played qualifiers for the Champions League. And now, the mix football team in this competition is playing fantastically, absolutely fantastically.
Srednjaci had a tough opponent today and played one tactically difficult match. HUElavia is a team that likes to break the flownes of the game, they like to impose their own rhythm. Today's game was solid on both sides. Both teams created very few chances to score. Li Peng managed to score the only goal of the game in the 73rd minute of the game. This victory brought Srednjaci a clean sheet, four matches and four victories, first place on the table.Srednjaci in the continuation of the competition among the top 32 teams, get the status of the first seed.

32 QALIFIED TEAMS

Pos  Team                             P   W   D   L  GF  GA   GD  Pts
  1  Srednjaci                        4   4   0   0  10   2    8   12
  2  Kohnhead                         4   4   0   0   7   2    5   12
  3  Trolleborg                       4   4   0   0   7   3    4   12
  4  Poafmersia                       4   3   1   0   9   4    5   10
     New Lusitania                    4   3   1   0   6   1    5   10
  6  Reçueçn                          4   3   0   1   8   2    6    9
  7  Drawkland                        4   3   0   1  11   7    4    9
  8  HUElavia                         4   3   0   1   8   5    3    9
     Kriegiersien                     4   3   0   1  10   7    3    9
 10  Squidroidia                      4   3   0   1   4   2    2    9
 11  Almuzahara                       4   2   2   0  11   6    5    8
 12  Felinetopia                      4   2   2   0   7   4    3    8
 13  Montaña Verde                    4   2   1   1   9   6    3    7
     Tandeg Suci                      4   2   1   1   4   1    3    7
 15  Sannyamathland                   4   2   1   1  12  10    2    7
     Garbelia                         4   2   1   1   4   2    2    7
 17  TJUN-ia                          4   2   1   1   5   4    1    7
     Adab                             4   2   1   1   7   6    1    7
 19  Indusse                          4   2   1   1   7   7    0    7
 20  Abanhfleft                       4   2   0   2   8   6    2    6
     Juvencus                         4   2   0   2   8   6    2    6
     Volinovia                        4   2   0   2   5   3    2    6
 23  Omerica                          4   1   2   1   5   3    2    5
     Kencana                          4   1   2   1   5   3    2    5
 25  Quintessence of Dust             4   1   2   1   6   5    1    5
 26  Squornshelan Remnant States      4   1   2   1   7   7    0    5
     Dari Sultanate                   4   1   2   1   2   2    0    5
 28  Sajnur                           4   1   1   2   9   7    2    4
 29  The H Corporation                4   1   1   2   8   7    1    4
 30  Space                            4   1   0   3   2   4   -2    3
 31  Republic of Indian States        4   0   3   1   2   5   -3    3
 32  Saterun                          4   1   0   3   5  13   -8    3

SECOND STAGE IN GROUP C

The status of the first holder brings a slightly easier starting position in our group. No team that placed in the top 32 is an easy opponent. No one will give you a single point. We have to work hard for every point. So it is in this case.

Sannyamathland - ranked seventeenth. Very awkward team. They finished the first part of the competition in fifteenth place. They won two matches and drew once and were defeated. They scored 12 goals but conceded 10.

Saterun - Saterun is an unranked team. They managed to place among the 32 teams that will play the second phase of the competition. Saterun can suprised someone definitly.

Juvencus- Juvencus is team for third place in our group at this moment. Not sure that they can be placed on top two spots. But, ball is around so in football, everything is possible.

FIRST WIN IN SECOND STAGE

Saterun 1-3 Srednjaci
38' Isidor Matković (1:0)
56' Ante Marinković (2:0) assist Davida Zimmer
66' Unknown (1:2)
77' Isidor Matković out, Petra Marinović In
83' Petra Marinović (3:1),assist Vjekoslav Talić

Srednjaci started with confortable win. Saterun couldn’t match to our players. This is important win for players of Hrvoje Vezmar. Actually, this is fifth win in a row. This Srednjacian team is really strong and they have reason to think about big result in this competition.

[Adab]

KickTheBall.com
Bringing you the latest news and rumors in football, in Adab and abroad

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Tuesday, July 3, 2034 / 16 Rabi’ al-Thani 1456
Adab 3-0 Space
Yargab (47’), Yissakar (65’), al-Kufa (83’)

NEWS | IAC 13
By: John Oldman

IAC: Adab begin second stage with win against Space

Three goals in the second half meant that Adab started off the second stage of the Independents Association Championship 13 with a somewhat unexpected win against IAC giants Space.

For the second stage of the tournament, Adab found themselves in Group F alongside Squidroidia, Space, and Kohnhead. Entering the tournament, the latter three nations were ranked 2nd, 11th, and 18th, respectively, in the IAC, whereas the Adabians themselves were 46th. On paper, at least, pitted against those IAC powerhouses, the Adabians are the weakest team with the smallest chance of progressing to the round of 16.

Nevertheless, manager Saad Kaykali had made it clear at the beginning of the tournament that the Adabians “do not fear anyone” and will “give our 100% in every match”.

And today, at the United Park in Greater Mancodas, Poafmersia, they certainly gave their 100%.

The first half of the match was actually fairly well-balanced between both teams, with the scale leaning towards the Space team. The continual flow of offense from the Adabians was somewhat stemmed by the Space defense, spearheaded by The Defenders of Orion’s Belt, Outpost Beta, Mars, and Alpha Centauri, who were certainly stretched to their limits as they worked to gain the ball and drive it away from Enlilbani Yargab and company.

Space had a splendid chance at a goal in the 28th minute, as a sudden counterattack forced the Adabians to retreat in full force, but The Explosion of the Pinwheel Galaxy’s strike shot too far above the net, nearly hitting the stands. An opening in the Adabian defense in the 37th minute - with Tansu Altun and Shania Enmerkar having been drawn too far away from their positions by the Space midfielders – produced nothing when Saturnia’s shot proved a little too slow and was easily saved by Mohammed Marramzi.

On the other hand, the Adabians threw away their own chance in the 43rd minute, as a brilliantly lightning-quick series of passes from Emma Arthur to Jushur al-Kufa to Enlilbani Yargab ended with Yargab – on the verge of the penalty area – unable to avoid Orion’s Belt, who came rushing in to his front and promptly fired the ball back to midfield.

But things would get better for Adab after the halftime break. In the 47th minute, Yargab broke through the Space defense, dodging and outrunning Orion’s Belt and Mars in a somewhat zig-zag path onto the penalty area. His initial shot went just a little too high over the net, but then quickly dropped down, and Yargab rushed to head the ball in, beating The Keeper of the Milky Way to the ball by a split-second.

The Space team attempted one counterattack after another, all of which nullified by the increasingly tightening Adab defense under Taymour Frangieh. Yousif Issou deserves a special mention for his hard work hunting down the incoming Space players along with Frangieh, engaging in close-quarters physical play and overpowering Pinwheel Galaxy and Saturnia, among others.

From the 60th minute onwards, with Arthur, Ephraim Orlev, and Alulim Sinmuballit asserting control over the midfield, the Adabians overwhelmingly had the possession and used it to their advantage against the slowing Space players. In the 65th minute, Outpost Beta knocked Yargab down with a tackle. Though the tackle – which Outpost Beta insisted was accidental – seemed rather soft and no card was handed out, the Adabians were nevertheless awarded a free kick.

Rebekah Yissakar made the most of it, her powerful shot curving down just in time to slide into the top corner of the net, coming so quickly that Milky Way did not even have the time to move in response.

Now up 2-0, the Adabians found themselves playing with increasing confidence against their seasoned opponents. In the 83rd minute, spotting that the Space defense was too widely spaced at that moment, Frangieh launched a daring long ball, which Yissakar caught just in time and dribbled to the penalty area as Orion’s Belt and Outpost Beta, among others, rushed after her but could not reach her in time. With Milky Way and several other Space players blocking her path, Yissakar sent the ball across the penalty area line to Jushur al-Kufa, who promptly blasted the ball into the net before the keeper had even turned to face him.

The win catapulted Adab to first place in Group F, the goal difference separating them from Kohnhead in second place who defeated Squidroidia 2-0.

Kaykali pays tribute to Space, praises both teams

At the post-match press conference, Adab manager Saad Kaykali showed his appreciation for his team and their opponents.

“I mean, my boys and girls, they played really well, they played really, really well,” Kaykali said. “They are in their best form right now and I certainly hope this carries over to our next matches.

“And of course, Space are formidable opponents and one victory should not cause us to underestimate them. When we meet again in the future, we will give our 100% and play our best game as always.

“I really enjoyed this game. Too bad we’re not actually doing this in space.”

Adab vice-captain Yargab, also representing captain Marramzi who did not attend the press conference, stated that his team’s performance was “amazing”.

“Obviously many people were expecting to us to lose to them, and they put up a great fight, but in the end we pulled through and pulled off a win,” Yargab said.

“This is what happens when go into a match with a winning mentality. We believe that we can do it and we did it.”

[Kriegiersien]

The Kriegiersien team is on its way to the Olympics. Third at the RTC13 and Second in the Balder Championship, the team tries to further evolve for the great Goal. Olympic Gold. Before that, the IAC is the last test. Top Player of the team is Viktor Vorontsov-dashkov, called Dashi.

Topscorer of the team, with 5 goals in the 'Qualification Round', he is also the Top Scorer of the Kriegiersien Top League, where he was assigned as only player from the 'Youth Academy team' of champion Timesteam to play in the league.


"I like the IAC. In the Kriegiersien league everyone tried to foul me on sight, here nobody knows me. That is a relief”, he said, while signing autographs to young, frenetic fans.
“My physio said I have an excellent injury resistance“, he added, grinning.

He is also known as a jersey model, a rare, despicable job in a nation where nudity is mandatory, making him a rebel.

Asked about the goals at the IAC he said:

“Of course we would like to win it. But our main goal is a medal at the Olympics.”

[TJUN-ia]

By Peter Davis

After faceplanting into Stage 2 with defeat at the hands of Squidroidia, the Jaguars of TJUN-ia were looking to just move on and focus on qualification to Stage 3. The Inklings were certainly the better team on the night and they deserved the 3 points but now, Seems and Li are looking to use that defeat to teach the squad that they aren't immune even now and that anyone can take them down on any given day. The Rukiya Sports Stadium will be the home of the team over the next few days and up first in Group H was the unranked Dari Sultanate, the perfect team that could cause an upset on any given day. For the coaches, the players should play their best against any and all opponents and for this game, that would certainly be required.

This game will mostly be known for the fight of Deri Sultanate, who simply refused to back down for most of the game and were certainly brilliant adversaries in their first IAC. Whenever TJUN-ia found a breakthrough, the Sultanate found a way to fight back: Joe Green found the net in the 34th, the Sultanate found one back in the 36th; Peliniho gets a rare goal in the 42nd, the Sultanate found another equaliser in the 44th; Captain Jeff Donaldson scored a header in the 48th only for, you guessed it, the Sultanate to get another equaliser in the 51st. They were seriously hard to get rid of, so fair play to them, but our 3 substitutes made sure this game was ours as Mohammad Malsharma shored up the defence, Prince Carter provided the assist and Archer Andrews taped the ball in the net in the 76th to secure a tightly fought 3 points on Trimidau. Fair play to the Dari Sultanate for providing a good fight but in the end, the Jags did what they had to do.

With Felinetopia upseting New Lusitania and the Algarves 2-1 in the other group game, the final 2 games on Trinidau just got a whole lot more interesting. Our duel with A Selecção was always going to be a blockbuster but now, this game takes on a dimension of do-or-die. If we can beat NLA for the first time ever, then they will be surely eliminated if Felinetopia wins as well. While we don't wish death upon an opponent as respected as NLA, we will take every opportunity we can get to finally get one over the teamin blue and red. GO JAGS!

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Stage 2
MD1: vs Dari Sultanate (UR/27th) - Rukiya Sports Stadium, Trimidau Island W 4-3 (T-1st)
MD2: vs New Lusitania and the Algarves (4/5th) - Rukiya Sports Stadium, Trimidau Island
MD3: vs Felinetopia (UR/12th) - Rukiya Sports Stadium, Trimidau Island

[Squornshelan Remnant States]

Three Things
An increasingly inaccurately-named blog by Salwan Mynhier

So is the glass half full or is it half empty? Are we pleased with having scored 11 goals in 5 matches, or dejected at having conceded 11 goals in 5 matches? Are we delighted with only having lost once, or devastated that we only have a single victory? Do we console ourselves that our only loss was against the highest-ranked opposition we have yet faced, or bemoan the fact that so many points have gone unclaimed against teams that were, at least on paper, significantly inferior? These are the questions facing every Confederate football fan after another letdown 4-4 draw. The one thing we're all certain of is that the upcoming match against Poafmersia is sure to be a difficult one, as they are both our hosts, and joint top seed for the tournament. A loss to the Red Panjias would leave the Black-and-Reds in a must-win situation heading to the third matchday of the second stage.

The situation is not hopeless by any means. After all, just one cycle ago, the Black-and-Reds managed a surprising 3-1 victory over Poafmersia before eventually falling to Silver Beach in the second round. And while our record is nothing to write home about, most would still probably favor the Confederacy over Kriegiersien in the final match of the group stage. Still, changes are clearly necessary if that is going to happen. The attack has been fine after overcoming their slow start to the tournament. Petrov, Takala, Naqvi, and Yonte have been doing their jobs capably, but the Black-and-Reds' play at the back has left a lot to be desired. After the conclusion of the first round, Groothuis introduced Selvala Tabur into the lineup to try to help shore things up at the back. In short, it didn't work. She'll have to try something else now, and it's probably going to have to be someone on the back line itself who makes way this time. Their execution has been far below the standard they're capable of, and decisive action is needed.

Buczvarov briefly lost her starting spot during World Cup 88 qualifying, and hasn't had the strongest of tournaments, could it be her head on the chopping block again? Groothuis also might look to the outside, but options are more limited there. It's hard to imagine how bringing Kazarov into things will make the back four steadier than Harkahn. The Belgrave wingback hasn't always been known for her defensive responsibility after all. On the other wing, Achthoven for Malgos seems like a wash, but even just making the statement that something has to change could be enough. Speaking of making statements, do we suppose that Groothuis could be bold enough to bench Walda Harkahn? She's been a fixture on the back line for years, and is probably still the nation's best defender. Would the potential reaction to such a move help the team, or hurt them? Whatever Groothuis decides, she'd best do it promptly. As has been all too apparent to the supporters so far, form trumps class every time, and our defense's form has been that of a dumpster fire.

Speaking of dumpster fires, it seems there's a few cities around the Confederacy that aren't too far from seeing literal examples. Public unrest and uncertainty have rapidly arisen about the accelerating advance of The Edge, which has now nearly surrounded the nation. What happens once we've been completely cut off from the rest of the West Pacific by the dimensional anomaly is anyone's guess, but people are beginning to take to the streets, though what they think protesting will accomplish at this point is beyond me. While thinking too much about the subject does tend to bring on a feeling that might dramatically be called "dread," the anomaly's spread has had no noticeable effect on life in the Confederacy thus far. Stable gateways through to other planes are slowly being established. The notion of transdimensional travel may be alarming to some, but it's simply a fact of life for many, including our own Black-and-Reds, who embark through a new set of bizarrely convenient wormholes with nearly every tournament they enter.

The simple fact is, we don't even know if there is anything to be worried about. Some kind of change is likely coming, but we have no reason to believe it will be change for the worse. And if the Edge really does pose an existential threat to us all, there's no point worrying since there's essentially nothing we can do about it anyway. If anything, it's to be preferred to a number of other fates that might befall us, since I tend to imagine Sudden Massive Existence Failure to be a rather quick and painless way to go. In the meantime, our Black-and-Reds certainly do have their work cut out for them. On the off chance that we all cease to be before the next match, it's been real.

Matchday Schedule and Results:

MD1: SRS 0-0 FEL @ Bikarish Stadium (cap. 48,000)
MD2: SRS 1-0 SAJ @ Rukiya Sports Stadium (cap. 37,000)
MD3: MAL 4-4 SRS @ Red Mudra Lane (cap. 58,000)
MD4: SRS 2-3 TRL @ Libira National Stadium (cap. 68,000)
GS1: SRS 4-4 VOL @ Theatre of Light (cap. 59,000)
GS2: PFA  v  SRS @ Theatre of Light (cap. 59,000)
GS3: SRS  v  KGS @ Red Mudra Lane (cap. 58,000)

OOC: Starting Lineup vs Poafmersia: Shimski; V. Harkhan, W. Harkhan, Galdra, Malgos; Tabur, Hashemi; Vladcik, Takala, Yonte; Petrov

[HUElavia]

First Strike, First Blood!

A late and spectacular goal by Nascimento gives HUElavia the first victory of IAC 13!

HUElavia 1–0 Garbelia
(Nascimento 87')
Davarsi Bria, Holhot, Poafmersia

(OOC: Due to time constraints with work, I cannot write my traditional RP for the match. For a visual representation of the lone goal of the match, Conti-Esposito would have sent a long ball to Nasciemento and he would have scored this way. As usual, the jumping and screaming of the crowd would have made the stadium rumble, while "Bang on the Drums All Day" would've played in the background. Next match vs Indusse will have the same XI as MD 1, as well as the Away Special will be worn by the team, Vannier starts in Goal and Navarro is the Captain. Thus, below is the Prompt for MD 2.)

HUElavia is a nation that is filled with a wide variety of cultures and people. Originally inhabited by the Hueti, the native HUElavians spread throughout the continent-like nation, mainly residing in the north where they first came into. HUElavia was one of the latest countries that was discovered in the 17th century, by Portuzian explorers, followed by shortly after Astellian explorers, who made their first marks of cities in modern day Sao Salvador and San Rafael respectively. Despite difficulties at first between Natives and Explorers (along with the unsavory things that happened in that era), the Catholic Church ordered for horrible acts between the natives and colonizers to stop and to be respectful with one another. Thus, people became more compassionate and open to each other.

This openness eventually has shaped up with the people themselves, and the waves of immigrants that have come since. One notable feature of HUElavians is how mixed the vast majority the people are. Due to the people starting to be compassionate and understanding to one another, interracial marriages between mainly natives and immigrants was the popular norm. These interracial marriages thus has made the average HUElavian mainly range from a mix of looks and HUElavians are very proud of this fact. While racism still exists in the country, it is very frowned upon by the public, and such acts can lead to public shaming.

A mix of the cultures in HUElavia has also lead to a wide variety of dishes that are popular in the country. While Portuguese and Spanish dishes are the most popular ones, each region has it's delicacies based on the culture in a specific region. French and Slavic dishes dominate the Southeast, while Japanese and African in the Northwest, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Almost in every major city, there is at least a restaurant that caters to each of the cultures residing in HUElavia. After all, HUElavia is among the Top 1% of nations with High Food Quality, given to the cultural influences and the rigorous safety standards done, so that HUElavians and tourists alike can enjoy.

Personality-wise, HUElavians are a very cheerful, honest, and devout group of people. While they may be honest to the point that they come off blunt and rude, for the most part they do intend to speak their mind and point things out as they are. Despite this, they are a welcoming group of people who love to meet others, even more so if they share common things and ideas with others. HUElavians are passionate for a variety of things, whether it be for sports, politics (HUElavia is one of the most politically active and aware nations of the Multiverse), culture, or religion. Due to the historic influence the Catholic Church has had in the nation, HUElavia is a very religious country, albeit with a more Progressive way into doing things, than a Conservative way. Thus, the country is a very Christian country, but there are other religions that exist based on the ethnicity in a region (like Shinto in the Japanese areas). On top of interests in people and religion, HUElavians are a very intelligent and well-educated group of people. Thanks to government efforts over the years, the vast majority of HUElavians are educated at least at High School level, and they have the option to go to College/University or a Trade School. In fact, Education is what takes up the most out of the Government's budget. Thanks to this, HUElavia places among the Top 1% of Book Publications, Intelligence and in the Top 3% for Public Education (Previously was in Top 1%, but Tax Cuts drastically dropped it, and it has been worked on to increase it's reputation once again).

Finally, HUElavians are very staunch supporters of Moral Capitalism. Historically, HUElavia was seen as a Socialist country, due to the country having control of industries, but the government would be supportive of their industries, and let other people run the companies, while giving guidelines they had to adhere. At one point, the country was mainly run by an AI System for several decades, which decided where jobs were needed and what would need to be produced and exported or imported in order to build the economy. Thus, with investments to different sectors, HUElavians were supportive of a mixed economy. Recently, HUElavia made a full-fledged change to a Capitalist Economy which, when compared to the first iteration of it that lowered Employment by a massive margin, it has been working out well, and many people seem to be more welcoming and accepting to it compared to the first time. For the most part, there are various corporations, but they still follow some guidelines, and are expected to give a survivable wage for its employees. For smaller shops, like Mom and Pop stores, it has less regulations, but still expects to give a decent pay. Only time will tell how this change will work out for the HUElavians.

[Felinetopia]

"So that's how my friend got stuck in a tree." said Prisca Darbinyah

"Wow. Didn't he realize that he could just climb down by retracing your steps." said Alemayehu

"Well, jumping down from 10 feet is no problem for you but for us, it's a bit more risky for us to jump that height and climbing down is also a bit risky. Besides, we were kittens when this happened." Emer walks into the lobby.

"Hey Emer!" Lupin exclaimed. "Have you heard from the Director of Pawball?" Emer walks over to the cats chilling on the chairs and couches in the lobby.

"Not really." Emer responded. "I called the board after the incident and the said that they will take care of it. After our game against Miena San Hosana, I called the Director of Pawball and he told me that he was going to deal with it. Well, it's been a week and she is still the manager! Do they actually care about the club or just about the money!?"

"Well, have you threatened to leave the club? After all, you're the star player for the club and they might sack her quickly."

"I might actually do that. I only tend to threaten to leave when it gets really bad at the club. Too bad the club has hung on to Monaghan for too long, hurting the reputation of the club." Emer said.

---

"Welcome back to Cat Sports as we have breaking news on the Glinda Monaghan scandal. After a week of being hauled off the pitch and placed in Poafmersian custody, Glinda Monaghan has been sacked as the manager for the Felis Rover. The delay in her sacking is surprising to many as a major incident like that usually results in an immediate sacking. Some have speculated that the board was trying to get her out of jail. However, inside sources at Felis Rovers have told us that the threat of a transfer request by Emer Clery has pushed the Director of Pawball to sack Monaghan. It nis uncertain how the turmoil at Felis Rovers will affect their upcoming Super League campaign." said the sports anchor.

"Good grief, that's over," Emer muttered to herself as she turned off the TV. She curled up on the bed and went to sleep, dreaming about the really good seafood restaurants in Felis.

[Almuzahara]

continued from

the beast and the return

april 29, XXX460
Months later, he is back in the belly of the beast on the seven hundred and seventy-sixth floor of the crystalline tower on its ivory throne. The machine beams out at its ever-occupied handlers as they swarm around him, preparing the machine for his journey. The white-cloaked woman is there as well, supervising, towering above the prone Mahmoud and confirming he is briefed for his mission.

"If I can jump through time on my own, why are you strapping me into this thing?" he asks. "Isn't it just a time machine?"

"You can think of it as a temporal airplane," she replies. "You can jump through time in the same way that you could walk a hundred miles."

"That's just a time machine, then," he says.

"Not quite the time machine you may be thinking of. This is one-way. We can move things to the past, but as soon as they influence the lived timeline, they cause it to split and become unrecoverable."

"...but I'm going to the past."

"You're different. We don't know why, but once you drink of what you know as the Fountain of Youth, you are no longer bound to your timeline. You are bound to the fountain. That's why you can't jump back to a time you've already been in before - your consciousness will transfer over to the other version of you in that time, which can trap you in a causal loop. And that's why it's so important that you destroy it before your Dr. Herrera can weaponize it against us."

"But what's the point of that? He has it already."

"We'll send someone in after you to clean things up. I can't risk giving you any more information." The white-cloaked woman locks eyes with Mahmoud, still prone. "Do you trust us?"

"What if I say no?" She looks over him, eyes cold as ice. "We'll send someone in after you to clean things up." She nods at one of the technicians, who flips one final switch, and he's

November 30, 1517
from the journal of Yahya Léonidas del Toro
...absolutely determined to come with Abdel and me to Alsshil Almuzahar, for reasons I still can't understand. I have pressed this man about his knowledge of Oumar Bennani, although I dare not speak of the fountain for fear he will incite some sort of frenzy within the Caliphate, but he seems suspiciously curious of the interior jungle, more so than the actual land that we are to settle. Whoever this Mahmoud is, though, he seems genuinely driven by a love of adventure and a call to the unknown. More importantly for our purposes, he is incredibly well-endowed financially - it is strange that we have not heard of such a rich man before - and has offered to cover a significant proportion of the voyage's costs. Abdel Simon is strongly in favor of his inclusion, and I see no reason to turn down such a windfall out of vague suspicion. I can only hope it does not cost us.

We set sail in five days for the verdant isles of Alsshil Almuzahar. All of our plans have been cast into the wind. They are now for fate to decide.

---

---

Almuzahara 2–2 Trolleborg @ Potato Villa, Sarim
AMH scorers: Tariq BEN LABRAT 36 - Yussuf BENDAHAN 78
TRL scorers: Stuart KERR 41 - Morten TROLL 55

Leading Scorers: Tariq BEN LABRAT 4 - Youssef BLANCO 2 - Abdellah ELIAS, Cyril ELNENY, Araz FERNANDEZ, Ahmed FERNANDEZ, Yussuf BENDAHAN 1

Stalwart captain Yussuf Bendahan's late header rescued a point against the Trolls, who had recovered from an early Panthers goal and taken the lead with goals on either side of halftime. Tariq Ben Labrat, who has played more of a focal role this IAC due to the absence of Ahmed Fernandez on the wing, opened the scoring after running amok in the first half-hour; veteran striker Stuart Kerr's looping header levelled the score, although Abdel Bekkaye nearly got a palm on it. Trolleborg were greatly improved in the second half after struggling out the gate in the first, culminating in star midfielder Morton Troll's piledriver giving them the lead, and many thought Almuzahara would simply run out of gas late. But from a magnificent set-piece delivery by Youssef Blanco, it was the captain who leapt and headed his team back into the match - and back into contention for the Group G. The H Corporation, virtually a must-win matchup for a Panthers team that still has to face the dangerous Abanhfleft, are up next.

[PotatoFarmers]

Poafmersia 1-0 Kriegiersien
@ Red Mudra Lane, Mudra
Poafmersia Goalscorers: Joel Haodao 89' (assisted by Pete Carisa)

Poafmersia Lineup (3-4-3): Suzanne Trengove; Nasri Sanchez, Simone Gori, Alex Hoboson; Dargis Walshor, Nero Wood, Arnold Shwentin, Whitney Rios; Aleka Dufour, Makana Tuft (c); Iulianus Innocenti
Substitutes: Pete Carisa (Dufour 70'); Daas Taisg (Shwentin Poafmersia: 84')

You could clearly tell that the level of expectations on both sides is much different. The amounts of experience the team has, the energy that both sides bring, the motivation...they are all different.

Poafmersia, as hosts, the highest ranked side in the tournament (based on IAC seeding and on World Cup rankings), and as the last active champions (Tequilo, following their signing of the Foxchester Declaration, will not be eligible to defend their title), come with the gusto of trying to grab the title. Regain the title that they failed to get 2 years ago, and also, to deliver a host-worthy performance. Kriegiersien, on the other hand, come without any burden of any target. Their real motivation is in the upcoming Olympics (something which can never exist in Poafmersia, for reasons we shall explain in another day), trying to obtain a medal at that tournament.

Hosts generally don't have any good record in the IAC. We aren't sure who is the one that started the trend, but Poafmersia does not want to be that kind of host. In fact, for most of the squad, lifting a record 3rd title on home ground could definitely be the target. Sandi Jaliaha, Daas Taisg, Pete Carisa are all playing their very last IAC, and it is very likely for Joel Haodao, Gisiik Moonar and Dargis Walshor to end their career after the World Cup 2 years later and skip the IAC. Many players in this squad is approaching their peak. The renewal of players continues, and the IAC is not going to stop the renewal from going on.

The game started out as a more dull affair than expected. Adnan Suliaha was wary of this team who has been producing better than expected performances, and opted for a more secure and safe match. Vanyaar Starrrgoal and Eetu Peerson, who started in front for the opponents, made only 1-2 attacks on the defence, and it ended in a dull goalless draw for the first 60 minutes or so. Even when the opponents wanted to make counterattack, the defence held themselves tightly - but it was the offence who had trouble trying to produce any goals for the team. The veterans came on at the late game to score a goal - with Joel Haodao tapping in in the late game to give the Red Panjias all 3 points.

Poafmersia next play against Squornshelan Remnant States - aiming to avenge the loss 2 years ago in the IAC group stage. A win for Poafmersia here secures qualification for Poafmersia - a bare minimum for Adnan Suliaha, who is expecting nothing less than the finals at Libira National Stadium.

[PotatoFarmers]

Stage 2 MD2 Cutoff!

---

RP Prompt for the MD: Another sport?
I know this is a football tournament. Or soccer. Or pawball, hoofball, whatever you call it. But many nations have another sport that they are also proud of. Share more about it. Is that sport more popular than football? Or does it win more awards than football? If that sport plays on the same day as your national football team does here in the IAC - does that sport take precedence? I guess I am leaving it open ended to you - anything and everything is fine. If we can get a good comparison between that and your IAC team here, even better.

---

Group A
Reçueçn 2–3 Quintessence of Dust @ Stadiun of Legends, Didari
Tandeg Suci 0–1 Omerica @ Red Mudra Lane, Mudra

  Group A              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Omerica                2   2  0  0    2   0  +2    6
2 Quintessence of Dust   2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3*
3 Reçueçn                2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3*
4 Tandeg Suci (X)        2   0  0  2    0   2  −2    0
*Quintessence of Dust ahead on Head-to-head points (QoD 3, Reçueçn 0)

Group B
Kriegiersien 1–2 Volinovia @ Red Mudra Lane, Mudra
Poafmersia 2–3 Squornshelan Remnant States @ Theatre of Light, Kistina

  Group B                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Squornshelan Remnant States   2   1  1  0    7   6  +1    4
  Volinovia                     2   1  1  0    6   5  +1    4
3 Poafmersia                    2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
4 Kriegiersien (E)              2   0  0  2    1   3  −2    0

Group C
Juvencus 0–1 Srednjaci @ Agureo Stadium, Agureo Township
Sannyamathland 2–0 Saterun @ Sporting Dalaris Stadium, City of Dalaris

  Group C              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sannyamathland (A)     2   2  0  0    4   0  +4    6
2 Srednjaci (A)          2   2  0  0    4   1  +3    6
3 Juvencus (E)           2   0  0  2    0   3  −3    0
4 Saterun (E)            2   0  0  2    1   5  −4    0

Group D
Montaña Verde 2–3 Kencana @ Matty Horis Stadium, Dury
Republic of Indian States 0–3 Drawkland @ Bikarish Stadium, Bikarish

  Group D                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kencana (A)                      2   2  0  0    6   4  +2    6
2 Drawkland                        2   1  0  1    5   3  +2    3
3 Montaña Verde                    2   1  0  1    4   3  +1    3
4 Republic of Indian States (E)    2   0  0  2    0   5  −5    0
Republic of Indian States is eliminated as Drawkland play Montaña Verde on MD3. 
By same vein, Kencana advanced to Ro16.

Group E
Garbelia 1–0 Sajnur @ Davarsi Bria, Holhot
HUElavia 1–0 Indusse @ Holtin Kash Stadium, Holhot

  Group E              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 HUElavia (A)           2   2  0  0    2   0  +2    6
2 Indusse                2   1  0  1    4   3  +1    3
3 Garbelia               2   1  0  1    1   1   0    3
4 Sajnur (E)             2   0  0  2    2   5  −3    0
Sajnur is eliminated as Indusse play Garbelia on MD3. 
By same vein, HUElavia advanced to Ro16.

Group F
Space 0–2 Squidroidia @ United Park, Greater Mancodas
Adab 1–2 Kohnhead @ Camp of Power, City of Mancodas

  Group F              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kohnhead (A)           2   2  0  0    4   1  +3    6
2 Adab                   2   1  0  1    4   2  +2    3
3 Squidroidia            2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
4 Space (E)              2   0  0  2    0   5  −5    0
Space is eliminated as Adab play Squidroidia on MD3. 
By same vein, Kohnhead advanced to Ro16.

Group G
Trolleborg 0–1 Abanhfleft @ Potato Villa, Sarim
Almuzahara 2–1 The H Corporation @ Dreamers Park, Fiskadaha City

  Group G              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft (A)         2   2  0  0    3   1  +2    6
2 Almuzahara             2   1  1  0    4   3  +1    4
3 Trolleborg (X)         2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1
4 The H Corporation (E)  2   0  0  2    2   4  −2    0

Group H
TJUN-ia 3–2 New Lusitania @ Rukiya Sports Stadium, Trimidau Island
Dari Sultanate 0–1 Felinetopia @ Offsdi Stadium, Kingsford

  Group H              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Felinetopia (A)        2   2  0  0    3   1  +2    6
  TJUN-ia (A)            2   2  0  0    7   5  +2    6
3 Dari Sultanate (E)     2   0  0  2    3   5  −2    0
  New Lusitania (E)      2   0  0  2    3   5  −2    0

Teams in Stage 2 are ranked by the following criteria:
1) Points
2) Goal Difference
3) Head-to-head Points
4) Head-to-head Goal Difference
5) Wins (theoretically impossible in 4-team single round robin groups)
6) Coin Flip

Legend:
Advanced to Ro16 (A)
Cannot win group (X)
Eliminated (E)

[Kohnhead]

Kohnhead take down Adab to advance to Round of 16

The 13th IACs have gone incredibly well for Kohnhead so far as we went 4-0-0 in the preliminary round including a big win over Squidroidia in 1-0 fashion. We finished as the second best team from the first stage behind Srednjaci who have played so well during the tournament and had us beat on goal differential. However the Group Stage draw was rather unkind to Kohnhead as we were drawn into a group with reigning second place Squidroidia whom we had beaten but we knew to be a quality side, the rising Adab side that we beat last IAC, and an older power in Space who had underperformed at the tournament but could show their talent at any time.

Our first match was against Squidroidia whom we had beaten earlier in the tournament as I mentioned above. Squidroidia are a very good team but thanks to goals from Korkson and Audrey Henderson who came in off the bench late to score the game sealing goal. Squidroidia are an extremely good team and beating them once was pretty unexpected but beating them a second time and 2-0 at that was extremely unexpected and showed that this Kohnhead team is a lot better than anyone expected.

Next we took on Adab who had beaten Space 3-0 in their first match showing their talent. We have played Adab before and that was in the IAC before this one where in our first match of the tournament we beat them 2-1 thanks to a winner from Harry Richman. However it went all downhill from there as we know as Kohnhead failed to make it past the Group Stage for the first time. It would be the same scoreline today against Adab thanks to goals from Korkson and Linus Rallyton.

We would strike first in penalty fashion as Suzanna Barter went down in the box thanks to a clumsy challenge from Yousif Issou and won us a penalty which Aaron Korkson converted as he does normally do. Just like that it was 1-0 Kohnhead in just the 8th minute as we looked well on our way to clinch the spot in the knockouts. Adab however had other plans scoring in the 29th minute off of a corner with Enlilbani Yargab heading it home to tie the match at one.

However coming out from halftime Kohnhead were determined to get the win and seal their spot in the Round of 16 as well as to keep the winning streak alive and so Linus Rallyton found the back of the net just five minutes into the second half off of a Charles Laker cross. The Brains had the 2-1 lead and all we needed to do was defend for 40 minutes which was difficult but we managed to do it to improve to 6-0-0 on the tournament and 2-0-0 in our group. And with the win we have clinched advancement into the Round of 16 for the first time since IAC X our first IAC. It has gone wonderfully for us so far and we are able to get to 7-0-0 and clinch the group with a win against Space who are coming off of a 2-0 loss to Squidroidia.

Group F              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kohnhead (A)           2   2  0  0    4   1  +3    6
2 Adab                   2   1  0  1    4   2  +2    3
3 Squidroidia            2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
4 Space (E)              2   0  0  2    0   5  −5    0

[TJUN-ia]

By Peter Davis

After an unexpected goalfest against the Dari Sultanate ended in our favour, the Jaguars of TJUN-ia were certainly looking high on Trimidau Islands as they prepared for the two games that would certainly decide their seeding fates in regards to Stage 3. David Seems and Li Xiu Ying were a little bit concerned with how easily the unranked opponents managed to break through TJUN-ia's defence, a win was still a win and they would certainly take it. But Game 2 was against New Lusitania and the Algaves, a nation both Seems and Li have faced many times but never beaten and so, you could understand the tension was palpable as this fixture came up with everything on the line. If TJUN-ia could be A Selecção for the very first time and then Felinetopia win their game later on, then the Champions of IAC9 would play no more part in deciding the Champions of IAC13.

As expected with a matchup of such magnitude, the Co-Managers and Francisco Grilo were certainly up for this one as both teams fought brutally in the first half for the precious 3 points on offer at the Rukiya Sports Stadium. The first goal would come from NLA as André Silveira headed home in the 23rd but TJUN-ia were quick to try and mount a response and they would get that in the 27th, Joe Green finishing off spectacular possession play to level up the scores. The rest of the first half was very tight and so was the beginning of the second, but that wouldn't last long. TJUN-ia took the lead in the 58th as a corner by Pedro Vasquez was headed home by Green for his and the Jags' 2nd of the night. But Silveira didn't take that lightly and he would equalise in the 64th to join Green on getting both goals for his nation tonight. The game would be tight right into the 88th with both nations looking for a winner, but Green wasn't done yet and he would end up completing his hattrick in spectacular style as he struck home from just outside the box to ice this game and end the curse of New Lusitania once and for all. The bench would rush out to celebrate and from there on out, this game was over. We had finally beaten New Lusitania in a competitive game and with Felinetopia winning as well, NLA will play no further part in this IAC. The Jags and Felines advance out of Group H.

With that settled, the only thing left to do is play out a "Cat Derby" for 1st place in the Group. Felinetopia may be newbies to this game, but they have certainly entered strongly and will enter Trinidau unbeaten at 4-2-0. Both of us are through, so this is just for seeding. Let the catfight begin. GO JAGS!

---

Stage 2
MD1: vs Dari Sultanate (UR/27th) - Rukiya Sports Stadium, Trimidau Island W 4-3 (T-1st)
MD2: vs New Lusitania and the Algarves (4/5th) - Rukiya Sports Stadium, Trimidau Island W 3-2 (T-1st)
MD3: vs Felinetopia (UR/12th) - Rukiya Sports Stadium, Trimidau Island

[HUElavia]

The Future is Now!

A very late goal by Yamane gives HUElavia the victory and advance to the Round-of-16!

HUElavia 1–0 Indusse
(Yamane 90+3')
Holtin Kash Stadium, Holhot, Poafmersia

Entering Matchday 2 of IAC 13, HUElavia began playing a very unique way of football: With more caution but still pushing for shots and goals, taking their time to get something through. The opening goal was scored by youngster Nascimento, one of the flag-bearers for HUElavia in World Cup 88, who scored a spectacular taekwondo-like goal, to score his first IAC goal, and HUElavia's opening goal in the tournament. For the second match, they were facing off against Indusse, who was coming off a solid 4-2 victory over Sajnur. The match was set to be played at Holtin Kash Stadium (37,250) in Holhot, with the same XI that played on MD 1 playing, with Vannier in goal and Navarro as the Captain, and the Away Special was worn by the team in order to not conflict with Indusse's Uniform.

The match had both teams taking shots, pressing in waves, but it was a match of goalkeepers, as Vannier and Leghorn made saves left and right, putting balls out for corners or throw-ins. Despite the shots made, the fans in the crowd were giving their applause for the saves, as both players were determined to keep a clean sheet. Time ticked away, and there was no goal in sight, in what looked like both teams were going for a draw, which had the fans with expressions of boredom and frustration. Substitutions were made, With Yamane, Font, and Di Donato coming in for Savedra, Conti-Esposito, and Mendieta respectively. Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos kept on attacking, but Leghorn kept on making saves, which some would have counter-attacks, led by Grundjee and Butea, taking shots that were saved by the fingertips of Vannier. Despite these chances, the lone (and long awaited) goal would finally come: In the 90+3rd minute, Vannier caught a cross coming in from a corner kick by Hazle, who gave it to Resendes, who in turn sent a long ball to Font, getting it past Sreevastva (in for Budtedjson), giving a galloping run, before passing it with a small cross to an uncovered Yamane, who ran towards Leghorn, who dived to catch the ball but missed the ball, allowing Yamane to give a near impossible curving shot into the goal to make it 1-0. The crowd erupted for the spectacular and cheeky goal, jumping and cheering to make the stadium rumble, while Yamane was mobbed by her teammates for the goal. Yamane did a dance with Font and Hamada-Navarro, all while getting hugs and high-fives from her teammates and the bench, who came to celebrate as well. Subsequently, the crowd applauded her for the goal, which also gave a run for Nasciemento's goal for the tournament. Indusse tried to get one last attack in, but a pass went too far and was comfortably caught by Vannier, as the referee blew her whistle to end the match, and the players and bench hugged each other, as HUElavia clinched their spot into the Round-of-16 at IAC 13.

With the victory, HUElavia clinches their spot into the Round-of-16 for the 6th consecutive time in the team's history (out of 8 appearances), which was a bare minimum expectation of the team and Coach Conavacio. In the other Group E match, Garbelia defeated Sajnur to eliminate the Sajnurians, and guarantee HUElavia's spot. On Matchday 3, HUElavia will play against Sajnur, where Coach Conavacio is expected to use the B-Team for the match with Marquez in goal and Torrisi as the Captain for the match. The Home Special will be worn for the match, where HUElavia looks to possibly sweep Group E. For now, the team continues to train and study film once again, wanting to keep the players fit and fresh for the matches, preparing for the upcoming "Final" that is the Round-of-16. The fans continue to enjoy their time in Poafmersia, enjoying the technological city that is Holhot, including jotting down ideas to bring back to HUElavia. In a few days, we hope to have some fun that night. Here's to hoping the team finishes strong and wins the Group and gets a favorable draw for the Round-of-16.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[Almuzahara]

Almuzahara 2–1 The H Corporation @ Dreamers Park, Fiskadaha City
AMH scorers: Ilyas YOUSSEF 77 - Ahmed FERNANDEZ 85
THC scorers: America Hansen GROWS 9

Leading Scorers: Tariq BEN LABRAT 4 - Youssef BLANCO, Ahmed FERNANDEZ 2 - Abdellah ELIAS, Cyril ELNENY, Araz FERNANDEZ, Yussuf BENDAHAN, Ilyas YOUSSEF 1

Yusuf Alaoui's men left it to the last minute, but in the end were able to come away with all three points despite a spirited first-half performance from The H Corporation. Late substitute Ahmed Fernandez's delightful curling goal proved the difference and puts Almuzahara in a comfortable position heading into the MD3 clash against group leaders Abanhfleft, who upset Trolleborg to book a one-way ticket to the knockout stages.

The H Corporation's 3-5-1-1 formation proved difficult to adapt to early on for the Panthers, as their physical prowess and aggression pinned Almuzahara back early on. The Panthers, very much not used to playing on their back foot, really felt the heat, and it came to nobody's surprise except the apoplectic Yusuf Alaoui when America Hansen Grows popped up at the back post to nod a cross in after just nine minutes. Harris Quinn Brewer nearly doubled the underdogs' advantage ten minutes later, but scuffed his shot just wide of Abdel Bekkaye's near post. Still, Almuzahara saw little of the ball in the first half, and although Yusuf Alaoui surely raised fire and brimstone in the half-time talk, Almuzahara still looked quite sluggish to open the second.

It took a few key substitutions - namely the introductions of old pros Ali Al-Qushayri and Ahmed Fernandez off the bench - for the offense to truly wake up. But wake up, it did, with the creativity and directness of the veteran stars making the difference and turning the tide late. Ilyas Youssef capped off a magnificent solo run by thundering an Al-Qushayri feed into the top bin to equalize before Fernandez capped off deft interplay with Tariq Ben Labrat to fire home from close range. The win means a result against Abanhfleft will send the Panthers through to the Round of 16 for the first time, while a win over Abanhfleft would give them the Group G win, and even a loss is not fatal if The H Corporation can manage anything against Trolleborg.

[Indusse]

The Local Messenger

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Bloodbath in Indusse

Police Reports, 6 days ago:
Unknown Cult burns villages in Kanyakumari

A group of unknown people were found looting and burning villages of the Kanyakumari District. Women and Children were kidnapped and men were shot down. The Anti-Terrorist Squad has said that about 29 were killed due to the looting yesterday.

Police Reports, 5 days ago:
Unknown Cult Attacks again

The Unknown Cult which caused havoc in the district of Kanyakumari looted and burned the nearby village of Agasteeshwaram. 12 natives of Agasteeshwaram was killed and 3 went missing. The Unknown Cult seems to be professional guerilla warriors with modern weapons.

Police Reports, 4 days ago:
After the attacks in Kanyakumari and Agasteeshwaram, The Unknown Cults attack various other villages yesterday. According to the government reports, there were four attacks and one attempt yesterday.
Around 12:00 PM yesterday, a group of people burned down the villages near Koodamkulam. 56 Died and 76 people went missing.
Around 2:00 PM, The Markets at Tirunelveli were attacked and looted. 2 people were killed at the attack.
Around 2:25 PM, The Fishing Villages at Tuticorin were attacked and burned. 12 died at the attack.
Around 3:45 PM, The Nagercoil - Marthandam Villages were attacked and looted.

At 5:12 PM, the reservoir officials at Vaigai Dam found a man (about 3 feet tall, fair) running with armour towards the dam wall. The Officials ran behind him and he blasted himself near the Dam wall. The Suicide Attacker seems to be part of the unknown cult. At the blast, two people died including the man and security. There has been a small vein split in the dam and officials are fixing it.

The Government has come to a conclusion that the unknown cult is spread all over the southeast parts. The reason is that the timings of Tirunelveli - Tuticorin Attacks is so short and it needs at least 50 minutes to travel 51 km in normal traffic.

Police Reports, few hours ago:
A bomb was blasted by an unknown cult in the city of Karaikudi. It was found that this is the same unknown cult that caused issues all over southeast Indusse. 3 terrorists were caught and 4 killed at the attack. Local Government statistics say that 45 were killed and 80 injured.

From all the recent attacks, There has been a total of 182 killed and over 100 missings. The total injury is about 800 as per the police records. The police believe that they can identify the "unknown" cult due to the capturing of three terrorists and understand what is their aim beyond the attacks.

^ The influence of the terrorist attacks, the red spots are the locations of the attack.

[Squornshelan Remnant States]

Three Things
An increasingly inaccurately-named blog by Salwan Mynhier

Once again, for the second straight IAC, the Black-and-Reds find themselves catapulted into first place in their group after a surprising win over Poafmersia. After a few matches of tinkering with her lineup and defensive tactics, Anne-Sophie Groothuis has found a working combination, and delivered a signature win to silence any doubters for the moment at least. The final match of the group stage remains, and Kriegiersien is not an opponent to be overlooked, despite what must be a deeply frustrating run of form for them over their last two matches. The team has professed to prioritize the upcoming Olympic tournament, but no team wants to lose three straight to finish off a tournament, even if it's one their hearts aren't in 100%. If the result does go their way, the Black-and-Reds could still find themselves on the outside of the knockouts looking in, depending on the result between Poafmersia and Volinovia. If both Kriegiersien and Poafmersia lose, the tie in the standings between Volinovia and the Black-and-Reds would be settled on goal differential.

Still, we can save the doom and gloom for after we underachieve and get eliminated earlier than expected. That's true confederate IAC tradition after all. In the meantime, we'll see if we can figure out how Groothuis's side managed to knock of the hosts, and two time champs. For starters, there were no fewer than three lineup changes from the match against Volinovia. On defense, both Harkahn twins remained, but Buczvarov and Achthoven were benched in favor of Galdra and Malgos. Malgos for Achthoven was, in retrospect, easy to predict. The Galatica fullback has a fair amount of prior international experience, and is a reliable player. Galdra was more of a surprise. Her body of work with Porter City in Kohnhead has been solid, yes, but it's a lower echelon league, and she's rarely even been called up for the national team before. It was definitely a gutsy move by Groothuis to put her into the lineup against some of the best in the multiverse. This was especially the case, given the extent to which Poafmersia likes its forwards to carry the majority of the scoring load. Further up the field, she also took Lavanya Naqvi out of the lineup in favor of Vladcik. This was a more puzzling change at first, as Naqvi has been a dangerous player down the wing, and made major contributions to the attack. Groothuis was in for quite a bit of criticism pre-match for her decision, but Vladcik's play, particularly his back tracking and hard work in midfield to help break up Poafmersian attacks made clear what it was she wanted and got from him. Even Naqvis' most devoted supporters will have to admit that she's not the most useful player when trying to win the ball back.

Even with the replacements playing well, it was always going to be a huge task. A simple glance at the Red Panjias' team sheet reveals the immense quality and experience of their team. Haodao, Tuft, Moonar, Hoboson, Rosales, Jaliaha. The list goes on and on. One their home ground, striving toward the hope for an unprecedented third IAC title, the Red Panjias were a daunting prospect for the entirety of Group B. The match reflected the quality of the teams involved though: a back and forth struggle for supremacy which saw Poafmersia battle to establish a first half lead, lose and then regain it, before ultimately falling behind, unable to find a final equalizer. It was Rios, slipping inside between the Harkhans on a quick exchange of passes with Moonar, who opened the scoring. Yonte manage a quick equalizer when Jaliaha spilled Petrov's driven shot to the winger, who was just the half step ahead of Rosales that she needed for the tap-in. Tuft put her side back in front before the half through sheer force of will, striking on the counter, bodily holding off Galdra while she lined up her shot.

Despite trailing at the half, The Black-and-Reds had not played poorly by any stretch of the imagination, and Groothuis made no substitutions coming back out for the second. Tabur and Hashemi were working well in front of the defensively line at winning the ball back. The counters weren't being launched quite quick enough to allow the front four to take advantage of overloads, but the important thing was that the Red Panjias were having to work hard to find space and possession in their attacking third. It was a nice change to the past three matches, when the Black-and-Reds made it all too easy on their opponents to do that. No prizes for guessing who notches the eventual equalizer. Poafmersia may have Tuft, but we have Petrov, don't we? She notched her sixth goal of the tournament on a corner kick swung in by Takala. The marking was close, but Petrov's leap was perfectly timed, and if she leaned on Sanchez just a little bit, well the referee didn't see anything wrong with it. It didn't stop the Red Panjias from complaining, but perhaps they should have kept their focus on the match. After fairly quickly giving away possession following the restart, they allowed a rapid buildup by the Black-and-Reds. Takala played a serious of one touch exchanges with multiple different players, pulling the defense first this way and then that, all the time moving closer to goal. One step here, two there until, quite suddenly it seemed, he received a pass less than 25 yards from the net with no defender within six feet of him. A player of his experience was never going to waste and opportunity like that, and his curled shot snuck between the crossbar and Jaliaha's fingertips.

Poafmersia regained their composure and began the chase for an equalizer immediately, bringing on fresh legs in the attack, but the damage was done, and the Black-and-Reds went into park the bus mode, with even the holding midfielders rarely leaving their half, let alone the fullbacks. Marrish replaced Hashemi, fresh legs to counter those on the Poafmersian side, and Takala made way for Arslan toward the same end. When Kazarov came on for Petrov just before stoppage time though, that was pure time wasting. In the end, the Black-and-Reds withstood the siege, not without a few impressive saves from Shimski, and are now in the proverbial driver's seat in the group.

Matchday Schedule and Results:

MD1: SRS 0-0 FEL @ Bikarish Stadium (cap. 48,000)
MD2: SRS 1-0 SAJ @ Rukiya Sports Stadium (cap. 37,000)
MD3: MAL 4-4 SRS @ Red Mudra Lane (cap. 58,000)
MD4: SRS 2-3 TRL @ Libira National Stadium (cap. 68,000)
GS1: SRS 4-4 VOL @ Theatre of Light (cap. 59,000)
GS2: PFA 2-3 SRS @ Theatre of Light (cap. 59,000)
GS3: SRS  v  KGS @ Red Mudra Lane (cap. 58,000)

OOC: Starting Lineup vs Kriegiersien: Shimski; V. Harkhan, W. Harkhan, Galdra, Malgos; Tabur, Hashemi; Vladcik, Takala, Yonte; Petrov[/quote]

[Felinetopia]

Afolyn challenges for the ball against the striker for the Dari Sultanate and he is successful but knocked the ball out of bounds for a corner with a minute left to go in stoppage time. Felinetopia needs to hang on to this lead for just a little longer to win the match.

Now, the Dari midfielder sets up for a corner that will determine their fate in the tournament. And they're pulling out everything in the arsenal as the goalkeeper is up in the box along with almost all the Dari Sultanate players. The corner taker takes a deep breath as it's do-or-die here in Kingsford. And the midfielder takes the kick and Babatunde makes a leap and bats the ball out of the penalty box!

The ball is still free but Mawler gains possession and is rushing downfield. The Cats are now hoping the referee whistles the game to grab the three points. And Felinetopia has done it! They've gained three points in the the group and clinched a spot in the knockout stage here at the Independent Associations Championship in Poafmersia, continuing the proud pawball tradition that the Feline world has! They will next face TJUN-ia to determine the winner of group H!

---

Breet. Breet. Breeeeeeeeeeeet! The cats on the field as well as on the bench rushed towards Mawler as they realized that they have advanced to the Round of 16. Shiba Aynu reaches Mawler first and hugs him as they meowed and roared in celebration. The rest of the team joins the two as the celebrated their achievement. Cletis Felis attempts to catpile onto Mawler but Lupin hissed at him for his attempt after Felis lands on Lupin.

"Oh My God Oh My God! I can't believe that we're going so far! I thought we were decent but not this good!" Olivia Thorn said as she hugged Emer.

"Me neither!" said Emer Clery. "I thought we weren't all that great when we played at the Jenna Raven Cup but I am so glad to be proven wrong. Adding you guys made a great difference and I can't wait to see how we do at the World Cup qualifiers." Emer loosened the embrace.

"Awww, thank you Emer!" Olivia blushed. "I just hope that I can continue to be a part of the team in the qualifiers."

"O' Malley would be an idiot like Monaghan if he left you out of the roster! Besides, I wonder when he'll put you in the starting XI."

"Hey! I don't want to think about that soon. I'm just enjoying the moment right now!"

"Oh, sorry Liv!" Olivia and Emer goes over to the Dari Sultanate players to thank them for a good game.

[Montana Verde]

República de Estados Indios – 0 (0)

Montaña Verde – 2 (1)
Mateo; Castiglione, Tafalla, Arquímedes (67’ Efraim ), Justin; Ana-Ximena; Julia Varela, Primitivo (27’), Kristjana (65’ Emma ); Verónica Ximena (68’), Osito (70’) (73’ Juderías )

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Montaña Verde – 2 (2)
Mateo; Castiglione, Jairo, Arquímedes, Justin; Ana-Ximena (79’ Edgar ); Valentinha, Primitivo (70’ Julia Varela ), Kristjana (36’); Thiago Montilla, Osito (16’) (80’ Naomí Berrocal )

Oro – 3 (1)
Ali (32’), Aslam (67’), Hassan (82’)

República de Estados Indios – 0 (0)
(68’)

Montaña Verde – 2 (1)
Mateo; Castiglione, Tafalla, Arquímedes (67’ Efraim ), Justin; Ana-Ximena; Julia Varela, Primitivo (27’), Kristjana (65’ Emma ); Verónica Ximena, Osito (70’) (73’ Juderías )

---

Montaña Verde – 2 (2)
Mateo; Castiglione, Jairo, Arquímedes, Justin; Ana-Ximena (79’ Edgar ); Valentinha, Primitivo (70’ Julia Varela ), Kristjana (36’); Thiago Montilla, Osito (16’) (80’ Naomí Berrocal )

Oro – 3 (1)
Ali (32’), Aslam (67’), Hassan (82’)

In an Electric Rectum, One Small Diver Prepares For a Mighty Leap

When Alexis Aparicio Collazo steps onto the diving board at the Somer Olympic Natatorium next month, she will become the first Verdean ever to compete at an Olympic Games – but will do so, not under the flag of her home country, but of what many would call its former oppressor, Græntfjall. Montaña Verde itself does not compete in the Olympic Games and is unlikely to be able to afford to do so in the immediate future as priorities such as recovering from decades of colonialism and enacting land reform take precedent over funding a program of rhythmic gymnastics or ping pong. For athletes like Aparicio, this has left no choice but to seek out participation under a different banner.

Aparicio will not even compete in the diving under her own name, instead as Alexis Luchosdóttir Collazo, in deference to Græntfjaller naming systems. Yet the high diver has no regrets about her chosen flag of convenience. “I have grown up in Græntfjall, a country that gave me a home when violence was threatening my village,” she says. “I trained here, got my education here, and now I am excited to compete for them. Of course I would love to dive in a Verdean team but there simply isn’t one. It’s just fútbol, fútbol, fútbol.” Like many Verdean athletes, Aparicio blames the country’s overwhelming obsession with fútbol for stifling other sporting interests.

Many other sports are popular in the Rainforest Republic, especially cycling – with the high mountains a regular retreat for altitude training by top athletes – and baseball. But while the government has thrown its full support behind the Condors, the national baseball team lies in tatters, lacking funds to compete at the World Baseball Classic. Some Verdeans have talked of leaving to play in South Newlandia, where they may not be starters but can at least look forward to better than dilapidated stadiums and shabby changing rooms. Alex Márquez, the motorsports driver, was a pioneer, moving to Græntfjall to compete at GP3 level and eventually signing in the WGP2 season for Schutzenphalian team EHF-Motospiel.

Having completed her nationalization, Aparicio will compete as a member of the Græntfjaller Olympic delegation. She’s not considered a major medal prospect in the always highly competitive diving event. But if she were lucky enough to bring a medal home, she insists it wouldn’t matter which NOC was on her bib. “I will dive through the air in Græntfjaller colors,” she says. “But when I hit the water, I’m a Verdean again.”

[PotatoFarmers]

Poafmersia 2-3 Squornshelan Remnant States
@ Theatre of Light, Kistina
Poafmersia Goalscorers: Whitney Rios 17' (assisted by Gisiik Moonar); Makana Tuft 43'

Poafmersia Lineup (4-3-3): Sandi Jaliaha; Mitchel Rosales, Nasri Sanchez, Simone Gori, Natalia Abbott; Nero Wood, Woden Sweet, Gisiik Moonar; Joel Haodao, Makana Tuft (c), Whitney Rios
Substitutes: Dargis Walshor (Haodao 67'); Arnold Shwentin (Wood 79')

Defeat leaves Poafmersia hanging by a thread
Report by Sporting Daily
Kistina - Poafmersia's struggles with scoring goals continue in their 2-3 defeat against the Black and Reds of Squornshelan Remnant States, putting Poafmersia on the back seat ahead of the final day of Stage 2, where they stay in Kistina to play Volinovia.

Poafmersia was thoroughly beaten by a side who never gave up despite going down twice in the game. An early one-two between Rios and Moonar opened the scoring for the Red Panjias, but Yonte equalised for the Black and Reds when Jaliaha failed to get Petrov's powerful shot to safety. Mitchel Rosales was left ruing that failed run, as Yonte got to the ball earlier and run straight into goal. Captain Makana Tuft then steadily went for a counter push nearer to the end of the first half, and muscled her way to get in front of goal to hand the hosts the slimmest of leads.

The opponents, however, didn't flounder their game. Pushing hard in our attacking third, the Black-and-Reds was able to keep our players out pretty solidly. Goals from Petrov and Takala handed our opponents the lead, and even as Walshor came on for the ineffective Haodao, the team was still unable to find the tempo to push for the equaliser, slumping to a 2-3 defeat.

With that game gone, and Volinovia winning their game, Poafmersia slipped into 3rd. Tonight, Squornshelan Remnant States plays eliminated Kriegiersien, who would be happy to end their campaign in Poafmersia on a high. With both Volinovia and the Confederates both on 4 points, the Red Panjis need to keep all 3 points to keep their qualification hopes alive. A draw might be enough should Kriegiersien pull off a victory with at least a 2-goal margin against the Black-and-Reds, but Adnan Suliaha is determined to grab the win necessary to qualify. The teams advancing from Group B play against teams from Group G. Abanhfleft booked their slot in advance following their 1-0 win in Sarim over Trolleborg, while Almuzahara remains in 2nd place with a 2-1 victory over The H Corporation in Fiskadaha City. With Abanhfleft securing top spot with a draw against Almuzahara, it is very likely that the group B winners will plag Almuzahara, while the group B runners-up face a tricky tie against Abanhfleft.

[PotatoFarmers]

Stage 2 MD3 Cutoff!

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RP Prompt for the MD: WCQ89 Expectations
The qualifiers for the 89th World Cup is coming. No matter how the calendar flows in your country, it is probably going to be the next big set of matches for your senior players. How are they warming up for it? Is the IAC a preparation for the qualifiers? What are some of the expectations for that competition?

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Group A
Omerica 4–1 Reçueçn @ Stadiun of Legends, Didari
Quintessence of Dust 0–0 Tandeg Suci @ Red Mudra Lane, Mudra

  Group A                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Omerica (A)                 3   3  0  0    6   1  +5    9
2 Quintessence of Dust (A)    3   1  1  1    3   3   0    4
3 Reçueçn                     3   1  0  2    4   7  −3    3
4 Tandeg Suci                 3   0  1  2    0   2  −2    1

Group B
Squornshelan Remnant States 2–2 Kriegiersien @ Red Mudra Lane, Mudra
Volinovia 0–4 Poafmersia @ Theatre of Light, Kistina

  Group B                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Poafmersia (A)                     3   2  0  1    7   3  +4    6
2 Squornshelan Remnant States (A)    3   1  2  0    9   8  +1    5
3 Volinovia                          3   1  1  1    6   9  −3    4
4 Kriegiersien                       3   0  1  2    3   5  −2    1

Group C
Saterun 0–3 Juvencus @ Agureo Stadium, Agureo Township
Srednjaci 1–1 Sannyamathland @ Dalaris State Stadium, City of Dalaris

  Group C              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sannyamathland (A)     3   2  1  0    5   1  +4    7
2 Srednjaci (A)          3   2  1  0    5   2  +3    7
3 Juvencus               3   1  0  2    3   3   0    3
4 Saterun                3   0  0  3    1   8  −7    0

Group D
Drawkland 3–3 Montaña Verde @ Matty Horis Stadium, Dury
Kencana 3–0 Republic of Indian States @ Bikarish Stadium, Bikarish

  Group D                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kencana (A)                 3   3  0  0    9   4  +5    9
2 Drawkland (A)               3   1  1  1    8   6  +2    4
3 Montaña Verde               3   1  1  1    7   6  +1    4
4 Republic of Indian States   3   0  0  3    0   8  −8    0

Group E
Indusse 3–1 Garbelia @ Davarsi Bria, Holhot
Sajnur 0–0 HUElavia @ Holtin Kash Stadium, Holhot

  Group E              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 HUElavia (A)           3   2  1  0    2   0  +2    7
2 Indusse (A)            3   2  0  1    7   4  +3    6
3 Garbelia               3   1  0  2    2   4  −2    3
4 Sajnur                 3   0  1  2    2   5  −3    1

Group F
Kohnhead 2–1 Space @ United Park, Greater Mancodas
Squidroidia 3–0 Adab @ Mancodas Complex, Greater Mancodas

  Group F              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kohnhead (A)           3   3  0  0    6   2  +4    9
2 Squidroidia (A)        3   2  0  1    5   2  +3    6
3 Adab                   3   1  0  2    4   5  −1    3
4 Space                  3   0  0  3    1   7  −6    0

Group G
The H Corporation 0–3 Trolleborg @ Potato Villa, Sarim
Abanhfleft 1–4 Almuzahara @ Dreamers Park, Fiskadaha City

  Group G              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Almuzahara (A)         3   2  1  0    8   4  +4    7
2 Abanhfleft (A)         3   2  0  1    4   5  −1    6
3 Trolleborg             3   1  1  1    5   3  +2    4
4 The H Corporation      3   0  0  3    2   7  −5    0

Group H
Felinetopia 0–1 TJUN-ia @ Rukiya Sports Stadium, Trimidau Island
New Lusitania 4–2 Dari Sultanate @ Offsdi Stadium, Kingsford

  Group H              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 TJUN-ia (A)            3   3  0  0    8   5  +3    9
2 Felinetopia (A)        3   2  0  1    3   2  +1    6
3 New Lusitania          3   1  0  2    7   7   0    3
4 Dari Sultanate         3   0  0  3    5   9  −4    0

Teams in Stage 2 are ranked by the following criteria:
1) Points
2) Goal Difference
3) Head-to-head Points
4) Head-to-head Goal Difference
5) Wins (theoretically impossible in 4-team single round robin groups)
6) Coin Flip

Legend:
Advanced to Ro16 (A)

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Reminder on the calendar for the knockout stages:
August 5th: Round of 16
R1: Omerica (A1) vs Felinetopia (H2) - Matty Horis Stadium, Dury
R2: Poafmersia (B1) vs Abanhfleft (G2) - Stadiun of Legends, Didari
R3: Sannyamathland (C1) vs Squidroidia (F2) - Theatre of Light, Kistina
R4: Kencana (D1) vs Indusse (E2) - Red Mudra Lane, Mudra
R5: HUElavia (E1) vs Drawkland (D2) - Dreamers Park, Fiskadaha City
R6: Kohnhead (F1) vs Srednjaci (C2) - Naksa Stadium, Naksa (Trimidau Island)
R7: Almuzahara (G1) vs Squornshelan Remnant States (B2) - United Park, Mancodas
R8: TJUN-ia (H1) vs Quintessence of Dust (A2) - Sporting Dalaris Stadium, City of Dalaris

August 7th: Quarterfinals
Detailed venue allocations TBC
Q1: Winner of R1 vs Winner of R2
Q2: Winner of R3 vs Winner of R4
Q3: Winner of R5 vs Winner of R6
Q4: Winner of R7 vs Winner of R8

August 9th: Semifinals
Detailed venue allocations TBC
S1: Winner of Q1 vs Winner of Q2
S2: Winner of Q3 vs Winner of Q4

August 11th: Finals, Bronze Medal Match
Finals - Libira National Stadium, Fiskadaha City
Bronze Medal Match - Mancodas Complex, Greater Mancodas

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A total of 79 RPs were received in total thus far. (Multiple posts by 1 nation before 1 cutoff counts as 1 RP, for this number)
The maximum RP bonus for a team per cutoff is 3 points.

Among the graded RPs, here are the statistics:
25th percentile: 1.90
50th percentile: 2.20
75th percentile: 2.50
Mean RP given: 2.18

93.67% of RPs get at least 50% bonus.
44.30% of RPs get at least 80% bonus.

The above information can also be found in the IAC spreadsheet. https://bit.ly/NSSIAC13

[TJUN-ia]

By Peter Davis

After we vanquished New Lusitania for the very first time, TJUN-ia's stay at Trimidau Island is certainly just as good, if not better, than our stay at the Moonlight Coliseum 2 years ago. David Seems and Li Xiu Ying were certainly happy with getting that monkey off of their backs and with qualification to the round of 16 secured, all that was left was the battle for Group H as a whole as TJUN-ia and Felinetopia, the 1-loss Jags and the undefeated Felines, prepared to face off in a Cat Fight at the Rukiya Sports Stadium for 1st place in the group and the momentum heading into the all-important Stage 3. While playing against actual cats isn't the strangest opponent TJUN-ia has played at the international level (*cough* Sylestone *cough*), it's still pretty funny that a team called the Jaguars is playing against a team made up of actual cats. But the fate of this group would be no laughing matter as whoever won would be in better shape heading into the knockouts themselves.

As many expected of a group decider, even against an unranked opponent, this game was tight as all hell. The Jags were gunning for this group win to show off some progression of the national spirit while the Felines, led by Maverick O'Malley, were undefeated heading into the contest and certainly didn't want that to change anytime soon. The first half, in particular, was incredibly slothful as both Harold Gylfisson and Salim Babatunde kept their goals locked down and let no quarter go past them. That led to a 0-0 stalemate after the first 45 but immediately from kickoff in the 2nd half, substitute Archer Andrews found space and found a way past the leopard in the net after only 35 seconds to send the Blue and Orange into a frenzy and give the Jags a 1-0 lead in the Kitty Bowl. From then on, the Felines were on the charge and looking for a precious equaliser but in the end, none came their way as TJUN-ia's defensive wall was boosted from the bench (via Axel and Percy Pearson) and held firm. The Felines played well despite being debutants, but tonight wouldn't be their night. TJUN-ia leaves the island of Trinidau 3-0 in Stage 3 and is certainly back in top form heading into the final stage of IAC13.

This team is certainly back their they belong but now, the real pain is here as the road to Fiskadaha City begins in earnest. Our first test will be in the form of Quintessence of Dust, ranked 52nd pre-tournament, who was a Pot 4 team for Stage 2 but came through with 4pts to finish 2nd in Group A. Led out by captain Juurou Okumura, QoD are a neutral team - meaning they treat the offence and their defence in the same way. They may be a returning old god, but they certainly still have the abilities to take us down in this tight knockout stage. QoD shall be our first test and we need everything we have in order to win in Dalaris. GO JAGS!

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Stage 2
MD1: vs Dari Sultanate (UR/27th) - Rukiya Sports Stadium, Trimidau Island W 4-3 (T-1st)
MD2: vs New Lusitania and the Algarves (4/5th) - Rukiya Sports Stadium, Trimidau Island W 3-2 (T-1st)
MD3: vs Felinetopia (UR/12th) - Rukiya Sports Stadium, Trimidau Island W 1-0 (1st/9pts/+3GD)
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Ro16: vs Quintessence of Dust (52/25th/2nd in Group A) - Sporting Dalaris Stadium, City of Dalaris

[Indusse]

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The Local Messenger

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Rebellions get boosted by Dharmic Alliance


The Rebellions have again started to get strengthen. The latest attack near Pollachi saw 61 people getting killed and 32 got injured. This is the largest attack of this series and has brought inter-Indian attention. The Government of Maleibidulu-Samberiti has offered help to take care of casualties and other medical emergencies. They also send a team of social workers, comedians, physicians, nurses, construction workers, psychologists, and teachers to aid in the reconstruction of the villages. The Tamil Nayak government said: Tamil Nayaks expresses its deep condolences to Indusseans suffering from the "Tamils" trying to "liberate" Tamil Lands from the Patriarchal Council of Indusse.
Tamil Nayakian PM spoke about this issue today on Day-1 of the Monsoon Session of the Sangam.
He remarked that "A Tamil never hurts another person on any circumstance except when attacked first. What these "Tamils" are doing makes them ineligible to be even called a "Tamil".
"Their Terror will soon come to an end and we shall help Indussean Army to fight these terrorists and defeat them in the first place."
Intelligence reports state that the terrorist organisation behind this is secretly funded by the dharmic empire of Rajpore. Rajpore was recently in the news due to its banishment of Pallapatian Citizens and trying to invade and conquer Pallapati and Bhutan. The Pro-Pallapati nations has formed the "Pact of Brotherhood" vowing to defend each other from the aggression of the "Dharmic" Republic of Rajpore and other external threats. The Foreign Ministers of Pallapati, Marvellia, Tamil Nayaks and Indusse signed the pact which aims to assist each other to defend Pallapati from Rajporean Aggression at Bhutan and Beyond. The Tamil Nayaks FA Minister said "This is a threat to everybody, whoever shows aggression to a particular nation will face the full force of Pallapati, Marvellia, Tamil Nayaks and Indusse armed forces." The Intelligence Bureau has found that it has to be rajporean interference since the president is away with the IAC and the nation needs to be curbed.


Kencana to face Indusse
In the Independents Association Championship hosted at Poafmersia, Indusse qualified for the Round of Sixteen as the second in group E. They will face Kencana of Group D who is on a triple win streak against strongholds like Drawkland.

Indusse's Round Two Journey:
Indusse 4–2 Sajnur @ Holtin Kash Stadium, Holhot, Nitrishi-pai
HUElavia 1–0 Indusse @ Holtin Kash Stadium, Holhot
Indusse 3–1 Garbelia @ Davarsi Bria, Holhot

Kencana's Round Two Journey:
Drawkland 2–3 Kencana @ Bikarish Stadium, Bikarish, Nitrishi-pai
Montaña Verde 2–3 Kencana @ Matty Horis Stadium, Dury
Kencana 3–0 Republic of Indian States @ Bikarish Stadium, Bikarish

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Kencana :3 matches, 3 wins and 9 points
Indusse: 3 matches, 2 wins, 1 defeat and 6 points

[Srednjaci]

INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP 13

NUMBER ONE SEED VS NUBER TWO SEED FOR THE QURTER FINALS
by
IVAN BOŽIĆ

After a brilliantly done first part of the competition when our team was first and got the status of the first holder of the group draw, the second part was not so perfect. The group wins against Juvencus and Saterun were overshadowed by a draw against Sannyamathland. At Dalaris State Stadium, our team saved a live head in the game. The number of mistakes our players have made is incredible. Luckily, we didn't lose that encounter. Hrvoje Vezmar will now have to think further. Will Vezmar bring the main players, Matković, Majić, Tavano, Tomljanović and Zimmer, back into the game or will he stay on this choice of players. The Olympics are as close as the start of WC qualifiers. However, the opponent in round 16 is Kohnhead. Kohnhead is the team that was number two after the first part of the competition. Although they were 4-0-0 like us, the goal difference was on our side. Kohnhead in the group had a perfect score, all three games were won. They play great and offensively. Vezmar will have something to think about, which team to put together and what tactics to devise. The experiment against Sannyamathland almost cost us defeat.

REPORTER: What do you think of our next opponent?

VEZMAR: They play great, they are in good shape. They won all seven games if we include both the first and second phase. That speaks for itself.

REPORTER: Do you have a band that you would not reveal?

VEZMAR: We have sweet worries and that is the composition. We have two extremely strong teams. Both teams can win. Of course, I also talked to the first team. We all watched Kohnhead matches together and analyzed them. We'll see everything in a moment. I haven’t actually decided on a lineup yet. Sure, I have to rest the first team and prepare them for the Olympics, but now they are in a far phase of this competition. I will see later, in peace and solitude. I haven't decided yet.

The first time our team competed in this competition we went through a disastrous, winless, just two draws. And in this our second appearance, the Srednjaci footballers show their high quality and achieved 6 wins and one draw.
Great leap and progress. But it’s all thanks to our league. Our league starting after the Olympics.
Clubs are starting on preparations. The local Trnasfermarkt opens in three weeks and then we’ll see who prepared best. Millions will be paid for the players. For now, Torpedo Melarit has two bombastic offers and in fact we can’t wait to see if they succeed and materialize.

Let's look at the other pairs of the top 16.

Omerica vs Felinetopia - Matty Horis Stadium, Dury
We prefer Felinetopia. Although Omerica won all three matches of the second phase, Felinetopia had a much harder group. We think Felinetopia should go further.

Poafmersia vs Abanhfleft - Stadium of Legends, Didari
Poafmersia has a team that could make it to the finals. Abanhfleft stands in their way. Abanhfleft is not an easy opponent, but Poafmersia is a better team at the moment and we give them an advantage.

Sannyamathland vs Squidroidia - Theater of Light, Kistina
We played badly against Sannyamathland and Squidroidia didn't do very well in this tournament. There will be a fairly even fight here. A slight advantage though goes to Squidroidia.

Kencana vs Indusse - Red Mudra Lane, Mudra
Kencana was convincing in their group. Indusse can always do a good job and go far in a tournament. Kencana plays powerfully but Indusse is a tournament team. It will be very uncertain. we give no preference to anyone. Maybe we'll watch penalties.

HUElavia vs Drawkland - Dreamers Park, Fiskadaha City
This is the match that will attract the most interest. HUElavia is always good, Drawkland is struggling this season. However, this is one of those derbies in which even a worse team can beat a stronger one. A slight advantage of HUElavia but it will not be easy.

Almuzahara vs Squornshelan Remnant States - United Park, Mancodas
Almuzahara has the advantage. Toys and results as far as prognosis is concerned. However the ball is round, anything else can happen. And if Squornshelan Remnant States make it to the quarterfinals, it will be a surprise but not a sensation.

TJUN-ia vs Quintessence of Dust- Sporting Dalaris Stadium, City of Dalaris
This is perhaps the only match in which we do not expect too much drama. TJUN-ia is an absolute favorite here and anything but passing would be a big sensation.