World Cup 89 - Roleplay Thread

[Tikariot]

Last regular WCQ cut-off for everybody! Who will move on, who will get a second chance?

[Banija]

@AllBanijaSportsMagazine STUNNER- Despite 1-0 road win in Banija, Zwangzug's emphatic 6-2 away win in Southwest Eastnorth qualifies them directly to the World Cup Finals. Pemecutan 2-0 win at home over Venmere sends them directly to the World Cup Finals as well, sending Banija to our first Cup of Harmony since missing out on World Cup 79.

@NYKPublicNews Banijan SCUM become highest ever ranked nation to fail to qualify for the World Cup, not even making the playoffs. President Nafuna Akongo says if the Banijans 'focused more on the pitch rather than trying- and failing- to overthrow sovereign governments, then maybe they'd qualify for the World Cup Finals'.

@KadongoKamu After World Cup Qualification failure, RBSA parts ways with WCC Hall of Famer and managerial legend Marcus Waters. The goodbye is tear-filled, as Marcus Waters last press conference is an emotional one. We wish you luck on your next adventure, gaffer!

@WCCPresidentAdamaSowe Congratulations to all nations who will join the world's greatest sporting event in just a few months time, especially those qualifying for the very first time. Gutted for my home nation, of course.

@BusukumaPost Tears on the pitch, from players and coaches alike, after Banija's 1-0 away win not enough to finish top two in the group, ending the World Cup dream. For the first time in 10 cycles, the national team lacks a coach as Marcus Waters moves on from Banija..

@BanijaSoccerDaily As Banijan fans struggle to process stunning result, the race to be the next national team manager is on. Casinos offering 3/1 odds on Pam Scott, 4/1 odds on George Wangolo, and 9/1 odds on former NT manager, and former BSL Commissioner, Randolf Clery. This job hasn't opened up in 10 cycles, and it's obviously proven to offer long-term job security- who will the RBSA hire to fill Marcus Waters shoes? #JobSearchBegins

[Atheara]

☵ Athearan Sport Ordering News
ASON.com.ah/football/WC/89Q
The website for all your Athearan sporting needs, and many non sport related stories!

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Football > World Cup > 89Q
Tears of Sadness as Atheara Finish 3rd by a Defeat From Valladares.
Atheara goes down in flames as a defeat by an underperforming Valladares eliminates Atheara from the qualifying race, as Drawkland defeats Torisakia by a scoreline of 3 - 1. Now, i know what you are currently thinking. "But narrator-sir, we weren't expected to qualify" and with that i say you are correct. But, there is a saying of "When you can hope for more, hope for more." But in the end, it just costed us. An impressive 10 - 5 - 3 record, with 29 goals scored and 17 conceded. Atheara has had an unbeatable home record, and a slightly mixed away record. Some fans were already doubting if Atheara could win with a mixed away record, they were and had the absolute complete right to doubt us. I mean, what was that game? If you don't really know what i am talking about, let me say this to you, i warn you as what i will say will make you say "What the fuck." You have been officially warned.

During the game, both sides were playing like absolute shit, with both sides not even registering 10 shots, and less than 5 of the shots were on target. Seriously, what the actual hell was that? The most ridiculous moments came on the 17th, 56th, and 89th minute. Don't know what happened? Let me tell you. On the 17th, there were four yellow cards given to two Athearan and two Valladar players. The two players given the booking on the Valladar team were Daniel Brown Jason Fletcher while the two Athearans that got booked were Ivan Yesterov - Rukovic and Alexei Murov, which was actually his second yellow, so he was sent off. Apparently it was because advantage was actually played on four separate occasions before the foul that gave Valladares a freekick goal courtesy of Aymeric Fortin, which was at this moment. What was the bloody referee doing?!

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*  Group 4                            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Farfadillis                         18   13   5   0    52   21  +31    44
 2 Drawkland                           18   11   4   3    44   33  +11    37
 3 Atheara                             18   10   5   3    29   17  +12    35
 4 Garbelia                            18    9   5   4    31   25   +6    32
 5 Valladares                          18    7   4   7    33   30   +3    25
 6 Eastfield Lodge                     18    6   6   6    38   36   +2    24
 7 Blouman Empire                      18    6   3   9    33   38   −5    21
 8 Torisakia                           18    6   2  10    42   44   −2    20
 9 Usanguk                             18    2   2  14    23   47  −24     8
10 Barhe                               18    1   2  15    17   51  −34     5

Final standings of Group 4, as of MD18

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Anyway, the next moment was on the 56th minute. This was a goal denied by weather. Yes, it was raining when the match was playing, so the pitch was very muddy. Luis Frawning went with a low drive shot, and as the ball went past Lucien Chamoun, it was going in. Except, the ball was stopped by the muddy field! Lucien proceeded to get up and pick up the ball with ease. I mean, what was this? Had it not been ranining Luis would probably have scored the damn equalizer! Anyway, it was a bit ridiculous, but the next one will probably blow your mind. On the 89th, Toriff Hicosia Algeer had proceeded to "dive" (although to be honest it was more of a slip, but Atheara takes chances) and Atheara got a penalty. Some of the Valladar players were pissed, and some were completely fine with it for some reason. Toriff shoots, and scores the equlizer with a chip, except the referee thinks Lucien Chamoun moved off the line too early, despite that everyone saw he didn't!

So, Toriff re-took the penalty, shooting it precisely to the top right. Lucien would this time save it. When the match ended, some Athearan fans, and even some of the players were in tears. Kristian Johansson, defensive coach of Atheara, had this to say. "Of course, everyone is sad. We tried hard, and we only got so far. But in the end, it doesn't even matter. I just hope for a better cycle next time, and all we can do now is look forward to the Cup of Harmony. If we get an invite that is." So, there you have it, a match full of everything. What can we do now? All we can do now is to accept fate, and hope for a Cup of Harmony aspiration, let's hope for what we can do later, and remember this cycle.

Atheara WCQ 89 Schedule
MD1: Atheara 1 vs 0 Eastfield Lodge   @Astena Stadium, Astena
MD2: Atheara 1 vs 0 Torisakia
MD3: Atheara 0 vs 0 Garbelia          @Rekozia Arena, Rekozia
MD4: Atheara 3 vs 0 Barhe
MD5: Atheara 3 vs 0 Usanguk           @Astena Stadium, Astena
MD6: Atheara 1 vs 5 Farfadillis     
MD7: Atheara 1 vs 1 Drawkland         @Rekozia Arena, Rekozia
MD8: Atheara 1 vs 1 Blouman Empire  
MD9: Atheara 2 vs 1 Valladares        @Astena Stadium, Astena

MD10: Atheara 3 vs 2 Eastfield Lodge 
MD11: Atheara 2 vs 1 Torisakia        @Rekozia Arena, Rekozia
MD12: Atheara 0 vs 1 Garbelia        
MD13: Atheara 1 vs 0 Barhe            @Rekozia Arena, Rekozia
MD14: Atheara 3 vs 0 Usanguk         
MD15: Atheara 0 vs 0 Farfadillis      @Astena Stadium, Astena
MD16: Atheara 6 vs 3 Drawkland       
MD17: Atheara 1 vs 1 Blouman Empire   @Rekozia Arena, Rekozia
MD18: Atheara 0 vs 1 Valladares

This outlet was written by Curtis Galheln - Ooderadzen, he has written 16 outlets.

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Other Recent ASON Outlets...
Football: What Should we Remember From This Cycle?
Chess: Carlos Devyn wins the Atheara National, Streamed Internationally.
Football: ASL Schedule After Atheara is Eliminated From CoH if Invited?

OOC: Sorry if it's too emotional or anything or if it sounds just absolutely trash, just wanting to try out more sad RPs. Also, sorry if it doesn't make any sense in one line.

[Sarzonia]

Sarzonia's national football team were playing for nothing but pride. They'd already been eliminated from contention for World Cup 89, and while Nathan Hanifer wasn't exactly coaching for his job, it was clear there wasn't much on the surface to play for but pride. Meanwhile, Græntfjall were already qualified, but had a shot to clinch an automatic berth into the proper without having to sweat out a two-leg playoff. They were two points clear of The Holy Empire with one match remaining, but The Holy Empire were playing unfancied, bottom of table Ostankin in their final match.

Hanifer sent out his full starting 11 and managed his team as if it were still in the fight for a trip to Tikariot or South Newlandia. The team played with the intensity Hanifer wanted from his charges and the result was a 2-1 victory over Græntfjall. Coupled with The Holy Empire's 1-0 dispatching of Ostankin, that allowed The Holy Empire to overtake Græntfjall for the Group 7 title and the automatic berth that came with it. As the other results poured in, it would turn out the Græntfjallers would still earn one of the six automatic berths given to the six best group runners up.

However, the Stars had done what they'd set out to do. They made a statement. They earned a signature victory behind two Jake Campos tallies. They'd played a role in how the Group 7 tables ended up. Even though they'd lost both matches against a Saltstead side that still falsely blamed Woodstock for its decision to become part of the traitorous breakaway Anaia region and finished third behind them in the Group 7 table, the fact was Sarzonia still finished with a winning record of 9-3-6. Their 30 points still ended up 13 behind Græntfjall and 14 behind The Holy Empire for the World Cup, but it was a far cry from the previous World Cup qualifying effort that saw Sarzonia only muster four victories.

"I wanted to see us play well, play hard, and play smart," Hanifer said. "I wanted us to treat this match as if we were playing Græntfjall for our right to qualify for the proper, and I'm pleased to see we did that." Even though forward Cayden Aguirre drew a caution for dissent after he was called offside on a third Campos goal that was called offside by the Dagan lineswoman. Even though Charlie King was booked for a vicious tackle Hanifer admitted afterwards likely should have drawn a direct red. Even though Stars captain Clayton Wilson got into a shouting match with his counterpart that forced the Dagan referee to separate the two players.

As for the other results, Hanifer said he was "saddened" to see Banija failed to qualify and Marcus Waters was out of a job as the Kadongo Kamu manager.

"I have great respect for Marcus and the programme he built in Busukuma," Hanifer said. "We may be rivals on the pitch, but we recognise a strong team, a strong programme, when we see one."

Hanifer wouldn't address reports that he was being asked to step aside so that the Incorporated Football Federation would interview Waters for the managerial role.

"That's above my pay grade," he said. "We're going to have our exit interviews with the players and the rest of the support staff, and I'm going to have one with the IFF and we'll see how that plays out." Hanifer said he was "in final stage talks" with former midfielder Brady Reynolds about becoming an assistant manager with the Stars. Reynolds had been the colour analyst on Stars radio broadcasts.

"I'd love to see Brady take on a role with this team again," he said. "We've missed him dearly on the pitch."

[Polkopia]

So Close But Yet...

So far, Polkopia's road to qualification was laid with uncertainty, as many fans had to ask themselves, is this too good to be true? Well, it turned out that Polkopia's qualification was just that, as a heartbreaking defeat in the final matchday against The Jovannic, a team which saw Polkopia win 7-4 at home, saw the Commonwealth of Baker Park clinch that coveted qualification spot after their well-earned win against Jerusalem, leaving Polkopia one point behind an automatic spot to the World Cup. Not all is lost for the Snovski though, as the team will still have another shot at qualifying to the tournament, but will have to advance through the playoffs first. Coach Dyakov had summoned his players to the training facility's lounge to watch the live draws for the playoffs. He had been under immense pressure from the domestic football governing body, and knew that it could very well mean his life if Polkopia did not deliver an excellent showing in their qualifiers. But, what exactly was an excellent run?

---

Coach Dyakov recalled his conversation, prior to the first matchday with President Samoylenko of the PFA. It was the only number he had saved on his personal phone from a person who was associated with football, because, well, he had to. He remembered sitting at home, drafting up the starting formation when he heard his phone ring. Looking at his phone, he felt his heart drop when he saw who was calling him. Whenever Samoylenko called, it was never good news, but to intentionally ignore his call could mean even worse news for Dyakov, depending on the situation. He took a deep breath and answered.

"Good evening, Nikita Valdimyrovyć, what can I do for you?" Dyakov said, his eyes still mulling over the piece of notebook paper he had scribbled Polkopia's starting XI on.

"Hello Stepan," Samoylenko said. His voice was as cold and raspy as ever, sending chills down Dyakov's spine evert time he spoke, "I'm very happy that you're taking charge of this little project. It wasn't an easy decision to rejoin the World Cup, but I think it's time everyone sees the splendor of Polkopian football once again, don't you agree?"

"Yes, of course. I'm honored that you chose me to fill this position, and I can guarantee that the multiverse will once again see what our boys are capable of." Dyakov said.

There was a brief pause on the phone and Dyakov heard a faint inhale over the phone. He assumed Samoylenko was taking a puff out of his cigarette, a habit that the President did at least a dozen times on a daily basis. "You guarantee it?" Samoylenko finally said, chuckling, "What exactly are you guaranteeing again?

"Well," Dyakov paused for a moment. He couldn't guarantee Polkopia would even qualify for the tournament, much less win the whole thing. His team was comprised of a bunch of domestic league amateurs that had no exposure to international football. Even he didn't really have the experience of coaching against other international teams, as the World Cup was his very first experience with coaching an international side. "The only thing I can guarantee you is that our team will make you proud and-"

"Don't bullshit me, Stepan!" Samoylenko hissed, "Do you think I'm an idiot? Polkopia's been absent from the international scene for years, the only thing we've ever done is that flimsy song competition, but it's time to harden our population up, to show our nation that being an athlete is the most glorious thing one can do for their nation. I don't want our men to grow up thinking they're only good for singing and prancing around a stage like glamorized princesses, I want them to grow up strong and capable, do you hear me? It's more than just a competition - it's a revolution."

Dyakov stayed silent for the longest time, hearing Samoylenko's harsh breathing over the phone as if he was sitting next to him and exhaling right into his ear. He could almost taste that vile tobacco taste that Samoylenko seemed to enjoy so much and nearly suffocated on this imaginary haze emanating around the room.

"Listen, Stepan," Samoylenko said, "I'm not expecting you to win the damn thing, alright? Just don't make a fool out of our nation because everybody will be watching."

Dyakov nodded, "Yes, sir, I understa-"

"No I don't think you do, dear Stepan Alekzandrović." Samoylenko interrupted him. Even over the phone, the clear impatience Samoylenko had was transmitting far too transparently through his voice and Dyakov had no choice but to sit there and listen to every word Samoylenko said. "Do you know where I am now?"

Dyakov paused for a moment and shook his head. "No, sir, I don't."

Samoylenko chuckled, "I won't tell you where I am, but I'm in the company of some very important people. Some very dangerous people, some might say, but I'd like to think of them more as close friends of mine. I can see where you are though, your cabin in the mountains that I paid for, away from civilization, just like you requested, yes, I can see you quite clearly Mr. Dyakov."

Dyakov froze in his chair, not daring to even turn around. What did he just say?

Samoylenko continued, "But the point I'm trying to make my dear friend, is that my friends and I will be watching you very closely, and we will, of course, be watching these football matches very closely. I really would not like it if our beloved football team disappointed us, Stepan, because that would make us very, very upset. Sometimes, when people get upset, they do things they wouldn't normally do, hurt people they wouldn't normally hurt, and so on. I think you understand what my position is on this matter, am I correct here?"

"Y-yes sir." Dyakov's mouth was bone-dry and felt his hands start to quiver in his seat. He still felt as if though he couldn't move, as if someone, or something, grabbed ahold of him and wouldn't let him go until Samoylenko's voice stopped.

"I'm glad. Because I really do like you, Stepan, and I hope you do well. Please do not disappoint me, friend, and I'll be sure to reward you for your efforts. I'll leave you to it though, because I'm sure you're very busy. Just remember this little talk we had when you're out on the pitch then, won't you?" Samoylenko laughed and the line was suddenly cut. Dyakov threw his phone on his bed behind him and buried his face in his hands. The first match was in two days and there was already so much riding on this game, Dyakov couldn't think straight.

---

[Xanneria]

It's over!
excerpt from http://www.xtrasports.xan/blogpost.htm

XANNERIA - Well here we are guy, the Qualifiers are done with. 3-1 lose to a team that literally sniped the controversial CAFA tournament. The Autonomous Vessel Nation or as it is known in footballing circles Aut-Ves-Nat. A team that won the newest major tournament but that fresh Anian air wasn't there for them this qualifiers as they fell to a 3-3-11 record before the match up with us. While this hasn't been the best Xanneria qualifier the team still could go out with a bang. Sadly the bang was the maroons invertible self-immolation. A 3-1 loss to AVN sees the Maroons in probably their worst Qualifying position since Cycle 82, the cycle they came off of the BoF victory. The team looked flat there in Dominica and as the official team blogger for XTRA Sports im supposed to give my opinion, but honestly I don't think XTRA could handle it, even if my editor has already said go for it.

A-V-N took control early and often, two of the three goals they scored were in the first half. A screaming 25 yard snipe shot at minute 20, by a Luigi Firmo who had snuck behind the Xannerian defense showed just how choatic this had gotten after the loss to Jeruselem. The next goal was a 37 minute goal by Quan Ding] a subsititute player who had been put in after a turf monster took care of Hesediel the Warrior and he stumbled off the field. A Penelty kick by Kyle Falcon gave the team hope after a sketchy penalty was called but hey, sketch or not we'll take the PK. But alas the second half was one of the most frustrating, most boring, second halves i've seen, and in the end a Firmo goal sent the AVN team to a 3-1 victory in Xanneria.

My time with the team and final thoughts
excerpt from http://www.bloggersblogging.xan/the_sportsballer.htm

Man that is one of the most frustrating ends to a qualifier. I'm so glad to get this opportunity, but man this was a test in patience> I've been watching these guys since I was 10 and now pushing 40 I can say without a doubt this is the worst Qualifiers we've had, at least cycle 82 we we're new and had not been facing real compitition yet, but man this gonna be a weird flight to Zwang and Sylestone. I know my editor said I could lash intot he team, but frankly I like lashing in here better, I really dont want to be mean on a public level. Man this is gonna be a weird Cup of Harmony, SWEN looks like the better team of Virginians right now. Jayson as big of an asshole as he is, is out coaching Myrone right now I hope coach Rhule gets his act together. At least with being with the team now I don't have to listen to those political adds about the elections coming up. Man I really don't know whats going on in Rushmore but that Niwana Kitara place looks insane. I hope we can stay out of that mess like we are now. Man I'm just so down on this team, I know this blog get looks but thanks for reading my rants guys!

A-V-N - 3
Firmo 20' 63'
Ding] 37'

XANNERIA - 1
Falcon 48' (PK)

[Hapilopper]

Capital Stadium, Hapilopper City
After World Cup 89 Qualifying Match 18: Hapilopper 3-1 Mytanija
There weren’t many places where 4th place felt like a victory. But in Capital Stadium, Team Hapilopper felt that 4th place to be a huge victory, alright. The Haps had just beaten the Mytanars 3-1 in a match that not many people paid attention to. The Mytanars had clinched the group and a spot in the World Cup proper. The Haps were eliminated from contention some time ago, and most of the 66,000 seats in Capital Stadium were empty on this Sunday afternoon. Only about 15,000 fans came out to watch the match, which appeared to go Hapilopper’s way from start to finish.

But those 15,000 fans at the stadium were paying attention, not just to the match, but to how Team Hapilopper had improved so much over the course of the campaign. Without any sort of exaggeration, it’s safe to say the team was pretty horrid when the World Cup qualifying got started. But the team improved, they gelled into a more cohesive unit, and they became more comfortable with each other. Even Nathan Ellis set himself into his position as team captain with ease, which surprised many.

And the fans were watching the out-of-town scoreboard. There was a good chance the Haps could wind up finishing in the top half of the 10-team group, which, at the start of the qualifying campaign, seemed impossible to believe. Sure, Mytanija, Siovanija and Teusland and Poafmersia were out of reach, but Hapilopper could finish, potentially, 4th place in the group, but all they needed was a win and for the Sarian and Hebitaka to have less-than-optimal results. And you know what?

The Haps got it.

It took a hat trick from Peter Robson and some shrewd goalkeeping from Billy Solomon to keep the score the way the Haps wanted it, as well as some sweet defending from Jerold Dickman, Nate Ellis, Ace Boone and Lewis Pryor. All four players had gelled into a defensive unit to watch out for in the future, and Nathan was so proud of his fellow defensemen.

In the locker room, after the match, Nathan addressed his teammates, who were delighted to wrap up this World Cup qualifying effort on a high note. Even if they didn’t qualify.

“You know something? I think we won,” Nathan said. “Are we in the World Cup? No. But I think we’ve shown a lot of the doubters something in these last few weeks. We’re not dead. We’re here to stay. And quite frankly, I want this unit – ALL of us, not just one or two or three of us – to stick together. Because we’re better together. We’ve shown the rest of the multiverse that we’re better as a unit if we stick together. We’ve got a hell of a lot of momentum, and we’ve got a hell of a lot of great energy moving forward to the Cup of Harmony. At least, I’m assuming we’re going to be there, but we’ve got a lot of great energy moving forward.”

Nathan looked around at his teammates and at the executives of Team Hapilopper. Everyone had a smile on their face.

“There’s a little something that needs to be said for working together as a unit,” Nathan continued. “I know we’ve had some troubles this go-round. Probst, I know you and I were at each other’s throats a few weeks ago. You said something that, quite frankly, you were concerned about, and I understand why. And I said my piece, we had an airing of grievances and we were better for it. We didn’t leave it bottled up and then split apart in some dumbass mic-drop moment. We worked our differences out.”

Dom nodded his head, but wondered why Nathan was calling him out right now.

“But you see, that motivated this team,” Nathan explained. “Rather than splitting apart and fracturing what we have here, we took that little bit of trouble and it motivated us to be better. We worked our differences out, as a team, and we went out and kicked ass. We’re better together. Splitting ourselves apart would have only hurt us. So, yeah, let’s stick together. All of us. I want ALL of us here, as a unit, moving forward. Cup of Harmony? We win together and we lose together as a unit. World Cup 90? Hell yeah. Together. As a brotherhood. None of us are quitting. Splitting a group apart only does more harm than good, whether it’s a team like us, or whether it’s, I don’t know, a region.”

Dom raised his eyebrow a bit and smirked.

“I could go into that a little bit further, and quite frankly I want to,” Nathan said with a chuckle, “but quite frankly, I don’t want to hold you, and I’m hungry. Now let’s all go get some tacos.”

The story of Team Hapilopper was not over. It was not over. It was just beginning. And Team Hapilopper, as a unit, was bound and determined like never before to go out there and win ballgames. Come Cup of Harmony time, the team was going to be a dangerous side, especially with Nathan Ellis firing the troops up.

[Sarzonia]

The exit interview went well enough for Hanifer. Zack Wilson went over the team's record and was pleased with the team's marked improvement from its World Cup 88 qualifying record.

The Stars improved from a team that could barely scrape together four victories under Hanifer's former boss Nicola Mentes to a team that won nine out of its 18 matches. Three draws ensured that Sarzonia would finish qualifying with a winning record and score more goals than their opponents. The team also earned a hard-fought 4-4 draw at home to The Holy Empire and defeated a Græntfjall side that ultimately directly punched its ticket for the World Cup proper, but was still fighting for the Group 7 title.

That was the good news. There were a few areas of concern that the former striker brought up. Namely, a porous defence that conceded 33 goals in 18 matches, coming close to an average of two goals conceded per match. Even an offence that scored 43 goals for a figure just south of 2.5 goals per match wasn't enough to justify the high number of goals conceded. Hanifer responded to that feedback by asserting his team would be better defensively in World Cup 90 qualifying by sheer nature of its improvement in this cycle. If, as some media projections suggest, the Stars compete in the Cup of Harmony, they'll have an opportunity to improve their ranking further and potentially challenge for a spot in the proper.

Wilson noted the negotiations with Brady Reynolds to come back as an assistant manager were in the final stages with a smile.

"We're in dotting the is and crossing the ts mode right now," is how he put it to the press and to Hanifer. "I'm confident we'll get a deal done there."

"There is one other thing, though," Wilson said before he gave the signal to Hanifer that the exit interview had drawn to its conclusion.

"What's that?"

"The application to join GOOFI. Did you send it to the offices?"

"No," Hanifer said as his eyebrows furrowed. "I thought we'd discussed it and we decided we weren't taking part in it."

"Yes, we came to that agreement, but we still were supposed to send an application to them," Wilson said. "Like you'd send an RSVP even if you weren't planning to attend something." Wilson shook his head and the easy smile he'd had for most of the interview turned into a more serious expression. Hanifer's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Was this really serious enough for Wilson to question him on it?

"Look, Nathan," Wilson said. "I can appreciate your discomfort with cuddling, as you put it," Wilson said. "But not everyone thinks the same way. You may have a player or two on your team who would love the opportunity to hang out and be friends with people in The Holy Empire. It doesn't have to be you.

"At the very least, you could have done The Holy Empire the simple courtesy of sending the application back with your intent to not participate," Wilson said. "I'm rather disappointed you didn't see fit to do that."

Hanifer drew in his breath and exhaled. "Is there anything else?"

"Not unless you have anything you'd like to add."

Hanifer considered expressing his disappointment that this would be the major sticking point of his exit interview and debriefing following the team's elimination from World Cup qualifying. He could have said a few other things about the team's support or lack thereof from the IFF. But he opted not to.

"I don't. Thank you, Mr. Wilson." The two men bumped fists, Hanifer stood up and walked out of Wilson's office.

After Hanifer made it back to his car, he looked at his phone. There was a message from his agent saying that Banija was looking for applications for national team manager after they'd let Marcus Waters go.

"Tell them I'm interested," Hanifer texted back.

"OK," came the response. "I'll send them the notification right now."

[Alasdair I Frosticus]

Dear Mr Hanifer,

Hi there! It's me, Shet-Niggurath, the Pony in the Fields With a Thousand Haggis Young! We met a couple of times during World Cup qualifying.

I just wanted to write to you on behalf of all of the bounce-buddies on the Holy Empire's World Cup 89 squad for masterminding that 2–1 over Graintfjall that allowed us to top the group by the skin of our teeth on the final table. Boy o boy that was a close run thing - and if it hadn't been for my own 91st minute headed winner off a corner against Ostankin, even that wouldn't have been enough. I've never scored a goal before! I'm usually too busy defending! So that was a super-exciting moment for me, and not just because it meant we topped the group!

I like exclamation marks too! They really pep up the page! I'm sure you agree!

Anyway, I know you don't really want to join GOOFI, and I'm a bit sad that you never sent in the paperwork to confirm it - but I just want you to know that I'm really, really grateful. And Shet-Niggurath knows how to show gratitude.

So I just want you to know that you're always welcome on my remote wild island home for jam and clotted cream (all applied in the correct order), Forfar bridies, and Scotch pies! And because I'm so super grateful, I'm also going to guarantee you a lifetime's supply of super-yummy haggis! I'm arranging for the first delivery tomorrow, and you'll get a new delivery of haggis every week for the rest of your life, no matter where you travel. Even unto the end of time! Even if you end up in Banija!

There's no need to thank me; I just want you to know that Shet-Niggurath knows how to show gratitude to her friends - for all eternity.

Sincerely Yours,

Shet-Niggurath, the Pony in the Fields With a Thousand Haggis Young


Note to self: remember to write letter of welcome to our new GOOFI friends in Kelssek tomorrow

[TJUN-ia]

By Peter Davis

FT: St Trinians 2-1 Sargossa
FT: Turori 4-0 TJUN-ia (Mungwaii 18', Diijelhma 26', 56', 78')

Welp. That is that.

St Trinians did their job but we could not...a summary of our WCQ dreams thus far.

The Jaguars were destroyed in front of the world...and for the 2nd time in a row, would finish 3rd in their group.

For Jeff Donaldson, he won't get his WC after all. A few others will announce their retirements in due course.

So...onto another CoH we go...where we must say goodbye to some legends and hope to give them a final trophy to cap it all off with.

GO JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group 13)
MD1: @Pyazhnaya (181) - Krasnograd Dome, Krasnograd D 3-3 (T-4th)
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD2: vs Ranoria (79) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City W 3-2 (4th)
MD3: @Hispinas (126) - Estadio Nacional en el Castill, Mandrid D 2-2 (T-3rd)
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD4: @Milchama (220) D 0-0 (5th)
MD5: vsSargossa (41) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky L 0-2 (6th)
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD6: @Sevenida (UR) - Seven Stadium, Seven W 2-0 (3rd)
MD7: vs Raspotochje (336) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong W 3-2 (3rd)
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD8: @St Trinians (97) - National Stadium, Searle L 1-4 (5th)
MD9: vs Turori (2) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City W 2-1 (4th/4-3-2/15pts/+0GD/UWC Holders)
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD10: vs Pyazhnaya (181) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky W 5-2 (4th/UWC Holders)
MD11: @Ranoria (79) - Smith Field, Richardson D 0-0 (4th/UWC Holders)
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD12: vs Hispinas (126) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong W 5-3 (3rd/UWC Holders)
MD13: vs Milchama (220) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong W 3-0 (3rd/UWC Holders)
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD14: @Sargossa (41) - Independienté, Goza L 3-4 (4th)
MD15: vs Sevendia (UR) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky W 4-2 (4th)
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD16: @Raspotochje (336) W 4-2 (3rd)
MD17: vs St Trinians (97) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City W 6-1 (3rd/need to win and STT to beat SAR to qualify)
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD18: @Turori (2) - Cednia Beach Center, Cednia L 0-4 (3rd/10-4-4/34pts/+12GD/Eliminated)

[Audioslavia]

A (thankfully cut short) silly song about qualifying
Set to the tune of "I am the very model of a modern major general"

Starblaydia are top of ONE and Murderbum are bottoming
A line that’s no doubt getting some Quebec-ish shoulders wobbling
And Sharktail are wrestling
With Chartistan, Reçueçn
This group of death is hairier than yetis soaked in Kerotin

In TWO there is a Geisenfried returning from the past again
They debuted many years ago and come back every now and then
HUElavia have found their fame
By fucking up the final game
Brenecia are top again, Squidroidia’s a silly name

In THREE there is a team that speak the language of a champion
But somehow the Vilitans failed 101 Mertagnian
And Nyowani Kitara
Are feeling even bitterer
It seems that in this iteration all the rest were fitterer

In FOUR there is a band of old Bloumanian Imperials
Who draw their inspiration from so many RL serials
They missed a proper noun
Which caused the multiverse to frown
It seems the only way is down unless you’re feeling Farfadillian

The Legalites were gonna host another Cup of Harmony
To host the cup of also-rans (The Ko-orenites, the Darmeni)
But RL came a-calling
And Sendhang gave them a mauling
They’re pretty far from Valanoring who themselves were not maraudering

In SIX there is a tragedy that’s totally Shakesperian
The failure of the boys from Al Qurija and Ancherion
After all the early hope here
They’re next to Felinetopia
They’re living in Dystopia, and fewer teams are ropier

Equestria’s a pony team, and nothing could be Ponier
Than modern football’s poor interpretation of Sarzonia
They used to be the champions
They lose to the Acastanhans
A couple of ex-champs will soon be watching for a sofa

Covello must be feeling sick but nothing could be iller than
A pair of mediocre teams controlled by Aston Villa fans
They’re positively middling
In many ways are piddling
If they want to qualify they’ll have to get themselves a-biddling.

In NINE the likes of Huayramarca, Kalactin and Eraman
Were hoping they could strike some fear in Lidl’s Own Brenecians
But them, along with Delaclava
Apparently they all would rather
Settle down and watch another Mondial on television

In TEN there were so many teams who maybe could have won the Copa
Sarian and Hebitaka, Tatty-scones and Hapilopper
At the very end
To South Newlandia we’d send
Two scary little friends in Mytanija and Teusland

Harmoniously dropping in the secondary tournament
Likely as the winning nation rather than an ornament
Oh what happened to Banija
We thought you were a feature
I really much beseech you: How did Zwangy beat you?

TWELVE, like Kimi-suomi, it was all about the Finnish
It was sad how all those winning chances so quickly diminished
Oh god I hate this so much I can’t go on. I can’t. Jesus there are just so many words.

Bulls Take the L
Audioslavia to play their fiftieth World Cup

With no Poafmersians to spoil the party, the Audioslavian national team will play their football on the grandest stage for the fiftieth time. While no means a record, it's a milestone for a team who, despite mixed fortunes in recent times, have consistently found a way to battle through some uncompromising qualifying groups.

A single defeat to Electrum, a side whose own form pendulumed back and forth throughout qualifying, is the only blemish on the record of Rohan Cammers so far, with the Apoxian having now set his sights on getting his side to reach the heights of its own third-place finish in the last cycle.

Banija, the side the team team beat into fourth place last time out, have confounded the world by somehow failing to make it to the big dance, and will surely have to content themselves with what will almost certainly be a triumph in the Cup of Harmony

[Eshialand]

Finish on a High Note!
Kiltoch 0-4 Eshialand

Leave it to the friggin' Owls to end every single group stage and every single qualifiers with a WTF moment.

In the Baptism of Fire, that WTF came in the form of just barely scraping out a draw against the United States of Sonindia, and only by inches. If they had lost, they would've missed the playoffs, never to see the trophy. In World Cup 88 Qualifying, despite that whole campaign being a total clusterduck, they drew the Squornshelan Remnant States 4-4. Here's your daily reminder that SRS qualified that cycle. Then, in the Cup of Harmony that cycle, they beat Kandorith by an unbelievable score of 3-1. Kandorith haven't lost a single match since on their way to qualifying for World Cup 89.

As for the IAC... we don't talk about it. We do talk about the Eagle's Cup, however, and that ended in a draw... against Turori. How? Maybe it was the cocoabo. Sure, she was the starting goalkeeper for the Cocoabo Forest National Team in the CAFA Cup, but she couldn't have been as good as a human, right? Right?

One thing that couldn't be known entering the final match of World Cup 89 Qualifying, one that didn't matter whatsoever in the grand scheme of things, but that mattered in the hearts and minds of Eshians everywhere. Yes, even the ones who committed the grand betrayal of emigrating to Atheara. Scum of the earth, you...

So, what would wind up happening? How would the Owls finish their second attempt at qualifying? I'll let the scoreline speak for itself.

Kiltoch - 0
Eshialand - 4 (MacDougall 19'; Habisbrauer 32'; Harran 65'; Meilling 78')

Yeah, I'd say they went out with a bang. See ya next year, WCQ.

[Torisakia]

By Jed Merrill

Torisakia to disband national association football team

11th July 2021

Torisakia Association Soccer & Football Alliance (TASFA) President Frank Crewe announced this afternoon that the Torisakia national association football team would be disbanded immediately following the conclusion of World Cup 89. Crewe explained that the reasoning for the team's disbandment was due to "constant lack of performance, constant lack of fan interest, and large financial issues". This announcement comes during the tail end of another disappointing showing by Torisakia in the World Cup, their first since the international game ban was lifted last month. This edition of the World Cup for Torisakia has seen the lowest attendance numbers ever. The highest attended game for Torisakia during this event came in their first home match against Atheara at Tokai Memorial Stadium, which held a crowd of 71,513. The lowest attended match was against Valladares at Mustang Alley, where only 14,394 people attended. This dwindling attendance has led to severe financial issues for the team, which has also contributed to the lack of performance.

Many concerns were raised over the disbanding of the team, namely in terms of players' contracts. Crewe explained that each player would be paid their full salary for the remaining years on their contracts even after the team is disbanded. Outside of salary, no player would be legally bound to anything in their contract. Any players who had been signed to the team but was not officially part of the squad prior to the World Cup will be reimbursed or pay their full contract salary if they had already signed a contract. As a result of the disbandment, Torisakia will not be participating in the Cup of Harmony, which is the tournament for those teams that did not qualify for the World Cup. Crewe stated that all these actions would be effective at 12:00pm on July 16th, the day after the final World Cup matchday for Torisakia. The remainder of the team's friendlies that were schedule have been terminated and opponent teams refunded. Contracts to play in specific stadiums have also been terminated and hosting clubs refunded.

When asked if the national team would ever come back, Crewe stated "[it's] not out of the realm of possibility, but it isn't likely for at least the next three or so years". This decision has raised questions about the effect the death penalty, which was applied to all Torisakia national teams at the beginning of the year, had on the state of the national association football team. A TASFA spokesperson told GBN Torisakia that "[these] issues have been apparent for the past few years. This wasn't something that just occurred this year". Television viewership numbers have shown that sports such as gridiron football and basketball have appealed more to Torisakians on an international scale than association football, matching with the low viewership numbers for national association team games compared to those of national gridiron and basketball teams. While association football is still a popular sport domestically, Torisakians have long moved past touting the sport internationally. A GBN Torisakia poll asked readers if they agreed or disagreed with the decision to disband the national association football team. Of the readers polled, 88% voted "agree" with many of the comments pointing out that more money would be saved and embarrassment will be avoided for all Torisakians.

[Tumbra]

Ottoman Syldavia 1 - 4 Tumbra

TMB (4-2-3-1): 1 - John Lennon; 2 - Ryan Hughes, 4 - Ian Ashburn, 14 - Louis Paterson (36 - Stephen Kerr, 75'), 3 - Chris Carter; 40 - Trudy Harrison, 8 - Craig McGrath (6 - Vincent Hicks, 84'), 10 - Phil Cole (5 - Harry Henderson, 81'); 17 - George Hilton, 9 - Robin Vaughn; 22 - Nick Riordan

TMB scorers: Robin Vaughn (16', 33', 84'); Phil Cole (53')

Player of the Match: Robin Vaughn (TMB)

POLITICS ROUNDUP — GRANGER GOES PINK; FIRST PROJECTION FOR 2025 ELECTION RELEASED; McDERMOTT, EDWARDS FORM PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS

Cressida Granger Leaves the Social Democratic Party and Joins the Progressives

STRATON - In what seems to be a never-ending tide of change in Tumbran politics, this week has thrown up even more surprises; with the news that Cressida Granger, the anointed successor of long-time SDP leader Peter Saunders, is leaving the Social Democratic Party and joining the newly-founded Progressive Party. In a short statement released after the move, Ms. Granger, the MP for Penhurst, said that she was "disappointed by the conduct of the Social Democratic Party, attempting to stymie my desire for reform at every turn," and that "the party and I have fundamentally arrived at a fork in the road, and they have chosen a path I cannot follow."

According to a source within Parliament, Ms. Granger had long been "dissatisfied" at the SDP party leadership, which she thought was too "angled towards the old voter demographic"; and that recent events, including some comments made by party leader Peter Saunders on abortion and "woke" leftism rendered her future in the party "inadmissible."

The Progressives welcomed Ms. Granger's addition to the party, which takes their numbers to 24 in the House of Representatives. Interim Party leader Marc Denney said that "the addition of Ms. Granger to the Progressive caucus brings another voice committed to the progressive left, making us stronger in any regard." He was spotted, later, at a luncheon with Ms. Granger, evidently discussing policy and other matters at the Ritz in Straton.

It is unknown whether Ms. Granger will launch a bid for the leadership of the party. On one hand, the three-term MP (first elected in 2013) was seen when she entered as the future of the hard left; on the other, her association with the SDP may have tarnished her image with a party that is mostly made up of former Labour members. Her fiery speaking style both inside and outside of Parliament, and her relative youth — just 28 when she was elected — immediately marked her out as a leader of the new constituency of disaffected, largely urban, young voters that were dissatisfied with Labour. The SDP took advantage of this by co-opting her into the central executive committee of the party merely a year after she was elected — in her acceptance speech, she spoke of "a great wave of new supporters" for the then-fringe party, which had struggled to break the million-vote barrier for five successive elections beforehand.

And it worked. The party elected its third MP in 2017, Noel Cramner in Straton; while he had been elected off the back of the SDP's new constituency, he trended towards the more conservative branch of the party. Yet Granger urged the party to "work together" for the common good of democratic socialism, the party's professed ideology. But it was soon evident that the party merely wished to piggyback off Granger's popularity.

The rise of the Progressives changed all that; with the young voters now having an alternative party that would actually listen to them, the SDP dropped its progressive facade; and embraced social conservatism once more. Granger therefore naturally faced no choice and had to leave the SDP; it simply was not her party anymore. In joining the Progressives, she has to now work her way with people formerly of Labour; the SDP's historical rivals.

Yet it is her fiery style of speech, her inspiring oratory, that could bring more people over to the Progressives' side - and that places her well to become the Progressives' first leader. The benefit of being an MP in a small party is that they naturally get more screen-time; and Ms. Granger utilised that time well. Not many of the Labour MPs who defected were well-known by the general public before their defection; and even after their defection, this is all they are known for. The public, for better or worse, knows what Ms. Granger stands for. They know this because of her frequent television appearances, her appearances at protests up and down the country crying out for justice, regardless of whether it is for Ha'Yaroki treatment of the Akhdari population within their borders, protests over the cost of rent or, more recently, anti-Northlands protests. And in this newly-crowded political sphere, where the Progressives have numbers but not clout, that Ms. Granger may become their saving grace.

To become their leader, however, she will have to navigate a party which has been historically unfriendly to the SDP. But this is not Labour anymore; and in the first leadership election, to be held soon, she might very well become the Progressives' leader.

Related Articles
Why The Senate Has Been Remarkably Resistant To Political Change
Labour's Biggest Mistake Might Be Letting The Progressives Go
Profile: Cressida Granger

First Projections for the 2025 Federal Election

COUNO - The Couno Herald and the Tumbran Broadcasting Corporation have teamed up once more to release seat projections alongside opinion polls for the next federal election, due in little over eighteen months. With the great number of new parties on the political landscape, predicting the two-party preferred vote is nearly impossible; the numbers projected here are merely first preference votes.

This initial projection would see Labour continue to hold onto their majority - albeit a much reduced one - while the Liberal/National coalition would crawl back over 200 seats. Their combined first preference vote total of 34%, however, as compared to Labour's much reduced 36%, reflects Labour's ability to spread their vote out over a wider geographical distribution, as well as their ability to get more preference flows; be it from the Moderates, Greens or Progressives, who may not necessarily agree with Labour over the big issue of the day - the Northlands - but are at least sympathetic to Labour's stance on economic issues. The compulsory-preferential voting system Tumbra utilises also makes it inevitable that votes flow somewhere. More often than not they flow into Labour's bracket, highlighting how the big two parties still hold sway over the political scene in Tumbra, despite their combined vote total only hitting 70%.

The Moderates are set to lose seven seats; their lack of noise over pertinent issues of the day has cost them dearly, and Hannah Slater's continued refusal to resign has also cost them. The Progressives, however, stand out for them losing nearly two-thirds of their seats; though this can partly be attributed to the seats that the MPs occupy are largely solid Labour territory.

McDermott, Edwards Form Provincial Governments

Thursday saw the formations of only the second and third non-Labour or Liberal state governments in the history of Tumbra, when Brian McDermott of the Christian Union was sworn in as Premier of Pesvern, while Charis Edwards was sworn in as the Premier of Bencoolen. The two managed to reach agreements with the Conservative Party and the Moderate Party respectively, giving them the respective majorities needed to become Premiers of the two states.

For both the Labour and Liberal parties, it hammers home the reality; they are no longer the primary political parties of choice any more.

McDermott promised a "back to basics" approach to government in his inauguration speech, the 72 year-old focusing on what his party would do in the first 100 days of his administration to "set Pesvern on the right course". He, uniquely, is not the leader of the party — the first time a Premier of a state has also not concurrently served as the Secretary-General of the state's party, and may set a precedent for future elections; where political party candidates for Premier may not necessarily be the leaders of their parties. It is, after all, not enshrined in the Constitution that the leader of the party has to be Prime Minister; it is just a matter of convention. He enters a coalition agreement with the Conservatives; their leader Charles Prentice will become deputy Premier in McDermott's government.

Ms. Edwards, on the other hand, proclaimed "a new dawn" for Bencoolen, and intends to fulfill "every single promise" the Green Party made during its election campaign. It remains to be seen, however, whether this will bring her into conflict with the centrist Moderates; who have known to be relatively reluctant to increase government spending. The agreement between the Moderates and Greens, however, is merely a confidence and supply one; and certain members of the Labour caucus have signalled their intent to vote with the Greens on certain issues.

A new era of Tumbran politics has dawned. But what it will bring, nobody really knows.

TUMBRA vs INDEPENDENT ATHLETES FROM QUEBEC - WORLD CUP 89, PLAYOFFS, LEG 1 @ TUMBRAN NATIONAL STADIUM, STRATON

Starters: 1 - John Lennon; 2 - Ryan Hughes, 4 - Ian Ashburn, 5 - Harry Henderson, 19 - Russell White; 40 - Trudy Harrison, 6 - Vincent Hicks, 10 - Phil Cole; 17 - George Hilton, 9 - Robin Vaughn; 22 - Nick Riordan

Bench: 13 - Nick Barker; 18 - Jacob Keene, 14 - Louis Paterson, 36 - Stephen Kerr, 3 - Chris Carter; 8 - Craig McGrath, 15 - Alan Morgan, 38 - Leo Hooper; 7 - Neil Fraser, 21 - Lynne Crossley; 11 - Marcus Sheldon, 44 - Nigel Erskine

[Squidroidia]

"Any updates on the Le Choix game, Rose?"

"No change in the scoreboard, as far as I know HUElavia can't get a shot to save their lives! It's STILL 0-0 with only a couple more minutes in regular time, and as things stand, Squidroidia will finish 2nd!"

"Unbelievable, unbelievable. When I first got to the booth when Squidroidia were at the Euro Cup, we couldn't dream of making the World Cup, and now with one minute left in normal time, the dream might be happening right now! Squidroidia lead by two goals to zero against Geisenfried and Le Choix have played the role of spoiler brilliantly! If this result stays the same, the Inklings of Adam Johnson are 180 minutes away from their first World Cup! 50,000 fans inside the Inkopolis City Stadium, millions more watching at home, waiting on pins and needles to have it confirmed!"

"...HUElavia have only a few seconds to change everything before their fate is sealed... Time's running out for them, I can feel the energy radiating from here! And THAT is the full time whistle. HUElavia have done all they could but it just wasn't enough! Squidroidia certainly are finishing 2nd!"

"15 seconds remaining here in Inkopolis, Geisenfried can't come back, it's almost written in the stars! Hideo, passing back to Tetsuo, lumps it back to Shingen, time expiring... YES! SQUIDROIDIA ARE 2 GAMES AWAY FROM QUALIFYING FOR THE WORLD CUP! A CAVALCADE OF EMOTIONS BURSTING OUT INTO A SEA OF CELEBRATION! IT IS NOT OVER YET!!"

As the full time whistle blew in Inkopolis, the Squidroidian bench cleared out, Johnson leading the line as they went to party with the players who were on the field. It was not over yet, as much as the Inklings thought it was over. With the Geisenfried players heading back to the locker room, Johnson and company could only look at the fans that cheered them on ever since Mito and his boys stepped into Omerica for their first major tournament, smiling at them, singing about them. One Night in Inkopolis.

"I've just received word from the World Cup Committee up in Banija, all the results have come in, all the tables are set, and Squidroidia will play quite the tricky opponent to determine who makes it to Tikariot and South Newlandia."

The scoreboard lit up just behind them, and the team had a look.

"NEXT GAME - SQUIDROIDIA VS VILITA, WORLD CUP 89 PLAYOFF LEG 1. INKOPOLIS."

The Jungle Cats were coming to town.

---

Theme music

"180 minutes away from their first World Cup appearance in their history. Inkopolis has been on a fever pitch ever since Squidroidia confirmed 2nd place in their group on a wild final day, but this team knows that business isn't over, in fact we have reached the business end of qualification! 26 spots have been decided already, but 6 more are up for grabs over 12 thrilling matches to determine the final 32 in Tikariot and South Newlandia! Their opponents, however, are a name to be feared, fearing that they will miss out on the last 32 for the first time in what seems like forever - The 5 time champion Jungle Cats of Vilita touch down for a do-or-die tie.

"Hello and welcome to Leg 1 of the World Cup 89 qualification playoffs here in Inkopolis, my name is Takanaki Osa, and I am joined in the booth by one Rose Golden. Rose, how are you?"

"Ever since leaving Le Choix I've been feeling good! 2 games away from making the journey of a lifetime!"

"It's 2 games that Squidroidians might never forget if they do squeeze through, but their opponent isn't one to scoff at. Vilita, the Jungle Cats, the 18th best ranked team according to the WCC heading into tonight, 5 time World Cup champions, one of only 3 teams to ever have the honor, are fighting for their lives just to qualify now. They haven't won a World Cup since going back to back in New City and Raynor City for editions 81 and 82 and have not made it past the groups in 87 and 88 under manager Cavuna Aquafek, they fell back to 2nd behind an incredible Kandorith team who qualified for the 7th time and their first since 86 who, on the final matchday mind you, beat the Jungle Cats in a 6-5 thriller at the Empress Masumi Stadium. Things are looking rough for Vilita, and that begs the question, who will they replace Aquafek with if things don't go the way Vilita want it to be, either in the playoff here or at the main tournament?"

"The most obvious answer has to be, according to the Vilitans, Purapal Eskiiy, Di Bradini Cup winner and perhaps the most qualified manager for the role, but we'll have to wait and see, maybe someone else from the V-League takes his place if he does get sacked, but it's too early to tell now. We have a lot of football to go and this is Aquafek's biggest test yet, if he loses, it's all over for him as the manager of Vilita."

"As for Adam Johnson, manager of Squidroidia, what is running through his head now?"

"He clearly isn't satisfied with making the playoff round. As manager of Barunia, he has gone to World Cups before and he so desperately needs to prove that he still has it. He's been to the IAC final in Muralos with this team, he has guided them to the later matchdays in qualification last cycle, he might have that hiccup against Murphtannia in the Cup of Harmony but he is an amazing manager. I think the SFA will keep him at least until the 90s come around, and if he makes the World Cup and beats this Vilita side, it will be a huge addition to his CV."

"Not as much as that Cup of Harmony 77 final appearance, right?"

"Surely not, unless Squidroidia gets to the knockout stages. Highly doubt it, but we've seen stranger things before."

"Well I love hearing from you Rose, when we come back, the starting lineups for both teams."

---

STARTING XI - SQUIDROIDIA VS VILITA, WCQ 89 PLAYOFF LEG 1

Manager - Adam Johnson
Formation - 4-3-1-2
#1 - Takemoto Shingen (GK)
#60 - Florianne Meeuwessen (LB)
#3 - Umezaki Moronobu (CB)
#4 - Muto Toki (CB)
#14 - Tomatsu Kane (RB)
#8 - Kabuto Tadataka (DM)
#20 - Yoneda Toshikuni (CM)
#7 - Takara Ashihei (CM)
#10 - Shiba Tetsuo (AM)
#11 - Makino Hideo (ST)
#9 - Sho Itō (ST)

Bench

#12 - Kaede Akiyama (GK)
#15 - Baldric Bertolini (CB)
#2 - Yoichi Shigeko (LB)
#13 - Uda Haruko (DM)
#73 - Henriette Brooks (CM)
#22 - Charlie Cobert (CM)
#33 - Tachibana Tadakuni (ST)

[Trolleborg]

Greetings, compatriots! It’s TTV with a report about how our national team spent last week.

ETHANE – TROLLEBORG 0-1

Ethane, to the surprise of many, run whole the tournament distance almost impeccable, without suffering a single defeat and until the last round in the entire tournament only our team conceded fewer goals. The intrigues of the referee in the penultimate game threw our lads to second place in this regard, did not leave even a theoretical opportunity to get into the pool of six best teams who take second places on the group stage and thus receiving automatic tickets to the World Championship. And also our team must go to the field while three players earned unjust disqualification. This situation was not great, especially since our sports teams have always been known for proneness to unexpected failures. All of us, of course, were afraid of what might happen. But we also hoped that the opportunity to annoy the leader, even if he won a victory in the first round on our own field, would spur the team to great achievements.

Ethane footballers, although having already celebrated their entry to the World Cup and praising themselves for a successful campaign, entered the pitch in good shape, and in the first 15 minutes they could open the score twice. But first Kot Kotsson saved the team in an almost hopeless situation, nevertheless having managed to avoid that ball flying right into the goal

and then the ending of the first match almost repeated, again after head shot the ball flew into our goal, but this time our goalkeeper controlled the situation, and also the home player shot worse than he could

Fortunately, our team resisted this assault and gradually moved the game to the center of the field, and then began to annoy hosts with quick sudden attacks, and in the second half this tactics brought success. Kolding, who was again entrusted with a place in the main line-up in this game, made an excellent pass into the center of the penalty area, and there Stuart Kerr showed his skills, delivering a powerful shot from the move. Only such a shot was possible, because in a moment the defenders of Ethane would have prevented such a turn of events.

And then both teams continue game like that, fought for the ball, tried to create goal chances, but without risking too much.

Bringing the match to victory, our lads took second place at the end of the tournament and won a ticket to the playoffs - unfortunately, only to the playoffs. If not for the defeat to Bahia Roja, they would have become the fourth in the list of the teams that took second places, and could already buy tickets for the championship, but alas, things are as they are. The last matches of the tournament turned out to be very dramatic, the recipients of three playoff tickets were determined literally in the last minutes of WCQ. Tumbra won spot in the playoffs from SRS in the last match, Atheara lost second place to Drawkland, HUElavia dropped from the second place by Squidroidia, Baker Park move ahead of Polkopia. And we have as our opponents Polkopia, the sensation team of this WCQ, which, despite its low position in the table of ranks, managed to stay in the lead for the entire tournament and missed a ticket to the World Championship in the last matchday. Will it break the team or, on the contrary, players will unite? Did our lads recover from the match against Bahia Roja or the match against Ethane was just a feverish splash? Questions, questions and questions ... We will receive answers to them soon.

[Ko-oren]

NS World Cup Fantasy Qualification

The Roundup. You know the drill.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Five years ago - St. Jakob, Teusland

“What are you talking about? You can’t skip the military service, Kemo.”

“I’ve read that there’s an exception if your grades are high enough, you can do it as part of university studies.”

“Kemo, even I have better grades than you. And you only have a month to turn it around - not gonna happen.”

“Look, Juma, I really don’t want-”

“Don’t want? That’s fine, nobody really does. But it’s your duty. We have a good life here - and all they’re asking us to give back is one year, to be prepared just in case.”

“I’m not cut out for the army.”

“Hahaha, that’s the oldest line I’ve ever heard. You could do with some exercise, mate. Toughen you up a bit.”

Kemo paused and smiled at his friend. They’d been inseparable from a young age - when they first met in primary school in the Banijan neighbourhood of Marianfelde. But they were two very different sides of a coin - Kemo quieter and not so bold, Juma sure-headed and stubborn. They were enjoying the early days of summer, the final weeks of high school before graduation - and looking ahead to what would soon await them, the mandatory military service.

Juma nodded. “And I need you there, man. Won’t be the same without you.”

Kemo smiled. “If you’re there, it can’t be so bad.”

Somewhere in Nyowani Kitara

”It’s a long way, to Inhalo! It’s a long way, to go!”

“Shut up, Amadou. You’ll get us heard. And besides, the lyric is ‘Felsenkirchen’ anyways.”

“But it’s not that far from St. Jakob to Felsen-”

“It’s from the civil war. Felsenkirchen was on the complete opposite side of the country from the front. Did you not pay attention in the military history class?”

“What do you think, Manlafi?”

Juma turned to Kemo and laughed. “Idiots,” he said.

Amadou smiled. “But do you not remember what our instructor said? ‘A good Teus soldier never marches without music.’ That was, like, day 1!”

They began to hum together, while beating their way through the trail. It had been a trek so far - boat to Banija, boat to Rushmore, and now hiking their way between the battle lines towards the city of Inhalo, where they could join up with the KFF. It wasn’t an easy trip, by no means - the foreign volunteers trickling into Nyowani Kitara on all sides had a challenge ahead of them before they even got to their destination.

“Why didn’t we just take a plane?”

Juma shot Amadou a glance, not sure if he was joking or not. “Mate. First off, it’s pretty hard to fly here on account of, you know, the war. Second, if your name was on a flight list for Inhalo, that combined with suddenly disappearing from St. Jakob would be a pretty big warning sign, no? We still have lives to live after all this, you know.”

“If we get out of this alive,” said Kemo.

Juma grinned. “Come on, Kemo. We didn’t come first place in the 72 Hour Wilderness challenge in basic to give up now.”

Kemo shook his head. “It’s been a while since then, Juma.”

“But it’s not too different! Here we are, it’s getting dark. Where should we camp out for the night?”

Kemo scanned the terrain. “There’s a bit of a rock formation over there. A fire would be hidden from 3 sides, and it looks like even ground for sleeping on.”

“Good eye. Come on troops, let’s get to work.”

An hour or so later, the group were huddled around the fire, eating some of the supplies they’d managed to bring with them. ’Whatever you can fit in a backpack,’ Juma had told them. But they were getting to the last of it now - they needed to reach Inhalo soon, and pray that the KFF would take them in.

“What do you think they’ll have with them, you know, weapons wise?”

“Unfortunately for us, probably not M22’s,” said Juma.

“Probably a ton of KM G-1932’s, though,” said Kemo.

“Every rebel group in the world has G32’s,” laughed Juma. “As long as it doesn’t blow up in your face, it’ll do the job.”

Amadou and Manlafi went off to bed, leaving the others on first guard duty. Juma and Kemo sat in silence for a good five minutes, before Juma spoke up.

“You know, you don’t have to come all the way if you’re not in. It’s not too late to turn back.”

“And where the hell would I go from here?”

“Ok, maybe it’s a day too late. But I mean it Kemo, if you want to walk away, I’ll understand.”

Kemo smiled. “If you guys are there, it can’t be too bad.”

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Weekend 2021
Commonwealth NT celebrate Group title, albeit briefly
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

It's difficult to describe the Group 17 finale at the BBP Stadium between Baker Park and Jeruselem as one for the ages, or even to say that the energy and emotion from the 74,195 spectators was something one will not soon forget.

The visiting supporters did more than their share of providing encouragement for the Princesses XI, as they certainly had all to play for in Belle Haven; veteran striker Kate Dallas--who should not be confused with HRH Princess Kate, a member of the Royal Family (they don't even look the same)--led the side out for the anthems as Jeruselem looked to get in a position to qualify for the second consecutive World Cup.

There was much pre-match discussion in the press box about Jen Prescott's team selection, a seemingly routine squad rotation, as only Zach Johnston, Junior Ngoba and Nicole D'Amico (in central midfield rather than behind the forwards) were holdovers from the trip to the Autonomous Vessel Nation; the bench was crowded with experience, as Kelsey Vickers, Christa Vuckovic, Nikki Stone, DeAngelo Simmons, Lainey Wadsworth, Kelly O'Connell and Marcus Milton made up possibly the most experienced sub list in BPNT history.

The video display boards high above each end of the pitch, along with the message board that runs around the façade below the upper level kept up a running display of the out of town scores, for those who were not constantly updating their phones for the latest updates; Polkopia was playing at the Great Jovannic Stadium, meaning that Atlantian Oceania would play a part in deciding the final table.

Detached from the high stakes of the final result, it was a match that neutrals could find entertainment in, as both sides matched the other in offensive initiative; a draw of any sort would see Baker Park through to the playoff yet Prescott wasn't interested in playing for time.

Ayana West broke the scoreless deadlock on 36 minutes, set up by a header from Daniel Pryor that saw the Sherwood Forest Ladies striker half-volley home from 10 yards; Pryor and Alicia Craig had gotten tallies in the WCQ while West had been a victim of bad bounces and unfortunate timing, as the "Tree-O"--Craig and West as teammates at Forest and Pryor earning the nickname 'Tree' from his productive partnership with the others--had been the forward line in 2 of the 3 times the Bees were held scoreless.

Following the break, BP pushed their lines higher and closer together in search of a second goal, which led to a disparity in the possession numbers, but didn't actually create many scoring opportunities.

Stone, the NT Squad Co-Captain, replaced D'Amico after 65 minutes and later created the best chance the Bees had in the 2nd half, releasing Craig into the box with a pass that absolutely should've been in the back of the net but for a scuff of the boot on the shot; Vuckovic replaced Craig--who came off to rousing ovation from the crowd, with 11 minutes left--and soon after the news filtered through that The Jovannic had taken the lead over Polkopia, which led to the second massive crowd outburst when the score went up on the boards.

Kelly O'Connell replaced West--after a warmup that consisted of about half a dozen 30 yard dashes--and wherever Pam Scott was watching from, she certainly recognized her signature "closing up shop" tactic being applied.

The final whistle brought the expected outpouring of spontaneous emotion from the matchday squad, as the obligatory pile-on celebration was a sharp contrast to the defeated Jeruselem players, realizing that another Cup of Harmony invitation was the payoff for 18 matches where they played their hearts out; Prescott's usual magnanimity in both triumph and defeat was on display in the post match handshake with Pekora Dancer and the Commonwealth team broke away early from their congratulatory ritual--prodded by Stone, Sam Harrison and a few other senior players--to pay tribute to the visitors.

Stone swapped jerseys with Kate Dallas and a few others in the starting lineups did the same, while the 'Gold & Black Army', the official NT supporters group, sang out the traditional greeting for safe travels to the visitors.

Post-match comments:
Ayana West: "Happy to have made it through to the Finals, commiserations to Pokopia who probably deserved it more. It's been a challenge for me personally as defenses have put so much emphasis on closing me off, but Al and DP have picked up the slack. I feel good about getting one before the Finals, now I don't have to feel like I'm pressing."

Nikki Stone: "Being National Team Captain is the highest honor you can earn, and I'm lucky to have not just DeAngelo, but all of the other seniors to provide leadership to the entire pool. I never thought that I could follow in the footsteps of AB (Annabeth Westmoreland), or Tracey (Vasillias) or Patty (Sabrina Patton), but so many of my teammates have given me advice based on their experiences as club captains. We've come through on team strength and spirit, but we have to respect what Jeruselem and Polkopia did this tournament."

Jennifer Prescott: "I'm going to have to ask that you'll indulge me in not being 100% overjoyed at the result here. We played well enough to win, and got the luck we needed elsewhere, but that doesn't fill me with satisfaction. As a squad we have been good enough, but that doesn't mean we've been deserving of getting past the playoff.

I was just told coming down the hallway that Marcus Waters has been relieved of his duties, which for me personally casts a pall over tonight's results. I won't say I speak officially for the FAC, but I feel confident that I'm probably not very far out of mainstream thinking in saying that Marcus has been a friend to us over these last ten cycles; he has been a great manager that has led a side that we consider our biggest rival--although I think it's probably more accurate to say the nation we measure ourselves against--and a fair competitor.

He has been a good friend to me personally, and probably all of my predecessors would say the same; I would be remiss if I didn't congratulate my great friend Kate DiMarini for getting Zwangzug through to the Finals.

I know our Banijan community here in the Commonwealth are disappointed by the way things have played out, but I want them to know that the National Team take no pleasure in the Kadongo Kamu's situation. I apologize, but no questions at this time."

[Vilita]

Group 3 Concludes with High Scoring Shoot-out

Empress Masumi National Stadium, Kandorith :: For the first time in World Cup 89 Qualifying, the great escape actually seemed within reach. While the Vilita National Team had long lost any hope of winning Group 3 to claim their spot in the World Cup 89 Finals in Tikariot and South Newlandia, they would arrive in Kandorith knowing that a victory over the already-crowned Group Winners would be enough to secure the Jungle Cats own place in the World Cup Finals as an automatically qualified runner-up. Just having gotten back to that position was a remarkable accomplishment for a team that mid-way through the qualifying had been on an 8 game stretch where they had won just half of the matches including a 0-4 drubbing at the hands of cyclical rivals Savojarna and back-to-back winless games against Unranked sides Mertagne and Arjunnagar.

With their backs firmly against the wall, and knowing that one more defeat would surely see a change in management, Cavuna Aquafek led the Vilita National Team to a thus-far unbeaten second half of the campaign. Revenge victories over Savojarna, Mertagne and Arjunnagar saw the Jungle Cats score 13 goals from 11 different players including an unpredictable debut goal for Riailia Village defender Injyua Klizlo in a lopsided 6-2 victory over Dinosaur loving nation Arjunnagar.

The Jungle Cats only blemish along the way was the 2-2 draw with Nyowani Kitara - perhaps a result the team did not mind escaping the nation with considering the alternatives that seemed to be brewing around them at the time. Yet the dropped points against the war-threatened nation would force the Jungle Cats hand now knowing that only a victory over Kandorith could have a chance of seeing them through to the World Cup 89 Finals.

The atmosphere prior to the kickoff in Kandorith was one of Celebration. Their team had secured first place in the group on the road against Mertagne on Matchday 17 and the fans were celebrating with the players for the first time in the stadium knowing they would all be heading to the World Cup Finals. The pre-match hype video recapping the World Cup Qualifying Campaign ended with "See you in Tikariot and South Newlandia" and the crowd was boisterous as a result. Cavuna Aquafek knew the Jungle Cats would have to make their mark early in the match or be at risk of another heavy handed defeat to the Kandorese as they had suffered at home on Matchday 9.

As the match got kicked off it would quickly become a dream start for the Jungle Cats as Yeaddin Owls attacker Tenziki Kulakao made the most of Vilita's first scoring opportunity of the match, quieting the crowd with a quick strike past Michinori Tamatsuki. Despite the early deficit for the home side, it quickly became clear that the Golden Dragons had no intention of rolling over. While the smart play might have been to throw the match and allow a Vilita side that had dropped points to a number of unbeaten sides and failed to defeat any team above Pot 4 over two legs, Kandorith still had something to play for: An unbeaten record. The Kandorese were one of just four teams to enter the final matchday without suffering a defeat - the others being Cassdaigua, Farfadillis and Ethane.

The Golden Dragons were motivated to fight back and they would do just that, scoring three times over the next thirty minutes of play to rattle the Vilitan defensive corps and throw the game on its head as once aain Vilita were down two goals to the group leaders. It appeared that Kandorith were going to take their 3-1 lead into the half until Limu Katarakhna's moment of individual skill just a minute from the break altered the momentum once more and got the Jungle Cats back into the match, just one goal behind at half time.

Katarakhna's goal was perhaps made possible due to the presence of Eastal Lunar FC teammate Nii'arala Milaaso on the pitch. After having been introduced to the match after the third Kandorith goal in an attempt to shake things up, Milaaso was drawing all the attention from the Kanyori defense and possibly enabled Katarakhna more space to run into than they would have had prior to the change.

Aquafek would make one more change at the break, taking off young attacking midfielder Ftin Miateal who had looked largely ineffective in the first half and replacing them with EuraLeague based attacker Clarana Refiami. When the match resumed, however, it would once again be the Nii'arala Milaaso show as the former Galacticos Young Player award winner continued to show their skills as a now experienced veteran player adding to their already impressive goalscoring record in World Cup 89 Qualifying to tie the game up at 3-3.

Just as things had gone in the first half, however, the Jungle Cats would squander the benefits from scoring early in the hlf and concede a couple of quick goals to their opponents with Kenji Totoro and Harumi Hamada getting on the scoresheet for Kandorith to restore the home side's two-goal advantage.
Cavuna Aquafek looked nervously around the arena, up at the scoreboard and video center. They tried to make sense of the scores in other matches being displayed on the video board. It did not appear there were enough games out there that could be lost and still find the Jungle Cats in an automatic qualifying position without first ensuring a victory for themselves. Aquafek discussed the possibility of making a swap at goalkeeper and removing Veranas Sanamun but felt it would be wise to retain their last substitution for a real emergency instead of swapping out the goalie that had just spent an hour learning the opposition for an inexperienced, cold netminder.

The Jungle Cats would proceed forth and would get new life in the match in the 76th minute when Jirak Triakala leaped highest to redirect a corner kick past Tamatsuki. With the deficit now reduced to one goal, Aquafek urged their players to push forward in search of the equalizer. At this stage in the match there was nothing else left to lose. The Jungle Cats had to win or else they would be playoff bound.

When Clarana Refiami scored in the 84th minute to tie the game, the Spartangrad attacker immediately sprinted into the net to retrieve the ball and place it back in the center circle urging the match to resume. From this point everyone was moving forward to attack the ball for the Jungle Cats even the goalkeeper Vernasa Sanamun. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be on the day as Vilita were unable to find a game winner and, in fact, it was the home side that would get the last tally of the match on a stoppage time counter attack. After a block on the defense and a quick Clearance, Hiroyuki Kaba was able to seal the deal with a long shot from the halfway line that Sanamun was unable to chase down as Kandorith would secure their unbeaten record and send the Jungle Cats picking for a trip to the World Cup 89 Qualification Playoffs.

 Vilita [5] - [6] Kandorith
				
	GOALS:	Vilita 	:: 2' Tenziki Kulakao:: 44' Limu Katarakhna:: 52' Nii'arala Milaaso:: 76' Jirak Trikala:: 84' Clarana Refiami          		
	STATS:	Vilita 	:: Possession: 47%:: Shots: 11:: Corners: 12	Kandorith 	:: Possession: 53%:: Shots: 13:: Corners: 11
	Lineup:	[GK] Vernasa Sanamun, [D.] Rojara Tiones, [D.] Jirak Trikala, [D.] Linkat Cjinder, [ML]  Jurzen Devmiko, [MC]  Lentali Purama, [MC] Limu Katarakhna, [MC]  Trezisi Rokopolis, [MR]  Fyin Miateal, [FC] Tenziki Kulakao, [FC] Fishtii Blikala			
	Bench:	[FC] Clarana Refiami, [FC] Nii'arala Milaaso, [M] Va'a-Rio Kiwavn, [M] Kudii Davasarii, [U ] Sipke Tarala, [D] Mileke Drokasorna, [GK] Zelkki Milake Jr.

Having perhaps looking the best they had throughout the entire campaign coming into Matchday 18 against Kandorith, the Jungle Cats and their fans will have to be wondering where it all went wrong as they now face a two-legged playoff as a last chance opportunity to break through to the Final 32 of World Cup 89. The defeat at Kandorith marked the end of an 8 game unbeaten run for the Jungle Cats which included three consecutive clean sheets heading into the final matchday. That run alone had been something statistically anomalous for the Vilita National Team who had previously only put together a run of three straight clean sheets on two other occasions throughout the 80's of World Cup Cycles and had many fans believing that the Jungle Cats had turned a corner and would be able to take care of business against Kandorith.

Of course, having scored five goals on the day against the Golden Dragons may have been more than any Jungle Cat fan could have asked for. While historically there are a handful of isolated cases where the Jungle Cats have scored five or more goals and still lost a match - most notably the famous 7-8 defeat to Bedistan at the Finals of World Cup 21 - the 5-6 defeat to Kandorith on Matchday 18 of World Cup 89 Qualifying was the first time in the modern era that the Vilita National Team had scored 5 goals and lost a match. Overall, it now results in Vilita having a modern-era record of 52-1-1 when scoring five or more goals in a game with the only previous blemish a 5-5 draw against Polaaskan on the penultimate matchday of World Cup 73 Qualifying.

WC89Q Appearances - Vilita NT

15 [4] - Jurzen Devmiko :: Lonngeylin Coast
14 [6] - Clarana Refiami :: Spartangrad (EUR)
14 [1] - Limu Katarakhna :: Eastal Lunar
14 [1] - Trezisi Rokopolis :: Jlinal Cove
12 [2] - Fishtii Blikala :: Marine Coast United
12 [0] - Inteali Koranjo :: Cazadores Cathair (AUD)
11 [5] - Tenziki Kulakao :: Yeaddin Owls
11 [0] - Narri Sebapilo :: Mliona-Lpaka (TUR)
10 [8] - Nii'arala Milaaso :: Eastal Lunar

10 [3] - Kudii Davasarii :: Rammsissil
10 [1] - Rojara Tiones :: Yeaddin Owls AFC
10 [1] - Jirak Trikala :: Cednia Beach AFC (TUR)
10 [0] - Lentali Purama :: Marine Coast United
10 [0] - Intikko Kuhilana :: Tropicorp FC (TRP)
9 [4] - Polaox Torerun :: Turoki Tide
9 [0] - Lohani Riiyaaw :: Directus (EUR)
8 [3] - Fyin Miateal :: Crosaibi Locals
7 [2] - Cywrenta Vlintejni :: Colonial Sile
6 [3] - Enzoril Alabonni :: Marine Coast United
6 [1] - Sipke Tarala :: Sabrefell Athletic (NPH)
5 [3] - Va'a-Rio Kiwavn :: -Unattached-
5 [0] - Sami Samii’i :: Olympia Arkintoofle (SRS)
4 [0] - Imauka Lkomorak :: KT Moreazerua (AUD)
3 [0] - Linkat Cjinder :: Lonngeylin Coast
1 [1] - Injyua Klizlo :: Riailia Village
1 [0] - Mileke Drokasorna :: Colonial Sile
1 [0] - Tyoasi Klipark :: Mliona-Lpaka (TUR)
1 [0] - Berali Tzufarei :: Rammsissil

WC89Q Top Goalscorers - Vilita NT

8 - Nii'arala Milaaso
6 - Clarana Refiami
5 - Tenziki Kulakao
4 - Polaox Torerun
4 - Jurzen Devmiko

3 - Va'a-Rio Kiwavn
3 - Kudii Davasarii
3 - Fyin Miateal
3 - Enzoril Alabonni
2 - Fishtii Blikala
2 - Cywrenta Vlintejni
1 - Trezisi Rokopolis
1 - Sipke Tarala
1 - Limu Katarakhna

Over 18 matchdays of World Cup 89 Qualifying, 28 different field players and five different goalkeepers made at least one appearance for the Jungle Cats. Lonngeylin Coast midfielder Jurzen Devmiko led all players appearing in 15 of the Jungle Cats 18 matches while Clarana Refiami (Spartangrad [EUR]), Limu Katarakhna (Eastal Lunar [VIL]) and Trezisi Rokopolis (Jlinal Cove [VIL]) were close behind with 14 appearances.

Among goalkeepers, Jungle Strike FC's Co-Number 1 net-minder Veranasa Sanamun was unsprisingly the go-to choice with 10 appearances and two clean sheets while Yeaddin Owls goalkeeper Mako Canopii was second most utilized with 7 appearances while earning 3 clean sheets. Zelkki Milake Jr., Striitca Virahat and Hanauma Ranbomahi all made appearances as well either as starters or substitutes during the campaign.

Despite playing in just 10 matches, Vilita's star striker Nii'arala Milaaso led the team in goals scored with 8. Fellow attackers Clarana Refiami (6) and Tenziki Kulakao (5) were close behind before the contributions from midfielders started kicking in on the goal scorers sheet. Vilita National Team legend Sipke Tarala even got involved in the action at the age of 39 as one of 6 different goalscorers to find the back of the net during their only appearance of the campaign in the revenge victory over unranked nation Arjunnagar on Matchday 13.

:	:	::  Vilita 6 - 2 Arjunnagar				
	Goals:	:: 38' Trezisi Rokopolis:: 52' Kudii Davasarii:: 53' Polaox Torerun:: 66' Sipke Tarala:: 78' Rojara Tiones:: 82' Jurzen Devmiko         			
	Team:	Mako Canopii (Intikko Kuhilana 69'), Rojara Tiones, Inteali Koranjo, Lohani Riiyaaw (Jurzen Devmiko 45'), Lentali Purama, Limu Katarakhna, Polaox Torerun, Kudii Davasarii, Trezisi Rokopolis (Zelkki Milake Jr. 45'), Nii'arala Milaaso, Sipke Tarala

One of the feel-good stories of the World Cup 89 Qualifiers for Vilita was 17 year old Crosaibi Locals midfielder Fyin Miateal. A late call up for the match against Devonta, Miateal was a surprise starter and would score their first career goal for the National Team in a 3-2 Jungle Cats victory. As a result of the strong performance, Miateal would earn a start in the next game against 199th Ranked Cabo Azure where once again the Young midfielder found themselves on the scoresheet, and once again earned another start this time against Fluvannia. The youngster was a key contributor scoring the only goal of the match for a 1-0 victory to the Jungle Cats and incredibly having scored in three consecutive games since their first ever National Team tally. The streak would end when Miateal came on as a substitute in the 2-4 defeat to Kandorith on Matchday 9 but in all, the previously unknown youngster made a big impression during their 8 matches played in World Cup 89 Qualifying with three goals and having attracted attention from some larger clubs around the multiverse.

Despite the high scoring defeat to Kandorith on the final matchday of Qualifying, the Football Association of Vilita is not expected to make any changes to the coaching staff ahead of the two-legged playoff with Squidroidia that will be the Jungle Cats last chance to advance to the World Cup Finals. Squidroidia are one of the lowest ranked sides remaining in the World Cup Playoff draw and have already over-achieved to get to this point in the campaign. That won't stop the Inklings from dreaming of the Finals after a topsy-turvy final matchday that saw them overcome the odds to leapfrog HUElavia into the second place in Group 2. Entering the day a point behind, the Inklings needed not only to defeat fellow-high flyers Geisenfried but needed help from Le Choix who hosted HUElavia. In front of their home fans at the Inkopolis City Stadium, Squidroidia got the 2-0 victory they needed over Geisenfried and awaited the scoreline from Le Choix. In the end, the Inklings victory was enough as HUElavia were held in a 0-0 draw by Le Choix allowing Squidroidia to slide up into the second spot and set up the two-legged playoff clash with Vilita with a spot in the World Cup 89 Finals on the line
.

---

[Independent Athletes from Quebec]

OOC: Of course, if you wish to enter a sports film to be reviewed, send me a TG or PM with basic premises, ideas, etc, and we'll talk further. If you've done something before, of course, we can pick it up from there as well. There is only one condition - that it must be a foreign film covering Québécois sports scene/plot, or a film covering foreign sports/plot content but directed/produced by a Québécois.

The Taegukgi: The Korean-language voice of the Québécois Commonwealth

'100 Years of Sporting Films': 'Setting Fire to the Third Bar' Review

★★★★☆

Lauren F. Hough

It is rare for a documentary film, not just to try its best (that is a must-have to start off), but also to capture the reflections of an era through its footballers and their journey to the first ever World Cup qualification after three tries. Certainly not a lot of us remember it anyway, especially with the nation having won the last five playoffs up to this point. But we cannot deny that the 'Setting Fire to the Third Bar- the Story of the Class of 69' fulfills this premise, as the Québécois film premiered last week ahead of the 21st-ranked I.A. Quebec team's first-leg playoff match against Tumbra in Straton.

The is a brilliant film for not just being a football film, where it clearly excelled in, but also becoming much more than a just biopic of 6 football players who stepped into the national team at the turn of the 2010s. Being gifted with endless archival footage, generous interviews and solid graphics, it follows 7 Quebecois national football team players who joined the Grim Reapers, then led by Montréal Koreana and Grim Reapers great Kim Ji-Choon, as youths. While most are aware of their journeys playing professionally at home and abroad, where they have perfected their crafted abroad, whether it be Nepharim or Schottian Premiership, or the Guayabalense Liga Premier, isn’t the most important element of the film. What emerges most demonstrably in this film, as we recollect the memories played out by Leonardo Conavacio (‘ WC68 - Alianza FC/Port Sebastian), Marcus Lazarev-Horak (‘68 - Norrion Rovers), Devane Miller (‘68 - Chatswood), Ondrej Cech (‘69 - Turoki Tide), Adrian Middleton (‘69 - Stahlburg Rovers), Xavier Hertel (CD FAS) and Roberto Di Maria (CD Aguila), is the story of the four year period between the end of WC 67 and their eventual destination in the WC69- the social and political changes experienced by the Québécois state in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

‘At the tail end of the sixties of World Cup, the Grim Reapers were going through major transition phase, just like the country that was at the end of the era by Sylvain the Progressive,’ says Adrian Middleton early in the documentary, as he reflects from the stands of The Samseongoloondongjang, where he started in the Grim Reapers’ 2-1 victory over Taeshan, in the first leg of the World Cup 69 playoffs. ‘As we went through the changes of time, from Sylvain IV to Henri VIII and then to Jacques IX, it was almost as if the nation had a makeover too. The next decade and a half has been a phenomenal decade, the decade for us of the 69s, who had grown up in an ever changing world open to the world. While the soundtrack of Rogue’s 1991 album ‘Sonagi’, we watch them go back to the initial round of practices the World Cup 68 team had, with the young trio of Conavacio, Lazarev-Horak and Miller all wearing baggy shirts and undersized shorts.

‘Québec and Shingoryeo was in a time of change,’ says Prime Minister Arséne Pineau Kim, just one of many interviewees coming from outside the football. ‘And the ability to keep challenging ourselves is what got there, to the country we know of. Our society, of course, has always been self-critical, never staying complacent about our conditions and whatnor. And yes, we always always had changes. But the times we lived in, combined with the nation's rise in the ranks for both international football and sports in general, certainly made everything look ascendant. The Class of 69, those who broke through between 68 and 70, were the key symbols.'

While the Québécois state was going through political and social changes, the group of youngsters were doing their best to break through on the Anaian side that had come close on two attempts before their first ever qualification in 2012. 'Everybody was everywhere, and we would spend nights together going out, travelling and even camping to just solidify our trust with each other.' says Miller, a longtime club legend for the Chatswood side. 'We all came from different places and backgrounds and all that, but we all took great care of each other.'

It is Miller who watches from sidelines as the humorous Conavacio, whose character has remained aloof and casual, but positive hidden under the layers of his splendid work ethics, would play pranks on him, Adrian Middleton and Roberto Di Maria on locker room footages. This is where Setting Third Bar on Fire succeeds in differentiating itself from other documentaries involving the Grim Reapers. The anecdotes play a major role in narrating each individual and their stories, while analogies and visualisations made by the seven players are highly animating and exciting. Marine Duquesne, the film's director, was a former football player who used to work at the Renéegrad Québécois Football Hall of Fame as a teenager, which helps explaining the three-dimensional portrayal of the seven players who all have different, distinctive characteristics of their own.

As journalist Philippe A. Normand wrote in his book 'The era of vengeance? - turn of the 2010s in Québec and Shingoryeo', the assessment towards this short time period, which were affected by the presence of major monarchical changes and the Québécois participation in the Felixian Liberation War against the Felixian Nazis, under an unified Corvidae front, is still a work in progress. The delayed timing in how it was being reviewed, perhaps, is why Duquesne has received particularly raving reviews for her portrayal of both the Seven, and the times they emerged. 'The war and our victory over the Felixians, more often than not, have made us forget about the changes that were happening back home,' said actress Tabitha Robb-Jenkins, a major Montréal Koreana fan and longtime Grim Reapers supporter. 'It is quite ironic though, because this team was some of us's ticket to forget about all the current affairs we'd be hearing out there. Really.'

The players themselves are now nearing sixties, with Adrian Middleton, who played for Université Metropolitain de Montréal before moving to Nephara, being the oldest. But the group, while spread across the world, remain close friends and the weight of each their names remain even, even as we would hear Conavacio's name, from time to time again, as the manager of HUElavian national team and Eterna Stars. Now, looking back into those days, it is sad to notice how much of what we had hoped with the social progressivism and the internationalism have been rolled back. As the Québécois volunteers, whose numbers are said to be around 10,000 for all three sides, have headed to Nyowani Kitara as individuals from the neutral state, you cannot help but to wonder about some of the spirits of the times that were lost.

At least what has survived, for this group of seven guys who broke through the World Cup as youngsters, is that camaraderie and results- the opening day victory over Apox on their World Cup proper début, first knockout round qualification in a difficult group that ended with a last-minute loss to Eura, and back to back quarterfinal appearances during the World Cups 73 and 74 when all seven of them, now entering the middle half of their careers, played a major role in it.

'How did we blend all the drama, the excitement and whatnot into our brand, into the times we lived in?' says Conavacio, as he tries his best to answer this question. 'Not sure, but the magic this sport provides..indeed did us good and long into the history books.'

Read this article in:

English | Français | The Taegukgi Indigenous

[Eura]

WORLD CUP 89 – QUALIFYING GROUP 18 – MATCHDAY 18
EURA 3 – 2 DARMEN
Scorers: Bond 4, Tomlinson 23, Bowman 68
Lineup: 13. V Simm, 4. J Menard, 15. T Green, 5. K Sherwood, 6. M Rowland (sub Mullins 82), 8. V Robshaw, 11. B Malone, 7. M Woakes (sub Woodman 56), 12. D Bowman, 9. B Bond (sub Robson 65), 10. I Tomlinson

---

Kakiri village
South-eastern Nyowani Kitara

‘And this is all you have?’
‘This is it.’
‘Hmph.’ The KFF officer was disgruntled at the lack of firepower his new Sameban colleagues had brought to the table.
Former Sameban regime supporters were supposed to be armed to the kilt fanatics. They had a reputation, having been involved in every conflict supporting right wing nationalists they could find since their country ceased to be, especially any involving shooting at Eurans. The holing of a Euran warship of Mareibat was still a cause célèbre for old soldiers of the Republic, in the sense that some thought it an overstretch that brought too much attention to the remnants of the regime, while others thought it their finest hour since Samebus fell. It also meant that, for every rebel group who these fugitive fascists made bread with, expectations of cruise missiles and other hi-tech stolen weaponry were standard.
The KFF were set to be disappointed.
‘I suppose we can make do with these.’ The officer admired a batch of standard issue Sameban Republican Army rifles from the “good old days”, which were in decent condition considering they’d been in a shipping container for the most part of a decade.

‘Will your guys need some of them too?’ the officer asked.
‘We’ve brought our own kit – this is all for you.’ The former Sameban Captain he was speaking to gestured towards his dozen or so volunteers, who were sporting a mix of black-market kit and their old SRA gear. ‘We’ve also got one other present. Gale, Pero, open her up!’ Two men jogged over to one of the two heavy goods vehicles that had been driven through Nyowani Kitara’s pourous borders. Moments later they had cranked open the back of the trailer, exposing a vehicle to sunlight. The KFF officer squinted to get a good look at it. His eyes widened with excitement. ‘You’ve got to be kidding, right?!’
‘Nope.’ The Captain walked up and gave the vehicle a satisfying thump on its hood. ‘Rapid Armoured Patrol Vehicle in our lingo, also known as the RAPV Mk.1.’
‘These were used in your wars with the Eurans, right?’
‘Yeah, and in Mytanija, the invasion of Uke. Its amphibious to a point – you can use it to cross rivers – has a minimum of 2mm welded steel armour around the entire body, up to 14mm in some places. Big fucking heavy-machine gun on the top and a coaxial general-purpose machine gun up front. This gives you mobility, it can cut down KRF foot patrols, and we’ve got a dozen more of them over the border.’

The officer tried to contain his excitement. He was typical KFF, really – a loosely affiliated rebel picked for seniority based on a weird mix of meritocracy and cronyism, selected to lead as much because a friend-of-a-friend knew Malik Akongo as his impressive battlefield performances. So, when he got his hands on some proper equipment rather than an SUV with a 50.cal strapped to it, it was a moment to savour.
‘I’ll need to talk to my superiors, but this will be excellent. Come into the camp, we’ll get you settled in. Lafi, Antu, man the gate.’
The Sameban and the Kitaran shared a firm handshake and retreated into their enclave, both comfortable the other could live up to their end of the bargain. ‘Maybe’, the Captain started, ‘we can take that thing our for a spin in the morning. We’ll need to familiarise your people with the controls, maintenance, so on and so forth.’
The officer chuckled and slapped his new colleague on the back to thank him. All seemed well…

…little did they know of course that, just fifty feet away, two squads of Euran Marine Commandos were lying in wait in the bushes on top of a small ridge overlooking the site. One of the NCO’s crawled over to his opposite number after carrying out a survey of the camp.
‘Sergeant, recon is complete. I think they’ve got radios so let’s stay off them in case they’re hearing traffic; I’ve got Paulton listening in on their channels.’
‘Sounds good. What’s the deal?’
‘A dozen Sammies with a RAPV-1 and a host of other gear stored up in those HGV’s. They look organised but otherwise not too ominously armed. Just rifles and handguns really.’
‘Wow. They’re starting to scrape the barrel then. In Mareibat they had a couple of miniguns.’
‘Yeah, well, let’s not get cocky. If they’ve survived this long, they must know what they’re doing.’
‘How about the KFF?’
‘Can’t be more than twenty of them. I circled the perimeter myself over the last hour and there’s no extensions to the camp we can’t see.’

The Sergeant processed this tactical information and quickly came to an initial decision. ‘Let’s go for it. But we should call it in first at least.’
‘What?’ his comrade uttered in shock. ‘Why? We’re ready, let’s just hit ‘em. I bet the Sammies are all exhausted from their journey, and the KFF guys, well, they don’t even have NVG’s. They’re there for the taking.’
‘I don’t disagree, but we only have a dozen guys ourselves and we’re deep into enemy territory here. We don’t want to get caught out. There’s a carrier in the Xandrian Sea, let’s just call in and they’ll whack this place from a safe distance.’
‘No, they won’t – Andrews in the other company, he said they tried to get some tactical airpower on a big checkpoint a few days ago and the brass said no. We can’t be seen to be visibly intervening, apparently.’
The Sergeant reconsidered and took his time doing so. ‘Ok. Ok…get everyone ready. First squad overwatch, second squad move in for the kill. Who’s your explosives guy?’
‘Corporal Maisey.’
‘Yeah, hold him back with the overwatch team. He’ll need to frag those lorries once we’ve cleaned up.’

Like a well-oiled machine, the Marine Commandos sprang into action in the latest chapter of Eura’s long, seemingly never-ending war on the remnants of fascist Sameba. The KFF sentries Lafi and Antu had drawn the short straw. Both young volunteers signed up for the paycheque as much as any kind of ideological drive, they were first to go as two Commandos snuck up and garrotted them, disposing of them as quietly as possible. The Eurans swung around the base and finished off a handful of other loose stragglers, then turned their attention to the main prize. A crescendo of light machine gun and rifle fire cut through the camp, accompanied by a glut of grenades hauled over its makeshift barriers. Confusion wracked the occupants. The Sameban’s would normally be expected to put up a fight in this scenario, but their Captain copped some shrapnel to the back from the first explosion – the KFF panicked, splitting off into little groups as they tried to survive the withering onslaught.

As soon as the initial barrage from first squad on the ridge came to a merciful end, with only a handful of shots managed back in response, second squad moved in at the entrance of the camp. Half of the Samebans were incapacitated but those remaining on their feet had clearly realised this was not the KRF they were fighting; it must be Nepharans or, as all Sameban regime survivors often correctly assumed, Eurans. They aggressively grabbed the nearest KFF men they could find and, as a group, retreated to a defensive point with two small outhouses and a resilient looking cement wall behind them. The remaining KFF rebels were cruelly picked off one by one by their attackers. It was a bit too easy for a “war” – untrained almost-civilians with just a gun and some passed-down fatigues, up against seasoned special forces with all of the latest equipment. Crucially, the Eurans had night vision, and their opponents did not, meaning the attackers were able to make quick work of their opposition.

When the Eurans finally closed in on the survivors’ refuge, they faced some dangerous shots in return, as soon as a small bonfire on the ground illuminated their all-black combat fatigues, with no identifying markers or flag patches (the Euran military took its instructions to be discreet and deniable very seriously). One of them was wounded but the others quickly regrouped and poured fire on the refuge, and after a few minutes of exchanging rounds, most of the remaining insurgents were dead. Eventually two of the Samebans caved and threw down their weapons, as did four KFF. The Eurans moved quickly to seize them, and the engagement was over.
‘Alright, everyone reports in now, please.’ The Sergeant listened as his troops all reported back over the radio for the first time in the evening, safe in the knowledge that no-one was listening in anymore. ‘Ok, Corporal Maisey, I need you to lay some charges on those lorries. How copy?’ There was no response.

A few minutes later, the Sergeant went looking for his Corporal, and instead found a surviving KFF soldier with a shotgun. The Sergeant reacted quicker and downed his opponent with two shots to centre mass. But he had come too late for Corporal Maisey, who lay slumped against the side of one of the trucks with blood trickling from his torso. Within hours a Euran family would have a letter telling them their child, sibling, parent – one or all of the above – had been killed in the line of duty. What would they be told?
Accident. Training exercise. Terrible tragedy.
The Sergeant shook his head. ‘Explain that one, Smithy-boy.’ The Prime Minister had insisted no Eurans would come to harm as part of the great plan for Nyowani Kitara. He had already been proven wrong.

[South Newlandia]

I'm back, and this is the cutoff for the first leg of the playoffs! Who'll get an early leg up the competition?

Results

[Sargossa]

SSM | Sargossan State Media

International Edition - Sport



Corsairs Stumble into Playoffs



Blanco Borrayo reports;

There had been a hope that being crowned champions of Rushmori for the fourth time might see Sargossa come into these World Cup qualifiers with a renewed sense of confidence and purpose. The nation hasn’t reached the greatest show on turf since the 84th edition of the tournament, losing all three group games in Baker Park. Since then the World Cup has been something that happened to other nations. Certainly, the Cup of Harmony can be an interesting diversion, but it’s not quite the same. Fresh from regional triumph in Mytanija the hope was this campaign would be different. But that Copa confidence bounce wore off far sooner than expected and hoped. An unbeaten first half of qualifying was encouraging. But four defeats in the second run of nine games tore up any hope of an automatic qualification place.

Having wobbly confidence is no great preparation for a trip to St Trinians, a tough test despite their lower ranked status. In fact Brian McAllister’s charges were essentially bullied by a bunch of college girls in Searle. ‘Get your blow in first’ is their motto and they certainly lived up to it. The anarchic mob were in the face of their opponents from whistle one and rarely let up. The fitness levels of Amy Pepperpot’s side were phenomenal. The fact that the hosts had nothing to play for didn’t seem to stifle their enthusiasm either. Alyson Granger gave the hosts a deserved lead, latching onto a loose ball in the Sargossan box and lashing it into the roof of the net with one of her trademark right footed rockets. When Ilsa De Grandhomme doubled that lead from distance shortly before the break Sargossa could have little complaint. They were livelier after the interval, some choice words from the coach surely still ringing in their ears. Mateo Manzanares kept his cool to slot past Millicent Becket for a consolation, but that was as good as it got on a very disappointing night.

Thankfully, over in Atlantian Oceania, the reigning world champions did their Rushmori group mates a huge favour. Turori comfortably dispatched TJUN-ia, ensuring the third placed Jaguars wouldn’t take advantage of the Sargossan slip-up. As it turned out even a win wouldn’t have been enough to secure an automatic place in the Finals. Results elsewhere meant that forty points had become the magic mark, the best Sargossa could have achieved was thirty nine. There had been a point when it looked like the nation may do the impossible and finish ahead of the mighty Eels. But when the dust finally settled the champions advanced to defend their crown with room to spare.

*  Group 13                    Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Turori                       18   13   2   3    42   14  +28    41
 2 Sargossa                     18   11   3   4    49   33  +16    36
 3 TJUN-ia                      18   10   4   4    46   34  +12    34
 4 Ranoria                      18    9   5   4    25   18   +7    32
 5 St Trinians                  18    7   4   7    40   48   −8    25
 6 Hispinas                     18    7   3   8    41   42   −1    24
 7 Milchama                     18    6   5   7    27   29   −2    23
 8 Pyazhnaya                    18    6   3   9    40   49   −9    21
 9 Raspotochje                  18    3   2  13    22   43  −21    11
10 Sevendia                     18    0   5  13    24   46  −22     5

Record v Kelssek
P: 6
W: 2
D: 2
L: 2

So for the eleventh time in its history the Sargossan national team will face the lottery of a playoff encounter, with a World Cup place on the line for the victor. Some huge bear traps awaited among the other contenders, giants Eura and Vilita being noticeably devastating potential opposition. Not that Kelssek, Sargossa’s actual playoff pairing, presented a particularly easy option. Ranked 14th in the sportiverse, Kelssek suffered a hugely disappointing final round. The former Cup of Harmony champions were two points behind Twicetagria going into the final match. Their rivals then collapsed at home to The Licentian Isles. With a World Cup place there for the taking Kelssek were held to a costly draw by the Euran Oceania Territories to miss out by a single point. Whether that dramatic end will fire the Kelssek players up or leave them on the canvas remains to be seen.

As mentioned, the Corsairs are no strangers to the World Cup playoffs. Having racked up doubled digit appearances in the end of campaign lottery. Of those ten previous encounters, six have seen the nation successfully through to the Finals. Winning against the likes of Valladares, Kinitaria, Starblaydia, Barunia, 95X and Damukuni. Some famous names among them so Kelssek, undeniably formidable, shouldn’t be unduly feared. Although, having watched his side concede thirty three times during the eighteen qualification matches, coach McAllister is expected to be a little more circumspect in the upcoming game in Soluca. A more conventional 5-3-2 system is what is being mooted. With the experienced pair of Mauricio Sainz and Esteban Pomar brought in. Sainz will partner Mateo Manzanares up front. While midfielder battler Pomar will be on destroyer duties in the middle. Diego Alejandro Costa and Alonzo Bienvenida look set to be the two to drop out. The onus would seem to be on keeping it tight at home before going all guns blazing for a crucial away goal in Kirkenes.

[Squidroidia]

Theme music

"And the road ends here. 19 matches, tons of traveling, plenty of goals, shocks and awes later, the Squidroidia Inklings will end their World Cup 89 qualifying campaign here in the tropics of Vilita. For manager Adam Johnson it's just about holding on tight after a surprising 2-1 win in the first leg in Inkopolis, but for Aquafek and the Jungle Cats, it's their last chance to grab their ticket back to the final 32. Vilita need everything they can, even if it's just one away goal and a clean sheet on the other end, to end the Squidroidian dream. But the Inklings know the stakes, and they will do everything that they can to pull off a miracle written in the stars. 90 minutes from glory or agony here in the capital of Vilita, Alikki-Corra.

"Hello and welcome to the 2nd leg of what has to be one of the more thrilling World Cup 89 playoff fixtures, I'm Takanaki Osa joined once again by THE Rose Golden, Rose, how are you?"

"Let me tell you this Osa, I feel SO good right about now. And it has to do with the team and their result in the first leg back in Inkopolis. Do you STILL hear my screaming during our 2nd goal?"

"I sure as hell do, Rose. In fact, let's go back to Leg 1, the first ever playoff game for this Squidroidian national team, and for Vilitan manager Cavuna Aquafek, it was certainly crunch time."

"The pressure hasn't been on him AS much until now, and it did show in that first game, even though Vilita themselves got the lead thanks to one Nii'arala Milaaso. Just look at that strike from the 30 year old past Shingen. Squidroidia? SILENT. Vilita looked like they were going to coast to victory in this first leg until Hideo came around."

"Makino Hideo, now with Makosile United in the 2nd division of the Vilitan game no less, tying it up in the 48th minute just as the 2nd half began, once again adding to his legacy as a hero in Squidroidian blue and white, getting Tetsuo's ball and firing it past Mako Canopi to tie up the game at one a piece, but that away goal for Vilita is one that is crucial to them tonight."

"Not a lot of people know that the IFCF abandoned away goals recently, and for those who do know, it certainly is confusing that we do have away goals in these playoffs. That's going to go off to the side because, let's face it, TETSUO DID IT!"

"Now now, don't lose your voice there Rose, but 82nd minute, Johnson using 2 of his substitute options to toughen up that backline of his, but it was the attacking midfielder who plays his club football for the Squidroidian army team, the Squidbreak, scoring what would end up being the final goal of this first leg, and Inkopolis, in kind regard, ERUPTED. Definitely a lot of things going through Aquafek's head as the 2nd leg approaches. He's 2-1 down, he needs to stop what has been, to be fair, a spectacular Squidroidia team given the circumstances, and the good news is that he has his home crowd cheering him on."

"That is the only good thing about this Vilitan team heading into tonight. They have home advantage, but that's it. Adam Johnson wants to park the bus and figure this one out, but if Vilita get a goal for themselves? They'll slam the gas and try to get back the aggregate lead, and this Vilita team isn't like the team that won 81 and 82. This can most likely lead to a shocking elimination for Vilita like Banija's shock 3rd place finish in qualification just this cycle, and that was comparable to Eura's exit from the 87 qualifiers."

"Good to know. Both teams are ready for a Trial at the Tropics, and with kickoff fast approaching, the lineups are set and we'll get them out to YOU when we come back. Don't go anywhere, this one might be for the history books!"

---

Away locker room. Tivali-Ring Stadium. Alikki-Corra, Vilita. 2nd leg of the World Cup 89 playoffs. A scene that, when Adam Johnson took the job, even he didn't expect just 2 cycles into the job. He had been here before with Barunia, his homeland, in fact he went to the knockouts of the World Cup once. But never had he qualified for the World Cup with a different nation. At least, possibly, until now.

The Squidroidian players dressed up in their jerseys, the traditional Squidroidian blue sleeves matching with the white body with faint blue stripes going vertically down, with the flag of their nation laying on their lefthand side. Takemoto Shingen, the #1, put on his armband as his blue and green kit went on, then his gloves. He had been the subject of criticism after the Moliza game due to events unfolding in Nyowani Kitara, but that had cooled off by the time the team arrived in Vilita. If anything, the incident seemed to mold him when facing in such a crucial game. He looked down at his shirt, realizing the moment that was to come. The IAC 12 final was big, but this? A 2nd leg to decide who would move onto the World Cup proper? It was massive.

The players bided their time, sitting on the bleachers in the locker room, waiting for the main man. A veteran of the international game, a finalist in the IAC and the Cup of Harmony, multiple-time World Cup proper manager, and the man the SFA tasked to take them to the World Cup after Mito's departure following a disastrous Cup of Harmony. All that waiting, all that anticipation leading up to one of the biggest games in their careers, it was getting nerve racking. Any second now, he may show up. He was perhaps busy with one last interview with SBN before getting back to his team. But there he was, going over the formations one last time and pulling up his lineup for one last observation.

OFFICIAL LINEUP - VILITA VS SQUIDROIDIA, WCQ 89 PLAYOFF LEG 2

Starting XI

Manager - Adam Johnson
Formation - 4-3-1-2
#1 - Takemoto Shingen (GK)
#60 - Florianne Meeuwessen (LB)
#3 - Umezaki Moronobu (CB)
#4 - Muto Toki (CB)
#14 - Tomatsu Kane (RB)
#8 - Kabuto Tadataka (DM)
#20 - Yoneda Toshikuni (CM)
#73 - Henriette Brooks (CM)
#10 - Shiba Tetsuo (AM)
#11 - Makino Hideo (ST)
#9 - Sho Itō (ST)

Bench

#12 - Kaede Akiyama (GK)
#15 - Baldric Bertolini (CB)
#2 - Yoichi Shigeko (LB)
#13 - Uda Haruko (DM)
#7 - Takara Ashihei (CM)
#22 - Charlie Cobert (CM)
#33 - Tachibana Tadakuni (ST)

Just one change, Brooks for Ashihei. Perfect. Putting the sheet off to the side, at it had already been relayed to the WCC, he went into the locker room to address his team one last time before the end of qualification.

With a tap of Shingen's shoulder, Johnson made his way to the center of the room, looking at all of the players ahead of the crucial matchup. All of them, Squidroidians, 90 minutes away from knocking out a 5 time World Cup winning team from the World Cup and sending them to the main tournament for the first time in their history.

"Great moments... Are born from great opportunities. And that is what you have been given tonight, Inklings. That has what you have been earned throughout this qualification cycle. One more game. If we'd play them in a 2 legged playoff 10 times they might win 9 of them... But not this tie. Not in Inkopolis, and not tonight. Tonight, we'll play with the Jungle Cats one more time. We'll STAY with them one more time. And we'll SHUT THEM DOWN BECAUSE WE CAN ONCE AND FOR ALL! Tonight, we are the greatest football team in the multiverse."

With the players staring at the Barunian, he landed his voice once more.

"Every single one of you. You were meant to be here tonight. This is your time, and this is your chance to show them what you are made of. Vilita's time is done. It's over. I'm sick and tired of being told what a great footballing history the Jungle Cats have! SCREW IT! This is YOUR TIME TO SHINE!"

Johnson stepped off for a few moments before turning back at his team, the team he knew since arriving in Almuzahara for the 12th Independent Associations Championship. "Now go out there and TAKE IT FOR YOURSELVES."

With Adam Johnson leaving the locker room, the Squidroidians went out shortly afterwards. kits and boots and all, towards the tunnel of the Tivali-Ring Stadium, being met by the media as they approached where the Vilitans were standing, in their dark blue, teal and orange shirts. Cameras flashed in light as the 2 teams stood side by side, and the television cameras rolled for their country to see as Takanaki Osa's voice lit up again on the SBN broadcast.

"The pressure of an entire nation rests on the shoulders of those in blue and white. They did it at home in the first leg, but this is another beast. The Squidroidians have never gone to the Tropics before as a team, and only a handful of times has even one of them ended up playing club football in either Vilita or Turori in any capacity! Now, as the Inklings are eye to eye with the Jungle Cats, both teams know they are 90 minutes away from either glory or tragedy!"

With the command given out, both teams marched out of the tunnel to be met with a crowd of 87,000 fans for what could be Cavuna Aquafek's last game in charge of the Vilitan national team and what could be Squidroidia's first ever qualification to the World Cup proper, most flying the Vilitan flag, although a good portion of Squidroidian ultras, the Squidward Roids, were there representing the away side. The flags of both nations, the blue and white tricolor with a squid in the middle of Squidroidia and Vilita's dark blue, orange and teal design with a crescent and star, were held up by the Vilitan volunteers as both teams took their sides. In 2 hours time, one was going to celebrate, while the other would be hoping what could've been.

And as Johnson saw Aquafek, with his job on the line, on the opposite touchline, things weren't going to end smoothly.