Handball World Cup 24 - Everything Thread

[Bollonich]

Bollonischian Handball League

Torrijas Wizards

Manager - Jeane Edison (41)
Stadium - Torrijas Indoor Stadium (cap, 9,800)

Foreign Acquisitions
Charles Bailey (29) of Ardengard
Roland Clarebert (27) of Juvencus

Squad

Players	                Pos.	Age	Nationality
Derrick Blakeley	GK	22	BOL
Samantha Emmitt	        GK	29	BOL
Buddy Denzil	        LB	23	BOL
Merlin Boon	        LB	32	BOL
Ione Cartwright	        CB	28	BOL
Sherri Trask	        CB	26	BOL
Brianna Tailor	        RB	24	BOL
Vera Good	        RB	21	BOL
Charles Bailey	        LW	29	ARG
Kiley Sommer	        LW	18	BOL
Roland Clarebert 	P	27	JUE
Loreen Attaway	        P	34	BOL
Tessa Cockburn	        RW	27	BOL
Lindsey Woodward	RW	22	BOL

Past Performance
Torrijas Wizards were a side that came into the tournament with a nice surprise for all of us. We expected them to be competitive but they managed to stay toe to toe with some of the biggest teams. Their initial two games were disappointing as they suffered losses to the Karvian Tigers and the Kings of Fermont. They however bounced back in top form winning 4 out of their next five games comfortably making it through to the playoffs. This season they had already outperformed their expectations so the playoffs were only an opportunity to prove themselves further. They were up against the Kings, against whom they suffered a tight defeat bringing an end to a very promising season for the side.

Player Watch
The Wizards already had some of Bollonich’s most talented players, one of them being Brianna Tailor the right back who had made a lot of headway into the national team cementing her as the starter for the upcoming Handball World Cup. They also secured signings of foreigners such as Charles Bailey from Ardengard who is a strong left winger capable of creating havoc down the flank. Clarebert of Juvencus is another strong player in the side who is currently at the peak of their powers capable of dominating entire matches by himself. These players will greatly help in providing Torrijas Wizards that finishing edge in their match making them much more deadly on the front foot.

Expectations
The Wizards outperformed expectations last season especially given their poor start top the season so it won’t be wrong to say that they might do the same once again. Their side looks strong with signings of good talented foreign players and also the fact that they managed to retain some of the better Bollonischian players shows that they players have faith in the project, especially some of the more senior players. We wouldn’t count them out at having an outside chance at the playoffs with a mid table finish certainly being on the agenda.

Vreton Bulls

Manager - Zella Parks (57)
Stadium - Vreton City State Indoor Stadium (25,000)


Foreign Acquisitions
Bart Mattar (30) of Brookstation
Michelangelo D'Agosto (19) of Juvencus

Squad

Players	                Pos.	Age	Nationality
Maynard Bridges	        GK	23	BOL
Rhys Armstrong	        GK	35	BOL
Tina Woodrow	        LB	21	BOL
Niles Stoddard	        LB	25	BOL
Lanny Power	        CB	26	BOL
Elma Hoggard	        CB	27	BOL
Toria Virgo	        RB	32	BOL
Ricki Colt	        RB	18	BOL
Bart Mattar	        LW	30	BRO
Corina Prescott	        LW	22	BOL
Heath Adair	        P	35	BOL
Kesley Quickly	        P	23	BOL
Michelangelo D'Agosto	RW	19	JUE
Madalyn Kirk	        RW	19	BOL

Past Performance
The Vreton Bulls were one of the favourites going into the Handball Cup. The season however didn’t pan out like they would’ve hoped as the entirety of the team struggled throughout losing more than half of their games. They started the tournament really well winning 3 of their 4 matches as they looked set to make the playoffs however a sudden drop off in form was unexpected from them. They then went on to lose their next three matches finishing on 6 points and in 6th position. The season which was going well had suddenly disappeared from their hands as they couldn’t fathom how that happened. Last season had overall been a disaster for the Bulls.

Player Watch
Following the disaster that was last season the Bulls lost out on some very important and high quality players, however they held onto national team players such as Bridges and Adair who’ll be crucial if the Bulls are to have a better second season. They also secured the signing of a young right winger from Juvencus, Michelangelo. He shall be a player to watch out for and mainly a banking on a player with a very bright future who will surely pay dividend to the sum dished out for them. Mattar on the other hand is an experienced Brook left winger who is again a key signing in improving the side that struggled a lot in the past season.

Expectations
Fans will not be expecting as much as they did last time from Vreton Bulls having been let down. This can result in the Bulls acting as a dark horse in the league and often being the underdogs heading into big matches which they weren’t last time around. Their team despite having gone some changes has improved if not anything else. This status of underdog has often seen teams come out on top and prove others wrong. And this will be real possibility with the Bulls this season as no one is completely sure how they’ll perform. The team themselves however should be looking to aim for the playoffs and compete against some of the bigger sides.

[Sylestone]

Cutoff for matchday one of the second group stage, Quebec half.

---

Group C

Annyeong Oppa 35–23 Natanians and Nosts
Bollonich 29–24 Quebec & Shingoryeo

Group C                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Annyeong Oppa            1   1  0  0   35  23 +12    2
2 Bollonich                1   1  0  0   29  24  +5    2
3 Quebec & Shingoryeo      1   0  0  1   24  29  −5    0
4 Natanians and Nosts      1   0  0  1   23  35 −12    0

Group D

Gatchingerrak Union 23–28 Taxonomic Kingdoms
Græntfjall 25–22 Praxedes

Group D                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Taxonomic Kingdoms       1   1  0  0   28  23  +5    2
2 Græntfjall               1   1  0  0   25  22  +3    2
3 Praxedes                 1   0  0  1   22  25  −3    0
4 Gatchingerrak Union      1   0  0  1   23  28  −5    0

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Cutoff for matchday one of the second group stage, Sylestone half.

---

Group A
Juvencus 24–22 Castelobruxo
The 14 Stars 24–24 The Jovannic

  Group A              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Juvencus               1   1  0  0   24  22  +2    2
2 The 14 Stars           1   0  1  0   24  24   0    1
  The Jovannic           1   0  1  0   24  24   0    1
4 Castelobruxo           1   0  0  1   22  24  −2    0

Group B
Skopja 29–31 Ardengard
Drawkland 24–31 Sarzonia

  Group B              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sarzonia               1   1  0  0   31  24  +7    2
2 Ardengard              1   1  0  0   31  29  +2    2
3 Skopja                 1   0  0  1   29  31  −2    0
4 Drawkland              1   0  0  1   24  31  −7    0

[Sarzonia]

As the streak continued to mount, so does the pressure on the Sarzonian national handball team.

The defending champions started the second group stage of the 24th Handball World Cup with another victory, pulling away late from a determined challenge to defeat Drawkland 31-24 to head into their bye with a 1-0-0 record. Except for Annyeong Oppa's 35–23 blowout victory over Natanians and Nosts in Group C in Quebec and Shingoryeo, the victory by the Stars was the widest margin of victory in the second group stage's first matches.

That wasn't an accident, according to goalkeeper Pat Agnew.

"All 20 teams in this stage are good teams," Agnew said. "You're going to see a lot more close contests, whether the teams have great records or not. Even the teams without dominant records are often teams that are good no matter what sport they play."

Like Abanhfleft, the team that had a Matchday 1 bye in Group B.

"Especially Abanhfleft," defender Vivianne Taylor said.

"Their sporting record speaks for itself," Taylor said of the Fleftics. "I don't care if their record wasn't great. They're the seventh ranked team in the multiverse. They got here and they won a playoff match to get here. They're going to be a team to reckon with."

The Stars won't get the Fleftics until Matchday 4. In the meantime, they will face Ardengard after the bye, then they close out with Skopja.

"We're not taking anything or anyone for granted," manager Joyce Rodham said. Even with a steak of 19 consecutive victories, matching the current run in the World Lacrosse Championships by the back-to-back champion Stars in that sport. Rodham pointed out that Sarzonia's lacrosse team lost back-to-back matches in the semifinals and the third place playoff in the Atlantian Oceania Lacrosse Championships, a fact that lacrosse manager Jordan Helms said negates talk of his team being on a 19-match winning streak. Regardless, Rodham repeated what the team's mentality has been all along.

"Let's get to work," she said.

[Sylestone]

The Sylestonean > Sport > Handball > HWC 24

HAWTHORNS MAKE IT PERFECT GROUP STAGE WITH CONVINCING WIN OVER KRIEGIERSIEN

Sylestone vs Kriegiersien @ Avondale Arena, Avondale

Sylestone Starting VII: Ackman; Strange - Hussey - Younger; Raven - Barnsley - McKean

Kriegiersien Starting VII: Ivy; Maisie - Wassa - Kaylie; Jolana - Doireann - Ash

AVONDALE, SYLESTONE - Following a 28-21 victory over Lisander away from home, Sylestone’s Hawthorns secured themselves first place in Group A with a 5-0-0 record, meaning that no one, not even second-placed Kriegiersien, could jump them. As a result, coach Lauren Prior has allowed the Hawthorns to take the field with what appears to be mainly a reserve team in order to rest the sides’ main players for what appeared to be a gruelling second group stage.

But with Kriegiersien also playing a reserve side, the game was bound to experience far less quality than the thrilling match the two teams fought out earlier in the tournament, of which the Hawthorns were able to come out on top of, 28-24, away from home.

The Hawthorns got off to a bright start, scoring the first goal of the match through reserve right-winger Ellie McKean before they took an 8-5 lead inside the first fifteen minutes as each side sifted through their players, resting their stars but still providing the opposition with a tough team to play against.

Kriegiersien fought back in the final fifteen minutes of the first half, though, with Maris Jolana going absolutely berserk on the wings, scoring six goals out of Kriegiersien’s eight in that period of time, as the Hawthorns could only increase their lead to four points by the time the half-time break came around. The score at that time was 17-13, with the home side the favourites to take out the match, but the second-placed side in the group was far from being out of contention.

The Hawthorns continued to increase their lead in the second half, though, and by the time the halfway mark of that half passed, Sylestone were six points ahead of their opponents and beginning to take it away from them. Kriegiersien had to fight back, and fast, too.

But the Sylestonean defence held them off, as the away side could only clock up a further seven goals in the entirety of the second half to the Hawthorns’ 14, with the game finishing with a scoreline of 31-20, Sylestone’s way. They had utterly dominated the second half with exquisite defending and accurate passing and fully deserved the win, their sixth on the trot, to move into the second group stage as a force to be reckoned with.

In the second group stage, Sylestone have been drawn into what appears to be quite a strong group, but still one that the Hawthorns should not have too much trouble in during their quest for the cup. Juvencus went 5-0-1 in the first group stage as an unranked side, only losing their final game to HUElavia once they had easily qualified in first place in their group. The Sonnelians were also able to take wins out of their matches against the 19th ranked side, The 14 Stars, of whom have also been drawn into the group following a 2-2-2 group stage record.

Castlelobruxo, also ranked 19th in the world, are also present, having in second place in their group behind Bollonich, with four wins and two losses. They will be a tough force to fight, as will The Jovannic, an unranked side who looks to continuously punch above their weight, even beating Taxonomic Kingdoms in their first group. They, too, will be a tough task.

On matchday one of the second group stage, Juvencus were able to take out a tight 24-22 victory over Castlelobruxo to assert themselves as a favourite, while The 14 Stars and The Jovannic could not be broken in a 24-24 deadlock. As a result, Juvencus certainly seems to be the side to beat, and the Hawthorns are up against them right away. Can they live up to their rank and get off to a win on home soil?

Cards

Sylestone:
2’: Samantha Hussey ▮
22’: Claire Raven ▮
34’: Amber James ▮
38’: Patrick Barnsley ▮
48’: Lole Strezlecki ▮

Kriegiersien:
14’: Edith Ash ▮
45’: Isabel Kaylie ▮
47’: Isabel Kayla ▮
56’: Todorka Doireann ▮

Goals:

Sylestone:
Patrick Barnsley - 9
Amber James - 7
Ellie McKean - 5
Claire Raven - 3
Lachlan Fosbrook - 2
Samantha Hussey - 2
Jonathan Younger - 2
Zachary Radcliffe - 1

Kriegiersien:
Maris Jolana - 11
Todorka Doireann - 5
Edith Ash - 2
Isabel Kaylie - 1
Flick Reanna - 1
Swapna Wassa - 1

Starting Lineup vs Juvencus @ Hagdon Park Stadium, Cleorough

Gotch; Bailey - McCartney (c) - Strezlecki; Raven - James - Fosbrook

Schedule

GS 1 MD1: Sylestone 31-20 Terradiu @ Hagdon Park Stadium, Cleorough
GS 1 MD2: Sylestone 28-22 Lisander @ Chamberley Institute of Sport, Chamberley
GS 1 MD3: Kriegiersien 24-28 Sylestone @ Unknown
GS 1 MD4: Terradiu 24-29 Sylestone @ Unknown
GS 1 MD5: Lisander 21-28 Sylestone @ Unknown
GS 1 MD6: Sylestone 31-20 Kriegiersien @ Avondale Arena, Avondale
GS 2 MD2: Sylestone - Juvencus @ Hagdon Park Stadium, Cleorough
GS 2 MD3: The 14 Stars - Sylestone @ Palm Stadium, Pesfield
GS 2 MD4: Sylestone - The Jovannic @ Institute Arena, Chamberley
GS 2 MD5: Castlelobruxo - Sylestone @ Hagdon Park Stadium, Cleorough

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

worldofhandball.multi - Your Go-To Website for International and Domestic Handball!

QHF announces return of Coupe de la Reine competition after 20 years of absence

Kim Seung-Moo

ATTAWAPISKAT - Quebecois Handball Federation (QHF) announced the plans for revamped Coupe de la Reine competition, after 20 years of absence.

While the Coupe de la Reine competition, which was first held in 1958 to 'provide competition for all Quebecois handball teams on the adult level', there were no Coupe de la Reine held from 2031 to 2051 when the QHF was placed under a probationary period for 18 years by the Royal Sporting Council (RSC). Since then, Quebec and Shingoryeo has experienced improved results on the Olympics and taken more proactive part in international handball.

Ninety-eight teams will take part in the competition across two competition classes (Junior-Collegiate and Senior), with 40 coming from the top three tiers of (semi-)professional handball and 58 in either junior divisions of aforementioned teams or college teams currently competing under the Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports.

The two competitions will feature a tournament format with first four rounds to be held on a higher-seed's home ground until the end of quarterfinals. The Spiritair Coupe de la Reine-A will be held over the season under home and away format, on top of the preexisting league schedules for said teams.
The Quebecom Coupe de la Reine-B will be a three-week long competition held over two-week period between third week of December and first week of January, with all-star matches to be held in December. It will be held as a competition separate from the Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports (QIS) championships that are normally held in late November each year.

The final four for both classes will be held in a neutral venue, which will be announced in near future. It is rumoured that Quebecom Centre in Attawapiskat will be hosting the Class-A while Class-B will be hosted in The Acadium in Halifax, with University of Halifax as the host.

[Sylestone]

Cutoff for matchday two of the second group stage, Quebec half.

---

Group C

Natanians and Nosts 24–38 Bollonich
Lisander 29–24 Annyeong Oppa

Group C                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bollonich                2   2  0  0   67  48 +19    4
2 Annyeong Oppa            2   1  0  1   59  52  +7    2
3 Lisander                 1   1  0  0   29  24  +5    2
4 Quebec & Shingoryeo      1   0  0  1   24  29  −5    0
5 Natanians and Nosts      2   0  0  2   47  73 −26    0

Group D

Taxonomic Kingdoms 28–34 Græntfjall
Kriegiersien 25–27 Gatchingerrak Union

Group D                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Græntfjall               2   2  0  0   59  50  +9    4
2 Taxonomic Kingdoms       2   1  0  1   56  57  −1    2
3 Gatchingerrak Union      2   1  0  1   50  53  −3    2
4 Kriegiersien             1   0  0  1   25  27  −2    0
5 Praxedes                 1   0  0  1   22  25  −3    0

[The 14 Stars]

Preparing for a challenge

The Starsian team after a draw had a decent start, yet with their upcoming matches they will need wins to advance to the next round but an optimistic vibe is felt across the training grounds.
Castelobruxo is the next one up, a strong opponent with lots of qualities and a team capable of making or breaking us in this stage of the groups and beating them would be an essential win to progress into the tournament.

Our Starsian players prepared for the match with some good light physical training to warm-up, a small training game and thats all they could work with knowing any sort of heavy training could bring injuries too, further the tournament is going as expected and it is expected The 14 Stars will put up a good match against Castelobruxo regardless of diffrence in qualities.
The coach earlier stated he is not afraid, he sees this match as a good test to see if our team belongs to the world top or not and while this all happens in the host countries at home alot happens aswell.

At home a good 300,000 people now signed up for Handball added to the regular amount of signups they have each year on average which marks a spike in the sports growth and a positive effect of the team on the society.
Streets are coloring Black and Blue the colors of all Starsian teams and thousands of fans also travel with the team to each match to support them and the team is very happy with that.
Everyone that supports us is welcome, we want to show Starsian unity and pride both on and off the field!

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Cutoff for matchday two of the second group stage, Sylestone half.

---

Group A
Castelobruxo 29–28 The 14 Stars
Sylestone 32–21 Juvencus

  Group A              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sylestone              1   1  0  0   32  21 +11    2
2 Juvencus               2   1  0  1   45  54  −9    2
3 Castelobruxo           2   1  0  1   51  52  −1    2
4 The 14 Stars           2   0  1  1   52  53  −1    1
5 The Jovannic           1   0  1  0   24  24   0    1

Group B
Ardengard 36–22 Drawkland
Abanhfleft 22–27 Skopja

  Group B              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Ardengard              2   2  0  0   67  51 +16    4
2 Skopja                 2   1  0  1   56  53  +3    2
3 Sarzonia               1   1  0  0   31  24  +7    2
4 Drawkland              2   0  0  2   46  67 −21    0
5 Abanhfleft             1   0  0  1   22  27  −5    0

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

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 Quebecois sports scene/plot, or a film covering foreign sports/plot content but directed/produced by a Quebecois.

Also, for those who know me - my opinion about Qatar men's handball team, and how they bought almost the entire 14-man roster for their disgusting 2015 WCh and 2016 Olympics run, is strongly reflected here. At least justice is served better on NSS than IRL.

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

'100 Years of Sporting Films': 'The Clockworker' Review

★★★★★

Paul Lascelles

Joel-Lynn McCarthy's tragically brilliant 'The Clockworker' is about the true story of twelve handball players led by Milos Schmidt, the younger brother of two-time olympic medalist and national team legend Anders, who were naturalised to join the Dawlat Aldhahab men's handball team that briefly took storm for their performance during the mid-2030s, and also created a hailstorm of controversies about naturalisations among Quebecois Commonwealth countries in handball, where the power struggle between the so-called big 3 (Quebec, Novopetrograd and Norrehavn - the latter two forming a major part in the Gatchingerrak Union joint team that is participating in the current Handball World Cup - and the rest of Quebecois Commonwealth is highlighted.

For the national team program that's led by Samir Kuelvic, a former Quebecois coach, his 'Team Aldahab' project was to be a nationbuilding experiment, where he was going to be scouting a full team's worth of handball players. Some of them were coming from the lesser privileged countries, and to them this would be viewed as a major career move. But a core would be coming from the major nations where their talent depth (for most of the last 50 years, the Norsk men's handball team were harder to break through for a prospect than Quebecois women's volleyball team, two-time Olympic gold medalists) and relative pay (the pay standard, even in the strongest of handballing nations across the sporting Multiverse, lags behind that of basketball or volleyball) meant that they would be easier to lure into.

It would be done out of dubious purposes for them - we see Kuelvic hiring David Porogolev, the Norsk goalkeeper who won back-to-back gold medals with Norrehavn before his early retirement from the national team, but feels left out by the rise of younger goalkeepers who have taken the national team spot. Does Kuelvic use this offer of 'Team Aldahab' project to help Porogolev, who has recently gone through the divorce, out? Or does Kuelvic, a bloodthirsty fiend who himself sold his soul to a project, use the Schmidt surname in Anders to help selling this project where an oil-rich nation of 300,000 people would get away with winning undeserved medals and potentially championships with a team almost entirely consisted of plastic nationals? The toxicity of this question about naturalisation is powerful, and the tragic outcome expected.

Having reviewed the historic course that eventually came to a nightmare for them, the cast gave excellent performance overall. Donheil A. Akongo plays Kuelvic with assurance, but additional layers of defensiveness and murmurs. Kuelvic's a coach in his 50s who has won plenty in both Norrehavn and Quebec, and on all levels, but has remained bitter for all the reasons not suggested, but at least implied on the screen. In some ways, Akongo's Kuelvic falls into that stereotypical old-world coach mentale, but that'd not be an accurate portrait either, as the smooth-talking coach himself prefers to talk less about the honest advice, especially around the legal problems of naturalisation processes or that of anti-doping policies. His performance remains more calm, nodding, becoming more intimidating and unlikeable over time as the news of their successes grow.

Kim Gook-Seong and Devin A. Connaught, as Dario and David, have been impossibly brilliant. The pair, to me, has given the most complicated yet complete portrayal of teammates whose relationship to each other stand as workmates, but also colleagues of life with each their own problems. Kim's Anders feeling himself on bed while not being able to see the cigarette fumes inside a lavish hotel room he calls home, is one example. In a country where foreign workers, viewed as second-class citizens, regularly perish from construction sites, such luxuries that he's able to afford look ridiculous and out of touch. There's a layer of that homage to the earlier days of the legendary director's acting career, when he had starred in a set of youthful, asshole roles perfected over the hardships of his youth. We, of course, remember how brilliant McCarthy himself was as Georges Noh on 'The Memories of a Shooting' (2003) or Brandon for 'Jiddah' (2006), partly because of how cheery yet doubt-filled his roles were back then, and we were able to see that with both characters.

When I first watched this film for this review, it seemed like a one-dimensional work condemning those who naturalised themselves to the country they had no connection to until that point- a quintessential story involving modern-era morals we often forget about. On the second viewing, however, my conviction felt less certain - the characters themselves had their own problems to deal with, and their guilt had only amplified as the film and the events went on. While the sum of talent brought by this team was immense, the team chemistry shared between the fourteen-man Dawlatian team is nothing like that of Sylestonians, who are by all means the best handball side in Esportiva- Anders holds onto the ball too often as the left back, and argues like a Sarzonian pair with his goalkeeper. In a sport where rotations are repetitive and connecting dots is ever so important, this is never a good thing. The team, over the course of years they train together and play for 2 Quebecois Commonwealth Games, need a bit more than that, but what they get instead is an imperfect team bonded by money. In that aspect, The Clockworker is a superb twist of a Quebecois sports heroics, where an antithetical team, a big guy, finds himself beaten by not just the external powers (the Norsk or the Quebecois in gold medal finals, who do not even look back at them), but also the inner powers as well. There is none of a heartwarming drama, which he had shown in other two sports films he directed in Ophelia (2014) and To Build A Home (2020), here - you see the dreams of those who chase the cars instead crushed by their failure to win gold in a Commonwealth Game, but also the entire national team banned from Commonwealth Games competition for 8 year period after the 13 of the 14 players on the roster were caught in a doping scandal.

Handball itself is a difficult sport. It is a sport where you have to be careful with odd bounces at all times, especially because the ball is not only small, but also can fly far and under any direction. The level of accuracy and the odd bounces needed to score is a lot lower upon entrance, but higher to master, and that's where the challenge lies. As the team is disbanded for the time being and Dario returns home, he sees nobody waiting for him at the airport. He doesn't say anything, just feeling a little bit of sadness about the defeat, and Kim Gook-Seong revives it perfectly, to conclude a story where the justice is best served in a cold dish.

Read this article in:

English | Français | The Taegukgi Indigenous

[Sarzonia]

The day of rest was an interesting one for Joyce Rodham and her Sarzonian national handball team.

The Stars sat around as spectators whilst the other four teams in Group B had at it. They would watch unranked Ardengard make very quick work of Drawkland in a 36-22 rout that made a statement. They'd see Skopja start Abanhfleft's journey in the second group stage with a thud. Thus, Drawkland would be behind the eight ball with an 0-0-2 record after two group stage matches, whilst the Fleftics would be 0-0-1. The Stars said to a person they weren't taking Ardengard lightly even as one of the two unranked sides in Group B, but now they have damn good reason to take their next opponents seriously.

"They looked really impressive," defender Vivianne Taylor said of Ardengard. "They've done well this entire tournament," she added, pointing to the team's seven consecutive victories and their demolishing of Drawkland.

"Drawkland are no slouches, no matter what sport they compete in," Taylor said. "They're 25th ranked in this tournament. We were 23rd ranked in the previous one. I don't have to tell you what happened there." The then-23rd ranked Stars won 11 consecutive matches in the 23rd Handball World Cup to clinch the title, and they've won 19 straight overall across three Handball World Cups. Rodham said the team aren't taking anything for granted.

"They're playing too strong out there," Rodham said of Ardengard. "If we're not sharp and on our game, that streak is going to be ancient history."

So far, Sarzonia and Sylestone remain the only two teams that have not dropped a single match in either group stage of the 24th Handball World Cup. The top two sides from each group in this second phase qualify directly to the quarterfinals. However, goalkeeper Pat Agnew said the team's goal isn't merely to qualify.

"We want to win every time we set foot on the pitch," they said. "That's the goal, to go 1-0 every day."

[Kriegiersien]

News release of the Kriegiersien Handball Association

Kriegiersien loses 25-27 against unranked team from the Gatchingerrak Union at the World Cup by throwing the match. All over?

It looked good for Kriegiersien after half time, when the Olympic Champion lead 20-7, playing there best game in the tournament. But then the match got wild.
Thanks to parts of the audience beginning to chant mean songs at the end of the first half, most of the Kriegiersien team refused to come back.
With only 5 players left, the team was outdone by an opponent who didn’t even tried too hard.
The Union team took it serene and scored 15 of the 20 goals with trick-shots against the rest of the Kriegiersien team left on the pitch.
“That was treason. Just because some in the audience call you a >censored< and >censored<, you can’t just leave the field. I am so angry, that will have consequences”, Coach Flöt rampaged in the press conference.
“We have now probably lost our chance to reach the quarter finals after losing against a puppet who is a sparring partner for regional tournaments.”

“I don’t know what that was. I have heard worse insults in home games in Schoenwetter, but suddenly some of the girls cried in the changing room because some of the songs and what the people shouted at them. And then it escalated and a few convinced the others to stay. I don’t care, we should have all gone out and fight. That was futile”, said backcourt Jaya Gail angry, coming back together with Magdalena Pamella, Johanneke Maisie, Kelia Ernestine and Moe Edna.

“It was like in excessive Training in half time two, always being outnumbered. Curious”, said Goalkeeper Edna who had prevented a higher loss with many great saves.

[Sylestone]

Cutoff for matchday three of the second group stage, Quebec half. Apologies for the early cutoff, don't have much time today.

---

Group C

Bollonich 20–24 Lisander
Quebec & Shingoryeo 21–24 Natanians and Nosts

Group C                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bollonich                3   2  0  1   87  72 +15    4
2 Lisander                 2   2  0  0   53  44  +9    4
3 Annyeong Oppa            2   1  0  1   59  52  +7    2
4 Natanians and Nosts      3   1  0  2   71  94 −23    2
5 Quebec & Shingoryeo      2   0  0  2   45  53  −8    0

Group D

Græntfjall 24–21 Kriegiersien
Praxedes 21–28 Taxonomic Kingdoms

Group D                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Græntfjall               3   3  0  0   83  71 +12    6
2 Taxonomic Kingdoms       3   2  0  1   84  78  +6    4
3 Gatchingerrak Union      2   1  0  1   50  53  −3    2
4 Kriegiersien             2   0  0  2   46  51  −5    0
5 Praxedes                 2   0  0  2   43  53 −10    0

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

worldofhandball.multi - Your Go-To Website for International and Domestic Handball!

Grim Reapers' men lose in a national disgrace, Michael Hanrahan out as Grim Reapers' coach

Kim Seung-Moo

ATTAWAPISKAT - Quebec and Shingoryeo men's head coach Michael Hanrahan has parted ways with the national team, citing poor performances as one of many reasons for his departure.

While he was the only coach to be fired (so far) in middle of the Handball World Cup 24, Hanrahan's firing was the latest of the events that followed with the Quebecois joint handball team. Run-ins with poor refereeing standards, questionable answers during media conferences, and a shameful loss to Natanians and Nosts in front of home crowd who pelted the referees and the Grim Reapers with tomatoes and cabbages, this departure only marked the latest of unfortunate situations that have followed the Quebecois national team.

In middle of a heated press conference, Hanrahan announced his resignation this morning alongside Joanna Wex, the president of the Quebecois Handball Federation, and women's team coach Varinder Bhullar.

'It was a difficult decision to make, especially in middle of the tournament, but it's on me to accept responsibility for what have happened up to this point,' said Hanrahan on the press release that followed with the media conference. 'It has been my pleasure to lead the Quebecois men's national team for last four years. We have come the long way from the men's team that has not performed well in the Commonwealth Games and Championships, to be able to battle it out consistently with the best of the best. I wish the best of luck for my eventual successor on whatever it takes to bring this team to winning heights,' Hanrahan said.

The native of Val-Rouge, Abitibi-Temiscamingue province, Hanrahan became the Grim Reapers' coach in 2048 in the hopes that the Quebecois team, after a notoriously poor performance at the Handball World Cup 23 held in Savojarna, would improve their performance. He led the Grim Reapers men to the Handball World Cup 23 and 24, as well as the 2050 Olympics tournament held in Bunjil, Electrum.

'It wasn't the easiest in the first half of my tenure, when securing the support of the Players' Association and the QHF were near impossible, and putting together a competitive team was hard enough. Fortunately, we have come the long way since then and have much to look forward to in future years. Nothing can change my mind about where we stand in future,' Hanrahan concluded.

Wex said Hanrahan's resignation was beyond her control, but hoped that this news would bring forward to something more promising. She specifically noted the possibility of this coming up at the next QHF board meeting: 'It is unfortunate that Michael has been let go, effectively now, especially with the level of progress, however limited it may have been, made in international handball. We have seen the Quebecois men perform well at the Olympics before a disgraceful loss in the round of 32, but that result, not to mention a shame of loss, shouldn't cover all the progresses made during Hanrahan's time as coach.'

'With that said, our goal is to move on, first and foremost. The Grim Reapers will aim to win out the rest of the group stage, and hopefully qualify for Quarterfinals. We will also have to make a decision about who will be the interim coach at the next board meeting, and decide what to do as well.'

[Ardengard]

“And that is it! The whistle has been blown. Drawkland will be relieved to bring an end to this embarrassing display, but I don’t think the Ardengardians would’ve minded a few more minutes to get their lead to twenty.”
“It’s been an entirely one-sided game. With Ardengard’s style of play, you normally don’t expect them to score this high but Drawkland have not been able to contain them today at all.”
“I agree, and may I add – this Ardengardian side does not seem like an unranked team in their debut World Cup at all. They’ve played like true professionals, with only one loss and no draws in their run so far. Thoughts about their future here?”
“In my opinion, they’re a competitor for sure. Their first few wins may have seemed lucky to some but they’ve been consistent – they’ve defeated well-ranked teams with ease and I have a feeling they’ll go far in the cup.”
“That may be true, but their metal will be tested tomorrow in their game against top ranked Sarzonia – who have an amazing ongoing winning streak. Will that streak be broken by the underdogs? Or will Goliath prevail? Join us again tomorrow for live coverage of the 24th Handball World Cup, where we’ll find out.”

---

“YEAHHHHHHHH! LESSSGOOOOOO!”
The dressing room was full of players shouting at the top of their voices with glee. They lifted up their captain Merry Babatonye on their shoulders and shouted chants at the top of their voices.

Ardengard! Ardengard! Listen to the drums!
Ardengard! Ardengard! Here we come!
Ardengard! Ardengard! What’s the buzz?
Ardengard! Ardengard! Beware of us!

All of the players were ecstatic – all but one. Fred McKinnon sat away from the celebrations. Not having played for a minute in the game, he had no intention to join in. This didn’t pass by the coaches unnoticed. Michael couldn’t figure out what the problem was. They had started Kate in just one match, simply as a trial. Had that triggered him off? Surely there was something more to the matter. If only Fred would communicate with them – he had just exploded when he’d tried to talk to him. Apart from a few instructions in team meetings, the coaching staff hadn’t spoken to him after that.
“Thinking about Fred?”
Coach Howard was standing beside him.
Michael nodded.
“We can’t play him anymore if he continues to act like this.”
“Which means…”
“Kate has a heavy load to bear.”
“Exactly.”
They both stood in silence for a while, not paying attention to the celebrations anymore.
“We need to get him to open up to us.”
“But how?”
“That beats me but there has to be something to get past that force field. For now we need to focus on tomorrow. Call Ryan. We need to talk about Sarzonia.”

---

“Winners of the last World Cup, 19 consecutive wins across World Cups, and maximum points achieved in this one – that’s the kind of side we’re facing.”
“Any weaknesses?” Coach Veitch inquired.
“If they had a particular one, it would’ve been exploited by now.”
“Hmmm, any specific players we need to look out for?”
“Pat Agnew is one. Goalkeeper.”
“How good is he?”
“Uhh, coach, Pat is gender nonconforming so the pronoun would be ‘they’.”
“Oh, my apologies. How are they?”
“The Arden Guardian once described them as ‘A devil to their opponents.’”
“Jeez.”
All this information wasn’t news to Michael. He had been wary of Sarzonia since the beginning of the tournament. He’d looked at their games again and again at hours on end, trying to find something to exploit – something that give them an advantage. He didn’t find any. So he’d hoped and hoped that they wouldn’t need to face them in a crucial game, if they needed to face them at all. But those hopes had vanished the night they had been drawn in the same group. He remembered the scene quite clearly.

---

“Which pot is this?”
“4.”
“Which pot are we in?”
“4.”
All eyes were fixed on the screen. The hand reached into the bowl and took out a chit. It was slowly opened and word rang out clearly in an otherwise silent room – “Ardengard”
No-one reacted. This was the third round of the draw. They’d sat through the first two with hearts skipping beats every time Pot 4 was taken. Another chit was taken out and the voice read out “Group B”.
Everyone scrambled to remember who else was in the group.
Michael sat silently but he was racking his memory. Skopja had been put in Group B in the first round but who else? Castelobruxo? No. Who was it? Oh… no. Michael’s heart sank. The rest of the room realised who it was a second later. They stayed in silence. The draw went on. Abanhfleft and Drawkland were sorted into their group as well, but everyone’s minds were on something else. As the telecast finished, Michael got up and turned to his team.
“Let’s not stay quiet. I’ll address the elephant in the room. Now, Sarzonia may not be the easiest nut to crack, but it’s no reason to get disheartened. We’ve been playing well and I’m confident that if we do our best, anything is possible.”

---

We’ve been playing well and I’m confident that if we do our best, anything is possible
That was what he had said to his team, but had he meant it? He had faith in his players, yes. However, would their luck hold out against a team of Sarzonia’s calibre? He had hope now though. Their last two games had both gone wonderfully for them. A 14 point win difference in the last one surely did wonders for the players’ confidence too.
“Coach, how are we approaching this?”
“They don’t have weaknesses” Michael asked again.
“No,” replied Ryan.
“Then we do what we do best. Keep our defences up, focus on not conceding, and outperform them on the counter. Both teams play to their strengths. We make sure we don’t make any blunders, nothing that will single-handedly cost us the match. If we can ensure that, it’ll be a game of who is genuinely better. No trick plays or lucky goals. We play it out and try to win.”
Ryan and James nodded. They knew that that was the best shot they were going to have.
“And what about Kate?”
“I’ll speak to her. We have a day of rest in a while, we’ll need to sort out matters with Fred then before it affects the team’s performance. James, make sure that the Quick bros are ready for tomorrow. They link up well and will need to perform exceptionally tomorrow.”
“Got it.”
“Anything else?”
“Not for now, but if anything comes to mind, call me up.”
“Ok then, we have the press conference now right?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s not keep them waiting.”

---

The press room quietened down as the three coaches walked in. They took their seats and adjusted their mics. Michael took a sip of water and said, “We’re ready when you are.”
“The first question will be from The Arden Guardian, Ardengard.”
Michael smiled, he didn’t need an introduction to his country’s top newspaper.
“Good afternoon Coach Veitch.”
“Afternoon.”
“Congratulations on that comfortable victory. Your recent run has been quite impressive. My question to you is, do you believe that you can continue this form, especially considering the team you’re facing next?”
“Whoo. The Arden Guardian bringing the heat,” Michael chuckled. “Uhh, we all know Sarzonia is a top quality side. You talk about our good run but you can’t even compare it to theirs. However, that is no reason for us not to be able to challenge them on the court tomorrow. I believe we have very good players and an even better team and that with the confidence we’ve gained from the last few victories it is within our capabilities to give Sarzonia a good run for their money.”
“Thank you coah and best of luck.”
“Thank you to you too. Who’s next?”
“The Karvian Chronicle, Bollonich.”
“I don’t wish to reiterate but congratulations on that amazing victory to the entire team. I’ll keep this short. Do you have a particular plan or tactic which you feel you will be able to surprise Sarzonia with?”
“I’ll take that,” said Ryan. “Many teams have faced Sarzonia before and none of them have figured out a way to completely surprise them. So… I feel… for… like… Ardengard will just have to play just as well as we have before and hope that that’s enough.”
“We don’t have time for follow ups. Next is SBN News.”
“You said that you’ll just have to play like you have before, without springing any surprises. Is that a bluff by any chance? Or do you actually plan to out-play Sarzonia?”
The three coaches kept silent for a while. Then James leaned towards his mic and said, “I guess we’ll see tomorrow.”

---

Now we have some news on sports in Ardengard. The 24th Handball World Cup is underway with Ardengard making a debut. Tomorrow is the highly anticipated game between unranked Ardengard and Sarzonia – ranked 1st. The starting lineup for Ardengard looks like the following –

GK – William Save
LB – Pete Quick
CB – Merry Babatonye
RB – Kate Armason
LW – Nicholas Quick
P – Joseph Khan
RW – Maria Fury

The exclusion of Fred McKinnon from the game against Drawkland, as well as the starters against Sarzonia has raised some voices but nothing from the coaching staff yet.

---

Pete woke up to the sound of his phone buzzing itself off the table. He picked up.
“Hey sweety.”
“Hey mom.”
“Are you ready for today?”
“Well, I just woke up.”
“You should be up already! How are your plans for today?”
Rubbing his eyes Pete slowly came to realise what day it was. They were about to play the match that could make or break their efforts.
“Pete?”
Were they prepared? He hoped they were. A loss here wouldn’t mean elimination, but it would dash their hopes.
“Anyway, what song are you listening to nowadays?”
Pete’s mind was still on the match up ahead. Slowly, and subconsciously he said “It’s Gonna Be Okay.”

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Cutoff for Matchday 4, Second Group Stage - Sylestonian half.

---

Group A
The 14 Stars 21–32 Sylestone
The Jovannic 31–33 Castelobruxo

  Group A              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Castelobruxo           3   2  0  1   84  83  +1    4
2 Sylestone              2   2  0  0   64  42 +22    4
3 Juvencus               2   1  0  1   45  54  −9    2
4 The 14 Stars           3   0  1  2   73  85 −12    1
5 The Jovannic           2   0  1  1   55  57  −2    1

Group B
Drawkland 32–35 Abanhfleft
Sarzonia 32–26 Ardengard

  Group B              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sarzonia               2   2  0  0   63  50 +13    4
2 Ardengard              3   2  0  1   93  83 +10    4
3 Skopja                 2   1  0  1   56  53  +3    2
4 Abanhfleft             2   1  0  1   57  59  −2    2
5 Drawkland              3   0  0  3   78 102 −24    0

[Sarzonia]

The matchup between the top ranked, defending champion Sarzonian national handball team and unranked Ardengard could have been dismissed as a potential blowout at first blush.

After all, Sarzonia carried a 19-match winning streak into the match across three editions of the Handball World Cup that began in the 22nd edition and carried through the 23rd edition which saw an undefeated Stars side capture the title in its first finals appearance in the sport. Ardengard were making their debut appearance in the Handball World Cup, and while they were no slouches themselves with a 5-0-1 record entering the second group phase, and they'd spectacularly demolished a Drawkland side that Sarzonia had a little trouble with, it promised to be a much more interesting affair than the initial prognostications might have suggested.

There's a reason you play these matches on the pitch instead of on paper. Sarzonia entered the half level with Ardengard and had a one-goal lead after the third quarter, but they came out with stifling defence in the fourth quarter and held Ardengard to two scores in the frame. They won the match 32-26 to go to 2-0-0 ahead of their match against Abanhfleft, one that likely will determine if the Stars can punch their ticket to the quarterfinals one day before the conclusion of the second group stage.

Manager Joyce Rodham said the Stars lined up and noticed Ardengard playing man-to-man defence and didn't really try keying on any specific Sarzonia players, a tactic they really hadn't seen employed by another side. The Stars adapted to this by the fourth quarter.

"Usually, we see one forward or the other keyed on, and it opens things up for the other offensive players," Rodham said. "This time, they decided to focus on stopping everyone and they kept looking for opportunities against our defence when they had possession. We were able to shut the door on them in the fourth quarter, and that's a huge credit to our players."

Goalkeeper Pat Agnew made seven saves and directed traffic, including positioning defender Vivianne Taylor to deny a long range shot attempt from pivot Joseph Khan. Agnew was able to make the stop and they fired out to Taylor to get the ball out of danger. That sequence came with Sarzonia clinging to a two-goal lead and directly led to a goal by right wing John Maeve 20 seconds later. The two-goal swing then turned into a six-goal run for the Stars (8-0 combined in two group stages), which saw Sarzonia up 31-23 before Ardengard scored three garbage-time goals to pad the stats. Agnew said the Stars would focus their energy on Abanhfleft.

"None of the matches are easy at this stage of the competition," Agnew said. "We expect Abanhfleft will give us a bigtime fight. They always do, no matter what the sport." Except perhaps the final of the 37th World Lacrosse Championships?

"That Stars team was on a mission. They were facing their bogey team and they wanted to keep Abanhfleft from getting separation as the greatest lacrosse country of all time," Agnew said. "Now it's our turn to be the team on a mission."

That mission: To become the third Sarzonian team in recent competitions to repeat as champions. Prior to this year, only the Sarzonian basketball team ever repeated as champions, and that team won three consecutive International Basketball Championships and advanced to seven consecutive finals. Now, both the lacrosse team and the field hockey team have won consecutive titles. Sarzonia's 20 consecutive victories across all competitions extends the handball team's mark beyond the 19 consecutive victories in World Lacrosse Championship play for the lax Stars, though that team's manager Jordan Helms quickly pointed out the team lost two consecutive Atlantian Oceania Lacrosse Championship matches in the semifinals and the third place playoff, so he doesn't count the streak as impressively as some observers would.

The 20 straight victories by Rodham's side, however, is active across all competitions. Rodham said the streak was "the furthest thing from my mind.

"Our focus is on winning another championship and going from there. I don't care if we don't have that streak when this is all said and done. I just don't want our first loss to come in the knockout rounds."

[Sylestone]

The Sylestonean > Sport > Handball > HWC 24

HOSTS KICK SECOND GROUP STAGE OFF WITH JUVENCUS THRASHING

Sylestone vs Juvencus @ Hagdon Park Stadium, Cleorough

Sylestone Starting VII:Gotch; Bailey - McCartney (c) - Strezlecki; Raven - James - Fosbrook

Juvencus Starting VII: Montessini; Konstandinov - Gameiro - Cavallieri; Ideale - Di Monieri - D’Agosto

CLEOROUGH, SYLESTONE - After a 6-0-0 run against the likes of Kriegiersien, Lisander and Terradiu in the first, home-and-away group stage, Sylestone’s handball team came into the second stage with expectations weighted upon them from all around the multiverse. However, most of that expectation would come from within the nation itself, playing host to Groups A and B, where the home crowd would be expecting their team to at least make the knockouts of this tournament, if not all the way.

But Juvencus would pose to be a strong opponent. After winning their first five games ever on the trot, the Sonnelians dropped the final match to HUElavia, but it was enough to finish four points clear in their group, to move into the second group stage as a force to be reckoned with. They backed it up, too, defying a determined Castlelobruxo team with a two-point win and moving atop Group A, with The 14 Stars and The Jovannic playing out a tie in the other matchup of the round.

Sylestone’s Hawthorns, though, would be Juvencus’ toughest opponent to date, having never lost as a team in 60 minutes of play, with their only loss in overtime against Græntfjall, in the 23rd instalment of the Handball World Cup. And having six wins on the trot already in this edition, it would be a massive task to even bring it close, especially with the home crowd advantage.

Right from the beginning, though, the third-ranked side in the multiverse came out of the blocks firing, right from the word go. To the excitement of the home crowd, they completely dominated the majority of the first half, scoring four goals inside the first five minutes of the match and seven inside the first ten. It was absolutely brilliant play from each and every player in the side, all of whom chipped in with their bits. The question would be, though, could they maintain it?

Sort of. Despite the score being 7-2, in Sylestone’s favour, at the ten-minute mark, Juvencus’ defence began to found ways to thwart Claire Raven, Amber James and Lachlan Fosbrook in the Sylestonean attack line and began to claw their way back into the match. Each player in their squad upped their game, intercepting passes they hadn’t previously and scoring in scenarios they wouldn’t have in the opening ten minutes of the match. By the time right-winger Michelangelo D’Agosto scored to round out the first half, the difference was only six goals, with the scoreline 17-11 with half the game gone.

After half-time, though, the Hawthorns continued to press on the attack as they lengthened the lead. Amber James and Patrick Barnsley, Sylestone’s two pivots, continued their battle for that starting spot, despite both being well and truly inside the best five players in the nation, across any position. When the final whistle was blown, the two of them had scored more than half the goals for their side in the game, making this battle a very interesting one indeed.

If it wasn’t for them, the game itself would have been far, far closer. But through those two pivots, the Hawthorns never let their foot off the accelerator at all during the second half, scoring 15 goals to Juvencus’ 10 to take out the victory, 32-21. The result put Sylestone down as the side to beat in the group and lengthened their winning streak to seven and their overall record to a whopping fifteen wins to one loss.

Amazing.

Cards:

Sylestone:
14’: Isabella Bailey ▮
19’: Lachlan Fosbrook ▮
25’: Zachary Radcliffe ▮
40’: Ellie McKean ▮
49’: Jonathan Younger ▮

Juvencus:
9’: Carlos Ideale ▮
16’: James Di Monieri ▮
18’: Darko Konstandinov ▮
31’: Gialuigi Kosta ▮
54’: Giancarlo Montessini ▮

Goals:

Sylestone:
Amber James - 9
Patrick Barnsley - 8
Lachlan Fosbrook - 5
Zachary Radcliffe - 3
Claire Raven - 3
Samantha Hussey - 2
Ellie McKean - 1
Flynn Strange - 1

Juvencus:
Michelangelo D’Agosto - 6
James Di Monieri - 4
Carlos Ideale - 4
Leonardo Cavallieri - 3
Maximus Coiro - 2
Darko Konstandinov - 1
Clarence Lumiere - 1

Starting Lineup vs The Jovannic @ Institute Arena, Chamberley

Ackman; Strange - McCartney (c) - Strezlecki; Radcliffe - Barnsley - Fosbrook

Schedule

GS 1 MD1: Sylestone 31-20 Terradiu @ Hagdon Park Stadium, Cleorough
GS 1 MD2: Sylestone 28-22 Lisander @ Chamberley Institute of Sport, Chamberley
GS 1 MD3: Kriegiersien 24-28 Sylestone @ Unknown
GS 1 MD4: Terradiu 24-29 Sylestone @ Unknown
GS 1 MD5: Lisander 21-28 Sylestone @ Unknown
GS 1 MD6: Sylestone 31-20 Kriegiersien @ Avondale Arena, Avondale
GS 2 MD2: Sylestone 32-21 Juvencus @ Hagdon Park Stadium, Cleorough
GS 2 MD3: The 14 Stars 21-32 Sylestone @ Palm Stadium, Pesfield
GS 2 MD4: Sylestone - The Jovannic @ Institute Arena, Chamberley
GS 2 MD5: Castlelobruxo - Sylestone @ Hagdon Park Stadium, Cleorough

[The 14 Stars]

Unacceptable

''2 Losses in a row! and not just only to Sylestone but to fucking Castelobruxo?? who the hell do you think you are bunch of lazy kids this is the world cup not some amateur league jesus christ!!!''

Their coach shouted at the Starsian players who were deeply dissapointed so far aswell playing below their standards and a draw against Castelobruxo was a for a team like their unacceptable to go with.
Not only did it hurt their pride no it also proved they had played like shit these whole group stages so far and even if the loss to Sylestone was a given knowing they are a top tier nation it still dissapointing.
To change this they underwent a new training regime, longer and even more intensive training was issued by the coach to get the maximum out of their potential as this next match was crucial if they wanted to have any chance.
They weren't a top tier team he knew that very well too but coaching a country brings responsibility and he would be the one to pay if they somehow did not reach the next round of the world cup.

Also did he and Chris Kenville the captain discuss a new set of tactics which vastly differed from their existing ones and would be the key to winning in the next match and securing atleast a few more points.
Everyone in the country was watching them now, millions of people all hoping for them to win and for them to reach the next rounds yet they so far had shown nothing of any significance at all.

Players

Our players themselves are really dissapointed aswell, they called it a mistake, a drama and many more things and they look to secure more wins to prove their worth to the team and the multiverse as a Handball nation.
They knew Sylestone was too tough but against teams with equal ranking or even unranked sides only a win is good enough and losing is not accepted both by the coaches and the players of the team.
With their new training and tactics only time will tell if it will pay off.

[Bollonich]

Bollonischian Handball League

This moment was hugely anticipated by all of the multiverse. The sport of handball had recently seen a huge rise in popularity with the Handball World Cup becoming a regular fixture on the calendars of the teams. And now with the return of the World Club Handball Championship, the Bollonischian Handball League was going to rise even more in prominence. And the beginning of this engaging handball league was now greatly anticipated not only by Bollonischians but also citizens of other nations players of whom had signed on to play in BHL teams. There was no doubt this was not only going to be a huge success for handball as a sport but the commercial importance of the league was huge as well with prominent companies both international and Bollonischian making huge investments. Athloom is one such Ardengardian company who have provided with all the kits of the league. Maihar Lions and the Vreton Bulls played out the season opener. The Bulls and the Lions had very competitive sides as two Brook players were up against each other, Bart Mattar for the Bulls and Brinkman for the Lions. It was a hotly anticipated duel with the Bulls holding onto a solid lead coming out on top. Kate Armason the young Ardengardian was leading the Rovers side, most of their hopes rested on her shoulders. This was an immense amount of pressure to put on a young player with very little experience. They were up against the Warriors who also had a strong side. This game was very much the battle between the right backs as Kate Armason the Arden player faced off against Jonathan Younger the Sylestonean. Kate’s career in the Bollonischian Handball League got off to a rather weak start struggling against the Lions as the Lions took the win on this occasion. The Yetis powered on with a good win over the much weaker Wizards as the Yetis look strong to make a good comeback this season. The Tigers and the Kings the two favourites were shocked as they succumbed to defeats at the hands of the Frogs and Rockers.

Matchday 1
Maihar Lions 22–24 Vreton Bulls
Maihar Warriors 29–25 Akusha Rovers
Lagos Yetis 30–21 Torrijas Wizards
Marda Frogs 32–30 Karvian Tigers
Kings of Fermont 27–30 San Pablo Rockers

[Sylestone]

Cutoff for matchday four of the second group stage, Quebec half.

---

Group C

Lisander 24–27 Quebec & Shingoryeo
Annyeong Oppa 22–28 Bollonich

Group C                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bollonich                4   3  0  1  115  94 +21    6
2 Lisander                 3   2  0  1   77  71  +6    4
3 Annyeong Oppa            3   1  0  2   81  80  +1    2
4 Quebec & Shingoryeo      3   1  0  2   72  77  −5    2
5 Natanians and Nosts      3   1  0  2   71  94 −23    2

Group D

Kriegiersien 29–21 Praxedes
Gatchingerrak Union 35–23 Græntfjall

Group D                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Græntfjall               4   3  0  1  106 106   0    6
2 Gatchingerrak Union      3   2  0  1   85  76  +9    4
3 Taxonomic Kingdoms       3   2  0  1   84  78  +6    4
4 Kriegiersien             3   1  0  2   75  72  +3    2
5 Praxedes                 3   0  0  3   64  82 −18    0

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Cutoff for matchday four of the second group stage, Sylestone half.

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Group A
Sylestone 29–20 The Jovannic
Juvencus 34–21 The 14 Stars

  Group A              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sylestone              3   3  0  0   93  62 +31    6
2 Juvencus               3   2  0  1   79  75  +4    4
3 Castelobruxo           3   2  0  1   84  83  +1    4
4 The 14 Stars           4   0  1  3   94 119 −25    1
5 The Jovannic           3   0  1  2   75  86 −11    1

Group B
Abanhfleft 23–30 Sarzonia
Skopja 29–24 Drawkland

  Group B              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sarzonia               3   3  0  0   93  73 +20    6
2 Ardengard              3   2  0  1   93  83 +10    4
3 Skopja                 3   2  0  1   85  77  +8    4
4 Abanhfleft             3   1  0  2   80  89  −9    2
5 Drawkland              4   0  0  4  102 131 −29    0

[Sarzonia]

Even though Abanhfleft's fortunes as the seventh ranked team in the handball-playing multiverse may not be what they once were, the Sarzonian national handball team viewed their Matchday Four opponents warily. Sarzonia were well aware of the Fleftics being forced to play a playoff match to advance to the second group stage of the 24th Handball World Cup after compiling a 1-1-4 record through six matches in the first group stage.

"It's Abanfleft," every player, manager, assistant manager, and member of the support staff said when asked why the Stars walked into the arena with all the intensity of a knockout round match. "Every time we play that team no matter what the sport, there's the potential for an instant classic."

This one had all the makings of a letdown for a Sarzonia team that entered the match riding a 20-match winning streak across three editions of the Handball World Cup. A loss certainly wouldn't eliminate the Stars here, but it would certainly add pressure onto a team that walked in with the No. 1 rank in the handball multiverse as the defending champions. Granted, a victory would also add pressure because the Stars wouldn't want the defeat that ends their winning streak to come during a knockout round match.

Sarzonia came out tight in the early going and found themselves down by three after the first quarter as a result. Manager Joyce Rodham gathered her charges during the break between the end of the first quarter and the start of the second to reset the team's focus.

"I know we can play better," she said. "You're all wound tight," she said. So am I, she thought to herself, realising that her nerves seemed to have rubbed off on the team. "They're a good team, but we are too. Let's see if we can force a turnover and get a counterattack going." Sure enough, shortly after the second stanza began, the Stars did just that, converting a caused turnover by Vivianne Taylor into a goal by left wing Nestor Catalina that completely changed the momentum of the match. Sarzonia outscored Abanhfleft by five goals en route to a two-goal halftime lead. Following an even third quarter, the Stars turned it on in the fourth to win going away 30-23. The result guaranteed the Stars (3-0 in the second group stage; 9-0 overall) a spot in the quarterfinals with only a match against Skopja remaining. The unranked side defeated Drawkland 29-24 and sent the Drawks home with an 0-0-4 record.

For Rodham, the question of whether to use the starting seven or the team's depth players with Sarzonia's place in the quarterfinals already secured got a quick answer.

"We're going to send out the starters, but we may play depth players for a bit," she said. "I want to see both reserve keepers get an opportunity to play, so Pat [Agnew, the starting goalkeeper] will sit the Skopja match out. We'll probably rotate players in and out depending on what we need."

As for potential quarterfinals matchups, Rodham said it's premature to look ahead, as only Group A leaders Sylestone and Group C frontrunners Bollonich have joined Sarzonia in officially booking their places into the knockout stage of the Handball World Cup. She said the team would not look past anyone at a potential finals appearance against Sylestone.

"They were rather dominant at the last Handball World Cup and they got sent home early," Rodham said of the Hawthorns. "They've been juggernauts in this tournament as well. It'd be a great matchup if it happens, but we can't take anything for granted. There are too many good teams still remaining."

[Sylestone]

Cutoff for matchday five of the second group stage, Quebec half.

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Group C

Quebec & Shingoryeo 32–23 Annyeong Oppa
Natanians and Nosts 21–29 Lisander

Group C                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bollonich                4   3  0  1  115  94 +21    6
2 Lisander                 4   3  0  1  106  92 +14    6
3 Quebec & Shingoryeo      4   2  0  2  104 100  +4    4
4 Annyeong Oppa            4   1  0  3  104 112  −8    2
5 Natanians and Nosts      4   1  0  3   92 123 −31    2

Group D

Praxedes 22–32 Gatchingerrak Union
Taxonomic Kingdoms 24–32 Kriegiersien

Group D                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Gatchingerrak Union      4   3  0  1  117  98 +19    6
2 Græntfjall               4   3  0  1  106 106   0    6
3 Kriegiersien             4   2  0  2  107  96 +11    4
4 Taxonomic Kingdoms       4   2  0  2  108 110  −2    4
5 Praxedes                 4   0  0  4   86 114 −28    0

Quarterfinals
(A1) Bollonich vs Græntfjall (B2) @ Gwangbok Centre, Attawapiskat, Quebec & Shingoryeo
(B1) Gatchingerrak Union vs Lisander (A2) @ Cannabiscorp Arena, Baja Calania, Quebec & Shingoryeo

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

And without ado...Cutoff for matchday five of the second group stage, Sylestone half.

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Group A
The Jovannic 27–28 Juvencus
Castelobruxo 28–30 Sylestone

  Group A              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sylestone              4   4  0  0  123  90 +33    8
2 Juvencus               4   3  0  1  107 102  +5    6
3 Castelobruxo           4   2  0  2  112 113  −1    4
4 The Jovannic           4   0  1  3  102 114 −12    1
5 The 14 Stars           4   0  1  3   94 119 −25    1

Group B
Sarzonia 32–22 Skopja
Ardengard 23–29 Abanhfleft

Group B              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sarzonia               4   4  0  0  125  95 +30    8
2 Skopja                 4   2  0  2  107 109  −2    4
3 Abanhfleft             4   2  0  2  109 112  −3    4
4 Ardengard              4   2  0  2  116 112  +4    4
5 Drawkland              4   0  0  4  102 131 −29    0

Quarterfinals
(A1) Sylestone vs Skopja (B2) @ Seaside Arena, Betham, Sylestone
(B1) Sarzonia vs Juvencus (A2) @ Hagdon Park Stadium, Cleorough, Sylestone