Independents Cup 15- EVERYTHING THREAD

[HUElavia]

At this point, we're down to the Elite Eight of the IAC.

Many teams have fallen, but tonight, four more teams will fall, and the Final Four will remain.

Will you crumble under the pressure, or will you have your opponent in a stranglehold?

Welcome to the Quarter-Finals

Quarter-Finals

Indusse 4–1 Tjorl
Libira National Stadium, Fiskadaha City, Poafmersia

Squidroidia 0–0 Trolleborg (1–0 AET)
Stadium Strata, Telm City, Britonisea

HUElavia 0–0 Sannyamathland (0–0 AET) (3–2 pen.)
New Thraproy Sports Complex Main Stadium, Adaik's C'ntral, United Adaikes
(Scorinated by South Newlandia)

TJUN-ia 1–2 Drawkland
National Stadium, TJUN-ia City, TJUN-ia



Semi-Finals Matches

Indusse vs Drawkland
Aditya Varma Kulashekara International Stadium, Hind City, Indusse

HUElavia vs Squidroidia
Kanyo Pitch, Kayo, Drawkland

[Squidroidia]

"...First time here? IAC Semi-Finals? HUElavia as the opponent? This exact thing happened 5 cycles ago and it started a rivalry etched in stone."

Tomomi Hamasaki felt a humble sense as he was heading on over to Drawkland. The young midfielder was playing his first international tournament, and yet here he was, veteran of the national team Makino Hideo telling him about the story that started all that long ago in the bustling nation of Omerica. Hideo was one of only a few players left from that Squidroidian team who arrived at the IAC as a complete unknown with one minor tournament under their belt and proceeded to shock every fiber of Independent football down to the core when they reached the Semi-Finals. Things were different now. Instead of Saint-Christophe, it was Kayo. Instead of Ayuka Hamada being the grim reaper that ended Squidroidia's hopes at their first title, it might be Raul Nascimento Jardim, or just Raul. Playing HUElavia didn't feel like something that the young man playing for Octo Valley would experience now... Not until he was older and was leading the Squidroidian midfield under someone else.

"I started that game for Squidroidia. I was a 20 year old like you who never played this team in my life. That HUElavian team made the Final twice in a row, we hadn't even made it out of a group before. They played that game like their hearts were on fire... Ayuka Hamada at 21 years old, what ever happened to her? I guess we will never know, but at least I have something from that match that I can hold on to."

Hideo gave the young Hamasaki a picture of himself, in the Squidroidian shirt from 10 years ago. White background, blue lines through the sleeves, IAC red and yellow stripes on the top of the shoulders. Tomoki was nothing more than a preteen in the area watching Squidroidia's heroics having endured so much trauma from those events that doomed Inkhalla. It felt like a part of the nation was born again when his team beat Poafmersia in the groups.

"Between then and now, this picture represented... Myself in the thick of a new rivalry that unfolded. We faced HUElavia numerous times after that, most of the time losing in heartbreaking fashion. The last time we and the HUElavians met? World Cup 89 qualifying. You know how that ended out. 2-1 with 5 minutes left in regulation. Then Raul. The heartbreak. A win squandered. Thankfully we aren't playing in HUElavia this time. Curumbra's reserved for the team that wins this game."

Tomomi's glance turned into a soft frown upon mentioning the Raul game. He was a 17 year old in the Junior Octolings team, what they called the Octo Valley Under-19s, when the team watched the game unfold from their televisions as one of the coaches invited everyone over. 85th minute. Braz-Bittencourt. Pass. Liebermann. Cross... Raul. The players were screaming at the television, thinking that Squidroidia weren't at their best. Then the 92nd. Font. Covered, but pass. Braz-Bittencourt. Covered by Shigeko, but another pass. The 18 year olds were shouting at the TV for Squidroidia to "do something". Nazario. Finds an opening. Raul. Onside. More screaming from the players... Too late. At least one player stormed out that night, the rest, including Tomoki, were in silence. How could they let this pass...?

"Curumbra's the ultimate goal here. It's their party that the HUElavians are hosting, and they look like they wanna play in front of their fans and their fans only. That can't be the case 100% of the time. You have to beat this team, no, WE have to beat this team. And we need to beat them together. Understood?"

With a nod, Tomomi got up and pat Hideo on the back. "Hideo, I... I just never felt like... Better for being in the national team! Adam Johnson gave me this chance and now... I'm like, 90 minutes away from a Final! Is this a dream?"

"If it was, you'd wake up 20 seconds after scoring the goal that gave us the title. Just saying, Tomomi. You have a lot to go until you end up having one of those moments." The 2 Squidroidians were lagging behind their teammates on the walk to the plane to Kayo, and Adam Johnson came up to them.

"Guys... 5 minutes before the gates close. I suggest you get into your seats."

With one last goodbye, Tomomi and Hideo went their separate ways for the flight. The young 20 year old would meet him again, but it would be at the very stadium where another chapter in the long rivalry between the blue and white and the yellow and blue would be written. Like Chapter 1, the winner would go to the Final, but unlike them times have changed. Squidroidia were a proven commodity. HUElavia were just the same IAC powerhouses they were back when. Whoever won this game had the momentum heading into Curumbra to play Indusse or Drawkland. Just who was going to go to the Final was now up in the air...

[TJUN-ia]

Another tournament, another unbeaten run ended by Drawkland.

The World Bowl was one thing....that hurt.

This though...our team falling on home soil to the Elite Eleven...it stings. Really stings...

The more things change, the more they remain the same...

See you at WC91, where we will hope to return to the promised land once more...

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SCHEDULE (Group E, all matches at National Stadium, TJUN-ia City, TJUN-ia)
MD1: vs Hebitaka (46) W 2-0 (1st)
MD2: vs Sannyamathland (10) W 4-3 (1st)
MD3: vs Valkyriah (UR) W 3-2 (1st)
MD4: vs Britonisea (28) W 3-0 (1st/Clinched)
MD5: vs Macbon (UR) W 3-1 (1st/5-0/12pts/+9GD)
----------------------------------------------
Ro16: vs StrayaRoos Barrier Islands (UR/D3) - New National Stadium, Duomji, SBI W 4-3
QF: vs Drawkland (14/G2) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City L 1-2

[Drawkland]

T H E • D A I L Y • B L A S T

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INDEPENDENTS CUP 15 RIGGED
HUElavian Official Admits Guilt!

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(TJUN-ia CITY, TJUN-ia) It seems those conspiracy theorists claiming the universe is against Drawkland KNOW what they're talking about!

The Elite Eleven have been VALIANTLY fighting their way through the Independents Cup this season. While some "fairweather fans" insist that the Elite Eleven do a mediocre job in the regional tournament, they've PROVEN the doubters WRONG this edition. In an exhilarating game versus TJUN-ia, the Elite Eleven PREVAILED thanks to an incredible goal by ROGER APOLLO in the seventieth minute. The defense HELD STRONG through the final minutes, and Drawkland has secured passage to the IAC semifinals for the first time since the 8th edition, the Elite Eleven's first FORAY as the Kick Corps.

"This win means a LOT to us. Reaching the semifinals has been our goal for years since IAC-8!" Elite Eleven soccer captain and go-ahead goalscorer Roger Apollo said after the match.

Despite the VICTORY, this match against TJUN-ia was far from pretty for us Drawkian faithful. The IAC hosting rights were assigned to HUElavia, but the competition itself was set to use a variety of venues from across the Independosphere. This was initially seen as a great idea. This would spread the love around, show off all the beautiful corners of Independent space, giving many major indie nations chances to host major games. However, this concept turned SOUR after Drawkland's win over our Sonnelian fellows in Almuzahara (MORE ON THIS LATER).

The matchups and venues were announced for the quarterfinals, and OUTRAGE was had among all Drawkian fans. The Elite Eleven would be taking on TJUN-ia in the next round, which was outwardly not a bad draw. BUT THEN when we saw the venue announcement, we were FLOORED. This quarterfinal match would be played in National Stadium, TJUN-ia, TJUN-ia. That's right, our opponents, in a SUPPOSEDLY "neutral" tournament, would be getting HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE in this playoff match.

SOME would claim that this is only fair, since TJUN-ia had to play against Strayaroos Barrier Islands in the prior round, which was held in the SBI. Our counter to this? The Barrier Islands were a weak team with no chance of defeating TJUN-ia, so the HUElavian officials CLEARLY gave SBI home field advantage to give them a better chance. This worked to PERFECTION: the expected blowout was instead an exhilarating 4-3 affair which raked in HUGE ratings. Obviously, this means HUElavia struck a deal with TJUN-ia to give them home field advantage in the next round as payment for making them go on the road for the next matchup.

In a vacuum, this is merely an unfortunate twist for the Kick Corps, having to play against a team with home field advantage. However, going into the semifinals, you'd expect us to receive THE SAME DEAL. We had to play and win on the road against a home team, and one of the semifinal venues is our very own KANYO PITCH. It's only fair that we receive the home field boost as TJUN-ia did in the quarterfinals. INSTEAD, not only did we NOT get assigned to play in Kayo ... we will be facing ANOTHER team with home field advantage! That's right, our semifinal game against Indusse will be held IN INDUSSE.

"I haven't seen a tournament rigged this badly since that CARNIVAL they called IAC-8!" Claims a neutral fan and excellent journalist from Squornshelous.

This INJUSTICE is something that MUST be rectified. However, it is too late. We received an exclusive interview with a HUElavian official about the situation. This is what he claimed.

"We were giving the semifinal venues to Indusse and Drawkland, two powerful Independent nations with excellent venues. It was an unavoidable accident that they ended up on the same end of the bracket." The official claimed, CLEARLY sweating nervously. "Unfortunately, one of the teams would have to play at their home venue. We selected the venues by purely random chance. There is nothing we could've done."

Excellent EXCUSE, mister! Really, this is just covering the larger MACHINATIONS at work here. Notice how the other semifinal matchup, the one held in Kayo, features HUElavia? That's right, the "HOSTS" of this tournament have made it all the way to the semifinals of their own tournament. Once again, the IAC-8 similarities are ASTOUNDING. Remember how Reçueçn cruised to the final on the back of home field advantage and screwing other, ESTABLISHED independent powers along the way? Seems MIGHTY FAMILIAR, doesn't it?!

Here's the PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE. Say that the Elite Eleven RIGHTFULLY win their semifinal against Indusse in spite of the VASTLY UNFAIR circumstances of playing in their opponent's home stadium. Say that HUElavia best Squidroidia in the other semifinal in Kayo. This means Drawkland would be set up for a championship matchup against HUElavia, held IN HUELAVIA. Not to mention the hosts would likely assign FAVORABLE OFFICIALS to officiate the match.

"It's going to be IMPOSSIBLE for ANYONE to win under these circumstances, much less DRAWKLAND!" A horrified fan shared their take online following the semifinal venue assignments.

Presented with these FACTS, there's only ONE conclusion to draw: Independents Cup 15 is RIGGED AGAINST DRAWKLAND, and frankly, ALL OF SONNEL. Every step of the way, the tournament organizers have done EVERYTHING in their power to STYMIE the BRAVE Elite Eleven. The group draw featured THREE Sonnel teams out of 4 entrants in the same group. Juvencus could've been included in the group as well due to their pot, but they were drawn into another group, likely to avoid SUSPICION.

So, even with those best efforts, Drawkland and Almuzahara made it into the playoffs without too much TROUBLE. Drawkland's first playoff game against Garifunya was relatively innocuous. After all, many expected Drawkland to flame out in the first round, as the Elite Eleven are sadly prone to do. Once they HANDILY won that match though, the GAME WAS ON for the EVIL HUElavian officials.

The Round of 16 match would be against Almuzahara. That's right. A GROUP STAGE REMATCH in only the Round of 16! As both teams were the only Sonnelian teams remaining in the tournament, this was clearly an act of ANTI-SONNEL action. We assume HUElavia wanted to place Almuzahara in their home venue for the round, but FEARED that the LOYAL DRAWKIAN FANS would travel and make it a pseudo home game. THUS, the true neutral site game was held, and Drawkland PREVAILED as they did in the group stage.

Then came this quarterfinal against TJUN-ia, which we already explained was obviously in their favor with the home field advantage. This literal CRIME is continued with our draw against Indusse in the semifinals. And now, there's the very real possibility of Drawkland having to play HUElavia in the championship game, another team who will be receiving home field advantage, if the Elite Eleven STEEL THEIR NERVE and defeat Indusse in India.

We BELIEVE in the SKILL of the Elite Eleven to survive their game against Indusse and perhaps win the title, which would be our first in almost ten cycles. It's only FAIR, after HUElavian officials have CONSPIRED to STEAL this title which is clearly RIGHTFULLY OURS. If Drawkland doesn't win this Cup, it will go down as one of the most BLATANT and DISGUSTING examples of a home-cooked competition in HISTORY. Good luck to the Elite Eleven, YOU'LL NEED IT.

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NEXT PAGE: Our exclusive look at the current personal life of a celebrity you kinda remember from 20 years ago!

[HUElavia]

Liftoff for Letmann!

Letmann sends HUElavia back to the Semi-Finals after clutch saves in a Penalty Shootout against Sannyamathland!

HUElavia 0-0 (3-2 PSO) Sannyamathland
(New Thraproy Sports Complex Main Stadium, Adaik's C'ntral, United Adaikes)

XI vs Squidroidia:
1 Lettmann, 4 Vargas, 2 Lavezzi, 3 Higashi, 5 Mitarte, 6 Font, 8 Brousseau, 10 Navarro-Hamada, 7 Honda (C), 11 Chanca, 9 Nascimento
Home Uniform will be worn

It had been eight years since HUElavia was last in a Quarter-Finals of the IAC, and they were coming off the high of surviving the Round-of-16 in extra time over Togonistan, 1-0. Now, they were facing off against Sannyamathland, who came off defeating Poafmersia convincingly in a 5-3 thriller. This was the first meeting between the two in the IAC, and HUElavia knew that they had a serious test ahead of them, in what was a fairly attractive matchup. In a sold out crowd at New Thraproy Sports Complex Main Stadium (70,000), at Adaik's C'ntral, United Adaikes, Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos were coming in full force in both the squad and the supporters, looking to advance to the Semi-Finals once again. The teams came out to a great cheer, the anthems were played, the coin toss was done, and the ball rolled, as the third Quarter-Finals was off.

The match saw plenty of attacks from HUElavia and Sannyamathland, but goalkeeping from Lettmann and Karjodov kept the scoreline at 0-0 throughout the match. In the 67th minute, a foul by Karpov over Honda in the box gave way for a Penalty Kick, where Nascimento stepped up and hit the crossbar, before being cleared out by Chalov, with much dismay to the HUElavians. In the 88th minute, a pass from Tymchenko (in for Petrosian) went past the legs of Pillpe (in for Higashi) and allowed Mount go one-on-one with Lettmann, where he gave a low shot that hit the post and went out for a goal kick, giving great grief to Sannyamathland for missing what could have been the winner. Extra time came, with both teams making substitutions and making some attacks, but to no avail as Lettmann and Karjodov continued making blocks and saves. Time ticked away and ultimately the 30 minutes of extra time was not enough to separate the two, resulting in a penalty shootout to appear before the two teams.

Sannyamathland was given the option to kick first, while HUElavia opted to kick in front of their supporters, looking to a psychological advantage over the White Lions. Mount came up first and sent Lettmann the wrong way as the ball went into the goal, making it 0-1. Lopes (in for Nascimento) came up and her shot was saved to the right by Karjodov, keeping it 0-1. Phillips (in for Sandiev) came up and Lettmann pounced on the ball to stop the shot, keeping the score at 0-1. Mayordomo (in for Font) came up and blasted the ball into the goal, making it 1-1. Tymchenko came up and took a shot that went past the fingertips of Lettmann into the goal, making it 1-2. Chanca stepped up to the spot and sent Karjodov the wrong way, blasting into the top corner of the goal, making it 2-2. Chubukov came onto the spot and took the shot that went over the bar and into the crowd, keeping it at 2-2. Vargas came up to take his kick and it hit the post to go out, keeping the score at 2-2. Savchenko came up looking to take the advantage and gave a shot that was blocked hard by Lettmann, giving a roar to the crowd in cheer, while Lettmann wagged his finger, saying "Not here, not now." Honda stepped up on the spot and took a panenka shot that sent Karjodov the wrong way, as the ball floated into the goal, ending the shootout at 3-2. Honda ran to Lettmann to celebrate with him, while the players and the bench ran over and mobbed them in celebration, as the HUElavian crowd was jumping and cheering to make the stadium rumble, while Conavacio had a smile in celebration with the coaching staff and went over to give a handshake and consolation towards Kramnik. Eight years later, HUElavia was back among the Final Four of the IAC.

In the other matches of the round, Indusse ended the cinderella run of Tjorl in a 4-1 beatdown, Squidroidia survive Trolleborg in extra time with a 1-0 victory, and Drawkland continues being the boogeyman to TJUN-ia with a 2-1 victory. Thus, the Final Four of the IAC are: Drawkland Indusse, HUElavia, and Squidroidia. In one Semi-Final, Indusse and Drawkland will face off at Aditya Varma Kulashekara International Stadium (131,000), in Hind City, Indusse. In the other Semi-Final, HUElavia and Squidroidia will reignite their rivalry at Kanyo Pitch (164,000), in Kayo, Drawkland. Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos continue training well and studying film, as they look to continue their work diligently, looking to give it their best to make the IAC Final once again. The fans meanwhile have enjoyed their visits to Space and United Adaikes, taking in the beautiful universal sights of Space and enjoying the culture and society in United Adaikes. Now, they travel to Drawkland, looking to cheer on the team in the largest venue of the tournament, as this journey starts to reach its end. It's a mad fight for the Final, with one side of the bracket having two former champions looking to return to the Final, and the other side of the bracket has two teams looking to win their first ever IAC Title. Here's to another great game and the advance.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[Indusse]

IFA NEWS NETWORK
Civil War Time?

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All of you got to know about the major three troublemakers of the nation: the Azad Dal, People's Liberation Group (Jaffna) and and Aikya Kongu Nadu Sena (Kongu Nadu Liberation Force). The government has already announced that Azad Dal
is a rebel group and People's Liberation Group is a terrorist organisation. As told earlier, there exists two more rebel groups in the nation which is said to be funded by the Azad Dal. They're the Gorkhaland Movement Alliance (GMA) and Kannada Makkal Katchi (KMK). Gorkhaland is said to be a bigger issue than Kannada Makkal Katchi since KMK is fighting for their right to contest in the elections whereas GMA isn't. The President of the nation has informed the defense minister to call an emergency meeting in regards of these rebels. The Government reports say the aim is to completely remove Azad Dal, People's Liberation Group and Gorkhaland Movement Alliance out of the nation and get a peace talk arranged with Aikya Kongu Nadu Sena and Kannada Makkal Katchi. The resistance against Azad Dal and People's Liberation Group has been strengthened taking case of the recent activities including PLG bombing Mannar and Azad Dal burning the bordering villages of Hyderabad and trying to infiltrate into Hyderabad.

Gorkhaland Movement Alliance (GMA) was formed by Satyendra Bataju, who is a rebel leader based on Tharpu Village. The Gorkhaland Movement Alliance aims to establish an independent country consisting of Kanchenjunga Province and parts of Darjeeling,Sikkim, Biratnagar Provincures. GMA is also the only rebel group that exists in Marvellia making it a international issue. They're also known for their anti-marvellia, anti-indussean Government stance and doesn't like non Gorkha's in their land. Eventhough the GMA aims for a land for Gorkha's, the people living in these areas are fearful of them since they're known to kidnap women from the villages and burn houses down. They also recently bombed the city of Itahari using a suicide bomber. They also have the advantage of knowing the mountainous terrain and is also experts in Guerrilla warfare. They became more violent after their founder Satyendra Bataju was jailed in the Biratnagar central jail for violent protests.

The Kannada Makkal Katchi (KMK), translates itself to Kannada People's Party was formed in the early years of independence as a local political party contesting elections in the provinces where Kannadigas were more like Mysuru,Kodagu, Tulunadu, Bengaluru etc. The Party was founded by the veteran local leader, Aadeshwara Rao inorder to ensure Democratic participation in Kannadiga Land. The KMK party got to grow into a stronghold, getting about minimum 30% seats every elections. After the death of Aadeshwara Rao, Gandavalli Shankara Rao became the party leader. Shankara Rao was a businessman and a greedy leader who led the party into a bunch of corrupted politicians looting the people out of everything. Eventhough corruption exists, the party went into its destruction after a bomb blast was planned by Shankara Rao in the town of Hubli. Shankara Rao with 43 prominent politicians of the party were arrested and sent to jail. The party was banned from contesting elections and the jailed Politicians were also barred from contesting in any sort of elections. After a few years, Murali Mohana Rao who used to be an active member of the party at the time of Aadeshwara Rao decided to revive the party and bring it back to its glory. After the bomb blast and the court cases, people never wanted the party to exist. Eventhough Mohana Rao tried his best to get it back active but failed miserably. After Mohana Rao's death his son Murali Rama Rao took over the reigns and started peaceful protests against the government and the Electoral Commission demanding the chance for the party to contest elections. Eventhough they follow the nonviolent method, there's a bunch of radicals in the party who believe violence is the way to their success and they're the main reason why Azad Dal funds the KMK.

[HUElavia]

It's been a long journey up to now, with the Final Four here at this moment, and tonight we will know who our two Finalists are.

No matter what your journey has been to make it here, don't stop.

The Final is upon us.

Welcome to the Semi-Finals.


Semi-Finals Matches

Indusse 2-3 Drawkland

Aditya Varma Kulashekara International Stadium, Hind City, Indusse

HUElavia 4-0 Squidroidia

Kanyo Pitch, Kayo, Drawkland
(Scorinated by Quebec and Shingoryeo)


3rd Place Match

Indusse vs Squidroidia

1st December Stadium, Trolleborg City, Trolleborg


IAC 15 Final

HUElavia vs Drawkland

Estadio Nacional, Curumba, HUElavia

[HUElavia]

Full Steam to Curumba!

HUElavia dominates Squidroidia in a historic victory en route to meet Drawkland in the IAC 15 Final!

HUElavia 4-0 Squidroidia
(Nascimento 4', 52', Navarro-Hamada 38', Lopes 90+1')
Kanyo Pitch, Kayo, Drawkland

XI vs Drawkland:
1 Lettmann, 4 Vargas, 2 Lavezzi, 3 Higashi, 5 Mitarte, 6 Font, 8 Brousseau, 10 Navarro-Hamada, 7 Honda (C), 11 Chanca, 9 Nascimento
Home Uniform will be worn

Entering the Semi-Finals, HUElavia was coming off a tense Quarter-Finals after defeating Sannymathaland in a penalty shootout, 3-2, after a 0-0 result. Now, they were facing off one of their rivals in football: Squidroidia. The Squidroidians were coming off a 1-0 extra time win over Trolleborg, where they were looking to spoil HUElavia's ambitions to make the Final, as well as make their 2nd final and try to get that first ever title. The two teams met at Kanyo Pitch (164,000), in Kayo, Drawkland, the largest venue of the tournament. Thousands of HUElavians and Squidroidians flocked to the stadium looking to witness another chapter of this hotly contested rivalry among two of the best in the IAC, all while many Drawkians came to enjoy the match and cheer on the two teams. The two teams came out to a great roar of the crowd, the anthems were sung, the coin toss was done, and the ball rolled to kick off the 2nd semi-final.

The match was one for HUElavia to remember, thanks to their dominant performance. In the 4th minute, a shot from Chanca was blocked by Meeuwessen that went out for a corner kick, where Brousseau took the kick, and Nascimento towered over Moronobu to head the ball past the reach of Akiyama into the goal, making it 1-0. The HUElavians erupted in the crowd, jumping and cheering in joy, with Nascimento was given hugs and hi-fives, while Akiyama was seen upset from the lack of defending in the corner, and Johnson yelling out orders. The early goal seemed to have given a psychological hit for Squidroidia, as they tried to get attacks going but they'd make sloppy mistakes and lose possession. In the 38th minute, a foul by Meeuwessen over Nascimento gave way to a free kick from about yards out. Navarro-Hamada stepped up to send a blistering shot over the wall and past the reach of Akiyama into the top corner of the goal, making it 2-0. The HUElavian crowd erupted in jumps and cheers at the spectacular goal, while Navarro-Hamada was mobbed by his teammates for the spectacular goal. At the half, it was 2-0 and HUElavia knew they had the game under control.

The second half saw Squidroidia go more on the attack, Hideo and Ito taking some shots, but the backline would make blocks and there was even a save or two from Lettmann, who would not allow any goals get into the back of the net. In the 52nd minute, a shot by Brooks took a deflection off Font, where it landed to Brousseau, where she began to sprint with the ball, giving a pass to Navarro-Hamada, and he gave a long pass to Nascimento, who was played onside by Korin, where he went one-on-one with Akiyama, gave a low, curving shot that split under the legs of Akiyama and rolled into the goal, making it 3-0. The crowd jumped and cheered once again, giving applause while Nascimento had a big smile and laugh, with his teammates coming over to hug and congratulate him, as well as Navarro-Hamada and Brousseau for the quick attack for the score. Squidroidia would make substitutions, with Honda, Mamasaki, and Dalgaard coming on for Ito, Haruko, and Meeuwessen respectively. HUElavia did their changes with Lopes, Duarte, and Regnard coming on for Nascimento, Font, and Larrangoz respectively. Despite attacks from Squidroidia, the HUElavian defense would make blocks and prevent the score from changing. In the 90+1st minute, Lavezzi dispossessed Hideo and sent a long ball to Duarte, who began to run with the ball, giving a pass to her left to Honda, who gave a pass to Lopes, where she gave a low shot past the fingertips of Akiyama to roll into the goal, effectively ending the match at 4-0. Lopes was hugged, being given pats and hi-fives, while the crowd cheered and applauded for the goal. The game ended shortly after, and the HUElavians were elated, getting another chance at possibly winning that elusive IAC Title. They gave their condolences to the Squidroidians and gave hugs and traded shirts, as at the end of the day, they offered their respects and support.

In the other semi-finals, Drawkland upset Indusse in an entertaining 3-2 match, where it was another memorable Semi-final. Thus, the IAC 15 Final at Estadio Nacional (100,000) in Curumba is between the two most "cursed" teams in the IAC: HUElavia vs Drawkland. Between these two teams, there is 11 Finals and 2 Titles, given one will win it, an impressive record between these two teams. Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos are focused, practicing well and studying film, looking forward to playing the Final in the team's national stadium. They know what is at steak, and this is a young team that wants to leave their mark, knowing what has happened in the past is not their fault or responsibility. The only thing that is theirs is this moment. The fans will be coming out to support the team, while there will be a notable amount of space given to the Drawkians travelling to Curumba to support their team. For this special edition of the IAC, it is only fitting that the two teams that have had so much disgrace in this one match fight for that title. One of the most "What if" Finals that was yet to be disputed in a Final has finally arrived. Even if people view it as the "Cursed Final," the only thing that matters is to win it. Here's to what can be a historic match and day, one last time.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[HUElavia]

While this is not the most attractive of matches to play, it's still a match with plenty of things to win, with it being a bronze medal and consolation.

You may have made it near the Final and fell short, but this is your match to win.

May your fortunes change next time around.

Welcome to the 3rd Place Match.

3rd Place Match

Indusse 4–4 Squidroidia (4–5 AET)

1st December Stadium, Trolleborg City, Trolleborg

[Drawkland]

DRAWKLAND BACK IN IAC FINAL
Written By: Riley Neonis and Chris Angeline

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Kick Corps IAC 15 Results
MD1: Almuzahara 2–3 Drawkland
MD2: Drawkland 2–3 Hopal
MD3: Togonistan 1–1 Drawkland
MD4: Drawkland 6–2 Sixty-ninE X
MD5: Kencana 1–3 Drawkland
Ro24: Drawkland 1–0 Garifunya
Ro16: Almuzahara 2–5 Drawkland
QF: TJUN-ia 1–2 Drawkland
SF: Indusse 2-3 Drawkland

Even the most hardcore Drawkland fans didn't expect this to happen. It feels like we've been saying that a lot in the last few years, with Sadeg State's crack run to the NSCF 23 title, or the Grid Corps getting silver medals in multiple World Bowls despite looking like garbage. Even so, the Elite Eleven haven't been to an IAC semifinal since their debut in IAC-8, and that run ended in a 4th place finish. Since then, they'd only won a single IAC playoff game.

Now, somehow, they've made it to the championship game. It's ironic, considering this is probably the tournament where the odds have been stacked against them the most. This tournament had the exact makeup of a tournament where the Elite Eleven enter, play mediocre ball in the group stage, then go one-and-done in the knockout rounds. Instead, they're playing for the Independent title.

It's been a long time since Drawkland has been here, and those aren't exactly times many fans would want to remember. The original Kick Corps made their first shock run to the title game in IAC-4, where they lost 3-1 to the Free Republics. They would repeat this feat a cycle later, losing the IAC-5 championship to Mercedini 3-1 as well. It wasn't until IAC-6 that they finally broke through, managing to defeat Omerica in penalties. However, the Omericans would have their revenge in IAC-7 by beating Drawkland on our own home soil. Since then, the Kick Corps hasn't reached the title game.

Our opponent is HUElavia. If you thought that Drawkland were cursed in IAC finals, HUElavia instantly took over the mantle. Once Drawkland stopped making the final, HUElavia started. Just like Drawkland, they made it to the final four straight times ... but they lost every single one. Add on another silver medal run in IAC-13, and at this point the HUElavians are 0-for-5 in IAC finals. This is truly the battle of the most cursed teams in Independents Cup history. We'll talk more about this later on, though. For now, let's take a look at the two big teams the Elite Eleven had to slay to make it here.

vs TJUN-ia
This was set to be a game of epic proportions. TJUN-ia and Drawkland are starting to become rivals in nearly every sport, as we defined in an article last week. Not only was this match big for both teams, as the winner would go on to the semifinals, but it meant a lot going forward for both nations. Did we mention this game was going to be held in the home stadium for TJUN-ia's national team. It was just the luck of the draw, but there was no denying that the Jags would be receiving a big home field advantage. Also, TJUN-ia hadn't dropped a single point at this time.

Regardless of the circumstances, the Elite Eleven had to make something happen, regardless. They'd already won more playoff games this tournament than they had in the last five IACs, so the expectations were beginning to rise. As we saw in this match though, momentum was on their side as well.

Drawkland would strike first, though it would take a little time for the first goal to be scored. Both the Jags and the Kick Corps had chances in their opponent's box, but couldn't get a shot to go in. It wasn't until the 34th minute that someone finally scored: Ross Hunter got a header to go from a corner kick by Roger Apollo. The rest of the half was all TJUN-ia, but Septimus Xander was staunch in the goal and saved two shots on target.

The second half began, and once again TJUN-ia were pressuring the Elite's defenses. The Elite were pretty effectively keeping the Jags at bay, but they weren't able to keep possession for very long. Eventually, the bending would break, and Archer Andrews would score the tying goal in the 55th minute. Once again, the Elite were having trouble keeping consistent possession, and TJUN-ia kept the ball on the Drawkian half of the pitch for far too long. This would come back to bite them, though.

David Seems smelled blood in the water, and ordered the Jags to press further into the box to take advantage of the continually weakening defense. They had a couple shots, none that made it close, but they still retained possession. The heavily pro-TJUN crowd was getting more and more restless, until the momentum reversed almost instantly. Craig Bakker came away with a vicious tackle that was ruled clean by the ref, and popped the ball the other direction. It landed right at the feet of Trevor Garnet, and Roger Apollo saw an opportunity since TJUN-ia's defense had been so far forward. Garnet booted the ball across midfield to the streaking Apollo, who used long strides to keep ahead of TJUN-ia's Mohammad Malsharma. Apollo sprinted into the box, challenging David N'kude directly, and hammered the ball home. Drawkland took the lead right then, nearly silencing National Stadium.

With 20 minutes to go, there was still plenty of time for TJUN-ia to make a comeback. The momentum swing had reenergized the Elite, though, and their defense tightened considerably. TJUN-ia would end up getting three shots on target in the final twenty minutes, but Septimus Xander saved each one to keep the lead intact. Eventually the final whistle blew, and the reality set in on the TJUN-ian faithful. Once again, an undefeated Jaguar national team would be sent home in the playoffs by an upstart Drawkland squad.

vs INDUSSE
The troubles for the Kick Corps wouldn't end after they beat TJUN-ia. Sure, the Elite Eleven had made the semifinals for only the second time in their tenure as the Kick Corps, but they'd never won a game past the quarterfinals. To add to their troubles, they'd once again be playing in a "neutral venue" which was actually the home stadium for the national team they'd be playing. This was once again just unfortunate circumstance. Drawkland were set to play Indusse, and both the semifinal venues were in Indusse and Drawkland. We "lost" the coinflip that determined who would play with the pseudo-home advantage.

Despite this, the Elite Eleven seemed to have gained a lot of confidence after their win against TJUN-ia. It would be a taller order to take down Indusse, but in pregame conferences they seemed to have an air of determination about them.

This determination would pay off early. Richard Hanson would score the first goal of the game really early, in the 4th minute of the game. The aggression of the Kick Corps offense seemed to catch the Indusse squad off guard, and Hanson managed to find an opening on a long goal from the edge of the box. The pro-Drawkland sections on the other side of the stadium were excited, but it was still very early in the game.

A lot of the optimism from Drawkian fans would evaporate over the next forty minutes. Indusse's eleven both woke up, and the tens of thousands of Flocking Blues in the crowd were making life a living hell for the Elite defense. The possession issues from the TJUN-ia game persisted, and Indusse were able to pressure the box for most of the half. They would score twice, once in the 18th minute by Goblin Grundjee, and once in the 32nd minute by Baskar H Kumar. They would go into the locker rooms at halftime with the score 1-2 in Indusse's favor.

This is where many Drawkland fans were becoming very concerned. The Elite had not looked solid outside the first five minutes where they essentially stole a goal. They were also trailing by a goal. Every game that the Elite Eleven won in this tournament, they were leading or tied at the half. Both games in the group stage that they dropped points, they were losing at halftime. If that trend stayed true, Drawkland would be heading to the third place match in 45 minutes.

The Elite made proper adjustments during halftime, though. Once again, they'd come hard off the whistle, forcing Indusse to fall back to the box quickly. They pressed hard. Eventually they got defender Mathias Paulson in a position where he had to either commit a foul or leave a shot wide open for a goal. Paulson would take out Ross Hunter, getting a yellow card and giving Drawkland a penalty shot deep in the box. Hunter would score, and the game was tied in the 53rd minute.

From there, Shane Newman got his team back on their feet, and they tightened up. The Elite wouldn't have it so easy. Both defenses were playing well, and neither team could keep possession long enough to really threaten a score. Time started becoming a real factor. With eighty minutes to go, the Elite seemed desperate to keep the game from going to extra time. When they regained possession, they pulled everybody deep into Indusse territory. If they lost possession, it would likely be entirely on Xander's shoulders to prevent Indusse from scoring a winner.

Instead, they kept the ball firmly in Drawkian possession. In the eighty-fifth minute, the breakthrough happened. An Indusse defender got the ball free and tried booting it out of the box. Elias Keys, who was hanging back a little bit as a defender, was standing right in the path of the cleared ball. With a little bit of space, Keys reared back and sent an arcing shot back into the fray in the box. He meant for the shot to just back in the cluster of players and hope it landed in Drawkian possession again. Instead, the ball sailed a little bit ... and right into the net. Steve Leghourn was caught off guard, on the other side of the net, and couldn't get to the ball in time. The Drawkian section, which was right behind the net, suddenly exploded into cheers. They had the lead.

For the remaining 5+ minutes, the Elite went and parked their bus to keep Indusse out of the net, and it worked. It felt like almost an eternity to the team and the fans, but the final whistle finally blew. Drawkland would be going to the championship.

MATCH PREDICTION
Drawkland vs HUElavia is a match made in heaven. It's such a fitting final matchup for what's serving as a sort of anniversary edition of the Independents Cup. Both teams have suffered for a long time. With both squads making the final, they're now responsible for 11 combined appearances in the IAC final. So far, there's only one title between them (Drawkland's in IAC-6). Obviously one team has to win this game, so it'll be a grand total of 2 titles over 11 appearances for these nations. If we'd won some more of our final appearances, this would be a meeting of two dynasties, but instead it's a meeting of the two greatest losers in IAC history.

Drawkland and HUElavia have faced off three times prior to this. All of those games were in the Independents Cup, yet none in later playoff rounds. The first meeting was an innocuous 1-0 victory for Drawkland on Matchday 1 of the 5th IAC, which we'd go on to lose to Mercedini in the final. The next two meetings were in back-to-back Rounds of 16, in IAC-12 and IAC-13. HUElavia won both of those, 2-1 for the former and in penalties for the latter, which ended 4-4 after extra time.

Personally, this matchup is impossible to predict. HUElavia, of course, have to win a title eventually. They're on home soil, have had a great run so far, and are statistically the better team than the Kick Corps as of late. Still, the Elite Eleven were expected to have lost in the first round. Ever since they beat Garifunya, they've been the lower seed. Almuzahara, TJUN-ia, and Indusse were all expected to roll over the unclutch and unprepared Drawkland on their way to greater things. TJUN-ia and Indusse even had the home field advantage as well! And yet, the Elite Eleven still managed to beat them.

In short, HUElavia should be winning this game. They have all the advantages on their side. Drawkland's Elite Eleven, however, have been beating the odds for this entire tournament. They say that the team that gets hot at the right time can beat anybody, and that's the most true in the playoffs. The Kick Corps may not be the best national team in the Independent world, but they're absolutely the hottest. We'll find out whether momentum or skill matters more in this championship.

We didn't expect to be here, but we're glad to finally be back in the biggest match of the anti-region regional. Above all else, we can enjoy the ride, and see how the Elite Eleven manage the biggest game of their careers. Win or lose, we know what to say. On Corps, baby.

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"the speech"

The travel to Curumba in HUElavia had been fine. The fans and natives were nice enough, but now that it was game time, they knew the crowd would be feverishly supporting their home nation. This wasn't just an average away game in the World Cup Qualifiers, this was a "neutral site" for a regional championship ... that happened to be in the home stadium of their opponent. Sure, there were the allotted sections filled with Drawkian fans, but in a venue of over a hundred thousand seats, the home presence would be overpowering. The sections designated for neutral fans would surely be filled to the brim with HUElavian faithful as well.

In short, it was going to be a herculean task to come away with a win. It wasn't anything the Elite hadn't done just a few days prior, though.

The Elite Eleven sat in the locker room of Estadio Nacional, everyone going through their typical pre-match routine. The time was drawing close, and they could feel the crowd thumping above them. Jaxon Madison and Roger Apollo, the unofficial group leader and the official captain of the soccer team (respectively), stood up to address the group.

"Alright boys, it's about time to head to the tunnel." Jaxon broke the silence. "This is when we'd do the hype speech to get us ready for action."

"This time, we'd like to do something different." Roger curled his lips into a wicked smile. "Craig, since you're always the one who bitches about our hype up tradition and thinks it's a waste of time, we've decided that you should do the speech this time."

"You shitting me?" Craig Bakker looked up from his hunched position, as the rest of the group started to laugh. "What kind of move is this?"

"We figure you despise hype speeches so much, that you'd be the best person to give one." Jaxon beckoned with his hand. "All facts, no fluff, and we'll get to the tunnel sooner."

"Fine," Craig spat, standing from his bench and walking to the front of the room. He lightly shoved Jaxon and Roger to sit back down.

"Speeeeech!" One of the boys echoed through the cavernous locker room.

"This might be the worst thing you've ever made me do, and I had to watch three of my brothers die right beside me because of your ideas." Craig began with a scowl on his face, but after his opening statement he rolled his eyes and lightened up a bit. "Listen, the odds are against us. We're deep in enemy territory, the heart of the beast, fighting for our lives. To any other team, this is a death sentence, BUT NOT THIS TEAM. We faced these exact same shitty odds last week, and the week before, and we came away as winners.

"The odds have been stacked against us all tournament, and we're finally beating them. We've won four playoff games this cup, which is more playoff games we've won in all our previous IACs combined. HOT DAMN. We may have sucked tons of dick in the past, but those days are behind us. We're going make it to the top, mark my words."

At this, the group gave a couple claps and whoops in response. Craig motioned for everybody to stand up and he continued.

"Mike Rodney, you may be dumb as a goddamn rock and ruined the best thing that ever happened to you, but damn if you aren't a gifted athlete. You scored the goal that opened up the blowout against Almuzahara. Roger, you took control against TJUN-ia and put us ahead. And don't think I forgot about your efforts in the net, Septimus, saving those three shots that could've put the Jags back in the game. Eli, you had that insane goal to take the lead in the final minutes against Indusse. Jaxon, your lone goal against Garifunya put us on this ridiculous road in the first place. Every single one of us have had highlight moments that have made this run happen. Win or lose, we've proved that we still got it. Now, we're just 90 minutes away from a title. We can take care of business here. We've beaten the odds already, let's do it again. You hear me?"

"WE HEAR YOU!" Dominic bellowed from the back of the room.

"Then get in here!" Craig raised his voice and his arms, and the rest of the group came in to make a huddle. "It won't be easy, but it'll sure as hell be fun. Let's beat the odds one more time. 'One More Time' on three: One-two-three-"

"ONE MORE TIME!" The Elite cried out in unison, and broke the huddle, running to the tunnel for their entrance.

[HUElavia]

IAC 15 Final

HUElavia 2-2 Drawkland (4-4 aet) (4-3 pso)

Estadio Nacional, Curumba, HUElavia
(Scorinated by Quebec and Shingoryeo)

[HUElavia]

Campeões! Campeones! Oe, Oe, Oe!

HUElavia claims their 1st ever IAC Title in a dramatic and classical match over Drawkland!

HUElavia 2-2 Drawkland (4-4 AET) (4-3 PSO)
(Nascimento 5', Honda 90+2' (P), Duarte 95', Navarro-Hamada 120' | Apollo 28', Rodney 72', Kingston 103', Hunter 114')
Estadio Nacional, Curumba, HUElavia

After a long near two months of competition, the Final of IAC 15 was upon the multiverse. And it could not be a better and more enticing one: HUElavia vs Drawkland. Two of the most cursed teams to make multiple IAC Finals only to lose it would finally get their chance to take each other on in an IAC Final. It had been 8 years since these two teams met, when it was in the Quarter-Finals of IAC 13, which ended in a 4-4 draw, where Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos won in a Penalty Shootout to what ended up being a run to be an IAC Finalist again. But on this day, HUElavia and Drawkland were meeting each other for a 4th time, facing off for the IAC Title, where it was a combined record of 11 IAC Finals Appearances and 2 IAC Titles, regardless of who was winning it. The match was set to be played at none other than Estadio Nacional (100,000) in Curumba, the Capital City of HUElavia, the main organizers of this Anniversary Edition of the IAC, and it was one that HUElavia was happy to be participating in once again, playing in their home stadium, much like the IAC 9 Final. The stadium was sold out, with HUElavians taking up the South End of the stadium and Drawkians taking up the North End, with the middle being a mix of visiting supporters from different nations for a small portion, but there were thousands of HUElavians who came out to cheer on the team in what could be their 1st official Football Title. The A-Teams were coming out, with the Home Uniforms being worn, as both teams wanted to win it all. The teams came out to a great cheer and roar from the crowd, the anthems were sung with great passion and heart, the coin toss was done, and the ball rolled to kick off the start of the IAC 15 Final.

The opening goal came in the 5th minute, when a shot by Chanca took a deflection off Keys to go out for a corner. Brousseau took the corner kick that curved into the box, and Nascimento won the ball over Kingston to head the ball past the reach of Xander to hit the top corner of the goal, making it 1-0. The HUElavian crowd erupted, jumping and cheering to make the stadium rumble, throwing confetti and paper to the pitch in celebration, while Nascimento was hugged by his teammates. Drawkland would not let this daunt them, as in the 28th minute, a foul by Vargas over Madison gave way for a free kick, where Apollo took the kick and sent it over the wall and past the fingertips of Lettmann into the top corner of the goal, making it 1-1. Apollo was given hugs and hi-fives by his teammates while the Drawkians celebrated with great cheers, leaving the HUElavians silent and upset. Despite some chances by each team, goalkeeping by Lettmann and Xander kept the score at 1-1 when halftime arrived.

The second half saw both teams continue attacking, taking shots left and right, looking to get the next goal in the match. In the 72nd minute a cross by Southers into the box went to the center, where Rodney gave a diving header past a diving Lettmann into the goal, making it 1-2. The Drawkians in the crowd erupted in great cheer and jumped around in celebration, while Rodney was mobbed by his teammates in celebration for the goal. HUElavia continued attacking and attacking, making substitutions including Balderas, Duarte, and Regnard coming on for Chanca, Font, and Vargas respectively. In the 90+2nd minute, a foul by Kingston over Nascimento gave way to a Penalty kick, where Honda stepped up and sent Xander the wrong way, as the ball went to the low right corner into the goal, making it 2-2. The HUElavian crowd erupted in joy and cheer, jumping and yelling to make the stadium rumble, as Honda was mobbed by her teammates for keeping the game alive. Regular time ended, and extra time was to start.

In extra time, it was another dramatic 30 minutes for both teams. In the 95th minute, a shot by Nascimento took a deflection off Garnet, where it landed on the foot of Duarte, who took a shot with her left foot to roll past the defense and the reach of Xander to go into the goal, making it 3-2. The HUElavian crowd erupted once more, while Duarte was mobbed by her teammates for the goal. In the 103rd minute, a corner was taken by Hanson where Kingston won the ball over Higashi and headed the ball past Lettmann into the goal, making it 3-3. The Drawkians celebrated with great cheer once again, with Kingston being mobbed by his teammates for the goal and keeping the game going. In the 114th minute, a counter attack saw three against two, where Apollo sent a low pass into the box, where Hunter gave a low shot that curved past Lettmann and hit the post to roll into the goal, making it 3-4. The Drawkians celebrated with cheer, sending paper and confetti onto the pitch, while Hunter was mobbed by his teammates and the bench for what looked like the game winner. In the 120th minute, a cross by Regnard went into the box for Navarro-Hamada to be open and head the ball past Xander into the goal, making it 4-4. The HUElavian crowd was in delirium, while Navarro-Hamada was mobbed by the team and bench for tying the game in the final minutes. The game ended shortly after and a Penalty Shootout was upon the teams.

Drawkland opted to kick first, while HUElavia decided to have the shootout in front of their fans in order to have the psychological advantage. Apollo, Southers, and Madison all scored for Drawkland, while Lopes (in for Nascimento), Lavezzi, and Navarro-Hamada scored for HUElavia. In the 4th set of kicks, the kick by Hunter hit the post and went out. In the next kick, Duarte took a shot and was blocked by Xander. Rodney took the 5th kick and was saved by Lettmann, giving the chance for HUElavia to win it. Honda stepped up and gave a big shot past the reach of Xander into the corner of the goal, making HUElavia the IAC 15 Champions, at long last. The crowd erupted and Honda was mobbed by the team and bench, as there were cheers and tears from the HUElavians, happy to have finally won this long evading title.

The HUElavians gave hugs to one another, going then to the Drawkians to give their condolences and support for an entertaining and hard-fought Final. The celebration stage was set up, and the Drawkians were given an ovasion from the crowd, HUElavians and Drawkians alike, as they got their Silver Medals. The HUElavians then came on, one by one, getting their gold medals, with congratulations from the organizers of the IAC, followed by Coach Conavacio and his staff, with Honda being the last to get her medal, as she was handed the trophy, and went to the front of the group to lift it, getting a grand cheer from her teammates and the crowd, with yellow and blue confetti going to the sky, while fireworks were set off above the stadium. At last, HUElavia had their hands on and lifted the trophy. Afterwards, the players revealed a banner saying "IAC 15 Champions! Thank you for all your love and support!", which earned a great cheer from the crowd, and they turned around, with their backs facing the South End of the stadium, taking a photo with all the supporters behind them.

All throughout the country, millions of HUElavians came onto the streets to celebrate the championship, jumping, dancing, cheering, setting off fireworks and flares. There was a widespread idea that the next generation of great HUElavian footballers can come soon, thus many couples throughout the country began to try for children, with noise complaints being reported from loud couples, which was dubbed by the media as The Clappening.

The next day, the players came from their team base one last time, driving down to the Green House, where President Saul Carpentier and Curumba Mayor Isabela Câmara Jaillita greeted them and offered Medals of Honor and Keys to the City respectively. President Carpentier even surprised Coach Conavacio, his wife and their four children who were invited, by given them Honorary Citizenship to the United States of HUElavia for their contributions to not only the team, but to the country as a whole, especially with helping develop young players to take up the sport and reduce youth delinquency. At the Green House during questioning, Coach Conavacio was noted saying "I'm grateful for having been given this opportunity, to coach this great team with these great players. I know things were difficult at one point and things were not in my favor, but I'm grateful for the HFA displaying their calmness and confidence in me to manage this team. And here we are, we got the job done and we are IAC Champions!"

The team followed through going through a parade route, showing off the trophy, while millions of HUElavians flooded the streets to see the team, waving flags, banners and scarves, cheering on the players as they waved to the crowd, showing off the trophy. This culminated with the team arriving to Parque Nacional in Central Curumba, as a stage awaited them with thousands flocking to cheer them on. The players and staff were introduced one by one, giving some words of support and cheer to the crowd, who responded with cheers and claps. The players and fans sung HUElavian songs, and enjoyed living in the moment.

Ultimately, the HFA made an animated video to show to the players and crowd, showing in a tunnel with Honda walking with ball in arm, while the Captains of all the winning teams ran by dribbling balls, with images of the winning teams being shown, passing Ringo Honda by. At the end, Honda put the ball down, dribbling with the ball to the light at the end of the tunnel, with the crowd cheering.

Fireworks went off and all were happy, with everyone living in the moment with gratitude.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!