World Cup 91 [roleplays]

[South Newlandia]

[Wreckeria]

From: “The Tales of a Dead Country – The Story of Wreckeria’s World Cup 91 Campaign” by Gord Radcliff

4: Reality checks

“This place is a gem”

For whatever reason, I figured I’d drop by the press box at the brand-new Unification Stadium a little early – four hours early, to be exact. Many were already on hand, specifically the Hapiloppian and Wreckerian reporters, taking in the surroundings of their new digs. Unification Stadium had been under construction for several years, dating back to the 84th World Cup, when the Wreckerian team made its return to international play after 54 years away from the scene. Even still, that, and the name, was a stark reminder that Wreckeria wasn’t Wreckeria anymore. This was Hapilopper – or as some of my colleagues jokingly referred to it, “Hapilopper West Coast.”

Mike Power, the long-time reporter for the Hapilopper City Herald, was assigned to sit next to me. He had covered the Wreckerian football team dating back to its return at World Cup 84, and when I saw him, I could see that emotions were getting the better of him. He looked over at me and explained why.

“Were you around to cover any of the games at Patrick Stadium?” Mike asks me.

“No,” I reply. “What was it like?”

“Horrid,” Mike says. “When I was assigned to do this, I figured the Herald had assigned it to me because they wanted me to quit and find other work. Patrick Stadium was a dump, plain and simple. The press box smelled like something had died in it. There was mold everywhere, the wiring was all screwed up – hell, first game there I almost burned the place down when I plugged in my laptop. We had to deal with that, for years, and now, this… this place is a gem.”

Power was far from the only one overwhelmed. Chris Peterson of Wreckerian Sports News was too as I encountered him in the food area – where the Wreckerians had set up machines full of free food, drinks, and taking the cake, an ice cream bar with the three traditional flavors and all kinds of toppings.

“I never thought I’d see this in Halsted,” Chris says. “This is Wreckeria – Wreckeria! And we’ve got our own ice cream machine? We’ve got free drinks! Sandwiches and salads!”

Both later told me that they had felt something that day they had never felt in Halsted on a match day. Both had been in the tailgating lots prior to the match and for the first time, they had seen a wild party atmosphere among the Wreckerian fans. Usually, Wreckerian fans were too worn out to party. They were too wary of their fellow man to party, but today was different. There were no more True Wreckerians, no more Party of Pride. The Hapiloppian influence had come through, and over 66,000 fans would pack Unification Stadium, just like that same amount were filling Capital Stadium out to the east to watch Hapilopper take on Kelssek.

Mike and Chris also told me that they would never be able to see other matches from the Patrick Stadium press box. It was different here today, as all the televisions in the press room were tuned to Capital Stadium, watching the Haps take on the Kelssek Voyagers. For all intents and purposes, this day marked the start of a new era – the start of an era where Hapilopper would have, effectively, two national teams within their borders. To say the least, it was an incredibly exciting time for Hapiloppian and Wreckerian sports fans. Not only did they have two national teams to cheer on, but it seemed like they had two GOOD national teams to cheer on.

“That’s an accurate assessment,” Mike tells me. “Hapilopper is the best it’s ever been. They qualified for their first World Cup proper last year, they’re riding off that momentum, and Wreckeria just keeps improving with every single match. They won’t win the group this year, but they’ll be contenders now and in the future. They’ll make a World Cup if they keep the momentum they’re riding.”

Mike is certain of that statement. He had seen Wreckerian football at its start, at its lowest, and at, at that time, its highest.

“I think its highest is yet to come,” Mike says with a huge smile on his face. “I think tonight’s going to be a good moment.”

And indeed it was. When the night was over, Mike told me it was “hopefully a preview of Wreckerian football for years to come” as the team put five goals past the net to beat the team from the 14 Stars. It didn’t even feel like much of a match – the Wreckerians had the Stars’ number all night long, and the fans in Unification Stadium never stopped cheering. Wreckeria didn’t look like a nation that had been defeated on this evening, a nation that had given up its national identity in order to survive – far from it.

They looked more alive than ever, and as Mike told me that night, this was their best moment up to this point.

“We’ve arrived,” Mike said. “We are now the big leagues.”

“Juvencus just whooped our asses”

Not all moments would be positive. I knew this. There would be speed bumps on the way. One night at the bar after a training session, Marvin Byrnes pointed out three teams that could possibly spell danger for the Wreckerians – Turori, Starblaydia and Juvencus. These were teams that the Wreckerians were looking at with concern. Turori, of course, had recently won the World Cup. Starblaydia had missed the World Cup and was probably looking to be a house afire as they tried to get back in. And Juvencus was a team that Marvin told me was “on the verge of breaking out.”

“Those are our three biggest concerns,” Marvin said. “Turori, Starblaydia and Juvencus. Those are the teams that will give us the biggest worries as the qualifying campaign goes on. If we can get past those three teams, we’ll be in magnificent shape, but if not, that’ll just mean we’ll have more work to do in this game, and then we’ll get them when we’re better.”

On this evening, Marvin was pretty frank about Wreckeria’s chances as they rolled into the Il Nuovo Stadio Olimpico della Pomena, an enormous monster of a stadium over twice the size of Unification Stadium. He knew it was going to be a tough day.

“Best case scenario, we’re going to be extremely lucky,” Marvin says. “That’s the best case scenario, but so many things have to go absolutely right for that to happen. Worst case scenario? We forget how to play football and Juvencus goes to town on us. Honestly, the biggest takeaway I hope we all take from tonight is that our team learns a thing or two from them that we can use against them next time we go against them. That’s what I hope happens.”

It sounded to me like Marvin had been resigned to thinking that Juvencus was going to beat Wreckeria and the match hadn’t started yet. Either that, or he wasn’t wanting to believe something that could let him down. Maybe both. Either way, Marvin knew that Juvencus was going to be a tough opponent, and I felt like he wanted to let me down before I got disappointed.

That might have been a smart idea, but all things considered, as the match wore on in Pomena, it felt more like Marvin’s best case scenario was playing out. The Wreckerians were doing fantastic against the Juven, and were it not for one slip-up late in the match, the Wreckerians might have ended up leaving with one point.

As it were, that wasn’t the case, and when Julio Campana fired a screamer past John Marlowe in the 78th minute, it caught all the Wreckerians off guard – most of all Marlowe himself. The Wreckerians weren’t angry about it – they couldn’t be angry about it. It was a beautiful goal, and probably one of the most beautiful goals of that match day. Either way, the Wreckerians couldn’t put together a comeback in the last 12 or so minutes, and dropped their first points of their qualifying campaign.

After the match, Marlowe and Marvin came up to me. They weren’t even mad. There was no shenanigans, there was no bullshit. There was nothing they could have bitched about that they’d say screwed them out of the victory.

“Nah,” Marvin said. “Juvencus just whipped our asses. They beat us fair and square. Sometimes football is that way. Sometimes you want to scream and bitch about it, but at the end of the day, sometimes you just get the short end of the stick. Sometimes you go against a team that has it more. All we need to do is take that, learn from it, and we’ll get to whoever we’re facing next, and we’ll whip their ass.”

Even John Marlowe, who had every right to be upset for letting the only goal of the match past, wasn’t even mad, especially when he saw the replay of the goal in the hotel bar.

“That was a sexy fuckin’ goal, I’ve got to admit,” Marlowe tells me. “I need to find that Campana dude and shake his hand because that was beautiful. But yeah, we’ll whoop whoever we’re playing next, just to show we ain’t gonna be beat.”

If only they knew how right they’d be.

[Gortolekua]

previously.
Hell came, and hell went. Hooper was right: Cash, René and the rest of the Ranger recruits were fucked after their first intense day of training. Why two 18-year-olds, practically kids still, are being put through hell and back again in running kilometre after kilometre, jumping jack after jack, doing burpee after burpee is a question for everyone involved in the program. They were back in their room, aching and sore. Both were gifted notebooks upon their acceptance into the Ranger program. Technology access was limited—that football match they all watched against Trolleborg was the first tech access permitted in who knows how long.

But what really made things weird was part of that "hell" experience was writing poetry. "We need to assess your minds, to determine your best role in this Ranger program," Hooper told them. Their notebooks were handed to them. The recruits were instructed to write whatever poem they could. Didn't have to be good. Most of them weren't, and there was probably no expectation from the recruits to write well. They just had to write, and they did.

a poem by rené lorenzo
you will know me
you will know my hurt.
for your desires are to quench
something freeing. It's in my blood
to achieve something better.
maybe it'll come one day.

you will know how I thirst,
living in the deepest trench.
my soul and spirit in mud,
trying both to forget her
and survive in some way.

you will know my pressure.
it never creates diamonds,
leaving lump after lump of coal.
no bar, even the lowest of them,
can be met by me.

you will know my father.
he is not the best of men.
nothing is good enough for him.
not even his footsteps. or me
following them.

one day, you will know me.
my beauty from within shines
like no one else's. but I'm scared
of showing it. not to the boy
I share a room with.
not to the girl who broke me
and my heart before I left.
not to my mother, who dismissed
my weird feelings.
and certainly, without any doubt,
not to my father.

but one day, you will know me.
the spirit that flies high.
the bird that sings its song.
the gale with forces for all.
the peace I will finally have.
I will know you one day.

I'm Good. by Cash Delgado
I'm good, man.
No need to write a poem.
Just let me do my own thing.

Cash walked up to the front, turned in his poem, and turned around. He was the first to finish his poem. René, perplexed by how quickly Cash wrote, followed several minutes later.

"How did you finish your poem that fast? You had to have half-assed it," René asked in a whisper, sitting down next to Cash in the mess hall. "No one finishes these poems that fast, at least that's what my dad and granddad told me."

"Why give it your all when you don't want to be here to begin with," Cash replied. "It's not like this shit's really going to make that much of a difference. We're all going to the same place anyways."

"But it's the Rangers!"

"And I got dragged here against my own will. Just shut up and leave me alone."

René and Cash left the mess hall, poems still being written by other recruits. They were bound to see what was going to happen when they got their results for further Ranger placement. But tonight was not the night.

---

Gortolekua 4-2 Britonisea
Gortolekua goalscorers: A. Saunders '19 (a - R. Terry) , T. Allan '40, '50 (a - R. Terry, A. Echevarría); M. Salinas '72 (p)
Gortolekua subs: none

[Tjorl]

TJORL 3 - 3 NEPHARA

After their victory against Mercedini, De Frostkjemper looked to continue their momentum as they faced two-time World Cup champions Nephara at the Havnstadion. Coach Mandel played the same squad as he did against Mercedini. Just like in Matchday 1, the Tjorlish home fans put on a great atmosphere for the players to enjoy. This seemed to have an effect on the Tjorlish squad, as struck first. For around 22 minutes, De Frostkjemper looked like they were playing the platonic ideal of football. Great vision, unselfish passing, and overall just enjoyable action. To top off the build-up play, Nikolaj Eriksen scored his second goal of the qualifiers after a good backheel from Johan Kalbfleisch set him up on a great opportunity to score, which he took. One-nil, Tjorl.

However, it seems like Tjorl just can't keep leads easily, a problem which has plagued the squad since IAC 15. Lindse Kvasina's shot from around 23 yards away caught out Stefan Johansson, who can only watch the ball sail into the net. One-all. While the rest of the first half saw a lot of chances from both sides, no goals were scored. A good display, but they could've done better. Nephara wasted no time getting on top, as this time left back Radeka Lind got past a number of defenders, and got the Cormorants' second goal magnificently. One-two, Nephara. Still plenty of time left to get back in the match, and Tjorl certainly did that. Eriksen grabbed his brace after a bizarre clearance left the ball right on his feet, which he gladly took. Two-all.

The match continued to entertain as both sides continued to receive good chances. The final ten minutes was extremely hectic, as if the previous eighty weren't enough. With five minutes left until stoppage time, Latona Basilisk was able to power through the Tjorlish defense and score. Two-three, Nephara. However, Kevin Olssen was able to snatch a last-minute goal and salvage a point for De Frostkjemper. Three-all. After the match, Mandel expressed how he thinks that there are some problems to address in defense. "We should've done a lot better on the defensive side. There were some times where we could've easily cleared the ball, but didn't. So, uh yeah, we'll be looking to improve on that.", Mandel said. After Tjorl's loss against The Gothanita Isles, De Frostkjemper fell to 8th place with only 4 points.

Full Time: Tjorl 3 - 3 Nephara

Venue: Havnstadion, Tjusto, Tjorl

Tjorl's Starting 11 (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper:
#1 | Stefan Johanssen

Defenders:
#2 | Harald Giehl
#3 | Franz Kaufer
#4 | Erich Karjalainen
#5 | Karoline Steinssen

Midfielders:
#8 | Johan Kalbfleisch
#20 | Hans Beringer
#24 | Elisabet Kruse

Forwards:
#7 | Martin Breiner
#9 | Nikolaj Eriksen
#10 | Kevin Olssen

---

Nephara's Starting 11 (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper:
# 1 | Aranea Provost

Defenders:
# 2 | Ophelia Schrader
# 3 | Radeka Lind
# 5 | Reniira Clevinger
# 6 | Anaximander Scales

Midfielders:
# 4 |Demeter Constantine
# 11 | Lili Marinca
# 13 | Severine Reed
# 15 | Tamara Ulmer
# 23 | Lindse Kvasina

Forward:
# 10 | Bravura Harper

---

Scorers: 22' Eriksen [TJL 1-0], 33' Kvasina [NPH 1-1], 51' Lind [NPH 1-2], 72' Eriksen [TJL 2-2], 85' Basilisk [NPH 3-2], 89' Olssen [TJL 3-3]

Player of the Match: Nikolaj Eriksen [TJL]

Upcoming: An overview on the 2022 Tjorlish federal elections

[Ceni]

Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey

Chapter 2: Longstar's Paradox

How would you react if you found out a freak accident had flung you 22 years into the future?

Luke Longstar didn't have any answers to that question; all the analogues that came to mind took place in the world of fiction, not in real life. And now, well, it was real life for Luke. He supposed that he would soon have the answers of two or three dozen other people, when everybody met to process the news. But first, they had to hear the news in its entirety. Luke supposed he would have to tell them.

So the question ran through Luke's mind: How would the team react to find out that a freak accident had flung them 22 years into the future? And, of course, what had happened in the interim?

But Luke didn't ask either question as Jaina Ende-Dogor, the mysterious woman who told him the news, stood before him in Stratosphere City. He asked the simple question, in as polite and undisturbed a tone as he could muster: "How?"

She began to explain it to him, but everything went over his head. Baryons and strong force and quantum entanglement and all that. Truthfully, though, Luke didn't really need to know all that. In retrospect, it just seemed like he wanted somebody to blame. And he got that.

***

Immediately after stepping into the Terranea-Sonnel portal control room, Jaina almost fainted.

Of course, one part of it was the radiation suit that the authorities had asked her to don before entering the space and all the tape blocking her sweat from evaporating and her bodily heat from escaping. Of course, she understood the precaution: She didn't want anything to get in and fuck her body up. At the same time, that meant that nothing could get out, either. Including the products and secretions of the various bodily processes that kept her cool.

But, of course, she almost fainted also because looking at the control panels, was like drinking from a supersized Drawkian fire hose. Of course, Jaina didn't dislike the room aesthetically: She had always managed to find the beauty in science, and boy, the cascading numbers, the rotating quantum diagrams, the high-resolution displays, the contrast between the dark interior and the radically colorful exterior: all those things radiated beauty. Whether the

Jaina felt overloaded sensorially. From the heat, of course, but from all the information pouring in. And so she almost fainted.

Of course, Jaina being Jaina, she didn't, and she regained her composure. With regal poise, then, she marched to the front and started to download the data, the sweat dripping into her inner glove and compromising her maneuverability be damned.

As Jaina's data downloaded, she looked around at the people swarming around her, with Geiger counters beeping and respirators amplifying every breath. It almost sounded like a zombie hospital in there, except for all the moaning. No, the radio chatter stayed mostly to a minimum, and the white ants with black highlights - how Jaina referred to her fellow scientists and technicians in white hazmat suits, black gloves, black chemical boots - scurried around, engrossed in their own tasks.

Suddenly, a sharp staccato beep roused Jaina from her musings, signaling that Jaina's data had finished downloading. She turned around and looked for the tallest guy in the room, somebody who would tower over her, and saw her mark, the station's director. He could give her the lay of the land.

Jaina walked over to him, mumbled something through her respirator, and moved to shake his gloved hand. The word "handshake" might not best describe the encounter: the two gloves met and almost merged, like a boot making contact with unruly swamp waters. But regardless of the actual motion, they fulfilled societal norms; the director motioned her to come to his office. They would discuss further there.

***

Luke went up the plane with more and more varieties of insects jumping around in his stomach every passing moment. The physicist's explanation of what had happened had flown past him like an arrow, and he had no idea how to explain it to the team, or how to wrestle with the implications. But he would have to make an attempt.

"Can anyone look at the time on their phones?" he asked the crowd in a low, meek voice, almost like a mouse had started speaking. "I know you're all obsessed with those things. But what date does it say?"

"May 3," said Zane Kirchner, one of the team's younger players and a rising star in Ceni, "but why do you seem so worried? It was May 3 when we went through the portal, and it's still May 3 here."

"Take a look at the year," said Luke.

"I don't see anything different," responded Zane. "What, did we just time travel backwards or something? Nice practical joke, man, but April Fool's was months ago!"

"Let's go outside and catch a TV broadcast," said Luke. "You know all those people out on the tarmac? They told me lots of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff, and well, we haven't time traveled backwards. We've now gone forwards, by twenty-two years. We've missed eleven world cups."

Luke didn't have a reputation for practical jokes, so a few players looked uneasy. The team nonetheless trooped out of the plane, murmuring and whispering, looking like a sea of black ants with white highlights (in contrast to Jaina's fellow suited and booted scientists, the team wore black tracksuits with white stripes down everything).

Jaina waited for them outside the plane and brought them into a small hangar a few minutes' walk away, rolling a TV set closer to the team. She set the channel to a news channel: "Today, we celebrate the return of AT7093 and the Cenian national football team to our timeline," said the anchor. "Thanks to physicist Jaina Ende-Dogor, we've been able to bring them back, just in time for the next World Cup."

Jaina rolled her eyes. "I didn't quite bring you back," she said. "But welcome back, nonetheless."

As Jaina started her spiel, many of the players had started to turn white as a corpse, or perhaps as white as those hazmat suits.

One player even fainted. It would be a lot for the team to take in.

[Vdara]

beans

[Delaclava]

Phoenixes vow to improve after bland Ko-oren loss

The Delaclava national team expected to, at least, learn from a difficult road matchup against recent champion Ko-oren just four games into the qualifying campaign. But after an unexpected turn of events, the main lesson learned: you can't win a game in fear.

The final scoreline - Ko-oren 1, Delaclava 0 - barely tells the story of a match that was widely lambasted in the Delaclav football community for its low action and lack of initiative from both teams to generate offense, and captain Lukas Meyer admitted that his team had not taken the right approach.

"We had a lot of respect going in," he said in a brief press conference the next day. "We know how tough they are, and we felt vulnerable defensively, I think... I was just surprised they seemed to have the same reaction."

The sixth-ranked Dragonflies, who were victorious in World Cup 89, are renowned for their stiff five-back defense, possession-oriented game, and propensity to counterattack. The Phoenixes, less heralded and ranked 108th, are still known for their no-holds-barred offense and aggressive, risk-tasking defense to launch its own counterattack. However, both teams appeared wary of the other team's capabilities, choosing to possess for large stretches and allow passing to unfold in front of the defense, lest they make a fatal mistake.

Ko-oren got its one goal from a 29th-minute header off a corner from Hikomoto Mizuno, and afterwards was content for the Phoenixes to make their own mistakes and give them a chance for insurance goals. Delaclava didn't give them the satisfaction - if only because they were hesitant to take any chances. The slow pace of play and lack of aggression on both sides of the ball left Phoenixes manager Boris Ishutin in an apoplectic rage for most of the second half before he was resigned to shaking his head in disgust as the final whistle mercifully blew.

"It's hard to explain the thought process out there," said Kent Lindblad. "They're a tough puzzle to solve. We didn't feel comfortable playing our usual game, but we aren't accustomed to playing another way, so it was difficult."

"On the other hand, it takes two to make a competitive game though, doesn't it? I thought the referee should have given them some warnings for time-wasting. But the job is to win and they did it, so, good for them."

Meyer vowed that the Phoenixes wouldn't make the same mistake when the Dragonflies come to Catherina for the return leg. "We're going to turn the heat up. I think they'll have a lot of trouble handling us. I don't know if we can win playing our way, but I know we can't win playing theirs."

The loss snapped Delaclava's ten-game unbeaten streak in World Cup qualifying matches. They will look to start a new run in Irisbenis, which will be hosting the Phoenixes for the first time against unranked Gnejs.

[Yue Zhou]

THE NANHAI DAILY
FORMER VP HUANG ARRESTED ON CORRUPTION CHARGES
Guo Balin, Politics

NANGANG -- Former Vice President Huang Erlin, most notable for briefly taking over as Yue President during Wu Zhongsheng's medical leave, was arrested as a result of a corruption probe late Tuesday night, sources report. "Huang Erlin has been linked to unfairly favorable treatment given to businesses owned by his father, Huang Dong, during his time in the Commerce Bureau," a leaked internal party memo stated. "As such, he has been arrested, but will receive only the fairest of trials under Yue law."

Huang Erlin originally joined the Nanhai provincial chamber of commerce in his late twenties, in a move now alleged to be connected to bribes paid by his father to party officers. A fierce advocate of Nanhai independence, Huang was later appointed as Secretary of Commerence of the region by Governor Zheng Zhoulun during Nanhai's time as an independent province. When Wu Zhongsheng brought the United Republics into fruition, Huang was accepted as a compromise candidate for the largely ceremonial role of Vice President.

Huang's fifteen minutes of fame came when President Wu suffered a stroke in mysterious circumstances. It came at a crucial time for the Wu administration, who had just dispatched Foreign Minister Zhen Qiang to the Varakoula peace summit. While Huang's response to the Nyowani Kitara crisis was criticized as overly forceful, he was ultimately able to provide a calming influence on the presidency at a tense time in Yue politics. However, upon Wu Zhongsheng's full recovery, he unexpectedly resigned the role of Vice President, and had remained a private citizen since his retirement from Yue politics.

However, the former Vice President's name began to rise again in the fall, when President Wu announced a new anti-corruption initiative that would focus on misdeeds committed by provincial governments in the former People's Federation. When Huang's name came under suspicion as a beneficiary of such corruption, resulting in an extended probe into Huang Dong's corporate holdings. While Huang Erlin has denied any involvement with the People's Federation, re-emphasizing his role in the Nanhai independence campaign, internal documents suggest that he was fully aware of Huang Dong's corrupt methods to ensure that his son would be able to influence local government. During his time in the provincial government, Huang Erlin brokered multiple deals between his father and the Nanhai chamber of commerce, which came to the surface in a government watchdog report published earlier this week.

"Any allegations of corruption related to me or my father are completely fabricated," Huang Erlin stated defiantly before his arrest. "This probe is the result of a calculated smear campaign by my political enemies in order to remove me from a position of influence." A timeline for his trial is not yet known.

---

MD3: Yuezhou 2–0 The Gothanita Isles
Lineup (4-3-3): Zhao; Jiawei, Yuan, Zhu, Reeve (Li JG 62); Li (C), Wan, Wen (Tao 56); Jiang, Zheng, Huang (Luo 70)
Goals: Huang 31, Jiang 53

Yuezhou was assured with possession and swarming without possession in a comfortable 2-0 win over The Gothanita Isles. Zheng Yuanjun was particularly impressive spelling Liu Huiying as a false-nine, feeding Huang and Jiang beautifully on their surprisingly similar goals (late darting runs into the box that met one of Zheng's sumptuous crosses). The Yellow Lions found some joy early in the second half by targeting Diadora Reeve on the right flank, especially through the play of the dominant Lola Katona. However, Ken Hayabusa countered beautifully by moving the more defensive Zhu Aiguo to right-back, neutralizing the threat.

---

MD4: Oberour Ar Moro 3 - 3 Yuezhou
Lineup (4-3-3): Zhao; Jiawei, Li JG, Yuan, Reeve (Zhu 60); Li (C), Wan, Wen; Jiang (Luo HT), Liu, Huang
Goals: Liu 11, Reeve 45+2, Luo 74 // Petitmensil 53, 66; Gayrard 81

A back-and-forth match ended with both teams taking home a deserved share of the spoils, although Hayabusa's Dragons will be ruing missed chances to take all three points. Liu Huiying, despite an underwhelming overall performance, struck first for Yuezhou with a beautiful long-range effort before Wen Xiaohui released a running Diadora Reeve for the second. Star striker Pius Petitmensil clawed back the match for Oberour ar Moro, turning very limited service into two fabulous goals and fully bringing his side back into the flow of the match. The rest of the match was a balanced affair favoring the Dragoons (Dragons vs. Dragoons made for a confusing English-language broadcast), but while Luo Dan put the Yueren up late, a critical mistake by Jiawei Chuan led to Gayrard's crushing equalizer.

[Hapilopper]

Hatire Memorial, Capri, Valanora
World Cup 91 Qualifying Match 6: Hapilopper v. Valanora

Not surprisingly, Nathan Ellis got no sleep the night before. For several days leading up to this match, he had endured nightmares of what a match against the Vanorian Marauders would be like – or as more than a few people knew them as, the Elves. He would hear the word “Elves” in his sleep and shoot up awake in a cold, cold sweat. And in the team hotel not far from Hatire Memorial, it got worse and worse.

It was about three in the morning. Nathan was sound asleep, until he wasn’t. He was starting to picture the worst case scenario. Valanora picks up a 6-0 lead over Hapilopper in the first half. The Marauders had become dominant to a whole new level. Hapilopper was getting hurt. Their momentum had stopped on a dime and the team was about to endure a horrific collapse.

“NO!!!” Nathan shouted as he shot awake. “MOTHER FUCKER!”

Nathan got out of bed, made himself a glass of water and stepped out of his hotel room, making his way over to the hotel bar, where Thom Perkins was sitting at a table, by himself, a look of fear on his face.

“Couldn’t sleep either, huh, Ellis?” Thom said as he spotted Nathan.

“No,” Nathan said. “I keep having this recurring dream that Valanora’s going to whoop our asses. I keep having this dream they’re going to take a 6-0 lead. God damn it, Perkins, I’ve feared this day since it was drawn. You know how good those Vanorians are, right?”

“Oh yeah,” Thom replied. “They’ve got one hell of a pedigree.”

Hours later, Nathan was relying on an uncomfortable amount of coffee as he took the field for the match. As the national anthems were being played, you could see the discomfort in his face, the fear in his eyes. He was certain this was going to be one of the worst matches he had ever played in – potentially on the level of the Manehattan Massacre of AOCAF 59 when Equestria demolished the Haps.

But as the match got started, Nathan started realizing something – something the rest of the team was realizing. The Marauders were a great football team, sure. But so was Hapilopper – the best they had ever been. And Valanora could be beat, if the Haps could just stay on their level. If they could just play on their level, maybe they could outlast the Marauders and maybe get one point. After all, that was their goal for the match. Get one point and get out of Valanora before the Marauders decided to put one up on them.

As the match progressed, Team Hapilopper realized that maybe they could get more than just one point. Maybe they could get three. Just play level with the Vanorians, match what they were doing and try to put one over on them. Parker Mathis drew first blood in the 9th minute, doing the same dance he did several games before when he scored his first goal. Lothas Ludwig responded with a goal in the 15th to tie it up. And for 20 minutes, the Haps and the Marauders seemed like they were on equal footing, each trying to find an opening. Pete Robson found it in the 39th minute, putting a set piece past Julius Miljeteig, and to his relief, the Haps were up 2-1. Especially relieving since it looked like, for a second, Miljeteig had saved it.

Ludwig responded back just before the halftime break – matter of fact, a minute into added time before the break, firing a scorcher just past the head of Billy Solomon, who was fortunate to not be beheaded by the shot. After taking a breather, possibly thanking whatever deity existed out there for having not lost his head by the hard shot, the Haps went under the tunnel for the halftime break.

Nobody said anything in the locker room for a little bit. Billy Solomon was still thanking his lucky stars he hadn’t been decapitated. Other players were thanking their lucky stars they could hang with the top team in the group, the #3 team in the multiverse. Nathan Ellis was thanking his lucky stars the Haps hadn’t been slaughtered by the Vanorians – yet. And Toby Bryson was thinking about something. He had seen something and he wanted the whole team to know it.

“Guys, I think we can beat them,” Toby said, which got everyone’s attention. “We need to get them fast, and we need to get them early. Give me the ball and I’m going to score right off the bat. From there, park the bus and let’s stop those sons of bitches. I think we can do it. I think we’re a better football team than we give ourselves credit for. I think we’re for real, and if we beat these guys, we’ll show it to everyone.”

Nathan shook his head. He couldn’t believe what Toby was saying – this kind of bravado against Valanora? Against the Elves? Against the five-time World Cup champions?

“Bryson, I’m going to ask you to think about what you’re saying and about who we’re playing,” Nathan said calmly. “It’s one thing for you to say that about some of the other teams we’ve played, but god damn it, this is VALANORA. I’ve had fucking nightmares about this game for the last eight weeks. Jesus Christ on a god damn BIKE, Bryson, you realize this is a football team that could come back and whoop our asses still. They could still score six goals on us.”

“I saw something, Ellis,” Toby shot back. “Just… trust me. You’ve fought for me in the past, man, just… have confidence in me.”

“Alright, but you better be right,” Nathan said. “I’m going to regret this if you’re wrong.”

As the teams returned to the pitch for the second half, Nathan Ellis walked to center pitch. He would get the ball as the whistle blew. Walking next to him was Parker Mathis. Neither was saying a word to each other. They had discussed it in the locker room before hand. Nathan would pass to Parker. Parker would pass back to Nathan. Nathan would pass to Herb Northrop. Herb would pass to Pete Robson, who would immediately fire it to Toby Bryson, who would send it past Julius Miljeteig before he knew what hit him.

That was the plan. Score that goal and then go full defensive from that moment on.

When the whistle blew, it was on. Nathan got the ball and immediately kicked it to Parker. The two ran down the pitch. Parker saw his opening and shot it towards Nathan. Nathan rushed it down the pitch and before Heike Schoss could stop him, Nathan fired it right back to Parker. But Parker was having his troubles with Gideon Riemann and Indra Söderström – they had gotten an idea of what the Haps were trying. So Parker juked a little, jived a little, and sent it immediately to Herb Northrop. Herb, playing his role, knew what to do. And he rushed the ball a little further down before sending it to Pete Robson, who immediately hot-potatoed it to Toby Bryson, who bicycle-kicked it into the back of the net past a diving Julius Miljeteig.

The score was 3-2. Team Hapilopper led Valanora in the 47th minute. Now all the Haps had to do was play defensive ball for the remainder of the match. And it was that defensive play that almost got the Haps in trouble.

In the 58th minute, it looked for all the world like Valanora was going to equalize. Nathan Ellis and Jerold Dickman rushed down the pitch as Laborious Hawk was on his way to send one past Billy Solomon. Billy looked nervous as Hawk stared him down, figuring this was going to be it, and it wasn’t going to be pretty. Jerold was certain Hawk had seen him, and as a result passed the ball to Lothas Ludwig.

Nathan Ellis changed his route and moved towards Ludwig’s path. Nathan didn’t know if Ludwig saw him – and frankly, my dear, he didn’t give a damn. Nathan was rushing Ludwig’s way when he turned a corner, right into Ellis’s path, and…

***BAM!!!***

Nathan knew how to make a vicious tackle look like an accident. It didn’t matter that his reputation preceded him, he knew what to do. He piled into Ludwig and separated him from the ball as Jerold Dickman took it and started rushing downfield. An evil smile went over his face as Ludwig got up, uninjured from the collision. But the referee decided that had been no accident, and gave Nathan a yellow card for his trouble.

Nathan smirked at the referee and told him “hell, that’s fine, I’ll try harder next time!”

But the damage had been done. It was clear that Nathan was no longer afraid of the Vanorians. It was clear that he had overcome his fear, and it was clear that, for the first time all match, he felt like the Haps could actually defeat the Marauders.

That hit was a momentum-shifting hit. The Haps felt like they could defend against the Marauders, keep them out of goal and take a stunning victory, which they did. Team Hapilopper had defeated Valanora, 3-2, and they were three points ahead of the rest of Group 15 as they got ready to take on Baggieland in Capital Stadium in one week’s time. Toby Bryson had pulled his own card, scored a goal for it and was rewarded handsomely for it. Team Hapilopper had shown the rest of the sporting world that, maybe, just maybe, they actually were for real.

And for the first time in eight weeks, Nathan Ellis had a good night’s sleep.

[Huayramarca]

OOC: Any reference to IC opinions are strictly IC.

Public Servant

Part 1

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Part 2 - Little Things Make Big Things Happen.

Sopocachi's Central Quarry - December 23^rd, 1979

Out of nowhere, despite the fears that initially invaded Marta Mamani, she managed to cause heat in social media by making public what happened at the restaurant with the Mina’s government spokespersons. Discrimination has been the norm in Huayramarca for several years, mostly fueled by the economic differences between regions and government preferences to benefit certain zones of the nation, specifically the Coast and Islands of Huayramarca. As a cauldron, it will always reach its boiling point and, as seen by popular reactions, Marta accelerated the boiling process.

She had to schedule a meeting with Augusto Buendía, one of the main opposition leaders from the Huayramarca Sierra, a zone that has always been known for their developed sense of cooperation and social organisation. After some time reading the endless notifications she continued to receive due to her messages, and even receiving neighbours who asked about the message she sent through the quipu, she noted that the results were positive “Nicely done” she said to her son Juanito his son was doing some gestures while painting, part of his behavioural management treatment he receives due to his diagnose with autism a couple of years ago. She told him some stories and made sure to make him fall asleep, after a kiss on his cheek, she returned to the laptop to browse.

After reading, she was starting to fall asleep, her eyes were closing and opening constantly, her head shaking from one side to other while reading, Morpheus defeated her and she fell asleep, then she started to dream…

Túpac Amaru¹, an indigenous leader of Huayramarca appeared on the dream while being dragged by inquisitors who arrested him for instigating the first Independence Movement of Huayramarca. She saw him being kicked, spitted, his tooth being broken but still screaming “You will not be able to kill me! My name will be forever remembered in history, my struggle will prevail!” Despite the torture, Amaru didn’t tried to scape, he knew his fate and thought that it was a necessary sacrifice for the wellness of Huayramarca and her independence. Marta interacted with Amaru “Free yourself, we need you to be independent!” The scene suddenly froze except for Amaru and Marta, she approached to him and said “To achieve independence, dignity and some sacrifices are needed. Tell me, are you able to sacrifice yourself for a cause of the betterment of your future, the future of your family, friends and nation?” Marta remained silent, Amaru continued “You have to be resolute, stand against injustice. Don’t let your ideals fade or die! NEVER!” Marta said “So, it’s a matter of dignity?”

Suddenly, the scene unfroze a third character, a corrupt inquisitor “You don’t have what it takes to do this!” Amaru replied “Marta, just ignore him. Huayramarca will be proud of you, you’ll be proud of yourself if you don’t let your ideals fade or die.” Marta asked to the inquisitor “Why I don’t have what it takes to help my nation?” he said “You’re not courageous enough” Amaru said “You just filmed yourself, you’re brave enough by the fact of stepping out and do what others fear to do.” “You have Serrano blood, you have my blood, you’re valiant enough.” She replied “Give voice to those who lack it. They won’t kill us! They won’t kill my people!” The scene continued as Amaru was being killed, not before without screaming “Huayramarca will be free, my people will be free for much of your chagrin!”

Marta woke up, it was already 3:30 a.m. and she wrote on social media “They won’t be capable to kill our desires of equality and progress! Let’s create spaces for the voiceless, let’s give power to the people!” Despite the time, her message turned viral in matter of minutes, mostly displays of support towards her post with an iconic Amaru oil paint as an image to accompany it. She went to bed once again, she needed to take rest as later she would have a vital meeting, one that would be a life changer for her.

The rays of sun illuminated her face, in complete disbelief she arose her bed after having that quite random dream with Túpac Amaru. Perhaps a glimpse of her destiny as a potential liberator of Huayramarca. “Pfft, dreaming like being high” said her while dressing to work, a bit more casual than other days due to her meeting with Buendía at the restaurant. Rushing downstairs, as usual, to reach the restaurant exactly when the clock marks 8:00 a.m. Juanito, her son, would be in care of a neighbour, hence she left with confidence and rush. Things were being normal, she was attending people in the queue as normal until the same two spokespersons as yesterday came, she shook in nerves and decided to ignore them, took her phone and activated the voice recorder to catch any threat or strong-worded accusations against her.

The spokesperson asked her directly for food, she gave them the same food, but one of them said “You little bitch… I give you 24 hours to erase what you posted about us in the Social Media.” Marta was nervous, still, she made sure to be in a safe distance from the rest of her colleagues… Marta grabbed strength from her inner spirit and replied boldly “What about if I don’t want to do so?” a mad spokesperson slapped the table and said “Stop whataboutisms, you know what you’ll suffer if you don’t do it.” Marta spitted his face and then said “You’ll suffer when I show this up to the police. Stop harassing me!” A security guard took Marta’s claim seriously, approached to the spokespersons and asked them to leave the premises, her colleagues came for her support and pushed the two black cladded individuals away from the restaurant. Marta smiled, took her phone and stopped the recording, a master play from her that led to think “Well, I’m now deep-mudded in this, let’s do what Amaru said.”

The boss approached and demanded an explanation, as the clients were startling for what happened. Marta said “They were harassing me, they asked me to go with them after my shift!” Some colleagues confirmed that despite the fact they weren’t close to listen or have some context, then he asked loudly “Is this true?” All of them nodded collectively, then he collected evidence in order to go to the police, Martha quickly said “Nah, just ignore them, no need to go that far. Enough with just kicking them out” Marcos, the boss, said “Ok, we will let them go like that. It’s not right but you’ve asked for it, so no issues from me.” Martha awaited him to leave and then gasped… It was already 9:30 a.m. A couple of hours before Buendía would arrive.

An hour before noon, Buendía sent a message through Twii-tur DM feature “Martha, I’ll be there, sent me your location please.” Martha sent it and he confirmed. She asked for her lunch break at 11:45, she was granted it and decided to reserve a table to meet with Augusto, time came and a tall man with an a sombrero and dressed in a red suit appeared, Marta raised her hand and he immediately sit and said “Pachakutiy o wañuy, ñucanchi ñan”² Marta replied by saying “Ñucanchi ñan”

Buendía then started the conversation “You’re such a brave woman, you have what it’s needed to denounce injustices and crime in Huayramarca. You’ve turned, all of a sudden, into a voice for the voiceless, for the people who fears or can’t afford to lose privileges. Dignity!” Marta said “It’s a pleasure to meet you, mister Buendía.” The meeting was about the possibility for Marta to join into the leadership of the Ñucanchi Ñan movement, she was already aware of said movement and that’s why she replied ñucanchi ñan while greeting Buendía. What she didn’t expected is that the movement wasn’t a peaceful one, Buendía said “If tyranny is law, revolution is order” “We need to restore Huayramarca into the original and ordered state of things, we will need to raise in arms and kick Hugo Mina out of the Palacio del Altiplano.”

Marta was now sweating uncontrollably, she didn’t imagine that she would be offered a place in a guerrilla, but then Túpac Amaru popped on her mind “Give voice to those who don’t have it. They won’t kill us!” then “Dignity!” to what Marta said by impulse “I’m going all-in for this, for a better Huayramarca for my family, friends and all of us.” Buendía said “Túpac Amaru is a good source of inspiration, his struggle will be the cornerstone of our revolutionary effort, nobody is going to kill us if we are united as one; divided, we will die.” Buendía said “We must be proud of our valiant ancestry, Huayramarca exists for much of the chagrin of certain nations that think that their satire is actually good and I bet you that Mina actually thinks likewise. WE EXIST AND WE HAVE DIGNITY!”

Marta asked Buendía to wait, she asked for her boss to quit and he asked “Why are you quitting?” She said “I’ve a new job, a great chance coming and you’ll see it in fruition sooner than later.” The boss said “No benefits, right?” Marta said “I don’t care of benefits, no worries with that.” She left and said to Buendía “I quitted my job, I’m up for this fight for a better Huayramarca.” He said “That’s the kind of daughters that our nation loves, the ones who give it all for the Pachamama³. Follow me” She hopped in a van with Buendía and three more people who were taking custody of him, a much-desired target from Mina and his hitmen who have a thirst for dissenters’ blood.

She picked up her son and started a trip to Tulcán, where she would meet the other leaders of Ñucanchi Ñan who are, mostly, peasants from the zone, Cumbayá, Huayrasuyo, Arequipa and the entire Huayramarcan Sierra and Yungas, all of them united and fueled by the hate towards Hugo Mina and company. An 8 hours trip from the Metropolitan District had to be worthy for Marta, but she didn’t expect that it’d be massively worthy as she established several connections across the country and was given a weapon to stand out and defend Sopocachi, with some other people from the neighbourhood. That will be the beginning of Self-Defence Committees in Huayramarca, the recipe of success against Hugo Mina was now given and his fall was something imminent.

Revolutions are things that happen spontaneously and are born from hatred and popular fatigue, any spark could set the barn on fire and Mina had to calculate every step with carefulness… He met some advisors in the Palacio del Altiplano and said “Ok, we have more opposition this time, a valiant and bold one with some fresh blood. What should we do against them? Someone said “They will have a rally in Sopocachi this weekend, we could send forces there and crush any attempt of demonstration, that will kill their will and desire to overthrown us.” Ok, let’s send police officers and crush that, it will be important to send a strong enough message to them and the international community that me, Hugo Mina, won’t be an easy bone to break, a toy or something disposable. Huayramarca loves me and I’m 100% sure that I’ll be protected by the army and my compatriots from any attempt to uprise against my rule.”

---

1. An indigenous revolutionary leader, promoter of Huayramarcan independence during the late 1780s and 1810s Independence Attempts. He was executed in 1811 after being charged for High Treason and Arson.

2. A motto used by the Huayramarcan indigenous-socialist movement, which roughly translates to “Revolution or death, our path” from Quechua.

3. Mother Earth in Quechua/Aymara.

[Independent Athletes from Quebec]

Avalon

PART 3 - Untitled

The lights were out. With Christine's eruption having just occurred minutes prior, the living room of this half-dead house was now even messier than how it had been for past several weeks. At least there was no more room for the room to be any less messier, after the series of decay it has seen without The Musician...

Christine looked out the living room window, the sight of toddlers and their parents hanging out in the private park catching her eyes, as her friend, Asher the Writer, feeling the full, brunt impact of the force, lied back in the couch. In some ways, she was feeling the very same pain her friend was reeling from, for she was also without her eldest child, HRH Alexandre, who was in his first year of studies, alone, at the Royal School in Concord Heights.

I feel angry about all this, but is it really his hopelessness that's bothering me here? Christine thought, initially over the state of the house. Or is this really about how hopeless I feel over this?

Then she thought of her late father, who had accepted the fact that she, by some coincidence, luck or even curse, had innate abilities beyond his knowledge (whether this is true or not remains to be seen). Then she found herself remembering that Eileen, The Musician who was shielded from the Queen's feelings about/against her by years of internalisation, was at the ward, and how that sight of the dying woman had left a light blow on her.

---

Earlier that day...

The third intensive care unit of Royal Arlenia Hospital was a quiet space. Built two hundred years ago in 1854, when the hospital saw the addition of a new wing, first of over twelve the hospital complex would see, but it's as if the age of the very building's walls, had seeped into its atmosphere. The lights were dim, the hallways wide (made worse by the reminders of modern architecture that emphasises narrower hallways and rooms), and the visitors plenty as the loved ones of those comatose or too ill came and went.

Christine II slowly walked along the hallways, as she was accompanied by a pair of hospital officials, hearing their words about the recent set of renovations the nation's biggest hospital has completed. This was part of her two days of engagements in Songak, the nation's commercial and economic capital, with the hospital visit, just one of dozens she performed each and every year, kicking off a series of engagements that were to occur throughout the day.

The visit, however, turned out to be not the one that she had expected, as she neared the end of the hallway and the elevators.

A nurse, a burly man of his forties, walked out of the elevator with a massive bouquet of sweet-brier, and gave the Queen a courtesy. The middle-aged man, who had the finesse long attained from years of the job, still looked very much surprised to see the Queen, and his surprised expressions, combined with disheveled blonde hair of his peeking out of the cap, were more than enough to suggest so, as he gave a quick neck bow to queen as a form of greeting.

It was at that moment she felt something odd. Haedanghwa is a rare bouquet to anywhere and for anyone, and only a few who know the true meanings behind the flower, would dare bring one to a ward, thought she, as she nodded twice to indicate that she has received his curtesy.

But Christine knew right off the bat that there's either someone unusual or special who were staying at the ward, and couldn't help but to ask the nurse. 'Um, sir,' asked Christine, trying her best to lift her voice from that of officialdom to an uplifting manner. 'That's one of the most beautiful bouquets I have seen. A rare type of flowers for a visit too. Who is the lucky person receiving them today?'

The nurse froze, as he looked twice at the administrators on the Queen's company, before they gave a light nod indicating that it's more than prudent for her to answer back. 'He has unfortunately asked not to say his name, ma'am, but he has told me that his wife, who is one of our patients here, will remember them when she wakes up,' he answered. 'Says that the flowers, not exact but similar to the ones that she would remember growing up in the Mengwes shores.'

'I see,' said she, her left hand shaking once more. 'Must be a woman of remarkable gift or wisdom. In any case, is it possible for us to see the room?'

'Would you really wish to do so, ma'am?' asked one of the administrators, a pale-haired man in his fifties, gown and an old watch, 'The patient has been under coma for past couple of months and I do not know if that will be the best for the patient's recovery-'

It was then that the Queen interrupted him. 'Yes,' answered Christine, swallowing past a solitary doubt. 'It would take no more than a minute.'

[Turori]

Today's Cutoff is brought to you by: The CoCoCo Logistics and Holdings Company

For much of its existence, the CoCoCo Logistics and Holdings company has been one of those behind-the-scenes entities that keeps the multiverse running without being a household name. Originally just a shipping and logistics company that went by the uninspiring name of "The Shipping and Logistics Company" - or "The Company" for Short, the CoCoCo saw its first major expansion after the fall of the reign of Lord Gregory in the sporting region of Esportiva. It was there that the Logistics and Holdings company scored a major contract with the newly established government of South Covello to bring Food and other Goods into the country to help them recover from the previous tyrannical administration. However, the Shipping and Logistics company quickly realized that there was no proper infrastructure within South Covello to distribute the goods being brought in. As such, the Shipping and Logistics Company, after acquiring an island off the coast of South Covello as its home logistics base, would transform into the multi-national logistics and holdings company CoCoCo establishing itself as a primary supplier of core goods and services. Internally the goods were used to provide essential raw materials and goods to Turorian shops such as Cocoa-bo that had opened a presence in country. Soon after, however, central public distribution locations were also established.

Of the Holdings portion of the company name would be One of the most prominent public facing arms of the CoCoCo is Coco-mart, the big box store which originated in South Covello. Coco-marts were stood up throughout South Covello to serve as an interface between CocCoCo and the public offering excess goods to the citizens of South Covello and somewhat reasonable prices compared with what it would have taken for a citizen to acquire similar goods during the reign of Lord Gregory. Other major public-facing CoCoCo entities include Cocogas and CoCoLectric. The CoCoCo have established multiple headquarters throughout the multiverse including their original location based out of Turori, they primary overseas headquarters in Esportiva on a collection of Islands off the coast of South Covello where raw goods are imported, sorted and redistributed to the mainland in support of CoCoCo entities, and smaller regional hubs throughout the multiverse like the one found in the former Free Republics as well as a minor depot in Starksville, Cassadaigua.

Now, Coco-mart's can be seen popping up wherever the CoCoCo Logistics and Holdings company performs its primary operations - shipping and logistics. The CoCoCo name has also become well known as an Associate sponsor in the world of Motorsports, including prominent placement on the Race Eelandii! Vilita and Turori World Grand Prix Motorworks team cars on the World Grand Prix Championship circuit and the #60 CoCoCo Dart of Rockii Ezis in the NSSCRA Everlong Contenders Series. The Coco-mart name also regularly pops up at sporting events such as the World Cup Finals and AOlympic Winter Festival where in a shrewd move of marketability, Vilita and Turori Freestyle Skiing competitor Kikoro Mavazoji posted a picture of themselves on twii.tur shortly after winning the Gold Medal in the Mens Mogul competition at the AOlympic Winter Games standing in front of the pop-up Coco-mart tent with the caption "This is where I got my gold medal goods from!". Recently, the CoCoCo Logistics Company has also opened their own twii.tur account ( @CoCoCo ) which they have largely used to convey information across the Turorian Weather & Information Interchange about the types of things that most users care absolutely nothing about, such as what the Top 10 Goods are being held in Surplus in CoCoCo Warehouses.

[Delte]

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Oswark Town 4-4 Oswark United
Sports Correspondent Polka Lunn in Oswark for Toddwardine Beastmarket Journal & News of the World

---

I won't dwell overly long on the finer details of this match, but certainly mention should be made of the increased interest in domestic football, even in the Tuesday Evening & Sunday Lunchtime Super League, and even in the Ildemorton Road Derby Classic, as we are now being told to call the clash between Oswark's two most successful Men's XI teams. A record 388 people turned up for the league match, unthinkable before interest in the World Cup and the temporary expansion of the sports ground. With no international game to watch, stragglers came along to see two sleeping giants, presently so far behind Ughmirren FC in the 'race' for the Super League title as to make this fixture an irrelevance save for local bragging rights. How the mighty have fallen.

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Delte 2-2 Tyskerland
Player-Reporter Kim Samrodd at Ildemorton Road for the Delte River Trust Staff Newsletter

---

It was a long wait for another international football match, and I have to say we looked a bit rusty, especially the Oswarks Town & United players in the team who were still weary from pulling up trees in their last midweek Ildemorton Road Derby Classic. There was no such problem for the fittest man in the team though, the 'veteran' who plays to my left as a centre-half - Skelimino Bane. He was a solid and athletic presence in the back four, belying his years as he marshalled the two teenage forwards, Schönfinkel and Kisling, for much of the game. It's a shame his partner, the even older Aleard Sullenden (age 41 and ³/₄), couldn't keep up with the attacking midfielder Nesselrode, scorer of both goals for The Frozen Batallion. We all agreed afterward that poor Aleard probably needs a break, and perhaps even might consider retirement - you know, for his own health. But with regard Skelimino - who had the forwards in his pocket the whole game - we all agreed afterward that he probably could and should go on indefinitely. Being his own massuese, he was entirely inclined to agree with us.

---

Ready Player 2: Skelimino Bane
Vignettes of The Representatives

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Centre half, age 33, for Ildemorton; physical therapist - Skelimino claims to have had to learn to walk three times, and that’s why he’s such a good physio. The first when he was a nipper, he says, same as everyone else; the second, as a teenager, after an attempted cycle stunt over Delte falls went wrong and he ended up with several pins in his lower spine; and thirdly after late tackle on the hooligan defender of Oswark Town, Untto Squaker, a couple of seasons ago. That was largely seen as an exaggeration to uphold an excessively over-indulgent display of agony to avoid a red card during a Delte Valley Tuesday Evening & Sunday Lunchtime Super League clash between the rival sides, which escalated when, according to Town fans at least, he had to pretend he needed stretchering off the pitch to save face from the onslaught of mockery from Town fans and players; had to then pretend he was in hospital for two months; and missed the rest of Ildemorton’s season only because, really, he’d been next to superstar six-a-side sensation Ny Tinnund in accident & emergency with her altogether genuine ACL injury and wanted to spend more time with the woman - who would, as it turned out, become his wife - during her genuine recovery from a proper setback. As football conspiracy theories go, it seems pretty speculative but that never stopped a good rumour from gaining traction among the highly gullible. What seems to be certain is that he probably did have to learn to walk at least twice, simply because the first one is the one we all do, and the second one, with the bike and the waterfall and the broken back, is easily verified with a quick search through the archives of the Deltemouth Tide Times and a cursory reading of the newspaper report which is rather unsympathetically headlined “IDIOT CYCLIST TRIES THE IMPOSSIBLE, BELATEDLY LEARNS WHAT IMPOSSIBLE MEANS”.

[Banija]

"Just Keep Scoring"- Days of lighting up Qualification scoreboards returning for the Kadongo Kamu


Banijan players celebrate a goal against Aleirave

DODOMA, BUNYORO REGION- Scoring goals has been a theme of this qualification campaign for the Kadongo Kamu. In a way, of course, it is a theme of any team who ever takes this pitch- you score the most goals, you're gonna win the game. Unless you're Ko-orenite, of course, to which the phrase is then "if the opponent doesn't score, they can't win the game." And the Banijans have taken that quite seriously across their opening qualifiers. Across their opening four qualifers, they had a few particularly tough matchups. Especially a visit to the Squornshelan Remnant States(a team that we went to penalty kicks against in the knockout stages of World Cup 90), and Milchama(who earned a draw against us in the group stages of World Cup 90). A pair of familiar, regional foes, teams that Banija has played high-stakes games against in the past. Of course, Quakmybush and Efnakia weren't exactly pushovers. But it was natural- regional teams that you played at the last World Cup, in the same qualification group? Certainly going to be an enticing matchup.

The match against the Squornshelan Remnant States was, without a doubt, worth the hype. "Honest to goodness? One of the wildest World Cup Qualifiers that I have ever played in." Said veteran winger Sarafina Ikpeazu. Now pretty much one of the true superstars of this team, her words carry a whole bunch of import. And while she's played in a load of World Cup Qualifiers, maybe she's not wrong. Considering the hype behind the game, it honestly lived to the high billing it was granted. The Confederates fought back from a deficit, down 3-1, and tied the game, and had a number of opportunities to take the lead. They could not, however, and we took the lead back for good. Wesoloski-Okafor's penalty was enough. Then, we brought Milchama into town, another team that we played at World Cup 90. Another team that we earned a point against that, early in this qualification campaign. we looked pretty comfortable against. A lot lower stakes of a game, of course- but we found all sorts of spaces open.

Combined with wins over Quakmybush and Efnakia, that led us to 4 wins in 4 games- all over fellow AO opposition. Matchdays 5 and 6, against lower ranked, against teams ranked 181st, and who are unranked entirely, we were expected to have a 6 point window. And that window came, with a 3-0 home victory over Aleirave, and a 4-0 victory on the road over unranked Lumbinipur. Now, as we have seen and demonstrated, team Banija is actually scoring goals at quite a rate throughout this Qualification campaign. In our 6 games, all victories, in order? We've scored 3, 5, 3, 3, 3, and 4 goals, respectively in our contests. It is, in this sport, lighting up the scoresheets, and we are doing so effectively. Whyen you add in the fact that we've included games against Pot 2 and 3 teams, we are scoring at quite a rate.

But how does this compare? With our competitors, and of course- with ourselves?

We can clearly see how this is, comparatively. There are just 3 teams that, through 6 matchdays, have broken the 20 goals mark. Kandorith and Banija are both at 21 goals, joint tied for the second most goals in World Cup Qualifying. Both have scored 21 goals, and both sit at 6-0-0. Who is the first? Pemecutan. They keep hovering around, don't they? They stunned the world by eliminating Banija from World Cup Qualifying at 89, to throw us into the Cup of Harmony despite being ranked in the Top 5. Qualifying for the World Cup ranked just 78. But hell, look at their rise. They went to the knockout stages at that tournament. And then World Cup 90? They stunned the multiverse even further, making a run all the way to the World Cup 90 Final. And now, pushing a stunning 25 goals past their opponents in just 6 games.

"Pemecutan are not a team that is rising." Said a Banijan TV analyst. "Pemecutan is a team that has arrived, full stop." They deserve nothing but a tip of the cap. But now's not the time to tip the cap- that will have to belong to another day. The really interesting thing, is this- how does this compare historically? We're going to compare Banija's successful World Cup Qualification campaigns. 21 goals in 6 matches is currently a pace of 3.5 goals per game.

As a reminder, any playoff legs will be included. Both 81 and 83 are not included since Banija did not compete in World Cup Qualifying in those cycles, since we co-hosted the World Cup proper and qualified automatically.

Banijan Qualifying GoalScoring Rate
80- 2 goals per game(40 in 20 games, including 5 goals scored in 2 leg qualification playoff)
82- 2.28 goals per game(41 in 18 games)
84- 3.35 goals per game(67 in 20 games)
85- 3.29 goals per game(79 in 24 games)
86- 4.78 goals per game(86 in 18 games)
87- 3.22 goals per game(58 in 18 games)
88- 3.44 goals per game(62 in 18 games)
89- 2.22 goals per game(40 in 18 games)
90- 2.5 goals per game(35 in 14 games)

World Cup Qualifying is a high-octane beast. We spent World Cups 84-88, entering each qualification campaign ranked in the top 6. And we proved our class, scoring all sorts of goals. Averaging over 3 goals per game is obviously an impressive rate to maintain over a qualification campaign, but it's something that we did during our heyday. Of course, we all saw World Cup 89's disastrous Qualifying campaign. What's a good way at looking at it? The goals dried up. And with that, so did the points. We hadn't averaged that low of a goalscoring rate, 2.22 goals per game, all the way since our first successful Qualification campaign. If the offense doesn't work, this team doesn't work. And while we weren't exactly lighting up scoreboards last time out, 2.5 goals per game is a solid improvement over 2.22 goals per game.

But if we want to get back to the point where we are Qualifying without question? Then hitting that difficult number, 3+ per game, is the goal. So as we sit at 3.5 goals per game, notice how that corresponds well with our record- we haven't dropped points yet. We keep that number above 3, it's going to pay dividends for our Qualification campaign. Remember, thanks to scheduling, we almost have to have a dominant Qualification campaign. We don't play on the final Matchday. What if we need points or something, or some sort of a result, on the final Qualification matchday? We will be sitting on the couch. We want to be sitting on the couch, having already qualified, eating popcorn, as opposed to the alternative- sitting on the couch, praying to the Lord for results in games that we cannot effect.

But scoring at such a high rate also effects players, as individuals. You see those tournaments, 84-88? So many of our top goalscorers, all-time, played in that era. They're incredibly difficult to catch. Look at the all-time scoring list for Banija- only 1 player, out of the top 12, is currently playing. With the team scoring at a great rate, as well as this being an extra long Qualification campaign(20 games), it is going to give a number of players the chance to rack up goals for themselves. And then, climb that list. Kausu Dione is the only one who's anywhere to be found on that list. But Sarafina Ikpeazu? Wesoloski-Okafor? They are capable of climbing into the top 10, and a prolific goalscoring campaign in this Qualification cycle can help get them there.

The lesson of all that? "Just keep scoring." Pam Scott, the manager, told reporters. "Goals bring about wins, eh? Which is why we're here." And she, of course, is not wrong. The next two day window promises to be another tough one for Banija, however. 50th ranked Sargossa will come into town to the Istria Olympic Stadium, followed by the Kadongo Kamu paying a visit to Brookstation on Matchday 8.

[Gnejs]

Part 2: Adolescence

If someone had asked what made him change his mind about football, he probably wouldn’t be able to give them a good answer. And truly a part of him never did change his mind completely. His skepticism against the game, or rather everything surrounding the game, was deep-seated. It was grounded in that one experience, where the line between love and hate was so thin it all coalesced into some form of undifferentiated affect. It had left him terrified of the blind antagonism against opponents, but also suspicious of displays of affection towards one’s own team, his feeling being that they were in actuality indistinguishable and the one contingent on the other.

There was a broader point to that feeling, because football related violence and hooliganism were widespread problems during the 1950’s and up to the mid-70’s, and Port Kejm was especially afflicted. There were clearly sectarian elements to the animosity between the two big capital clubs in those days, but unlike in other places and instances of rivalries fraught with violence, it lacked a clear cut source of division. Religious affiliation played no part, there weren’t any obvious socioeconomic cleavages between the fan bases, and while geography - as in west vs. east - was often put forward as an explanation, truthfully there had always been great dispersion of fans of either team in that regard. The hefty rivalry between the two clubs had been there since their founding in the late 1900’s, and heated scuffles weren’t unheard of, but it was sometime during the late 1950’s that a more sinister animosity started spreading amongst parts of the fanbase. It escalated over time and the clubs and local authorities were not suitably prepared or equipped to deal with it properly. They eventually entered into a partnership aiming to squash these unwanted tendencies, and this is often credited with being the main cause of getting the troubles more or less under control. That’s probably not completely untrue, but in reality it was the death of a young man during a post-game brawl in ‘72 that started turning things around. But that’s another story, really. It might possibly be a more interesting story, but it’s not the one we’re telling.

Anyways, it was a gradual process, letting go of his reluctance towards football. It started out small, first agreeing to accompany his friends and hang around the pitch during recess or after school, and then to actually watch the others play. And from there to getting opinions on how the game was being played, to eventually discussing the game with the rest of them. It really was gradual, because we’re talking about at least three years getting from A to B here. When he finally made his feelings known, he scolded his friends. They were all over the place, he felt. Everyone wanted to score and no one cared a bit about defending their own goal. It was stupid, and even though some might say there was a certain beauty to fast pace and gambles, he found the utter lack of structure appalling. At this point he was 15 years old, and had still never entered a pitch with the intention to play.

As he was nearing the end of ninth grade, and the transition towards gymnasium days was approaching, his trouble with maths persisted. It was a close call, but he was able to tread the water and just pass the important milestones. On the other hand, he excelled in languages, history, social studies and other similar subjects. He had developed a great love for classical fantasy novels and often quoted nuggets of ‘wisdom’ from old books like The Fellowship of The Rock or A Song of Slab and Gravel, much to the annoyance of pretty much everyone around him. His home life was still mostly characterized by warmth and stability, even though his parents did go through a brief hiatus after a failed attempt at getting in on the swingers scene that had become a fad in the late 60’s. It was too weird and freaked them both out. But they just needed some time and eventually they got back together and quietly agreed to never speak of those nights again.

He got good grades for the most part and picked Social Studies with a specialization in Psychology when he entered the local gymnasium. Most of his friends ended up in other classes, but since they all attended the same school that was of little concern. He kept on playing tennis, and made a good deal of progress. He competed regionally and actually won against Stefan Edelweiss once, who would go on to become one of the great players of that generation. He was still close with both Tommy and Saskia, even though Saskia had quit tennis for football and Tommy had just quit. It was the teens and drugs and alcohol started becoming a thing. He was never a big drinker himself, but he always tagged along with Tommy during weekend outings and house parties all over the westside. One night he had way too much to drink and started feeling unwell on the tramway. He got sick, but with great effort he kept it in for three stops and waited until he was off the platform before letting it all out in a bin. That’s a pretty disgusting anecdote, but it says a lot of about his character.

Now the rules of attraction were also starting to come into play, and the year he was going to turn 18 he first met Ellinor. She was a friend of Saskia, about a year younger than him, and had beautiful grey eyes. She always wore khakis and had this crooked smile that just melted his heart right from the start. She was heavily invested in the youth wing of one of those small liberal parties that never amount to anything, which was annoying of course, but she was nice to him and they made each other laugh. He became madly in love with her and spent most of his last gymnasium year with her, either in her basement or walking around the westside parks. He started skipping tennis more and more, and he also opted out of a lot of the end-of-school-parties, preferring to hang out with Ellinor. He was shy, and even though he longed for intimacy, he couldn’t bring himself to make those kind of advancements. Ellinor was slightly younger, but she still had more experience in that department, and that also made him even more nervous and cautious.

One day she asked him to come over to her house later that night, because her parents were away. He thought he saw something special in her eyes and in the way she smiled, and he began thinking that maybe this was it. That night, after they’d watched a movie, Ellinor said she needed to take care of some stuff and left the room. He was certain that the time had come, and in a very uncharacteristic move he started to undress. Ellinor got quite the shock when she returned with ice cream and found him stripped down to his boxers. She frowned and shook her head. He quickly pulled up his pants and apologized, saying that he had merely hoped that perhaps that would be the outcome of the night. She scolded him and said: no, he might’ve started out hoping, but in the end he had expected that to be the outcome of the night, and expectations are wicked things that cloud the mind. He said he didn’t understand, and she told him that one can always hope, but one must never allow that hope to morph into expectation. That stuck by him.

The awkwardness only lasted for a few days, and after a while they both laughed at what had happened. They stayed together for a few months, but slowly started drifting apart during the summer. While Ellinor was going to start her last gymnasium year, he was set to start at university. He had done well, and had been accepted by both of his top picks, Port Kejm University and the University of Ecpatia in the north. He dwelled on it for as long as he could, but when the cut-off was finally there, he decided to try something new. He moved up north to Finntorp on Ecpatia in the beginning of august 1973.

[Nyowani Kitara]

Note: This government owned media source is the most biased media sources in the entire country, so read this media source, especially the other news section, with a critical eye. Foreign media observers would call it a KPWC propaganda outlet, a charge that they would most certainly deny. They routinely charge the Free Press with straight up fabrications, something the newspaper rigorously denies. With recent legalization of opposition outlets within the country, its reach will inevitably decline, but in response it is doubling down on its loyalty to the President, and particularly, the party. Obviously, everything is strictly IC.

The opinion section, of course, is written as the opinion of an anonymous writer for this paper

The Kitara People's Free Press
The voice for the working people of Nyowani Kitara

SPORTS OPINION- Hot start at World Cup Qualifying proves that our sports teams are better united, in support of the President


Nyowani Kitara celebrates Odede Angonga's late winner against Equestria

DEWAYO, NYOWANI KITARA- As we are all Nyowani Kitara sports fans, we sit here, in our bye, understanding something simple, yet crucial- that we got a good thing going here. We understand the brutal reality. Nothing is given in World Cup Qualifying, and everything is earned. Every inch, every point, every goal- it is the most ruthless competition in all of sports. This tends to happen, of course, when 160-190 soccer teams all enter the same competition, looking to crown a world champion. It is something that is simply difficult, the process of whittling down 100 and something to simply one team standing. That's why we have World Cup Qualifying. Qualifying is not guaranteed to anybody, and of course, it is an accomplishment on its own. For a nation like ours, it is something we dream of. So close to our grasp(as we went to the playoffs last time out!), and yet, so far(as we lost 3-0 in the second leg of those same playoffs).

There is a gap, still, between teams that play in the World Cup, and between Nyowani Kitara. That was exposed last cycle. It was at two crucial junctures. One, against Ethane. Up 2-0 late in the first leg, we could've taken a commanding lead into Ethane. But a defensive collapse meant that they were able to earn the scoring draw on the road. And then, back in Ethane, we didn't stand a chance against a team that would end up in Pot 2 for the actual finals, losing 3-0. The second moment that was realized? When Starblaydia smoked us in the CoH Quarterfinals like we weren't even there. We were playing really well against all sorts of teams- but we went against a big nation, and it's like we simply fell over.

Unless you're Baker Park or Drawkland, you are going to have to struggle to make the World Cup for the first time. And that is where we are. And through just a short time(only one quarter of the way through Qualifying!), our team is actually looking pretty solid. We've won 4 of 5, including all three road games- against 76th ranked Equestria, 62nd ranked Sharktail, and 31st ranked Poafmersia, respectively. It could be argued that we were the underdogs for all three of our away trips so far, and to come out with 9 points in our three road games, against that kind of caliber of opposition, is nothing short of impressive. Nothing is guaranteed in the home legs against these very nations. But we're having the kind of performances, away from home, that get our minds wandering and dreaming of eventually getting a chance to play on the sport's greatest stage.

I want to talk about something in regards to this national team, however. Last cycle, there were a few players who left the national team, because of their opposition to the President. Is it an incredibly weak reason to leave the national team? Yes. Supporting a traitor and warlord like Max Ulf, and spreading lies about the President and Government, is always a bad idea. But look at what happened to them. Arendt Sundin and Omollo Ayange are now plying their domestic trade in Chromatika. They haven't been home since. Vilgot Westermark and Johannes von Weber now both live full-time in Tikariot. They liked to fabricate "danger" (probably just couldn't handle a debate smh), and try to embarass their country in front of the world.

OF course, they all got their 15 minutes of twii.tur fame. And they thought they could force the KWFA to back down from their strong support of the legitimate President. But instead, the team thrived even without them. "Of course, it is never easy to replace so many players in the smack-dab middle of a World Cup Qualification campaign." Said the manager, Liang Wei. "But you do what you gotta do. Next man up mentality, right? And the team... It thrived." Thrived it did, indeed. We stunned the multiverse by actually making the Playoffs. Right in front of a pair of traitors, Arendt Sundin and Omollo Ayange. A 3-2 road win stunned everyone, and as the anti-Akongo haters raged, Kitaran fans knew- this was a team that played for each other.

We got rid of the self-obsessed excess that only rots national teams. And we are only better for it. Their defections are at the heart of why we made the Playoffs. And those same defections, are at the heart of our great start to this campaign. Winners of 4 of 5! 3-0-0 in away games! Can't get much better than this to kick off a campaign. You know why I say they are at the heart of our success? Because they allowed this team to play with a sense of purpose, with a sense of togetherness. Those who were opposing the President during the civil war like that- destroying the national fabric. Look at the way they worked together in their comeback win over Equestria. Once Salem Lagum knocked in the equalizer off the bench in the 78th minute, we all knew that it was only a matter of time until we found the winner. And after that, it took Odede Angonga only four minutes to send us straight into ecstasy.

The success of the national team, of course, is a metaphor for the success of the nation. We've got to unify behind the President. Did you see Angonga lift his shirt that said "VOTE KPWC" after his goal? He'll get fined for that for political messaging, but it's a fine that he'll gladly pay. This country is going to be lost and wayward without President Akongo at its head. But a country firmly unified, behind our glorious President, is one that is set up to move forward together, in a way that will give us long-term success.

Follow the national team. Support Nafuna Akongo. Vote KPWC.

[Baggieland]

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Daily 2022
BP look to extend streak ahead of bye
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

A trip to Pyazhnana will be the only action for the Baker Park National Team during the forthcoming international break for matchdays 7 & 8 of World Cup Qualifying.

The scheduled off-day on day 8 comes ahead of the final three matches in the first half of competition--home dates against Trolleborg at the BBP Stadium and the visit of Gortolekua to Collins Park in Oceana will bookend a trip to Acastanha before the mid-qualification break.

The Bees took all six points from the trip to Ranoria and the Tekatus match at the Newport City Stadium, keeping them tied atop the Group 4 table with Jeruselem on 15 points as the Commonwealth's offensive firepower continued to be difficult for opponents to contain.

The 3-1 win in Richardson was not as close as the score indicated, as Baker Park recorded three times as many shots as the hosts--21 to 7 with a 10-3 advantage in attempts on goal--on 61% total possession; Kyle Baum, Pryna Rasanamira and Isebelle Wiley found the back of the Snow Bear's net, with Hayley Gibson and Kelvin Buxton both denied by the woodwork.

The match in Newport against the BOF newcomers tightened up after Zack Johnston saw red after tripping Candle Factorbuilt V.28 on a breakaway challenge with BP ahead 5-1 in the 79th minute; Beth Rossi came on but was unable to stop Risk Factorbuilt V.10's penalty, and then was beaten by Beta Sturnweilerbuilt V.3 in the 89th minute to close out the scoring. Alicia Craig had a brace for the Bees while Daniel Pryor and Marcus Milton spotted the home side to a 4-0 lead, with Chandra Mack adding a fifth off the bench.

The trip to the Krasnograd Dome to square off against the BOF 76 Champion has the makings of a classic trap match for Baker Park, as the Phoenix sit fifth in the table on 9 points and will be looking to make it a home sweep of the top two seeds in the group, having defeated the Tiger Princesses on matchday 2; Rod Callaway and Alan Wiseman will make their first WCQ appearances in the starting XI, with Amber McFairlaine and Shelby Engels available off the substitutes bench for the first time.

Lineup vs Pyazhnaya:

Callaway; Hutchins, Freeman, Wiseman; Rizzo, Nolan (C), Shanahan, Reynolds; D'Amico; Garvey, Wadsworth

[Mertagne]

The results of the vote to create the Mertagnian Assembly had been tallied, and approximately 60% of the incumbent National Forum members had found the plan, in its smoothed out form after a week of debate, palatable enough to vote for it. This simple majority meant that the motion was carried up to the Federal Council, where it now sat firmly in the hands of President Alyson Hydguera. Sixty percent of votes in the National Forum was a serious mandate for this bill to pass, especially as members of the Workers Unions of Mertagne Block had broken from their senior coalition partner, and had allowed for their members to vote freely on the issue. The WUM members were fairly split in their votes, with the more rural NFMs from the western side of the country tending to vote for a shake-up. Touchpoint, with its dense population in cities such as Neorudo and Kurtz, also sided with the ruralites, as it was down south where the Aurrerra! sentiment for change was at its strongest.

Hydguera questioned a lot of things in the time between the motion ascended from the National Forum to now, where she was sat in the front and centre chair of the Federal Council, armed with a pen or six that was going to physically sign the written motion into reality. Even members of her own block had broken the orders that were given to them to vote against this motion, with a group of UMP NFMs the media was dubbing 'The Emancipating Eleven'. The name gave away where those particular media outlets lay in regards to the debate - this current form of the Mertagnian Charter was so against lobbying, the 'special interest groups' that corporations paid people to sit at were forced to run for government themselves, with marginal success. Any excuse to potentially get their foot in the door and change that, they'd clearly go for, and so it seemed that even media pressure, which was normally for the status quo, was now against Alyson.

She'd paid attention to the debates with a keen ear, and much of what the opposition had claimed had some merit - Mertagnian politics in its current form seemed to operate at two speeds - the lightning fast rate at which the forum trawled through members, and the agonisingly slow pace in which laws were debated in the forum, sent up to the Federal Council, sent back down to the Regional Forums, complained about in the Regional Forums where they wouldn't be ratified, and then sent back to the National Forums where they'd be tweaked to meet an ever-growing list of earmarked 'federal issues'. Alyson figured that the system encouraged compromise, but as she learned in her blunderous transport strike-down, it seemed that her way of expediting that process by sending the bill back to the drawing board before the Regionals could kick up a stink wasn't in vogue at all.

Alyson knew she now had two options. The first was to stick to her principles, principles that she had been voted in for as President, and to strike this motion down until it came back in a form her block was more happy with. She had, in an internal session with the UMP block, suggested that the National Forum consider and create a list of constitutional amendments they were happy with, and vote them through in a supermajority, as the existing Charter details, but it seems that opinion polling was showing that there was more of an appetite for the process of the Assembly to take place instead, especially from the opposition of Aurrera!. They had, in her opinion, successfully tricked the electorate into believing that having the final say on a series of options presented by a more closed group than what they have now was somehow a good idea. In one way, it was ironic - she didn't want the general public to have her job - the job of veto.

The other option, of course, was to sign off on the motion and allow the Assembly to go ahead. Her political career would remain intact, but her credibility among her peers would diminish. She would, in all likelihood, also be given a seat at the table in drafting the revised Charter. However, it was essentially signing her career away, as much as she believed she would be present in politics - Aurrera! had made it abundantly clear that the office of the President was the first item on the proverbial chopping block.

Weighing them up in her mind, she grabbed the pen and hovered over the page. She thought back to a quote that her mother often used to say - that it was "better to serve in Heaven than rule in Hell". If she vetoed this bill, she was certain that Aurrera! would make sure she did the latter.

With a flick, she signed the paper and placed it in a dishevelled leather briefcase. This briefcase was used to house the original Mertagnian Charter, as Statesman Roper travelled across the country to write it, and was used as a tradition after the President signed a new law. The case was passed to a town crier who would take it to the courtyard outside the Federal Council building and read it in its entirety.

She hoped that traditions like that would remain in whatever form the next government would take.

[Forbidden Territories]

The Schiel Bombings

By A Staff Correspondent

---

On 6th May 2022, at the Watersport Arena at Tigres, 6 timer bombs were blown off on 7:30 p.m. in the evening resulting in 12 deaths and 43 injuries, the aftermaths of which will be felt for yesrs to come. From what can be gathered from the cctv camera in the entrance of the stadium facing inwards, the entire front side of the stadium collapsed with it's hull breaking and falling down on the ground within seconds, the jumbotron present outside for field viewers got demolished and the metallic shrapnels spread as far as 300 m from the site. The Light Tower at the side got crooked before completely falling down hitting a parked car. Emergency service had been phoned as soon as possible with the fire department arriving to quell off any stray fires present in the area and attempting to rescue civilians stuck within the debris;

A fleet of ambulance arrived alongside dozen of medical vans. Passerbies and dejected fans nearby the area soon came to view the ongoing rescue operations as well as get a few pictures in their repertoire to post in social media and garner likes.The stray fires slowly converged and started engulfing all floraThe Law Enforcement soon came in order to disperse the crowd and provide a green channel for ambulance. As the deaths increased, so did the pressure mounted on the emergency services, the fire trucks had finished the last stray fire, but on the other side, more ambulances were being sent as more and more people emerged from the debris. The next 2 days had been fully reserved in order to clear all heavy debris off the field and find any remaining survivor who was still stuck under the debris.

By 9th May, the last piece of debris was cleared, and the final list of casualties , Injuries and expenditure was released in a statement.

Casualties:       8 men        4 women  
Injuries:         27 men       14 women       2 children
Total Expenditure
Jumbotron:         
15M Cordillian Aurum

Light Tower:        
10000 Cordillian Aurum

Horius 78 Model Z car:  
2000 Cordillian Aurum

Recreational Statues:  
5000 Cordillian Aurum

Seats:
1000 Cordillian Aurum

Temporary Erected Stalls:
200 Cordillian Aurum

Stadium Hull:
40M Cordillian Aurum

There has been a lot of speculation on whether the attack was purposely done at the exact time. A friendly match with Kostalos was supposed to be played at the exact time, however it got delayed by 5 hours, as the plane that the Kostalan team was supposed to travel in was delayed due to turbulence. If they were to arrive on time, then the stadium would be packed to its brim , full of Forther and Kostalan fans supporting the respectivr teams. One could only thank the blessings of Margaret for had she not delayed the flight, a massacre would have happened on the stadium. A lot of questions are being asked regarding the safety of Forbidden Territories and the protection by law enforcement. Prominent Opposition member Alain said:-

This entire event is a disgracd in our nation's prideful history. A mess of this magnitude has never occured. This is all due to the current government's plan on focusing more on the economy instead of security. How can a tier 1 stadium which is being used so often have bombs planted in it. What about the guards working? Was there no checking? Is there some impostor among us who has somehow planted the bomb having the facade of being a respected member? Well I win't be surprised knowing that the party is full of corrupt powerhungry abusive losers who just want to win the election

There were several others echoing the same statement albeit not in this manner. On 9th May, the Schiel Society claimed responsibility for this atttack, much to everyone's surprise. On 10th May, they were officially inducted into Blacklisted Organisations of the nation. After the incident, protests began on many parts of the nation in regards to safety and security of the people.

[Ko-oren]

"How dare they ignore us? How DARE they?" Piresthinden's voice rang out through the perfectly circular Ko-orenite parliament. "The meritocrats are undermining the will of the democracy, for one, and why are Cardenao pretending like we don't exist, while trying to take their business to Banija EVEN MORE?"

"Could I remind the gentleman of the NPK that Minister Wegman is currently considering to join AORTA via a fast-track programme, after said gentleman's outburst in parliament less than a week ago?"

"Please remind me, and the entire electorate of Ko-oren. On national news, if possible, Mrs. Speaker. Elections are never far away. Thank you for the free publicity. Either way, Wegman, Gelogathingun, and Thompson are asleep at the wheel."

"That's Minister Wegman, Minister Gelogathingun, and Secretary Thompson, for the record," as the Speaker of the House nodded to the clerks. "With that, the floor is open to Mrs. Claringbold, of the Parti Démocratique."

"Thank you, Mrs. Speaker. I agree with the gentleman of the NPK for the most part, and thank you for speaking out on behalf of the democratic institution and tradition in our fair country - we never took you for supporters of the democratic cause. I suppose the Nationalist Party of Ko-oren has adjusted its policies lately, and we look forward to increased collaboration over the next weeks, months, years."

"That's NOT the plan, thank YOU."

"Mr. Piresthinden, the Nationalist Party of Ko-oren's time to speak has ended. It's Mrs. Claringbold's turn now."

---

Ko-oren announced intention to join AORTA

Minister Fie Wegman for Infrastructure and Transportation has announced her intention to fast-track Ko-oren's joining of AORTA, the Anaian region's visa free travel agreement. While not a free trade agreement, it does make steps towards that easier, as a bilateral trade agreement can simply refer to AORTA's statutes if both nations are already a part of that.

The Ministry of I&T's move is explained by a situation arising in Cardenao, where the Ko-orenite government cannot realistically be a part of talks despite the government's earlier commitment to being an active part of Anaian relations. It came as no surprise, but the fact that the Ministry is attempting a 'fast-track' can be called highly surprising. No decision comes easy at that policy level.

What else can be said about AORTA? Anaia's first and most successful regional organisation comprises 22 member states and six observer states, and includes nearby Mont Vert, Huayramarca's San Carlos Islands, Quebec and Shingoryeo, the Ochre Islands, and of course Cardenao. Out of our nearby neighbours, only Avorago, the Plough Islands and Pyazhnaya are not members (yet). Only the latter can be called a major trade partner of Ko-oren, given the population sizes (and/or political ideology) of the other two. In seeking to dominate (diplomatically) western Anaia - that is, the Ocean of Ayes, the Celestial Ocean, and Salamantic Sea and its landmasses - Cardenao lies in a vital spot, potentially linking the continents of Nova Calania and Lurhautsia, potentially forming a barrier for every vessel travelling from Calania's west to its east. Trade routes have three possibilities here: the northern route, between Quebec and Pyazhnaya, which is our shortest way to the massive economy of Starblaydia. The southern route, which is at risk of blockades by Cardenao, a developing nation whose government is a slight unknown to us. Then there is the overland route, through Huayramarca, and from there into Mertagne, Krytenia, and onwards. Given taxes and fares for using their infrastructure, this might be a fast route but also a hugely expensive one, leaving us with just the northern route, in which case we're giving the Quebecois considerable leverage over our trade as well. Having a strong, stable ally in western Anaia as a trading partner is vital to Ko-oren's success in the region economically.

On top of that, it might be vital to Prime Minister Laurderinthen as well - his campaign to leave Atlantian Oceania for Anaia hinges on economic success for the dragonfly archipelago, which was promised to increase as we can now deal with the Calanian nations and its eastern islands directly instead of through the nuclear wasteland of northwestern Atlantian Oceania, effectively locked away from regional trade as a whole. Diplomatically, Laurderinthen has been victorious: Ko-oren is home to several Anaian offices including the office of Delegate, but economically, trade revenue hasn't gone up nearly enough to call the Anaia move a success. While we're not a developing economy, it's a far stretch to call us fully developed.

[Pluvia and the Saxean Isles]

Goldberg emerges as leader for Magpies after Schuerer's departure

Christopher Teschner, Marienburg Herald

In the 82nd Cup of Harmony, an opening win over Valladares seemed to signal a new era for Laurent Chambéry's side. However, losses to Wreckeria and Omerica quickly dashed hopes of advancing to the playoffs and AOCAF 66 became the new hope for the Magpies. A surprise defeat of Qasden, followed by downing debutantes Ugrua, advanced the Magpies past the group stage. They blasted North Handoria 5-2 before being thoroughly defeated by giants Valanora 3-0, ending their AOCAF journey in the quarterfinals. Much of this AOCAF run could be attributed to the steadying influence of captain and right midfielder Tristan Schuerer. Locking down the right side and providing strong distribution and tactical assistance, Schuerer's presence calmed the side. He and Chambéry were a deadly duo, making adjustments and communicating effectively as they worked into their second AOCAF together. Unfortunately, Schuerer elected to retire from the national team after his successful AOCAF, saying he wanted to "make way for the next generation." In his place, Chambéry chose winger Rory Goldberg, a dynamic scoring threat, but not someone regarded as the same kind of tactician as Schuerer.

When asked why he chose Goldberg, Chambéry explained that he wanted a player who could wear the captain's armband for multiple World Cups and AOCAFs to come, principally. Players like Carsten Francke, the left wing, Brandon Turner, the center midfielder, or Bram Holger, the Saxean keeper, were likely to be slowed and age out of national team quality in the next year or two. Goldberg, by contrast, likely had another four or five years to helm the side. Secondly, Goldberg has outstanding talent and scoring ability. Chambéry believed it was vital for one of the top players on the side, who has started for multiple competitions, to lead. "A captain must be able to deliver for his team," said the Magpies manager. "Mssr. Goldberg has come through for us on numerous occasions and is a natural choice." Finally, Chambéry knew that Goldberg needed to step up and be more involved with the team. "On occasion, as a striker, it is easy to focus only on your end of the pitch. Mssr. Goldberg is a charismatic individual who can inspire the rest of the side if he but applies himself."

Goldberg himself admits that he was initially ambivalent about it, but came around. "When Chamby first asked me to be captain, I was like, you want me? I thought Bram or even Carsten would be better options. But we sat down and talked about it and I realized that this was an incredible opportunity for me, so I took it on. This kind of responsibility is an honor and I'm glad Chamby and my teammates have that confidence in me."

So far, Goldberg has been the kind of leader Chambéry thought he could be. He's led with talent, scoring goals against Oberour ar Moro, North and South Vietnam, and Tjorl, for 27.3% of the Magpies' goals so far. But he's also led with effort, being noticeably more likely to get back on defense and harass players in a press. Previously, Goldberg was content to offer token pressure or hang out upfield, waiting to cherrypick and try to score an easy goal on a counter attack. Additionally, he's been present with Chambéry during breaks in the action, getting a crash course in tactical direction. Teammates, like left midfielder Austin Davies, say he's not quite at Schuerer's level yet, but they've been pleased with his work: "Goldy's not Tristan, of course, but he's been really vocal in a lot of ways and of course, he's continuing to put balls in the back of the net, so you gotta love that."

Results have been somewhat uneven so far, for the Magpies, but positive overall. They've blown by minnows Tjorl and North and South Vietnam by a combined score of 8-3, and have drawn a stronger and a weaker opponent, respectively, in Oberour ar Moro and The Gothanita Isles. The only real slipup has been the 4-1 defeat to Yuezhou. It's not as if the Rushmori nation is a paper tiger, being ranked 41st in the world, but the Magpies looked thoroughly uncompetitive after Francke scored a goal to tie the game at one in the 26th minute. They haven't even played the top two seeds in the group yet, Nephara and Mercedini, and those could be ugly if the Yuzehou result holds. Additionally, there's a coin-flip game against a disciplined Valentine Z squad that Goldberg's leadership could make a big difference in. However, the soft part of the schedule isn't over yet, as the Magpies do get United Adaikes and Kamisato Ayaka, both of whom are ranked solidly below Pluvia and have a cumulative -6 goal differential.

While it's clear that Goldberg still has a lot of learning to do, his leadership and skill have propelled the Magpies to a decent start. The upcoming games against United Adaikes and Kamisato Ayaka will provide him with further chances to hone his abilities before the all-important clashes with Valentine Z, Nephara, and Mercedini. Nevertheless, these aren't gimme games and Chambéry and Goldberg must devise a plan to keep the team disciplined and the opponents down. There'll be plenty more confident Magpies fans if they enter matchday 9 at Valentine Z 4-2-1 than if they stumble against one or both sides.

[Xanneria]

Phil Potterly, looked out over his team as they had come of the field in Poafmersia. 5-2 was the scoreline. There wasn't much Phil could do. His team was one that was a Phoenix, rising from the ashes of a two year hiatus, changes were made in not just the roster but in the philosophy of the rosters build. Youth was served as the Campianato Esportiva team won their group on a 2-10 record, but Hallikshire, and Fhulgomous Peninsula are not Ko-Oren and Paofmersia. It wasn't like the goal keeping was bad either. Talent abounded! Mookie Danube is a world class keeper in the Savojarnia Football System, one of the worlds best leagues! Tero Heponnen was shaky versus Sudila, but a 19 year old in a high pressure game of World Cup qualifying isn't a great mix to begin with. So far Evan Jefferson has been great aside from the own-goal versus Ko-oren. Defense may have been the issue. There's a long held belief the Levi siblings would always be the key, when on the field together it's hard to play against the trio, but split them up and things fall apart. Heck there's a common rumor floating around that the siblings are even psychic. Yet due to a Roster that was officially declared fluid the only opportunity the trio had to start together was during a friendly versus Juvencus. That ended in a 2-2 draw!

Poafmersia has been what many call "Pemecutan Light". A team that had something Xanneria needed. Depth! This was important as Poaf brought out a rather mixed line up of new call-ups and veteran talent lead Poafmersia to a 5-2 win. A score reminiscent of one of the worst losses in Xannerian history, but also against a much better team than the Free Republic of Hong Kong they lost 5-2 at home to so many years ago. Mitchel Rosales was again a force to be reckoned with. The second most capped player on the team, he kept the Maroons in check, taking advantage of the age of Kyle Falcon and the height disadvantage of Allison Burns to wreak havoc on the Maroons in what seemed like every offensive possession. It came to a head late in the game at the 77th minute, when Rosales was shadowing Burns. He wasn't paying attention and collided with midfielder, and get sent on a quick trip to the ground. The Boos were loud, and head coach Adnan Suliaha, was livid, arguing with the referee that that was an intentional play from Octavious Smith. The ref on the other hand, had declared that since Rosales had not been looking at Smith it was his fault and no card was given. Deep down everyone even the Xannerian's who traveled knew that was a pick play, something common in basketball but dangerous and stupid to pursue in football. Burns did get free from her defender, but the medical crew had to go out as Rosales did sit up but was holding his shoulder as he would eventually be found to have some nasty bruising from the fall and Allison wasn't able to take a shot.

Potterly didn't have things go better for him against Delaclava. Maybe it was karma, for the play that shook up Mitchel Rosales, but Delaclava came and conquered the Maroons at home in XanAir II. It didn't help that Delaclava had 6'2" Lukas Meyer into the starting line up and it created all sorts of match-up issues against Allison Burns. But in the end the matchup worked for Delaclava, as he scored two goals and gave Dela a 4-2 victory. The usually silent-level headed Potterly had been slowly unraveling at the seams, so it seemed. He had a record Now he was in the home stretch of the first half of world cup qualifiers. What could he do before his gasket blew?

(Huerta 16' 51' Tallcock 39' Seet 46' Jackson 84') Poafmersia 5-2 Xanneria (Bronson 83' Falcon 90+2)

(Burns 58' Bryse 75') Xanneria 2-4 Delaclava (Meyer 10' PK 81', Gretler 25', Bryse 40' [OG])

[Flavovespia]

Flavovespia 3 - 1 Savojarna

In a game some saw as key for setting the tone going forward, Flavovespia managed to beat higher seeded side Savojarna, for their 3rd win of the Qualifiers. The game in Saints Park wasn’t going to be easy, but the front 3 delivered to get this win.

Changes had been made after defeat in Starblaydia. Tony Gardner returned as a starter, Kieron Player was back in the squad, replacing David Clark, and a front three of Jonathan Bagshaw, Scott Coleman and Michael Cole was chosen.

Cautious is the word for the opening exchanges, both sides sensed this was a winnable game, but didn’t want to concede the opening goal. Savojarna were the ones with the early initiative, putting in some probing crosses and asking questions of the Flavovespian defence, questions that were being answered.

Against the run of play somewhat, Flavovespia scored the opener. A long ball over the top by Kieron Player set Michael Cole away. The defence couldn’t catch him, Aleksandra Virulainen came out to try and narrow the angle, but Michael Cole still had the accuracy to score.

Michael Cole struck again six minutes before half time. A corner was whipped in, it took a deflection from an attempted header, and fell somewhat fortuitously for Cole. No mistakes made, as he put his laces through the shot to double his tally.

The final blow from Flavovespia came six minutes after the break. This time Michael Cole was the supplier. A cross intended to Scott Coleman missed him and everyone centrally in the box. Jonathan Bagshaw was running in however, and his shot hit the roof of the net, just under the crossbar as it crossed the line. His clinical instinct had paid off.

Savojarna got a consolation goal in the 79th minute. Seen Ehlers found some space, and with pinpoint accuracy, put the ball where Aarif Muhammad couldn’t reach. It was too little too late, and Flavovespia saw out the final minutes to secure am important win. They move to 4th and keep sight of the playoffs, but Savojarna after their difficult start last time will fear a sense of déjà vu this time.

Turori 2 - 1 Flavovespia

A game that wasn’t quite as close as the scoreline suggests, Turori got the better of Flavovespia to end the momentum of the visitors. In a tough group, Turori continued to show no signs of worry in this match.

For Flavovespia, it so nearly was the dream start. Jonathan Bagshaw whipped in a dangerous cross, and Scott Coleman got a glancing touch on it. It so nearly fell for Michael Cole, but he couldn’t quite slide in at the back post to score.

Flavovespia didn’t have a better chance in the first half, and that cost them. In the 22nd minute, an interception in midfield was turned into a quick ball forward to Nua'oma Aikiki. Nua'oma Aikiki took the ball under control, and finished a pacey run with a calm finish into the net. 1-0 to Turori, who were looking calm and collected.

The lead was doubled in the 53rd minute. A shot from outside the box by Cuoabaza Orani’aoa was well placed, and caught Aarif Muhammad a little flat footed. It was a well taken goal, the type you’d expect from an elite nation.

2-0 through the injury time, some late excitement was provided by Jonathan Bagshaw on minute number 92. 25 metres out, and with limited passing options, he went for the shot. It was executed perfectly, and the young star gave Flavovespia the tiniest bit of hope. However, Turori finished out the last minute or so without Flavovespia having another sniff at the ball. Turori keep a perfect record, Flavovespia meanwhile go into a bye, hoping to build themselves up for the fight for a playoff place.

Flavovespia’s Obscure Eleven: Mohammed Saleem (CB)

As far as obscure players for Flavovespia goes, defender Mohammed Saleem takes the prize, as they had the least responses in the poll to determine this squad. It’s not a particularly big surprise in some respect, Mohammed Saleem has just 1 cap for Flavovespia, and that was in a dead rubber game, as will be discussed in this article.

His journey to the national team was quite an unusual one. A rotational player at Marthorpe City, but often starting alongside Mark James in 28AU at the age of 23, at the time a Flavovespia national team defender, he certainly had the making of a potential national team player. However an inability to get assurances he would be a guaranteed starter, and his bags were packed for the transfer window. The destination: Lìbêrêtê in Farfadillis, and Dí Maozöxê. For a fair few it seemed an odd choice, given his chances of first team football were lower, but the prestige of playing for a club in Farfadillis was too high to ignore.

Unsurprisingly Mohammed Saleem was spending a lot of time on the bench in the Shango-Fogoa Premier League, and game time was limited. The critics thought that, despite the prestige and greater exposure he had in a roster of a bigger league, it was a wasted chance for him to develop as a player. Others said though, with the likes of Scott Coleman and Tony Gardner going abroad, no Flavovespian deserved criticism for at least trying out domestic football abroad.

It was 33AU, and the AOCAF Cup 63 whereupon Mohammed Saleem received his first, and only, call up. With Tony Gardner and Alexander May seemingly in strong form, it was going to be a competition for the 3rd centre back spot in the new back 5 setup under manager Marcus McCormick. Despite that, Saleem’s call up received some criticism, in part due to his lack of game time. 6 of the team had no caps either, so it was clear that Marcus McCormick had gone for a more experimental selection, trying to distinguish the squad from Alan Young’s side that failed at World Cup Qualifiers 87 and Cup of Harmony 79.

By the time Saleem would get to play, it was too late to make an impact on AOCAF Cup 63. 3 of Flavovespia’s 4 games were gone, and they were already out. Only a dead rubber game against Valanora remained. Valanora, already through but targeting a group win, showed no mercy. Less than two minutes in, a chip by Laborious Hawk set Harlem Saxstrom past the back line of Flavovespia, to score. Laborious Hawk would dribble past Saleem on route to the second goal for Valanora. Lothas Ludwig got a 3rd for Valanora in the 59th minute. By the time Valanora wrapped up a 4-1 win, Saleem was substituted off, having not gotten up to speed in the game.

For the World Cup Qualifiers 88, Mohammed Saleem wasn’t in the squad. And with Daniel Lansdell and debutant Stuart Cookson beginning to show they were able to get up to speed with the international game, the pool of spots for other centre backs began to dry up quickly, not least Mohammed Saleem. Now reaching the latter stages of his career, it’s hard to see Saleem add to his single solitary cap. He’s played a small part in a big domestic league, but his part in Flavovespia’s history is very small.

A question asked of all these players in this list is whether they deserve to be obscure, and were they bad players? In terms of obscurity, less than 90 minutes for Flavovespia, in a game that didn’t matter, that level of obscurity is hard to beat. Was Mohammed Saleem a bad player? Well defensively he was part of a side that conceded 4 to Valanora, but in 4 attempts no Flavovespian side has avoided conceding at least 3 to them. Saleem was initially off the pace, but that was compared to some top quality players. He was thrown in the deep end, and never given much of a chance to swim. At the same time, was he one of the best 4 or 5 centre backs available to Flavovespia? The scales are tilting towards no.

[Adab]

Tuesday, November 2, 2038
Adab 3-1 Eshialand
Adab scorers: Yissakar (27’, 50’), Akaptaha (69’)

---

Tuesday, November 9, 2038
The Hainan Union 0-1 Adab
Adab scorers: Yargab (75’)

A Dance with Football
Snapshots of the lives of the people involved in Adabian football and those associated with them
For a full list of chapters click here. To read all the chapters in one go click here
For an (incomplete) list of major/prominent characters in this story click here and scroll down to the ‘Football’ section

Chapter 63: Flight

Rashid Abbas stared almost absentmindedly as the clouds passed him by. Outside the world was a cloth of crystal blue, dotted by those variously-shaped white formations, rising above an endless layer of brown and red wind-swept terrain over which the feet of countless tribes and caravans had walked. Where caravan routes once were, paved highways now reigned, lines of stark black crisscrossing the land. As his eyes shifted downwards to contemplate the world below, he could see shapes – small as they were – of cars making their way through the highway, and hints of buildings of the next town somewhat in the distance.

If Faraby was small, comfy, and lost at sea, then Adab was almost the complete opposite: a vast nation on the continent where great cities rose as majestic dots of human population across a mostly hot and arid region. They did share a common characteristic in the form of prosperity, especially following the end of the 15-year period of low-intensity conflict in Faraby known as the Dark Time which concluded with the island joining the Empire of Adab to save itself from financial ruin. The integration had been successful so far; peace and order were restored to the island and the towns were bustling once again, particularly the capital Faraby City. It was almost as if the Dark Time never happened.

Still, as bustling as Faraby City might be, it was but a shadow of the greatest metropolis in the region. Adab City was where everyone mingled. People of all tribes, races, religions, and temperaments, all plying their trade and hoping fate would smile on them and riches come to them. At best it was a mini-World Assembly, a place where everyone could live together, side by side in peace. At worst it was a suffocating urban jungle, a disorganized maze of jumbled-together brick-and-mortar buildings and modern high-rise structures, where people would sell their souls for a promotion in the workplace and lies, betrayal, and backstabbing were as much a part of life as mother’s milk. Everyone who had had the good fortune of dealing with the Adab Football Association could testify to that.

But now, it was a city in discontent, where public reaction to the AFA’s treatment of two footballers in love was threatening to turn into a full-fledged riot against the government, where the treatment of Emma Arthur and Alulim Sinmuballit had caused people from all walks of life to pour into the streets, clashing with police, besieging the AFA headquarters, and breaking windows, either because they saw at least a little of themselves in Arthur and Sinmuballit, or because they saw in them a threat which had to be extinguished.

So it was with some trepidation that Rashid brought his father on this flight. It was not what he wanted; it was the Sovereign Prince’s order. Adab City had the best medical facilities in the entire country, and the Prince had enjoined his representatives in the city to acquire a bungalow just a short distance from one of the city’s best hospitals (as well as the Faraby Representative Office in Adab City), so that Alulim Abbas, a great Farabian and faithful servant of the principality, might receive the best treatment possible for his gradually advancing dementia. The Prince had fully guaranteed Rashid and his father’s safety; no way, he insisted, the protestors could ever come close to them. Besides, as a popular assistant manager of the national football team who was not an ally of Naram-Sin Araqasdah, the protestors had no reason to come after Rashid anyway.

Next to Rashid sat Sabiha the nurse, and across the narrow aisle of the private jet there were Maria the other nurse and Alulim Abbas himself, occasionally talking in a low tone, sometimes repeating things he had just said. He had his good days and bad days; the drugs had gone a pretty good job of stemming the progression of the disease but Rashid and everyone else knew they were only delaying the inevitable. Ideally a move to Adab City could result in an increase in the older man’s quality of life, but with the city teetering on civil disorder that ideal seemed so far away for now.

“It’s so nice,” the older man commented out of nowhere, staring at the back of the seat in front of him, without specifying what he was commenting about.

“Yes, Mr. Abbas, it is nice,” Maria smiled and nodded. In his seat, Rashid turned to glance at his father but did not say anything himself. That was the only thing his father said for a while; his inability to hold a conversation was perhaps the most glaring sign of his dementia.

As Rashid leaned back on his seat, the first strands of a tune began to emerge out of the speaker through which the pilot would usually make his announcements. The crew had finally obliged Alulim’s repeated requests to “play a song” (when asked “What song?” he simply replied “Play a song”), plugging Sabiha’s phone into the speaker and loading up a song from the older man’s youth.

Sunday morning, brings the dawn in
It’s just a restless feeling by my side

As Lou Reed’s voice washed over the inside of the plane like water over the beach and the course of the Euphrates came into view on the horizon, Rashid remembered the other reason he was coming to the city.

Early dawning, Sunday morning
It’s just the wasted years so close behind

He needed to speak with Naram-Sin.

Watch out, the world’s behind you
There’s always someone around you who will call

Rashid closed his eyes. And the clouds passed him by.

It’s nothing at all

Adab lineup for World Cup Qualifiers MD7 (November 16, 2038 vs. Damukuni at home) and MD8 (November 23, 2038 vs. Sendhang away)

Starting lineup: Chandrasekar, Altun, Enmerkar (VC), Akshak, al-Maliki, Arthur, Samanu, Orlev (C), Akaptaha, Yissakar, Barzani

Substitutes: Shulgi, al-Tikriti, Issou, Thomas, al-Muntar, Emmita, Uhwan, Zambiya, al-Kufa, Yargab